T H E
L E A D E R S H I P
I S S U E
D AV E RAMS E Y | C R A I G GR O E S CHEL | N AN CY OR T BER G | J OEL H U N T ER | R ICHARD STE ARNS
THE MAGAZINE FOR LEADERS SHAPING THE FUTURE OF THE CHURCH From the makers of RELEVANT | October/November 2011
How Ryan Meeks LEADS aN INNOVATIVE 5,000-member Church in Seattle ... With a Staff of 24
NEUEMAGAZINE.COM | ISSUE 09 | $4.95
Neue_Issue09_Cover_Final.indd 1
9/2/11 11:59 PM
Neue_Issue09.indb 2
9/2/11 11:28 PM
LEAD YOUR CHURCH FROM AN INTERNAL MINISTRY FOCUS TO AN EXTERNAL ONE Missional Communities examines the move toward the deconstruction of congregations into smaller Christian communities, offering insight on how to lead when these groups meet outside the sanctuary walls ... when church just simply happens.
NEWLY UPDATED FROM REGGIE MCNEAL:
Available Now www.JosseyBass.com
Neue_Issue09.indb 1
9/2/11 11:28 PM
Neue_Issue09.indb 2
9/2/11 11:28 PM
Neue_Issue09.indb 3
9/2/11 11:28 PM
BUILT ON COMMON GROUND 120 BIBLE TRANSLATORS
AND 100s OF CHURCHES
FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS
FROM 24 DENOMINATIONS AND DIVERSE ETHNIC GROUPS
COLLABORATED WITH
OVER 500 BIBLE READERS
Introducing the first translation built by a community for the community. Why do you need this new translation? Because the Common English Bible is uncommon. It’s fresh. It’s contemporary. You can understand it from the start.
That means accuracy, precision, sensitivity, and breadth.
It’s the ONLY Bible to have this many translators, from American, African, Asian, European, and Latino communities, from this many denominations.
Begin reading and living it today. To see for yourself, visit CommonEnglishBible.com.
Neue_Issue09.indb 4
It’s the ONLY Bible to seek feedback from hundreds of everyday readers, of all ages, to help the scholars translate the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek Biblical texts into modern conversational English. That means clarity.
9/2/11 11:29 PM
Neue_Issue09.indb 5
9/2/11 11:29 PM
coNtENtS dEpArtmENtS 8 Neues
fEAtUrES
34 Leading in All Seasons | by bruce Miller
20 Neue Info
38 Small Team, Big Impact | by penny gruener carothers
24 Neue Church
44 What Is the Toughest Leadership Decision You’ve Ever Made? | by craig groeschel, Nancy ortberg, Dr. joel c. hunter, Dr. Kara E. powell,
OneHope Journey Community Church
26 Neue Thought
What Makes a Great Team by April L. Diaz The Leadership Lie by Don Cousins
30 Neue Conversation Carolyn Briggs
glenn packiam and Richard stearns
50 Send the Right Signals | by Dave Ramsey 54 Leading Small Groups Out of a Rut | by bill Donahue
32 Innovator Chad Johnson
58 Neue Recommends 64 Last Word
A Return to Christian Leadership
p. 38
p. 50
p. 34
p. 44 aCt. tHinK. DiSCuSS. In the following pages, we invite you to interact with the content we’ve assembled by acting, thinking and discussing. The prompts we offer at the bottom of each page are meant for both you and your team as you wrestle with the ideas shaping the future of the Church.
Neue_Issue09.indb 6
9/2/11 11:29 PM
IDEAS SHAPING THE FUTURE OF THE CHURCH From the makers of RELEVANT | October/November 2011 | Issue 09
PUBLISHER
Cameron Strang > cameron@relevantmediagroup.com Editorial Director | Roxanne Wieman > roxanne@relevantmediagroup.com Senior Editor | Josh Lujan Loveless > joshl@relevantmediagroup.com Copy Editor | Ashley Emert > ashley@relevantmediagroup.com Contributing Editor | Ryan Hamm > ryan@relevantmediagroup.com Associate Editor | Alyce Gilligan > alyce@relevantmediagroup.com Editorial Assistant | Heather Meikle > heather@relevantmediagroup.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Tyler Charles, Don Cousins, April L. Diaz, Bill Donahue, Craig Groeschel, Penny Gruener Carothers, Joel C. Hunter, Bruce Miller, Nancy Ortberg, Glenn Packiam, T.C. Porter, Kara E. Powell, Dave Ramsey, Richard Stearns Senior Designer | Chaz Russo > chaz@relevantmediagroup.com Senior Web Designer | Tanya Elshahawi > tanya@relevantmediagroup.com CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: David Bean, David Briggs, Corryn Goldschmidt, Chris and Sarah Rhoads, Julia Stine Web Developer | David Barratt > david@relevantmediagroup.com Web Production Assistant | Lin Jackson > lin@relevantmediagroup.com Chief Revenue Officer | Josh Babyar > josh@relevantmediagroup.com Account Director | Michael Romero > michael@relevantmediagroup.com Account Director | Philip Self > philip@relevantmediagroup.com Marketing Manager | Calvin Cearley > calvin@relevantmediagroup.com Customer Service Coordinator | Sarah Heyl > sarah@relevantmediagroup.com Circulation Manager | Stephanie Fry > stephanie@relevantmediagroup.com Fulfillment Coordinator | Tyler Legacy > tyler@relevantmediagroup.com Chief Operations Officer | Chris Miyata > chris@relevantmediagroup.com Communications Manager | Theresa Dobritch > theresa@relevantmediagroup.com Project Manager | Austin Sailsbury > austin@relevantmediagroup.com Audio/Video Producer | Chad Michael Snavely > chad@relevantmediagroup.com Finance Manager | Maya Strang > mstrang@relevantmediagroup.com Systems Administrator | Josh Strohm > joshs@relevantmediagroup.com
to subscribe
Visit NeueMagazine.com/subscribe or call toll free 866-402-4746 U.S. and Canada. Rates: Annual subscription rates for the U.S.: Neue for $14.95 / Neue & RELEVANT for $24.95. For Canada: Neue for $24.95 / Neue & RELEVANT for $41.95. For all other international orders: Neue for $30.95 / Neue & RELEVANT for $51.95. Neue is published 6 times a year. RELEVANT is also published 6 times a year and may be added to a subscription of Neue.
BULK DISCOUNTS Call 866-402-4746 for special bulk subscription discounts for your organization
SUBSCRIBER SERVICES NeueMagazine.com/subservices Phone: (Toll-free) 866-402-4746 U.S. and Canada, 515-237-3657 International
Neue_Issue09.indb 7
ADVERTISING For advertising inquiries, please contact: Michael Romero (407) 660-1411 ext. 125 michael@relevantmediagroup.com
DISTRIBUTION If you are a retailer or church and would like to carry Neue, or would like Neue at your next leadership event, please contact: Stephanie Fry stephanie@relevantmediagroup.com (407) 660-1411 ext.102
REPRINTS & PERMISSIONS Love an article so much you want to pretend you wrote it, put your name on it and print up copies? You can’t. For what you can do, visit NeueMagazine.com.
RELEVANT MEDIA GROUP 900 N. Orange Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789 Phone: (407) 660-1411 Fax: (407) 401-9100 www.RELEVANTmediagroup.com
9/2/11 11:29 PM
NEUES Are churches changing
their communities? A new survey asks what contributions people see from their local church
“Community” has become a ministry buzzword. It’s preached from the pulpits, emblazoned on banners and discussed at length in small groups and coffee shops. Now, a recent Barna survey suggests the goal for community is more than just a hyped-up idea; many churches are making it a reality. As pastors and congregants have recognized the importance of community, relational and generous living, the public perception of the Church’s role has improved. Fifty-three percent of U.S. adults view the presence of a church as a “very” positive addition to their community; 25 percent call it “somewhat” positive. And while it may seem religious skepticism runs rampant, only 2 percent found a church to be a “very” negative influence, with another 3 percent deeming it “somewhat” negative. The survey notes those who remain indifferent toward the Church shouldn’t be seen as opponents. Only 17 percent of adults claimed indifference, many of whom were “de-churched” former attendees who still hold religion in high regard. “Although they may be wary of personal involvement, they have an understanding of the service and assistance that churches can provide to their communities,” says David Kinnaman, the president of Barna Group. Even among atheists and agnostics, just 14 percent held a negative view of religious institutions, with the majority maintaining neutrality. Most pointed to church as a resource for the poor—29 percent acknowledged the role of Christians in assisting the needy, disabled and homeless. Furthermore, 12 percent said they expect spiritual teaching and direction from churches, 13 percent call for services for youth, families and the elderly, and 14 percent want a church to cultivate biblical values in their community. (“Biblical values” 8
Neue_Issue09.indb 8
Community Close-Up
here refers to a sense of morality, compassion, acceptance and unity.) Also, 10 percent felt churches have a responsibility to provide support groups, counseling and recovery programs.* While most embraced the local presence of church, few consider it to be of a civic nature. Only 1 percent connect their church to political engagement, and beyond poverty assistance, a mere 7 percent associated it with local efforts like education, unemployment assistance or community clean-up. “There are opportunities for faith leaders to provide more intentional, tangible and much-needed efforts to assist local government, particularly as many services have been diminished by the economy,” Kinnaman says. Perhaps the Church is making good on all of its “community” talk, but the work is far from over. As Kinnaman says, the next goal is to avoid separating community service from discipleship. “Even among many churchgoers, contributing positively to the community is perceived to be the result of offering
Roughly three-quarters of U.S. adults believe the presence of a church is a positive thing for their community. Which groups were most likely or least likely to take this position?
Most favorable: Elders (ages 66-plus), married adults, residents of the South, women, Protestants, churchgoers, African-Americans and political conservatives.
Least favorable: Mosaics (ages 18 to 27), men, nevermarried adults, those living in the West and Northeast, atheists and agnostics, unchurched adults, political liberals and those not registered to vote.
the right mix of public service programs. Yet, this seems to miss an important biblical pattern: You change communities by transforming lives.”
*DISCUSS: How would you rate your church in these areas? How would your community rate it?
9/2/11 11:29 PM
Neue_Issue09.indb 9
9/2/11 11:29 PM
NEUES
can christians disagree with church leaders on moral issues?
prEAch it,
twEEt it
The majority of ministers now utilize social networks Thanks to the proliferation of social media, a minister’s influence is no longer limited to a physical platform. According to the May Evangelical Leaders Survey, an overwhelming 91 percent maintain a presence on at least one social networking site. When Facebook alone claims more than 750 million users, it only makes sense. “As ministers, you go where the people are. If the people are online, you go online,” says Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals.
Facebook is the social networking favorite, attracting 88 percent of evangelical leaders. Professional networking site LinkedIn drew in 50 percent, and 35 percent have embraced their 140-character platform via Twitter.* Social media has proven a wise investment for ministries, both relationally and financially. “Facebook and Twitter can help spread the Church’s message and ministry,” Anderson says, “and it comes at an unbeatable cost: free.”
A recent survey from the Public Religion Research Institute suggests many Americans feel they can disagree with their church leaders on major issues like homosexuality and abortion and remain in good standing. In fact, 72 percent of Americans say it’s OK to disagree with Church teaching on abortion, while 63 percent say the same about homosexuality. Of evangelicals, two-thirds said they could differ from their church on abortion; 47 percent said the same of homosexuality. Only 37 percent of white evangelicals support local abortion, compared to 72 percent of white mainline Protestants. More than 60 percent of white evangelicals, black Protestants and Latino Catholics said abortion was sinful, while Catholics and white mainline Protestants were more divided (46 percent and 55 percent didn’t believe it was sinful, respectively).
“A significant number of Americans are aware of … the negative impact of messages about homosexuality from places of worship.” —Robert p. jones, cEo of public Religion Research Institute
thE biblE gEtS A lot morE drAmAtic An evangelist releases The Real Housewives of the Bible. No, really. Because L.A., N.J. and N.Y. weren’t enough, a Christian evangelist is releasing a two-part DVD program called The Real Housewives of the Bible. The series tracks six women who represent Bible characters—for instance, a character based on the Bible’s Sarah struggles with infertility, and “gold-diggers” represent Delilah. Each character is designed to bring some of the biblical drama to the forefront in a way familiar to fans of Bravo’s franchises. 10
Neue_Issue09.indb 10
The evangelist behind the DVDs, Ty Adams, told CNN she created the series because she was “frustrated” with what was on TV. “A lot of society is looking toward programming to educate them on relationships, and these shows haven’t effectively done that,” Adams said. Though, if people are really looking at Real Housewives of New Jersey for marital advice, there may be bigger social problems than anyone thinks.
*DISCUSS: Brainstorm together some additional ways you can utilize social networking to connect your church with the community.
9/2/11 11:29 PM
Neue_Issue09.indb 11
9/2/11 11:29 PM
NEUES
whErE ArE thE womEN?
Since 1991, the Church has seen a steep drop in female attendance Recent Barna surveys indicate the fairer sex today is less likely to make its way into the pews. Women still maintain a greater presence than men in church, but while the male numbers remain only slightly altered with time, the amount of women attending and investing in a church is rapidly dwindling. In their personal lives, there are other marked differences in spiritual involvement. Here’s a breakdown of how women’s relationship with the Church has changed in the past 20 years:*
muslim-Americans the most optimistic religious group A new Gallup study has found Muslim-Americans are the most optimistic religious group in the United States. The report was conducted by the Abu Dhabi Gallup Center to determine the attitudes and perspectives of Muslim-Americans in post-9/11 America. Ahmed Younis, an analyst for the Abu Dhabi Gallup Center, told CNN the survey backs up the feeling of discrimination against Muslim-Americans. “The opinion of Americans is still divided and the perception of loyalty of Muslim-Americans is still questioned by a considerable portion of Americans,” he said. However, the survey showed 69 percent of Muslim-Americans identified strongly with the U.S., compared to 65 percent who said the same about their faith. Ninety-three percent of Muslim-Americans said other American members of their faith were loyal to their country, and 92 percent of the group had no sympathy for Al Qaeda. But only 63 percent of them said they feel respected when they practice their faith in public. However, despite these struggles, MuslimAmericans remain optimistic. On a scale of 1 to 10, Muslims ranked their optimism as an 8.4 (versus a 7 ranking from all Americans). Protestant Christians gave a 7.4 optimism rating, while Roman Catholics gave a 7.7 rating.
55% 44%
1991 2011
church AttendAnce 50% 40%
1991 2011
bible reAding outside of church 31% 24%
1991 2011
sundAY school inVolVement 69% 63%
1991 2011
hold fAith in high regArd 49% 42%
1991 2011
belieVe the bible’s principles Are AccurAte 80% 70%
1991 2011
possess An orthodoX View of god
EvolviNg iNto gENEroSitY
A new study examines why people give—especially when they don’t have to When you give a generous tip or share with someone with no expectation of a return, have you ever wondered why? Is it because you’re a Christian? Is it because you like making people feel good? Or were you made that way? Scientists have released a new study that finds generosity may be part of our genetic makeup. Researchers at University of California-Santa Barbara ran a series of computer simulations and found generosity 12
Neue_Issue09.indb 12
was an outgrowth of the evolution of cooperation. They suspect the reason behind the generosity is because of the uncertainty of social situations—that is, if you’re generous to someone, it might be because you don’t know when your relationship will end, or if you’ll get something in return. Meaning a large tip might be given to a server in the hopes he or she will repay the tip. In other words, you’re afraid your server may spit in your food at some point.
*THINK: How have you seen women’s attendance or patterns at church change in the last several years? What could you do to better engage women both intellectually and emotionally at your church?
9/2/11 11:29 PM
Neue_Issue09.indb 13
9/2/11 11:29 PM
NEUES thE EcoNomic StAtE of thE chUrch
Seventy-one percent of pastors report their 2011 offerings have met or exceeded their current budget requirements—but that doesn’t mean they are breathing easier. LifeWay Research found the economy is still dealing some hard blows to local congregations. But rather than grow stingy, the majority of ministries are redistributing funds to invest in reaching the needy.* Here are some of the economy-related changes in the nation’s churches over the past year:
70%
are receiving more requests for financial assistance from outside the congregation
48
%
58
%
report more people in the congregation have lost their jobs
say the economy is affecting their church “somewhat negatively”
45
%
have increased spending from the church budget to help the needy
44%
say there is a greater sense of caution about trying new things that cost money
carolyn custis James
craig groeschel
The Neue Podcast is a weekly conversation with ministers and thinkers shaping the future of the Church.
“With the needs being so great in the world, [and] having a real missional heart ... how do we need to think differently about reaching people today? I think those are conversations that are worth having.”
“Justice is an important issue in the Bible, but the Gospel calls us to lay down our lives for one another. It’s a totally different, countercultural way of living that we’re called to. When anybody gets all tied up over their rights, it’s moving us in a direction that’s counter to the Gospel. And that’s not to say that injustice is OK—it’s not. It’s a fine line that we walk, but the trajectory of the Gospel is not for a man to guard his right to lead.”
francis chan “Most of my life I’ve been preaching to the right or the middleupper class, and it’s a different message to those who are down and out. ... That’s a different message when Jesus goes to the poor and says: “I’ll put my spirit in you. I’ll turn you into some of the most powerful people on this Earth. I’ll use the things that are not to shame the things that are.”
15%
say more people in the congregation have lost their homes to foreclosure
15
%
are delaying construction or other large planned capital expenses
9%
are reducing staff salaries from last year’s levels
Joni Eareckson tada
Jon tyson
“Ten percent of our population has some sort of physical [or emotional or mental] impairment. I don’t think the Church means to exclude or ignore people with disabilities. I think people want to treat special needs families fairly—they just don’t know how. They don’t know what the needs are. So it’s not a matter of intentional neglect, just a bewilderment as to what to do and where to start.”
