This past week, I rode a roller coaster of emotions as I was involved in several personal encounters with very good friends that typifies the highs and lows of ministry! On one hand, I visited a former student of my youth ministry days who is battling a brain tumor now for almost four years. His wife and parents moved him here to their home so that he could finish out his days among family and friends. I was able to spend two great hours with them and recall fond memories of youth ministry days! My heart aches for them as they walk this path. You aren't supposed to outlive your students! But it was so refreshing to see their spirit and courage of faith and hope in the midst of suffering!
The day before this visit, another former student who attends our church gave birth to her second child! There's always such great joy at the birth of a baby! It's fun to watch former students experience life in this way!
Then, finally, on Saturday of this week, I was invited to baptize an entire family of very good friends in the backyard pool of their parents. There were some twenty plus family members and friends there to witness the baptism and testimony of this family! They wanted everyone to know of their faith in Christ and their desire to live for Him! What a thrill to be able to participate with them in this blessed day!
As I reflected on this past week and the highs and lows of the events I was fortunate enough to share in, I thought of how life is surely a journey of trust and faith in the midst of joy and pain! But through it all, the same God is present in every situation with each person, no matter where the journey leads them. I'm grateful to be a pastor and to be able to share in these moments with friends, as hard as they may be sometimes. Thankfully, He is there every step of the way!
Showing posts with label ministry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ministry. Show all posts
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
The Nines
As a pastor of a church plant now going on four years, I still feel at times like there are so many things I don't know. This is coming from a youth ministry veteran of over 16 years and one who has been in ministry for over 25 years. But I'll admit it. I'm still learning. But I think that's a good thing. Know one should ever stop learning or think they've learned all there is to know, because the truth is, there's always something new around the corner. The culture changes, the nature of church ministry changes, the methodology of ministry changes and certainly in scripture I find that I continually learn new things from God! So, as I navigate the tenuous nature of church plant world, I'm still finding the need to learn from others. That's why I love to attend conferences such as Catalyst in Atlanta or North Point's Drive or sit down with fellow pastors and hear what they've learned along the way. One really cool ministry venue that I'm excited about is an online conference called the Nines. In one day, over 100 ministry leaders will share for five minutes via video everything they know! Not really, but they will share one nugget that has help them grow and change and feel that others could glean from. If you're not familiar with the Nines, check them out here http://thenines.leadnet.org and register today. You'll love it!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Caution
Shawn Lovejoy over at Mountain Lake Church in Forsyth County, GA near Atlanta wrote the following caution for pastors in his blog as it relates to sexual temptation. But I think it applies to all of us, whether we're pastors or not. It's always worth it to make sure we're guarding our hearts. So, I share his words here.
"Pastors have a HUGE spiritual bulls-eye on our backsides! We are targets of the enemy. Strike the shepherd. Scatter the sheep. That’s the enemy’s strategy.
That’s why, more than ever before, I’m convinced that to protect ourselves as Pastors, we must NUTURE VITALITY. It’s the #1 Best Practice we talk about in our churchplanters.com ministry and coaching network. To NURTURE, means to care for; pay attention to; attend to; feed…our VITALITY: our spiritual, emotional, spiritual, and relational strength!
Below is just a simple list of practical ways to keep ourselves from being picked off by the enemy as Pastors. These are simple. But easier to KNOW and PREACH; than DO. Here are a few (OK, more than a few):
* Read your Bible daily, and read portions of Scripture that have NOTHING to do with this week’s message.
* Take your off day Religiously. Burnout leads to spiritual failure and dropout.
* If you don’t rest, you will burn out. Period. You are not exempt.
* Tell you congregation you will NOT be out more than 2-3 nights a week.
* Keep office hours. Go home at 5 or 5:30 PM. People have to see their doctor, their dentist, their lawyer, and their counselor from 8-5. Spiritual counsel should be no different. You MUST have a life at night with your family.
* Don’t open your laptop after you get home.
* Don’t answer your cell phone after you get home.
* When you walk in the house after work, don’t be on the cell phone.
* Spend less time on Twitter and facebook. Spend more time communicating with your family.
* Get secure in your own skin. The desire for attention or pleasing people is a flag that will get you in trouble.
* Confess your temptations or addictions to a trusted friend NOT in your church.
