Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 284

8 Reasons for Leaders to Give God a Blank Check

By Chuck Lawless

I will simply state up front what you will likely realize: I write this blog as a Southern Baptist, but I trust its application is clear for all Christians. Twice now within the past several months – first from International Mission Board president David Platt, and most recently from my president at Southeastern Seminary, Danny Akin – I have heard a similar challenge. “What we must do,” they have said in different contexts, “is give God a blank check. Give Him the check, and let Him fill in the blanks.”

I have been a follower of Jesus for a long time, but the “blank check” image is still stretching me. In fact, few exhortations have been as thought provoking to me. Below are eight reasons why the “blank check” call is both necessary and challenging for me as I strive to be a leader in God’s work. Perhaps the image will likewise challenge you.

It forces me to recognize the idolatry of my comfort. If I’m honest, I can easily get comfortable where I am. The routine may be monotonous at times, but it’s safe . . . convenient . . . familiar . . . reassuring. If I agree to follow God but only within my comfort zone, though, my ease has become my idol.
It requires me to evaluate how deeply my faith affects my daily living. Do I, for example, really believe my life is not my own? If I have given my life to Jesus, my yesterdays are forgiven, my todays rest in His hands, and my tomorrows are entirely His. The blank check about tomorrow should not alarm me today if I trust that God is holy, loving, and sovereign.
It reminds me that the Christian life really is about faith. Living by faith means trusting God as He unrolls the scroll of our lives. We follow Him obediently each day, not knowing what each further roll – that is, the blank check – will bring, yet believing the fully unrolled scroll will reflect His glory and wisdom.
It reinforces the truth that God’s plan might be costly for me. God alone has the right to fill in the blank check. He may use us to conquer kingdoms . . . or He may send us to persecution and death (Heb. 11:32-38). I proclaim this reality, but seldom do I deeply consider the truth that death could fill the line on my blank check. That thought is, to be honest, almost too heavy to ponder.
It calls me to ask if I truly believe God is all-wise. It’s easy to preach about His wisdom in the relative safety of my North American seminary classroom or local church pulpit. I don’t know if it would be as easy, however, if His calling were to require moving my family to a center of Islam . . . or leaving a mega-church to plant an urban congregation . . . or downsizing to provide more dollars for His work . . . or suffering in the midst of telling the gospel.
It prompts me to consider my burden over the lostness of the world and the reality of hell. Both David Platt and Danny Akin are driven by a theological urgency to get the good news to people who do not know Jesus. My level of willingness to give God a blank check may well be a reflection of whether I share that urgency. Frankly, that assessment stings a bit.
It fractures any belief that I am Christ-like. Jesus, of course, knew what obedience to the Father would cost Him. With “cross” written on the check, Jesus said, “not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). Until I am willing to have the ultimate cost written on my blank check so others might be saved, I do not yet fully reflect the heart of Christ.
It drives me to deep self-reflection. No matter how long I have been a Jesus follower, I still need Holy Spirit-led personal reflection in the light of God’s Word. I need men of God who challenge me to a level of holy discomfort, who unreservedly call me to give God a blank check.

I have a long way to go. Please pray for me.

Chuck Lawless currently serves as Professor of Evangelism and Missions and Dean of Graduate Studies at Southeastern Seminary. You can connect with Dr. Lawless on both Twitter and Facebook.

photo credit: iancorey via photopin cc

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Five Things Pastors Need to Say to Their Children

Over a year ago, I wrote a post at this blog on pastors’ children. According to the comments and the views, I obviously hit a nerve. Some of the comments came from pastors themselves. But a number of comments came from the children of pastors.

Since that article, I have continued to receive comments from children who grew up in pastors’ homes. There is a consistent theme going through many of their perspectives and emotions. Many of them had very positive experiences; but many did not.

Through hundreds of comments and conversations, I have been able to distill five things every child of a pastor would like to hear from their pastor/parent. Indeed, those who heard these five things consistently are those who have the healthiest attitudes toward the church today.

You have the freedom to be a normal kid. “I don’t place different expectations on you because you are a PK. At times, you may feel pressure to act differently or be different because you are my child. Ignore those pressures. Know that I have none of those expectations, and you can live a normal and happy childhood.”
I’ve got your back. “Yes, there are some ornery church members. In fact, some of them are just downright mean. You may hear negative things or be criticized personally. While I can’t change that, I will defend you. I won’t let a church member run over you. You always come before church members.”
I want to spend more time with you than church members. “There will be times where you might think I care for church members more than I care for you. I will let a so-called emergency interrupt our meals or cancel our plans. I am trying to be more intentional about doing those things that communicate you are more important than church members. I want you to know that I really will spend more time with you.”
I love your mom. “It can be tough at times to be a PK. And it can be tough to be a pastor’s wife as well. As I have said to you, I say to your mom. She comes before church activities and church members. I have her back as well. I love both of you so much, and I never want either of you to doubt that.”
There is a lot of good in this church. “You are in a position where you often see the negative side of church life. You get a firsthand view of the critics and complainers. But there are many good people in this church. There are many church members who support our whole family. Don’t become cynical toward the church because of the negative voices you have to hear. Let me tell you about some of the good people and good things happening in our church.”

