#1 – What do we need to stop doing?

Leadership teams are often obsessed with new things they need to do…but what about things that need to STOP being done?

• Is there ANYTHING in your church that you are having to manufacture energy for?
• Is there anything that you attend ONLY because you are on staff…and not because you are genuinely excited about it?
• Why do you do the things you do…because you’ve always done them, or because you know beyond the shadow of a doubt that Jesus has commanded you to do them?

If you need help in this area…I would HIGHLY recommend bringing in Tony Morgan to consult.  (Here is where you can get more information.) He is EXCELLENT and assisting churches in evaluating where you are and challenging you to stop doing things that are not necessary.)

#2 – What bothers us about our church?

Look at your own church.  (Unfortunately people are REALLY awesome and saying what bothers them about other churches…only because looking at their own church would force them to handle their own dysfunctional leadership issues!)

What bothers you?  Seriously…what about your own church drives you up the wall?  THAT is where changing the world begins…if we can’t handle business at home then how in the world would we ever believe that God would trust us with greater things?

(By the way…if the thing that bothers you about your church is, “these people just don’t get it” and you’ve been there for over three years…then that problem isn’t THEIR problem…it’s YOURS because they are following YOUR leadership!)

#3 – What bothers us about our community?

What is the biggest need in the community where your church is?  Where can the biggest difference than can be made?  What bothers/burdens you about your city?  God didn’t place us where we are so we can just pray about it…He has called us to take action.

#4 – What bothers us about the world?

God has called us to reach the world for Him…so, as a church…what BOTHERS you the most about what is happening in the world?  Is it human trafficking?  Is it AIDS?  Is it poverty?  Is it a lack of food and clothes in other nations?  Is it people needing access to clean water?  Is it kids with no parents?  What is it that BURDENS you…find out as a church and the DIVE IN to meeting a need that absolutely STIRS your SOUL to action.

#5 – How can we do things better?

One of the biggest pitfalls of a church is when they believe they have discovered the best way of doing something…thus causing them to switch into cruise control.

#6 – Who do we need to be talking to?

Churches should learn from one another.  I’ve said it before…our job should be to complete one another, not compete with one another.  Saying that…who are the churches you need to learn from?  (I didn’t say imitate…I said learn from!)  By the way…learning from other churches doens’t happen by chance/accident…it must be an intentional effort.

#7 – What’s next?

When a church becomes content with the way things are…it’s over!!!  Leaders should NEVER apologize for getting in a room and asking “what if” questions in regards to vision.

There is simply no clarity regarding the timing of Jesus’ birth.

The Scriptures do not speak directly to the issue, but the presence of flocks in the field has caused many to question the traditional December date of Christmas. This is because grazing in the field seemingly indicates a milder climate than that of winter, although there are reports of occasional breaks, for upwards of a few weeks, in the rainy winter season.

Commentator William Hendriksen raises an interesting point as well: “At this season of the year many roads in that region are impassable. No government would have forced people to travel then to the places where they must be registered” (New Testament Commentary: Luke, vol. 11, 150).

On the other hand, New Testament scholar Darrell Bock shows that while “some Jewish traditions argue for grazing in the period from April to November,” others note “that these restrictions are limited to sheep ‘in the wilderness’” (Luke 1:1-9:50, 226-227). Furthermore, a section of Talmudic literature (M. Šeqal. 7.4) “implies year-round grazing, because the Passover lambs graze in February, which has the harshest weather of the year. Thus, this reason for rejecting the tradition is not definitive” (Ibid., 227).

The traditional December 25 date of Jesus’ birth originated during the reign of the Roman emperor Constantine (A.D. 306–337). As Bock describes, the December 25 date

coincided with a pagan feast of Saturnalia, or the rising of the sun from darkness. . . . But the tradition for the date may go back even further, since it may be mentioned by Hippolytus (A.D. 165–235) in his Commentary on Daniel 4.23.3. . . . However, Hippolytus’s meaning is disputed, as it is unclear whether he is referring to the date of the birth or the date of the conception. If it is the latter, then a December date is presented, but the reference is unclear. Alongside the possible third-century testimony for a December date stands Clement of Alexandria’s testimony (ca. A.D. 200) for an April/May date (Ibid., 227).

Without a clear date for Jesus’ birth, it seems the early church simply seized the opportunity that the pagan feast of Saturnalia provided. The feast celebrated the return of the sun after weeks of ever-increasing darkness, which parallels the biblical metaphor of Jesus illuminating our dark world. Furthermore, Saturnalia included the sharing of gifts, which corresponds to the gifts given to Jesus by the Magi and the gift of salvation Jesus gives.

