Zach Zehnder's Blog, page 18

10 Tips to Help You Preach Incredible Sermons

Some of Jesus’s final words are found in Mark 16:15: Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

What a privilege and honor that our Savior and Lord would entrust such a powerful tool to us ordinary human beings! Historically, preaching has played a prominent role in building the church and changing individuals and communities.

At the end of 2016, Pew Research completed a study that determined the top reasons why people chose a particular church. Coming in at number one, chosen by 83% of the people, was the quality of sermons. If sermons are that important, we need to ensure that we are giving it our best.

I’m a 4th-generation preacher who has been fortunate to deliver more than 1000 sermons in just over a decade. I love to preach. I know what it’s like to preach 50 times in a year, and I know what it’s like to preach 15 times in a year (and trust me, there’s a difference). I have preached in rooms filled with ten people and to an audience of thousands. I’ve preached 5-minute sermons, and there was this one time that I preached a 53 hour and 18-minute sermon (yes, that’s true). I joke that Jesus had the greatest sermon of all time, but, according to Guinness, I have the longest sermon of all time.

So, today, I want to give some tips that I’ve learned in my preaching. They are extremely practical. If preaching is truly that important to so many people, we need to continue developing and growing in our preaching. My list is certainly not exhaustive, and I would love for you to add a tip or two in the comments below that you have found helpful in your preaching ministry.

Without further ado, here are ten tips to help you preach incredible messages:

 

Block time in your calendar for sermon preparation.

 

People expect a quality sermon from you every Sunday, but not once in my ministry has anyone in my church ever reached out to me to tell me to take time to prepare for my sermon. They will reach out to me if they have a need, want me to jump into a meeting, or need to fill me in on something they deem vital for me to know.

I remember the adage from Seminary that you should prepare an hour for every minute you preach. I’m not entirely sure the numbers make sense. The average sermon in America is 37 minutes, and so that would literally mean a regular full-time week of 40 hours would leave you no time to do anything else! And for most pastors, that’s not reality, nor intelligent. However, the flip side is also unwise.

The more time you spend on your sermon, the higher quality your sermons will become.

When I was preaching every week, I found it exhausting to “fit in” preparing for a sermon. My sermon preparation got the leftovers and was often at the expense of my relationship with God or my family. Because I was tending to the needs of others and not intentional with my time, I neglected what people statistically say is the most important reason they chose to come to the church I pastor.

So, if you read nothing else, give yourself permission to spend time on your sermon. It wasn’t until about eight years into my ministry that I began blocking time in my calendar every week for sermon preparation, and it was a game-changer. So, whether it’s three 3-hour blocks or five 2-hour blocks, whatever it is, block that time, and be diligent about protecting it. Likely no one will ever applaud you for doing this, but it’s a massive step in preaching more quality sermons.

 

Listen to many preachers—some like you and some who are not.

 

As someone who loves to deliver sermons, I also love to receive sermons. But, to be fair, I cannot turn off my Seminary brain when I listen to a sermon. Nearly every sermon, I find myself critiquing, discerning, and studying. But, listening to a wide variety of preachers allows me to hear God’s Word differently, discover unique delivery techniques, and find lines, ideas, or illustrations that relate to the audience.

Through podcasts and YouTube, we live in a day of age where we can consume great content. Thus far in 2022, I’ve listened to or watched more than 40 sermons a month. I maximize my time exercising or driving to consume most of these. Without a doubt, the quality of the sermons you preach will only get better if you listen to many sermons. 

Also, as a bonus, it happens to be one of the best places for me to discover new sermon or sermon series ideas.

 

Watch and listen to your own sermons.

 

It’s not vain to watch and listen to yourself. It’s smart. After I preach, I will watch or listen to nearly every sermon. It’s one thing to have a gut feeling about your sermon before and even during preaching, but receiving your message as an audience member is another thing. I have found that sometimes I’ve been too hard on myself for a word or phrase that came out wrong (only I noticed), and other times, a point I was trying to make that I thought went over well fell flat. Also, reviewing your own sermons helps uncover some tendencies in your delivery. For instance, early on in my ministry, I noticed I was saying “um” way too often. Then, when I kicked that, I went through a season where I said, “you know,” a lot. Most pastors have a word or two that they use way too much. So, um, you know, review yourself!

 

Let others preview and then review your sermon.

 

Nearly every Sunday, you’ll have a handful of people that tell you, “Good sermon today.” I’m sure some of them genuinely mean this. But, I’m also sure that some people don’t know what else to say, so it’s the first thing that comes out of their mouth!

Getting regular critique or thoughtful feedback both before your sermon and after will only improve the quality of your sermons. In some settings, this may be easier than others, but truthfully, I believe most pastors can make this happen with some intentionality. Even if you are a solo pastor, there is another solo pastor that you could team up with and give feedback to each other every week.

Each week, I have my messages reviewed leading into the Sunday. We do this on a Tuesday. I have made very few changes in some of these meetings, and the team gives me great confidence in my message. Other weeks, they could help me see glaring changes, difficult transitions, Bible passages, or an illustration that would help bring home the point that much clearer. This feedback ensures that the message I deliver is that much stronger.

After I preach, we review the previous sermon at that same meeting. We talk about what went well, what didn’t go so well, and anything else necessary. They’ve helped me see some of my natural strengths and weaknesses. This is crucial as I move forward and plan more sermons in the future.

 

Write more, not less. But don’t read what you wrote.

 

I believe the key to quality sermons is preparation. Preparation for me is twofold.

1.Getting words on paper

 Even after preaching more than 1000 sermons, I still write out full manuscripts. Every week I try to hit a 4000-5000-word count for a first draft. Then, through collaboration, edits, and maybe a few days to let it simmer, I like to land in the 4000-word count world. In the end, I know that will equal about a 30-32-minute sermon.

2.Getting those words on paper into my head.

Once I’m confident in the words on paper, I rehearse my entire sermon at least three times before delivering it live. This allows me to understand the pace, the cadence, and the flow. It lets me know when to raise my voice and lower it. When to speed up and to slow down. Doing all of these rehearsals allows me to feel comfortable with my sermon. It also gives me flexibility when I deliver the sermon to be spontaneous or make any changes that I think are necessary as I respond to the audience.

I still bring up a complete manuscript, but I don’t read it. And neither should you. I like to have it there, primarily because in my writing, I’ve got specific phrases or words that I’ve spent considerable time crafting, and I want to get them just right. But, by being comfortable with the sermon, I can usually hit about 75-80% of my words just right without even having to look. I also know the 2 or 3 times in the sermon that I can get away from the preaching stand for several minutes and the 2 or 3 times in the sermon when I likely need to be close to get the words just right.

Every preacher is different, but the quality of sermons comes in the content and the delivery.

 

Preach data-driven sermon topics.

 

Sure, there are times when God is working a message inside of you that needs to come out at some point. There are a few sermons that I’ve developed over time that made me feel like Jeremiah, like I got this message inside of me that must come out! But, more often than not, it is wise to let data drive sermon topics.

One practice that I have found particularly helpful is polling our specific church once a year to discover what questions or topics are on the top of their mind? We call the series, like many other churches, “You Asked for It.” We’ll send out a list of 20 questions that we often hear as pastors and ask them to vote on which ones they’d like to hear. Again, it’s a way to ensure that we are listening to the needs of our people. Whatever the top 5-7 selections are will then form an extremely relevant sermon to the people in our church and community.

I’ve recently written a blog on the number one reason for church decline, and I genuinely believe it’s because the church, and present-day Christianity, are perceived as irrelevant.

If the sermon topic is relevant, then guess what? They are far more likely to not only attend but invite others. So, speaking of relevance, number 7.

 

Include some “you’s” with your “we’s.”

 

This one might get some debate.

For a long time, I’ve heard as a communicator that I need to be preaching not just to those in the room but to me too. As pastors, we want to help our people see that we understand what they are going through. So, it’s essential that we include ourselves in the sermon. When we are speaking a hard truth, calling out a sin, or even proclaiming grace, we must include ourselves in those moments.

But do you know what the most powerful word in marketing is? Hint, I used the word in the last sentence. I also used the word in the blog title. The most powerful word in marketing is “you.”

People are asking, “What’s in it for me?” WIIFM.

So, as vital as it is to include “we” and “us” and not elevate or minimize yourself in your sermons, ensure that you speak to the needs of the people in the room. Answer the question “what’s in it for me” in each message to ensure you stay relevant.

 

Ask God, “What do the people need to hear?”

 

After spending a total of 10-25 hours preparing a sermon, every Sunday morning, I spend an extra 5-10 minutes asking, “God, what do the people need to hear?”

Of course, I ask it during the week leading up to it. But I’ve found returning to this question at the very end, in the hours leading up to delivery, to be extremely helpful. Usually, it’ll come out like this, “God, I’ve done what I know how to do. I feel like I’ve been faithful to give my best time and effort, but remind me, what do the people need to hear today?”

Then I just spend time listening and quieting my soul. I can’t tell you how many times God will give me something new in that 5-10 minutes or encourage me to reinforce a particular segment of the message. But, do you know what I’ve found more than anything with this question? Nearly every time I ask this, I feel the Spirit put it on my heart to give grace. It’s almost always a reminder to preach more grace. It helps me to remember that preaching is, as Jesus said, “Gospel.” It’s Good News!

 

Stories matter, but they don’t all have to be about you.

 

Perhaps nothing is more critical to preaching engaging sermons than incorporating stories and illustrations. A story or illustration at just the right time can help the audience understand in new ways.

Just this past week, there was a message that I was connecting with, but not completely. Then, a well-told story, shown with a couple of images on the screen, helped me see this entire message come together. I was inspired, I was encouraged, and I was moved. God’s Word had me intrigued, but it was the preacher’s illustration that helped me see God’s Word in a new and refreshing way.

It’s essential as a preacher that you engage with your audience and that they see you as a real person. That’s why illustrations from your life, family, and experience are important.

But, can I be honest with you? So often, we can lean so heavily on our own experiences that there could be more robust illustrations or stories elsewhere. Sometimes when I hear a preacher’s own experience, I can highly relate, but other times, that may work for the preacher, but not for me.

So, include stories and illustrations about yourself. But, if all your examples are your own, not only could your audience feel disengaged at times, but there could also be more helpful illustrations that exist elsewhere.

 

Give a clear and specific call to action.

 

God’s Word is not only about relaying information; it’s meant to produce transformation.

One of the most fruitful sermons ever preached was by Peter in Acts, chapter 2. After preaching, a number of God-fearing Jews from all over the world were “cut to the heart” and wanted to know what to do. Peter gave a clear call to action, “Repent and be baptized,” and that day, more than 3000 people were added to the church.

If God’s Word is preached, trust that it still cuts people to the heart today. The audience may not vocalize it as clearly as the original Pentecost, but people want to know what to do and how to respond.

Many preachers are incredible at proclaiming the justification of Jesus but leave a lot to be desired when it comes to sanctification. I genuinely believe this is one of the most missed opportunities in our preaching. So many in our churches simply don’t respond, grow in their faith, or take the next steps not because they don’t want to but because we don’t ask them to.

I encourage you for every sermon that you prepare to process and proclaim what you want the listener to do in response. What’s their takeaway? Is there a challenge that you could issue based on the information presented? Is there a next step that lines up with the sermon? Then, in your message, at the appropriate time (it doesn’t always have to be at the end), I urge you to use straightforward, non-confusing language. Things like:

 

The one next step I’d like to encourage you to take today is __________.The practical takeaway from today’s message for you is __________.Based on today’s message, I’d like to challenge each of you to do _____________.You may be wondering what do I do with today’s message. Here’s what you can do ___________.