“We are probably the first generation in the world that is really feeling the cultural effects of globalization. With our social networking and all that, people literally have relationships and concerns on a global level that probably our parents’ generations just weren’t exposed to. ... Jesus said [to] reach the world. What is the world, and does that mean something different to us than it did maybe for other generations?”
Subscribe at iTunes. Search keyword “Neue.”
14
Neue_Issue09.indb 14
*ACT: Take another look at your 2012 budget. How is it different than 2011? How are you ensuring your church remains generous to its members and the broader community?
9/2/11 11:29 PM
Neue_Issue09.indb 15
9/2/11 11:29 PM
Much of the success of the Church depends on the ability of different generations to work together. Congregations have been split over generational clashes, of both belief and behavior. Ministries have struggled to answer the question, “How do we move forward while not forsaking the past?” But perhaps the better question to ask is, “Are we that different after all?” Barna Group recently surveyed three generations on their personal faith, and their results were not as varied as their ages.
bAb Y boo mer s
thE gENErAtioNAl chUrch dividE
bAb Y bus ter s
NEUES
Baby Boomers (born from 1946 through 1964)
The Elders (born from 1927 through 1945, or prior to 1927)
the eld ers
Baby Busters (born from 1965 through 1983)
41%
read the bIble dUrIng the week
19%
VolUnteer at a ChUrCh
39%
do not attend ChUrCh
60%
maIntaIn a Personal CommItment to JesUs ChrIst
35%
belIeVe In the ComPlete aCCUraCY of the bIble’s PrInCIPles
37%
QUALIFY AS BORN-AGAIN
38%
attend ChUrCh
39%
do not attend ChUrCh
18%
VolUnteer at a ChUrCh
38%
belIeVe In the ComPlete aCCUraCY of the bIble’s PrInCIPles
67%
hold an orthodoX VIew of god
14%
attend sUndaY sChool
46%
read the bIble dUrIng the week
29%
do not attend ChUrCh
20%
attend sUndaY sChool
76%
maIntaIn a Personal CommItment to JesUs
49%
QUALIFY AS BORN-AGAIN
71%
hold an orthodoX VIew of god
16
Neue_Issue09.indb 16
9/2/11 11:29 PM
Neue_Issue09.indb 17
9/2/11 11:29 PM
NEUES
wANt to gEt AwAY?
7 Unique Places to Go for a Sabbatical
4
1
5
6 2
3
7
18
Neue_Issue09.indb 18
9/2/11 11:29 PM
E
ven at the best of times, being in ministry is not an easy job. There is plenty of inherent stress and pressure, compounded by spiritual and emotional intensity. Getting away and taking time to rest is critical. But how you rest, now that’s the question. Whether you have a three-month sabbatical or a one-week vacation coming up, we’ve found seven unique places and experiences that will not only give you some R&R, but they’ll also give you a taste of adventure. The beach is so passé (unless, of course, you’re planning to restore the coral reefs while you’re there).
1 . en ga g e Vol untee r O p p o r tun i t ies in S o u t h Af r i ca Edge of Africa’s Absolute EDGE Program
An eight-week sampler of volunteer opportunities, this program allows you to rotate through successful and sustainable projects thriving around Cape Town, South Africa. You can work in one of the large game preserves, assist with youth sports coaching, teach preschool children and help conduct HIV and TB awareness workshops. The Edge of Africa provides food and housing during your stay so you’re able to fully debrief your daily experience with those you’re working with. If you find yourself wanting to focus on just one area of service, you can choose to continue to work with only one program as well. www.edgeofafrica.com
0 2 . T ra i n as a Mas t e r C he f i n N ew Yo r k City The Culinary Institute of America Boot Camp
Love to cook (or to eat)? Check out one of the five-day culinary boot camps created by the Culinary Institute of America. Radically different than your generic cooking class, the CIA Boot Camp is a firstclass immersion into the world of food. With classes on everything from BBQ to baking to pastries, you’ll learn to cook and bake under the instruction of award-winning chefs from all over the world. You also get to dine at several of CIA’s awardwinning restaurants. Bonus. www.ciachef.edu/enthusiasts/ bootcamps/
03. S t u dy th e S cr ip t ur es in Is rae l Israel in Depth
Saint Jerome once said, “There are five Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and the land of Israel.” Israel in Depth examines the geographical, cultural and archaeological influences of Israel in relation to the Bible. Through guided tours, you’ll experience the context of the Scriptures in a wholly new and tangible way. Prior to leaving for the trip, you’ll receive a study curriculum that focuses on the early conflict between the Israelites and Philistines, the wilderness and the Dead Sea, Jesus’ ministry in Galilee and His final week in Jerusalem. www.israelindepth.org
04. S n o r k el for th e Env ir onment in t he Baham as The Earthwatch Institute
Looking for a different kind of beach vacation? Work alongside scientists to survey and document endangered coral reefs with the Earthwatch Institute on San Salvador Island in the Bahamas. Earthwatch is committed to finding ways to repair damaged and bleached coral reefs, and they’re using volunteers to do it: Since 1971, more than 93,000 volunteers have donated more than 11 million hours of time to map coral reefs and monitor beach profile data. And, of course, you’re in the Bahamas, so there’s that. www.earthwatch.org/expedition/
05. C reate Art in One of t he Most Beautif ul Places on Earth
Artist-in-Residence Program, Zion National Park If you’re an artist looking for inspiration, check out the artist-inresidence program at Zion National Park in Utah. Dedicated to creating a larger public appreciation of the park, this four-week program offers room and board in the canyon—including your own studio space where you can work independently. Of course, part of the magic of this program is also the chance to work collaboratively with other painters and photographers who have gathered in Zion from all over the world. At the end of your residency you’ll be invited to present two one-hour programs at Southern Utah University’s Art Insights speaker series at the Zion Lodge. www.nps.gov
06. Res tor e A nci en t Rui ns in Rom ania Projects Abroad
A trip to Romania with Projects Abroad is just the thing to fulfill that Indiana Jones fantasy from childhood. Work with Romania’s Museum of History to reconstruct aspects of ancient life from the Neolithic period up to medieval times. You’ll have the opportunity to be part of the excavation and cleaning process of relics found at archaeological digs in Deva, Alba-lulia, Bordusani-Popina and Harsova. For the more daring volunteer: trips to help uncover ancient graves and identify artifacts in Transylvania (vampires not included). www.projects-abroad.org
07. Live in a Monastery i n NEW M E X ICO Christ in the Desert Monastery
Deep in the wilderness of New Mexico, tucked into the clay-colored Chama Canyon, lies the beautiful Christ in the Desert Monastery—a chapel author Thomas Merton once described as the most perfect monastic chapel he’d ever visited. If you’re looking for a quiet place to seek and experience the mystery of God, this is the place to visit. Guests are offered rooms in the guesthouse and are invited to participate in the Divine Office with the resident monks. The schedule begins at 4 in the morning and continues with prayer and singing every two to three hours until 7:30 in the evening. Every guest is encouraged to work alongside the monks each morning doing chores to beautify the monastery. For those looking to create a renewed liturgical rhythm, this is a journey worth taking. www.christdesert.org
DO N ’ T FORG E T
Pack these books on spiritual renewal:
Pilgrimage of a Soul Phileena Heuertz offers insightful and poetic musings on pilgrimage.
Contemplative Prayer Thomas Merton’s classic guide to seeking God in the silence.
The Cloister Walk
Kathleen Norris explores monastic life in this walk through the liturgical year.
neuemagazine.com 19
Neue_Issue09.indb 19
9/2/11 11:29 PM
INFO
[HOW TO...] ... Maximize a Digital Reader
Most people know the advantages offered by digital readers: i.e., e-books are often cheaper than printed books, and they allow users to easily carry multiple books. Here are more tips for using a digital reader effectively:
1. Copy and Paste Spend a lot of time jotting down a memorable quote or a sermon illustration? Save time by copying the text and pasting it into a Word document.
2. Share Your Library Some digital readers (like a Kindle, for example) allow users to “send” books they purchase to a friend—giving them free access for two weeks.
3. Word Searching The days of flipping pages searching for that memorable quote are gone. Digital readers allow users to search for words or phrases throughout their library—not just in a single book.
4. Free Samples Ever buy a book only to be disappointed by its contents? E-books often allow users to preview a portion of the book before making a purchase.
… Emphasize Cross-Cultural Ministry Our church isn’t diverse, and we don’t know how to change that. … We’ve tried to get people of other races and ethnicities to attend our services, but they don’t come. … How are we supposed to emphasize diversity if we can’t model it?
Many churches have raised similar questions. But cross-cultural ministry, despite what some church leaders might assume, isn’t about getting people of other races and ethnicities to attend church services— although that is certainly part of it. Cross-cultural ministry should also be about getting church members involved in community events, ministries, functions and organizations where other cultures are present. Inevitably, such involvement could attract new visitors. When people see Christ’s love expressed through acts of service, it can be a powerful and
… Implement a Time Management Strategy |
intriguing thing. But getting involved in the community and finding ways for church members to immerse themselves in other cultures should not be viewed as the means to attract people with different cultural and ethnic backgrounds to the church. The goal should be to experience the Kingdom of God by communing with humanity as God created it—with various races and ethnicities. For a church that desires to see this unity expressed on Sunday mornings, the first step should be to get involved outside the church and in other cultures.
Quit wasting time … now!
1. Find Your Best Method
2. Implement This Technique
3. Refine Your Strategy
4. Stick With It
Maybe you love to-do lists. Maybe you have no clue how to manage your time. Different strategies emphasize different objectives: prioritization, goal setting, etc. Explore various time management strategies to discover one that best suits your strengths, weaknesses and personality.
After you have discovered your preferred time management strategy, put it into practice. At first you might convince yourself it isn’t worth the effort or won’t be beneficial, but keep it up. Commit to sticking with it for at least a full week.
Even the best strategies aren’t ideal for everyone. After implementing your strategy for at least a week, review your experiences. What was frustrating? What was helpful? If necessary, find ways to revise your strategy to make it more efficient.
Even the most beneficial time management strategy can feel tedious at times. Eventually you might feel like it isn’t helpful anymore, but in the long run, a good time management strategy is the best way to remain focused and efficient.
20
Neue_Issue09.indb 20
9/2/11 11:29 PM
... Host a Fall Festival (Whether You Do It on Halloween or Not) Fall celebrations are fun. Whether you’re planning an alternative to trickor-treating or just organizing an event for your church family, here are some ideas to consider:
1. Outdoor Open Mic Night
… Avoid Fall Burnout Ah, fall, when the weather cools and the trees are draped in beautiful autumnal hues. More importantly for your ministry, fall means families are home from summer vacation, kids are back in school and church attendance is steadier. Suddenly, volunteers abound. A couple months later (with winter holidays on the horizon), inevitably, the enthusiasm begins to vanish as volunteers and leaders start feeling burned out and in need of a break. But is such burnout inevitable, or can you do something to prevent it? The first step should be to keep people from over-committing. If one volunteer (or church leader) is participating in too many projects, encourage that person to delegate more responsibility and trust that others will be capable of taking on new tasks. Instead of trying to capitalize on all the enthusiasm and renewed interest fall brings, temper that excitement so it can be sustained longer. Instead
of starting a host of new activities and groups immediately, plan some things to start later in the fall. If your church leaders are prone to fall burnout, try scheduling a fall leadership retreat. At first it might seem like one more responsibility to add to the calendar—but getting away can do wonders for unifying your vision and rejuvenating leaders. Foster an environment where church leaders and volunteers feel comfortable admitting when they feel overworked or burned out. This will allow leaders to address this struggle together instead of harboring it while they begrudgingly go through the motions. Just because a sufficient number of volunteers may have emerged in the fall, don’t be complacent. Continue to seek out other potential volunteers— inviting them to get involved in various roles within the church. By continuing to develop new leaders, you’ll reduce the likelihood that existing workers will be forced to do too much.
... Use Music for More Than Just Singing Music sets the mood—and not just during worship either. Identify someone on your leadership team who loves music and is familiar with a variety of genres, and ask them to come up with new and creative ways to use music at your church. Occasionally institute a time for silent prayer— with musical accompaniment. Consider playing background music during times of communion, and then experiment with different types of music during this time. Have a pianist or a band start playing 10 to 15 minutes before the service starts, or have the band stay and play longer at the end of the service. If
your church already does this, have them try out various types of music. Rather than a slow, somber song, start with something upbeat. Conclude with something rousing as people exit after a service. Try playing songs that aren’t typically received as “Christian” songs as people enter on Sunday morning. This can make first-time visitors feel more comfortable. The current order of worship (and the ways you integrate music into the service) might work just fine, but that doesn’t mean finding different ways to use music won’t create a richer, more meaningful worship experience.
Open mic nights are often confined to coffee shops and bars—or the occasional church fellowship hall. Enjoy the fall weather by moving your next open mic night outside. Set up the speakers and a stage, invite the community and offer caramel apples, popcorn, apple cobbler and other autumnal treats.
2. The Classic Fall Festival Don’t mess with a good thing. Pull out all the fall classics. Plan a hay ride. Bob for apples. Carve pumpkins (maybe even turn it into a pumpkin carving competition). Incorporate all the traditional contests—three-legged race, sack race, cake walk—and find a way to make these events your own, so your church’s personality and DNA is visible.
3. Art Show Fall is an inspirational time of year. Take advantage of the season by organizing an art show for the community. Ask local artists to showcase their work. Invite children to participate, too. (Contact local schools to see if they’d be willing to contribute.) If possible, hire a caricature artist and invite others to paint faces.
4. Fall Games Have a game day. Flag football. Dodgeball. Beanbag toss. Wiffleball. Kickball. Create sign-up sheets and generate as much interest as possible. Welcome suggestions for other games, and encourage people to help organize their favorite event.
neuemagazine.com 21
Neue_Issue09.indb 21
9/2/11 11:29 PM
INFO
[HOW TO...] ... Get Familiar with … Francis Schaeffer
Francis Schaeffer, the theologian/philosopher/ pastor, passed away more than a quarter of a century ago, and yet his thoughts continue to challenge and inspire leaders. For those unfamiliar with Schaeffer, the following works are worth reading (and re-reading):
How Should We Then Live? This ambitious book examines the cultural shifts that have shaped society and concludes the only way to address what Schaeffer saw as a decline in Western culture is to seek out and hold to biblical truth and values.
The God Who Is There One of Schaeffer’s most beloved books and an invaluable tool for evangelicals who seek to communicate how and why God is the answer to the problems of this world.
True Spirituality True Spirituality, one of Schaeffer’s more practical works, does more than address issues and concepts; it clearly presents a picture for how Christians are called to live their faith.
He Is There and He Is Not Silent This book addresses the shortcomings of philosophical ideologies and explains how God not only fills the void these other philosophies attempt to meet, but He is also engaged in our lives.
... Preach on Gratitude/Thanksgiving In the last year, members of your church family lost jobs, lost loved ones, watched relationships disintegrate, received frightening diagnoses and grew tired of their day-to-day lives. Others are looking at their budgets and calculating just how “merry” the coming holidays will or won’t be. Sometimes we dwell on the disappointments and the losses, but we all still have much for which to be thankful. And yet, when church members are frustrated, depressed and weary, they don’t necessarily want to hear why they should be grateful. The last thing anyone wants is to be “guilted” into feeling grateful (“Look how
much you have compared to those in Somalia—how dare you complain about your circumstances?”). Instead of trying to force people to feel grateful, ask church members to identify something in their life that is preventing them from approaching God with a grateful heart. Challenge them to pray about this issue or circumstance, and encourage them to talk to a fellow believer and pray over these things together. Everyone knows they should be grateful, but trying to muster up gratitude is not generally that effective. Help people identify those things that block gratitude and, in turn, to dwell on the areas of their lives for which they are grateful.
A Christian Manifesto Asserting biblical truth should be the foundation for society, Schaeffer’s work is a great resource for Christians struggling to understand how their faith relates to politics and government.
“It is not the strength of your faith but the object of your faith that actually saves you.” —Tim Keller
22
Neue_Issue09.indb 22
9/2/11 11:29 PM
Neue_Issue09.indb 23
9/2/11 11:29 PM
chUrch
A LOOK AT UNIQUE TYPES OF COMMUNITY
JoUrNEY commUNitY chUrch
JULIA STINE
la MeSa, Ca
“We came out to help the community—and then God entered.” —Sarah Merk-Benitez
oNE hopE poMpano, Fl Jesus made it clear in the Gospel of Matthew that a Christian’s job is to spread the “good news” to all nations. But what happens when language and culture get in the way? OneHope is a ministry seeking to bring the story of Christ to children around the world. They do this by breaking down barriers of language and culture differences and presenting the Gospel in a manner that speaks to each child. “If a child can’t read or understand Scripture, or if they don’t understand how Scripture is applicable to their lives, there is difficulty with it entering their heart,” says Rob Hoskins, the president of OneHope. “Our goal is to make the Scriptures real and come alive, so the children and youth are interested and find real application to their lives.” OneHope works with teams of
local church leaders to develop culture-specific learning tools that bring Scripture to tens of millions of children each year at no cost. After conducting country-specific research, materials are developed that meet the needs of the children in that area. Teams from indigenous churches and local ministries are usually responsible for distributing the materials, with little to no on-the-ground American involvement. Getting volunteers from the community involved allows OneHope the unique perspective of witnessing an area through the lens of native Christians, and has allowed OneHope to reach more than 750 million children in more than 125 countries around the world. Even with these statistics, though, OneHope is clear that they don’t allow numbers to define their success. Rather, the measurable impact made in the lives of those children provides affirmation for the ministry. “Our American tendency to emphasize
numeric outputs served well in a world where access to the Gospel was limited or nonexistent,” Hoskins says. “But the reality of the 21st century demands intentionality.” Intentionality—like starting a new community endeavor called Cultivate, a program OneHope is launching in South Africa to engage churches in their local community by providing resources, research and support to churches participating in the project. Included, of course, are materials for reaching the area’s youth in a relevant, Scripturedriven format. “There is a knowledge of Jesus in South Africa, but often there is a lack of relationship. Cultivate helps to bring true transformation for the community and the individuals,” Hoskins says. “There are many churches in South Africa that have a heart and passion for their community, and many times they just need encouragement and partnership to see their dreams become a reality.”
