Real Missions

Denny Morrow, PhD

Contributing Writer

"Our church only supports 'real missionaries'. You know, the ones who are in the trenches with the heathens."

"I like to give only to missionaries doing 'real work', not to some leader at a regional office."

ReachGlobal's 530 international missionaries serve on five continents. They have various job titles: church planter, teacher, psychologist, school principal, business entrepreneur, international relief worker, English language tutor, piano teacher, city team leader, area leader, international leader.

'Real missions' also includes positions of leadership. There is much to be grateful for when someone says “I feel led to lead.” Leading in our organization involves mentoring, coaching, vision trip planning, being a liaison with national church leaders, training new church planters, budgeting, approving financial reports to ensure accuracy for donors, conflict resolution, adding value to ReachGlobal leadership meetings, orientation for new workers, team public relations, and of course, personal evangelism.

In many ways, not including leaders as ‘real missionaries’ is the equivalent to excluding lieutenants from status as ‘real soldiers’. Leaders add huge value to organizations, especially this one. With leaders typically supervising eight missionary colleagues, our organization is in line with current organizational wisdom about optimal leadership.

Moreover, our leaders are constantly ‘sharpening their saws’ in order to work smarter through seminars, in-person coaching, and linkages back to their home churches. None of us is as smart as we need to be. All of us need the Holy Spirit to help us lead well.

So, we need all parts of our missionary body – workers who are actively engaged in local ministry, teachers who specialize in great schools, business entrepreneurs who open doors of opportunity, relief workers who offer cups of cold water (and a whole lot more), and oh yes, leaders who are following God’s call with the same abandon as their colleagues.

For those at half-time

In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25), the master calls his three servants and tells them that he is going on a long journey. He divides up his wealth and tells them to invest it well so that there is a return when he comes back home.

Upon his return, two of the servants had doubled the money given to them to manage. To these two, Jesus said, “Well done, good and faithful servants. You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness (Matthew 25:21).”

The third servant was preoccupied with his own life issues and frankly didn’t have time for his master’s investments so he merely buried it and offered a lame excuse for why he had not invested them on his master’s behalf. Jesus’ words for the third servant were harsh. He had not paid attention to his masters business but only to his own.

There is both a message of blessing and warning in this parable. Of course, the master is Christ and his servants are us. The talents (money) he handed out are the gifts, opportunities and unique work he has made for us to accomplish on his behalf. Our choice is whether we will faithfully steward what He has entrusted or whether we will live a life of self preoccupation and selfishness. Will we be like the first two servants who took their stewardship seriously or like the third who only took his issues seriously.

The amazing thing is that Jesus has entrusted to each of us a portion of his ministry and has gifted us with abilities and empowered us with His spirit. We have been invited by the Lord of the Universe to represent him and make a difference for His kingdom. All he asks of us is to be faithful in using those gifts.

For me, those ‘talents’ are gifts of leadership, vision and strategy and communication. God wants me to be faithful in using these gifts on His behalf. For my friend Naomi, he gave gifts of administration and faith and she used those gifts in representing Christ as a school principle and administrator and these days at 99 she uses her faith gift as she prays for people all around the world.

For my friend Doug, who was the classic entrepreneur, he gave the gift of making and giving money, extending mercy to people in need and evangelism. He used those gifts to advance the kingdom by funding many ministries, helping hurting people who came across his path and sharing the gospel with those he did business with.

His wife Susan, was gifted with the ability to mentor other women, teach and has an incredible gift of hospitality. Thousands of people from all walks of life have enjoyed her hospitality and their home is frequently full of friends, neighbors, and foreign students.

We often think that ‘real’ ministry is reserved for full time, trained ministerial types. That is a lie of the devil. The Master has given each of us gifts and has asked each of us to make ministry investments on His behalf. God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things by simply being faithful with the gifts and opportunities he gives us.

This is one of the greatest blessings any of us could experience because these investments have eternal value. Those of us who take our opportunity seriously will be with many individuals in heaven who our lives touched – many whom we never met – because we used the gifts given to attain a lasting, eternal legacy.

