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The best quote I’ve seen all day: “The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is like a Friday, with 3 Saturdays to follow!” — Dave Anderson, aka “moviepastor”. Yeah, I stole it for my Facebook status…
Seriously, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Just being gut-level honest here – most of the “major” holidays are pretty draining on a pastor and a church – special message series, elaborate productions, too many events, etc., – but Thanksgiving kind shakes free of all that… I mean, not many churches have a “Thanks-alluia Pageant and Cantata” featuring live turkeys and cute kids in construction paper pilgrim hats.
Plus, the day is stuffed with two of my favorite things in life: Family and food. We will have a houseful of folks here, including in-laws and friends – anywhere from 16 to 27 depending on the time of day. I love it! It will be loud, and chaotic… There won’t be enough seats… Football games blaring on unwatched TV’s… a Mexican Train domino game might break out… peals of laughter will wake up those of us who are trying to sneak naps… About 4 o’clock the living room will look like there’s a gas leak in the house – lots of open mouthed snoring and drool…
And, my oh my, the food! Fried turkey breasts, ham, pork loin, deviled eggs, homemade noodles, pecan pie… And even though I’m giving myself permission to take off from the diet for lunch, I am making a sugar free peanut butter chocolate pie and leaving off the rolls…
“But what about giving thanks? That is the reason for the day, right?” Well, yeah… but see, I’m trying to live EVERY DAY being thankful for an embarrassing wealth of blessings: A beautiful, strong wife who for some inexplicable reason has chosen me out of all the men on earth to love… For sons who are healthy, smart, funny, talented, handsome, and strong… For a job I love (and would do for free – but don’t tell my fellow elders!) with a group of people who really believe the world can be changed from our cornfield… Material things that make me a very wealthy man in the eyes of most of the rest of the world… I really do recognize that I’m blessed, and for no other reasonable explanation than that God chooses to do so.
Yep, Thanksgiving is an amazing day! I plan on enjoying it to the fullest, and I hope you and your family do too.
If you don’t have somewhere to be, we’ve got a square foot or two of available space – we’d love to have you!
We are “House” fans around here – who wouldn’t like a show about a brilliant, drug-addicted, misanthropic, medical diagnostician? Yeah, the appeal is hard to define – though it is one of the most character rich, character driven shows on TV.
Last week’s case blew me away – talk about seeing “God stories” in popular culture…
A 16 year old emancipated minor collapses at her factory job. House and his team struggle to diagnose her as she gets progressively worse. Their work is complicated by the rabbit trails they are led down by the lies the girl tells – First, that her parents are dead… Then, that she is emancipated because her father raped her.
Finally she is diagnosed with leukemia – a bone marrow transplant will save her life, but the donor bank matches are iffy. She needs marrow from her mother or father. The girl refuses, saying she would rather die than take marrow from her parents. Dr. “13,” – one of House’s team members, sneaks off to talk to the parents, and discovers that the girl has stolen an identity and forged emancipation papers.
House has had enough – he confronts the girl and asked quite pointedly, “What did you do?” The girl finally supplies the truth – she doesn’t want to see her parents because she is sure they hate her and don’t want to see her ever again. She was responsible for the death of her brother – or as she puts it “I killed their son…”
Finally, to the strains of “Through the Dark” by Alexi Murdoch – a GREAT song, btw – there is a tearful reunion, and it is obvious that the girl’s parents love her and are willing to do anything to save her life.
We often live like practical orphans – we become convinced that what we’ve done is so terrible that our Father couldn’t really love us. We tell lies and create cover stories to throw others – and ourselves – off the scent. We suffer longer and more than we have to, because we’re convinced that our part in the death of His Son turns God’s face away from us.
The truth is that God front-loaded an enormous amount of His love, mercy, grace, and kindness on us when we were “yet sinners,” still in rebellion, in the far country, and separated from Him. If He was sovereignly willing to do that when we were “not a people” – how much more will He lavish it all on us AFTER we come to Him?
