100 Sermon Illustrations on Pastor

Details Rev. Jack Hyles' attitude toward loyalty. He expects absolute loyalty, once told an associate to stand, then sit, then stand. This was in response to a question of how he obtained absolute loyalty; he then answered, "That's how." [Full text in 7/8/90 sermon]

Other former workers have compared his style to Jim Jones.

#833

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The history of the "shepherding movement" and why it has fallen on hard times. Many abuses occurred in the early years of the movement. Key leaders like Mumford are now apologizing.

Bruce Larson, in his book "Wind and Fire," points out some interesting facts about sandhill cranes:

"These large birds, who fly great distances across continents, have three remarkable qualities. First, they rotate leadership. No one bird stays out in front all the time. Second, they choose leaders who can handle turbulence. And then, all during the time one bird is leading, the rest are honking their affirmation. That's not a bad model for the church. Certainly we need leaders who can handle turbulence and who are aware that leadership ought to be shared. But most of all, we need a church where we are all honking encouragement."

Story of Gordon Weekly, addicted Baptist minister.

Gordon Weekly built up a church from 0 to 1,000 members. The strain of pastoring led him to try diet pills to get zip. Soon he was also popping pills to go to sleep. The church (and his family) noticed changes and confronted him. From the pulpit he admitted having problems. The congregation accepted his confession, and soon after he popped pills again.

He began a long string of stays in mental hospitals. Each time, he thought he still had control of his life. His church fired him, his wife left him, and he ended up in a YMCA. Then a gospel mission.

When a doctor said he was a little better off than the town drunk, it began to sink in. All along, he had thought he was better than the rejects in life, but now he was one of them.

Weekly only gained a victory when he did something he had preached to others for so long - He admitted he was powerless to control the drugs, and he gave himself completely over to God's power. He received a healing and now ministers to those who are broken.

There are two ways to approach God. In our own strength. Or in God's strength. At a service he once preached:

"No life on this earth finds the real, deep springs of communion

with the Almighty until it has met adversity and, by that

adversity, has been forced to a point that it is broken, utterly

helpless before God."

#2152

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Anyone who grew up in a parsonage knows that “PK” stands for “preacher’s kid.”

Early on, I rebelled against that label. But I wasn’t rejecting my father, my family or the faith. When people called me a “preacher’s kid,” I told them that my father wasn’t a preacher -- he was a pastor. There’s a difference.

My father passed away March 5 at the age of 82 and I thought this would be a good time to say, once again, what I said to him and to others many times -- I have always been proud of his work, which included the pastorates of several Texas Baptist churches and seven years as an associational director of missions in Wichita Falls. Of course, it had been some time since Bert Mattingly’s post-retirement work as a hospital chaplain in Houston. That didn’t matter. In Texas Baptist lingo, he was always “Brother Bert.”

My father preached, but that wasn’t what defined him. The joy, and burden, of the job is that there’s more to it than that.

The job seems to be getting tougher. Ask Jim Dahlman, a veteran editor at Focus on the Family who has specialized in issues linked to the ministry. During one research project he read many letters from clergy and their families, some of which left him weeping. Some pastors weren’t burning out - - they were crashing in flames.

“I read one letter after another from pastors or their wives talking about this overwhelming sense of loneliness and isolation,” he said. “Over and over, they’d write things like, ‘We’re totally alone. We can’t talk to anyone about what’s going on in our lives or the pressure we’re under. We’re out here twisting in the wind.’”

The big pressure is for pastors to be ready and available to handle each and every crisis, no matter how minor. With family and friends far away these days, who do people call? Oprah? The all-night therapist?

Dahlman said people also expect pastors to be “lifestyle role models” with perfect homes and perfect spiritual lives. But it’s a problem if the pastor spends too much time at family events or on prayer retreats. Church members expect well-researched, practical and, preferably, entertaining sermons. But it’s a problem if the pastor spends too much time studying and writing.

The clock is always ticking.

I’m convinced the main reason stress levels are so high is that so many people -- in pews and pulpits -- have forgotten that pastors are defined by who they are and what they stand for, not what skills they possess and what tasks they perform. Pastors can’t be shepherds if people expect them to be superheroes.

Why was I proud to be a pastor’s kid? This may sound simplistic, but I believe churches need to hear it -- again.

• My father was a pastor -- not a preacher, CEO, entertainer, clinical counselor, self-help guru or crisis-management consultant.

• He preached the Bible, not his feelings and experiences. Today, many urge pastors to make their lives open books -- often forcing a faked extroversion that has little to do with reality. This has more to do with life in an era of mass-media confessions than solid teaching or evangelism.

• My parents were united -- for 58 years -- by their love and commitment to ministry. Today, many churches place so much pressure on clergy schedules and on their spirits that the very foundations of their personal lives are weakened. This has led to clergy divorce rates that are as shameful as in society as a whole.

• My father wasn’t a workaholic. It wasn’t until college that I talked with other PKs and discovered how unusual it was that I spent many, many hours with my father. I’m convinced this was linked to a more balanced, realistic approach to ministry.

• He kept on loving God, his work and his people. I have never known a pastor who didn’t wrestle with fits of melancholy. Good pastors are realists who face the reality of pain and sin. And then many heap criticism on them, micromanage their lives and expect miracles.

Truth is, I rarely saw my father move mountains. But I did see him preach, teach, pray and embrace sinners. I was proud that he was a pastor. I still am.

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(Mattingly (www.tmatt.net) teaches at Milligan College in Tennessee. He writes this weekly column for the Scripps Howard News Service. It is used in Baptist Press by permission.)

Pastor Samuel Chilokoteni drums his hand on the pulpit, keeping time to a hymn. There's no microphone on the podium at this rural, dirt-floored church near Blantyre, Malawi. But you can clearly hear his voice above the others.

"There is power, power, wonder-working power," he sings enthusiastically in Chewa, the main tribal language in this part of Malawi, a tiny country in southeastern Africa.

Chilokoteni, 61, is well-acquainted with God's power. In his 20 years as a Christian -- half of those as a pastor -- that power has carried him through plenty of trials. The toughest of those have come during his current pastorate at Jerusalem Baptist Church in Limbe, Malawi.

The day after he moved there as pastor in 1993, one of his adult sons died. Since then four more of his grown children have died, too. All of these deaths are thought to be from AIDS or AIDS-related illnesses.

But in Malawi -- where the average life expectancy is just 41 years and AIDS has reached epidemic proportions -- Malawians aren't preoccupied with the cause of death. "Death is just death here," explains an International Mission Board missionary who recently transferred from Malawi to The Last Frontier.

As a regional leader of the Baptist Convention of Malawi, Chilokoteni travels as often as he can to Malawian Baptist churches. Developing church leaders is a top priority for Chilokoteni and missionaries who work with him.

One of those leaders is Luciano Phiri, 35. Phiri met Chilokoteni about a decade ago after arriving in Malawi as a refugee from neighboring Mozambique. Phiri and his family fled their home to escape a brutal civil war.

Chilokoteni then was serving as a Baptist chaplain to Mozambican refugees who poured across Mozambique's border into Malawi. During his nearly three years in that role, he personally led more than 4,000 Mozambican refugees to faith in Jesus Christ. Phiri is one of them.

"When he started visiting and witnessing to us, I didn't take him seriously," Phiri recounts. "I didn't understand what he was doing. But finally I came to realize that what he was saying about Jesus is true, that this path is the only one to follow. So I repented and gave my life to the Lord."

Chilokoteni helped disciple Phiri, who then began witnessing to other refugees. Later Phiri felt God's call to be a pastor, too.

With Chilokoteni's help and encouragement, Phiri was accepted as a student at Malawian Baptists' Bible school. His studies there prepared him for returning to minister in his homeland in 1993 -- a year after the war ended.

Since then Phiri has started four Baptist churches in Mozambique, near its border with Malawi. To reach some of them, he and fellow Baptists ride bikes about 40 kilometers each way.

He's also working to improve his skills as a pastor. He and some lay leaders in Mozambique travel weekly across the border to attend Theological Education by Extension classes taught by Eric Laffoon, IMB missionary in Dedza, Malawi. Laffoon grew up in Tanzania, the son of IMB missionaries.

The studies have helped him see that "without God's power, I can do nothing," Phiri says. That's long been an important truth for his Malawian mentor.

Just a few day before his visit with Phiri, Chilokoteni had been sick with malaria. Despite that, he found enough strength to baptize about 20 people during a service at Jerusalem Baptist. Not long afterward Chilokoteni traveled to Chilambe Baptist Church on the outskirts of Blantyre, where he baptized 75 people and another 13 received Christ.

Such blessings, of course, have come alongside more than his share of suffering. But Chilokoteni keeps it all in proper perspective.

"Some people have asked my wife and me why we're still here," Chilokoteni says of his grief-filled pastorate at Jerusalem church. "But we can't run from our troubles. Troubles will always be with us. When we tell people we want to stay here to work for the Lord, it's an encouragement to them."

That kind of attitude encourages Chilokoteni's colleagues in ministry, too. "I've learned so much from him, seeing him bury his kids, seeing how much he loves his family," says a missionary who's worked with him. "During [his children's] funerals, he was so strong -- like a pillar, a rock."

But beyond all that, "he has such a heart for his people, for evangelism, missions, church starting," the missionary adds. "He's been a good friend. But more important than that, he's been a pastor to me."

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#4468

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DEAR PASTOR (letters from the kids) ------------

Dear Pastor, I know God loves everybody but He never met my sister.

Yours sincerely, Arnold.

Age 8, Nashville.

Dear Pastor, Please say in your sermon that Peter Peterson has been a good boy all week. I am Peter Peterson.

Sincerely, Pete.

Age 9, Phoenix

Dear Pastor, My father should be a minister. Every day he gives us a sermon about something.

Robert Anderson, age 11

Dear Pastor, I'm sorry I can't leave more money in the plate, but my father didn't give me a raise in my allowance. Could you have a sermon about a raise in my allowance?

