Rebound: Rising from failure back to purpose and destiny

This is a must read for all those who have experienced failure in their lives and want to reclaim their God given purpose and destiny.

Some quotes from the book:

"I've often thought how the church appears so embarrassed over the appalling failures among our own that we forget the fallen ones themselves. Somehow God had a perfect balance - He always does. God is more concerned about the bruised and beaten person who fell and those wounded from his fall than that the incident took place."

"God has not abandoned you or His plans for you. He has made provision for everyone who sits in the shadows questioning if they've let their best days slip away. The God who created you has not given up on you, and if He hasn't who are you to give up on yourself?"

"I often wonder how many resurrected failures are still not walking out their God given purpose because no one has loosed them from their past. Religion has taught us to steer clear from associating with those who reek from failure lest we appear to condone their past behavior. Sadly, some within the community of faith abhor the lingering smell of the grave. Others stand at a distance for fear the stench will get on them by association. Isn't it strange that Jesus faced the same problem and baffled the religious community when He ate with sinners and tax collectors? Those with a questionable stench loved being with Jesus because He did not treat them like second-class grave dwellers. Even after all they had done, Jesus gave them hope of living the life God intended for them all along."

"The Bible is the story of a God who is a generous Father pursuing sons and daughters who have failed. This story, my friend, is your story. God has waited patiently for the chance to pursue you. And now, in His quest, He comes to apprehend you, not by condemnation, but by His love and kindness. At last, here you are not ridiculed, but kissed, being fitted for a robe, a ring and shoes."

"It's time for you to walk confidently out of the shadows. Your confidence is not in your performance, but in Christ alone. Don't give shame the pleasure of keeping you confined and limited. Like Peter who stepped over the sides of the boat and into the water, fasten your eyes on Jesus; then get up and get out."

"If you have people who want to live in your history, let them; but don't for a minute think you have to live there with them. You cannot move into your destiny if you don't let go of your history. Surround yourself with people who define you by your purpose rather than your past."

TJ Addington of Addington Consulting has a passion to help individuals, churches and organizations maximize their impact and go the next level of effectiveness. He can be reached at tjaddington@gmail.com.

Creating cultures of excellence

10 Signs that you attend an unhealthy and spiritually abusive church in the wake of Harvest Bible Chapel

As I have been thinking about the events at Harvest Bible Chapel, Mars Hill, Willow Creek, and several other large congregations walking down the same path, I have been reflecting on some common traits of dishealth and spiritual abuse. The sad thing is that these behaviors are antithetical to what a healthy church looks like (think the book of Ephesians) and the fruit of the Spirit. Sometimes, this spiritual abuse is found mainly on staff; other times, like Harvest Bible Chapel and Mars Hill, it is or was pervasive. These afflictions are not confined to any church size but rather a mindset among leaders, usually led by the senior leader. If you observe several of the following characteristics in your church, be wary!

A strong leader who others cannot question
The pastors of the above congregations and those like them have leaders who are a "force of nature" that others, even elders and staff, find hard, if not impossible, to challenge. In fact, these individuals often have a very black-and-white mentality toward people: If you agree with them, you are a friend. When you disagree with them, you become an enemy. This is how they see people: Friends or enemies with no grey in the middle. Staff, elders, and those who are close learn quickly that if you cross a particular line, you are done, and your job or ministry is in jeopardy.

Use of a board to manipulate and legitimize behavior
Boards are used in these churches not to evaluate issues or guard the health of the church (on the last score, firing the dysfunctional leader would be in order) but to legitimize the wishes of the senior leader and provide a kind of "spiritual cover" to them where they can hide behind the decisions of the board. Ironically, while these individuals talk as if the board has absolute authority and power, the reality is that they don't. It is the senior leader who has the authority and power. Even now, at Harvest Bible Chapel, it is clear that the board still does not have the freedom to act as a board even though James MacDonald is physically gone.

An inordinate degree of secrecy
Decisions are made with secrecy in many of these situations. When people ask questions about budgets, ministry decisions, or things like discipline and resignations, they are told, "Trust your leaders," "There are many things you don't know," "These are Godly men (or women) with the implication that you, therefore, should not question them. In fact, the Godliness of the board and pastor is often way overblown, as it is simply a cover for their decisions. After all, who can question them if they spent all this time in prayer and Scripture study? The truth is that in these boards, there is no time given to Scripture study or prayer beyond the formal necessities. It is far more about self-preservation, politics, and scheming than it is about a spiritual group.

Lack of truth
Secrecy is not the only issue. There is a consistent lack of truth in these situations. Decisions are spun to fit the leadership narrative, whether it has any relation to truth. Even here, those in the know don't dare speak out, making them complicit in the lies being told. The thinking is that the "little people" can't handle the reasons for the decision, so just like in Washington, there is a lot of fake news from church leaders.

