Church and Management

Church and Management

There has been an incorporation of Corporate/Political style management into the Church over the last century that has been to the detriment of the gospel, discipleship, and the Church. My hope is that as you read this that the Lord with the accompaniment of the Holy Spirit may reveal what is being taught here even though this may fly into the face of the majority of Churches and Christians today to teach you how to lead.

What Jesus taught to us and later revealed to us through the Gospels and Epistles is that leadership in the Church should be a servant-leader. Corporate/Political leadership has the top down effect. The leader on top and everyone else below in their subservient roles. The servant-leader is the opposite of this. The servant-leader is the servant to everyone else or has the bottom up approach. Which means that the lives and agendas of others takes precedence over the servant-leader. The servant-leader holds others in higher esteem then oneself (Philippians 2:3-4). In Ephesians 4:11-13 the Churches plan is for leadership to give towards others so that others will do the work of the ministry. The purpose of this is so the body will be built up, reach unity in the faith, knowledge of the Son of God, become mature, and attain the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

In Ephesians 1:22-23 Paul describes the Church as Jesus Christ being the head over everything for the Church which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way. You take one person not being allowed to be taught and matured will not allow the fullness of Christ to be represented. The servant-leader who gets in the way and does not allow to have someone else’s life to take precedence will stop the process of maturity and fullness of Christ from happening.

Matthew 20:25-28 shows Jesus Christ teaching us this very principal of the bottom up approach to leadership. Jesus after learning that the Son’s of Thunder (James and John) wanted to sit at Jesus’ right and left proposed an alternate method of leadership. Present day leadership wants to Lord it over you and exercise authority over you but it should not be with you (talking with Jesus’ disciples). But Jesus continues and says if any of you want to be great in the kingdom than one must be servant and even slave to all. Jesus then tells the disciples that He did not come to be served but to serve. Jesus takes an additional step by saying that His life is to be given as ransom to others.  Price for redeeming or liberating slaves, captives, property, life is to die to oneself.  Jesus described his entire ministry as one of service in giving his Life as a ransom for many (Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45).

There is a cost to a servant-leader and that is to promote others above oneself. That oneself is to die to their own life. The rest of the life of a servant-leader is to help others reach the fullness of Christ. When one loves others above oneself is producing the new commandment in John 13:34-35; John 15:12 that tells us we are to love others as Christ has loved us. Christ loves others by ransoming His life so that others will benefit. How much are you or your Church leadership giving or ransoming their lives to benefit others above their own life, positions, and agendas?

It saddens me and am sure that it grieves the Holy Spirit that most Churches, ministries, and para-church ministries want the Holy Spirit to move but He does not. Most of the time it is due to the management style of that ministry. When it is using the worldly way of management and not the Jesus taught way of management the people are being controlled and held back. Thus squashing or grieving the Holy Spirit in that particular person or churches  life. When that happens exponentially across the board then the Holy Spirit is stopped in His tracks. Those ministries need to stop being conformed to this world and let the Jesus management style of His church to run free. Where there is freedom, there is the Holy Spirit being set loose to do the job that God has sent Him to do. We as leaders need to come along side of and help others to grow even at our own cost. True discipleship is in the servant-leadership form. The question to ask is are you or your Church using and demonstrating this type of management style? If not, then what are you going to do about it?

HOLINESS IS A FRUIT

Luke 11:42 "But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone."

LUKE 11:42-44

When Jesus said, "and not to leave the other undone," it is clear that He is not arguing against doing what is right. God's Word stresses holiness in our actions. The Pharisees' error that caused Jesus' rebuke was that they believed their actions could produce a right relationship with God. But a proper relationship with God can only come by humbling ourselves and putting faith in a Savior, who is Jesus. God cleanses our hearts by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8) and then we have our fruit unto holiness (Rom. 6:22). Holiness is a fruit, not a root, of salvation.

In a similar instance found in Matthew 23:26, Jesus told the Pharisees, "Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also." True Christianity comes from the inside out. A good heart will change a man's actions, but a man's actions cannot change his heart.

One of religion's favorite doctrines is that if you will just act right, you will be right. Nothing could be further from the truth. You must be born again. And if you are born again, then holiness is a by-product and not the way to a relationship with God.  

