the reluctant leader

7 Elements of A Healthy Church

I have about 30 minutes for this blog while I wait for my Atlanta to Lima, Peru flight.

As usual I will hit the ground running - four days of training pastors and church planters. The goal of this trip is to help Peruvian pastors understand how to lead a healthy church.

For four days we will discuss and dissect the following seven essential elements for a healthy church.

1. DISCIPLESHIP PROCESS. A simple, duplicable, transferrable and Biblical discipleship process is the starting line if we want a healthy church rather than a religious crowd.

2. EMPOWERING LEADERSHIP. It is not enough for a church to have great leaders. In fact, a strong leader can be a weakness, if that leader is not empowering. Healthy churches empower multiple generations of leaders rather than creating a "Man of God Syndrome" where paid professionals do all the ministry.

3. ENGAGING WORSHIP SERVICES. This is much more than good music. Essential elements of inspiring and engaging worship services include: anointed songs, excellent music, dynamic preaching, theological depth, relevant communication, spiritual power, presence of God, relational connection.

4. FUNCTIONAL STRUCTURES. Too many church leaders act as if organizational excellence and spiritual life are mutually exclusive. On the contrary, well-developed ministry roles and clearly defined lines of authority actually enhance spiritual life.

5. MISSION ALIGNMENT. For a church that is part of network, fellowship, movement or denomination commitment to the corporate mission, vision and values is essential. For churches in Every Nation Ministries, that means a commitment to church planting, campus ministry and world mission.

6. HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS. It is impossible to exaggerate the importance of relationships. Key relationships that must be healthy include: the pastor and his wife and kids, the pastor and his peers, the pastor and his local leadership team, the pastor and his mentors.

7. FINANCES. Money does not make a church healthy, but an unbiblical view of money will make a church unhealthy. Integrity, generosity and wisdom are the foundations if healthy money management in a church context.

That's it. Gotta run to gate A7...

How to Build a Healthy Church Culture

When I am asked how we do discipleship at Victory Manila, I usually point out that our culture (atmosphere, vibe, values, stories...), while invisible and elusive, is much more important than our system or program. Good discipleship material and good methods do not stand a chance in a bad church culture.

Leadership is all about creating healthy culture.

Last week a Malaysian church planter asked me how to create and build healthy church culture. I gave him the following 2 culture-building words:

1. FOCUS. Rather than trying everything that can be done in the name of God, focus your energy, time and money on the few things that really matter.

2. REPETITION. Constantly repeat core values and mission through testimonies, sermons, branding, websites, social media and every other possible means.

At Victory, FOCUS and REPETITION means we constantly repeat the 4 E's: Engage, Establish, Equip, Empower. At Bethel it's the 3D vision: Devotion, Diversity, Discipleship. At Eaglepoint in Malaysia it is Believe, Belong, Become. At Every Nation it is Church Planting, Campus Ministry, World Missions and Social Responsibility.

If a church or ministry does not have a healthy culture it is because the leaders have not narrowed the focus and repeated the same story over and over and over.

"10 Times Better, 7 Times Hotter & 3 Times a Day" (Sermon Summary)

A couple of weeks ago I preached a sermon in Singapore called "10 Times Better, 7 Times Hotter & 3 Times a Day" from the Book of Daniel. A member of Every Nation Church Singapore who calls himself The Unknown Poet summarized my sermon on his blog as follows...

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25 countries were at the Asian Pastors Equipping Conference
To Pastor Steve's "experimental" sermon, none took offense
As he had walked around town just the other day
He noticed many changes, not all were okay
He noted that the world is changing, not always for the better
We mustn't let ourselves the ways of the world fetter
In such a culture, how can we thrive?
How can we please God while we are alive?

Pastor referred to Daniel and the numbers 10, 7, and 3
A few passages from Daniel 1-6 we then did see
Within these six chapters, there are six stories
All are worth reading, none are mere allegories

Daniel and friends were 10 times better, per Daniel 1:20
The Babylonian king preferred them to his magicians aplenty
In a pagan culture, how can one be noticed and shine?
Daniel, in 1:18, did not defile himself when he did dine
No compromise, therefore to temptation he did not fall
Per Daniel 1:12-13 on three friends he did call
Saying "we are better together", with God in their hearts
The group was more powerful than just the sum of parts

Later, in Daniel 3:19, his friends were punished under a new law
The inside of a furnace 7 times hotter than normal they saw
Other gods they refused to serve or to bow to
They honored and trusted God in all they did do
God intervened and save them from the intense heat
Likewise, He loves to step into any fires we may meet
This is doubly true if persecution we do face
For alone, He does not expect us to run the race

In Daniel 6:10, the ruler was Darius the Mede
To his thirty day rule, Daniel did not heed
Daniel continued to very visibly pray
To God, 3 times every single day
This was not something that Darius could condone
So to the hungry lions Daniel was therefore thrown
To Daniel's rescue, God not surprisingly came
As a result, the lions lay down and were tame

How to be 10 times better, Steven did then say
When faced with 7 times hotter, pray 3 times a day
We can get by with a little help from our friends
And of course, help from God which never ends

In summary, so this mathematician will not forget
Adding 3 to 7, 10 I will surely get
Sticking to the math, if I add prayer even more
Onto me, more blessings and protection will surely pour

The Unknown Poet

Do you take notes when you hear a sermon preached?