Jesus’ inclination to dine with sinners is a part of the New Testament that tends to uproot the core of Christian culture. If the wages of sin is death, shouldn’t we stay far away from it? When the mayor of La Mesa, Calif., asked the college group from Journey Community Church, New Format, to spend time in Collier Park to drive out the vagrants and drug users who had been infiltrating the community, the students were happy to oblige; what began to move in their hearts, though, was something no one had expected. “What I thought going into it was that we’d kind of be moving in and then people who were using the park illegitimately would be moving out—kind of doing the same thing elsewhere. But what it turned into more so was us coming in and inviting them in, and they joined us,” says Shannon English, a member of New Format. For the past year, the young adults have been visiting the park during the day to clear litter and pick up used needles, but after being asked to increase their presence, they found themselves settling down every Sunday night to watch a movie with the same people they had been asked to push out. “We have this saying: We’re turning the church inside out,” says Bryce Turner, who attends New Format. When the regularly scheduled summer movies ended, the group planned independent event nights to gather in the park and continue pursuing their new friendships. The burgeoning ministry marks the shift in the Church’s divergence from the “Christian bubble.” As a recovered alcoholic from New Format weeps with a homeless man in the park still caught in alcohol’s grasp, a similar scene plays out through the park; those who have come to make change, leave changed. “Look at the people who are supposedly making it unsafe,” says Sarah Merk-Benitez, Journey’s college and young adult pastor. “They’re changing us. We came out to help the community—and then God entered.”
24
Neue_Issue09.indb 24
9/2/11 11:29 PM
Neue_Issue09.indb 25
9/2/11 11:29 PM
thoUght
WhAT MAKEs A gREAT TEAM APRIL L. DIAZ a lot HaS Been WRit ten on the characteristics of a solid team. Honesty. Hard work. Having difficult conversations. Integrity. Collaboration. Fun. Shared vision and goals. Chemistry. Discipline. Accountability. And yet we are perpetually on a quest to find the magic bullet—to create that perfect team. I’ve been on a bunch of teams. Each team carried its own dynamics, strengths, dysfunctions and personalities. But since I’ve started leading, I’ve thought much about the best teams I’ve been a part of and have observed others from a distance. These markers have been a common thread of fulfillment or disappointment …
intentionality Life happens fast. As soon as one event or goal is completed, we are off to the next one. The tyranny of the urgent forces us to become more intentional if we want to capture important moments of learning and remembrance. Intentional Debriefing. My team mocks me that I debrief everything. But this intentional time after most every meeting, retreat, event or transition makes everything we do better. Debriefing immediately afterward allows us to quickly evaluate. It’s become something my team treasures and now practices for the teams they lead.* Intentional Presence. Birthdays, anniversaries, babies, holidays, funerals and weddings rarely happen when it’s convenient. But carving out time
for “life happenings” and Holy Spirit moments when our presence is called upon. Intentional Naming. Trappist monk and author Thomas Merton wrote: “God utters me like a word containing a partial thought of Himself. ... If I am true to the concept God utters in me, if I am true to the thought in Him I was meant to embody, I shall be full of His actuality and find Him everywhere in myself, and find myself nowhere. I shall be lost in Him.” Eight years ago I sat in a living room during a retreat with a team I was on. Over several intense hours, we excused each team member one by one and named the unique attributes of God that had been placed in them. Before they came back, we renamed them with the word we saw uttered in them. Names like “pillar of fire” were written on canvases under Merton’s quote. It was an intentional moment to encourage, inspire and name truth in each other. Over the years, I’ve re-created similar experiences for my team. Every time we intentionally name who team members are, who they are becoming, how they have grown, something divine happens. They are moments when heaven touches earth.
thE tYrANNY of thE UrgENt forcES US to bEcomE morE iNtENtioNAl if wE wANt to cAptUrE importANt momENtS of lEArNiNg. to be with each other in these personal, lifealtering experiences truly forges a team together. Committing to being present in these intentional moments not only fills the souls of a team but also speaks volumes about how to be with those they lead. Creating margin in your calendar— personal and ministry—are critical in order to make this presence possible. Though we often fail at preserving margin, I preach that we should only plan to 80 percent capacity in order to leave room 26
Neue_Issue09.indb 26
CHange anD pRoCeSS This summer our team has gone through a total realignment [read: change] to reflect the vision God’s given us. Literally everyone has a new job and new teams have been formed. Throughout these past few months, I have been reminded of a couple of truths when it comes to change and process. First, healthy teams are constantly changing. They adapt to the ever-changing world around them. Healthy teams are quick to kill projects
and programs that aren’t working. They tweak responsibilities when new strengths are discovered. The best teams are those that aren’t afraid to pull a trigger to make things better. The second lesson I repeatedly learn is how important process is. A leader’s decisions impact countless people in varying ways. I recently made a seemingly innocuous decision to shuffle office spaces to accommodate our new team. This decision inadvertently raised up unknown pain and frustration that resulted in lots of emails and conversations to smooth out the misunderstanding. My quick—and thoughtless—decision and communication of our new office spaces didn’t honor my team. If we really value collaboration and everyone’s voice, we need to value the process in change, and often that involves slowing down.
Soul CaRe Scores of books have been written on this, but fostering an environment that encourages emotional and spiritual growth is nonnegotiable. Ministry can be brutal. Scratch that—people can be brutal. Practices like observing a Sabbath and taking technology breaks are critical to grow a team’s capacity to stick together for the long haul. As a leader, I believe it’s my responsibility to cultivate a culture that nurtures the inner life of the team.
aBove all, love We all know 1 Corinthians 13:1-3: “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.” We could practice everything ever written about great teams, but if we do not love each other, it’s worth nothing. This is how the world will know we are His disciples.
aPRIL L. DIaZ serves as a pastor at Newsong Church in Irvine, CA. She and her husband, Brian, recently adopted two Ethiopian toddlers. You can read more about their adoption journey at her blog, http://planaethiopia.blogspot.com.
*ACT: Be intentional about taking time to debrief ministry events this week. Set aside time with team members to talk through how the event went, what worked, what didn’t and what you’d do differently next time.
9/2/11 11:29 PM
Neue_Issue09.indb 27
9/2/11 11:29 PM
thoUght
ThE LEADERshIp LIE DON COUSINS paStoR DaviD anD i had stopped for lunch after he picked me up at the airport. A brief visit would give us time to get acquainted before I met with the church’s leadership team. The church David had planted a year earlier had gotten off to a strong start but now struggled to break through the 200 barrier in weekly attendance. After we discussed his spiritual gifts, David hung his head. “I don’t have the gift of leadership,” he said. “I don’t know if I can build a great church.” Seeing his discouragement, I reached for my Bible and asked him, “Show me where it states, ‘You must have the spiritual gift of leadership to build a great church.’ ” He acknowledged he knew of no such passage. “How about where it states, ‘You need the gift of leadership to lead a church, even a church that isn’t so great’?” Again, he was unaware of any such Scripture. “Then where,” I asked him, “did you get the impression you need to possess the spiritual gift of leadership to build a great church?” “It seems like every conference I attend and every book I read tells me I need to be a great leader,” he answered. “Leadership, leadership, leadership—that’s all I seem to hear about. I guess I’ve concluded it’s a necessary gift if you want to build a church.” David’s not alone in his conclusion. Several years ago a Barna Group survey indicated only 8 percent of America’s pastors see themselves as
Success is based on your ability to lead. If you have “the gift,” you have a promising future. If you don’t, then start attending every leadership conference and start reading every leadership book you can get a hold of—because if God didn’t make you a “gifted leader,” you’ve got to make yourself one. I’ve found a significant percentage of that 92 percent have talked themselves into believing they possess “the gift” (as typically defined). They want it, and their churches want it for them, so not having it is something few are willing to confess. In today’s culture it seems easier to admit being an addict of some kind. Perhaps we need to start support groups for those who acknowledge they aren’t “gifted leaders”: “Hi, my name is Bob, and I don’t have the spiritual gift of leadership.” That admission is more than the average ego can take. As a result, the “non-gifted” work very hard to become better leaders and overcome the Holy Spirit’s “distribution error” in failing to gift them appropriately. This misplaced emphasis on the spiritual gift of leadership has damaged the hearts and minds of many who fill positions of leadership. It has skewed
whilE thE bodY of chriSt NEEdS thE gift of lEAdErShip, it iS Not thE moSt importANt or moSt NEEdEd gift. having the spiritual gift of leadership—a troubling statistic indeed if you attend the conferences and read the books David has. Most of these books and conferences bear a “leadership” label and are aimed at producing stronger leaders. I’ve coached enough pastors among the 92 percent to know many have reached the same conclusion as my friend David, and they share the same disappointment. It doesn’t take long to become convinced that becoming a great leader is the key to success. 28
Neue_Issue09.indb 28
their understanding of their role and contribution, and the distorting effects have been widely felt among those they lead. Churches and ministries have suffered. I’m suggesting we need to let go of leadership heresies. I’m referring to the broad definition of heresy: “an error, a lie, a mistake in belief.” Heresies reflect a mixture of truth and error that alter God’s intended message and desired outcome. In the end, heresies lead astray those who believe in
them, bringing consequences that inevitably result from any departure from God’s truth. Such is the case here. Leadership is important—critically important—but believing leadership is the most important or most needed gift is heretical. It’s also heretical to believe leadership’s expression is limited to just one gift.* In our culture, people place a great deal of emphasis and value on strong natural leaders, while the church emphasizes and values the “gifted leader.” The concept is essentially the same, but the language is modified to make it sound more spiritual. Such an emphasis in the Church is not a reflection of Scripture but of worldly philosophy and practice, and the results have done more harm than good. Leadership is a critical component in any endeavor. So with only 8 percent of pastors having “leadership” as a primary gift, did the Holy Spirit commit a distribution error in His gifts to the Church? Obviously not! Have 92 percent of the pastors currently filling positions of leaders made an application error as it relates to the role they play? I don’t think so. This leaves only one explanation for those percentages being OK as they are: God’s definition of leadership and His understanding of leadership are different than ours. We’ve allowed worldly philosophy and practice concerning leadership to infiltrate the Church. While the body of Christ needs the gift of leadership, it is not the most important or most needed gift—even for those in positions of leadership. In addition, leadership is expressed through more gifts than just one. We need to stop the practice of gift projection that conveys the message, “Without the gift of leadership, you can’t be an effective leader—you can’t build a great church.” We need to experience a shift in the leadership paradigm—a return to a biblical definition and understanding of leadership that functions as God intended.
Don CousIns is the founder and president of Team Development, Inc. and author of Experiencing Leadershift (David C Cook), from which this article is adapted. Used with permission.
*THINK: How have you seen leadership expressed in ways that weren’t “typical”? How do you express your leadership?
9/2/11 11:29 PM
Neue_Issue09.indb 29
9/2/11 11:29 PM
coNvErSAtioN WRITER
cArolYN briggS The author of the memoir This Dark World on her own tumultous spiritual journey, what a vivid faith looks like and how it feels to have your life made into a movie. What led you to write This Dark World?
DAVID BRIGGS
I have to say amen to that. A sunset, a forest, the ocean—all of these find me reverent in worship of their magnificent and benevolent Creator.
Do you call yourself a Christian?
I never intended to write a memoir. I had written a short story titled “Incarnate” in graduate school that won New Letters’ Heartland Short Fiction prize. The story borrowed from my life’s experience within a religious community. My agent suggested I try writing nonfiction and write a memoir. I loved having the cloak of fiction, and the thought of baring all and owning it on the page was intimidating. Truth is the most powerful element of successful fiction and nonfiction, and I knew I couldn’t write a memoir unless I was willing to tell the truth to myself as well as to others.
“Christian” means “a little Christ,” and I can truthfully say I strive to be a Christ-follower. Christ is the model, isn’t He? He’s one who lay down His life for His friends. Jesus didn’t live for fame or wealth or adulation. He lived to serve. He scooped babies on His lap and blessed them. He spent time with the dregs of society. He didn’t encounter a human who didn’t interest Him—especially the lowliest of people—He was drawn to them, and not to the rich and powerful. I don’t know how a person cannot be drawn to Jesus Christ. When God wanted to reveal Himself to man, He chose to do so incarnate, in the flesh, in the son of a teenage girl.
Do you have any regrets in writing it?
How did your memoir become a movie?
Sure. I wish I would have allowed for more time to pass, so my perspective cleared a bit. I regret the book was edited in such a way that I appear to have wholly rejected my faith—which I have not ever been able to do. In writing a memoir, one tells one’s story, but one also tells other people’s stories who may not want their stories told—especially from someone else’s perspective. I have wrestled with this reality and continue to as the film is released.
A screenwriter named Tim Metcalfe optioned the book and wrote many drafts of a screenplay adaptation. His work resulted in Vera Farmiga becoming attached to the screenplay formerly titled This Dark World. Vera worked with Mr. Metcalfe on subsequent drafts of his screenplay. Finally, I worked on a draft with him that propelled the project forward. It was at that point, major shifts occurred with Vera taking on the roles as lead actor and director. Vera, her husband, Renn, and their baby Fynn flew to my house in Iowa, and we began the work of rewriting the screenplay. We went back to the memoir and started with “Corrine” as a child, then a teenager and as an adult. The script went through many revisions in the next six months as I wrote and conference-called and flew to both coasts for meetings. Two days before the movie would begin shooting, I was in Croatia typing requested
Where are you with your faith right now? I could not live in a world without God. And this God is big enough to contain my doubts. Tobias Wolff says doubt is part of faith. Doubt and faith can coexist; each informs the other. My faith infuses my doubt, and my doubt infuses my faith. What else can I do but keep seeking God? “The heavens declare the glory of God,” the psalmist writes, and 30
Neue_Issue09.indb 30
scenes on a computer in an Internet café. The “x” and the “y” [keys] were transposed on the keyboard, so I would write the scene and then quickly fix the spelling, watching the clock, the sun setting over the Mediterranean Sea behind me. It was exhilarating; one of the moments I’ve freeze-framed in my mind for a death-bed review.
Do you plan on doing more screenwriting? I’m a writer, period. I loved almost everything about the experience. My youngest daughter and I have written a screenplay since that I’m also very proud of. I would certainly not rule out writing more screenplays, but I have learned a lot in the last two years, and my primary takeaway is this: I won the lottery in seeing a feature film produced from my work. There are so many talented people out there who have worked for years and years, still hoping for the kind of opportunity I have had.
How different is the memoir, This Dark World, from the film, Higher Ground? The characters onscreen found their genesis in my life and my memoir, but they take on a life of their own in the film. There are some invented scenes in the film, two major scenes in particular. Conversely, some episodes from my life that didn’t make it into my memoir now appear in the screenplay. Vera and Renn, the creative producer of the film, are certainly present in this script—both their sensibilities and, in some cases, their words. I titled the screenplay Higher Ground because I wanted to show Corrine as a character reaching for God, reaching for higher ground throughout her life. “Knock, and the door will be opened for you,” Jesus promised, and that’s what I’m holding on to. As Vera says in interviews: Corrine is not leaving her faith—she is leaving an impoverished faith.*
*ACT: Watch Higher Ground, starring Vera Farmiga, in select theaters now or on DVD in January 2012.
