Redeeming Retail Space

Here's a great little guide from the Brown Church Development Group on how churches can redeem abandoned retail space for church use. Brian Connor writes, "The decline of "bricks and mortar" retail presents an opportunity for many churches to redeem space for God's Kingdom." You can download the entire document at this link.

Does Your Online Reputation Matter?

Social media and online communication has transformed how we connect with others. It allows us to better share information and leverage influence for good, but it also magnifies controversy and normalizes the outrageous, often in the form of viral conspiracy theories or the vilification of those with an opposing view. In recent years many of us have observed the intensification of online conflict over politics, theological controversies and, most recently, the Covid-19 pandemic.

As an active user in numerous online communities, I find myself often asking the question, “How can Christian leaders avoid some of the pitfalls of social media and how should we be leveraging these mediums for good and for God’s glory?” For some of you the answer is to avoid social media entirely and yet others, like me, see it as an opportunity to build and maintain relationships and to share information that influences others for good. These mediums are particularly helpful for Christian leaders as they seek to build missional relationships and connect with a broader audience in the community where they are hoping to be a light for the Gospel. This leads to three questions I would like to answer in this post, mostly focusing on the role of a Christian leader.

• Does the Bible have anything to say about how we use online communication? 
• Should we be concerned about our online reputation and what it communicates to others? 
• How can we best leverage social media to advance the Gospel and build relationships?

To answer these questions, I’d like us to explore Paul’s words in 1 Timothy 3:7. In this verse Paul is writing to his apprentice Timothy about the qualifications for church leadership. After listing numerous other qualifications he writes, "Moreover, he (an elder) must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.” The outsiders to whom Paul is referring are literally those outside the church, in the broader unbelieving community. Amazingly, what Paul is saying here is that what those outside the church think of you can actually disqualify you from leadership and lead you into disgrace, which is a snare of the devil. So, how others perceive us really does matter. This should sober us and make us think twice about how we communicate, especially in the digital realm which, in many ways, magnifies the power and influence of our words.

This leads to the question, "How do we build the kind of online reputation which honors the Lord and strengthens our influence for good?” Paul’s answer is found in the qualifications for prospective elders in verses 1-6. According to these verses a "good reputation” strengthens your witness as it highlights the character of Christ being formed within you. If we apply this to the broader audience of all Christian leaders, these character qualities include being a loving and faithful spouse and parent, being self-controlled, hospitable, gentle, not quarrelsome and not greedy. Based on this list, here are some sample questions you can ask in the context of your online reputation.

1. Does my online presence communicate my love for spouse, family, friends and the broader community in which I live?
2. Am I measured in the things I say, stewarding my words with gentleness and self-control, with the hopes of communicating in a way that is loving and welcoming to others?
3. Do I avoid topics that ignite conflict and controversy with others? In other words, do my words make people feel hurt, angry, belittled or misunderstood? Paul makes clear that there are controversies that can easily consume people but are not profitable for Christian unity and witness (Titus 3:9, 2 Timothy 2:23)
4. Do my pictures and words communicate greed? Is there a tone of selfishness as I seek to impress others with my words, abilities or possessions? 
5. What is my overall online witness? If someone knew me, only through my online presence, what would they say mattered to me most? If anything but the Gospel and godly character rises to the top, then we need to reconsider how we are stewarding our reputation.

This is, of course, not an exhaustive list of questions but it is a good place to start. As you reflect on these questions, don’t hesitate to invite a few trusted friends or family members to provide accountability in this area. According to the apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 4:16, it is the responsibility of leaders to watch themselves and their teaching closely. When we do, we not only save ourselves from promoting a false gospel, but we also communicate a clearer picture of God’s saving grace to the watching world around us.

How An Established Church Can Start Planting

I was recently reminded from a friend about the helpful nature of Aaron Morrow's article on how established churches can start planting churches. It's a really helpful resource for churches who would benefit from a step-by-step guide on how to grow their church toward church planting. I can't recommend enough. Here is a link to the full article and the steps Aaron walks through to create a multiplying church.

1. Educate yourself about church planting
2. Educate your elders and missions team about church planting
3. Educate your church about church planting
4. Model principals of church planting in your existing ministries
5. Allocate a percentage of your budget for church planting
6. Partner with like-minded churches to support church planting
7. Adopt and support an existing church planter
8. Create a church planting residency for a future church planter
9. Hire staff with the aim of sending them out to plant after 3-5 years

Read the important resources listed with each step here.

Membership Covenant Examples

It is common in some churches to ask members to sign a membership covenant. This allows the church to clarify the expectations it has for each of its members. Many who take the responsibilities of membership very seriously may even have an annual "covenant renewal Sunday" where members are asked to re-sign the covenant as a reminder of the commitment they are making to their faith community. I have created this post in order to pool a variety of covenant examples from different churches of different sizes and denominations. Feel free to send me other examples to add to the list.