A hypocrite is not just a person who says one thing and does another – it’s also a person who lives as if something is true about them, when it in fact isn’t. We are not orphans – God is there, still willing to do whatever it takes to save our lives.
“Rugged” is the word that comes to mind… It was the most challenging Sunday we’ve had in awhile – we seemed to be somewhat out of sync, equipment problems, late start, an unusual number of regulars MIA… Plus, the enemy was definitely attacking some folks in their relationships… But here’s what I know: when the enemy is opposing what you’re doing, YOU’RE MOVING IN THE EXACT RIGHT DIRECTION! “Resistance” is necessary for strength to increase and growth to come.
The worship band was walking a little wounded, but finished strong. Thanks for hanging in there guys – I admire your faithfulness and willingness to let God use you for His Glory.
We finished our “Building a Life of Stewardship” message series, looking at the most practical teaching on stewardship and giving in the entire Bible: Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. There we discovered a principle: we reap what we sow, and in proportion to what we sow… a plan: we give, not by regulation, but by revelation. We’re not called to compulsory giving by following a rule, but to give after we have “purposed” in our heart in partnership with the leading of God by His Holy Spirit… and the purpose: our faithful giving activates the work of God in our lives – providing all we need, all the time, and replenishing our resources so we can continue to share with others!
We hosted our community for a Thanksgiving service Sunday evening, sponsored by our local ministerial association. Our band led worship and did a FANTASTIC job. Thanks to our ushers for taking on some extra duty and to all the Jubilee folks who came out.
We are so excited to have Kevin and Susan Fry with us next Sunday! The Fry’s are our missionaries to Zimbabwe, where they run the Eden’s Children’s Village. They have been first hand witnesses to a volatile time in Zimbabwe’s recent history, and faced many challenges at Eden. I’m anxious to hear their update and find out what else we can do to support their Kingdom work. Zimbabwe and Eden are our “uttermost part of the earth,” and we want to be faithful witnesses there!
Right after worship on Sunday, we will all share a big ol’ turkey dinner in The Dome – that’s exactly what you want 3 days after Thanksgiving, right? Bring on the turkey legs and deviled eggs!
Have a great week and a blessed Thanksgiving holiday!
Catalyst Session 4
Don’t Be that Couch Andy Stanley
Your church has ministry and programs in place that, if you were starting over, you wouldn’t do the same way…
Programming facilitates the mission/vision – it’s always designed to address a specific need, answer a specific question, or solve a specific problem.
Programming begins as answer to a question, but over time becomes part of organizational culture – makes it difficult to change. As culture changes the questions remain the same but the answers don’t.
The tendency is to institutionalize our answers. The longer people have been in the church, the less intuitive they are about the questions programming is answering. Leaders should lead people to see the world in a different way – in the way they need to see it.
If we institutionalize an answer, the day will come when it’s no longer an answer.
The Couch illustration – It was great when you bought it, stylish, attractive – over time memories get attached to it, begin to love it, never get rid of it. The reason you bought it – a place to sit – is not the reason it gets carried around from house to house. Today, it’s ugly, out of date, out of style, and uncomfortable… So why don;t we get rid of it?
When we fall in love with programming, the tendency is to keep it around too long… Get rid of the couch! We don’t have time to carry them around. We must continue to be more committed to our mission than we are to our programming or our model/way of doing things.
Over time sustaining the model can become the mission – the real mission becomes keeping/sustaining the programming that is ineffective.
Over time the model can actually work against the mission. – As leaders we have to monitor and change that.
In the business world, they don’t keep old couches around – if it’s not profitable and doesn’t work, they ditch it.
Points of discussion
- What have we fallen in love with that’s not as effective as it needs to be?
- Where are we manufacturing energy? If you have to fake the enthusiasm for a program or activity, it’s time to let it go…
- If we got kicked out and the board brought in a new pastor, what would he do? Need to walk out the door, come back in and see everything with new eyes.
- Proactive change – don’t wait till the wheels fall off.
What are our organizational assumptions? ”Leaders must bring the underlying assumptions that drive strategy into line with changes in the world environment.”
