iGod

10 Commandments for Church Planters and Pastors

A cracking top ten by Rich Nathan, Senior pastor of Vineyard Columbus, Ohio:

Pastors and church planters face enormous demands as we try to juggle family responsibilities, ministry, and often, school and part-time jobs. How can we live sustainable lives? We read of tragic pastoral failures on a weekly basis. Most pastors don’t last in the ministry for five years (perhaps the only way we pastors are like pro football players!). I’ve been a pastor for 25 years. Here are ten practices that have enabled me to pastor for the long-haul.

#1 Build a rock-solid daily personal devotional life with God. This simply means that you spend time every day soaking in God’s presence. You can handle an enormous amount of pressure, if your foundation is solid. Pressure is not the problem. Weak foundations are the problem. If your foundation is shaky, you won’t be able to handle very much at all. Maybe you’ve heard the expression: “You can’t fire a cannon out of a canoe.” If you are really going to accomplish something; if you are going to be able to achieve and do the great things that God has in store for you to achieve and do, you need a strong foundation. The cannon of your life needs to be bolted into granite. And the granite of your life is your rock-solid personal time with God every day.

#2 Choose a prayer partner, who is a peer and with whom you can be utterly transparent. What I have personally done in my own life for the past 20 years and what we require of every pastor on the staff of Vineyard Columbus is to have a prayer partner. At Vineyard Columbus we take one day every month outside of the office talking and praying with our prayer partner. We have a set of accountability questions that we ask each other such as:

a. Are you struggling with sexual purity in any way?
b. Have you seen any pornography, or anything on TV or in a movie that you shouldn’t have watched?
c. Have you done anything sexually you shouldn’t have done?
d. Are there any emotional attachments forming with someone who is not your spouse?
e. Have you handled your money and financial dealings with absolute integrity?
f. Have you experienced any breach in any relationship? Are you at peace with everyone?
g. Have you forgiven everyone for everything?
h. Are you experiencing intimacy with God on a regular basis?

#3 If you are married, schedule a weekly date night with your spouse. It is really important to stay current and to fuel romance and intimacy with your spouse. My wife and I have a regular date every Monday. It doesn’t need to be expensive. It could be coffee and a long walk through a park or a leisurely breakfast. But schedule a weekly date with your spouse outside your home.

#4 Get financial counseling from a professional financial counselor. Strongly consider (if you are married, with your spouse) going to a course like Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. Life is sustainable when your financial house is in order.

#5 Ruthlessly avoid all compromising situations with the opposite sex. There are few things that derail people from the plan of God more than sexual impurity. Jim Downing, who is one of the patriarchs of the Navigator organization, was asked some years ago: Why is it that so few people finish well? His response was profound. He said: “They learn the possibility of being fruitful without being pure. They begin to believe that purity doesn’t matter. Eventually, they become like trees rotting inside that are eventually toppled by a storm.” Live a sexually pure life.

#6 Take care of yourself physically. Join a gym. Get into the habit of walking with a friend. Watch your diet. It is not enough that you’re involved in ministry. It is not even enough that you grow in internal purity and intimacy with God. You are a whole person. Your life is integrated - body, soul and spirit. You cannot neglect your body or your emotional life and continue to do well. So, take care of yourself physically.

#7 Do not confuse knowledge or skills or giftedness for spiritual maturity. You are gifted. You may know a lot. You may help many people. None of those things are the same as spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity is a matter of your internal character, your honesty, your willingness to forgive everyone for everything, your joy during trials, your trust in the sovereignty of God, your endurance in hard times, and your unwillingness to compromise integrity. Don’t confuse knowledge or skills or giftedness for spiritual maturity.

#8 If you are married, take a great marriage inventory with your spouse and have a professional marriage counselor discuss the results with you. Here at Vineyard Columbus we offer a marriage inventory called LIMRI. We have regular marriage retreats. Do a marriage inventory especially at the front-end of pastoring, and every few years after that.

#9 Join a small group (and if married, join with your spouse). Christianity is a team sport. We cannot grow successfully apart from biblical community. Join a men’s group, a women’s group, a coed group, or a recovery group where you can know and be known.

