Thom S. Rainer's Blog, page 386

Seven Things in the Church That Will Not Change

I love following church trends. I have been researching and consulting with churches for over thirty years. It’s just what I do.

Sometimes I am pretty good about projecting current trends toward a future reality. Of course, I’ve had my share of misses as well. Still, I thoroughly enjoy every facet about studying local churches.

This time, however, I can make a definitive statement. I can tell you seven things in the church that will not change. In the fast pace of change in local congregations, these seven constants are good reminders of what really matters.

The Bible is still the Word of God. It always has been and always will be. It is sharper than a two-edged sword. It is powerful because it is the Word of God. The gospel still changes lives. The gospel is the power unto salvation. The gospel transforms lives. The gospel is the same regardless of other changes in our churches. Small groups are still vital. In the New Testament, groups sometimes met together in homes or other places. Throughout Church history, the role of groups has been vital. It is the place where community is established and where deep truths are taught. It has been called Sunday school, small groups, home groups, and cell groups. But they are all forms of small groups creating community and fellowship and learning. The mission field still needs workers. That includes the mission fields to the farthest ends of the earth. And it includes the community in our backyard. Prayer is still powerful. God is still using praying churches. Never, ever take for granted the power of pervasive prayer. Hurting people still need ministry. Pain and hurt may come in different names over the years, but the needs are still similar. A church that truly cares for people will always have a place in the community. A church that sees people through the eyes of Jesus will always be effective. God is still in control. Sometimes the pace of change confuses and disorients us. Sometimes the amount of suffering in the world challenges us. Sometimes we feel like there is no hope. Remember, God is still in control. He always has been; He always will be. He is there for you and your church.

I admit that I often have fun looking at trends and cultural forces that are changing our society and affecting our churches. Such is the bubble in which I often find myself.

But for many, the pace of change is disconcerting if not frightening. It can seem those things that we cherish are changing too fast or even being taken away from us. We all need these reminders that so much of God’s work in His churches will never change. These are the things that really matter. These are the things that really make a difference in our churches and the world in which we minister.

What other reminders can you give us? What are some constants that will never change in our churches? What really does matter?

Mother's Day Teaching Tools

History of Mother's Day:

Mother's Day in the United States was first proclaimed in 1870 in Boston by Julia Ward Howe, and Howe called for it to be observed each year nationally in 1872. As originally envisioned, Howe's "Mother's Day" was a call for pacifism and disarmament by women. Early "Mother's Day" was mostly marked by women's peace groups. A common early activity was the meeting of groups of mothers whose sons had fought or died on opposite sides of the American Civil War.In 1907 Mother's Day was first celebrated in a small private way by Anna Jarvis in Grafton, West Virginia, to commemorate the anniversary of her mother's death two years earlier on May 9, 1905. Jarvis's mother, also named Anna Jarvis, had been active in Mother's Day campaigns for peace and worker's safety and health. The younger Jarvis launched a quest to get wider recognition of Mother's Day. The celebration organized by Jarvis on May 10, 1908 involved 407 children with their mothers at the Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton. The following campaign to recognize Mother's Day was financed by clothing merchant John Wanamaker. As the custom of Mother's Day spread, the emphasis shifted from the pacifism and reform movements to a general appreciation of mothers.The first official recognition of the holiday was by West Virginia in 1910.A proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day was signed by U.S. president Woodrow Wilson on May 14, 1914.A tradition calls for the wearing of carnations on Mother's Day—a red one if one's mother is alive, and white if she has died.

Mothers in the Proverbs:

Proverbs 6:20-22 - My son, keep your father’s command, and don’t reject your mother’s teaching. Always bind them to your heart; tie them around your neck. When you walk here and there, they will guide you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; when you wake up, they will talk to you.

Proverbs 23:22-25 - Listen to your father who gave you life,and don’t despise your mother when she is old. Buy—and do not sell—truth, wisdom, instruction, and understanding. The father of a righteous son will rejoice greatly, and one who fathers a wise son will delight in him. Let your father and mother have joy, and let her who gave birth to you rejoice

Proverbs 29:15 - A rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a youth left to himself is a disgrace to his mother

Proverbs 31:10-12 - Who can find a capable wife? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will not lack anything good. She rewards him with good, not evil, all the days of her life.

