Blog

            With the clarity of hindsight, abiding feelings

I never looked in the mirror and felt, Hot dogs, we’ve got us a leader. But I did lead when needed, seeking to be guided by our church’s five values, which first captured my own heart. I never gave myself a 10 on about 4000 sermons, but I kept trying. And I was glad when the five values showed up in the exposition of Scripture.

I never liked everyone I loved as pastor, but I worked to shepherd them with daily commitment to these five goals of a church or a person.

I think they are what give worth to 43 years of pastoring and then these last six of teaching and coaching other pastors.

What a profound satisfaction to pastor in His church, and now to try to nudge other church leaders to The Five.

After the ever-present temptations of anger, pride, and lust these powerful triplets chase us all, and are magnified by the reverend title – I was probably challenged most by cynicism. Still am. You know what I mean – we all have been lied to many times; and we have exaggerated even in sermons. We all
have said the right answer when we knew it came from our sense of duty rather than our heart. We all have watched the preacher on TV give promises of success and happiness and wonder, Who is he kidding?

But even cynical tendencies are rebooted by these five values. See if they are yours:

1. Grace: It all starts there. We love because He went first. We serve because He is the King of kindness. And a church can be characterized by God’s kind of grace, not pride in our size or stature. And I can try to be that way today.

2. Worship: Here the arrow points up, in deliberate acts of praise and obedience, so this includes our weekend services but also personal obedience. When I have served and led to glorify the Lord Christ, instead
of to look good or allow show biz, it has felt good.

3. Community: I use that word so the church and you think of Sunday and home ABFs or groups, but also so we consider how we receive and seek to build others, care for the hurting, elevate the little people, and model the washing of feet.

4. Mission: Including personal and local and global evangelism and action love, but also meaning who we are as a church and as a person. Are we here to be the hot church in town, or to go with the latest best-seller’s new way to say it, or to be the body of Christ wherever we are?

5. Integrity: It is about finances and morality and honesty, but also about its literal meaning, “oneness” — that what we say is one with what is really the way life is.

When I stand in front of Christ the Judge – I know that is ahead – I have nothing to say about my own righteousness except, I am with you!

And when I give account of my ministry — I know most of my stumbling and failures — I believe I will be graded on grace, worship, community which includes unity, mission, with integrity.

These five feel good.

Otherwise, it’s just a job.

A ministry of the pastor to help influence believers considering full-time church and missions ministries for their lives.

Informal meetings: once a month, led by the pastor

Target: any age men and women interested in church or missions vocations as a way of life!

Purpose: encouragement, prayers, guidance, information; fulfilling one of the important pastoral responsibilities, to raise up future leader-servants.

It has to be one of the purposes of church leaders/pastors to help to raise up more of the same. It is not an easy matter, But surely one help is to pursue some people who ought to pursue full-time ministry assignments, and to encourage them.
And why not all at once, and not just individually?

A TYPICAL HOUR TOGETHER

* Greetings and opening and prayer

* Updates and personal events from participant, helping all feel at home

* One presents, “The Ten Biggest Events or Decisions of My life” — a planned
presentation that helps the presenter and the group understand what influenced them and why they are the way they are. Must be presented in seven minutes! (A great way to really know someone, and in this case to help to understand what inclined them toward ministry as a vocation.)

* Pastor: “Another reason why I love my job!” — a regular feature of the informal meeting of a few or a dozen! (If the pastor does not love his job he will not be searching for and convening this group in the first place!)

* Discussion and updates and questions and encouragement and prayers for each other! This normally includes thoughts about schools, internships, obstacles, goals!

An attempt to show that both are true!

 

A ministry of the pastor to help influence believers considering
full-time church and missions ministries for their lives
Informal meetings: once a month, led by the pastor

Target: any age men and women interested in church or missions
vocations as a way of life!