#10 Cultivate the fear of the Lord and a fear of sin. We sinners always dreadfully under-estimate the cost of sin and dreadfully over-estimate our ability to manage the consequences after we choose to sin. Sin costs and once you choose to sin, the consequences are out of your hands. We read in Proverbs 14.26-27, He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children I will be a refuge. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.

Deuteronomy 10.12-13 says, And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?

Psalm 34.9 tells us this: Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.

Psalm 128:1 says: Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways.

 

ASD

A nice quote - closer to God

A great little quote from my friend Steve over at Verve and Verse. 

We are closer to God when we are asking questions than when we think we have the answers.

~ Abraham Joshua Heschel

ASD

Our church has just begun its third annual Summer of Love campaign. This is our own particular response to serving one another and our community with love and kindness while we take August off from Sunday services.

During the process of planning I have been reflecting on the personal sacrifce that has to be made to make something like this actually work.

In essence, it needs us to be willing to put ourselves out a bit. We are great at talking up this stuff, sharing past stories, but at the end of Summer it will either happened or not.

To that end, I like what Steve Sjogren has to say about it:

It’s all about doing the work, not talking about the work.

Leaders aren’t leaders until they lead.

Writers aren’t writers until they write.

Worship leaders are so until they bring others into worship.

Evangelists are only evangelists when they evangelise. Connect with the Lost.

Don’t just talk. Do the work. Start today.

 

As ever, Steve cuts to the chase. Guess we had better listen to him and start then!

ASD

The need of another 'Jesus Movement'

An interesting post today from Charismatica. It refers to an article in Charisma by J. Lee Grady who talks about the power of the Jesus Movement of the 70s. For those not in the know, this was a movement that broke out in Southern California and affected 100s of thousands of teenagers. For us in the Vineyard movement and other movements like Calvary Chapel it is a significant part of our cultural history. Here is an extract:

"The Jesus movement was primarily focused on—surprise!—Jesus. Theology was not complicated, pastors weren’t trying to be hip or sophisticated or tech-savvy; and we hadn’t yet created a Christian subculture with its own celebrities and political power bases.… In my travels this past year I’ve been horrified to learn that many Spirit-filled believers have given up the discipline of reading their Bibles even semi-regularly.

They prefer a steady diet of culturally relevant, fast-paced, techno-theology that is a poor substitute for discipleship.Many charismatics have developed the attitude that a simple focus on Christ isn’t enough.

We’d rather go to a “prophetic encounter” to hear what Obama’s chances are in 2012, or experience some exotic spiritual manifestation (gold dust, gems falling out of the ceiling), or ask Rev. Flash-in-the-Pan to pray for us for the sixteenth time so we can receive yet another “special anointing” that we will probably never use.

In the midst of all this charismatic gobbledygook, where is Jesus? Am I the only one out there who is weary of this distraction?"

I do wonder with the plethora of pop theology books currently out whether he has a point.

If some authors and specialists are to taken at their word, it almost seems degrees in sociology and pyschology are required before a degree in theology.

This week in HOME group we sang the Matt Redman song, The Heart of Worship, which that has those lines: "I'm coming back to the heart of worship, and it's all about you, all about you, Jesus."

He goes on to write: "I'm sorry for thing I have made it, when it's all about you, all about you Jesus."

His words are simple. The sentiment is simple. But I find there is often, at least with me, also a need to repent of what I have made worship, ministry and theology sometimes. For my money, I think Matt has got it absolutely right.

I have a close friend who says essentially there are two types of people: engineers and mathematicians.  Engineers, he says, like complexity, while mathematicians like simplicty.

The engineer will get frustrated with a simple spirtuality of theology of others, while the mathematician will complain that some things are unnecessarily complicated and a distraction to ministry and living a full life in Christ.

Yet in the the Kingdom, I believe we need to hold those two in tension. At one level the gospel is easy to understand, while on the other hand there is no doubt that some doctrine is tricky to get our heads around. Now that is not denying the role of the Holy Spirit to bring revelation, but we have to be honest with ourselves here.

I know some people would happily go back to those heady of the continued renewal services, while others are happy to push on and do more culturally focussed ministry. I wonder if we can't learn to live with the desire for both. Much food for thought, indeed!

ASD

 

Thrilled to be at your church?