The pastor’s kid can be in a position to experience both the extreme highs and the extreme lows of local church ministry. And while the pastor is not totally responsible for how that child responds later in life, he can have a profound influence on him or her.

There are many pastors and pastors’ kids who read this blog. I look forward to hearing from you and from others about this issue.

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Pray for Hephzibah Baptist Church

Location: Troy, Alabama

Pastor: Rick Hayes

Weekly Worship: Sundays at 11:00 a.m., Central.

Fast Facts: Hephzibah Baptist Church is a 150-year old church in southern Alabama. HBC values every generation and are committed to teaching the Word of God to every age group at their own level. Please pray for HBC as Pastor Rick has been recently diagnosed with Mantle Cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Also pray for the church to remain strong as their pastor battles this disease. Finally, pray that they will continue to reach the Troy community.

Website: HBCTroy.com

“Pray for . . .” is the Sunday blog series at ThomRainer.com. We encourage you to pray for these churches noted every Sunday. Please feel free to comment that you are praying as well.

If you would like to have your church featured in the “Pray for…” series, download this information form and return it to the address on the form.

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Six Reasons Churches Change Their Names

If you want to have a major change management issue in your church, try proposing a new church name. Church members can be very attached to the current name of your church, and changing it can be a challenging process.

In this post, I offer the “why” behind a change in the name of a church. Let me be clear, I am not offering my opinion or assessments of these motives, I am simply sharing them as reported to me by church leaders. Additionally, these six reasons are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

To create a clear or new priority. The most common church name in the United States is “First Baptist.” When church members originally chose that name, they had two priorities to communicate. First, the name communicated that the church was doctrinally or denominationally connected to Baptists. “First” emphasized that the church was the first church with the name “Baptist” in its respective community. As another example, churches that have “community” in their name often desire to emphasize their priority and presence in the community.
To change a geographical distinction that is no longer relevant. As an example, 12th Street Church was started, obviously on 12th Street in the community. Most likely, most people in the community knew the location of 12th But later the municipality changes the name to Martin Luther King Drive, and 12th Street no longer exists. Church leaders decide they don’t want a church name for a locale that can no longer be found.
To identify with the community more clearly and emphatically. If a church changes its name from First Christian Church to the Church at Spring Hill, it is making a very clear statement that the church exists in Spring Hill and for Spring Hill. The community is thus the emphasis.
To avoid confusion with another church. I know of at least two examples of churches that have the identical names of “First Baptist.” There are probably some fascinating stories behind this predicament. One of the churches may decide to change its name to avoid the obvious confusion.
To do a de facto re-launch. I did a consultation several years ago at a church in the South. When I did a community survey, I learned that the church had a terrible reputation in the community. They were known for their church conflicts, for their inward focus, and for their coldness to outsiders. But the church had changed as many malcontents had exited. Still the negative reputation remained. I made the rather radical recommendation that they actually “close” the church for a month and re-launch it under a new name.
To reflect the merger with or acquisition by another church. Church mergers and church acquisitions are becoming more common. Often the acquired church will change its name to reflect better its new identity with the acquiring church.

I really would like to hear from you on this sensitive and often, explosive issue.

What do you think of these reasons? Have you been a part of a church that has changed its name?

photo credit: Darren Flinders via photopin cc

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Leading a Growing Church – Rainer on Leadership #084

Podcast Episode #084

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Joining us this week is a great friend of the podcast, Dr. Ronnie Floyd. On this week’s show, we discuss multi-site churches, multi-ethnic church staffing, Millennials, and leadership.

Some highlights from this week’s episode include:

The need of America today is a spiritual awakening—a time when God moves and millions come to Christ.
We can’t fix ourselves. We need God to do that.
Local churches need to be ready for a new kind of leader. The Millennial leader is different.
Pastors are one of the few groups that don’t have a residency, and that’s one reason there is such a high failure rate.
A true New Testament church should be multi-ethnic, multi-generational, and multi-cultural.
Be faithful and intentional to reach the community around your church.
The greatest thing you can do for your life, family, and church is to have a deep walk with God.