Purpose: encouragement, prayers, guidance, information; fulfilling one of the important pastoral responsibilities, to raise up future leader-servants. It has to be one of the purposes of church leaders/pastors to help to raise up more of the same. It is not an easy matter, But surely one help is to pursue some people who ought to pursue full-time ministry assignments, and to encourage them. And why not all at once, and not just individually?

A TYPICAL HOUR TOGETHER
* Greetings and opening and prayer

* Updates and personal events from participant, helping all feel at home

* One presents, “The Ten Biggest Events or Decisions of My life” — a planned presentation that helps the presenter and the group understand what influenced them and why they are the way they are. Must be presented in seven minutes! (A great way to really know someone, and in this case to help to understand what inclined them toward ministry as a vocation.)

* Pastor: “Another reason why I love my job!” — a regular feature of the informal meeting of a few or a dozen! (If the pastor does not love his job he will not be searching for and convening this group in the first place!)

* Discussion and updates and questions and encouragement and prayers for each other! This normally includes thoughts about schools, internships, obstacles, goals!

 

are defined in many ways.    The majority of churches coached, in my experience, use “discipleship” to refer to all their programs and groups and classes.

Okay, if you want to define it that way.   And all those groups help.

But here we are making it synonymous with a discipleship-accountability group (DAG) of all men or all women and with no more than 5-7 in it.

The way you can tell a fellowship-community group (usually men and women) from a DAG group: Ask the question, “Has anyone been looking at any pornography lately on their screen?”

No one will raise a hand in the community group, and a majority will look at you as if you are out of order to ask such a thing.

In a DAG group, all men or all women, where friendship has already been built and confidentiality has been assured, there might be some takers and some good discussion and verses and accountability will follow.

SUGGESTIONS

… Every pastor and full-time director should have one.  Many will not start one unless it is clearly required.

… Most seminary grads have never been in one. 

… Most leaders for board members and strong volunteers will eventually arise from these groups.

… Twice a month is adequate for a meeting pattern, and often is more inviting than a weekly commitment.

… To be effective, a group needs a leader who will deliver TLC— Time together, Love that is agape-like, and Content of the Scripture that hits the heart!

…Related to that Content, no more of this, “Where did Jesus go when he left Capernaum?” —actual question in a published discipleship program.  (The answer was Nazareth, as I recall — that will change your life! 🙂

Rather, the verses studied will be on either church or character, and the questions will call for candid honesty.

…Use the same material for two years in a group, then start three new groups out of that one — you take the weakest, and the next two strongest each begin a new group with one of the others who wishes to continue.   

… In 26 years (13 groups I led) we never lacked for discussion or honesty (I think).

 

The seven “major concerns” for a pastor are areas, aside from godliness and family, that seem to me most important for today’s pastor. Here are some major attached after going through these concerns one-on-one with almost 150 pastors and many more in group meetings. See papers on my website* if you wish.

1. Personal schedule

• • • Do I have a personal “master schedule” that is my best approach to a normal week?
    • Do I really follow it most weeks, unless interrupted by tragedy, or family need — not just whim?
    • Do I schedule and give enough time for a good expositional and personal sermon?
    • Does my schedule include a weekly “date” with my wife? Time with children? At least fives times for exercise?
    • An “open breakfast” meeting where a group of men can review the past sermon with me and I can get to know them, and they each other?
    • Times with staff, board chair, others who serve? Are shut-ins cared for?
    • Do I write thank-you notes Monday mornings?

2. Staff and volunteers

Are all the thirty areas of church life — okay, most of them — covered for
thought or prayer or vision by someone on paid staff? If the pastor is the only one on staff, covered by him?

If there is multiple staff, do specialists like a youth pastor have also two or three other areas in their “assignment folder” so they think or pray or read about those areas, even if nothing is happening yet? For instance, if there is no sports program, that may be ne for the time being, but someone on staff should have it as an area of reading or thinking or praying or envisioning.

And — equally important! — do all of the areas that have something going on have a volunteer ministry manager, who carries out a lot of the details from the vision given by the staff member? This is the way it works best.

