ISSUE 29 / MAY_ JUNE 2020
ROBERT C. CROSBY / BRITTANY JONES / SCOTT WILSON
PANDEMIC
LEADING IN A
COVID-19 Supplement 36
of ears ple! Y n Eleve ish Peo g n i t Jew bra Cele Hope to ing Bring
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REASONS TO SUPPORT JACOB’S HOPE
and Its Efforts to Serve the Jewish People Around the World
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IT’S BIBLICAL. “And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3, NASB).
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THE GOOD NEWS IS SHARED. As the world becomes more dangerous and divisive, Israel has served as a beacon of hope. Jacob’s Hope is connected with a respected Pentecostal organization that believes in bringing all people to faith.
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IT DEMONSTRATES GRATITUDE TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE. Through the Jewish people and Israel, both the Old and New Covenants were given. Jacob’s Hope provides support by helping meet needs. The blessings received from this compassion-driven outreach to the Jewish people are used to partner with Jewish believing congregations, leadership training, and more.
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Since 2009 Jacob’s Hope has worked around the world to bring hope to the Jewish people through compassionate ministry and evangelism.
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Partner with us to bring hope to the Jewish people in Israel and the nations.
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Love. Hope. Messiah. jacobshope.com (417) 865-3295 jacobshope@jacobshope.com P.O. BOX 1046, SPRINGFIELD, MO 65801
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Acct. No. 390907
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CONTRIBUTORS Stephen Blandino, Chris Colvin, Robert C. Crosby, Jodi Cuccurese, John Davidson, Rollie Dimos, Brittany Jones, Joseph Lear, Scott and Crystal Martin, Chris Railey, R. Dale Stephens Jr., Dean Sweetman, Wendell Vinson, Ryan Wakefield, Scott Wilson, George P. Wood, Heather Zempel
S P E C I A L T H A N K S Donna L. Barrett, Malcolm Burleigh, Douglas E. Clay, Wilfredo De Jesús, Rick DuBose, Greg Mundis
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CONTENTS
ISSUE_29/ MAY_JUNE 2020
8 If You Ask Me
REFLECTIONS ON LEADERSHIP
We Were Built for This
10 Get Set LEADERS IMPACTING THE CHURCH AND CULTURE
Life on Life A conversation with Scott and Crystal Martin
14 Like a Leader TOOLS FOR PERSONAL AND CONGREGATIONAL GROWTH
• Think: What Hard Places Have Taught Me • Learn: Recommended Reading for Leaders
24 Playbook STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE MINISTRY
• Build: Life Together: Seven Best Practices for Small Group Leaders
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• Know: Reaching Second-Generation Unbelievers • Invest: Two Ways Churches Can Help Pastors With Medical Expenses • Ethics: An Impossible Choice: The Ethics of Fulfilling Financial Obligations in a Crisis
28 Leading in a Pandemic Finding our way forward in faith. ROBERT C. CROSBY
36 COVID-19 Supplement
• Social Media Best Practices in a Time of Social Distancing — and Beyond
• Caring for an At-Risk Population • Small Groups in a Time of Crisis • Why Churches Need to Switch to Online Giving Now 4 | Influence
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44 Prayer Sets the Agenda How God directs your church when you pray in the Spirit with understanding and in agreement. SCOTT WILSON
54 From Necessity to Opportunity Three pastors share lessons they’ve learned as bivocational ministers. GEORGE P. WOOD
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62 Multipliers LEADERS LEVERAGING THEIR GIFTS FOR GOD’S KINGDOM
Vision From Blindness A conversation with Rob Hoskins, president of One Hope CHRIS COLVIN
66 Make It Count
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AN EIGHT-WEEK STUDY FOR LEADERSHIP TEAMS
Creating a Healthy Culture: 8 Steps to Improving Your Ministry Environment STEPHEN BLANDINO
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80 This Is My Story Rooms That Hurt, Rooms That Heal BRITTANY JONES
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Influence | 5
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IF YOU ASK ME
Reflections on Leadership
We Were Built for This CHRIS RAILEY
We’ve experienced an unprecedented disruption, but I’ve seen the amazing character and leadership strength of countless pastors and leaders.
Chris Railey, D.Min., is executive director of Influence Resources and senior director of leadership and church development ministries for The General Council of the Assemblies of God, U.S.A.
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isruptions to the status quo can reveal both overwhelming obstacles and unprecedented opportunities. They can bring out the best, or the worst, in people. They bring out of us what was already there, which says everything about our character and leadership. Abraham experienced a major disruption when God asked him to sacrifice his only son, Isaac (Genesis 22). As a father, I’ve always been amazed at how Abraham could make that three-day journey to Moriah to sacrifice his son. For Abraham, darkness and despair undoubtedly marked those three long days. I imagine he never forgot the pain he felt in each step of that journey. I’ve often wondered how Abraham could obey a command like that. How could he willingly sacrifice his son? How could he make that journey to Moriah at all? You can’t plan for a disruption like that, but you can prepare. In Abraham’s moment of crisis, what was already in him came out: faithfulness to God, no matter the circumstance or cost. While Abraham couldn’t plan for it, his deep relationship with God and years of faithfulness prepared him for the greatest disruption he would ever experience. And because Abraham was prepared, he came out of the disruption stronger than before. On the other side of those three dark days awaited salvation, blessing and multiplication that extended to future generations (Genesis 22:17–18). Over the last eight weeks, we’ve experienced
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an unprecedented disruption, but I’ve seen the amazing character and leadership strength of countless pastors and leaders throughout our Fellowship. They couldn’t plan for the disruption that came their way, but they were spiritually prepared for it, and it brought out the best in them. Their innovation in communicating the gospel, their commitment to serve and meet needs, their passion to care for people, their unwavering hope and optimism, and their resolve to come out of these dark days stronger than before have been evident. The message I’ve heard from so many leaders, simply put, is this: We were built for this! I’ve observed that to be true, and I know there will soon come salvation, blessing and multiplication. We serve a faithful God who uses submitted people to build His Church. In this latest disruption, do it again God! I also want to let you know this will be my last issue in my current role. My family and I feel the Lord’s nudge to return to local church ministry. We are stepping into a lead pastor role of a great church in our Fellowship. I want to thank our loyal readers. From the beginning, this magazine’s goal has been to equip leaders, from the lead pastor to the lead volunteer. It has been a privilege to have a small part in resourcing ministry leaders like you. Thanks also to my friends and colleagues at the Assemblies of God national office and Influence Resources. It has been an honor to serve with you these last six years, producing resources that add value, and helping people go from where they are to where God has called them to go. Keep it up. I’ll be reading every issue!
GET SET
Leaders Impacting the Church and Culture
Life on Life A CONVERSATION WITH SCOTT AND CRYSTAL MARTIN
Raising up a new generation of disciples through Chi Alpha. 10 | Influence
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cott and Crystal Martin are leading the way as missionaries to the most strategic mission field in the world, where every religion, race, creed and culture are represented. Scott serves as the national senior director of Chi Alpha,
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the largest Pentecostal university student ministry in the world, with a presence on over 300 stateside college and university campuses, involving 24,000 students. Crystal serves as the cross-cultural missions director for Chi Alpha.
Students have discretionary time, set their schedules, live together, eat together, play together, and for the most part are unattached. They are seeking meaning and truth. It is a season of life like none other they will experience. Chi Alpha is a disciple-making community on university and college campuses. For Chi Alpha, discipleship is not a program or a course; it is a progressive, deliberate, relational impartation of the kingdom of God into a person’s life. We like to say it is “life on life.” Chi Alpha doesn’t only disciple believers; we disciple pre-Christians as well. For example, we may disciple an agnostic international student and move them closer to belief in Jesus and, hopefully, eventually into relationship with Jesus before they depart for home. Our goal is to disciple students to fulfill their purpose in God’s global plan. This includes instructing students on how to systematically read the Bible daily, how to pray, the power of biblical community, importance of the local church, and our individual responsibility to participate in Jesus’ global mission. Our discipleship is resulting in a percentage of our graduates joining AGWM in missions, as well as over 300 new Chi Alpha interns projected during this year. These interns will qualify for credentials upon completion of their internships. This is a new generation of leaders for the Assemblies of God.
INFLUENCE: How is Chi Alpha discipling and developing the next generation of leaders? MARTINS: The season of life the university student is in is definitely unique and provides an unequivocal opportunity for discipleship.
For Chi Alpha, discipleship is not a program or a course; it is a progressive, deliberate, relational impartation of the kingdom of God into a person’s life.
What discipleship models are most effective on the university campus? Again, and importantly, we view discipleship as a progressive, deliberate, relational impartation of the kingdom of God. The most efficacious model of discipleship on the university campus is the relationship model expressed through life on life. Its primary impartation is through our small groups, which are generally around six to 10 students. These small groups
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Students in our small groups experience Christian community by eating together, playing together, oftentimes living together, and sharing the Word of God and the kingdom of God together.
are not built from within Chi Alpha; they are built from the general student population on campus — pre-Christians. Chi Alpha small group leaders are students who have been discipled in Chi Alpha and have proven to be faithful, available and teachable. These student leaders are generally nominated by their small group leader or a Chi Alpha missionary. They are interviewed, and expectations for leadership are clearly shared. If the student is willing to assume this Kingdom responsibility on campus, they will then go through a Chi Alpha Leadership Training Course, which is spiritual preparation for Kingdom leadership. They are then asked to find pre-Christian students to join their small group, although Christian students are also a part of the small group. Students in our small groups experience Christian community by eating together, playing together, oftentimes living together, and sharing the Word of God and the kingdom of God together. They become a true and close band of brothers and sisters. Our discipleship occurs through deliberate one-on-one meetings where relationship continues to grow in a more personal manner and the kingdom of God is deliberately deposited. Religious “nones” no longer identify with the Church. How is Chi Alpha approaching this challenge? This demographic does not have a clear understanding of what the Church is. Many of these people think of the Church as a weekly service or a group of religiously judgmental people. Often, when students encounter the authentic presence of God and biblical community, they are far more open to gather together to learn what the Bible says about Jesus and to meet with Christians. When the “nones” feel they can be genuinely loved and accepted, without being judged, they are far more open to Christian community and biblical truth. Students are not averse to form or liturgy. What they are averse to is anything that seems “plastic” or insincere.
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How is Chi Alpha building authentic community? Chi Alpha is in pursuit of the authentic gospel, not just the cultural gospel of the day. What we mean by “cultural gospel” is the Church being influenced by culture rather than the Church influencing culture. How this is expressed in Chi Alpha can be seen in a small group meeting in a dorm room where students read the Scriptures together and then ask each other, “What does this mean for us today on campus? How do we apply this in our dorm, classroom and laboratory?” It’s taking the Bible message seriously in every area of a student’s life and living it out in the open on campus. We place our trust in the transforming power of the gospel. We can never underestimate the power of Kingdom relationships. Through these two pathways, we gain the confidence of students that opens the door for them to accept and believe the Bible as truth and authority for a person’s life. What is the biggest challenge facing Chi Alpha today? Many universities are mandating that Christian campus groups have an antidiscrimination clause that allows for any student to be a student leader, regardless of their religious affiliation or belief. What this translates to is that Chi Alpha would have to allow a non-Christian to serve on student leadership. This is unacceptable, as it disallows the biblical standards for leadership we, the Assemblies of God, adhere to. Chi Alpha has been kicked off some campuses because the university read some of the official position papers of the Assemblies of God, which they did not like. We were told that as long as Chi Alpha is part of the Assemblies of God, we would not be permitted to be on campus. This is the real threat and challenge. And note that what happens on the university is a harbinger of what is coming to our culture.
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THINK LIKE A LEADER
What Hard Places Have Taught Me R. DALE STEPHENS JR.
Three lessons from urban ministry.
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inistry has seasons that are hard everywhere for everyone, and God uses those seasons to shape us all in the image of Christ. I grew up in Atlanta’s middle-class suburbs. We sensed God calling us to plant a church in the city where we had been living for a decade. When we launched, we were green enough to be idealistic but old enough to be measured. Planting a church in the city was a radical shift in ministry — from serving a primarily middle-class community to serving
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a diverse economic and ethnic population. The personal growth that comes from that shift in ministry can feel challenging and overwhelming. This journey has taken us beyond the textbooks and into the reality of learning through experience. God is teaching us that urgency is rooted in reality, contextualization is key, and God has never left His people.
Urgency
Last summer, we took a dozen or so kids to youth camp. During our trip, the group received word that Drebo, one of the kids from our neighborhood, had been shot and killed.
In his Instagram photos, Drebo poses shirtless with tattoos across his chest and his pants sagging. He looks like a young kid playing an adult game, one that cost him his life. The kids routinely wear a tough mask, but they didn’t that day. The tragic news rocked them to the core. They were broken. For children in this community, death is real, and it is close. The stakes are too high to be playing church. It’s critical for pastors to urgently share the full gospel in word and deed. Stories like Drebo’s remind us we live in a fallen world. People will suffer. Some will get sick, and others will die. Many Israelites died at the hands of their oppressors, Paul had his thorn in the flesh, and Stephen was stoned to death. Suffering is a part of the human experience. Yet there is great hope in Christ — not because of the absence of suffering, but because God is with us in the suffering (Matthew 1:23; Hebrews 13:5). There will be incredible victories, and there will be moments when the sin of humanity will steal life. Through it all, we must maintain our sense of urgency to reach the lost.
Contextualization
Diving deep into the culture of the community has been crucial for building relationships and effectively sharing the Word. Longtime resident Ms. Karen has been our guide. She’s taken me beyond learning the common quips and phrases of our neighborhood and into a deeper level of cultural understanding. I think of the shallow forms of culture as the typical common interests, food or music. As we dive deeper into culture, we uncover the deeper cultural pillars, like values and beliefs. Those are the real markers of culture. I’ve learned that cloaking “Christianese” in cool lingo is a poor representation of the gospel. I’m reminded of Paul at Mars Hill (Acts 17), who utilizes the local philosophy, theology and artistry to communicate the truth of God. He shares the gospel in a contextualized manner that moves beyond colloquialism into the
structures of values and beliefs to connect with the people.
Presence
The last lesson is grounded in a theological concept familiar to us all: God is omnipresent. In the early days of our church plant, I would go door to door and connect with neighbors. Many outsiders see the neighborhood as dangerous and corrupt. To some, it might seem as though God has abandoned the people and left them to their own demise. Through my friend Ms. Cynthia, God has given me a very different perspective on so-called “bad neighborhoods.” Ms. Cynthia is a prayer warrior. She’s a woman of God, and her presence carries strength. I knew when I first met her we needed her on board with what God was calling us to do. Cynthia taught me God never left the neighborhood. Many believers left for better property and schools, but God never left. God was always with her. In fact, she speaks to Him each morning and each evening right there on her block. Ms. Cynthia knows, like many people across the world, that God is everywhere, revealing himself. It’s been a sobering and growing experience, pastoring in hard places. We have learned that urban neighborhoods have incredible resources, such as rich histories, Spirit-filled believers and God’s presence pouring out His love. The last few years have solidified in all of us these biblical convictions of urgency, contextualization and God’s presence. I hope we all stay urgent for the sake of the gospel and for those suffering. May we, as the Church, continue to contextualize the gospel in meaningful ways in word and deed. Remember, God has never left His children. No matter how dark or bleak it may look, He is with you. I believe your perseverance will produce a Romans 5 character and hope that will sustain.
This journey has taken us beyond the textbooks and into the reality of learning through experience.