About Ronnie Floyd

Dr. Ronnie Floyd has been a pastor for over 36 years. His experience, wisdom, and passion for God make him a powerful proclaimer of God’s Word. He teaches principles from the Bible that encourages and uplifts thousands of people all over the world via TV, the Internet, podcasts, radio, speaking engagements, and books.

Since 1986, Pastor Floyd has served as the Senior Pastor of Cross Church, Northwest Arkansas. In June 2014, Dr. Floyd was elected President of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Episode Sponsor

The Cross Church School of Ministry is a one-year residential ministry experience hosted by Cross Church and Dr. Ronnie Floyd.  It uniquely designed to prepare leaders for life, ministry, and Gospel advancement globally. For more information about the Cross Church School of Ministry visit:  www.CrossChurchSchool.com.

Feedback

If you have a question you would like answered on the show, fill out the form on the podcast page here at ThomRainer.com. If we use your question, you’ll receive a free copy of Autopsy of a Deceased Church.

Resources

Cross Church School of Ministry

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Notable Voices: December 11, 2014

What Parents with Young Kids Want Their Church Leaders to Know — Art Rainer

In my recent post about church facilities, I mention the importance of a clean, safe children’s area. That item makes this list from Art as well as a few more important issues for parents.

 

20 Politically Incorrect Thoughts on Church in America — Tony Morgan

Few people have their finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the Church like Tony does, and he hits the nail on the head here. This list is equal parts humor (#5), insight (#6), and conviction (#17).

 

 — Carey Nieuwhof

Carey shares five traps to avoid as a local pastor who loves the church and loves the people you’re trying to reach.

 

The Benefits of Sitting Under Expository Preaching — Eric Davis

I’ve had dozens of discussions on church revitalization recently, and a topic that always comes up is preaching style. I continue to hold that an expository style is most effective for many of the same reasons Eric lists here.

 

The 7 Essential Attributes of Exceptional Executive Pastors — Katie Fridsma

If you have an executive pastor or are looking for one, you’ll be blessed to find one with these qualities.

 

I Thought I Had Developed Good Habits until I Found Out About This One — Robby Gallaty

Spiritual and physical discipline is about habits that start out small but eventually become ingrained in who you are and what you do. Robby covers the importance of a select few small disciplines that will yield large results.

 

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Top Ten Bible Translations, 2014

The Christian Booksellers Association recently released its list of the top ten selling Bible translations for December 2014. The CBA actually provides two lists: one by dollar sales; and the other by unit sales.

Top Ten Translations Based on Dollar Sales

New International Version
King James Version
New King James Version
New Living Translation
English Standard Version
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Voice
New American Standard
Reina Valera 1960
New International Reader’s Version

Top Ten Translations Based on Unit Sales

New International Version
The Voice
King James Version
English Standard Version
New King James Version
New Living Translation
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Reina Valera 1960
Nueva Version Internacional (Spanish)
New International Reader’s Version

What is your preferred Bible translation? What do you think about these two lists? Let me hear from you.

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Eight Ways to Bridge Generation Gaps in Churches

By Chuck Lawless

I’ve heard phrases like these dozens of times as I do church consulting: “Those newer folks just don’t understand the way we do church” or “The older people are in the way of our growth.” In many churches, the generation gaps – between young and old members or between longer-term and newer members – are still wide.

I’ve learned, though, that the generations often resist one another without knowing one another. You see, it’s easy to blame others when you don’t know their names or their stories. Here are some practical ways to close those gaps by guiding the generations to get to know each other.