Do you remember what MBWA means and how it helps?

3. Board

Have you adopted exactly what the board does and what the staff does? If they fare the same, you are wasting someone’s time. Or asking for conflict.

Have you thought through if term limits would be a good thing for your board members?

Have you considered the “soccer eld” approach where the board handles the oversight of the church and gives the player/coach, the senior pastor, the team to play on the field within the boundaries (foundations, resources, guidelines, goals)?

Do you have a discipleship program to help develop new members of the
board? Does everyone on staff have it as a requirement to have five or six men or five or six women in a true discipleship-accountability group?

Do you have a board covenant that everyone signs every new year?

Do you have a clear way that people are approved by the congregation to be board members? A good number for the board – usually 5–9?

Have you studied why it seems best for only the senior pastor and not other staff to be a member of the board? Do you make decisions before 9:00 pm?

Do the pastor and the board chairman have a clear way to plan on the agenda and to work out any differences before that item hits the board?

4. Love

This is the only subjective area of the seven major concerns. Is it a priority for the pastor and the staff? Are you carrying out the clear objective ways of showing love to the people?

5. Worship services and sermons

Is there a strong and good system for planning the services? Is there a general theme?

Does the pastor have as much input as he wishes?

Are the services and sermons geared for a response? Is there a plan for that ?

Do you stay within a consistent time limit?

Has anyone who knows better critiqued or analyzed one of your sermons recently? Was it specific about both content and delivery?

Do you have a good way to plan future sermons? Are you preaching “the whole counsel of God”?

6. Groups

Are at least half of your average worship attendance people in a community or life group?

Do you make a difference between community or life groups of mixed gender and true discipleship groups of 5 to 6 men or 5 to 6 women?

Do your community or home or life groups meet at least twice a month? Do they have their own choice of times to meet? Do they continue in the summer and also stay together for as long as they like, or do you have to start over every year?

Does the group have a care leader so that your pastoral care in general is pushed down to the groups where they attend, people that know them? Is the main facilitator or teacher different from the host?

Is it essential for members of staff to have a clear discipleship-accountability group?

7. Values

Are they simple and memorable, and biblical, so that all staff knows them and so do the regular attenders? (This as opposed to a long list that is not remembered by anybody.)

Do you renew them or remind the people every six weeks or so on Sunday mornings?

Why do you have them? Do you really follow them as you make decisions? Does the board really own them?

Do you keep this simple or have a whole list of values and another list of purposes and another whole mission statement? Often there are many of these and few know them or pay attention

Especially related to process for setting salaries and possibly giving end-of-year appreciation gift.

Setting salaries
Presuppositions

… Every salary should be reviewed every year.
… Any raises would not be automatic.
… Raises (or demotions or releases) should be based on at least these factors:

—- Hard and productive excellent work (related to clear job description and conclusions of main supervisor and also senior pastor, not a committee or board that does not observe daily)
—- “School spirit,” a subjective issue that relates to unity, Christian joy and servanthood, main values and goals of the church, appropriate honor to leadership
— Christian, biblical character

Steps to setting
1… The board of oversight, with recommendation from the strong finance committee (which is one of the two or three or four main teams of the board), sets a percentage increase for all salaries if one is possible. This percentage of increase is usually the same percentage as that allowed for the increase in total budget.
Many churches with large budgets base this on the giving of the current year (with reliable projection for November and December giving, based on the previous year(s) — since budget for a calendar year is usually begun in November for a calendar year.
(Many churches like to switch to a fiscal year of September August to be more in line with the “church year” of ministries.)

2… They (financial committee or financial committee and board of oversight) also set, confidentially, the salary of the senior pastor in line with his review by the strong finance committee or board. (See sample for annual review of pastor.)
(Best when the finance team is chaired by a member of the board, and the senior pastor is an active member.)

