Building Community in the Church

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“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,
just as in fact you are doing.”

1 Thessalonians 5:11

An important and often unrecognized role of the church leader is to build community among those he or she leads.  Just as Christ surrounded Himself with his disciples and lived in fellowship with them, we too as leaders must develop a Christian community among our people as well.  We need to recognize that God desires that we work together in ministry, with each of us being a part of the Body of Christ.  No person can do all of the work of the ministry alone.  By developing a community of faithful believers we discover that together we are more powerful and productive than if we walk alone.  Ministry work is also filled with disappointments, difficulties, and spiritual attacks.  We need our brothers and sisters alongside of us to encourage us and support us, especially through the difficult times. 

There are 4 major reasons why we should build community within our churches. First,building community is following Jesus’ example. Jesus gathered his 12 disciples (Luke 6:12-16) and continually taught and mentored them. Jesus also often had fellowship with His disciples and made it a big part of his ministry. Second, we need to develop a sense of belonging for our church members. They all desire to feel a part of the church and to participate in the life of the church according to their gifts and skills. They also desire to feel wanted or needed. Third, we should encourage fellowship among members so they build relationships with other church members. We all need others to love and support us and especially need a Christian brother or sister to turn to in times of trouble. Finally, we need to build community in order to create regular contact with our church members. Friendship can only develop with regular interaction. Loss of contact generally produces a loss of interest.

Why is building community in our churches so important?  It’s because God’s church on earth is relational.  We all have a relationship to our Lord as well as a relationship to each other as children of God. These relationships form the foundation of our Christian faith. We are called to love God and love one another (Matthew 22:37-40). Additionally, we continually need encouragement in our faith journey. None of us measures up to God’s standards (“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” – Romans 3:23) and we all struggle daily with sin (“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” – James 4:17). Faith is a process, not a destination. We are also the ‘Body’ of Christ where we are given an identity and sense of belonging (“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”  – 1 Corinthians 12:27). Together with one another we also have a defense against Satan’s attacks (“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.  A chord of three strands is not quickly broken.” – Ecclesiastes 4:12). Finally, we also need accountability in our faith. We need others to sometimes help us see our sin in order to correct and protect us. We also need the support and love of others during the trials we face in our lives.

So how exactly do we go about building community? Here are some steps to help us build a stronger community of believers in our churches:

1.  First and foremost, we must focus on Christ. We should build on the cornerstone, which is Jesus, and remember that He is the common link, not the church itself. Jesus should be at the center of everything (“Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.”  – Hebrews 3:1).

2.  Develop and encourage relationships.  Be a leader of leaders and set an example for others on how to build relationships. Be a “connector” by helping people build relationships with one another. Track member connections so it is possible to determine how people are connected to one another and who may be at risk of becoming disconnected (those with few or no connections).

3.  Encourage teamwork. Organize teams to accomplish goals and consider putting people who are not connected together on a team to create more interaction and relationships. Assign projects that require people to seek others to help them and utilize team-building exercises and activities to facilitate that.

4. Utilize a small group ministry.  Small groups will act like teams. They help build stronger and deeper relationships and provide a means for accountability and care.

5.  Provide regular fellowship opportunities. It will create an environment for interaction and will keep people connected to each other. Remember that Jesus often broke bread with his disciples and ministered and taught during fellowship. We should follow His example!

Building Community within our churches is an important role of the church leader. It strengthens the ministry of the church and enables church members to have Christian relationships that support and encourage them in their faith. Without these relationships a church can easily fall apart or see its members disconnect from the Body of Christ.

We encourage all church leaders to pray for, and works towards, building a strong community and to keep track of how church members are connected to the church and to one another. Having such information will help church leaders spot disengaged members before they disconnect from the church. As I was often taught in my marketing career, it is always easier to keep a customer than to try and win them back!

(taken from chapter 5 of our Management for Church Leaders™ Volume #2 Training Manual © 2010)

Traveling With God

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“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

John 10:10

I travel on airplanes a lot, mostly internationally, and I usually request a seat with more legroom because I am quite tall and a regular economy seat is just too small for me, especially on longer flights. So I am willing to pay a higher price for a more comfortable seat. Recently I was upgraded to business class (first class on most aircraft nowadays) on a 10 hour flight back to Atlanta from Rome and I felt truly blessed to get a better class of service with even more comfort for such a long flight. My status as a regular frequent flyer with Delta was the reason, as well as an overbooked economy section, I suspect. 

In the airline industry today there are generally 4 classes of service: Basic Economy (no frills), Regular Economy, Economy Comfort, and First Class. Each passenger has the option to choose which class of service they want to purchase. Of course, the price goes up for each class of service. Additionally, passengers in economy class on some airlines now pay for other services they may desire, such as snacks, drinks, baggage, specific seating, boarding priority, etc., especially on domestic flights. But I am also noticing this more and more on domestic and international flights in other countries as well. The point is that we all make choices on how we want to travel when we fly somewhere.

