MCL Training Testimonial

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About Our Training…

 

MCL Vol #1 Cover

We recently reached out to an international expert in leadership training for help and input on our Management for Church Leaders™ (MCL) training manual. Anne Manning is the Chief Learning Officer for a training organization called Achieve Global India and has 25 years of experience training leaders in India and throughout Asia. We sent her a copy of our MCL training and asked for her counsel and guidance in the preparation of our new MCL Trainer Manual to help us better prepare our foreign trainers to teach our material.  Her advice and experience were extremely helpful and we are very grateful that she would take the time to share her wisdom with us.

But she also sent us the following comments about our MCL training material that I would like to share with you:

“It was a joy partnering with Barry to edit and enhance his Management for Church Leaders Manual. In an age where there is loads of material to pick from for training Church Leaders, if I was browsing through a bookstore, I would walk away with this one! I have used various training materials to train leaders, but this is one that I would freely recommend from now on.

Why would I pick Barry’s Trainer Manual over others? It is concise, clear and very practical, with the perfectly picked 12 topics that all Church Leaders need, to understand and manage oneself, others and the resources that God has entrusted us with.

The 12 topics he has zeroed in on are very practical and each one builds on the previous, making it a steady step ladder to effective and faithful stewardship. In our day, people focus more on success than significance, and this manual helps one learn how to become a significantly faithful manager of self, others and resources.

It is evident that this manual is the outcome of years of experience with the common struggles that most Church Leaders face, which sometimes become insurmountable hurdles and even barriers to their effectiveness. Some even lose the fight and fall by the wayside, because these struggles can be so seriously overwhelming.

Thank you, Barry, for your insight into real needs of Church Leaders, discernment about how to meet these needs, and the dedication and commitment to put in the time, effort and resources to make this training manual freely available to those who need it, with no strings attached. May the Lord bless the labour of your hands, and may eternity demonstrate the real fruit of your labour.”

photo-anneManningAnne Manning
Chief Learning Officer
Achieve Global India
May 15, 2014
 
 
 

What a tremendous blessing it is when God’s people work together for the good of those who love Him! Thank you , Anne!!

 

Humility

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Oh Lord, It’s Hard to be Humble…

 

mirror

Back in the 1980’s, singer-songwriter Mac Davis wrote a song entitled, “It’s Hard to be Humble.” It was a tongue-in-cheek look at how popularity and good looks could go to one’s head. As I survey the landscape of America today it would appear that the Biblical virtue of humility is hard to come by.  There is pride and arrogance in professional sports, entertainment, politics, business, and just about every vocation in America. We have become a me-centered culture that seeks to promote ourselves to the world. Facebook, Twitter, and other social media were designed to tell others about ourselves and what we are doing, and they contribute greatly to our culture of self promotion.

The Bible says in 1 John 1:8 that “if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”  This means that we are sinful by nature. In other words, we are inclined to be self centered by our very nature. When we come into this world as babies we develop a sense of self centeredness since we need others to do everything for us.  As we grow, our parents try to teach us to do things for others, to share, and to consider the needs of others.  But this goes against our nature and often is hard to overcome. Several years ago our educational system started to focus on building self-esteem rather than knowledge.  We have been telling our children for years how important they are and how they are all winners and there are no losers.  Has this created a generation who see themselves as the center of everything?  Perhaps.

But the Bible distinctly condemns pride (Proverbs 8:13 – “I hate pride and arrogance”) and elevating ourselves above others (Matthew 20:27 – “Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant.”) Pride is also idolatry and puts ourselves above God and violates the very first commandment (Exodus 20:3 – “You shall have no other Gods before me.”) The Bible also clearly tells us what God expects of us in Micah 6:8.  He says that we should “act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God.” I think many Christians get the first two conditions but the humble part often gets left out!

We also live in a culture that encourages individualism and personal effort to achieve success. So when you look at athletes and other high achievers we often see a lot of pride and arrogance. They are proud of their achievements and the success that comes from their personal efforts. So it is hard for them to be humble, and to some extent it is understandable.  But yet God’s Word clearly calls us to deny ourselves and to be humble.  We are not to give glory to ourselves but rather only give glory to the God who created us and gives us the abilities to achieve (Deuteronomy 8:18).

