The Minister’s Self-Image

“For if a man think himself to be something…”   Galatians 6:3

Few callings outside the ministry demand such a total blend of professional qualifications with personal character. Anyone who goes forward with a ministerial career must understand that one’s true personality and character is inextricably woven into the calling. Before an aspiring minister takes the first step to turning a dream into a reality, he or she should be prepared to answer these questions: Who am I? Do I really know myself? Why am I the way I am? Self-analysis may be difficult, but every prospective minister has to know basic facts about his or her true self, and be able to interpret those facts as objectively as possible. Superficial answers to questions such as name, gender, race, height, weight, family background and other details that identify us will not suffice here. The quest must go deeper than the obvious.

To bring the question of personal identity into sharper focus, let us look at other traits. In socioeconomic terms, do you consider yourself as upper, middle or lower class? Do you come from a high, moderate or low income family? Do you possess skills or talents that are recognized by others, or are you simply an average person? Are you athletic? Are you attractive or plain? What is your IQ? What is the extent of your education?

What is your range of interests? Are you a reader? Do you like to talk to people? Do you prefer a dynamic, changing environment or are you more comfortable in dealing with solid and stable situations? Are you traditional and predictable or can you be creative and wild? When you were growing up, were you exposed to a variety of cultural or geographical settings? Are you a homebody or do you have a penchant for travel? The answers to these questions help reveal your true identity.

Even further, can you identify your basic personality? Is your health good? Have you had serious physical problems in the past? Were your parents permissive or strict disciplinarians? Have you been a failure or a success in your life’s endeavors? Have you suffered from discrimination or prejudice? Have you been touched by death, divorce or personal tragedy? Are you a victim of physical, sexual, psychological or emotional abuse? These questions may seem improper and too personal. You may even feel that they are irrelevant to the anointing and call of God on your life. Perhaps you look at negative experiences in your life as mere obstacles to be overcome, or you consider your positive attributes as enhancing your ministry. Whatever your reaction to this self-examination may be, it is vital for you to understand the things that define you as a person. They represent your ground zero. Your truthful answers will give you a frank, honest and real beginning to your ministry.

Investigating one’s personal past is difficult because truth often hurts. Addressing truths that have been long buried and denied may be particularly excruciating. You will undoubtedly dredge up defining moments when you felt rejection, ridicule, loss and embarrassment. Do it anyway. Calvin Miller, in The Empowered Leader, says, “Self-analysis is hard work! It is tiring work! It is endless work!” But the anticipated outcome has less to do with psychological or emotional well-being than with a deep understanding of how you affect the people you lead. Your influence, your effectiveness and your relationships---all of your real-life circumstances---grow inexorably out of your identity.

In the Bible, those who played significant roles emerged from diverse backgrounds. Their usefulness as God’s servants was profoundly affected by their differing experiences. Moses, for example, came of age in Pharaoh’s courts. This directly influenced his call to return to Egypt to lead the Israelites out of slavery. His experiences as an infant who escaped a massacre, as a fugitive from the law, and as a shepherd for forty years in the desert tempered his leadership. Moses also had very noticeable speech impediment. “And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” Exodus 4:10. One could argue that this weakness significantly shaped Moses’ personality and demeanor.

Examples of these phenomena exist throughout the Bible. Leaders like Saul, David, Daniel, Isaiah, Paul and Peter bore unmistakable influences of their experiences and culture upon their leadership. In fact, one cannot possibly understand these men and the decisions they made without carefully examining their roots. Judging from some individuals, King David and the Apostle Paul for instance, it is clear that God chose special people for certain roles because of their unique individual traits.

This fact is strongly borne out in Paul’s letter to the Philippians. “Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” Philippians 3:1-8. While Paul renounces any present spiritual value of these events and earmarks of his upbringing, he still refers to them because they form the backdrop to his devotion to Christ and to his ministry. Had they been insignificant details of his past life, referencing them would have been of little value. The force of Paul’s apostleship, while it was definitely a product of his encounter with God on the road to Damascus , still consisted largely of his former identity with the Judaistic hierarchy, and of his personality traits of zeal and passion.