Sample 1 - Expectations of members and the church.

Sample 2 - Built around values.

Sample 3 - Peacemakers version.

Sample 4 - Membership and code of ethics.

Sample 5 - The qualities of a member.

Sample 6 - Gospel Coalition Blog Sample

Samples 7-9 - NAMB provides a series of examples here.

Sample 10 - 9 Marks shares their covenant here.

New EFCA Assessment Pipeline

Here is a short overview for the first two steps of our new assessment system for church planters that is being developed by the Church Multiplication Team of the EFCA.

PHASE 1: INTAKE

Planter Interest Form

This form is the first step for those interested in entering our assessment pipeline or simply learning more about opportunities for planting in the EFCA. After filling out this interest survey a district leader will contact the planter candidate to schedule an intake interview (this may not be required if the candidate is already known by district leadership). Following the interview the planter may be cleared to enter the second phase.

PHASE 2: PRE-ASSESSMENT

The pre-assessment phase involves surveys and tests that will be used to develop a comprehensive profile of the potential planter. This profile will provide content for the pre-assessment interview performed by the district leader and will also be useful as the planter who is approved moves on to phase 3, the assessment center retreat.

Survey 1: Biographical and Faith - upload resume
Survey 2: Ministry Experience and Preparation - upload vision for planting
Survey 3: Church and Theology - upload credentialing paper (if relevant)

Once the initial surveys are completed, the planter candidate will complete the "Bundle Package" at Church Planter Profiles which will cost the planter candidate $114. The planter and his wife (if applicable) will also be asked to complete a Prepare Enrich profile for $35. To complete this profile you will register for a new account and follow the directions.

Church Planter Profile Assessment
Couple Checkup Assessment

The pre-assessment phase will conclude with a pre-assessment interview performed by an EFCA district leader. If approved following the interview, the planter candidate and spouse (if applicable) will move into the final two phases, which include the assessment retreat center and a results meeting with the candidate couple, district leadership and a sending church representative.

4 Reasons Church Attendance Matters

Post by Contributing Author, David Parks

1. Church attendance strengthens vital relationships.

Social media is sort of great and sort of awful. Endlessly scrolling news feeds allow me to keep at least a little up to date with all the random people I meet in life. But nothing online can ever take the place of in-person relationships. We weren't made for curated bits of people's lives—in fact, studies are starting to show that this often leads to loneliness and depression. We were made to do life together with real people. And for real relationships with real people, you need to be with them, have time to talk with them, give them a handshake/hug, pray with them, share a meal, and more. If you see someone once every month or two, how deep will that relationship be? Regular church attendance strengthens your relationships with other people who are also learning to follow Jesus. These relationships are vital.

2. Church attendance reminds us of what's true.

God has given us one means by which people come to faith and grow in their faith: hearing and believing the gospel. This isn't a one-and-done kind of deal. We're frail creatures, and in the sin and struggle of life, we need repeated reminders of what's true. There are many voices in our culture preaching many messages—some of which are true. If we as a church are not preaching the truth from God's word, that's on us. But if we as a church are preaching the gospel and seeking to apply it in all its myriad ways, and you regularly miss it, what else is going to give you the stability at hope you need to live in this crazy world?

3. Church attendance provides opportunities for ministry.

There are two forms of ministry in the church: formal and informal. Formal ministry is organized by church leadership and takes place in ministry teams (e.g., Worship team, Welcome team, Gospel Kids team, etc.). Informal ministry is encouraged, but not organized, by church leadership and takes place when individual believers are prompted by the Holy Spirit (e.g., to pray for someone, bring over a meal, share resources or encouragement, etc.). In both formal/informal ministry, the purpose is to provide loving service that meets needs and builds up the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-16). When you attend church, you have way more opportunities to do ministry and be ministered to. We need you! And you need us! That's what being a member of a church family is all about.

4. Church attendance is the primary marker of spiritual growth.

It's true that you can attend worship faithfully, give generously, sing worship songs loudly, etc. without ever being a Christian (which is scary). However, I don't know of a single Christian who has experienced life-transforming spiritual growth who didn't attend church regularly. Of course, there are Christians who are homebound due to illness, but they are the exceptions, not the norm. And they should have fellow believers visiting them, ministering to them, and trying to include them as much as possible. Weekly worship may not be the most "mountain-top" type of spiritual experience every week. But it's like having a regular family dinner together. The little things, done consistently over time, will have a far greater impact than any "mountain-top" experience ever could. If you want your faith to have an impact on this world, if you want your faith to be a legacy for your kids and grandkids, come to church. Church attendance is not the sum total of following Jesus. But it's definitely the place to start.

Elder Training: Gospel Eldership

Post by contributing author, Aaron Morrow.