This is the heart of the Gospel. Every major religion of the world has a moral standard it enforces, but only Christianity offers salvation through a Savior. Presenting holiness in any way other than as a result of salvation is denying Jesus as our Savior and places the burden of salvation on us. Improper emphasis on achieving holiness or salvation through one's own actions can damn that person. We must trust Jesus completely.

Revival and the Heart

We do not need a change of Politicians, we do not need a change of Laws, we do not need a change of our Nation, we do not need a change of Morality. What we need is a change of hearts, for when the heart changes the Politicians change, the Laws change, the Nation changes, and the Morality changes.

Pray for change of hearts in our nation!

2 Chr 7:14
14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
(NIV)

The Prayer and Need for Inclusion for Volunteer's in Church

The Prayer and Need for Inclusion for Volunteer's in Church

What are the volunteers serving in your church thinking? What are their hopes, dreams and needs? During the last 28 years, I have had the privilege of serving on a church staff and two missions as a Pastor and Chaplain, but the vast majority of my time has been as a volunteer.

To assist pastors and church leaders with better connecting with those who have made the strategic choice to leverage their marginal time and talent to serve others, the following are 10 things volunteers wish their pastor knew about them:

1. We desperately want to make a difference with our one and only life. Everyone wants to live a life of significance. Henry David Thoreau — 'Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.' We have decided the best place to make a difference is our local church and we do not want to go to the grave with the song being unsung.

2. Our time is valuable, so be organized and tell us what to do. We live very busy lives. When we show up to serve, please have us something important for us to do, and be well organized.

3. We want to serve in the context of community. People begin serving at a church for two reasons: first, to do something significant; second, to make friends. Pastors and church leaders need to always build a time of community into every volunteer effort.

4. Our opinion matters. We make important organizational decisions in the marketplace every day of our lives. We build teams and leverage resources. We are also at Ground Zero in regard to what is happening at the church. Smart pastors seek out and value our thoughts and insights. Don’t marginalize us.

5. We want influence, not position. It is a common misconception that if you give someone a title, it will please them. Titles are not bad things, but they fail in comparison to influence. Many leaders in church think that volunteers are after a position and that is quite the contrary. So the church leaders bypass the volunteer and cut off the very people that can greatly help and create exclusion rather than inclusion into the mindset of the volunteer.

6. We want our efforts to be an integral part of making the church’s vision a reality. Volunteers want to know what they are doing makes a difference in the overall scheme of things and is not just a busy task. The difference for one who is paid and one who just volunteers is that the only reason the volunteer has is because they love it, keep that in mind.

7. We want to continue to grow spiritually. The core desire of our hearts is to be connected with the heart of God.

8. All we want is for someone to say, “Thank you. You made a difference today.” Everyone wants to be told they are wanted and to be included. A simple expression of genuine thanks deepens the relationship with the church and inspires our continued efforts.

9. We want you to ask us to serve. The number one reason a person joins a cause or team is because someone asks them. There are dozens, maybe hundreds, of qualified volunteers at your church who would love to serve if someone would just ask them.

10. We want the freedom to take a break when we need one. This is critical. There are seasons in your life when you are just tired or have little margin. There must be freedom to take a break for a season. If not, when a volunteer leaves a ministry position, they often leave the church as well because they feel they have no other options.

Pastors and church leaders, I know you appreciate and love your volunteers. We all know you could not get by without them. I trust this post will help you better connect with them and serve them in the way that you wish to.

Backdoor Revival

Do you sense a depression in the body of Christ in America, as if something is badly wrong? We’re losing influence within our culture as the anti-Christian sentiment grows, yet you’d never know it in most churches—the media, lights, music and preaching rolls on as if all is well.

The situation is exacerbated by this simple fact: We don’t have our act together in the body of Christ. Too often people come to the church, are deeply disappointed and as a result are turned off from the gospel. The church promises solutions but only offers lip service. We’ve become excellent at giving people a show on Sunday but lousy at showing them how to actually live. In fact, most church members are as bound up as those in the world—they’re in financial bondage, struggling with addictions and their families are in disarray.

This includes leaders in the church. I believe, as John Maxwell says, that everything rises and falls based on leadership. So allow me to address the leadership situation within the church community.

Churches and ministries typically grow when leaders are passionate and have a vision. It doesn’t matter if they have seminary degrees; if they can preach the gospel and if people gravitate to them, they suddenly have a growing church! Anointing is more important than academics. That’s partly why our churches are growing while other areas of the body aren’t.