It got me to thinking about our spiritual life and how similar it is to choosing how we like to fly.  As Christians, when we are on our faith journey and traveling with God, which spiritual “class of service” do we choose? 

Do we like the basic economy, no frills sort of faith journey where we acknowledge God and Jesus as our savior but don’t really care about any of the extras he offers, like worship, prayer, serving others or sharing our faith?  We can still rest in the knowledge that Jesus dies for our sins and we are saved by faith, but as James 2:17 says, “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” In other words, traveling with God in a “no frills” way results in a life that is missing out on the blessings and abundance of God. You still arrive at your destination but it’s far less enjoyable than it could be.

What if our faith journey is like regular economy? That seems to be the place that most people start when they fly somewhere. They want to get to their destination and still enjoy a few benefits. And that’s likely true for a Christian’s faith journey as well. Our faith provides for our salvation and we likely attend church and go to worship, but that’s it. Like the airplane traveler we are content to have our seat and entertainment while on the journey but not much else. When traveling with God in a “regular economy” way we don’t get to experience the joy and blessings that come from prayer, serving others and sharing our faith. As a result, our faith journey becomes mundane and less exciting than what it could be.

I regularly fly economy comfort class (for the extra legroom) and I’ve wondered if some travelers even consider it because there are often empty seats in this section of the plane. If someone is tall or would just like more room and better service I would think they too would want to be in this section.  Those that do choose to fly economy comfort are aware of the extra benefits (more legroom, free drinks, early boarding, etc.) and they are happy to pay the extra fee for them. Similarly, those who choose to travel with God in an “economy comfort” way recognize the benefits of prayer, serving others and witnessing their faith.  And they receive the blessings and joy that come from them. But they also know there is something more. The economy comfort traveler can see ahead into first class and knows that there is another way to travel that has even more room, higher quality meals, better service, and is the most comfortable and best way to travel. If everyone could fly first class they certainly would!

On many of the international flights I fly the first class section is not always full, mostly because of the high price. Its cost is often 5 times higher than regular economy. Many travelers just cannot afford the cost. Traveling with God in a “first class” way also carries with it a high price. But the cost is not money – it’s our time and our priorities. Jesus said in Luke 14:33, “In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”  Like many airline travelers, most Christians do not choose to travel “first class” with God because of the high cost, often settling for something less. Traveling “first class” with God means giving up our desires and instead living our life for Him and serving others. It also means being a minister and missionary for Him wherever we go. According to Jesus it’s the only way to truly experience the abundant life God has for each of us. It’s also the best way for us as Christians to live out our faith!

So, which class of service are you in on your faith journey? If you truly want to experience the abundant life that Jesus promises to every Believer then you must choose to travel first class with God! As the current television ad for Hulu says, “Never fly first class, it will ruin flying economy class forever!” It’s the same with God. Once you’ve experienced traveling first class with Him you will never want to travel with Him any other way again!

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Spiritual Reproduction

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“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.”

2 Timothy 2:2

In Matthew 28:19 Jesus commands all His followers to “go and make disciples of all nations.” This is the Great Commission and is the sole purpose of the Church. But it is especially important for church leaders. They are not told to go make church members or purely invite people to come to church.  It goes far beyond that.  It means that they will need to invest themselves in the lives of those they witness to for Christ and bring to His altar.  However, they can’t possibly spend enough time with every church member or visitor they encounter. Therefore, they will need to multiply themselves.  They will need to make disciples who will make other disciples, and so multiply their efforts and grow their churches and God’s Kingdom. This is exactly what Paul told Timothy in his second letter to him in chapter 2, verse 2 above. Spiritual reproduction, then, is about making disciples.

The Christian faith is not meant to be practiced in private.  It is meant to be shared and given away! All Christians are called to witness their faith (Acts 1:8) and to be salt & light in their generation and culture (Matthew 5) in order to influence our world for Christ. We are the ones who are given the task to pass on the Christian faith to the generations that follow us and to make disciples who can make other disciples. This is the process of Spiritual Reproduction that God has given to us!

Spiritual reproduction does have priorities, however, especially for church leaders. The first priority is that a leader must disciple one’s own family first (“If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?” – 1 Timothy 3:5). The second priority is that a leader disciples other church members in order to develop more leaders who will also make disciples and to grow God’s kingdom through multiplication (“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially those who belong to the family of believers.” – Galatians 6:10). The third priority is for leaders to disciple non-believers, such as friends, neighbors and co-workers.

It is important to note that Spiritual reproduction in the church starts with leaders. The primary focus of every church leader should be to make disciples, not just to lead their ministry or direct its activities. And this applies to every ministry leader (youth, worship, elder, etc.). Every leader is responsible for the faith of their followers and should incorporate Scripture into every meeting and teach what it means or how it applies to their lives. They should also model Christ to their followers.

