Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 343

An Interview with John Croyle — Rainer on Leadership #012

Podcast Episode #012

Subscribe via iTunes

John Croyle was recently our guest at LifeWay. While he was in town, I had a chance to sit down with him and discuss Alabama football, the Big Oak Ranch, manhood, and leadership. It is a fascinating interview with a fascinating man. If you’re not familiar with John or the Big Oak Ranch, I would encourage you to visit their website BigOak.org. Hundreds of kids have been impacted by John and his ministry over the years. I’m proud to call him a friend and excited that he could share his story through this episode of Rainer on Leadership.

Episode Sponsor

This week’s podcast is brought to you by The Two-Minute Drill to Manhood, John’s game plan that will help moms and dads make sure their sons are ready for authentic manhood. Based on Croyle’s life and experience parenting more than 1,800 troubled, abused, and neglected children on the Big Oak Ranch for Boys and Girls, he drills down into seven actionable life principles drawn from the word “manhood” itself.

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 autographed copy of I Am a Church Member.

Friday Is for Freebies: Unconditional Love

My giveaway this Friday is a book and DVD entitled Unconditional Love. This film and book tell the stories of real people showing unconditional love. Let their stories serve as a call to all of us to love in this same way. God has called us to a life different from the world around us . . . a life of service to Him. But in our culture, this call has been affected by selfishness, materialism, and a lack of global focus. This film chronicles real people showing unconditional love. Let the stories of Big Oak Ranch, Kids Off The Block, Front Porch Ministry, and Blood Water Mission serve as a call to all of us to love unconditionally.

To enter the giveaway, tell us what you did to celebrate yesterday’s holiday.

The deadline to enter is midnight CDT this Saturday. We will draw one winner from the entries on Monday morning.

By entering, you acknowledge and accept the terms of the promotion.

Leaders as Heroes

By Chuck Lawless

I usually think about heroes during two holidays of the year: Memorial Day and July 4th. On both days, I’m reminded of the cost many before us have paid so we might be free today. I know very few of their names, but they are nevertheless heroes.

Several years ago, I had the privilege of speaking to missionaries in Russia, and I commented that they were some of my heroes.  With a humility that typifies missionaries, they encouraged me not to see them as heroes.  “We’re just doing what God called us to do,” they told me.

I’ve heard the same words from pastors of churches that are genuinely reaching non-believers and making disciples of Christ.  It seems like the more the church is really making an eternal difference, the more likely it is that the pastor is humble and self-effacing.

Many laypersons in churches exhibit this same attitude. For example, these members of churches I’ve led come quickly to mind:

Sonney, a deacon who struggled to read but loved God’s Word
Ed, who taught me about the importance of small groups
Allen, who is a trophy of God’s transforming power
Christie, a children’s teacher who reached out to the most unloving kids

I could tell stories of my spiritual heroes for hours. Rather than make these missionaries, pastors, and laypersons feel uncomfortable, however, I have generally tried to be more cautious about speaking words of praise for them.

I’ve now changed my mind.  Ask our children who their heroes are, and I fear they will speak of a cartoon figure, a movie character, or a television superhero.  I hope they would name their parents, but I’m not persuaded that would always happen. I am fairly certain the children would not name their pastor, and I doubt most could even name a missionary. Our children can likely name others who attend church with us, but I’m not sure they would list them as heroes.

That reality, I think, is tragic. Who of the next generation will take the gospel to the ends of the earth if they don’t know the stories of missionaries? How many of our children will be open to a call to ministry because their a church leader has been a hero?  How many will long to be like their pastor who preaches the Word, lives a holy life, models personal evangelism, and loves God’s church?

Will our children know by heroic example they can be a strong Christian and a public school teacher? A well-trained CPA who models Christian integrity? A politician who stands up for righteousness? A bus driver who transports students during the week and teaches the Bible on Sunday?  A church elder and a police officer?

I want our kids to find their heroes among church leaders.

My point is not to rob God of His glory by being man-centered. Rather, it is to give God His due glory for the leaders He has given the church.  It is to praise Him for the men and women who have challenged us to follow God in radical obedience—to take risks necessary to do the Great Commission at a local, national, and international level.

So, missionary who is serving in the middle of nowhere, know that you are one of my heroes.  Church planter starting a congregation amid millions of people in your urban setting, you are my hero as well.  To the pastor who passionately shares Christ day in and day out, you, too, are numbered among my heroes. Faithful layperson who voluntarily serves the church each week, you are also in that group.

