the reluctant leader

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.

Church Growth: Slow is Fast

As I type these words on my iPad, I am 35,000 feet in the air somewhere between Nashville and Detroit, heading to Manila, reading Acts and thinking about church growth.

Too many of us (pastors & church planters) find our value in how many people show up at church functions. The more time I spend in the West, the more I have to shake off that sad obsession with size and remind myself that I am called to make disciples, not to build churches. Jesus said he would build his church - the kind of church that the gates of hell would not be able to stop. He has a long history of doing what he says he will do, so he probably doesn't need my help.

(Note to self: your job is to make disciples, not to build a church. If you make disciples, Jesus will build them into a great church.)

If Jesus had been obsessed with numerical growth like many pastors today, he would have felt like a failure.

QUESTION: After three years - preaching good news, healing the sick, feeding the hungry and discipling 12 men - how many did Jesus have in his "church"?

ANSWER: "In those days Peter stood up among the believers - a group numbering about a hundred and twenty" (Acts 1:15)

Three years and 120 believers. Outreach magazine would have totally ignored those results. And many modern church planters with similar results would be thinking about a career change.

While it took 3 years to grow from 12 to 120 - it only took weeks for the 120 to grow to 1000's. Why? Because in the words of Joey Bonifacio, SLOW IS FAST!

If we focus on making disciples (which is a slow tedious process) it is just a matter of time before those disciples begin to multiply out of control. That's the Book of Acts. And that can be your church, if you focus on making disciples and leave the church growing to Jesus.

I'm Not Really A Pastor, But I Sure Need One

I write a column for Evangelicals Today magazine. My assigned topic this month is "Pastor Appreciation." Here's what I submitted to my editor. 

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Even though lots of people call me "Pastor Steve" I don't think I'm really a pastor. I do not have the title "pastor" on my business card, and every time I take one of those spiritual gift surveys I score almost zero on the pastor part. So, I guess it is only natural that none of the "pastors" who have been major contributors to my spiritual development are real pastors either. They are actually evangelists, teachers and prophets - not pastors.

Whatever I have become as a Christian, a missionary, a church planter, and a leader, I owe a debt of gratitude to three "pastors" who helped shape my life and ministry. I'm scared to think what I would be doing today if these men had not stepped into my life when they did.
 
In the fall of 1975, I was a sixteen-year-old high school kid running from God. By the end of that year, I was no longer running from God; I was following Him. What happened? Ron Musselman, youth pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Mississippi happened! For some reason unknown to me, Ron adopted my high school as his mission field, and he picked me as his evangelism project. After mocking Ron and his disciples from a distance for a few months, he finally cornered me and I heard the gospel for the first time in my life. I did not want to repent and surrender my life to Jesus, but Ron continued to pray for me and engage me in God conversations. After a few months, I gave my life to Jesus and the discipleship process shifted into high gear. For the next 18 months, Ron met with me and a few classmates weekly for Bible study and prayer. He established strong biblical foundations in our lives. For the past thirty-six years, I have built my spiritual life on the foundation laid by Ron Musselman. I am forever grateful that Ron picked my high school, that he boldly preached the gospel, and that he faithfully established foundations in my life.
 
In the fall of 1977, I was a freshman business student at Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi. One of the first people I met on campus was Walter Walker. I came to Starkville get a degree. Walter came to Starkville to plant a church that would reach students. For the next four years Walter equipped and empowered me and other MSU students to do ministry. In 1981, when I was one semester from graduation, Walter moved to Nebraska to plant a new church and left me—a twenty-year-old student—in charge of our little church. I constantly thank God for a campus pastor who believed that God could use young people for his purpose. And I thank Walter for not waiting until I graduated to give me an opportunity to minister.
 
In January of 1990, I was an accidental missionary, a reluctant leader, and a clueless church planter in Manila, Philippines. Emanuele Cannistraci (aka "Pastor C") was a traveling minister who made an annual trip to the Philippines. The mission organization that sent us to the Philippines in 1984 had recently disbanded. Seeing we were clueless and alone, Pastor C took us under his wing, treated us like family, and helped us every way he could.  He mentored us—teaching us by word and example how to do ministry with integrity, how to do life with joy, and how to do family with no regrets. He often visited us in the Philippines, and we stayed in his home in California. It would take a book for me to write all I learned from Pastor C. Today he is 79 years old and still circles the globe preaching the gospel and mentoring next generation leaders.
 
