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Years ago, A. W. Tozer penned, "We're here to be worshippers first and workers only second. We take a convert and immediately make a worker out of him. God never meant it to be so. God meant that a convert should learn to be a worshipper, and after that he can learn to be a worker. The work done by a worshipper will have eternity in it."
If you haven't figured it out by now, many pitfalls exist in ministry. At the top of the list of dangers that pastors and staff members must avoid is substituting work for God as worship of God. After almost 30 years in ministry, I will be the first to admit that there is much work to be done, especially if one takes the task of the Great Commission seriously. The "to do" list seems endless at times.
Recently, I had a dear friend share a pastor's job description that he had discovered in a church newsletter. As I carefully read those words, I found myself nodding with agreement. See if you may relate too.
The ABC's of The Pastor's Role:
A - Ambassador, advocate, administrator, activator B - Baptizer, building usage consultant, budget juggler C - Confidante, confronter, community builder, counselor, coach, cheerleader D - Discussion leader, divorce mediator, detail freak E - Encourager, emotional baggage handler, evangelist, educator, evaluator F - Funeral companion, father, friend G - Grace giver, grounds inspector H - Historian, homelitician, hospice worker, hiker I - Interpreter, issue classifier J - Justice seeker, judicatory responder, janitor, joker K - Knowledge dispenser, kid L - Latent gift discoverer, liturgist, leader M - Mediator, missionary, moderator, musician N - Nurturer, nurse, nudger O - Organizer, opportunity spotter P - Public speaker, problem solver, preacher, patriot, proof-reader, pilgrim Q - Questioner, quarterback R - Reviewer, Roberts' Ruler S - Spokesperson, spiritual director, shepherd, social worker, steward, spouse T - Teacher trainer U - Unifier, utility player V - Volunteer coordinator, vision caster, visitor W - Wedding ceremony presider, writer X - X-traordinary ingenuity with limited resources (like figuring a way to use X) Y - Youth advocate, Yule celebrator Z - Zeal stoker, zoo keeper (so it seems, some days)
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Whew! If you have been in ministry for two nanoseconds, I am confident you would be able to add items to this lengthy list. A pastor who is committed to doing the work of ministry by first being a worshipper will, Tozer said, "have eternity in it." In other words, work that flows out of worship has a never-ending impact.
Imagine that you are standing next to a ripple-free pond or lake. Reaching down you clutch a smooth stone. With a flick of your wrist, you "skip" the stone across the water. From center to circumference, the entire body of water is impacted by the ripple effect. Pastor, when it comes to our tireless efforts there, is a ripple effect from our worship too! Staying healthy in ministry includes protecting your time with God.
Jesus understood the importance of protecting His time with the Father. Oh, how the Savior prayed! He prayed early in the morning (Mark 1:35) and in the evening (Matthew 14:23). He often prayed alone (John 6:15) and also when people were present (Matthew 11:25-26). Luke tells how Jesus prayed all night (6:12). He prayed during one of His miracles (John 11:41-42). He asked a blessing at meals (Luke 9:16; 24:30; Matthew 15:36; 26:26-27). Major decisions in His life were preceded by prayer. Since the "Spirit drove Him" (Mark 1:12) into the wilderness for the temptation by Satan, it is likely that He was in a state of prayer immediately after His baptism. His decision to leave Capernaum and preach in "the other cities also" (Luke 4:42-43) followed His praying. Luke 6:12-13 tells us that Jesus prayed all night before selecting His most intimate relationships, the twelve disciples. Jesus prayed during personal needs and crises like Gethsemane (Mathew 26:39). Even His final words on the cross are a prayer--"Father, into Your hands I entrust My spirit" (Luke 23:46). The King of the Universe felt the need, and exercised every opportunity, to spend time with His Father.
As mere mortals, so should we. How does a busy pastor juggle the multiple tasks of ministry while developing and exercising a spiritual discipline of personal prayer? Once again, Jesus is our model. Mark 1:35 indicates the actions He took that encourage me to keep a personal vigil.