Wrong assumptions lead to bad programming. The assumption the team has held the longest or the most deeply are likeliest to be its undoing… Because we continue to operate the way we think the world is rather than the way it really is. Whatever is off limits for discussion is primed to be our undoing.
- What do assume about people and how to reach them?
- What do we assume programmatically?
- Which of our assumptions are false?
- Which assumptions are true, but not fully leveraged?
The challenge is to send a clear message publicly while holding with an open hand privately – anytime God wants to change something, Let Him.
Refuse to do the things that are not making a difference. Our mission is too important to hang on to the ineffective, out of date methods of ministry.
Catalyst Session Three
Creating Personal Spiritual Momentum Craig Groeschel
“The way I was doing the work of God was destroying the work of God in me…” – Bill Hybels
”I will do today what I can do to enable me to do tomorrow what I can’t do today.”
Do something to defeat your dark side. Identify and give a name to your leadership dark side… Confront it – the key blessing God wants to give your church may come thru your dark side.
Creating some margin in your schedule… Create artificial ministry deadlines today – set a time to go home, and then go. This forces you to prioritize, delegate, etc., Shorter and purposeful days are much more productive.
- Make faster decisions
- Intentionally delegate
- Disregard unimportant activities
Delegate what someone else can do. Don’t delegate responsibilities – delegate authority. Delegating responsibilities creates followers, delegating authority creates leaders. When you hand off stuff others can do it will make margin – also creates chaos. You can have high control and low growth, or lower control and high growth…
Do something that only you can do:
You are the only one who can care for yourself – personal refreshment activity.
- You’re the only one who can care for yourself by taking time off… Not doing so is pride and poor leadership. You’re not that good.
- You’re the only one who can take care of yourself by spending time with God.
- You are the only one who can take care of yourself by eating right and exercising.
You are the only one who can lead your ministry – your church needs your leadership more than your preachership
You the only one who can do something that honors Christ to you – serving and not telling anyone, writing a generous check, etc.
You are the only who can be a husband to your wife and a daddy to your kids…
Effective ministry is not born overnight or without pain or criticism… Most people want to have what others have, but aren’t willing to do what others did.
Catalyst Session Two
Busting Barriers with Mindset Changes Craig Groeschel – Lifechurch.tv
Ministry comes up against many barriers, and the temptation is to settle, be safe. If your mind stops/freezes your momentum will stop…
Challenge to think differently about:
Church Culture
Take an objective look: what about needs to change about our church culture? Answer the question: Our people won’t _____
How to re-think: We have not lead them to _____. It’s usually a leadership/systems issue. Lead the people to the desired result…
Leaders must model: generosity, evangelism, etc.
Programming
Normal mindset: “We have to do more to reach more” More programs events, stuff, etc.
New mindset: We can reach more by doing less. Stop filiing up calendars and sacrificing families on the altar of church busyness.
Concentrate resources on a few well-done things.
Mission
Are you about your mission or are you about guarding people’s feelings?
Normal mindset: “We can’t hurt someone’s feelings” We get the wrong person in a role - and don’t remove them because it might hurt feelings
New mindset: don’t let the right person in the wrong role hold back the mission of the church.
Common: hire for today instead of for the future – with momentum that will result in inadequate leadership in ministry role in the future.
Love the mission enough to make the hard decisions
Think differently about people leaving the church
Sometimes you have to allow people to leave – get rid of the mindset that you can’t let people go… If people are dissatisfied, miserable, complaining, let them go – you remove cancer, don’t shift it to a new position or placate it.
We can actually grow when people leave – can remain friends, love them, but recognize that they belong in another church.
If you are confident and secure in who you are in ministry that is attractive.
Limitations
We can’t because we don’t have______ (Resources, room, money, etc.)
You can often do more within limitations – If Peter and John had had any money, the lame man wouldn’t have walked…
See opportunities where others see limitations.
3 assignments:
- Find someone one or two steps ahead of you and find out what they think. Most people focus on the what and miss the why?
- Identify one wrong mindset and ask God to renew the mind with truth.