Just been reading Dave Workman's latest post from Nigeria where he and some of his team from his church are ministering to churches out there. During this visit they have helped to build a borehole, among other building projects.

What struck me about his words was his last almost throwaway comment:

"These moments make me thrilled to be a part of the Vineyard. I think everyone should feel that way about their respective church."

I wonder, if you are a Christian, if you feel thrilled to be a part of your church. Sometimes I hear people say that they are at their church because it's the best there is in their area or feel obligated to stay, even though they don't know why.

I would encourage us all to take some kind of 'thrill test'. Now it might make us feel more than a little uncomfortable, but I would ask you to have the courage to go through with it.  And if what your church is doing does not thrill you, ask yourself how it could do. This does not mean writing your pastor, vicar or lead elder a long list of ideas, but seeing what the Lord would lead you into doing. You never know it could be fun. 

It really is not wrong to love your church, though of course we should be be careful to not cross the line from it becoming an idol. But I can honestly say for me that I love my church, I love the Vineyard. It gave a sense of 'coming home' and being accepted for who I am. I wonder what your own church has given you. Maybe sit down and reflect with a coffee on that one. Then as things come to mind, maybe turn them into a prayer of thanksgiving.

Does your church bring you freedom? Does it affirm and support? Does it alow you to be creative? Does it energise you or feel like it sucks all the goodness out of you? I sincerely hope it is not the latter!

The guys in my church know I rarely say no to people when they come with an idea to do something. I love the thought that they know they have a listening ear and feel liberated to ask.

As John Wimber said famously, "Let the bush grow". We can always prune it back later. But cut it back too soon and we might kill something quite precious. Also, if we are not careful, someone's spirit might well be crushed.

You see, when we are excited by our church I suspect our communities will pick up on it. Church then becomes a lot easier to invite people to. If we feel church is dull and boring, there is really not much enouragement or will to see others come along, only to share in our apathy or unspoken misery.

The last benefit of being thrilled by our church is the inspiration it gives to serve and be generous with our own resources of time, energy and money. It means we can do so much more. Perhaps even building the odd borehole in poor villages in certain parts of Africa.

I'll give Dave the last word: "This adventure with Jesus is never boring. Ever. I can’t think of anything in the universe better than serving the One who has a plan for this big messy world and invites us to join Him."

ASD

 

 

Our 5 core values as a Vineyard movement

As we head into a new term, I have been reminded of the privilege it is to be part of this thing we call the Vineyard.

As our founder John Wimber would say with some weight, it is has never been our intention to start another denomination, but merely to seek what the Lord is doing in this generation.

Through the busyness and hustle and bustle of general church life it is good to be reminded of the values of what draws people in to find hope in Jesus, and for many maybe begin for the first time in their lives a personal relationship with a living God.

To that end I am grateful to Ken Wilson for penning our 5 core values in such an articulated and informing way.

Ken Wilson is the Senior Pastor of the Ann Arbor Vineyard, Michigan and is the Regional Overseer for the Great Lakes Region.

Throughout its history, the Vineyard movement has fostered a conversation about the kingdom of God. This conversation is ongoing, and so it is important both to remind those in the movement of what these concepts involve and to introduce those new to the Vineyard to these distinctive emphases.

Kingdom Theology & Practice

The Vineyard is committed to the theology and practice of the kingdom of God--rooted in the vision of the Hebrew prophets and fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. The movement is distinctively rooted in a renewed understanding of the centrality of the kingdom in biblical thought. We view the kingdom of God as the overarching and integrating theme of the Bible.

From the beginning, the Vineyard has been committed to proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God and to bearing witness to the "already and not yet" of the kingdom in our words and deeds--through healing (physical, emotional, and social), doing justice, and delivering those held captive by evil. Since the kingdom of God is the future reign of God breaking into the present through the life and ministry of Jesus, we are a forward-leaning movement that emphasizes the ever-reforming nature of the church and engages the world in love.

Culturally Relevant Mission

The church exists for the sake of those who are exiled from God. We are called to bring the gospel of the kingdom to every nook and cranny of creation, faithfully translating the message of Jesus in language and forms that are relevant to diverse peoples and cultures.