- Discipline: Jesus prayed early. We all have 24 hours each day. Spending time with the Master is a personal choice. Friend, there is nothing a busy pastor may do that is more important that prayer before he prays and nothing more important than to pray after he prays. Develop this spiritual discipline and experience divine visitation.
- Determination: Jesus took action daily. Mark tells us it was "early," and "still dark," when Jesus "got up, went out, and made His way to a deserted place." This shows determination on our Lord's part. Remember, the devil will do anything to keep a busy pastor from the prayer closet. I repeat, Anything! Friend, do you harbor a prayerless heart? Have you fallen prey to the evil ploy of the adversary? Paul's remedy for such a malady in recorded in Ephesians 6:1-18.
- Devotion: Jesus prayed. Pastor, long before you were called to the occupation of ministry, God called you to an everlasting preoccupation with Him. Every day before the sun kissed the morning shadows, Jesus prayed. Need some help getting started (or revived) in your prayer life? Here are four ways to help you protect your time with God.
Settle your mind. A fruitful prayer life begins with a choice.
Set a time. Protect that divine appointment at all costs.
Still your heart. If you are too busy to pray, you're too busy!
Select accountability. Ask a close friend, a deacon or fellow pastor to hold you accountable in this area.
**Adapted from an article of the same title by Dr. John S. Powers
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Traits To Identify A Promising Person
Identifying that next leader is not easy. You must often times select a few prospects and begin to work with them waiting for the cream to rise to the top. While you are mentoring and waiting for maturity, here are a few things to begin to look for.
Leadership in the past. The best predictor of the future is the past. Is this a person who has worked well on a team previously? Maybe, they needed a break and stepped aside for rest, but are now able to get back on board.
The capacity to create or catch vision. When I talk to people about the future, I want their eyes to light up. I want them to ask the right questions. When you are sharing your vision with people do they get excited along with you? Do they offer suggestions that spur your imagination further? When you find someone who is able to catch the same vision as you, you have found someone that you can entrust much of the responsibility with. They will have a similar passion for the work as you yourself would.
A constructive spirit of discontent. Some people would call this criticism, but there's a big difference in being constructively discontent and being critical. The unscratchable itch is always in the leader. These people are a bit hard to sift from the genuine critics, but when you do you may have found a diamond in the rough. Just because they are questioning a few things does not mean they are not on your side. Give them an opportunity to help make a needed change and you may have found a great friend
Practical Ideas. Not everybody with practical ideas is a leader, of course, but leaders seem to be able to identify which are and which aren't. A person's experience will often times lend practical ideas. When someone offers an idea that is helpful, it may be that they have been involved in a project much like what you are facing which will make them a helpful candidate for your ministry team.
A willingness to take responsibility. Leaders will bear work, for the feeling of contributing to other people is what leadership is all about. When you find a person who is willing to take responsibility for not only the ministry you have given them, but also the success of it, you have found pure gold. These are people to build upon. The ministry is dependent on individuals who are willing to take responsibility.
A completion factor. In the military, it is called "completed staff work." The half-cooked meal isn't what you want. Someone who competes what they have set out to do is invaluable. When looking for leadership that will help you move your church forward, look for people who finish what they start, no matter how small or trivial the task is.
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Traits To Identify A Promising Person
Identifying that next leader is not easy. You must often times select a few prospects and begin to work with them waiting for the cream to rise to the top. While you are mentoring and waiting for maturity, here are a few things to begin to look for.
Leadership in the past. The best predictor of the future is the past. Is this a person who has worked well on a team previously? Maybe, they needed a break and stepped aside for rest, but are now able to get back on board.
The capacity to create or catch vision. When I talk to people about the future, I want their eyes to light up. I want them to ask the right questions. When you are sharing your vision with people do they get excited along with you? Do they offer suggestions that spur your imagination further? When you find someone who is able to catch the same vision as you, you have found someone that you can entrust much of the responsibility with. They will have a similar passion for the work as you yourself would.
