Tag: Church

Thank You

When I was a kid we played outside—without iPhones, Xboxes, and PlayStations. We used our imaginations a lot. Some of my earliest memories are of playing Army in my neighborhood. The tiny town of Nutter Fort, West Virginia, became the great battlefields of American history. Park Hill was Mount Surabachi on Iwo Jima, Elk Creek was Omaha Beach, Norwood Park became Gettysburg, the woods behind the elementary school became the Ardennes. My friends and I were fierce warriors, turning back our nation’s enemies with our daring deeds. We never lost a battle and never lost a friend.

When I was a kid I’d never even heard of Iraq or Afghanistan. But in those distant lands, war ceased to be a game I played as a kid. The weapons weren’t made of plastic, the explosions weren’t cheesy sound effects I made with my voice, and the battles didn’t end when Jimmy had to go home for dinner.

In Iraq and Afghanistan, we lost battles.

I lost friends.

It’s one of the reasons we honor every veteran on Veterans Day. There is perhaps nothing more honorable in all of human activity than one person defending another person with their very life. Two thousand years ago, Jesus said that it was the most loving act a human being can perform. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13 NIV).

Each year on November 11, we grasp these men and women by the hand, look them square in the eye, and say, “Thank you.”

Whether you were manning a machine gun, patrolling a river, or clerking at a supply depot, thank you. Served in wartime or peacetime, thank you. Whether you served one hitch or 30 years, thank you. On behalf of 330 million Americans, thank you for stepping forward and placing yourself between us and the chaos.

Article taken from Pastors.com and written by Quint Pitts, National Director Welcome Home

Will You Lose Your Faith in College?

Will you keep your faith in college? Odds are you won’t, at least according to Barna Research.

Barna estimates that roughly 70% of high school students who enter college as professing Christians will leave with little to no faith. These students usually don’t return to their faith even after graduation, as Barna projects that 80% of those reared in the church will be “disengaged” by the time they are 29.

Will you be one of the 80%? Maybe abandon your faith when surrounded by peers who don’t know God? Most people assume their early faith will carry them through their lives. King Joash probably did. He began to reign at age 7 (2 Chronicles 24:1), and he “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest” (2 Chronicles 24:2), King Joash’s mentor and most trusted advisor.

When Jehoiada was alive, Joash faithfully followed God’s laws and made sure others did as well. He even inspired others to give joyfully to God: “All the princes and all the people rejoiced and brought their tax and dropped it into the chest until they had finished” (2 Chronicles 24:10). Joash’s faith certainly seemed genuine.

Far Too Easily Swayed

But when Jehoiada died, Joash turned to his peers. When the princes of Judah came to visit Joash soon after Jehoiada’s death, the king listened to them. After the princes “paid homage to the king” (2 Chronicles 24:17), which probably meant they flattered him, Joash abandoned the house of the Lord and turned to serve idols. These “friends” may have convinced him that they were open-minded and in touch with popular culture, and that Jehoiada had been too strict and old-fashioned. Joash listened to them and reversed all the good things he had done earlier, even murdering Jehoiada’s son Zechariah when he was questioned.

This behavior seems like a shocking turnaround, but it shows that King Joash had likely been trusting in Jehoiada and not God. His faith was not his own. Since he lacked personal conviction, he was easily swayed by faithless people around him. God judged him for his wickedness and he was soon murdered by his own servants. Joash shows us that it doesn’t matter how well we start in the Christian life; it matters how we finish.

For Freshmen and Seniors

Many of us started strong. We assumed that if we were raised with the right values and involved in church, we would always stay faithful. I believed that. There was passion for the Lord in high school and college, but as I immersed myself in my career, my church attendance became sporadic and my time with God infrequent and rushed.

I found that the less time I spent with the Lord, the less I wanted to know him. My unbelieving coworkers were my closest friends. Originally, I hoped to share my faith with them, but instead they passed on their spiritual indifference to me. They had a subtle but profound influence on my priorities. As my faith was getting watered down, reading the Bible and going to church felt more legalistic than life-giving. It was only when I faced real suffering that my faith became important again.

Whether you are a freshman or a senior, if you are heading off to college, you’re in a vulnerable place. It’s easy to assume you’ll develop better spiritual disciplines and get involved in Christian community later on. But as you juggle life’s challenges, it’s tempting to put off pursuing God until you feel more settled, unintentionally falling into the habits of lost people around you. The shift is gradual and often unnoticeable.