3…Then the senior pastor joins the strong finance team (sometimes just the members of the board who are on this team) to set salaries for the main associate pastors, or the rest of all the staff in a church where associates are not leaders of segments of staff.

4… Then the senior pastor joins the appropriate associate pastor to set salaries for people that area, including support staff.  

5. Each staff member receives and signs a “Letter of Agreement” each year —a letter which lists each part of salary and benefits and health benefits and vacation, etc., to avoid confusion.   

Annual reviews, bottom line +++
Grade A — extraordinary excellence.
Grade B — strong good contributions
Grade C — rather average, but not a detriment
Grade D — should be on probation with a goal spelled out, or told a plan for leaving So if the budget (including salaries) is to average 3% increase,
Grade A receives 5%…
B receives 3%, the average called for…
C receives 1%
(Obviously, if the board determines there cannot be an increase, the reviews should still happen, though without financial consequences.)
(And if the possible increase is 5%, adjustments can be 7, 5, 3. If 1%, they are 1.5, 1, .5 %)
+++ Obviously. the leaders must adopt a strong, objective, standard guide for annual reviews. (I would be glad to share the one I like best.)

A RELATED BENEFIT THAT CAN BE USED AS AN ADDED INCENTIVE
Rather than give too large a raise that in one sense must stay even in what may be leaner years for the church related to budget, a type of symbolic bonus can be given toward the end of the year (Thanksgiving Bonus) or at the end of the calendar.
For instance, Grade A receives $500, Grade B $300, Grade C $100.
A great way to thank, only in growing and productive years when the church is growing and generous with giving to the budget and missions and expansion.
(Some churches have avoided the issue of salaries mounting beyond the best amount over a number of strong financial years and then the church hits harder times ….by giving only end-of-year benefits as one-time additions.
Or some combination of raises and end-of-year one-time gifts.)

There are and will be many years when this should not and cannot be done, of course. But you asked about what are some alternatives when ministry and finances are strong for the church

 

… It has to be mentioned! Church is not totally divorced from Monday through Saturday or Friday.  World Series and Super Bowls and hurricanes and elections and tragedies cannot be omitted in church, or it appears we are already living in another world.   (Which is still to come.)

… The outcome should not be celebrated in a partisan way because you want members of both parties very involved in your church (one would think:-).   Or if you took sides clearly before the election, I guess you should celebrate.  But be careful!

… The pastoral prayer should recognize God’s sovereignty and ask for wisdom for the transition and future and  help for all of us to be citizens in line with Bible teachings.     (You do have a pastoral prayer? 🙂

… If we knew how God has protected us (as the president-elect testified), we could all be thanking God that He saved our lives a number of times.

… Candidates should never be used as a model for how to differ with somebody else in opinion or doctrine.  Duhhhhhh….

There is a whole chapter on this in Romans!

… Our responsibilities to God’s clear teachings come before our responsibilities to our country, which God also explains in his teachings.

… Would you dare to sing one of the two or three patriotic hymns that have very strong words about God’s grace and how we should live?   (None of which have been revised for guitars:-)

What do you think?

The old way was pretty full — Sunday school, morning worship, youth group, evening worship (often called “evangelistic service,”) — and that is just Sunday.

Then Wednesday prayer meeting, a visitation evening in many churches, youth group, and some social events!

And, sometimes, week-long revival or evangelistic meetings.

Plus district get-togethers in some church groups.

Now many churches have slimmed down to one worship service.

Perhaps these should be essentials:

SUNDAY OR WEEKEND WORSHIP: all ages, special class-care for infants and young children ‘

COMMUNITY GROUP’/ADULT BIBLE FELLOWSHIPS: Size 8-80, and involving Bible and its application and promoting strong connections, with care built in (a care director or couple to organize this). The best pastoral care come out of the group you meet with —they know if you are missing, or grouchy, or critical.

