Don't fear change

Neighborhoods change faster than the churches within their borders can adapt. Empty pews and a lighter offering plate lead to the congregation's demand that “something” be done. At the same time, churches, like all organizations, resist change. So, a tug of war begins between the fear too little change (reflected in the loss of members) and too much change (something of value is lost.) Conflict is unavoidable when a church faces change.

The awareness that things are not the way they were or could be brings pain. This pain must be processed if the church is to become healthier through positive, lasting change. Encourage dialog and position disagreements as different approaches to common goals. Listen to the fear and complaining. Do not try to win people over with a positive vision of a preferred vision.

Listening does not mean agreement. People will need understanding as they cope with their feelings of loss and fear of the unknown. Emotional language will dominate conversations during this time.

Although leaders may have already processed their feelings, it's important not to run ahead of the church. Wait for church members to catch up. Otherwise, a toxic atmosphere will be created that will have a negative impact on the church's witness.

A period of celebrating the past and understanding the church's initial vision can be followed by a time of quiet reflection. This can bring healing.

Discovering the neighborhood's needs and assets can be an exercise in doing “something” that is productive without making any changes. This time of analysis can be a wilderness experience of empty space where something new and wonderful emerges. We encounter God in the wilderness. 

To every thing there is a season, 

and a time to every purpose under the heaven

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Uncertain times call for entrepreneurial leaders

Molly Marshall's list of entrepreneurial qualities:

1. Welcome the nudge of the Spirit, who loves to subvert old patterns.
2. Be receptive to the chaos that is inevitable when innovating.
3. Learn to embrace calculated risk.
4. Take responsibility if an experiment fails.
5. Empower people to bring their best thinking and energy to a common goal.
6. Search continuously for new opportunities.
7. Steward resources wisely and trust there will be enough.
8. Give back a sense of calm and stability in the vortex of change.
9. Pay attention to personal resistance to change and the desire to repristinate the past.
10. Remain hopeful in the midst of unknowing, and walk by faith.
11. Carry a disposition of “why not?” rather than “why it won’t work.
12. Cultivate a life of prayer, and become ever more deeply rooted in faith.
13. Seek wise counsel. An isolated leader cannot impose vision; rather, vision arises out of thoughtful collaboration. Leadership entails being a “keeper” of the vision, however.
14. Find or construct a supportive professional network that can offer forthright perspective.
15. Focus on performance objectives that align with values and vision of the initiative
16. Understand critical tasks unique to discrete positions and require accountability for their accomplishment
17. Continue to practice discernment about strategic direction.

View the full article here.

A Church Council at Baptist Temple

A new structure intended to improve communication and planning was approved by Baptist Temple during the September church conference. A church council comprised of committee chairs, staff and other key leaders would meet once per month to plan and coordinate ministry, resolve conflicts and act on needs.

The council will absorb the duties of administrative committees that meet infrequently and make policy. These committees often have members in common. These include personnel, building use, budget, stewardship and finance, nominating, and constitution and rules. Ad hoc teams can be formed as needed to tackle specific administrative issues.

Some committees, with similar duties, will be combined. The missions and community ministry committee already combined a few years ago. Another new committee will be the preschool ministries committee. This committee combines the daycare and nursery committees and will oversee all preschool ministries including pre-K and kindergarten Sunday school.

A worship planning committee will be formed by combining the existing media/worship, music, and ordinance committees.

Some committees will serve as subcommittees. A subcommittee chair will serve on the parent committee but not on the church council. The flowers, greeters and enrollment/altar team will be subcommittees of the worship planning committee. The care and concern committee will be a subcommittee of the deacons. The transportation committee will be a subcommittee of Building and Landscape committee.

The membership of the council shall be as follows:

Staff Jorge Jonathan Dan Paulette Treasurer Church Clerk Deacon chair

Committee Chairs Missions Building & Landscape Children Youth Seniors Adult SS Preschool Ministries Social Hospitality Worship planning team

Existing committees that will not be part of the church council and will be unchanged are the trustees, SABA executive board, computer & technology, & library.

Representatives of groups that minister alongside us and share our campus will be welcome to participate as non-voting advisers.

This new structure will take effect in January 2015.