Three Ways Not to Wander

So, what can you do, with God’s help, to be one of the 20% raised in the church who remain faithful through college and into their twenties?

First, don’t assume that you won’t drift away — or that if you do drift away, you will eventually come back. We are all vulnerable. Ask God daily for an enduring passion for him. For God to give you joy in him alone. Ask him right now to keep your heart from wandering.

Second, stay closely connected to God. It may sound trite, or even legalistic, but reading the Bible and praying really are the simple keys to the Christian life. As you read, focus and pay attention rather than mindlessly skimming words to “check off the box.” I love using a Bible reading plan because it takes the guesswork out of what to read each morning. Have a look at the Discipleship Journal plan. If you’re reading the Bible regularly for the first time, begin by just reading the New Testament sections each day. Try reading with a pen and paper, jotting down insights, questions, and observations, asking God to open your eyes to see truth and to breathe life into his words (Psalm 119:18).

Third, find real Christian fellowship. Plug into a church and a small group or on-campus ministry. Intentionally make Christian friends and spend time with them. Having good Christian friends in college reduces the pressure to conform. The people around us influence us far more than we realize. King Joash is a vivid example of how easy it is to abandon your faith when surrounded by the wrong people.

Makeshift Saints

Charles Spurgeon, a London preacher in the 1800s, once said,

Oh, what a sifter the city of London has been to many like Joash! Many do I remember whose story was like this: they had been to the house of God always . . . and everybody reckoned them to be Christians — and then they came to London. At first, they went . . . to some humble place where the gospel was preached.

But after time they thought . . . they worked so hard all the week that they must go out a little into the fresh air on Sunday; and by degrees they found companions who led them, little by little, from the path of integrity and chastity, until the “good young man” was as vile as any on the streets of London; and he who seemed to be a saint, became not only a sinner, but the maker of sinners.

None of us is immune from slowly drifting from God. As we see from King Joash’s life, even when we’ve lived an outwardly Christian life, it’s easy to start living like those around us. Yet those who truly know Christ cannot fall away. As 1 John 2:19 says, “If they had been of us, they would have continued with us.” Those who leave the faith never truly possessed it but, as John Calvin said, merely “had only a light and a transient taste of it.”

Will You Fall Away?

Will you fall away in college? You can fight the current, and hold fast to God. First, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Ask yourself if Jesus is your treasure or if you are only borrowing the faith of those around you. If you have any doubt, commit yourself now to pursue Christ as hard as you pursue anything.

But if you genuinely know the Lord, and see evidences of transforming grace in your life, don’t be afraid that you’ll fall away. He will hold you fast and will strengthen you and help you. God will uphold you with his righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10). If you are his, then you can be sure “that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6).

Article taken from DesiringGod.com and written by Vaneetha Rendall Risner. Risner is a freelance writer and regular contributor to Desiring God, who blogs at danceintherain.com. She is married to Joel and has two daughters, Katie and Kristi. She and Joel live in Raleigh, North Carolina. Vaneetha is the author of the book The Scars That Have Shaped Me: How God Meets Us in Suffering.

Halloween: The Chance for Churches to Go Into Their Communities

Christians are really good at co-opting things. We can turn any movie title or brand name into a cheesy Christian alternative. We’ve created our own musical genre that’s not defined by music. Much of our modern Christmas traditions were co-opted from pagans.

Yet Halloween remains a mystery.

Maybe the evil associations have scared us away. But you’d think there are enough self-righteous pastors who would simply say, “Challenge accepted.”

We even have healthy and legitimate alternatives to focus on—All Saints’ Day and Reformation Day. Yet still the church struggles.

I don’t get it. It’s the one day of the year when people actually want you to come to their door and demand things.

And the best churches can muster is a Jesus Jack-o-lantern or handing out lame tracts with the candy. Or we invite kids to play in a parking lot and accept candy from strangers passed out of a yawning car trunk (I don’t like horror movies, but that sounds like the beginning of a pee-your-pants slasher flick). The fall festival is great, but sometimes I wonder how ‘go into all the world’ became ‘if you build it they will come.’

Halloween is the ideal holiday to go door to door and connect with your neighbors.