9/2/11 11:29 PM
Neue_Issue09.indb 31
9/2/11 11:30 PM
iNNovAtor
chAd JohNSoN
foUnder of the Come&lIVe! mUsIC ComPanY BY alYCe gilligan What is a music label that doesn’t sell records? Most would call it a failure. But for Chad Johnson, founder of Come&Live!, it was a divine calling. “It’s not just free music,” the missionary’s kidturned-music industry pioneer says of the unique venture. “It’s an opportunity to remind somebody they are loved by God.” Technically, Come&Live! can’t even be called a record company; Johnson refers to it as a “mission organization.” The certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization invites artists to become part of a community that promotes their faith first and their music second. Rather than sign contracts, bands sign a conduct creed. Donations from supporters are the primary source of finances for the Come&Live! crew, with all music made available for free download (yes, they encourage listeners to copy and share to their hearts’ content). This seemingly crazy idea might still be in the early stages, but Johnson has been navigating the music world for years. “What God had always gifted me with was this ability to recognize the potential in people or in artists, even though I’m not musically geared or musically gifted in any way, shape or form. I could still look at an artist and say, ‘I think there’s something about you that’s really unique or special, and I think that will grow.’ ” Of all places, Johnson first began to exercise this gift in a bistro. “Bistros were actually a cool thing, where you’d go to a show and there’d be a kid like me setting up assorted goods and trying to pawn them off on kids,” Johnson remembers. “That sort of turned into a record store, which then turned into a music venue, which later became a record label. “I think the early days serve as a great reminder of how much God can do with so little. I don’t say that to play the humble card, but I had no experience in the music business. I had no clue what I was
32
Neue_Issue09.indb 32
DAVID BEAN/VISUAL RESERVE
9/2/11 11:30 PM
doing, and yet even growing up as a missionary kid overseas, being really passionate about music but really outdated when it came to artists, it’s completely humorous for me to look back now and say, ‘Wow, God saw fit to put me in the exact place, and position, and city and opportunity as He did for such a time as this.’ ” Johnson’s label, Takehold Records, saw success in signing acts like well-known hardcore band Underoath. But after a couple years, Johnson, his family and his artists were in over their heads. “If you want to start a record label, don’t write your own contracts; that’s rule number one. Rule number two is don’t take out credit card loans or bank loans to try and fund the whole thing. I was $110,000 in debt. I had no way of getting myself out of paying credit cards, and of course they are not kind to small business owners who do not pay their bills.” Johnson’s crisis began to impact his home and spiritual life as well. “It was pretty shady business, and my wife and I began praying—it was mostly her praying, because at that point I had really walked away from the Lord and didn’t have much interest in going after Him. But within about a week I got an email from the president of Tooth & Nail Records, and it just said, ‘Hey, man, how much do you want for your company?’ ” It didn’t take much convincing. Takehold’s entire catalog was licensed out to the popular Christian label, who then hired Johnson as an A&R guy—and re-drafted every contract he’d previously attempted
Teen Challenge. What happened on this tour set the stage for the creative community Johnson would later head up and prompted what he calls the “most spiritual encounter” he’s witnessed in the music industry. “One night I confessed my own sins of having been a drug addict while working at the Christian label, having been a pornography addict, having walked in pride and arrogance, having walked away from Jesus. I just came out of the closet,” Johnson recalls. “Out of about 40 band members, it literally turned into five hours of a confessional booth. Every person would share something on their heart. We would all as a team gather around, lay hands on them and ask God to forgive them. It would almost always result in tears; communion was taken. It was crazy stuff: drug addictions amongst the bands, alcohol, envy toward positions in the bands, jealousy toward another band member’s wife. I’d never come anywhere close to that level of transparency.”* Though it would take a few more years for Johnson to fully realize the dream of Come&Live!, that night of confession was the moment he had been waiting for. Rather than be burdened by the challenges facing the musicians he represented, he was stirred to call them to accountability—to come and live by the faith they claimed in their songs. “I would say, without a doubt, equipping artists to be true Jesus-followers is by far the hardest task we have ahead of us. Discipling men to be disciple makers—that can only happen by us, in leadership, reflecting Jesus to those we’re working with and spending a lot of time with them.” Johnson was quick to recognize his own need for such accountability, and took time developing personal discipline before he developed a business model. “It’s really wrong of me and self-centered to point my finger at everything that was wrong in the industry. Instead, I heard God say, ‘Start with you.’ [I’ve heard it said], ‘God uses broken men to break men,’ and I think I’ve been in the process of being broken. Little did I know when I set out to do this that it was basically going to be [like], ‘OK, how can God destroy every bit of old Chad and start over?’ ” It became clear the spiritual needs Johnson sought to address called for a less-thanconventional approach to the music business. In 2009, Johnson officially left the label and launched Come&Live! in Nashville. “We’re very committed to a model that’s very different than the music industry, but we’re also very committed to artists following their hearts
“If we’re not laboring for the kingdom, then we’re wasting time.” to draw up. The move allowed Johnson to pay off his debts, relocate to Seattle and start fresh with his family. But just a few years of experience showed Johnson that ministry often took a backseat to the distractions of tour, fame and money—even in “Christian music.” “If we’re not laboring for the Kingdom, then we’re wasting time,” Johnson says. “If life is truly a vapor, and we’re not doing everything we can to help the world encounter Jesus, then it’s time wasted and we will end up regretting it.” During that time, Come&Live! began as the banner for a charity tour put on by Tooth & Nail, benefitting organizations like To Write Love on Her Arms, Invisible Children, Habitat for Humanity and
*THINK: When was the last time you had a space for this kind of transparency—with your staff or with good friends?
Neue_Issue09.indb 33
and their passions. We don’t tie bands down for a reason, so that if at some point one of our bands is supposed to be a Chris Tomlin or a Switchfoot, then great, [they] can do that and let us know what position we can back [them] up with,” Johnson says. “We don’t sign artists to contracts; they sign a two-page artist creed that was developed by some of our friends at [John Piper’s ministry] Desiring God. The whole thing is backwards. I don’t have a problem with people selling records. But for me, the focus is asking how we can connect the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people in the world who have been burned by the Church or burned by their Christian experience.” Johnson wasn’t the only one looking for a way to bridge the gap between the music industry and full-time ministry. The vision of Come&Live! struck a chord with artists and their fans alike. Their lineup of “musicianaries” now includes up-andcoming acts like The Ember Days, Ascend the Hill, Showbread, Bellarive and Daniel Bashta. “I knew the traditional label route wasn’t something that was necessarily for us,” Joel Davis, lead singer of worship band Ascend the Hill says. “Come&Live!, for us, was just a beautiful partnership. A business model based on simple living and radical generosity is the worst business plan ever, as far as the industry is concerned. [But] to partner with people who have the same Kingdom mind and who are just as open and hungry to see God do whatever He wants to do is just a no-brainer for us. … All of our records have been paid for by people who believe in what we’re doing and people who believe in the call of God on our lives.” How can artists write, record, tour, perform and minister without forgetting this higher purpose? Johnson points to the local church as the key. “In the first couple chapters of Acts, we read about the Gospel and how it first went out. It started in Jerusalem, then it went to Judea, then Samaria, then the ends of the earth. We look at some artists that are called to be ‘Jerusalem artists’; they’re called to be in their local church. Every band, in my opinion, is called to be a part of a local church.” Johnson recognizes those with both music and ministry aspirations may struggle to find the balance. But he believes repurposing skills and abilities to share one’s faith is a worthy pursuit—not only for musicians but for believers in general. “Learning to go about this in a missional approach across the board is very hard, especially for artists because artists don’t like to ask for help. Most of us don’t. But at the end of the day, that’s how God has seen fit to make this work, and it’s actually been very encouraging this way. Every day it’s becoming a little bit easier to see that this idea isn’t as crazy as we first thought.”
neuemagazine.com 33
9/2/11 11:30 PM
LEADING IN ALL SEASONS BY BruCe miller
34
“w
Neue_Issue09.indb 34
hy won’t the board embrace my plan to re-brand our church for the young immigrants moving into our area? I’ve been here 18 months, and I know this church has got to change radically if we want to reach our neighborhood.” Sound familiar? There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to pursue an idea you love while everyone around you shoots it down or drags their feet on it. Unfortunately, though, as with so many things, timing truly is everything. Even if your plan has merit, is well researched, designed and powerfully presented, it may be coming at the wrong time in your church’s life. Solomon remarked God has made everything “beautiful”
in its time (Ecclesiastes 3:11). That Hebrew word could also be translated as “appropriate,” “suitable” or “fitting.” In its life span, a church goes through many stages, each with its own unique challenges and opportunities. Discerning where your church is in its life cycle is crucial to effectively choosing where you focus your energy. Some of our insane busyness comes from trying to cultivate, plant, fertilize, weed, harvest and repair the fences in
9/2/11 11:30 PM
every season. You may have heard a great seminar on how to till the soil well, but you don’t till the soil in the middle of the growing season. Right ideas fail when it’s the wrong time for them. Wise church leaders know what time it is in their church.*
oRganiZational liFe CyCleS Living organisms develop and decline. Seedlings become saplings and then trees; buds open into flowers. They drop their leaves, stop producing fruit and die. Since Mason Haire’s 1959 seminal Modern Organization Theory, business leaders have applied a biological model of organizational growth and development to companies and other organizations. A few principles are consistent. First, stages are sequential in progressive development. Second, an organizational stage involves a broad range of the organization’s activities and structures, not just an aspect of the operation. Third, the sequential progression is not easily reversed. Organizations move from inception and growth, to maturity, to decline and death, or redevelopment. Unlike plants and animals, organizations can avoid death by restarting with new leaders and a fresh direction. As with living organisms, it is possible to predict common issues at each stage of an organization’s life. Priorities, opportunities and dangers vary depending on the stage. By understanding organizational stages, you can put problems in context, effectively manage transitions from one stage to the next, keep your church on track and monitor warning signs of decline. Each stage offers wonderful opportunities and treacherous threats. When you grasp what stage you’re in, you can focus on what will most advance Christ’s mission in this unique moment for your church or ministry. Rather than feeling a constant pressure to do everything all the time, you can align your ministry to life’s rhythms. Three rhythm strategies help you to do that: release expectations, seize opportunities and anticipate what’s next.
inCeption Most church plants, like small businesses, start off as one or a few people’s dream. A small team has the vision and bears the responsibilities. Communication is informal and there are minimal structures and systems in place. Every person is engaged because they have to be or church services would not happen. Release expectations: When God used me to found our church, life would have been less stressful for me and my team had I taken the advice we give to young married couples just getting started in their first apartment: Let go of the expectation that you will have all the stuff
your parents have right away. Just as young couples foolishly try to immediately get the furniture, appliances and devices their parents took years to accumulate, so young churches try to imitate the ministries of more established churches. In the beginning, I tried to put in place a multiple-staff team to carry out a full-orbed ministry with excellence. Looking back, it’s obvious the expectations were insane. Doing it all over again, I would have let go of some of those expectations for myself and our team. As a result, we would have had less guilt over what we were not doing or doing well enough. We could have enjoyed ministry more. Seize opportunities: The early years are the best time to establish culture, mission and values. When a church is smaller, leaders have relational opportunities that do not exist after the church grows. Few of us can remember every vehicle we’ve owned, but everyone remembers his or her first car. Mine was a very-used red Ford Pinto with a white top. There is something about “firsts” that matter. In your beginning stage, you have most of your firsts. Seize the opportunity to mark those moments and treasure them. Celebrate your first office, rental space, baptism, wedding, staff member, donation, community service project and anything else. Stop long enough to marvel at what God is doing in the beginning stages. Anticipate what’s next: Our church started services in one of the oldest schools in the city, Faubion Middle School. To say the least, it was a challenge. Electricity was inadequate, so we blew fuses. Windows in the bathrooms did not fully close, so it was chilly in the winter. The janitor was often hungover. Although we didn’t know how long we’d be in that school, we could have benefited from realizing more clearly this would only be a short season. In the beginning stages, anticipation can be especially valuable. Starting a church is really
hard. Many of those early difficulties go away as you grow. The time you put into crafting your mission and ministry model will pay off later. You’ll acquire better gear and equipment. Eventually you won’t have to do everything yourself. You’ll establish processes so you don’t have to start from scratch on everything. Doing things the third time is easier than the first.
gRoWtH In all organizations a growth stage is characterized by rapid expansion, the need for planning with increased size and complexity as well as the felt need to create policies and procedures for stability. A more formalized structure will emerge, along with functional specialization. It’s not uncommon to experience tension between founders and board members as well as face the danger of over-extension. The founding pastor must learn to delegate. It’s no longer possible to lead over coffee with a handful of friends. Nor is it feasible to continue to make the copies, set up the chairs and play keyboard. Leading the church requires new skill sets for new issues—and that means more people, whether paid or not. And those people? They’ll require sophisticated systems for tracking, hiring, accountability and finances.
our insane BusYness comes from trYing to cultiVate, plant, fertiliZe, WeeD, harVest anD repair fences in eVerY season. Release expectations: In the growth stage, you are adding staff and systems, so release the expectation that it will be as informal as it was in the previous stage. It might feel like it’s harder to get things done, but you need those processes and systems to effectively coordinate a complex ministry. It’s hard but essential to release the expectation of relational closeness in this stage. In Sticky Teams, Larry Osborne uses sports analogies to illustrate how staff relationships change. At the very start you may be running track all by yourself. Then a couple of teammates join you, and you are playing golf, all riding in the same golf cart; all playing the same game together at every hole. Finally, you move to football where there’s an offense, defense and special teams, all with their own coaches. If the game has changed and you think you’re still playing golf, you will be really frustrated. As a church increases in size, it outgrows the capacity of some of its original leaders. These are godly, wonderful people, but they may simply not have the horsepower to lead a larger organization. The person who could care for 10 children may not be the one to oversee 100. It’s painful to move a good friend out of a ministry role, but you have to release the expectation that the inception team can take you into the growth stage. No longer can every staff member sit at the decision table with the lead pastor. It’s necessary to create a smaller management team to simplify decision-making. If you are in the lead role, it’s crucial to communicate well, especially to those who are not
*THINK: Is there an idea you’ve attempted in the last few years that failed that you might now attribute to being a good idea at the wrong time?
Neue_Issue09.indb 35
neuemagazine.com 35
9/2/11 11:30 PM
invited to be on the team. In hindsight, I wish I’d taken more care here. As a staff member, release the expectation you will be involved in every decision as you may have been at the start. Your role may become more specialized or more managerial. Your job change may have more to do with the underlying reality of the church’s stage than your ability or likability. Seize opportunities: If beginnings are characterized by “firsts,” then the growth stage is a time of “new(s).” You move into a new building. You get new computers as you move into new office space. You begin new systems and processes. This is a time to learn from others. Go to conferences; visit other churches that are ahead of you. Find the current best-inclass approaches, tools and curriculums. You may work through a re-branding process where you refresh your first logo and website. Enjoy the renewal. Seize the opportunity to reproduce. As living organisms, churches are made to reproduce themselves. If you do not seize the opportunity to plant another church or campus in the growth stage, you may never do it. It’s harder in the mature stage and nearly impossible in the declining stage. Now is your time to multiply. Once that impulse is embedded in your culture, you have a chance of continuing to reproduce into the mature stage. Anticipate what’s next: In this stage, you might reorganize annually. We cycled through a pastoral team, management team, ministry team and executive pastor. For many personalities, this degree of change is crazy-making. It will not stay this way. Anticipate stability ahead. Most churches do grow into their size. Anticipate what traditions are becoming sacred cows and make moves now to battle that tendency. Anticipate not growing. That sounds bad, but it’s unnatural and unusual to grow rapidly, year after year, for decades. There will be seasons of consolidation, of slower growth in attendance, as you catch up to your new size.
MatuRity When churches move to a mature stage, they have high confidence in who the organization is and its focus. At the peak of their influence and size, churches are strongly results-oriented with a well-defined and less flexible structure, multiple strong ministries and established procedures. In this season, you are refining events and programs more than creating them. Even as individual team members come and go, the staff structure is stable. The church is known in the community. You are making a difference. Release expectations: Once the church has reached its maximum size and is at peak influence, release the expectation that change will come quickly. Larger and older organizations are slower to change. By this point, your culture is set and the church is bearing fruit with this particular approach. The time for large cultural shifts was at an earlier stage and will come again in the next stage. Release expectations of informality and spontaneity. Most event planning and budgeting are done far in advance, according to well-honed processes you would do well to learn. Seize opportunities: As a mature church, you have the opportunity to leverage your scale and influence for larger impact. This is the time to look at partnering with other churches and organizations. You can lend leadership to larger outreaches in your community, starting ministries with other 36
Neue_Issue09.indb 36
churches and community groups outside your church. The maturity stage is fraught with danger because apart from a new surge forward, the next stage is decline. British business author Charles Handy, who popularized the “sigmoid curve” in his book The Age of Paradox, showed that, paradoxically, an organization is in the greatest danger when it’s most successful, at the top of the curve. Now is the time to bring on a new, younger pastor. Under long-time founding pastor Gene Getz, I had a front-row seat to how he prepared for transition. Years in advance, he named his successor, Jeff Jones. He gradually handed over the reins. When Jeff took the helm, the church was able to start a new curve forward. With Gene’s full support, Jeff led the church into a new growth stage with a new name and a relocation. Sadly, this kind of healthy succession process is rare, but it will enable you to move effectively from maturity back to growth. Anticipate what’s next: When the church is mature, you need to anticipate a potential new growth phase. You must seize the opportunity to proactively create it or you will decline. Change is scary, especially when what you are doing seems to be working and a new direction is unproven. Look past the transition to see a future of reaching the next generation for Christ with a new model and new strategies for a new day.
DeCline Some characteristics of decline are self-deception, unrealistic optimism, inflexibility and short-sightedness. It’s difficult to move past group-think, commitment to past strategy and nostalgia for past achievements. Typical issues include rivalry among factions, scapegoating, blaming and polarization. Even among friends, communication may be poor as past hurts cloud current clarity. No local church has lasted since the New Testament. Christ’s church endures, but not individual local
expressions. Local churches have a life span. The point is not to grow larger and larger for hundreds of years but to reproduce many times over. It would be bizarre for a tree to grow larger and larger but wonderful for it to reproduce into a forest of trees. The better dream for a local church is not to grow larger indefinitely or last for millennia but to give birth to a movement of multiplying churches. Release expectations: When a church enters the stage of decline, you will not have the same kind of numerical success you experienced during the growth and mature stages. Release those expectations for your sake and the sake of the church so you can focus together on how to be faithful to God in this stage. You may be leading the church to dissolve or to reinvent itself as a new church. Release the expectation that you can ever go back to the way things were in the same way you got there the first time. Seize opportunities: Remember that in the darkest days the light shines the brightest. It is not fun to decline, but there are opportunities to seize. While Paul was locked in a Roman prison, he seized the opportunity to write letters and win guards to Christ. If the church has declined to an alarming point, the opportunity to restart usually presents itself. It takes great courage to reinvent a church. Anticipate what’s next: In this declining stage, anticipate a restart, merger or the opportunity to grant your facility to another church or become a campus of a dynamic church that is reaching people for Christ. The Church of Jesus Christ will not die. Your individual church will come to the end of its life cycle as an organization, but hopefully you have planted the seeds of many new churches.
DiSCeRning youR CHuRCH’S Stage Once you discern your church’s organization stage, you can apply practical strategies to more effectively lead your church at this unique time.* When you release expectations that don’t fit this time in your church’s life, you’ll reduce stress and experience more peace. When you pursue unique opportunities that fit this stage of your organizational life, you’ll find joy in accomplishing more of what God has for you at this time. When you anticipate change coming, you’ll experience hope for an exciting future. What time is it in your church? BruCe miller is the senior pastor of Christ Fellowship in McKinney, TX. He is also a mentor with Leadership Network for next generation leaders. He is the author of Your Church in Rhythm (Jossey-Bass) and Your Life in Rhythm (Tyndale).
*DISCUSS: Sit down with your leadership team and figure out which stage of your church’s life cycle you’re currently in. Talk together about what types of ideas you should be pursuing right now and what expectations you should release. Dream together about what the future could be in the next stage.
