the reluctant leader

Learning from the Best, Part II

Sat in a room all day yesterday with friends and colleagues, asking church consulting guru, Dr. Ed Stetzer questions about church planting. This was round 2 with Ed. Click HERE for my summary of round 1.

Learned a lot, again. Here are some quick random notes from our discussion.

What is Every Nation?
We are a movement of churches that do church planting, campus ministry and world missions together.

Elitism.
Question: How do we embrace and communicate our unique vision and values, and not sound elitist? Answer: Organizational and individual humility.

Focus.
Over time, typical organizational pressure is to add to the mission and vision. Originally, Every Nation’s vision was church planting, campus ministry and world missions. According to Ed, the more we wave these banners, the higher the commitment level. But, the more we add stuff, the more we become like everyone else, and commitment wanes. The same applies to local churches. Forget trying every church growth flavor-of-the-month get-big-quick scheme. Figure out who you are supposed to be, and stay focused.

Local vs. Global.
Question: How do we balance the needs of the local church with the needs of the worldwide vision? Answer: After much discussion, we are still trying to figure that one out. 

What is "Apostolic Team" Leadership?
-A chorus not a voice.
-A group that makes decisions together not a group of individual decision-makers.
-A team that speaks apostolically not a group of apostles who speak independently.

***New post on my accidental missionary site: “Jesus Christ and the Superstars”

***HERE's the direct link to the Philippine Star article.

Stupid Statement #4: The Prodigal Dog…Bites Again

This was big news last week.

"I direct that when my dog, Trouble, dies, her remains shall be buried next to my remains in the Helmsley mausoleum…"

As stupid as that is, Leona Helmsley’s last will & testament actually gets worse. Running out of people to give money to, the billionaire left 12 million dollars to Trouble, her dog.

Trouble is now in legal trouble - for literally biting the hand that fed her. That wounded hand is attached to the Helmsley housekeeper, who is suing Trouble for millions.

Only in America could a dog inherit 12 million dollars, then get sued by its legal guardian, who is probably an illegal alien (that last part is pure speculation).

Here are 3 leadership lessons inspired by this edition of Stupid Statements:

1. Plan. You don’t have to be rich to prepare an inheritance for future generations. Proverbs 13:22 says that it is a “good” man - not a rich man - that leaves an inheritance. I am thankful that my father planned ahead, saved and invested money when he had little – so he could leave an inheritance. He didn’t wait until he had a lot, and neither should you. 

2. Patience. It’s usually better to get an inheritance latter, rather than sooner (Pv 20:21). Remember the younger brother, the prodigal, who got his inheritance too soon and made a mess of his life. Trouble, the prodigal dog, did the same thing. 

3. People. Biblically speaking, an inheritance is for children and grandchildren - people. It is not for animals, law firms and socialistic governments. 

New post on my accidental missionary blog about some of the new Every Nation church plants around the world.

Spitting on 1st Graders

Here’s another hero blog...

I met some real live heroes yesterday. Right here in Nashville. And I was impressed.

Harold, a tall timid dignified man, stood and quietly told his story - a sad story of being spit on and cursed. It happened 50 years ago, but he recounted the events as if they happened yesterday. As he spoke, I had a hard time understanding why a mob of adults would threaten a six-year-old schoolboy. I couldn’t wrap my brain around the idea of men my age throwing rocks at a 1st grader and his rail-thin mother as they walked to school.

Barbara told similar stories from her 1st grade experience. But hers made us all laugh, and cry. She could land a gig on Last Comic Standing. Barbara said that some people turned their dogs loose on her as she walked to school. She talked about the day “they” tried to burn her house down, and the time “they” dynamited her uncle’s tool shed. Never said who “they” were. She ended her story talking about how her godly Dad prayed with her and read the Bible to her every night at bedtime. (The power of praying parents - someone should write a book about that.)   

