A Burden of the Heart

When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God heaven.

Nehemiah 1:4 (NASB)

It seems there are some things missing from ministry and ministry leaders today.  What is missing is a burdened heart.  We need a passion and a purpose that is burning from within us.  Some of us do not have that.  Granted, pastoral ministry is challenging.  People are challenging.  Working with an organization built around volunteers is challenging.  But pastors, we are missing something within us; a burdened heart!
A wise friend in ministry many years ago chastised some of us newer pastor types because we referred to the pastorate as a vocation.  My brother Ted said, "Ministry is not a vocation or job it is a calling!"  He was and  is absolutely correct.

I learned from my brother.  Less than a year ago, I began conversing with a group from Hastings Michigan.  We were content in the location where we were serving and really did not want to leave the security of Pennsylvania, where we had spent most of our twenty plus years of pastoral ministry.  We had family there, friends in ministry were there, we were well connected in the community and among our sister churches, but God was calling.  I remember making this statement and praying fervently, "God I don't want to just go to a different place of ministry.  If you want me to go to Michigan, I want you to give me a burden and passion for this place."  God answered that prayer.

There are days when I look at our community here and the other places of ministry God has called us to in this area and I sense a deep burden.  Like Nehemiah there are days I mourn over the needs and spiritual condition of this region.  God has burdened my heart.

May I challenge you if you are struggling in your place of service, if you would like to be anywhere but where God has called you, pray for God to burden your heart for the place He has called you too.  It may change many things but I am sure it will change you!

Kingdom Crusaders

 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the forces of  Hades will not overpower it.

Matt 16:18 (HCSB)

In the day in and day out world of Church leaders there are some important truths that we know or at least use to know that we need to be reminded of.  In Matthew 16 (vs. 13-20) Jesus questions His disciples about who He is and what they think about who He is.  From this passage there are some profound truths that we would do well to remember in the midst of ministry.  Let me remind us of a few:

• This is personal.  Jesus singles out Peter.  OK well Peter put himself in the center of the situation by answering! But it is personal.  It doesn't matter what your church does or others do.  It is personal.  Who do you say that I am?  What will you do with Jesus?
• It is all about Jesus.  Sometimes we forget the Church is not about us.  It is always about Him.  Who He is, The messiah, God come in the flesh.
• It is His church.  It is not our church or my church it is His church!
• He will build His church.  For all of our effort and trying we must remember that He will build.  We are along for the ride.  Try not to get in His way!
• We are in a War.  We are not competition with each other.  We are in a war with Satan!  Remember who the real enemy is.

One Step at a Time

As a leader/pastor we seek God's direction.  God will communicate with us where He is leading us. Our problem sometimes is that rather than accepting His direction one step at a time we would really like the whole journey mapped out.  But that is not the way God works most of the time.

The Lord had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you." (Genesis 12.1)

Maybe I'm alone in this but I find my jumping ahead of God.  I see where He may be leading and I begin to wonder what's the big picture, "where might this lead?"  God doesn't give us the big picture because He wants us to just take a step.  We need to find satisfaction in the step before we can find  satisfaction in the journey.  I read this morning a thought that was profound.  When we are always looking ahead we miss the joy, blessing and excitement of the step where God has us right now.

So let me encourage you pastor just enjoy the moment where God has you right now and don't get ahead of Him.  don't miss His blessings today because you are looking to see what His blessing may be tomorrow!

A Discipleship Deficit

If you are like me we have wrestled with discipleship in the American church.  As we look at the Scripture it seems what we are doing in "discipleship" does not look like anything we find in the early church.  Discipleship has merely become a program and not a lifestyle for the church.  The following video may help us to begin a journey of finding the keys to truly making disciples in the local church.  Watch and feel free to send me some comments.  I would love to dialogue with you about what it means to be making disciples in the church today.

Francis Chan and the Discipleship Deficit - Highlight of The Exchange from Ed Stetzer on Vimeo.

Are you a Leader?