R. Dale Stephens Jr. is lead pastor of Riverside Church in Atlanta.
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LEARN LIKE A LEADER Selected Book Reviews
Being There ay Y. Kim’s Analog Church had the misfortune of hitting bookstores at the precise moment American churches were rushing to go digital due to COVID-19-related shelter-at-home orders in many places across the nation. Bad timing aside, the book’s message is timely. “People are hungry for human experiences,” Kim writes, “and the church is perfectly positioned to offer exactly that.” The longer people shelter at home, the more that hunger will grow, and the greater the Church’s opportunity will be. But will churches be able to satisfy that hunger? Kim worries they won’t. (His worries long predate the current crisis.) The reason is not that churches use digital technology. Rather, it is that they often embrace digital values, which Kim enumerates: 1. Speed. We have access to what we want when we want, as quickly as our fingers can type and scroll.
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Books reviewed by
George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine.
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2. Choices. We have access to an endless array of options when it comes to just about anything. 3. Individualism. Everything, from online profiles to gadgets is endlessly customizable, allowing us to emphasize our preferences and personalities. Kim acknowledges that digital technology has made “major contributions to the improvement of human experience.” Sheltered at home with my family, I can confirm that a speedy internet, multiple iPads, and an array of online entertainment choices vastly improved our experience of confinement. Additionally, digital technology made church services and small groups accessible to believers who couldn’t walk through their church doors. And yet, those digital values also have a downside. In Kim’s words: The speed of the digital age has made us impatient. The choices of the digital age have made us shallow. The individualism of the digital age has made us isolated. Digital values are good if you’re talking about consuming things. If you’re talking about making disciples, however, impatience, shallowness and isolation are nonstarters. Consequently, Kim warns: “Leading our churches headlong into digital spaces in hopes of creating an easy-to-consume Christian product severely diminishes our ability to meaningfully impact the culture around us and invite them into more meaningful spaces.” Because of this danger, Kim encourages churches to “lean into analog opportunities” in three areas: worship, community and Scripture. He captures the basic difference between digital and analog with this couplet: “Digital informs. Analog transforms.” Both information and transformation are important, of course — the former as the means, the latter as an end. But, as opposed to analog, digital has the quality of seeing rather than being. (These are my words, not Kim’s.) Seeing pictures of Yosemite, for example, simply cannot capture the wonder of being there.
So how does this information-transformation distinction apply to worship, community and Scripture? By worship, Kim means the public gatherings of Christians characterized by “songs and sermons,” two forms easy to represent via digital media. The danger of digital worship is that it takes place in your head, not your whole body. Seeing others sing or preach isn’t the same as being in the room where it happened. An observer isn’t a participant. The being-there quality of analog applies even more to community. “Digital technologies are exceptional and efficient when it comes to the exchange of information,” Kim writes, “but they are abject failures when it comes to the exchange of presence.” We may speak of “online communities,” but that is a useful fiction. Communities must commune, not just communicate. The gospel didn’t come to us as a movie played on the screen of heaven, after all. It came as Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, who gathered around himself a community called His “body.” Digital technology cannot do this. It cannot reproduce the embodied character of community. Finally, Scripture. Digital technology provides tremendous tools for Bible study. I use YouVersion’s search function all the time, for example. The problem is that a search-function approach to Scripture is reductive. Consider that God did not inspire the Bible as an answer to a Google prompt, “What does the Bible say about ______?” Instead, over the course of 1,500 years, He inspired 66 books that tell a unified story: the gospel. Understanding that story requires reading slowly for “deep comprehension,” rather than swiftly searching for “self-help tidbits or small morsels of encouragement or inspiration for the day.” Unfortunately, this latter approach is how millions now “read” the Bible. Kim concludes Analog Church by talking about Communion, which is so analog — “you can’t eat and drink together online” — that it is an antidote to digital values. Given the extraordinary circumstances of the current
pandemic, some have experimented with “virtual Communion” as a concession to shortterm realities. Pandemic aside, though, the long-term reality is that the Church is intrinsically analog. Facebook and FaceTime may supplement a church’s communication capabilities, especially in a crisis, but they cannot substitute for face-to-face experience. If we Christians fail to remember this, we fail to feed the very hunger our contemporaries so strongly feel. BOOK REVIEWED Jay Y. Kim, Analog Church: Why We Need Real People, Places, and Things in the Digital Age (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2020).
“Digital technologies are exceptional and efficient when it comes to the exchange of information, but they are abject failures when it comes to the exchange of presence.” — Jay Y. Kim, Analog Church
A Prayer Book for Life ife is complicated, so we need to learn to pray complicatedly. The Book of Psalms helps us do that because it touches on all the conditions of life — high, low and in-between. As Denise Dombkowski Hopkins writes, “A journey
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RECOMMENDED READING FOR LEADERS By Influence Magazine
WHEN NARCISSISM COMES TO CHURCH Chuck DeGroat (IVP) “Narcissistic pastors are anxious and insecure shepherds who do not lead the sheep to still waters but into hurricane winds,” writes Christian psychologist Chuck DeGroat. In this book, DeGroat draws on his extensive counseling experience and academic research to illuminate narcissism in all its variety, demonstrate its negative effects on both church members and church systems, and outline a plan for healing its victims, including the narcissists themselves. The good news? The “radically humble, self-giving way” of Jesus Christ.
HOW TO MAKE BIG DECISIONS WISELY Alan Ehler (Zondervan) “Big decisions shape the course of life,” writes Alan Ehler. The question is how well you’re making those decisions. In this book, Ehler introduces Story Shaping, a four-step model useful for making personal and organizational decisions, as well as for resolving conflict. The four steps are: 1) read the backstory; 2) catch God’s story; 3) craft a new story; and 4) tell the new story. It is “a prayerful process integrating Scripture, theological reflection, and skills derived from decision science and neuroscience.”
THE MOTIVE Patrick Lencioni (Wiley) In this book, Patrick Lencioni tells a fable about two CEOs, which identifies two motives for leadership. Reward-centered leadership believes that “being a leader is the reward for hard work; therefore, the experience of being a leader should be pleasant and enjoyable.” By contrast, responsibility-centered leadership believes that “being a leader is a responsibility; therefore, the experience of leading should be difficult and challenging.” Although written for business leaders, this book has multiple applications for pastors and other church leaders too.
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through the Psalms is a journey of the life of faith.” W. David O. Taylor’s Open and Unafraid is a guidebook for that journey. Neither an introduction to nor a commentary on the Psalter, it focuses on “the formative power of the psalms, for both individual and communities.” It does this by exploring many of Psalms’ recurring themes. The first, honesty, sets the tone for those that follow. “What the psalms offer us is a powerful aid to un-hide,” Taylor writes: “to stand honestly before God without fear, to face one another vulnerably without shame, and to encounter life in the world without any of the secrets that would demean and distort our humanity.” Psalms’ honesty shows up in its prayers about sadness, anger and joy. When the psalmists imprecate their enemies and demand justice, when they worry about death and hope for life, when they consider the nations or reflect on creation, they model how we can do the same. Most importantly, when read through the eyes of Christian faith, Psalms points us to Jesus. “The psalms teach us how to pray as Jesus himself prayed,” Taylor explains. But also, “to pray with Jesus in the psalms is to pray with the one who embodies our prayers.” Psalms is both Jesus’ prayer book, we might say, and a prayer book about Jesus. For centuries, the Church recognized this and used the Psalter as its own prayer book. Many Christian traditions continue to do so. Unfortunately, American evangelicals and Pentecostals have not adopted this practice, perhaps due to concerns about rote prayers, questions about Christian use of the Old Testament, or worries that some laments and all imprecations are inappropriate on believers’ lips. Open and Unafraid shows both why such concerns are misplaced and how Christians can make use of the Psalter today. Indeed, according to the New Testament, praying the Psalms is a Pentecostal activity. Ephesians 5:18–19 tells us to “be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit.” May the Spirit who inspired Psalms inspire us to pray its prayers! BOOK REVIEWED W. David O. Taylor, Open and Unafraid: The Psalms as a Guide to Life (Nashville, TN: Nelson Books, 2020).
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Life Together H E AT H E R Z E M P E L
Seven best practices for small group leaders.
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hen Jesus showed up on the stage of human history, He did not call a press conference, organize a world tour, or advertise five nights of revival in Rome. Instead, Jesus gathered 12 men around Him and did life with them. He said, “Follow me.” Jesus led a small group. That was His strategy for changing the world, and it’s still the strategy for advancing Jesus’ kingdom, making disciples
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and passing faith to the next generation. There are as many kinds of small groups as there are churches, group models and leaders. Some are sermon-aligned, while others are Bible or book studies. Some are interest-based or demographic-based. Many meet in homes, some meet in churches, and a few meet online. Regardless of the kind you lead, great small groups are built on great leaders. That doesn’t mean you have to be the smartest person in the room — or even the most spiritual. It does mean taking personally Jesus’ command to “make disciples.”
While small group discipleship may not look the same in every setting, here are seven best practices: 1. Show up. While it may seem elementary, showing up each week establishes a culture of expectation, predictability and safety. Show up mentally and authentically to the group. And show up in the lives of your group members throughout the week. 2. Establish an agreement. Have everyone share their expectations for the group, and then write up an agreement of shared values (punctuality or flexibility, doing homework or just showing up, etc.) and shared expectations (meeting time and place, ending time, who is responsible for snacks, etc.). 3. Share stories. Community begins by simply learning about one another. Here are a few icebreakers to try: • Talk about a hero, highlight or hardship from your childhood. • If you could go to any concert in the history of the world, what would it be? • What accomplishment, before the sixth grade, are you most proud of ? • What three people have been most influential in your life? • What three to five words would your friends use to describe you? • What are your family’s holiday traditions? • What was your favorite family vacation, and why? • What was the most unique job you ever had? • What is a personal rule you refuse to break? 4. Enforce rules of engagement. Every group consists of a number of communication challenges — long talkers, no talkers, off-topic talkers, complainers, gossipers and conversation hijackers. Establish some conversation guidelines, such as these: • What members say in the group stays in the group. • Everyone participates. • Ask clarifying questions. • Validate the experiences and opinions of others.
• Lean in to listen. • Don’t interrupt, ramble or gossip. • Disagree freely, but love regardless. The goal is to establish a shared approach to conversation. 5. Delegate roles. Good small group leaders can do everything, but great small group leaders give away as much as possible. People feel most connected when they have a relationship and a responsibility. Ensure members move from being consumers to contributors by giving each person ownership in the group and a role to play. Roles could include snack/hospitality coordinator, celebration planner, prayer leader, worship leader, communication director, icebreaker leader, email writer, and care leader. Find out what people love to do and are good at doing, and let them do it. 6. Go shoulder-to-shoulder. Community building happens not only face-to-face, but also shoulder-to-shoulder. Take on a community service project together. Find a way to serve the church together. Embark on a missions trip together. Find excuses to celebrate — such as birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, new jobs, new babies and empty nests. Find opportunities to play. Go to the park, attend a sporting event, paint pottery or brave a ropes course together. When we are face-to-face, we can share stories. When we engage shoulder-to-shoulder, we create shared stories. 7. Brave the mess. Community is messy because it involves people dumping their brokenness and baggage in the midst of your living room. Don’t be alarmed. Messes can be incubators for miracles. When your group gets messy, it probably means you have created a safe place for people to be authentic and for God to surface the stuff He wants to deal with in their lives. Great small group leaders don’t try to fix the mess. They simply keep showing up, pointing to God, and communicating that we will get through it because we are better together.
Jesus led a small group. That was His strategy for changing the world, and it’s still the strategy for advancing Jesus’ kingdom, making disciples and passing faith to the next generation.
Heather Zempel leads the discipleship efforts at National Community Church (AG) in Washington, D.C., where she oversees small groups, directs leadership development training, and serves on the weekend teaching team.
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PLAYBOOK KNOW
Reaching Second-Generation Unbelievers JOSEPH LEAR
How to share the good news with the non-religious.
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ou are bringing some strange ideas to our ears.” This is what the pagan philosophers of Athens said to Paul when he proclaimed to them “foreign gods” in the resurrected Jesus (Acts 17:18–20). Christians in the West need to acknowledge that, increasingly, our situation is much more like Paul’s in Athens than Peter’s in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost. More and more, we are not preaching to people who know of David and the Psalm Peter quoted to the Pentecost crowd (Acts 2:25–28). We are trying to reach people who may, at best, only have an interest in Christianity because it is exotic — very much like the Athenians who were always interested in hearing something novel (Acts 17:21). I live in Iowa City, Iowa, home of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes. It is a city known
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for its progressivism in the Midwest, and it has an increasing number of second- (or third) generation non-Christians. They are people whose parents raised them with no reference to Christianity, let alone conventional religion. How do we reach these typically white, semi-affluent, “non-religious” people? First, we must dispel the idea that it is possible for someone to be non-religious. Christians and non-Christians alike have bought into a false secular-religious binary. But everyone worships. In Iowa City, the farmer’s market, craft fairs and art festivals all have a tarot card reader. Political campaigners barricade these events forcing everyone to think about what they hope for as they buy vegetables, essential oils, and homemade astrological jewelry. Iowa City is dotted with yard signs that declare “I believe in science.” All of this is religious.
Non-Christians of all sorts have faith, hope and love, though — obviously — not like Christians do. They have faith that the global market and endless consumerism will bring prosperity for all. They have hope that the democratic political process will secure their individual rights. They love themselves (2 Timothy 3:2). James K. A. Smith has a fantastic book titled You Are What You Love (Brazos, 2016), in which he describes the shopping mall as the Western equivalent to the pagan temples of old. Malls are where we learn to consume, to gratify ourselves, to love ourselves. The love of self through endless consumption bleeds over into all of life. At the night club, we drink in our own bodies by becoming the cult prostitutes of individual freedom and instant gratification. We say, “This is my body, given for me.” Perhaps the first thing we ought to say to the non-religious person is what Paul said to the Athenians: “I see that in every way you are very religious” (Acts 17:22). That indeed may be a very strange idea to their ears.
Second, we must practice a generous hospitality. Paul admired the Athenians, which is why he wanted to introduce them to the resurrected Jesus. We need to have a similar relational generosity. Invite people into your home. Prepare a feast for them. If you don’t know how to cook, learn. Share everything generously. Cornelius’ conversion in Acts 10 was a miracle not only because he converted, but also because Peter, a Jew, shared a meal with a Gentile. I host feasts at my house weekly. Weekly meals at my church, Resurrection Assembly of God, have been the lifeblood of our body. The Bible models for us over and over again that miracles happen when we share a meal with someone. Jesus revealed himself in the breaking of bread (Luke 24:30–31). Why can’t it happen again? Third, we must be honest. When Paul came to Athens, he came proclaiming Jesus and the resurrection (Acts 17:18). He did not come with door prizes or other cleverly devised marketing techniques. He spoke of things of “first importance.” As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:1–4, Jesus died, was buried and rose again, and all of this was “according to the Scriptures.” Passages like this must become our daily meditation. As often as we gather at Resurrection Assembly, we confess the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. We invite people to confess their sins and be baptized, that they might die and rise again in Christ. We don’t try to lure people with coffee and snacks. We don’t claim that Christianity will be the perfect supplement to their middle-class aspirations. In my experience, the “non-religious” respect honesty. They don’t respect bait-and-switch evangelization techniques. Our honesty, however, means we will have to be satisfied even when people reject the gospel, as some did in Athens. Finally, we must patiently pray. America may increasingly be more Athens than Jerusalem, but one thing the Book of Acts models for us is patient waiting for the Spirit in prayer, no matter the geographical locale.