The Power of Peace

Mark 11:1-11

As Jesus makes his way to Jerusalem the crowd grows larger. Jews flocked to Jerusalem from every corner of the world to celebrate Passover. The holiday commemorated the deliverance of God’s people from slavery in Egypt. It was a combination of Thanksgiving and the 4^th of July.

It was a time of high expectation; people would get excited about the possibility that – maybe today -- Messiah would come. There was tension in Jerusalem. Everyone was talking about Jesus. Passover was only a few days away. Would Jesus make a move? What would the authorities do?

Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey as the people waved palms and shouted Hosanna (save us). Many spread their garments on the road (Mark 11:8) in the same way they did when Israel's King Jehu entered Jerusalem (2 Kings 9:13). The prophet Zechariah predicted, “Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9)

Jesus made an important statement about the character of his kingship by riding a donkey rather than a horse. In the East, when a king rode a donkey into a city it was a declaration that he came in peace; when the king rode a horse into a city it was a declaration of war. Jesus arrived as the Prince of Peace.

There is power in the way of peace. When a city council blocked the establishment of a proposed AIDS hospice, Mother Teresa got on her knees before the council and begged to allow the hospice to open – IT DID. Mother Teresa had no political power but she had influence earned by ministering to the dying on the streets of Calcutta.

Hard ball politics is not the way of Jesus. When the Montgomery Bus Boycott threatened to turn violent, Martin Luther King, Jr. rose to national leadership by advocating non-violence. He held no political office but wielded influence by using the words and attitude of Jesus

Like a tiny mustard seed the influence of God would grow. Like yeast it is unseen but powerful.

“Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,”

says the LORD Almighty

Zechariah 4:6

Calling Shotgun

Mark 10:35-45

When I was a kid we all wanted to sit in the front seat. We would call “shotgun!” and argue about who called it first. “I called it!”

“No, I did!”

“I called it yesterday!”

“Well, I called it for the week!”

We would all fight for the seat of honor. Nobody liked taking the backseat.

James and John ask Jesus to give them positions of prestige and power: “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.” (Mark 10:37)

Jesus declared that service would be the measure of Christian leadership: “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all." (Mark 10:43-44)

A servant leader follows the example of Jesus: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve...” (Mark 10:45)

Jesus knew that he had all the power of the universe in his hands, but he did not use it to control his disciples. He got up and washed their feet.

In the kingdom of God, greatness is not about moving on up. It’s about transformation. As we become more like Jesus, we will develop a Christ-like sensitivity toward others.

Selfish ambition leads to conflict and has no place in God's Kingdom.

Pride goes before destruction,

a haughty spirit before a fall

Proverbs 16:18 (NIV)

Be a mentor

Jesus told us to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19). Paul told Timothy, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. (2 Timothy 2:2)”

Mentoring is an intentional friendship where a more experienced person guides a less experienced one so that BOTH grow and learn. It is used in the corporate world to maximize the effectiveness of young executives. It has been used informally in the United States Armed Forces to develop non-commissioned officers. In the church we use it as part of the discipleship process.

Biblical examples of mentors include Barnabas who mentored Paul and John Mark. Paul, in turn, mentored Timothy and Titus. Moses, who was mentored by Jethro, mentored Joshua. I these cases leaders are both mentored and mentor others.

Who mentored you? Who taught you the ropes and spoke words of truth and encouragement into your life?

Whom have you mentored? Are you helping another reach their potential in Christ​?

Mentoring is a process that requires relationship building. It includes not only words but actions as you model behavior that you want to see replicated in the person you are discipling. It requires patience. Be ever mindful of the Holy Spirit's role in spiritual formation.

If you are a Christian leader (at any level) you are already a role model. Be a mentor, too. Look for someone you can invest time in; someone you can encourage and challenge. Imagine the impact on your ministry if you do this often enough to create a leadership chain reaction.

Anatomy of a Revival 7: Living in Victory

(Nehemiah 7:1-4) After completing repairs of Jerusalem's wall, Nehemiah takes steps to consolidate and secure their victory and ensure continued growth. Churches will often plan a major effort such as high attendance day, VBS or a revival campaign. The careful planning, congregational involvement and contagious excitement result in a successful outcome. However, while basking in the glow of victory, there a tendency to relax. A “mission accomplished” attitude takes over which will limit the spiritual harvest.