- Identify one painful decision, and commit to make it no matter the short term pain.
The Catalyst One Day event at Granger was amazing — It was my first live exposure to Catalyst, and I was impressed. This is an organization that has their act together and is serious about equipping ministry leaders.
The speakers for the conference were Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschel. In the next few posts, I will share my notes. Please keep in mind, these are not detailed notes, and any lack of clarity or cohesiveness is mine…
Catalyst Session One
Gaining and Sustaining Momentum – Andy Stanley, Northpoint Community Church
Momentum – forward motion fueled by a series of wins
You know when you have it – problems, but good problems: parking problems, lots of kids, crowding, etc. And you know when you don’t – every Sunday is kind of the same, absence of energy and excitement.
Businesses reacts to lack of momentum very rapidly – call meetings, have conversations, make immediate and sometimes drastic changes… But churches will go for GENERATIONS without momentum and have no concerns as long as things are running smooth and they can pay the pastor… The church can be flat and dead, and nobody’s upset about it.
When a church gets momentum in many towns, other churches get mad! In church world momentum is unsettling and disruptive…
You are one stupid decision from killing any momentum you might have…
God created systems: solar, circulatory, etc. The Holy Spirit works in systemic ways -God works thru people and the hearts and minds of men…
Is there is a principle/formula of momentum – that can be applied and create momentum?
3 components of sustained momentum: ”New,” “Improved,” and “Improving.”
“New” triggers momentum – anytime you create something new, even if it’s bad, generates momentum
Organizational momentum triggered by 3 things, New direction, new leadership, new product
When evaluating something that lacks momentum, ask: do we need new direction, leader, product?
Momentum is never generated by tweaking something old, it is triggered by introducing something new…
New does not guarantee sustained MO, but is an essential trigger.
“Improved” – must be a noticeable improvement over the old…
Ask: is this a significant improvement over what we had before? How is this really different? If it’s not, don’t do it – wasting resources
If you “can’t afford” to generate momentum, you’re doing too many things. Wouldn’t you rather have 2 things that have momentum than 10 things that don’t?
Even significant improvement has a shelf life – nothing feels “new and improved” forever.
“Improving” – momentum is sustained through continuous improvement.
Example: Trip to the grocery store – old products labeled “new!’ New formula, packaging, etc. If there’s the perception of “new and improved” people will select that over the old… Communicates that you are constantly trying to improve, upgrade, positively change things. “Stick with us – we’ll figure out how to improve…”
Continuous improvement requires systematic evaluation – must be built into the life of the organization in an intentional way… Requires unfiltered evaluation – every area, everybody, nobody, nothing off limits.
Worship service evaluation is so important – if you’re not doing it, you’re not getting better. Don’t wait till Monday to make Sunday better.
Applying New & Improved to the world of ministry: new personnel, new programming, new series, new look, new venues… Look for ways to improve your presentations… Visit other orgs./Churches
Momentum stoppers-
- Disengaged leaders – pursuing side projects
- Overactive management – managers want to manage things back into sameness and predictability – they are necessary, but not in the key leader role… Have a good working relationship with your mgrs, but don’t allow them to manage away momentum.
- Complacency
- Complexity – age creates complexity -every once and awhile have to pare down and tear down, rebuild new.
Breach of trust
I’m ready to head north tomorrow for the Catalyst one day event at Granger! Getting excited for a couple of reasons: 1) Granger Community Church is one of my favorite places! It’s practically in our back yard, only two hours away – OK, the far end of the back yard - and I always get so much out of the seminars and conferences there. 2) I’m anxious to hear in person a couple of guys I only know through their published works, Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschel. I’m reading Stanley’s “Visioneering” right now, and I’m looking forward to reading Groeschel’s latest book, “It.” And 3) Getting to share the day with Greg, one of our elders, and my oldest son, Ben.
It’s going to be a good, good day – if there’s no blizzard! I’ll blog a report when we get back!