We are trying to reach people who may, at best, only have an interest in Christianity because it is exotic — very much like the Athenians who were always interested in hearing something novel.
Joseph Lear , Ph.D. (New Testament), is lead pastor of Resurrection Assembly of God in Iowa City, Iowa, and adjunct professor at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri.
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PLAYBOOK INVEST
Two Ways Churches Can Help Pastors With Medical Expenses ROLLIE DIMOS
Are churches missing an opportunity to invest in the financial health of their pastors and staff?
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n the last decade, there has been an increased focus on affordable health care. But even after several legislative attempts to overhaul health insurance, many small businesses, including churches, do not assist their employees with medical expenses. I believe churches are missing an opportunity to invest in the financial health of their pastors and staff. Many Assemblies of God ministers receive a modest salary for the ministry work they perform. Forty-five percent of AG ministers receive less than $30,000 in total compensation and benefits, and many do not receive benefits like health care or retirement con-
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tributions. In fact, 64% of ministers receive no health insurance benefits from their churches. No wonder 38% of ministers work a second job, and 14% under age 45 receive government assistance, such as food stamps. In 2019, 137 million Americans reported financial hardship due to medical costs. And about 67% of all personal bankruptcies are related to medical issues. Understandably, many ministers are concerned about the state of their personal finances. I believe a healthy church will be generous and intentional about compensation planning. A well-rounded compensation plan includes not only a salary, but also benefits
like insurance, retirement contributions and education assistance. Reducing the financial stress of pastors makes it easier for them to minister. When we take care of our church leaders, entire congregations benefit.
Legal Mandates
Since passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the law requires U.S. citizens to have health insurance with minimum essential coverage, unless they qualify for an approved exemption. While taxpayers no longer face fines for noncompliance, the law still applies. Individual health plans are available for anyone who doesn’t have employer-provided insurance. Individuals may purchase coverage directly from insurers or through the Health Insurance Marketplace the ACA created. Group health insurance plans are those employers can purchase for their employees. Most businesses with two or more employees can purchase group health insurance, which may offer lower premiums than individual plans. Employee premiums can be paid with pretax dollars, and the employer may be able to lower payroll taxes. Under the ACA, employers — including churches — with 50 or more full-time employees not offering ACA-compliant health care to employees will owe a penalty, the employer shared responsibility payment. While there is no requirement for organizations with fewer than 50 full-time employees, the government offers a two-year refund incentive to employers with fewer than 25 full-time workers who purchase employee insurance through the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) and pay at least half the premiums. Prior to the ACA, churches not offering group insurance could still help their employees with medical costs by reimbursing premiums, deductibles and co-pays. This was a tax-free alternative to group health insurance. Today, such arrangements are illegal and subject to a staggering fine of $100 per day, per employee.
New Options
Thankfully, significant legislative changes now make it relatively easy for churches to help with health care costs of their employees on a tax-free basis. Two new options are the Qualified SmallEmployer Health Reimbursement Arrangement (QSEHRA) and Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA). Both allow employers to reimburse employees for medical expenses without providing a group health insurance plan. The employee must still have an ACA-compliant health insurance plan. QSEHRA, available since 2017, allows churches with fewer than 50 employees to use employer funds to reimburse health insurance premiums and other out-ofpocket medical expenses on a tax-free basis. It is important to note that only the employer can fund a QSEHRA, and employer contributions for 2020 are limited to $5,150 for single coverage and $10,450 for family coverage. ICHRA, which became available this year, allows churches of any size to reimburse employees for qualified medical expenses, such as premiums and other out-of-pocket expenses. ICHRAs can also reimburse Medicare premiums. These reimbursements are funded by the employer and can be provided on a tax-free basis. ICHRAs do not have contribution limits like QSEHRAs and seem to offer more flexibility. However, both have reporting and eligibility requirements, and the employer is subject to penalties for any noncompliance. For this reason, it is important for a church to work with an experienced health insurance broker or employee benefits professional to create a program that complies with government rules. The rising cost of health care is a major factor contributing to financial stress for many Americans, including AG ministers. These recent changes give churches more options for assisting pastors and church staff with medical expenses on a tax-free basis.
The rising cost of health care is a major factor contributing to financial stress for many Americans, including AG ministers.
Rollie Dimos is director of internal audit for the General Council of the Assemblies of God in Springfield, Missouri.
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PLAYBOOK ETHICS
An Impossible Choice JOHN DAVIDSON
The ethics of fulfilling financial obligations in a crisis.
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he first several months of 2020 have been a crisis moment for the world. COVID-19 became a global pandemic that reached into every corner of society, affecting the way we live, work, interact and worship. The novel coronavirus is having unprecedented impact medically, socially and economically, and churches are no exception. Without the ability to meet in person, churches quickly adjusted to online services, while pastors’ attention turned to issues of care and compassion. Most church leaders also anticipated another impact of the pandemic: a decrease in charitable giving, which is a crisis of its own. Like all crises, this created clarity concerning how we steward the church’s money. The central question is, if you have more financial commitments than you have income, whom do you pay first? And while that is a very practical question, it is also an ethical one. Psalm 37:21 says, “The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously.” And Romans 13:7 says, “Give to everyone what you owe them.” We have a responsibility to keep our commitments to businesses, employees and families. We also know that sometimes the economic realities we face force us to make hard decisions about where our money goes. That’s as true in our personal budgets as it is in our church budgets. Most church budgets contain these four basic categories: facilities expenses, ministry expenses, payroll and savings. Facilities include your mortgage or rent, utilities and maintenance. Ministry includes church department budgets, missionary
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support, outreach and benevolence. Payroll includes employee pay, taxes and benefits. Savings include money set aside for future projects, as well as emergency reserves. But in times of economic crisis, what if you can’t afford to completely fund your budget and pay everyone you owe? Do you pay your mortgage or your staff ? Do you buy groceries to feed hungry people in your community or keep your monthly financial commitment to your missionaries? These are not easy questions, and there
are no easy answers. In fact, every situation is unique, so there isn’t one right solution for every church. There are, however, some principles to keep in mind when facing these difficult decisions. Stay calm. Don’t panic. You rarely make good decisions when you’re afraid. These are big decisions that impact real people and families, so make a commitment to decide, not react. Seek counsel. You rarely make the best decision when you’re alone. Proverbs 15:22 says, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” Call an advisor whose business acumen you trust, and also make sure you talk to people who have intimacy with Jesus. These situations call for the blending of fact and faith. Cut the unnecessary. Anything you don’t need can be cut. Is your church paying for lawn service, cable TV, janitorial services or any other luxuries? Many of those can be discontinued to conserve cash. Stop extra payments. Are you regularly paying extra principle on your mortgage or other debts? During this season, you can pay only what’s required and pick back up paying extra at a later date. Stay missional. Crises force us to focus on what’s most important to our church. Investing in tangible help for people in need locally and missionary boots on the ground globally are essential to who we are and should be atop our list of priorities. God will bless us as we prioritize His mission. Use reserves. Many churches have reserves set aside in a rainy-day fund and may be wondering whether now is the right time to use that money. The rainy day has arrived. Use those funds now to support essential operations, pay debts and make payroll. That’s what they’re for. Get creative. Paying expenses isn’t always all or nothing. Whether it’s paying a vendor or a staff member, can you pay half or twothirds rather than not paying anything? As difficult as it is to be unable to afford paying
100% of that bill, paying something is better than nothing. Communicate. In a time of financial crisis, overcommunication is important. Never decide not to pay a person or a business without first having a personal conversation. Call them, or go see them in person if you can. Let them know the struggle you’re having, and reassure them you will pay, but you need their help to find a workable solution. During a crisis, people are often flexible and really do want to help one another succeed. This is a no-win situation. A nearly impossible choice. An ethical conundrum. And while I always try to provide answers in this column, there aren’t many good answers here. The two things this crisis highlights, maybe more than anything else, is to take every opportunity to live within your means and create margin in times of plenty. After all, margin is an ethical issue too. The Old Testament account of Joseph points us to the wisdom of using times of plenty to create margin that can sustain us in times of need. We have an ethical responsibility to maintain margin. So, while this advice may not help you now, do yourself a favor and work toward these two financial goals in the future: 1 Budget to spend 90% of last year’s income, creating a 10% buffer. If your income grows, so does your margin and your ability to invest extra in ministry. But if it’s not a growth year, and even if you experience a little setback, you can still cover your obligations. 2. Create a reserve fund to use in times of crisis, make regular contributions to it, and protect it. COVID-19 isn’t the first crisis creating an economic storm for the world, and it won’t be the last. While we never wish for a crisis, crises do come. One way to grow through this crisis is to learn important financial lessons now and practice good stewardship going forward. That way, when the next crisis hits, your church will be prepared to meet the challenge.
The two things this crisis highlights, maybe more than anything else, is to take every opportunity to live within your means and create margin in times of plenty.
John Davidson, Ph.D., is director of leadership development for the General Council of the Assemblies of God in Springfield, Missouri.
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PA N D LEADING IN A
Finding our way forward in faith. ROBERT C. CROSBY
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DEMIC A
t the beginning of 2020, how would you have responded if someone had told you, “In less than three months, a global pandemic will infect hundreds of thousands and kill tens of thousands, the borders of the nation
will be closed, churches will not be able to meet publicly, people will be confined to their homes, the global economy will hit the pause button, and most colleges and schools will close and move to online teaching?” Perhaps you would have said, “Are you kidding me? You’re crazy! That would never happen to us; not in this country.” Yet, here we are. As pastors and leaders, we’re still trying to make sense of this moment and discern how best to navigate it. Dr. Robert E. Cooley, former president of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, once said this about leadership: “Leaders do two things. They frame issues and engage conflicts.” I have leaned on this definition so long, I formed a version of my own. Christian leaders do three things: They frame issues, build people, and engage opportunities for the kingdom of God. But just how might this framework of leadership play
out today, as we face this deeply challenging environment? How might it help us lead people through a global pandemic?
FRAME ISSUES
There are no easy answers. We are not only dealing with a health crisis, but also a financial, educational, vocational and psychological crisis. The issues are complex, and they can feel overwhelming and confusing. People are looking to leaders to provide clarity. We must respond in three ways. First, we need to ask the right questions. You don’t have to know all the answers to lead people well. But you do need to be able to ask and address the right questions. In times of crisis, people often want to know why bad things are happening. However, when Jesus talked with
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people who were sick or in trouble, He didn’t focus on the “why.” Instead, Jesus brought them help, grace and healing. So, a better way to deal with the why question may be to consider what. What good could God possibly bring from such a difficult season and situation? The biblical narrative offers perspective for leading people through crises. The most famous journey of faith and struggle was that of the Hebrew nation following Moses out of Egypt and through the wilderness. For the Children of Israel, the 40-year journey was fraught with challenges, delays, detours, twists and turns — with an army chasing them, a sea in their way, plagues, leprosy, droughts, fires in the camp and more. Yet God used this time to accomplish His purposes and teach His people to rely on Him. What is God doing in and through His people today? How can our present circumstances bring glory to God and advance His mission in the world? That brings us to the second point. We need to seek a Kingdom perspective. Scripture doesn’t guarantee Christ followers a trouble-free life. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). We live in a world of trouble. Nonetheless, even in intense seasons such as this, we ask, “Could this hardship be producing anything positive? Could God use it for some good?” Deuteronomy 8 provides insight into how God was working in His people in the midst of difficulties: Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. … He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you (verses 2–3, 16). Adversity is humbling. It reveals our character and obedience to God. And when God is with us through the trials, we can trust Him to use them for our good. In seasons of comfort and in seasons of challenge, we know God is at work. Throughout the Bible, God’s people have struggled with doubts, anxieties and questions. Yet God has spoken through His Word and provided perspective and comfort.
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Finally, we must tell people the truth. Candor is a communication essential that inspires trust in leaders. The season we face is a difficult one, and Christian leaders should not deny that. During the Civil War, several battles did not go the way Abraham Lincoln would have wanted. Yet he exercised honesty. “I am a firm believer in the people,” Lincoln said. “If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts.” Honestly addressing the issues we face today provides clarity for the people we lead. Hearing the truth helps them process and respond appropriately to difficult realities. Candor sets the stage for the second leadership step.
BUILD PEOPLE
We are facing a spiritual epidemic of fear today. During a crisis, people can easily become self-absorbed and overwhelmed. In such an environment, leaders have the opportunity to inspire confidence in God. Pastor Jack Hayford said it well: “God has not called us to build big churches, but rather big people.” Paul wrote to a church in crisis in 1 Corinthians. The congregation was full of people problems, self-centeredness and spiritual error. Among other things, Paul addressed a misplacement of hope and overreliance on personalities, politics, performance and power (1 Corinthians 1:10–17, 3:3–23); a misunderstanding of grace (1 Corinthians 10:23–24); and an underestimation of the centrality of Christlike love as the primary motivation and goal of ministry (1 Corinthians 13). In the midst of this cultural crisis, Paul instructed and led the Corinthian church in reform. He set out to teach, train and transform the minds and behaviors of these people — to grow big souls. Paul reminded them of the essentials when he wrote, “These three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). Build people with overcoming faith. Getting through a crisis, whether a global or a personal one, requires faith. Too often, people think of faith as a magic wand — something we use to get what we want from God. On the contrary, biblical faith is not something we use to get what we want; rather, it is something supernatural God places within us to help us become the people He wants. Faith is made for tough times like these. It is the Godgiven, internal, spiritual muscle we need to endure and overcome. Faith is more than the next sermon we preach. Faith is “the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).
“EVEN IN INTENSE SEASONS SUCH AS THIS, WE ASK, “COULD THIS HARDSHIP BE PRODUCING ANYTHING POSITIVE? COULD GOD USE IT FOR SOME GOOD?” MAY-JUNE 2020
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“PEOPLE LACKING HOPE NEED TO SEE LEADERS WHO ARE FINDING THEIR OWN HOPE AND PEACE IN CHRIST.” 32 | Influence
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While the faith you teach as a leader will inform your people, the faith you live out during this season will help inspire them to walk by faith. Faith is a revealer of the hope we have inside. The writer of Hebrews defines faith as “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). Build people with unshakable hope. In difficult times, hope can feel hard to come by. On March 3, a series of devastating tornadoes hit Nashville, Tennessee, and wreaked havoc on the main campus of CrossPoint Church. On the heels of that tragedy, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down gatherings throughout the city and across the state. How does a pastor nurture hope in people during such a time of crisis? Lead Pastor Kevin Queen is pointing people to Jesus and the peace that is available only in Him. On a recent church podcast, Queen talked about the disciples hiding in fear after Jesus’ crucifixion. When the resurrected Christ entered the room where they were gathered, He said, “Peace be with you” (John 20:19,21). People lacking hope need to see leaders who are finding their own hope and peace in Christ. No matter what we face, hope is “an anchor for the soul” (Hebrews 6:19). Build people with enduring love. This crisis is replete with suffering. People are sick and dying in so many places. Family members are hurting over their loved ones’ struggles and often are not even allowed to be present with them. The world around us desperately needs compassionate care from the Church, the people of God. During this crisis, many pastors are living more sermons than they preach. They are supporting medical first responders, feeding school children, and demonstrating the love of Christ through countless acts of service. The complex challenges are creating an agenda for refreshingly simple expressions of sincere love and ministry. “I am encouraged by how I see churches banding together to take care of each other,” says Rich Guerra, superintendent of the SoCal Network of the Assemblies of God in Irvine, California. “This has included some more tech-savvy churches helping other churches get their services online — in some cases, loaning out their staff to make sure other churches can get the right expertise. I have seen resource sharing [among churches] like never before.” When ministers lead the way in loving people, including fellow pastors and neighboring churches, it may be the best sermon they ever preach. It builds in congregations what they need to engage opportunities for growing the Kingdom.