Love, Patty.

Age 10, New Haven

Dear Pastor, My mother is very religious. She goes to play bingo at church every week even if she has a cold.

Yours truly, Annette.

Age 9, Albany

Dear Pastor, I would like to go to heaven someday because I know my brother won't be there.

Stephen.

Age 8, Chicago

Dear Pastor, I think a lot more people would come to your church if you moved it to Disneyland.

Loreen.

Age 9, Tacoma

Dear Pastor, I liked your sermon where you said that good health is more important than money but I still want a raise in my allowance.

Sincerely, Eleanor.

Age 12, Sarasota

Dear Pastor, Please pray for all the airline pilots. I am flying to California tomorrow.

Laurie.

Age 10, New York City

Dear Pastor, I hope to go to heaven some day but later than sooner.

Love, Ellen.

Age 9, Athens

Dear Pastor, Please say a prayer for our Little League team. We need God's help or a new pitcher. Thank you.

Alexander.

Age 10, Raleigh

Dear Pastor, My father says I should learn the Ten Commandments. But I don't think I want to because we have enough rules already in my house.

Joshua.

Age 10, South Pasadena

Dear Pastor, Who does God pray to? Is there a God for God?

Sincerely, Christopher.

Age 9, Titusville

Dear Pastor, Are there any devils on earth? I think there may be one in my class.

Carla.

Age 10, Salina

Dear Pastor, I liked your sermon on Sunday. Especially when it was finished.

Ralph, Age 11, Akron

Dear Pastor, How does God know the good people from the bad people? Do you tell Him or does He read about it in the newspapers?

Sincerely, Marie.

Age 9, Lewiston

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Rev. James Brix, pastor of Georges Road Baptist Church, North Brunswick, New Jersey, comments on the death of Rev. Ercel Webb:

I was privileged to know Rev. Ercel Webb as a mentor and friend. We met in the early 1970's when I was a seminarian in Chicago. One of several positions he held at the time was that of Vice-Principal of Westfield High School, where my mother worked as a secretary. My mom and Ercel were great friends and she insisted that I go by the school to meet him. At the time, he was pastor of Monumental Baptist Church in Jersey City and a Chaplain with NJ National Guard. He took an immediate interest in this young, still-green seminarian and soon became a wonderful source of encouragement and wisdom.

When I was ordained in Chicago, I called Ercel and asked him to preach the sermon. He agreed immediately, although his sense of obligation to his church was such that he flew out after preaching in Jersey City on Sunday morning and flew back just in time to preach during the evening service! Ercel later preached two installation services for me.

I regard Ercel as a modern-day Booker T. Washington. He passionately believed that education is the key to success and overcoming obstacles. He also believed in working hard. How he accomplished so much and still was able to raise a fine family remains a mystery tome, but he did. I called him once during the height of his ministry. It was early evening and his wife stated that he was out doing hospital visits. When I asked when would be a good time to reach him, she actually said, "Call between one and three in the morning. He'll answer and speak with you." She was serious, and I did that - just once. Ercel, just as Mrs. Webb said, answered in a clear voice and chatted wit me for several minutes. He didn't' forget the conversion, either!

The final thing I want to say about Ercel is that he was an overcomer. He pastored Monumental Baptist for 42 years. It was his first and only church until he retired and did interim work. He pastored the church during his seminary days at Eastern. He had to commute to Philadelphia because, as a black man, he was not allowed to sleep in the dorm in those days. Later he became a trustee of the college and seminary and a member of the General Board of the American Baptist Churches (USA). He did not harbor grudges. He used to tell young people that they had to learn to live in the world as it is, not as it should be. He worked tirelessly for positive change.

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After examining the contents of the church's suggestion box, the minister complained: "I wish they'd be more SPECIFIC! What KIND of a kite? WHAT lake?"

We need to put in mind of what we already know to prevent our forgetting it, and to improve our knowledge, and reduce all to practice. We must be established in the belief of the truth, that we

may not be shaken by every wind of doctrine, especially in that which is the present truth, the truth more peculiarly necessary for us to know in our day. If the people need teaching and exhortation while they are in the body, it is very meet and just that ministers should, as long as they are in this tabernacle, instruct and exhort them, and bring those truths to their rememberance that they have formerly heard.

-- Matthew Henry

Paige Patterson, preaching from 2 Timothy 1:16-18, said the servant Onesiphorous is only mentioned one time in the Bible, where it is noted that he refreshed and ministered to the apostle Paul.

“Paul is the greatest missionary statesman and theologian who ever walked the planet; we do not think of Paul as someone in need of spiritual assistance,” Patterson said. “He is certainly one who would be giving spiritual assistance. The fact of the matter is we never come to the point where we do not have need of one another.”

Patterson said he believes that Onesiphorous was one of the most remarkable people in history because he took it as his assignment in life to minister to a minister -- to wait on one who is busy in the work of the Savior.

Addressing students who are preparing for full-time church-related vocations, Patterson asked them to include in their ministry refreshment to those who are discouraged and disillusioned. He also recommended that ministers take a “Onesiphorian Oath,” similar to doctors' Hippocratic Oath.

“You can make a mark by being a refreshing cold drink of water to those who need that sustenance; you can make a mark that is felt all the way into eternity,” Patterson said.

The 2 Timothy passage notes that Onesiphorus was not ashamed of the circumstances in which he found Paul. “Usually when someone is in prison we consider them to be worthy of that and we do not think of them as leadership material necessarily. Of course, we know that the apostle Paul was there unjustly. While others might have been ashamed of his circumstance, Onesiphorus determined that he would not be ashamed to walk with him.”

Patterson said the spirit of being unashamed makes a difference in the life of churches. “Greatness has little to do with the size of the church,” he said. “Every great church where there was excitement and adventure going on and where obviously God was at work had a ministry or two or three to a portion of the world that nobody else seemed to care about: street people, homosexuals, prostitutes, [deaf] people, or blind, and yet this church has singled them out and said that we are going to have a ministry to them.”

“That ought to be characteristic of ministry,” Patterson continued. “We ought to be the ones who wait upon others.

“Two out of three missionaries who lost their lives in Yemen were graduates of this school,” Patterson told the Midwestern convocation. “Most people would never have heard their names and they certainly would not have had their names on the front pages of newspapers across the world if they had not died for their faith. Why did they die for their faith? They died for the faith ministering to the physical and spiritual needs of a people that most folks would say are essentially not very civilized. And yet there they were loving those people and ministering to them.”

As Onesiphorus eagerly sought Paul, believers ought to zealously seek out those in need, Patterson said. “God put it in your heart to minister to somebody, maybe somebody that you wouldn't think of or other people wouldn't think of needing a ministry. Will you seek them out zealously and will you minister to them?” he asked.

The symbol of the minister of Jesus Christ needs to be the bowl and the towel -- to become the washing of the feet of the saints and of sinners, Patterson suggested. “I would say that the next generation of ministers to our world needs to recover the symbol of the bowl and the towel. It is the symbol of the servants of God,” he said.

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[Original illustration at this number was moved to HolwickID #17352]

Why do I come to church? What should I expect the local church to do for me? Should the regular services of the church be primarily for reaching the lost or for reaching the saved? Compare the two concepts below:

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The local church is primarily a SOUL-WINNING STATION.

The local church is primarily a SOUL-BUILDING STATION (Acts 20:28,32).

We rejoice at every soul that is saved through the preaching ministry of a local church, and we certainly do not want to minimize the importance of making the most of every opportunity to win a soul for Christ, but the primary purpose of the local assembly is to build up the believers in the most holy faith and to equip them for the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:12).

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The local church is here primarily to GET PEOPLE SAVED (Reaching them).

The local church is here primarily to GET PEOPLE TAUGHT (Teaching them). See Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:42.

If the main thrust of the local assembly is to reach the lost, then evangelism will be unduly stressed and given priority and the edification and equipping of believers will not be given its proper place. If God’s Word is properly taught, the unsaved who are in attendance will certainly hear the gospel, and the believers who need to be taught will not be neglected.

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The local church is to PREACH THE GOSPEL

(by “gospel” we mean that truth which unsaved people need to know in order to be saved, the good news of salvation).

The local church is to PREACH THE WORD (2 Tim. 4:2) which would include the gospel but which would not neglect “ALL SCRIPTURE” (2 Tim. 3:16).

If a faithful pastor is preaching through the Bible, verse by verse, book by book, he is going to be constantly pointing his listeners to Christ and to His so-great salvation. At the same time he will be feeding the saints the kind of spiritual food that will nurture them and strengthen them to be good soldiers of Jesus Christ.

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The local church is here primarily for EVANGELISM (Win them!).

The local church is here primarily for INDOCTRINATION (Feed them!). See John 21:15-17; Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2.

The key word here is “primarily.” We are not opposed to the gospel message going forth in the regular services of the local church, and we certainly rejoice over every sinner who repents. The problem comes when evangelism becomes the main focus and the believers do not get the spiritual nourishment that they need to be effective servants (and soul-winners!) for Christ throughout the week.

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BRING THE UNSAVED TO THE GOSPEL.

BRING THE GOSPEL TO THE UNSAVED (Mark 16:15; 2 Cor. 5:20).

God does NOT say, “Go into all the world and invite everyone to come to church.” We are not to bring them to the gospel but we are to bring the gospel to them. All believers are to be gospel preachers, not just the pastor on Sunday morning or Sunday evening. Our gospel emphasis should be every day of the week, as we go into the world seeking the lost to win. But the hours that we spend with God’s people should be rich times of being built up in the Word of God so that we can be more effective witnesses for Christ at work, at home or at school.

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The regular services of the local church have a ministry primarily for SINNERS.

The regular services of the local church have a ministry primarily for SAINTS (Eph. 4:12; Col. 1:28).

Again the key word is “primarily.” We are certainly glad if unsaved people can come into a local church and find it a place that ministers to their spiritual needs, especially their greatest need which is salvation from sin. But the primary purpose of the local assembly is to proclaim the whole counsel of God so that believers are well-equipped to go forth and do the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:12).