9/2/11 11:30 PM
Neue_Issue09.indb 37
9/2/11 11:30 PM
38
Neue_Issue09.indb 38
9/2/11 11:30 PM
HOW RYAN MEEKS’ UNCONVENTIONAL STRATEGY HAS CREATED SEATTLE’S FASTEST-GROWING CHURCH BY PennY gruener Carothers CHRIS AND SARAH RHOADS
r
yan MeeKS anD HiS StaFF are used to the responses now. The shocked expressions aren’t about the size of their church, or even the explosive growth— six years after Ryan Meeks, with his wife and seven friends, started EastLake Community Church in Bothell, Wash., just outside Seattle, the attendance is rapidly approaching 5,000. What most church leaders can’t quite wrap their heads around is the small number of paid employees. “It doesn’t register,” says Matt Woll, who oversees systems and leadership. How can a church of 5,000 possibly function with only 24 staff people? “They think we’re not counting the part-timers, or ignoring secretaries,” Meeks says, laughing. EastLake Community Church, the building, is a renovated warehouse with a large foyer in the back of a strip mall complex. Before services the lobby is bustling with people grabbing coffee, dropping off kids, chatting for a few minutes before things begin. It’s all so very not churchy that you feel you could be hanging out in a bar or waiting for a show to start. This atmosphere, which is very deliberately created to put people at ease, is drawing record numbers. But it’s discipleship—very strategic discipleship—that is at the heart of EastLake’s low staff-to-congregation ratio and that’s changing lives once people get there. Unless you follow the fastest-growing churches in America, chances are you haven’t heard of EastLake or Ryan Meeks. Meeks doesn’t want to give in to what he calls the “hype,” so he doesn’t have a podcast, write books, teach at conferences or even have a blog. He’s just a blip on Google and he likes it that way. If he’s uneasy with the spotlight, it’s because he knows it’s not about him. “God’s chosen to do what He’s chosen to do [at EastLake] … I have nothing to contribute yet.” The pastors who visit his church disagree. While some ask, “How do you function with so few staff?” others question, “Why function with so few staff?” Meeks believes Christian ministry should be a lifestyle for all believers, not just for those employed by a church. “We reject the notion of a two-tiered Kingdom workforce,” he says. “If anything, [the staff] are the administers, and the body of Christ are the real ministers. … God’s paying them to do ministry; it just comes out of a different account.”* This view of the Kingdom of God is “built into the DNA of the church,” Woll says. It is central to who EastLake aspires to be: people who minister by “bringing the Good News and being the Good News.” Ultimately, this vision is all about doing, and their “low overhead model,” as Meeks calls it, enables the church to put their beliefs into action. EastLake is committed to radical financial generosity, which is possible because it costs little-to-nothing to run their church compared to others their size. With the funds
they would spend on additional staff, a mortgage payment or a state-of-the-art sound system, they instead partner with numerous organizations, such as World Vision, Mercy Ships and charity: water, for whom they recently raised almost $500,000 to build wells for the Bayaka people in the Central African Republic. EastLake is also committed to personal transformation through service to the church and community because, as the mantra goes, “You only believe what you do.” Transformation requires movement, and Meeks teaches this principle every Sunday. “[EastLake] is not a come-to-be-served place. We say: ‘God has gifted you uniquely. We can’t do everything God has called us to do without you because God brought you here, and you have [gifts and abilities] we don’t.’ ” Heidi Green has been using her gifts and abilities as a volunteer at EastLake for four-and-a-half years. Her list of service to the church sounds like a full-time job. Like most people who later assume leadership positions, Green started out as an usher. She was then invited to lead a growth group (EastLake’s small group system), and later asked to serve as a “group coach,” a job she currently holds in which she mentors and supports growth group leaders. Somehow she also finds time to head the greeting team at the Seattle campus. The commitment doesn’t phase her; you can hear the enthusiasm in her voice when she speaks of her roles: “It’s a challenge, but I can’t stop. I’ve seen the fruit and it’s addicting.” Darin Hanson, another long-time volunteer who serves as a growth group coach and leads a group, believes serving the church combats the consumer mentality that creeps into some congregations. “It’s gone from, ‘I’m a fan of Ryan Meeks’ to, ‘Let’s link arms and do this together,’ ” he says. Green and Hanson are two of more than 1,300 people who volunteer on a regular basis. EastLake functions due to the work of people like them. Volunteers clean the 70,000-square-foot warehouse where they meet every Sunday, serve coffee, mentor and even run ministries. At least 12 people serve as “team leaders,” handling the ministry duties top to bottom in areas like groups, parking teams and auditorium prep. At EastLake these volunteer positions are usually held by people who already have jobs. Up until July of this year, a fulltime Microsoft employee was running EastLake’s entire growth groups system, with more than 240 groups. “Granted, she is a very special individual,” Woll says, “but it speaks to our value that people grow through serving—even super-talented, highcapacity, rock-star people!” It’s tempting to conclude EastLake is simply full of rock stars. “When you are reaching people who
*DISCUSS: Are there jobs your staff is currently doing that could be done instead by volunteers—and free up your staff to focus more on discipleship?
Neue_Issue09.indb 39
neuemagazine.com 39
9/2/11 11:30 PM
have never been to church before, or who haven’t been since they were kids, they have no idea [what church should look like], they’re like: ‘If this is how it is, then cool. This changed my life, I don’t have anything to say except, “How can I help?”’ ” Of course, that’s not all there is to it. There is a very deliberate strategy at play at EastLake—a strategy that can be replicated. As the church grew, Meeks became committed to constant ministry improvement. He drew from the well of a number of mentors—people like Rick Warren, Nelson Searcy and Larry Osborne. He also read widely on corporate management. From these sources, and the contributions and collaboration of his staff, Meeks developed a results-based hiring and management system that is the foundation of all they do. The ensuing model may be the key difference between EastLake and those who struggle to mobilize the gifts of their congregation and maintain a committed base of volunteers. And it all begins with hiring the right staff.
Develop a Hiring and Management System EastLake has experienced rapid growth since they opened their doors in 2005. The church went from seven people to 1,200 in the first three years. Since then, their congregation has quadrupled and growth has yet to slow. The pace of change and EastLake’s culture of sensitivity to non-believers produces a unique church and a very specific working environment. To explain it, Meeks shares the way team members describe the first few weeks on staff. “We talk about velocity sickness,” he says. “You’ll feel like you grabbed on to a moving bullet train.” Surviving and thriving in this environment takes a very specific type of individual. The first thing they ask themselves about an applicant is, “Are they cool?” “Cool doesn’t mean, ‘Do they have a fauxhauk?’” Meeks says. “No one cares about that. Cool really means, ‘Is this someone who can help us reach the kind of people we want to reach, and do we want to hang out with them?’ ” Second, are they intelligent? “I actually do care what their GPA was,” Meeks says. Woll 40
Neue_Issue09.indb 40
explains why: “The job changes every three months, and if they’re intelligent and resourceful, they can run with it.” And third, do they have a bias toward action? “We’re riding a wave of momentum that we didn’t create. We have to move at the speed of the wave,” Meeks says. “I’ll listen to your ideas for
20 seconds, and then I’ll watch you implement it.” An ideal candidate will meet these criteria as well as have a proven history of attaining goals and delivering results on deadline. Results and deadlines drive the workday at EastLake. When the leadership team decides they need a staff-level hire, they articulate the desired results in a document called a “performance profile.” The performance profile for a communications director would include results such as meeting production deadlines for weekend service media, social media updates, their weekly email newsletter and special projects as assigned. Each role has 24-hour, 48-hour, weekly, monthly and quarterly deadlines. That said, results and projects change often, which is why staff don’t have titles or job descriptions. If the hiring team has done their job well, staff will adapt to the new environment. As Meeks has studied the staff who have been at EastLake longest, he’s discovered something interesting: There are five personality types that consistently deliver results in the EastLake context. This knowledge has helped shape the hiring and management process. Meeks explains his doubts about whether he was the right leader to take the church in the direction God wanted to move caused him to turn to personality assessments like StrengthsFinder, Myers-Briggs for the workplace and DISC. “[I am] passionate about not wasting anyone’s life. My staff are all people I love, and it’s my job to make sure I’m using them as best I can by placing them in roles where they can operate primarily out of strengths. I don’t want to hire someone who wouldn’t enjoy [their job]. If it’s a strength, it’s not work. It’s fun and exciting.” Meeks has created a model that seems counterintuitive. “Results” and “deadlines” don’t typically sit next to words like “fun” and “exciting.” That’s the beauty of this model of ministry: Meeks knows what he wants to achieve and the kind of person who will get him there; this laser focus has created an environment where staff pursue mission on a team of trusted people—a team that feels like family.
Build an Intentional Staff Culture Heather Dougan, who runs the nursery and childcare check-in, loves her job. “It really feels like a family. There’s an amount of vulnerability, accountability and growth that you just don’t get to see [at other] places. It all starts with a vulnerable leader who is following God, and it just all trickles down onto us. It’s an amazing place to work.” The “creative space,” where many staff do their work, is a house rimmed by a picket fence. On the deck a barbecue
stands ready with chairs nearby for taking in the view, and inside, long white couches surround a coffee table. The only telltale office item is a large whiteboard with notes from the last meeting still marked in blue—but staff are not required to show up at the office. “We only ask that staff be available during normal business hours via Skype or phone within 20 minutes of a call to them,” Woll says. “We don’t track sick days, vacation time, PTO, forms, etc. … We’ve found this kind of work environment attracts talented and high-capacity individuals.”* It also helps create an environment where morale rarely sags despite the workload. “With our no-office culture and our hiring process being what it is, we find that most of our staff like to hang out with each other even when not working,” Woll says. “There are a few things like staff retreats and conferences that we do intentionally each year, but overall our team takes care of each other and really creates their own morale events.”
Hire Carefully Choosing the right people to fit in this culture can be a long process,
*THINK: Contrast your work environment with this style. How might incorporating some of these “minimal oversight” principles into your staff culture affect morale? How about productivity?
9/2/11 11:30 PM
Personality 101 StrengthsFinder The StrengthsFinder assessment was created by the Gallup organization based on the research of Dr. Donald Clifton. The test measures the presence of 34 talent themes based on naturally recurring patterns of thought, feeling or behavior. The test is unique in that it focuses on people’s strengths, as opposed to their weaknesses.
Myers-Briggs
so deciding to add someone to staff is not a task EastLake takes lightly; they always try to determine if a felt need is truly a staff-level necessity. They “let the infrastructure groan under the weight of the need” for months to determine if it’s real, they ask themselves if they can stop staffing something else and they consider inviting a volunteer leader to pick up some of the responsibility. If they decide staff is a necessity, the first thing they ask themselves is, “Is there someone already on staff who would be perfect for the job?” Jobs change and transform often at EastLake, reflecting their commitment to tweaking staff roles so they are in positions where they are working primarily out of strengths. Meeks and his Directional Leadership team, which includes Woll and Jeremy Johnson, EastLake’s second teaching pastor, want to make sure applicants are prepared to adapt to a type of ministry unlike anything they’ve done before. It’s part of why their hiring philosophy is so different than many churches. “If we need a financial person, we don’t comb through Bible college applications looking for staff,” Johnson says. “We think, ‘Who is someone who’s awesome with money, is passionate about lost people and on mission?’ ” The ideal candidate will also deliver results consistently and exceptionally. To get at this performance issue during the hiring process, they use a management tool called Topgrading. Pioneered by Brad Smart and his son, Geoff, it is a system for hiring, coaching and retaining the most capable employees. Topgrading
teaches that building a high-performing team begins with a rigorous interviewing process that relies on unusually detailed, chronological interviews. The hiring process starts off like any other. The applicant turns in a cover letter, a résumé, at least five references and a workhistory and self-assessment document influenced by Topgrading principles. They also complete the three personality tests listed above. The most important goal of the first two interviews is to assess the applicant’s fit with EastLake’s chemistry. If an applicant makes it past the first two interviews, they move onto the third stage, which is the most rigorous. Meeks and his staff prefer to conduct the interview at the candidate’s house and, if they are married, include their spouse for a portion of the time. The questions (of which there are more than 50) asked during this time follow the Topgrading model and go into the candidate’s stress management habits, management competencies, communication style and leadership abilities, to name a few. The hiring team then asks themselves one question: “Knowing that past performance is always an indicator of future performance, does this candidate have equal skills, proven past results and chemistry to fit the performance profile and succeed here?”*
Manage Consistently Consistent and outstanding performance are also critical to succeeding at EastLake, and Johnson and Woll, who split management of the staff, are there to help the staff perform at their best. They meet each employee on a weekly basis for oneon-one meetings in addition to semimonthly all-staff meetings. During these interactions Johnson and Woll use a Google document with information from the staff members’ personality tests, which provides something like a roadmap to help them navigate the working relationship. The document reminds them
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment is designed to measure psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. It is based on Carl Jung’s contention that individuals are either born with, or develop, certain preferred ways of thinking and acting. The test sorts some of these psychological differences into four opposite pairs, or dichotomies, with a resulting 16 possible psychological types.
DISC DISC is a behavioral model based on the work of Dr. William Moulton Marston that focuses on the styles and preferences of behavior. It charts four major “personality styles” related to dominance, influence, steadiness and compliance.
of staff members’ strengths, the best way to approach challenging subjects, their working style and the ways they are motivated, based on the Nine Ways People Get Paid, an inventory developed by Nelson Searcy and Kerrick Thomas, founding pastors of The Journey Church in Manhattan. This tool catalogues nine different ways people feel appreciated or motivated. The most obvious, monetary recognition, is rarely used at EastLake. All eight of the others are regularly employed, including input, or the opportunity to give feedback;
*ACT: You don’t have to wait to hire someone to implement some of these principles. Have everyone on staff take a personality assessment and talk about how your individual personalities work together, how each of you are motivated and what you might need to do to address weaknesses.
Neue_Issue09.indb 41
neuemagazine.com 41
9/2/11 11:30 PM
private or public praise, which means knowing if a person is fueled by public or private recognition; and significance, tying a volunteer’s service to the mission. The opinions of staff are taken seriously at EastLake. During performance reviews, they complete a yearly review that asks them to comment on the best and worst days at EastLake, including suggestions for improvement. Those suggestions are used to make changes. “We’ll come back in January,” Meeks says, “and tell the whole staff, ‘These are the changes we’re making to the working environment at this church because of your input.’ ” Meeks and his leadership team also use Topgrading in the management side of things by grading each employee with an A, B or C every two months. In EastLake’s context, “A players” consistently exceed expectations, while at the same time replicating themselves in others. “B players” can be great performers as well and achieve great results, but they might not necessarily be “replicating themselves” in their volunteers all the time or consistently exceeding expectations. EastLake wants all A players on their team, and supervisors consider it their responsibility to move a B player up to an A through professionalism and leadership training. Meeks and his team do not put energy into training the lowestperforming members. “If I really don’t think you can do it, I’m not going to criticize you, I’m just going to fire you and release you to do something you will be good at,” Meeks says. “There’s a difference between loving people and running a successful organization. It’s a
“YOU ONLY BELIEVE WHAT YOU DO. [EASTLAKE] IS NOT A COME-TO-BESERVED PLACE.” —RYAN MEEKS
transactional relationship. Our job is to provide these results, number one. Otherwise, let’s stop doing anything and just love each other and not worry about what we’re getting done.” Meeks doesn’t believe it’s good stewardship to employ people who aren’t performing. “God asks for faithfulness and fruitfulness. If someone is a C, we need to do our organization the favor of being good stewards of peoples’ sacrifices by not employing people who are C.”
let go oF SoMe ContRol One of the traits EastLake looks for in the hiring process is proven ability to perform with minimal managerial oversight. As Meeks says, “I’m way more interested in an implemented idea than in an idea.” Meeks and his leadership team have let go of almost all control when it comes to how their staff do their jobs. They mentor, they provide resources, they are accessible, but they aren’t looking over their staff members’ shoulders. Team members are required to attend a few meetings every month, but other than that people can do whatever they want with their week. “If you can get your job done in four hours a week and spend the rest of the week on the beach,” Woll explains, “then we know we’ve hired the right person.” 42
Neue_Issue09.indb 42
MoBiliZe volunteeRS When you walk in the door at EastLake, you are handed a welcome card, a bulletin, a response card and a pen. At the end of every service, someone encourages you to fill out the response card, including any information you’d like to share with EastLake staff, such as first-time faith decisions or prayer requests. Even though Meeks would prefer not to use the card at all, he says it’s essential in a church so large. “It’s the only way we can keep up with everyone.” The database is also the best tool Meeks has to disciple his large congregation, particularly his volunteer leaders. An integral part of every staff person’s job is to mobilize the volunteers they oversee, but the large number of volunteers precludes deep relationship with everyone. “I’m responsible to know what I can know,” Meeks says. “While the shepherd is not responsible to be aware of cancer, it can look at a skinny sheep and say, ‘There’s something wrong here.’ ” At EastLake, staff can know what’s in the database. They check it before every meeting with a volunteer to get a sense of where each volunteer might be and to determine a few asks to help move them up the leadership ladder, a concept adapted from mentors like Rick Warren and Nelson Searcy. “Every staff member has a leadership ladder that is a leadership and spiritual growth development plan for each of their people,” Meeks says. “There’s the first serve, easy opportunity. As they climb the ladder they are growing in faithfulness and as a disciple of Jesus. That’s how we reward them. We discern where they are and how to help them grow.” In Darin Hanson’s life, his decision for deeper involvement was all about invitation. “I can distinctly remember a time when I was on the usher team, and Pastor Ryan approached me and said, ‘You can do that, it’s great, but I need you to help me with something else.’ I wouldn’t be [here] today if he hadn’t said, ‘I need you step out of your comfort zone.’ ” Staff are also responsible to express gratitude to volunteers
and recognize the different ways each volunteer feels appreciated and motivated by determining an appropriate response based on the Nine Ways People Get Paid. One volunteer on the parking team could be motivated by more walkie-talkies to better do their job. Another might be motivated by access to a staff member or fellow congregant they admire or can learn from. It’s the staff member’s job to know what that might be, and to respond accordingly when the time comes.* According to Johnson, the most significant way they express gratitude is by “tying their service into the purpose and the results serving God.” “We replant all the stories back to the source,” Meeks says. “So if we get a story about someone who has an incredible faith moment, and he’ll say, ‘This is my first time, and I remember that guy in the parking lot,’ we circle it right back and we’ll say, ‘We want you to know this happened today.’ We don’t teach people the propositional truth—we tell them a story.”