ENGAGE OPPORTUNITIES
In the midst of the 2008 U.S. financial crisis, Rahm Emmanuel, who served as White House chief of staff under President Barack Obama, said, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before.” The current crisis may present more opportunities than we realize. Three are already evident. First, we have an opportunity to redefine “church.” This season is causing pastors and ministry leaders to reflect on a renewed vision of the Church. Jason Burns, lead pastor of Access Church (AG) in Lakeland, Florida, says many churches are expanding their reach as they broadcast services online and find innovative ways to minister. “I think of this season as a similar moment to Acts 8, when persecution broke out and the church decentralized and exploded in growth,” Burns says. Nona Jones, director of global faith-based partnerships for Facebook, says many churches are just discovering the potential of social media. “Up to now, church has really been deemed as a model that requires a date, a time and a location,” Jones said on a recent Barna podcast. “Social media lets us minister to people 24/7. [Church] can actually happen wherever you are.” Mike Cameneti, pastor of Faith Family Church in North Canton, Ohio, says he sees churches excelling in sharing the compassion of Christ. “I feel like for years, we learned about leading well, and we needed that,” Cameneti says. “But in a time like this, we need to show care more than anything. Our pastors are stepping up from simply leading to really tending to sheep through caring.” Church is also taking on new forms. “I have been absolutely amazed at the ingenuity the large majority of our pastors have displayed,” says Jason Tourville, director of minister care for the PennDel Ministry Network of the Assemblies of God in Mechanicsville, Pennsylvania. “One of our Pennsylvania churches rented the drive-in movie theater and held services using their technology. The pastor told their congregation that if they wanted to shout ‘amen,’ they could flash their lights or honk their horn.” Government-imposed restrictions and state orders can strike fear in pastors’ hearts and cause them to focus on what their churches cannot do. However, it is more productive to focus on what we can do. We may feel like
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“WHILE THE FAITH YOU TEACH YOUR PEOPLE, THE FAITH YOU SEASON WILL HELP INSPIRE we are wandering in the wilderness at times. But with God’s guidance and provision, the Church is finding its way. Second, we have an opportunity to recover what matters most. For hundreds of millions, life has paused in ways we’ve never seen in our lifetimes. The shutdown of work, sports, schools and entertainment has turned lives on end. As much of society came to a sudden stop, the Church has had a rare opportunity to “be still and know that [he is] God” (Psalm 46:10). But, what is God saying to us during this season? Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of the late Billy Graham and founder of AnGeL Ministries, wrote in a recent blog post, “It’s time to pray! It’s time to turn away from our sin, self-centeredness and secularism, and turn to God in faith and trust. [Let’s pray that] it causes America to look up and listen to what God has to say, and therefore becomes the trigger for a national spiritual revival.” What are the needed changes to which God may be calling His people, His pastors? Just a couple of years ago, an influential megachurch went through a leadership implosion. In the wake of numerous church leaders resigning, some of the remaining team members created a list of transformational mind shifts about ministry. The convicting list challenges leaders to never again prioritize strategy over shepherding, competency over character, quantity over quality, celebrity over humility, command over collaboration, secrecy over transparency, or planning over prayer. In a season of social distancing, could God be calling leaders and parishioners alike to draw closer to Him?
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Terry Yancey, superintendent of the Assemblies of God Kansas Ministry Network in Maize, Kansas, believes this can be an Ephesians 1:17 moment for the Church. Paul writes in that passage, “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” “I’m praying any of us already guilty of being professional clerics will return to Ephesians 1:17,” Yancey says. Third, we have an opportunity to engage a new generation of leaders. In the heat of his own crisis and fear, Elijah nearly overlooked something so important, something we cannot afford to miss: the next generation. As the prophet bemoaned his own struggles, God gently pointed him to a great opportunity in the form of a young protégé, Elisha (1 Kings 19). While we work and lead through this season, we must remember people are watching. In particular, the next generation is watching. The sons and daughters of the Church will see the way the fathers and mothers of the faith handle this season. As we confront the challenges brought by this invisible coronavirus enemy with faith, hope and love, the steps we take, the attitudes we convey, and the love we show to others will shape those who follow. With millennial leaders assisting older pastors across the nation with new forms of ministry, the elders are suddenly seeking the advice of the Elishas around them. We must not miss this moment. Once we get through this crisis, we may see the next generation stepping up to lead on many fronts.
AS A LEADER WILL INFORM LIVE OUT DURING THIS THEM TO WALK BY FAITH.” At the recent COVID-19 Church Summit, Assemblies of God General Superintendent Doug Clay said, “I have never seen the kind of generational unity like I have in the past couple of weeks. The boomer generation needs the millennial generation.” Many leaders have already discerned that this season will be a game changer in many ways. “COVID-19 has, and will continue to, change America and the world as this subsides,” says Joseph Girdler, superintendent of the Kentucky Ministry Network in Crestwood, Kentucky. “We, and the Church, will never be the same again.”
CHANGES IN MINISTRY
When Craig Groeschel, pastor of the Life.Church Network, returned from his own 14 days of quarantine, he decided to shelve the next two podcast episodes he’d already recorded, which covered the topic of how to grow an organization. “The problem is, I don’t know too many churches or organizations today that are trying to grow,” Groeschel says. “Many right now are trying to survive.” Nevertheless, the future of ministry is as strong as the One who promised to build the Church, even against “the gates of hell” (Matthew 16:18, ESV). Even as we navigate a new normal, more change is in the air. As leaders, we must be ready for it. On the other side of this crisis, how will you answer these questions: • How did you frame the issues for your congregation during this season? • In what ways did you build people to help them endure and overcome?
• When did you engage opportunities available during this unique moment in history? “If this crisis only helps more pastors effectively provide Facebook Live Bible studies and worship experiences, then we will have wasted the opportunity,” Yancey says. Surely, God has more in mind. But the people we lead will need the same things as those led by Paul: faith, hope and love — the essentials of Christian ministry. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 1:2–3, “We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (emphases added). Framing issues. Building people. Engaging opportunities. In the best of times and in the worst, it’s what leaders do — for the glory of God. Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth (Psalm 46:10).
Dr. Robert C. Crosby is the president of Emerge Counseling Ministries. Emerge is the primary counseling partner for the AG and has been providing counseling for over 45 years. Emerge also directs The HelpLine, a global call-in counseling support line for AG ministers and their family members. Crosby is the author of several books, including The One Jesus Loves (Nelson Books) and The Teaming Church (Abingdon Press). Contact Emerge Counseling at emerge.org or at 800-621-5207.
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ow can churches minister effectively to their communities when, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, public health orders have closed their doors? That is the question U.S. churches have been asking as this issue of Influence goes to press. Some churches found the question relatively easy to answer. They already utilized social media as an adjunct to their in-person ministries. They already had small group and benevolence systems in place to minister to the spiritual and material needs of their communities. Consequently, their response to the current crisis simply built on their existing capabilities. Other churches found answering the question more difficult. Perhaps their use of social media was haphazard or nonexistent. Maybe their discipleship systems relied on people coming to a church building for spiritual sustenance. Or perhaps they did not have effective benevolence ministries in place. For these churches, the past few weeks have been a crash course in alternate forms of ministry. Whether your church answered the question easily or with difficulty, all churches now need to move forward with best practices in four specific areas: 1. Social media 2. Caring for at-risk people 3. Small groups 4. Online giving To help churches do this, we’ve commissioned four pastors with experience leading in these areas to share what they have learned with you. Your church will get through this crisis. Its doors will reopen. Your congregation will gather again. But you must seize the opportunities this crisis offers! Our hope is that you will do so and begin a process of continuously upgrading your ability to minister effectively to your community, regardless of whether there is a crisis. The Editors
Social Media Best Practices in a Time of Social Distancing — and Beyond People are starving for connections, community and relationships — especially now. RYA N WA K E F I E L D s the Church, we have a message of hope to share with a frightened and uncertain world. Now is not the season for churches to shrink back from outreach. This is a time to proclaim the gospel, especially using tools like social media. Here are seven points to keep in mind when ministering through social media: 1. Remember it’s not about you. Many pastors I visit with are quick to confess they don’t love social media. They are not interested in becoming a social
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sensation or influencer, so they opt out of engaging. However, the mission is not about us or our preferences. The mission is to help people find and follow Jesus, and social media can be a powerful way to share the good news with our communities. 2. Start with a social mindset. During a typical American in-person service, we lead people in group worship in an auditorium. We can’t just move that approach to a digital platform. It’s not designed for social media. We need to adapt worship and discipleship to digital communication channels. We must find new ways to draw people in, inviting them not only to watch, but to participate — right where they are. 3. Keep ministry flowing out of relationships. When it comes to livestreaming and digital ministry, success doesn’t depend on having all the latest gadgets or using a specific platform. It’s all about relationships. The goal is providing a meaningful digital ministry rather than getting “likes” or subscribers. Make it about your church getting to know people in your community, not the other way around. 4. Be consistent. The point of digital ministry is showing up, not showing off. Don’t feel pressure to put on a big production or produce polished graphics. Those rarely work on social media anyway. Instead, ask yourself, How can we show up consistently? At the end of the day, people don’t need or want more content. They don’t want to watch another show. People are starving for connections, community and relationships — especially now. And God uniquely built the local church to provide that. 5. Cultivate engagement. This may sound complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. It essentially comes
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down to this: People will engage with you if you engage with them. Sow generously into engagement with others. One simple way is to create a
Sunday.” Be conversational. Say, “Hi, Zack. Service will kick off at 10 a.m. this Sunday. Will you be able to jump on and join us?”
People will engage with you if you engage with them. Sow generously into engagement with others. conversation out of every comment. As you invite and encourage reactions from your audience, don’t just respond to their questions; build relationships. Train your digital volunteers to start a conversation from every comment. If someone asks what time service starts, don’t just respond with, “Our next service begins at 10 a.m. on
Then carry on the conversation from there. 6. Create thoughtful content. This starts with an audience-first mindset. Be willing to tweak or change things to serve needs more effectively. Consider these questions: What do people in your community need right now? How can your content add value to their lives? How can you
Caring for an At-Risk Population How should the Church respond now and in the days ahead as this pandemic subsides? WENDELL VINSON imes of crisis present important opportunities for the Church to share the love of Christ with our congregations and communities. In every city in America, the sudden appearance of COVID19 made life more challenging in myriad ways — especially for the most vulnerable among us. How should the Church respond now and in the days ahead as this pandemic subsides? It’s a good time for all of us to embrace the big idea that the local church is God’s infrastructure for the healing of our communities. Whether it’s during a global crisis or in the everyday troubles the marginalized must navigate, the Church can play a vital role in meeting immediate needs and moving hurting people toward a better place long-term. Jesus has entrusted the Church with the gospel, and there’s no better time to live out His message of hope and redemption than by responding to the needs
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make the content more engaging? 7. Seek God’s guidance. As you ramp up your digital ministry, take time to pray. Ask God for wisdom in how to connect with people in your community and point them to Jesus. Now is the time for churches to take digital missions seriously and share our eternal hope with a world in need.
Ryan Wakefield is co-founder of Church Marketing University and director of Social Church.
of those who are trying to recover from this crisis. Here are three ways your church can respond to the pandemic:
Community Engagement
Contacting your county health department director to ask how your congregation can serve the community is a great place to start. Local officials can help you identify the most immediate needs of vulnerable community members. They can also offer guidance on when and how your church gatherings may resume. In times of crisis, well-meaning people sometimes end up doing more harm than good. Avoid that mistake by working with the leadership that is in place. Respect and adhere to the protocols they have established. Respond to the needs that concern them the most. Show them your church can be a faithful partner.
The local church is God’s infrastructure for the healing of our communities.
Immediate Resources
Many families in your community are in significant need of food and basic household goods. In fact, the need is likely greater than anything you’ve previously witnessed in your city. Ordinary community safety nets are not sufficient to meet the increased demand. This is a time for the Church to step up and engage in new ways. Churches can make a significant impact by mobilizing ministry teams and equipping them to respond. Rather than distributing resources in an impersonal way, consider adopting a model
that builds ongoing relationships with those you are serving. Train families in your church to become advocates who will care for families in need and walk with them on the long journey toward recovery. The result will be lasting friendships and eternal impact.
Trauma Care
Countless individuals and families are suffering losses during this time, and the Church has a unique opportunity to help hurting people in tangible ways while also pointing them to Jesus.
People have lost jobs, economic stability and even loved ones. In such times, having a caring friend can make all the difference. Perhaps you could train church members to offer the friendship and emotional support needed by those around them. Also consider creating specialized groups to provide encouragement and resources for those struggling from the fallout of the pandemic. Such groups can be a safe place for people suffering in the areas of grief, mental health, addiction, joblessness, or marriage and family — giving people a way to connect and gain renewed hope and fresh perspective. When people are processing significant loss, it can be a dark and lonely time. What if the people of God went out of our way, like Jesus so often did, to connect with hurting people and let them know they are not alone? These are difficult days for us all, but in the midst of these challenges, God is at work in and through His Church. A.W. Tozer once wrote, “A scared world needs a fearless church.” This has never been more true than now.
Wendell Vinson is lead pastor of Canyon Hills Assembly of God in Bakersfield, California, and co-founder and vice chairman of CityServe International.
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In this unique season, the ministry of small groups has never been more essential.
Small Groups in a Time of Crisis Five ways to bring strength to small groups. JODI CUCCURESE e could never have imagined the series of events we’ve experienced in our nation and our world over the past several months. As churches have temporarily transitioned from auditoriums to living rooms, it’s understandable things feel very different. One of the most pressing concerns of pastors is how to keep people connected to one another and the local church when this virus is doing its best to keep us separated. In this unique season, the ministry of small groups has never been more essential. The obvious need for social distancing does not mean we have to be distant relationally or spiritually. God designed us for relationship, and the blessing of technology makes it possible for us to stay connected. At James River Church (AG) in southwest Missouri, we are accomplishing this through our life groups ministry. We have strategically positioned our life groups to engage, connect with, and care for people at a greater level than ever before.
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Here are five ways to bring strength to small groups during this time: 1. Make room for more. The first thing we did was ask our current life group leaders to open their groups for more people to join. Through the church website, people can browse open life groups and send a message to a life group leader. Leaders then respond with a warm welcome and details on when and how the group meets. 2. Start new groups. People want to jump in and help. With unexpected challenges, we have an unprecedented opportunity to recruit and train potential new leaders. It’s been amazing to watch so many people step up and help us launch hundreds of new groups. Online video platforms have made training new leaders easy and fun. 3. Attend services together virtually. There are several ways groups can watch the service together. Many groups host a Facebook Watch Party, which allows the group members to attend virtually while chatting with one another. Other groups engage through group text or watch together through platforms like FaceTime or Zoom. 4. Meet online during the week. Life groups are also meeting through video chats throughout the week to discuss the message and encourage and pray for one another. One of the most popular ways for groups to meet is through Zoom. It’s free, and groups can meet for up to 40 minutes. 5. Care for one another. One of the most wonderful aspects of our life groups is the care that takes place within each group. We encourage leaders to check in on group members weekly and even
daily. We’ve created an online form where our leaders can communicate with the pastoral staff about the needs impacting the people in their groups. As a church, we can then find ways to meet those specific needs. In John 13:35, Jesus said people will know we are His disciples by how we love one another. As we care
for one another, life groups become a demonstration to the world that we are devoted followers of Jesus. When we do begin meeting together in person again, we believe hundreds of people will walk through the doors of our church for the first time, thanks to the ministry of life groups.