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Primary goal of the local church: THAT PEOPLE MIGHT BE SAVED! (Salvation is the final goal)

Primary goal of the local church: THAT SAVED PEOPLE MIGHT BE CHRIST-LIKE!

(Salvation is just the first step) Col. 1:28; Eph. 4:13-15

Again, we are certainly not opposed to people being saved in church, but we are grieved when God’s people are undernourished, spiritually sick, and ineffective witnesses for Christ. A church that is faithfully teaching the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, will not neglect the lost who come through the doors. What happens when an unbeliever comes into a soul-building station where believers are being edified and where God’s Word is being rightly taught?

See 1 Corinthians 14:24-25.

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The Pastor should PREACH SALVATION MESSAGES (John 3:16, etc.).

The Pastor should PREACH THE ENTIRE BIBLE from Genesis to Revelation (Acts 20:27; Matt. 28:20; 2 Tim. 3:16).

It is impossible to preach through the Bible systematically and not touch upon the gospel repeatedly. There is a scarlet cord that runs throughout the Scriptures. But there are also rich gems of truth that believers need to hear and understand. John 3:16 is one of the most wonderful verses in the Bible, but a steady diet of John 3:16 type messages is not what a hungry believer needs. If we aim the Sword only at the unsaved, then we are going to fail to meet the spiritual needs of God’s flock (John 21:15-17).

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The Pastor should give the people INFORMATION ON HOW TO BE SAVED. (How to become a Christian)

The Pastor should give the people INFORMATION ON HOW TO LIVE. (How to be a Christian) See 2 Tim. 3:17

Believers need to be well-versed on how to be saved and how to have full assurance of salvation based on God’s Word. But salvation is only the beginning. It is but the first step of a life-long process of growing to be more like Christ (2 Pet. 3:18; 2 Cor. 3:18). What would we think of a person who is admitted into medical school but receives no further medical training because all the medical school cares about is getting more and more people admitted into their school? I would not want to be a patient in the hospital staffed by such people! The prospective doctor needs to receive the best training possible so that he might be able to treat people properly and save lives. So also the pastor’s job is to give the saints the best possible training from the Word so that they might be able to minister effectively and represent Christ rightly in the world, bringing others to the Saviour.

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THE PASTOR DOES THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY.

THE SAINTS DO THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY (Eph. 4:12).

In most churches today the pastor bears the great bulk of the ministry load along with perhaps a few others. The great majority are content to sit in the pews, hear a nice message and perhaps come back on the following Sunday. The genius of New Testament Christianity was that the saints (the believers) were to be fully equipped and well-trained to go forth every day of the week and do the work of the ministry. Instead of one man or a few people trying to bear the burden, God’s intent was to have a whole army of believers going forth trained and well-equipped to serve the Lord at work, at school, at home, in town or in the local neighborhoods.

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THE PASTOR IS THE MINISTER.

ALL ARE MINISTERS (Eph. 4:12).

In so many churches the preacher is called “the minister,” and sadly this title itself reflects the wrong concept. The pastor is certainly a servant of Christ, but he is but one of many. His special assignment is to train and equip a whole group of believers to be faithful servants of Christ, and this would include being faithful heralds of the good news.

If someone were to ask, “Who is the minister of this church?” an appropriate answer would be, “There are about 200 (depending on the size of the congregation) ministers in this church. Which one would you like to speak to?” God’s people need to understand that the Saviour desires everyone of us to be His faithful servants.

On the other hand, the pastor has a very special ministry. He is able to devote himself continually to the ministry of prayer and the Word of God (Acts 6:4; 1 Tim. 4:15-16). The believers under his ministry ought to be good students of the Word also, but because they hold full time jobs and are full time homemakers, etc., the time they spend in the Word is limited by such constraints. The pastor has the time and needs to make the time for intensive study of the Word so that he might be able to equip the believers unto every good work. One of the great problems of our day is that Bible believing pastors do not study the Word as they should, and part of the reason for this is that all during the week they are running around doing many of the things that well-fed and well-taught saints ought to be doing.

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THE PASTOR IS IN FULL TIME CHRISTIAN SERVICE.

EVERY BELIEVER IS IN FULL TIME CHRISTIAN SERVICE (1 Cor. 6:19-20; Col. 3:22-25).

Every believer needs to realize that he is in full time Christian service whether he gets monetary benefits or not. You may be a doctor or a lawyer or a plumber or an insurance agent or a homemaker or whatever, but your CHIEF VOCATION is that you are a servant of the most high God and you are to walk worthy of your high, holy and heavenly calling (Eph. 4:1). Never forget what your main job really is. And if it really is your main job, do you not need to be fully equipped and fully trained for it? This is the purpose of the local assembly of believers according to God’s blueprint in Ephesians 4:11-16.

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THE PASTOR IS THE PREACHER OF THE GOSPEL.

EVERY BELIEVER IS A PREACHER OF THE GOSPEL (2 Cor. 5:20; Mark 16:15).

The pastor certainly has wonderful opportunities to proclaim the good news of Christ, not only in the regular services of the church, but also on other special occasions (funerals, weddings, etc.). As the pastor faithfully preaches and teaches through the Bible he is going to repeatedly exalt the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ and point to the wonderful salvation that He alone died to provide. But there is also a gospel responsibility given to every blood-bought child of God. Remember, your pastor cannot readily get into the factory or the hospital or the insurance company or the school or the place of business where you work 40 hours a week or more. However God has placed you there to be His witness, by life and by lips (Acts 1:8). Also keep in mind that you don’t have to be a pastor to hand out tracts or to do hospital visitation or to lead a nursing home service or to conduct a neighborhood evangelistic Bible study or to teach a Bible club for children, or to go on door to door visitation, etc. May God guide each of us to know where and how we may most effectively serve Him.

Ephesians 4:11-12 -- The ascended Lord Jesus Christ gave certain gifted men to His church, including pastor-teachers (Eph. 4:11).

The following may help you understand what Ephesians 4:12 is really saying:

WHY WERE THESE GIFTED MEN GIVEN TO THE CHURCH?

For the purpose of (Greek–PROS, with a view towards) perfecting (equipping, training) the saints

[What are the saints equipped for?]

1. FOR (GREEK: EIS) THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY [SERVING CHRIST EVERY DAY (including evangelism)]

2. FOR (GREEK: EIS) THE EDIFYING OF THE BODY OF CHRIST [BUILDING UP FELLOW BELIEVERS!]

INTERPRETIVE PARAPHRASE: The Pastor-teacher is to equip and train the saints (through a program of total indoctrination involving the whole counsel of God from Genesis to Revelation) so that the saints will go forth throughout the week serving Christ, making known His gospel and building up fellow believers.

THE PURPOSE FOR THE ASSEMBLING OF THE SAINTS

“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-12)

The saints assemble together in order to be equipped (perfected) for the work of the ministry. This is the genius of apostolic Christianity, but it is rarely taking place in the churches today. God’s purpose is to train and equip His people by way of His gifted men (“pastor/teachers” etc.). When believers are well-fed and well-taught in the whole counsel of God, then the body (the local assembly) will be healthy, the LIFE of Christ will be manifested, and God will be glorified.

We certainly thank God for every sinner who attends a local assembly of believers, hears the gospel message and receives Christ as his personal Saviour. The main purpose of the local assembly, however, is for the saints, not for sinners. The local assembly, according to God’s pattern, is to be primarily an edification center (1 Cor. 14:26), not an evangelistic center; a soul-building station (Acts 20:28,32), not a soul-winning station. Of course, if the whole counsel of God is preached and if the Bible is faithfully taught then the cross of Christ, the grace of God, justification and God’s so-great salvation would be themes heard repeatedly. How can you preach the Word and not preach the gospel? On the other hand, it is possible to preach the gospel in such a way that fails to provide proper nourishment for the saints. Believers need more than a steady diet of “John 3:16 messages.”

Interestingly enough, the cults do not establish evangelistic centers. Rather they establish edificational centers to train their people to go out and do the work of the ministry. The people are immersed in a program of total indoctrination. The average Jehovah’s Witness, for example, is ready always to give an answer to every man that asks him a reason of the FALSE hope that is within him. The average Bible believer is horribly ignorant of God’s truth. The devil knows which system really works. The cults do not lack for converts.

What do unbelievers notice as they come into local churches today? Do they see a healthy organism? Do they see well-fed members? Do they see “Christ in you”? Are they convicted by the awesome Presence and Person of God (1 Cor. 14:24-25)? The greatest need today is for a lost world to see the Lord Jesus Christ manifesting Himself in and through a healthy assembly of believers. The world needs to see Christ-like believers who understand and practice God’s Word. When God’s people are fully equipped for the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:11-16), they certainly will not be lax in gospel outreach, nor allow mission programs to suffer. When a church makes its priority edification, then true evangelism cannot help but be enhanced, as is well illustrated in 1 Corinthians 14:24-25.

“The local church is for the glory of God. On earth each

congregation is to function as a body that evidences the power

and indwelling of the life of God. Each one is to be seen as a

manifestation of Christ in its locality, living the truth as well

as preaching it. The bulk of instruction and exhortations in

Acts and the Epistles has to do with holiness and honorable

interpersonal relationships in the local church (1 Cor. 11:27).

Each congregation is to see itself as a “body,” and organism, and

not merely as an organization....Unless this is understood and

made paramount in the thinking of leaders and members, the local

church will fail as a witness. But when this truth is embraced

by faith unto edification, the community round about will see a

witness. The unsaved who attend its services will come under the

conviction of sin (1 Cor. 14:25), and the members will be fed,

empowered, and equipped to properly represent Jesus Christ in

their daily pursuits (2 Cor. 3:3; Phil. 2:15)....The redeemed —

together as the Lord’s assembly — constitute an organism to be

treasured. Each believer should be helped to see what the local

assembly means to Christ and should become most appreciative of

the precious privilege of being part of the local testimony.”