The following is a short book review for Gospel Eldership by Bob Thune. If you have a minimal attention span, here’s what you need to know: if you want to train & unify your Elders, using this book should be a non-negotiable!

In the industry of Christian publishing, if your book is targeted towards a narrow audience then it’s often challenging to get published by a large publisher. Such is true for a short book like this on training and unifying Elders. That is why there are not 20 books published annually on this subject, even though it is such a vital topic! So don’t let the small publisher of this book fool you because Gospel Eldership is filled with sharp thinking, penetrating questions, and concise writing.

Here’s how the book is organized:

• Introduction: What is an Elder? 
• Lesson #1 - Servant Leadership / Exercise: “Know Thyself” 
• Lesson #2 - A Biblical Approach to Church Leadership / Exercise: False Righteousness
• Lesson #3 - The Primacy of Character / Exercise: Identifying Idols
• Lesson #4 - The Leadership Triangle / Exercise:Leadership Triangle Self-Assessment
• Interlude: The Duties of Elders
• Lesson #5 - Elders Feed the Church / Exercise: The Gospel and Spiritual Disciplines
• Lesson #6 - Elders Lead the Church / Exercise: Examining Your Character
• Lesson #7 - Elders Protect the Church / Exercise: The Gospel and Conflict Resolution
• Lesson #8 - Elders Care for the Church / Exercise: Identifying Pride 
• Lesson #9 - Missional Eldership / Exercise: Mission and Your Heart 
• Lesson #10 - The Temptations of Leadership / Exercise: Identifying Your Temptations

Below are a few of the many strengths of the book.

Gospel-centered 

The center of this book is the gospel and its premise is that believing and applying the truths of the gospel to our hearts is ultimately where all of our spiritual growth emanates from. If this is what you believe, it can often be daunting to think about training and unifying Elders with clarity and precision about what gospel-centeredness means and looks like. That’s where Gospel Eldership comes into play.

This book gently but deeply drills down into the character of an Elder. And at every turn, Thune makes sure that all of an Elder’s character growth flows through the lens of the gospel. It’s really powerful! If your potential or existing Elders don’t understand the value or practicality of the gospel being at the center of their spiritual growth then this is the book to the set the tone for your team.

One more little note, some of us have reservations about reformed theology due to the tone, posture, and emphasis of some guys who are reformed. But even though Thune is reformed in his doctrine, there isn’t a strong whiff of it in this book. Granted, there are reformed underpinnings to many of the things he says, but rest assured that your Elders won’t come away from reading this book talking about reformed theology, and that’s because the gospel is clearly the center of this book.

Practical

There are questions throughout this book for readers to process that are nuanced and inviting. These questions make it quite easy for facilitators to navigate discussions. This is helpful because this book should surely be read in the midst of a small group or one-on-one.  Furthermore, each chapter has a corresponding exercise that helps the gospel penetrate with deepening practicality.

It’s fair to say that each chapter successfully avoids dappling only in the realm of theory. However, it’s important to note that even though this book is largely practical, it certainly isn’t comprehensive. This is why supplementing this book with reading Sticky Teams by Larry Osborne would likely be helpful for your team. For what it’s worth, Sticky Teams is incredibly practical but its primary limitation is its lack of gospel-centeredness.

Short & Readable

Many of the Elders we want to develop and unify are hesitant to read thick books. Some might argue that if someone can’t commit to reading chunky books then how can they have the requisite commitment to be an Elder? But this type of outlook doesn’t seem to leave room for Elder candidates who have different personalities and giftings than the ones that vocational pastors often bring to the table. That’s why a short and readable book like Gospel Eldership is a good middle ground resource that should meet almost everyone where they’re at. The author puts the cookies on the bottom shelf, which is commendable.

You should definitely buy a copy of this book and check it out for yourself!

Gospel + Safety + Time

Post by contributing author, Aaron Morrow.

Pastors should have a framework for helping their church understand how people grow in their spiritual maturity. There are certainly many good and biblical options to use. At our church, the framework we use to help our people understand this is Gospel + Safety + Time.

In order for someone to grow in their spiritual maturity, they need Gospel + Safety + Time. Just like a plant needs water + soil + sunlight in order to grow, what we need is Gospel + Safety + Time.

• If you’re meeting one-on-one with someone to help them grow in their spiritual maturity, you need to be thinking, "What does Gospel + Safety + Time need to look like for this person?"
• If you’re meeting with a small group of women to help them grow in their spiritual maturity, you should be thinking, "What does Gospel + Safety + Time look like for this group? And, how do I create a culture of Gospel + Safety + Time in this particular group?" 
• When it comes to leading your small group, you need to be thinking, "What does it look like to create a culture of Gospel + Safety + Time in the fabric of this particular group?"

Let me briefly explain each one...

