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Is your system working?

February 18, 2009 / / 13 Comments

I’ve been in my current ministry position now for a little over a year. Our church is structured around a three-fold strategy of creating followers of Christ: Gather, Commit, and Serve:

As we GATHER to celebrate Jesus and encounter biblical principles, COMMIT to one another in community groups, and SERVE by using the gifts God has given us to invest in the lives of others, we will grow in our passion for God, our compassion for God’s people, and our effectiveness in God’s work of developing growing followers.

That’s our system, and my role in the system is to facilitate, oversee, and help to develop community groups. I completely believe in our system, the simplicity of it (and the simplicity of what it means to be a be a follower of Christ), and am committed to it wholeheartedly. However, I’m always evaluating it, and specifically, the role of community groups in creating authentic community that fosters growth in godliness.

About two months ago, I was counseling a young man who had lots of questions about his next step in life. Basically, his question was, “What do I do next?” He needed help in thinking through future career options, future spouse options, financial next-steps, etc. He thought that his problem was that he struggled with change, and was afraid to take big steps. Over the course of only a few weeks, we determined that his problem was much greater. The next big step that he needed to take, the one that would determine the course of his life forever, was to become a follower of Christ. I told him that this decision would not necessarily make his life ‘easier.’ It would also not lay out in detail his exact next step. However, he would be resting his future in the hands of the One who created the universe (Genesis 1), who holds all things together (Colossians 1:17), and whose hand cannot be stayed (Daniel 4:35). So, this young man decided to place his faith in Christ!

That’s great news, right? I should be rejoicing, right?

I am, but I’m also saddened.

This man has been in one of our community groups for over a year. He has sat in a group every week, and still was troubled by the question, “What is the gospel?” This man is very intelligent, and can easily comprehend difficult, abstract concepts, but still had the question, “Why did Jesus have to die?” and “What does it mean to repent?” He didn’t know why we needed a sacrifice for our sins, and that Christ had offered himself as our perfect lamb.

If he was just a semi-regular Sunday morning attender, I could feel okay about this. But he’s there every single week, and is one of the most faithful members of his small group.

This bothers me. How could someone be plugged into what I thought was a disciple-producing ministry here at GCC and still have these questions? Let me reiterate that it was not for a lack of intellectual comprehension that this man did not know. He had simply not been asked the fundamental questions of the gospel and had the chance to interact with the Truth.

Is this an isolated issue, or pervasive? Is it a problem with the curriculum that we’re using? Is it a problem with the way that I communicate with my leaders? Is it our system? Is it a leadership training issue? Is it something that needs to be communicated more from the stage?

I realize that this post leaves me quite vulnerable as the leader of the small groups here at our church. But I want to be honest and say that this bothers me. I want to make sure that each of our group leaders is having gospel-centered discussions, both within the weekly group meeting and outside of it. So right now, I’m working through some ideas to ensure, as much as is humanly possible, that difficult questions are being asked, fundamental gospel concepts are being discussed and applied to life, and that those who attend our community groups have the chance to chew on and digest the great, life-changing truths of the gospel.

Is the goal of your ‘system’ discipleship? If not, what is the goal of your ‘system’? Is that goal being met? If it’s not being met, how willing are you to scrap the ‘system’ in favor of the goal?

Next post, I’ll fill you in on what I think the problem is. I actually think I may have nailed the issue. We’ll see.

 

The Value of Networking

February 16, 2009 / / 5 Comments

In my line of work, I see much value in networking. I have, despite heavy criticism at times, continued to use Twitter, in addition to Facebook, blogging, lunches and coffee meetings, to network with others. Do you see any value to networking? I wholeheartedly believe that there is. Here are 8 reasons that I think that it is worthwhile. I’ve tried to leave most of them vague enough so that if you don’t work in the church world, like I do, you can apply them in your sphere of influence, because networking is valuable in almost any leadership field.

8 Reasons Networking is Valuable:

1. I don’t have a corner on the market of ideas. In fact, I’m more of a task-oriented person than a guy full of grand ideas. I know that other people in other organizations have lots of ideas, and I benefit in hearing them. Of course, I have to do the work of processing them in our context.