Over a hundred years ago, sociologist Edwin H. Sutherland proposed a theory about the origins of delinquency and crime. His theory, differential association, posited that criminal behavior is learned through social interaction with others. One of the key elements to the theory is that persons learn criminal behavior by associating with intimate, personal groups.

Although Sutherland focused on specifically on criminals, scholars have applied his idea to other venues. The result is that differential association has been validated in many other applications. Actually, the theory is an enlargement on the old maxim that “birds of a feather flock together.” 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” The principle Sutherland articulated explains the process by which all of us develop our identities, and can define the end result of the process with a fair amount of accuracy.

Today, every minister represents a composite of background experiences, cultural identities, mindsets, dysfunctions biases and values. Like a color chart with its thousands of shades, these traits exist in varying degrees, forms and strengths. If a minister is unmindful of this, and many times even with intimate self-knowledge, his or her strongest thrust will be exerted toward those ideals and values that are closest to the heart.

Consider for a moment how different people from differing backgrounds and experiences would approach their ministries: A former Navy SEAL; a college professor; a star athlete; a former Marine sergeant; a factory worker; a successful farmer; a union official; a former gang leader; a person delivered from alcohol; a former drug addict; a computer expert; a musician; the founder of a business; a truck driver; a contractor; a pastor’s daughter or son. In my observation of ministers with these or similar backgrounds, the style and tone of their ministries have been largely predictable along the lines of their past training. The SEAL values intensity and focus; the college professor emphasizes intellectual pursuits; the athlete brings supreme confidence to the pulpit; the Marine expects military-like responses from his congregation, and so on.

What impact would personal characteristics such as obesity, an amputated limb, a strikingly handsome appearance, superior intelligence or a thick accent have on an individual’s ministry? Is one’s ministry affected if he or she is unmarried? Does it matter if the minister is married and has several children? What if the minister lost a child to disease or an accident? We could go on creating endless scenarios. Regardless of the circumstances, a high probability exists that each factor will create a unique and discernable difference in a person’s ministry. Ministers will demonstrate a bias toward those deeply held personal traits with which they identify the strongest. While the spiritual side of the ministerial equation remains constant from person to person, this human side differs dramatically. This means that the minister’s effectiveness will never be solely a function of God’s power and faithfulness. It will also reflect the minister’s response to his or her own humanity.

Let’s put this as plainly as possible: Your personal identity will profoundly influence your ministerial style, your goals, your decisions and proclaimed values. Not only will this principle be born out in your ministry, it cannot be any other way. You cannot be someone you are not, nor can you deny the person you are. In a sense, you are pre-programmed to operate in a certain mode.

Several observations need to be made about the way you see yourself and how it may affect your ministry.

Know your personal strengths and weaknesses. This step involves two things: awareness and admission. First, you must be aware of the kinds of strengths and weaknesses you possess, and second, you must admit that they make a difference in your leadership and ministry. For example, a minister raised in an abusive environment will show telltale signs of those painful experiences---whether in preaching, teaching, counseling, goal-setting and decision-making. Any attempt to deny this bias will lead to false constructs for leadership and bring about noticeable consequences. This minister may develop harshness in tone or become sarcastic, demanding, negative or mistrustful. Unless the connection can be made between ministry and background, the minister may never fully understand the forces that drive him or her.

Calvin Miller refers to David’s encounter with Goliath to illustrate this point. He writes,

“David, in 1 Samuel 17:26 , was a person in touch with both his limitations and the unlimited power of God. He turned outward to consider the crisis, not thinking of all his personal weaknesses. No paralysis intimidated David! What was to be done? David was not sure: wringing his hands would not help.

“Then come questions from a foe that David must first process and then reply to: ‘Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?’ (1 Samuel 17:26, NIV). David must first answer Goliath’s question, not so Goliath will know who David is, but so that David himself will know who David is. Without knowing who he is, David cannot assess his strengths and weaknesses and be reminded of his need to depend on God.” (The Empowered Leader).