I know that makes all of you uncomfortable, but that’s part of what makes you my heroes.  You serve persistently and passionately without suffering from spiritual arrogance.  I call you my heroes without apology, knowing you will deflect any praise to the gracious God who has chosen to use you. I wish our children could know all of you.

Who are the church leaders who’ve been your heroes? Tell us about them in the comments below. Send them a link to this blogpost, with these words as the subject line: “I thank God for you.”  It’s okay to honor folks who honor God.

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.

Five Reasons “Kicking the Can” Leadership Leads to Disaster

Okay, I’m joining the crowd. The majority of Americans are tired and angry about political leaders who put off major decisions, often called “kicking the can.”

I’m mad at President Obama. I’m mad at Congress—both the Republicans and Democrats. My anger is an equal opportunity anger.

And please stop pointing your finger at the other party. We elected you to work out major decisions, not to see who could win the contest of creating the best scapegoat. Real leaders find ways to work with others. Real leaders accept responsibility instead of blaming others.

I’m guessing that I can’t take the same approach with the Internal Revenue Service. You know: “Let the IRS know that since I am uncertain of my expenditures for the year, I choose not to pay taxes for a while. I’ll get back to them when I make a decision.”

Nope. I can’t do that and remain a free man. It’s called breaking the law when I kick the can. It’s called politics when they do it in Washington. And they kick the can with billions and billions of dollars at stake.

We who lead families, businesses, and churches have to make decisions in a timely manner. We do not have the luxury of spending other people’s money while we try to figure things out.

Kicking the can leadership is bad for our country. It’s bad for any organization: family, business, school, church, and others. Allow me to share just five reasons why it can lead to disaster. I’m sure there are many more.

The situation inevitably gets worse by putting off decisions. I have known people in leadership positions who have difficulty making decisions on major issues. They kick the can and the issue worsens each week they delay.
Those who serve under “kicking the can” leaders lose confidence in them. This style of leadership not only destroys effectiveness in an organization; it really hurts morale. People can no longer trust the leader to get the job done.
Other decisions get put on hold. When a leader kicks the can on a singular decision, there is usually a domino effect. Many other decisions were dependent on that one decision being made. Kicking the can on one issue means kicking the can on several issues.
Fearful leadership becomes normative. You know what we need in Washington. We need courageous leaders. The fearful leadership of our current so-called leaders in D. C. is epidemic. It reminds me of a bunch of second graders fighting on the playground. They soon start crying and running to the teacher to let her know it was someone else’s fault.  Kicking the can leadership is contagious.
Factions grow. Kicking the can leadership is really not leadership at all. And when there is no clear leadership, factions form to fill the void. These factions typically have an adversarial relationship with each other because each is trying to be the de facto leader. This reality exacerbates a situation that is already bad.

We have plenty of kicking the can leaders in D. C. We need courageous leaders in Washington. We likewise need courageous leaders in our families, businesses, schools, and churches.

What do you think about kicking the can leaders? How do you think this style of weak leadership plays out in other organizations? What is the solution?

Notable Voices – July 2, 2013

10 Signs that It’s Time to Eliminate an All-Church Event — Tony Morgan

In our book Simple Church, Eric Geiger and I discussed the need for all events a church does to be aligned with the process of the church. Tony provides a helpful chart to delineate between helpful and unhelpful events.

 

How Much of a Pastor’s Vacation Time Should He Use? — Brian Croft

In my most recent podcast episode, I discussed how pastors can overcome burnout. One simple way was to take time off. Regardless of the amount of vacation time you may have, it’s worthless if you choose not to use it.

 

7 Ways a Pastor has a Great Weekend (Sabbath) — Ron Edmondson

I really enjoy Ron’s lists. This week he provides a list for how to have a great sabbath. July is the time of year when most pastors take time off, so this list should be helpful to the myriad of pastors who read this blog.

 

5 Reasons It’s More Important for Pastors to Use Social Media Than Churches — Rich Birch

When it comes to social media, followers tend to gravitate to people rather than brands. And while it is important for your church to be active, it’s more important for the pastor to be leading the way on social media.

 

The Four Essential Writing Skills — Nicholas McDonald

Nicholas admits this might be a bit of an over simplification, but he is on track. These four essentials will help any writer, no matter your experience.