Last Sunday I preached three services at Every Nation Church in Singapore. My text was John 19:28-30. "The Unknown Poet" was in the first service.

You might enjoy reading his notes from my sermon. His notes were better than mine. Here they are.

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The sermon was delivered by Steve Murrell
A three word summary of the Bible he did tell
Only fourteen minutes would he need
From John 19 : 28-30 he did read

All humanity deals with guilt and shame, Steve did say
Everyone deals with these in their own distinct way
Westerners tend to focus on guilt, Easterners on shame
But this is now intertwined due to the globalisation game

We should ask how Jesus dealt with these on the cross
Focus on His purpose, else His pain was a complete loss
The three words are "it is finished", from Jesus' last breath
They immediately preceded his humiliating earthly death

Start with "it", this is word number one
This is expiation, our atonement is done
For Jesus willingly sacrificed himself for our sin
Over death and the enemy, God did therefore win

Moving on to "is", our second key word
It is definitive, what is done by our Lord
In other words, this is our present reality
Not something that we may or may not see

"Finished" is word number three we heard today
For only Jesus can really have the last say
We are now forgiven, our guilt is gone
So we should not fall for the enemy's con

These three words are but one in the original Greek
"Tetelestai" means "it is finished", a word unique
It was often used to say that a bill was completely paid
So of sin's price we should no longer be afraid

The cross is about Jesus and what He did
Nothing we do can help our sin be rid
With His blood, His work he did sign
Thanks to Him, our future is divine
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http://the-unknown-poet.blogspot.com/2011/10/23-october-2011-encs.html

Every Nation (Not Yet, But Soon)

Now in Singapore at one of our favorite meetings of the year: the Every Nation Asia Pastors Equipping Conference (APEC).

The next four days we have the privilege meeting with amazing leaders, pastors, missionaries and church planters from 25 nations including:
Afghanistan
Bangladesh
Cambodia
China
Guam (USA)
Hawaii (USA)
India
Indonesia
Japan
Laos
Macau
Malaysia
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nepal
New Zealand
Philippines
Singapore
South Korea
South Africa
Taiwan
Thailand
United Arab Emirates
Vietnam

Because of our security protocols I will not be able to tweet or blog about many of the testimonies that I will hear this week, but I ask you to pray for our Asia leaders this week.

We are not in EVERY NATION yet, but we pray that God will send workers for the harvest in every nation. Maybe you are the answer to that prayer for one of the nations.

Why is Unity Such a Big Deal?

While reading my Bible this morning I got stuck on one verse. Here it is.

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel (Phil1:27)

Here are my notes:

WHATEVER HAPPENS - Paul is in prison for preaching the gospel - he might die or he might be released - whether our leader is present or not we should live up to the standard...

CONDUCT YOURSELVES IN A MANNER WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL - There is a standard of conduct - not a religious dress code - not a legalistic/cultural moral code - the standard is the gospel

What does "gospel conduct" look like?

1. Unity - STAND FIRM IN ONE SPIRIT - the gospel demands unity - if we are not united we are not conducting ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel 

2.  Purpose - CONTENDING AS ONE MAN FOR THE FAITH OF THE GOSPEL - unity has a purpose - unity is a means to an end - the ultimate reason for unity is the advancement of the gospel

Question: Why does God want us together? Why did God connect me to this church/ministry?  Why is it important that we forgive each other? Why must we fight for unity?

Answer: FOR THE SAKE OF THE GOSPEL

Creating a Healthy Corporate Culture (in a Church)

I think I blogged about this sometime in the past few years, but since I can’t remember for sure, you probably can’t either.

Yesterday I spoke to 30 of our Victory-Manila and Every Nation Philippines admin staff  about the corporate culture we are trying to create. Here’s the culture we intentionally build in our Manila-based Every Nation, Victory-Manila, Lifebox (campus ministry) and Real Life Foundation admin/mgt/ops teams.

1. A MISSIONAL CULTURE: The Passionate Vision of a World-wide Church-planting and Missions Movement.

-      missional simple means to think and act like a missionary

-      we must think and act globally, not just locally

-      we must realize that we face spiritual opposition

-      our work, evangelism & church planting, is spiritual and requires a miracle & the grace of God

-      if satan was able to stop the Apostle Paul  at times (1Thess2:18) then he will certainly try to stop us

-      all of the above applies to everyone working in our organization whether they are on front lines as a campus missionary or in the office working on financial reports

-      “the share of the men who stayed with the supplies is the be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.” –David (1Samuel 30:24)

 

2. A PROFESSIONAL CULTURE: The Organizational Excellence of a Multinational Corporation.

-      A professional culture means the way we handle finances and facilities must be at the highest international standards

-      A professional culture starts with a biblical view of work

-      Work is a blessing not a curse.