(Carlton Helgerson, THE LOCAL CHURCH)

*

[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #16734]

A pastor in a tough situation was asked how he slept at night.

"Like a baby," he replied. "I sleep an hour, wake up and cry a

while. Then I sleep another while, then wake up and cry again. And

so on through the night."

Just as a hidden iceberg destroyed the Titanic after the crew had ignored multiple warnings, lives and ministries of pastors and other church staff are being destroyed at a remarkable rate by sexual infidelity, the president of the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board warns. Robert E. Reccord is author of the book "Beneath the Surface: Steering Clear of the Dangers That Could Leave You Shipwrecked," published by the Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Reccord cited survey statistics from the book "Men's Secret Wars" by Patrick Means that indicated 64 percent of pastors or church staff struggled with sexual addiction or compulsion. Twenty-five percent admitted to having sexual intercourse with someone besides their wife while married, and after they had accepted Christ. Another 14 percent admitted some form of sexual contact short of intercourse.

Reccord told of a difficult conversation he had several years ago with a friend in the ministry who had fallen because of adultery. He asked him, "What in the world were you doing? Didn't you hear the alarm bells going off?" There was a long silence, Reccord said, then the man answered, "Oh Bob, I did hear the alarms. I heard the alarms plainly. But when I heard the alarms I decided to disconnect the wires."

There is a repeatable pattern that often occurs with many kinds of sin, a pattern that first appeared in the Garden of Eden, Reccord said. First, Eve questioned whether God really said it was wrong. Then she contradicted God, rationalizing that he really didn't have her best interests at heart when he told her not to eat of the fruit.

"I find that the only time I'm really open to saying, 'Did God really say?' is when I believe God isn't giving me his best. I think he's holding back something from me," Reccord said.

He told how Joseph and David from Scripture reacted differently when faced with sexual temptation, Joseph from Potiphar's wife and David from Bathsheba.

While David overestimated his strength and yielded to temptation, Reccord said, Joseph recognized his own weakness and fled immediately at the first signs. Some of the highest-profile leaders fall hard precisely because they think, like David, that they are invulnerable.

"Just as much as [Satan] attacks at your weakest point, he also attacks you at what you think is your strongest point," Reccord said, later adding that life-altering sin can happen remarkably quickly. "There is not a person in this room that is not one step from stupid at any given moment."

Reccord also noted the importance of every Christian leader having someone to whom he is accountable, someone who will ask him the hard questions about his personal life and thoughts. He noted research which found little in common among more than 200 fallen ministers except two things: all no longer had a regular quiet time in fellowship with God, and none had made themselves accountable to a person or group.

"Nobody takes accountability from you," he said. "You've got to give accountability. You've got to go to someone and say, 'I need your help.'"

Reccord also pointed to God's warning through Moses in Deuteronomy of the dangers of turning toward false gods.

"The minute you start looking to something or someone to provide what only God can provide, you are worshiping other gods," he said.

*

One of the great truths Baptists lift up is the priesthood of all believers and an emphasis on the radical equality of all believers before God, because all have received the gift of the Spirit.

To a certain extent Baptists have always had a mixed relationship with authority. In fact a friend of mine once said to me, "I'm a Baptist because I have problems with authority." Perhaps he's the one who coined the bumper sticker, "Question Authority." It cannot be denied that there is within Baptist life a deep, deep disposition towards freedom and democracy rooted in our understanding of soul competency and our understanding of human sin.

Certainly as Executive Minister [Medley was "CEO" of American Baptists in New Jersey and later of the entire denomination] I pick up on a lot of mixed reactions to the perceived authority (or lack thereof) of my office - most of which make me chuckle. Recently as I was visiting one of our congregations on a Sunday morning the pastor excitedly ran up to me. "What a wonderful day for you to be with us," the pastor said with enthusiasm. "This was the last Sunday of our new members class, and when I was telling them about your coming I said to them, 'He's our Executive Minister, but he can't tell us what to do.'" Quite a greeting!

But do we not need to recover within our life as Baptists (and in our culture) a more balanced view of leadership - one which rightly safeguards both our commitment to the radical equality of all believers before God and the rightful role of leadership? I've often wondered what the impact might have been if the pastor mentioned above had addressed the membership class slightly differently: "Today, our Executive Minister will be visiting with us. We've called him to lead and help guide us as congregations in ABCNJ just as you've called me to this congregation. Because we respect the office and position to which we have called him, we listen to him carefully for the guidance and wisdom God offers us through him. But as Baptists, we recognize that having heard him it is ultimately our responsibility before God to prayerfully and thoughtfully determine our response."

For Paul, leadership is inextricably tied to the work of the Spirit. In the midst of his greatest teaching on the work of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12 and 13, he sets forth in verse 28, "And God has appointed in the church..." He then enumerates a series of leadership roles in the church. For Paul, leadership is not just an incidental fact. It is rooted in God's empowerment of the church by the Spirit for her life and work. Leadership is essential.

Currently in both the church and the business world, a lot of research, writing and attention are focusing on the role of leadership. At the core of this research is the understanding that leaders make a difference, and that organizations are generally unable to grow beyond the level of their leadership.

That brings us to the church. Bill Hybels has rightfully pointed out that the church is the most intensive leadership enterprise there is. Therefore the quality of leadership is even more important in the life of the church than in other organizations. Sadly, he also notes that most churches unintentionally undermine the gift of leadership. And unfortunately, my experience over the years working with pastors and congregations agrees with his assessment.

How can we cease to unintentionally undermine the gift of leadership and restore a more mature and appropriate attitude towards leadership in the church? Here are some observations and ideas.

HONOR POSITIONS OF LEADERSHIP. I am convinced that many people are turned away from the pastoral call because they do not see it as a position worthy of their talents. We teach them this by the attitude we exhibit towards our church leaders and the restrictions we place on their ability to lead. When youth compare attitudes about leaders in business, education, and science with attitudes about the pastoral office, what conclusions do they draw? Which is the most appealing?

LET YOUR LEADER LEAD. Churches disempower leadership in many ways. One of our favorites is by spiritualizing the role of pastor so they become sidelined. Recognize that your pastoral leader plays two important roles in your congregation: one as the spiritual leader of the flock, the other as the leader of a corporate body with a mission. Leadership means being involved in the nitty-gritty of directing the life of the church including setting vision and goals for ministry of the congregation, the calling and retention of staff, and developing sound and inspiring financial goals and practices. Empower your leader to lead by expecting them to be in the forefront not on the sidelines.

TRUST YOUR LEADERS. The default setting in church life ought to be trust - to give leadership the benefit of the doubt. Leadership cannot flourish in an atmosphere of suspicion where motives are constantly questioned. Until proven otherwise, trust. Distrust is toxic to leadership. Give your leaders room to fail. Failure comes in every walk of life - even in Christian ministry. Unless a failure is so grave that it threatens the integrity and life of the church in Christ, what matters most is what the person and the body of Christ learn from that failure. Treat new efforts as trials recognizing that any leader and church which are growing must step out into new territory. Even with the most careful planning, not every seed which is planted will grow.

ENGAGE YOUR LEADER. Good ministerial leaders are made better by dedicated laity who take their pastors seriously. This happens whenever laity seriously engage their pastor's dreams and goals with the best of their wisdom and gifts. No really good leader (only insecure ones) expects colleagues to accept everything they present without question. In the give and take of leader with staff, committees, and the congregation in an atmosphere of mutual trust several things are gained: discernment - no one has a corner on God's will; wisdom - others bring to the table experience and insights to make a good plan better; ownership - to flourish, the dream or the plan must become the congregation's.

CHALLENGE YOUR LEADER to be the best leader possible. Encourage them to read some of the excellent books on leadership being published in church and business circles (and you read them, too). Support them in attending conferences which mature or enhance them in their dual role as spiritual and as corporate leaders of the church.

THANK THEM. Being a leader has its lonely and downright scary side. In today's world Christian leaders are forced to chart new courses for the church in unfamiliar territory. At times it is like guiding a ship through a hurricane. When your pastor does that well, thank them. Examine your own response towards leadership. Is it a helpful one, or are you still working out of a model of adolescent reaction to authority rather than a mature model of engagement with authority?

You know the odd thing about that bumper sticker "Question Authority" - why does it expect us to accept it as authoritative? You see, it undermines its own presumption of authoritative perspective.

Authority and leadership within the church are rooted in the life and activity of Holy Spirit and are God's gift to us. Let us receive them as God's good gift.

Rev. A. Roy Medley

Executive Minister

American Baptists of New Jersey

[see also Holwick ID #16701]

*

We pastors are being killed by the professionalizing of the pastoral ministry. The mentality of the professional is not the mentality of the prophet. It is not the mentality of the slave of Christ.

Professionalism has nothing to do with the essence and heart of the Christian ministry. The more professional we long to be, the more spiritual death we will leave in our wake. For there is no professional childlikeness (Matt. 18:3); there is no professional tenderheartedness (Eph. 4:32); there is no professional panting after God (Ps. 42:1).

But our first business is to pant after God in prayer. Our business is to weep over our sin (James 4:9). Is there professional weeping?

Our business is to strain forward to the holiness of Christ and the prize of the upward call of God (Phil. 3:14); to pummel our bodies and subdue them lest we be cast away (1 Cor. 9:27); to deny ourselves and take up the blood-spattered cross daily (Luke 9:23). How do you carry a cross professionally? We have been crucified with Christ; yet now we live by faith in the one who loved us and gave Himself for us (Gal. 2:20). What is professional faith?

We are to be filled not with wine but with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18). We are God-besotted lovers of Christ. How can you be drunk with Jesus professionally? Then, wonder of wonders, we were given the gospel treasure to carry in clay pots to show that the transcendent power belongs to God (2 Cor. 4:7). Is there a way to be a professional clay pot?