I am thankful for the three "pastors" who helped me at important stages in my life, even though they were probably not really pastors. Ron was an evangelist, Walter was a teacher, and Pastor C was a prophet.  But to me they were my pastors.
 
This Christian life was not designed to be a solo journey. That's why we need "pastors" even if they are really evangelists, teachers or businessmen. I have been fortunate to have three great ones in my life at just the right time. How about you?

What to Look for in a Potential Leader

I am often asked by pastors, church planters and missionaries: "What should I look for in potential leaders?" Simple. The starting line for potential leaders is HUNGER & HUMILITY.

HUNGER. Spiritual hunger. I'm not interested in someone who is spiritually fat and overfed, but someone who is hungry for more, hungry to learn.

HUMILITY. I can't teach someone who already knows it all. I can't mentor an expert. Potential leaders know they need to know more. The best leaders are learners, not experts. Humility is a non-negotiable leadership foundation.

It does not matter how gifted, connected or credentialed a person is, it he is not hungry and humble, he is not a potential leader. 

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Bonus leadership thought from twitter: LEADERSHIP. Need more leaders? You already have them. You simply need to equip & empower them - then validate & celebrate them.

 

 

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?

Are You Following God or Man?

Abraham followed God and ended up in the Promise Land. Lot followed man and ended up in Sodom.

Who are you following – God or man?

It is unfortunately common for believers to think they are following and obeying God when they are actually following a religious personality, celebrity pastor, TV preacher, cool podcaster, or trendy blogger.

Consider Abe and Lot:

“Abram left, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him” –Gen12;4

“”Abram went from Egypt to the Negev… and Lot went with him” –Gen13:1

Abe heard from and followed God. Lot followed Abe. I guess if you are going to follow a man rather than God, then Abe is a good man to follow.

But here’s what eventually happens to people who follow people but don’t seem to actually hear from God themselves.

Genesis 13:12 &13 tells us that Lot “pitched his tents NEAR SODOM. Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord”

A few verses later Lot is not only NEAR SODOM, he is “LIVING IN SODOM” (Gen14:12)

Too many today are more like Lot, always following their favorite spiritual guru or Bible teacher, never really having their own relationship with God.

While is helpful to have good spiritual leaders, ultimately we must learn to HEAR FROM GOD and OBEY HIM.  

The Back Row Leader

Church leaders could learn a lot from Home Depot. Every year top HD executives leave their comfortable corporate offices, put on the orange apron and walk the isles helping customers find BBQ grills, toilet seats and paint brushes. By personally experiencing their policies in the trenches (isles, warehouses, cash registers) the HD suits see which policies are good and which are bad. Often what seems like a really smart idea from the corner office or the board room, turns out to be really dumb in the real world. 

Two Sunday's ago I borrowed a play from the HD exec playbook: I visited our newest congregation, Victory-Makati. I did not preach. I did not lead the service. I did not get near the mic. I simply went to church, not as a pastor, but as a civilian/member/visitor.

Deborah and I sat toward the back and worshipped God and took notes (& tweeted) while LA Mumar preached. I’ve known LA since he was in our kid’s church. I've enjoyed watching him grow up and I enjoyed watching him lead and preach in his new congregation.

I learned a lot from the back row. Not just from LA’s sermon, but from observing the stage, the ushers, the lighting, the sound, the screen… Things sure look different from the back.

Every pastor and church planter should try the view from the back from time to time. It’s like going to an entirely different church than the front row church we are used to.

Leadership is Seeking God & Staying Out of His Way

I recently talked to the pastor of small church with a big building decision. His church growth flat-lined years ago, and has even shrunk a bit lately. He needs to move the church to a better location, but the new facility might not be available in the exact time slots he wants.  Not sure what he will do, but I know what I would do.

However, as important the location decision is, it is not the only factor to consider. No matter what decision he makes, location is only one of three key factors that will determine his future growth.