CHuRCH FoR tHe ReSt oF uS Something is drawing people to EastLake. From the beginning Meeks has set out to create a culture that his congregation can take with them wherever they go—a culture that “leaks out” through the kind of people who care for shut-in AIDS patients or who forgo vacations or new cars so they can help bring clean water to those who don’t have it. Meeks knows the people whose lives are modeled more and more after the heart of God do not become that way by hanging out in a warehouse on Sunday, or listening to a sermon or even being invited to volunteer at the church. Transformation is the result of consistent sacrifice and service, a lifestyle that has to be created. Encouraging and empowering believers to become disciples in this way is a goal Meeks and his staff strategically work toward every single day, and the fruit of changed lives is evident all around them.
*DISCUSS: How can you implement some of these practices for knowing your volunteers better—and for motivating them to continue to grow?
9/2/11 11:30 PM
Neue_Issue09.indb 43
9/2/11 11:30 PM
W h A T I s T h E To u g h E s T
lEAdErShip dEciSioN you’VE EVER MADE?
w
e asked six influential ministry leaders to tell us their stories of the toughest leadership decision they’d ever made—and how they went about making the decision. We were expecting stories of disagreements with elders, agonized debates of whether to build or not to build, or the emotional stress of firing a close friend. So we were surprised when the stories started to come in and they were so ... personal. Turns out the toughest leadership decisions are often also the toughest private decisions—that God challenges leaders in some of the same areas at work and at home.
44
Neue_Issue09.indb 44
9/2/11 11:30 PM
TO GIV E IT A LL AWAY C r ai g Groeschel
“W
hat if we gave it all away for free?” Bobby Gruenewald’s words landed like a grenade in the middle of our discussion. It was early 2006, and we had just celebrated the 10th birthday of LifeChurch.tv. Several pastors from around the country had begun asking for copies of our messages and videos. With the requests increasing weekly, we knew we had to make a decision. The normal path was clear and well worn: package the products, market them, pick a price point, sell them. The problem was no one on our team felt passionate about taking on the project. That’s when Bobby spoke up. I wish I’d said: “Praise God! Let’s do it!” But that would be the opposite of the truth. “Are you serious?!” I practically shouted back with a mixture of nervous laughter and a healthy dose of unbelief. At the time, I happened to be in counseling dealing with one of my greatest fears: the fear of
not having enough. For my whole life, I’d battled a poverty mindset. My selfish fears drove me to protect what I had, save more and give even less. I always tithed to God and gave a few careful percentage points of my income above the tithe. But it never failed to scare me. Give it all away? How could we pay for that? What if we started giving it away and couldn’t afford to keep it up? Even though I’ve rarely admitted it out loud, in the back of my mind I knew I could possibly make royalties off what we sold. A few extra dollars could give our family some breathing room. That night I couldn’t sleep. I reflected on my counselor’s sessions. We’d agreed I was putting my security in money and not in God. I’d never save enough to feel secure. The path to trusting God wouldn’t be through receiving but through giving. One night’s unrest turned to two, then too many. Always a believer in seeking wise counsel, I called several older, wiser and more established pastors to ask advice. All three of my heroes advised against giving our resources away, stating several logical reasons: It could burden our church financially; we’d lose income we could use to do more ministry; it wouldn’t be sustainable; pastors and churches need to pay in order to value it; some ministries would be upset; and I’d lose personal income I could give away or save for my kids’ college.
Although I’ll always admire these mentors and respect the decisions they’ve made for their ministries, God’s direction became stronger than their advice. In one momentous meeting, four of our leaders sat with me around the table and made a decision. We were going to take the faith step to serve the larger Church. Our products wouldn’t be for sale. They would be free and for God’s glory. Many say, “You can’t out-give God.” There may not be any statement more true. This one decision changed the culture of our entire church, starting with me. Rather than increasing our standard of living, we increased our standard of giving.* Now instead of just sermons, videos, kids teaching and student curriculum, we give away tens of millions of digital Bibles, tracking tools, coaching and anything else we can. And the more we give, the more God gives back—not just financially but in influence and in fulfillment. I’m not against charging for resources. Many ministries have done tremendous good and helped churches around the world through the resources they offer. For me, and our church, this was more about faith. Through that step of obedience, God has radically transformed my heart and the trajectory of our church. If I had to make that decision again today? Well, it wouldn’t be tough at all. Craig Groeschel is the pastor of LifeChurch.tv, and author of Weird (Zondervan). LifeChurch.tv is the creator of the YouVersion Bible app, which has been installed on more than 26 million mobile devices.
TO TA K E TWO S T E P S B A CKWA RD N ancy Ort berg
F
irst, I am compelled to clarify this is one of the toughest decisions I’ve made. To choose the toughest? Too tough.
So there I was, leading Axis. Axis was the “postmodern” (all the kids were using that word then) ministry at Willow Creek Community Church, which met on Saturday evenings and late Sunday mornings in the gymnasium. Things were going well; we were excited and grateful, which is a terrific combination. Over the past few years, we had grown significantly, so people were paying attention. That can be exciting. And scary. We were growing not only in our weekend attendance but in our weekly community groups and, perhaps most exciting, in our outreach efforts
to the under-resourced and marginalized within a stone’s throw. Like any good leader, I love momentum. Nothing stops momentum like slowing down. And that’s what I had to decide. Right in the middle of all this exciting stuff, we had a number of young people join our staff through our church’s internship program. At first it was great. Kind of like free help. They worked really hard. They fit in. Clearly one of those win-wins. But then I started to notice something. They were young. There was development that needed to be done and spiritual formation. One of the young leaders had grown his community group from a handful to more than a hundred in a relatively short time. Good, right? Well … I started to notice a lot
*DISCUSS: Would you say that your church has a culture of giving? What can you do to increase your church’s standard of giving—starting with your own life?
Neue_Issue09.indb 45
neuemagazine.com 45
9/2/11 11:30 PM
of his leadership seemed to be anchored in people pleasing and image management. Don’t ask me how I knew. Takes one to know one, right? How did I make the decision? Some frustration, several conversations and a memory. Honestly, in that moment, I think my preference would have been to just keep using his highly effective leadership to grow the ministry. (Now I am wishing I would have written this under a pseudonym.) It frustrated me to think I might need to slow down to do the more tedious soul work in one of the leaders entrusted to my care. And tedious work doesn’t show as quickly—it doesn’t get people’s attention.*
I complained to my boss. He was confused, since I had originally been such a big fan of the intern program. Now I kept saying how much extra time it was taking. Tougher than the decision to slow down, to do part of the work of a leader in developing and forming my staff, was the decision to take a look at the embarrassing motives that were true of my own heart. Honest conversations, at first with myself (Do I really not want to have soul-plumbing conversations with this person because it will take up time I want to be spending on other stuff?), then with some trusted friends, allowed me to see some ugly truths in my own soul.
Once I felt some clarity there, I had several conversations with God to see if He could do anything about that junky stuff in me. He could. Then a final conversation with my boss. He asked me a question: What changed me back to both loving the interns and slowing down in order to tend to them? A memory of someone doing that very thing for me when I was 19 years old and an intern on the high school ministry team at my home church. NANCY ORTBERG is a speaker and author of Looking for God (Tyndale). She and her husband, John, live in San Francisco.
TO PR AY AT THE D EMOCR ATIC NATIO N A L CO NV EN TION D r . J o el C . H un t er
H
ow do you decide whether or not to expose your family to scrutiny and yourself to continual mischaracterizations? Only a few months had passed since I was the president-elect of the Christian Coalition of America. That had been my first national test as I stepped outside the boundaries (and comfort) of normal local church life. Would my recent, and very public, departure from that role because of philosophical differences make it seem like I was now flip-flopping? Perhaps it would seem like I was swinging toward the opposite side by praying the benediction at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. And what about that prayer? Would I end the prayer with “… in Jesus’ name” even though I knew only Christians could pray that phrase with integrity and thousands of attendees were not Christians? To be sure, all local churches experience risk
46
Neue_Issue09.indb 46
when it comes to outreach and mission. Every time a pastor or congregation member steps outside the walls of a church building, we open ourselves up to a broader array of judgments and questions from those who do not know our intentions: “What are they sticking their noses into now?” I understood that with national exposure, the media’s inclination would be to pose stories in ways that portray and create conflict. There would be some in the congregation I serve who would question my motives. Some would write scathing emails; some would lecture me in the hallways. Furthermore, I was well aware that for an evangelical, any association with the Democratic Party (I was a Republican at the time and have since become an Independent) could be perceived as folly. Hard-right Christians would send me pictures of mangled babies, some people in my congregation would walk out without hesitating for an explanation, and my own family would have to field questions in their circles of relationships: “What in the world is your husband/father/grandfather/ brother/uncle/cousin thinking?” My opinions on the controversial moral issues of our time were already out there—environmental protection, fighting world poverty, abortion reduction along with a focus on legal elimination, equal civil rights for all people while maintaining a traditional view of marriage. But if I stood on that stage in Denver and prayed, I would hear more, angrier and louder voices than ever. How ironic that a prayer
would keep my life and the life of my congregational leadership in some turmoil for years to come. And I had to wrestle with my own demons of temptation: Was there indeed a part of me that was tempted by a larger spotlight? Come what may, would I be able to keep my temper in check? Would I be detoured from my priorities of personal time with God, with family, with my congregation? There was no shortage of well-known Christian leaders chiming in about me praying at the DNC: “You’re cutting off the head of the Republican Party!” “You are aiding a man who is a closet [supply the rumor du jour].” “You are selling out. Everyone will think you are a liberal.” Billy Graham, though, was supportive of the idea and told me to pray anything God laid on my heart. As an evangelical, I looked for scriptural guidance and was quickly reminded there were many prophets who had been in God-given roles as “outside agitators” calling for repentance: Jeremiah, Amos, Hosea. But there had been just as many advisors who God had placed inside: Joseph, Esther, Daniel, Nehemiah and Nathan, among others. The biblical mandate had, and still has, a place for both kinds of witnesses. So how did I finally make my decision to pray at the DNC and to become a spiritual advisor to Barack Obama both before and after the election? I simply reviewed my understanding of what a pastor does: A pastor helps all people look to God.
Dr. Joel C. Hunter is the senior pastor at Northland, A Church Distributed in Longwood, FL. He is the author of A New Kind of Conservative (Regal) .
*THINK: Is there any slow but important work you’re avoiding because of the time commitment or the momentum loss?
9/2/11 11:30 PM
TO CHOO SE TH E RIGHT MI N I S TRY PART N E R D r . K a r a E . P ow ell
W
hen it comes to team development, history tells us great leaders “first got the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus and the right people in the right seats— and then they figured out where to drive it. The old adage, ‘People are your most important asset’ turns out to be wrong. People are not your most important asset. The right people are.” This research-based insight from Jim Collins in the leadership book Good to Great summarizes my own convictions about developing a team. Those we invite to journey with us as teammates largely define the road we travel. That means our recruiting and hiring decisions are some of the most important—and hardest—leadership decisions we will ever make. The last major hire I was responsible for was
the associate director of the Fuller Youth Institute. I knew this person would be my closest teammate, my primary ministry partner and a central figure in our Sticky Faith research project. From a long list of well-qualified candidates, I narrowed my choice to two. Cynthia had great administrative skills and could plow through any todo list with ease and speed. Brad had more ministry experience and was a savvy strategic thinker. Either of them would have been a great associate director. I did what had always helped me when facing hard decisions: I prayed. A lot. I made a list of their respective strengths and weaknesses. I checked their references. But I still didn’t know who to choose. The good news was they were both good options. The bad news was I didn’t know who would be best. Without a clear favorite, or a pair of divine thumbs sending me a text message with the answer, I felt stuck. That’s when my ever-so-wise husband asked me two important questions: “If Brad called you tomorrow and told you he wanted to withdraw from the search process, how would you feel?” My immediate answer: “Disappointed.” You can probably guess his second question. “If Cynthia called you tomorrow and told you the same thing, how would you feel?”
My quick response: “Relieved.” At that moment, I knew Brad was the right person for the job. I offered him the position, and we’ve been leading together ever since. Cynthia would have been good. Brad is pretty perfect. I can’t imagine a better ministry partner. I’m a highly rational person. I make lists for everything, including most major decisions. I rely on my intellect for choices every day. That’s not a bad thing, but there’s another side of me—and of you—that is more intuitive and emotional. If you’re like me, that side is harder to access. It was my husband’s two specific questions that unlocked the door to that side of me—the side of me that knew deep down what to do but was rendered mute. When choosing between two great options, I often ask myself these same two questions. Whether it be a matter of our team’s strategic priorities or a conversation with my mom about whether to sell her house, questions like these help unearth our buried desires.* I’m constantly reminded that getting the right people on the bus—and taking the bus in the right direction—are decisions requiring both our intellect and our intuition. Dr. Kara E. Powell, Ph.D., is the executive director of the Fuller Youth Institute and a faculty member at Fuller Theological Seminary. She is the author or co-author of a number of books, including Sticky Faith: Everyday Ideas to Building Lasting Faith in Your Kids.
TO S TAY Glenn Packi a m
T
he most difficult decision I’ve made as a leader in ministry was to stay. I’m a pastor at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colo. The past five years have been turbulent, to say the least. In late 2006, the moral failure of our founding senior pastor made headlines around the world and punch lines on late night TV shows. Still, my friends and I decided to stay. Then, about a year later, a gunman opened fire in our parking lot, killing two teenage girls. He made his way into the hallway but was stopped by
a security guard and eventually took his own life. Once again, we decided to stay. When things settled down, we realized we had also had a leadership transition. Pastor Brady Boyd took the reigns at New Life in the summer of 2007. He has been a gift to our staff and our church. Yet coming in as a new leader in a new church after a scandal by the founding pastor is difficult—for everyone. Nevertheless, we decided to stay. Scandal. Tragedy. Leadership transition. These are all legitimate reasons to leave. Staying is no virtue in itself. There are times when leaving is the best thing to do. There are times when the Spirit leads us to risk a new step in following Jesus, and leaving what is familiar and comfortable is necessary to be obedient.
*ACT: Ask yourself these two questions for a decision you need to make right now. Don’t be afraid to trust your emotions to help you make the decision.
Neue_Issue09.indb 47
neuemagazine.com 47
9/2/11 11:30 PM
But sometimes learning to stay in the valley can make real men and women out of us. The past five years have also seen a sharp growth in my soul— sharp for its rapid pace and for its beautiful ache. I have had my “pastoral imagination” thoroughly reshaped, my theology re-worked and my vision of the Church as a colony of the Kingdom restored. It has been an awakening for my soul. And yet that kind of awakening can bring new tensions. I felt the tension growing between who I wanted to be as a pastor, what I thought the church could be and the reality of the challenges I was dealing with in ministry. Living in the tension can be difficult. But life in the Kingdom is about standing in the middle, in the middle of two ages—the “now” and the “not yet”—and in the middle of your ideals and your reality.
Last summer I had the privilege of spending a few days with Eugene Peterson in his home. Amidst the many warm conversations, engaging stories and write-as-fast-as-you-can moments of insight, the thing that stood out to me most was that pastors will always live between the tension of their ideals and their surroundings. There will be people who never grow the way they could, leaders who won’t lead as they should, time and money that won’t be spent as you would. Peterson was a Pentecostal kid from rural Montana who became a Presbyterian pastor in suburban Baltimore. Later he became a seminary professor who distrusted academia as an end itself. Life in the Kingdom is about standing in the middle. Because of that, pastoral ministry, Peterson insists, is about training your eyes to see God at work right here, in this
moment, despite the contradictions and tensions and challenges. I am convinced he’s right.* My most difficult decision was to not leave a difficult place, to believe God was still at work and still at work through me. To stay, to stand in the middle, to live in the tension of ideals and reality, is about living with eyes wide open to the Spirit at work. It’s not about settling or getting comfortable or staying for the sake of staying. Leaders must have enough idealism to see what could be, but not so much idealism they cannot see God at work here and now. That is what I’ve learned from staying. Glenn Packiam is an executive pastor at New Life Church, where he oversees spiritual formation and serves as a teaching pastor. He is the author of several books, including the recently released Lucky (Cook).
TO GO Rich a rd S t e a rns
“H
ere I am, Lord. Send me.” It was just too hard for me to say these six syllables. My decision was this: Should I stay as CEO of the luxury tableware company Lenox, or should I lead the world’s largest Christian humanitarian organization and serve children in poverty? The answer, to be perfectly honest, should have been: “Duh!” But it wasn’t so clear to me at the time. After two days in Seattle, visiting with the board and leadership of World Vision, I had to make my decision. It came down to this: Was I willing to follow Jesus Christ no matter where He led me? I liked my life. I was in my second job as CEO of a large corporation. I was doing well and being paid handsomely. I was a faithful Christian, witnessing, tithing and serving on the board of our Christian school. My wife, Renée, and I were raising a good Christian family. Why did God want even more?