Harold, Barbara and all the others spoke of strong families and stronger faith. They all talked about the role of the community and the church during those difficult days in Nashville 50 years ago.

The meeting was filled with laughter and tears, forgiveness and faith - but no self-pity and no anger. I was amazed that there was not a hint of bitterness or hatred in the room. I’m afraid that I would have been filled with both. But not these people, they were history-makers and heroes, not victims.

Their stories are a testimony to the wickedness of man and the grace of God.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget those 90 minutes at American Baptist College yesterday. The program was called: “Walking into History: 50 Years of Desegregation in Nashville."

Here’s how the event brochure described it:

“On September 9, 1957, sixteen African-American children were officially enrolled in the first grade at six Nashville elementary schools that previously had admitted only white children. Thus began a long journey toward racial equality in the public schools of this city, after more than a century of legally and socially imposed segregation.” 

Harold and Barbara were two of those sixteen pioneers. It was an honor and an eye-opener to hear their stories.

And, it is a privilege to be part of a church that is deeply committed to racial reconciliation.

Click HERE to read more about the "16 Little Pioneers" who changed public education in Nashville.

My Top 10 Heroes

My home church is doing a sermon series called Heroes, based on little-known characters in Hebrews 11. Maybe that is what sparked the recent hero blog-storm. I have not seen the TV show or heard the preaching series, but here are my current Top 10 heroes:

1. My wife. Anyone who could put up with me and follow me all over the world for 25 years is automatically elevated to hero status.

2. My Dad. West Texas tough. Hard-working. Self-made. Old-school discipline.  Successful in business, but still made his kids top priority. Not a religious bone in his body. But, met God at the end. I am who I am – for better and for worse – because of him.

3. My Mom. World’s kindest person. Vowed to stick with the tough Texan “for better and for worse” and did.

4. Ron Musselman. The legendary Presbyterian youth pastor who led me to the Lord and taught me how to follow Jesus.

5. Filipino missionaries. They serve in some of the most difficult and dangerous mission fields on the planet - Afghanistan, China, Vietnam, Middle East…and they do it with a smile. 

6. Youth Pastors. Volunteers or paid staff, these men and women are on the front-lines. See also, #4.

7. Campus Missionaries. Whether they are serving in a hostile war-torn nation, or on a hostile post-modern campus, they are heroes.

8. Church Planters. Toughest start-up job in the world.

9. Kid’s Ministry Volunteers. Most important volunteer job in the world. (THANKS!)

10. Compassion Ministry Workers. Whether they are caring for orphans in Africa, providing educational assistance in Manila, feeding the hungry in North Korea, teaching inner-city kids in America or providing free medical care in Kabul – the hundreds of Every Nation compassion ministry staff and volunteers are true heroes.

Who are your heroes?

(Heroes sermon series podcast HERE and HERE)

Pastors are Supposed to Know Stuff

Since I'm always trying to improve my diplomatic skills, I was listening to Jim Rome’s radio show yesterday, while driving my truck to meet my wife for lunch at Blue Coast (best burritos in Nashville).

I have no idea what it was, but something Bro Romy said prompted me to grab a pen & a scrap of paper and write the following list:

“The Pastor’s Job Description”

1. Know Stuff.
Pastors are supposed to know stuff – Bible, theology, history, leadership, management, etc. Therefore, we have to constantly learn. Best way I know to learn is to read. Pastors who don’t read end up either repeating things over and over or making stuff up.

2. Live Right.
People may or may not listen to our sermons, but they definitely watch how we live. That’s why, in the long run, being a good Christian is way more important than being a good preacher.

3. Preach the Bible.
Seems redundant to say, “Preach the Bible.” What else would a preacher preach? You’d be surprised. I was. I’ve heard “sermons” that hardly mention Jesus or the Bible. Too many sermons have slick power-points but little power and no point. If your pastor does not study and preach the Bible, find another church. And Pastor, if you don’t want to study and preach the Bible, find another job.