Here, then, are 8 keys for church leaders to effectively make disciples:

1.  Desire – A leader must have the desire to disciple others. They must want to see Christ formed in others and be willing to give it their time and effort. (“My dear children, for whom I am in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.” – Galatians 4:19)

2.  Plan – A leader must develop a plan for discipleship. They must set goals, determine measurements, and develop a process to use. (“But the noble man makes noble plans, and by noble deeds he stands.”– Isaiah 32:8)

3.  Teach – A leader must teach the Word to others. They should tell and show others what God’s Word says and encourage personal Bible reading. (“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” – 2 Tim. 3:16-17)

4.  Model – A leader must model Jesus to others. They must lead by example. (“Not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” – 1 Peter 5:3)

5.  Mentor – A leader should mentor others and identify a few people they can mentor and spend time with. (“Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.”    – 2 Timothy 4:2)

6.  Participation – A leader finds ways to get followers to participate in ministry to build their awareness of God and strengthen their faith.    (“In the same way, faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead.” – James 2:17)

7.  Testimonies – A leaderuses testimonies to encourage their followers and to also have them share what God is doing in their lives. (“But in your heart set apart Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect.” – 1 Peter 3:15)

8. Small Groups – A leader encourages their followers to join small groups that can build stronger relationships and accountability. (“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another.” – Hebrews 10:25)

Spiritual reproduction is very rewarding and an incredible blessing for us. It enables us to see how God works through us and leads others to Himself. There is no greater joy than seeing others join God’s family and experience the blessings He lavishly provides to all who call upon His name!

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God Provides

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“Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” – 1 Timothy 6:17

As we near the end of our 18th year of ministry later this month I am constantly reminded of God’s provision for our ministry and family. As a ministry, we have relied on donations to train and equip pastors and church leaders globally. Those donations cover our own travel costs, funding for our global trainers, and our administrative expenses. They also provide an income for our family as well. And throughout our 18 years God has never failed to provide for us or our ministry! We put our trust in Him and He has proven faithful!

Hudson Taylor, a British missionary to China in the1800’s, is credited with the famous saying that “God’s work, done in God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.” It is a testimony to the faithfulness of God that He alone takes care of our needs and provides for our ministries. We are often tempted to think that we are responsible for what we receive through our superior fundraising skills or our extensive network of relationships with people of means. But that is not true at all.  It is God working through the Holy Spirit that causes people to give or donate to ministries. And although we must still do our part of informing and asking for financial donations, it is really the Holy Spirit that causes other people to give according to God’s holy and perfect will and desire.

We faced a big challenge to our trust in God’s provision when I felt the call to work full-time in this ministry in 2005. The Lord had been growing our ministry and leading me to do more training in more places, thus requiring more of my time to train and travel and less time for income earning work. Up until then we only needed to raise funds for our travel and training for a couple of trips a year. Now I had to raise an income to help support our family as well as additional funds for more travel and training. He was asking me to step out in faith and to trust in His provision alone. I had been working for years in professional jobs and so having to rely on fundraising alone was a bit daunting. But I felt the Holy Spirit calling me to full-time ministry and so we trusted Him to provide.

At that time, we had recently opened up an account with a new local bank that was started by a Christian. He wanted to run his bank on Christian principles and had established a Foundation (from their profits) to give grants to local ministries. So I went to the bank and asked to speak to the President about a grant. When I mentioned that God was also calling me into full-time ministry he immediately said their Foundation would support us and told me to prepare and submit a grant request to him for what we needed. He also pulled out his personal checkbook and wrote a check to us for $1,000 and committed to also supporting our ministry in that amount for the next 12 months! He paraphrased 1 Timothy 5:17-18 to me which says that “those who work for the Lord are worthy of a double honor” and that the “the worker deserves his wages.” I was stunned! God not only provided for our ministry but also did it rather quickly and in a big way!

Shortly thereafter I was training at a Bible School in Almaty, Kazakhstan and teaching on fundraising.  In the teaching I had shared how I was now working in this ministry full-time and had to raise funds for my income. One of the students asked me if it was easier or harder for me now to rely on God’s provision solely as compared to earning an income with a job. I thought about it for a minute and then I said it was actually easier. He asked me why? I explained that when I earned a paycheck, I thought it was because of what I did to earn it. But in reality, it was always God’s provision whether I worked for it or not. I had the illusion that it was my effort that produced the income instead of God providing the income through my efforts. Realizing now that God was always the sole provider allowed me to “eliminate the middle man” (my employer) and to trust directly in the true source – God!