Understand why you are passionate about certain things. When you listen to numerous preachers over a long period of time, you can discern a good sermon from a great one. Good sermons may be homiletically correct and scripturally sound, but they may not inspire their audiences. In contrast, great messages may lack some qualities of good sermon crafting, but they flow out of a passionate heart and evoke great responses. Most preachers get excited over certain topics. Some call them “candy sticks” or “hot buttons.” These topics, whatever they may be, usually fire them up. As we reflect on this trait, the operative question to ask is why. The obvious answer is that we become emotional over subjects that touch a nerve, subjects that connect us to some deeply moving experience or feeling in our past. Do you know what stirs your passions? If you don’t know, find out. When you find out, ask why.

Passion finds expression in other avenues of ministry besides the pulpit. Passion seriously influences vision casting, counseling sessions, business procedures and decisions, physical plant management, leadership training, interpersonal relationships and many other areas of ministerial functions. You will revert over and over to habits, opinions and positions that have the greatest significance in your life. Again, the point is not necessarily to interpret or even change your feelings (unless they are wrong), but to understand the forces and events that drive you.

What responses do you elicit from the people God has called you to serve? Do they support you? Resist you? Ignore you? Listen to you? The value of self-inquiry lies in this analysis. If you find success and blessing in your ministry, don’t just wave it off. You need to know why. Similarly, whenever you go through the inevitable times of difficulty, don’t begin to copy someone else’s ministry. Many times, successful ministers get off message and experiment with things that don’t work for them. People tend to respond positively to your strengths, but negatively to your weaknesses.

On the other hand, if your words or actions cause people to scratch their heads and wonder what’s going on or if you find yourself constantly antagonizing and frustrating the saints, you may think something is wrong with them. Some ministers address this situation by increasing their decibel level, displaying anger or lacing their sermons with sarcasm and thinly-veiled references to church members. Others quote scriptures excessively that reinforce their position, but avoid passages that mitigate against them. These mechanisms do not offer effective solutions. Greater understanding does. When you seek to understand yourself, you wind up understanding others as well.

How do you begin this journey of self-examination? Try using sentences like, “The reason I say ______ is because I heard my father say ________ so often.” Or, “I wonder if I always do _____ because I remember what happened when I was ______.” Also, listen carefully to criticism you may receive from certain people outspoken enough to give it to you. Before assigning a malicious motive to their comments, ask yourself if there is an element of truth to what they say. You will never understand if you always jump on the defensive. This may be a divinely ordained opportunity to learn. Run the criticism by a mentor or a friend so they can coach you for a brief moment. If you want to be coached effectively, accept and heed criticism.

In summary, these are the important steps you must take in understanding who you are and why you do what you do.

• Know your background.
• Do not allow your strengths to replace the power of God in your ministry.
• Do not allow your weaknesses to stop you from succeeding in the ministry.
• Do not frustrate yourself by comparing your ministry with that of others.
• Compensate for the areas in which you are lacking.

Oswald Sanders in his classic work, Spiritual Leadership, includes this insightful quotation: “A great statesman made a speech that turned the tide in national affairs. ‘May I ask how long it took you to prepare that speech?’ asked an admirer. ‘All my life has been a preparation for what I said today,” was the reply.”

As you stand at the threshold of a call into the ministry, your focus may center on the deep and compelling desire you have to work for God. You feel a strange combination of excitement and anxiety, of anticipation and dread, and of faith in God’s empowerment and fear of your own inadequacies. The thrust of your desire may be so strong, however, that you may run past some very significant stops along the way. You must never forget that the divine impetus that drives you can only work through the human faculties that you possess. You are the filter through whom God ministers to the people in your care.

Ten Reasons Why Ministers Don’t Talk To Each Other

Throughout the year, I receive many requests for private, confidential conversations with pastors, ministers and even church members. Sometimes, these talks focus on very personal matters, but many times they voice concerns that commonly affect ministers everywhere. In fact, I have often wished that three or four other ministers who were going through the same problems could be present. I have tried to address many of these issues in monthly and quarterly articles, and an occasional book, but the need for help is greater than these limited venues can match. This situation underscores a pervasive problem among the ministry. Even in our era of tell-all, spill-everything trend in communication, we still don’t. We don’t talk to each other.

