A clock on my desk has a battery that is almost dead. The second hand struggles to keep moving, ticking off about two or three seconds and then hesitating in some form of seizure for a minute or so. Then it gallantly sets forth to measure the passing of two or three more seconds before again coming to a trembling stop.
Sometimes ministry from the desk of an associational missionary seems like that clock. You move ahead on a project that is as importnat to you as the passing of time itself (which is actually rather important considering we have a finite amount of it in this earthly life). Then you find that others who are partners with you in the project have forgotten their roles, didn't fulfill their roles, passed their roles on to someone else, or simply took the first roadblock they hit as a sign from God that they shouldn't do anything else. The second hand has come to a screeching halt and just sits there trembling while making these sounds that indicate something ought to be happening, but obviously is not.
Committee life is not fun. Being a dictator with God-like powers seems far more interesting, and productive. Tomorrow I have to bring a new battery with me to the office and replace the committee member, I mean the old battery, with a new one. Unfortunatley it is harder to do that with people. People skills are as critical for a DoM as they are with any pastor.
Total surrender to the Holy Spirit allows the growth of its fruit (Gal. 5:22-23). Openness to the leadership of the Holy Spirit allows for the influx of wisdom from above (James 3:17). Both are essential for a rewarding ministry as an associational director of missions.
May we use our time well in pursuing the things of the Spirit so that our work with mere mortals might have a more productive end. Frustration is real, but it should never kill the clock.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
A green Christian just recognizes who the Boss is
I have heard it called an African proverb, a First Nations proverb, or something dreamed up in the last fifty years. Whatever, I still like it.
"We have not inherited the earth from our parents. We have borrowed it from our children."
These simple statements help me stay focused that I am a dweller in the present that should keep my eyes on the future since that is where I will be living if I do not die today and where my children will be living as long as they do. Therefore the condition of the world in which we will all be living tomorrow should be of some concern to me. Worrying about the past and dwelling on the blunders it contains are a waste of time except to teach me how to live in the present and the future.
Psalm 24:1 is enough of a foundation for me to understand that where I am living is not mine. It belongs to Someone else and I am only a steward. That means I will probably be held accountable for what I do to this home of mine someday. I would like to say that I did my best to take good care of the place and tried to set the right example for those who would follow.
You cannot escape the original command that God gave the first man and woman. "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it." I think that means bring it under your control because it isn't yet. So how do we as Christians respect the Owner of creation even while we are subduing it? I don't think Adam had quite the paradise we would like to think, but he was supposed to remember that he was not the owner, only the caretaker.
Going green for a Christian in the day to day stuff ought to be easy. Suggestions include:
1. Eat only what you need.
2. Have only the clothes you need.
3. Have a domicile only as big as you need.
4. Use only the utilities you need.
5. Drive a vehicle only as big as you need.
6. Collect only what you need.
7. Give away all you can.
8. Compost all you can.
9. Treat your body well. It's the only one you'll have on earth.
10. Treat the earth well. It's the only one your body will have on which to dwell.
How many pages could we draw up of suggestions that would include reusable versus throwaway, biodegradable versus never-going-away, emphasizing renewable versus non renewable? A lot at least!
We as Christians should not need a long list of commansds or even suggestions. Churches should have the same mindset. The earth is the Lord's. Respect the Owner. Respect his property. Makes sense to me.
"We have not inherited the earth from our parents. We have borrowed it from our children."
These simple statements help me stay focused that I am a dweller in the present that should keep my eyes on the future since that is where I will be living if I do not die today and where my children will be living as long as they do. Therefore the condition of the world in which we will all be living tomorrow should be of some concern to me. Worrying about the past and dwelling on the blunders it contains are a waste of time except to teach me how to live in the present and the future.
Psalm 24:1 is enough of a foundation for me to understand that where I am living is not mine. It belongs to Someone else and I am only a steward. That means I will probably be held accountable for what I do to this home of mine someday. I would like to say that I did my best to take good care of the place and tried to set the right example for those who would follow.