GOSPEL

100% of someone’s growth in spiritual maturity ultimately happens by repenting and believing the truths of the gospel.

Some people tend to believe that the gospel only gets you in the front door of salvation and then the rest of your spiritual growth happens through some combination of “tips & tricks,” exhortations to “do better try harder,” becoming more “passionate and committed,” pursuing spiritual disciplines, or getting involved and serving.

However, we know from studying scripture that the way that we grow in our spiritual maturity is by always coming back to the person and work of Jesus and applying the truths of the gospel to all parts of our thinking, feeling, and relating. In this way, the gospel isn’t the first step in a staircase, but rather the hub of a wheel where all the other spokes of our life are connected to it.

When someone says they are “gospel-centered” they are largely trying to make a statement about how the process of sanctification happens. The answer? It happens in the same way that justification happens, through repentance and faith in Christ and orbiting our heart and life around the person and work of Jesus. In this way, both Christians and non-Christians need the same thing.

SAFETY

Safety is about kind of culture and environment that we create in our social relationships. Safety is about having a culture of non-accusation, where no one is pressured or cornered into spiritual maturity, and we pursue spiritual maturity not out of fear of being shamed by others

Instead, we have safety with others so that we can relax and admit what’s truly going on in our lives and hearts. That’s because we are characterized by treating one another with gentleness, respect, and restraint.

Having a culture of safety in our relationships not only helps people relax and open up, but having a culture of safety is also helps point people to the greater reality that safety and refuge are ultimately found in Christ himself. In this way, having a culture of safety in our church is very gospel-centered!

Some of us grew up in spiritual environments that believed, in one way or another, that having an unsafe environment was both spiritual and mature. But this isn’t reflective of the gospel, and common sense tells us that this isn’t how people grow into maturity.

TIME

I don’t meet many people who grow in spiritual maturity quickly or rapidly. If they do, that’s great! But just think about how much time it’s taken you to grow in maturity, and how much growing you still need to do!

When I was in my 20’s I think I believed that some people are complicated, and some people aren’t. But the older I’ve become, the more I think that everyone is complicated. The more I get to know myself the more I know how complicated I am! Complicated people like us need time and space to evaluate our lives and apply the truths of the gospel to the deep levels of our heart. Gospel-centered growth takes time.

And this kind of deep change often happens in non-linear ways. That’s because we’re all complicated. We all need time to change, because spiritual maturity doesn’t happen by setting deadlines for people.

ARE YOU FLEXIBLE?

In saying all this, I hope you’re catching the drift that I’m encouraging you to think about Gospel + Safety + Time from the perspective of a leader. Because Gospel + Safety + Time is the kind of stuff that a leader always needs to be thinking about! Furthermore, leaders who think about Gospel + Safety + Time need to be flexible and adaptable.

For example:

• What does it look like for the truths of the gospel come to bear on this particular person’s life or this particular group of people? 
• What does it look like to communicate and model the truths of the gospel to this particular person or group of people?
• What does it look like to create an environment of safety for this particular person or group of people? Because some people are more straight-forward than others, so safety doesn’t look the same for everyone.
• What does it look like to create an environment where this particular person or group is given amble time and space to apply the truths of the gospel to their lives? This looks different for various types of people, too.

QUESTIONS

Here are some questions for you and your leaders to think about:

• In what ways have you seen the principles of Gospel + Safety + Time play a role in your spiritual growth? 
• When it comes to Gospel + Safety + Time, which one do you tend to struggle with the most as a leader? Why? 
• What truths of the gospel do you need to believe in regards to your struggles in the previous question? 

One objection that sometimes arrises is that the principles of safety and time don’t always apply to situations that require warnings, hard conversations, or even church discipline. This is where 1Thessalonians 5:14 is instructive for us. In this passage, Paul urges the church in Thessalonica to “warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” Warning someone is about having hard and difficult conversations with people. And Paul says that even in the midst of warning those who are idle and disruptive, we are to be patient with them. At its core, this is Paul’s way of urging them to apply the principles of safety and time even when hard conversations are needed. In other words, Gospel + Safety + Time should always characterize our relationships. 

The State of the Gospel in Rural America

Linked here are my notes from today's webinar with Ed Stetzer on the state of the Gospel in rural America. Highlights include...

• Why rural planting matters.
• The problems facing rural America.
• How to contextualize the Gospel for rural America.
• Networks doing rural well. This is a great resource for learning from others.
• Stetzer closed inviting rural leaders to join the Rural Matters Institute. 

All in all it was a helpful webinar with some good insights on mission to rural America.

Elder Training: The New Elder's Handbook

Training prospective elders for leadership is an essential, but often overlooked, step in creating a healthy church community. A structured training mechanism is especially important for a church plant where leaders don't have the advantage of walking with potential elders over an extended period of time. In this post, I am reviewing the new training resource, "The New Elder's Handbook" by Greg R. Scharf and Arthur Kok.

