The following is corny and will get annoying by the end of the post but is a great topic and conversation starter. Here are 12 things that will help with a pastor's duration and continuation with a congregation...
1. Desperation - for Jesus and reaching others
2. Transformation - willingness to allow God to change your life and desire same for others
3. Celebration - positive and expressive response to God's movement
4. Appreciation - expressions of being wanted, needed and loved
5. Compensation - salary and benefits to remove stress from family
6. Cultivation - opportunities to learn and grow into God given potential
7. Imagination - using creativity to envision God's dream for the future
8. Innovation - looking forward and risking something new
9. Reconciliation - conflict handled in a healthy, biblical way
10. Relation - meaningful and deep friendships
11. Collaboration - working together in harmony with respect and humility
12. Destination - traveling the same road together towards the same goals
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Why Pastors Leave
Pastors leave churches for all kinds of reasons. Leaving makes some people happy and some people saddened. Here are some various reasons...
Stress, finances, conflict, immorality, resistance to change, power brokers, immaturity, ambition, loneliness, not prepared for the job, negative effects on the family, gap between effort and reward, bad fit, unrealistic expectations, unwillingness to confront issues, poor self image, refusal to own or learn from mistakes, lack of vision, lack of ministry volunteers or resources, no sense of support from leaders, leadership style (too strong/ too weak), health, prior unresolved conflict, poor people skills, decline/rise in attendance, burnout, out of tricks, no longer fun or joyful...
We need to add that none of the above reasons could be involved. No one knows where the wind will blow and so sometimes leaving is just obedience to what seems to be the Holy Spirit's leading.
In the Church of the Nazarene, pastors are staying longer.
Average Tenure:
Stress, finances, conflict, immorality, resistance to change, power brokers, immaturity, ambition, loneliness, not prepared for the job, negative effects on the family, gap between effort and reward, bad fit, unrealistic expectations, unwillingness to confront issues, poor self image, refusal to own or learn from mistakes, lack of vision, lack of ministry volunteers or resources, no sense of support from leaders, leadership style (too strong/ too weak), health, prior unresolved conflict, poor people skills, decline/rise in attendance, burnout, out of tricks, no longer fun or joyful...
We need to add that none of the above reasons could be involved. No one knows where the wind will blow and so sometimes leaving is just obedience to what seems to be the Holy Spirit's leading.
In the Church of the Nazarene, pastors are staying longer.
Average Tenure:
- 2006 - 4 years and 5 months
- 1996 - 3 years and 3 months
- 1988 - 3 years and 3 months
Some pastors and people think that after 5 years it is time to move on and some pastors and people are looking for a lifetime covenant. What do you think?
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The Bell Boy vs. The Maid
I recently had the opportunity to stay in a nice hotel.
I observed 2 types of servants:
The Bell Boy...
I observed 2 types of servants:
The Bell Boy...
- Up front
- Works hard
- Motivated by tips
The Maid...
- Behind the scenes
- Works hard
- Motivated by the work
It seemed to me the bell boy was wanting to please me for more money while the maid simply wanted to do her job well. We are all called to serve but what is our style and motivation?
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
The Nines Leadership Conference
On 9/9/09 there was an internet conference for pastors and church leaders. Each presenter had 9 minutes to say what they wanted. Here are some quotes I enjoyed...
- A movement of God cannot be planned but it must be prepared for - Perry Noble
- Don't confuse large with legitimate - Skye Jethani
- Lord, send us the people no one else wants - Jorge Acevedo
- Spiritual Practices, Safe Relationships, Stretching Experiences - Nancy Beach
- Missional Church - people of God, partnering with God in His redemptive mission in the world - Reggie McNeal
- How to deal with a big head... A Jesus Spirit of humble confidence and confident humility. Paradoxy is Orthodoxy. - Len Sweet
- Do ministry out of the overflow of the Holy Spirit. - Craig Groeschel
- Ask barrier breaking questions. - Greg Surrat
- We have shrunk Jesus to the size he can save our soul but not big enough to change our world. - Jennie Catron
- 1 God idea is better than 1,000 good ideas. - Mark Batterson
- Be a both/and church. - Rich ?