You have an open invitation to knock on their door, and they’ll reward you with candy for doing it! If you’re nervous, you can put a bag over your head and it’s celebrated. It’s an introvert’s dream.

Instead of organizing yet another giant event and doing so much work to bring people to your church, why not send your church out on Halloween?

Your congregation could trick-or-treat in the church’s neighborhood. It’d be an ideal youth group or even children’s ministry event. Adults who don’t have trick-or-treat age kids could volunteer as chaperones.
You could encourage your congregation to trick-or-treat in their own neighborhood. Instead of weird evangelism tricks like trading candy for tracts or dressing up like Jesus on the cross (no, just no), tell them to be neighborly. Say hi. Introduce themselves.
Send a group to the local homeless shelter. Pass out some socks and toothbrushes with the candy.
Instead of organizing your own Halloween event, be a part of whatever your community is doing. Join other businesses and organizations on the ‘trick-or-treat trail’ and be visible in your community.

The church has an opportunity with Halloween. And we’ve probably blown it by overdoing an event, going too far the other way with an awkwardly religious alternative, or just skipping it entirely.

Even if your church has dropped the ball, you can go talk to your neighbors and be a part of your community. And get free candy for doing it.

Article taken from ChurchMarketingSucks.com and written by Kevin Hendricks. When Kevin isn’t busy as the editor of Church Marketing Sucks, he runs his own writing and editing company, Monkey Outta Nowhere. Kevin has been blogging since 1998, runs the hyperlocal site West St. Paul Reader, and has published several books, including 137 Books in One Year: How to Fall in Love With Reading, The Stephanies and all of our church communication books.

10 Guidelines for Paying and Hosting Guest Speakers and Musicians

Money can be an awkward issue for churches and guest speakers.

It’s the issue both parties consider; but it’s often the issue around which both parties tiptoe.

It should not be that way. It’s really a matter of biblical stewardship and hospitality. Over the years, I have worked with many churches and speakers (and a few musicians) to establish some guidelines for hosting and paying guest speakers. Keep in mind, these are guidelines, not rigid rules. There will always be reasons for exceptions.

1. Pay with a generous spirit.
  
  As your church is able, try to abound in generosity to the guest speakers and musicians. Art Rainer actually developed a formula for paying guest preachers specifically. I think his approach is a good starting point for guest preachers. There will be differences for conference leaders, musicians, and others.
Ask the guest speaker for expectations for pay.

Don’t be shy to ask guest speakers if they have specific fees or payment guidelines. There is no need to tiptoe around this matter.
Pay promptly.

Your church should have the check waiting when the speaker arrives. Get the W-9 form and travel expense reimbursement form completed ahead of time as often as possible. You should never tell a speaker you will get a check to him later after he has completed his engagement with you.
Cover all travel expenses.

Those expenses would include airfare or mileage reimbursement, rental car, meals, and lodging. There is nothing wrong with being clear about what level of expenses you will reimburse, such as coach fare instead of first-class.
Provide reasonable accommodations.

Most speakers do not like to stay in homes. They are often on the road a good bit and prefer the freedom of being in a hotel and not making up their own beds or engaging the hosts in long conversations.
Inform the speaker ahead of time.

Tell them clearly what the honorarium or fee and travel reimbursement will be on the front end of conversations with them. Outlining these details in writing is also helpful for both parties. Don’t leave the speaker wondering about it after he or she has accepted the invitation.
Consider the implications of the engagement from the perspective of the speaker.

From the church’s perspective, the engagement could be as brief as a 45-minute speaking assignment. But from the speaker’s perspective, he may have to be gone two days from his family due to travel time. Be generous from that perspective.
Avoid scope creep and add-ons.

Scope creep means you ask the speaker for additional speaking spots after your initial invitation. The church or host often says, “Since you are going to be here anyway . . .” Add-ons refer to other groups trying to get the speaker to do engagements for them since the original host is paying the travel costs. The host church or host should ask for the specific commitment on the front-end and not add to it.
Provide a specific point person as their contact and host.

The speaker needs one person as the contact person for all aspects of the engagement, from travel arrangements to payments to sound checks to meeting them at the site of the engagement.
Protect your church’s reputation.

It does not take long for a church to get a bad reputation for how it treats speakers. Travel can be a wearying experience. The speaker needs to know the host has his or her best interests at heart.

