Pretentious Planning

Strategic planning is seen as an essential tool for any enterprise. New business ventures need a business plan before they can attract investors and obtain loans. This same thinking thrives in the church.

Yet this tool is not so benign.

Alan Roxburgh writes:

The work of the Spirit is always greater than our imagined worlds and that God must always be in the process of breaking the boundaries we set up to define and circumscribe the limits of the church and its activities. In this sense God's purposes are often other than those which we establish and embed in our institutions. This is not to criticize or judge these institutions but to suggest there is always a dynamic, eschatological tension in all our organizing and planning. It even suggests that, at least from time to time, the Big Idea we have and around which we align all our resources and strategies as schools can miss what God is about in the world.

But in a time of discontinuous change it is no longer the Big Ideas or experts or the few who are able to make the kinds discernment and decisions about planning and actions that get at the questions of what God is up to in the world. When boundaries begin to shift or frameworks come into question this liminal-type of situation requires the capacity for a whole community to be brought into the conversation about innovation and planning. Without this engagement across the system in a mutually critical dialogue the default to strategic planning methods will generally result in brilliant plans that, in the end, leave the system essentially where it was before the planning began.

I would suggest that when strategic planning is the primary mode of making actions within social systems formed by the narrative of the Gospels that reveal this God then it is inevitable that the other, whether faculty, or the students we form or the local churches we seek to resource, becomes objectified, a means, end or function of something that is other than what God is about in the world.

Part of the problem with strategic planning is the assumption that we can create the future we want by managing our current resources. And those resources, remarkably, include human beings, reducing them to little more than objects that we manipulate to achieve our long-term goals. Even God becomes a "raw material."

This doesn't mean that we just fly by the seat of our pants, though real life often feels this way. We need to prepare for the future. We need to be intentional about what we do and what we choose not to do. But most of all, our job is to discern what God is up to and to be willing to participate in that as opportunities present themselves.

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

Missional Geography

Alan Roxburgh gives us a Missional Geography lesson:

As I listen to how suburban church leaders speak, I am more and more aware that in their programs for growth and multi-site digitally-fed main speakers they have little sense that geography matters.

The local, the neighborhood, is the place of God's presence and where the Spirit is at work among people.

I am convinced that for Christians to understand how the Biblical narrative enters and participates in the transformation of culture they must grasp that geography is everything! Once we live into the Incarnation we are committed to place, to particularity; space and time are not containers but the reality within which God's transformative grace is worked out.

We are seeking to reclaim the suburbs for the kingdom, not curse them as so many do.

Forget the stars and the gurus; stop hungering after the trendies of the moment; enter the local and the ordinary, listen to what is happening on the ground in your own place and context because this is where God's future is bubbling up. Pay attention to those who actually work on the ground rather then the gurus who try to think great thoughts in heads that are so disconnected from the ordinary places and times where most of us live.

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

99 Success Secrets of Jesus

Did you know that "Virtually All Classic Success Literature In One Way Or Another, Copy The Success Secrets Of Jesus!"?*

Now you can learn those secrets for yourself. For only $14.99 plus shipping and handling, you can buy The 99 Success Secrets of Jesus.

"Learning about Jesus from the gospels is a good place to start, but if you really want to unlock the secrets to Jesus' amazing success, you have to look deeper, at the elusive obvious."

But if you buy this book, it will all be made clear for you. You will learn success secrets like these:

• Secret #1 He Knew Who He Was
  
• Secret #3 He Was A Leader
  
• Secret #9 He Was Decisive
  
• Secret #10 He Embraced Paradox
  
• Secret #13 He Freed His Mind
  
• Secret #21 He Was An Expert
  
• Secret #24 He Was Controversial
  
• Secret #31 He Was A Giver
  
• Secret #32 He Was Committed
  
• Secret #49 He Faced His Fear
  
• Secret #55 He Got Attention
  
• Secret #76 He Suffered
  
• Secret #90 He Was Misunderstood
  
• Secret #94 He Created A Brand
  
• Secret #98 He Rose Again
  

I'm not sure how helpful number 98 is. If your regenerative power is not up to snuff, you might not want to count on this one. But with 99 secrets, you should have everything you need for professional and personal success.

So if you are a failure, you have no excuse!

Pastor Rod

*If you are troubled by the bad grammar, maybe you should look a little deeper for some more serious problems, such as bad logic and terrible theology.

Confessions of a Preacher

Lord, I come to you a miserable sinner, a sinner with a pulpit.

I repent for every time I preached something other than the good news of the gospel.

Lord, have mercy.

I repent for every time I made parishioners feel that they needed to try harder to be accepted by you.

Lord, have mercy.

I repent for every time I turned biblical narratives into morality lessons.

Lord, have mercy.

I repent for every time I reduced the gospel to a transaction.

Lord, have mercy.

I repent for every time I believed that everything depended upon my eloquence.

Lord, have mercy.

I repent for every time I focused on the people who didn't come instead of those who did.

Lord, have mercy.

I repent for every time I said, "This is what the Bible says you should do."

Lord, have mercy.

I repent for every time I pretended to have it all together.

Lord, have mercy.

I repent for every time I turned a sermon into a seminary lecture.

Lord, have mercy.

I repent for every time I proclaimed a Christianity of tips and techniques.