 

Conclusion

Sermons, when delivered from God’s Word, do not return void. Isaiah 55:11 reminds us that they accomplish what God wants them to accomplish. Praise God! This reminds me that as important as my best effort and attempts are at preaching quality sermons, His Holy Spirit turns hearts at the end of the day.

Some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten regarding preaching is from my great-grandpa C.R. Zehnder. I never met him, but he passed on a statement to my grandpa Ron that was passed on to my dad Mark that was then passed on to me: “Preach the Gospel and love your people.”

I hope these tips help you to become a more effective preacher. What tips would you add?

The post 10 Tips to Help You Preach Incredible Sermons appeared first on Red Letter Living.

The 5 Most Important Discipleship Targets to Hit: How do I follow Jesus?

We have discipleship problems.

Chief among them is that nearly every Christian understands how important it is to be a disciple but has very different definitions of what that even means. So, let me clear it up.

A disciple is a follower of Jesus. Nothing more, nothing less.

Many Christians know we are supposed to follow Jesus, but we aren’t sure practically how that looks today. Crazily, we are living in a day of age where we have more discipleship information than ever. Yet, I would argue more confusion than ever.

Disciples need clear targets.

As Christians, we can have the best intentions in the world, but if we succeed at things that don’t actually matter, we can do more harm than good. D.L. Moody once said, “Our greatest fear shouldn’t be of failure but of succeeding at something that doesn’t matter.” So I’ll go a step further and say my greatest fear is that Christians succeed at something that actually pushes people away from Jesus.

It’s fine to have good intentions. But, in our good intentions, somehow, we’ve missed the targets that Jesus is most known for. Jesus is known for love, grace, good works, kindness, and unity. But, sadly, Christians, from the book UnChristian, are known for judgment, hypocrisy, division, and being out-of-touch.

If Jesus is known for grace, which is getting a free gift you don’t deserve, and we are known for judgment, which is getting what you do deserve, we have miserably failed. By definition, judgment and grace are opposites. We have missed the mark. If Jesus is known for unity and we are known for division, we’ve missed the mark. If Jesus is known for His good works and we are known for our hypocrisy, we’ve missed the mark.

We haven’t just missed the mark a little bit. Instead, we’ve become known as the exact opposite of the One we are called to embody.

Intention to follow Jesus without precision on Jesus leads to confusion.

It’s time to shoot at the correct targets. If our intent is to follow Jesus, let’s take precise aim at Jesus. Why would we look to anyone other than Jesus for how to be a disciple? It’s not like we have to guess what a disciple looks like. God sent His Son Jesus into this world to not only give His life for us, but He also showed us the path to follow Him as well.  

Intention to follow Jesus with precision on Jesus leads to transformation.

About a decade ago, as I was planting a church, I had this longing to lead my church beyond its comfort zone. I noticed strengths from my core group. Loyalty, commitment, and generosity to support a church plant were chief among them. But, when it came to serving in the community or inviting a friend to go to church, I noticed pushback. So, I came up with this crazy idea. If they won’t listen to me, someone they certainly cared about but was new in their lives, might they listen to Jesus? So, here was the question I began pondering:

What if we take the words of Jesus and actually put them into practice?

Literally.

Before you start giving me too much credit for my idea, I must admit that I stole the idea from Jesus Himself. Jesus provides us with the key to following Him at the end of the Sermon on the Mount.

“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:24-27

If you have read the Sermon on the Mount, you know it’s rather difficult to understand. Jesus uses humor and sarcasm and introduces counter-cultural ideas. It amazed all who were in attendance. It still amazes us today. 

But what stuck out to me is that He closes this sermon with an illustration so simple that it reminds me of the children’s story “The Three Little Pigs.”

Jesus is saying, “If you want your house to stand up and not to blow over when the winds, or the storm, or the bad, evil wolf comes, practice what I’m preaching. Do what I say.” Jesus says in Luke 11:28: “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” James, the brother of Jesus, says it even more simply in James 1:22: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

That’s the big idea. To change the picture we are giving of Jesus, we will take Jesus’ words, the ones written in red letters in your Bibles, and put them into practice. That’s the very unoriginal yet revolutionary idea that will change not just the followers of Jesus but the world in which we live! 

Another way to say it is this: The best way to follow Jesus is simply to follow Jesus!

So, on the heels of this Jesus-centered idea, I read through all of the Red Letters in the Bible. You know, the words of Jesus. I analyzed everything He said, mainly regarding what He is calling, commanding, and asking His followers to do.

The more I looked at what Jesus asked, called, and invited His followers into, I found what I believe are the five most important targets for disciples to shoot for. These five targets form the basis for the bestselling book Red Letter Challenge:

BeingForgivingServingGivingGoing

 

Let me break each of these down for you quickly. But before I teach these targets to you, I must point out that if you are on a discipleship path, and it’s working for you, Praise God! Keep going! Most of us aren’t. Most of the people we pastor in our churches are not. And so why not start with the targets that most frequently came out of the mouth of Jesus?!

 

Target 1: Being

Before God ever asks us to do anything, He simply asks us to be with Him. 

After years of seeing hundreds of thousands of people complete Red Letter Challenge, I genuinely believe that being is the most important of all of the targets. Why? Because all of our doing flows out of being in a relationship with Him.

Jesus often speaks of ways we could “be” with God. For example, there are verses where He asks us to abide in His Word, pray earnestly, and worship God. Other times Jesus references fasting, eating, celebrating, and Sabbath. All of these are opportunities to spend time with God and grow in our relationship with Him.

At the root of it all, God desires to be in a relationship with you. He doesn’t have to. And here’s the truth about God. He doesn’t need you. He doesn’t require you, me, or any one of us. But He wants us. He desires a relationship with us. He invites us into it.

Our doing flows out of our being. I hope our ministries flow primarily out of the overflow of our hearts, our relationship with God. If not, while results may come here and there, all of our doing will eventually end in our burnout, moral failure, or some slow bleed into mediocrity and apathy.

Many people want to be greater followers of Jesus, and they want some handles on the process. It doesn’t start with rules—it begins with a relationship. There was only one person who ever existed in a perfect relationship with God, and His name was Jesus! 

The best way to grow in our relationship with God is to learn from Jesus, the only One who had a perfect relationship with God. 

Jesus invites us into this opportunity. Matthew 11:28-29 (MSG) says it this way: “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me, and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.

Many of us talk about wanting to be great followers of Jesus. You cannot be a great follower of Jesus without being in a great relationship with Him. Our doing is just so much more effective when it comes out of our being.

When we look to Jesus, we will learn just how to “be” like Him. To be like Jesus, we need to be with Jesus. If you’d like to learn more about how Jesus connected with God, what habits were in His life, check out Being Challenge.

 

Target 2: Forgiving

Jesus speaks a lot about forgiveness. Sadly, though, we have a forgiveness problem. We aren’t gracious of others because we are rarely gracious to ourselves. Most Christians have a more challenging time receiving God’s forgiveness for themselves than they do in actually forgiving others.

Incredibly, nearly every time that Jesus speaks of forgiving others, it’s connected to your own receiving of God’s grace.

Matthew 6:12: And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.Luke 6:37:  Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.Luke 11:4: Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.

 

Even the Apostle Paul doubles and triples down on it in his words.

Ephesians 4:32: Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.Colossians 3:13: Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 

All of this leads me to this conclusion: 

Forgiven people become forgiving people.

Jesus paid the penalty of sin for you and for me. Ephesians 2:8-9 says it perfectly for us: “For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” 

After receiving His forgiveness, then you learn and grow in forgiving others. The world needs the grace of Jesus like never before. So start today and receive His forgiveness in your life. To go on a 40-day journey to help you receive God’s grace, check out Forgiving Challenge.

 

Target 3: Serving

We live in a world starving for meaning, purpose, and fulfillment. Sadly, most people attempt to consume more, consume greater, and consume bigger. And, ultimately, that will lead us to fulfillment. We’ve never consumed more than today, yet collectively, statistics show that we’ve never been as empty as we are right now. I wonder how much longer we will chase after the things of this world to fill that void. 

The reality is that fulfillment doesn’t come with consumption. Fulfillment is best experienced in contribution. There is a very little-known verse in the very well-known story of Jesus talking to a Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus says in John 4:34, “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.

Jesus reminds us that what nourishes and fills us up is not when we consume but rather when we contribute. Jesus felt more revitalized, rejuvenated, and filled up when he served others.

That way of thinking goes entirely against our human nature, doesn’t it? 

Sin has turned our perfect attention away from serving God and others to instead serving ourselves. See, at the core of every one of us is sin, and sin makes us self-centered and self-aware. By default, we automatically think of ourselves first. By nature, we are natural consumers. “Have it your way” comes easy and natural to us. Contributing does not.

Not surprisingly to me, psychology teaches this truth of Jesus to us. Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs introduces what brings human beings ultimate fulfillment. He teaches that the greatest fulfillment we can have on this side of heaven is when we help serve someone else so they can achieve their highest potential. So if you are running empty, or trying to find why you exist in this world, serve God. Not only does it help others, but it profoundly fills you.

After we’ve spent time with God (BEING) in a relationship and received His grace (FORGIVING), now we can’t wait to use our gifts and talents (SERVING)! In fact, directly after the grace-filled verses we read earlier, the apostle Paul writes, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

It’s no coincidence where this verse sits.

Our gratitude for what God has done leads us to serve Him. We don’t serve God because we have to or because it’s how we earn our salvation. Instead, we serve God because of everything He’s done for us, and for this reason: 

While serving others won’t save you, it just may help save someone else. 

You have what the world needs inside of you. His name is Jesus. As we spread His Light into this world, we give people the opportunity to glorify our God. And nothing is more fulfilling and rewarding than making an eternal difference.

 

Target 4: Giving

Jesus talked about money more than he did love, heaven, or hell. In fact, he spoke more about money than any other topic except the kingdom of God. Yes, money.  

The more I read the words of Jesus, the more I’m convinced it’s impossible to be a stingy Christian. We cannot follow Jesus well and, at the same time, ignore his teaching on money. If you are truly following Jesus, you are generous. 

Why would Jesus talk about money so much? He knows the power that money can have in our lives. That’s why He said, in Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Jesus wants a relationship. He wants our hearts. And where our money is there our hearts are. Where is your money?

He also talked about money because people desperately need wisdom and perspective regarding their finances. We live in a nation with unparalleled prosperity. Yet, amid that prosperity, financial stress is the norm. You see it in almost everyone you come in contact with. Look at this list of things that are considered normal:

living paycheck to paycheckpaying off monthly paymentsacquiring debtexperiencing worry, anxiety, and fear in your financeshaving tension and fights in your marriage (it’s the number one topic of argument in marriages, according to a Stanley and Markham study)having little or no financial margin.

 

If those things are considered normal, I want to be weird. I want to be different. It turns out that when we make this life all about collecting more, it doesn’t actually equate to a fulfilling life.  

Jesus shows us and offers us a better way.

The heart of the Good News is that we have eternal life because God gave His one and only Son Jesus. And Jesus gave up His life for you and for me. So when we give, we reflect the heart and character of our God.

Giving like Jesus will definitely challenge you, but why not? Our typical approach to finances is not working. So let’s be weird like Jesus. After all, Jesus said, “Is it better to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35

 

Target 5: Going

Final words are important. In courtrooms, closing statements have had the power to sway a verdict of guilt or innocence. In addition, the last recorded words of a person’s life carry importance to them. We have four written Gospel accounts on the life of Jesus plus the story of His ascension in the book of Acts. Therefore, there are five opportunities to see what could be the “final red letters” of Jesus. While the words that close Matthew known as the Great Commission are the most popular, Jesus, in fact, issues a similar invitation at, or near, the end of all four Gospels. And, if that’s not enough, He reminds us again in His very few and final words before He ascends in Acts 1.

