Ten ways that Covid will change the landscape of the church

 

I recently finished a book by Fareed Zakaria who is host of CNN's top international affairs show, GPS and one of the most prescient thinkers in our day. The book is entitled Ten Lessons For a Post-Pandemic World. I highly recommend the book which analyzes how our current pandemic is changing our world in ways that will be lasting and consequential. In many cases, it has greatly accelerated changes already underway in our world and in other cases radically shifted our center of gravity altogether.

Ministries of all sorts, and especially the church need to evaluate how the post-pandemic world will differ from what was. Here are ten ways I believe that the world will be different for the church and will divide the thriving from the merely surviving.

One: The pandemic has accelerated the number of those who will no longer attend church on any kind of regular basis. Many individuals have concluded in the age of Covid that they no longer need to attend church regularly. They have been without it for a period of time and have concluded that it is just fine. This is certainly true for those who attended church for cultural reasons rather than reasons of deep faith. Thus, the hiatus from church is going to separate those who truly follow Jesus and those whose faith was shallow to start with. Do not expect that your attendance will be what it was pre-Covid. It likely will not be.

Two: This means that we will need to change our measures of success - which is a very good thing. Way too much emphasis has been placed in recent years on the size of one's church. That scorecard has nothing inherently to do with whether a church is living out the mandate that Jesus gave the church. 

Fortunately, Covid will force us to change our measure of success as fewer choose to attend church. We will have to look more closely at what success means for the church. Things like disciplemaking, community involvement, evangelism, generosity, racial reconciliation, justice and the living out of our faith in tangible ways will take on new relevance for those ministries that will grow in the future.

Three: Healthy ministries will place far more emphasis on the real engagement of their congregation in ministry rather than being passive observers. This is not only the mandate of the church (Ephesians 2:8-10, 4:10-13) but it is the heart's desire of those who love Jesus. Our faith is not designed to be head knowledge but heart knowledge where we live out that which we believe. And it is in the living out of our faith that we grow an even deeper faith. Growing ministries will be those who focus on empowering and releasing their people in real, meaningful ministry rather than fostering onlookers. 

Four:  Churches that thrive will be those that address the real issues of their communities and their world. As noted above, Covid has sped up the growing irrelevance of the church to many people. That does not mean of course that the church itself is irrelevant but many local congregations are increasingly seen that way. 

The gospel should touch everything. It should transform individuals, communities and institutions through the power of the Holy Spirit but that means that the church must address issues that dehumanize and steal life with the life giving and transforming power of God. God cares about the poor and marginalized - those without a voice. He cares about racial reconciliation and justice - read the prophets! He cares about helping the needy and the hungry and lifting people out of generational poverty. If we are to pray, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" we must be agents of Jesus to see that bits of heaven come to our communities in tangible ways.

Engaged churches that bring the life and help and transformation of the Gospel in real ways to their communities will attract those who want their lives to count and will show the community what the heart of Jesus actually looks like. That in turn draws people to Jesus.

Five: Humble leaders who build the church of Jesus rather than their own kingdoms will be a mark of healthy churches. Celebrity driven churches are antithetical to the Kingdom of God. Humility was the mark of Jesus while pride, ego and the building of personal kingdoms rather than God's kingdom has been a curse on the church. Already before Covid we saw the collapse of several large ministries led by prideful leaders and I suspect that there will be trend away from celebrity based ministries toward a more humble and authentic leadership.

Ironically, God is the model of humility while Satan is the model of pride. Proud, controlling and self important leaders in the church, who are building their own kingdoms rather than God's Kingdom will increasingly be seen for what they are. 

Six: Generosity will become the norm in growing churches. The church in general has been selfish when it comes to giving. We have asked people to give generously to the church but congregations have used that money for themselves rather than being equally generous to needs outside their congregation. We have not practiced what we preached.

Few practices get the attention of our communities than congregations that are generous to needs within their communities. In fact, if God blesses those of his people who are generous with others, why would this not apply to congregations who are generous to others. Radical generosity can bring radical blessing. There is power when churches help other churches. There is power when congregations invest in their communities to meet real needs in the name of Jesus. There is tremendous power to transform our own lives when we see God meeting real needs through our generosity. There is power when we invest in ministries that bring the Gospel to those who have never heard.

Seven: Risk taking must become normal. Churches can be the most cautious organizations on the face of the earth. And look where it has got us. Why would we not risk everything for the cause of Christ? Living cautiously doe not excite anyone to better and higher aspirations. If you believe something you act on it. If you worship the God of God's and Lord of Lord's you take risks for Him. Like the parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl, the man who found a treasure in the field, sold all he had to buy that field. 

Congregations that risk for the sake of Jesus train people to do the same. They demonstrate what a life of faith actually looks like. You cannot preach faith when your congregation does not practice faith. Faith means that we take risks for a Gospel that wants to touch everything around us.

Eight: Churches must become welcoming to anyone and everyone. That means those who don't look like us, don't act like us, and even have lifestyles that are not like our own. If Jesus came to minister to the sick and the broken and the needy and the marginalized, so must we. He welcomed all into his presence to the consternation of the Pharisees and even at times of His own disciples. Those congregations who will thrive in the future will do the same. They will be places that welcome anyone and everyone as Jesus did. They will also be places where the love and acceptance shown can lead to personal and spiritual transformation as the Holy Spirit does its work - in all of us.