Lord, have mercy.

I repent for every time I spent more time preparing the message than I did preparing the messenger.

Lord, have mercy.

I repent for every time I depended upon my cleverness instead of the scandal of the cross.

Lord, have mercy.

O Lord, have mercy upon me, a wretched offender. Spare those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to humankind in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, most merciful Father, for his sake that I may hereafter proclaim the true gospel with courage and confidence to the glory of your holy Name. Amen.

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

Foolproof Scientific Church Management

Here is a schematic of the mental model most church leaders have for operating a church.

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

Missional Order vs. Church Planting

In the introduction to this Allelon netcast, Pernell Goodyear says, "The way that we've done church planting for the past number of decades has been about moving rock stars into neighborhoods and marketing this big attractional thing that people come to, growing our division of the church as an organization."

David Fitch, pastor of Life on the Vine, talks about church planting in post-Christendom:

We are no longer living in a Christian society.

We used to plant churches as organizations. You pay somebody to go set up shop.

Now the issue is survival. I do not believe that you can plant a church in three years in post-Christendom.

We're going from extending an organization to survival.

A missional order says we will gather together people and we will commit to being a body and we will embed ourselves in this location. We will incarnate Christ in this location. We will build relationships with those—we will look for those who are hurting. We will look for the poor. We will look for the struggling. We will look for ways of connecting. And we can take forever, if we have to.

He has more to say. Check out the video.

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

You’re Fired!

So it turns out that I'm not the only voice crying in the wilderness. It seems that someone else has a problem with the idea of a pastor as CEO (HT: Darryl Dash).

Backyard Missionary asks "Where on earth did we ever get the idea that the 'Chief Executive Officer' was an appropriate biblical expression of leadership?"

Have we really become a commercial enterprise where the strong survive and the weak get fired?

I don't believe the CEO has any place in the 'family' of God.

I also get the impression that our natural evangelical pragmatism has caused us to ask 'how can we do this thing better?' which is a good question, but the answer has been to adopt business principles and then bring accountability to bear on those in positions of leadership for whether they manage to implement the strategies and goals of the company. Even if the things we want to do better are often beyond our control we still appoint someone with the responsibility to do them… and fire them if they don't pull them off.

Maybe I'm not losing my mind after all.

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

Do We Believe in Grace or Not?

In the church we like to talk about and sing about grace. But do we really believe in grace?

• If we really believed in grace, we would quit acting as if everything depended upon our performance.
  
• If we really believed in grace, we wouldn't hold people's past sins against them once they had repented.
  
• If we really believed in grace, we wouldn't write people off as beyond redemption.
  
• If we really believed in grace, we wouldn't be filled with pride that we are not like "them."
  
• If we really believed in grace, we wouldn't be too proud to admit our shortcomings and struggles.
  
• If we really believed in grace, we wouldn't be putting our trust in money, fame and power.
  
• If we really believed in grace, we wouldn't be such jerks when we're driving.
  
• If we really believed in grace, we wouldn't be preaching sermons that are designed to get people to "try harder."
  
• If we really believed in grace, we wouldn't be so consumed with anxiety and fear.
  
• If we really believed in grace, we would be looking for the ways that God is already working among us instead of begging him to bless our grand strategies.
  
• If we really believed in grace, other people would be able to tell by the way we live.
  
• If we really believed in grace, we would be living lives of love, joy and peace.
  
• If we really believed in grace, we would value people more than our theological system.
  
• If we really believed in grace, we would be grateful for the abundant goodness that God showers upon us.
  

I think I believe in grace. I want to believe in grace. I need to believe in grace.

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

Missional Manifesto IV

What are the criteria for "success"?

If the focus is not on results, then how do we measure success? We certainly cannot measure it according to the standards of the business world.

The lure of success is seductive. Its siren song causes many people to uncritically ascribe so much authority to high-profile leaders, platform speakers and megachurch pastors…. In American measurement, Jesus' human life was a failure because it ended in the shame and disgrace on a cross with all his followers abandoning him.

Brian J. Dodd, Empowered Church Leadership, p. 11

When numerical growth is taken as the criterion of judgment on the church, we are transported with alarming ease into the world of the military campaign or the commercial sales drive.

Leslie Newbigin, The Open Secret, p. 127

The fruit of effective ministry should first of all be evident in the life of the minister.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22–23).

The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of a high-profile leader in the Church is generally not peace, patience, kindness or gentleness. In fact, these qualities are often lacking.

Christians are routinely taught by example and word that it is more important to be right… than it is to be Christlike. In fact, being right licenses you to be mean, and, indeed, requires you to be mean—righteously mean, of course.

Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart, p. 238

What matters is not what we are doing and how much we are accomplishing but the kingdom character with which we conduct our business and how we treat people in the process.

Brian J. Dodd, Empowered Church Leadership, pp. 101-102.

The other measure of "success" is faithfulness.

There is no room either for anxiety about our failure or for boasting about our success. There is room only for faithful witness to the one in whom the whole purpose of God for cosmic history has been revealed and effected, the crucified, risen, and regnant Christ.

Lesslie Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society, p. 125

But what about the situations where nothing seems to be happening?