Don’t take my words for it. Look at His words:

Matthew 28:19: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.Mark 16:15: Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.Luke 24:47-48: Repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.John 20:21: As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.Acts 1:8: You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

 

In Jesus’s final words, He reminded us that what God put inside of us is meant to come out of us. Let us not overcomplicate things, though. At the end of the day, Jesus is asking each of us to be His witnesses. And what is a witness? Someone who tells their story. We do not need a doctoral dissertation or understand how everything lines up. We don’t need to share facts about the whale that consumed Jonah or how God created the world in 6 24-hour periods. I’m not saying any of that isn’t important. I’m simply saying the power in sharing the Good News of Jesus is connected to your story.

Because while some people may argue about the creation, the flood, or the whale, you know what they have a more challenging time arguing about? Your story. Because they can’t. It’s yours. There is power in your story. And, when you tell your story, you also have God’s promise that you do not go alone! God sends His Spirit with you.

I love how Revelation 12:11 puts it:

They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony;

How do we overcome the enemy? By the blood of the Lamb. That’s the blood that Jesus has already spilled for us on the cross. AND the word of our testimony. Before Jesus, we all had a death sentence hanging over our heads. Jesus removed it by His grace. And now, He calls us to go. With the power of God inside of us, go, share your story with others.

When we share our testimony of what Jesus has done in our lives, we will see death sentences removed from people all across the world.  

Conclusion

Following after Jesus is the single greatest opportunity of our lifetime.

After all that Jesus has done in all of our stories, the stakes are too high and too crucial for us to settle for a mediocre, broken-down, shadow-at-best version of Jesus. So instead, let’s show the world who Jesus really is. When we collectively give the greatest and fullest expression of Jesus that we can possibly can, that’s when the world will change.

But, the greatest and fullest expression of Jesus simply cannot happen without you. 

We need you. Others need you. You need us. And we all need more Jesus.

Let’s do this.

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3 Reasons Pastors Don’t Develop Other Pastors

2 Timothy 2:1-2 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from Me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.

For the month of March we are looking at the future of pastoral ministry. We’ve looked at topics like: There’s a Pastoral Crisis Right Now. Don’t Believe These 5 Lies!, 5 Predictions if Pastors Really Did Quit and 80% of Pastoral Transitions Fail. Here’s 5 Keys to Healthy Pastoral Succession. Many pastors are tired and exhausted, and record-numbers are thinking about quitting. If this is the case, how can we set up the church well in the future?

When I think of someone who is brilliant with raising up and developing pastors and leaders in the church, I think of my good friend (and accountability partner) Rev. Dr. Tim Ahlman. Today, he tackles the topic of why pastors don’t naturally develop other pastors.

As you read, I hope you are stirred to action.

Without further ado, here are his words.

My life’s call is to develop hundreds of vocational and bi-vocational church leaders to multiply the Gospel of Jesus to millions long after I’m dead. I thought that more pastors should have some form of my life call as their own for a while. But, over time, I’ve discovered my life call is a bit unique.

I’m not saying this to shame others. Not everyone should have this life call. All vocations are equal. Nonetheless, I’m surprised and saddened more pastors don’t develop other pastors as a part of their ministry responsibility.

Here are three reasons why.

1. Pastors were never taught that developing other pastors was on their job description. 

I’ve been blessed to serve at two mission-hearted churches. There are so many people who are on fire for the Gospel. Nonetheless, I went back and looked at my initial job description, and neither call specifically named “developing other pastors” as a part of my job. Yet, I am proud to say that both congregations are now deeply invested in discipleship (which is leadership development).

My job description on my call documents is the norm. The vast amount of congregations call pastors to do ministry rather than develop a team of ministers to help them do their work. 

I was called to preach the Word and rightly administer the Sacraments because the body of Christ desperately needs them. Someone has to do it, and I am privileged to do it. Yet, when one man, though rightly called, offers Word and Sacrament day in and day out, the congregation is led to believe that he alone can do this work. It is the primary way we’ve done ministry for some time, especially in smaller churches.

This was not the way of Jesus, who called and sent 12 and 72 disciples to do what He did (Luke 9 and 10). This was also not the way of the apostle Paul. Instead, he identified men of character with teaching gifts, ordained them, and gave these “overseers” the right to start churches and partner in Word and Sacrament ministry.

Churches, please expect new pastors to develop, not just do. Seminary professors, please teach future pastors the same. Pastors cannot develop toward this end if they’ve not been taught.

This next one may pinch a little bit.

2. Pastors love being “the guy.” 

I was speaking to a dear older saint this past week. She told me about her former pastor from the midwest being the “senior pastor” of a large church for a decade. Then, out of nowhere, this pastor had a mental breakdown and left the ministry. She told me he took a job as a pizza delivery guy for a time (no offense to pizza delivery guys).

She looked at me with sadness in her eyes and said, “Can you imagine being the ‘king of the hill’ and then losing your position almost overnight? That must have been hard.”

I nodded and said, “I pray our hill is a humongous plateau that includes hundreds of leaders equally leading Christ’s church.”

Being “king of the hill” sounds like a vulnerable place to be. It’s lonely at the top. Jesus knows the feeling. The cross of Calvary proves it. The humility of the cross leveled the hill into a plateau. All have sinned. All need the grace of Jesus through faith. The curtain has been torn open. All get to use their gifts to elevate the King as the only “King of the hill.”

It is so easy to want to be “the guy.” Satan whispers, “Wow. Look at all the people coming to hear you speak. You’re kind of a big deal.” It is easy to believe this lie. This lie can lead toward the spiritual death of pastors and their people. Humans love elevating humans. Elevate Jesus! Look right through pastors and see Jesus. Listen to pastors and hear Jesus.

Pastor, you are nothing more than a vessel for the Lord. A vessel is nothing but a vessel. What is inside is the true treasure. Proclaim His Word and let Him work.

Finally, if you battle pride, start to develop others who are more gifted than you at some of your ministry tasks. They are there. Trust me. I have so many of them in my congregation.

3. Pastors are lazy. 

Sorry if that one stung. Developing people takes more work than doing ministry tasks. Yet, over time, time spent in the development of others leads to a harvest that no one person could yield.

This is the brilliance of Jesus. He discipled the few to reach the many. So did Paul. So did the early church. So should we. Jesus didn’t delegate tasks. He delegated authority.

Jesus told the 72 disciples in the middle of His earthly ministry, “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” (Luke 10:19)

Jesus’ authority came from the Father, and He freely gave away His authority to the 72 disciples.

Jesus’ multiplying discipleship of the 12, the 72, and the disciples in Jerusalem at Pentecost led to an evangelism explosion in the Book of Acts.

Jesus taught a fundamental principle. There is no discipleship apart from evangelism. And there is no evangelism without discipleship. 

Too many have believed the lie that “if you want something done right…you have to do it yourself.” Jesus says, “If I want something done right, I do it, then invite My disciples to do the same.” The cross is proof. Pick up your cross, and follow Jesus. Reject laziness.

CLOSING

This may have sounded like a law-filled rant. That was not my intention. I’ve simply experienced the joy of discipling others to do what I do. I’ve experienced the passion of a congregation coming alive watching all the gifts of the body being used to elevate Christ. I stand on a wide plateau filled with an army of Jesus followers linked in arms marching into the world with the light of Christ.

I’d love for you and your church to experience the same.

CALL TO ACTION

Tim Ahlmlan is the leader of Unite Leadership Collective. If you need help developing leaders, they’d love to partner with you. The ULC exists to help you develop leaders. You are not alone. You are not stuck.

We would love to serve you in three ways!

One-day consult to learn the best systems and cultural practices for leadership development congregations.Join a cohort of like-minded congregations for peer-to-peer learning in our one-year Accelerator journey!We would also love to train your leaders to feel inspired and equipped for ministry.

Go to uniteleadership.org and join our email list.

Like us on Facebook and Instagram – Unite Leadership Collective

We are here to serve you.

Tim Ahlman Bio: Pastor Tim Ahlman is one of the pastors at Christ Greenfield Gilbert, AZ. (christgreenfield.church)

Tim has been married to Alexa for 17 years and they have three children – Adalyn (15), Malachi (13) and Nyleah (12). Tim has served at Christ Greenfield for 8 years. Jesus has transformed the CG family of ministries to have a voracious passion for discipleship multiplication. This passion is best displayed on their two campuses (Gilbert and East Mesa), La Mesa Resource Center (lamesaministries.org), school (Pre-K – 8th grade) and through the Unite Leadership Collective (uniteleadership.org).

Tim just completed his doctoral thesis that focused on the traits and characteristics of pastors who collaborate in mission. Tim boldly believes pastors and churches are simply better when they work together.

Develop Other Pastors with Tim Alhaman

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80% of Pastoral Transitions Fail. Here’s 5 Keys to Healthy Pastoral Succession.

For the month of March we are looking at the future of pastoral ministry. Many pastors are tired and exhausted, and record-numbers are thinking about quitting. If this is the case, how can we set up the church well in the future? 

When I think of someone who is excelling in moving the church forward, I think of none other than my dad, Rev. Dr. Mark Zehnder. Today, he gives us the 5 keys to healthy pastoral succession.

Without further ado, here are his words:

 

Some people love history. They love to study and read it. They might even enjoy going to museums and looking at how things were thousands of years ago.

Me? Not so much. While I don’t dislike history, I would much rather be a part of making history. I guess that’s just another way of saying that the way God wired me up, I am someone who looks forward much more than someone who looks back.

In my 40 + years of pastoral ministry, I spent a significant amount of time trying to help people look forward. I wanted to inspire them to a brighter future, a grander vision. Knowing that, I was in for a bit of a surprise when I approached the date of my retirement a couple of years ago. I would have thought this season I was entering would be different, that it would be more about wrapping things up than thinking about the future. But, man, was I wrong. I realized that passing the leadership baton to my successor just may have been the most important thing I’ve ever done when it comes to the future!

Think about it. If we don’t do all we can to get this right, the church suffers, and the future is not as bright as it could be or should be. And as Zach said in the previous blog, the statistics for pastoral leadership transition are not very good. As much as 80% of these transitions do not go well.

Here’s what I’ve seen:

 

Some churches just Stop. They cease to exist. This is the worst case scenario.Other churches Split. Because they didn’t plan, they couldn’t stay united. Power grabs happen and the church divides.Other churches Stall. This isn’t as bad as the first two cases but is still not good. They lose momentum and the Gospel proclamation gets shelved and the mission of Jesus stalls.

So, this begs the question: How can we partner with God and each other to change these numbers?   How can we avoid seeing our churches Stop, Split, or Stall and instead experience SUCCESS!

Having researched this topic extensively, conducted many interviews, read the good books that are out there on this topic, listened to podcasts, and experienced a pastoral transition personally, here are 5 keys to a healthy pastoral succession.

1. Perspective…Get the real picture. 

From the get-go, even before you begin your planning, it is helpful to have a mindset or perspective that will prepare you for what’s ahead. So, what’s ahead? What do you need to see or know even before you start? 