Nine: God's power will be increasingly evident in those congregations who embrace their calling in a new way. Throughout the ministry of Paul we read that the Gospel came with truth and power. That power is hard to find in many churches today because we have both put the Holy Spirit in a little box and because our ministry is not about what God alone can do but about what we can do without His help. Churches that embrace the kind of commitments we have been talking about will also see His power change their ministries. He wants to show up in power and will do so when we embrace His way and His mission. 

Ten: The pace of change has accelerated with Covid. Change in the church to meet the needs of a new day will be faster rather than slower in pace. We don't have the time today to play to the lowest common denominator in the church when it comes to changing to meet the needs of a new day. We need to show love to those who are cautious but move boldly for the sake of Jesus and the mission He has given us.

There is not time today for incremental change. We need to make the changes that are necessary to become the church He has called us to be. Of course, change takes wisdom and timing but it also takes courage and boldness. Cautious churches will languish while bold leadership will increasingly be the norm in healthy churches.

For too long the church has subordinated its mission to the willingness of a few to agree. We have been held hostage by those who like the old way. In the meantime, people are not being reached. It is time to lovingly but firmly put the mission of the church first, regardless of those who object. 

Post Covid the church will not look the same. Many congregations will languish and move into a quiet decline. Those who will boldly reexamine their purpose, mission and priorities in light of Gods Word and our changing world will flourish. They may in many cases be smaller congregations but they will also be far more effective and impactful.

The Celebrity Pastor Problem Is Every Church's Struggle - From Christianity Today

 

The Celebrity Pastor Problem Is Every Church’s Struggle

How our ministry policies and practices can push back against entitlement.

RICH VILLODAS

Flexibility is an ability

 

There was a day when the ability to do one thing and do it well was a valuable asset. That day is gone. In fact, we are seeing the rise of the "generalist" in the workplace and ministry who is able to do multiple things rather than simply one thing. The reason for this new found appreciation for the generalist is that the pace of change is so fast today that it is necessary to pivot regularly and that takes the ability to do multiple things and have the ability to change strategies in order to accomplish one's mission.

The generalist often has a skill that others don't have: flexibility. This is the ability to shift one's focus, strategy or tactics easily to meet new demands and a changing environment. We have watched the need for flexibility take on new meaning in the age of Covid. All of us know people who were flexible in meeting this new environment and others who struggled in a big way. Flexibility is an ability and an increasingly important ability.

How do we develop the ability of flexibility? It largely comes down to how we view the world, our world and ourselves.

First, we need to consciously understand that our world is not static but constantly changing. If we see the world as static, we find security in that unchanging environment and we will resist the inevitable changes in our environment leaving us ineffective. A mindset that expects change and embraces that change is critical to developing flexibility. 

Second, we need to view work as a place of change rather than a place of stability. The mission of an organization may remain the same but tactics and strategies will change regularly, testing our own flexibility and ability to pivot and try new things. Increasingly, risk taking and an entrepreneurial spirits are necessary to meet our changing environments. If we regularly expect change and embrace it, flexibility will come. If we don't expect or want change, we will atrophy.

Third, we need to develop a mindset that sees our organization's ministry as stable but the things we do to accomplish that mission as changeable. Thus, a large part of my effectiveness is found in my flexibility to change roles and tactics to meet that mission. To put it another way,  rather than focusing simply on expertise at what I do, I need to focus on my ability of flexibility. It is going to be those who are flexible who will be the most valuable players in the future.

Can flexibility be learned and developed? I believe the answer is yes. And, it starts in how we think about our skills and our work. Leaders who train and teach the art of flexibility have an advantage over those who don't because flexibility is an ability that is and will be in high demand in rapidly changing environments. It is a worthwhile thing to think through each of your key staff and ask the question as to how flexible they are and how you can intentionally develop this ability.

Who should you listen to and who should you ignore. Nine questions to consider when facing criticism

 

All of us have critics. Those who disagree with us, who don't like our leadership style or who offer candid feedback to us on decisions we make. These may be fellow colleagues, employees, board members or even supervisors. How should we respond to the criticisms we encounter? For those who want to be humble, the answer may be that they will accept everything at face value and try to appease their critics. For those who are prideful, it may be a matter of ignoring critics altogether. Neither of these responses are healthy or helpful.

How we respond to those who are critical of us depends on some key factors.

1. Are the individuals who are critical people who we know have our best interests in mind? If yes, we should listen. If not we should be wary of their advice.

2. Is the criticism accompanied by helpful solutions or is it just criticism? Those who want to help bring solutions to the table. Those who simply want to criticize don't. 

3. Is the criticism delivered in a loving or an unloving manner. Those who deliver it lovingly are likely to have your best interests in mind. Those who don't usually do not have your best interests in mind.

4. Are the individuals who make suggestions people who normally are encouraging to you or discouraging to you? The former should be listened to, the latter probably not.

5. Is the criticism leveled at you personally or at a decision you might have made? If it is levelled at your personally you may want to take it with caution as opposed to a critique of a specific decision.

