Remember

Remember

In those days when you are disappointed in the shortcomings of others, remember you had days you disappointed others.

In those days when you feel like a complete success, remember there were days you failed at everything.

In those days when you feel like a total failure, remember those days you succeeded and were happy.

In those days when you are disgusted and angry at others, remember there were days when others were disgusted with you.

In those days when you look down on folks for needing assistance and handouts, remember there were days your hand was out and assistance you longed for.

Remember in those days when you feel strong and vibrant, remember there were days you were weak and hurting.

In those days you walk past a beggar, orphan, prisoner or stranger, remember Jesus said what you do unto others you are doing unto Me!

Matt. 25:[34] Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: [35] For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: [36] Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. [37] Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? [38] When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? [39] Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? [40] And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

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Chuck Swindoll Lessons

Chuck Swindoll Lessons

 

Doing God’s Work God’s Way

Ten Things Learned in 50 Years in Leadership

 

1. It’s lonely to lead
2. It’s dangerous to succeed (particularly succeeding at a young age)
3. It’s hardest at home
4. It’s essential to be real
5. It’s painful to obey
6. Brokenness & failure are necessary
7. My attitude is more important than my actions
8. Integrity eclipses the image (we are not performing a show)
9. God’s way is always better than my ways

10. Christ-likeness begins and ends with humility

 

 Five Statements Worth Remembering in the Next 50 Years in Leadership:

1. Whatever you do, do more with others & less alone
2. Whenever you do it, focus on quality, not quantity
3. Wherever you go, do it the same as if you were among those who know you best
4. Whoever may respond, keep a level head
5. However long you lead, keep on dripping with gratitude and grace

Beyond Preaching: The Art of Mentoring Young Leaders

Beyond Preaching: The Art of Mentoring Young Leaders

 

 

 

The work of a pastor is one of the greatest callings and work on the face of the earth. Pastors have the unique calling to Shepherd the flock of God. In today’s culture that flock has great diversity. What is expected of the pastor today is uniquely different than that which was demanded of the pastor in previous generations. Even in the rural setting those demands are much greater. People have access to the world through television and computers. Everything that is happening in the largest metropolitan centers of the world is viewed through those gates. People expect in many cases the same benefits of the mega churches in the rural setting. Pastors are increasingly finding that they have to stretch way beyond their capacity to meet their parishioner’s expectations. New technologies, programs, and personnel are brought into the church today to help the church function well. With technology you can learn it and staff to it fairly easily. It does not take a lot to keep it going except someone who will keep ahead of the curve of change. Programs are developed from the National and District offices to meet the changing culture and needs of churches. Many times leaders will develop on their own programs that are very effective to meet needs in the church they lead. Pastors can after finding or developing a program can recruit and train and release volunteers to lead such programs.

 

Many churches today are calling other pastoral leaders to come alongside to help them pastor the congregation. I believe that there is a great difference between these leaders and the leaders that are recruited from within the church to manage programs and ministries. As I travel across the country I am meeting wonderful young people who are called to help a pastor and yet feel lost in their work. These leaders are pastors who many times feel like hirelings. The void in their life is not for larger salaries or better facilities. They are not really troubled by the size or location of the congregation they serve. The greatest need in their lives and ministry is for a pastor! They are looking for someone to speak into their lives as a leader. They need and desire a pastor not a boss. They know who is in charge and respect that position. They need a older peer to show them the way of ministry. They come out of our schools with dreams of giving their lives to the ministry. They have learned a lot of stuff that will be applicable as time goes by. But what they need is someone to care for them and to give them mentoring. They need to learn how to make personal application to the call of the pastor. They are going to make a lot of mistakes as they work in the church. Those mistakes should not result in them having to leave the church but to grow at the church.

 

 

When a pastor brings on the staff he is not going to find that he has less to do but has now more to do. When computers came on the scene everyone was excited and making statements of how much more work we would be able to get done with them. True, we are getting more done but not at less man hours. The same is true with staff brought into the church. You will get more done but it is still going to demand the investment of time to accomplish it. Pastors that take on the responsibility of other staff should find some time to invest in them. There should be some time that pastors talk and develop relationships. If you want to get the best out of people they have to feel that you care about them. I think this is true in the job force outside the church but more so in the Church. If your only relationship with a staff pastor is a the church service or the weekly staff meeting then you are not going to get the best out of them.