For those who lead and reason "in the flesh," suffering is a sign that something is wrong, that something is failing, that we should go in a different direction.… For those who learn to lead in the Spirit, we come to recognize that suffering and struggle are often signs that we are on the right road, that we are heading in the right direction, that we are kicking a dent in the darkness.

Brian J. Dodd, Empowered Church Leadership, p. 66.

"Failure," rather than being a sign that something is wrong, can be an asset.

If we are not very successful in ministry, in whatever way we measure success, then God does not have a hard time getting us out of the way. . . . The burdens of office may have become so heavy that we welcome being bumped aside by Jesus.

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 25

Suffering is not the enemy of ministry. It is through suffering and weakness and "defeat" that God accomplished his victory in Jesus Christ. God does not work in spite of our weakness. He works through our weakness.

The way of the cross sometimes leads us into those places where all we can do is hold on. We can't see our way forward, we are confused that God isn't doing what we expect, and we can't see any meaning for all the pain and frustration.

Allen Mitsuo Wakabayashi, Kingdom Come, p. 170

We must always do what we know is right and true before God even if it doesn't seem as if it produces results.

Allen Mitsuo Wakabayashi, Kingdom Come, p. 172

We must never forget that the path of the cross lead to and through the darkness of death, not around it. Yet the God that we follow is the God of resurrection. We must hang on and stay faithful for as long as it takes.

Allen Mitsuo Wakabayashi, Kingdom Come, p. 173

Faithfulness is not a dodge to avoid responsibility. Faithfulness is not a cover for laziness. Faithfulness is not taking the easy way out.

There is a world of difference between being productive and being fruitful, between striving to build Christ's church and allowing Christ to build his church through you.

Stephen Seamands, Ministry in the Image of God, p. 92

When faithfulness is replaced with mere success, we have failed in our obligation to our Lord.

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

Missional Manifesto III

What is the "job" of a pastor?

These ideas about leadership lead to misguided notions about what the role of a pastor should be. These notions are rooted in culture and are based upon value systems that are contrary to the gospel.

In North America the culture of the strong leader has pushed aside a proper, biblical understanding of the role of a pastor.

A pastor is not a CEO. Yet pastors are encouraged to follow the "take no prisoners" strategy of strong leadership. Because we have turned the mission of the Church into a to-do list and have lost our theological moorings, our pragmatism quickly degenerates into an "ends justify the means" mindset.

A casual observer may more easily compare much of what masquerades for Christianity with Nietzsche's power ideal than with Jesus' focus on vulnerability and service and Paul's conviction that God's power most often shows through our weakness.

Brian J. Dodd, Empowered Church Leadership, p. 83

Some pastors suffer from the messiah complex. They need to be needed. Others buckle under the weight of "responsibility." But this is not a responsibility placed upon them by God. Others mindlessly follow the model of business leaders and sports heroes. As "quarterbacks" it is their job to "take control of the huddle."

We are not the healers, we are not the reconcilers, we are not the givers of life. We are sinful, broken, vulnerable people who need as much care as anyone we care for.

Henri J. M. Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus, pp. 43-44

To be truly effective, pastors must give up the idea that they are the key to success. They must avoid the temptation of thinking that God needs them.

Our strategies, action plans, pastoral resources and entrepreneurial church revitalization techniques have become not the solution but the problem. Our ministries need to be crucified. They need to be killed off.

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 10

If anything of any lasting value happens in the Church, it is not because of the skill, effort or dedication of a pastor. The only way anything worthwhile will come about is through the work of the reigning Lord Jesus Christ.

Everything that we "know" about pastoral ministry has to be rethought.

Ministry is not a matter of a minister working hard, preaching relevant sermons, being a super-efficient congregational administrator, attending those who are sick, downcast, grieving and lonely, all the while growing the congregation and charming the people with a winsome and attractive ability to relate warmly.

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 119

All that we think we should do and can do and are doing in ministry must be put to death.

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 13

So is there nothing for a pastor to do?

There is much important work to be done by pastors. At its heart, the work of a pastor is primarily theological.

The work of theological reflection in a profoundly changing culture must be reintroduced into the daily practices of pastoral life.

Alan Roxburgh & Fred Romanuk, The Missional Leader, p. 170

The Christian leaders of the future have to be theologians, persons who know the heart of God.

Henri J. M. Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus, p. 68

Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.

Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline

Theological reflection requires fluency in the Scriptures, personal knowledge of God and a deep understanding of the culture. Doing theology should not be left to those in academia. It is not a luxury reserved for those who have extra time. A pastor should never say, "I'm not a theologian."

Theological discernment is the primary skill we need. Regardless of our therapeutic skills, without theological discernment pastoral care does not happen. God undoubtedly is up to something, but it will be in spite of us if we are not focused on the present ministry of Jesus Christ.

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 131

The task of pastoral interpretation is through and through theological, always asking the key question Who is Jesus Christ for this person, and what does this mean for faith and faithfulness?

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 137

Doing theology does not mean memorizing the propositions of some dead thinker. The work of theology is more narrative than it is propositional. The content of the Old Covenant is the story of God's interaction with his people to deliver them from slavery, oppression and their own faithlessness. The New Covenant is likewise a story, a continuation of the previous story but with several surprising twists.

At its core, pastoral work involves bearing witness to the joining of two stories, the parishioner's and God's. Who is Jesus Christ specifically for this person amid the particularities and exigencies of her current life experience?

