Be Encouraged...

Dr. Chuck Lawless, Vice-President for Spiritual Formation at Southeastern Seminary, has the following seven words of encouragement for us... 

"I want to encourage church leaders with some thoughts that have been encouraging to me over the years:

1) If you are where God wants you to be, you’re the person God intends to lead your church. You needn’t worry about impressing anybody or seeking praise—your calling is God’s affirmation of you. Just be obedient.

2) If you don’t see God work in mighty ways this weekend, that doesn’t mean He hasn’t worked. He simply may not let you know yet what He’s doing. After all, He’s not obligated to let us in on the details of His work.

3) God knows where you are and what you’re facing, even if it feels like He’s distant. It might seem that you are in the desert, but He is Lord over the desert, too. You are not alone.

4) The Spirit of God still works through the Word. I trust that’s good news for you—perhaps even a needed reminder as you prepare a lesson or sermon for this week. God takes even our most feeble efforts and works through them when we teach the Bible.

5) It might feel otherwise some days, but folks in your congregation love you and are grateful for you. Sure, every church has a headache member, but God’s people are incredibly giving, forgiving, and loving. Rest in the love God has given them for you.

6) Somebody’s been praying for you this week. I don’t know about you, but just knowing someone’s covered me in prayer every day gives me great peace and godly confidence as I look toward the weekend.

7) God still reigns. And, that’s all that matters.

Be encouraged, friends!

"He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it." ~ 1 Thess. 5:24

How to Endure as Pastors...

ENDURING PASTORS 

by Alan Small, Senior Pastor, Creekside Community Church, Elizabeth, CO, and Executive Director /Mission Strategist for Dogwood Trails Baptist Association. 

"A common theme in the New Testament is endurance. In Revelation 3, Christ’s letter to the church in Philadelphia, Christ commends and blesses the church for following the command to endure.

At times, we endure trials (James 1:12), we endure discipline (Hebrews 12:7); we endure health issues, conflict, financial insecurity, societal changes, and the list continues to grow. Recently, I heard the average tenure of pastors continues to hold steady at about three and a half years. In too many cases, churches have acted like God has placed us in a spiritual sprint and not a spiritual marathon. Tenures for pastors setting in at less than five years have little chance to propel a church forward to its best days.

Below are a few of my thoughts about how we can endure as pastors...

KEY #1: BUILD YOUR STAMINA ~ 

When I first began pastoral ministry, I had no idea the amount of mental stamina it took being a pastor. The ebb and flow of serving a local congregation is challenging. Sadly, many pastors and congregations view some of the challenges that happen in ministry as reasons to give up and move on. Time is the only real answer for building stamina. Some suggest a pastor does not truly become the pastor until he has led a church five years. Giving up too soon is too much an epidemic among many pastors.

KEY #2: FIND and BE ENCOURAGES ~

I remember preaching a particularly bad sermon. As was her custom, a precious lady came to me and told how good the message was and she grabbed my hands in such a way to let me know she had not given up on me in spite of recognizing the sermon fell flat. I would never make it far without the countless people who stand around me to encourage me through the good and bad. Encouragers give us strength which give us stamina. A simple rule of thumb in finding encouragers is to become an encourager. Encouragement is contagious.

KEY #3: PROGRESS MOST OFTEN COMES in SMALL INCREMENTS ~

Like many students of the Bible, the Day of Pentecost stands out as a day I would like to have experienced. I want to see the dynamic expression of God moving among people. The reality on most days, however, is slow and steady growth. Little by little and day by day God does things that we often do not see until we take time to see how far we have come. When you do, take a few moments to celebrate the way God has worked.

KEY #4: TAKE ADVANTAGE of REST DAYS ~ 

To coach effectively, I have had to learn that training for endurance events requires specific rest days. The amount of rest needed may vary among different philosophies, but science and wisdom have proven rest days are essential. We all need to take time to rest, to sit at the feet of Jesus and enjoy Him. Several people in my life encourage me to guard my time off and take advantage of it. Burn out is a terrible reality for too many, and it often arises from ignoring the importance of rest days.

KEY #5: RUN WITH SOMEONE HEADED in the SAME DIRECTION ~

Most people hate meetings, but I have one that stands out as the best one ever. I was laying some groundwork to unfold a vision for our church’s future. Before I could jump into it, a member from our church’s board, said, “Pastor, tell us what you see.” Before we left that day, my okay idea had become our great idea. Walking alongside another makes an enormous difference in our churches. Why walk alone?"

Six Reasons for Courage ...

SIX REASONS Why Pastors and Church Leaders Must Be More Courageous Today... by Thom Rainer 

If I could choose one more course for ministry training and preparation, it would be “Courageous Leadership.” I hear from so many pastors and staff who are trained well in the classical disciplines, but who are ill-prepared for the real world of church ministry.

Though there have certainly been more difficult times in the course of Church history for pastors, leading a church today is much tougher than it was 20 and 30 years ago. There have been some demographic and cultural shifts that reflect this reality. But some of the challenges can only be understood in the context of spiritual warfare.

So, what are some of the specific reasons pastors and church leaders must be more courageous today? Though my list is far from exhaustive, allow me to name six of the key factors.

 1️⃣ There have been dramatic shifts in culture, most of them adversarial to biblical Christianity. Church leaders can no longer assume that biblical values are normative in culture today. To the contrary, many of the cultural mores are antithetical to Christian truth. The pastor must take a stand in this adversarial environment while remaining pastoral and compassionate.