I have also seen God provide for others. One individual I had asked to go on a mission trip with me readily agreed to go. He said he needed to raise funds for his trip cost and began that process. About a month before we were to leave he had only received about half of the amount of money he needed to go and was ready to back out of the trip. I asked him 2 questions. First, did he believe God had called him to go on this trip? He said yes. I then asked him if he trusted in God to provide what he needed for the trip? He again said yes. So I just said to trust in God and He will provide. And God did provide, with the final amount he needed coming the day before we left! It is reminiscent of the story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis where God provided a ram at the last minute because of Abraham’s trust and obedience. That place on the mountain is also called “The Lord will Provide!” (Genesis 22:14)

I have experienced the truth of Hudson Taylor’s quote many times, both positively and negatively. For example, there have been occasions when I was not able to raise the funds that were needed for a trip and so I did not go. In those cases I believe the trip was not in God’s will and thus did not have His provision.  So we must always be willing to trust God and accept that whatever the outcome it is always according to His will.

As we begin 2019, let us all resolve to seek his will for all we do in His name and to trust in God’s provision for all of our needs! To God alone be the glory!

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Keeping Christ in Christmas

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“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.’”

Luke 2: 10-11

It has been disappointing to me to see how our nation and culture have gradually turned away from Christianity the past 50 years. I wrote about that a few years ago in my book, About Face: A Call to Turn America Back to God (2015, Xulon Press). Not only has the American culture become more secular, but recently Christianity has also been attacked in the media, the courts and public discourse on several occasions. And many Christians have been distressed or angry about this development, especially those from earlier generations like me who remember how our culture used to embrace and respect Christianity whether or not they attended church.

One of the focal points of this reaction has been Christmas. Many Christians today want Americans to say Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays and for stores to sell Christmas trees and not Holiday trees. We also want our nation to respect Christmas as a Christian holiday, not a secular one. But is that reasonable for us to expect? If the culture does not celebrate Christmas as a Christian holiday does that hinder our ability to do so? Absolutely not!

My memories of Christmas as a child have mostly centered on the birth of Christ. Our family celebrated Advent and we had a nativity scene in our home. I remember participating in our children’s Christmas program every year at church. Some years I was a shepherd while others I was a wise man. I never got to play Joseph but one year I did play Christmas music on my guitar during the program (I guess that meant I was an angel…). After I got married and we had our own children we celebrated Christmas in the same way. But we taught our children early on that Jesus was real and that Santa Claus was pretend. And it did not hurt their Christmas experience one bit! Yes, we still celebrate Christmas today with a tree, cookies, gifts, and other secular practices. But for our family the main point of Christmas was, and still is, the birth of Jesus!

But, to be honest, this secular confiscation of Christmas has bothered me too. Why? It is because it reflects that our nation that has rejected the true meaning of Christmas and replaced it with a different man-made meaning altogether. This is also nothing new and has been going on for many years. How many times have you heard others say that the meaning of Christmas is about giving gifts to others, or having the spirit of the season, or being a time for families to come together? (Watch any Hallmark Christmas movie and you will see what I mean!) And when Americans talk about Christmas they usually mention tree decorating, Santa Claus, Elf on the Shelf, Black Friday, cookies, egg nog, and Christmas cards. These are all good things we can enjoy at Christmastime, but they are NOT the reason for celebrating Christmas nor the real meaning of it. And while Christians often complain about this secularization of our holiday, it does not mean that we have to abandon our celebration of Christ’s birth in order to enjoy it!

Christmas was established by the Christian Church in the 4th century as a day to celebrate the birth of Christ. It is not likely to be the actual day Jesus was born and it did replace an early pagan celebration called Saturnalia when the Roman Empire converted to Christianity. But that does not change the fact that Christmas Day was created and set aside by the Church as a day to remember the birth of Christ and the day that God entered our world miraculously in the form of a baby boy named Jesus. And that boy would grow up to be the Savior of our world by taking the sins of all mankind upon himself at the cross.  That’s the good news the angels came to proclaim to the shepherds when Jesus was born (Luke 2:10-11) and the good news we are called to still proclaim today!

This issue reminds me of Ebenezer Scrooge’s comment in A Christmas Carol when he said to his nephew, “You keep Christmas in your way and I’ll keep it in mine!” Just because many Americans celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday today does not mean that we as Christians have to abandon it as a celebration of Christ’s birth! On the contrary, if we don’t celebrate Christmas as a day to remember Christ’s coming into the world for our salvation, or simply celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday, then we dishonor God and in effect deny our faith. As followers of Christ we have the responsibility of “declaring the praises of him who brought us out of darkness into his wonderful light!” (1 Peter 2:9). We have the same opportunity and privilege that the first shepherds in Bethlehem had to go and share the good news of Jesus birth with the world! And we still have the freedom to do that today regardless of how the rest of America celebrates Christmas Day. We can still keep Christmas in our way!

The apostle Paul wrote these instructions to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:23-26: “Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.”  All Christians are similarly called to proclaim our faith and the gospel and to do it kindly and gently.

So this Christmas, let’s not complain about how others celebrate Christmas or get into futile arguments about what Christmas is or isn’t. This does not glorify our Lord. Instead, let all who follow Christ celebrate Christmas as it was intended, as a day to remember what God has done for us in the birth of Jesus! Let us honor God by worshiping Him and keeping Christ in our Christmas. And let us obey Jesus’ command to be His Light to the world (Matthew 5:16) and to share this good news of Christmas with others that still so desperately need to hear it!