OVERVIEW: This handbook is intended to provide leaders a method by which to biblically develop faithful leaders. The authors, Greg Scharf and Arthur Kok, both bring a wealth of experience to this resource. Greg is a seasoned pastor and professor emeritus of homiletics and pastoral theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Arthur is director of training for the Orchard Network in the greater Chicago area.

INTRODUCTION: In the introduction Scharf and Kok share that this training pathway will:

• Supply steps of obedience you can take toward qualification
• Help you discern if you have biblical qualifications
• Help you to be the kind of person who could serve as an elder
• Drive you to your knees in humility and prayer
• Foster intentional fellowship in the Gospel
• Slow you down (i.e. Keep leaders from being too “hasty” in appointing elders - 1 Tim 5:22)

This handbook is intended to be used while prospective elders are also serving in some area of ministry, be it small group leader or teaching a Sunday school class.

PART 1: This section lays out the vision for the book which includes chapters on the following topics:

• The qualities that characterize biblical eldership
• Understanding the power behind leadership as observed in the life of Ezra
• Understanding the pathways for spiritual growth 
• The importance of community in the development of leaders
• Tips for identifying potential elders

PART 2: This section features 75 questions written by Dr. Scharf based on ordination topics and principals from the book of Ezra. In this section each question is stated and then followed by biblical passages and additional resources that provide answers to the stated question. Questions include topics like:

• What does the Bible claim concerning itself?
• What is the gospel? How do you explain the gospel to unbelievers?
• What do we know about Jesus's second coming? 
• How are individuals initiated into the church? How does baptism relate to a persons salvation?

Dr. Scharf gives an example of how a meeting could function using these questions.

• Participants will bring a bible and notebook to each meeting.
• In preparation for the meeting, they will have answered the question of the week through scripture and resources, and summarized their thoughts in writing.
• Participants will meet in triplets for prayer and accountability and then come together as a larger group.
• In the training hour, individuals will be invited to share what they had written with discussion guided by a facilitator.
• Before ending, the question for the following week is introduced and then the meeting concludes. 

As is obvious, the entire plan will require 75 weeks of meetings, which could easily cycle over the course of 1 1/2 to 2 years.

CONCLUSION: I appreciate this resource for the following reasons.

• It will slow you down in appointing elders, improving the quality and preparation of elder candidates
• It is centered on the Word, so it teaches future leaders to explore, understand, and communicate the scriptures to others
• It provides a comprehensive basis by which future elders can grow to become full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another (Rom 15:14)
• It will work with any orthodox Evangelical church, no matter the philosophy of ministry or theological leanings
• It is easy to use

I close with a quote from the president of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Dr. David S. Dockery, who states in an endorsement of the handbook:

A skillfully designed resource for pastors and church leaders who are serious about developing the next generation of church leaders for their congregations. With its focus on vision, training, discipling, and selection, this thoughtful handbook provides and invaluable guidance for the formation of faithful leaders.

Early Planting Leadership Models

1 Timothy 5:22 makes it clear that we should never be hasty to appoint elders in the church. This is especially true in a church planting context where a planter has not had the benefit of knowing or ministering alongside people over an extended period of time. In light of this, in the FLD, we expect planters to establish one of the following three forms of transitional leadership (a.k.a. provisional elders) in the early years of planting.

The Elder Loan Model

This model involves appointing a small group of leaders from inside the plant and from established like-minded evangelical churches in the region. The established church elders are “on loan” for this early phase of planting. This model works best with plants that have little to no ties to a regional parent church.

• The advantages of the elder loan model is that it connects the church plant to other healthy evangelical churches in the community.
• The vulnerability of the elder loan model is that there is a risk that the “loaned elders” don’t share the chemistry or culture of the church plant. 

The Parent Church Model

This model involves appointing a small group of leaders from inside the plant and from the parent church. The only difference between this and the “elder loan” model is that leaders are coming from the planting church.

• The advantages of the parent church model is that the church plant is very connected to the resources and influence of the parent church.
• The disadvantage of the parent church model is when the plant is ministering in a different context or with a different philosophy than that of the parent church. 

The Veteran Team Model 

This model involves a church plant where three or more elder-qualified leaders are guiding the church from its inception. Though these elders should have a close connection to outside advisors and district leaders, they have the advantage of providing tested and trained leadership from day one in the planting process.

• The advantages of the veteran team model is that all the leaders are equally invested in the church from day one. An established elder team also protects the church plant from being hijacked by core-team members who may try to steer the church away from its core values.
• The disadvantage of the veteran team model is that there is, at times, a hesitancy to train and appoint new elders in a timely manner. In this situation a veteran team can risk growing too inward in their sense of control and community.