We are afflicted in every way but not crushed, perplexed but not driven to despair, persecuted but not destroyed, always carrying in the body the death of Jesus (professionally?) so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested (professionally?) in our bodies (2 Cor. 4:9-11).

I think God has exhibited us preachers as last of all in the world. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but professionals are wise.

We are weak, but professionals are strong. Professionals are held in honor; we are in disrepute. We do not try to secure a professional lifestyle, but we are ready to hunger and thirst and be ill-clad and homeless. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become the refuse of the world, the offscouring of all things (1 Cor. 4:9-13).

Or have we?

Brothers, we are not professionals! We are outcasts. We are aliens and exiles in the world (1 Pet. 2:11). Our citizenship is in heaven, and we wait with eager expectation for the Lord (Phil. 3:20). You cannot professionalize the love for His appearing without killing it. And it is being killed.

The aims of our ministry are eternal and spiritual. They are not shared by any of the professions. It is precisely by the failure to see this that we are dying.

The life-giving preacher is a man of God, whose heart is ever athirst for God, whose soul is ever following hard after God, whose eye is single to God, and in whom by the power of God’s Spirit the flesh and the world have been crucified and his ministry is like the generous flood of a life-giving river.[1]

We are most emphatically not part of a social team sharing goals with other professionals. Our goals are an offense; they are foolishness (1 Cor. 1:23). The professionalization of the ministry is a constant threat to the offense of the gospel. It is a threat to the profoundly spiritual nature of our work. I have seen it often: the love of professionalism (parity among the world’s professionals) kills a man’s belief that he is sent by God to save people from hell and to make them Christ-exalting, spiritual aliens in the world.

The world sets the agenda of the professional man; God sets the agenda of the spiritual man. The strong wine of Jesus Christ explodes the wineskins of professionalism. There is an infinite difference between the pastor whose heart is set on being a professional and the pastor whose heart is set on being the aroma of Christ, the fragrance of death to some and eternal life to others (2 Cor. 2:15-16).

God, deliver us from the professionalizers! Deliver us from the “low, managing, contriving, maneuvering temper of mind among us.”2 God, give us tears for our sins.

Forgive us for being so shallow in prayer, so thin in our grasp of holy verities, so content amid perishing neighbors, so empty of passion and earnestness in all our conversation. Restore to us the childlike joy of our salvation.

Frighten us with the awesome holiness and power of Him who can cast both soul and body into hell (Matt. 10:28).

Cause us to hold to the cross with fear and trembling as our hope-filled and offensive tree of life. Grant us nothing, absolutely nothing, the way the world views it. May Christ be all in all (Col. 3:11).

Banish professionalism from our midst, Oh God, and in its place put passionate prayer, poverty of spirit, hunger for God, rigorous study of holy things, white-hot devotion to Jesus Christ, utter indifference to all material gain, and unremitting labor to rescue the perishing, perfect the saints, and glorify our sovereign Lord.

Humble us, O God, under Your mighty hand, and let us rise, not as professionals, but as witnesses and partakers of the sufferings of Christ. In His awesome name. Amen.

________

1. John Piper and Wayne Grudem, RECOVERING BIBLICAL MANHOOD AND WOMANHOOD: A RESPONSE TO EVANGELICAL FEMINISM (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books, 1991), 16.

2. Richard Cecil quoted in E. M. Bounds, POWER THROUGH PRAYER (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1972), 59.

By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: www.desiringGod.org. Email: mail@desiringGod.org. Toll Free: 1.888.346.4700.

*

[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #21786]

"Who runs the church?" is a question that divides many Baptist congregations.

In healthy churches, experts say, secure pastors and secure lay leaders share a common vision of mutual leadership. But when either the pastor or lay leaders attempt to tip the balance in their favor against the wishes of the other party, conflict often results.

Control issues are the No. 1 reason for forced terminations of Baptist pastors, according to research by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.

The number of ministerial firings by Baptist churches has grown to alarming proportions, says Jan Daehnert, director of minister/church relations for the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

In a majority of these cases, disputes over pastoral authority plays a significant role in the conflicts that led to termination, Daehnert said. And that doesn't even include the many other cases where ministers moved on to another church to keep the issue from coming to a head.

While it's easy to point fingers at either pastors or laity in conflict over authority issues, responsibility lies at the feet of both, Daehnert said. "The authority issue is primarily seen in the pastoral role, but it's also a layman's authority issue," he said.

Two scenarios are common, he said. In one, laymen accuse the pastor of being "too heavy-handed," "too authoritarian" or a "dictator." In the other, the pastor views lay leaders as thwarting his leadership with their controlling tactics.

Theological perspectives of some pastors, who believe they have a God-given mandate to run the church, compound the problem.

Authoritarian pastoral styles are commonly associated with a fundamentalist theology, but such tendencies affect non-fundamentalists as well, said Howard Batson, pastor of First Baptist Church of Amarillo. Texas. "It has nothing to do with Baptist politics," he said. "It really is an interpersonal skills problem."

"As a pastor develops a healthy self-esteem, he is less likely to be dictatorial and more likely to be a strong leader," Batson said. "When he's not sure of himself, he'll either hide in a corner or shout from the rooftop. When he's sure of himself, he'll do neither of those."

Bob Sheffield, a specialist in church-conflict mediation with LifeWay, agreed with Batson's assessment. "The more insecure a person is, sometimes the more authoritarian he has to be. If you're secure, you can allow people to be involved in decision making."

Daehnert said conflicts over pastoral authority stem from deeper, unresolved theological issues in churches. "Pastoral authority is a piece of the picture that has been overemphasized because other parts of the picture are out of shape," he said.

He said he believes the problem is that Protestant churches "never completed the Reformation."

"We've never known how to reconcile the role of the pastor and the role of the layman in ministry," he said.

The fault sometimes lies with pastors who, even though Baptist, "have kept some of the old Catholic church tendencies" of clerical superiority, Daehnert said. That may be compounded when laity "turn over to the pastor authority that really belongs to Jesus."

At other times, amid a succession of short-term pastors, lay leaders become so accustomed to managing all the business of the church that they leave no room for pastoral leadership.

While another problem receives less attention, Batson said, some pastors give too little leadership. "On that end, they're withdrawn and apathetic and provide sporadic leadership. They lack initiative."

The best road to travel lies between these two ditches, he said.

"What most churches want is a healthy team-ship approach to leadership. You lead, but you do it as part of a team, including the committees and the congregation. It's not so much, 'God told me, and this is what we've got to do,' but, 'Here's what God has told us together.'"

Batson, Daehnert and others acknowledged that some Baptist churches want a pastor who will give strong direction. That's OK, they said, if the church hires a pastor who shares that vision of leadership.

"Problems usually arise when a congregation expects one type of pastoral authority and they get another," Batson noted. This requires the pastor-search committee to "really know the story of the church and match that with the story of the candidate."

Too often, Sheffield said, search committees don't adequately understand what the church wants in a pastor.

"If you get one pastor who has been a precipative-type pastor, trying to develop a shared-ministry approach, followed by a person who is very autocratic, you're going to have problems," Sheffield said. "Congregations don't realize this. They don't take this into consideration in the pastor-search process.

"Sometimes what the congregation has been heard to say is, 'We need a strong leader.' But their definition of a strong leader and the pastor's definition are different," he said.

But more often, "the pastor-search committee will go on the basis of what they think," without surveying the congregation, Sheffield said.

That can be a problem because "most pastor-search committees don't represent the church as a whole; they represent the cutting edge of the church. Why are people put on the pastor-search committee in the first place? Because they're leaders and they want things to happen."

In reality, churches may need different styles of pastoral leadership at different stages of the congregation's life, Sheffield said.

He compares the situation to a parent's role in leading a child. "There are times, if you're pastoring a mission church, the pastor is going to have to be more hands-on and directive than he might need to be if he has developed his congregation properly."

But just as a parent cannot give direction to a grown child the same way he or she would to a toddler, a pastor must adjust the leadership role as a congregation matures, he added.

Sheffield and Daehnert both believe many pastors have bought into an incorrect definition of leadership, confusing it with management. Leaders are not managers, they insist, and authority is not the same as influence.

"If you take Ephesians 4 literally, our job as pastors is to equip the saints for a work of ministry," Sheffield said. "We will be leaders, which is a sphere of influence, not managers."

Daehnert pointed to a book, "The Servant," written by a corporate executive using biblical principles. The author, James Hunter, quotes sociologist Max Weber's distinction between power and authority.

Power, he said, is "the ability to force or coerce someone to do your will, even if they would choose not to, because of your position or might." Authority is "the skill of getting people to willingly do your will because of your personal influence."

So a person could be in a position of power but not have authority with people, Daehnert said. "Authority is based not on position but on influence."

A practical misapplication of authority happens when young pastors or pastors new to their churches look at older mentors with long tenures and attempt to duplicate their leadership styles, Sheffield explained.

The older, more tenured pastors have "gone through the fire" and earned the right of leadership, he said. "Yet we may think we can be there without earning the right to be the leader."

The problem of church conflict due to leadership issues is well-known, acknowledged Larry Ashlock, a professor of pastoral ministry at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and former pastor. "We seem to know the reasons for the problems but have not taken proactive steps to correcting it."

Southern Baptists are attempting to address the problem nationwide through LifeWay's LeaderCare unit, which includes counseling and other resources for ministers. The BGCT addresses the problem through its minister/church relations office.

One practical solution is for pastors to learn better listening skills, Batson suggested. "We teach people in seminary how to talk, not how to listen. The greatest skill a pastor can have is his ability to listen."

The same can be said for lay leaders. "A healthy church is where people are submissive to the leadership of God in their lives and equally submissive to one another," Daehnert said.

In the ideal situation, he added: "The pastor has a role and responsibility and lay leaders also have a role and responsibility. Together, they determine what is God's will for the church."

The model that works best for a pastor, he suggested, is Jesus the Good Shepherd rather than the Old Testament model of religious leaders as "prophet, priest and king."