Disparagement of critics or those who ask questions
Remember that those who disagree are seen as enemies, especially if they cannot be brought around to the party line. The groupthink in these situations is massive, and it is challenging from a relational standpoint to buck the party line or to question what everyone else seems to agree with. In reality, many may not agree, but they are unwilling to speak up as it disrupts the unspoken code that we should agree with the party line. Why else are so many former staff members or board members from Harvest Bible Chapel only now speaking out when they have left their positions or the church. The same can be said for Willow.

These dynamics extend to the congregation as well. When congregants ask legitimate questions, they are told that the Godly elders have looked at the situation, and after a great deal of prayer and deliberation (usually a falsity), they have chosen the best path. In other words, don't question our decisions. Unfortunately, in many cases, financial transparency is not present as well. At its worst, this is nothing less than manipulation and intimidation, a shutting down of legitimate discussion, and an attempt to evade any kind of accountability as the pastor, senior staff, and board of Harvest Bible Chapel did for decades. Congregants learn quickly that they want to avoid creating waves and choose to simply follow. Those who insist on asking questions are eventually driven out of their staff, board position, or church.

The liberal use of charges, church discipline, public rebuke, and shunning behaviors
Here is the cost of speaking up, disagreeing, asking questions, and not going away. These churches will ensure that you go away, but with your reputation in tatters, your character impugned, and your joy destroyed. Spiritual-sounding charges with lots of scripture and long letters or phone calls are designed to bring people back into the party line. When that does not work, church discipline is applied and made public as a rebuke and manipulation tactic to get people back to the fold with their "repentance." When these tactics don't work, people are shunned, and other church members are told not to speak to them as they have been given "over to Satan" because of their sin.

This is done with maximum public exposure through announcements from the pulpit, video messages to the church, emails, or letters, all designed to impugn the reputation of the "guilty" and to justify their indefensible behaviors. This is not only politics at its worst, but the use of spiritual language is designed to justify and intimidate the whole congregation to toe the party line. The more people are scared, the more cover the senior leader has (and the board) because people will not challenge them. In the case of Harvest Bible Chapel, dissidents whose information is now proven to be true wrote a blog called "The Elephants Debt" because of the massive financial mismanagement of the church. James actually sued them to shut them down until he discovered belatedly that there was this thing called "discovery," which would force him to open his books. That caused him to drop the lawsuit.

Frequent use of language like submission, obedience, and trust
When words like this are often used in a church, it signifies that leadership seeks to shut down discussion. Congregants are told to "submit" to the church's leadership. While Scripture says that, it says a lot more about the character and behavior of leaders, which, in these cases, is ignored. Trust us, obey us, submit to us, and if you don't, you are in violation of Scripture and subject to discipline and action by the board. Congregants are never to submit to lies or dysfunction.

A culture of fear on staff and on the board
Fear is the end product of these behaviors and is a spiritually abusive system. That fear is a tactic by leaders to intimidate staff into doing what they want to be done. Years ago, someone who attended an annual event at Willow told me that staff members had to get up in front of Bill and other staff and share their ministry results and goals. Bill harshly criticized many in public, which was devastating to them. My friend, a church leader from another church, was impressed. He learned much from Bill! I remember saying, "I would never work for a leader like that." Angry, manipulative, coercive, and verbally abusive leaders are not fit to lead. None of these behaviors exhibit the Fruit of the Spirit. In these systems, a spirit of fear prevails and serves the leader's purpose.

Bodies pile up
When many people are left in the wake of a ministry and good people at that, one needs to ask why? I once did a conflict intervention with a church of a thousand and interviewed nine individuals who had left staff in the past 18 months. All their stories were the same and revolved around the senior pastor. The board had never asked any questions! When the bodies pile up, it is a sign that something may be amiss and that it is time to ask some questions.

A closed system
This describes a closed system that does not allow anyone but the senior leader to honestly think for themselves. It is rotten to the core as a system designed to eliminate accountability, force compliance, and allow the senior leader to get their way. People only realize how sick the system is once the senior leader has been gone for some time.

Don't ignore symptoms like this in your church if you should see them. They are warning signs that something is amiss, and many people will be hurt if not addressed.

8 financial principles for churches and non profits

There are eight financial principles that if followed, would maximize the ministry of congregations and non-profits without breaking the bank. In fact, most not for profits suffer from a belief that there is never enough money. And that to do more you need to have more. It is not generally true. Often, to do more you need to do things differently rather than simply raise more money. Think about these eight principles.

Absolute clarity
One needs to be clear, absolutely clear, on what they are about. Doing good or nice things does not a non-profit make. Doing specific things that are clearly part of a mission does. You may ask, "What does absolute clarity have to do with finances?" Everything when you consider the next principle.

Mission critical
If something in mission critical you do it. If it is not mission critical you don't. No exceptions! The reason that too many non-profits suffer from too few funds is that they are trying to do too many things - some of which are not mission critical. Keeping the main thing the main thing all the time allows you to focus exclusively on those things that are missional. This is why absolute clarity is so important.

