So called Christian nationalism is an aberration of the Gospel of Jesus

 Christian Nationalism Is Worse Than You Think

Millions of Americans believe in this political ideology. What church leaders need to know—and how they can help those under its influence.

MORGAN LEE|JANUARY 13, 2021

Eight tips for working smarter rather than harder

Almost everyone I know works hard. Most, very hard. If we put as much attention into working smarter, however, we could accomplish more and free up time for other activities. After all, there is nothing more precious for most of us than time. And as we get older we realize that time with family and friends and our own development is a higher priority than spending more time in our work.

The premise of working smarter is based on a simple truth: Not all work yields the same result. The secret is knowing what practices will give us the largest return on our effort. Those individuals who are most productive practice these disciplines.

One: They prioritize and focus their energies. They take the time each day and each week to determine what are the most important tasks to complete and resist the temptation to be sidetracked by other issues that pop up and distract from the most important. They keep the main thing the main thing, stay focused and don't confuse mere activity with results. 

Two: They keep track of their main priorities. They have a written or electronic system for tracking their priorities, their obligations and their progress. It is not "all in their head" which usually means we are not paying close attention to what we need to be doing. On any given day or week we ought to be able to quickly articulate what we are working on because we are keeping track of our priorities. Some will say, "But I like to multitask." Multitasking is overrated! Often it is an excuse for not staying focused and research shows that multitasking is actually a detriment to focused work. 

Three. They delegate to others those things that they don't absolutely have to do. Many of us find it hard to delegate tasks we have traditionally done. Those who work smart are quick to delegate anything they don't need to personally do to capable people so that they can concentrate on what they do best. This is part of what it means to focus and to understand the unique role that we play and then make time for that role.

Four. They use their calendar to prioritize their work. If you look at the calendar of those who work smarter you see that they have put into their calendar those activities that are the most important to accomplish. They keep those commitments and use their calendar to prioritize their work. They realize that not all activities are equal. They also recognize that they must calendar their most important activities first, before other activities crowd them out.

Five. They understand the value of time
Time is the one thing that we cannot get back. Money comes and it goes but time just goes. It is a precious commodity because it represents opportunities to invest in what is most important to us. Therefor working smarter means that we use time wisely, focusing on what is most important at work so that we have time outside of work to invest in other meaningful activities and relationships. They don't waste time.

Six. They understand the value of relationships and nurture them
Healthy relationships are the foundation of life and work. Those who work smarter actively nurture relationships around them because relationships nurture trust, cooperation and teamwork. 

Seven. They evaluate their work regularly
Working smarter means that we evaluate our own work critically and often. Are we focused on the right things? Are we neglecting key areas or are we spending too much time on peripheral activities because they are easier? Where do we need to recalibrate or adjust? Asking the right questions helps us to evaluate our work and adjust where necessary.

Eight. They take regular time to think
Taking time to think deeply about what we do, why we do it and how we do it is a secret of those who work smarter rather than harder. All it takes is  the intentionally to set aside time to think! Again, how we spend our time makes a difference in how we work.

Why church boards should welcome and encourage innovation

 

Church boards can be a major inhibitor of innovation in the church. Boards tend to be cautious when it comes to change, see their role as guarding the status quo and in many cases don't like to take ministry risks. This is a major mistake and it eventually leads to missional ineffectiveness. Innovation in ministry strategy is a critical factor in ministry success. Churches that plateau or go into decline can often trace their loss of effectiveness to an unwillingness to change. 

The best boards encourage rather than discourage innovation. They are willing to take risks and even allow ideas to fail because what matters is the mission God gave the church. They empower the senior leader and staff to try new things in order to meet their missional ends. Rather than stand in the way, they champion change and new ways to meet the needs of new generations.

Perhaps at no other time in recent memory, innovation in the church is going to be a critical factor as congregations rebuild after the Corona Virus. Studies show that a significant number of individuals will not return to church after the hiatus during this season. This falloff in church attendance is not new but the Covid season has simply accelerated it. 

In addition, as individuals worshipped at home, they realized that they could access almost any teaching they desired. This is going to be an excuse for those questioning the necessity of church attendance to stay home. After all, they can get the teaching they desire at any time via the internet.

Post Covid, all churches are again church plants. And, they have an opportunity to recast their ministries around what really counts. Don't ignore this gift! If you always do what you always did you always get what you always got. 