2. Going outside of my organization gives a different, outside-of-the-box (Literally…our office looks like a box.) look. I work out of one office building, in one city, for one church. If I’m not careful, all of my ideas will revolve around one box. It’s helpful to get ideas from outsiders, those who don’t live and breathe the same air that I do.

3. I learn from others who do what I do, only better. I don’t claim to be the most talented, gifted leader. I want to continue to learn from those who perform better than I do.

4. Networking helps me move our organization to where we need to be. In looking at our structure, I see things that need to be improved, but often I’m not sure what our next step should be. In meeting with other leaders, I see that they’ve arrived at many of the places that I’d like for us to arrive, accomplishing moves and advancements that I would like for us to make. Seeing how they got there help my thought process.

5. I can learn from the mistakes of others. If I can have a heads up on ideas and practices that have failed, I can sidestep those failures. When I can sidestep a failure, it’s as if I take two steps in the right direction.

6. We can accomplish more in working together than in working separately. I can strive with all of my might to help grow the kingdom, but my efforts are multiplied when I collaborate with others. I have certain giftings and passions. I thank God for them, but I know that I am not gifted in every way, and don’t have passions in everything. The Church is the body of believers globally. I am not the Church unto myself.

7. Others help me to evaluate my system. Often, I make it a point to lay out our whole church strategy, making sure to show where my area of ministry fits within the system, to those I meet with, so that they can help me evaluate our system. It helps to think through why we do what we do, and to see how that sounds to someone outside of the organization. Maybe, because I’ve worked so long in our system, there are holes I haven’t noticed.

8. I’m encouraged when I hear of the Lord’s work in other churches and in other cities. It’s helpful when I’m reminded that the Lord’s not only at work in my little bubble of Clarksville, TN.

Do you make it a discipline to network with others?

 

Worry, Trust, and God's Control

January 22, 2009 / / 1 Comment

I want to thank you for all of the prayers you prayed for my son, who had surgery a couple of weeks ago.  It went very well, and he’s recovering nicely.  In fact, he does not even react as if the surgery site is painful now.  We’re so thankful for the outpouring of love and support from you all.

Sending my son in for surgery was one of the toughest things I’ve had to do.  The worst part was when they wheeled him out to the operating room, and we saw him round the corner away from us.  Let me tell you, that was a tough moment.  Part of the reason it was so tough was because it’s my son, and I love him, and I hate to see him hurting.  But the other, and more significant reason that it was so difficult, I believe, was that it was out of my control.  Surgery is beyond my level of expertise, and I had nothing to do with the procedure in the surgery room.  It was completely beyond me.  When things are beyond us, out of our control, we can move in one of two directions: worry or trust.

Worry says that I don’t really trust that God is in control.  Because God is not fully in control, and He’s not going to give this the time, effort, love, and thought that the gravity of this situation deserves, I in my sufficient wisdom will fret, sweat, and unhealthily concern myself with that which I cannot control.  God cannot be in control, because if He were, He would have led me to this situation.  Worry, at its heart, reflects a lack of trust.

Trust, on the other hand, says that though this is a difficult situation, and I don’t know what the outcome will be, God is in control.  As He has been faithful in the past, so will He be faithful now.  God is good, and His love endures forever (1 Chronicles 16:34).  The one who trusts sleeps peacefully in the knowledge that God is the one who provides true safety (Psalm 4:8).  Trust, at its heart, reflects a true belief.

I’d like to say that I never once worried throughout this whole process, but I can’t honestly say that.  However, I can say that difficult situations tend to bring heart issues out.  When difficult times come, use that as a time to evaluate your heart.  Will you worry?  Or will you flee to God?

 

Prayer Request for Rex, my son

January 12, 2009 / / 3 Comments

I obviously believe in the value of community (my work at Grace centers on community groups).  In fact, I think it’s absolutely essential to living life.  We were created to be dependent on each other, and when we aren’t, there’s something that’s missing.  God lives life in community (that whole Trinity thing), and expects that the community that we have with Him we would also have with others.  We were never created to live life alone.  Which is why I am writing you this blog today.