The other day I was doing my “social network spy-dad” thing, looking at the profiles of my 3 oldest sons – checking out their friends lists and what their friends are saying and posting, that sort of thing. I came across the profile of a young woman I recognized from a class I taught a couple of years ago. My eyes widened as I read what she wrote below her profile pic:
If u don’t like me I don’t give a [f*bomb] if u don’t hate me I still don’t give a [f*bomb], but thanx for not hatin,
“Yikes!” I thought, “That’s pretty harsh for someone who hasn’t lived near long enough to be that PO’d…” Then I started reading her “About me” comments in her personal information:
“I don’t know my dad. I don’t live with my mom. I live with my grandparents. My mom walked out on me but I still love her more than anything. My life is very miserable except when I’m with my friends…”
My eyes filled with tears, and deep within I heard the Lord say to me, “That’s who you’re here for.”
Around the same time a Jubilee member was telling me about a conversation they had with a person who is not a member. The non-member asked our person, “Do ‘person A’ and ‘person B’ go to your church?” When our person said that they did, the non-member said, “Those aren’t the kind of people you want in your church…”
That person couldn’t have been more wrong.
Our church is here for the angry, the deserted, and the miserable. For those who have been beaten on by life and other people. For those who got the message from a thousand different places, “You’re no good… unacceptable… unworthy…” For those with bad reputations and bad attitudes. Because Jesus is their only hope.
My favorite book of all time other than the Bible is Jerry Cook’s “Love, Acceptance, and Forgiveness.” I have at least three copies within arms reach right now, and I read it at least twice a year… His words ring in my spirit and shake me to my core:
“The minimal guarantee we must make to people is that they will be loved – always, under every circumstance, with no exception. The second guarantee is that they will be totally accepted, without reservation. The third thing we must guarantee people is that no matter how miserably they fail or how blatantly they sin, unreserved forgiveness is theirs for the asking with no bitter taste left in anybody’s mouth. If people are not guaranteed these three things, they will never allow us the marvelous privilege of bringing wholeness to them through the fellowship of the church.”
The first time I read those words nearly twenty years ago, I said, “That’s the kind of person and pastor I want to be, and the kind of church I want to be a part of.” By God’s grace and the leading of the Holy Spirit, I am still committed to that – though I’m far from perfect in real life application - and I’m privileged to serve a church that is committed to it, too.
Man, it is cold here in the corn fields of Hoosier-land! I heard someone talking today about the possibility of a “white Thanksgiving”!
I was so excited about worship at Jubilee yesterday – and once again, it was an amazing and inspiring experience. The worship band was just on it! Hey, did anyone notice the drummer dropping his drumsticks? No? Me neither. In fact I wouldn’t have known it at all if he hadn’t talked about so much on the way to lunch… Shake it off, Sam, you done good and worship was great.
We continued to look at “Building a Life of Stewardship,” focusing on Paul’s account of the Macedonian church in 2 Corinthians 8. Here was an extremely poor church, pleading for the opportunity to give to the needs of others. Paul said “they gave not only what they could afford, but far more.” The Macedonian’s “many troubles” and being “very poor” when mixed with their “abundance of joy” bubbled over into “rich generosity.”
We saw that those poverty stricken Christians could teach us some important things about stewardship and giving: 1) The first thing we give is ourselves to the Lord… Our most important issue is not what we have, but Who we have, or rather Who has us. 2) How to trust in difficult circumstances… The Macedonians had physical poverty, but they were untouched by spiritual poverty – that’s why they were so eager to share what little they had. Giving is not primarily a financial issue – it’s a spiritual issue, a trust issue. Our generosity and joy say a lot about the condition of our spirituality. 3) How to excel in the gracious act of giving… We give because we love – not because of a legalistic percentage standard, or a sense of guilt or obligation. It is love for God and an awareness and appreciation of the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf that moves us to serve – not merely as grace receivers, or hoarders, but as conduits through which His love flows to the world around us.
We had an awesome response to “Operation Christmas Child” – shoeboxes full of goodies everywhere! I see there are still a few boxes that haven’t been returned. Please get those to the church office by Wednesday! Thanks for caring and sharing with children all over the world!
Have a great week!