1. LEADERSHIP.
Leaders don't cause church growth; God does. But leaders can hinder growth by getting in God's way. Lesson: seek God and stay out of his way.  

2. LIFE.
Good leaders can't create spiritual life; only God can cause the (spiritually) dead to live. But, leaders can create an atmosphere where the life of God is experienced and celebrated. They can also create an atmosphere that kills spiritual life, and nothing kills spiritual life as fast as legalism, except maybe hypocrisy     

3. LOCATION.
As long as #1 and #2  are in place, then I agree with the real estate people: "Location. Location. Location." No matter how effective the leadership and no matter how high the life level, if no one can find your church, you will not grow. Whether we are renting or buying, there is a reason good locations cost more than bad locations.

Discipleship & Church Planting

I spoke at the Every Nation Church Planter's Boot Campus this morning. Here's what I said.

Jesus promised to build his church. He told us to make disciples. Too many church planters and pastors try to build a church. I have found if we do our job (make disciples), he will do his (build his church).

As you make disciples, remember...

1. LESS IS MORE
Do less; accomplish more. I did not say, "work less." Do less stuff, so you can focus on the part of ministry that really matters - making disciples. Too many church planters and pastors fill the church calendar with everything that can be done in the name of God, but most of it distracts from the disciple-making process. Everything we do in ministry will either underline or undermine the disciple-making process. Eliminate everything that competes with discipleship.

2. SLOW IS FAST
In the 25-year history of Victory-Manila, we have never had a year when we did not grow larger. We grew slow and steady the first fifteen years. Then, at the sixteenth year, the pace picked up and we hit a season where our growth went beyond addition to multiplication. We just refused to quit. I think the reason multiplication is so rare is that most people quit too soon. They may not quit the ministry, but they quit the discipleship strategy and trade it in for the latest get-big-quick pyramid revival scheme. Don't get in a hurry; slow is fast.

3. DISCIPLESHIP IS RELATIONSHIP

Ministry is about people not programs. A schedule overflowing with activity is no substitute for face-time with people. Do you spend your time running ministry programs or ministering to and with actual people? Since we are called to disciple people, we must clear our schedules so we can prioritize time with people.

Originally posted on my facebook "fansite"

Making Disciples or Doing Church?

My friend, Mike Cantrell, invited me to speak to his church and campus ministry staff about the simplicity of discipleship. (Mike and team are great leaders, and Bethel-Clarksville is a strong, growing, exciting church!)

After telling a few d'ship stories, here's what I told them yesterday:

1. PRINCIPLES NOT MODELS
Don't copy a model that seems to be working somewhere else. Discover principles and apply them in your own culture and in your own community. What works somewhere else probably will not work for you.

2. PROCESS NOT EVENTS
Build a process that systematically moves people toward spiritual maturity, not a bunch of random disconnected church activities like foundation class, membership class, discipleship class, Bible school, leadership class, men/women/youth departments... These only have value when they are integrated as part of a process. Stand alone events, ministries and meetings become distractions when they are not part of an intentional strategic discipleship process.

3. CULTURE NOT METHODS
Disciple-making churches are fueled by a discipleship culture, not by a magic method. When the culture is right, any method will work. When the culture is toxic, even the best method will fail. Here's the problem: changing methods is quick and easy (some leaders change methods monthly), but changing culture is hard work and takes years. Do the hard work and build a discipleship culture; don't just import a discipleship method.

4. CONSISTENCY NOT CREATIVITY
Creativity is way overrated. I have found that if we just keep on doing the same thing long enough, it will eventually bear fruit. Most people quit or change too soon. Just when the ole "Good to Great flywheel" is about to start spinning, they dump it and get the latest idea-of-the-month. Consistency is always more powerful that the elusive "silver bullet."

5. RELATIONSHIP NOT RELIGION
As my good friend, Joey Bonifacio, always says: "Discipleship is relationship" on three levels - relationship with Jesus, with unbelievers and with believers. If we keep the focus on relationships we will build a discipleship culture.

SUMMARY: Discipleship is so easy a fisherman can do it. But if we manufacture models, pack our calendars with disjointed events, import the latest methods, constantly change and act religious - then we will not make disciples.

What about you - are you making disciples or just doing church stuff?