Granted, these guidelines are written largely from the perspective of looking after the speaker. In a future post, I will address specific guidelines speakers and musicians should consider. In the meantime, let me hear your thoughts.

Article taken from ThomRainer.com and written by Thom Rainer. Thom is the founder and CEO of Church Answers, and online community and resource for church leaders.

3 Elements Every Team Member Needs From Their Leader To Thrive

A few years ago, the gym that I go to was undergoing new ownership.

Without any prompting, I began thinking about possibly going to a new gym down the street.

That week in the locker room another gym member entered and was upset because his credit card had been hacked. Coincidentally, he had also used his credit that week to pay his bill at the gym. He, without any proof, linked his card being hacked to using it to pay his bill with the new gym owners.

In disgust the guy said, “If that’s how it’s going to be around here, I’ll take my membership elsewhere.”

Why did he feel that way?

Why did I consider finding a new gym?

What Was Lacking?

Trust.

Trust had yet to be established.

If you want to dramatically move your team forward this year, establish trust.

By the way, I love what the new owners have done with the gym. Their style is different. Their personality is different. Actually, I love the direction they have taken it.

Your Team Members Need Trust To Thrive.

In the book, The Speed of Trust, Covey suggests that a lack of trust will slow progress, but that building trust will accelerate everything.

What is trust? Ultimately, trust is confidence.

Have you ever bought something from an unfamiliar website?

If you’re like me, you first read reviews and checked shipping times to verify that the site was credible.

Now think about customers who use Amazon. They actually pay money to buy things faster using prime. They just click a button and have confidence that the items will arrive safely.

Why do people purchase so freely from Amazon? One subtle reason, trust has been established.

As Leaders We Must Extend Trust.

Your team members need trust to perform, excel and go to new levels. This may be difficult for you, but trust is essential to the growth of your team.

To extend more trust start by sharing responsibility incrementally. Let me explain with a brief story:

A couple years ago a lady named Stacey at my church was recommended to help lead outreach events.

The first event under her leadership, I really didn’t know what to expect. Sure, expectations were shared but it was a new working relationship. But sure enough, when I showed up all everything was covered. She had thought of everything.

A layer of trust was established. Each event evoked more trust, all the way up to the Easter Egg Hunt. It was the tipping point.

While were loading vehicles with materials to set up a booth at the city-wide egg hunt, Stacey looked at me and said, “Can you grab that white chair too?”

THE CHAIR.

It seemed like a strange request to me. The chair was not on our list of items to load up. I really didn’t want our volunteers sitting at our booth, I preferred for them to stand and to engage with the crowd. Nevertheless, I loaded the chair and didn’t say anything.

Twenty minutes into the event the Easter Bunny came walking across the grass headed toward the pavilion where our tent was stationed. I watched as Stacy approached the city worker assisting the Easter bunny and listened as she invited them to use our chair, under OUR tent, so that the Easter bunny could sit to take pictures with the kids.

THE GENIUS.

At this point, in my estimation, Stacey is a genius. Most of the crowd that had children came to our booth to take a picture with the bunny which allowed us to have lots of great conversations with them.

I’ve learned to trust Stacy. I encourage her ideas. I’ll give way to her opinions and input because I trust her.

I communicate that I am readily available to help and she bounces ideas off of me – but I do not get in her way!

To Extend More Trust:

*Be on the lookout for the indicators of competency and trust.

*Identify areas of competency and extend more responsibility.

You can extend trust to the members on your team too. Start small. Observe how the trust is used and then measure more out.

Your Team Members Need Clarity To Thrive.

Craig Groeschel explains two dynamics that exist related to trust and clarity. He says that if you provide clarity without trust, you’ll create an environment of fear.

The leader will continually pull away authority from the one she has entrusted because of a lack of trust. This creates robots instead of leaders.

The other dynamic is one that is created when you give trust without clarity. Doing this will establish an environment of disappointment.

Without direction there will be unfulfilled expectations and both parties will be upset and confused.

To provide clarity to your team first make sure you understand what you’re asking of those you’re leading.

Ask yourself, “Can I clearly and simply communicate exactly what I want?”

Once you understand something, you should be able to simplify it for someone else. The goal is to give clear and concise expectations.