Yet while the New Testament offers principles for church leadership, it does not spell out a detailed plan of church administration, Batson said. "I don't think (first-century Christians) ever imagined the church being structured like it is now," he said.

*

Ministry is...

giving when you feel like keeping,

praying for others when you need prayer,

feeding others when your soul is hungry,

hurting with others when your own hurt can't be spoken,

keeping your word when it is not convenient,

being faithful when your soul wants to run away.

- author unknown

Learn And Live

Read: James 1:19-27

Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. --James 1:22

A church had a new pastor who preached the same sermon every Sunday. When people started complaining, he told the congregation, "I'll preach a new sermon when you act on this one."

That pastor's statement reminds me of the words of the apostle James: "Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only" (1:22). As followers of Christ, we are to live what we learn.

Michael Baughen, a speaker at a Bible conference in England, stated, "James wants you to have a holy faith--worked out in the world." Baughen pointed out that some people, though involved in the church and regular in giving, never care for anybody. "The world calls that hypocrisy," he said. Indeed, our empty lip service never fools the world. James said we fool only ourselves. Our faith is "pure and undefiled" when it overflows in service to others (v.27).

Baughen lamented, "Too many times at a funeral I hear, 'He never did any harm,' and I want to scream, 'Did he ever do any good?'"

Some Christians are little more than "harmless" citizens in the world, for they are hearers only. Others are compelling witnesses, for they are both hearers and doers.

Let's not just learn what God says. Let's live it! --JEY

A faith that is vibrant, impassioned, alive,

Will certainly work itself out;

A faith that is eager to roll up its sleeves

Will find that there's no room for doubt. --Gustafson

You haven't really learned the Word until you live the Word.

We can learn from the dark moments on our journey to the Celestial City.

_____________

"Gordon, you and Gail are going through one of the darkest moments you will ever face, and you have a choice: Will you deny the pain and run from it or will you embrace the pain and squeeze out of it everything God has for you?"

The man who spoke those words changed our lives.

His words echo the theology that often gets lost in the shadows of dark moments: God can play tricks on evil, if we let him, and pull from the darkness light and beauty.

Dark moments are not the exception, even in a life God blesses.

I would not have said that in my youth. I considered pain and suffering in the life of a Christian minister as gross anomalies or the result of sin.

But I've come to see the dark moments of life as precious moments, times to ask, "Is this a moment God can speak to me?"

As I look over my almost sixty years, I feel like the traveler in PILGRIM'S PROGRESS: I can spot dark moments in which I've seen God at work in my life in a clear way. In each I heard a message in the midst of pain. I offer you six:

1. ESCAPE IS NEVER AN ANSWER

I quit my first job at 24.

I was a youth pastor on the south side of Denver and a senior at the University of Colorado. For the first fourteen months of my ministry, I was dearly loved. It seemed I could do no wrong. The senior pastor even offered me his pulpit on occasion, and everybody marveled that someone so young and without seminary training could preach so well.

Then for reasons I can't remember (or don't want to remember), things soured. I went from "He can do no wrong" to "He can do no right." The teenagers stopped showing up and began criticizing the youth program.

One afternoon, while walking through the church, I noticed a crumbled ball of paper on the floor. Instinctively, I bent down, picked it up, and opened it. One teenager had written to another these words: "If MacDonald doesn't quit this youth-pastor job soon, this whole program is going to go up in smoke."

I saw in my mind my great future of serving the Lord go up in flames. Numb, I marched to my office, called Gail, who, being discouraged at the time, didn't persuade me otherwise, and typed a letter of resignation. Fifteen minutes after reading that crumpled note, I handed my letter of resignation to the senior pastor.

For the next nine months, I worked in a trucking company to support my wife and newborn son, wondering if I'd ever get another shot at ministry. During those months I experienced what I call "a dark moment," the first of a series during the course of my life. Looking back, I can say my resignation was rather inconsequential, but I felt frightened at the time.

Many men will tell you that in their keenest moments of despair, they brooded about taking their life. I don't think they were suicidal so much as they just wanted to escape the pain. They wanted to lie down and not awake. Many people in ministry also fantasize about escaping when conflict or hard times come. Consider Simon Peter, who after the resurrection went fishing. Or the apostle Paul who, in Second Corinthians, was so crushed that he despaired of life itself. I hear in the stories of Peter and Paul the message "I want to quit."

Looking back, I wish someone would have taken me aside and said, "Wait, Gordon, not so fast. Let's take three weeks to do what the U.S. Navy did when several planes crashed - a seventy-two hour 'stand-down.' Nothing flies. Let's evaluate every procedure. What's gone on over the last three months? Let's get some of your critics to talk to you face to face."

But I had no advisers; I had to learn the lesson through quitting. I discovered that inside me was an internal relay that triggered a quitting response whenever the going got tough. I had to reset the relay. This dark moment taught me an important lesson about life and ministry: when the going gets rough, quitting is never the first option.

2. CONFLICT CANNOT BE LEFT UNRESOLVED

The word HATE is a strong word; I don't use it easily. But if ever I experienced this feeling, I did so many years ago toward someone in a church I served. I can't reveal much of the circumstances, but this individual made promises to me that weren't kept. Over the months, my resentment smoldered into hate.

My feelings about this person affected virtually every dimension of my life. I had no interest in praying. Every time this person came to mind, I fantasized about ways I could embarrass and humiliate this individual. My hate poisoned even my relationship with Gail. When she said, "You've got to talk to this person and make it right," I became irritated with her for telling me what I knew-but didn't have the guts to do. The root of bitterness descended deep in my soul and wrapped itself around my motivation for pastoral work.

Tormented, I cried out loud to God one afternoon, "Give me relief from this. Help me to forgive." What followed during the next fifteen minutes can only be described as a mystical experience, the first in my life. It was a little like a vision, but I had a physical sensation of a hole being cut into my chest cavity. After the hole was cut, I felt something oozing out, like a thick molasses. The substance flowed and flowed. It was my hatred, which God was removing through surgery. After the flow had stopped, I felt as if I had lost fifty pounds; my hatred was gone.

I struggle to explain why God intervened so dramatically, but I learned from that dark moment never again to allow a relationship to stray that far off course. I learned that, like Paul and Barnabas, some people just can't work together, that separation is better than hate, and that the engines of healing are forgiveness and grace.

3. EMOTIONS MUST BE ATTENDED TO

Early in my pastoral career, I read THE SECULAR CITY by Harvey Cox, a Harvard theologian. It was the first I'd read a book by an author who knew the fundamentalist mindset so well. Cox had grown up in fundamentalism, which in THE SECULAR CITY he attacked and deconstructed. Reading the book tore open my belief systems.

At that same time, during a two-week span, I conducted the funerals of two homeless people. In the southern Illinois town where I served, the funeral director asked for my services for $30 a pop. In both cases, I walked into the funeral home to see a cheap, cloth-covered casket with an older man lying in state with all the marks of a hard life. Nobody showed for the first funeral. The only person who came for the second was a woman who looked almost as bad as the corpse. She had shared life with him on the streets. Her plight overwhelmed me as much as the person's for whom I was conducting the funeral. I was struck with the absolute meaninglessness of their lives.

Also during this time, I was extremely busy, physically exhausted, with no time for spiritual activity.

One Saturday morning at breakfast, Gail innocently said to me, "You haven't spent any time with the family this month." I burst into tears. The book I'd read, the two funerals, my over-busyness-all combined to unravel my emotions. I cried until noon, until I was exhausted. In the midst of my breakdown, I wondered, IS THIS WHAT IT'S LIKE TO GO CRAZY? I'd never had a moment when I couldn't control my feelings. Yet this was a Niagara of tears.

During this dark moment, I discovered that unresolved feelings do not flutter away in the wind. They deposit themselves in the strata of our souls and lie waiting to escape. They're all there: the resentments, the despair, the anxieties, the worries, the fears. When we're young, we have enough energy to keep them from geysering, but as the years accumulate, we lose our ability to push them underground.

I resolved to keep a record of my feelings. Journaling is not fail-safe, but it has forced me once a day to take inventory of the last twenty-four hours. It has helped me to tend to emotions rather than let them accumulate until they cause problems.

4. PAIN REDUCES US TO OUR TRUE SIZE

For the first time in my life, in my early thirties, I was experiencing physical pain, a spate of migraine headaches that came close to unbearable. I worried they were caused by a brain tumor and feared I would live with pain the rest of my life.

This may sound unbelievable, but I could almost set my calendar and watch to the onset of the migraines: They came during the month of May of every even-numbered year. They generally hit about one o'clock in the morning every other night for about three weeks, and then they stopped. I had four sequences of these.

I finally went to a headache specialist. "Ninety percent of my patients remind me of you," he said. "They are young men, heads of organizations or wanting to be heads of organizations. They're not at peace with themselves; they've got some people in their lives with whom they have unresolved relationships."

He had never met me and didn't know what I did for a living, but he described me perfectly. I knew exactly the unresolved relationships to which the doctor was referring. Let me just say that I don't advocate assigning blame to our parents for all that ails us. If they hurt us, it's likely their parents hurt them. Families tend to pass on their politic from generation to generation. Each of us is living out the consequences of how our family related to one another. Also, I don't think that every pain is psychosomatic, but mine, it turned out, was.

Down through history, some of the greatest moments of kingdom production have come during physical pain. Amy Carmichael, for example, was one of the greatest spirituality writers of the twentieth century, but everything she wrote was written on a bed of pain. The question then becomes, "What does God want to teach me while I'm in the theater of pain?" Pain humbles us, forcing us to recognize our reliance on others and God. It reduces us to our true size.

It was during this dark moment that Gail and I, ten years into our marriage, first learned to pray together. It was one way I worked through my unresolved relationships. Over the next nine months, Gail and I pursued God together in prayer, in more than just a perfunctory way, and it changed our lives. I discovered the importance of saying to her, "I need you to pray for me," and that was something I had not done before. Years later, when Gail and I faced the blackest of my dark moments, the discipline of prayer we had learned during my physical pain was in place.