One of our greatest needs is for a more effective forum in which people involved in the work of God can talk about sensitive issues without impunity. Writing is good, but even if someone wrote an article a day or a book a week, it would not be enough, nor can we schedule enough conferences to cover all the possibilities for needed discussions. At some point, we desperately need to return to Biblical principles of carrying one another’s burdens. Can we ever learn to open up and talk to each other? Why do we find this so difficult? Why does so much paranoia exist about transparent communication? What things must change in our minds and hearts before such a development can take place?

There’s an old story about three preachers who were out fishing together. One of them decided to use the occasion to confess a drinking problem. The second preacher, encouraged by the openness of his colleague to talk, confessed that he had misappropriated some church funds. The third preacher confessed that his biggest problem was gossiping---and he couldn’t wait until he got back to shore to make some phone calls. The next day, the community mourned the loss of a prominent clergyman in a tragic drowning accident!

The humor in this story, as in most good jokes, is that it painfully represents too much of the truth. Like these preachers, we would very much like to tell others what is really going on in our lives. We have deep needs that others may have solutions for---if we could only express ourselves to them. Whenever someone gets brave enough to break the code of silence, the consequences are overwhelming. Usually, we end up hedging, watering down, setting up hypothetical scenarios---or just keeping our mouths shut. I have identified at least ten reasons why we don’t open up to each other.

1. We are afraid of gossip. There seems to be very few people we trust enough to divulge our deepest secrets. Even close friends have leaked information that was shared with them confidentially. What ever happened to strong preaching against gossip? “ Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD.” Leviticus 19:16. “ A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.” Proverbs 11:13. Matt Donnelly of Christianity Today says, “Gossip's main purpose is to spread misery. It's certainly not to build people up or minister to them in the name of Jesus. A gossip's wake is littered by damaged families and broken relationships: ‘A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.’” Proverbs 16:28.

Despite these blaring scriptural condemnations of gossip, too many people totally ignore the Bible and bear tales about their fellows. No sooner does a person confess a sin than his “confidant” is already engaged in a delicious mental debate about who to tell first. He may even jump ahead to speculate about dividing up the spoils and how the breaking news is going to play in the fellowship at large. Much more can—and should—be said about our poisonous propensity to gossip, but that’s only part of the problem.

2. We fear becoming a target. Only the most naïve among us think that everyone is looking out for our best interests. Experience has taught us that some people constantly seek to exploit the misfortunes of others. Once the slightest question arises about a person’s reputation or effectiveness as a leader, opportunists pounce on it with delight. This has become such a huge fear for some ministers that paranoia paralyzes them from seeking help for a personal problem. Rather than risk being shot at, many ministers retreat into stony silence. We have become conditioned to muddle on in ignorance, regardless of how ineffective and frustrated we become because we are certain that talking about our troubles will only jeopardize what little security we enjoy. After all, if talking about a problem leads to a bigger problem, it makes sense to keep quiet.

This tragic situation can only change when the ministerial body as a whole begins to live up to the highest ethical standards taught in the very bible we preach. The misstep of a brother or sister calls for sympathy and support, not the brutal Darwinian theory of the survival of the fittest. It seems sad that preachers need to be reminded of Galatians 6:1-2. “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” If we take aim at the target on a brother’s back, we need to remember that next time the bulls-eye may be painted our own back.

3. We want to protect our egos. It is shocking to know how far people will go to serve their pride. We ministers, for purely personal reasons, are especially loathe to reveal our weaknesses to anyone. While all of us would clearly benefit from honest disclosure of our inadequacies and failures, we cannot bring ourselves to suffer the embarrassment of such revelations. The closest we come to openness is to talk in general terms about our negatives, carefully tiptoeing around any information that would give us away. We have become very efficient in using the mechanisms of euphemisms, doublespeak, hedging, veiled references and blaming others, all to keep our egos intact. Losing face in society causes great pain.