Nehemiah knew that spiritual victories are short-lived and that God's enemies were still lurking outside the walls, so he appointed gatekeepers. Church leaders act as spiritual gatekeepers. Their role is not to keep certain people out but, rather, to keep people in by guarding the back door.

A large number of people who come in the front door of the church through successful outreach efforts walk out the back door through neglect. People who do not feel connected to their new church will drop out within six months. Spiritual gatekeepers can increase the ratio of newcomers who stay by creating relationship opportunities through personal follow-up, small group enrollment and fellowship opportunities.

Nehemiah also appointed singers and Levites (religious workers) to restore worship in Jerusalem. This reminds us that spiritual warfare is fought with spiritual weapons. Prayer, worship and praise are power weapons that strengthen us individually and as a church.

More leaders would be needed to keep the forward momentum. Nehemiah appointed two qualified leaders for Jerusalem so that the revival could continue and expand. It is often said that “everything rises or falls on leadership,” making leadership a limiting factor in Kingdom growth.

More workers and leaders are needed because there is still work to do. Nehemiah saw the finished walls but also noted: “the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt. (Nehemiah 7:4)”

Like Nehemiah, church leaders need to identify, recruit, empower and mentor new leaders. Paul wrote, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. (2 Timothy 2:2)”

What is the potential in your church? Are there empty pews and unused classrooms? If your church is in the process of revival, keep it going by looking to the potential and creating opportunities for people to lead and serve.

Recommended reading:
Hand Me Another Brick by Chuck Swindoll  

A change agent is needed to revive a dying church

A third ABP article on churches is transition (Church renewal depends on leadership) points out necessary characteristics of a leader who can turn a declining church into a thriving one. The change agent is inwardly secure, relational, patient, confident, aware of own limitations, and loves the church.

Another important factor I would add is that a change agent is a communicator. He must articulate the vision for the congregation and repeat it often in a variety of ways. The vision must be echoed in sermons, hymn selections, special music and skits.

Every piece of good news that shows the church alive and on mission must be shouted from the rooftops. Negative statements must quickly be countered with positive ones. When there are inevitable setbacks and bad news must be delivered it must be done with a note of hope for the future.

Newsletters, email, web pages, bulletin boards and the Sunday morning bulletin should feature pictures (lots of them) and stories of the life of the church. Celebrating small victories changes defeatist attitudes. First, the negative changes to wait and see. Small victories change the wait and see to hopeful. Soon, people will start to jump on the bandwagon.

Communication also involves tact. Every church member is important and deserves to be heard. Love the opposition and listen to the complaints. Counter bad attitudes gently. Many times people need to voice a negative opinion but will not vote against an idea. Some will vote against it but support the majority.

Staying ahead of negative gossip means posing the negative questions openly and answering objections frankly. Open discussion stops the murmuring and allows church members to defend a new idea.

By constantly communicating information the change agent keeps control of the conversation, keeps the vision alive, and keeps the attitude positive.

Living Springs Church of San Antonio will host a conference for leaders of churches in transition and new church starts on March 26-28. I will be speaking on the first night,

Click here for more information about the “It’s Time” conference.

Can a dying church bounce back?

A recent ABP article (A Time to Die: When churches die, can they live again?) identifies several options a dying church might take when it feels that death is unavoidable. These include adapting to the changing needs (and demographics) of the community, move to another location, share the facility with other churches and community organizations, merge with another congregation, start over again as a different kind of church, or disband. All of these options have challenges and rarely work.

One Miami church, while unable to survive the neighborhood’s transition, managed to be a vital witness to the community to the end thanks to help from their friends.

The predominantly white, middle-class church was quite large until the Interstate cut through the neighborhood. The members moved away and the population became poor and racially mixed. As in many situations like this a remnant remained of the church members who wanted their church to survive. They called one of their members to be pastor. He was retired and his pension and the parsonage provided all he needed.

The church members did not have children but summer missionaries conducted VBS and gave birth to a Sunday school for kids. A nearby church sent workers and the church taught GED and ESL classes during the week. The congregation soon reflected the demographics of the community.

The congregation sponsored a Haitian Mission that eventually took over the building.

These efforts gave a dying church a second life ministry that was more vibrant than it’s first life as an inward-focused suburban church.

Living Springs Church of San Antonio will host a conference for leaders of churches in transition and new church starts on March 26-28. I will be speaking on the first night,

Click here for more information about the “It’s Time” conference.