5. GOD CANNOT BE BOXED

About fourteen years ago, I was asked if I'd be willing to be a candidate for the presidency of a major Christian organization (not InterVarsity). I was advised by wise people not to turn it down, since God, they said, may be calling me to leadership at a world level. I had grown up in a tradition where finding the will of God was the most important pursuit of the Christian life. My mother would say, "If God calls you to do something and you say no, you'll be miserable for the rest of your life." I took finding God's will seriously.

As the process moved along, I learned that other leaders were being considered for the position. While I had agreed to submit my name as a candidate, Gail and I did not expect much to come of it. The other candidates, in my estimation, had far superior qualifications.

But then the headhunter called, asking if he could come to Boston to visit us. Our hopes spiked. We knew the former president had destroyed his marriage because of the job, so Gail and I remained wary. But we slowly warmed to the idea, and since we had a long vacation coming from the church, we decided to seclude ourselves for five weeks in our New Hampshire home to pray. Neither Gail nor I has ever asked God for omens or signs to determine future direction, but during these weeks, the dots seemed to line up. The books we read, the conversations we held, the prayers we prayed, the voice of God we heard in our souls-everything pointed to my getting this position. We felt God was saying, "This is going to happen."

As the search process reached its zenith, the final two candidates - I was one - were asked by the organization's board to come for a final interview. Gail and I met with the board on Friday morning and then flew back to Boston. Gail told me, "They're going to ask you to be the next president." That surprised me, because Gail is not prone to such pronouncements.

On Saturday, knowing the decision would be made Sunday afternoon, I told the staff at Grace Chapel, "I'd like to meet with you Sunday night after church." I didn't tell them why, but I planned to announce my resignation to them, for by then the chairman of the board of the organization was to have called me with the decision.

Sunday afternoon came and went, but the phone did not ring, so by the time the staff gathered that evening at our place, I was in agony. I didn't know what to do. Finally, I told them, "I need to tell you why you are here. It's a story that, as of right now, doesn't have an ending."

So for twenty-five minutes, Gail and I told them about what had unfolded the past four months, how we felt God was leading us in this new direction, though we still hadn't heard the final decision. Everybody was in a state of shock. No sooner had we finished, then the phone rang. It was the chairman of the board of this organization. The other candidate had been chosen.

I stumbled into the living room to tell the staff the news. I said stoically, "You've been with Gail and me on many occasions when God has said yes. Now you'll get to see how we handle things when God says no."

After the staff left, I canceled the church elders meeting I had scheduled for the next morning (I had planned to resign), canceled my plane reservations to meet with what I thought would be my new board, and went to bed. The next morning, I was back at work at 8:00 a.m., as if nothing happened.

Ten days later the full force of what happened crushed me. I submarined into the depths of disillusionment. At a subterranean level, I told God, "You've made a perfect fool out of me. You drew me to the finish line and said, 'I'm sorry.' I no longer know your language. You speak a different language than I've been trained to understand." I was questioning God, something I had never really done. I doubted whether it was possible to hear God speak.

During this period, I resigned from Grace Chapel out of exhaustion, disillusionment, and bewilderment. By candidating for that position, I had lost trust with the leaders of Grace Chapel. That was 1984. My world had fallen apart.

I can say this only now, with more than a decade of distance from those dark moments, but I had to surrender to a much deeper and more mysterious God than I had known up to that moment. I had to surrender all of my prejudices and preconditions of knowing God. That takes time. God wasn't in a hurry with Moses (I often wonder what was on his mind for forty years in the desert), and God certainly wasn't in a hurry with me.

In retrospect, I can say that if the board of that organization had picked me, I would have failed. I wasn't mature enough. The job required characteristics I don't have. Even so, there's a memory of those days that has stayed with me: Don't expect everything to be cozy with God, for he is a big God and his ways are beyond us.

6. ENTHUSIASM IS A CHOICE

My fifth dark moment no doubt contributed to my sixth. Most dark benchmarks have the potential of destroying one's life. And in the blackness of the earlier one, I made a choice that led to moral failure, which resulted in the loss of my life's work.

After I resigned as president of InterVarsity, Gail and I moved to our New Hampshire home for almost two years. One Sunday morning, sitting on the edge of our bed, I flipped the television to Robert Schuller, who said, "Today I'm going to talk about enthusiasm."

WHAT ELSE DO YOU TALK ABOUT? I growled to myself.

But as I listened to Schuller, I realized how unenthusiastic I had become. I had lost my zest for life. Schuller said enthusiasm was a choice, not the result of good circumstances around us. It was the energy created when God is in us.

As Schuller's words sank in, I asked God, "Is it possible for me to get my enthusiasm and vision back once I've lost it?"

Unshaven, I walked into the living room, with my worn-out bathrobe and hair standing on end, and said to Gail, "I have an apology to make."

"What's that?"

"It occurred to me this morning that for the past couple of years, if there has been any enthusiasm in my life, it has been coming from you. I'm telling you before God that this morning, I've resolved to become an enthusiastic man again. You'll see it."

I dedicated the next several days to beginning my quest, and the enduring question that emerged was "If God allows me to live for thirty-five more years, what kind of man do I want to be in my seventies and eighties?"

I remember saying to God, "Whether I return to ministry again is not important. What's important is that I live my life for the next thirty years before you in integrity and enthusiasm."

About the same time Gail and I stumbled across a line from Oswald Chambers: "If God allows you to be stripped of the exterior portions of your life, he means for you to cultivate the interior." After reading that, we made a decision to pray consciously for our friends. Today, rarely do we get up in the morning and not pray for the friends we've been given.

My quest for enthusiasm, my decision to be an old man with integrity, and our decision to pray for our friends -- these became the steps out of failure. They laid a track for our future.

Perhaps the darkest moment taught me that even my worst moment had latent within it the hope of liberation. I'd been given a fresh opportunity to reframe my faith in Christ, to renew my marriage, and to discover my real friends.

When I add up all the dark moments of my life, I see in every one that God had a message for me. I can now say as Pilgrim did as he crossed the river: "I've touched the bottom, and it is sound."

____________________

Gordon MacDonald is pastor of Grace Chapel in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Copyright © 1997 by the author or Christianity Today International/Leadership Journal. Summer, vol. XVIII, no. 3, page 78

Sometimes pastors are the loneliest people in the church. Often their hours are long, the pay minimal, the criticism considerable and constant. Feelings of disappointment, discouragement, and defeat may begin to plague the best of them.

Paul's admonition to "serve one another in love" (Gal. 5:13) should encourage us to remember our shepherds. Here are eight ways to make their lives better.

1. CUT THE CRITICISM

Presbyterian minister Fred Rogers, creator and host of television's "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood," recently gave an address describing the time he was a student at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and attended a different church each Sunday in order to hear a variety of preachers.

One Sunday he was treated to "the most poorly crafted sermon (he) had ever heard." But when he turned to the friend who had accompanied him, he found her in tears.

"It was exactly what I needed to hear," she told Rogers.

"That's when I realized," he told his audience, "that the space between someone doing the best he or she can and someone in need is holy ground. The Holy Spirit had transformed that feeble sermon for her-and as it turned out, for me too."

Unlike most workers who are evaluated once or twice a year, clergy are often critiqued weekly after each worship service. It's not unusual to hear people say "the music was poor," "the hymn selection was awful," or "the sermon was boring." We would do well to remember that most spiritual leaders work hard to make worship a unique celebration each week.

2. PRAY REGULARLY

Ask God to shower your pastor with an abundance of love, hope, joy, faith, peace, power, wisdom, and courage. Pray for your spiritual leader's maturity and growth in the faith. As you pray keep in mind this wisdom from German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: "If you treat a person as he is, he will stay as he is; but if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be, he will become what he ought to be and could be."

3. EXPRESS APPRECIATION IN WRITING

A spoken compliment is always welcome, but a written one can be read over and over again for years. So, when you hear or see something you like from your minister, write an appreciative note.

4. USE YOUR SKILLS TO BLESS

Are you proficient with computers? Help your pastor master the church's new computer. Are you a mechanic? Offer to service the car free of charge or at a reduced fee.

One pastor I know recalls: "I was pastoring my first church-a small congregation with limited resources. While there, I developed a series of dental problems and could not afford treatment. What a joy it was when a dentist in the church offered to treat me for free. Correcting my dental problem involved nearly a dozen visits. He treated me carefully and cheerfully each time. I have thought of that dentist many times since then and the memories of his kindness continue to bless my life."

5. SQUELCH GOSSIP

If you hear a negative comment, respond with a positive one. If misinformation is being spread, correct it with the accurate information. Or, if people are gossiping, just walk away. Remember the Bible soundly condemns gossip and careless speech. James 1:26 says, "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless." And Psalm 34:13 reads, "Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies."

6. OFFER TO MEET A NEED

Some people make their spiritual leaders defensive and angry by saying, "You need to ..." That approach is seldom welcome and almost always counterproductive. If you see a need, approach your spiritual leader by saying, "I'd like to help by ..." If you see an area that can be improved, take responsibility for working on it.

Be an active participant in your church. Get involved by teaching a class, leading a workshop, singing in the choir, feeding the hungry. Ask your spiritual leader where and how you can employ your gifts.

7. BE OPENLY RESPONSIVE

Nothing so animates and excites a spiritual leader as seeing people respond to the preaching and teaching. Imagine the surprise and delight of a pastor in Virginia Beach, Virginia, who, when greeting a visitor to his church, found she came because of the kindness of a church member who was her neighbor.

"I'm recently divorced, a single parent and new to this community," she told the pastor. "To keep up with rent and provide for my three children, I must work two jobs. That leaves me very little time for yard work. I was relieved when the weeds didn't overrun my yard as I had feared they might. However, when I made an unscheduled trip home in the middle of my workday, I discovered the reason why the weeds had not taken over my yard.