6. Does the individual who is critical desire a dialogue and conversation with you or simply want to critique you? There is a big difference between the two. If they want a dialogue it is worth having it. If their interest is simply to attack you or a decision, it is likely that they don't have your best interests in mind.

7. If the individual who is critical is someone who has developed trust with you over a period of time it is worth listening. If they have no history of trust, probably not. 

8. If those who are critical indicate that they speak for others but are unwilling to identify who the "others" are it is not worth your time to take them seriously. Anyone can claim that "others" agree with them but if they are unwilling to share who those individuals are, their comments should carry little if any weight.

9. Are your critics flexible and thinking people or are they black and white in their thinking. The first category should carry more weight than the second. 

It is easy for someone to try to make us feel guilty for decisions we make. There is no limit to those who will do so. That does not mean that we should listen to them or be intimidated by their counsel. We should be smart about who we listen to and who we ignore. Listen to those you should listen to and ignore those you should not.

Church giving trends in 2021. A post from Church Answers

What to Expect in 2021 with Church Giving Trends

Seven commitments of great ministries and non-profits

Non profit work is challenging. Often there are limited resources but unlimited needs. It is not unusual to have talented staff who are underpaid and overworked. Thus, the way in which the non profit does its work becomes very important. It is not necessary to settle for mediocre results because of these limitations. Rather, the adoption of a set of operating commitments can provide unusual leverage for organizations with limited resources.

Create a clear and focused mission
A clear and focused mission can save an organization from spending its time on ancillary or non mission critical things that suck its time, energy and money. If non-profits actually focused on their chosen core area and chose to eliminate non mission critical enterprises they could accomplish more and accomplish their mission far better than if distracted by peripheral things. It means that they need to learn how to say no to good things for the sake of their core mission.

Hire the very best, pay well and staff lean
Too many non-profits have too many staff because they don't pay well enough to hire the best. Yet, when you hire well you actually need fewer staff. Organizations that don't pay well end up with more staff than they would if they could hire the best. Thus it is a self defeating strategy. Hire the best, pay them fairly and then keep the staff lean. It works! This applies to both executive and support staff.

Think leverage always
The best organizations are always looking for ways to leverage their impact and results. Traditional thinking says that to do more one needs more money and more staff. Those who think leverage look for ways to do more for less. That does not mean that financial resources don't matter. They do. But those who think leverage look for new ways of accomplishing the mission which allow them to maximize their impact and minimize their need. See Looking Away from the Lamp Post for an example.

Measure results
Too many non-profits use optimistic language to describe their results without carefully measuring results. Real results matter. I am not talking about anecdotal results. Those are great for illustrating one's work but not good measurements of how one is doing. The results that matter are those that directly relate to the missional focus of the organization. The more diligence one puts into measuring results accurately the better you can hone your strategies for even better results. Inadequate measurements result in inadequate results.

Use Resources for mission critical purposes

Non-profits can have an insatiable need for additional funding and can find ways to use those resources. Generous funding is not always a blessing for a non-profit. Often it results in the organization branching into non-critical or non-missional directions and moving away from its primary focus. A great question to ask is this: "If our funding were cut by one half tomorrow, what services would we keep and which would we let go of?" That will identify what is truly mission critical. Resist the temptation to move beyond your primary mission. Diffusion of focus results in a diffusion of impact.

Create an innovative environment

An ongoing challenge to all non-profits is to change strategies as the environment and needs change around them. What was a great strategy in the past may not be today but organizations often don't realize this and lag behind the times. While our mission remains the same, our tactics need to change regularly. The best non-profits are constantly innovating their strategies to better meet current realities. Innovation in strategy is a constant in the best organizations.

Engage differing generations

The best non-profits intentionally engage multiple generations to join them in their mission. Understanding this is critical because to focus on a single generation of donors and participants such as baby boomers will inevitably lead to a declining funding base. This will mean that we understand the concerns, commuinication and engagement patterns of different generations and be intentional in our engagement efforts. Remember the next generation is always to future to your missional success.

It is always a challenge to build a new organization around a specific mission. What we often forget is that it is also a challenge to keep that organization vital and relevant over the long haul. The challenge never ceases. It simply changes. These seven commitments can help you navigate the challenges long term.

Evangelicals and their false god of politics

As I look at the concerns of evangelicals on social media over the past year, I have come to the conclusion that the God of evangelicals today is not Jesus but politics. When God proclaimed in the Ten Commandments, "You shall have no other gods before me," He was writing about any priority or concern that would take our primary attention off of Him. This is why, speaking of money, for instance, in Matthew, he says, "You cannot serve God and money." 

Many things can supersede our highest commitment to Him. I suggest that power and politics have become a false God of Evangelicals. One can trace the genesis of this back to the founding of the Moral Majority in 1979, founded by Jerry Falwell Senior. Those were heady days for the religious right. It was pivotal in bringing Ronald Reagan to the White House, a friend of evangelicals, and the religious right realized that it could wield power previously unknown as a voting block. 

Evangelicals became a powerful lobby in the halls of power. The seduction of power is not the purview of politicians alone. We, as evangelicals, were seduced as well. We became convinced that we could turn the levers of power and solve the issues of our nation through the election of allies in the White House, legislation that was in our interests, and turn the judiciary in our direction.

