While doing some paperwork at my house today, I listened to a video recorded from a recent Pastor's Conference. A friend of mine, Don Goshorn, attends Matt Chandler's church in Dallas, and from time to time, Don recommends to me a message of Matt's.
As I listened to this video, I felt I had to honestly echo Matt's sentiment of heart regarding pastoring. Matt really gets it right in this message, and I strongly recommend that pastors hear it!! It's really worth your time.
Matt Chandler: A Shepherd and His Unregenerate Sheep from the Desiring God Conference for Pastors.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Staff Members: Maximize Your Ministry! - Part 3
In this final post directed toward church staff members, I want to strongly encourage you to connect with the Senior Pastor. He is God's appointed and anointed leader for the church in which you serve. If you are willing to accept that as fact, you'll easily be able to put these final three principles into action.
7. Mirror the personality that the pastor ascribes for the ministry.
Thank God that all churches are NOT alike! God loves variety. I'm sitting in a Starbucks right now, and as I'm looking around the room, I see so many different ages, colors, body sizes, hair styles, clothing styles and personalities. God created all of this variety, and he was pleased!
This doesn't mean that you should change YOUR personality, but to mirror the personality that the pastor desires for the ministry. All ministries have a personality. Some are conservative, some are daring, some are colorful, and some are traditional.
Search out the personality nuances that makes your church unique, and advance them!
Now, it may be possible that your pastor desires to create a subtle personality shift in your church. If that's the case, discover where he is wanting to go and help him break the ice into a fresh identity. Be his assistant in the process, but go at his pace! :)
8. Be honest and transparent with your supervisor.
Honesty and transparency can be tough topics for a staff members, because you don't want to lose your job over it, do you?
To clarify, I'm not talking about being "brutally honest" where you just spout off whatever you're thinking or feeling. It's my opinion that "wearing your emotions on your sleeve" has no valid place in ministry.
Instead, I'm speaking of being honest and transparent regarding your family life, your spiritual life, and your ministry calling. If your supervisor has any adeptness regarding the fundamentals of discipleship, he should be more than willing to hear you out and walk with you through your ups and downs. No path in life is completely smooth and carefree, so when you hit some unique twists and turns, or when a boulder is standing in your path, be open about it!
Also, be sure to share your excitement regarding victories and successes with your supervisor. He's a real person too, and you just might discover that through openness and transparency, you can relate to him on a deeper level. After all, God's kingdom is based on relationships!
9. Discover what the Senior Pastor is excited about, then embrace it and pursue it!
This is a biggie! As a senior pastor, nothing would make me happier in staff relationships than when staff members were pumped about my latest ideas or suggestions. I absolutely loved it when a staff member would use my terminology, communicate my ideas, and propagate the vision God had given me for the ministry.
Senior pastors are always looking to create positive momentum. So, when the leaders are moving in unity, excited about where they are headed together, momentum occurs and the church progresses forward.
So, if you're a church staff member, keep these random pointers filed away in the back of your mind, and work diligently to serve the pastor God put you under. Serve wholeheartedly, and watch how the Lord will bless you. If you find yourself unable to serve him anymore, it is time to leave that ministry and move on.
7. Mirror the personality that the pastor ascribes for the ministry.
Thank God that all churches are NOT alike! God loves variety. I'm sitting in a Starbucks right now, and as I'm looking around the room, I see so many different ages, colors, body sizes, hair styles, clothing styles and personalities. God created all of this variety, and he was pleased!
This doesn't mean that you should change YOUR personality, but to mirror the personality that the pastor desires for the ministry. All ministries have a personality. Some are conservative, some are daring, some are colorful, and some are traditional.
Search out the personality nuances that makes your church unique, and advance them!
Now, it may be possible that your pastor desires to create a subtle personality shift in your church. If that's the case, discover where he is wanting to go and help him break the ice into a fresh identity. Be his assistant in the process, but go at his pace! :)
8. Be honest and transparent with your supervisor.Honesty and transparency can be tough topics for a staff members, because you don't want to lose your job over it, do you?