* Schedule a date night with you spouse AT LEAST once a month. If you don’t have the money, ask the church to pay for it. (my church doesn’t, BTW) Your church will, though, if you ask them.
* Tell your congregation that the best gift you have to offer them is NOT a close relationship with every one of them, but a close relationship with God and a close relationship with your spouse.
* Don’t just talk about ministry with your spouse. Start a hobby TOGETHER!
* Exercise! Flabby body=flabby mind=flabby spirit.
* Take walks with God early in the morning when you can talk out loud to Him and share your hurts, pains, struggles, and dreams.
* Get your spouse out of that ministry they feel tied to because no one else will do it. You’re burning them out.
* Have a family night regularly where you allow your kids to set the agenda.
* Have a hobby you enjoy by yourself.
* Tell your spouse you love them EVERY DAY!
* Speak positively of your spouse from the stage.
* Listen to friends that raise flags about your behavior.
* Don’t ever be in the car, or your office, or ANY PLACE alone with opposite sex with the door shut. NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.
* Make the above policy for every Pastor on your Team.
* Don’t flirt, including online, or in emails! If you’re flirted with (and you will be), don’t respond, and immediately tell your spouse.
* Think about the consequences of your sin if carried out and found out. Who and how many will get hurt?
* Remember, pride goes before a fall, and you can not stand too close to a fire and not get burned.
* Make Nurturing Vitality the most important part of your job description."
"Pastors have a HUGE spiritual bulls-eye on our backsides! We are targets of the enemy. Strike the shepherd. Scatter the sheep. That’s the enemy’s strategy.
That’s why, more than ever before, I’m convinced that to protect ourselves as Pastors, we must NUTURE VITALITY. It’s the #1 Best Practice we talk about in our churchplanters.com ministry and coaching network. To NURTURE, means to care for; pay attention to; attend to; feed…our VITALITY: our spiritual, emotional, spiritual, and relational strength!
Below is just a simple list of practical ways to keep ourselves from being picked off by the enemy as Pastors. These are simple. But easier to KNOW and PREACH; than DO. Here are a few (OK, more than a few):
* Read your Bible daily, and read portions of Scripture that have NOTHING to do with this week’s message.
* Take your off day Religiously. Burnout leads to spiritual failure and dropout.
* If you don’t rest, you will burn out. Period. You are not exempt.
* Tell you congregation you will NOT be out more than 2-3 nights a week.
* Keep office hours. Go home at 5 or 5:30 PM. People have to see their doctor, their dentist, their lawyer, and their counselor from 8-5. Spiritual counsel should be no different. You MUST have a life at night with your family.
* Don’t open your laptop after you get home.
* Don’t answer your cell phone after you get home.
* When you walk in the house after work, don’t be on the cell phone.
* Spend less time on Twitter and facebook. Spend more time communicating with your family.
* Get secure in your own skin. The desire for attention or pleasing people is a flag that will get you in trouble.
* Confess your temptations or addictions to a trusted friend NOT in your church.
* Schedule a date night with you spouse AT LEAST once a month. If you don’t have the money, ask the church to pay for it. (my church doesn’t, BTW) Your church will, though, if you ask them.
* Tell your congregation that the best gift you have to offer them is NOT a close relationship with every one of them, but a close relationship with God and a close relationship with your spouse.
* Don’t just talk about ministry with your spouse. Start a hobby TOGETHER!
* Exercise! Flabby body=flabby mind=flabby spirit.
* Take walks with God early in the morning when you can talk out loud to Him and share your hurts, pains, struggles, and dreams.
* Get your spouse out of that ministry they feel tied to because no one else will do it. You’re burning them out.
* Have a family night regularly where you allow your kids to set the agenda.
* Have a hobby you enjoy by yourself.
* Tell your spouse you love them EVERY DAY!
* Speak positively of your spouse from the stage.
* Listen to friends that raise flags about your behavior.
* Don’t ever be in the car, or your office, or ANY PLACE alone with opposite sex with the door shut. NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.
* Make the above policy for every Pastor on your Team.
* Don’t flirt, including online, or in emails! If you’re flirted with (and you will be), don’t respond, and immediately tell your spouse.
* Think about the consequences of your sin if carried out and found out. Who and how many will get hurt?
* Remember, pride goes before a fall, and you can not stand too close to a fire and not get burned.
* Make Nurturing Vitality the most important part of your job description."
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