Having these allies, friendly legislation, or addressing the concerns that we have as believers was not wrong. However, in the success of our efforts, we started to believe that the key to our nation's success and to the advancement of Christianity was to be found in political power rather than in the God we worship, who is above all, over all and in all. Our confidence moved from God to political power. And in the process, political power became a god that rivaled the one and true God.

This also led many evangelicals to ally themselves with the Republican Party because this is where their power base existed. Pastors and evangelical leaders became spokespersons for their party. They often became unapologetic cheerleaders for politicians who lacked any moral compass or personal integrity - or concept of truth. After all, they were joined at the hip to a political party, and come "hell or high water," they intended to hang on to that power. And power has become the key to national transformation in the minds of many rather than God and the Holy Spirit. In fact, numerous posts by evangelicals in the run-up to the recent election insinuated that one could not be a believer and vote for other than the Republican Party. 

When we ally ourselves with a god that is not God, we often overlook corruption, lies, ungodly behaviors, and unrighteousness because we cannot offend our power base. Power corrupts evangelicals and the issues they attend to, just like power often corrupts politicians. Power becomes a god, and in the end, political power starts to defuse our ultimate power that is found in Christ and His transforming work in our lives. 

Regardless of how we as individuals vote, the marriage of the religious right with a political party has done us no favors. It has diluted our influence, caused us to overlook unrighteousness, and has stolen our prophetic voice in society. When one cares about power and the influence it brings, we move away from speaking truth to power.  

Jesus did not and does not carry the card of any political party. Nor did Jesus or Paul say much at all about the politics of their day, which were far worse than the politics in our nation. Why? Because neither Jesus nor Paul put their trust in the political system. Rather, they put their trust in God, the transformation of the Holy Spirit, and a Gospel that has the power to transform individuals, communities, and institutions. Jesus put it well when he said, pay to Caesar what is Caesar's and pay to God what is God's. Perhaps we have paid more attention to Caesar than to the concerns of God.

All of us are at risk of elevating various gods above the one God who claims our full allegiance. In our individual lives, we can elevate our work above Him, we can put our trust in our resources rather than Him, and we can also put our trust in political parties rather than in Him, whatever that party is. Or the power that comes with allegiance to a political party. 

Can Christians impact the political system? Yes! Daniel did in his day serving one of the worst tyrants of the ancient world. Wilberforce did in the abolition of slavery in England. We should be deeply thankful for men and women of faith who serve in government and live out their convictions in their places of influence. Paul had supporters who were in high places of government in his day. 

Should Christians challenge unjust laws or practices in the fabric of our society? Yes. But we have been very selective in what we concerned ourselves with. Absent from the concerns of many white evangelicals, for instance, is the concern for racial reconciliation and justice - a concern of the prophets throughout the Old Testament. And Paul, in the New.

We have been outspoken on the issue of abortion and the evil that it is and have neglected the truth that to be pro-life is to be pro-life in all situations and for all people. Being pro-life means that I care about righteousness, justice, and fairness in all of society. The command, "Thou shall not kill," is stated in the negative because one cannot catalog all the ways that we keep this commandment by enhancing the lives of those around us, caring for the needy, the hurting, the poor, and the hungry, or in dealing with racism that destroys the dignity and opportunities of many - those who are without power or marginalized by society.

We should always use the means that we are given to bring about a better nation. Jeremiah advised the Jews living in captivity to pray for the peace of the city in which they lived and to contribute to its success. For us, that includes using the political system, courts, and legislation to pursue a more just society.

But politics is not the ultimate answer to our nation's ills. As God told Solomon, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14. 

If we spent as much time cleansing our own lives, seeking the face of God, and praying for our nation as we do arguing about politics and engaging in the political system, we would see a more righteous and just society.

Only God is God, and He is the One who can bring healing to our nation. All other gods, including our god of politics and power, will not and cannot. 

The place that resolve and focus plays in successful organizations

 

Resolve is a quality that is often in short supply, especially in ministry organizations. I define resolve as the ability to chart a course that we know to be right and to not deviate from that course. We may change our tactics regularly but resolve is the discipline of going a long way in a specific direction to reach a specific result.

Why is resolve often in short supply? First, we have not done the hard work of determining exactly where we should go and therefore when a new or better idea comes along we grab that in our effort to be successful. In fact, when leaders in many organizations lay out a new plan to their staff, many yawn, and ignore the new direction as they have become used to the flavor of the month. Charting a ministry path that will yield significant results takes a great deal of thinking, prayer, dialogue and effort. Easy answers are rarely great answers. They are often common answers when what is needed is something other than conventional wisdom.

In the absence of being sure of one's direction and having a set of values that undergird that direction, resolve is not possible. Instead, we settle for an easy solution that is easily changed when a new idea comes along.

Resolve is also in short supply because any direction or strategy you choose will elicit pushback from somewhere. That pushback may be valid if the hard directional work has not been done. But pushback will come and leaders, boards and staff often cave when faced with opposition. 