Intentionally invite older, long-term members to attend the church’s membership class. The goal here, of course, is to introduce new members to older ones. Invite the older members to assist in the class by telling some of the church’s history or leading a facility tour. Not only will the new members learn to appreciate the long-termers, but the older members will also be re-introduced to the church’s vision and doctrine.
Include testimonies in the worship service. Most church members know the testimonies of only a few other church members; that is, we often attend church with large numbers of people whose stories we do not know. Start to correct this problem by inviting selected members to share their testimony during the worship service – and be sure to vary the generations.
Start a cross-generational prayer ministry. Unite the student ministry or the young adult ministry with the senior adult ministry by connecting prayer partners from each generation. Imagine what might happen if each senior adult were linked to a younger member, and they prayed for each other. Informed praying would require that they get to know each other and their families well.
Create a “grandparenting” ministry. One of my former students pastored a church with several older folks whose children had moved away, in addition to a few young families who lived some distance from their parents and grandparents. Recognizing that both groups missed their families, he connected these groups and encouraged them to support one another. In fact, he trained older folks to invest in and pray for young families as soon as they joined the church.
Start a mentoring program. By definition, mentoring takes considerable time to build bonds between generations – but the work is worth the effort. Jesus invested in others, and Paul did the same. Indeed, the Apostle expected older believers to teach and train younger believers (Titus 2). When we do what the Scriptures mandate, we can expect God to bless it.
Develop multi-generational small groups. Educationally, I still affirm age-graded or life stage groups, but I also believe a church needs small groups that intentionally bring together the generations. These groups might be ongoing home-based groups, short-term study groups, or leadership groups (e.g., committees/teams). Regardless of the type of group, plan significant times of teaching and fellowship to facilitate developing relationships. It’s amazing how much relationship building takes place during a shared meal.
Do social ministry and servant evangelism. My guess is that younger folks will get on board quickly, as they want to do hands-on, relevant, transforming ministry. They want to feed the hungry, free those caught in human trafficking, and stand up for orphaned children. Older folks, too, recognize these responsibilities, but they may need some prodding to produce the same passion as the young people. Here’s the point: we need to do the prodding so the generations can do this work together.
Enlist a young leader to oversee the senior adult ministry. Most often, churches enlist older believers to lead the senior adult ministry. That direction, however, misses an opportunity to bring the generations together. If your church is near a Christian university or seminary, seek a young minister who can lead and learn from the older believers. If not, raise up a young leader in your congregation, and give him opportunity to grow. When the generations learn from each other, the church will be stronger.

What other strategies would you add to this list?

Chuck Lawless currently serves as Professor of Evangelism and Missions and Dean of Graduate Studies at Southeastern Seminary. You can connect with Dr. Lawless on both Twitter and Facebook.

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Ten Troubling Statements Church Leaders and Members Make

If you want your church to move toward a slow yet certain death, make certain your church leadership and membership affirms most of these ten statements. They are troubling statements. Indeed they are proclamations that virtually assure your church’s decline and probable demise.

What is troubling is that these statements are not uncommon. They are articulated by both staff and lay leaders at times. See if you have ever heard any of these ten.

We hire our pastors and staff to do that. “That” can be evangelism. Or discipleship. Or caring for others. Or visiting people in the hospital. Some lay leaders view pastors and staff as hired hands to do ministry they should be doing themselves.
We have enough churches in our community. I rarely see a community that is really “overchurched.” The number of unchurched people in any one community is typically increasing, not decreasing. This comment usually comes from church leaders who view new churches as competition.
We are a discipleship church. Or an evangelism church. Or a ministry church. Church leaders who say their churches are focused on only one area of ministry are offering excuses not to be obedient in other areas.
We have never done it that way before. Yes, it’s cliché. But it’s still a very pervasive attitude among change-resistant people in the church.
We don’t have the money to do that. More times than not, the church does indeed have the money to focus on necessary priorities. The problem is that some church leaders don’t have the courage to reallocate funds toward those priorities.
We really don’t emphasize small groups. Churches that do not give a priority to small groups or Sunday school classes can count on a big exodus of people out the back door. Those in groups are five times more likely to stay involved in a church than those in worship services alone.
We have enough people in our church. This is a tragic statement by leaders of inwardly focused churches. And it is an excuse not to do evangelism and ministry.
We aren’t a church for those kinds of people. Though similar to number seven, this statement is an appalling declaration made by church members who really believe people of a certain race, ethnic group, income group, or other descriptor should be excluded from the congregation.
We really shouldn’t expect much of our members. Low expectation churches are far too common. Too many church leaders communicate unwisely that it’s okay for members to do nothing, give nothing, and not be concerned about growing spiritually.
We focus only on our members, not guests and others. Many church leaders make this statement either explicitly or implicitly. Sometimes the facilities, the worship services, and the small groups shout “Guests not welcome!” I am releasing a resource today that addresses this critical issue of guest friendliness.

What do you think of these ten troubling statements? Are they accurate? Are they fair? What would you add or change?

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Pray for Evergreen Baptist Church

Location: Tacoma, Washington

Pastor: Phil Frickel

Weekly Worship: Sundays at 10:45 a.m., Pacific.

Fast Facts: Evergreen Baptist Church is a small church in the Northwest that is implementing a fresh vision for the church in 2015. Please pray this new vision will unify the church and move them to be outwardly focused instead of inwardly focused. Also pray that the church will grow in order to support a full-time pastor.

Website: Evergreen-Baptist.com

“Pray for . . .” is the Sunday blog series at ThomRainer.com. We encourage you to pray for these churches noted every Sunday. Please feel free to comment that you are praying as well.

If you would like to have your church featured in the “Pray for…” series, download this information form and return it to the address on the form.

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