4. Be Spiritual.
Pastors do not have to be cool larger-than-life “really really good looking” type A personalities with toothpaste commercial smiles, but they do have to be spiritual. Not weird, scary, spooky, religious, mystical – spiritual. By spiritual I mean things like loving God, forgiving people, reading and applying the Bible, being a witness to neighbors and baristas.

5. Lead.
Leaders come in all shapes, sizes, volume levels, ages, ethnicities and accents. If God has called you to be a pastor, then He has also gifted you to lead. If you are not comfortable leading, find a mentor and learn.

Of course, that’s not all a pastor does – throw in some weddings, funerals, baptisms and county fair appearances - but that’s a good start.

Gotta go read another book, so I will know more stuff, so I can be a better preacher and leader.

***Not sure if this is an apology or an announcement, but... new short blog on my accidental missionary site called "Pastor on the Dance Floor" with rare vid footage of Ferdie C and Nuel N doing their thing during a training event for small group leaders. Scary.   

Top 10 Reasons I Don’t Drink Alcohol

To drink, or not to drink - that is the question that simply will not go away.

Disclaimer #1
I know there are different views on this subject. I respect people on both sides of the issue. I know some good Christians who drink, and I know some lousy Christians who don’t. And vice-versa.

Disclaimer #2
I am taking OFF my Every Nation and Victory Christian Fellowship hats, and putting on my husband/father hat to write this blog. These are my personal views - my opinions – my reasons for not drinking. This post is not about you; it’s about me, and my opinions.

Disclaimer #3
I am NOT saying drinking is a sin - that depends on the context, the amount and the motive. I AM saying that drunkenness is a sin – not a disease, a habit, an addiction.

Note: I did not grow up in a religious non-drinking home - exactly the opposite. My Dad was in the liquor business. He was good at it. Represented Barcardi, J&B and 25 others. He thought something was wrong with me when I refused to drink after I got saved as a teenager.

No one told me to stop my under-aged drinking. I just knew I should. And, I saw no reason to resume drinking simply because I had an 18th and a 21st birthday.

So, with that lengthy preamble, here are the current top 10 reasons I choose not to drink:

1.  My Taste Buds. People say beer is an “acquired taste.” Do you know why Coca-Cola is not? Because it actually tastes good. Why acquire a taste for something that tastes nasty?

2.  My Motive. I stopped trying to impress people with my drinking skills when I turned 16. Really. I did. And haven’t tasted alcohol since. No need. No desire. No one to impress. Nothing to prove. Remember, I’m talking about me, & my reasons, not you and yours.

3.  My Past. I already did the drinking thing and have no desire to bring that part of my past into my present or my future.

4.  My Culture. I am a missionary, church planter and pastor living in two cultures where public drinking is not exactly the acceptable norm for religious leaders - Catholic Philippines and conservative Evangelical Nashville. I do not live in a city where they baptize in beer, or in a nation where they brush their teeth with vodka. I have to respect the culture I live and minister in. I’m in a root beer and sweet tea church culture. Some things are OK biblically, but wrong culturally.

5.  My Job. See #4 and add this... I work with a church and ministry that focuses on youth. I am sick of seeing drunk teens wreck their cars and kill their friends. I choose to set a non-drinking example for every young person who might be looking. Unfortunately in our culture, non-drinking examples are about as rare as a Bigfoot sighting.

6.  My Fear. I don’t care what you call it - genetics, generational curses or bad domestic examples – all I know is that my family has had a pattern of alcohol abuse, and I fear that if I start, I will not know when to stop. I have no intention of getting delivered from that fear.

7.  My Wife. She does not want me to drink. So I don’t.

8.  My Bible - O.T. As I said in the disclaimer, I do not believe that it is a sin to drink. But I do believe that in certain situations it is irresponsible and foolish for leaders to drink. Proverbs 31:4 seems to warn LEADERS about drinking, saying that it is “not for kings to drink wine, not for rulers to crave beer.”