We need you all right now.  Rex, our 11-week old son, is having surgery tomorrow (Tuesday, January 13th).  It’s ‘routine,’ so we’re told, but nothing is really routine when it comes to sending your child in for surgery.  He has an inguinal hernia that has to be repaired.  It’s only on one side, but they’ll scope the other side to make sure it’s not about to do the same thing.   We’re also told that it’s ‘normal’ (though that word doesn’t offer a lot of consolation right now).  It’s more common in boys than in girls, on the left side than the right, and is more common in premature babies (Rex was born 4 weeks early).  We would greatly appreciate your thoughts and prayers, because even though this is ‘normal’ and ‘routine’ it’s still stressful.  The main cause for concern with the doctors is the anesthesia.  Babies who were born prematurely are at an increased risk of apnea, which is why they’re keeping us one extra day.

We trust deeply in the sovereignty of God.  We know that Rex’s life is in His hands, and I don’t mean that in a trite kind of way.  We trust that Christ upholds the universe (Hebrews 1:3) and that, in Him, all things hold together (Colossians 1:17).  Please pray that we would find hope, comfort, and rest in our Savior, that we would remain steadfast in our faith, as He has remained steadfast to us, and that we might see His mighty hand woven throughout this whole process.

Thank you in advance for your prayers of support.

 

Greatest Motivational Speech Ever?

January 8, 2009 / / 3 Comments

Is this the greatest motivational speech ever?  You decide.  I call it the “ADD Motivational Speech.”

 

2008 Most Helpful Social Networking Tool

December 31, 2008 / / 2 Comments

Have you been able to utilize social networking tools (see video below) to build relationships and connect with a variety of people this year? What do you use them for? I’ve posted here and here on why I use Twitter. Do you use social networking sites at all?

Help me out by answering the poll question:

If you’re not sure what social networking is, check out the video below:

 

Is Twitter Biblical?

December 30, 2008 / / 7 Comments

Again, I acknowledge that many of you hate Twitter.  In fact, the person I love most in this world probably hates Twitter the most.  However, I have found much use for this social networking tool.  In addition to connecting with family and friends and having an outlet for my often random thoughts, I have been able to use Twitter to connect with other pastors throughout the country, building relationships with them that further my ministry and theirs.  Twitter has also helped me find a number of great blogs, and has connected others to my blog.  All-in-all, I have found Twitter quite helpful.

I knew that when I chose to pursue my Master’s degree at Southern Seminary I was making the right decision.  A recent article published in their newspaper just confirms my decision.  In addition to the reasons I’ve already listed, here’s an ever greater reason: Twitter is Biblical!

Living in a Twittering world
December 1, 2008
By Chuck Lawless

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Chuck Lawless, Dean, Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth, Southern Seminary

If you haven’t begun to use “Twitter,” you’re already behind in the social networking world. “Twitter” is an Internet-based program that allows you to “communicate and stay connected through the exchange of short status messages.” That is, you can tell someone where you are and what you’re doing at any moment during the day. Dial the Twitter system into your mobile phone, and you can follow — and be followed by — all kinds of people all day long.

I, too, am guilty of playing the Twitter game, but sometimes I’m surprised by what seemingly insignificant information others share. “Got up early this morning.” “On my way to the store to buy bread.” “Reading a book.” “Working out.” “Raking the leaves.” “To the office — many meetings today.” “Tired this morning.” “Can’t sleep.” On and on the text messages go. To be honest, I’m just waiting for someone to let me know when he is having a bowel movement — and that kind of sharing becomes the norm. Nothing, it seems, is private in
a twittering world.

But, maybe that’s not all bad.

Sure, some privacy is important. The physical joys of marriage are meant to be enjoyed privately. Not every confession of sin should be spoken so publicly that additional problems are created. Some prayer needs are so deeply felt that sharing them with more than a few people is emotionally draining. Ministry often requires us to hold information responsibly, being careful not to make publicly known what is shared privately.