Proverbs 31:28-29 - Her sons rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also praises her: “Many women are capable, but you surpass them all!”

Statistics:

81% of women 40 to 44 years old are mothers. In 1980, 90 percent of women in that age group were mothers.67% of women in Kentucky, ages 15 to 44, are mothers. This is among the highest rates in the nation. The national average is 57 percent.11% of women end their childbearing years with four or more children, compared with 36 percent in 1976.24.8 is the median age of women when they give birth for the first time - meaning one-half are above this age and one-half are below. The median age has risen nearly three years since 1970.A woman becomes pregnant most easily at the age of eighteen or nineteen, with little real change until the mid twenties. There is then a slow decline to age thirty-five, a sharper decline to age forty-five and a very rapid decline as the women nears menopause.The odds of a woman delivering twins is 1-in-33. Her odds of having triplets or other multiple births was approximately 1-in-539.In humans, most multiple births involve twins - about once in every thirty-three births. By contrast, triplets naturally occur about once in every 7900 births and quadruplets about once in every 705,000 births.August is the most popular month in which to have a baby, with more than 360,000 births taking place that month in 2001.Tuesday is the most popular day of the week in which to have a baby, with an average of more than 12,000 births taking place on Tuesdays during 2001.In the United States, between 1997 and 1999, 539 births were reported among mothers over age 50.In 2002, the 55% of American women with infant children were in the workforce, compared to 31% in 1976, and down from 59% in 1998. In 2002, there were 5.4 million stay-at-home mothers in the US.The statistics for 2004 revealed that 35.7 percent of all births were to unmarried women and that the percentage of unmarried mothers increased for all ages and races. The increase translates to almost 1.5 million children being born were to unwed mothers, up significantly – four percent – from 2003.

Flowers:

Mother's Day accounts for more than one-fifth of the floral purchases made for holidays.

Of fresh flowers purchased for Mother's Day: 42% are mixed flowers, 33% roses, 10% carnations, 2% orchids, 1% chrysanthemums/daisies, 1% lilies and 11% other single flower types. Of bedding/garden plants purchased for Mother's Day: 15% are geraniums, 15% impatiens, 12% petunias, and 58% other.Of flowering houseplants purchased for Mother's Day: 12% azaleas, 5% African violets, 5% are lilies, 3% chrysanthemums, and 75% other.

Simple Leadership

Six years ago, Eric Geiger and I wrote Simple Church. We were both surprised at the response to the book. It became one of the bestselling church ministry books ever. Indeed, Eric and I today talk about how unprepared we were for the reaction to our book, and wish we had done more to help churches implement our thesis.

Eric and I never expected to work together, but now we serve alongside each other on the executive team at LifeWay. One of our challenges is to make our complex organization simpler, so that those we serve can better understand how our resources will help them and their churches.

The Great Demand

The information age has ushered in information overload. Each new technological offering has the potential to add to our confusion with a plethora of new buttons and gadgets. A Google search begins as a simple act, but the choices for each search add to the complexity.

The world is crying out for simplicity, but most organizations are ignoring the cries. But those organizations that do get it, like Amazon or Google or Apple, will dominate markets and serve constituents well. It’s really hard to believe that Amazon did not exist before 1994; and Google did not exist before 1998. It seems like those behemoth companies have been around forever. They gave us simple and haven’t looked back.

The Dearth of Simple Leaders

Eric and I took the concept of simple and applied it to churches. But every organization needs leaders who can provide simplicity. The complex organizations of today are the dying organizations of tomorrow.

Let’s look at some keys to simple thinking for leaders. My list is not exhaustive, but it may prove to be a worthy starting point. I think it applies to pastors, CEOs, managers, and almost anyone else in a leadership position.