There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all transition plan. Don’t think you can follow what some other pastor or other church did that seemed to work for them. It won’t work for you. Every church, outgoing pastor and incoming pastor, staff, board, and congregation are unique.Successful leadership transition is more of an art than a science. It’s more of a process than an event. It will be unpredictable…it is messy, complex, and complicated.It likely will not take the time you think it will. In my view, 10% will take the time you have allocated. Another 10% will even go more quickly than you anticipated. But 80% take more time than you think. So, it’s probably not too early to start planning.The process is almost always healthier when you bring in a third party. William Vanderbloeman and Warren Bird, authors of the best book on this topic, Next: Pastoral Succession that Works, speak of the helpfulness of having a coach or a consultant.Pastoral transition is not over when the new guy takes the helm. Again, Vanderbloemen and Bird say that the complete process typically takes 2-3 years.

So having this perspective is helpful even before you begin. Now, what’s the first thing you’ll want to do to actually get the ball rolling? 

2. Pray…Get on your knees.

In light of the statistics above, and in the complexity and unpredictability of this process, it can be easy to get discouraged. But you have something huge in your favor as you begin—it is this unique gift of prayer. Actually, it is not a huge something that you have in your corner. It’s a huge Someone! God is certainly not unaware of your situation. He will not be surprised that you are looking for your next pastor. If Jesus said, “I WILL build my church, and the gates of Hades will not come against it,” He certainly is more than capable of blessing you in your succession plan. And He loves it when we recognize and acknowledge our limitations and entrust this to Him in prayer.

Here’s a little snippet of our story at our church. In 2018 we began the process of looking for my successor. Admittedly we felt that we were “making things up” when it came to our plan, and after nearly a year, we were nowhere. So we began 2019 with 21 Days of prayer. I remember that the Holy Spirit revealed to us a shift in our prayer…we HAD BEEN praying that God would show us the pastor. So we started 2019 by adding to that prayer, not just show us, Lord, but show the pastor. So we prayed, “God stir up the heart of the pastor that you want to bring to King of Kings.” A week later, I was attending a conference in Palm Springs (which is a pretty nice place to be in January when you live in Omaha!), and I found myself talking with Greg Griffith, a young pastor that I only sort of knew. 

When I asked Greg how things were going at his church, he said something like, “you know, I could see being where I am for quite a while, but lately, it feels like God is “stirring me up.” Yay God! 

At that moment, I felt the Lord saying to me, “you have found your pastor.” Sure enough, after several months of conversations that followed that meeting in Palm Springs, God brought Greg to be our next Lead Pastor at King of Kings.

The best thing you can do before you start your process—your first move, your second move, your every move along this process is to pray, pray, pray!!

Now for the next key to healthy leadership succession:

3. Plan…Get ready.

I know you’ve undoubtedly heard it, but it is so true…if you fail to plan, you may as well plan to fail. Here’s part of why pastoral leadership transition does not go well (it’s not the only reason, but it certainly contributes to it). According to Vanderbloemen and Bird:

25% of denominational pastors will retire but have no retirement plan.25% of denominational pastors do not ever plan to retire. 

So right there, you have half of churches and congregations that will have to deal with this, and there is no plan. Most pastors and churches simply are NOT READY! So, here’s what I’ve observed. This observation, along with all kinds of collaborating information, has brought me to this conclusion and a diagram…I call it the Readiness Circle.

Here’s my conviction and contention…that more than anyone, the outgoing pastor must be ready (First Circle).

Am I emotionally ready? Am I professionally ready? Am I relationally ready? Am I spiritually ready? Am I physically ready? Am I financially ready?  

 

But there are times when the pastor going out is indeed ready, but nobody else in the church or organization is ready. What’s honestly worst is when the board or staff is ready for the pastor to leave, but the pastor isn’t! 

So, here’s my firmly held belief. The outgoing pastor’s responsibility is to get ready and help everyone else get ready. This starts with the new pastor coming in (Second circle). The “no one size fits all” comment earlier comes in here. Sometimes the outgoing pastor has someone on staff that they believe is the right successor. Sometimes, they might think this, but the staff or board might think differently. Or maybe the board and staff feel they have the right successor, but the outgoing pastor doesn’t think so. Or perhaps, no one on the staff is a possible candidate.

All this said I think in the best and most healthy of situations, the pastor going out can get the pastor coming in the readiest. What worked for us at King of Kings was the 5 months that Greg and I spent basically joined at the hip. During this time, I poured into him every possible bit of information I could…the history, culture, personality, valleys and mountaintops, my personal hopes, fears, etc. I’m sure that Greg would agree that this 5-month period was beneficial and necessary. There is some debate about how long the transition should be…for us, this was just right.

As I was becoming secure in my own readiness and then seeing that Greg was prepared and ready, I knew the next step was getting the Board ready (Third circle). In our case, this was happening simultaneously with getting the staff ready (Fourth circle). Critical in both of these groups of people were open, frank, and honest conversations. 

We wanted to be honest and open about these issues…

Grief: I have heard from many pastors and churches that this grief area is often overlooked. Especially in long pastorates, there can be a lot of sadness connected with seeing the lead pastor moving on. Don’t disregard or ignore this. Make room for it.Allegiance: Especially with the staff, I consistently reminded them that I needed and wanted them to get 100% behind Greg and that doing so was not removing their allegiance to me. I reiterated how the best thing they could do for me was not to hold on to me but put all their support behind Greg.      Funeral/Wedding: One of the podcasts that Greg and I listened to talked about the metaphor of the funeral and marriage…that this new relationship could have feelings of both. Like a funeral, I honestly did feel some loss along the way, and there was some sadness associated with stepping aside and no longer leading. At the same time, like a wedding, I felt that this new relationship was the best for King of Kings and that our future looked marvelous and was very exciting. Finances/Budget/Salary: This topic is probably worthy of a separate blog. There are complexities galore with this one, but bottom line, this is NOT a time for the church to be stingy or anxious about finances. I can say this without a doubt…churches that don’t get this pastoral leadership transition right will end up “paying for it” in the end. 

 

In chronological order, the final and fifth circle is last, but so extremely important…getting the congregation ready! One of the things I had as a personal goal was quite simple: make my friends Greg’s friends. If I could get my best and personal friends in the church, along with as many other church members, to become friends with Greg as they had been with me, everybody would win. To do this, we held:

Cocktail, hors d’oeuvres parties in members’ homes where Greg and I had little joint vision talks so that people could see that we were on the same page.Pizza lunches after church where people met Greg and his family.Public, corporate worship services where people saw Greg and me together nearly every week during those five months. At the very beginning of the services, we actually incorporated little comedy sketches and other fun things so that people could see Greg and me laughing and having fun together. 

 

Baton pass Sunday…this was the day that I officially passed the baton of leadership to Greg. I preached on Moses and Joshua and what God told each of them about their succession plan. If you’d like, you can watch the baton-passing message here. I consider this one of THE most important days we had in this transition.

As more open and honest discussions ensued, we agreed that after the “Baton Pass Sunday,” it would be mutually beneficial to all parties if I would leave on a 9-month sabbatical. The sabbatical was to give me a much-needed rest from more than 27 years of ministry and allow Greg to instill his new vision at the church without me being there. In addition, it was an obvious indicator to the church that we were entering a new season.

 

Another huge part of our success had to do with this 4th key…

4. Communicate…Get the word out.

Using the “Readiness Circle” again…

First circle…my constant communication with God and my wife…how is this going, how am I feeling, where are my concerns?

The second circle…it was absolutely essential that Greg and I kept the lines of our communication open. Even after two years, we still meet twice a month to ensure that we are keeping in step with each other.

Third Circle…the Board…I think this is another “no one size fits all” area…and honestly, I am not sure I have an excellent answer for this. Still, I know of situations where the pastor going out had the attitude that “I will not have ANYTHING to do with this process,” and others that were somewhat involved and still others that were VERY involved. My choice, I think, was indicative of how I had operated with the Board all along, which was VERY INVOLVED. Having said that, it’s kind of interesting that since I have been back on staff (October 2020), I don’t believe I have attended a single Board meeting.

4th circle… my most significant concern/decision was how the staff would VIEW me after my Sabbatical…we certainly didn’t want to bring confusion back into the mix…Okay, Mark is back. Is he going to try to take over? So, we did several things… First, I moved out of my office, and Greg moved into it when he came. Then, when I came back, I did so with a percentage of my time devoted outside of King of Kings.

5th circle…we decided that if anything, we would over-communicate to the congregation about this transition. So we sent out frequent emails and newsletters and made many public comments in the middle of the transition.

 

Finally, the 5th key to a healthy pastoral succession:

5. Humility and Honor…Get over yourself.

This last key especially applies to the relationship between the outgoing and incoming pastors. I’m convinced that the relationship between these two is one of the most essential factors in finding success. Greg and I, especially in the beginning, but even now, two years later, are frequently honoring one another and promoting one another every chance we get.

I heard of one church interviewing a candidate to succeed a long-tenured Senior Pastor. When the committee asked this candidate how he felt about “filling the shoes” of this much loved and esteemed pastor, his comment was, “I’ll bring my own shoes.” While there is definitely the need for the “new guy” to be comfortable in his own skin, my understanding from those there was that this comment came off as one with arrogance and cockiness. Man, that’s the last thing you need!

So, when Greg was asked this question at King of Kings (which he was!), his comment was something like, “I could never step into the shoes of Mark Zehnder. I just hope to stand on his shoulders and build on what God has done through Mark and his leadership.” Greg was demonstrating both humility and honor in this comment. 

 

At the end of the day, pastors are simply God’s servants. Therefore, we trust that God will continue to build His church. This leaves me with enough humility to know that no matter who is leading King of Kings or any particular church, it is in good hands. Because it is in God’s hands. Just like your church.

May God bless you abundantly in the adventure in front of you! If there is any way that I can help you, please email me at mark@alwaysforwardministries. Or visit my website: www.alwaysforwardministries.com.

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5 Predictions If Pastors Really Did Quit

We are in the middle of a pastoral crisis right now. Barna’s latest study shows that 38% of pastors have considered quitting full-time ministry in the past year. 46% of those are under the age of 45. 51% of mainline denomination pastors have considered leaving in the last year. Additionally, their research shows that only 35% of America’s pastors rated themselves healthy in their overall well-being.

As a result of this research, I’m organizing a 4-part blog series addressing this pastoral crisis. You can read Part One here, “There’s a Pastoral Crisis Right Now. Don’t Believe These 5 Lies.” 

2021 was known as the Great Resignation or the Big Quit. More employees voluntarily resigned from their jobs than ever before. Unfortunately, this is making its way into our churches as well. Today, I want to explore what would happen to the church if there were a mass exodus of pastors.

When you combine the thoughts of quitting, the unhealth in pastor’s overall well-being, the aging of America’s pastors, and the natural pull to society that we are feeling in the Great Resignation, it’s fair to assume that more pastors will quit, retire, or move on from ministry now than ever before.

And if they did, what would happen to the church?

I want to give five predictions. And, for what it’s worth, I think the percentage of pastors who quit, retire, or move on from ministry will be higher than ever these next couple of years. So, it is entirely appropriate to start strategizing and planning for the future now.

Here are my five predictions. Would you add any to the list? Feel free to add your prediction or comment below.

 

1. The church will carry on, albeit differently.

In the significant disruption that has occurred the past couple of years, here’s another statistic:

God, and His promises, have changed 0%!

Hebrews 13:8 tells us that “Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.” 

God is:

Just as lovingJust as kindJust as merciful.Just as much in controlJust as powerful.

God is not nervous in heaven right now as He watches the news on CNN or Fox News. He’s not pacing back and forth, wondering how we will get out of this mess. And He’s not biting his fingernails as He sees the alarming statistics brought on by two years of leading through the pandemic.