In the West, the date of December 25 was established by the time of Augustine. Unlike the Western Church, the Eastern Church observes Christmas on January 6, as the day that both Jesus was born and the Magi visited him.

Additionally, determining the year of Jesus’ birth with exact precision is incredibly complex. The two gospels that speak in greatest detail about Jesus’ birth (Matthew and Luke) are unclear on this point. Therefore, it seems most wise to say that it was 5 or 4 B.C., as those are the years nearly every evangelical scholar accepts after looking at all of the evidence.

In the end, the year and date of Jesus’ birth are apparently not a significant issue because God did not find them valued enough to clarify in Scripture, which simply says it happened “in the fullness of time.”

’Tis the season for Dad to drop the holiday ball, stress out as the money is being spent for presents, and miss yet another providential opportunity to lovingly lead his family. So, this blog is intended to help dads not fall into the same old rut of holiday humdrum, sitting on the couch watching football and eating carbs, but rather intentionally plan out the upcoming holiday season. Our children grow quickly and if we miss the sacred moments God opens up for us to connect with and bless our families, everyone suffers and we set in motion generations of missed opportunity. Dad needs… 1. a plan for the holidays to ensure his family is loved and memories are made. Dad, what’s your plan? 2. to check the local guides for what’s going on to make fun holiday plans for the family. In Seattle it’s here. 3. to carve out time for sacred events and experiences to build family traditions that are fun and point to Jesus. Dad, is your calendar ready for December? 4. to not let the stress of the holidays, including money, cause him to be grumpy with Mom or the kids. Dad, how’s your joy? 5. to give experiences and not just gifts. Dad, what special memories can you make this holiday season? 6. to manage the extended family and friends during the holidays. Dad, who or what do you need to say “no” to? 7. to ensure his family is giving generously during the holidays. Dad, who in need is your family going to adopt and bless? 8. to schedule a big Christmas daddy date with his daughter. Dad, what’s your big plan for the fancy daddy date? 9. to schedule guy time with his son. Dad, what are you and your son going to do that is active, outdoors, and fun? 10. to help Mom get the house decorated. Dad, are you really a big help to Mom with getting things ready? 11. to ensure some holiday smells and sounds. Dad, is Christmas music on the iPod, is the tree up, and can you smell cookies and cider in your house? 12. to snuggle up and watch some fun shows with the kids, especially the little ones. Dad, is the DVR set? 13. to take the family on a drive to see Christmas lights while listening to music and sipping cider. Dad, is it mapped out? 14. to help Mom get the kids’ rooms decorated. Dad, do the little kids get lights or a small tree in their room? 15. to read about Jesus and pray over his kids. Dad, how’s your pastoral work going with each of your kids? 16. to repent of being lazy, selfish, grumpy, or just dumping the holidays on Mom. Dad, are you a servant like Jesus to your family?

As we have been preparing for launch day, I have been challenged once again to think through our values as a church. What do we as the leaders of Royal View Church Value? What is the culture we are attempting to create here at RV? Let me throw out a few things to consider out of Acts 2:40-47

1. An Intense  Love For Jesus: This means that Jesus is the number one priority in our lives. We are committed to develop an intimate relationship with Him through Bible study, prayer, and by spending time with Him. We want to hear His voice. He wants us to be obedient in where He leading. May God grant us the faith to follow and believe Him for BIG things! This to me is true worship!

2. A Passionate Love For Lost People: Somehow the local church has lost it’s God given focus. The purpose of the church is to reach lost people with the gospel and develop them into devoted followers of Christ (Matthew 28:18-20. Along the way the church has become more Me focused than Mission focused. We are working hard  to become outward focused rather than inward centred. It is important that every believer ask God to give them a passion for lost people and that we begin to reach out to those around us with the love of Jesus. It is vital that we look for opportunities to build friendships and relationships, earning the right to speak into the lives of others. So the emphasis must be on “going”, Jesus said “go into the world with the gospel”. May the Holy Spirit give us the boldness to go with the message of Jesus (Acts 1:8)… being a demonstration of the difference Christ can make in a life.

3. A Vibrant Sense Of  Community : I have heard it said many times that “there is a greater sense of community in the bar/pub than their is in the church”. It used to be that the church was the place people found love, acceptance, and a sense of community. Today people are more apt to find these things in a bar, club, sports team, or community activity. Just today i was talking with a guy who was lamenting the fact that if you go into any Tim Horton’s you will find a group of men talking, laughing, and having a great time together but it’s so hard to get christian guys together. All I can say is that this must be birthed of the Holy Spirit. We cant manufacture it. My prayer is that Royal View will become a place of love, acceptance, with a greater sense of community. A place where if one is weeping we all weep; if one laughs we all  laugh together. Just people who want to do life together!