Five “Think” Starting Points

Think “why?” Why does your organization do what it does? Can you communicate clearly in one or two sentences the purpose behind each of your activities? Have those processes or activities become ends instead of the means in which they were originally established? Think of the end user. Sometimes we lead our organizations to do things because we our comfortable with our processes, systems, or programs. But we need to get ourselves in the minds of the end users. How do they perceive those things we do? As one small example, I am constantly correcting our employees when they use one of our never-ending acronyms. That’s insider language. We need to think about the outsider. Think “no.” Simple leadership means you are willing to say no to many things. There are countless good things your organization can do. But good is the enemy of great. And complexity is the enemy of success. Do fewer things better. Think “simpler.” Constantly evaluate and re-evaluate everything your organization does. Those processes or programs that began simple may be moving toward complexity. Indeed, most anything left alone will naturally move toward greater complexity. Think outside the box. Sometimes moving to simple is as easy as tweaking existing processes. But other times the change needs to be radical. Think of new paradigms and new approaches. And be prepared for the naysayers on most leadership teams who will insist that change is not necessary.

The Simple Revolution

Not too long ago, we accepted complexity. We acquiesced to the car repair shop that kept our car for over a week. We sighed with surrender when we had to spend several weeks researching a topic as we delved through myriads of print volumes. And we even accepted the complexity of computers early in the technology revolution.

No more.

Simplicity is here to stay. Neglecting it will hurt or destroy your organization. Embracing it will bring you victories you never dreamed possible.

What is your organization doing that is complex and confusing? Is your organization too busy for its own good? What “good” can you eliminate so that you are focused on great?

The world is demanding simple leadership.

A Son Preaches His Dad's Funeral

My pastor, Mike Glenn, said a temporary good bye to his dad this past week. I was moved by his message. It demonstrates the powerful bond and love the two men had for each other. The message reminds me how brief this life really is, and how we are to make the most of it. And it reminds me that the most important parts of our lives are the relationships we have.

I am thankful for the life of John Glenn. I am thankful for the dad he was to Mike, and the son Mike was to his dad.

Read the message here with joy and with tears.

Five of the Most Difficult Challenges for Pastors

It may be one of the most difficult jobs in the world. Indeed, it may be an impossible job to do in our own strength.

I know. Before I was LifeWay’s president or a seminary dean, I served as pastor of four churches.

I know. I have heard from countless pastors in countless churches. Their stories are similar to mine. So I asked the question: What specific part of being a pastor is the most difficult for you? In the weeks ahead, I will share a more exhaustive list. For now, let’s look at five tough challenges for pastors.

Responding graciously to someone right before you preach. The pastor has put hours into the sermon. He has prayed for God’s power for that moment. He is focused on God’s Word and its proclamation. All of his energy is devoted to the upcoming moment. Then someone rushes up to him with a piece of paper and says. “Pastor, you need to announce about the garage sale we’re having this week.” Most of the times I showed grace. A few times I did not and showed something else. Knowing what do with a staff member who is not making a vital contribution to the church. Many churches will not let leaders make the tough decision of letting a staff member go, even if he is not really productive and obviously an ill fit for the ministry and the church. Such a move is considered “un-Christian” and will not be tolerated, even if it would ultimately be best for that staff member. Many pastors have lost their own jobs when they made such a move. So we often move those persons to innocuous, low-accountability positions, even though we know it is poor stewardship. Loving a person in the church when that person is your critic. We want to be Christ-like, and love people unconditionally. I admit that I often saw those people through their critical words instead of seeing them through the eyes of Christ. Preparing more than one quality sermon a week. When I was a pastor I had to prepare a Sunday morning sermon, a Sunday evening sermon, and a Wednesday evening Bible message. Frankly, it took all I had to prepare one good message. I know many churches no longer have the Sunday evening preaching service, but tens of thousands of pastors still prepare more than one message a week. Doing the funeral of a person who was not a Christian. We can always hope the person had a deathbed conversion of which we are not aware. And we can always preach messages of comfort to the family and friends. But it is extremely difficult to talk about the deceased if he or she was lost.

What are some of the most difficult times for you as a pastor? Feel free to comment in anonymity if you wish. Pastors, what wisdom can you share with other pastors regarding these challenges? And laypersons, what can you or your church do to support these pastors?

Pastor to Pastor is the Saturday blog of ThomRainer.com. Pastors and staff, if we can help in any way, contact Steve Drake, our director of pastoral relations, at Steve.Drake@LifeWay.com.

Friday is for Freebies (May 4, 2012)

My giveaway this Friday is a three-pack of books from B&H valued at $65. They are part of the "Perspectives" book series which deals with differing views of various elements of evangelical thought and doctrine.