You cannot escape the original command that God gave the first man and woman. "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it." I think that means bring it under your control because it isn't yet. So how do we as Christians respect the Owner of creation even while we are subduing it? I don't think Adam had quite the paradise we would like to think, but he was supposed to remember that he was not the owner, only the caretaker.
Going green for a Christian in the day to day stuff ought to be easy. Suggestions include:
1. Eat only what you need.
2. Have only the clothes you need.
3. Have a domicile only as big as you need.
4. Use only the utilities you need.
5. Drive a vehicle only as big as you need.
6. Collect only what you need.
7. Give away all you can.
8. Compost all you can.
9. Treat your body well. It's the only one you'll have on earth.
10. Treat the earth well. It's the only one your body will have on which to dwell.
How many pages could we draw up of suggestions that would include reusable versus throwaway, biodegradable versus never-going-away, emphasizing renewable versus non renewable? A lot at least!
We as Christians should not need a long list of commansds or even suggestions. Churches should have the same mindset. The earth is the Lord's. Respect the Owner. Respect his property. Makes sense to me.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Resolved to Plan to Act
Resolutions are like promises and pie crust: Easily made and easily broken (Mary Poppins knew what she was talking about). Associational missionaries need to make resolutions that will challenge them to move beyond the work of the previous year.
These resolutions might include a change in direction, a change in priorities, an evaluation of previous actions with a determination to tweak or refuse to repeat. These kinds of resolutions can spur a servant of the Lord to more effective work, more focused work, more satisfying work.
Resolutions are just goals made at the end of the year. They serve us best when they are specific, measurable, attainable, result-focused, and time-limited: SMART!
Does trying to make a series of association-wide events worth the effort? Past experience says no. The occasional one may work, but trying to live by them in our area will lead to one dying by them. Resolving to work more with small clusters and individual churches seems to be a much better use of time and other resources.
Resolved: to be honest with the amount of resources available and boldly seek to use those resources in targeted areas in the most effective way possible!
These resolutions might include a change in direction, a change in priorities, an evaluation of previous actions with a determination to tweak or refuse to repeat. These kinds of resolutions can spur a servant of the Lord to more effective work, more focused work, more satisfying work.
Resolutions are just goals made at the end of the year. They serve us best when they are specific, measurable, attainable, result-focused, and time-limited: SMART!
Does trying to make a series of association-wide events worth the effort? Past experience says no. The occasional one may work, but trying to live by them in our area will lead to one dying by them. Resolving to work more with small clusters and individual churches seems to be a much better use of time and other resources.
Resolved: to be honest with the amount of resources available and boldly seek to use those resources in targeted areas in the most effective way possible!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
My Associational Christmas List
Wish lists come easy. You look for what will fill the blank, scratch the itch, or complete the puzzle. Once you have it, everything works fine and you can get on with other business.
Every associational director of missions probably has his wish list, all the stuff we are convinced would make life a lot easier and more fulfilling for us. Following are some of the top items on my list (and I might just try to see how many of them I can bring into reality in 2011).
1. Congregations that practice the Great Commandments even to the point of personal sacrifice
2. Congregations that focus on God's Kingdom work instead of trying to build their own kingdom
3. Congregations that have servant evangelism as a basic part of their DNA
4. Congregations that see every member as a minister
5. Congregations that priortize both verse nineteen and verse twenty of the Great Commission
6. Congregations that recognize that cooperation does not mean sacrificing local church field priorities
7. Clergy that are wise enough not to confuse their own desires with God's will
8. Clergy that are wise enough to know that servant leadership gets more accomplished
9. Clergy that are wise enough to recognize the spiritual gifts of others
10. Clergy that are wise enough to give credit to others
11. Clergy that are wise enough to know they will have successors
12. Clergy that are wise enough to know they need to learn more
I do believe that this association would run better if a few of these items materialized. Of course some of them might be more readily available if some of the changes started with me!
Every associational director of missions probably has his wish list, all the stuff we are convinced would make life a lot easier and more fulfilling for us. Following are some of the top items on my list (and I might just try to see how many of them I can bring into reality in 2011).