So how can we be humble if our nature is to be self centered? The answer is to seek the Holy Spirit.  The Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 5:16, that we should “live by the spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” In other words, only the power of the Holy Spirit will enable us to overcome our sinful nature.  Only by turning to God and seeking His will for our lives will we be able to deny ourselves and be humble.  We cannot do it on our own.

Although humility goes against our nature and is hard at times, it is possible.  And if we turn to God and rely on the power of the Holy Spirit, He will help us to be humble.

 

Managing Change

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Is It Time For a Change?

 

Change ManagementSomeone once said that the only thing that never changes is change itself.  It seems that everything is changing all the time.  Just when you get into a routine, something changes that causes us to alter our plans and schedules.  Change is inevitable. And the wise leader and manager anticipates change and adapts to it.  Failure to adapt to change in our culture, our environment, or our ministries, will inevitably cause us to lose momentum. Staying the same while the world around us changes may give us peace and some level of comfort, but it will also leave us behind.  Ministries that fail to seize the opportunities that change brings will soon become out of touch with the world and have little to offer it in the way of meaningful value.

Think about some of the changes our world has undergone recently. For example, as I travel the world, it seems that everyone has a cell phone today, even in the remotest parts of Africa!  And many of those phones are smart phones, meaning that they also have access to the internet and social media, not to mention the functions of a camera and mp3 player.  Communication has accelerated at a mind blowing pace and the use of technology is an essential part of our world now and shows no signs of slowing down.  Similarly, the internet has opened up communication and information to anyone, anywhere in the world, at any time. Everyone has access to real time information, whether it is news, history, facts, books or people. We can shop on-line 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Any question you can think of can usually be answered by a simple google search.  And if you don’t know what that is, you are seriously out of touch with the world today. Transportation has also become more affordable and accessible, meaning that people can travel the world with relative ease.

So learning how to manage change is important because we must deal with it every day. As Christians, we need to know where God wants us to be.  We need to seek God’s will to know if we are where we are supposed to be.  Galatians 5:25 says, “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Sometimes God brings change into our lives to lead us in a new direction that He wants for us. We also need to understand change so that our message of the gospel remains relevant to those we are trying to reach.  So as the culture changes we must adapt.  The Apostle Paul said it well when he said  in 1 Corinthians 9:22 that “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.”  And change may also open up new opportunities for ministry, and we need to be able to seize them as they arise. And finally, change often helps us realize that some of our ministries are no longer effective and must be dropped or significantly revised.

Here are some basic principles for managing change:

1.  Change is Inevitable.  Nothing truly stays the same. And without change there is no future!

2. Change is Normal.  Everything changes, including people, cultures and even the earth itself. God built change into all of His creation. And without change, there is no growth!

3.  Embrace Change.  Those who adapt to change prosper. Change will grow you.

4.  Anticipate Change.  Prepare for change so that you can adapt more readily.

5.  Seek Change.  Be thinking ahead. Do not be content with the way things are.  Always be seeking to improve or get better.

6.  Master Change.  Become good at embracing, anticipating and seeking change.  It will improve your flexibility as a church or ministry.

So how do we manage change? Well, here are some things to consider when faced with a change .  First, identify what is changing.  Is the change permanent or just a fad?  Is it a structural or cultural shift?  Is it a local or national/global change? Second, determine the impact of the change on your ministry. Is it important to the way you function? Does it impact the way you present the gospel? Is it important to people? Third, determine if you need to adapt.  Will this change impact our ability to minister to others? Will it increase our effectiveness? Will it help us reach more people? Fourth, develop  a plan to adapt to the change. Do you have time to analyze what to do? Is the change happening now or very soon?  Do you have the resources to adapt?  What might happen if you make the change?  What happens if you do not adapt? Fifth, implement the change plan.  Who will lead the change? How will we communicate the change? When is the best time to make the change? Sixth, review your results. How has the change affected our ministry? Have we seen any benefits from the change? Has it made us more responsive or effective?

We must not fear change nor ignore it.  Change is part of life and the world in general. Only when we face it head on and determine how best to respond can we avoid being left behind or being left out.

So let us all pray that the Lord will open our eyes to the changes around us and give us the wisdom to discern if we must adapt to the changes, and if so, give us the courage and strength to change!

 

 

Building a Training Network

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FaithLife Ministries is Building a

Training Network!