But there is also a warning. There are many who are so consumed with ‘our own stuff’ that, like the unfaithful servant in the parable, they bury and ignore the responsibility God gave and have little to show for their lives when the finish line is crossed. They leave no eternal legacy.

The definition of the third unfaithful servant would be that of a wasted life that may have yielded temporal success but was an eternal failure. In the end it is a life of deep regret when the consequences of life decisions are faced and the picture of what could have been is seen.

Halftime is both an incredible opportunity and a major danger zone. Almost everyone who does not finish well fails in the second half of life. There are many - who like in the parable of the sower - allow their passion for God to be “choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature or live out their potential (Luke 8:14).” They cannot say with Paul, I have finished the race and have kept the faith.

It is the choice of using the opportunity God has given like the first two servants in the Parable of the Talents or simply burying our opportunity like the third.

In many ways, halftime is a decision time. We must decide whether we will take the experience, financial stability and increased disposable time for His purposes or focus instead on ourselves – allowing our passion for Jesus and His work to grow cold. The legacy we want to leave can be lost if we do not stay focused in the second half.

Too many people retire from both work and ministry, as if the latter is the same as the former – do our time and then relax. It is sad to see people who have so much to offer disconnect from what is most important for a life of empty leisure.

My heroes are those whose passion to know Christ and be used by Him grows as the years pass, knowing that the finish line is coming and wanting to finish well and leave an eternal legacy. We may retire from our job. But there is no retirement from the call of God on our lives or the work which he created uniquely for us. As long as God does not retire from ministering to us, why would we retire from ministering for Him?

When my friends, Bob and Judy, head to Mexico to their second home on the water, their days are filled with ministry with their Mexican friends and extended families (they are like family) and spending time on projects that give Bob and Judy opportunity to develop relationships and share the love of Christ. Bob may be retired from his full time job but he is permanently engaged in the work God created him for. That is how God designed us. There is no retirement from God’s work.

How are you doing in the second half?

Weak staff links

What happens when you have a staff team but one of the members of the team does not function at the level of other members on the team? You know you have a weak link.

Weak links on a team come in a number of forms. They may not have the capacity others have. They may not be team players. They may lack relational EQ. Or, they may not be in philosophical alignment with the leader, the team or the organization. In the later two cases they may be in fact very competent but a weak link nonetheless.

There are four options in dealing with weak links:

One: Ignore the issue

This often happens because of the desire to avoid conflict. Actually, however, this creates more conflict than it avoids. Weak links - for any of the reasons above - put a strain on both the team and the organization and it is a constant frustration and irritation.

Other team members often hold the team leader accountable for not dealing with the problem that they all have to live with. Weak links pull down the rest of the team in a negative fashion. While ignoring the issue is the easy way out, in the end it is a very foolish thing to do.

Two: Place the weak link on a development plan

This is a proactive approach where you clearly articulate the issues to the staff member involved, tell them what needs to change if they are going to be successful on the team and then put in writing a clear description of the above. Development plans always mean tighter supervision for a time to see whether the individual can up their game in the needed area.

Make sure that you document the issues and the plan along with timelines to determine whether progress is being made. In the event you need to use option four below you want to ensure that you have been fair, are legal and have done due process.

Three: Move the weak link to a position where they are no longer the weak link

It is possible that the individual is either out of their skill set or playing at a level to high for them to play at. This option should only be considered if there are not attitudinal, relational, or philosophical problems. In that case go directly to the fourth option!

Four: Move the weak link out of your organization

If option two or three have not worked, or if the individual has a fatal flaw (character, competency, relational or philosophical) which makes it impossible for them to function as healthy staff members in your organization bite the bullet and do what you need to do to transition them out.

Not to do so is to hurt the organization, its mission and the remaining staff. If supervisors or boards cannot make those tough calls they are in the wrong job and should let someone else lead.

Transitioning someone out of the organization should be done legally (talk to an HR person), with grace, with generosity as you are able and with honor but it must be done if you are going to take your ministry to the next level. We honor people but we always do what is best for the ministry.