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 128

Proclamation is an important part of the role of pastor. Preaching is not about tips and techniques for a better life. It is not about selling tickets to heaven. It is not about mobilizing volunteers.

Everything else we might do is an addition to speaking of God. Because God is means God acts, we must speak of the God who has acted, does act and will act in time and space in, through and as Jesus Christ. Everything else we do is secondary, no matter what its seeming institutional, programmatic or administrative importance.

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 132

Commit yourself again to ever more deeply becoming a careful preacher of Christ. Don't preach to grow your congregation; preach to bear witness to what the Lord is doing, and let him grow your church.

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 44

The primary task of the pastor is theological reflection and proclamation. To that the pastor must add the ability to "connect" with other people.

No matter what your theological skills, if you do not know how to relate to another person, your pastoral work will not get off square one.

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, pp. 130–131

The effective pastor cares for people, not in the abstract but as individuals. The effective pastor has empathy. The effective pastor knows how to put others at ease and just be with them.

I would argue that in today's society, any attempt to model your life on the life of Christ must include a genuine attempt to hang out regularly in third places. Genuine incarnational living demands it.

Michael Frost, Exiles, p. 59

Incarnational ministry is not about goals, agendas or schedules. Incarnational ministry is simply being with people redemptively. Incarnational ministry is the "enfleshment" of God's love, mercy and grace.

Ministry is no longer about us and our skills. It is now about the real presence of Jesus Christ, whenever and wherever in his gracious freedom and love he is Emmanuel, God with us.

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 16

Incarnational ministry is impossible if the focus is on results. When we start to press, we begin to rely on our skills, commitment and effort. The ministry stops being about the presence of Jesus Christ and starts to be about "closing the deal."

All our instincts and training tell us that we should do something. Our sense of responsibility makes us feel guilty that we are not trying "hard enough." But, if we give in to these impulses, we lose our long-term effectiveness, and possibly our souls as well.

To live and minister in light of these truths [of the gospel] you really do have to have a lot of peace in your heart. That comes from the realization that you don't have to make it happen. You just have to be truthful, follow your studies, stay with your fellowship with the few who are close to you, and just keep going. Because, truthfully, what we need is a revolution, but revolution is always very dangerous. And human revolutions always devour their children. And so what we need is a revolution that is actually conducted by Christ. And that means that we have to be content not to make things happen.

Dallas Willard, "New Age of Ancient Christian Spirituality" www.dwillard.org/articles/artview.asp?artID=95

The issue is not How does Jesus get in on our ministries? Instead, because he is the living and reigning Lord, the issue is now What is he up to, and how do I hitch a ride on whatever he is up to?

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 12

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

Missional Manifesto II

What is leadership?

The style of leadership taught by Donald Trump on his Apprentice TV show has found its way into the boardroom of many American corporations and into the pastor's office of many churches.

There is considerable debate whether this style of leadership is effective in the business world. But there should be no debate whether this style of leadership is appropriate within the kingdom of God.

Jesus told his disciples, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant" (Matthew 20:25–26).

Even in the business world there has been significant interest in "servant leadership." But too often in the Church, the talk of servant leadership is little more than lip service. Or it is seen as a technique to wield power more effectively.

Church leaders seem to covet the same power, fame and clout as the ego-driven business leaders. But leadership in the Church is not primarily about getting things done.

Leadership is not so much about task effectiveness, management ability, vision casting or time efficiency. Leadership is about modeling life in Christ.

Brian J. Dodd, Empowered Church Leadership, p. 100

God does not need our programs, long-term goals and strategies. What he wants are people who have learned how to depend upon him.

What we need from our leaders and in our churches is not new principles, new ideas or new buildings. What we need is a renewed dependence upon God, to be renewed in the person, presence and power of the Holy Spirit.

Brian J. Dodd, Empowered Church Leadership, p. 29

Leadership is primarily about discipleship, discipleship of the leader. The leader must learn to recognize what God is already doing. The leader must learn how to depend upon God's power and resources. The leader must learn how to help others follow him or her in this process.

Too much of what passes for leadership in the Church is ego-driven manipulation with a spiritual veneer.

To accomplish spiritual results we do not create the future by visioning it or by mobilizing people to create our picture of what the future will be. I am directly criticizing a predominant teaching among Christian writing and leadership seminars that promote the importance of vision. My criticism of them is they do not use "vision" the way the Bible does, and their teaching tends to promote flesh acts, not Spirit-led leadership.

Brian J. Dodd, Empowered Church Leadership, p. 159

Before long we no longer need God except as a magic charm to give us "good luck." These are our plans, our ideas, our vision. We go through the ceremony of having God bless them, but they remain ours.

For too long, church leaders have been obsessed with the search for the program, tactic, or strategic plan that delineates a goal, sets out a path, and aligns people in moving toward and realizing a predetermined future.

Alan Roxburgh & Fred Romanuk, The Missional Leader, p. 145

Church leadership seems to have borrowed the worst of "leadership" in the business world.

Whole systems of church life are being formed on the basis of the CEO leader who takes charge, sets growth goals, and targets "turn around" congregations much like a business CEO who comes in to lead a failing corporation.