Hire well
While many things are important in the hiring process such as fit, character and gifting, the more intellectual capacity you have on staff the more you will accomplish. Hire well and don't just settle for an available person. There is a reason that some staff members accomplish more than others: They have a high degree of intellectual capacity and are able to see ways to get things done that others don't. Look for the best!

Pay well
We cannot afford to pay well! Not true. You cannot afford not to if you want to do something significant. In fact, the reason so many churches and non-profits have nice but mediocre staff is that they pay poorly and actually end up needing more people to do what a well qualified individual could do. In the end they pay the same amount because they need to hire more individuals. But they lack the intellectual capacity that would help them be the best. 

Staff lean
You can only staff lean if you hire really well. But if you do hire well you need fewer staff and that is a secret of the best ministries and non-profits. They find ways to accomplish their work with fewer paid people. They think leverage rather than assuming that new things require more money and more people.

Volunteer staff
Some of the best staff are volunteers. And certainly in the church, volunteer staff should be the norm. We ought not hire staff in the church to do the ministry but rather to release others in ministry. That is the message of Ephesians 4:11-12. Because not for profits are cause based, they can recruit individuals who believe in their cause as unpaid staff. That is simple leverage.

Strategic flexibility
Clarity on mission is not the same thing as strategy. Our mission remains fairly constant but our strategies will often change. Never get locked into strategy because times change, contexts change and often we find new ways to accomplish the mission that are more efficient and effective. Be flexible on strategy and clear on mission.

Leverage well
Looking for ways to leverage your work for maximum results at minimal reasonable cost is key to all successful non profits. This is not about being cheap. It is about being smart. Just as any business looks for ways to leverage itself for maximum profitability, so non-profits look for ways to leverage for maximum results at minimal costs. 

The best non-profits stand out because they do things differently than the rest of the pack. They think differently, hire differently, leverage differently and strategize differently. 

TJ Addington of Addington Consulting has a passion to help individuals and organizations go to the next level. He can be reached at tjaddington@gmail.com.

In the balance between grace and truth why does a "hard truth" prevail in so many evangelical churches?

Most evangelical churches are not safe places for people to honestly share their struggles because those struggles are met with an attitude of judgement by fellow believers who ironically struggle with their own undisclosed demons. Just as many "dress up" to go to church, looking their best, we tend to hide behind a mask of righteousness, pretending all is well when in fact we struggle regularly. Is it any wonder why so many personal issues go unresolved that could and should be resolved among God's people?

This also goes to our preaching where truth is proclaimed with vigor but grace is not nearly as present. We should celebrate truth and obedience to Jesus. It is what we are called to. The problem is that we are also still sinners who struggle and are not without sin (1 John 1, Romans 7). And thus in desperate need of God's grace and encouragement. When we call people to obedience but do not acknowledge common struggles with sin and when we do not offer solutions and help for that sin, we create the illusion that those around us must not struggle with the issues we struggle with - when in reality they do. 

Empathy toward others in the church is a large part of the grace equation. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. It includes compassion, sympathy, concern, tender heartedness, mercy, gentleness, affection and love. These are all part of the grace equation for God as we see in the example of Christ in the Gospel's. 

God's truth is most powerful and transformative when His grace is also present. It is because of His grace that we are able to deal with His truth. These characteristics are also the very pieces of church culture that make it a safe place to reveal our true selves and live in authentic community. Is it any coincidence that Jesus came in grace and truth in that order to live among us (John 1:17)?

I am saddened by how often I see Christians castigating other Christians with harshness and a lack of grace. One movement does it to another. We do it to each other in the church. We often do it from the pulpit. Truth proclaimed in harshness may be truth but it does not reflect Jesus. The harder the truth (and there are many in the Gospel) the more grace must be present. To those who proclaim that they are bearers of truth I say this: Unless you exhibit the grace in equal measure to the truth you proclaim you do not reflect Jesus. 

TJ Addington of Addington Consulting has a passion to help individuals and organizations go to the next level. He can be reached at tjaddington@gmail.com.

"As long as it's healthy": What can we learn from early Christianity's resistance to infanticide and exposure?

"As long as it's healthy": What can we learn from early Christianity's resistance to infanticide and exposure? 

TJ Addington of Addington Consulting has a passion to help individuals and organizations maximize their impact and go to the next level of effectiveness. He can be reached at tjaddington@gmail.com

                                            Creating cultures of excellence

The Law of Unintended Consequences

Before you act,

consider the

unintended consequences

your action might bring.

TJ Addington of Addington Consulting has a passion to help individuals and organizations maximize their impact and go to the next level of effectiveness. He can be reached at tjaddington@gmail.com

                                            Creating cultures of excellence

ECFA suspends Harvest Bible Chapel's accreditation - from Christianity Today

See this article from Christianity Today - and I am curious with all the information that was swirling around why it took the ECFA so long to act. 

ECFA Suspends Harvest Bible Chapel’s Accreditation 

TJ Addington of Addington Consulting has a passion to help individuals and organizations maximize their impact and go to the next level of effectiveness. He can be reached at tjaddington@gmail.com

                                            Creating cultures of excellence