 

People Network

Last November we announced that we have adopted a new strategy for disseminating our training around the world.  Our vision of seeing our Management for Church Leaders™ training (MCL) reach 100 nations globally remains our goal, but we are now focusing on raising up foreign trainers to help us teach our material rather than just us alone going abroad to do the training directly ourselves.  We believe in the principle of multiplication ministry and desire to develop a network of qualified foreign trainers who are trained and equipped to teach this training for us. While we have always encouraged those we train to teach others, building a global network of trainers and working together will enable us to reach more nations with less resources and in less time.

In order to implement this strategy we have been working on developing a better Trainer Manual to assist foreign trainers in teaching our material.  That manual is near completion and will be distributed electronically once it is done. This new Trainer Manual will have more detailed instructions, helpful illustrations, and encourage more participant engagement through planned questions and discussion.  This will improve the quality and consistency of the training. We have also created the designations of Authorized Trainer and Certified Trainer and have developed a process for each designation. This will lead to better management of the Trainer Network, provide for tracking of training, and encourage a commitment to train.  Additionally, we have shifted more funds this year to support Certified Trainers who teach our material in return for their commitment to train others for us.

In 2013, foreign trainers taught our MCL material to 2,200 pastors and church leaders in 13 nations and we praise and thank God for that!  One of our goals this year is to increase that and thus far in 2014 we are off to a good start.  In January, foreign trainers have taught our MCL training in India, Nepal and Ghana to over 200 leaders!! Furthermore, there are already plans to train several hundred more in 5 nations over the next few months.  I also anticipate that there will be additional training in other nations as well as the year progresses.  We have already begun to build this Trainer Network with those foreign trainers who are presently teaching our material to others, and pray that others will want to be a part of it as well.

I will still be traveling and training directly, but my focus now will be on training in new nations and training foreign trainers in order to certify them to train others.  I am also looking into opportunities to hold regional training conferences where foreign trainers from several nations can come to be trained.

We are excited about the future and seeing how God will guide us in this network development.  We desire to not only achieve the vision He has given us, but also to be good stewards of the resources He provides us to carry out this ministry.  We believe this strategy will accomplish that and that God has already begun to work in the hearts and minds of our foreign contacts who will become part of this Trainer Network.

If you would like to be part of our Trainer Network, please Contact Us.

Obedience

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God Wants Our Obedience, Not Our Accomplishments!

 

Obedience

“Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and obey it.”

– Luke 11:28

In July 1976, Israeli commandos made a daring raid at an airport in Entebbe, Uganda, in which 103 Jewish hostages were freed.  In less than 15 minutes, the soldiers had killed all 7 of the kidnappers and set the captives free.  As successful as the rescue was, however, three of the hostages were killed during the raid.  As the commandos entered the terminal, they shouted in Hebrew, “Get down! Crawl!”  The Jewish hostages understood and lay down on the floor, while the guerillas, who did not speak Hebrew, were left standing.  Quickly the rescuers shot the upright kidnappers.

 But two of the hostages hesitated – perhaps to see what was happening – and were also shot and killed.  One young man was lying down and actually stood up when the commandos entered the airport.  He, too, was shot with the bullets meant for the enemy.  Had these three heeded the soldier’s command, they would have been freed with the rest of the captives. 

 Salvation is open to all of us, but we must be obedient to Christ’s command to repent and make Him Lord.  Otherwise, like these hostages, we will perish with the judgement meant for the Enemy!

 

One of the key messages in all of Scripture, in both the Old Testament and New Testament, is that of obedience to God.  In the OT, the Hebrew people continually failed to be obedient to God, turning away to chase after man-made idols and to worship other gods.  In Daniel 9:9-11, the prophet writes that “The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; we have not obeyed the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. All Israel has turned away, refusing to obey you.”  And in the NT, Jesus Himself says in John 14:23, “if anyone loves me they will obey my teaching.”  Obedience does not guarantee our salvation, because we are saved by grace and not our own works (Ephesians 2:8-9). But obedience does demonstrate our love for God, and is the main thing that God wants from us in return for His love for us! And like the above story illustrates, obedience to God will save us from perishing with the enemies of God!

Often times we feel as though we need to do good works or achieve something significant for God with our lives.  And so we do things that either bring attention to ourselves or our own accomplishments, as if God will somehow love us more or will guarantee our acceptance as His child.  But that is not what Scripture teaches.  God loves us no matter what we do (Romans 5:8).  But He desires our obedience as a sign of our love for Him.  Obedience is our way of thanking Him and honoring Him for what He has first done for us.  If you are a parent you know exactly what this means.  You love your children no matter what they do.  But your desire is to have them be obedient to your guidance and wisdom because it pleases you and is a sign of their respect for you as their parent. God desires no less from us!