Alan Roxburgh & Fred Romanuk, The Missional Leader, p. 27

Not only is there a theological problem with this approach, but (ironically) there is a practical problem as well. When the "strong leader" becomes the model, the "followers" tend to become passive.

We have been so captivated by hierarchical, top-down conceptions of leadership, be it that of bishops, superintendents, pastors, and CEO-type leaders, that we have inadvertently blocked the power latent in the people of God.

Alan Hirsch, The Forgotten Ways, p. 163

But the real problem here remains the theological one. Our methods and models deny the message we proclaim.

Our theology says that we should lead from below, but all our models say we should look and act successful.

Alan Roxburgh & Fred Romanuk, The Missional Leader, p. 190

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

Missional Manifesto I

This is the first installment of a four part series looking at the Church from a missional perspective.

What is the Mission of the Church?

After his resurrection, Jesus said to his disciples, "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:19–20). But this "commission" has been understood in many different ways.

Some like to emphasize "go" and use it as a mandate for world missions. Others interpret "make disciples" as evangelism or getting people signed up for heaven. Some see "baptizing" and "teaching" as representing evangelism and discipleship respectively.

But the first problem here is the assumption that this is our project.

It is somewhat misleading to talk about the mission of the Church. It is God's mission that he has invited us to participate in. This distinction is crucial.

Mission, then, is not essentially a human activity undertaken by the church and its leaders out of obligation to the Great Commission, gratitude for what God has done for us, and the desperate plight of the world. It is God's own mission in which we are invited to participate.

Stephen Seamands, Ministry in the Image of God, p. 161

This doesn't mean that this mission begins as God's mission which he then eventually turns over to the Church.

It is of the greatest importance to recognize that it remains his mission. One of the dangers of emphasizing the concept of mission as a mandate given to the Church is that it tempts us to do what we are always tempted to do, namely to see the work of mission as a good work and to seek to justify ourselves by our works. On this view, it is we who must save the unbelievers from perishing.

Lesslie Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society, p. 117

We can't save people or convert them. We can't even convince people that they should allow God to save them. All we can do is demonstrate the life of discipleship and create an environment where individuals can hear and recognize the call of God.

The Church's job is not to save people but to shape the space in which God calls them to Himself.

Earl Creps, Off-Road Disciplines, p. 145

The mission of the Church is more about being than it is about doing. The Church is the embodiment of God on earth. This is what the Bible means when it calls the Church the Body of Christ.

And Jesus didn't charge his disciples with making converts. He called them to make disciples.

The primary function of the church is not evangelism, but to be a place for the dwelling of God on the earth. This requires that people grow and receive God and occupy their place with God. That would have a natural effect of evangelism. What we want is not just evangelism that makes converts. We want disciples... and if you are intent on making disciples and keep on that track, evangelism will take care of itself.

Dallas Willard, "Rethinking Evangelism" www.dwillard.org/articles/artview.asp?artID=53

The Church is a "place" where the reign of Christ is a present reality. The Church is God's agency for announcing the claim of the risen Lord to a world filled with imposters. The Church is one of the instruments used by God to extend his kingdom and to assert his authority over the forces of evil.

The Christian mission is thus to act out in the whole life of the whole world the confession that Jesus is Lord of all.

Leslie Newbigin, The Open Secret, p. 17

This requires deep knowledge of God and more than a passing familiarity with the culture in which a particular congregation finds itself.

The business of the church is to tell and to embody a story, the story of God's mighty acts in creation and redemption and of God's promises concerning what will be in the end. The church affirms the truth of this story by celebrating it, interpreting it, and enacting it in the life of the contemporary world.

Lesslie Newbigin, Proper Confidence, p. 76

When the mission of the Church is reduced to a particular activity, the focus shifts to the means and methods used to perform that activity. Pragmatism quickly becomes the primary concern.

Overemphasis on technique can undermine solid missiological thinking. There is a lack of theological depth in much of the contemporary church planting and church growth movements because these are movements of techniques, paradigms, and methodologies without genuine biblical and missiological convictions.

Ed Stetzer & David Putman, Breaking the Missional Code, p. 184

The mission of the Church is about being. There is much that can and should be done, but that always grows out of who the Church is and especially out of who Jesus is.

A local congregation is a subversive community that lives in submission to the true Lord and refuses to bow down to the pretenders to the throne. It lives with courage, confidence and compassion. It embodies love, joy and peace in a world where people live without God and without hope.

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

14 Ways to Increase Your Empathy

Empathy may be the most important skill we possess as humans. Much depends on our ability to connect with others, to identify what they are thinking and feeling.

Some people are better than others at this. Women tend to outshine men in this area.

But whatever your current expertise, here are 14 things you can do to improve your empathy.

1. Listen more, talk less. The most reliable way to know what other people are thinking and feeling is to listen to them when they are talking. When you are talking, they are not. Just by talking less, you can dramatically improve your empathy.
   
2. Stop interrupting. When people are comfortable with each other, they feel safe in interrupting during conversation. However, cutting off the other person gets in the way of empathy. People feel more understood when they are allowed ample space to state their opinion. Conversation is not always about efficiency.
   