48
Neue_Issue09.indb 48
I had to decide if I was really willing to surrender what I wanted in order to gain what God wanted. The apostle Paul writes in I Corinthians 7:22, “If you were free when the Lord called you, you are now a slave of Christ” (NLT). That was my toughest decision. Initially, my mind was closed to the idea of working for World Vision. Recruiters and friends had been pestering me about it for months. I’d worked for two decades for significant achievements. Trade that in for uncomfortable trips to African villages? No, thank you. The world’s problems were better solved by other people— people whose efforts I was more than willing to generously support. Just as Moses blubbered before God at the burning bush, saying how unqualified he was, I was under the covers in my hotel room in Seattle crying, Please, not me! In fact, I told God, “No.” After arriving home, I called the recruiter and told him: “It was a mistake. I have to say no and get on with my life.” The very next day, God changed my heart. During our church’s missions conference, the preacher said he felt God was asking a person in the sanctuary that night to serve. God didn’t need money, the preacher said, but He needed a heart. I knew God was speaking to me. He continued to pursue me even after I rejected His will. Later that night I was talking to Renée when it hit me: What if there are children who will suffer because I failed to
obey God? I couldn’t bear that thought and so, the next day, I called the board. Yes, if you will still have me, I will join World Vision’s work, partnering with Jesus’ mission to “proclaim good news to the poor … to proclaim freedom for the prisoners … to set the oppressed free” (Luke 4:18, NIV). Previously, I could only see the things God wanted me to give up. But being a slave of Christ is a tremendous blessing. I get to work alongside highly gifted, compassionate people. We get to serve the most blessed people on earth: the poor. God has given me and my family some amazing experiences. And it wouldn’t have happened if God didn’t help me make one tough decision. Christ made me His slave. But He did so for the freedom of others. When the apostle Paul says, “You are now a slave of Christ,” in I Corinthians 7:22, he also says, “If you were a slave when the Lord called you, you are now free in the Lord.” World Vision is all about setting slaves free. Poverty enslaves. By tackling the causes of poverty in the name of Jesus Christ, we free people to reach their full potential as beings created in the image of God. Serving alongside the poor has been the toughest decision of my life with the most wonderful consequences. It is a tough decision, one we all must make day after day, to fall on our knees and say: “Here I am, Lord. Send me.” Richard Stearns has been president of World Vision U.S. since 1998. He is the author of The Hole in Our Gospel (Thomas Nelson). He and his wife have five children of their own along with millions more around the world.
*DISCUSS: Talk together with your team about ways each of you are living in the tension between your ideals and the reality of day-to-day ministry. What can you do as a team to help pursue some of those ideals?
9/2/11 11:30 PM
WWW.RELEVANTMAGAZINE.COM/SUBSCRIBE Neue_Issue09.indb 49
9/2/11 11:30 PM
cleAr communicAtion in leAdership doesn’t hAppen bY Accident BY DaVe ramseY
50
Neue_Issue09.indb 50
9/2/11 11:30 PM
d
ave Ramsey’s business and financial acumen is renowned—and for good reason. His Financial Peace University course has helped thousands of people achieve debt-free lives, and his Lampo Group has established itself as an important resource in helping people out of debt. Along the way, Ramsey built a business founded on his fiscal principles, a business that values financial pragmatism and care for employees. Because of those priorities, the Lampo Group has a turnover rate of only 9 percent per year. Here, Ramsey offers his suggestions for improving communication among your staff—but his tips are not limited to the business world. They can be transplanted from the boardroom to the sanctuary, and from the head office to the church office. His suggestions will aid any leader of a team, whether that leader is a pastor or a corporate executive.
When I was in college, my grandparents allowed me to live in their summer lake house for free. The only drawback was that it was 27 miles from campus— and not an easy 27 miles. This particular stretch included cattle crossings, curves, 12 turns, country lanes and all kinds of wildlife. Every commute was an adventure. Being in college and being on the lake meant that we were required by federal law to have frequent parties at the Ramsey lake house. Before the days of the Internet, cell phones and GPS, we were required to learn the art of “giving directions.” The directions to these parties were a sheet of paper with a crudely drawn map that resembled a treasure map and a list of directions, statements like, “When you cross the railroad tracks you will see a road to your right, don’t turn there.” We were famous for our maps. Your business is a party. You have invited your team to the party. If you give really good directions, everyone will have a great time at the party. If your business is like most businesses, you are awful at the art of giving directions and the only communication is poor communication. Communication in a business is the map to the party. If you have a great map, expect to have a great party. But most don’t. One of the hallmarks of winning companies is they are very intentional and effective at communication. As a matter of fact the EntreLeader’s goal should be to create a company culture of communication. Lack of communication is caused by many things, but there are two main reasons for it: one, companies don’t make communication a priority and two, leadership is so arrogant or fearful that they intentionally undercommunicate. In either case the lack of communication starts to sow the seeds of discontent and distrust within the team. If you want to create a company that is fun to work for, where productivity and creativity are high and that you are
actually glad to lead, you must create a culture of communication. Lack of communication first breeds frustration. The frustration will convert to outright anger and then into team members’ distrust of each other as well as the leadership. The distrust will finally end in fear. Deloitte’s 2010 “Ethics and Workplace Survey” revealed that 48 percent of employees who plan to leave their current jobs want to leave the company due to a lack of trust in their employers and 46 percent say a lack of transparent communication from their organization’s leadership is their main point of dissatisfaction at work. If you are the kind of leader who has poor communication because you are not proactive about it, I can help you quickly change your company culture with some basic processes to create quality communication. The main thing that will change your company is your commitment to create a culture of communication. You must really want the left hand to know what the right hand is doing.
SHARE THE DREAM— tell tHe StoRy Your team can’t manage their time toward building your dream if you don’t tell them what the dream is. Communication moves the ball, for the whole team, from dreams all the way into time management, which means productivity. Leadership has to repeatedly share the dreams, visions, mission statements and goals with their team. If you are not sick and
tired of saying the same thing over and over, you have likely not communicated with your team. As a leader you must learn to tell the story of your company and its history. As you tell the story of struggle and victories to your team over and over, you are accomplishing many things, such as teaching the team the value system of your company as they see how you reacted rightly or wrongly in a given situation.
CoMMuniCation in tiMeS oF tRouBle Trouble is going to come to you. Trouble is going to come to your company. No one is exempt, and so deciding how to communicate about it before it comes is absolutely vital. People who have emotional and spiritual maturity as well as good mental health can handle problems and can communicate during a crisis. When there is garbage to deal with, it might be the most important time you communicate with your team. We use a couple of rules when we are dealing with garbage. First, when in doubt, over-share. Tell more details and more of the story than you are really comfortable doing. This is risky and must be done with class—and a warning. I have had to do this several times over the years and I always start with a disclaimer. I let our team know that I am over-sharing and I have an expectation that they will be mature enough to hold this sensitive information. I remind them that we have a no-gossip policy, so if they have any comments or questions they should bring them to leadership or keep them to themselves. I remind the team that we want to be a special company with high levels of communication and I am honoring that by over-sharing and their part is to be emotionally mature enough to honor the process by acting like classy adults. Over-sharing scares me, but having a normal company scares me even more.* Second, never publicly harm or embarrass people while oversharing about problems. Several times over the years I have had to deal with guys getting addicted to porn on the Internet. In the instances where we couldn’t walk them into a place of healing, we had to let them leave our company. I have never named a person when discussing this subject with the team. However, I occasionally remind our team that people have left our company over the misuse of the Internet. I remind them the computers and email they use are owned by me and they have no right to privacy when using my equipment. That sounds so controlling and offensive as I write it, but privacy isn’t a big deal to people who are living a clean life and doing the right thing.
MeCHaniCal CoMMuniCation SySteMS Once you have decided that huge amounts of communication are going to be a priority for you and your team, then you have to use some basic methods to communicate.
STaFF MeeTingS When we were first starting and reached the level of about 10 team members, we all got in a huge argument one day. The stress and the frustration boiled over and it was not pretty. Once we cooled off we sat down and dissected what had occurred. We figured out that we really did trust each other’s competency and integrity. We figured out that we had some very passionate champions pushing to make sure their area won. We also figured
*THINK: During times of trouble, do you find yourself wanting to pacify your team by telling too little information? Or are you more prone to dramatizing? Evaluate how you share, and consider the damage you might be doing at either extreme.
Neue_Issue09.indb 51
neuemagazine.com 51
9/2/11 11:30 PM
out that the right hand not knowing what the left hand was doing caused us to distrust each other’s competency, integrity and even intent. That moment is when our staff meeting was born. We drove a stake in the ground and made 8:30-9:30 Monday morning a mandatory meeting for every member of our little band. Our first meetings were very primitive and simply consisted of each person saying what they worked on the week before and what they were working on the coming week. At least each of us knew what the other was doing. Immediately, even at this very primitive stage, we began to see the frustration and distrust leave. We also started seeing something we didn’t see coming: synergy. So today, with over three hundred team members, we still gather on Monday mornings. Each department leader is called on to share something good or bad going on with their area. We celebrate the victories together and we mourn the losses together. We leave that room first thing every single Monday morning on the same page and pumped for the week to come. On Wednesday morning we meet again as a group for an hour. This is our devotional time, when we have a local pastor, a motivational speaker or even a big-time recording artist come and inspire our team. In addition to lifting us all up, it gives us another time to make company-wide announcements in person.
Your team consists of people who have real-people stuff going on all the time. Static Meetings You never want to have so many meetings that you can’t get any work done. Many companies that have lost their soul are often guilty of that. On the other hand most start-up entrepreneurs never have a regular meeting and consequently end up running from fire to fire to fire in some kind of ADD fashion that exhausts them and isn’t productive. I know; I did that. When I first started leading I would show up at one of my people’s doors every time I had a question or something to work on. None of us could get anything done because we spent all day interrupting each other. When we started having set meetings at the same time on the calendar every single week, we quit bothering each other. Every Monday morning from 11 to noon, I meet with my two EVPs, my COO and my CFO. The five of us are the core team of leaders. These fixed meetings are not only very valuable for productivity; they have another benefit that at first I didn’t realize. Having the same meeting at the same time for almost two decades has created a rhythm to my/our week. If something causes one of those meetings to be canceled a couple of weeks in a row we start to sense something wrong down inside. No, the meetings are not a security blanket; they serve a very valuable role, so when we miss them we start to emotionally register that something is wrong. Because something is wrong, we lose touch with our operation and with each other.
Mail Voice mail, email and texting are efficient but dangerous ways 52
Neue_Issue09.indb 52
to communicate to your team. They are efficient because you can fire off a quick message to one or more players. They are dangerous because body language and tone are missing. Nonverbal communication accounts for 80-90 percent of the message. When you forget this you will engage in email fights with people. I am guilty of doing this and it is stupid. Worse than fighting by email is fighting by email while hitting “Reply to All.” Email seems very efficient, but the loss in meaning requires more meetings to correct the imperfect communication, so be careful.
Weekly Reports When our company got large enough that I couldn’t look over people’s shoulders, I found myself wanting to know what they were all doing. I also wanted to make sure they were doing something. I started thinking that I would like to have each team member do a weekly report stating what they had done that week, but the instant I had that thought I recoiled against myself as becoming “corporate.” “Weekly report” sounds like useless paperwork done by a drone in a cube that hates his job. Yuck. But I was teaching my team time management and goal setting, so I wanted to be able to verify that these things were happening. So each week our team writes a report to themselves answering the question “Why should Dave be glad I work here?” Each report must contain the high point of the week and the low point of the week. When I first asked our team to do this I was so naive I assumed that the high and low points would have something to do with our business, their job. Nope; our team members put some of the most bizarre personal information there. I was tempted to go back to them in staff meetings and tell them to confine their highs and lows to business, but then I began to realize all this insight into where their head was is valuable for building relationships and leading them well. This stuff is extremely valuable because your team consists of people
who have real-people stuff going on all the time. I never asked them to get personal; they just did.
Report Must If you and your leaders do not read and react to the information in the reports, you are sending a message that communication and reports are not important. If you read a person has broken a sales record, give them a personal attaboy within minutes of reading it. If there is a problem mentioned in the report, address the problem, but most importantly let the writer of the report know you did.
Annual Reviews At our place, job and personal performance get continuous, almost weekly feedback, positive or negative. I do not wait a year to course-correct mistakes. Team members don’t need to wait a year to bring problems to leadership either; that is silly. Team members don’t even need to get a raise only once a year on their anniversary date; they might not deserve a raise or they might need to get two or three in one year. For these reasons we don’t do annual reviews, but we have found the annual checkup to be valuable. Throughout the year, we will address performance, a team member has plenty of opportunities to present problems and we will give raises. However, we have found that scheduling a set meeting at least once a year further ensures that we review every team member’s income and that we give them yet another time to present problems or ideas about the future.
Key Result Areas A job description is communication. When you state in writing what the Key Result Areas are for the position, you have communicated. KRAs are a vital type of communication because we have to continually define what winning looks like with our team. We are communicating that doing these three or four things with passion, creativity and attitude is winning. If team members aren’t doing them, they are losing and they’d better change. That kind of communication is most often missing in companies. Chaos that is unhealthy and breeds failure happens in companies that don’t make communication a big deal. Your team, by definition, can’t be called a team unless they have a shared dream, vision, mission and goals. The only way these things become shared is with intentional, quality, constant communication. DAVE RAMSEY is the author of the recently released EntreLeadership (Howard Books), from which this article is adapted. Used with permission.
*ACT: Are you over-meeting or not meeting enough? This month, schedule weekly strategic meetings with a few people and see how that rhythm changes your work week.
9/2/11 11:30 PM
Neue_Issue09.indb 53
9/2/11 11:30 PM
LEADING SMALL GROUPS OUT OF A RUT sMALL gRoups fREQuENTLy gET sTucK— hERE’s hoW To gET ThEM goINg AgAIN BY Dr. Bill Donahue
CORRYN GOLDSCHMIDT
could see it happening from the window in my home office. Ryan, my 17-year old, was behind the wheel of our Toyota, confident in his ability to navigate the approaching right turn as he had done many times before, despite a few inches of snow. The familiar street, however, presented an unfamiliar challenge to an unsuspecting teen driving in the Chicagoland winter. At the bottom of the hill he tried to turn right, but the hardened, slick surface refused to cooperate. He slid straight across the street into a four-foot embankment of freshly plowed snow, totally engulfing the front left portion of the car. It was hard to be upset with him. The damage was minor, and the mistake was the kind many a novice has made. The front left fender and tire were deeply embedded into the drift, and we began to work to dislodge it. Despite several valiant attempts to free the vehicle, it remained wedged in. We tried to break the car free, but to no avail. It was frustrating and we felt helpless. Had it not been for the help of a friend, getting “unstuck” would have taken much longer and probably cost us a few bucks.
I
gRoupS in a Rut Small groups can be like that. Community life is dynamic, relational and volatile. It’s complex and multidimensional. People 54
Neue_Issue09.indb 54
9/2/11 11:30 PM
come together in a small group environment and ... stuff happens. We should not be surprised that it can be messy. Said another way, “Groups work perfectly … until people show up.” As a result of that volatility, some groups fail and some succeed. Success and failure are clear outcomes, and we celebrate or mourn the result. But what if the group neither succeeds nor fails? What if it simply stops moving? What if it slides into a spiritual or relational rut? And what if, despite some effort, the leader feels helpless getting the group moving again? The most challenging group is the stuck-ina-rut group. It is not growing, and it is not dying. You can feel it at the meetings, observe it in the relationships and sense it in the leader. There’s some Bible reading and discussion, some sharing and socializing. But one week leads to another and nothing changes. There are no emotional highs and few depressing lows. It feels flat. Though things are not going poorly, there is nothing really great happening either. The group is stuck. But why? What are the potential causes? There could be many factors involved, but here are some common reasons.
The group lacks cohesion. Cohesion is the “stickiness” of a group, measuring whether people feel connected to the group. It results from two key factors. First, a group needs a clear purpose and direction (usually articulated by the group leaders). And second, the members must have a high need for the group. Unfortunately, most people do not know why their group exists (except in broad terms), and they have little perceived need for the group. People say: “They want us to get in groups at our church. So we figured we’d try one. That’s what we do here.” We need to communicate the essential nature of community life to our churches. People must realize they need a group and a group needs them. When a group has a compelling vision and purpose, and members realize they need community for personal growth and serving others, then the group begins to stick.
LACK OF COHESION
DRIFT
Group members wonder: “Why are we here? Where are we going? What is the goal or purpose of gathering?” At the church leadership level the question is similar: “ Why do we have groups and how do they contribute to spiritual formation?” When I work with church leadership teams, I often craft a scenario followed by a question: Hi! I’m Bill, and I just moved here from out of state to take a new position with my company. My family and I are looking for a church community. I am a relatively young Christian—about five years—and I am eager to continue growing. But the reality is we might only be here for three to five years until another likely move. So I have a question: If we join this community and participate in the services, events and activities you offer, how will we be different three to five years from now? What kind of people are you hoping we become, and how will you help us become such people?* Silence is usually the response. Blank stares dominate the faces. Or, at best, most church teams begin to ramble through a series of clichés and programs describing a vague approach to making disciples. There is neither consistency in their language nor clarity in their focus. But even when the church is clear about why they have groups and what the framework is for guiding people toward Christ-likeness, group leaders can be a little fuzzy. They do not know why their specific group exists and where it is headed.
When I was a young teenager, two friends and I rented a small boat with
*DISCUSS: How would you respond to this question?