In counterpoint form, these books examine the mainstream views of their respective topics which have developed over the course of church history with a view toward determining which is most faithful to Scripture.

The three books for this week are Perspectives on the Family Ministry, Perspectives on Your Child's Education, and Perspectives on Children's Spiritual Formation.

To be entered to win, tell us your favorite childhood memory.

The deadline to enter is Saturday evening at midnight.

Notable Voices (May 3, 2012)

The Value of Sermon Introductions: How to Stop Giving Your Congregation Theological Whiplash -- Eric McKiddie

Crafting the beginning and conclusion of a sermon are often the most difficult parts of sermon preparation. Eric McKiddie provides seven quick tips to help pastors (or teachers) get things started.

Is This Evangelical Coach Out of Bounds? -- Erik Raymond

Last fall after the details of the sexual abuse allegations at Penn State emerged, one of the most memorable events of the season took place-- a simple pregame prayer between Nebraska and Penn State. The coach leading that prayer was Ron Brown. Coach Brown has recently found himself criticized for the unwavering defense of his personal faith. Erik Raymond profiles his boldness and the current stand Coach Brown is taking for the gospel.

Lecrae's 'Man Up' Mission to Address Father Absence -- Andrew Thompson

Lecrae is one of the biggest musicians in Christian music today. Christianity Today recently profiled his campaign to promote biblical manhood as the key to stopping fatherlessness in Atlanta and beyond.

A Disheartening Meme On Introversion -- Kirk Bozeman

I am an introvert. One of the most popular posts ever on this blog was the one I wrote on "The Introverted Leader." So Kirk Bozeman's examination of a recent internet meme about introverts struck a chord with me.

4 Ways to Ruin a Ministry Monday -- Greg Breazeale

When I served as pastor, Monday's were tough. Now that I run a company with nearly 5,000 employees, they haven't gotten much easier. If you ever find yourself having a "case of the Mondays," Greg Breazeale provides four tips to prevent Mondays from becoming Mondays.

Both Chastity and Contraception: A Scandalous Capitulation -- Trevin Wax

In recent opinion piece by Jenell Paris in Christianity Today, she recommended churches to “uphold premarital chastity as the biblical ideal, and encourage and educate unmarried singles about the effective use of contraception.” Trevin Wax provides quite the Biblical counterpoint.

The 10 Warning Signs of an Inwardly Obsessed Church

Any healthy church must have some level of inward focus. Those in the church should be discipled. Hurting members need genuine concern and ministry. Healthy fellowship among the members is a good sign for a congregation.

But churches can lose their outward focus and become preoccupied with the perceived needs and desires of the members. The dollars spent and the time expended can quickly become focused on the demands of those inside the congregation. When that takes place the church has become inwardly obsessed. It is no longer a Great Commission congregation.

In my research of churches and consultation with churches, I have kept a checklist of potential signs that a church might be moving toward inward obsession. No church is perfect; indeed most churches will demonstrate one or two of these signs for a season. But the real danger takes place when a church begins to manifest three or more of these warning signs for an extended period of months and even years.

Worship wars. One or more factions in the church want the music just the way they like it. Any deviation is met with anger and demands for change. The order of service must remain constant. Certain instrumentation is required while others are prohibited. Prolonged minutia meetings. The church spends an inordinate amount of time in different meetings. Most of the meetings deal with the most inconsequential items, while the Great Commission and Great Commandment are rarely the topics of discussion. Facility focus. The church facilities develop iconic status. One of the highest priorities in the church is the protection and preservation of rooms, furniture, and other visible parts of the church’s buildings and grounds. Program driven. Every church has programs even if they don’t admit it. When we start doing a ministry a certain way, it takes on programmatic status. The problem is not with programs. The problem develops when the program becomes an end instead of a means to greater ministry. Inwardly focused budget. A disproportionate share of the budget is used to meet the needs and comforts of the members instead of reaching beyond the walls of the church. Inordinate demands for pastoral care. All church members deserve care and concern, especially in times of need and crisis. Problems develop, however, when church members have unreasonable expectations for even minor matters. Some members expect the pastoral staff to visit them regularly merely because they have membership status. Attitudes of entitlement. This issue could be a catch-all for many of the points named here. The overarching attitude is one of demanding and having a sense of deserving special treatment. Greater concern about change than the gospel. Almost any noticeable changes in the church evoke the ire of many; but those same passions are not evident about participating in the work of the gospel to change lives. Anger and hostility. Members are consistently angry. They regularly express hostility toward the church staff and other members. Evangelistic apathy. Very few members share their faith on a regular basis. More are concerned about their own needs rather than the greatest eternal needs of the world and community in which they live.