Why Churches Need to Switch to Online Giving Now With a digital giving solution, your members can give anytime, anywhere. DEAN SWEETMAN hile the world is in a panic, the Church is called to be a sturdy rock of peacefulness. The apostle Paul urged the Ephesian church to “keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). During a time when world governments advise us not to assemble,
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Jodi Cuccurese is the life groups director at James River Church (AG) in Ozark, Missouri.
churches face an existential threat. If you are an analog church in a COVID19 world, you are in an adapt-to-survive situation. If people stay home on Sundays, many churches across the nation may shut their doors in a matter of months. Digital church giving revolutionizes what the church can do during the outbreak. Churches that embrace mobile giving technology will be in a better position to bring real hope, connection and light into the homes of every attendee during this time that feels so dark for many. Let me explain how.
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Anywhere, Anytime Giving
Through a business lens, the traditional giving model doesn’t make much sense. Most churches have operated like a business that was open one hour per week. That one hour had to power the other 167 hours of weekly needs. With a digital giving solution, your members can give anytime, anywhere. Your donors can also give and set up recurring gifts anytime, anywhere. Our data shows that churches typically increase year-over-year contributions 167% after switching to a digital giving model. Imagine if God actually grew your church’s generosity during this season through your act of faith in adopting this revolutionary digital tool.
Churches that want to exist in 50 years should implement and market it today — and start using it this weekend. The dawn of recurring digital giving changed everything. It made tithing a one-time decision by leveraging technology — in a sense, automating the discipline of giving.
Mobile Commerce
Amazon and Uber changed the market mentality to mobile commerce. Yet churches can be skittish about digital giving. Tithing is a serious thing, and we don’t want to cheapen it by using an untested tool. Like holding on to a brittle branch while climbing a steep mountain, the feel of cash and checks can give us a false sense of safety. Nevertheless, businesses with a lot of cash
Your congregation loves using apps to do serious things. As a church, you should be providing them the opportunity to do serious business with God through an app that takes the hassle out of giving. Recurring Donations
People want to give to your church. There is a myth that people never want to give money. Jesus says giving is a blessing (Acts 20:35). Why wouldn’t people want to do it? However, digital platforms that enable only one-time gifts require your committed donors to recommit every time they want to donate. That will result in lower donations. Some will forget, and others will rationalize not giving. More importantly, they won’t form the habit of giving. The future of church financial growth is the recurring gift feature.
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have made it by fully embracing the tools of digital commerce. The marketplace has already done the work of making your church members feel comfortable doing serious business on their phones. People trust apps for all kinds of transactions. They use them for banking, managing investment portfolios, checking on the safety of their kids, and even making wedding and funeral arrangements. Many people today don’t want to bring a cash envelope to church. They don’t want to write a check. They want to enter their credit card information once, hit a button
that automates giving, and forget about it. Anything more reduces the likelihood of congregational buy-in. Your congregation loves using apps to do serious things. As a church, you should be providing congregants the opportunity to do serious business with God through an app that takes the hassle out of giving.
Coming Together
Hebrews 10:25 tells us not to give up meeting together, but to encourage one another. It’s interesting that the author of Hebrews associates assembling with encouragement. Church leaders, as you virtually gather your congregations together each Sunday or whenever you meet, remember that the Spirit’s bond of peace is what brings you into unity. That unity continues throughout the week as you speak kind words, deliver meals, help the vulnerable and offer prayers. Giving enables the continuation of ministry and the encouragement of your congregation and community in the Lord. Even though people are staying home, the kingdom of God is advancing through the power of the Spirit. The more your church leverages digital giving technology, the more you can safely and effectively be all God has called you to be in a world that desperately needs Jesus.
Dean Sweetman is the co-founder and CEO of Tithe.ly. Before starting a software company, he was a pastor for 30 years.
A RESPONSE TO COVID-19
EQUIPPING THE CHURCH FOR UNPRECEDENTED TIMES. Go to
covid19.ag.org for resources
to help guide churches through the COVID-19 pandemic. • Updates about the virus • Leadership support for local pastors and ministry leaders • Family support for our churches
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Prayer SETS THE AGENDA
How God directs your church when you pray in the Spirit with understanding and in agreement. SCOTT WILSON
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t was mostly a “prayer filler.” I was baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues when I was 8 years old. I was really excited because I come from a line of Assemblies of God pastors whom I knew greatly valued this gift. For many years, when I prayed and had some extra time, I prayed in tongues to fill in the rest of the time. I assumed this was the application of Romans 8:26: If I didn’t know what to pray, the Spirit would pray for me “through wordless groans.” But in my heart, I knew there had to be more to it than that. Jesus had told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until the time when “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Jesus was telling the disciples that the power of the Spirit was absolutely essential if they were going to
accomplish His purposes. I knew there had to be more to praying in the Spirit than what I understood, but what? Many people assume praying in tongues is an entirely private practice. I’ve learned it’s possible for teams, boards, groups and families to pray in the Spirit, with profound understanding of God’s supernatural leading, and in agreement with one another. This, I’ve found, has multiplied benefits as we lead people, because it puts us and our teams in touch with the heart of God. In fact, I’ve found that “P3 prayer” is the most effective way for us to lead our people. Let me explain.
Praying in the Spirit
A few years ago, God gave me fresh insight into a passage of Scripture I’d taught many times. Paul told the Corinthians, “For this reason the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they say. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays,
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e b o t d a h e r e e th th w e n i n g k n i I e to pray at I moririt than wh Sp understood. but my mind is unfruitful. So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding” (1 Corinthians 14:13–15). My prayer language isn’t just a filler or a practice that makes me feel close to God; it is a way for God to speak directly to my heart! When I pray in tongues, the Holy Spirit is leading my spirit to pray in alignment with His will. So when I’m praying, my spirit is praying without soul interference. Think about it. I can pray 100% God’s will without my fears, assumptions and selfish thoughts getting in the way. The Spirit of God wants to guide our prayers.
So I prayed in the Spirit, and then I paused to listen to God speak to me. It was amazing. God started speaking to me every time. I didn’t hear an audible voice. He doesn’t have to communicate in that way. God can speak directly to my thoughts. Sometimes He gave me a vision. Other times, He gave me a Scripture or a word. I felt more alive and deeply encouraged. And I felt humbled that the God of glory would share His heart and His mind with me. Of course, it’s certainly not limited to me and our team. You can expect the God of wisdom and truth to share His heart and mind with you, too.
With Understanding
I then did what I always do when God works in my life: I shared these concepts with our staff and board, and I encouraged them to pray in the same expectant way. Praying in the Spirit with understanding revolutionized my prayer life and encouraged all of us. I was thrilled, and I assumed that was the pinnacle of my experience in prayer. Then, one day my team encountered a crisis. We faced some critical decisions about our facilities and, as always, problems raising money. I gathered our staff, shared the situation, and said, “I don’t know what to do. We need direction. Let’s pray in the Spirit and see what God says to us.” After we prayed in the Spirit for a while, I asked people to share what God had put on their hearts. Some had
But that’s not all. As I kept studying 1 Corinthians 14, I realized this kind of prayer can result in far more than just lofty feelings. I can pray with understanding … and I can sing with understanding. Yes, praying in tongues edifies us (verse 4) as it makes us feel closer to God, but it also puts us in touch with the mind of God to give us more understanding of His heart, His purposes and His plans. In any relationship, we gain understanding when we listen, so as a regular part of my prayer time, I said, “God, is there something You want to say to me? Do You want to give me a word of revelation or an insight about somebody or something?”
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In Agreement
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Any Group, Anywhere Who are the people in your church needing to tap into God’s heart and discover His direction? My guess is it’s everybody! P3 is useful for any group of people. I’ve explained how we use it regularly with our staff team, but I also use it with our board. As our staff and board have experienced God’s care and direction, they now use it with their teams of volunteers throughout the church — musicians, youth and children’s workers, outreach teams, small group leaders, and all the rest. Small groups are a perfect environment for P3. The leaders first need to experience it, ideally in a group led by your church’s small groups pastor, who has been in your team meetings. Leaders can then use P3 every week, once a month or whenever it seems right to spend time seeking God’s face and voice. It’s possible P3 can become the primary model of prayer in a church. That has happened at Oaks Church, and there’s no reason it can’t happen everywhere. It takes time to go through the process, but we spend far less time chasing rabbits now that we get God’s directives more clearly. And in my experience, no other practice can match the power of praying in the Spirit, with understanding and in agreement. The time is well worth it.
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a passage, others had phrases or words, and a few had an image or a vision. As we talked, we realized each of us had put a piece into the puzzle, and together, God had given us the direction we needed. I was amazed. This, I was becoming convinced, could radically change how I led our team and how we work together. Many teams of staff or key volunteers are working hard, but their efforts aren’t closely connected. When they discover the beauty and power of agreeing with one another about what God has spoken to them, unity increases.
Write It Down
My friend Chris Railey, director of Church Multiplication Network, asked me to share the concept with the CMN Lead Team. As I taught the principles and led them in prayer, Mark Batterson mentioned a pastor who always recorded prophetic words from services and kept a written transcript of them. He often pulled out the files to read them and see the pattern of how God had spoken to and through people in the church. I’d never written down any of the messages God had given our team. I thought of 1 Peter 4:11: “If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God.” This doesn’t mean prophetic words are on the same level as Scripture, but they are God’s communication to us, given for His glory, to meet the needs of His children. It’s God’s message for that house and that moment. If it’s that important, it should be recorded.
In Practice
The next Monday in our church staff meeting, I shared what Batterson had told us, and I said, “I’m going to write down what God says to each of you as we pray so we can keep a record of it.” On the fly I decided to write as if God were speaking directly, so if someone said, “I sense God is telling us not to be afraid, but to trust His power and step out in faith,” I wrote, “Don’t be afraid. Trust in My power and step out in faith.” I didn’t write every word each person said because some of the statements were long. I tried to capture the message clearly and succinctly. When everyone had shared, I said, “OK, let me read back over everything the Lord just spoke to us so we can come into agreement with it.” When I started reading through the words God had given the people in the room, everyone started getting really excited because all the words were fitting together
HOW TO BE A into one powerful message. All of us realized each person’s word was an important part of the whole. No one had to have the complete picture, but God gave each of us a part. It was like each one spoke a sentence in a paragraph, and together, it was clear and compelling. God had spoken to each of us, through each of us, for all of us! After reading the statements and getting a clear picture of God’s direction, I asked our team to gather together and lay hands on one another and come into agreement with what God had just spoken to us. We received it as from God, not human beings, and wanted to respond to it as such. Some prayed in the Spirit, and some confirmed what God had said. We realized this was now a complete and powerful spiritual practice: we were praying in the Spirit, with understanding and in agreement — P3. We couldn’t wait until the next week so we could do it again, and the next week, and the next. As with any new skill, we developed confidence as we practiced praying, listening and recording what God was saying to us. We learned to be more patient and listen more carefully, and God led us more specifically about our particular circumstances at that moment — not all the time, but more of the time.
Shaping and Sharpening
Prayer was no longer merely the way we routinely started our staff meetings; prayer set the agenda for our staff meetings. With this profound new grasp of the text, I went back and studied 1 Corinthians 14 again. The verses almost jumped off the page. In verse 26, the apostle Paul says everyone comes with something — a hymn, a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation — so all contribute to the whole. Verse 29 says two or three people give prophetic words and others “weigh carefully what is said.” The person who is leading and scribing the P3 time is listening with discernment to each word, weighing it, and writing down the core parts of the words the Holy Spirit leads them to include. Verses 30–31 are about order: Each person shares in turn because each person’s contribution is essential. As a result, no one dominates the time, everyone is able to participate, and humility reigns because no one has the full picture. The results are instruction and encouragement. Verses 32–33 again point to order. As people share, the person writing (often but not always me in our meetings)
P3 Scribe
The person who leads the P3 prayer time is usually also the one who scribes what is said. It’s a solemn and important role to weigh what the Lord is speaking to each person. I recommend the following: I n the first several experiences of P3 with a staff team, explain each time how the process works and that you’re going to write the message God speaks to them. Write first-person statements. Instead of, “You heard God say He’s trustworthy,” write, “I’m trustworthy.” isten carefully, and write only the L heart of the message, especially if the person shares a story, vision or Scripture verse. You don’t need to include the reference or the part where the person says, “Well I was thinking about this conversation I had the other day.” Just wait until the person concludes with something like, “In all this I sense the Lord is saying.” I f you sense a message isn’t from God — it’s manipulative or hateful — ignore it for now, but talk to the person after the staff meeting. on’t rush this process. If someone D begins before you’re finished writing, ask that person to wait. It’s not required that everyone get a word from God. hen everyone has shared and W you’ve recorded each one, read them back in the order they were shared. Together, look for the common thread through the messages. Identify it, and speak it. ather together and agree that God G has given this message to you. MAY-JUNE 2020
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o t s u or f s i e p o d h n y u M ve unity aro lans. ha and His p s u s e J sets the pace. For instance, as I’m writing and someone else begins sharing, I say, “Hang on just a minute. I’m not quite ready.” When I’m finished writing, I’ll say, “OK, I’m ready for the next one.” This shouldn’t be a problem because the “spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets” (verse 32). You can hold the word when you need to, and you can release the word when it’s time. We’re not in a hurry to rush the process. We want to hear exactly what God wants to say to us by speaking through us. This is the pattern we use in all our staff and board meetings, and it’s a process you can use, too: 1. We spend several minutes praying in the Spirit. 2. We pause for each person to ask, “God, what are You saying to me?” And we listen. 3. I ask people to share what they sense God has spoken to them. As they share, I write it down in first person as if God were speaking. 4. When everyone who wants to share has finished, I read back the messages in the order they were shared. 5. Each time, the message becomes woven together into a word that’s encouraging and strengthening. Again and again, we gain insight and direction from our P3 times in prayer. 6. We come together and pray in agreement, confirming God’s voice and direction. 7. With this Spirit-directed agenda, we plan, delegate, schedule and work to serve God’s purposes. The topic of our P3 prayer is completely flexible. We may have a special event and need clear direction. We
might face a daunting challenge and need a solution, or at least a step forward. We may be launching a new ministry or hiring a staff member. A person in the congregation or community may have asked for prayer. Or we may want to pray for a visiting speaker, pastor or missionary. The ways to use P3 are endless because the opportunities and challenges are everywhere.
Benefits of P3 Prayer
For me, prayer is categorically different when I see it as a dialogue instead of a monologue. There’s nothing at all wrong about speaking to God in praise, thanks, confession and petition, but it’s thrilling when He speaks to me! Now, prayer is never boring. Every time I pray, I anticipate that the God who spun the galaxies into the vastness of space wants to interact with me, to share His heart with me, and to give me a bit of His great wisdom. Another enormous benefit of P3 prayer is authentic unity on our team. For years, I tried to unify our staff around my idea or my program. As you can guess, that approach didn’t always work. Now, as each person has a vital role in hearing from God and sharing His message, we’re united around the joy of playing our parts in establishing and extending the greatest enterprise the world has ever known: the Great Commission. When I tried to be the head of our church, I created more messes than I solved, but there’s only one head — Jesus Christ. As the pastor, I no longer need unity around me and my plans.