Churches that thrive in the new environment will have some common characteristics:

• They will focus on being a church for anyone and everyone
• They will find new ways to build authentic community
• They will focus on all individuals using their spiritual gifts inside and outside of the church
• They will be far more focused on making disciples of Jesus rather than focusing on the size of the church
• They will demonstrate a greater commitment to being agents of Jesus and goodness in their communities
• They will be more open to the work of the Holy Spirit and committed to prayer
• They will move from a focus on size to a focus on spiritual depth
• They will use technology to reach those who are outside the church and focus on evangelism in everything they do
• They will focus on being places of goodness with a Jesus culture 

This will require change, innovation, new ideas and a willingness to take risks for the sake of Jesus and His mission for the church. Church boards can either encourage needed progress or stand in its way. Don't allow your board to inhibit what God wants and needs to do in His church. One of the responsibilities of boards is to ensure that the congregation is being led well. Empower your leaders to lead, innovate and chase after the kinds of things listed above. 

2021 will be a year of massive job turnover including in ministries and non profits. William Vanderbloemen

 

Prepare For The Great Covid Job Churn—Why 2021 Will Be A Year Of Massive Job Turnover

William Vanderbloemen

Moving your language from "That is not how we've done it" to "How do we want to do it today?"

 

Language makes a big difference. Think of the number of times you have heard the comment, "that is not how we've done it." Maybe you have said it yourself. Whenever these words are spoken, it is an indication that you are living in the past. And that we are held captive by our past way of doing something.

It is a trap and a bad one. There is an adage that is very true. "If you always do what you always did, you always get what you always got." This is the reason that so many strategies keep yielding the same or diminishing results even as the world around us has changed. But our language of "how we've done it in the past." keeps us from looking at new ways and possibilities.

Language sets an organization's culture. It also reveals an individual's bias and where they have locked themselves into a particular paradigm. Leaders should speak a different language and move the conversation from "That is how we've always done it to "How do we want to do it today?"

Think about it. How we have done anything in the past is irrelevant in the present if there is a new and better way of moving forward. You might ask the question and still decide to follow what you have done in the past, but at least the question has been asked. More likely, if you ask the question, "How do we want to do it today?" we will come up with a new answer because times have changed, the needs have changed, the environment has changed, or there is simply a better way of doing what needs to be done.

When I am working with churches to refresh their governance and bylaws, for instance, there is often pushback because it is not the way we have operated in the past. So my question to the group is this. What would it look like if you were designing your governance paradigm today? That changes the conversation from what we have done in the past to what we want to do today. And usually, the answer is very different.

If you lead, think about the language you hear around you and the language you use. You can literally change the conversation if you choose a different language. 

Cancel culture and Jesus culture

 

Culture today has become increasingly crass, impatient, relationally disconnected and conflictual. All of these elements are found in our cancel culture where people we don't like, or those we disagree with are simply "canceled." It is hitting the "defriend" button on Facebook because we disagree with an opinion or simply dropping a friendship and "canceling" them. Those who are canceled become "non people" and are treated as such. 

Cancel culture (or call-out culture) is a modern form of ostracism in which someone is thrust out of social or professional circles - either online on social media, in the real world, or both. Those who are subject to this ostracism are said to be "canceled." Wikipedia

From a Christian perspective this kind of behavior is antithetical to Jesus culture. In fact, if anyone should be canceled it is you and I who rejected the Savior. Instead of canceling us, Jesus came to save us. When we are obstinate and sinful, He is patient. When we move away from Him, He pursues us. When we disagree with Him and do our own thing, He patiently waits. When as prodigals we come home, He throws a party. 

Think about this. Every person you meet is made in God's Image. They have something of God in them because He chose to create us in His image. When we cancel an individual we are canceling a masterpiece of God - no matter how obnoxious they may be. 

Cancel culture is not Jesus culture. Instead, it is a cheap way to deal with those we don't like, want to listen to, or seek to understand. It cheapens relationships and stunts our own growth as individuals. It makes a mockery of the love we are to have for those around us. It dehumanizes those made in God's image.

Consider these descriptors of the love we are to have toward others in light of today's cancel culture. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

Jesus would wish the following from His people:

• More patience
• A spirit of kindness and generosity
• Valuing others and their opinions
• Forgiving rather than canceling
• Personal humility rather than pride
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It is not the easy way but it is the Jesus way.

Churches that smell like Jesus have these seven characteristics

 

"For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved..." 2 Corinthians 2:15

In conversation after conversation, I encounter people who have become cynical about the church. I am not one of those because I understand that Jesus is the hope of the world, and He has chosen to work through His bride, the church. 

Having worked with many churches, I have seen almost everything but retain an irrational love for the church.

However, I understand the frustration of many who read Scripture and have difficulty finding love, grace, and acceptance in a local fellowship. My own view is that there are too few churches that smell like Jesus. What are the smells that churches have that don't reflect Jesus? Legalism, judgment, conflict, self-absorption, or maybe a country club. This is why congregational cultures focused on being like Jesus are so wonderful and powerful. In fact, they are irresistible.

Churches that smell like Jesus intentionally cultivate the following Jesus characteristics, attitudes, and practices.