1. Congregations that practice the Great Commandments even to the point of personal sacrifice
2. Congregations that focus on God's Kingdom work instead of trying to build their own kingdom
3. Congregations that have servant evangelism as a basic part of their DNA
4. Congregations that see every member as a minister
5. Congregations that priortize both verse nineteen and verse twenty of the Great Commission
6. Congregations that recognize that cooperation does not mean sacrificing local church field priorities
7. Clergy that are wise enough not to confuse their own desires with God's will
8. Clergy that are wise enough to know that servant leadership gets more accomplished
9. Clergy that are wise enough to recognize the spiritual gifts of others
10. Clergy that are wise enough to give credit to others
11. Clergy that are wise enough to know they will have successors
12. Clergy that are wise enough to know they need to learn more
I do believe that this association would run better if a few of these items materialized. Of course some of them might be more readily available if some of the changes started with me!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
A Time to Breathe
As a staff member in a local church, I found the Advent season a mixed bag of being busy and having a lot of responsibilities shifted to the back burner. Most often I was in a support role for the pastor and the minister of music. I was to run errands, see about this or that, contact this person or that person, and help to make sure the building was always comfortable.
The programmed educational activities were diminshed by the time necessary to organize, rehearse, and perform the various Advent events. Discpleship training classes were over before Thanksgiving, not to start again until early January. Sunday School classes were focused on the Advent story in one form or another, making sure everyone had a night scheduled for their class parties, and that they remembered to invite people besides their closest friends in the church.
Missions was all Lottie Moon. You just tried to figure out another way to tell her story and what her sacrifice means for us today.
It should have meant a time to breathe for the minister of education. It wasn't. Planning, scheduling, enlisting, and collecting resources for the coming year were my Advent season activities. Things haven't changed just because I am a DoM.
All the churches want to see me in attendance at their special programs. I get lots of handshakes and questions like, "Wasn't that the best program you have seen in years?" Thankfully there are also lots of refreshments to help with the long evenings. The last thing the pastors want is to hear that I am scheduling another meeting. This year there have been two "hangings of the greens", two missions presentations, two cantatas, and one children's program. Much remains in the next ten days.
Yet it is also a time for planning for 2011. There is communication with all the ministry team leaders. There is an effort to get committees prepared to get back to work in January and realize that one fourth of the associational year is already gone! The calendar is under constant review. Always there is the need to discover a creative idea for doing ministry without money. I am still looking for a time to breathe.
The programmed educational activities were diminshed by the time necessary to organize, rehearse, and perform the various Advent events. Discpleship training classes were over before Thanksgiving, not to start again until early January. Sunday School classes were focused on the Advent story in one form or another, making sure everyone had a night scheduled for their class parties, and that they remembered to invite people besides their closest friends in the church.
Missions was all Lottie Moon. You just tried to figure out another way to tell her story and what her sacrifice means for us today.
It should have meant a time to breathe for the minister of education. It wasn't. Planning, scheduling, enlisting, and collecting resources for the coming year were my Advent season activities. Things haven't changed just because I am a DoM.
All the churches want to see me in attendance at their special programs. I get lots of handshakes and questions like, "Wasn't that the best program you have seen in years?" Thankfully there are also lots of refreshments to help with the long evenings. The last thing the pastors want is to hear that I am scheduling another meeting. This year there have been two "hangings of the greens", two missions presentations, two cantatas, and one children's program. Much remains in the next ten days.
Yet it is also a time for planning for 2011. There is communication with all the ministry team leaders. There is an effort to get committees prepared to get back to work in January and realize that one fourth of the associational year is already gone! The calendar is under constant review. Always there is the need to discover a creative idea for doing ministry without money. I am still looking for a time to breathe.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Helping Change the Local Church
In our association the mission statement is simply "Assisting Churches in Multiplying Kingdom Servants". The focus is on the local church and the role of the association in helping that church fulfill its God-given mission of multiplication in the Kingdom. No one believes that the Church of the early 21st century has it all together to get its job done completely. Enough has been said about its woes and weaknesses. As associational directors of missions, we face a multitude of variations on healthy/unhealthy churches. What should be our approach in addressing these situations?