So we should not obey God’s Word because we have to, but we should obey God’s Word because we want to!  And God is pleased whenever we are obedient because it demonstrates our love for Him and gives Him the glory and praise. Our obedience should never be driven by our own self-esteem or in an attempt to impress God, but rather solely as a humble servant trying to please His Master.  Jesus never sought fame for himself nor did anything more than what God asked Him to do.  The outcome of whatever we do for God should always be to praise and glorify Him, never ourselves. God wants our obedience, not our accomplishments!

So as we enter 2014, let us commit our lives to being obedient to God’s Word, not to try to “score points with God” or to impress anyone, but only so that He alone who is worthy might be glorified!

Honoring God With Our Decisions

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Decision

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

It’s often said that life is nothing more than a series of choices.  We make decisions every day and every moment of our lives.  Some are trivial but others can turn out to be quite significant. We are where we are today because of the choices we have made in the past.  They may be choices about what college to go to, what career to pursue, what job to take, who to marry, or where to live.  All of these decision have led us to the place we are today, whether right or wrong.  And some decisions are irrevocable.  In other words, they cannot be undone.  Decisions such as having an abortion, committing suicide, or speaking your mind on Facebook! All decisions have consequences!

We cannot change the past but we can influence the future.  Our future will depend upon the choices we make from this moment forward.  Even if we have made bad choices in the past, God forgives us and gives us the opportunity to make better choices for our future.  The choices we make from now on, therefore, will have a significant impact on our lives, both personally and professionally.   God gives us one day at a time to live and no one knows (except God) what tomorrow will bring.  So, we can either influence our future for good or for bad.  The choice is up to us.  Making good decisions will honor God and will bring blessings into our lives.  Making bad decisions, on the other hand, will usually result in our suffering and will also dishonor God.

Have you ever noticed how great leaders seem to always make the right decisions?  I believe that leaders become great because of the great decisions that they make.    And those decisions are not always popular either, but they end up being right in the long run.  Leaders who make poor decision generally do not last very long.  So what constitutes a great decision?

There are 7 principles we must acknowledge when we are making decisions:

1.  All decisions have consequences.  Good decisions honor God and bless us.  Bad decisions dishonor God and result in sin and suffering.

2.  Decisions are only as good as the information they are based upon.  As is often said, garbage in, garbage out.  If you don’t have all of the facts, or you assume too much, you will likely make a poor decision.

3.  Not making a decision is a decision.  Sometimes any decision is better than no decision.  Procrastination about a decision causes confusion and may mislead others.

4.  If you don’t make a decision, someone else will.  If you delay in making an important decision someone else may step in and make it for you.  This could undercut your authority and create more problems because they will generally have less information than you have.

5.  Decision outcomes are not always proportional to decision importance. Sometimes small decision can have a major impact while large decisions have a minimal impact.  Just think of King David’s small decision to take a walk on the roof one night and what that simple and minor decision led to.

6.  Do not make decisions when you are tired, pressured or under great stress.  Under these circumstances you cannot think clearly and risk making a poor decision.  Get away, get rest, or take some time to clear your head so that you can think more clearly.

7.  Our decisions never change God’s will.  God never changes and His plan for us never changes. Proverbs 19:21 says “many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”  So it is important for us to align ourselves with God’s will so our decisions will be good ones.

So how do we become better decision makers?  First, pray and ask God to give you His wisdom.  He promises that He will and it will enable us to align our thoughts with His. Second, gather as much information as you can before you make a decision.  Get the facts and do not assume. Take the time to get it right.  Third, seek the counsel of others that you trust.  The Bible says in Proverbs 15:22 that “plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” Input from others can often save us from making big mistakes.  Fourth, organize your decisions every day.  Either delay them, delegate them or decide them. But do not procrastinate. Fifth, don’t delay important decisions.  Agonizing over a decision wastes time and may cause you to miss an opportunity.  And finally, handle interruptions quickly.  Either delay, delegate or decide them. Do not allow interruptions to cause you to make a poor decision.

God desires that we all make decisions that honor Him and bring Him glory. And He waits for us to come to Him and ask Him for His wisdom.  So let us all strive to become better decision makers so that we both honor God and receive His blessings in return!!