4. A Commitment To Excellence In Service: The Bible refers to the church as “the body of Christ”. Like the natural body, the church has many parts with differing functions. It is so important that every member of the local church find a place to serve by using their God given gifts, talents, and abilities. Natural talent is good but when God anoints it there is increased effectiveness and fruitfulness. We want to fulfill God’s purposes for His Church by serving with excellence!

While it is important to be able to articulate what our values are, it is more important to live out our values. I am praying that these four things will become a part of every person who calls Royal View there home. It is vital that we walk in unity and work towards the same goals. The culture we create in the congregation will enable the church to grow and be fruitful.

God Bless

A few years ago an intern asked me this question: what is the key to success in ministry? And he qualified it: in two words. Nice! For the record, I see success and stewardship as synonymous. It’s not about how big your church is. It’s about doing the best you can with what you have where you are. It’s about cultivating your God-given gifts and using them to glorify God.

Here are five “two word” answers:

1) Keep Learning

When you stop learning you stop leading. I never want to become a closed system. If you keep learning you cannot fail. Why? Because failure is not learning the lessons God is trying to teach you. If you learned something you did not fail.

2) Take Risks

Playing it safe is risky. I’m more afraid of missing opportunities than making mistakes. I think that is a leadership mindset. You obviously need to discern if they are God-ordained. But our greatest regrets will be the lions we did not chase!

3) Stay Humble

This one is huge. Don’t let pride take root in your heart. I’m so grateful for a failed church plant on my resume because it’s a constant reminder that “unless the Lord builds the house they who labor, labor in vain.” If you stay humble there is nothing God cannot do in you and through you.

4) Dream Big

The size of your dream reveals the size of your faith. More faith = bigger dreams. I’m convinced that God-sized dreams are one key to spiritual growth. God-sized dreams force you to live on your knees in raw dependence upon God. Live your life in a way that requires divine intervention.

5) Be Yourself

You need to come to terms with who you are and who you aren’t. Ten years ago I was trying to be a pastor. I’m now trying to be myself. And there is a difference. Life is too short and ministry is too hard to be in an environment where you can’t give true expression to your unique gifts, personality, and calling.

I’m obviously making a lot of assumptions here. For example, spiritual growth is all about becoming more and more like Jesus. That’s a given. And I’m assuming a strong devotional life that includes prayer and Bible study. So these five tips are “beyond basics” if you will.

No one ever got angry at another person because they encouraged them too much.

I have found that when I am discouraged that is does my soul well to dig deep and find ways to encourage other people…because in this Jesus usually teaches me three things…

The first is – it’s not about me!

The second is – it’s not about me!

And the third is – it’s not about me!

When we find ourselves in a pit of discouragement we can often believe that others should see where we are and do all they can to get us out…

But reality is no one knows what you are thinking and how you are feeling…and when we expect people to read our minds/feelings we are setting ourselves up for failure.

BUT…when we can look past ourselves and actually begin to speak well of others–despite the fact that we are wrestling through some hard issues–we create an environment where encouragement can be given because we are the ones who actually stepped up and led the way.

(Quick note…if you are discouraged and are feeling overwhelmed…the BEST thing to do is get your team around you and just be honest!  One of the reasons many leaders feel discouraged is because they think people know exactly how they are feeling…and they don’t.  A leader HAS to be honest with the team he serves with about what is going on in his life!)

#4 – Get Some Rest

One of the main reasons I deal with discouragement is because I run at unsustainable paces so many times…and as a result I get tired.

A leader can NEVER underestimate how important rest is!!!

The problem is, especially with a driven leader, that guilt is usually HUGE when rest is taken…

I once heard someone say, “the devil never takes a day off…why should I?”  BUT…the last I checked the devil isn’t supposed to be our example!

Rested and refreshed leaders are essential in the church!!!

Those days when we just can’t seem to hit on all cylinders…when we wonder if what we do is making a difference…when we wished we had a job where we merely stacked rocks all day long and could clock out at 5:00 and go home.

BUT…we don’t…we do what we do because we’re called.  So…when times of discouragement come–how do we deal with them?

I noticed the other day when reading I Samuel 30:1-6 that the Bible says, after an INCREDIBLY discouraging event in his life, that David found strength in the Lord his God…that he encouraged himself…how do we do that?

#1 – STOP Comparing Yourself To Other People/Churches/Ministries.

When we compare we ALWAYS lose because there is ALWAYS someone who does it better, has a larger congregation and/or seems to always have the great ideas.