 

I remember one time having a guest speaker in my church for a few days. He was a wonderful man of God for sure. But he missed it on relationships. He gave me some consul about my relationship with my youth pastor. He thought  that I was too close to my youth pastor and had too friendly  a relationship with him. I asked him why he felt that way and his response was scary to me. “You should never build a relationship with someone on your staff other than professional. They will begin to think they are your equal.” I did not argue or debate with this gentleman but I know in my heart that this was wrong. Just because a person is younger or less experienced does not make us different. The youth pastor was one of my best friends and to this day he is a great friend. He made mistakes as all young people will. It was difficult to discipline and develop at times because I loved him. But I loved him enough to help him be a good leader.

 

Later I served in the District Office and heard and saw some of this same logic. I was in a committee meeting and an illustration was used that really concerned me. “Youth pastors think that they should go to lunch with the guest speaker just like the pastor.” I heard this and sat and only wondered where such thinking came from. I am sure that there are times it is not appropriate for some people to share in a meal with a guest speaker. But there should be nothing wrong with bringing with you a young pastor to build relationships over a meal.

 

Pastors are busy people and have only limited time to invest. One of the greatest investments of that time is building a relationship with your staff pastors. They will be the people who will best represent you to your congregation in private settings. People will treat your pastors with the same level of respect that they sense you are giving to those leaders. If the congregation does not sense that you respect your staff then how can you expect them to get respect from the congregation. If your congregation senses that you love and respect your leaders then they will love and respect you more. You will be modeling before them how to treat others who are in different roles them.

 

The young staff pastor needs to be able to question you about church life. He will not understand every decision that is made from the top. There will be times that the pastor cannot give information and will have to trust the leader. But it will help the young pastor to process church difficulties if he understands why and how certain decisions are made. It is not a challenge on the competency of a pastor for questions to be asked of him. It will help the staff pastor to represent you better publicly.  There are times that I hear young men who do not know how to represent the pastor because the senior pastor will not dialogue with them. If you will create moments of openness at different times you will find your staff pastor relaxing and sharing with you. Take some time away from the office for a soda or coffee.  Go to a ballgame together or something where you can spend some time not talking about church business.

 

I am an advocate to never do ministry alone. I would take one of my pastors with me for ministry outside the church. Maybe a business meeting I would bring one of them alone. The time traveling would give me time to visit with him. But it also gave him time to observe me in a different setting than the church. If you have multiple staff members you would need to scatter it out some so that you can get to all of them. It really does not have to be much but the small effort will return great dividends.

 

To me being a mentor to the staff pastors that God gives you is a great trust. These people will go on and represent the kingdom of God in the way that you trained them. I have thought about the fact they are in your hands before they are in God’s hands. It is frightening thing to think that your hands are on those people that God has His hand on. You are given the opportunity to mold and train them into ministers of Gospel. Your programs may not last very long. Your buildings will eventually be torn down. But the investment of your time in your staff will produce disciples that will last past your life and preaching. The relationships you build today will last beyond your rules. Those relationships will be the bridges to your very legacy in ministry.

 

 

 

Things a pastor can do to build relationships with a staff pastor.

 

• Spend time other than staff meetings with them.
• Be honest and open about your shortcomings and flaws.
• Be willing to laugh at yourself with them.
• Call them on the phone just to check on how they are doing.
• Let them know that results are important but that they are important as well.
• Go to an event together.
• Respect them like you would want to be respected.
• Be thoughtful of their birthdays and anniversaries.
• Be kind to their children.
• Be thoughtful of their spouses.

 

If someone works with you in ministry they should

 

• Be called as a pastor.
• Be respected as a pastor.
• Be honored as a pastor.
• Be trustworthy.
• Be fun to work with.
• Be fun to hang out with.
• Be cared for.
• Be teachable.
• Be trainable.
• Be your friend.

 

 

 

Things a Staff pastor needs to see you do.

 

• Lead a church service
• Lead a staff meeting.
• Lead a Pastor-Board meeting.
• Work though a funeral.
• Work though a Wedding.
• Lead a lost person to Christ outside the church.
• Build a relationship with a sinner outside the church.
• Lead during a crisis in the church.
• Lead while following those you are subject to.
• Manage a church budget
• Take up an offering
• Pray

 

Signs that things are not right in staff relationships

 

• They are not showing up for work.
• Don’t discuss freely problems in the church.
• Timid around the pastor.
• Stand back from the pastor at times.
• No communication.
• Work is not getting done.
• You never see them.
• Attitude is aloof.
• There is tenseness in the room when you are with them.
• Spouse is ignoring you.