Ten Things I’ve Learned about Pastors in Two Years

Though this blog is four years old, I did not get serious about the pace of my blogging until about two years ago. If you have spent any time at my blog, you know that I devote a lot of my writings to local church matters in general, and to pastors specifically.

The world of the pastor is not unknown to me. I served as a lead pastor in four churches and, when I was a seminary dean, as an interim pastor in eight more churches. I also served as a church consultant for about 20 years before coming to LifeWay.

But it has been at this blog the past two years that I really feel like I know pastors more in breadth and depth than ever before. I hear from them in the comments of the posts. Others read my posts and leave comments at Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. Some choose the privacy of direct messages on Twitter. They number in the thousands.

If you read my posts, you know I often like to do numerical lists. I will do so here, but I struggled to stop at ten. Perhaps I will continue the list later. For now, here are ten things I’ve learned about pastors in the past two years.

They truly sense God’s call in their lives. It’s not just another job for them; it is, as one pastor told me, “an inescapable reality.”
They love their churches and the members. The metaphor of “shepherd” is truly appropriate for these pastors. They care deeply for those they serve.
They work hard.  The typical workweek of these pastors is about 60 hours, a number I hope to verify in a future poll.
Many are hurting from conflict and hurtful church members. Noted one pastor, “I hate that I find myself running from her, but every time I see her she blasts me!”
Most would like more practical training. This quote was a common theme: “I feel prepared to study the Bible and theology; but I am still ill-prepared to deal with leadership issues, money, and strategies.”
Many are struggling financially. They are struggling with their own personal finances; and they are struggling to understand church finances.
They are challenged greatly by the pace of change in culture. Some of the older pastors (50 and up) particularly lament how different the world and serving the church is today than just a decade ago.
They are stressed for time. Sixty hours a week, noted above, is not sufficient time to meet all the demands upon them.
Many have struggling families. This comment came on another post as I was preparing this post: “I have pastored my church for 13 years now, and I am looking for a secular job. My kids have abandoned the church as they became adults as I have fought a small group of power peddlers the entire time. I am tired of seeing my family treated as hired help and employees not to mention myself. I will never leave the ministry. I know more than ever God has called me to the ministry. I will always serve Him in whatever capacity I am in. I love preaching and will continue to do so as the opportunity arises. But I just can’t deal with this situation any longer.”
Some pastors are experiencing true depression. See my post on this topic on July 18, 2011. Note the comments as well.

Pastors are my heroes. Chuck Lawless will address our heroes in the upcoming post on July 4. I pray for my pastor and others. I truly love pastors.

What do think of these ten items? Pastors: What would you add?

Pray for Movement Church

Location: Richmond, Virginia

Pastor: Cliff Jordan

Worship Times: 10:00 AM (Eastern Time)

Fast Facts: Movement Church’s vision is “first who before what”. Whether is it worship, community groups, or being on mission, the church’s focus is making disciples. The church is 4 years old and is located in a city that is historically rich but for many of the wrong reasons. Richmond was the epicenter of the slave trade. All of the great revivals of the past bypassed or skipped Richmond. That has left the city with many “church buildings” but not a pervasive, living church presence that brings glory to God by making and unleashing disciples. Please pray that God would use the church to bring the redemptive movement of God to the city of Richmond.

The church recently moved into a new space and they are trying to learn about their immediate neighborhood so they can serve people in the community and share the Gospel with them. Please pray for the church’s summer activities, which include a community movie night and Bible clubs.

Website: www.moverichmond.org

“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.

When Christians Fire Christians

I feel like I’m walking on metaphorical eggshells with this blogpost. My challenge is that I am asked about this issue almost as much as any other. The question typically comes from a pastor or other church leader, but it could come from a leader of another Christian organization. Should we as Christians fire other Christians who work in our organization?

The Common Scenarios

A fairly common scenario is a pastor or key lay leader who believes that someone on the church staff is no longer contributing adequately. That person may be a family member, a good friend, or the child of a significant financial giver in the church. Sometimes that person has not upgraded his or her skills over the years, and he or she is coasting in the current position. Often church leaders will move that person to another job of minimal requirements and low expectations. But the church continues to pay the salary and benefits.

