2 things....

Today I have been pondering the two things I walked away with from General Council '09.

1. "It's just an experiment." (Don't be afraid to try something new!)

2. As a church we must be culturally relevant.

These two items are so closely related. In order to become culturally relevant you're gonna have try something new. And oh, how that makes many people squirm uncontrollably!!!!

I mean seriously, how long has it been since you really looked at your church? Is it operating in the 2000's? Or are you stuck in the 90's or maybe even the 80's? Or God forbid, your stuck in the 50's!! From a small church perspective cultural relevance is huge. Ministry takes money and small churches don't have tons of money, but I would venture to say that your thought process is much more important in overcoming than your financial status!!

If you're looking to change, change will slowly start happening. If you're not looking to change, then your church will eventually die simply because you will not be reaching the current generation.

Go ahead! Try something new today! Remember if it doesn't work, it's not a big deal, "It was just an experiment!"

Unconditional Love

I've hit on this before, but I wanted to talk about it again. It's so easy as Pastors to get caught in a trap. We spend so much time loving people unconditionally that when it comes time for people to love us unconditionally, and they don't, it can cut us to the core.

Today I talked with a friend who had been cut to the core, and honestly, I would agree he deserved an apology. But far too often, that apology never comes and we end up hurt, disappointed, and begrudged. This is when it's time to take a step back and learn from the expert...JESUS. He was, by far, the one who deserved an apology for being treated wrongly. And yet we read about his forgiveness toward and acceptance of those who had hurt him so deeply.

Unconditional love is never easy, but it is necessary. Remember when humans let you down, Jesus is still there loving you no matter what has happened....

Sabbatical

Patrick and I recently completed a three week sabbatical. Honestly, for me, it wasn't quite long enough, but I am renewed and God has given me a fresh perspective. This was a scary decision on so many different levels, but now that it is over, I would definitely recommend a sabbatical to any pastor. Not sure how often one should be taken, but 9 years into the ministry was probably too long without a break. :)

One very important detail is the differentiation between vacation and sabbatical. For me, I made it simple, vacation is about me and my family. Sabbatical is about me and God. Two totally different focuses! I would recommend not trying to combine them!!

Would love to hear from others who have taken sabbaticals...

Transparency

Now that's a word that will scare many a pastor!!

It's difficult to be transparent in our world. There is so much pressure to be the perfect pastor. The perfect christian. Always making perfect decisions. Never doing anything wrong. Yeah, well, I'm thinking there was only one person who could reach those expectations and he was crucified on a cross a very long time ago!!

So as for the rest of us, transparency can help us in our ministry. As we learn to be transparent, we teach others around us to do the same. You see we are all striving for perfection. We all have issues we need to take care of, and when we lose the facade we put on to impress every one, this is when we truly begin to address our issues. You see being transparent means admitting your failures and ultimately walking in humility. Which lucky for us, eliminates pride (which causes all kinds of other problems!!).

So trying looking at transparency with the mindset of gaining humility and maybe it will help you be more willing to be transparent with those around you. Good luck!!

Healthy Church

The following are my notes from Doug Clay, General Treasurer, General Council of the Assemblies of God, he was the speaker at a retreat I recently attended.

Integrity is the basis for all of our work.

Integrity builds a reputation not just an image.

Integral motives-allowing your motives to be pure.


There are 4 things that make a healthy church.

1. Healthy pastor=healthy church. A pastor is healthy when they are growing in the Lord while in the ministry. A pastor is also healthy if he's willing to think outside the box especially when what he's doing inside the box isn't working.
2. Healthy relationships=healthy church. Healthy relationships between the the pastor and the leadership of the church.
3. Community influence=healthy church. If your church is influencing your community you have a healthy church.
4. Ministry relevance=healthy church. Are the ministries in your church relevant to the vision God has given you? Are the ministries in your church effective? Vision rules the house, not programs. Programs are designed to compliment the vision God gave you!