Grace

Think of the way that Jesus interacted with people: The woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, the rich young ruler, the blind man who wanted healing; the woman who poured expensive oil on Jesus' feet; Mary and Martha, and the list could go on. In all of these cases, what stands out is the amazing grace of Jesus. Grace with the hurting, the broken, the guilty, the searching, the sick, the wounded, the criminal, the outcast, the poor, the alien, and we could go on. 

Jesus gave grace where others didn't. Jesus showed grace where it was not deserved. Jesus didn't require people to meet their expectations before He extended grace. Jesus was safe. He was gracious, and He was non-judgmental even when He spoke the truth - with the exception of the Pharisees, who were deeply hypocritical. This leads me to wonder what He would say to some evangelicals today. We, too, can be accidental Pharisees.

Truth

Jesus was about the truth of God. Truth is often a limited quantity in our world, and we need to understand the truth about God, ourselves, His character, the life he calls us to, and our own need for salvation and grace. In almost all cases, Jesus delivered truth with compassion, love, and understanding, but He always spoke truth. Truth without grace is not like Jesus. Grace without truth is not like Jesus. Grace and truth go together.

Love

Love for one another is the mark of disciples. In fact, "The entire law is summed up in a single command; 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Galatians 5:14). Love is one of the Fruits of the Spirit. It always speaks the best, wants the best, thinks the best, and treats one another as Jesus treats us - with patience and grace. One of the most toxic characteristics of any church is a lack of love: conflict, uncharitable language, gossip, backbiting, and poor attitudes. 

Having attended many congregational meetings, I tend to think this is where the true character of the congregation is displayed. In many cases, the Holy Spirit must be embarrassed. In my first congregational meeting in one church, I was a part of, the chairperson asked someone to call the police! Yet, where love prevails in a congregation, it is powerful and infectious.

Generosity

God is a generous God who did not spare His own Son but sent Him to die for us. If you want your church to have the aroma of Christ, it will be generous with what it has. Many churches are generous toward themselves, investing heavily in their stuff. Fewer churches are generous toward the community, and other churches meet the real needs of those around them and are significantly involved in the world. Generosity is contagious within a congregation and to outsiders who see open-handed people.

Humility

This is one of the more challenging character traits of churches that want to reflect Christ. We can be very proud of who we are and the glory days we have experienced in our ministries and often believe that we are better ministries or Christians than the congregation down the street. These are signs of pride rather than of humility. Ironically, the most humble Being in the universe who has no need to be humble is Our God. Philippians 2 calls us to the same humility as that of Jesus! Humble churches are not filled with their own importance but rather with God's importance. That is a crucial distinction.

One of the critical signs of humility is a congregation's willingness to work with other churches in the community across denominational lines for the cause of the Gospel. Prideful churches won't do that, but kingdom-minded and humble churches do.

Engagement

God's kingdom and God's people are about action. We are called to a life and a mission that reflects the life and mission of Jesus. He had many hangers-on who liked to be around Him and be entertained but were not interested in genuinely following Him. The church does as well! 

But churches that look like Jesus are filled with people actively living out their faith: loving on one another, loving on the community, caring for the poor, the marginalized, and those without anyone to defend them. They care about racial reconciliation and justice as Jesus does. They address community needs in Gospel ways because engagement is to be like Jesus. 

Discipleship

There is only Jesus culture with Jesus followership. This followership involves the hour of worship on Sunday and life throughout the week. It is where becoming like Jesus is the norm in all walks of life. It is highly practical in helping people follow God more closely and is a place where transparency, pain, and failure can be translated into lives where God uses all of our biographies to be used by Him. In discipleship, each prior characteristic is lived out in real time and real ways.

If you are in church leadership, it would be worth your time to evaluate how you, as a congregation, are living out these seven characteristics.

A counterintuitive way to gauge the health of your church or organization

 

In my years of consulting with both churches and non-profit organizations, I have come to the conclusion that the single greatest indicator of the organization's health is the health and culture of the staff. When the culture of the staff is healthy, the rest of the organization is usually healthy. When there is dysfunction at the staff level, that is likely to be mirrored in the congregation. 

When I have been asked for help to solve issues in a local church, I first interview all staff. What I learn there is usually the key indicator of why there are issues within the church. Some of the typical dysfunctions at the staff level (when the staff culture is not healthy) include the following. 

• Leaders who are threatened by others, must have their own way and create an atmosphere where candid conversation is not safe or invited.
• Leaders who operate out of ego and pride and don't build a collegial atmosphere where everyone's contribution is valued.
• Leaders who micromanage their staff, leave staff feeling unappreciated and unempowered.
• Gossip and subtle power groups on staff.
• A lack of cooperation between staff and departments.
• Politics, silos, and turf wars, to quote Lencioni.
• A fundamental lack of trust.
• A lack of missional alignment where various leaders or staff travel in their own direction.
• A lack of clarity around the direction and vision of the church.
• A culture where the feeding and development of staff is lacking.
• The inability or unwillingness to deal with staff who are no longer effective in their roles.
• A culture that is agenda-driven rather than Jesus-driven.