The televangelist scandals of the last two decades rocked the world. Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, Robert Dortch, Robert Tilton, and more recently, Ted Haggard, are some of the most prominent of these ministers, and they confessed their lurid escapades in books, magazine articles and interviews. They provided gory details about their initial temptations, how and why they hid their double lives from others, and the cavalier attitudes that eventually led to their ruin. What lessons were gleaned from their downfall? Few, it seems. In evangelical and Pentecostal circles, for example, where the events should have fostered more candid attitudes among leaders about their humanness, ministers became more closed-mouthed than ever. Even public tragedies cannot derail our efforts to preserve our egos. We just don’t want to look weak.

4. We fear we will ruin our public image. Aside from the personal motivations to hide our problems from others, we are also extremely cognizant of the shipwreck such exposure would make of our careers. Damaged goods don’t sell well in the Christian marketplace. Deacons, elders, church staff, choir members and church people in general rarely take kindly to a pastor who experiences major difficulties in his personal life. The same people who fawn over a pastor today can easily turn into his worst enemies tomorrow. We take a calculated risk in keeping our mouths shut and suffering inner pain instead of opening up and losing the farm.

5. Information may come back to haunt us. For many ministers, years of relative calm may have passed by before some problem they thought was safely buried in the past suddenly resurrects for the world to see. Fear of a ghost reappearing out of the past has a deleterious effect on a troubled individual over the span of a career. It steals many potential victories from them and causes them to make many convoluted and inconvenient decisions. Many ministers live far below their capabilities, choosing to remain in relative anonymity rather than risk discovery. In addition, unresolved issues are responsible for great emotional pain for a long period of time that other people knew nothing about.

6. Others may lose confidence in us. Most ministers do not have skeletons in their closets that they fear will be found out, but they may have well-hidden doubts, weaknesses and frightening thoughts that churn within them. If they mention these things in conversation and belie their humanness, however, their peer group may start to question their loyalty, their convictions, their faith or their conscience, and they suddenly create a mountain of trouble for themselves. Most of us do not feel free to express our inner thoughts to each other. What we may not know is that other ministers may share the same misgivings, but, because we do not talk about them, we close off the possibility of enlightenment. Too often, questions are not seen as honest attempts to find answers, but as indications that a person is weak or lacks integrity.

7. We fear being disloyal or breaking a confidence. Failure to talk to each other may often be a function of concern for the welfare of a fellow minister than it is a selfish motive. Regardless of what one has done, there are those among us who refuse to point the finger of blame at a friend. Many of us value loyalty to a friend above the integrity of the body. There are few things that cause such inner agony as the decision to expose a friend for wrong doing. This tendency exists throughout society, i.e., families, policemen, professional groups, lodge brotherhoods, athletes, to name a few. We believe that if one of us is defamed, all of us suffer. Indeed, it is very difficult to argue against this sentiment. Also, for many ministers, it involves ethics. If we give our word that we will keep a confidence, then we believe we should be true to that vow, regardless of the circumstances.

8. We fear being misunderstood. As a matter of fact, most disagreements may be traced back to misunderstandings. Word choice, syntax, tone of voice, colloquialisms, moods, hearing problems, environmental conditions and other forms of interference lead to misunderstandings between people. If the consequences are small, we can laugh it off. It is more difficult, however, to laugh off something that involves a person’s character or ministry. How many times have we pondered whether or not to raise a subject in conversation and then decided not to say anything for fear of being misunderstood? And, even when we preface our remarks by saying, “Please don’t misunderstand me, but…” we usually plan on being taken wrong anyway. Again, the safest way is to keep our mouths shut. As President Calvin Coolidge once said, “ I have never been hurt by what I have not said.”

9. We don’t think it is our place. Our society no longer accepts opinions from people just because they happen to be our elders or people in authority. Unless we have a direct stake in someone’s life, we have learned to keep our opinions to ourselves. Unfortunately, this often works to our disadvantage. When we see someone making a huge mistake, or when we see certain danger on the horizon, we look the other way instead of issuing them a warning. Sometimes we try to tell people indirectly about a foolish decision or a wrong action, but it doesn’t always work. We end up standing on the sidelines and witnessing a tragedy rather than sticking our nose in someone else’s business. Many train wrecks happen just because no one felt comfortable in waving the red flag.