The Vineyard seeks to plant churches that are culturally relevant in a wide variety of settings, both locally and internationally. Each Vineyard church is encouraged to reach those in its community not already reached by existing churches. To this end, we promote a creative, entrepreneurial, and innovative approach to ministry that is faithful to Jesus and expressive of his desire to reach those who are far away from God.

Compassionate Ministry

We lean toward the lost, the poor, the outcast, and the outsider with the compassion of Jesus, knowing we are sinners whose standing before God is utterly dependent on his mercy. This mercy can only be truly received inasmuch as we are willing to give it away.

We believe that ministry in Jesus' name should be expressed in concrete ways through the local church. The poor are to be served as though we serve Jesus himself. This is one of the distinguishing characteristics of a church expressing the love of Christ in a local community.

In fact, in all forms of ministry, compassion is a hallmark of the One who was "moved with compassion" in the face of human need. This being the age of grace (and "the year of the Lord's favor") compassion should constitute the leading edge of our service to God, each other, and our broken world. With humility, we seek to avoid unauthorized judgments of others, realizing that we suffer and struggle along with the rest of humanity.

Reconciling Community

Jesus is reconciling people to God, to each other, and to the entire creation. He breaks down divisions between Jew and Gentile, slave and free, male and female. Therefore, Vineyard churches are committed to being communities of healing, engaged in the work of reconciliation wherever sin and evil hold sway.

We also seek to be diverse communities of hope that realize the power of the cross to reconcile what has been separated by sin. This requires that we move beyond our personal preferences and engage those whom we perceive to be unlike us. We must actively work to break down barriers of race, culture, gender, social class, and ethnicity.

We are convinced that the church (locally, nationally, and globally) is meant to be a diverse community precisely because Jesus is Lord over every nation, tribe, and tongue. We are not satisfied with the status quo when it doesn't reflect this kingdom reality. Instead, we pray eagerly for the coming of God's kingdom here and now and hope to see the reconciliation that is evidence that kingdom in our midst.

Experiencing God

The triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is eager to be known and experienced by all. We believe that God is searching for the lost and longs to draw us into loving, intimate relationship with him. In Vineyard churches, we welcome God's personal presence, we seek to be attentive to his presence, and we value the passionate pursuit of his presence in order to respond in obedience to his initiatives.

We understand God's presence as a palpable reality. As we become increasingly sensitive and responsive to the Spirit's presence, we too can learn to "see what the Father is doing" and support his work with our lives.

We value an approach to God's presence that is respectful both of God and others. We eschew hype and other efforts to manipulate either God's presence or the response of others to his presence. We distinguish between the Holy Spirit and the human response to the Holy Spirit, which shares in all the beauty and brokenness of our humanity.

These, then, are the core values that draw us together as a movement. They are different aspects of the treasure buried in the field that is the Vineyard. The treasure, of course, is the kingdom of God embodied and brought forth by Jesus of Nazareth.

Joe Boyd's Top Ten Tips for Church Leaders

I have been following a great series by Joe Boyd from Cincinnati Vineyard where he has been expounding on his top 10 tips for young church leaders:

1. Prepare to struggle.

2. It's a calling, not a career.

3. Big dreams are a tricky thing.

4. Make sure you are preaching the right gospel.

5. Woo your city.

6. Decide whom you will offend before offending them.

7. Get serious about a hobby.

8. Influence.

9. Be part of your own church.

10. Don't let people need you too much.

He has now come to the end of his series with his last point: Don't let people need you too much. Regardless of where you are or denomination there are some real nuggets in here. I have also appreciated the many challenging comments it has attracted.

I find his last paragraph particularly wise:

"God may have me at The Vineyard for the rest of my life. I think longevity is a virtue and I'd love to be known as a leader who has staying power. But staying in the same place doesn't mean staying the same. The longer I am here, the more I need to become dispensable. Many pastors fall into "old world" thinking. They need to be needed. It not only feeds their egos, but it provides a sometimes-real sense of security. "If they need me, they won't get rid of me." This might be a good way to think in the corporate world, but this isn't a career...it's a calling. Your job is to be faithful to it."

For any young or aspiring servant-leaders out there, these thoughts are really worth filing away somewhere. They could be easily be entitled: How to see your church grow up healthily.

ASD