On the other hand, too much privacy sometimes results in tragedy. You know the story — a follower of Jesus falls into sin, hides it and soon finds himself entangled in a sinful mess. This course of sin should not surprise us, as it began with Adam and Eve and has continued since then. Having wrongly chosen to eat from the forbidden fruit, the first human beings hid themselves (Gen 3:8). Indeed, they were so deceived that they thought they could hide “from the presence of the Lord God” — as if that were even possible! The enemy so ensnares us in his web of deceit that we somehow believe that God Himself does not know what we do in private.

Having studied spiritual warfare and the enemy’s strategies for many years, I have watched far too many men and women mess up in their spiritual walk. What I have never seen, though, are believers who just “wake up” on the other side of sin, as if they unexpectedly and unconsciously find themselves there. Instead, what I have seen is the believer who makes one wrong choice that leads to another wrong choice … that leads to even more wrong choices … and eventually to a fall. Almost always, secrecy marks the downward process somewhere:

• pretending that I am faithful in my practice of spiritual disciplines.

• viewing Internet pornography when nobody else is around.

• finding it easier and easier to lie to my spouse about anything.

• hiding text and email messages so that no one reads my communication with that particular person.

• meeting alone to have lunch with that person who is attractive to me.

• finding excuses to avoid planned accountability meetings.

Moral failure almost always involves our covering up secrets, even while convincing ourselves that our actions are acceptable. The result is ultimately spiritual disaster. And — lest we find ourselves arrogantly inattentive to the warning signals — only a fool thinks he is immune to the possibility of falling.

How do we remain faithful when a very real, supernatural enemy seeks to lure us into the darkness? Here is one step in the process: make sure that somebody who loves us ALWAYS knows where we are and what we’re doing. If we are never in a place, never in a situation, and never with a person that demands our hiding, the likelihood of our falling
decreases significantly.

Sound complicated? Perhaps, but I don’t think so. Call your spouse or email her when you get to work. Get in touch with her when you go to lunch and when you return to work. Let her know when you head home. If you are running an errand and get detoured, let her know. Frankly, you might even find that talking more with your spouse is good for your marriage.

Or, if you are not married, find someone of the same gender to carry out this accountability role for you. The cost of falling is simply too heavy for any of us to give ourselves per-mission to live secret lives.

In fact, I probably need to rethink my opinion about Twitter. If using Twitter makes it more difficult to hide, it’s likely a smart move to start sending text messages about everything we do. (http://www.towersonline.net/printer.php?grp=issues&id=239)

 

Lattes and the value of enjoying God

December 22, 2008 / / 2 Comments

As a way of honoring the volunteers in our community groups ministry, my wife hosted a Christmas party for the wives of group leaders.  I thought that this would be one of those parties that I could just slip out of, and go hang out with the guys.  Suffice it to say that that didn’t happen.  I was stuck in the house with a bunch of ladies who would be eating and exchanging gifts.

My job for the evening was to make lattes and hot chocolate for everybody.  I am often delegated this responsibility because I worked at a coffee shop as a barista for over 3 years, and really enjoy coffee.  I made a variety of different drinks that night.

What stood out to me was their response to the drinks, and what that did for me.  Some ladies were very appreciative, saying, “Thanks!” or “We appreciate you doing this for us!”  It was nice that they appreciated my drinks, but the greatest responses were, “That’s good,” and “I really like that,” and “I didn’t even know if this would be good, but I love it!”  Now, I don’t say this to toot my own horn at all.  I say this to point you to what worship is, at its core.

Worship is enjoying God.  Sure, there are other aspects of worship.  Take, for example, giving.  Giving is an act of worship, right?  But giving to others, merely because God says to give, isn’t enough (though it is a step of obedience).  “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7)  There is a component to giving that requires an emotional commitment.  A cheerful giver does not give merely because he or she has to give.  They take delight in giving.  But can an emotion really be commanded?  Aren’t emotions just a reaction, not something that we can control or help?