9.  My Bible - N.T. Paul had a biblical right to eat pork chops, lechon and meat sacrificed to idols - but he didn’t – in certain settings. Likewise, I choose not to drink because...it is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else that will cause your brother to fall...therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall... (Rom 14:21, 1Cor 8:13) But that’s just me, and how I apply Paul’s words to my life.    

10.  My Family. I grew up in a home ripped apart by alcohol abuse. So did my wife. We decided 25 years ago that our home would be a no drinking zone. No regrets about that decision, and no intention of changing it.

Last thought - I’m not one of those mindless illiterate “theologians” who teach that Jesus turned water into grape soda. I realize that Paul told Timothy to drink a little wine, “because of your stomach and your frequent illness.” This instruction might have had something to do with the fact that it was sometimes difficult to find amoeba-free bottled water on his mission trips, so, for Timothy it was wiser to drink red wine than brown water. Therefore, if you find yourself on a mission trip with no bottled water available, then feel free to find some good wine and drink up. I'll have a Coke.

And finally, before you write back to correct my theology or to balance me – please re-read disclaimer #2, take a deep breath, relax, visit the pub, order an unsweetened iced tea, smile…then respond. I’d love to hear your opinion.

Cheers!

Stupid Statement #3: Thankfulness Run Amuck

He was the top NBA draft pick a couple of years ago. A teenager. Right out of high school. A gifted athlete. An instant millionaire. 

And, apparently a real thankful guy.

Before thanking his momma, his shoe company, his agent, his high school coach and the man upstairs, he said:

“First of all, I want to THANK MYSELF.”

Being thankful is a good thing. But this guy took it to a new level. An absurd level. I have never heard of thanking yourself. I’m not even sure why anyone would want to do that.

Here’s the leadership lesson: we need to be thankful people.

Whether you are a famous teenage millionaire athlete with a shoe deal who can dunk from the 3-point line, or a balding middle-aged middle-class weekend-warrior with a 3-inch vertical and no shoes - you have plenty to be thankful for. 

Specifically, we need to:

1. Thank God. If our heart is still pumping blood and our lungs are still sucking air, then we owe God thanks - every minute of every day.

2. Thank our family. All of us are who we are because of the love, care and help of family. Husband. Wife. Dad. Mom. Brothers. Sisters. Sons. Daughters. We owe them lots of thanks.

3. Thank our friends. Friends who are “born for adversity” and friends who “stick closer than brothers” deserve our thanks. (Pv. 17:17, 18:24)

4. Never thank ourselves. Also, it’s probably a bad idea to congratulate ourselves and to honor ourselves.

*** New post on my multiply site called, "A Message to Worship Leaders" ***

Loud Obnoxious Know-it-all Christians

While minding my own business in my favorite Barnes & Noble, reading Simple Church (great book for church leaders), I had a close encounter with the poster boy of the religious right, conservative republican, home-schooling, fundamentalist, fish bumper-sticker, God’s gym t-shirt, track distributing, loud, obnoxious, know-it-all, us-against-them, Rush O’Reilly, cultural-warrior Christian.   

This guy was so loud, that I had a hard time reading my book. I eventually moved to another part of B&N, but could not escape his running commentary on creation, abortion, church & state, the US Supreme Court, the 10 Commandments, church unity, cell groups, worship styles, pastors, youth ministry, restoration of fallen ministers, evangelism, Christian education…

Did he realize there were other people in the bookstore? Did he realize how loud he was? Did he care? Or, did he think that the rest of us wanted, or needed, to hear his opinions? Did he have an opinion on absolutely everything? 

Weird thing is that I actually agreed with many of his opinions - just not the volume or venue of their expression.

How can a person be so smart and so clueless at the same time – simultaneously so right and so wrong?

It is not just WHAT we believe that matters, but HOW we live those beliefs and how we communicate them to the people around us.

*** New post on my multiply site called, "Christmas in September" ***