To Create Clarity For Your Team Members:

*Identify Needs

*Clarify Why It Matters And How It Relates To The Vision

*Write Down The Expectations

*Discuss With Team Member

*Ask For Commitment

Think of most of the fights you’ve ever had… what does it come down to? More than likely it was a misunderstanding or miscommunication.

Your team needs clarity in order to hit objectives and stay connected to the mission. It’s easy to assume that everyone is on the same page and understands what is expected. However, that’s not always the case. That’s why the next element is equally important too.

Your Team Members Need Feedback To Thrive.

Creating a culture of feedback can revolutionize the effectiveness of your team.

As leaders we must first model receiving feedback to begin infusing a desire from our team members to ask for it too.

Feedback that is constructive is vital to employees’ ongoing development. Feedback clarifies expectations, helps people learn from their mistakes and builds confidence.

Constructive feedback is one of the best things managers can provide to their employees. When delivered properly it can, reinforce positive behavior, correct any negative performance and ensure a strong culture remains in your team.

Below Are Three Aspects To Give Effective Feedback:

Why Should You Give Feedback

*It Reinforces Values

*To Empower Team Members

*It Prevents Unnecessary Surprises

*Ensures Alignment

*To Discover Needs

When Should You Give Feedback

*Sooner Rather Than Later

*Regularly

*When Team Member Models What You Value

*When Team Members Stray From What You Value

How Should You Give Feedback

*In The Right Setting

*With The Right Motives

*Be Direct

*Provide Examples

*Explain The Impact (help them understand how/why the action matters)

*Ask For A Response

*Provide Next Steps

Feedback must be welcomed in order for it to be beneficial. If it’s not even constructive feedback can be taken the wrong way or disregarded.

If members on your team refuse feedback, it’ll be detrimental. Growth will be stunted, culture will be dampened, and frustration will continue to rise.

Being closed-minded toward feedback could be an indicator of one or two things (or both): a lack of trust or a lack of security. However, these issues can be resolved over time if both parties are willing to work together.

Which of the three elements is most difficult for you? Take note and be intentional to ensure your team members are receiving what they need. When leaders provide their teams with what they need they’ll accomplish more than what you’ve asked.

Article taken from Catalystleader.com and written by Evan Doyle. Evan is a campus pastor in Southeast Indiana. He also blogs at dailychristianhelp.com to help other leaders strengthen their ministry, avoid frustration and grow their church.

Six Mistakes Many Search Committees Are Making Today

Taking too long
Playing candidates off one another
Not doing background checks: legal, social media, credit;
They are not asking “#MeToo” questions
Not providing clarity to internal candidates
They are not communicating sufficiently to the congregation

Some highlights from today’s Rainer Report:

There is no reason why it should take as long as it normally does to fill pastoral vacancies.
You should always run legal, social media, and credit background checks on potential pastors before hiring them.
Pastors, your social media footprint will follow you throughout life. Don’t do stupid.
You don’t have to give all the details of a pastor search to a church, but the congregation needs ongoing updates.

*Find out 3 Benefits to Using a Search Company as a Candidate

Article taken from TomRainer.com and written by Tom Rainer. Thom is the founder and CEO of Church Answers, and online community and resource for church leaders.

How to Lead When You’re Not in Charge

No man or woman is ever fully acquitted of all responsibility. Just as there are inalienable rights, there is such a thing as inalienable responsibility.

What this means is that everyone leads something.

Everyone is in charge of something—even if it’s just you. Each one of us is responsible for the choices and decisions we make. We must all learn to rightly influence ourselves.

In this 3-day track, Clay challenges us to identify the ways in which we lead, even when we don’t think we are in a position of leadership. He reminds us that we are all always leaders – we are always in charge of our emotions, thoughts, reactions, and decisions.

Perhaps you’ve blamed your boss for poor leadership, or resisted your own leadership capabilities. Regardless of your circumstance, take the next few days to recognize your flourishing leadership. Complete the challenges at the end of the day to help guide your reflection.

DAY 1: CREATING THE BLAME

When most people think about the challenges of leading when they aren’t in charge, the most common excuse they give for their failure is—you guessed it—their boss.

It’s likely that, at some point, we’ll all have to work for a bad leader, but that is not an excuse. I say that even though I don’t know your situation. There are some bosses who are insecure, unaware, and defensive and are intimidated if you choose to exercise any kind of leadership when you’re not yet in charge.