A constructive spirit of discontent. Some people would call this criticism, but there's a big difference in being constructively discontent and being critical. The unscratchable itch is always in the leader. These people are a bit hard to sift from the genuine critics, but when you do you may have found a diamond in the rough. Just because they are questioning a few things does not mean they are not on your side. Give them an opportunity to help make a needed change and you may have found a great friend
Practical Ideas. Not everybody with practical ideas is a leader, of course, but leaders seem to be able to identify which are and which aren't. A person's experience will often times lend practical ideas. When someone offers an idea that is helpful, it may be that they have been involved in a project much like what you are facing which will make them a helpful candidate for your ministry team.
A willingness to take responsibility. Leaders will bear work, for the feeling of contributing to other people is what leadership is all about. When you find a person who is willing to take responsibility for not only the ministry you have given them, but also the success of it, you have found pure gold. These are people to build upon. The ministry is dependent on individuals who are willing to take responsibility.
A completion factor. In the military, it is called "completed staff work." The half-cooked meal isn't what you want. Someone who competes what they have set out to do is invaluable. When looking for leadership that will help you move your church forward, look for people who finish what they start, no matter how small or trivial the task is.
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How To Increase Giving In Your Church - Part 1
In his book "How To Increase Giving In Your Church", George Barna gives several key principles for effective stewardship. Our challenge is to create an enviroment and facilitate a mind-set in which people want to donate money to the church for the right reasons. The following are some guidelines toward achieving that outcome.
You are raising money for Life Transformation, not Organizational Survival. Your objective must be to advance the cause of ministry, not to perpetuate the survival of an institution. God can make great things happen in people's lives without an organization through which such ministry happens. Focus on the essential: Seeing lives changed for the glory and purposes of God.....
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How To Increase Giving In Your Church - Part 1
In his book "How To Increase Giving In Your Church", George Barna gives several key principles for effective stewardship. Our challenge is to create an enviroment and facilitate a mind-set in which people want to donate money to the church for the right reasons. The following are some guidelines toward achieving that outcome.
You are raising money for Life Transformation, not Organizational Survival. Your objective must be to advance the cause of ministry, not to perpetuate the survival of an institution. God can make great things happen in people's lives without an organization through which such ministry happens. Focus on the essential: Seeing lives changed for the glory and purposes of God.....
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How Many Will Follow?
Here is a question every leader of people asks himself/herself at one time or another.
When Jesus looked out over the masses who followed him, I wonder if He asked himself this same question. As He counted, in His mind, the healings and considered all who he helped, I wonder if he pondered how many would come after him....
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How Many Will Follow?
Here is a question every leader of people asks himself/herself at one time or another.
When Jesus looked out over the masses who followed him, I wonder if He asked himself this same question. As He counted, in His mind, the healings and considered all who he helped, I wonder if he pondered how many would come after him....
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I Reap Where I Sow Not
Mat 25:14-30
(14) For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
(15) And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. (16) Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. (17) And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. (18) But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. (19) After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. (20) And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. (21) His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. (22) He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. (23) His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.(24) Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: (25) And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. (26) His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: (27) Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. (28) Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. (29) For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. (30) And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Here we have one of the most improperly quoted scriptures in the Bible. In fact, of the 24 years I have been in the church and of the 3700 or so messages I have either preached or heard preached in those 24 years I have heard this verse of scripture referred to many times, but never in the context in which our Lord intended it to be quoted.
Nearly every time I heard this scripture recited, it was in a message in which the speaker was trying to inspire the saints of the church to become soul winners or to work harder for the kingdom. However, the parable of the servants and the talents was never intended as a message to the saints, but it was a message from our Lord to the Pastors/Leaders of the churches. And a warning of the consequences of burying the potential that is in the people whom our Lord would place within our grasp and ministry.
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I Reap Where I Sow Not
Mat 25:14-30
(14) For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
(15) And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. (16) Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. (17) And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. (18) But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. (19) After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. (20) And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. (21) His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. (22) He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. (23) His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.(24) Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: (25) And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. (26) His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: (27) Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. (28) Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. (29) For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. (30) And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Here we have one of the most improperly quoted scriptures in the Bible. In fact, of the 24 years I have been in the church and of the 3700 or so messages I have either preached or heard preached in those 24 years I have heard this verse of scripture referred to many times, but never in the context in which our Lord intended it to be quoted.