To clarify, I'm not talking about being "brutally honest" where you just spout off whatever you're thinking or feeling. It's my opinion that "wearing your emotions on your sleeve" has no valid place in ministry.
Instead, I'm speaking of being honest and transparent regarding your family life, your spiritual life, and your ministry calling. If your supervisor has any adeptness regarding the fundamentals of discipleship, he should be more than willing to hear you out and walk with you through your ups and downs. No path in life is completely smooth and carefree, so when you hit some unique twists and turns, or when a boulder is standing in your path, be open about it!
Also, be sure to share your excitement regarding victories and successes with your supervisor. He's a real person too, and you just might discover that through openness and transparency, you can relate to him on a deeper level. After all, God's kingdom is based on relationships!
9. Discover what the Senior Pastor is excited about, then embrace it and pursue it!
This is a biggie! As a senior pastor, nothing would make me happier in staff relationships than when staff members were pumped about my latest ideas or suggestions. I absolutely loved it when a staff member would use my terminology, communicate my ideas, and propagate the vision God had given me for the ministry.
Senior pastors are always looking to create positive momentum. So, when the leaders are moving in unity, excited about where they are headed together, momentum occurs and the church progresses forward.
So, if you're a church staff member, keep these random pointers filed away in the back of your mind, and work diligently to serve the pastor God put you under. Serve wholeheartedly, and watch how the Lord will bless you. If you find yourself unable to serve him anymore, it is time to leave that ministry and move on.
Friday, December 05, 2008
Staff Members: Maximize Your Ministry! - Part 2
Every senior pastor is eager to grow the congregation entrusted to him both spiritually and numerically. After all, that's the RIGHT thing to do.
The truth is, though, that the staff plays a critical role in seeing this come to pass. Unhealthy staff members ultimately will create unhealthy ministries within the local church. On the flip-side, HEALTHY staff members do just the opposite. They create excitement and synergy toward the ultimate goal of growing the church.
Recently, I presented nine points to a church staff, which I felt were especially relevant for today's church staff member. Last week, I posted the first three, and now, here are next three thoughts...
To maximize your ministry as a church staff member:
4. Maximize the anointing in your life. Fast, pray, remain in the Word, and exercise your gifts. Push the limits.
Effectiveness in ministry hinges SO MUCH on one's personal spiritual condition. After all, we're doing spiritual work, so "spiritual conditioning" is essential. I've had some "talented" staff members serve on my staff, and I've also had some "anointed" staff members serve. I prefer anointed staff members over talented staffers any day. It's even better when a senior pastor can locate those "eagles" who are both talented AND anointed!
So, don't merely lean on your talent, but pursue God's anointing. Fast and pray OUTSIDE of the corporate times of fasting and prayer.
Stay in the Word daily. Just do it! Find a way. It's really not that difficult.
Know what your spiritual gifts are and excel in them! Push the limits on your spiritual gifts. God gave them to you to advance His kingdom.
5. Refuse to be a whiner, both publicly and privately.
Simply put, whiners are not winners. Ministry is tough, so you will naturally find yourself in times when the circumstances just don't make sense. I believe that it's okay to be open and honest with your pastor, but to go to others around you and spread your whining and complaining around will come back to bite you hard.
Public whining tends to be a masked grumbling regarding your circumstances or your supervisor. It can manifest itself on a platform, in a small group setting or a leadership meeting. It's the result of resentment that has not been dealt with confidentially with the "offender", whether it is your senior pastor or whomever. Public whining gets the focus off Jesus and puts the focus on you. That sounds pretty evil, doesn't it!?
Private whining is best described as going home a unloading your stress and anxiety on your spouse. This is dangerous, because it poisons the person who is closest to you. In fact, considering that marriage is a "one flesh mystery", you are actually poisoning yourself. That's not a pretty picture, is it?!
Instead, take your frustrations to the Lord and to the individual who might has caused the issue. Then, you won't be venomous!