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th i w t i r i p S e d th e z n i i n g o i n t i u y l a Pr rstanding revoe and unde my prayer lifll of us. a d e g a r u o enc My hope is for us to have unity around Jesus and His plans. And P3 is the primary method that keeps us on track with that purpose. By using this method of prayer and leadership, I’m not abdicating my God-given role; I’m fulfilling it. Staff members know their role isn’t to accomplish my agenda or to ask God to help us accomplish the goals we’ve come up with on our own. Instead, each of us has the privilege and responsibility to hear from God, to be active participants in tapping into His heart and His plans. We’re passionate about His agenda, and we’re reaching and equipping people for His glory, not ours. The people on our team were supportive of me before, but they’re even more supportive now because they feel more valued than ever. I’m still the pastor and team leader, but I realize all of us are far more effective — and far more joyful and passionate — if everyone is hearing from God about the direction of our church. I’m more eager to meet with our staff each week and lead our church. I think this is what it means to be a Spirit-led church. Each time we meet, I come with an expectant heart because I’ve seen how God has led us in the past, and I have no doubt He’ll lead us in the future. Perhaps most of all, using P3 has deeply encouraged me. Those who know me understand I’m an emotional person. I get excited, but I can become discouraged too. When I feel like a failure, when things don’t seem to be happening the way I hoped, when attendance isn’t increasing like I expected, and our contributions aren’t as
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high as anticipated, I can easily turn inward with all kinds of self-condemning and self-defeating thoughts. But as we’ve practiced P3, God has often spoken through our staff members to me with words like, “Don’t worry, My son. I’ve got this. You can count on Me. I’m at work even when you don’t see it. You’re on My timetable, not yours. Trust Me.” In The Art of Leadership, Max De Pree wrote, “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.” When we practice P3, we’re inviting God to define reality so we see people and situations from His point of view. As He leads us, our hearts overflow with wonder and gratitude. As we realize God has entrusted to us the ability to hear His voice, we serve with a wonderful blend of joy, excitement and humility. I’ll never go back to the days before P3. With all my heart, I hope you’ll embrace P3 and sense God speaking to you and your team like never before.
Scott Wilson is the senior pastor of Oaks Church (AG) in Red Oak, Texas.
aims to inspire, challenge and resource the entire spectrum of leadership, from lead pastor to lead volunteer. Check out our print, digital, and social media resources.
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FROM
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M NECESSITY TO OPPORTUNITY Three pastors share lessons learned as bivocational ministers. G E O R G E P. W O O D
A substantial minority of American pastors are bivocational. In the Assemblies of God, for example, the percentage of pastors who claim income from a second job is 38%, according to a 2016 study commissioned by the AG’s Center for Leadership and Stewardship Excellence. For most of these pastors, bivocational ministry is an economic necessity. The churches they lead are small and may be unable to support a full-time pastor. Sixty-eight percent of Assemblies of God churches report fewer than 100 people in weekly attendance, according to 2018 statistics. Approximately one-third have fewer than 50 attendees. It’s no wonder, then, that small-church guru Karl Vaters calls bivocational ministry the “new normal.” And yet, economic necessity is not the only, or even the best, way to frame this form of ministry. In 1 Corinthians 9:23, the apostle Paul wrote that he did all things “for the sake of the gospel.” This included Paul’s choice to refuse the Corinthian church’s financial support, which he otherwise described as a “right” (verses 4,6,12).
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Paul’s argument suggests missional opportunity provides a better framework for practicing bivocational ministry than economic necessity, even as it acknowledges the financial need to work a second job. To get a better feel for how a missional-opportunity framework changes how we understand and practice bivocational ministry, I interviewed three pastors who have started or revitalized churches while working second jobs. Let me introduce them to you first, then share what I learned from my conversations with them.
Three Pastors
Saul Gonzalez is pastor of LifeHouse Church (AG) in Bakersfield, California. His ministry there began in 2001 as a church-revitalization project when the church had fewer than 20 weekly attendees. While leading the church, he served local public school systems in a variety of roles, including teacher, principal and superintendent. During this period, the church grew to over 500 in weekly attendance. In 2017, Gonzalez began transitioning from working full time for public schools to working full time for the church. LifeHouse has since grown to 2,400 in weekly attendance, with satellite campuses in Delano and Wasco. (We’ll return to his transition at the end of this article.) John Aniemeke is pastor of Bethel Covenant Assembly of God in San Antonio, Texas, a church he planted in his
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living room with eight people seven years ago. Aniemeke is a dentist specializing in periodontal surgery, dental implants and jaw reconstruction. Bethel Covenant has experienced rapid growth — “by the grace of God,” in Aniemeke’s words — and now averages about 1,400 in weekly attendance. It is preparing to move into a new 60,000-square-foot facility along a major highway in the city. Svetlana Papazov is pastor of Real Life Church (AG) in Midlothian, Virginia, which she planted in 2016. According to the church’s website, the ministry has “a heart for de-churched people and bridging the sacred and secular divide.” With more than 50 in weekly attendance, plans are already underway to start a network of smaller churches with a similar mission. Papazov, who describes herself as a serial entrepreneur, is founder and CEO of an entrepreneurial incubator and coworking center. Her small business consultancy practice coaches startups to launch and scale their enterprises. With a background in landscape architecture, she has led or co-led five for-profit startups, as well as two nonprofits, one of which is the church. Real Life Church and Papazov’s business, Real Life Center for Entrepreneurial and Leadership Excellence, share the same facility. The rentals from the business offices and coworking space help fund the ministry of the church.
Despite the differences among these pastors, four common themes emerge from their stories.
The Sacred Secular
Many Christians draw a hard distinction between the sacred and secular, assigning a higher value to the former. They figure truly spiritual people will become pastors, evangelists and missionaries. These folks view secular work, however important it may be, primarily as a source of funding for full-time ministry. Such a theology fits hand in glove with the economicnecessity framework of bivocational ministry. The assumption is the primary value of bivocational pastors’ secular jobs is funding ministry — the sacred work. All three pastors reject this common theology of work. Gonzalez always viewed his bivocational work as one mission field with two ministry assignments: pastoring a church and leading public schools. For him, both are God-given opportunities to influence people. “God is calling me to shepherd,” Gonzalez says, “so I’m going to pastor these kids [in public schools]. And while I pastor them, my mission is to teach them English.” Though there has long been a disconnect between religion and the marketplace in American culture, Aniemeke says this does not have to be the case. “God always has different people in different areas
of life, and I’m just very privileged to be one of the people that He’s chosen in the dental field to serve Him,” Aniemeke says. Both Aniemeke and Papazov cite Psalm 24:1 as a favorite verse: “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.” “All callings have Kingdom value, worth and dignity,” Papazov says. Papazov points to the example of Daniel in the Old Testament, noting that his secular work and prophetic ministry operated together, not separately. “I don’t see the strict separation between the labor we do as though it is sacred or secular,” she says. Because Papazov believes both her jobs have Kingdom value, she prefers to call herself a “covocational” minister, rather than a bivocational one. “Everything I do aligns in one direction,” Papazov says. This has obvious application to the lives of the church members Papazov leads. She has made the theology of work a matter of formal academic study. Papazov revised and published her doctoral dissertation as Church for Monday: Equipping Believers for Mission at Work. Reflecting on the work of the Church, she says, “God is guiding us into bringing His solutions literally from heaven to earth, as we reflect His answers to our problems that we have. We bring them through our work to lift our communities very holistically — spiritually, socially and economically.”
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Being bivocational is a gift. — Saul Gonzalez
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Such a theology of work fundamentally changes the way bivocational ministers view their second jobs. Obviously, those jobs retain their instrumental value as a source of funding for pastoral ministry. But the jobs also have intrinsic value because they extend the rule of God into the nooks and crannies of life. In the process, the secular becomes sacred because bivocational ministers are “working for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23) in both their jobs.
Shared Ministry
One of the greatest challenges bivocational pastors face is that they cannot perform both jobs full time. This requires them to approach time management and delegation of responsibility with deliberation. All three pastors intentionally carve out time in their busy schedules for God, family and personal care. Moreover, their churches schedule events well in advance so everyone involved in leading them has adequate time to prepare. The most crucial element, however, seems to be the development of other leaders to share the burdens of ministry. “You need the ability not just to balance [your time] but also to grow teams,” Gonzalez says. “Grow teams. I can’t overemphasize this enough.” Those teams include both pastoral staff and lay ministers. As their churches grew, both Gonzalez and Aniemeke hired full-time pastors to give leadership to various ministries
within the church: worship, children, youth and administration, for example. Though her church is smaller, Papazov likewise shares pastoral responsibilities with two other bivocational ministers. Bivocational pastors don’t just share ministry with pastoral staff, however. They build churches that identify and develop lay ministers as well. Gonzalez says team members — whether pastoral staff or lay volunteers — need to exhibit the five C’s: 1) Character, 2) Competence, 3) Commitment to the church’s mission, 4) Chemistry with their co-ministers, and 5) Consistent performance. For Aniemeke, shared ministry begins with passion. “If you’re passionate about God, God will want to entrust things into your hands,” Aniemeke says. Despite growing up in a pastor’s home, Aniemeke never expected God to call him into ministry. Still, whatever he did as a church attendee, Aniemeke did with passion. In the last year of his dental residency, Aniemeke sensed God saying, “I want you to begin the work in San Antonio to advance the gospel of Jesus and bring about a revival.” Aniemeke says God commissions those who are passionate, but many church people today are passive — and that can make it difficult for leaders to get the help they need.
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If you’re passionate about God, God will want to entrust things into your hands. — John Aniemeke
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Bivocational ministers cannot do everything God calls the Church to do. They must share the responsibility of ministry with others. This is not merely an issue of expediency. It is also a matter of biblical principle. After all, the practice of shared ministry flows directly from passages in the New Testament about the spiritual giftedness of all believers (e.g., Romans 12:3–8; 1 Corinthians 12:4–11; Ephesians 4:7–13). If bivocational pastors can have secular jobs, then it’s just as true that their church members can have sacred ministries.
Double Effectiveness
All three pastors say their second jobs have given them greater credibility as ministers. They also agree their secular jobs have increased their leadership capacities as pastors. During the recent past, most Americans ranked pastors highly as trustworthy leaders in the community. According to the Gallup Organization, however, Americans’ trust in the “honesty and ethics of clergy” declined from 52% to 37% between 2012 and ’18. In 2019, the most recent poll data available, the share was 40%, a slight increase. Nevertheless, Americans trusted nine professions more than they did clergy. In other words, clergy credibility is no longer a given. Today’s church leaders must earn the trust of their communities. Working in the secular marketplace can be
one way to regain credibility. Gonzalez says secular employment enhanced his relational skills and opened doors for building connections outside of a ministry context. He says it also made it easier for him to identify with people who have careers outside the church. “They have everyday problems that are very different than if you isolate yourself in just ministry,” Gonzalez says. As a doctor, Aniemeke believes his dental practice gives him credibility in two senses. First, he says, “You aren’t going to get through to our generation now with just opening the Bible. They have to be able to know that you have a little bit of knowledge or scientific knowledge, or that you can relate to their marketplace experiences for you to be able to reach them.” Second, secular employment signals to the community that a pastor is not in ministry just for the money. “There’s a level of confidence and credibility that comes from the fact that you’re not depending on their resources to do ministry,” Aniemeke says. For Papazov, credibility comes from sharing the experiences of parishioners who are working 9 to 5. “I am there with them, [going through] the struggles that they are in the midst of,” Papazov says. At a time when communities are losing trust in clergy, bivocational ministry may help bridge the gap between ministers and laypeople. Those second jobs can also increase the leadership capacities of pastors.
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Gonzalez says the work experiences he had, the in-service training he received, and the leadership principles he gleaned in the education world helped in his pastoral ministry role. He worries that people who rush into full-time ministry underestimate the value of gaining marketplace experience. “Being bivocational is a gift,” Gonzalez says. A gift is not a guarantee, of course. Secular employment does not automatically generate credibility or leadership capacity, but it does present an opportunity.
Going Univocational
Depending on the size and financial condition of their churches, bivocational pastors may face the choice of whether to go univocational — that is, to “receive their living from the gospel,” as the apostle Paul put it (1 Corinthians 9:14). Going univocational is neither an easy nor an automatic choice, however. Papazov considers her commitment to bivocational ministry a lifelong decision. For her, the rewards outweigh the challenges. As an example, she recalls how, during a consultation with one of her business clients, she felt led to begin a spiritual conversation. By the end of the meeting, Papazov was able to lead that client in the prayer of salvation. “If we can reach people and bring them to the salvation
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experience with Jesus, then being in an environment where we can invite them to come to church and be a part of a church family has worked very well for us,” Papazov says. This approach has helped pave the way for the 61 decisions for Christ people have made through the ministry of Real Life Church since it launched. Many of these converts have become members of the church. Aniemeke says the choice to go univocational would be difficult. “I enjoy the practice of dentistry and taking care of patients,” he says. “It’s fun for me because that’s always been my childhood passion to do this.” Nevertheless, Aniemeke recognizes that as the church grows, the time may come when he must give up his dental practice. So, he prays, “Lord, whenever You need me to drop dentistry, I won’t think about it twice. I will lay it all down for You because You own everything.” For Aniemeke, that time has not yet come. Of the three pastors, only Gonzalez has made the move to univocational ministry. He took 18 months to transition out of his work as a full-time public charter school district superintendent to become a full-time pastor in 2017. Why so long? Gonzalez says as important as he felt it was for him to become a full-time pastor, he believed it was equally important to serve the district in a way
that would leave a positive Christian testimony. Gonzalez cites three factors that played into his decision to make this transition: the circumstances of the church, counsel from trusted individuals, and the call of God on him personally. Every minister should give careful consideration to those three issues, he says. “God would have every pastor consider either to go bivocational — because of need or choice — or consider and pray about becoming univocational and dedicating their life to the church in a full-time capacity,” Gonzalez says. In other words, ministering bivocationally or univocationally is a choice each leader must make. God can be honored and His kingdom extended either way.
Conclusion Our present moment is filled with immense economic challenges for pastors and churches. Both long- and shortterm economic trends point toward declining income for many churches. In the long term, Mark DeYmaz argues, the growing financial burdens of the middle class, generational shifts in giving, and rapid changes in U.S. demographics are exerting a negative effect on tithes and offerings. This requires what he calls “a revolution in church finances,”
with congregations starting for-profit businesses to fund their nonprofit ministries. In the short term, the COVID-19 pandemic has crashed the U.S. economy. Public health mandates have closed the doors of many businesses, leaving millions unemployed. People without work cannot give away monies they don’t have. Unsurprisingly, churches are experiencing a severe cash crunch. These trends reinforce the economic necessity of bivocational ministry. But if necessity is the mother of invention, we should expect an explosion of creative ministry in the coming days as bivocational pastors lean into the missional opportunities their circumstances present. So lean in … and not just if you’re a pastor with a second job!
George P. Wood is executive editor of Influence magazine.