Passing the baton

Leadership transitions are frought with peril. Four years ago when I was named the Executive Directior of ReachGlobal, my predecessor gave me a great gift. He made it exceedingly clear that the role was now mine, that I would never hear a negative word attributed to him and in every conversation, public and private he was only positive. Then he gave me a baton, symbolizing the leadership transition.

Because of the huge trust I have in him, I asked him to stay on as a Global Ambassador for ReachGlobal. It would not have worked in many situations but it has worked perfectly for us. In large part because of how he handled his own transition.

On the other hand I have watched other leaders, organizational, pastoral transition very badly and the end result is that it hurts the organization.

Why do many leaders transition badly?

I think there are a number of factors. One is that they cannot let go. They have invested too much and are unable to take their hand off the wheel and essentially hand off the baton. In a race, once the baton is handed off, it is over for the previous runner. Some people do not have the emotional intelligence to accept the fact that their run is finished.

Second, many leaders are unable to celebrate a different kind of leadership - which it will be from theirs - when somone else is not in charge. They second guess them, are unhappy with staff or directonal decisions and either publically or privately make their views known. In either case the views become public and it hurts the new leader.

Part of the reason can be defensiveness and even an unhappiness at the success of the new leader. Their success can be seen as a failure for the previous leader - after all it did not happen on their watch. Whatever the motivation for not being supportive or for speaking ill or even remaining neutral - there is something coming from a unhealthy place.

What healthy transitions look like

In a healthy transition, the past leader makes a commitment, as mine did that he would only speak positively, would never criticize or even take a neutral attitude. What is interesting is that while I stand on his shoulders as a leader, I am a very different leader for a very different day. He could have taken exception to a number of decisions that I made but he never did. Not to me and not to others.

His wonderful, supportive attitude came out of a place of spiritual health. He had prayed for his sucessor for years before the transition happened. He had also been clear that he would support that successor no matter who it was. So when I was chosen, and I would not have been his choice, he could and did say, this is who I have been praying for, this is God's choice and I will be fully supportive. And he was from day one.

It takes humility to see a successor who has strengths we do not have exercise them and see success. But his success will not be my success and the reverse is also true. We are different people with different strengths for different times.

Healthy leaders are willing to understand that their leadership is finished and refuse to get involved in the discussions, details or offer counsel unless it as asked for by the new leader and then only to him or her. People will fish for the opinion of the prior leader, wanting to know their opinions of the new leader and any criticisms there might be. After all, the staff have relationships with the prior leader. Healthy leaders never get drawn in and simply remain supportive.

Wise new leaders honor the past even as they reinvision for the future. There is never a need to put down the past leader (indicates poor EQ on the part of the new leader), nor is it necessary to critizice the past. New days requrie new strategies and the fact is that will be true when we give up our leadership post as well.

A key underlying philosophy for both the previous leader and the new leader is that it is not about us. It is about the mission and health of the organization. We are simply stewards of the organization and when we choose to be critical we are hurting the organization - and indicating our own insecurities.

When I leave this position my intention is:

To walk away with thanksgiving for the opportunity I had

To publically and privately support the new leader

To pray for that leader and their leadership

To never be critical of the new leader or new direction

To celebrate the gifts and qualities of the new leader.

I learned from the best. Thank you Ben

When congregations don't let leaders deal with staff issues

There are many congregations that make it very hard for their leaders to lead. In doing so, they severely hinder leaders from carrying out their Biblical leadership mandate, and just as importantly hinder the congregation from maximizing its ministry opportunity. Let me share a real life example that I have seen played out a number of times. While the example is specific to a staff situation, the principles apply to many situations that leaders face.

The Scenario:
A board must deal with a staff situation where a staff member no longer fits the ministry, is not performing well or is uncooperative with the senior pastor. In either case, the senior pastor or leadership board must help make a staff transition if the ministry is going to move forward. These are always hard issues for a senior leader and for a leadership board.

The board works to help the staff member move to another ministry and does so with grace and a healthy process. An announcement is made that honors the staff member and indicates that he/she will be leaving the church. Immediately, leaders start to get calls from members of the church. There is pressure to change the decision and there is pressure to explain why the decision was made.