My list is not exhaustive. You may have some items you could add. Have you ever been a part of an inwardly obsessed church? What signs were evident that led you to know the church was inwardly obsessed? Do you affirm some of the items on my list?

Teaching Tools: Prayer

Quotables:

"Prayer should not be regarded "as a duty which must be performed, but rather as a privilege to be enjoyed, a rare delight that is always revealing some new beauty." -- E.M. Bounds

"I never prayed sincerely and earnestly for anything but it came at some time; no matter at how distant a day, somehow, in some shape, probably the least I would have devised, it came." -- Adoniram Judson

"Our prayers lay the track down which God’s power can come. Like a mighty locomotive, his power is irresistible, but it cannot reach us without rails." -- Watchman Nee

"Since the days of Pentecost, has the whole church ever put aside every other work and waited upon Him for ten days, that the Spirit’s power might be manifested? We give too much attention to method and machinery and resources, and too little to the source of power." -- Hudson Taylor

“The man who mobilizes the Christian church to pray will make the greatest contribution to world evangelization in history.” -- Andrew Murray

"There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God." -- Brother Lawrence

Resources:

A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World
Paul E. Miller

Author Paul Miller shares his insights and conclusions about how to connect the broken pieces of your life and allow prayer—even poorly delivered—to fill the gaps with meaning and substance. Miller's down-to-earth approach and practical nature will help you see that your relationship with God can grow and your communication with Him can get better.

Spiritual Warfare - DVD Leader Kit
Chuck Lawless

Spiritual Warfare provides a biblical evaluation of popular issues in the spiritual warfare movement, and teaches participants how to recognize and respond to spiritual attacks. The DVD Leader Kit includes one copy of the Member Book and three DVDs that feature promotion and enlistment segments, a message to pastors, an introductory session, and seven, 15- to 20-minute teaching sessions. Includes an optional ninth session on the differences between the voice of God and the voice of Satan.

The Complete Works of E. M. Bounds on Prayer
E. M. Bounds

E. M. Bounds truly followed the charge to pray without ceasing. It was as normal and essential to him as breathing. But though he was in prayer constantly, it never became a chore to him. Throughout his life, whether he was ministering to troops during the Civil War or bringing God's Word to his congregation, E. M. Bounds relished his time in conversation with God.

Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference
Philip Yancey

Explore the point of intersection between humans and God with Philip Yancey. This is a journey to understanding the purpose and power of prayer. Questions examined include "Is God Listening?", "How can I make prayer more satisfying?", and "Why should God care about me?"

Excerpts:

The True Place of Prayer in Man's Life -- Origen

Again I believe the words of the prayer of the saints to be full of power above all when praying “with the spirit,” they pray “also with the understanding,” which is like a light rising from the suppliant’s mind and proceeding from his lips to gradually weaken by the power of God the mental venom injected by the adverse powers into the intellect of such as neglect prayer and fail to keep that saying of Paul’s in accordance with the exhortations of Jesus, “Pray without ceasing.” For it is as if a dart from the suppliant’s soul, sped by knowledge and reason or by faith, proceeds from the saint and wounds to their destruction and dissolution the spirits adverse to God and desirous of casting round us the bonds of sin.

Now, since the performance of actions enjoined by virtue or by the commandments is also a constituent part of prayer, he prays without ceasing who combines prayer with right actions, and becoming actions with prayer. For the saying “pray without ceasing” can only be accepted by us as a possibility if we may speak of the whole life of a saint as one great continuous prayer.

A Beautiful Lyric on Prayer -- James Montgomery

Prayer is the soul’s sincere desire,
Uttered or unexpressed;

The motion of a hidden fire
That trembles in the breast.