Merry Christmas everyone!

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Spiritual Mirrors

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“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

1 Corinthians 13:12

Being a follower of Jesus requires us to be obedient and submissive to his commands. And although we often fail to do so God does not leave us on our own nor does He expect us to do so with our own power. God gives us His Holy Spirit to enable us to follow His Son. His Word says in Acts 1:8 that “we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on us.” In Romans 8:26 it says that “the Spirit helps us in our weakness.” And in Galatians 5:16 it says that “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” Those are great promises!

But God also gives us His Holy Word to help us avoid Satan and our corrupt world, which constantly seeks to destroy us by drawing us away from God and His Holy Spirit. I like to think of the Bible as a “spiritual mirror.”  In our world there are 3 types of mirrors. I would like to compare each of them with God’s spiritual mirror.

The first type of mirror is the mirror on the wall. Most often they are located in bedrooms and bathrooms so we can see what we look like before we head out into the world each day. We check to make sure our face and hair look okay, our clothes look clean and neat, and there is nothing stuck in our teeth. But how do we see ourselves in that mirror spiritually? Do we see a messed up human being or a forgiven sinner? Do we see a successful self-made adult or a child of God? Do we only see ourselves or do we also see a reflection of Jesus?

God gives us the spiritual mirror of His Word, the Bible, so we can truly see who we are and how He sees us! He reminds us that He created us in His image (Genesis 1:27), He redeemed us through His Son Jesus (John 3:16), and He made us heirs with Christ of his eternal Kingdom (Romans 8:17). He also assures us that He loves us (1 John 4:19), we are forgiven (1 John 1:9), and we are made new by the blood of Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17)!

The second type of mirror is installed on every vehicle in the world. It’s called a rear-view mirror. These mirrors help us to see what is behind us. That could indicate where we’ve been, who may be following us, or what could be creeping up on us. When driving that helps us to know if we are headed in the wrong direction, if we’ve done something wrong (broken the traffic law), or if there is danger on its way (a speeding or emergency vehicle).  Knowing these things helps us to stay on the right road, avoid accidents, and arrive safely at our destination.

God’s Word also provides us with a spiritual rear-view mirror so that we can see where we came from to make sure we are headed in the right direction (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).  It also helps us stay on the right path to our final destination (Matthew 7:13-14). Additionally, it shows us where we have broken His law (Romans 3:20) and tells us the consequences of doing so (Romans 6:23). Finally, His Word also warns us of the dangers that are coming after us (1 Peter 5:8).

The third type of mirror is a corner security mirror.  It is typically found on outdoor buildings or street corners and provides a view around a corner that we can’t see. These mirrors also often magnify that view so we can see the danger more clearly. These mirrors are placed on blind corners, dangerous curves, between close buildings and where children may be present to provide for greater safety and security. They help us avoid serious accidents by enabling us to see oncoming vehicles, people, and other potential dangers that otherwise our eyes would not see.

Once again, God’s Word, like a corner security mirror, enables us to see the spiritual dangers we sometimes fail to see. It warns us of behaviors that are dangerous and will cause us harm (Galatians 5:19-21). It warns us of the hidden traps being set for us (1 Timothy 6:9) and how we should be on our guard at all times (Acts 20:29-31). God’s Word also brings light that exposes the darkness and thus magnifies the dangers that are all around us so we can see them more clearly (1 Corinthians 4:5).

Is God’s Word your spiritual mirror? I pray we would all use it as one to see ourselves as He sees us, keep us on His path, and protect us from danger, harm, and hidden traps!!

 

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Ministry Budgeting

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“And my God will meet all your needs

according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:19

Determining how best to use the finances that God provides to your church or ministry will be a vital component of your success.  In order to effectively distribute your financial resources and cover your most important expenses and priorities, it is critical that you create a budget for your ministry.  The budget will be the tool that you use to not only determine how to allocate the money you receive to various programs, projects or ministry activities, but it also helps you to understand the relationship between your goals and your use of funds to support those goals.  It makes little sense to set ministry goals but then deny them the financial resources they need to prosper and grow.

The Importance of Budgets

Establishing a budget for your church or ministry is essential regardless of the amount of your revenues.  A budget is a financial tool for ministry leaders to assess their anticipated revenues and prioritize their expenses so they can manage them effectively in order to maximize the benefit that can be produced from them. Failure to have a budget will often result in misallocated, wasted or non-productive resources. Given that virtually all churches and ministries have limited resources, it would be very poor stewardship of God’s resources to waste them (Parable of the Talents – Matthew 25:14-30).