-      Originally work was part of man’s purpose, not punishment for sin (Genesis 2:15)

-      Man was made to work

-      We rest one day so we can work the other six. We do not work so we can rest.

-      If we have a biblical theology of work, developing a professional culture will be relatively simple

 

3. A RELATIONAL CULTURE: The Caring Atmosphere of a Church Family.

-      how do we create a culture that is both professional and relational?

-      The starting point is to acknowledge that churches and ministries are in the “people business”

-      People matter to God, so they must matter to us

-      Jesus died for people not for organizations, logos, policies and vision statements

-      Learning to forgive is essential to creating and maintaining a relational culture

 

If leaders spend more time and energy building a healthy corporate culture based on biblical values, then we will spend less time enforcing policies and rules. I am not sure we always succeed, but that is what we are trying to do.

Top 10 Things You Need to Know to Succeed in Campus Ministry

I am speaking tomorrow at the Every Nation School of Campus Ministry in Manila. So much to say, but I finally narrowed it down to the 10 things you must know in order to succeed in campus ministry long term. Here they are:

1. You must know that God loves you & accepts you because of who he is & what he did for you, not because of who you are & what you do for him.

2. You must know that God called you to do campus ministry, no matter what other opportunities are offered.

3. You must know that God will provide.

4. You must know that the gospel is the power of God for salvation, otherwise you will resort to all kinds of goofy & powerless ministry gimmicks designed to attract people to meetings.

5. You must know how to forgive. The longer you do ministry, the more opportunities you will have to practice this one.

6. Because you will face endless needs & countless open doors, you must know how & when to say NO. Knowing what not to do is as important as knowing what to do. Focus is necessary for success.

7. You must know how to ENGAGE your culture & community. You had to know that one was coming, and the next three also...

8. You must know how to ESTABLISH biblical foundations, or your disciples will be temporary.

9. You must know how to EQUIP believers to minister, or you will end up doing all the ministry, resulting in either burn out or very little fruit.

10. You must know how to EMPOWER disciples to make disciples, because that is the whole point of being a campus missionary.

In summary: honor God & make disciples.

How to Avoid Persecution, Even in the Middle East

I’m back in Manila after a week in the Middle East. I wish I could blog all the amazing stories I heard from our “underground church planters" but our security protocols forbid details. All I can say is that God continues to do miracles and the Gospel continues to transform lives even in "creative access" nations.

Some of our leaders in the region have suffered greatly for their Faith, fulfilling the promise (that no one “claims”) in 2 Timothy 3:12 that all who want to live godly lives “will be persecuted.”

In the Middle East stories of arrest, abuse, prison, death threats and rejection are told with a grace, peace and even a joy that only comes from God. While they may not have advanced theological degrees, these Middle Eastern leaders have a spiritual depth that goes way beyond Bible knowledge and correct pronunciation of ancient Greek words.  

Church leaders all over the world have much to learn from them, beginning with humility and spiritual hunger.

While persecution is a normal part of the Christian life in the Middle East, there is a way to avoid it – DON’T PREACH THE GOSPEL.

That’s right, if we just live good lives, help the poor, serve our communities, but never mention the name of Jesus or what he did on the cross, we will not be persecuted.

One of our leaders in the region told us that he formerly used a strategy of constantly “engaging” his culture and community, but he never seemed to get around to actually preaching the Gospel. The result was a lot of friends but few disciples. His current strategy is to preach the Gospel to everyone he meets within the first two weeks. As he has preached Christ, an amazing thing has started to happen: people are getting saved! And in this region, persecution can’t be far behind.

Engaging culture and community is the starting point of making disciples, but if we don’t establish biblical foundations (the Gospel, grace, faith, repentance…), we are simply making friends not disciples.

What about you: Are you making friends or disciples? Are you avoiding persecution by avoiding the Gospel?

I Hate Fasting

I don’t remember which year we started, or whose ideas it was (probably Manny Carlos – definitely not mine), but as long as I can remember my home church in Manila has started each year with a week of prayer, fasting and consecration.

This week is both my favorite and least favorite week of the year - because I hate fasting but I love the results of fasting.

Over the years we have heard countless testimonies of salvation, healing, financial provision, freedom from addictions, business turnarounds, job promotions, clear direction, restored relationships,…  that result from answered prayers during our week of consecration. 

I know 2011 will be no different because God still hears and answers prayer.

So this week at Every Nation Nashville we are doing a Joel 1:14… Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the Lord your God and cry out to the Lord.

Whether you are eating or not, if you are in the Nashville area, you are invited to pray with us at the Every Nation office daily from 8-9, 12-1 and 4-5.