One of the most important traits of good leaders is that they have done their homework, are sure of the direction the organization needs to go and don't cave no matter how much opposition they face. This is not about hubris because a good leader runs process and has key people with them. It is about courage to do what is right in order to go where God is calling them to go. Undeterred by those who don't agree. 

Courageous leadership is willing to go where the organization needs to go and to push the organization out of the comfort zone and into more missional work. That takes resolve because there will be any number of reasons to retreat or take an easier route.

Some suggestions to those who want to grow their resolve.

• Make sure you have done your homework and understand where your organization needs to focus.
• Be prepared for pushback because organizations naturally gravitate to the comfortable.
• Have a communication strategy that is clear and allows for dialogue in order for individuals to grasp the new reality and adjust to it. Clarity matters!
• Be sure you have a guiding coalition of key individuals who can help you convince others and who will give leadership to the new direction.
• Keep the main thing the main thing. Don't be diverted from your central message and focus. Talk about it, demonstrate it and over communicate.
• Remember that people grasp new paradigms differently. Some will get it with explanation. Many will require a great deal of dialogue. Some will only get it when they see it. Be patient but keep pressing forward. Don't deviate from your central message and direction.
• Let people know that the organization is going in the direction you have committed to. This is not the flavor of the month. It is going to happen! And demonstrate that by your own actions.

Resolve sets some leaders apart from most leaders. It also sets some organizations apart from most organizations. It is a disciplined and courageous commitment to a course of action that will maximize an organizations effectiveness.

Simplifying complexity

 

Leaders deal daily with complex issues. Because they have the context as well as the ability to think conceptually, this is often second nature to them. Unfortunately, those they try to communicate their ideas to often find the complexity confusing. And what is confusing cannot be grasped by those who need to understand it.

Ministry or business is complex. Complexity is confusing. The job of a leader is to simplify complexity.

Simplifying complexity so that people can grasp a concept or paradigm is one of the hardest tasks a leader often faces. Especially for those leaders who love complexity and whose minds naturally move toward complexity. But if the average individual cannot grasp your concept or paradigm, it is difficult to move in the direction that is desired. It results in confusion rather than in clarity.

There is also the desire by many leaders to share everything they know or have thougth through with those they are selling an idea to. The reality, however, is that much of that complexity is not important. What is important is the underlying principle to the complexity that people do need to understand. 

A good example of this principle can be found in the negotiations between the United States and Russia during the Reagan administration over nuclear weapons. This was a very complex and complicated issue that almost did not come to a settlement. But it did and President Reagan's statement explained the concept to the public exceedingly well: "Trust but verify."

Those three words took immense complexity and work and explained the concept brilliantly. So succinct was that expression that it has found a way into our vocabulary. In three words a much larger story was told. But in a way that the average individual could understand. It became the guiding principle for the agreement that took place. 

In the church I serve, we have a deep commitment to becoming a church that is friendly and accessible to everyone. That means no matter what their age, their background, their race, their socio economic status or anything else that might define them, they are welcome here. This is not an easy task and there is a great deal of complexity that goes into making this a reality. However we can articulate that complexity with simplicity: "A church for everyone and anyone."

Simplicity also builds culture. When staff talk about a church for everyone and anyone, the simple statement reminds them of a commitment that is fully understandable: it means something. And the simple statement is becoming a part of the culture of the church. Complexity does not build culture. Simplicity can!

One of my rules is that if something cannot be explained on one sheet of paper it is too complex and will not be remembered. It is one thing to do the hard work to arrive at a paradigm that you want to embrace. It is another to simplify that paradigm so that everyone can grasp it easily. It is the difficult construction of an idea and the necessary deconstruction in order to make it understandable.

If something in your organization cannot be easily explained, is not remembered or is not lived out, ask yourself if it has been simplified in a way that is memorable and easy to explain. If not, do the work of simplifiying complexity.

In my book, Leading From the Sandbox I show how an entire organization's purpose, values, culture and central focus can be articulated with one picture. 

The one issue that every church leader and pastor must pay attention to

One of the most glaring deficiencies of the American church is the lack of intentional strategies to make disciples. We are excellent in many cases in positive, uplifting worship and teaching. We are great at creating programs for people of all ages. But the picture is not so bright when it comes to our ability to help people become a disciple of Christ.

How do we know this is a deficit? Well first, apart from church attendance, many Christians don't look a whole lot different from the rest of the population who don't claim to be followers. Attitudes, words, priorities, and relationships are often almost indistinguishible from non-Christ followers. 

In addition the general Biblical knowledge among Christians in general is low and indicators of followership such as giving (2% on average), a vibrant devotional life, and service in ministry are equally low. Clearly we are not doing very well at "teaching people to obey everything I have commanded you," as Jesus told us to do in The Great Commission.

Many have tried to define what a fully devoted disciple looks like. I will not try to do that here but will address three areas where the church needs an intentional strategy to help people move toward a more mature discipleship to Christ.

Why are we OK that most "Christians" have never read the Bible?

Foundational to any true discipleship is an underatanding of the Bible.Why are we OK that most "Christians" have never read the Bible?  Without exposure to God's word on a regular basis there can be no Biblical world view. God has something to say about every area of life but most believers have little clue as to what that is. They know what they have heard in the sermons but they have no first hand knowledge of the text. 

This isn't OK and as leaders we are responsible for making Scripture reading a part of the culture of our congregation. Initiatives such as reading through the Bible in a year have introduced thousands to the text for the first time. Teaching people how to study Scripture is a skill that we ought to train for on an ongoing basis. Here is the bottom line. You cannot be a disciple if you don't understand the Word!

True discipleship will never happen without a regular devotional life

If Scripture gives us knowledge it is in a regular devotional life that what we know becomes transfered to our heart and it starts to change the way we think and live. Time set aside to read the word, reflect on our own lives and time in prayer are all "time exposure to God." 

Here is the connection between a regular devotional life and discipleship. Our spiritual lives are only as fresh as the last time we spent with Him. Without this kind of devotional time our knowledge remains just that: knowledge. It is in this daily encounter with God that the knowledge goes to the heart and life. The focus of a devotional life is to align our lives with His and become more like Christ. It is designed for life change!

A life of generosity is a mark of discipleship. Selfish living is not!

Disciples live like Jesus: Open handed and generous with God and with those that have needs. Generosity is such a fundamental character of God that one cannot call themselves disciples without becoming being generous. Generosity with our finances kills the selfishness and god of materialism. When we are willing to be generous in one area we inevitably become generous in other areas as well.

There are many facets to becoming a disciple of Jesus. These three are foundational because we have a foundation in the word, develop intimacy with Him in our daily devotional time and live out His character in our generous lifestyle. And these are three areas where church leaders can move the dial on discipleship. If we get these down, many other areas of discipleship will follow.

How are you doing in your church in helping people grow in these three disciplines?

Dealing with an Age of Anger in the Church

 

There is a great deal of anger today in the church....over everything. 

People are leaving churches in anger, withdrawing their giving, are incredibly cranky and irritable and find all kinds of things to complain about. Leaders have spent an inordinate amount of time in the past six months calling folks who are upset. It is often a fools errand. They cannot solve the discontent. What we can do is to focus on those who are with us rather than trying to convince those who are not.

Where does the anger come from? 

It stems from Covid and the incredible burden this has placed on people, either discounting the threat and angry about the stipulations put in place, or, concerned about their own safety and the resulting fear. Just the additional burdens that this time places on people is heavy. 

Then there is the political anger that divides our nations, and for many evangelicals that was magnified by the results of the last election. There are the racial tensions that divide our communities and additional division about how to deal with it. Sales of guns and ammunition are way up for members of both parties and those who fear racial unrest - Blacks and Whites. I have not remembered a time when conspiracy theories of all sorts had as much attention as today.

Unfortunately this all spills over into the church. 

There are simply a lot of cranky, irritable, critical and unhappy people today. In fact, in my many years of working with churches I don't remember a time where attitudes were so bad. And it seems for leaders, you cannot win. 

Churches that quit meeting for a season out of concern for their people were accused of allowing the government to "shut down churches" and "interfere with religion." Then, when the church reopened, there was the criticism that "you don't take the health threat of Covid seriously." Often this is pretty much a 50/50 split. So no matter what you do you face criticism. The same split is evident in how congregations are dealing with racial issues that have torn our nation. If you address the racial issues you face criticism from those who don't believe there is a problem. If you fail to address the issues you are seen as uncaring and contributors to the problem. In the arena of public opinion you cannot win!

On top of all that, there has been a lack of face to face communication and what people put on social media or into emails is usually far harsher than they would express in person.

What should our response be?

Be Compassionate but not empowering

While cranky, irritable, critical and unhappy attitudes are not what Jesus desires, mercy would have us give people space and grace. It is a tough time. One of the realities of ministry is that we are required to put up with times when people are out of sorts. 

Don't take it personally

OK that is hard. Just this week our team put in an amazing number of hours to bring back live services after a six month hiatus. It was a wonderful day and the team crushed it but I got home to a critical email that lacked grace and simply complained. It is easy to take that personally but it is wise not to. But...I didn't bother to respond! It was not worth it given the attitude behind the comments.

Challenge people to live by the Fruit of the Spirit

We cannot control opinions but we can call people to the standard that Paul set for us, based on the example of Jesus himself. Remind people that the fruit of the spirit is the attitude that should flow from hearts that are like Jesus. Paul tells us that we ought to walk in the Spirit because the Spirit lives within us. Sometimes we just need to tell people that their attitudes are unacceptable. Be kind about it but not shy to say it. Scripture is pretty objective on how we should deal with one another.

Answer questions and have dialogue selectively

I say selectively because those who have a history of bad attitudes, critical spirits and crankiness don't deserve much of our time. You will not convince the inconvincible that they should change their attitudes or critical spirits. So don't try. Ignore those who have a history of critical spirits. Show then love but don't waste your time trying to make them feel good. Sometimes they just need to be told the truth about their attitudes.

If you are dealing with at reasonable person, answer questions and try to help them see why you have made certain decisions. A conversation with a reasonable individual can almost often bear the fruit of understanding.

When people threaten to withhold their giving or leave the church don't try to change their minds

Over the years I have seen a lot of people take their ball and go home. Sometimes because they didn't get their way, sometimes because we didn't meet their expectations, sometimes because they are just critical. Sometimes because they took a petty offense and made it a dealbreaker. 

I once received an email that complained about something the church had done, made crazy allegations and finished with these words, "I don't need you anymore." Ouch. But here is a fact. With that attitude your congregation will not be very attractive to others. Blessed subtractions are not a bad thing. Let them find somewhere where they can minister with a happy heart and a clear conscience. Bless them and let them go. People left Jesus too. Sometimes in droves. 

Walk in grace and truth yourself

Shepherds don't kick the sheep. Grace means that we give space and compassion. Truth means that we see attitudes for what they are. Our job is to be sure that we live in grace and truth ourselves. It is our surest antidote to the disappointment that critical spirits can bring to us and to our congregations. 

It takes wisdom to navigate these days. Be innocent as a dove and wise as a serpent! And focus on leading the church into missional waters.

Winners and Losers

By the time this day is over, or soon after, half of America will be happy with the election results and the other half very unhappy. Whether your candidate wins or loses, there is another issue that is in play today. It is whether we will respond Christianly to the election results. At the national level, whichever candidate wins the White House, there will be a great deal of ill will by the losing party. Perhaps gloating by the winning party. But how do we, as Christians respond?

We often forget that we are citizens first of heaven and second of our nation. Our highest loyalty is to our Lord. In effect, we carry two passports which are why Peter calls us aliens and strangers in the world. In accepting Christ as our Savior, our citizenship changed even though we still hold a passport here on earth. Given that, our Christian worldview, our Christian attitudes, and actions will often be at odds with the prevailing worldview, words, and actions around us.

Here is Paul’s advice to us today. On this day and in the days to come. “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.”  Titus 3:1-2. 

Think about those words. There will be many who respond very differently to the election results because they lack a Christian worldview. In fact, many who are Christ followers will react differently than Paul’s admonition as well. It is hard sometimes to remember that, as citizens of heaven, we have different values, practices, words, and attitudes. But we do. In this and in every area of life. Our worldview is no longer that of the country in which we were born but in the country to which we are going. This is what sets Christians apart in whatever society they live in.

As Christ's followers, this is a day when we slander no one, are peaceable and considerate, ready to do whatever is good, and show true humility toward all men. We do not join the vitriol and anger that will follow the results. Or, slander the winner or loser. We are different, We act and react differently. We are citizens of heaven, and our response should not be the same as those around us. Can it be hard? Yes. Does it please God? Yes. This is a day to remember where our true citizenship lies.

Transparency in the church: Twelve principles for dealing with bad news!

 

One of the unfortunate practices of the church is to spin problematic news rather than to be candid enough that reasonable people can understand what is going on in a particular situation. Spin, of course, is the manipulation of a message so that what is problematic or plainly bad looks less so and those who are resposible are able to offload responsibility. 

We watched in bemusement as the leaders of Willow Creek and Harvest Bible Chapel tried to protect themselves by massive spin - denying that there was anything wrong until events forced their hand. The truth is that many of us looking in knew there was more to the story than was being shared and the denials in the face of multiple situations and people coming forward made it impossible to believe the spin.

When one hears spin from Washington or in the news, it is often apparent. It is no different with a church. Eventually the truth is going to come out and leaders who have spun the story or manipulated the facts to make things look better than they are will lose their credibility when it does. Hence the resignations of entire boards at Willow and Harvest. Whatever the original issues, the spin caused tremendous damage to the church and the belief that their leaders had told them the truth. The result is that both organizations are in significant trouble as congregants are leaving in significant numbers. 

Bad news can be handled if it is communicated truthfully. This does not mean that leaders must tell all they know but it does mean that what they share must be true. In addition, they must share enough of the facts for reasonable people to understand and to have context.

 Here is the irony of spin. In an effort to preserve their reputation as leaders or the reputation of a leader who has made mistakes or is guilty of impropriety, all parties involved in the spin lose far more credibility than they would have if they had simply told the truth. Enough truth for people to understand what went wrong.

Here are some principles when something goes wrong or must be reported to a congregation.

First, don't hide the issue. You actually win points for being candid in a timely manner.

Second, you do not have to reveal everything you know but you must reveal enough for reasonable people to understand what you are dealing with.

Third,when bad news ocurrs, come with a good plan of how you intend to address it and ensure that you will get to the bottom of whatever has happened.

Fourth, run a good process and report back to the congregation what has been discovered. It is foolish to run bad process and face criticism for both the problem and the response to the problem.

Fifth, remember that if you do not share adequate information it will come back and bite you every time. Truth does rise to the surface eventually and on that day those who dealt with the issue will also face scrutiny and evaluation as well as the one responsible for the original issue. 

Sixth, if you attempt to protect the guilty you become one of the guilty. Lack of truth is enanthema to God and to those you serve. When there is smoke and fire and leaders try to downplay that reality, they engage in lies and falsehoods. 

Seventh, it is the job of leaders to protect their flock. Being dishonest or covering up what is evident or true is not protection but collusion. 

Eighth, always get outside counsel. When the stuff hits the fan, it is hard for those who are in leadership to be objective. Our instinct is to want to make the issue go away. To "protect the church" by pretending the issues are not as bad as they seem. Outside counsel from someone who has experience in these situations will go a long way to get it right the first time. 