3. Don't finish sentences. When you think you know what other people are going to say, you are tempted to finish their statements. This is partially prompted by a desire for efficiency and partially by a wish to demonstrate an understanding of the other's thoughts. But this practice actually gets in the way of empathy. It is better for people to tell you what they feel than for you to tell them what they feel. Besides we rarely understand others as well as we think we do.
   
4. Don't give advice. Resist the temptation to fix the problems people tell you about. When you give them advice, it has the result of minimizing their feelings. Sometimes, almost all the time, all people want is for someone to listen to their concerns. If they really want advice, there will be plenty of time to unload your great wisdom after they have had ample time to express their emotions.
   
5. Ask good questions. Ask short, open-ended questions. Don't interrogate them. Most of your questions will be answered if you will just wait.
   
6. Give focused attention. When others are talking, give your full attention. Notice their body language. Make eye contact. Indicate interest with your own body language.
   
7. Slow down. Don't be in a hurry. If you really must end the conversation at a specific time, let the other person know in advance. But then give yourself fully to the conversation. Most of the other things you "really need to do" you don't really need to do. Many time pressures are self-imposed.
   
8. Acknowledge your own feelings. The better you understand your own feelings, the better you will be able to understand the feelings of others.
   
9. Genuinely care about others. If you really care about people, it will show. You cannot fake empathy. If you try to fake it, you will be exposed.
   
10. Read good fiction. Well-written stories will help you to identify with people who are different than you are. This will develop you empathy "muscle."
    
11. Visit other cultures. We tend to be blind to our home cultures. When we visit other cultures, it helps us to see our own in a different light.
    
12. Ask people about their feelings. Sometimes the best approach is the direct one. Ask people what they think and what they feel. You may think you know, but assumptions can be dangerous. Besides, people sometimes figure out what they are feeling when they talk about their emotions.
    
13. Care for pets and babies. Very young children and dogs can only communicate with nonverbal signals. To understand what they want, you will need to interpret these signals.
    
14. Participate in theater. Drama requires you to imagine that you are someone else. It is excellent practice for empathy.
    

The bottom line is that if you care about people you will find a way to demonstrate it.

Tell me what you think. What have you found to be effective in developing empathy?

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

Evangelicalism’s Magic Eyeglasses

When Joseph Smith "discovered" gold plates buried in the side of a hill in upstate New York, he used magic glasses (or a "peep stone") to translate the unknown language (later "identified" as Reformed Egyptian) into English. This "translation" is known as The Book of Mormon.

But the Mormons are not the only ones who use questionable means to interpret Scripture.

Reverend Russell Rathbun (HT: Maggi Dawn) lists some "rules" that Evangelicals use to apply the Bible. Here's my adaptation of his list:

1. Everything in the Bible is addressed to me and is about me.
   
2. Everything in the Bible is about what I should do and what I should not do.
   
3. The Bible is a collection of principles and timeless truths that are to be discovered and applied according to rule #2.
   
4. The Bible means what I think it means.
   
5. The Gospel is about getting people signed up for heaven.
   
6. Grace is a good concept, but for everyday life we need clear rules.
   
7. Holiness is a good concept, but God doesn't really expect us to be that way.
   

Maybe it's time to take off our magic eyeglasses and let the Bible speak for itself.

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

Is Jesus Dead?

Much of what happens in churches today is little more than what you might get if you combined an AA group, a Rotary Club, and a positive-thinking seminar.

Jesus is important, but he is important mostly as an idea.

Even in very conservative churches, Jesus is little more than a person who once did something that benefits his followers today. The really important event was his crucifixion. The Resurrection was a nice bonus, sort of an "in-your-face" to Satan. And the Ascension is virtually ignored.

Of course, if you asked these people they would say that they believe Jesus lives in heaven.

But it is well established that what people say they believe is often very different than what they actually believe.

Let's face it, most of what happens in churches doesn't need Jesus to be alive.

The worst offenders are pastors.

We act as if everything depends upon us. We want God to bless our work, but it is our work. We may ask God for advice from time to time, but it is up to us to perform our ministry with faithfulness and to produce results for the kingdom.

• We go to school to be trained how to be effective ministers.
  
• We read books about becoming better leaders.
  
• We go to seminars to learn how to cast our vision.
  
• We develop goals and plans to make the most use of our time and our abilities.
  
• We may even go to retreats to learn how to depend more upon God in what we do.
  

But in the end, it is our work and our ministry.

In effect, we have killed Jesus all over again.

This is not our church, our work, our ministry. It is his Church and his ministry.

The issue is not How does Jesus get in on our ministries? Instead, because he is the living and reigning Lord, the issue is now What is he up to, and how do I hitch a ride on whatever he is up to?

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 12

What we do as pastors is not determined by a market survey. It is not determined by a skills assessment. It is not determined by an oversight board's idea of what should be done.

The first and central question in thinking about ministry is Who is Jesus Christ and what is he up to?

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 13

Our normal approach to ministry is the problem.

All that we think we should do and can do and are doing in ministry must be put to death.

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 13

Everything we "know" about pastoral ministry is wrong:

Ministry is not a matter of a minister working hard, preaching relevant sermons, being a super-efficient congregational administrator, attending those who are sick, downcast, grieving and lonely, all the while growing the congregation and charming the people with a winsome and attractive ability to relate warmly.