10. We don’t know how. It’s not that we don’t know how to talk at all. Most of us know very well how to run our mouths! It’s that we don’t know how to talk about delicate or sensitive matters in a productive way. In awkward situations, we tend to get shy. We wait for all the “right” elements to fall into place: the right time, the right place, the right people, the right setting, etc. I wonder how many people who were going through agonizing ordeals have longed for someone to say something, but, beyond some hurried or strained greetings, no one wanted to broach the subject. It’s not that we intend to ignore someone’s grief. We either lack the communication skills needed to talk or the temerity to risk the conversation.

Regardless of the reasons why we don’t talk to each other, my experience has taught me that breaking the ice in a situation where people are not talking usually ends up being a positive thing. The keys to productive communication are to truly listen to people, to hold judgment in abeyance, to strip away emotional baggage, to strive for accuracy and to possess an overarching interest in the spiritual welfare of the person with whom you are speaking. If people can read genuine love in our motive for the conversation, at the very least the possibility looms large that great good can be done. It is time for the ministry to free itself up to talk without fear of reprisal, even about awkward matters. It would be a healthy step in the right direction for all of us.

Re-Imagining Church (Part One)

At the beginning of 2007, we introduced some major changes in our Sunday morning worship services.  The following pages contain the basic outline we used to process these changes.  Obviously, there were---and still are---hurdles to jump before the transition is complete, but the new style has been received enthusiastically.  We have not been able to implement all the ideas, and we now vary the format between the traditional and the contemporary each two or three weeks.  While the outcome may not be suitable for other churches, the process will be extremely valuable.  Tough ground rules must be established before launching the discussion, and attitude checks need to take place often.  In the end, you will learn a great deal about yourself and the people with whom you worship.

The Fun in Dysfunctional!

by Jocelyn Smith

You can’t miss them. The angry young twentysomethings, thirtysomethings and … well, let’s just admit the ages range all the way up to Boomerville. They’re the angry ones who have problems proceeding with the rest of their congregation because, as Spencer Chamberlain from the band Underoath put it, “Ninety percent of Christians turn their back on people and make you feel uncomfortable and awkward” (see his interview in RELEVANT’s print edition from the May/June issue).

The authors of the RELEVANT interview put it this way: “Young adults are leaving the Church by the masses … they’re just mad.”

I was raised in the Church. I grew up surrounded by the same pious hypocrisy everyone else experienced as well as the sincere, loving concern of people for whom Jesus is their reason for living. Going to church for me is like one big family reunion, complete with the grandparents who snipe at each other after 50 years together, the crazy cousins who have never heard the word “no,” the repressed uncles who have never heard the word “yes” and all the other dysfunctional people we call a church family.

I’ve watched my pastors read one book about how Christians should live under authority and take it to mean Christians should only do what their pastors allow them to do. I’ve seen congregations turn in on themselves and vomit out those who decide that the book of Acts isn’t just a church history lesson but an exact blueprint for the Christian life. I’ve been on the receiving end of some of the harshest speeches I’ve ever experienced, coming from those who claimed to know what Christianity really looks like (i.e., completely opposite to me).

I’ve sat—mostly as a semi-clueless observer—through church splits, congregational fallout, pastoral departures, friends being abused by fellow congregants in the most egregious fashion, backstabbing, bickering and pretty much every other issue anyone has with the Church.

I’ve sat. And sat. And I sat, even when every bit of my flesh was screaming at me to ditch this disaster like a bad case of leprosy. Just walk away and leave these people to their own devices. I don’t need this kind of stress coming from modern-day Pharisees, and I definitely don’t need their organized religion to have a relationship with God.

I think Chamberlain is voicing the viewpoint of his generation: “If you’re supposed to have a personal relationship with God, then don’t organize it.”

And that is precisely where the whole “personal relationship with God” idea falls flat. It’s become something different from what the originators of the phrase intended—one might even hypothesize that it has become a modern-day catechism of sorts. Question: What is Christianity? Answer: A personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Look for it in your Bible though, and you’ll notice that Paul didn’t use it much—or at all—in his evangelizing. You may also notice that he didn’t say much about the “personal relationship” in his writings to those already saved. In fact, most of his, and the other authors of the epistles, instructions deal with first, getting your heart to resemble God’s and second, living in loving harmony with those who are trying to do the same.

