Pastoring

Morality Has No Expiration Date

/ 4 minutes of reading

I have a confession to make.

I watch Downton Abbey.

And not in a “my wife makes me watch it” way, but in an “I can’t believe how good this is!” way.

Yes, I actually like it.

For those unfamiliar with the show, Downton Abbey (Not Downtown Abbey. Pronouncing it that way makes fans cringe) is a British drama that was set in the 1910s when it started several seasons ago, but has since moved into the Roaring 20s.

I seldom talk about my TV viewing habits in this forum. But I’m bringing it up today because in last night’s episode there was a fleeting moment where an argument was made which always sets my teeth on edge.

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The Invisible Scandal: How Bad Debt and Poor Stewardship Are Killing the Church

/ 6 minutes of reading

There’s a scandal going on in the church today.

It is one of the biggest scandals in church history, yet it remains invisible to most of us.

No, it’s not the sexual sins of some of our leaders. It’s not the physical, emotional and spiritual abuse of church members, or the cover-up of those sins. It’s not the self-righteous legalism on one side, or the moral compromise on the other. It’s not even our tendency to quarrel and back-stab each other.

Those scandals are horrifying, for sure. They’ve been well-documented and need to be exposed to the light of day even more.

The scandal I’m talking about has flown under the radar for a long time – centuries, actually. It’s so common we seldom even think of it as the scandal it is, or how badly it hurts people and tarnishes the reputation of the church in the eyes of those affected by it.

The most widespread sin of the modern-day church is poor stewardship.

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7 Important Reasons to Thank Your Worship Leader Today

/ 7 minutes of reading

If your church has someone who is willing to lead your congregation in worship consistently, humbly and reliably, you need to take time to thank them on a regular basis.

Actually, don’t just thank them. Encourage them. Support them. And run interference for them.

This also applies to youth workers, children’s ministers, seniors leaders, and others. But I’m focusing on worship leaders today for one simple reason.

There is no ministry in our churches under more attack today than our worship departments and their leaders.

Yes, at times they are part of the problem. But, more often than not, they’re the unfairly-accused victim.

As pastors, we know what it’s like to work hard, only to have every decision second-guessed, to have every sermon dissected, and to get little to no acknowledgment for our hard work.

Well, we’re not alone. Our worship leaders face the same problems. Sometimes worse. And sometimes their pastors are adding to this pressure instead of helping to relieve it.

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Discipleship Looks More Like Sacrifice Than Success

/ 4 minutes of reading

I’ve chosen to be a follower of Jesus. A disciple. From the moment I did that, I gave up ownership of my life.

My life is no longer mine. It’s his. So my goals don’t matter anymore. My potential is not enough. Not for me, my church, my family or my ministry.

I don’t want my best. I want God’s best. Because his best is so much better than my best.

Of course that’s what so many of these self-help gurus are claiming. That, whatever my dreams for my life are, God has 10 or 100 times more than that for me. (The really holy ones will use old-timey bible terms like 10-fold and 100-fold).

But the difference between my best and God’s best for me is not a matter of scale. It’s not that I’m asking for 100 and God wants me to ask for 1,000 or 10,000. Getting more of what I want is not God’s best, it’s just more of my best.

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How To Give Money Less Power Over Your Church

/ 6 minutes of reading

Money is in charge of too many of our churches.

We all know about the (so-called) churches, ministers and ministries that are in it for the money, while using their religious exemption to avoid taxes. Those aren’t the ones I’m talking about. I’ll leave them to the Lord and the IRS. (Thankfully, those are far more rare than the anti-church cynics want to believe.)

I’m talking about good churches that want to do great ministry, but their limited finances cause them to make too many decisions based on what they can or can’t afford, instead of what God is calling them to do.

It’s a trap too many good churches find ourselves in. Maybe yours.

There are no easy answers, but in today’s post I want to tell you about a decision my church made over two decades ago that has been a great starting point in allowing us to follow God more and money less.

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Jethro, Moses and the Hands-On Pastor

/ 4 minutes of reading

In a big church, Jethro’s 10, 50, 100 and 1,000 level leadership model can, and should be fully implemented. When it is, there are at least four levels between the members and the pastor, meaning only the most vital, big issues get to the pastor. And rightfully so in a church of 2,000 or more.

But in a church of 50, even if the pastor has done a superb job of training, discipling and delegating 10-level leaders, the pastor is still dealing with all the 50-level problems. That means the Small Church pastor deals with a lot more personal and family issues than a megachurch pastor will ever see. And those are the issues that require a lot of time, patience and emotional fortitude. You know, the hands-on stuff.

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I’m #2: Leadership Lessons from the Career of Derek Jeter

/ 3 minutes of reading

The Derek Jeter farewell tour may be the best thing happening in sports this year. Especially in light of the current travesty of scandals engulfing the NFL for behavior unbecoming.

His major league career spanned two decades, during which the credibility of baseball was damaged by the steroids scandal. But, not only was Jeter not implicated in the scandal, he is actually credited with helping baseball rise above it.

Jeter’s most lasting legacy may be how he always conducted himself with dignity and humility. No, he wasn’t perfect. He had his flaws. But he rose above them.

He played the game well – exceptionally well. But he never drew attention to himself. He never made the headlines.

Even his nickname, The Captain, was about teamwork, not individual glory.

That’s the kind of pastor and person I want to be. Not to be known for what I did, but for how I made others better.

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The Growing Disconnect Between Spiritual Hunger and Church Attendance

/ 6 minutes of reading

Doing church together is an essential aspect of what it means to be a Christian. But church attendance rates keep dropping in most of the developed world.

Why? I often hear it’s because people aren’t as spiritually-minded as they used to be. After all, if it’s not their fault, then some of it might be our fault. And that can’t be.

But the evidence doesn’t support that. In fact, it suggests that people’s spiritual hunger may be growing, not shrinking. Spiritually-themed books, movies, TV shows and blogs are having a major resurgence. Alternative spirituality is booming.

Spiritual hunger isn’t a cultural thing. That God-shaped hole is hard-wired into every one of us. Church attendance isn’t down because people have stopped caring about spiritual things. It’s because we haven’t done such a great job at showing them how church attendance will help them answer that longing.

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Let’s Ask Better Questions About Church Size

/ 3 minutes of reading

Instead of asking “what’s the best church size?” we need to ask “what’s the best church size for a given situation?” The best size for one church may not be the best size for another church. Even the church right across the street.

Better questions might include

What’s the best church size for the people we’re called to reach?
What’s the best church size for this pastor’s leadership gifts and calling?
What’s the best church size for our church’s purpose and philosophy of ministry?
What’s the best church size for our church right now?

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Living In the Dynamic Tension Between Pastor and Manager

/ 4 minutes of reading

I did not leverage my time well this week. It was wasted in personal pastoral care. Over a dozen hours were squandered in pastoral counseling – marriage, pre-marriage, divorce recovery, and some harrowing life challenges that they wouldn’t share with anyone but their pastor. I lost additional hours helping a new believer sort out the next steps in their spiritual life.

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