 The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and they stood around Moses from morning until evening. 14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw everything he was doing for them he asked, “What is this thing you’re doing for the people? Why are you alone sitting as judge, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?” 15 Moses replied to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I make a decision between one man and another. I teach [them] God’s statutes and laws.” 17 “What you’re doing is not good,” Moses’ father-in-law said to him. 18 “You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You can’t do it alone. 19 Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to Him. 20 Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do. 21 But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating bribes. Place [them] over the people as officials of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 22 They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every important case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load, and they will bear [it] with you. 23 If you do this, and God [so] directs you, you will be able to endure, and also all these people will be able to go home satisfied.” 24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25 So Moses chose able men from all Israel and made them leaders over the people [as] officials of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 26 They judged the people at all times; the hard cases they would bring to Moses, but every minor case they would judge themselves. 27 Then Moses said goodbye to his father-in-law, and he journeyed to his own land.
Ex 18:13-27 (HCSB)

Have you ever asked yourself what makes a leader a leader?  For some we believe leadership means that I am responsible so I will do it.  Sometimes we like to feel needed.  But if we are to be useful as a leader in His Kingdom we need to understand that we may need to change.  Moses in the passage above had to make 7 major steps or changes.

1. Listen to wise counsel.
2. Do what you were primarily called to do.  For a pastor that is to preach/teach, pray and lead.
3. Select competent people who can help to lead.
4. Empower leadership to lead.
5. Organize for maximum impact.
6. Let them go!
7. Be available as a resource and a helper.

Danger signs of an unhealthy church mindset

Over the years I have become increasingly convinced that a healthy, strong and growing church is not about the programs, policies and activities that a church is doing but more importantly the mindset and paradigms it has adopted.  That being said let me share 9 thoughts mindsets that are danger signs of an unhealthy church mindset.

1. We boast of faithfulness instead of fruitfulness.(John 15.1-8)
2. The Committee or Team's name changes but the faces around the table don't.
3. We excuse ourselves for lacking quality in what we do.
4. We plan for our comfort not for ministry opportunities.
5. For an event to be successful everyone must attend.
6. New people are given "opportunity" to serve only after a few weeks attending and without being equipped.
7. We like to say, "We always do it this way!"
8. We hear, "We pay the pastor to do the ministry things."
9. We have a purpose we just aren't sure what it is!

Clarifying Vision

Most of us are familiar with Proverbs 29.18 that says,Where there is no vision, the people perish:
Prov 29:18.  Go to almost any leadership or pastoral conference and eventually you will hear this verse or at least hear the word "vision".  Vision is important.  In fact I would say that if we are going to be leaders with any credibility we must have vision.  But in our church culture today we have missed a very critical truth.  We are instructed, encouraged even berated that we must get our leadership team together, have a dream session and together determine the vision for our church.  There is just one problem with that advice.  Vision does not come from committees, teams or even dreaming!  It comes from God.  If we look at another translation of Proverbs 29.18 it may gives us a better understanding of what vision is.
 Without revelation people run wild, but one who keeps the law will be happy.
Prov 29:18 (HCSB)
Vision comes from God's revelation to us.  If we are quiet and stop our dreaming we will hear from the Lord and He will give us His vision.  Notice the mention of Law.  Vision will spring out of our communion with God in the Word.  So next time you hear a  guru tell you to form a committee, perhaps it would be wise to first consult a committee of three: Father, Son & Holy Spirit!

Grace for Leading

¹⁴ and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.¹⁵ It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. ¹⁶ Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life. ¹⁷ Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
1 Timothy 1.14-17 (NASB)

Paul proclaims that God's grace was more abundant.  Have you ever asked what grace and leadership have in common?  I have held a simple belief for many years that I am not in ministry because of my merits but because of God's grace.
Paul obviously held this view because he states that he was the foremost of sinners that Christ came to save.  Paul also states that because of God's grace in his life he has been given mercy to show God's patience and usefulness of sinners. 
Pastor/leader be careful not to present yourself as something you are not.  We put on our "holier than thou" facade and parade ourselves around as so much more than we are.  Remember as Paul did that we are sinner saved by grace to demonstrate His goodness.  Those we lead must see that we too are human and struggle and that we have not yet arrived.  Strive for holiness yes but stop pretending you are something that your not: PERFECT!