6. Remain loyal as long as you are on staff.
About sixteen years ago, when I served on a church staff, I was under some intense and unhealthy pressure from the senior pastor. There were so many issues of personal frustration, that I made an appointment with a former college instructor of mine. My goal was to tell him what a terrible boss I worked for.
As I sat in his office, waiting for him to get off the phone, I noticed a wall hanging that was in my direct line of sight. It said something to the effect of, "Loyalty is character issue. Remain loyal as long as you serve under that individual."
Well, needless to say, after he hung up the phone, I made up some crazy story of why I was there and got out of his office as quickly as possible. That day, I chose loyalty as a character trait.
If you absolutely cannot be loyal, you MUST leave the organization! And then, even after you leave, don't burn your bridges. It's okay to be honest and open with your pastor, but don't destroy the relationship by burning your bridges. You'll very likely deeply regret it, because we are the body of Christ, and He hates division.
The truth is, though, that the staff plays a critical role in seeing this come to pass. Unhealthy staff members ultimately will create unhealthy ministries within the local church. On the flip-side, HEALTHY staff members do just the opposite. They create excitement and synergy toward the ultimate goal of growing the church.
Recently, I presented nine points to a church staff, which I felt were especially relevant for today's church staff member. Last week, I posted the first three, and now, here are next three thoughts...
To maximize your ministry as a church staff member:
4. Maximize the anointing in your life. Fast, pray, remain in the Word, and exercise your gifts. Push the limits.
Effectiveness in ministry hinges SO MUCH on one's personal spiritual condition. After all, we're doing spiritual work, so "spiritual conditioning" is essential. I've had some "talented" staff members serve on my staff, and I've also had some "anointed" staff members serve. I prefer anointed staff members over talented staffers any day. It's even better when a senior pastor can locate those "eagles" who are both talented AND anointed!
So, don't merely lean on your talent, but pursue God's anointing. Fast and pray OUTSIDE of the corporate times of fasting and prayer.
Stay in the Word daily. Just do it! Find a way. It's really not that difficult.
Know what your spiritual gifts are and excel in them! Push the limits on your spiritual gifts. God gave them to you to advance His kingdom.
5. Refuse to be a whiner, both publicly and privately.
Simply put, whiners are not winners. Ministry is tough, so you will naturally find yourself in times when the circumstances just don't make sense. I believe that it's okay to be open and honest with your pastor, but to go to others around you and spread your whining and complaining around will come back to bite you hard.
Public whining tends to be a masked grumbling regarding your circumstances or your supervisor. It can manifest itself on a platform, in a small group setting or a leadership meeting. It's the result of resentment that has not been dealt with confidentially with the "offender", whether it is your senior pastor or whomever. Public whining gets the focus off Jesus and puts the focus on you. That sounds pretty evil, doesn't it!?
Private whining is best described as going home a unloading your stress and anxiety on your spouse. This is dangerous, because it poisons the person who is closest to you. In fact, considering that marriage is a "one flesh mystery", you are actually poisoning yourself. That's not a pretty picture, is it?!
Instead, take your frustrations to the Lord and to the individual who might has caused the issue. Then, you won't be venomous!
6. Remain loyal as long as you are on staff.
About sixteen years ago, when I served on a church staff, I was under some intense and unhealthy pressure from the senior pastor. There were so many issues of personal frustration, that I made an appointment with a former college instructor of mine. My goal was to tell him what a terrible boss I worked for.
As I sat in his office, waiting for him to get off the phone, I noticed a wall hanging that was in my direct line of sight. It said something to the effect of, "Loyalty is character issue. Remain loyal as long as you serve under that individual."
Well, needless to say, after he hung up the phone, I made up some crazy story of why I was there and got out of his office as quickly as possible. That day, I chose loyalty as a character trait.
If you absolutely cannot be loyal, you MUST leave the organization! And then, even after you leave, don't burn your bridges. It's okay to be honest and open with your pastor, but don't destroy the relationship by burning your bridges. You'll very likely deeply regret it, because we are the body of Christ, and He hates division.
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