The Art of Divine Contentment

Thanks to Pastor Roger Knolton at Edgewood Community Church for the recommendation of the book, "The Art of Divine Contentment" by the puritan Thomas Watson. I was deeply encouraged today by this beautiful portrait of contentment in the life of the Christian.

I infer that outward troubles cannot hinder this blessed contentment; it is a spiritual thing and arises from spiritual grounds, namely the apprehension of God's love. When there is a tempest outside, there can be music within. A bee sting may sting the skin, but it cannot sting to the heart; outward afflictions cannot sting to a Christian's heart, where contentment lies. Thieves may plunder our money and possessions but not this pearl of contentment, unless we are willing to part with it, for it is locked up in the cabinet of the heart. The soul which possesses this rich treasure of contentment is like Noah in the ark, who can sing in the midst of deluge. 

Church Planting Eldership Series

One of the most important steps in transitioning your church plant into a healthy established church involves the identifying, training and appointing of elder leadership. In Acts 14:23 we learn that Paul and Barnabas went from church to church appointing elders and commissioning them with prayer and fasting. The question is, how do we translate this process into today’s modern context? Depending on your tradition, this path may be predetermined; however, for many in the evangelical "free-church” tradition, planters have a degree of freedom to shape this process based on the involvement of a planting church, the size and maturity of the planting team, and the model of the church being established. In an ongoing series of blog posts I will be organizing thoughts and resources based on various topics related to the appointing of elder leadership in a church plant. The topics will include subjects like:

• Elder Planting Leadership Models
• Elder Training: The New Elder's Handbook
• Identifying Future Elders
• Elder Training Curriculums
• The Role of Members in Appointing Elders
• The Value of Elder Candidacy 

This list may grow and change throughout this series but I will organize all of these resources by linking the posts from this eldership series post.

Vision Frame Explained

Here is a 3 minute video explaining the new vision frame for the Forest Lakes District multiplication ministry. The vision frame incorporates the mission, values, strategy and marks of success into one clear visual representation. This frame will guide the Church Multiplication team as we seek to grow and develop our district ministry for the future.

Teach Your Teen How to Read Their Bible

This article from Jen Wilkin is exactly what I was looking for this year as I seek to grow in helping my teen boys to read their bible more faithfully. She recommends a very simple plan for meeting 30 minutes a week with your teen within the following structure.

1. Choose a book of the Bible to read and discuss 
2. Get a copy of your selected book of the Bible that has room for notes
3. Set a schedule to meet once a week for a 30-minute discussion
4. Get a bird's-eye view
5. Prepare for discussion
6. Meet to discuss
7. Pray together

You can read this helpful article here.

Vision Frame Draft

The Church Multiplication Team for the Forest Lakes District has worked with me to develop the following vision frame based on a process outlined by Will Mancini in Church Unique. This frame will become the basis for future development goals. Because this is a draft your feedback is welcome and desired.

MISSION

• We exist to glorify God by multiplying transformational churches among all people. 

VALUES 

• Gospel Centered: We embrace the Gospel as the power of God to save and transform lives and communities. 
• Prayerful Dependence: We are a Spirit-filled people who pray continually, depending on God to lead and guide.   
• Collaborative Community: We support one another as a community of leaders and churches.  
• Creative Culture: We encourage innovation and creativity in order to better display God’s transcendent glory to the world. 
• United Family: We unite in Christ as an increasingly diverse people from every race, ethnicity, age, status & community. 
• Multiplication Driven: We are committed to multiply at every level... disciples, leaders, churches and networks.  

STRATEGY

• Recruit: We invite, develop and mobilize new generations of pastors, planters and leaders.
• Assess: We help potential planters to identify and affirm their readiness, gifts and calling.
• Train and Coach: We provide the resources and accountability for planters to flourish.
• Establish: We guide planters to produce healthy and well-ordered lives, marriages, leadership and communities. 
• Network: We equip disciples, pastors and churches to multiply themselves as a family.

MARKS OF SUCCESS

Every Planter Is… 

• Well prepared for planting  
• Well supported and loved 
• Multiplying at every level

10 Tips for Your Christmas Sermon

Here's a helpful article by Chuck Lawless on how to deliver your Christmas message in a way that will better engage your audience. You'll appreciate these 10 helpful ideas for a season where sermonizers are tempted to rest on tradition at the cost of impact.

Here's the first three of ten:

1. Renew your own sense of wonder first. It seems to me that we celebrate Santa Claus more than we celebrate Jesus. Let your telling the Christmas story naturally erupt from your heart.

2. Don’t simply repeat your sermons of the past. It’s too easy to simply repeat something from yesterday. Get back to the Word, dig in and ask God for a refreshed look at the Word.

3. Get some prayer warriors to pray as you tell the story. The fact that you know the story well doesn’t mean you should pray less; no, it should challenge you to pray more so you don’t tell the story in your own power.