What I’m going to say in this chapter may feel next to impossible. But let me ask you: what is the chance there is still something you can learn in this situation where you currently find yourself? Even if that chance is one in a million, I’d like to quote my friend and yours, Lloyd Christmas, “So you’re telling me there’s a chance. Yeah!”

When you aren’t accomplishing what you want to accomplish in the role you’re in, it’s natural to look for someone to blame. And the easiest target is your boss, especially when you’ve already concluded he or she is a bad leader.

When you make a judgment about someone, specifically your manager, you will persistently look for behaviors to justify the judgment you’ve made. Then, with your settled judgment in place, you look for every possible reason no one else would or could succeed in your role. It’s a self-defeating prophecy where you give yourself a pass for your own lack of leadership.

Reflection: Answer the poll below.

How well do you lead when you feel you’re not in charge?

I never lead
Only lead due to my boss’s lack of leadership
I only when asked to do so
Always lead

Article taken from Pastors.com and written by Rick Warren. Rick is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church, one of America’s largest and most influential churches.

3 Ways to Replace Busyness with Purpose in Your Ministry

More than 70 percent of pastors say they work between 55 to 75 hours every single week.

Those numbers may not surprise you. But they should.

Just like all the people you serve in ministry every week, you were created for a specific purpose—and that purpose isn’t fulfilled simply through activity and busyness.

You might think those late nights hunched over your computer and all those times you’ve skipped family meals are helping you fulfill your unique purpose.

But your purpose is more than what you do on Sunday mornings. It’s more than what you do in meetings and hospital visits. Those activities may help you fulfill your purpose, but they must not define your purpose.

Every pastor, just like every person, is driven by something. Many are driven by the pressures around them. Others are driven by responding to crises in their midst—and there are plenty of those, right? Some pastors are driven by the expectations of those they lead.

But God wants something more from us.

He wants us to live purpose driven lives. You can’t lead others to make the most of their lives if you’re not doing it. Just because you’re doing the activities of ministry doesn’t mean you’re pursuing your unique calling in life.

Often, our unique calling gets drowned out by random activity.

Consider what the apostle Paul shared with Timothy, a young pastor in his day, and his church in Ephesus. “Live life, then, with a due sense of responsibility, not as [people] who do not know the meaning of life but as those who do. Make the best use of your time”(Ephesians 5:15-16 PHILLIPS).

God expects us to make use of our time in ways that help us achieve what he has called us to do. Too often, though, we do everything but what really matters most.

I’ve got good news for you. You can do something about it.

Let me share three steps to organizing your life and ministry in a way that’ll help you achieve your life mission.

1. Develop your goals around your purpose.

Start with your unique purpose, which is rooted in God’s five purposes: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism. For this article, I’ll assume you’ve got that settled.

Goals put feet on your purpose. Think of them as statements of faith, typically phrased like this: “I believe God wants me to accomplish ____________ (what you’ll accomplish) by _________ (when you’ll do it).”

Set goals that you can’t accomplish without God’s help. Goals that require faith. Frankly, those are the only goals worth having. Jesus said, “According to your faith let it be done to you” (Matthew 9:29 NIV). God uses us to do the incredible when we trust him to do the impossible.

But make sure you’re chasing the right goals. Few realities will be more disheartening than reaching the end of your life and realizing you were successful in achieving a goal that didn’t matter.

Ask yourself these five questions as you set your goals:

Will it glorify God?
Does it make me more like Jesus?
Will it make a positive contribution to the world?
Does it enhance my life message?
Can I do it in faith without doubting?

If you can answer these questions affirmatively (at least one of them and, hopefully, more than one), you know you have goals that matter, goals that will lead to a purpose driven life.

2. Organize your activities around your goals.

Many people have goals, but if your goals aren’t organized into actions and activities, your life won’t be purpose driven.

The best way to organize your activities is to categorize and prioritize them. Make a big laundry list of all the activities you need to do, but don’t just stop there.

Put together tasks that relate to one another. Your hospital visits. Put all your sermon preparation tasks together. Then rank them by importance.

The problem with many to-do lists is that the tasks can vary widely in value. If you’re living your life by a to-do list, you’re not purpose-driven, you’re activity driven.

Instead, organize your goals around the activities God wants you to do. You could do that many different ways.