There are several reasons why a budget is essential. First, it acknowledges God as the Provider (James 1:17). God gives us His resources to use and using them for His purposes will give glory to God! He also promises to give us everything we need (Philippians 4:19). Second, it acknowledges our responsibility as stewards of His resources. We are to use His resources wisely and to provide a return for Him. Third, a budget helps us understand our financial condition. We can evaluate our past, assess our current financial status, and make projections into the future. Fourth, it helps us to establish priorities and goals. This ensures that our resources will be used for the most important things. Fifth, a budget can prevent financial problems by helping us spot potential shortfalls in income and to keep expenses in line with revenues. Finally, a budget communicates our ministry goals and enables us to see how effectively we are using our resources to accomplish them.

Principles of Budgeting

Here are a few basic principles of budgeting:

  1. Live within your means. Learn to work with what you receive and to not spend money you don’t have.
  1. Realistically assess your income sources. Determine the income you normally expect to receive and consider other factors that might affect income, such as the loss of key givers or the impact of local economic changes.
  1. Encourage “regular” giving (1 Corinthians 16:2). Preach on the principle of tithing and teach the spiritual discipline of first fruits giving (Exodus 23:19).
  1. Monitor and control expenses. Delay large purchases when necessary and watch out for the cumulative effect of small purchases.
  1. Avoid debt. Debt can get a stranglehold on your finances and prevent you from meeting current needs. Debt also puts you into slavery (“…the borrower is servant to the lender.” – Proverbs 22:7)
  1. Trust God. Ask God for financial wisdom and answers and trust Him to provide for your needs.

How to Establish a Budget

The process of budgeting is pretty straight forward. Here are the basic steps:

#1. Determine how much revenue you anticipate receiving in the budget year. Generally most churches and ministries rely on past donation history to guide them in making that determination.  While the past is not always an accurate predictor of the future, it is a good starting point. Analyze your income potential and review current giving levels. Determine if it will fall, stay the same, or grow. Also assess local economic factors and forecast new member giving or any special funds that may be given.

#2. Estimate and prioritize the expenses that you need to reach your ministry goals for the budget year.  Identify your monthly recurring expenses such as rent, mortgage, utilities and wages. You will also need to identify any large expenses you anticipate, such as a new roof, new equipment or new ministry start-up costs. Finally consider other expenses for desired ministry resources, such as sound equipment or transportation.

#3. Prioritize your expenses. Determine need to have versus nice to have expense items. For example, determine if the expense is really necessary in order to do the ministry or what the impact on the ministry would be if the expense is not made. Also, consider whether the expense is needed now or can be postponed until later. Base the priority of each expense on the return expected from the expense (what it would achieve).

#4. Create a budget that matches your prioritized needs with anticipated income. List your prioritized budget needs in order of priority, assign expense amounts to each prioritized need, and then keep assigning amounts until you run out of income. You will probably have some needs that are not being met. If so, pray about it and make adjustments to the allocations as you feel directed. If you have income left over (not likely), then first review the expenses to make sure you haven’t missed something. If not, consider the remaining prioritized expenses or save the extra income for future needs or as protection against an adverse financial event.

 

The process of preparing a budget is not difficult and will help pastors & church leaders better understand their financial situation and enable them to more effectively deploy their limited resources to achieve the best results for God’s kingdom. The wise leader will also seek the Lord’s guidance and direction since He is the ultimate owner of all that we have and will let us know how He wants us to use them!

 

(taken from chapter 9 of our Management for Church Leaders™ Volume #2 Training Manual © 2010)

 

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God’s Invisible Hand

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“So is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Isaiah 55:11

 

One of the pure joys of ministry is watching how God works behind the scenes to produce the outcomes He desires. Last month I wrote a short article in our newsletter about how we have been called to “Scatter the Seed” of our training and how God has prepared some soil to receive it and others not so much. Since we are based in the USA we rarely get to see all of the fruit that God produces from the “seed scattering” of our training materials. But even though we don’t see it, God is still at work and through His invisible hand is multiplying the seed that we had planted. And it’s interesting that within a week of publishing that article I received a testimony of God doing just that!

Last week I received an email from someone at a Bible College in Kenya (whom I did not know) stating that he had been teaching our Management for Church Leaders™  (MCL) training there and if I had any other training materials he might use. I was curious about this since I was not aware of any training at this place or in this city and thought one of our MCL Trainers must have been there or else he attended a training we did in Kenya. So I asked him for some background as to how he came across our training. He indicated that he had been using a printed copy he received from someone named Blake from the USA and wanted a PDF copy that he could more easily reproduce. I said I did not know Blake but was glad he found our training!

So I sent him the PDF version of our MCL training manual along with the Trainer’s manual to help him teach our material. I also sent him a link to our training videos on our website to further assist him in teaching our training at his Bible College. I also asked for some background on the Bible College and his ministry there.