"My 86-year-old neighbor - a member of your church - was on his hands and knees pulling my weeds. I barely knew this man and he was embarrassed to be caught in this anonymous act of kindness. He explained that he heard you preach a sermon on the importance of living a life of compassion and kindness and decided to put that sermon into practice by weeding my lawn."

One pastor's heart filled with joy when a group of women in Washington, D.C., responded to a sermon preached from the words of Jesus - "Do not judge, or you too will be judged" (Matt. 7:1). After hearing the sermon, the women decided to give a baby shower for the young woman who provided childcare while they met for Bible study. She was unmarried, close to going on welfare, and without support from her family or the father-to-be. The young woman was moved to tears by the surprise baby shower.

Later, the women explained to the pastor, "Your sermon taught us that it's possible to reach out to someone in need-in this case, an unwed mother-without judging or condoning the situation."

8. THROW AWAY THE MEASURING STICK

Don't expect that your present spiritual leaders will do things the same way their predecessors did. Lay aside personal agendas and preferences. Instead, focus on how your leader is being used by God to do effective ministry now. By serving your shepherds, you will ensure that they will not only be encouraged but will feel appreciated and continue to minister with enthusiasm and energy.

How Prepared Were You for the Ministry?

What kind of spiritual upbringing do pastors have? Are they well educated? Do they find anything lacking in their ministry training? When did they start their first ministry job and what did they do? The latest Christianity Today International research has some answers.

Spiritual Beginnings

• The typical pastor was converted to Christ just before the age of 13. This is significantly earlier than the typical evangelical Protestant who came to faith at the age of 17.

• Two-thirds of pastors (67%) in the study were raised by at least one Christian parent. The vast majority of these, five in six, were raised by two Christian parents.

• Twelve percent of today’s pastors come from a home where one of the parents was employed in ministry.

Influences in Choosing Ministry as a Career

Strong sense of God’s call = 87%

Pastor or mentor who modeled ministry favorably = 58%

Parents = 27%

Other family or friends = 25%

Crisis event in life = 11%

Spouse = 9%

Educational Preparation

• Pastors are much more educated than the average American. Over 9 out of 10 pastors (94%) graduated from college in preparation for church ministry compared to only 21 percent for U.S. adults. Three-fourths attended graduate school.

• Seminaries played a larger role in preparing pastors for ministry than Bible colleges. One third of pastors (35%) attended Bible college while nearly twice as many (66%) have seminary degrees.

• Despite the fact the majority of pastors had formal preparation for the ministry, many found they were unprepared for certain assignments once they were on the job.

Top 5 Things Thought Lacking in Seminary / Bible College Training

Conflict management = 31%

Business administration/management = 24%

Leadership = 12%

Spirituality = 7%

Counseling = 6%

FIRST MINISTRY POSITION

• The typical pastor assumed his or her first ministry position at the age of 25.

• The majority (59%) started out as a solo pastor with no other ministry staff at the church.

• Four in ten (38%) started as a ministry staff person in a multiple staff setting.

• Only three percent began ministry as a senior pastor with ministry staff.

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John C. LaRue is Vice President of Online Services for Christianity Today International.

Somewhere between the call of God and the heart ward of the local hospital there exists a specialist in everything, variously called a “minister,” a “preacher.” a “pastor.” a “clergyman.” He is a hero to his wife, a stranger to his children, a fine boy to his mother, an “easy touch” to down-and-outers, a name on the mailing list of hundreds of agencies and organizations, an example to his flock.

To some people he’s a fuddy-duddy, to some he’s a stuffed shirt, to some he’s a character who has never lived it up, to some he’s “Reverend,” to some he’s a guy who has nothing else to do but get ready for a twenty-minute sermon once a week. To some he’s the person in whose presence you must not cuss, drink, or smoke.

To others he is a dear friend, a “johnny-on-the-spot” when death’s angel hovers near; he’s the one whose ministry continues when the medics have done all that they can do; he’s the man who can mend marriages, but who can’t find time to fix his wife’s toaster; he’s the nice man at church who pats the babies’ heads, even though he’s not running for a political office.

He’s the one who marries young lovers, prays with the sick, and buries the dead. He’s a financial expert, a public orator, janitor, errand boy, typist, file clerk, writer, public relations expert, poor golfer, professional tea-sipper and punch-drinker, journalist, reformer, evangelist, pastor, business executive, counselor, prophet, bookworm, diplomat, human being, sinner, very poor golfer, bass, tenor, planner, teetotaler, and a terrible golfer!

Ministers are found everywhere — preaching in church on Sunday, listening in meetings, teaching a class, looking at a clock, not looking at a clock, giving invocations, giving benedictions, waiting in maternity wards, sympathizing beside caskets, standing behind pulpits, pleading causes, serving on committees, reading the Bible, playing football with the kids on the vacant lot near the church, watching someone take a final breath, driving expectant mothers to the hospital, sitting behind a desk, lying underneath a car, standing on the roof of buildings under construction, meditating, dreaming, at home at dinner time, not at home at dinner time, standing before women’s groups, delivering addresses, meeting in conventions, diagnosing the world’s sickness and prescribing the cure — God.

I love watching Jay Leno's HEADLINES on Monday nights. He reads real headlines that have been clipped from newspapers, then gives a condensed version of the story. Some of them are absolutely hilarious. But then some of them are downright bizarre. Some of them even leave a bad taste in my mouth. For one show Leno read:

MINISTER ARRESTED OVER DISPUTE WITH MEMBER.

Police were called when the Pastor of a small church and a member

got in an argument over the interpretation of Scripture. The

disagreement turned into an argument; and the argument turned

into a regular knock down drag out, Donnybrook. When police

showed up, the minister had a woman pinned against the wall, his

arm at her throat, shouting, “Are you going to show me some

respect now? Are you?”

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[Original illustration at this number was a duplicate of HolwickID #6217]

How do you structure a church so it just keeps on growing and doesn't plateau? I believe there are 10 essentials you must focus on as you structure your church.

1. You must develop an unshakable conviction about growth.

First and foremost, you need to settle on the idea that God wants His church to grow.

And He doesn't want it to stop growing!

You don't ever need to apologize for wanting your church to grow. God wants His church to grow; it's His will and His command. The reason churches must grow is because people are going to hell without Jesus Christ. As long as there is one person within driving distance of your church who does not know Jesus Christ, you must keep growing.

2. You must change the primary role of the pastor from minister to leader.

You can grow a church to 300 with pastoral skills or ministry skills, but for it to grow beyond 300 will require leadership skills. As a leader, you must learn to communicate your vision in very personal and practical ways. You must also learn to motivate your church through your messages, and understand that it's easier to motivate a group than it is to motivate individuals.

A leader also equips others for ministry. Otherwise, you'll burn out and the church won't grow. An expanding ministry also demands you learn how to raise money. Those who write the agenda must underwrite the agenda. And you must learn to manage your time. Effective leaders know where their time goes.

3. You must organize around the gifts of your people.

The team God gives you will show you how to structure. Organizing around the gifts of your people will allow the church to focus on ministry, not maintenance. A gifts-based ministry encourages teamwork. It also makes better use of the talent around you (and why do you think God brought this talent into your church?).

Building your structure on the gifts and talents within the church promotes creativity and allows for spontaneous growth. Ministries bubble up, rather than waiting on a board meeting to dissect every possibility. And decision-making becomes more efficient while the structure grows more stable.

4. You must budget according to your purposes and priorities.

Obviously the budget of the church shows the priorities and the direction of the church. I'd suggest you take the budget items and ask of each item, “Which purpose does this fit under?” This will help your people visualize what you're trying to do, and what you're doing with God's money.

5. You must add staff on purpose.

Build you staff by first adding generalists and then specialists. First, you want to add people who can do lots of things because you're only going to have one. Then as you go down the road, you can add more and more specialists.

When do you want to add staff? As soon as you can ... immediately ... as quickly as you can. You want to build as many volunteers as quickly as you can and also add staff as quickly as you can. Anytime you add a staff member, that's a faith step and allows the church to grow to the next level.

6. You must offer multiple services.

Obviously to expand the structure, you will have to multiply, and to multiply; you have to offer multiple services. Why? Because more hooks in the water mean you can catch more fish.

At what point should you add a new service? I would say when you could have at least 75-100 people in that service. If you're trying to reach new people, you have to have a large enough crowd so that when they walk in they don't feel like everybody's looking at them -- the new people who just walked in.

7. You must create affinity groups to enhance community.

The more affinity groups you have, the more ways you have to connect with people. You want to avoid your church becoming a single-cell anemia, so deliberately structure your church so it won't become one big group that doesn't reach out to other people.

8. You must intentionally break through attendance barriers with big days.

Crowds attract crowds! People like to be around crowds. When you have big, special days -- maybe Easter, maybe a Friend Day -- there's something about seeing an extra 100 people (or an extra 1,000) that expands your congregation's vision. They see what the church can be, and they see what it can look like. These special days help the church to see itself as bigger and growing and vibrant.

9. You must add surplus seating space and parking.

When it comes to building a facility, most churches build too little and too soon. And then the shoe begins to tell the foot how big it can get! You want to build as big as you can, which means having more than enough seating and more than enough parking. Sometimes that means you'll have to wait to build until you can build big enough. We didn't at Saddleback for years because we knew we wouldn't be able to build big enough -- we were growing so fast. So don't limit yourself by building too early.

10. You must continually evaluate your progress.

Take a regular and honest look at what is going on in your church (and where your church is going). If you try to study everything you'll end up with the paralysis of analysis, so decide to track three or four significant numbers, such as attendance or small groups.

Then compare the numbers of where you are now with where you've come from and where you want to be. Don't compare yourself with a church down the road. Frankly, that won't help evaluate the health of your own church.

Finally, decide on a standard for measuring the health of your church and shoot for it. The process is constant; you may hit the mark you've set today, but tomorrow is a new day. Continually evaluate your progress and make the necessary adjustments to grow healthy while growing larger.

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