Yes, God knows you as an individual and created you to delight in you. But trying to wing it on your own is like my eyeball trying to have a personal relationship with my husband. Your personal relationship with God only reaches its full potential in the context of corporate relationship combined with a private, individual one.

Jesus sees the Church as his Bride. When you disrespect his woman in the mass media, you might be asking for the same treatment down the road. I knew a guy in high school, a real bleeding heart, who devoted his affections to a girl too damaged to benefit from them. She probably didn’t mean to grind his love in the dust, but that’s what ended up happening, and the process hurt him so badly that he didn’t know how he’d go on living. Since I was still a girl myself, I lacked the insight I have now into her character and only felt indignation on my friend’s behalf. I’ll never forget how he reacted when I voiced my feelings. I think I called her a jerk—and he looked at me across the table, eyes blazing and said in a voice of passionate warning, “Don’t you ever call her that again.”

At the time, I thought, "OK, so you’re both jerks and you deserve each other," but I also experienced a wistful desire that someone would defend me with such undeserved fervor.

Now I know that Someone will. The thing is, He feels the exact same way about everyone else who calls on His name. We should exercise a little more caution about insulting the one He loves. While we’re at it, we might also want to take a second look at her. After all, Jesus knows the Church better than anyone. He knows she’s far from what she will be, but he still think she’s worth coming back to. As “little Christs” (the original meaning of the word “Christians”), we should consider emulating Him.

Re-Imagining Church (Part Two)

Re-Imagine: <v> rê-i-mãg'-ine; to imagine over again; to re-create; to think of something that is as though it never was and breathe new life and form into it.

You are now one of them…an early disciple…You float down from the upper room…on mission: the task of organizing the pilot worship service. You have no precedent, no past forms, no “cheat sheets” to go by. Just…put an event together that will inspire , instruct and “ awesomize ” the church and evangelize the community at the same time…that’s it… a blank slate in front of you…no sacred cows…nothing between you and getting the job done as it needs to be done.

That’s where we are tonight…think of who you are…think of what you have in Christ…of what you know about the Bible…now get the creative juices flowing and design…make a worship service that will have total relevance for today’s generation of believers…(number one)…plus make it share the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who have not yet come to a saving knowledge of him.

There are a few requirements. First, you must love God and be a believer in Jesus. You must want to be fully committed to participate in whatever the end result will be. You must envision yourself as a worshipper, a singer, a player, a promoter and an enthusiast for Jesus and his church. The half-hearted and non-committed can not be an effective dreamer and planner in a re-imagined church any more than a total geek would be comfortable in coaching an NFL football team in a play-off game; or a football jock would fit in at a quilting bee.

Second, this is not a session to reform Apostolic doctrine, modesty requirements of the Scriptures or the structure of the church. These areas are off the table. Our message is based in truth, therefore it cannot change, even though some may want it to. The focus of our efforts tonight must be upon the “software” of the church, the flexible components of church services and activities that each generation crafts to meet its own tastes, preferences and styles.

Guidelines for Re-Imagine Discussions

Divide the attendees into smaller groups of four to five and appoint a moderator within each group.  Assign one or two topics to each group and give them thirty minutes to conduct a discussion.  After the separate sessions, come back together as a whole and permit each moderator to report on the conclusions of each sub-group.  Discuss each report with the entire group, permitting objections and further input. It is possible that more or different topics should be discussed which may be more pertinent to the group than the ones suggested below.  Tweak the list according to the specific needs of the congregation.   Do this as long or as often as necessary to cover all the topics.  The atmosphere should be informal.  Serve refreshments. 