He said his name was Rev. Dr. David Njoroge Evans and he was the Principal & Director of Studies at the Kenya Bible College in Thika, Kenya (see photo above). He also pastors a local church. He said he had been using our MCL training since February and had already trained 400 leaders this year! Additionally, he mentioned that he had plans to teach it again this past weekend in a town called Nyeri. He subsequently emailed me photos from that training and said they had trained another 94 pastors and church leaders there!

He also included the following testimony from the training in Nyeri:

“The leaders were so excited and actually the Host Bishop shed tears when he saw how receptive his leaders were and the manner by which they participated. They asked as to whether I can give them certificates of attendance.  Being the trainer I was very much moved by the teachings and would commend them for all leaders. I have never had such an inspiring material so far. Shalom.”

His testimony was a blessing to us and so I wanted to share it with you. I did email him training certificates that we have and also sent him our other training materials. I am not sure who Blake is or where he is from, but hopefully one day the Lord will reveal him to me and I’ll finally know how God brought all of this about! In the meantime, I wonder how many other Blakes and David Evans are out there training our material for God’s glory?

We are thrilled to see how God has been working through people we don’t know to bring about His desires to see our training reach those who need it. God is absolutely amazing!! It’s a privilege and an honor to serve Him by training and equipping pastors and church leaders around the world, both known and unknown to us!

God and Government

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“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.”

Isaiah 9:6

In the past several years, Christianity has taken a more prominent position in American politics. Evangelical Christians have become a large voting block while at the same time secularists continue to call for the removal of anything Christian from our public society. Both Republicans and Democrats have publicly used Scripture or Biblical references to support their policy initiatives or beliefs.  We saw this most recently in the immigration reform debate with regard to refugees, illegal entrants, and securing our borders. Unfortunately, Scripture is often taken out of context or applied inappropriately to justify a political position. So it is essential that we know and understand what God really said about government in the Bible and how He expects us to govern our nation.

First, though, we need to begin by discussing God and what Americans believe about Him and His Word. A recent survey by the Pew Research Center shows that about 24% of Americans are either atheist or have no religious affiliation (Religious Landscape Study, 2018). They do not believe in God or His Word. In addition, a recent Barna Research survey shows that only 38% of Americans believe the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and accurate Word of God (State of the Bible: 2017). That means that for about 62% of Americans, God’s Word is not applicable, accurate or reliable. So I find it very interesting that there are politicians who would use God’s Word to justify a political position when most Americans do not believe it is 100% true and accurate. God never intended for His Word to justify man’s actions but rather to explain His own!

But God’s Word does speak to our humanity and His desires for us as His creation. We are made in His image (Genesis 1:27) and we are called to obey His Word (Luke 11:28). Yet He also gave us freedom to do what we choose. But His desire is that we seek His wisdom, rely on His Word, and trust in Him for all things. For the serious Christian and follower of Christ, we are to read, study and apply the Bible to seek God and His ways. But for those who do not believe in God or have no real faith, the Bible becomes a weapon to be used for personal or political gain.

So how does this relate to government and how we govern our nation? In our Republic form of government, we as citizens elect our leaders and give them the responsibility to govern us. We must remember, however, that government is a human institution. It was not created by God but was created by man to govern our affairs on earth. In the beginning, God appointed the first leaders on earth (Adam, Moses, Joshua, Noah, Abraham, Samuel, etc.) and governed His people through them as they were instructed by Him! That was His plan until the Hebrews, against God’s advice, decided they wanted to elect their own leaders like the other societies of their day (1 Samuel 8:4-5). In other words, they thought they knew better than God how to run their affairs.  And unfortunately, that attitude continues to this day.

In reality, the Bible does not have much to say about the institution of government. In Romans 13:1, God does declare that He is the one who establishes all authority. In Isaiah 9:6, God refers to Jesus as the one He has appointed to take the government upon his shoulders. And Jesus, when asked about God and government, said we should “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s” (Matthew 22:21). There are a couple of other Scriptures that also call us to govern justly (Job 34:17) and govern diligently (Romans 12:8). What these passages imply is that God is sovereign and we should look to Him for guidance on how to govern our nation.

Throughout the Bible God sets forth the standards on which our behavior should be based (Psalm 1:2), whether it is how we conduct ourselves or govern others. So, when we exercise our system of self-government and don’t look to God’s standards, we are basically putting ourselves in charge of setting the rules by which our citizens must live. Failing to govern by God’s wisdom ultimately leads to sin, injustice, corruption and deceit (Proverbs 14:12). In other words, when we set the standards, the people usually suffer!

George Washington, in his Farewell Address in 1796, said, “Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.”  Religious principles, he’s suggesting, are necessary for our ability to govern ourselves. Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville, in his book Democracy in America, also made the same observation when he wrote, “The freedom we cherish rests upon religious foundations. Modern democracy could not have emerged but for the influence of Christianity on the Western world.”