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 119

This is the primary purpose of pastoral ministry:

At its core, pastoral work involves bearing witness to the joining of two stories, the parishioner's and God's. Who is Jesus Christ specifically for this person amid the particularities and exigencies of her current life experience?

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 128

Pastoral care is not primarily about the minister's care. Neither is the minister a professional for hire who is paid to care. His or her primary mission is to bear witness to Jesus Christ. The specific skill that is brought is theological rather than functional.

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, p. 144

The thing we must do is bear witness to the Lord who always gets there, wherever there is, ahead of us with his healing, saving, blessing, renewing, restoring, raising, forgiving, comforting and kingdom-bringing ministry of God's grace, love and communion.

Andrew Purves, The Crucifixion of Ministry, pp. 133

Go to Amazon now and buy The Crucifixion of Ministry.

Jesus is Lord. Act like it.

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

Die, Pastor, Die

Atheist Denis Diderot said, "Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest."

He wanted to bring about the end of Christianity. But the future of Christianity depends upon something that sounds surprisingly similar.

Andrew Purves has written an excellent book, The Crucifixion of Ministry. Here are a few quotations from the preface:

There is little, maybe nothing, we who are ministers of the gospel can do that really changes things. If anything worthwhile is to happen, Jesus has to show up.

Ministers can't forgive sinners, raise the dead or bring in the kingdom of God. Neither can we grow congregations, convert sinners or heal the dying.

Our strategies, action plans, pastoral resources and entrepreneurial church revitalization techniques have become not the solution but the problem. Our ministries need to be crucified. They need to be killed off.

On the back cover, Stephen Seamands writes, "Every pastor and Christian leader needs to read this book—about once a year."

Put down all your church growth, leadership, strategic planning, vision casting, management, and evangelism books. Click here and buy this book from Amazon. It's only $10.20.

Purves writes in the "benediction":

Friends, I know ministry is hard. The pressures are heavy to bear. Often we feel trapped by our limits, and with respect to the things of God we are indeed limited in understanding and faithfulness. That's why we need a Savior. Many of us have worked diligently to become professionally competent. However, in spite of our good intentions, efforts and hopes for ministry, we are perhaps aware of a deep weariness, of sadness even, and joy in ministry is remembered as a log-ago, wistful anticipation that has never been quite fulfilled.

It has taken me into my sixtieth year to begin to internalize some of the implications of Paul's injunction that I have been crucified with Christ and that it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me (Galatians 2:19-20).

I always felt embarrassed because I was nearly fifty before I started to understand this. I guess I'm just about on schedule.

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be."

Lost Gospel of Simon Magnus

Today archeologists revealed a stunning discovery. An alabaster strong box was found containing an ancient document claiming to be the lost Gospel of Simon Magnus

"This scroll forces us to rethink much of the conventional wisdom about the actual words that Jesus spoke," said Abraham Rabin, head of the translation team. "For example, the Beatitudes in Matthew's Gospel are a distortion of Jesus' original message."

Here is the translation of Simon's alternative Beatitudes:

Blessed are the wealthy,
for they can contribute more to God's work.
Blessed are those who are thin and attractive,
for they can draw more people to the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who can get their way,
for they can accomplish great things for the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for advancement,
for they will go far.
Blessed are the focused,
for they will get more done.
Blessed are those who know how to stand up for themselves,
for they will not be overlooked.

Another long-misunderstood passage is the parable Jesus tells about separating the sheep and the goats. The updated translation gives a new perspective on the final judgment:

Then the King will say to those on his right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom that was prepared for you since the beginning of the world. For I was bored and you entertained me, I was unsuccessful and you invited me to a seminar, I was ignorant and you taught me correct doctrine."

Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when did we see you bored, unsuccessful or ignorant?"

Then the King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the masses, you did for me."

The Gospel of Simon Magnus contains a long-lost parable of Jesus:

The kingdom of heaven is like a business that was struggling. The owner worked longer and harder, yet it remained stagnate. But then he applied the seven principles for success, and his business grew faster than that of all his competitors.

"This discovery will transform how churches operate," said Rabin at today's press conference. "No longer will pastors need to pussy-foot around. They can now take off the gloves without apology, knowing that they are following the true teaching of Jesus."

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

Thank God for Mean People

Jesus said, "Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man" (Luke 6:22).

One reason we should be glad is that this treatment puts us in the company of the prophets. Thank God for mean people.

But another benefit is that this treatment drives us to God himself. It leaves us feeling empty and vulnerable. And if we follow Jesus' advice (and example) we return good for evil and we bless those who curse us. Thank God for mean people.

It hurts when people are mean out of selfish motives. But it is especially painful when they are mean "for your own good" or out of "love." This pain can drive us to despair or it can drive us to the One who knows all about betrayal. Thank God for mean people.

This also helps us to appreciate those who are kind, faithful and loyal—the ones we often take for granted. Thank God for mean people.

Failure has a way of leading us to a point of surrender, but it is a rather slow process. Personal attacks serve as an instant "wake up call." Thank God for mean people.

It's easy to allow our "Christ following" to become routine. We start to think, "I have a pretty good handle on this." We don't bother God with day-to-day stuff. We plan to ask for his help only when something really big comes up. But then mean people come to our rescue and remind us that we aren't self-sufficient at all. Thank God for mean people.