1. What? Without undue criticism, what would you change about present worship services and why?
2. Why? If you have not been a strong participant in present services and worship times, why not and how do you propose to change this?
3. How? What general principles do you think should be followed to relate to this generation?
4. What for? What should be the purpose of a church service and what would be the best way to achieve this?
5. Who? What kind of person(s) is best suited to organize, lead and/or participate in a newly designed service?
6. Whom? What kind of a service would you be comfortable in inviting friends to attend?
7. Name it. What should we name this service?
8. Who again? What should be the advertised, published identity of the new service (and the truths we believe)?

Re-Imagining Church

How should we re-imagine the worship service?
How should we re-imagine corporate prayer?
How should we re-imagine instrumental music and vocals?
How should we re-imagine the choir?
How should we re-imagine the offering?
How should we re-imagine announcements?
How should we re-imagine preaching or teaching of the Bible?
How should we re-imagine sharing the Word or testimonies?
How should we re-imagine platform placement of leaders, participants, furniture?
How should we re-imagine the order of service?
How should we re-imagine uniforms?
How should we re-imagine the altar invitation?
How should we re-imagine times, days, special services?
How should we re-imagine greeting, addressing people in authority?
How should we re-imagine the version of the Bible used in church?
How should we re-imagine ushering, greeting, hospitality ministries?
How should we re-imagine advertisements, bulletins, posters, tracts?
How should we re-imagine video presentations, slides, DVD ’s?
How should we re-imagine specific outreach and follow-up for the service?
How should we re-imagine the name or title given to the service?

Analysis:

What logistical problems do you see in having two services?

a. Altar services.
b. Special speakers.
c. Transition between the two services.
d. Families who ride together.

How will we handle the two music programs?

Will separation between two congregations have an impact on our sense of community?

Will smaller congregations have a negative impact on each service?

What other problems do you foresee in this arrangement?

Seven Secrets of Healthy Churches

Adapted from Thom S. Rainer

Secret #1: The church has a high view of Scripture. Holding to a conservative perspective of the Bible may not guarantee health in a church, but you won’t find health in congregations where Scripture is not held as authoritative.

Secret #2: The churches and their leaders seek to be relevant. It’s a dangerous word in today’s churches. “Relevant” carries with it many meanings, and it may be either positive or negative depending on one’s perspective and philosophy of ministry. Relevancy does not and cannot mean biblical compromise. Church members will be first concerned about biblical truth and reaching a growing unchurched world with the Gospel. Sadly, too many members are more concerned about their own comforts than being relevant and reaching out to the lost.

Secret #3: The churches believe that preaching is important. In some churches, preaching has lost its power and emphasis. It is perceived to be an irrelevant ministry and style of communication. Even if it is a central part of the worship service, the time and study involved in sermon preparation is lacking. For them, preaching has little power. In healthy churches, pastors who preached each week spent five times as much time in sermon preparation as those who preached in unhealthy churches. Of course, if the preachers are to spend significant time in the preparation of sermons, the church members must give them the time to do so. The members must give the preacher time to focus on prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4). In other words, the laity must be unleashed to do much of the ministry of the church.

Secret #4: The churches minister to smaller groups. For some churches, the primary small group was Sunday school; for others, it was home groups or small groups that met in diverse locations. The churches that emphasized moving as many members as possible into a small group assimilated those members five times better than those who attended only worship services.

Secret #5: Healthy churches emphasize corporate prayer and church prayer ministries. They do more than give lip service to the importance of prayer. Members also pray for non-Christians by name. They are unashamed and unafraid to be vocal about the greatest need any person could have: salvation through Jesus Christ.

Secret #6: Healthy churches take participation seriously. There seems to be two major trends away from responsible membership. The first and most common trend is to have inflated membership rolls that have little integrity. The second trend is found in churches where the leaders do not believe that participation is an issue. A casual attendee has the same level of accountability as a long-term leader. These churches think the concept of membership is antiquated, if not unbiblical.

Secret #7: The healthy churches are highly intentional about evangelism. They have ministries, programs and emphases that lead members to reach out with the Gospel to their unchurched friends and relatives. As a doctrinal note, the leaders in these churches believe in a literal hell. Their evangelism is thus motivated not only by the good news of the Gospel, but the bad news of rejecting the Gospel.

Thom S. Rainer is the president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources