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.

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.