“Delight yourself in the Lord.” (Psalm 37:4)  There it is.  Delighting involves an emotion.  Delighting means that you have a positive affection towards something or someone.  To delight in something means that you enjoy it.  To delight in God means that we enjoy Him.  David, the psalmist, delights in and longs for the sweet commandments and precepts of God. (Psalm 119:16, 24, 29-30, 36, 40, 47-48, 58, 70, 72, 77, 92, 103, 111, 131, 143, 162, 164, 174)  How do you go about the business of delighting in God?  I think it starts with two things: trusting in the Lord and committing your way to Him. (Psalm 37:3, 5) Delight can be both the catalyst and the result of trusting and committing, and is an essential aspect of worship.

The ladies showed the most value to my drinks when they enjoyed them.  The empty cup and a smile went much further in my mind than words alone.  What about with God?  Do you think He just wants your words?  Or does He want your heart, too?

 

Forward-thinking ministry

December 18, 2008 / / 2 Comments

How do you train up the next generation? Is that something that you even think about in life and ministry? As I’m thinking about the work that I’ve done throughout graduate school, now heading into my second year at Grace Community Church, and now entering fatherhood, I really want to make sure that what I’m learning and have learned does not die with me. I’m challenged by Judges 2:6-10. At this time in Israel’s history, they had seen the “great work that the Lord had done for Israel” (2:7) and had entered the Promised Land (Canaan). “The people served the Lord all the days of Joshua.” (2:7)

But Joshua died. And the people buried him.

“And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.” (2:10)

An entire generation forgot the work of the Lord. If we neglect our duty of telling the great story of God’s redemption to our children and to those we are working to raise up as leaders and followers of Christ, we will repeat the story of the Israelites. That bothers me! So here’s a few principles that will guide me as I work to raise up apprentices in 2009.

1. I will be intentional. If I never tell someone that I think they’d be a great leader, and intentionally work to develop them as a leader, it won’t happen. Apprenticeship does not happen naturally. You have to work at it. I will have to intentionally invest in others for the express purpose of building them up as a leader.
2. I will take risks. I will not just look for the most ‘mature’ people to step into leadership. If that’s the model that Jesus used, he probably would not have chosen any of the disciples. Rather, Jesus chose people who had a lot of growing to do. I will take risks on those who are not finished growing yet, but who are pursuing Jesus with all they’ve got.
3. I will give leadership opportunities. Some people need to be pushed out of the boat. They need to be given the opportunity to lead, with the real possibility of failure, but in the context of being shepherded. In other words, I will present leadership opportunities to those who I am shepherding, and actually follow up with them to see how it went. What went well? What tanked? How did you prepare for the opportunity? What will you do differently next time? If they’re never given the opportunity to lead, they won’t develop into a leader.
4. I will encourage apprentices where I see them leading well. Encouraging someone presupposes that I listen to them, ask hard questions, and look for the ways that the Lord is working in their life and ministry. “Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” (Hebrews 3:13) Encouragement works to fight against sin and burnout in leadership.
5. I will speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). I already know that this will be tough. Have you ever tried telling someone that what they did or said was wrong? How about doing that not out of a sense of entitlement, or from a stance of pride, but from a heart of love? That’s radical. And the crazy thing is that, when it’s truth in love, God uses it to work for their good.

That’s my plan for pouring into the next generation. What’s yours?

 

Forward thinking parenting

December 15, 2008 / / 2 Comments

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Should we plan for the future? It seems that the Israelites did:

Deuteronomy 6:20-21, “In the future, when your son asks you, ‘What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the LORD our God has commanded you?’ tell him: ‘We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.'”

There was the assumption that children would ask their parents in the future, thus the need for planning. That verse strikes me especially sharply now that I’m a father. I want to be prepared to answer the questions of life that my son will ask. I want to be able to point him to the Scriptures as the source for life. I want my answers to always paint a picture of the big God that we serve. I don’t want to answer the question, “Why are you disciplining me?” with “Because I said so.” Rather, I want to point my son back to the biblical responsibility I have as a parent to honor God and love him (my son). See Hebrews 12:7-11. I have a mere 18 years with my son at home to influence him and point him to the gospel. I want to take full advantage of every opportunity to weave in the grand news of God’s offer of salvation.

How might I do that? Here’s where my plan starts (I’ll be using the RSS feed). What’s your plan for answering the spiritual questions your children will (or are) going to ask in 2009?

 
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