The church has changed, needs to change, and will look very different than it has in the past. Take comfort in that this is God’s church and not yours. Fast-forward to the end. After all the crazy ups and downs that have come since the beginning of time, God wins. His church wins. The gates of Hell will not prevail against Him. Just as He predicted in Matthew 16:8.

This all-powerful, all-knowing, fully-in-control God is still the same. And yet, how this expression of God, through the church looks, can and should change. For multiple decades in a row, the collective church had failed to change, innovate, and be relevant. As a result, we’ve been losing our influence and being pushed more and more to the fringes.

Major disruption brings about the opportunity to ask challenging but essential questions. In my eBook Reopening Christianity, I tackle what I believe are the top 5 questions we can be asking right now as individuals and as churches. If you’d like a free copy of the eBook, you can order it here and enter the code “Matthew16:8” at checkout. Valid until 3/31/22. Insert appropriate links … coupon has already been created.

 

2. Church mergers will skyrocket. 

Before the pandemic, many churches struggled due to decreased membership, declining revenue, an aging pastoral staff, etc. According to UnSeminary, 94% of churches were losing ground against the communities they serve. When you add on top of those statistics now 20-40% fewer people attending in-person church, and a higher percentage of pastors considering leaving the pastoral ministry, more churches will look to merge than ever before.

Church mergers are very involved and very detailed, but according to a 2016 Barna Study, 89% of churches that had undergone a merger reported a positive result.

Church mergers represent a beautiful picture of God’s restoration.

All throughout the Bible, we see the incredible power of God’s restoration. Restoration is about bringing something back to its original state. However, God is a master restorer. He doesn’t just put things back to their original condition. He brings them back to something even more beautiful, compelling, and glorious.

Jesus was far more interested in renewing, recreating, and restoring this world, not in blowing it up and destroying it. We see this in the overall scope of what Jesus said. Evidence is found in the Lord’s Prayer and in the revelation of John in the final two chapters of our Bible. From beginning to end, the Bible is about God’s complete restoration of the world, of which humanity is an integral piece of the entire puzzle.

Someone once asked the great reformer, Martin Luther, what he would do if he knew that Jesus was coming back today. Luther responded that he would plant a tree. Why? Because if God is about complete restoration, then the little things we do in this world matter. His belief is that somehow in the new, fully restored kingdom of God, the tree that he planted would be utilized, loved, and give even more glory to God.

More rapidly declining churches will choose not to die but rather to partner and merge with another leading church. And in doing this, they’ll give a beautiful picture of God’s restorative work. Considering a church merger? I found these articles from Church Law and Tax to be very helpful.

 

3. A few churches will move from megachurches to ultra-mega churches in the next decade.

What’s an ultra-mega church? It’s a new term that I invented to signify a single church that regularly reaches more than 100,000 people. As of right now, there is not a single church in the USA that reaches more than 100,000 people in-person for a weekend experience.

If there is a “Great Resignation” of pastors, then there will also be a “Great Re-sorting” of those who currently attend, belong, and participate in those churches. While the pastor isn’t the only factor in someone choosing to belong to a church, it is arguably the most critical factor. Pew Research did a study in 2016 and noted the top 7 reasons people choose to attend a church. The chief reason, chosen by 83% of the respondents as necessary, was the quality of sermons.

If someone’s pastor quits or retires, they very well could be looking to find quality sermons elsewhere. The quality of preaching has never been better than it is today. Where will they find these quality sermons? They will start online. And being able to “attend” an online church and check out the preaching quality and style of the pastor is something that nearly everyone does before physically attending a church. Online church is an excellent front door to the in-person church.

Several churches in our nation are well-positioned for an incredible online church experience, complete with not only great preaching but incredible attention to detail with hosting and worship as well. Additionally, with more and more people comfortable doing hybrid church, some online and some in-person, people have realized how easy it is to “check out” or “attend” multiple churches.  

These churches’ online reach will not only continue to soar, but eventually, their online reach will result in insane growth in their in-person attendance as well. Several churches are already positioned to multiply their campuses across cities, states, and even internationally. With those extensions happening more frequently, I envision 3-5 churches crossing the 100,000 mark in physical attendance by 2032.

 

4. More people will curate their own version of church.

What is “church?” It has always been hard to define. Some define church as the assembly or the gathering. Some define the church by the building. Others say it’s not the building but the people. The denomination I’m a part of says that church is where the Word and Sacraments are rightly administered. Some believe that online church is a “real” church, while others vehemently disagree. While all of these conversations to define church are essential and still happening, a higher number of people today are choosing to just curate and come up with their own version of church.

Decentralization is a buzzword we hear a lot about, especially in the Web3 that is coming to our doorsteps sooner than later. It represents the transfer of control of a single activity or organization to several offices or authorities. This is already happening in the church and will be even more common in the future. As a result, the church will become even more complex and complicated when defining it and measuring its success.

The latest Gallup Report says, “The U.S. remains a religious nation, with more than seven in 10 affiliating with some type of organized religion. However, far fewer, now less than half, have a formal membership with a specific house of worship. While it is possible that part of the decline seen in 2020 was temporary and related to the coronavirus pandemic, continued decline in future decades seems inevitable, given the much lower levels of religiosity and church membership among younger versus older generations of adults.”

According to that study, 70% still consider themselves religious. However, only 47% “belong” to a church. So, roughly one in every three people who would consider themselves religious aren’t technically affiliated with a church anymore.

Tara Isabella Burton, author of Strange Rites: New Religions for a Godless World, says there is a significant trend in how people mix and match various religious traditions to create their own. She says, “Many people who don’t identify with a particular religious institution still say they believe in God, pray or do things that tend to be associated with faith.” She goes on to say that a trend in American religious life is that more and more people today “have ownership over curating their own experience.”

People in your church today consider you their pastor. But, it’s also possible that they would consider Steven Furtick their pastor, Maverick City their worship team, Francis Chan their small group leader, Beth Moore their Bible Study teacher, and YouVersion Bible App their accountability partner. On top of this, online communities and movements will continue to rise. In other words, they can curate, pick and choose what they like, want, or need, and be encouraged, transformed, and renewed by a host of people, ministries, and churches.

I’m not saying this is all bad. There is so much “gold” to be had by some of these incredible leaders, churches, and platforms. What I am saying is that it’s going to get more confusing. Rather than being against this trend, we will have to have good discussions and figure out how to cooperate, support, and play nicely with other churches, ministries, and organizations. Some of these people, leaders, and churches we may never meet in person, but they are already impacting the lives of those in our churches.

 

5. Succession planning will speed up.

The church does not do leadership transition or succession well. Through extensive research and personal experience, Mark Zehnder, Director of Always Forward Ministries, says that about 80% of church leadership transitions do not go well. Much more will be expressed on this in next week’s blog.

Not only are more pastors thinking of quitting, but pastors are just simply getting older. In the last 25 years, pastors 65 and older have tripled, while the age of 40 and under has been cut by more than half. Today, the actual number of pastors 65 and older is higher than those 40 and under. 50% of pastors today are 56 and older.

As a 38-year old pastor, can I ask something of the older generation? Will you help set us up to lead well into the future, please?!? Can you stay engaged?

There is so much wisdom we need from you. In 2018, The New England Journal of Medicine, after conducting an extensive study, reported that the most productive stage in human life is between 60-70 years. The second most productive stage is from 70 to 80 years of age. Also, notably, they found that the average age of pastors of the 100 largest churches is 71.

Collectively, the best thing the older generation can do for the church is to set up the younger generation to lead the church into the future.

One of the primary reasons for leadership transition not going well in the church is the lack of planning, strategizing, and discussion. So what can you do? First, identify younger people to pour your leadership and wisdom into. Engage in discussions. Begin to think about your church without you at the helm. Finally, use however many years you have left to help the church carry on well beyond your tenure.

At some point, every one of our ministries will be over. We will have all quit, retired, moved on, or been moved on from our positions. Is your church set up to move forward without you?

 

Conclusion

When I think about the changes we have undergone and the more that will continue, I feel helpless. Doubt and confusion creep in. But then I remember, the church isn’t built on my strength, wisdom, or power. It’s built on God’s. And God has a history of growing His church in extraordinary times. Perhaps we are on the cusp of God bringing revival into our nation. So, even though I’m uncertain, I’m also excited. God still reigns. And I’m excited to see Him bring new mercies every day.

To serve the church as a pastor is a critical position. It’s one I know I’m unqualified for. Every day I wake up grateful, knowing it is the opportunity of a lifetime for me. I want to steward this opportunity as well as I can in response to His grace in my life. I know you do, too.

So, even though we may not have all the answers, my practical next step is not to ignore what’s happening. Engage. Talk about your struggles. Open up and tell someone your feelings right now. Discuss your opinions on where the church is headed and how you can better position the church in the future. Continue to learn. But, at the end of the day, after you’ve been faithful in serving God, place your complete trust in God.

The post 5 Predictions If Pastors Really Did Quit appeared first on Red Letter Living.

There’s a Pastoral Crisis Right Now. Don’t Believe These 5 Lies!

If you are in a ministry role, you don’t need anyone to tell you that the past two years have been more challenging than ever. Quite frankly, it’s taken a toll on the church, especially those in leadership. Based on new research, there’s is a pastoral crisis right now. Don’t believe these 5 lives!

Barna’s latest study shows that 38% of pastors have considered quitting full-time ministry in the past year. 46% of those are under the age of 45. 51% of mainline denomination pastors have considered leaving in the last year. Additionally, their research shows that only 35% of America’s pastors rated themselves healthy in their overall well-being.

Pastors lead churches, and if pastors are collectively exhausted, burnt out, tired, and ready to throw in the towel, we need to take a good, hard, and deep look into what this means for the church. So for March, I’ll be organizing a 4-part blog series addressed to help us understand the pastoral crisis we are in right now. Here’s what you can expect:

March 3: Today, in this crisis, I want to expose five lies that the enemy is shouting at pastors.March 10: I’ll share five predictions on the church’s future if a high percentage of pastors truly did quit.March 17: Guest blogger, Rev. Dr. Mark Zehnder, director of Always Forward Ministries, will share with us five keys to healthy pastoral succession.March 24: Guest blogger, Rev. Dr. Tim Ahlman, director of Unite Leadership Collective, will give us three reasons why pastors don’t naturally develop other pastors.

I hope that these blogs are helpful through this pastoral crisis.

Contrary to what some in our churches may believe, the devil works overtime on those in church leadership. He is the father of lies, and he’s had a busy couple of years. I believe much of the problems exist in this world because people listen far more to the enemy’s lies than the truth of the Gospel. Unfortunately, pastors are not immune to this.

It’s easy to hear the lies because the enemy is shouting at us. Sometimes it’s hard to hear the truth because God often whispers to us. God can shout, but He chooses to whisper to remind us that He’s close. The enemy shouts because he’s not interested in a relationship. He wants to destroy you quickly and move on to the next person.

Pastor, the truth is, God has never left you. He is with you right now. Lean into His voice.

Here is my attempt to combat five lies that I know I’ve experienced personally or that I’ve heard from other pastors.

Lie Number 1: This isn’t what I signed up for.

Yes, it is!

Those who follow after God are not invited into an easy, convenient, and comfortable life throughout Scripture. Instead, they are invited into a life filled with burdens, hardship, and high cost. Don’t believe me? Read through Paul’s incredibly long, painful, brutal, and impressive list of sufferings because He followed after Jesus well.