So, the truth is that self-government really can only be successful when those who govern do so according to God’s Word. That was God’s design from the beginning – that we look to Him on how to govern! The proof that this is still true today is that we hold our leaders accountable in America for their personal behavior in addition to their governance. When those who govern are dishonest, corrupt, uncaring, or unfair personally or in the discharge of their duties, they are usually removed or forced out of office. So in effect, Americans do want their leaders to govern by God’s standards of honesty, integrity, fairness and compassion whether they realize it or not. And when they don’t, our system of self-government breaks down and fails everyone.

So what does this all mean for how we should govern ourselves in America? It means that those who govern must seek God’s wisdom and lead others according to God’s principles. It also means that they should not use God’s Word as a tool or weapon for political debate, but rather use it to let God’s Word change them as individuals and influence how they govern and treat those they are elected to serve. And only when our leaders live and govern others according to God’s guidance will our government truly work effectively for the benefit of all Americans!

 

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Fundamentals of Fundraising

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“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Matthew 7:7-8

One of the hardest things we do in ministry is to ask others for money or financial assistance.  Yet God’s Word tells us that if we ask for whatever we need in His name, we shall receive it.  When we ask God in prayer for the things we need for our ministry, including money, it is through people that God supplies these needs.  If we honestly seek Him and ask with pure motives for the financial resources we need to do His work, will not the God of the universe supply that need?  Will He not direct others with financial resources to us to fill our need?  And does not God bless both the giver and the receiver?

Let’s begin by defining what we mean by fundraising. According to the dictionary, Fundraising is the act of soliciting financial contributions to support ministries or enable ministry expansion. For our purposes, we will exclude tithes and offerings which are generally given regularly by being church members.

There are 6 main purposes for fundraising. First, we fundraise to seek God’s will and to validate our need.  God will only provide funds for His purposes, not ours (“Many are the plans in a man’s heart but it’s the Lord’s purpose that prevails”– Proverbs 19:21).  Second, we fundraise to meet church needs, such as building repairs or new facilities. Third, we fundraise to establish new ministries which may require additional resources, such as staff, publicity or facilities. Fourth, we fundraise to support mission work, such as living expenses to missionary families or to pay for travel costs for mission trips. Fifth, we fundraise to provide direct relief to needy people (“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.” – James 1:27). Finally, we fundraise for special projects, like rebuilding a church that has been damaged or destroyed or supporting a major local community outreach or event.

There are also 3 basic philosophies of fundraising:

  1. Pray.
  2. Pray and inform.
  3. Pray, inform and ask.

Many people just use prayer. God does hear our prayers and can direct others supernaturally to fulfill our need. I have prayed many times for a financial need that we have and have seen people respond without us ever mentioning our need. I often use prayer along with informing to raise funds. For example, we inform others about our ministry through our monthly newsletter. We often receive donations after sending one out. We did not ask for donations but after reading what God is doing in our ministry people are moved by the Holy Spirit to make a donation. I primarily use the third philosophy, which is to pray, inform and ask through our annual fundraising appeal letter. I do this only once per year as I believe it is only necessary to ask once and then let God do the rest. It is not good or beneficial to keep asking if people do not respond. And on a few rare occasions I have asked for funds through a personal, face to face, meeting for special needs that we may encounter. So I use all 3 philosophies depending upon the purpose, need and the timing.

Here are 7 Principles of Fundraising to keep in mind:

  1. Ask only for what you truly need. (“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have.” – Hebrews 13:5)
  2. Ask for contributions above regular church giving. Encourage people not to reduce their regular giving. Look for givers outside of the church.
  3. Specify how the funds will be used. Prepare a budget and identify all expenses.
  4. Clearly communicate the need for the funds. Tell people why you need the money, not just what it is for. Express the need spiritually – what is God asking you to do?
  5. Commit to reporting back the use and results of the funds. Inform donors of what was achieved with their donation. Failure to do so can impact future fundraising.
  6. Don’t fundraise too often. You create the impression that all you care about is money.
  7. When appropriate, share information on the progress. Provide a progress report in church or a special meeting to inform your congregation and keep them engaged.

Here are 7 simple steps on how to raise funds:

  1. Establish your ministry need. Gather input from as many sources as possible.
  2. Determine amount of money that you need to raise. Consider resources that you already have and raise the difference you require to proceed.
  3. Decide on the best method of fundraising. (An event, a letter, special offering, etc.)
  4. Decide when to raise the funds. Avoid conflict with other fundraising events and determine the length of time needed to raise the funds.
  5. Publicize the appeal. Inform your church and your community (if necessary or helpful).
  6. Do the fundraising event. (hold event, mail letter, collect offerings, etc.)
  7. Communicate the Progress/Results. Share progress regularly.

Fundraising is a necessity for most ministries. It is not difficult but does require prayer, preparation, and courage. We should never be ashamed to ask for financial help from others to accomplish what God desires of us. And it is a blessing to watch how God uses us and others to fulfill His purposes!!

(taken from chapter 10 of our Management for Church Leaders™ Volume #2 Training Manual © 2010)

 

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