When leaders indicate that the decision has been made after prayer, discussion and with due process, they then receive a letter from the "loyal opposition" in the church calling for a congregational meeting to discuss the situation. This comes out of a faulty understanding of "congregationalism" where it is believed that all decisions of the church must be discussed and decided by the congregation and that they have the right to weigh in on any decision. (There are several blog entries under the lable of "congregationalism" that address this issue).

The problem

In doing this, the congregation (or members of the congregation) place the leadership board in an impossible situation. First, they deny the leadership the ability to lead. Leadership is not about taking a poll and simply doing what the majority of the group want to do. Biblically, leaders are called to oversee the health and direction of the congregation. And, as they lead, congregations are asked to cooperate with their leaders so that their leadership is a joy and not a burden (Hebrews 13:17-18).

Second, to say to leaders that you cannot make staff decisions is to handcuff them and create a culture that is permission withholding rather than permission granting. In other words, you cannot make key decisions without our permission.

This actually stems from a posture of mistrust toward leaders which is prevalent in many churches but which violates the culture that the New Testament describes for the church. Essentially it is importing the mistrust that society has for its political leaders and importing it into the church. The church, however, is to have a culture of trust rather than mistrust.

Third, how do leaders discuss staff issues (performance, cooperation, effectiveness) in public? Why would we assume that those discussions are private in the workplace but public in the church? From a legal perspective you cannot do that, nor does it honor the individual involved. So in asking for "all the information" from leaders, congregations place their leaders in an impossible bind. They are not free to share "all the information," nor should they.

Even if the information was freely shared (lawsuit anyone?) how is a congregation supposed to process that information? They are not the supervisor of the staff, they do not know the dynamics of the staff and they cannot resolve issues that there may be.

The congregation is asking its leaders to disclose what they cannot and should not disclose, and insisting that they get to make the decision even though they do not have the information and should not have the information and are coming at the issue from a position of mistrust (otherwise why are they challenging the decision?).

Why would anyone choose to lead in a setting like that and why would we assume that a congregation with this culture would flourish in ministry? You cannot handcuff leaders and honor God and you cannot handcuff leaders and be effective.

Should a senior pastor know what people give in the local church?

OK, I acknowledge that this blog will be controversial to some and runs against "conventional wisdom." The truth is that conventional wisdom is not always wisdom. So I will wade in and at least raise some issues to consider.

As one who has helped many churches raise funds for capital projects and consulted with churches on other issues I have often been privy to giving information. I have also had the privilege of working with very generous individuals in a development capacity. It is against that background that I raise this issue.

If I were a senior pastor today, I would want to know what individuals in the church were giving for these reasons:

So I can thank them
Think about this. We thank people who use their gifts of teaching, leadership, administration, care and those who make sacrificial personal investments in ministry but because of our "taboo" on knowing what people give it is usually not possible to sit down with someone who has been extraordinarily generous and thank them - and tell them how their investments in the ministry are making a difference.

Many generous individuals give large sums of money outside of their local church - which is to be expected. But when they do, someone says "thank you" and "let me tell you how your dollars are making a difference." That is not the motivation to give but it is a real encouragement when someone does give. We do not encourage those who give generously in the church enough - especially when a senior leader does not know who to thank.

So I understand their spiritual commitments
The commitment of being generous to God is a very direct indicator of spiritual commitments and maturity. As a leader I would never want to place someone in a leadership position who was not a regular giver because it tells me something about where their heart is. If you doubt that connection, just pay attention to how much Jesus talks about the heart, money and the connection between the two.

I would not want someone in leadership who did not have a devotional life, who was not committed to personal growth, or who is stingy with God. It is an indicator of immaturity and immaturity does not fly in church leadership.

So I know how much to listen if someone is in serious disagreement with leaders or church direction
Read this section carefully. I am not saying that we pay attention to those who have money more than we pay attention to those who do not. But here is an interesting observation that I make from experience. It is not unusual for someone who is perceived to have money to use that perception to try to influence decisions that are made.