But there’s a dark underbelly to church leadership too. Often the leaders are theologically untrained and veer from biblical doctrine. What else can explain the numerous—and usually public—theological gaffes such as Benny Hinn preaching that God is nine gods or Eddie Long being paraded around his church as a crowned king (amid a sex scandal)?

As troubling as sloppy theology is, I’m equally disturbed by leaders’ behind-the-scenes attitudes toward their flocks. The church community obviously isn’t the only one with “my way or the highway” leaders. But I’ve heard far too many pastors joke in private about having a “backdoor revival” before their church could move ahead. Translation: They had to make some people leave. They feel that God is telling them they are not their pastor anymore. Then these same leaders question why so many people have come through their doors and no one is staying. The Holy Spirit is hampered and these leaders have a form of godliness but denying its power.

I recently spoke with four friends about why it’s hard to find a good church. They are successful financially and are passionate believers. On the surface, they’re what every pastor needs. Yet after being active in a local church, they both became disillusioned with what they saw and how they were treated. As they recounted stories of how pastors felt threatened by their powerful personalities and positions, I felt sorry for my friends (for never experiencing the community they sought) and for the insecure leaders they served.

Countless other mature Christians have been so wounded by leadership that they stay home on Sunday and “go to church” by watching Charles Stanley or Jack Hayford. They get a good message, some good music and an opportunity to “tithe” to that ministry. Sometimes this is a transitional period. Too often it’s not.

But this isn’t Christian community. Aren’t we supposed to assemble with other believers? Aren’t we supposed to bring a hymn or a Scripture or a prophetic word when we meet? In larger churches this need is met in small groups or in various ministries of the church. There are many examples of healthy churches where this happens. But too often it isn’t.

So what’s the answer? I believe more church leaders need to be pastored, mentored and discipled themselves. Like the rest of us, they need accountability and true relationship, which produces a spirit of humility and servanthood rather than an “I’m the bishop, serve me” mentality or follow the leader and if you don’t then create ways of alienation for them to leave.

Leaders are held to a higher standard. Paul’s letters are full of specific directives for Christian leaders. Jesus said it’s better for someone to be cast into the sea with a millstone around their neck than to cause one person to stumble (Mark 9:42). It’s time for us to wake up and see what’s happening. There is a lost world to be won. There are “sheep” who need to be nurtured, fed and discipled in the things of God. It’s the only way a believer can survive in this increasingly difficult cultural environment!

Until this happens, people—like my friends—will feel as if they’re drifting. They’ll never really find their place in the body of Christ. And sooner or later, they will “vote with their feet” by going somewhere else—or worse still, nowhere.

Supreme Court and DOMA, an Oxymoron

As you have probably heard that today June 26, 2013 the Supreme Court nudged the nation toward broad recognition of same-sex marriage rulings hailed by advocates as a "joyous occasion".

Voting 5-4 in each of two decisions, justices threw out part of a law that denied hundreds of federal benefits to same-sex couples and cleared the way for gays and lesbians to once again marry in California.

The divided high court also handed a victory to same-sex proponents when it cleared the way for gay and lesbian couples to marry in California, Dismissing an appeal to the state's voter-approved Proposition 8 that banned such marriages. The 5-4 decision avoids, for now, a sweeping conclusion on whether same-sex marriage is a constitutional "equal protection" right that would apply to all states.

Where all this heads is that the High Court is leaving the States to determine same-sex marriages, which is an oxymoron. The State of California already voted against same-sex marriage and the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals determined that Proposition 8 to be revoked. The U.S. Court in California determined same-sex marriage, not the people of California. The High Court is now bypassing the Constitution by the people, it is not the courts but the people who determine, except in California. One judge determines, and the people have no more say. The Constitution is now buried and trampled on.

Meadowlark Lemon coming to Wells, ME

Super Star Sports Legend

MEADOWLARK LEMON

 Coming to Wells, Maine

Messiah Christian Church

2700 Post Rd

207-985-9287

      Sports Legend
Meadowlark Lemon

                 and

International Evangelist

       Ronnie Raven

                                           

                                           

   Friday, June 21, 2013 7:00p.m.

Come share the glory and experience the excitement

As Meadowlark and Raven minister messages of

Joy and Strength!

   For more information contact 

   Host Pastor Dr. Daniel Moore

    207-467-5937

“The Tradition Continues”