 2️⃣ The position of pastor is no longer held in high esteem in many communities. When I was a pastor in the 80s and 90s, I could count on some level of respect from community members because of my vocation. That is not the case most of the time today.

 3️⃣ Church critics can be vicious. Have you noticed that, throughout the Bible, the greatest harm to a believing community comes from dissension among the believers? Opposition from the outside is a challenge; dissension from within can be devastating. And church critics today seem to have gone wild!

 4️⃣ Pastors must push against the “me” mentality of many church members. For reasons I have noted for years, many of our church members see church membership as tantamount to country club membership. They pay their way and get their perks. Pastors who push against this pervasive and unbiblical mentality often do so at great cost.

 5️⃣ Good church leaders must say “no” often. The best church leaders say no to the good so they can say yes to the best. But those who receive a “no” don’t often receive it well.

 6️⃣ Ultimately church leadership is spiritual warfare. Paul leaves no doubt to this reality in Ephesians 6:13: “Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil.” Pastors and church leaders are truly engaged in spiritual warfare. They must have courage, a courage that can only come from God.

I am not certain about the mindset of Joshua before he led the people of God into the Promised Land, but it seems like he needed an extra dose of courage. Repeatedly in Joshua 1, God tells him: “Be strong and courageous . . . “ (Joshua 1:6).

Church leaders need to be reminded of the need for courage today. Serving as a pastor is an impossible job without the strength and courage that comes only from God.

https://churchanswers.com/podcasts/rainer-on-leadership/six-reasons-pastors-must-be-more-courageous-today/

~ Thom S. Rainer is the founder and CEO of Church Answers, an online community and resource for church leaders.

An Iron Grip in a Velvet Glove...

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love." -- 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

My grip is no different than most men my age. I can easily crush a soda can with one hand or maintain a firm grip on my "All American" hound when she wants to chase a squirrel across the street. At the same time I can hold a new born infant tenderly or carry an egg across the kitchen without breaking the shell. It's God's creative gift to have an iron grip in a velvet glove.

The believer has much the same quality spiritually. As Paul counsels, we are to be firm and strong, doing everything in love. Our guard should never be down and our courage should never wane. We are to have a spiritual strength that confronts evil forcefully and presses on toward righteousness powerfully. At the same time we are to minister with the loving compassion and tenderness of our heavenly Father. We are born anew with an iron grip in a velvet glove.

How about you my pastor friend? Are you the kind of leader that is known to be firm and strong? Yet, is it rare that anyone experiences your loving touch? Or are you quite loving in everything but have lost the courage to deal with evil, choosing the hard, but right path? The Lord created and gifted you with a unique grip, both physically and a spiritually. As you follow the call to lead with an "iron grip in a velvet glove" you will discover amazing balance and blessing in all your ministry pursuits. 

~ PJVS

LEADERSHIP is BUILT ...

 

To His Fullest Glory...

"For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God." - 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 

People have flocked to hear skilled and eloquent speakers for generations. The story is told of an occasion when the ever popular New York pastor, Henry Ward Beecher was on vacation from his pulpit. Ward's brother was scheduled to preach in his place and when he came to the platform a number of people gave sighs of disappointment. As the guest preacher began to speak he offered this invitation: "Those who came to hear Henry Ward Beecher may feel free to leave at this time, and those who came to hear the Word of the Lord, please remain seated." God intentionally chooses to use the foolish, the low and despised and those who are considered nothing that He alone will receive all the glory.

Paul lived and ministered in a day when traveling speakers were very common. Large crowds would gather whenever a well spoken personality came to town. Average preachers and lesser public speakers were ignored or ridiculed. How interesting that into such an atmosphere God sent fishermen, tax collectors and men like Paul to proclaim the eternal truths of God's Word. As a result, there was no room to boast in the presence of God.

Take note my pastor friend. We are all different. This is as God intended. In His providential wisdom the Lord has called his servants from every walk of life; some with great strengths and others with incredible weaknesses. Yet, no one can ever boast of anything other than God's grace and mercy in His calling. Serve with open hearts, all those who our Chief Shepherd has entrusted to you. In turn, He will use you to His fullest glory.

Think about this: "God's main concern is that we are more interested in him than in work for him. Once you are rooted and grounded in Christ the greatest thing you can do is to be. Don't try and be useful; be yourself and God will use you to further his ends." ~ Oswald Chambers

Our Family Commitments...

"Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home." - John 19:25-27

Far too many families are lost to the pursuit of careers. Both men and women are consumed with making it big and finding success in their field of expertise. There is no sacrifice too great to achieve their goals. With such overwhelming preoccupation, family commitments fade.

Jesus went to the cross with the greatest goal in all of history. His purpose was to redeem the souls of mankind through the shedding of his blood. He became sin for sinners so they might be clothed with the righteousness of God. While this demand was tremendous, his devotion to family remained a priority. To Jesus, family commitments never faded.

How about it my pastor friend? Where is your family in the flow of your life? Have you become so entrenched with your ministry and all your expectations that your family has become a distant second? Look to the cross and see the Savior; in the midst of incredible suffering, loving and caring for his mother. Be wise, and never, never, never let your family commitments fade.

Consider this... "The life of religion, and the welfare and glory of both the Church and the State, depend much on family government and duty. If we suffer the neglect of this, we shall undo all." ~ Richard Baxter