The way of discipleship begins with brokenness, emptiness and surrender. And few of us choose this on our own. We generally need some outside stimulus. Thank God for mean people.

It is only when we have enemies that we can learn to practice some of Jesus' most difficult words: ^"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you" (Luke 6:27–28). Thank God for mean people.

But it's also good to have kind people, gentle people, compassionate people, faithful people, good people, and loving people. Thank God especially for them.

Take the time to be extra kind, gentle, compassionate, faithful, good, and loving to the people you meet today. You really don't know how much they might need it.

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

Walk This Way

In the movie Young Frankenstein there is a classic comedy scene where "Igor" (Marty Feldman) tells Dr. Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) to "walk this way." This scene inspired the hit song by Aerosmith.

There is a similar misunderstanding in the church, which would be hilarious if it were not so tragic. Congregations try to mimic "successful" churches and end up without either success or anything resembling a church. Reverend Russell Rathbun writes (HT: Maggi Dawn):

Nothing is sadder than to see a beautiful congregation of fifty member that has been around for a hundred years in a small town in rural Iowa turn them selves inside out chop up their organ, spend what little money they have on technology (cordless mic.s and keyboards are favorite starters, then on to the projector and the power point) all because one of the board members attended a Willow Creek training and bought the "How To" book at the sales table on the way out.

The church ends up having to watch kindly Mr. Sundquist fumble with the sound system, able to get from it only ear piercing feed back, while the forty nine year old volunteer youth director tries to rap.

He likens this to trying to wear someone else's clothes. The book of Acts, he argues, is not a "how to" book. We shouldn't try to mine it for the "biblical principles" for growing a successful church.

The only thing worse than wearing someone else's hip new clothes, is wearing someone else's old clothes.

But this is not only true for the early Church in the book of Acts. It is also true for the "seeker-driven" model of Willow Creek and Saddleback Church. Not only are the strategies and methods a poor fit for most congregations, but the days of the church service as a late-night talk show or as a rock concert are over.

So what do you think?

Why are church leaders so eager to copy the methods of others? Why are new churches trying to become megachurches "right out of the box"? Why do small churches have such an inferiority complex?

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"

No More Biblical Principles

You can find people offering "Biblical Principles" for just about any subject:

• Biblical Principles for Marriage
  
• Biblical Principles for Business
  
• Biblical Principles for Raising Children
  
• Biblical Principles for Spanking
  
• Biblical Principles for Finances
  
• Biblical Principles for Time Management
  
• Biblical Principles for Conflict Resolution
  
• Biblical Principles for Fitness
  
• Biblical Principles for Government
  
• Biblical Principles for Church Organization
  
• Biblical Principles for Leadership
  
• Biblical Principles for Sex
  
• Biblical Principles for Education
  
• Biblical Principles for Church Music
  
• Biblical Principles for Vegetarianism
  
• Biblical Principles for Bible Study
  
• Biblical Principles for Prosperity
  
• Biblical Principles for Economics
  

So what's the problem?

The problem is that these "biblical principles" do not all agree and are often more an expression of culture than they are of any clear teaching of the Bible.

Just because something is stated in the Bible that doesn't mean it is a "biblical principle."

Some things are clearly presented as biblical principles, especially statements by Jesus. When Jesus said, "Bless those who curse you," he intended for it to be a guiding principle for his disciples.

But a passing statement in the Old Testament should not necessarily be turned into a "biblical principle."

The book of Proverbs is a collection of general truths. These are not "biblical principles" as the phrase is generally used. The precepts collected by Solomon and others require wisdom in their application. Some are even contradictory:

Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself (Proverbs 26:4).

Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes (Proverbs 26:5).

Notice that these contradictory statements are found right next to each other. They were never intended to be "biblical principles."

The book of Psalms is a collection of Hebrew poetry. It is not a theology textbook. It is not a collection of "biblical principles."

Here is one of the milder imprecatory psalms:

Break the arm of the wicked and evil man (Psalm 10:15).

Surely that statement was not intended to become a "biblical principle."

The book of Job is a drama composed of speeches by Job, three of his friends, another guy who just shows up without explanation and God. God takes issue with what Job says. He repudiates the speeches of the three friends. And he ignores the comments of the other guy. There important theological lessons to be learned from Job's story. But be wary of any "biblical principles" that are based on proof texts from Job.

Statements made by God to Jeremiah (1:5) or through Jeremiah to the Israelites going into exile (29:11) are not "biblical principles" applying to Christians.

Actions taken by biblical characters are not necessarily templates for "biblical principles" to be applied to business, leadership or government.

Evangelicals seem to prefer a black and white world. They seek rules that they can blindly apply to every situation.

But being a disciple of Jesus Christ is not a paint-by-number project.

Let's have a little less talk about "biblical principles" and a little more focus on living as apprentices of Jesus Christ.

Jesus clearly avoided simplistic answers in his earthly ministry. Why would he want his followers to reduce his teaching now to simplistic rules?

Jesus did not call potential disciples to a code of conduct. He called them to follow him.

As a pastor, I must repent for all those sermons I preached when I said, "This is what the Bible says you should (not) do."

It's not my job to teach "biblical principles." My job is to say along with Paul, "Follow me as I follow Christ."

Pastor Rod

"Helping You Become the Person God Created You to Be"