Many see these groups doing better meeting at a time of their choice, at least twice a month, rather than scheduling them at one cemented hour on Sunday. (An hour that calls for a second class for the young children and teens, and sometimes a second “lecture” lesson instead of real friendship building. The old-time Sunday school for all ages can be draining on church attendees and workers and teachers.)

And when done well these groups can pray together as an essential part of their time together. They pray more that we used to in the special “prayer meeting.” Especially if they use P-R-A-Y! Praise, Repent, Ask, Yield. (See guidelines.)

SERVING-OTHERS OPPORTUNITY: Most church leaders wish many of the involved would assume a role in serving — teaching, outreach, hosting, greeting, worship, and much more — in addition to careful loving daily living of course. Often that serving should be in some type of outreach ministry, a way for the church to connect with unchurched people in the area — single moms groups; grief support, divorce recovery; youth specials to bring in friends, sports teams, and more of course.

So all of this raises the questions: Should we have many more events scheduled to keep our people busier?

Should we renew the traditional Sunday school for all ages, to double the need for nursery workers, child-care, and lessons for the young?

Is a Biblical way to do church mostly about the believers getting together for various but similar purposes? Or is there meant to be strong strategic purposes for all the official “meetings,” so that family life and personal time are deemed important?

The pastor and staff and oversight board are certainly responsible for deciding and planning these very strategic plans, not the remaining few who like to be at the church building “every time the doors are open.”

PRESUPPOSITIONS
*** “THE GREATEST OF THESE (FAITH AND HOPE AND LOVE) IS LOVE.” SO IT MAY BE THE BEST THING A PASTOR CAN DO.
*** LOVE IS TO BE SHOWN AND SAID. ONE ONLY IS INADEQUATE.
*** A GOOD SHEPHERD MAJORS ON RELATIONSHIPS AS WELL AS METHODS.

TO THE CHURCH
… Say it on Sunday every five or six weeks! Not a sentimental, dramatic statement, but more like, “A reminder that I love you and your staff loves you, and we will do what is best for you, which is the way of love. It is so good to be connected this way!”
…A monthly pastoral letter with updates about church life, finances, and statements full of care for the people.
…An end-of-week text to the people with short thoughts about what is coming Sunday, Or a 15-second video mentioning the theme, that they can use to invite a friend. A loving invitation! (Some people decide Friday or Saturday whether they will do church on Sunday!)
… Preach hard truth with the mood of love and sympathy, and knowing that you also are a “frail child of dust.”
… Listen, listen, listen. “Be quick to listen and slow to speak,” one of the brothers of Jesus said. When you are listening to a person in need after the service and someone tries to shake your hand, go ahead and shake the hand, but keep listening to the person. You are modeling love.
…. Be kind. You will be known by your manner more than by your preaching or your leadership. Remember how the King of the universe described himself in Matthew 11!

TO THE OVERSIGHT BOARD
…Whenever new board members are called to serve, have one-on-one breakfast and see where they work if possible. They come to see where you work every Sunday.
…Start your part in every board meeting with appreciation to the board in general and also to one or two in particular if there are ways of service or love that jump out.
…Personal birthday wishes and appreciation!
…Step in with care when arguments start to enflame! “This is not the way we differ…”

WITH THE STAFF
…MBWA — Manage By Walking Around at least once a week with a large staff, and more with small, just to see how they are doing and thank and be personal.
…Make sure staff meetings include eating and fun regularly.
…Use the seven-minute assignment for each person — you go first — “The Ten Most Important and Influential Decisions or Events of My Life”! Guaranteed that all will know each other better afterwards, and also see why we are the way we are!
…Again, recognize birthdays with appreciation!
…When appropriate, have occasional breakfast or coffee with those who report to you, without talking about church business. Just listen to how they are!
… Do not allow emotional arguments on text or email — must to eye to eye!

WITH THE PUBLIC AT LARGE AND WHEN LEADING IN PUBLIC
… Do not quote yourself.
… Remember that your manner and kindness are more important than your position.
… Do not tell how big your church is if it is big.