Ninth, allow outside wise and godly counsel to help you in your communication with the congregation. You don't want, like Willow, to have to come back a second time or a third time to "clarify" rather than simply communicating bad news upfront.

Tenth, once you have told the truth, ask the church to pray. Asking the congregation to pray when you are not being upfront won't work. People know when they are being manipulated and not being told the truth. In these situations, you will not get prayer but gossip, questions and anger. 

Eleventh, you need a plan for helping the congregation heal. This may take time and trying to "get it behind you" without adequate process will often cause more pain that it will healing. Again, outside counsel can help you get this right. 

Finally, be compassionate toward the guilty but don't protect them. That is not your job. Truth means that you are upfront with the issue without seeking to protect. Grace means that we seek to help the individual(s) involved find healing as well. 

The situation at Willow and Harvest today would look much different if these twelve principles had been followed. The pain experienced by these congregations was greatly intensified by the actions of leaders. While these are highly visible examples, the same responses are played out in smaller churches regularly. Remember the more spin there is, the longer it will take to heal and the more cynicism will grow - which will hamper future leaders from leading with trust. 

Good news for election week

 

In many ways, our world has become a giant echo chamber of bad news. The twenty-four-hour news channels would have us believe that nothing good is happening in our world. In election weeks like this one, social media is chock full of dire predictions about what will happen to our nation if our candidate does not win. And, of course, to make it all the more complicated, Covid 19 is like a giant wet blanket that feels as if it is smothering our relationships, church life, and life in general. How much good news do you hear?

In Psalm 4:6, David speaks to this issue when he writes, “Many are asking, “Who can show us any good?” You see, bad news is not an issue only of our time. Who can show us any good in a virtual sea of negativity? It is an excellent question and one that David had an answer for.

“Many are asking, ‘Who can show us any good?

Let the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord,

You have filled my heart with greater joy

Than when their grain and new wine abound.

I will lie down and sleep in peace,

For you alone, O Lord,

make me dwell in safety.” 

-Psalm 4:6-8.

This is fascinating. People around David ask, ‘who can show us any good?’ because their eyes are on the events in the world around them, and all they perceived was an echo chamber of bad news. So they lived in discouragement with a negative attitude and an anxious and worried heart. But not David.

David’s perspective was different because he was not focused on the negativity of the world around him but on God, who is the ultimate good news in the sea of bad news. He is the antidote to bad news. He is the antidote to worry and anxiety that can permeate our beings. Think of the light of God’s face shining on you, as David says. According to Scripture, that is what he does all the time. That brings joy. “You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound.” Greater joy than the very best harvest, the very best paycheck. Our true source of joy is not to be found in the external world, which is fallen and broken, but in God, regardless of the circumstances around us.

This joy leads to peace. “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Would you like to lie down and sleep in peace? Those around David are asking, who can show us any good? And David rests in peace because he knows the Lord makes him dwell in safety. The world may not feel safe, but God is always safe. And He can bring us joy and peace if we focus on Him.

As our election season unfolds, don’t listen to the echo chamber of bad news. Instead, allow God’s face to shine on you, bring you true joy, and let His peace quiet your heart.

Don't irritate your staff with helicopter management

In my many years of consulting with organizations, one of the prevalent complaints of staff is the helicopter management of senior leaders. First, staff are responsible for something and work hard to figure it out. Then, a senior leader "helicopters" in to adjust or redo the plan.

I often ask staff how this management style makes them feel when they describe this to me. Their answer is almost always the same: They think that they are not trusted, their work devalued, and the energy they put into the work they had completed. It is one of the most disrespectful things a leader can do to their staff, who feel marginalized and unappreciated. Of course, this does not mean the leader meant to send those messages, but their actions do just that. Every time leaders do this, they lose major coinage with their staff. 

What are the reasons that this happens? 

• Often there needed to be more adequate conversation and dialogue before the project was assigned, leaving staff unaware of the leader's true intentions.
• Many leaders simply think they know best and believe it is their responsibility to make the calls.
• Often, leaders are moving way too fast to pay proper attention to what is happening leaving them with little time for dialogue, so they helicopter down, make their pronouncements, and then helicopter off again. Their touchdowns can leave chaos in their wake, and they are unaware of how their actions impact their staff.
• Many leaders think that things should be done one way: Their way. So when a different way is tried, they feel that they need to intervene. 

What is the answer? It is to understand what altitude one should be flying at and staying at that altitude, allowing others to fly at their altitude and do their work. There can always be discussion and dialogue, but those at lower altitudes often know much better the issues they are dealing with. I discuss this issue of altitude in my book Leading From The Sandbox. Understanding the proper altitude leaders should be flying is one of the critical components of healthy leadership.

Remember that every leader's actions have ripple effects on their staff. The more senior the leader, the more ripples there are. At times one must pivot quickly, and that is appreciated by staff. However, when senior leaders regularly dip down to 5,000 feet when they ought to be flying at 30,000 feet, they need to appreciate the impact on staff. Find your altitude, take the time to dialogue with staff, so you know where they are and what they are doing, and honor them as colleagues by not changing their plans on a whim.