Neue_Issue09.indb 55
landmark that separated our fledgling boat from the Atlantic Ocean. Panic struck. We started the engine (after five pulls on the cord!) and, with just enough horsepower to battle the tide, turned and headed safely back to the dock. A few more minutes and we would have been swept out to sea. Not good in those pre-cell phone days. Drifting can be deadly. Another reason groups get stuck is, over time, groups and church leaders lose their focus. They start with clarity and intention, but then everyone just gets busy and distracted. Slowly they drift off course, a few degrees every month, until one day they are sitting in a circle asking, “How did we get here?” Here are three kinds of drift common to group life: Vision drift. Vision drift occurs when the focus becomes more about the meetings than building community. Your groups should understand what community is and why relationships are essential to growth and mission. You also need to make sure you have clearly formulated the theological basis for community in your church. Having that foundation makes the purpose of groups more spiritual than strategic. Plus, it helps you discern if your ministry structure is program-driven or rooted in biblical wisdom. Additionally, you must ask yourself if your small group ministry’s communication—verbal and written—is clearly tied to Christ’s teaching, vision and practice concerning community. Finally, figure out how your key leaders respond when faced with energysapping obstacles. Do they respond with external motivation or internal passion fueled by a love for community? Strategy drift. Once the vision and values of community are taught and embraced, it’s easy to think everyone “gets it.” Which means it’s extremely easy to coast into ambivalence and apathy.
A group that is more interested in following the program, keeping the rules, performing for God or controlling the members will find itself trapped in a rut. a nominal 15-horsepower engine and headed to a good fishing spot in the bay at Ocean City, N.J. We cut the engine and dropped anchor but caught nothing. Taking advantage of the shifting tides, we decided to weigh anchor and troll, drifting along with the current, engine off, hoping for a flounder dinner. Unawares, we drifted toward the open sea where a storm was brewing off the coast. But we were oblivious to the danger, our backs turned toward the ocean as we focused on catching fish. Suddenly, a dark shadow passed overhead. We gazed upward as we drifted under the bay bridge, the last
In order to avoid that temptation, you need to be clear on your overall strategy as a church—and how small groups fit into that vision. Then, with that as a baseline, make sure your other ministries are aligned to your strategy for group life. Finally, ensure your groups can be characterized as loving communities for people to grow in their spiritual journey and personal impact and that each group is creating pathways for the unconnected to find meaningful relationships. Personal drift. We can also lose our personal connection to Jesus, the vine. We, as leaders, need renewal and restoration. So be honest and ask yourself some questions: Am I experiencing the life I am inviting others into so I lead out of who I am becoming rather than what I should be doing? Am I finding places for spiritual and emotional renewal and for physical recreation? How is my personal connection in community? Am I modeling the life-to-life connection I envision for others?
neuemagazine.com 55
9/2/11 11:30 PM
Where are my stories of life change coming from, and how current are they?
COMPLACENCY and FATIGUE Complacency usually sets in when we are exhausted, depressed or disillusioned. Our uncertainty about our effectiveness, the apparent lack of growth in people we are leading or simply the weariness that comes from too much time spent in emotional or spiritual battles leads to a general malaise. Leaders need a short retreat to get away and refocus, reenergize and reconnect with God. Get around some mentors and others who have come through this phase. Remember the stories of life-change you have seen, and trust God is still in the transformation business. Believe there really is a promised land on the other side of the wilderness. But whatever you do, fight complacency—or you will stay firmly entrenched in the rut.*
TRANSITION In the 1980s, our group life at Willow Creek Community Church was organized to fulfill a specific mission: leadership reproduction and discipleship. Willow had grown dramatically, and new believers needed to develop into maturing followers and capable leaders. The mission was clear: Take members through a twoyear, curriculum-driven process to develop biblical knowledge, spiritual disciplines and leadership skills. This served us for a season, but many members needed different experiences beyond this “one-size-fits-all” approach. In the 1990s, we met the desire for deeper connection and disciple-making by organizing groups around affinity: discover what people have in common and build groups around it. Agebased, stage-of-life-based, need-based, interest-based and taskbased groups abounded. This served us well for a while, helping us connect many strays while building committed followers. Then, about seven years ago we added a third—geography. By focusing our relational energies in communities surrounding Willow, we formed a web of group experiences that combine the servant hearts of our people with their evangelistic passion—and that keep them close to home, meeting with their neighbors. Within any geographic area you can create affinity groups around common themes or life stages (young couples, men) and mission-oriented groups (serving teams, seeker groups). All three kinds of groups have great value and biblical precedent. I think of the house church led by Priscilla and Aquila, the serving group in Acts 6 ensuring the equitable distribution of food and Jesus’ high-affinity men’s group. Each functioned within a larger community but was organized differently. Yet there is the possibility for movement as well—as groups grow and evolve, they can begin to incorporate all three expressions. For example, Jesus and the 12 had high affinity (young, Jewish males), a geographical center (Capernaum in Galilee) and ultimately a missional focus. Likewise, our groups can begin to integrate all three aspects, using geography as our primary organizing principle. Moving from one model or approach to another brings freshness and new life. But here is the challenge—the land between is a wilderness. Transitions are hard and groups can get stuck right in the middle of them. 56
Neue_Issue09.indb 56
In order to work through this transitional phase, leaders must name reality. Breakdowns in group process or violations of ground rules cannot be ignored. Someone might have to say: “We agreed to encourage each other to grow here, but we seem unwilling to name the obstacles to such growth in our personal lives. Does anyone else observe that, and what should we do about it?” If a group decides to face the awkward reality of their own fallen, broken humanity, the result is increased growth and safety. At the ministry level you must champion the new, honor the old and model the change. Regardless of the approach, be clear. Are you leading with mission? Affinity? Geography? Whatever you choose, consider how you might integrate the other two aspects as well. If you connect people in neighborhoods, allow gifted people to gather around a specific mission. If you organize by mission or task, identify ways geography can play a role in team-building.
LEGALISM “It was my first time attending the group meeting, but I have to admit, it felt more like a job interview. I was thinking: ‘Do these people like me? Do I like them? If they really knew me, would they want me to return? Would I trust my secrets to them—and would they be authentic and tell me their stories?’ It was awkward, and I felt judged. I want to be accepted, not analyzed; loved, not labeled.” Sadly, this is the experience of many people who try to connect to group life. It feels like there are hidden rules and expectations. Or it appears the leader is a control freak. This kind of environment kills creativity and freedom. This is legalism and, in my opinion, remains as great a threat to groups and churches today as it posed in Jesus’ time. When grace is the guiding motif in a community, and is accompanied by authentic truth, you have a powerful combination. Remember how John described Jesus in John 1:14: “The Word became flesh and made his
dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (NIV). Are we willing to become people of “the Way” as the early followers were called in the book of Acts? They were full of grace and truth, and their lifestyle became a compassionate and compelling alternative to the legalism of the Pharisees. Each group must ask, “Will unconnected believers and inquisitive seekers find a safe, authentic home in our little community?” I remember asking the guys in my group why they remain part of the group and why the group matters to them. One non-Christian said, “I am here because even though I do not believe what you all believe, you make me feel like I belong.” Jean Vanier reminds us: “A loving community is attractive, and a community which is attractive is by definition welcoming. Life brings new life.” The law kills; the Spirit gives life. A group that is more interested in following the program, keeping the rules, performing for God or controlling the members will find itself trapped in a rut. In legalistic groups, people go through the motions of group life but experience little movement. Members become more interested in being right than righteous, preoccupied with sin management instead of sacrificial service. No one takes risks when legalism reigns. But grace speaks and receives truth without judgment. Grace brings resources to sinful and broken people, offering help and support. Grace creates safety that prompts healthy confession. Grace shouts, “I am broken, but I am loved!” When grace is in place, members of the group are “for” one another. New members feel welcomed and existing members willingly put personal agendas aside to accommodate the needs of others. But such grace takes effort, and that sounds counterintuitive. Dallas Willard famously said, “Grace is not opposed to effort—it is opposed to earning.” Leading with grace is more art than science. It takes courage and discernment. Guard the messy moments when a heart opens up, when a confidence is shared, when a sin is confessed, when a dream is expressed or when a wound is exposed. Do not be intimidated. Enter the sanctity of those moments with a holy fear and wondrous awe. Don’t run—God is in the middle of that burning bush. Dr. Bill Donahue is the president of The LeaderSync Group and served at Willow Creek Church, where he developed leadership strategies and training. He is the author of Leading LifeChanging Small Groups (Zondervan). www.drbilldonahue.com
*ACT: Are there leaders or groups you feel have become complacent? How can you help them regain their passion and purpose? Set up a time to meet with that leader or group and talk through some of the reasons they might be stuck (drift, transition, legalism) and how they could get moving again.
9/2/11 11:30 PM
T H E Y N E E D MORE
HOW WILL WE RESPOND? Andrew Root, author of Revisiting Relational Youth Ministry,, and Kenda Creasy Dean,, author of Almost Christian,, call youth pastors to take another look at their ministries—to see they are full of practical theologians. Once we recognize the potential in our students’ natural mix of idealism, cynicism and prophetic intolerance, we are freed to follow their questions into new vistas of theological conversation.
800.843.9487
Neue_Issue09.indb 57
IVPRESS.COM
9/2/11 11:30 PM
rEcommENdS Here are a few of the things we’re enjoying these days for inspiration, motivation—and an occasional moment of amusement.
browSE
rEAd
USE
“From Old School to New School” — http://relm.ag/o3Irxj | Whitney
What’s your secret? | There might be something to that “the truth will set you free” stuff after all. Aaron Stern, the college pastor of New Life Church in Colorado, encourages readers to unlock the power of confession and live a secretfree life.
Spotify | If for some reason you haven’t
George of Church on the Move offers three guiding thoughts for gracefully leading your ministry in the transition from traditional to contemporary.
“Least Churched Cities in America” — http://relm.ag/ qgb33M | This blog post by DJ Chuang
is a thorough list of resources, polls and reports on the unchurched and least churched communities in the U.S. Whether or not you reside in one, it’s valuable information on the state of the Church.
Real-Life super Mario World — http://relm.ag/ouI0cg | Perhaps the
only thing more thrilling than finding a floating box on Super Mario Bros. is stumbling across one hovering above an actual sidewalk. It also makes for a hilarious photo op.
untitled: Thoughts on the creative process | Whether you write, sing, dance,
paint or film, being an artist is as scary as it is rewarding. But Blaine Hogan, creative director at Willow Creek Community Church, offers advice on embracing the artistic freedom that lies beyond the fear. You’ll never recoil from a blank page again.
preaching as Worship | Most churches
have an invisible divide between worship and preaching; “worship” is limited to music, and “preaching” is synonymous with “sermon.” But are they really separate? Michael Quicke explains why the two go hand-in-hand more often than you might think.
jumped on the Spotify bandwagon, what on earth are you waiting for? You can get access to any song you want for free, without having to illegally download it. Keep your money and your integrity.
Project 7 | This cause-related company sells quality products like gum, mints, water and organic coffee to benefit seven different areas of need. It tastes good, and it does good. Who knew your morning coffee could be so productive? The Somnus Shirt | This nightshirt doesn’t make you sleep better or longer, but it could possibly tell you how to. While you wear the shirt, an electronic chip collects the data related to your sleep pattern for you to review in the morning.
58
Neue_Issue09.indb 58
9/2/11 11:30 PM
WATCH
LISTEN
FOLLOW
50 Documentaries to See Before You Die — http://relm.ag/qjY8xX |
Mat Kearney — Young Love | Since his last album, the songwriter has switched labels, gotten married and updated his soulful fusion of spoken word and pop-rock. Be sure to check out the closing track, “Rochester,” which is a redemptive and moving story of Kearney’s family history.
Eugene Cho — @EugeneCho | Stay
Stream this five-episode series hosted by Morgan Spurlock with a notebook by your side. From Exit Through the Gift Shop to Hoop Dreams, you’ll have a lengthy viewing list by the time this countdown is over.
Monvee Perspectives: John Ortberg & Jud Wilhite — http://relm.ag/ oadhDx | This fascinating discussion between two leaders of the evangelical community inspires spiritual formation and offers interesting thoughts about the 12 Steps as a way of life.
Ed’s Story — http://relm.ag/ nHWy6M | Pastor Ed Dobson’s new
film series is a moving account of his experiences as a pastor, his journey through Lou Gehrig’s disease and why he believes there is always room for hope, even in suffering.
Margolnick — Taylorsville | Full
of grit and soul, this debut album calls to mind everyone from Johnny Cash to Arcade Fire. Margolnick tackles a variety of moods and styles with authentic ease.
Gatlin Elms — Carry Me Home | The second album from the Robbie Seayproduced band has a distinct Radiohead vibe to it, particularly on the raw, mournful song “The Secrets.”
up to date on how the founder of One Day’s Wages combines faith, generosity and social justice, and get inspired to do the same.
Mike Pilavachi — @MikePilav | Unfortunately, the pastor of Soul Survivor Watford can’t tweet in a British accent, but his knack for finding good quotes makes him worth a follow.
Anne Rice — @AnneRiceAuthor | This American author of books like Interview with a Vampire and Of Love and Evil has sold more than 100 million copies in her career. She still fares pretty well with only 140 characters (though it’s not nearly as lucrative).
neuemagazine.com 59
Neue_Issue09.indb 59
9/2/11 11:30 PM
Neue_Issue09.indb 60
9/2/11 11:30 PM
Neue_Issue09.indb 61
9/2/11 11:30 PM
Neue_Issue09.indb 62
9/2/11 11:30 PM
Neue_Issue09.indb 63
9/2/11 11:30 PM
LAST WORD
A Return to Christian Leadership josh Lujan Loveless Do you remember in preschool when they told you to get into a single file line? There was always a mad dash to the front. Instincts took over as the voice inside told you “lineleader” was a more prominent role on the social ladder than “line-follower.” If you went to a Christian school and found yourself at the back of the line, your teacher may have smiled and said, “The last will one day become first!” Meanwhile, the kid at the front smirked back at you with complete disregard for this future crown of jewels in the sweet by and by. This is our annual leadership issue. The dilemma in creating an issue like this is we expect you’ve already read a book this year about why leadership matters, or how good leadership can exponentially change a church and a city. While much of that is true, all those resources can tempt us into thinking leadership is enough— that somehow our strategies and solutions and effectiveness define us. And the danger is that soon Jesus will become merely a problem to solve instead of the sum of everything. Those of us aware of the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives must embody a different kind of leadership. If our businesses, churches, organizations and families are led using the same principles and ideas as the rest of society and yield similarly selfimproved people, we have failed in our leadership. There must be a distinction that comes from
This is a task that requires more superpowers than any of us have. This supernatural work of turning horses into winged creatures requires every tool available to us through our relationship with the Trinity. I’m afraid if we don’t come to grips with the difference that’s demanded in Christian leadership, the advice coming from the “self-help” aisle becomes equally as helpful as the counsel found in the “Christian living” section of your local bookstore. Don Cousins points out one of these distinctions of Christian leadership in his column “The Leadership Lie.” He writes that there’s a danger in believing the gift of leadership is the most important gift in the church. Though those of us in church leadership might give lip service to that idea, we have a long way to go in paying people, honoring people and empowering those gifts that don’t fit on the top rung of the invisible church ladder. Don references a study where only 8 percent of those leading in the Church believe they possess a gift of leadership. The challenge for us then is to deploy the other 92 percent to do what they’ve been designed to do without feeling as though they are a square peg in a round hole.
the danger is that soon jesus will become merely a problem to solve instead of the sum of everything. Christian leadership. As C.S. Lewis once wrote in Mere Christianity: “For mere improvement is not redemption, though redemption always improves people even here and now and will, in the end, improve them to a degree we cannot yet imagine. God became man to turn creatures into sons: not simply to produce better men of the old kind but to produce a new kind of man. It is not like teaching a horse to jump better and better but like turning a horse into a winged creature.”
Deep intentionality in the lives of those you work with is another quality of Christian leadership. April L. Diaz, who I’ve had the privilege of serving alongside, points out the importance of leading intentionally when she writes about what makes a great team. I’ve watched her model this idea over the years, blurring the lines of work and relationship when it comes to being present in the lives of those on her team. I thought she’d drop my name as a key ingredient in the secret sauce of every great team,
but instead she reminds us of pastors’ responsibility to be in a deep and loving relationship with those they serve alongside. This idea can make people nervous, as many of us try to be conscious of our personal boundaries. Yet the disciples in the first century were those who lived day and night with their Rabbi. You learn a lot about someone when you become their roommate. You can’t really hide— your nature and character are always on full display. And daily events and conflicts bring who you are to the surface and force accountability and change. These days I wonder if the road to Christian leadership in this next century will be paved with repentance from leaders who used the idea of “boundaries” as a mechanism to be protected from intimacy. Just a thought. Ryan Meeks is on the cover because we think he represents the Billy Bean of the church world. In case you haven’t read Moneyball by Michael Lewis (or if you haven’t seen the new movie adaptation, starring Brad Pitt), you’re missing something special. It tells the story of the general manager of the Oakland Athletics, Billy Bean, who decided to start evaluating players using a different set of statistics compared to the rest of Major League Baseball. He hired statisticians from MIT to work in the front office, and he has single-handedly changed the way coaches define success for their players. In our interview with Ryan, we dig into the thoughtful and deliberate way he approaches the team he’s putting together at Eastlake. Some churches will have you take a personality test and do a few interviews with the same people. But for Ryan and his team, there’s a science behind hiring the right staff—and for leading a megachurch with what could only be considered a “mini” staff of 24. Ryan has created a template for staff evaluation that we think is a game-changer. As Christian leaders, it’s our responsibility and calling to bring attention to the work of God already active around us. My prayer is that when practiced in community, Christian leadership would look nothing like leadership found in places that don’t bring glory to God.
Josh Lujan Loveless is the senior editor of Neue. Josh has 14 years of pastoral experience and lives in Orlando, FL.
64
Neue_Issue09.indb 64
9/2/11 11:30 PM
Before he
was known as a
Ragamuffin‌
Brennan Manning has gone by many names, but before the fame of his ragamuffin gospel, he was a son, brother, soldier, journalist, priest, husband, father, and friend. This is that part of the story, a necessary piece of the larger puzzle of grace. This book tells the story of a man whose name has not always been Brennan. SCAN CODE
TO WATCH
Available at bookstores and online retailers
Neue_Issue09.indb 3
BOOK
TRAILER
9/2/11 11:30 PM
Neue_Issue09.indb 4
9/2/11 11:30 PM