Nearly every time I heard this scripture recited, it was in a message in which the speaker was trying to inspire the saints of the church to become soul winners or to work harder for the kingdom. However, the parable of the servants and the talents was never intended as a message to the saints, but it was a message from our Lord to the Pastors/Leaders of the churches. And a warning of the consequences of burying the potential that is in the people whom our Lord would place within our grasp and ministry.
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Most Worry is Unnecessary
Most of us worry unnecessarily about too many things.
It's almost as though we search for problems to give ourselves stress. The amazing news is that much of what we worry about doesn't matter at all! Take a look at these statistics about worry...
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Most Worry is Unnecessary
Most of us worry unnecessarily about too many things.
It's almost as though we search for problems to give ourselves stress. The amazing news is that much of what we worry about doesn't matter at all! Take a look at these statistics about worry...
[ read more...]
Eight Refocusing Questions
Every Church needs to refocus and answer the following eight strategic questions:
1. Why do we exist as a church? (Biblical Purpose)
2. How has God worked in our past? (Ministry Milestones)
3. Whom has God called us to reach? (Ministry focus).....
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Eight Refocusing Questions
Every Church needs to refocus and answer the following eight strategic questions:
1. Why do we exist as a church? (Biblical Purpose)
2. How has God worked in our past? (Ministry Milestones)
3. Whom has God called us to reach? (Ministry focus).....
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What to do When People Don't Worship
Although we put so much effort into preparing for our worship services with music practices and prayer meetings, there are some in our churches that we know are not going to worship. It doesn't matter how wonderful the music sounds or how exciting the service may be, some people just aren't going to be involved at all in worship. The Spirit can be so powerful and the anointing be so strong and there are people whose lives are clearly being changed, yet there will be that select few who are content sitting in their seats doing nothing. What do we do when people don't worship? How do we get those people to worship?......
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What to do When People Don't Worship
Although we put so much effort into preparing for our worship services with music practices and prayer meetings, there are some in our churches that we know are not going to worship. It doesn't matter how wonderful the music sounds or how exciting the service may be, some people just aren't going to be involved at all in worship. The Spirit can be so powerful and the anointing be so strong and there are people whose lives are clearly being changed, yet there will be that select few who are content sitting in their seats doing nothing. What do we do when people don't worship? How do we get those people to worship?......
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Leaders Love Growth
Only those leaders who act boldly in times of crisis and change are willingly followed. (Jim Kouzes)
Within the church, God has placed men and women who love to see growth. It is what keeps us to our tasks. The lack of increase can kill the joy of our calling so we lean forward looking for any type of progress we can possibly measure.
Growth however, requires change. Going from where we are presently to a place of increase requires seeing what most people are not able or willing to see. Seeing change before it happens is called a vision. Few people are capable of a vision as most would rather stay in a climate that is comfortable. Comfort however can cause one to never imagine anything better. A Pastor or congregation who is comfortable with an attendance of 90 will never see a crowd of 300 because they are not desperate enough to make the kinds of changes it would take to gather that kind of increase.......
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Leaders Love Growth
Only those leaders who act boldly in times of crisis and change are willingly followed. (Jim Kouzes)
Within the church, God has placed men and women who love to see growth. It is what keeps us to our tasks. The lack of increase can kill the joy of our calling so we lean forward looking for any type of progress we can possibly measure.
Growth however, requires change. Going from where we are presently to a place of increase requires seeing what most people are not able or willing to see. Seeing change before it happens is called a vision. Few people are capable of a vision as most would rather stay in a climate that is comfortable. Comfort however can cause one to never imagine anything better. A Pastor or congregation who is comfortable with an attendance of 90 will never see a crowd of 300 because they are not desperate enough to make the kinds of changes it would take to gather that kind of increase.......
[ read more...]

Grow Your Church With Social Media
When using a church website or social media platform there are a few things that you have to do right and you have to do them consistently. Building a positive and inviting online and social media presence is not impossible.
Here are a few things to consider when building yours....
[ read more...]
Grow Your Church With Social Media
When using a church website or social media platform there are a few things that you have to do right and you have to do them consistently. Building a positive and inviting online and social media presence is not impossible.
Here are a few things to consider when building yours....
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