Prayer is the simplest form of speech
That infant lips can try;

Prayer the sublimest strains that reach
The majesty on high.

Prayer is the contrite sinner’s voice,
Returning from his ways;

While angels in their songs rejoice
And cry, “Behold, he prays!”

Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath,
The Christian’s native air;

His watchword at the gates of death;
He enters heaven with prayer.

O Thou, by whom we come to God,
The Life, the Truth, the Way,

The paths of prayer Thyself hast trod:
Lord, teach us how to pray!

On the Lord's Sermon on the Mount -- Augustine

"But again one might ask whether we are to pray by words or deeds and what need there is for prayer, if God already nows what is needful for us. But it is because the act of prayer clarifies and purges our heart and makes it more capable of receiving the divine gifts that are poured out for us in the spirit. God does not give heed to the ambitiousness of our prayers, because he is always ready to give to us his light, not a visible light but an intellectual and spiritual one: but we are not always read to receive it when we turn aside and down to other things out of a desire for temporal things. For in prayer there occurs a turning of the heart to he who is always ready to give if we will but take what he gives: and in that turning is the purification of the inner eye when the things we crave in the temporal world are shut out; so that the vision of the pure heart can bear the pure light that shines divinely without setting or wavering: and not only bear it, but abide in it; not only without difficulty, but even with unspeakable joy, with which the blessed life is truly and genuinely brought to fulfillment."

Four Keys to Long-haul Leadership

He was once regarded as one of the best business leaders in the world. At the end of his career, he was disgraced and, by some measures, considered one of the worst business leaders of all time.

Al Dunlap believed that the primary goal of a company was to make money for its shareholders. To that end, he would lead an organization to massive layoffs and plant closings. The short-term profits would soar, and so would the value of the company.

He led Scott Paper with that ruthless behavior. Thousands of employees lost their jobs. Plants were closed. But it seemed like he had the formula for success when he sold Scott Paper to Kimberly-Clark for $2.8 billion and walked away with his own $100 million golden parachute.

Over time, Dunlap’s true colors began to become clear. He would become CEO of Sunbeam in 1996. He took measures to make the company profitable at all costs, even if they were unethical or illegal. He eventually led the company to bankruptcy.

Short-term leaders and Long-haul Leadership

Sometimes the metaphor “flash in the pan” is used to describe leaders like Dunlap. They appear to be great leaders, but that greatness is illusionary. Over time, the true value of the leader is made clear.

On the other extreme are long-haul leaders. These are leaders who, most often, do not begin with great recognition and fanfare. Over time, however, the greatness of their leadership becomes evident. Some will remark that the leader “came out of nowhere.” Such is rarely the case. True great leaders for the long haul have been in formation for years. They work hard but rarely get recognition for a season. At some point, however, the value of their leadership begins to show.

My research team and I have examined leaders and their attributes for nearly thirty years. These long haul leaders especially intrigued us, and how they built their careers ultimately to become leaders of renown. In all of them we found four dominating traits.

Key #1: Passion

The long-haul leaders continually made choices to work in areas where they had passion for their jobs. They made tough decisions at times to take lower-paying jobs so they could follow their dreams. Passionate workers become passionate leaders. Passionate leaders often become great leaders. “I refuse to work at any job,” one leader told us, “unless I can be totally sold out to what I’m doing.

Key #2: Work Ethic

Because they were passionate about their work, long-haul leaders had a strong work ethic. They did what was necessary to get the job done. They were not clock punchers. Because they so loved their work, they hardly saw their vocation as work. It was fun and rewarding.

Key #3: Persistence

Some of the stories of long-haul leaders are nothing short of amazing. They were the leaders who stuck with their passion when others had given up. They measured success in increments instead of one big fanfare. They understood that success is sometimes three steps forward and two steps backwards.

Key #4: Humility

Long-haul leaders experience trials. They at times endure failures. They are often disregarded before they gain any recognition. In those times they learn humility. They learn what is like to be last and hungry. So when they do have their moment of breakout leadership, they accept the rewards with humility and gratitude. They are the antithesis of entitled leaders.

What Are Your Stories of Leadership?

Do you know any long-haul leaders? Do you know any entitled leaders? What have you learned about them? What have you applied to your life as a leader? I would love to hear your stories.