Depression Among Pastors: How Can You Help?

Here is a helpful guest post on depression among pastors written by friend and pastor, Michael Thompson. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this important issue Mike!

Thom Rainer recently posted an article entitled "5 reasons pastors get depressed (and why they don’t talk about it)."

In that article, Rainer listed 5 causes of pastors' depression:

1. Spiritual warfare
2. The reality of pastoral leadership
3. A sense of inadequacy
4. Critics and bullies
5. Loneliness.

Though there was a general call to pray for pastors (which I do affirm), I would like to present more specific actions laity may take to relieve or prevent this depression.

Spiritual Warfare

As a lay person, please understand there are some things that will occur in your life and church that are a direct result of spiritual warfare. There may be times, for example, that your thinking becomes totally negative toward your pastor. Perhaps your pastor did not back your preferred program or preferred worship style.

If you are consumed with negativity over such things perhaps your program or worship style have become more important to you than the debt of love owed to one another.

If your view of your pastor turns totally negative two things may be going on. First, you may need to learn to fight over the right things. If your pastor denies the Trinity or the resurrection, a negative response is warranted. However, not every conflict should result in a fight to the bitter end.

Secondly, if your view of your pastor has turned completely negative, your mindset may be a result of spiritual warfare. One of the primary activities of our enemy is deception. It is likely that a completely negative view of your pastor, church, or church leader is being supercharged by the enemy. The enemy provokes us to turn non-essential issues into assured mutual destruction. When disagreements arise, Satan may hook your pride or insecurity in such a way that you are quick to blame others rather than carefully observing yourself and the circumstances.

Practically speaking, then, when your view turns totally negative, pause and ask God to remove negative, demonic-originated thoughts toward others from your mind. Ask God to help you see that person with whom you disagree with His eyes and perspective. Engage in warfare prayer BEFORE you rant about such things that cannot be unwritten or un-spoken.

Reality of Pastoral Leadership

Have you ever read the job description of a pastor? If not, I would encourage you to get ahold of one. Then ask yourself whether it is possible for one person to do all the things well that we have dropped in the lap of our pastors. Think of yourself following through with that same job description.

Increasingly, pastors receive job descriptions that include the duty of providing a clear, compelling vision for the church’s future. In addition to his ability to cast vision, the pastor may be required to provide management, including the oversight of staff, volunteer leaders, and sitting as a member of every committee and board, this, in addition to the Scripture's instruction of pastoral duty to rightly divide the Word of God.

With these things in mind, laity might help their pastor succeed by giving him permission to work out of his strengths. In areas in which your pastor is less skilled or gifted, you could partner with your pastor and encourage others to do likewise.

A Sense of Inadequacy

In a recent conversation, a pastor friend confessed his feelings of inadequacy. Uncertain of the next step to take in his church plant, he found himself growing weary due to a seemingly lack of recent progress and growth. In response, I shared that after serving more than 25 years as a pastor, I often feel inadequate to the task. However, a feeling of inadequacy could be seen as a sign of humility. If on the other hand pastors are expected to over perform, pretending that every area of a church ministry should be a strength, shame and paralyzing inadequacy is certain to follow.

One of the ways you could encourage your pastors is to let them know that inadequacy in certain areas is not a problem, if he or she is humble and permission giving. After all, a pastor’s inadequacy in certain areas is what allows you as a lay person the honor of serving God in the areas of your strength.

Critics and Bullies

One of the most grievous things pastors encounter frequently is criticism and manipulation in the form of ungodly speech. Every pastor (and every parishioner) must display the required humility to receive feedback.

Ungodly criticism often occurs within the church context for two primary reasons. First, parishioners fight about the wrong things. There are right things over which we are called to be critical. Again, if your pastor denies the Trinity or the resurrection of Jesus, I would expect and even urge upheaval. Paul, in 1 Corinthians, expressed gladness that there was a dispute because it signaled that someone was attempting to stand for what is right. However, in my experiences, most church fights are about non-essential matters. They are called non-essential matters because no one’s salvation or walk with God will be affected by non-essential decisions (like which church accounting software to use).

Second, ungodly criticism occurs when people become critical. This is especially true of those who believe they should have more say so in church matters because they know better or have been members longer than most. To these entitled, I would suggest they express love toward the pastor and others while offering but not forcing their opinion. Earn your pastors trust by your godly attitude and humble service. You will often find (if your pastor is godly) that he or she will not only welcome your input but actively seek it out. This is especially true if you have proven yourself trustworthy, which includes avoiding gossip and slander. On the other hand, pastors avoids politicians who they know are sabotaging their efforts in secret. And they do really know.

Loneliness

Loneliness often results from the truth that few understand the pastor’s world and experiences as well as other pastors. When serving as a solo pastor, it can be even more lonely without daily peer contact.