Why are we surprised that the disruption in this world has disrupted our churches and our profession? Ministry is changing and has been changing since the church began. While God’s truth never changes, the way we “do” church can and should change. Just because today’s church is operating differently from when you began your ministry doesn’t mean that God is done with you. It can be exhausting to try new things, innovate, and change plans often.

Being a church leader or pastor requires sacrifice. Yet, you have been called into it by the grace of God. It’s not an easy calling, but it’s a fulfilling life. It isn’t easy, but it is so rewarding. And what you do matters.

And the church needs you, pastor.

Lie Number 2: I don’t have what it takes.

Maybe you don’t believe you have what it takes to lead in a time like this. But you do. Just because the world has changed and methods may need adjustment, large or small, does not mean that you are not the person to do it. I get it. With the push to online church, and video content, you may not consider yourself a movie star, and technology may not be your strong suit, but your people need you to be strong. They are sheep, and they need a shepherd.

And while the methods may have changed and are still being figured out, gifts you have inside of you like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are gifts needed now more than ever.

If you are concerned about your own gifts and how they can be utilized in such a time, do yourself a favor and double down on the gifts God has put inside of you. Those gifts will never go out of style.

Remember, God has chosen to spread His kingdom through ordinary, unqualified, imperfect people. You are one of those people. When we are weak, then our God is strong. So many times, in the Bible, God often chooses not the most talented and successful but instead the weaker vessels to ultimately bring about His glory.

If you feel overwhelmed, unqualified, and uncertain of what to do and how to lead, you could be in the perfect place for God to break through! Learn to trust more in His power and less in your talent.

Which leads me to this lie:

Lie Number 3: My church depends on my success.

I know you wouldn’t say this out loud, but many pastors think this, or we act this out in the way we work. I know this because I’ve thought it, and I’ve believed it.

As much as pastors have preached to others about not finding their identity in their work and career, we need this message for ourselves. So many of us find our identity in our job. And when church attendance is a shadow of what it was, when finances are moving in the wrong direction, and when more and more of our “devoted” families are choosing sports, restaurants, and vacations over the church, it makes us feel like we are not good pastors. And if your primary identity is in being a pastor, these past couple of years would have crushed you.

But before you are a pastor, you are a child of God. Before you are a shepherd, you are a sheep. Your identity hasn’t changed.

Pastor, don’t put too much pressure on yourself to lead and run God’s church.

Remember the promise of Jesus: “I will build my church.”

You are so important to God and His church, but remember, it is not your church. It is God’s church. He has a history of using broken, messy, unqualified people and turning them into something beautiful.

You are one of those broken, messy, unqualified people.

When I begin to feel myself getting too proud or stressed about my performance as a pastor, I remember an axiom that I’ve gone back to so many times: “God can do more in one second than I can do with an entire lifetime of my best efforts.” That axiom helps give me perspective.

In the end, the church will prevail. How it accomplishes victory and what exactly it looks like is continually changing, but we trust in God’s church.

Lie Number 4: My church will go back to the way it was.

No, it won’t. And that’s okay.

Collectively, what the church in America had become was a broken-down, mediocre, shadow-at-best representation of Jesus. Statistically speaking, despite what you have heard, we are not a post-Christian nation. 65% of Americans self-identify as Christian. And yet, as high as that number is, our numbers, relevance, and influence have been on the decline for decades now.

I, for one, am happy that we are not going back to what was.

To be fair, there have been some great individual and collective witnesses of Jesus in the past. But our overall collective actions are driven by what we have decided. And what American Christians have chosen in the past, no matter what pastoral leadership has taught, is they want to follow both Jesus and the American Dream. But unfortunately, these two ideas lead to different places, which has led to a very flawed and confusing representation of Jesus.

Collectively, we’ve done a poor job of showing how Jesus is relevant to our everyday lives. Since crisis is an accelerator, we are now seeing the results from resting on the status quo or accepting a slow death for the church.

Depending on which study you read, most churches are hovering between 30-70% of their 2019 attendance.

Thinking that everyone will just come back and the church will return to what it was is not helpful or correct thinking. But the great news we see throughout the Bible is that God does great work when the odds are stacked against Him: 

He can move a mountain with a mustard seed.He can turn five loaves and two fish into food for thousands.He can save the world through a little baby boy born in a manger in a stable in a little unknown town like Bethlehem.

Though we may be smaller, through the power of God, we can be mightier!

As we move forward, I urge you to do your best ministry now and not delay any longer. The days of hoping to get to _ _ _ date or waiting for things to return to normalcy are a lie from the enemy. The devil wants to keep you delayed and down. So pray, strategize, and talk about how to bring Christ in the middle of a crisis to a community, nation, and world that so desperately needs Jesus.

To use the old preacher slogan: “What if all we’ve experienced is the setback we needed to set up our comeback?”

Lie Number 5: Nobody knows what I’m going through.

The devil will attempt to isolate you and make it feel like you are alone in this fight. But you are not.

If anything is encouraging in these statistics, what you are experiencing right now is SO incredibly normal. What you are feeling is not strange. And don’t believe that because you’ve had thoughts of quitting that you a spiritual wimp, a quitter, or possess a weak faith.

Not only can you talk to God about what you are experiencing, but there are pastors worldwide and even in your community that understand what you are going through. So perhaps the best thing you could do would be to open up, confess your heart, and hear God’s words of absolution and restoration over your soul.

My favorite story of restoration happens in John 21. After failing Jesus, the apostle Peter goes back fishing. And yet, as he’s fishing, Jesus shows up on the shore. He cooks breakfast. He has a charcoal fire conversation. He forgives Peter. And three times, He points Peter forward, reminding him that his position as the early church leader is still intact. Even more encouragement comes when we get to see a transformed and restored Peter lead the early church in incredible ways.

God loves you so much. God is so proud of you. God still chooses you. God still calls you. God understands how tough this season of ministry has been for you.

This isn’t the time to keep plowing forward on your own strength. This is the time to lean into Christ and lean into a brother or sister in Christ and talk about all that you are experiencing. It is hard for pastors to admit weakness because we live in a world that expects perfection out of the pastoral office. But you are not perfect. And you need help. Help comes through God and community.

Talk to God. Talk to another pastor. Open up.

I’m cheering for you. You are so valuable and so loved.

The post There’s a Pastoral Crisis Right Now. Don’t Believe These 5 Lies! appeared first on Red Letter Living.

4 Tips To Help You Start Something New

Can you believe the year is already two months down?! Unfortunately, almost all of the New Year’s resolutions that we created have already failed. In fact, according to Jon Acuff’s book Finish, 92% of New Year’s resolutions fail.

Wouldn’t it be great if we had a second chance? 

Welcome, Lenten season! 

For centuries now, the church has taught us to “give up something” for Lent. Of course, it’s important to sacrifice, or fast, from something of value so that we can focus on Jesus in this season. But, I genuinely believe that what’s more important is not “giving up” something but “picking up” something new.

For years now, I have given up soda for Lent. I love a good soda. And, it’s hard for me to go that long without it. But, typically, on Easter, I’ll have a Coca-Cola Classic and won’t look back for the next 325 days. I wonder if there isn’t something more than just abstaining from something that God is trying to teach us in the Lenten season. What if, rather than just eliminating something, what if we introduced something new into our lives that we could carry forward?

There’s even research that shows us why most New Year’s resolutions fail. Here’s what a good number of resolutions look like: 

Stop eating junk food.

Quit smoking.

Drink less alcohol.

Shop less.

Quit job.

We all know what we want to stop doing, but we must use tremendous effort and willpower to stop our bad habits. Unfortunately, research finds this doesn’t work in the long run. Charles Duhigg, in his New York Times bestselling book The Power of Habit, says, “The Golden Rule of Habit Change: You can’t extinguish a bad habit, you can only change it.”

In other words, it is not just enough to stop doing a bad habit; it’s way too complicated, and many of us end up failing. So we have to change it or replace it with something new. 

I want to give you four crucial steps to doing something new in your life.

 

1.Replace something old with something new.

Sometimes, the best place to do something new is to identify what you should stop or quit.

Duhigg says, “…to change a habit, you must keep the old cue, and deliver the old reward, but insert a new routine.” So recognize the cue that triggers the craving, and instead of putting your old habit in there, establish a new routine that will end with a similar reward or sense of satisfaction.

If you don’t like a specific part of how you are living, perhaps it’s best to set a new habit to replace that bad habit. Most of us probably have something we should stop or quit.

I see way too many people that quit doing something for a while, but if it’s not replaced with something else, they’ll just go right back to it. People even do this with the sin they are trying to overcome. They fight it for a season, but if it’s not replaced, they’ll just go right back to it. 

Some even pray to God and ask, “God, take away this passion for pornography, alcohol, shopping.” God doesn’t want to take away your passion! Instead, he wants to move the desire used for habits against His will and use that same passion to start habits that will grow His Kingdom.  

Rather than settling on stopping or quitting as your goal, what if you added or changed one bad habit, and in place of that, you started a good habit? What would you add or change? What would this look like?

 

2.Start with the “who” in mind rather than the “what.”

Who do you want to be? Before we talk about “what,” let’s start with “who .”So many people start with “do” or “don’t” goals or resolutions, but what’s most important is to look at who you want to be because that will inform what you “do” or “don’t” do. Based on who you want to become, what habit do you need to incorporate into your life?

Let me give you a few examples. You might decide:

I want to be more appreciative. So you might decide to write a hand-written note each week to someone in your life.I want to be more focused. So you might decide to wake up every day and prioritize your top 3 things of the day.I want to be a better spouse. So you might decide to do a weekly date with your spouse.I want to be healthier. So you might decide to work out three times a week for 20 minutes a day.I want to be more connected to God. So you might decide to read through the Bible in a year, which takes 10-15 minutes a day.

Your identity determines your biography. 

 

3.Do something small, and do it very well.  

These small disciplines, or habits, may grow over time. For example, this year, you might write one hand-written note a week, but in 5 years, you might do one each day. Likewise, you might work out three times a week this year, but in a few years, you might work out every single day.

I heard Craig Groeschel once say, “Small steps over a long period of time equals major impact.”

Here at Red Letter Living, we exist to help you become the most effective follower of Jesus that you can be. Jesus calls us to be both hearers and doers of His Word. That’s why in all of our 40-day challenges, we have a “being” and a “doing” aspect. It’s not enough for us to just stop our unhealthy habits. To truly see a change in our lives, we must integrate new practices and get into a new routine. The routine we hope people pick up every day is the small step of “being” and “doing” with Jesus. 

It may seem relatively small at first, but those small steps will add up to thousands over the years. And, because God is at work in us, we trust that every step will bear fruit!

 

4.Invite God and others into your new thing.

If you keep your goal or habit to yourself, you have much less of a chance of finishing it. When you invite others into your new thing, you have a much better chance to succeed. I’ve had lots of ideas and new things I’ve started in life. The ones that work out best are where I bring others into it.

But just inviting other people into it isn’t enough.

Invite God into it.

He is the master of creating all things new.

Revelation 21:5 describes this very scene; “And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” This Bible passage is in the present tense. Jesus doesn’t say, “I WILL make all things new,” or “Sometime in the future, everything will be fixed.” Instead, Revelation says that this process is ongoing and currently happening in all of us. We can be a part of the Holy Spirit’s work of transformation today.

Many of us struggle to finish what we start. If we have a problem finishing, why not bring the “Finisher” onto your team. Jesus is the Alpha and Omega. He starts things. And He finishes things. Even when it looked like He was finished, He rose from the dead! God has the resurrecting, finishing power that you need. And the most fantastic news is: you can have it for FREE. Just ask God into your life.