- In the church, tradition should never get in the way of mission or it is a sin. - Dan Kimball
- God's message of loving ALL won't be credible when preached to segregated pews. - Mark DeYmaz
- Take care of yourself. - Chip Henderson
- Best practices come from good theology or we get better at doing the wrong things. - Brian McLaren
- Disciples are hand crafted not mass produced. - John Ortberg
- People want access to our hearts and lives. - Rick McKinley
- Mission is the opposite of self. - Ed Stetzer
- Idolatry = we make a good thing into a God thing and it becomes a bad thing. - Mark Driscoll
Monday, September 7, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Dualistc Duos
Instead of thinking in terms of opposites and enemies maybe we can think more paradoxically like peanutbutter and jelly, chocolate and peanutbutter, needle and thread, love and marriage, cardinals and superbowl.
APOPHATIC AND CATAPHATIC
CONTEMPLATION AND ACTION
TRUTH AND LOVE
EVANGELISM AND DISCIPLESHIP
TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY
LIBERAL AND CONSERVATIVE
ATTRACTIONAL AND MISSIONAL
SUNDAY SCHOOL AND SMALL GROUPS
WORD AND SPIRIT
BODY AND SOUL
SCHEDULED AND SPONTANEOUS
Can you think of others???
APOPHATIC AND CATAPHATIC
CONTEMPLATION AND ACTION
TRUTH AND LOVE
EVANGELISM AND DISCIPLESHIP
TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY
LIBERAL AND CONSERVATIVE
ATTRACTIONAL AND MISSIONAL
SUNDAY SCHOOL AND SMALL GROUPS
WORD AND SPIRIT
BODY AND SOUL
SCHEDULED AND SPONTANEOUS
Can you think of others???
To Do or Not To Do?
An emergence or resurgence of social justice is being awakened in the church. There is a renewed emphasis on the poor, marginalized and disadvantaged. This is being led by Bragelina, Bono and Emerging Church leaders.
This could be a reaction to the spirituality of not doing. The aim of not doing was focused on the Big 5: NO drinking, smoking, dancing, movies or playing cards.
The spirituality of doing could be rooted in Matthew 25 when Jesus said, “whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me”. The list could be called the Big 6: hunger, thirst, hospitality, nakedness, sickness, and the imprisoned.
The problem is that we can be the source of our not doing or the source of our doing. We use our energy so we get the credit for not doing harm or doing good. Most of us run out of energy and experience moral failure or burnout. Matthew 7 reminds us that Jesus desires for us to know him, not just prophecy, drive out demons or perform many miracles. The parable of the Good Samaritan is an example of loving God and neighbor not just being a do-gooder. And back to Matthew 25, neither the sheep nor goats had a self consciousness of their doing or not doing when they both said, “When did we see you and help you? When did we see you and not help you?”
The good news is that Jesus sends His Spirit to live in us and be our energy. It seems the pendulum of doing vs. not doing swings every 50 years. The church can chase the culture and try to stay relevant or live in the energy of God and lead the cultural change. It is not about doing or not doing but about allowing God to do or not to do through us. This is the simple definition of holiness = Holy in us. Think of how much more good we would do if the Spirit of Jesus lives through us.
This could be a reaction to the spirituality of not doing. The aim of not doing was focused on the Big 5: NO drinking, smoking, dancing, movies or playing cards.
The spirituality of doing could be rooted in Matthew 25 when Jesus said, “whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me”. The list could be called the Big 6: hunger, thirst, hospitality, nakedness, sickness, and the imprisoned.
The problem is that we can be the source of our not doing or the source of our doing. We use our energy so we get the credit for not doing harm or doing good. Most of us run out of energy and experience moral failure or burnout. Matthew 7 reminds us that Jesus desires for us to know him, not just prophecy, drive out demons or perform many miracles. The parable of the Good Samaritan is an example of loving God and neighbor not just being a do-gooder. And back to Matthew 25, neither the sheep nor goats had a self consciousness of their doing or not doing when they both said, “When did we see you and help you? When did we see you and not help you?”
The good news is that Jesus sends His Spirit to live in us and be our energy. It seems the pendulum of doing vs. not doing swings every 50 years. The church can chase the culture and try to stay relevant or live in the energy of God and lead the cultural change. It is not about doing or not doing but about allowing God to do or not to do through us. This is the simple definition of holiness = Holy in us. Think of how much more good we would do if the Spirit of Jesus lives through us.
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