So, what can you do? Be a safe and trusted person who keeps confidences and invite your pastor and family to dinner. Please do not do this out of obligation. Pastors can see through that.

One of my dearest friends and a member of my former church spent time with me, helping me with various projects around my house. He and his wife often invited us to dinner at his place. And it was not out of obligation. We talked, guns, sports, construction ideas just like friends do. And when I opened up to him, he and his wife earnestly prayed for me, offering honest feedback as a trusted friend and advisor.

The other thing this true friend did was to actively confront those who wanted to fault find behind my back. He was not blindly loyal to me. He was loyal to God’s Word which forbids speech among believers that fails to strengthen the Church, the Bride that Jesus Christ loves so much. 

My prayer is that through this article you have gained some insight into the current challenges involved in pastoral and congregational relationships. Relationships can be challenging. God has brought together a people with diverse perspectives, skills, giftings, and passions to bring saving faith to the world. Our relationships with one another can be a catalyst toward the advancement of our mission or be its greatest hindrance.

Pastor Mike Thompson MSE, MDiv, DMin Student
Cell 715-661-3254 
pm.fefc@gmail.com

Michael Thompson has served as a pastor with the Evangelical Free Church of America since 2002. He has served as a mentor to pastors, a ministry consultant, and has planted church ministry centers and theological programs in Minnesota and Wisconsin.  

What is True Greatness?

Here are some reflections on true greatness after meditating on Jesus' teaching for His disciples from Mark 10:43-45. So what are some principals of true greatness for leaders?

• To perform humble tasks, out of love and with no need of recognition.
• To always ask the question, "What is best for others?"
• To look for ways to help others reach their full potential.
• To serve, even at the risk of being thought less of by others
• To surround yourself with highly gifted people, with no fear of losing power and no insecurity when their lights shine brighter than your own. 
• The ability to celebrate when others succeed.

This is not how many in our world define greatness. As Christians we mustn't cave, believing that the world's standard of greatness is better than God's. He who longs to be great, must be a servant of all.

A Study in Brokeness

Over the last few days I read Gene Edwards short story, "A Tale of Three Kings" which is a short tale of the three kings Saul, David and Absolom. As a study in brokenness, it helps us to answer the questions, "What do you do when someone throws a spear at you?" For my own benefit, I thought I would document a few of the best quotes below. It's definitely a thought provoking read for those facing a season of brokenness.

• Regarding king David, "God did not have - but wanted very much to have - men and women who would live in pain. God wanted a broken vessel." (12)
• Regarding the school of brokenness, "Because all students in this school must suffer much pain. And as you might guess, it is often the unbroken ruler (whom God sovereignly picks) who metes out the pain. David was once a student in this school, and Saul was God's chosen way to crush David." (15)
• When others throw spears at you you must learn two lessons, "One, never learn anything about the fashionable, easily mastered art of spear throwing. Two, stay out of the company of all spear throwers. And three, keep your mouth tightly closed." (20)
• "King Saul sought to destroy David, but his only success was that he became the instrument of God to put to death the Saul who roamed in the caverns of David's own soul. Yes, David was virtually destroyed in the process, but this had to be. Otherwise the Saul in him would have survived." (24)
• As David hid from Saul's wrath in the dark caves, "everything was being crushed out of him... There in those caves, drowned in the sorrow of his song and in the song of his sorrow, David became the greatest hymn writer and the greatest comforter of broken hearts this world shall ever know." (30)
• After David's season of sorrow, "The truth was that when they did see him, they didn't recognize him. He had changed. His personality, his disposition, his total being had been altered. He talked less. He love God more. He sang differently. They had never heard these songs before. Some were lovely beyond words, but some could freeze the blood in your veins... and so, for the first time, true kingship had its nativity." (33-34)
• "He (God) sometimes gives unworthy vessels a greater portion of power so that others will eventually see the true state of nakedness within that individual... What does this world need: gifted men and women, outwardly empowered? Or individuals who are broken, inwardly transformed?" (42)
• "The passing of time (and the behavior of your leader while that time passes) reveals a great deal about your leader. And the passing of time, and the way you react to that leader - be he David or Saul - reveals a great deal about you." (44)
• Referring to David, "Authority from God is not afraid of challengers, makes no defense, and cares not one whit if it must be dethroned. That was the greatness of the great... of the true king." (48) 
• David regarding his son Absalom's plot to overtake his throne, "Only God knows, and he has not spoken. I did not fight to be king, and I will not fight to remain king... May God come tonight and take the throne... and His anointing from me. I will seek His will, not His power. I repeat, I desire His will more than I desire a position of leadership." (75)
• "The person who wields the rod of God's authority should be the meekest, a broken man, lest his people live in terror." (98)