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All callings have Kingdom value, worth and dignity. — Svetlana Papazov
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MULTIPLIERS Leaders Leveraging Their Gifts for God’s Kingdom
Vision From Blindness
A conversation with Rob Hoskins CHR I S COLVI N
One Hope partners with local churches all over the world to provide children with print, digital and mobile gospel resources.
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hat would you do if you woke up tomorrow completely blind? How drastically different would your life be if the ability to see were taken from you? Rob Hoskins, president of One Hope, knows the answer to that question because he lived it. Hoskins grew up on the mission field in Beirut and later France, where his father, Bobby Hoskins, was a missionary. Rob’s wife, Kim, had her own Hoskins formative experiences in Latin America, where her parents, Elmer and Lee Bueno, served as missionaries. Rob and Kim were ready to fulfill their
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own dream of missions work together in the Ivory Coast. Tragically, months before they were to leave in 1988, Rob was struck with a congenital condition that left him with detached retinas and a complete lack of sight. Their new normal meant cancelled plans for ministry. Add to that the financial hardships they were facing, and the couple was in a tough place. “I was struggling with the enemy lying to me, saying, ‘Not only can you not fulfill your dreams, you can’t even provide for your family,’” Hoskins says. Around the same time, Bobby Hoskins was going through a time of prayer and fasting, sensing the Lord was redirecting his ministry. He saw a vision of children all over the world who were in desperate situations and in desperate need of hope. Bobby believed that hope could come only by placing the Word of God in their hands. Rob decided to help his father fulfill that vision. “Kim and I were arrested by this physical blindness, but we were given new spiritual sight,” Hoskins says. Through prayer and treatment, they also began a journey to recovery, trusting God
for their next steps. Within a year, Hoskins regained his eyesight. After six surgeries, the results exceeded even doctor’s expectations. “In that time, Kim and I learned obedience, trust, and the miraculous that still leads our ministry today,” Hoskins says. Not only was Hoskins’ sight restored, but his vision was renewed. Those days working to help his father find an answer to the problems the Lord showed him were the seeds that sprouted into a new ministry called One Hope.
Reaching Kids
The mission of One Hope is to provide children with a relevant gospel message. “Our desire is to affect destinies, not just modify current circumstances,” Hoskins says. “In that vision my father had, he heard the Lord say, ‘The only thing that will overcome this is truth. My Word is truth. Take my Word to every child.’” That mandate has stayed with the team from the start. They believe God’s Word has the power to bring eternal life change and a fulfilling life on earth. Since One Hope began, over 1.6 billion children have received a
relevant presentation of God’s Word in their own language. That equates to reaching 234 children every minute of every day. Today over 300 active programs exist in 154 countries around the globe, and One Hope has shared the gospel in over 170 languages. Capturing the hearts of children requires not only putting the message in their languages but also presenting it in a way that makes a connection. One Hope has partnered to expand beyond just print and into cutting-edge animation, YouTube channels and mobile apps. “It’s not just about quantity but about the quality of the Scripture resources we’re handing out, and that’s in response to local churches who know their children better than we do,” Hoskins says. “We listen to the pastors and children’s workers to find the best way to share God’s Word.”
“Kim and I were arrested by this physical blindness, but we were given new spiritual sight.” — Rob Hoskins
Local Partners
Partnerships with the local church have always been crucial to accomplishing the mission. Years ago, the minister of education for
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Capturing the hearts of children requires not only putting the message in their languages but also presenting it in a way that makes a connection.
El Salvador received a Spanish-language Bible from One Hope, along with a letter expressing a desire to help the children of the nation. The minister replied and asked One Hope to send a Bible for every child in El Salvador. This open door was an answer to prayer. But rather than letting the government distribute the books, One Hope leaders wanted local churches in El Salvador to do the work of evangelism. Rob and Kim reached out to her uncle, John Bueno, who was pastoring in El Salvador at the time. Bueno mobilized Assemblies of God churches all over the country to hand out books to children from village to village. “That is our method to this day,” Hoskins says. The goal for 2020 is to reach 123 million children. When people ask how One Hope does it, Hoskins points to church partners around the world. “The local church reaches the children in their community,” Hoskins says. “We just partner with them to do it.”
Measuring Multiplication Chris Colvin specializes in sermon research for pastors and churches. He lives in Springfield, Missouri.
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One Hope has a vision of reaching the children of every nation by 2030. How could it ever accomplish such a large task? Hoskins explains One Hope’s approach as outcome-based ministry. “That year of blindness and restored vision
helped me become a faithful steward,” he says. Part of faithfulness is fruitfulness, Hoskins explains. That means focusing on the most effective ways to do ministry. Outcome-based ministry is founded on two pillars: research and collaboration. Research is all about discovering the truth. One Hope looks behind the problems it is addressing, asking intentional questions of every country and culture reached. For example, what challenges are children facing? What ministry methods are working now? Collaboration means reaching out to local church partners around the world. “We live in a globally connected world, and nobody should be doing ministry in isolation anymore,” Hoskins says. Collaboration has made the difference in everything One Hope does. “One Hope is here to help the Church,” Hoskins says. “And that’s where we begin to see exponential growth. When the Church comes together in power and unity and invokes the power and presence of the Spirit, nothing can stop it.” As One Hope prepares to reach its goal in the next 10 years, it stays focused on what’s happening day to day. Taking nothing for granted, including his sight, Hoskins remains a faithful friend to the Church and a visionary for reaching children around the world with the good news of Jesus.
MAKE IT COUNT An Eight-Week Study for Leadership Teams
CREATING A HEALTHY CULTURE
8 STEPS TO IMPROVING YOUR MINISTRY ENVIRONMENT STEPHEN BLANDINO
WHAT IS MAKE IT COUNT?
Week after week, you invest time and energy into making every Sunday count. But you also have to think about staff meetings, board meetings, and meetings with key volunteers and other church leaders. Juggling so many meetings can seem overwhelming, especially as you think about developing the leaders around you. Effective leaders are continually looking for great leadership content they can use to develop and mentor other leaders. Make It Count is a powerful, little tool to help you accomplish just that. Each Make It Count lesson is easily adaptable for individual or group discussion, allowing for personal application and reflection among your ministry leaders and
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lead volunteers. The lessons are useful as devotionals in board and staff meetings and in departmental meetings with your lead volunteers. Studying and growing together is an important practice of building strong, healthy relationships with your team members. It is also a necessary component of building healthy, flourishing churches. Blandino These lessons can help you make each moment count as you lead and develop the leaders around you.
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hen you visit another country, you immediately experience its culture. Music, language, architecture, food, government laws, customs … all these things contribute to that country’s culture. They aren’t necessarily right or wrong; they just are. It’s “how they do things.” In the same way, each of our churches and organizations has a unique culture — “a way we do things around here.” The question is, does the way we do things create a healthy or toxic environment? Every organization has a culture, even if that culture was not intentionally developed. Most cultures are shaped by the things we tolerate, celebrate and evaluate. So, how do you create a healthy culture? That’s the focus of this edition of Make It Count. The next eight lessons cover practical steps you can take to ensure the culture of your church or organization is healthy: • Model trustworthy behavior. • Clarify inspiring vision. • Identify compelling values. • Recruit the right team. • Cultivate healthy relationships. • Increase team engagement. • Develop effective systems. • Measure ministry health. As you discuss these lessons with your staff and volunteers, determine to make the changes necessary to improve the health of your culture. It won’t necessarily be easy, but the outcome will be well worth it.
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FREE DOWNLOADABLE DISCUSSION GUIDE HANDOUTS Go to InfluenceMagazine.com Click on “Downloads”
The following eight, easy-to-use lessons on creating a healthy culture are written by Stephen Blandino, lead pastor of 7 City Church (AG) in Fort Worth, Texas (7citychurch. com). He planted 7 City Church in 2012 in a thriving cultural arts district near downtown Fort Worth. Blandino blogs regularly at stephenblandino.com and is the author of several books, including Do Good Works, Creating Your Church’s Culture, and GO! Starting a Personal Growth Revolution.
HOW TO USE MAKE IT COUNT
We are pleased to offer the Make It Count Discussion Guide in a downloadable PDF, available through the “Downloads” button on Influencemagazine.com. Each lesson in the PDF Make It Count Discussion Guide is divided into a
Leader’s page and Team Member’s page. The Leader’s page corresponds directly to the material in this print issue of the magazine. We encourage you to print multiple copies of the PDF Discussion Guide from Influencemagazine.com for all your ministry leaders and the team members they lead in your church or organization. You will notice that key words and concepts are underlined in each lesson on the Leader’s page. These underlined words and concepts correspond to the blank spaces found on the team member lesson pages. Team members can fill in the blanks as you progress through each lesson’s material. We trust these lessons will help you make each moment count as you lead and develop the leaders around you.
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MAKE IT COUNT Study
1
Creating a Healthy Culture: 8 Steps to Improving Your Ministry Environment
Model Trustworthy Behavior Assess: How does trust impact a church or organization’s culture? Insights and Ideas
irst Corinthians 4:2 says, “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” The word “faithful” implies the idea of trustworthiness. Leaders are entrusted with responsibility, and with that responsibility comes a need to model trustworthy behavior. That’s especially true when it comes to culture. The creation of culture doesn’t begin with the organization; it begins with its leaders. Leaders create culture when they model trustworthy behavior for others. Leaders are the magnifiers and multipliers of culture. The things they say and do cast a long shadow over the organization’s culture. Leaders are the architects of culture, with the power to cultivate health or perpetuate dysfunction. Trustworthy behavior begins with four traits: 1. Integrity. Proverbs 10:9 says, “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.” A leader’s integrity provides security for themselves and those they lead. Author Ray Pritchard said, “As important as it is to know what you are talking about, it is perhaps even more important to be what you are talking about.” 2. Respect. Jackie Robinson, who was the first black player in Major League Baseball, once said, “I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me … . All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.” Without respect, you strip your team members of their dignity and identity. People are much more willing to follow a leader when they know they’re esteemed in the leader’s heart. 3. Care. The old saying really is true: People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Caring is the human side of leadership. It lets team members know you value them as people, not just as producers. You communicate care when you express concern for the things that concern your team. Care is evident when you ask team members about their worries and their wishes. In other words, you show concern for the things worrying them (at work and at home), and you talk about their wishes (for their work and their future). 4. Competence. Every winning team requires a capable leader at the helm. If a leader lacks competency, the team will lack commitment. Staff members will start to question the leader’s ability to reach the vision, grow the organization, and chart a courageous path forward. Your team doesn’t just want to hear about your bold dream for the future. They also want to have confidence in your ability to lead them to it. When your team members see you model integrity, respect, care and competence, they are much more likely to trust you. This type of behavior is the catalyst to a healthy culture.
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Reflect and Discuss
1. What leader do you admire because of the trustworthy behavior he or she models? 2. Which of the four traits above most challenges you? Why? 3. What other traits of trustworthy behavior contribute to the health of an organization’s culture?
Apply
Take a few moments to reflect on your own behavior. What changes do you need to make to become a more trustworthy leader? If you really want to know, give your team members permission to tell you, and then humbly accept their feedback. 68 | Influence
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Creating a Healthy Culture: 8 Steps to Improving Your Ministry Environment
Clarify Inspiring Vision Team Review: What did you discover about becoming a more trustworthy leader after reflecting on your own behavior? Assess: What role does vision play in creating a healthy ministry culture? Insights and Ideas
or a culture to thrive, it needs a noble picture of the future around which people can rally. Without fresh and inspiring vision, culture will simply drift toward the status quo. Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.” Simply put, when vision is missing, people run wild. They walk aimlessly into the future. In many cases, they create their own visions that produce sideways energy for the church or organization. One of the best ways leaders can clarify an inspiring vision for the church, or for a specific ministry department, is to ask a series of questions. These questions are most helpful when they’re connected to the following four areas: 1. God’s priorities. God-inspired visions always reflect the priorities of God. To clarify your vision, start by reading Scripture. What does God value? What seems close to His heart? How has God moved throughout history, and what themes arise throughout the pages of Scripture? The answers to these questions will give you glimpses of God’s vision for the world. 2. Personal passions. If a church’s vision is not aligned with the passion of its leader (or leaders), it’s unlikely to gain long-term traction. Passions are often the default for leaders — what their hearts naturally gravitate toward. What are you most passionate about? Passion usually relates to a need, an issue, an interest or an audience. 3. Community problems. A church’s vision should meet needs and solve problems in the community. Otherwise, the vision will become self-serving, and likely detached from the heart of God for the world. Do some demographic studies, and then talk to community leaders to discover the most pressing needs in the city. Ask yourself, What needs or problems in our city capture our hearts and align with our passions? 4. Church potential. What kind of gifts, tools, assets and people has God placed in your church? Those resources reflect the potential of your congregation. Understanding these resources will help you discover the leverage points by which you can make the greatest impact in your city and world. The church’s potential is the resource pool that feeds vision fulfillment. Vision is essential for culture to thrive, and it’s often born in the sweet spot of these four areas. Where priorities, passions, problems and potential overlap is where vision is usually waiting to come to life.
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Reflect and Discuss
1. What is the vision of our church or organization? 2. How well does our vision align with God’s priorities, our passions, community problems and the church’s potential? 3. What can we do to bring greater clarity or alignment to our vision?
Apply
Work together as a team to clarify an inspiring vision for the future. Using the four categories above, engage in prayer, research and discussion. Let God speak to you through this process. Then craft the vision in writing, ensuring it’s clear and compelling.
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Creating a Healthy Culture: 8 Steps to Improving Your Ministry Environment
Identify Compelling Values Team Review: What progress have we made to clarify an inspiring vision? Assess: What do we value most as individuals, as a team and as a church?
Insights and Ideas
n the Book of Psalms, David said, “Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart” (Psalm 15:1–2). A clear set of values guides the person who dwells in the presence of the Lord. These values are at their core — their heart — and shape what they say and how they live. The same is true in churches and organizations. The things we value shape how we behave. In fact, values that are identified and exemplified in the organization are among the most important ways to shape culture. The creation of culture through your values happens best with these four steps: 1. Clarification. To clarify your values, start by answering this question: What priorities and principles are more important to our organization than anything else? For example, a priority might be serving the poor, missions, the next generation or leadership development. A principle might be integrity, excellence, stewardship or generosity. 2. Communication. After clarifying values, communicate them broadly and deeply. When people at every level of the organization personalize and practice them, these values will become engrained in your culture. Talk about your values in staff meetings, volunteer gatherings, offering spots and sermons. Articulate your values through artwork, décor, photos, signs and images. 3. Calibration. Talking about values is not enough; you must also create alignment with actions. When what you do doesn’t line up with what you value, your church or organization will regularly experience sideways energy. How do you bring about calibration? Create budgets that align with your values. Create programs and services that reflect your values. Select curriculum that reinforces your values. Create systems, ministry score cards and hiring processes that are consistent with your values. Without calibration, values are nothing but words on paper. 4. Celebration. Behavior that gets celebrated gets repeated. When we consistently highlight and affirm the practice of values, people begin to catch on to what we consider most important. As leaders, we should publicly affirm behavior that matches our values. We should highlight testimonies and celebrate wins that clearly connect to our values. The key in all this is consistency. Once you have identified your values, consistently communicate, calibrate, and celebrate them. Occasional communication, haphazard calibration and annual celebration are not enough.
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Reflect and Discuss
1. What are our values as a church, organization or team? 2. What in our organization do we need to calibrate to our values to ensure there is alignment? 3. How can we better communicate and celebrate our values?