Rather than giving up something, do something new this Lent!

The post 4 Tips To Help You Start Something New appeared first on Red Letter Living.

Why I am OK Dying with Unfulfilled Dreams

Let me start this off by saying, I don’t have any plans to die soon. At least none that I know of. It’s easy to pretend like death is some far-off experience, or even live in denial of it,  but it’s a reality for all of us. So while I have no control over my last days, I do have control over the regret I could experience as a result of the choices I make now. 

In her book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, Bronnie Ware records her experience as a nurse caring for patients in the last twelve weeks of their lives. She wrote,

“The most common regret of all was unfulfilled dreams. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people had not honored even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.”

Since then, various groups and individuals have used this statistic as motivation: encouraging people to chase after that dream, reach for the stars, and not be a statistic.

The Bible is full of people who died with their dreams unfulfilled. What if the problem isn’t that we didn’t fulfill our dreams, but that we have a limited view of what our hopes and dreams even are? Below are four truths about your dreams that will give you peace regarding unfulfilled dreams.

 

1) Maybe your dream won’t be about you.  

American painter Norman Rockwell’s grandfather was an immigrant and a painter. After bringing his family to the United States, he dreamt of opening a studio for portraits. Instead, he resorted to painting still life to make ends meet and never opened a studio. Two generations later, his grandson would become one of the most famous painters in the world, illustrating everyday life for the Saturday Evening Post magazine for nearly five decades.

Could his grandpa’s unfulfilled dream have paved the way for Norman Rockwell to become one of the most famous American painters? We don’t know for sure, but we do know that our hopes and dreams influence the people around us. So if you believe that God does not waste good things like hard work, an honest dream, or worthy ambition, trust him with the timing.

An unfulfilled dream here on earth is hope in the resurrection and restoration work of Jesus in the future. 

Your unfulfilled dreams could be setting up future generations’ success. You might be casting visions for others to run with, goals you’ll never see accomplished in your lifetime. In our individualistic, self-glorifying, immediate gratification society, it’s safe to acknowledge that most people don’t want to miss the reward from their work. Is the regret simply that they didn’t go for it, or that they didn’t get to reap all the rewards?

King David got a vision from God about building a grand temple, a place where God and man could be together in right relationship again. A new Garden of Eden! (Even the columns would have specific flowers, vines, and trees to remind the people of the garden.)

But David would not be the one to build it; he simply got the vision. God told him that his son Solomon would be king one day and be the one to oversee the work.

In response, David offered a prayer of praise:

“You, Lord, are God! You have promised these good things to your servant. Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Lord, have blessed it, and it will be blessed forever” 1 Chronicles 17:26-27

Since God forbid David from building the temple himself, he helped gather materials and prepare the plans for the temple’s construction. David said to Solomon, 

“I have taken great pains to provide for the temple of the Lord a hundred thousand talents of gold, a million talents of silver, quantities of bronze and iron too great to be weighed, and wood and stone. And you may add to them. You have many workers: stonecutters, masons, and carpenters, as well as those skilled in every kind of work in gold and silver, bronze and iron—craftsmen beyond number. Now begin the work, and the Lord be with you” 1 Chronicles 22:14-16.

Maybe your unfulfilled dream is a setup for someone else’s dream to come along.

 

2) Our dreams aren’t always the best for us. 

When I was 15, there were unfulfilled dreams I look back on when I was 5 that I was grateful never came true. I’m glad the whole world didn’t  turn into a giant Candyland board game, and I would have looked ridiculous wearing Princess Jasmine’s outfit to school. As a near 40-year old, I can look back at 25 and admit I am thankful that my 15-year-old dreams also did not come true. I prefer my husband to Tom Cruise, and as a stay-at-home mom with a 1-year-old, I was happy that I didn’t live in that RV at the beach that my friends and I dreamed of.

With each decade, I realize that I know more with each passing decade, and the things I dreamed about just wouldn’t have been best for me.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Jeremiah wrote this promise from God to the Israelite people when they were in a pretty awful situation. Their land had been taken, and they were in captivity. Even though they were miserable, God used captivity to save them from their own complete self-destruction through sin.

When I decide what is best for me instead of God, I will be miserable whether my dreams come true or not. 

When we are not accomplishing our dreams, we can have faith that God has things under His control. Remember, the dreams you are hoping now for may not even be what you want in ten years. 

 

3) A dream could have been an idol in your life. 

St. Augustine, the famous Christian preacher in the 4th century, said idols are just disordered loves. They don’t start out bad, but we get into trouble when we make good things into our ultimate thing. This can happen with our hopes and dreams too.

When what we accomplish becomes more important than what Jesus accomplished for us, then we lose sight of why we are dreaming in the first place. 

King Saul started well as a humble man with a dream to lead God’s people and protect them. However, he degenerated later to become a tyrant and a vicious manhunter. His sense of insecurity and his jealous streak drove him to commit severe atrocities against innocent people. Somewhere along the way, Saul’s dream of leading the people became distorted into a quest for power and grasping for control. He made the kingdom and his position into an idol.

Then Saul became very angry, for this saying displeased him, and he said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed [only] thousands. Now, what more can he have but the kingdom?”  Saul looked at David with suspicion [and jealously] from that day forward. 1 Samuel 18:8-9 AMP (emphasis added)

In the Old Testament, whenever a good king comes into power or is struck with the greatness of God, the first thing they will do is get rid of idolatry. Why? Because that is the root of our problems before God.

We take good dreams and aspirations, and suddenly without realizing it, those things become of most importance in our lives.

Our dreams and hopes may be entirely reasonable and God-pleasing, but perhaps something didn’t happen to protect you from an even worse situation.

 

4) Death is not the end. 

“Let my people go. Bring them to a land I have promised for them.”

This vision from God guided Moses since he was a young man, as he freed the enslaved people from Egypt, led the Israelites through seas, over deserts, and to the edge of the Promised Land. But on the way, things got extremely rocky (no pun intended!), and Moses lost his temper and took matters into his own hands. By striking a rock with his staff instead of speaking words, Moses disobeyed God’s command and lost sight of the dream God had given him. The consequence was harsh: Moses would never enter the Promised Land.

When we take matters into our own hands, and things become our doing, we thwart our ability ever fully to enjoy them when we get them. Moses took matters into his own hands and derailed the whole project. He died never going into the Promised Land, ending with an unfulfilled dream.

That is, unless you understand the significance of the Promised Land in the Bible. The Promised Land wasn’t just the physical land God promised as a heritage to his people, even though that was included. God’s Promised Land is the heaven and eternal life that is the heritage of all who come to him through his Son.

After death, Moses experienced the Promised Land in the perfect way that Jesus had intended for him. Not with the millstone of the Israelite people around his neck, but with Jesus beside him. His entering the promised land would not include aching feet, swords, blood, or barriers—only glorious perfect communion with Jesus and an ideal kingdom in complete peace and harmony.

If left with a choice, there’s no way Moses would ever have wanted to go into the Promised Land in his former life!

An unfulfilled dream will become a perfect blessing someday when we have an eternity mindset.  

Trust that God is working out the absolute best for you. Everything that is wrong and should never have happened to you will be fixed, erased, repaired, and restored brand new! He will take all the good that you have done and make a tapestry out of it. Nothing will be forgotten. Matthew 7:7 says,

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 

Every single thing you dream of that’s remotely good will come to pass. 

This isn’t about a prosperity gospel, “You’ll get what you have coming to you,” type of mentality. I am talking of a deep trust in God’s providence no matter what happens. God is working mightily in you, faithful servant. Your work will not go to waste. 

For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. Colossians 1:29

Does this mean we just give up on dreaming? Not at all! Keep toiling! Keep dreaming and planning! But do so without regret. Here are three ways to check your dreams: 

        Are you telling others your dreams?         Is it beyond your ability?         What will be better if your dream is fulfilled? (does your dream go beyond yourself?)

 

Trust that God knows your heart, and desires to bring about goodness and mercy in your life. Share some of your dreams and hopes you have for the future below in the comments.

The post Why I am OK Dying with Unfulfilled Dreams appeared first on Red Letter Living.

The #1 Reason the Church is Declining and 4 Things Pastors Can Do About It

I talk with pastors who still long to go back to what was. I’m not one of them.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m saddened by how many have left the church in the past two years. It breaks my heart for them. And I love a filled building as much as anyone else.

But, have you looked at the trends of what had been happening in the church in America before the pandemic? If so, I’d be shocked to hear anyone say that we should want to go back to the way things were. The church has been a broken-down, shadow-at-best version of representing Christ that has been losing its influence in droves for the past two decades.

We’ve heard a million times that what has happened during this pandemic has only accelerated a trend that we’d already been experiencing. But, I think we can lose sight of the fact that the movement before the pandemic was already declining at breakneck speed. For example, a survey by FACT shows that average worship attendance had dropped in churches from 137 in 2000 to just 65 in 2020.

I understand that worship attendance is not the only determining factor in the health of a church, but you have to admit that it is a determining factor.

Furthermore, generationally, the numbers are lower and lower with those who identify with a church. In 2021, Gallup shared that church membership dropped below 50% nationally for the first time. Among Millennials, only 36% identify with a church.

So, we have to go back to asking a difficult question, “What is the reasoning behind the decline of those no longer attending or wanting to identify with a church?”

One of the works that have inspired my writings more than any other is UnChristian, written by Barna’s current President, David Kinnamon. This groundbreaking work came out while I was in Seminary and has helped so many church leaders see the problem: The unchurched, especially the younger generation, do not perceive present-day Christianity well. If you are a church leader, you’ve seen the words before. Present-day Christians are perceived as judgmental, boring, hypocritical, out-of-touch, anti-gay, old-fashioned, and too political. A pathetic set of words that fall so very far short of who Jesus is. We must change that.

But, I noticed something new in the book that I’d never seen before. Not only did Barna offer some unfavorable images to describe present-day Christianity, but they presented some favorable images as well. And, do you know what the lowest-rated favorable image was? Here it is: present-day Christianity is not seen as relevant to their lives. Only 10% said it was “very relevant,” and another 30% said it was “somewhat to very relevant.” So, as the unchurched look into the lives of those who follow Jesus, they simply aren’t seeing how Jesus is relevant to our lives.

Churches, filled with Christians, are doing a poor job, individually and collectively, helping others see how Jesus is relevant in our lives today. Unfortunately, the church that we offer is perceived to be irrelevant. Its irrelevance has only been growing in its numbers the past couple of decades. This is the number one reason we have been on the decline. Until we fix this, we will continue to lose numbers, influence, and significance in this world. People won’t do, join, buy, or commit to something unless it is relevant to their lives.

We are fighting against irrelevance.

So, what can we do as pastors? Here are four things to help.

 

1) Do Something Different

Einstein once said insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. So why would we continue down that path if what we were doing wasn’t working?

The collective church has been behind the curve with innovation and creation for far too long. God created us to be creators in this world. As the world is rapidly changing, we must adapt as well. While things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and so on will never go out of style, the methods we extend this fruit into the world can and should change.

If we continue to operate like Blockbuster in a Netflix world, our decline to death will be sooner than you think. Gross negligence of being online really caught up with the church. It was truly inspirational to see so many churches pivot and get out of their comfort zone to jump online at the pandemic’s start. But, the question remains, “Why were so many churches not already online?” How many more clues did the church need that being online in a visible way was important?

I’m not saying the church will die. Far be it. It is God’s church, and it will prevail.

But a pastor that continues to stay married to old methods that weren’t working could very soon be divorced from having a church.