Let me give you an example. A church I was working with was entering into a major expansion project. An individual who was perceived to have means was a vocal opponent and would not let go of his opposition. When we looked to see what his giving record was, he was giving nothing to the church - which would have shocked many.

Now why would a church leader take someone seriously who had no stake in the ministry? In fact, why would a church leader who is responsible for the spiritual health of the flock, not sit down with someone like that and confront him with the fact that he is not living in obedience in a major area of his life and that until he does, he does not have the credibility to speak to the issue?

We would have a conversation if someone's marriage was on the rocks, if they were involved in pornography, or living in conflict with someone - so why would we not have a conversation if they are ignoring this area of Christian obedience? In my experience, and this should not surprise us, it is those who do not have a commitment to giving - often who are in leadership positions in the church who most vocably argue that no one should know what people give. Isn't that telling?

So that I would know if there are spiritual issues that need to be addressed
People who do not give are hiding deeper spiritual issues in their lives. Generosity with God is such a basic and fundamental indication of commitment to Him and maturity in our walk with him that the lack of it - from those who would otherwise claim to be fully devoted followers is an indication of deeper spiritual issues. If I care about people and their spiritual commitments I would be concerned about the lack of obedience in this area of life.

We would lovingly talk to someone who started to ignore church attendance or someone whose marriage seemed to be on the rocks, or someone who seemed to be straying in some other area of life. So why would we not lovingly talk to someone whose spiritual claims are not matched by their personal commitments in the area of giving?

But, Scripture says no one should know what we give
Actually, Scripture does not say that. It says that we should not trumpet what we give for purposes of being praised, just as Jesus criticized the pharisees for praying and fasting in pubic for the purpose of "looking spiritual."

Why are we willing for a pastor to know the intimate details of the troubles we face but not a key area of our spiritual lives?

But, if the pastor knows what someone gives he will treat them differently than others
That could be true, but not in the sense that one might think. If as a pastor I knew someone did not have a commitment to giving to their church I would indeed make a judgment and it would be that there is not a stake in the ministry. At the same time, knowing that someone does have a financial stake in the ministry tells me something about their spiritual maturity and commitment to the church. The issue is not whether they are a wealthy giver or a modest giver, it is the fact that they are living in obedience in this core area and have a commitment to the ministry.

Scripture says that we do not treat people differently because they are wealthy or poor. It does not say that we listen to everyone equally. I listen to those who have a stake in the ministry and a commitment to the ministry as demonstrated by their participation, the use of their gifts, their giving and their time and energy on behalf of the ministry. Those are also the only ones that I would entrust to place in leadership positions - which is consistent with New Testament teaching.

I raise these issues for your consideration. I know that not all will agree and some will strongly disagree. But it is something to think about.

Advice for young leaders

Contributing Writer: Lindsay NormanI often find that young leaders are enthusiastic to be mentored and to learn. There are books and materials for individuals already in leadership roles, but significantly less material that covers how young leaders can grow to their potential. Here is what I have found helpful as I intentionally walk the road to develop my full capacity.

Get a Mentor

Only after having a few mentors in my life can I look back and say this has been, and continues to be, one of the most pivotal elements to growing as a leader. I had mentors in leadership roles who recognized I was a leader years before I did. Feedback I received from one of my mentors was, “Lindsay, you need to be in a role where you are standing on your tip toes every day. Be in a role that is just out of reach the majority of the time so that you are challenged.”

Mentors listen, love and speak into your life. The best part about them is that the relationship is judgment free. The purpose of mentoring is to come along side and be a life coach. The assumption is already there that the “mentee” is learning and growing. It is assumed there will be bumps along the way to growth. That removes the judgment factor. It’s assumed we will mess up! The mentor is there, not to prevent you from messing up, but to help process through why and help you look to the future.

Consider yourself a learner

Every leader goes through an extraordinary amount of learning. Learning about the organization, about other leaders, former leaders, and most importantly, learning about yourself are all critical pieces to development. It is difficult to made effective decisions as a leader if you don’t understand the ethos, mission and vision of the organization.