Apply
If you have not developed your values, identify the priorities and principles that matter most. Then streamline them to the five to seven values that are most important to the organization. Finally, develop a plan to ensure there is communication, calibration and regular celebration.
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Creating a Healthy Culture: 8 Steps to Improving Your Ministry Environment
Recruit the Right Team Team Review: What have we done to clarify, communicate, calibrate and celebrate our
values?
Assess: How does a team impact what culture looks like in a church? Insights and Ideas
very follower of Jesus is part of the body of Christ. The apostle Paul said, “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others” (Romans 12:4–5). While we are all part of the body of Christ, we don’t necessarily fit every team in the body of Christ. We all bring different ideas, skills and relational dynamics into a team setting. To create a healthy culture, you need the right team members. The right team members usually fit in three areas: 1. Church fit. There are millions of churches, and billions of Christians, around the world. Yet no Christian fits every church, and no church fits every Christian. Churches differ in theology, style, cultural dynamics and strategy. Your church will fit some people but not all people. And that’s OK. Diversity is part of what makes the body of Christ so beautiful. The key is to keep this in mind when you’re recruiting leaders. Each leader should fit your church’s vision, values and core beliefs. Yes, there will always be differences and preferences, but anyone who serves in leadership should know what your church is about and where it’s going, and have the opportunity to ask questions. 2. Team fit. Whether we like to admit it or not, there is a chemistry component to teams, and the wrong person can significantly disrupt that chemistry. Chemistry is often undervalued — even considered unspiritual or unnecessary — until it’s no longer there. When chemistry is missing, we suddenly recognize its value. To know certain individuals fit your team, spend as much relational time with them as possible. Do they have a sense of humor? Do they connect well with others? Are they servant leaders, team players and hard workers? 3. Role fit. To excel, team members must fit their roles. In other words, do they have the gifts and skills necessary to do the job? Putting people into roles that don’t fit their Godgiven gifts will only lead to frustration and ineffectiveness. You can identify a person’s role fit by looking at past experience, conducting assessments, checking references or doing a trial run.
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Reflect and Discuss
1. Why is staff and volunteer recruitment so critical to the heath of your church’s culture? 2. Which of the three areas is most often ignored: church fit, team fit or role fit? Why? 3. What systems can we put in place to ensure we get the right people onto the right teams and into the right roles?
Apply
What gaps exist in your recruitment process? What questions could you ask a potential team member to ensure he or she fits the church, team and role? Put together a thorough system for recruitment to ensure each member of the team is a good fit.
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Creating a Healthy Culture: 8 Steps to Improving Your Ministry Environment
Cultivate Healthy Relationships Team Review: What steps have you taken to improve your recruitment process so there’s a better fit with the church, team and role? Assess: How do healthy relationships directly impact culture? Insights and Ideas
elationships are the sticky factor in organizational culture. When relationships are healthy, the team can weather just about any storm. That was certainly the case for the church in Thessalonica. The apostle Paul challenged the church to “encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). In other words, relational investments were already habits, and Paul was providing affirmation to ensure these continued. To foster a healthy relational culture, three steps are particularly helpful: 1. Calendarize relationships. Authors Andy Stanley and Bill Willits observed, “Our enemy’s most successful strategy is to isolate us so he can attack and destroy us. Sheep are never attacked in herds. Sheep are attacked when they become isolated from the rest of the flock.” In a world that is extremely connected, we are struggling with isolation. One way to make space for relationships is to calendarize it. I know, that technique sounds relationally cold, but that may be where you have to start to make relationships with your team a priority. We’re in the people business, but unfortunately, we often fail to make time for people. 2. Celebrate relationships. A good way to think about celebrating relationships is to consider milestones and moments. Milestones include things like birthdays, anniversaries, graduations and child births. Take time to recognize and celebrate these days for each member of your team. Examples of meaningful moments include Christmas parties, special outings, team-wide conferences, marriage retreats, and other events that communicate gratitude or add value to the team. 3. Confront relationships. This is the part of relationships most of us choose to avoid. Confrontation is not easy. Without a willingness to confront, however, relational authenticity and connectedness can evaporate. When you fail to confront, you tolerate bad behavior, and culture is ultimately shaped by what we tolerate. Don’t be a pretender in front of people and a gossiper behind their backs. Confront bad behavior and issues of conflict when necessary. Doing so will actually make the team stronger. Calendarizing, celebrating and confronting relationships will enhance the culture of your organization. These three keys disarm the three enemies of relationships: not enough time, feeling underappreciated, and unresolved tension.
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Reflect and Discuss
1. Which part of relationships is your biggest challenge — calendarizing, celebrating or confronting? Why? 2. On a scale from 1 to 10 (10 being the best), how well does our team do at making space for relationships? 3. What could it look like for our team to spend more time celebrating together?
Apply
Assess the relational health of your culture. Then, create a relational calendar to map out what you can do as a team to strengthen relationships. Include relational time that celebrates personal milestones and creates meaningful moments. Finally, determine whether you need to confront a relationship, and determine how to do so in a healthy way.
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Creating a Healthy Culture: 8 Steps to Improving Your Ministry Environment
Increase Team Engagement Team Review: What have you done to foster a culture of healthier relationships? Assess: What makes a staff member love coming to work or a volunteer enjoy serving on a
team?
Insights and Ideas
cripture is clear about how to treat those under our authority: “Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven” (Colossians 4:1). Employees aren’t slaves, of course, but the principle still applies. One way leaders can provide what is right and fair is to give attention to team engagement. In organizational settings, employee engagement is becoming an increasingly common topic of discussion. It’s a phrase that refers to how engaged team members feel in their jobs. Interestingly, the factors that contribute to strong employee engagement make perfect sense. Some of the most common factors that increase engagement can be organized into four categories. Each category addresses a different dynamic of work, and can apply both to paid staff and volunteers. 1. Being energized by work. People who are engaged in their work are also energized by it. The vision of the organization, the opportunity to use their gifts, and the leader they work for contribute to this dynamic. All three of these — vision, role, and leader — influence how engaged a team member is at work (or in a volunteer position). 2. Being equipped to work. This means people have the tools and the training to do their jobs. The right tools enable them to work efficiently, and the right training enables them to work effectively. Both increase engagement, and both improve the quality of the product or service provided. 3. Being encouraged at work. Work is not just a task. Therefore, we can’t remove the relational aspects that make work feel human. Team members feel encouraged when their leader offers praise and affirmation (privately and publicly). They also feel encouraged when they’re connected to their co-workers. These relational variables bring joy amid the tasks, demands and to-do lists that are so often a part of work. 4. Being empowered at work. Finally, people feel engaged at work when they are entrusted and empowered to do their jobs. Nobody likes to be micromanaged. When a leader empowers team members with the freedom to do their jobs and the authority to make decisions, ownership naturally increases. It’s impossible to create a healthy culture without improving employee (or volunteer) engagement. These four ingredients set the stage for engagement to increase. As a result, team member satisfaction increases, as does commitment and productivity.
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Reflect and Discuss
1. How do these four categories of team engagement — energized, equipped, encouraged and empowered — resonate with you? 2. Which category do you believe our team most needs to improve? How could we improve it? 3. What practical steps could we take to create more energized, equipped, encouraged and empowered volunteer teams?
Apply
Evaluate how effectively you implement the four team engagement categories, and then create a plan to improve in each area with your staff and volunteers. Finally, create an annual survey to assess engagement from each team member.
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Creating a Healthy Culture: 8 Steps to Improving Your Ministry Environment
Develop Effective Systems Team Review: What steps did you take to increase the engagement of your staff and
volunteers?
Assess: What system in our church or organization is operating most effectively? Why? Insights and Ideas
uthor Nelson Searcy says a good SYSTEM Saves You Stress, Time, Energy and Money. Moses certainly found that to be true when he followed the advice of his father-inlaw, Jethro. After facing near burnout, Moses made an important shift. Exodus 18:24–26 says, “Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.” This new system created margin in Moses’ life, and it ensured that the needs of the people were being met. That’s the power of a good system. So, what are the traits of a good system? First, good systems are effective. They get things done with excellence, and they produce the results they were intended to produce. Like it or not, the results your church is seeing (or not seeing) are directly tied to the systems you (or somebody) created. If you don’t like your results, change your systems. Second, good systems are efficient. They get things done without wasting time, energy or money. Finally, good systems engage team members. When systems are complex and bureaucratic, they produce frustrated and disengaged staff and volunteers. What types of systems should a church develop to create a healthy culture? While there can be many, here are seven systems that are essential in most churches: 1. Guest assimilation system. This is a step-by-step system for first-time guests that includes hospitality teams, a communication card and appropriate follow-up. 2. Discipleship system. This system helps people take their next steps at your church, leading them to engage in spiritual growth and community with others. 3. Volunteer system. This system provides a clear process for recruiting, training and mobilizing volunteers to serve in ministries that match their giftedness. 4. Worship service system. This system involves the planning, execution and evaluation of worship services. 5. Outreach system. This system provides a pathway to engage the congregation in outreach opportunities locally, nationally and internationally. 6. Staff hiring system. This system provides a step-by-step plan to identify, assess, interview, hire and onboard new staff members. 7. Budgeting system. This system provides a clear process to create budgets, provide financial reports and monitor monetary health. A church will have additional systems, but these are some of the more important ones for cultivating a healthy culture and facilitating the fulfillment of your vision.
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Reflect and Discuss
1. What is our biggest challenge in creating healthy systems? 2. What systems create the greatest tension among our staff or volunteers? Why? 3. Which of the seven systems above is operating most efficiently and effectively, and which system needs the most attention?
Apply
Identify the system that needs the most work. Assemble a team to create an effective and efficient system that saves you stress, time, energy and money. Once you implement the system, monitor it monthly, and then quarterly, making necessary adjustments to maximize its impact. 74 | Influence
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Creating a Healthy Culture: 8 Steps to Improving Your Ministry Environment
Measure Ministry Health Team Review: What system have you made more effective and efficient? Assess: What areas of ministry should we measure to ensure a healthier culture? Insights and Ideas
eams want to win, and the only way to know if you’re winning is to have a clear score card. The score card for churches is the Great Commission: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19–20). So, how do we measure ministry health as it relates to the Great Commission? While the metrics (and opinions) are diverse, five gauges are particularly helpful: 1. Disciple making. Disciple making should measure salvations, water baptisms, Spirit baptisms, and people’s engagement in spiritual community and spiritual disciplines. Are you seeing forward movement and momentum? 2. Leadership development. In Acts 6, seven leaders were chosen to organize the daily distribution of food so that widows were properly cared for. What was the ultimate outcome? Not only were the widows fed, but “the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7). Leadership development is critical to the fulfillment of the Great Commission. To clarify your leadership score card, track your number of volunteers, individuals in your leadership pipeline, and your strategy to invest in the growth of leaders. 3. Local and global impact. A third measure to consider is the church’s impact locally and globally. For example, how many people are engaged in serving your community? What percentage of your income are you investing outside the four walls of the church? Are you supporting missionaries, serving the poor and planting churches? Local and global impact might measure serving projects, volunteer engagement, dollars invested, churches planted and people served. 4. Growth. It’s important to measure growth in two forms: numbers and percentages. Numbers are fairly obvious: How many people attended, served, gave, etc.? Percentages give a different perspective on health. Take your average annual attendance, and then determine what percentage of those attenders are serving, giving, engaged in a small group, etc. When you track these percentages year after year, you’ll discover whether your congregation is becoming increasingly (or decreasingly) engaged and generous. 5. Stories. Finally, how often do you hear stories of life change? What stories of transformation are you hearing in your community? Stories are the real test of change, and if you stop hearing the stories, you need to reconsider the effectiveness of your strategy.
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Reflect and Discuss
1. What do we measure (and not measure) in our church? 2. To which of the five metrics above do we need to give more attention? 3. What would it look like to create a healthy ministry dashboard with key metrics?
Apply
Identify the areas that are important for your church to measure. Then organize a system to track and report these metrics weekly. Finally, carve out time monthly in a staff meeting to review your metrics and discuss key takeaways and next steps.
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THIS IS MY STORY
(continued from page 80)
One particular incident I’ll never forget was on a Fourth of July afternoon. I was about 7 years old at this point. My siblings and I were headed to a family reunion in the city and had new outfits for the day. I was so excited to wear my new pink Power Rangers sandals. I couldn’t wait to show them to my cousins. We were all at my grandma’s house down the street when I was sent home to grab something. I ran to the house as fast as I could because I didn’t want to get left behind. I knew what to get, and my plan was to grab it and go. Upon approaching the house, I didn’t think twice about what I would be walking into because I was just too excited about what was ahead. When I knocked on the door, my mom’s live-in boyfriend appeared and pulled me inside. He immediately walked me to his room and closed the door. What took place next forever changed me. I remember lying in that room with my eyes to the ceiling and tears running down my face. As I returned to my grandma’s, my pace slowed. I was no longer excited about my day. I was broken. Throughout my early childhood, rooms brought great fear and left me feeling trapped and ashamed. I wasn’t protected in rooms. Things happened in rooms I wasn’t supposed to tell. I was hurt the most, and felt the most unsafe, in closed rooms. It was several years before I realized not every room is a scary room. Some rooms offered safety, hope and peace. I was 10 years old when I met an Assemblies of God pastor who came to clean up trash in my yard on a Saturday morning. I lived across the street from his church, which offered a free afterschool program for kids in the neighborhood.
This pastor invited me to come to the program and mentioned there would be free snacks. I was totally sold on the snacks, but even more excited about the safe space it would provide for me. I attended the program every day after school for months. I heard the gospel and received Jesus as my Savior. Through that pastor’s invitation, I entered the room offering me the pathway to healing. My situation at home didn’t change much, but I now had hope and a place to lean into when I needed support. I received discipleship from leaders at the church and quickly grew in my relationship with Jesus. This relationship would sustain me as I walked through the next few years of trauma. When I was 15, the same pastor and his wife made room for me to come and be a part of their family. After suffering many years of sexual abuse, this was a huge turning point for me and literally changed the trajectory of my life. For the first time in 10 years, I was safe. I didn’t have to sleep with one eye open. I wasn’t afraid of the rooms in my home and what was behind the closed doors. I was free from the pain. Rooms had brought me so much hurt and fear, but God was faithful to use other rooms to bring hope, healing and freedom. I am now 34 years old, and the work God has done in my life is remarkable. Through counseling, community and prayer, I have overcome so much shame attached to the brokenness of my past. I now serve in full-time ministry with my husband and two beautiful daughters in Richmond, Virginia. God continues to heal me and is using my story to start conversations and bring healing to so many others.
For the first time in 10 years, I wasn’t afraid of what was behind the closed doors. I was free from the pain.
Brittany Jones and her husband, Travis, are pastors of Motivation Church (AG) in Richmond, Virginia.
MAR-APR 2020
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THIS IS MY STORY
It was several
In this issue, we introduce a new column that allows church leaders to share how a crisis changed the course of their life and ministry. Because a crisis can lead to a testimony of God’s deliverance, we’ve titled this column This Is My Story. —The Editors
years before I realized not every room is a scary room.
Rooms That Hurt, Rooms That Heal B R I T TA N Y J O N E S
I
grew up in a dysfunctional environment of drugs, gang violence and poverty. I was 3 years old when my father was murdered in the streets of Chicago. It was months before his body was found, buried under snow. Due to my mom’s issues and struggles, I was surrounded by unhealthy people, particularly men. At 5 years of age, I was sexually abused; the abuse continued, from multiple people, until I was 15. (continued on page 79)
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