I’ll tell you how I do it:

I organize my tasks around relationships—my relationship with God, my relationship with my family, my relationships at church, my relationships with other churches, and my relationships with the unchurched. This helps me stay balanced.

It’s easy in ministry to focus on serving others and ignore your own relationship with Jesus and your relationships within your family. Organizing your tasks around these relationships will help you avoid that.

3. Balance your schedule around your goals and activities.

Your schedule is ground zero for accomplishing God’s mission for your life. You can have great goals and focused tasks yet fail at fulfilling your mission if you miss this part.

You’ll have to schedule what’s important in your life. If you only have a 2 p.m. doctor’s visit on your schedule, it’s likely your whole day will revolve around that appointment.

Don’t let other people determine what’s important in your life. Schedule the tasks that matter to you, the tasks that will help you advance toward your goals.

The antidote to the frantic way many of us live in ministry is a schedule that’s planned and lived around our purpose.

I think of it like a tree. The roots of the tree are God’s five purposes for your life.

The trunk of the tree is God’s mission based upon your unique SHAPE, what God has called you to do. Then you have the branches, which are the five spheres (relationships) of life I mentioned earlier. The twigs coming out of those branches are the goals you’ve set to accomplish in those specific spheres. The pine needles are the activities and tasks you need to schedule in order to achieve your goals.

Everything is connected.

The roots of God’s eternal purposes nourish and provide the foundation for your purpose. Your unique purpose flows into the different spheres of your life. Your faith goals in each of those areas provide the momentum that moves you forward in your mission.

The scheduled tasks and actions within each of those goals provide the practical handles that ensure you complete your goals.

I know that many pastors feel as if their lives have gotten out of control. They’re busy going from meeting one need to another without the opportunity to really focus on their unique purpose.

But remember this. Time is not the issue. You have just enough time to do God’s will. If you try to do more than God’s will, you won’t have time. If you’re constantly running out of time, you’re either trying to do something that’s not God’s will or you’re doing it in the wrong way.

Stop letting your task list drive your life and your ministry.

Start letting God’s mission for your life drive your goals in all spheres of your life.

Article taken from Pastors.com and written by Rick Warren. Rick is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church, one of America’s largest and most influential churches.

Why a Jam-Packed Fall Ministry Calendar Might Be a Warning Sign

Feeling too busy already? Over-programming is one of the most common indicators a church has slipped into Maintenance Phase.

We recently released our Q3 2018 edition of The Unstuck Church Report. Based on about 1,200 churches that have recently taken the team version of the Unstuck Church Assessment, 80% found themselves on the right side of the church life cycle.

I pulled this image from the report to show you what I’m talking about.

As you can see, the majority of churches are sitting in the Maintenance Phase. The tricky thing about Maintenance Phase is that churches are often here months, or even years, before they recognize it. These churches look healthy on the surface, but when you dig deeper, you’ll find they have started to plateau or decline.

There are a few key indicators that a church has entered Maintenance. One of the most common? Over-programming.

Rather than one team pulling in one direction, ministries begin to prioritize their programming over the health of the overall church.

This particular season of ministry seems more program-filled than others—back-to-school events, Fall Festivals, Trunk or Treat, new small groups and a lot more. I do believe some events can serve a place in the Church, but if they start driving your church instead of a simple strategy, you will likely start experiencing the pain of complexity creep.

When I work with churches, I’ve noticed a common theme: healthy, growing churches tend to approach discipleship in the form of a path. Declining churches tend to approach discipleship through lots of programs.

As leaders, the pull can be to always do more. We seem to think, “The more we offer, the more people will show up.” But getting people to show up for more things doesn’t equate to spiritual development. (I dig into this topic a lot more in a previous blog post. You should read it.)

Healthy churches are helping people take their next steps following Jesus.

With the start of this new ministry calendar, I’d encourage you to take a step back, look at the big picture and ask yourself the tough questions.

Is your church experiencing sustained health?

Where are you seeing the most life-change within your church?

Are you feeling incredibly busy because there is so much going on?

What is all of the fall activity leading people towards?

I’m passionate about churches experiencing greater health and growth. If you’re in a season of plateau or decline, the first step towards reversing it is to recognize where you really are today.

Article taken from Tony Morgan Live and written by Tony Morgan. Tony is the Chief Strategic Officer and founder of The Unstuck Group.