I have found it fascinating to consider the differences in the nuances of words such as renewal, revival, restoration, renovation, reconstruction, and rebirth as they might apply to church change. Some overlap obviously exists among the terms, but a definite uniqueness also exists. Do we serve churches that might need more of one than of another?
Renewal is the foundational concept for major efforts to bring new life to our churches as sponsored by our convention. It comes in multiple forms each with its own carefully laid out procedures and processes.
Rebirth is also gaining ground as a way to help a congregation gracefully pass out of existence even as they see their heritage lay the foundation for the beginnings of a new ministry.
What of revival, restoration, renovation, and reconstruction? Do these terms offer us any insight into how we can help a congregation reach a conclusion about possible change within its life?
Revival is a bringing back to life, to use, or back to prominence or attention. This makes sense if what we had in the beginning is what we want now. If we are only bringing back what didn't work before, this is just a deadend and waste of God's time and ours.
Restoration is also the return of something to a former, original, normal, or unimpaired condition. If a church is facing difficulty now, is it because its origins were flawed or because flaws entered into its life? Again bringing back the old may not be the best goal.
Renovation and reconstruction may offer a new perspective as goals are set and plans made for the future of a church. A major sign on a town business site announced renovation was coming to an old structure and a new business was coming in. The actual work was a bit more than what might have been expected. The renovation included the complete removal of the old building, and a new structure from the ground up was built in its place. That is major renovation!
Such renovation and reconstruction in the life of a church allows major evaluation and analysis to guide the setting of goals and action plans. Tradition and history have to take their appropriate place in the scheme of determining what is the purpose of the worshiping community. Entire structures might be eliminated because they no longer fulfill the purpose of the congregation if they ever did. Internal design will have to change. Public image will have to change.
Purpose will determine design of reconstruction and methodology of operation. A beautiful time piece does no one any good if it is kept in a box. You may hear the ticking, but it is useless for telling the time. Our churches may have some sense of their purpose, but if that purpose is buried beneath philosophical and organizational walls that hide it from the world, then they can accomplish little if anything for the Kingdom of God. The manmade coverings must be removed so that the salt and light of the Church can become active.
Are our churches ready to face such a radical form of renovation and reconstruction? Can many of them survive if they don't?
I have found it fascinating to consider the differences in the nuances of words such as renewal, revival, restoration, renovation, reconstruction, and rebirth as they might apply to church change. Some overlap obviously exists among the terms, but a definite uniqueness also exists. Do we serve churches that might need more of one than of another?
Renewal is the foundational concept for major efforts to bring new life to our churches as sponsored by our convention. It comes in multiple forms each with its own carefully laid out procedures and processes.
Rebirth is also gaining ground as a way to help a congregation gracefully pass out of existence even as they see their heritage lay the foundation for the beginnings of a new ministry.
What of revival, restoration, renovation, and reconstruction? Do these terms offer us any insight into how we can help a congregation reach a conclusion about possible change within its life?
Revival is a bringing back to life, to use, or back to prominence or attention. This makes sense if what we had in the beginning is what we want now. If we are only bringing back what didn't work before, this is just a deadend and waste of God's time and ours.
Restoration is also the return of something to a former, original, normal, or unimpaired condition. If a church is facing difficulty now, is it because its origins were flawed or because flaws entered into its life? Again bringing back the old may not be the best goal.
Renovation and reconstruction may offer a new perspective as goals are set and plans made for the future of a church. A major sign on a town business site announced renovation was coming to an old structure and a new business was coming in. The actual work was a bit more than what might have been expected. The renovation included the complete removal of the old building, and a new structure from the ground up was built in its place. That is major renovation!
Such renovation and reconstruction in the life of a church allows major evaluation and analysis to guide the setting of goals and action plans. Tradition and history have to take their appropriate place in the scheme of determining what is the purpose of the worshiping community. Entire structures might be eliminated because they no longer fulfill the purpose of the congregation if they ever did. Internal design will have to change. Public image will have to change.