Right now, virtual and augmented reality, Web3, and the metaverse are all knocking on our doorstep. Sometime in the next 5-20 years, these realities will be another significant disruption to our lives. I hope we’ve learned that it’s a foolish strategy not to be where the people are. What does all of this mean? We are still figuring it out. But, entering into these conversations on the front end rather than 20 years later seems like a wise strategy.

Let’s be proactive, not reactive.

What could churches do differently this year? Share in the comments below. Point 3 may offer a few solutions as well.

Challenge: Implement one new different idea or ministry in 2022.

 

2) Understand the Times

One of the things I have to fight most in this life is to get out of my Christian bubble. A Christian bubble will automatically start surrounding me without intention and a plan. And I know I’m not alone. To understand the times, we have to personally get involved in genuine relationships with those in our communities who don’t go to church.

There’s a sneaky verse in 1 Chronicles 12:32. As they were listing men who were fighting with King David, it says that they chose men “from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do…”

When we understand the times, we know what to do.

No matter your opinion, and I certainly disagree that the church isn’t relevant, we must understand the culture. Jesus calls us to be in the world, but not of the world. Even Jesus Himself came down in the human form. He did this so that we could understand Him.

But also, He did everything He could to understand the times as well. During His ministry, Jesus asked way more questions than He did give answers. I recently wrote a blog on the 305 questions Jesus asked. One of the takeaways from looking at all that Jesus asked was the number of curiosity questions He asked. A significant number of those questions started with “How” or “Why.”

Not all churches have declined in this time. One that has grown tremendously is Saddleback Church, under the leadership of Pastor Rick Warren. As the church began to meet for worship, he sent out a community-wide survey about what music people listened to. He wanted to ensure that their style of music was relevant to the community. It may seem like a little thing, but the more we understand the community, the greater chances we have to be relevant.

Challenge: Commit to making a new relationship with someone who doesn’t go to your church this year.

 

3) Solve Real Problems

The more you understand the times, the more you see what problems people face. While Jesus is the ultimate answer to any problem, how we present the Gospel could vary based on the people’s needs. How much time do you spend thinking, talking, or strategizing about effectively solving real problems that people in your church and community are facing?

One of the things I truly appreciated about the early days of the pandemic is it truly felt like pastors were answering real questions that people in their community had. Services and sermons were changed to be relevant to the times we were facing.

While every community is different, here is a non-exhaustive list of significant problems that I see getting out of control today: 

Identity ConfusionUnhappinessInsignificanceUnresolved GriefUnforgivenessStress and Fear

 

I find it hard to believe we could be irrelevant because Jesus is the answer to all of those things. There is no one more relevant to humanity than Jesus.

We receive our identity in His family by grace, through faith. He invites us into an abundant life of significance to follow Him as disciples. And as we are in a relationship with Him, we are filled with joy that never ceases. So how is He not relevant?

Challenge: Look at your upcoming preaching calendar and assess if your messages or series address real problems that people face today.

 

4) Market Better

Did you know that the average person sees up to 10000 ads every single day?

We live in a world with excellent marketing. The best marketers understand their audience. They know what problems their audience is facing and can articulate how their particular product will solve that problem.

If we genuinely believe that Jesus is the answer to life’s biggest problems, let’s tell a better story. After all, the Apostle Paul does tell us that we are Christ’s ambassadors in this world. We are His marketing plan. Let’s acknowledge that we have failed if we have become irrelevant in the past. But by doing something different, understanding our times, and solving real problems, we will be better marketers of the Gospel.

How do we stand out with the Gospel of Jesus when 10000 ads are seen every day?

It’s simple. Jesus gives and does things for us that no product, food, travel destination, or anything in this world can. Talk about those things.

If someone were to ask you, “Why is Jesus relevant to you?” how would you respond? Similarly, if you were to ask people in your church that same question, how would they respond? Teaching and giving people a chance to share their testimony is a great opportunity to share how Jesus is relevant to our lives.

As much as we should do our best to change the narrative on words like judgmental, hypocritical, boring, etc., I also believe we can and should be marketing the positive, relevant things that Jesus brings into our lives. The more we live with and tell others about the happiness, fulfillment, significance, and purpose that Jesus gives, the more the world will see Him as relevant again. 

Challenge: Look through your website, including your mission, vision, and values, and see how many positive characteristics like happiness, fulfillment, joy, meaning, purpose, and significance are present.

 

Jesus is the hope of the world. And Jesus is best seen through the church. So I hope and pray that this article didn’t discourage you but instead spur you on to be the greatest and fullest expression of Jesus that you can be.

What other ideas do you have to help the church be more relevant?

The post The #1 Reason the Church is Declining and 4 Things Pastors Can Do About It appeared first on Red Letter Living.

4 Early Pandemic Practices that the Church Should Never Stop Doing

This pandemic has gone on way too long. The world is frustrated. Medical professionals are tired. Pastors are disappointed. Leaders are exhausted. Many are longing for the way things were.

Even before coronavirus, it’s evident that leading today is just more challenging and more complex than ever before. Add a global pandemic that won’t go away to the mix, and it’s no wonder many leaders are quitting, or at least wondering if they were made to do something else.

Consider this. According to Tim Elmore in his book The Eight Paradoxes of Great Leadership, in 2020, the CEO’s of Disney, Hulu, IBM, LinkedIn, UberEats, MGM, Lockheed Martin, Nestle, Volkswagen, Mastercard, T-Mobile, Harley-Davidson, Victoria’s Secret, and Bed Bath and Beyond) stepped down. And that was just the first quarter of 2020!

Momentum has only picked up since then. The year 2021 is now known as the year of the Great Resignation, or the Big Quit, as more employees voluntarily resigned from their jobs statistically than ever before.

Will 2022 be any different? Doubtful.

In terms of the church, statistics are at alarming all-time extreme rates. Barna’s latest study shows that 38% of pastors have considered quitting full-time ministry in the past year. Additionally, their research shows that only 35% of America’s pastors rated themselves healthy in their overall well-being. Considering that we typically rank ourselves higher than the actual truth, it’s likely that number could be even lower.

When you see all that has happened in the wake of this now 2-year struggle, it’s easy to dismiss that anything good can come from any of this. But, God often brings good out of unique and unfamiliar places. Remember, Jesus grew up in Nazareth. Nobody from Nazareth had ever done anything notable, which is why Nathanael questioned, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” So, can anything good in the church come out of the pandemic?”  

I believe there are four helpful practices that many churches employed in the early days of the pandemic that I don’t think we should ever stop! So, here they are. What practices would you add to this list? Is there something your church did that you found effective? Please contribute to the conversation by adding it to the comments below.

 

Making Phone Calls to Everyone in the Church

When the nation went into quarantine, and we couldn’t see one another, how do you know how to lead your church? Many churches jumped to something that might be considered old-fashioned: phone calls. While some pastors made it a point to connect with everyone in their church database, other churches split up the duties between staff and leadership. Personally, I remember making a series of phone calls to connect with those in our church.

You might be saying, “Well, I thought people don’t pick up the phone anymore.” And you are right. Not many did. But those that didn’t, I was able to leave a one-minute voicemail praying for them and acknowledging that we were here for them if needs arose.

Those I did connect with led to very worthwhile check-ins:

Several powerful prayer moments ensuedA few physical needs were identified that we could attempt to meetEncouragement was given not only from us to them but them to us as wellGratitude was expressed that someone in church leadership thought about them and prayed for them.

 

From a practical standpoint, this practice helped church leadership understand how our people were feeling and doing. It allowed us to understand some legitimate concerns or fears that they were experiencing, which in turn, allowed us to be able to shepherd our people to what was relevant in their lives.

What would it look like in your church for phone calls to happen regularly to those in your church?

 

Acquiring Real-Time Data

The personal one-on-one touch with the phone calls proved a big winner. One other practice that many churches employed, including ours, was a regular survey of those in our church. Thanks to Barna’s Church Pulse Weekly, we quickly sent out surveys to gather objective data about how our collective church was doing.

In times of significant disruption or when leading change, it’s imperative to let the objective data do your talking. Indeed, in our ministries, we need to leave room for God to give us each a fresh understanding of how to lead, but I have found it is tough to argue with data.

When people’s opinions are so different regarding divisive topics, the people in our church need to see that their opinions are not the only ones. By sharing accurate data and differing views on some key points, it allowed the people in our church to have unity despite the complexity.

Also, by understanding the pulse of our collective church, we could separate what we were hearing on the national news with our data of what was truly happening in our church. Sometimes it matched almost to the number, but it was very different at other times. By seeing the data, it allowed church leadership to pick specific sermon topics or ideas that were far more relevant to our situation.

What would it look like for your church to acquire real-time data regularly from those in the church?

 

Asking Better Questions about How to Lead our Church

Proverbs 16:9 says that man plans, but ultimately God directs our steps.

As leaders, we all felt this in the early days of the pandemic. Then, we have been reminded of it repeatedly in the past two years. On Monday, there were times when our team would come up with a plan that we felt was rock-solid. By Tuesday, the world changed, and the plan was longer good. It felt like a significant waste of time. So, then, we’d go back to the drawing board.

Again and again and again.

I genuinely believe in honoring, valuing, and respecting team members, which is why planning ahead is imperative. Having our plans laid out in advance creates more flexibility for our teams. But one of the unintended negative consequences I have found is that when you work and plan so far ahead, it can actually make your team less flexible for the spur-of-the-moment things God calls your church to do.

One of the benefits of this major disruption is that it allowed us to see that God is in charge. While each week was exhausting, it also strangely felt right. There was a continual reliance not on our plans but God and His plans. As a result, we were asking better questions frequently:

God, what do your people need from us this week?God, how can we serve our people this week?God, what message do the people need to hear?

 

We weren’t asking each other these questions. But, instead, we were seeking God because we had no clue. We weren’t, and we still aren’t, in control, by the way.

I’ll admit it. It’s scary to operate like this every week, but the more we did it, the more trust and reliance we had on the God who promised to lead our church. A second benefit of operating in this fashion is we could be highly relevant to what was going on in the lives of those in our church.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t plan your annual calendar. Please do it. It’s wise. But ensure that you regularly ask God the right questions, and don’t be afraid to go off-script.

 

Innovating Like Crazy

Even though many churches were not ready for an ongoing season like this, churches quickly learned to pivot. I was so impressed by the plethora of churches that had jumped online to offer church within days or weeks. So many churches also learned how to engage with social media like never before and run virtual meetings and even a small group ministry through Zoom.

After all was said and done, some of our innovations worked well. Others didn’t.

The collective church needed a time like this to speed up the current reality that we live in today. The world had changed dramatically way before 2020 with the rise of the Internet, social media, and overall online presence. But, sadly, the church as a whole was way behind.

Now that we are two years into it, there are still many opinions on what the church should be doing online. I get it. No matter how much you try to make the online church the same as the in-person church experience, it isn’t. It can’t be. It’s different. And that’s okay.

But, if I have one thought to offer in the realm of church online, it’s this: I am convinced what we need from the church online is more and not less. People are “living” today with more than 7 hours of digital content consumed each day. We cannot remove ourselves from where people are. So, what will it look like? What should it look like?

I have no idea. But let’s keep exploring. Let’s keep innovating and trying new stuff and seeing what works. And let’s do it now.

Because while we are trying to catch up, there’s this whole new thing called the Metaverse coming. And pretty soon, the church will need to be there too.

What new practices has your church learned in the pandemic that you will carry on into the future?

The post 4 Early Pandemic Practices that the Church Should Never Stop Doing appeared first on Red Letter Living.