 

 

What others think

I am always amazed at how easily it is to believe what someone you don’t know says about a person. How can you forget how long you have known someone and how much you know about that person and believe negative inferences spoken about them?

Some people live afraid of what others will say or think about them. I have chosen to live and act without consideration for what others think or say so that I can be what I think I am and who I want to be.

FAITH PROMISE MISSIONS AND WORLD EVANGELISM

FAITH PROMISE MISSIONS AND WORLD EVANGELISM

Mark 16:15 – “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

Everything we do should have a purpose, especially in the Lord’s work. Faith Promise Missions have a definite purpose in the life of a church. What is that purpose?

First, Faith Promise Missions acquaints the church with her mission responsibilities. Souls hang in the balance! Every local church is responsible for world evangelism and should be a center for it. Mark 16:16 (above) tells us of our responsibility. We will someday give an account to God as to whether or not we discharged our responsibility, individually and as a church. What will your answer be?

Secondly, Faith Promise Missions acquaints the church with missionaries. Christians need to see and hear these soldiers of the cross! They need to hear their testimonies. They need to hear about their joys, blessings, sorrows and heartaches. Missions work is a joint ministry. The church needs the missionaries and the missionaries need the local church. The church needs to hear how the battle goes on the front lines. We need to know that missionaries are real people. They are dads and moms and children. The church needs to hear them, see them, love them, pray for them and support them.

Thirdly, Faith Promise Missions acquaints God’s people with God’s plan of finance for world evangelism. God gave us the command to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He knows that it will take funds to do that. He has devised a plan to raise those funds without weakening the local church. His plan works!

We live on planet Earth. There are about 6 billion people here with us. Most of them know nothing about Jesus Christ, the Bible, God, or how to be saved. The question is, ‘Do we, as Christians, have any responsibility of making known to other earth dwellers anything about our beliefs? If we don’t, let’s forget it! What we believe isn’t really important. It is just for our own satisfaction. But, if we do, then we must know what that responsibility is and what we are to do about it.

We can do three things: ignore it, explain it away, or believe it. Many say that they believe it, but put forth a feeble effort. They only get involved enough to say, ‘We give to missionaries, we believe in missions.’ We ought to believe it with an emphasis that causes us to do as God has instructed us. We ought to believe the Biblical truths about missions as strongly as we believe all other Bible truths.

World evangelism is making the Gospel of Jesus Christ available to all of the citizens of the world However, to a great degree, many Christians are not doing that. We are not involved in World Evangelism as we ought to be. Far too many Christians are indifferent. They just don’t care. Faith Promise Missions is a plan designed by God that rests upon His ability to supply the financial need of His program of world evangelism through His people. The Faith Promise Missions offering is an offering promised to God by Christians (not the tithe; not a pledge to the church) who understand their Biblical responsibility to world evangelism and who give it through their local church. 

Author unknown

Quotes by David Brainerd

Quotes by Missionaries of the Past
Compiled by Stephen Ross

David Brainerd

“Oh, that I could dedicate my all to God. This is all the return I can make Him.”

“It is impossible for any rational creature to be happy without acting all for God. God Himself could not make him happy any other way… There is nothing in the world worth living for but doing good and finishing God’s work, doing the work that Christ did. I see nothing else in the world that can yield any satisfaction besides living to God, pleasing Him, and doing his whole will.”

“Here am I, send me; send me to the ends of the earth; send me to the rough, the savage pagans of the wilderness; send me from all that is called comfort on earth; send me even to death itself, if it be but in Thy service, and to promote Thy kingdom.”

“My desires seem especially to be after weanedness from the world, perfect deadness to it, and that I may be crucified to all its allurements. My soul desires to feel itself more of a pilgrim and a stranger here below, that nothing may divert me from pressing through the lonely desert, till I arrive at my Father’s house.”

“This morning about nine I withdrew to the woods for prayer. I was in such anguish that when I arose from my knees I felt extremely weak and overcome. …I cared not how or where I lived, or what hardships I went through, so that I could but gain souls for Christ.”

“Oh, that I could spend every moment of my life to God’s glory!”

“I have received my all from God. Oh, that I could return my all to God.”

“It is sweet to be nothing and less than nothing that Christ may be all in all.”

“All my desire was the conversion of the heathen… I declare, now I am dying, I would not have spent my life otherwise for the whole world.”

Quotes by David Brainerd