Purpose will determine design of reconstruction and methodology of operation. A beautiful time piece does no one any good if it is kept in a box. You may hear the ticking, but it is useless for telling the time. Our churches may have some sense of their purpose, but if that purpose is buried beneath philosophical and organizational walls that hide it from the world, then they can accomplish little if anything for the Kingdom of God. The manmade coverings must be removed so that the salt and light of the Church can become active.
Are our churches ready to face such a radical form of renovation and reconstruction? Can many of them survive if they don't?
Thursday, December 2, 2010
The Barnabas Effect
We are not bishops, superintendents, or conference directors. So how do we impact the pastors in our associations? Maybe Barnabas can give us a few tips.
Barnabas set an example for unseflishness and generosity. He made meeting the needs of others a priority in his life. Acts 4
He tried to see the good in others and then take action to give them a chance to prove themselves. Acts 9
He recognized that people sometimes make mistakes and need to be given a second chance to show their true stuff. Acts 15
He was not perfect and he made mistakes which the grace of God was able to overcome. Galatians 2
We as associational misionaries can set an example by our lifestyles what we would like to see our pastors doing. I don't think any of us are overpaid, but we do need to realize that church leaders may be more attentive to what we share with them if they see us willing to go through some of the same stuff they have to face day in and day out. Especially among our smaller churches and bivocational pastors, our examples need to be ones of generosity and compassion irrespective of church size or pastoral educational level.
We can help our ministers by helping pave a path for them into our areas. We can walk beside them in learning the ropes of the new church field. We can make key introductions that will hopefully make the transition easier and add resources to their toolbox. We can know who provides dependable service in several areas of life so that new ministers and their families have a reasonable place to start as they seek services in their communities.
I am not advocating that every associational missionary be qualified to throw himself into a church conflict as a mediator. However, there are basic people skills that every DoM should learn to be an effective listener when a disgruntled church member comes to the office or a pastor needs a shoulder to cry on concerning a messy situation for which he is responsible. Knowing how to encourage other people to ask for or to offer a second chance is a fundamental part of the redemption plan we are supposed to be offering people both outside and inside the church.
And do we all make mistakes? Oh and how! The associational missionary needs to be willing to admit mistakes and to ask for forgiveness. We also have our times when we need someone to give us a second chance.
Barnabas set an example for unseflishness and generosity. He made meeting the needs of others a priority in his life. Acts 4
He tried to see the good in others and then take action to give them a chance to prove themselves. Acts 9
He recognized that people sometimes make mistakes and need to be given a second chance to show their true stuff. Acts 15
He was not perfect and he made mistakes which the grace of God was able to overcome. Galatians 2
We as associational misionaries can set an example by our lifestyles what we would like to see our pastors doing. I don't think any of us are overpaid, but we do need to realize that church leaders may be more attentive to what we share with them if they see us willing to go through some of the same stuff they have to face day in and day out. Especially among our smaller churches and bivocational pastors, our examples need to be ones of generosity and compassion irrespective of church size or pastoral educational level.
We can help our ministers by helping pave a path for them into our areas. We can walk beside them in learning the ropes of the new church field. We can make key introductions that will hopefully make the transition easier and add resources to their toolbox. We can know who provides dependable service in several areas of life so that new ministers and their families have a reasonable place to start as they seek services in their communities.
I am not advocating that every associational missionary be qualified to throw himself into a church conflict as a mediator. However, there are basic people skills that every DoM should learn to be an effective listener when a disgruntled church member comes to the office or a pastor needs a shoulder to cry on concerning a messy situation for which he is responsible. Knowing how to encourage other people to ask for or to offer a second chance is a fundamental part of the redemption plan we are supposed to be offering people both outside and inside the church.
And do we all make mistakes? Oh and how! The associational missionary needs to be willing to admit mistakes and to ask for forgiveness. We also have our times when we need someone to give us a second chance.
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