Too many leaders spend way too much time in a pit of discouragement because they feel as if they are not as good as “so and so!”

God didn’t ask us to be in a state of comparison…because comparison OFTEN leads to compromise because we want what others have…and so we will go against God’s vision for our lives/the church to get what we perceive needs to be gotten!

BUT..as leaders, when we stand before Jesus and are held accountable one day (Hebrews 13:17) we will not answer for what other churches/ministries did and did not do…but rather what we did with the vision and gifting that He blessed us with.

#2 – Surround Yourself With Encouraging People

I personally cannot imagine not working in an environment where there isn’t an abundance of encouragement.

One of the reasons that some church leaders are always discouraged is because they are surrounded by people who make them want to drive their car off of a cliff.  These people would be…

• The person who feels like it is their gifting to point out every problem when an idea is discussed.
• The person who is always having a bad day…and feels like you should know about it.
• The person who feels like it is the leaders job to always pump them up and get them excited.
• The person who supports you publicly but bashes you privately.
• The person who is always taking shots at you and then, when confronted, claims they were only joking.
• The person who always “that” look on their face every time they see you.  (You know, the one that says, “I smell a fart…it’s gross…and I just can’t deal with it!”)
• The person who has the gift of “stare and glare” and often use it on you when you are casting vision for your ministry!

I could go on…(and I am sure you could to)…but the point is probably well taken…discouraging people are a drain!!!

(Please understand…I fully acknowledge that people have bad days.  BUT…when someone has had a bad day every single day for over a week or two…that person ISN’T the person ANYONE wants to be around!)

It is essential for a leader to have an atmosphere of encouragement because it is in this atmosphere that leadership can thrive…not just survive!

My challenge…take a look at the people around you and ask…

• Do they bring me joy or drain the heck out of me?
• Would I hang out with these people if we didn’t work together?

Like I said…I believe I work in one of the most encouraging environments on the planet!!!

It’s not just how hard you work that will make a difference…but WHO you work with is essential as well.

“David was overwhelmed with guilt because he had counted the people, replacing trust with statistics.” I wonder if we’re guilty of the same thing?

Can we have a heart to heart? I think the numbers game is one of the greatest stumbling blocks for pastors. I’m not saying that numbers aren’t important because every soul is of infinite value. But when we measure the wrong things or measure the wrong way it reveals wrong motivations. The purest motivation for what we do is a love for Christ which translates into a love for souls. But let me ask an honest question that demands an honest answer: do you love numbers more than souls? Or to put it another way, is the love of souls your deepest desire and truest motivation for growth? Or is it your own ego? A little self-examination wouldn’t hurt any of us!

It’s easy to measure a congregation by its numbers–attendance and offerings. And, again, I’m not saying those things aren’t important. But I don’t think they are the truest measure of a church. Over the years I’ve learned to gauge spiritual intensity. Call it spiritual hunger. It’s much harder to measure, but I think it’s the best gauge. And it’s that spiritual intensity that will lead toward growth because friends will invite friends. Why? They’re excited about what God is doing in their life. They are seeking God. And when you seek God, seeking souls is one byproduct.

The real problem isn’t counting numbers. The real problem is comparing numbers. When you start comparing it leads down one of two paths: pride or jealously. And either one will eat you alive!

Bottom line? May we care less about statistics and more about souls.

So Jesus makes several key points in this text:

• people are still interested in the gospel, we just have to find them
• prayer will awaken God’s people to share their faith with others
• when we pray about the harvest, God begins to speak to our hearts about sharing the gospel
• the Holy Spirit will guide us to those who are ready to become a follower of Jesus

My prayer is that God will awaken our hearts for lost people and give us wisdom  to know how to share our faith with others. It’s not one plan fits all. We must be sensitive to where people are at in their journey and allow God to lead us in our interaction with them.

Lord stir my heart to see the harvest. Lead me to people who are open to receive your gospel. Give me a passion for lost people that moves me to share my faith and expect many people to come to faith in Jesus Christ!

This has got me thinking about Household Salvation and has challenged me to pray for members of my extended family who aare not Christ followers. To be honest, witnessing to your own family can be one of the most difficult things to do. Often there is rejection and resentment. That is why I have focused my efforts on praying for my family and asking God to send someone to speak with my relatives. This has happened on ocassion with positive effect. I encourage you not to give up on your family members. Keep praying and believing for them!

Lord I pray for my unbeleiving family members today. Bring someone into their lives that will be Jesus to them. Please speak to their hearts Holy Spirit and draw them to yourself. Father may we see household salvations come to Royal View Church. Give us the faith to believe for a flood of salvations! Amen.