Sometimes we leaders hire someone that we like personally, such as a good friend. A good maxim for any hiring is: Don’t ever hire someone you won’t be willing to fire. While there is nothing inherently wrong with hiring a friend, you both need to have full awareness that the friendship is at risk if friends have a boss-subordinate relationship. I was able to recall over 30 instances of friends hiring friends. It did not turn out well two out of three times.

Should Christians Fire Christians?

Let’s return to the basic thesis of Christians firing Christians. A recent situation comes to mind, and it’s common in a number of churches. A church staff member was no longer doing his job well. He was putting in a 25-hour workweek and, for all practical purposes, coasting in his job. The pastor had spoken with him on a number of occasions and, to the best of my understanding, had done so in a Christlike and compassionate way.

The staff member, however, has developed relationships in the church with many church members. They don’t see his lousy work ethic; all they know is that they like the guy. The pastor knows that firing this staff member will likely lead to significant conflict in the church. The staff member knows it as well.

The pastor asked me if it is ever right for a Christian to fire a Christian. I gave him four reasons why it would indeed be the right thing to do.

Biblical stewardship demands that those who are paid by the church give the church the ministry for which they are paid.
It is not fair to other workers in the church who must pick up the slack for the lazy staff member.
It is not fair to the employee himself to allow him to remain in a non-productive position. The church has become his enabler.
The church as a whole is bigger than any one person. The good of many is best served by the discipline of one.

How Does a Christian Fire a Christian?

So if it is indeed right for a Christian to fire a Christian, how should it then be done? May I suggest four principles?

Fire with Christlike compassion. Though the person may deserve his dismissal, his life and family will be disrupted greatly. The pain is very real.
Fire with Christlike generosity. Provide as much financial bridging as the church can afford. Don’t simply follow the rules of the secular world. This difficult situation is between two or more followers of Christ.
Fire with Christlike clarity. Let the staff member know clearly why his performance is not acceptable. Give sufficient warning. But when the firing takes place, be clear why the action is being taken. This is not a time to mince words. Clarity, no matter how painful, will help the person in the future.
Fire with Christlike communication. Ask the terminated employee how he would like the dismissal communicated to the congregation. If possible, honor his requests.

Firing someone is one of the most difficult tasks of a leader. It is especially a challenge in a Christian organization. But sometimes it is the right and courageous thing to do. Sometimes the greater danger is doing nothing.

What do you think about firings in a church or other Christian organization? What has been your experience in this difficult area?

Overcoming Pastoral Burnout — Rainer on Leadership #011

Podcast Episode #011

Subscribe via iTunes

This week, we discuss a recent post on the blog dealing with how to overcome pastoral burnout. Burnout is a real and present danger to those in ministry, and these 12 tips will help you or your pastor know when to recognize burnout and how to overcome it.

Listener Questions

Tom asks: Why do leaders/pastors quit?

Fred asks: When a pastor is bivocational and works another full-time job on top of his church responsibilities how can he accomplish his calling of preaching the word, equipng the saints for ministry, and meet all the expectations of the membership while at the same time be a good husband and father to his family?

Rex asks:  Should Pastors take refresh classes or time for refreshing after a certain number of years in minstry?

Episode Sponsor

This week’s podcast is brought to you by Auxano and the Vision Room. VisionRoom.com is an online gathering of articles, tools and resources designed for church leaders like you who value vision clarity and want to live out that vision in meaningful ways. For more information visit VisionRoom.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 autographed copy of I Am a Church Member.

Friday Is for Freebies: Raising Cain

My giveaway this Friday is the black, genuine leather version of the HCSB Study Bible, a comprehensive, easy to read, and easy to use Bible, with features and formats specifically designed to enhance your Bible study experience. You can also go to MyStudyBible.com and dive right in for a complete digital experience.

This Bible has a retail price of $79.99 and features 15,000 study notes, 290 Hebrew and Greek word studies, 66 highly detailed book introductions, 62 maps, 27 topical articles, 20 charts, and 18 illustrations, all focusing on the most important topics and questions in Bible study.

Also included is Raising Cain: How the Bible Shapes the Things You Say,  a collection of insights and anecdotes about how scripture shapes the things we say, for example: “old as the hills,” “see eye to eye,” and “raising Cain”. This book is a great conversation piece and a fun testament to the Bible’s lasting influence on society.

To enter the giveaway, tell us what your favorite saying or idiom is.

The deadline to enter is midnight CDT this Saturday. We will draw one winner from the entries on Monday morning.

By entering, you acknowledge and accept the terms of the promotion.