Why Churches Die

A recent article (A Time to Die: How do -- and should -- churches die?) explores the all too common phenomenon of churches closing their doors. The article points to a lack of effective leadership as the key factor. A series of bad decisions will mark the decline and death of a church.

Quite often a church’s unwillingness to change is identified as the problem, but I have seen churches that have tried every gimmick they could find and, still, failed to grow. Few churches are so resistant to change that they will die.

At a certain point a church will call in a denominational consultant who lead them through some sort of study and make appropriate recommendations. However, once the consultant leaves, the church is still left with the same leadership.

Churches in decline need to seek a pastor with strong leadership skills and a track record for improving situations. Pastors who want to help churches transition need to develop leadership skills. The kinds of skills that help you diffuse tense situations, manage resources well, motivate people to act, and make wise choices.

These skills are best acquired in the military or the marketplace. You can’t get them in seminary because they require practice and experience. Seminars and books will provide technique and a good mentor and/or peer group can serve as a substitute for experience.

Living Springs Church of San Antonio will host a conference for leaders of churches in transition and new church starts on March 26-28. I will be speaking on the first night,

Click here for more information about the “It’s Time” conference.

We are more than conquerors

When some people see a light at the end of the tunnel, they assume it’s an oncoming train. Their autopilot function is instant negativity. This beyond a glass is half full or half empty. This is a fatalistic world view that impedes progress in both individuals and groups.

People living in chronic poverty (both economic and spiritual) are trapped not only by external circumstances but also by their own disbelief that life can be any better. There is a reason why the message of Jesus Christ is called “Good News” (gospel means good news).

Paul about the Christian’s attitude:
“…in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39)

Christian leaders need to bring a message of hope to a people who are depressed and defeated; a message that echoes the Word of God: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” (Isaiah 9:2 & Matthew 4:16)

Both hope and despair are contagious. Leaders can influence which attitude will control the future. Lead from the front by encouraging people who are excited about their faith and are making things happen. Avoid spending too much time trying to please negative people. You can wind up losing focus on the mission.

I’m not saying that complaints ought to be ignored. Leaders need to listen carefully and act appropriately but it is the people with positive attitudes who have the vision and capacity to make whatever adjustments might be needed. The chronically negative, on the other hand, will never be satisfied.

Chronic negativity is a spiritual problem. It demonstrates a lack of faith that God is winning. It doubts that, “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) Only the Holy Spirit can defeat the spirit of pessimism that impoverishes the souls of people who give in to despair.

Leaders that God uses have a Holy Spirit driven vision of a future where God is in control and expanding the Kingdom on Earth as it is in Heaven. They believe in the power of prayer. They see setbacks and obstacles not as defeat but as challenges to overcome and problems to solve. They believe, “I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31

Missional Churches Demonstrate a Bias to Action

Coaches and business leaders have noticed that high achievers have a bias to action. They can't wait to get started and want to take action now.

People who have a record of successful achievement in sports, business or any other field display a can-do attitude. Their motto is, “Strike while the iron is hot!” While some people have a need to plan out all the details before acting, high achievers tend to jump into projects, making adjustments along the way.

This same attitude can transfer into ministry. When encountering a man born blind (John 9), Jesus’ disciples wanted to discuss the circumstances of the situation, Jesus demonstrated a bias to action by healing the man. Jesus taught to act whenever confronted by an opportunity, whether it is feeding a crowd or healing one person.

Peter also demonstrated this bias to action. When confronted by a crowd that gathered on the Day of Pentecost, Peter preached the gospel (Acts 2). When a lame beggar asked for money, Peter healed him (Acts 3).

A missional church should be able to take quick action when a ministry opportunity presents itself. If you need to wait for the next business or board meeting, the opportunity will disappear. If you are afraid about what a few of the more critical members will think, little will ever get done.

When church leaders see a ministry opportunity and ask, “What would Jesus Do?” instead of what will Mr. X think, things happen. In one church a family called and asked if the church had a nursery. Although the nursery had not been used for some time, the pastor said yes and made sure it was cleaned and staffed that Sunday. That was the beginning of a growing nursery ministry.

People in a missional church
- see a need and fill it
- anticipate a problem and head it off
- make adjustments to improve ministries
- are not afraid of failure