Leaders and staff often portray a façade of health to the congregation or constituents, but the dysfunction at the staff level will eventually catch up in subtle or not-so-subtle ways. It follows that the first step in ensuring that a church is healthy is to focus on the internal staff dynamics and relationships. Until there is health in the staff, there will not be health in the overall organization.

How does one determine where the issues are on staff? Where there are significant issues, one of the best ways to surface those issues is to conduct a staff audit using an outside, experienced consultant where open-ended questions can be used to surface issues and where trends and issues can surface. Coming out of those interviews, a plan of action can be constructed to bring greater health to the team. One is not looking for individual, one-off issues here but for general trends and attitudes. 

Here are some of the questions I use in doing a culture audit of the staff.  Depending on the answer, I will often probe further. This is a confidential conversation where individual answers are protected.

• What do you love about working here?
• Describe for me the culture of the staff?
• Are there things that frustrate you?
• Are you using your gifts to the greatest potential?
• Organizations can be permission granting, where staff are empowered within boundaries, or permission withholding, where one can only act with permission. Is your organization more permission granting or permission withholding?
• Do you have good clarity around your responsibilities, and do you have the tools you need to accomplish your work?
• How does your supervisor interact with you, and how would you characterize the relationship?
• What are the three greatest strengths of the staff culture?
• What are the three greatest weaknesses of the staff culture?
• Is there anyone on staff who you think is in the wrong place?
• If you were in my place as the consultant, what would you recommend to increase the health of the staff?

These kinds of conversations surface issues that are often known but have not been acted on. It gives you a roadmap to address areas of dysfunction and increase the relative health of staff. The bottom line is that when staff is not healthy, the organization is not healthy because the dishealth will eventually catch up and impact the organization as a whole.

The lesson is that if you want to know and grow the health of your organization, start with the health of the staff.

At the start of a new year change your life by changing your perspective

The start of a new year is a time of reflection. 2020 will be remembered as a challenging year and we all hope for a better year to come. Whether it will be a better year will depend not so much on external circumstances but on the perspective with which we approach it. Here are six perspectives to consider as we start 2021.

1. Choosing to live joyfully with an attitude of thanksgiving changes everything. Everyone has things to complain about but those who focus on their blessings and God's goodness enjoy far greater peace and joy than those who don't. A focus on our complaints creates a negative outlook on all of life. A focus on our blessings and God's goodness creates joy and peace. Why settle for the first when you can have the second?

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

2. Put Covid into perspective. All of us are ready for this to be behind us: the virus itself and the controversy that surrounds it as well as social distancing and masks. Covid has been a major interruption in our lives and many lives have been lost. Here is what we forget. Covid is a hassle but much of our world lives every day with polluted drinking water, hungry stomachs, inadequate medical care (if at all), daily income that can be measured in a few dollars and in many places, ongoing persecution because of one's race or religion. Put in that perspective, our momentary irritations pale in comparison to a lifetime of struggle, pain and poverty. We of all people should embrace the many blessings we have rather than focus on the temporary irritations of Covid.

3. God has given you a mission in life: Focus on that mission!  In Ephesians 2:10 Paul writes that "we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." You have a purpose given by God and work to do in light of the purpose He designed you for. It may be helping others,  sharing one's faith, leading Bible studies, generosity, ministering in the church or in the community. Whatever it is, focus on that mission. At the end of the day, God wants us to embrace His gifting and calling on our lives. 

4. Keep your relationship with God fresh. Our relationship with God is only as fresh as the last time we spent with Him. Given that, endeavor to meet with Him daily in a combination of listening to His Word, conversation with Him in prayer, listening for His voice in our lives and living in obedience to Him. This is the most important relationship you will ever have so don't neglect it. Make it a priority and it will change everything about your perspective on life. 

Jesus said this: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

Five. Remember that people matter. Those who we interact with every day are men and women made in God's Image. They matter to God and they matter to us. Treating everyone with dignity and respect, seeking the best for them, encouraging and lifting them up, forgiving those who hurt us and living at peace with everyone are all part of living out the relational wholeness that God calls us to. 

Paul writes in Colossians 3:12-14,  "Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

Six. Focus on making the Fruit of the Spirit evident in your life and relationships in a new way. Becoming like Jesus changes everything else in our life. In a divided society, those who practice and develop the Fruit of God's Spirit will not only develop His perspective but they will stand out.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other." (Galatians 5:22-26). Practice these character traits and your perspective will change!

These six perspectives can dramatically affect your life and relationships in 2021. Focus on the right things and God will grant His blessing, peace and joy.