It is equally difficult to lead well if you don’t understand how the other leaders lead. For the sake of optimal effectiveness as a young leader, I don’t want to be making decisions regarding circumstances that are the responsibility of other leaders.

Finally, and I believe most importantly, a potential leader must learn about themselves. As an upcoming leader, the question must be asked, “How am I wired? Where are my strengths? What am I passionate and really good at? What energizes me?”

This can be done through self-knowledge tools like executive testing or other tools like Myers-Briggs, Gallops StrengthsFinders, or the Firo-B. This can also be done by engaging with a life or work mentor/coach who you trust and who knows you well. There is a great deal of resources on the Internet and in books stores that are available today to help us learn about ourselves.

Learn from Mistakes

It is nice when others make the mistakes before we do, isn’t it? As a potential leader, it is critical to learn from the “dumb tax” others have paid. Believe me, you’ll pay your own dumb tax, you don’t need to pay the same tax as others. As you see mistakes or learn from others past mistakes, ask yourself these questions, “Why did that happen? What were the circumstances? What were the decisions that led up to that mistakes? Who was involved? How can I learn from that mistake?”

As a potential leader, look at the mistake from every angle. Critically think through the situation. And most importantly, don’t judge! You will have your opportunity to make your own mistakes! Mistakes are good. The shape, mold, and sharpen us in our thinking, strategies and leadership. Mistakes by ourselves or others should not be dismissed before a thorough autopsy has taken place. The more learning that takes place early in your leadership development, the more effectively you can navigate leadership in the future.

Take Risks

At some point, the bird knocks the baby out of the nest! Why? Because they need to grow, mature and face the realities of the world. As a leader, in order for us to develop, we need to begin making decisions.

I would recommend making decisions after having organizational context (don’t jump into a leadership role and start making decisions with gaining context and playing the role of “learner”) and touching base with a mentor or supervisor. I don’t touch base with a supervisor because I want them to make the decision for me. I touch base with my supervisor or mentor/coach because I want to process my plan of action and decision-making with them.

By doing this, it allows them to speak into any other aspects I haven’t thought of. It allows me to practice decision-making before the decision actually gets made. After doing this a number of times, a potential leader should be learning about all the factors necessary for a good decision. Eventually, independent decisions can be made. This process also builds the trust of your supervisor that your judgment can be trusted.

Growth can’t be done without taking risks. Good mentor/coaches will also encourage you to take risks. How do you learn unless you try?

Ask Questions

As a potential leader, I don’t have all the answers. Yes, you heard me correctly. I can draw on my own experience and on my knowledge of the organization, but that only gets me so far.

Questions need to be asked for the purpose of further understanding and for information to make good decisions. Again, having a good mentor/coach or a supervisor who is intentional about your leadership growth is critical so you can ask questions without judgment.

Knowing where and when to ask question is equally important. If I am in a meeting with all organizational leaders and I am finding that I don’t understand something, I often make a note to myself and ask someone at a break, especially if it is evident that all others in the room are following the conversation. On the other hand, if I am “picking up” that others may have questions like I do, I will ask. If you want to grow as a leader, listening and asking questions is important.

EQ – So Important!

Where do I communicate skepticism about a process, policy or decision that has been made? When do I ask tough questions about other leaders or the organization as a whole? What is my role in the organization? Where do I vent? When and how do I support decisions even if I don’t fully agree with them?

Knowing how to answer and navigate these questions is a direct reflection on your emotional intelligence (EQ). As an up and coming leader, observing, listening, asking questions, and dedicating yourself to learning should help you get a feel for how to answer these questions. Many times, these questions should be directed toward your mentor/coach who can help you navigate the situation.

If you are going to create trust with other leaders and coworkers, how you navigate these questions is critical. The answers will differ depending on the organization or ministry you serve in, the communication process in place, the leaders within that organization, and the trust that is built into that organization or ministry. It is difficult to verbally ask some of these questions to others if you are not trusted or if you do not trust the leadership. More importantly than knowing when to ask these questions is knowing WHEN NOT to ask these questions.