India Training Testimonies

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DSCF0069

Barry, along with Lynn Thomsen, recently traveled to Korba, Chhattisgarh, India to conduct a Management For Church Leaders™ training conference in this city of one million people.  Our host, Pastor Gideon Nair of Help India International Ministries, indicated that this part of India is very poor and lacks many resources like training for its pastors and churches.  We were not only welcomed warmly, but the conference participants were also enthusiastic and very engaged in the training.  Here are testimonies from 3 of the pastors and leaders who attended the training October 10-12th:

1.Pastor Rajesh
  Miracle Pentecostal Church of God
  Pondibahar, Korba, Chhattisgarh

I have studied 4 years in Bible seminary for my bachelor degree. But, I have never come across a practical leadership study such as this! It was a very practical training for me. The manual notes I got were excellent and are going to be very useful for me in training others. I also have now learned how to manage others and the Church I lead. The explanations on managing money, handling conflicts and spiritual gifts were excellent and very practical. I thank you and Lynn for your burden for training church leaders in Korba.

2. Brother J.P. Singh
    Elder, Mennonite Church
    Korba, Chhattisgarh

I have attended many training seminars, but this training seminar was something different for me.  Through this training seminar I got to understand what my spiritual gifts and talents really are and how I should utilize it in the church for His glory. The subjects that were taught by you and brother Lynn, if all the participants who attended would faithfully put to practice, there would be a great awakening in the Churches in Korba area. I personally greatly benefited by attending this training and learning how to manage people, money, and exercising spiritual gifts in the Church. And especially as an elder of the church, the explanation on handling conflicts in the church was very useful for me.  I want to apply this teaching in my church.

3. Sister Kerketta
Women’s Ministry Leader
Church of Christ, Korba

I am a women’s leader in the Church of Christ, Korba. It was the most excellent training seminar I have ever attended!  Through this training I was able to find out my spiritual gifts and talents. I appreciated the teaching by both of you and the practical sessions & group discussions on various topics and finding the answers to it. I also liked the teaching on handling money and conflicts in the church. I want to teach the other women in the church on the same subjects. I am grateful to you and Brother Lynn and I thank Pastor Gideon as well for organizing the seminar.

 

It is a blessing to receive their feedback and gratitude for our coming to Korba.  Lynn and I were so thankful to be able to go to Korba to share this training and to  see first-hand the value that they place upon it for their ministries.  We thank God for sending us and using us for His Church in India!!

Barry Writes New Book!

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Write a BookFor several years many friends have been encouraging me to write a book about my mission field experiences. So I began to assemble a list of the spiritual and unusual experiences I have had over the years and to try to put them together into a readable format. But I struggled with how best to do that in a way that was inspiring or of interest to others.

In June of this year Kim and I were in Seoul, South Korea and our host there, Pastor Eun Seob Kim, made a comment to me that he was encouraged by my faith and teaching as a lay person, and what God was doing through my life and this ministry. Then in July I was in Mexico City and my friend and training partner, Pastor Lane Reuter, also strongly encouraged me to write a book. But he suggested that I write one about my faith story and how God called me into full-time ministry. As we continued to discuss this idea in Mexico I then realized that I could put all of these things together to tell my story.

So I used my time at home in August to write the manuscript for my book entitled “Transformed: Learning To Live by Faith.” It is the story of how God transformed my life from being a believer in Christ to becoming a follower of Christ.  It is a story of how I am learning to live by faith rather than by the pursuit of money or a career.  It is my story of what happened to me when I began to submit my life entire life to Christ instead of just a part of it, and how God has blessed me immeasurably more than I could ever have imagined!

I am in the process of finalizing the manuscript and submitting it for printing and publication by Xulon Press, the oldest and largest Christian self-publisher. I am anticipating a release date of around November 1st.  It will be made available on-line through the Xulon Press Bookstore in both print and electronic reader format. It will also be made available on-line at amazon.com and to Christian bookstores and other retail outlets.  I will have further details about pricing and availability once the book is in the production process.

All proceeds from the book will go to FaithLife Ministries to support the work that we do in training pastors and church leaders.

I will continue to keep you updated as to the progress of my book though this website, our monthly newsletter, our Facebook page and Twitter.

Here Comes the Judge!

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judge

In our culture today the most common criticism people hear is to not judge others for their actions.  People want to be free to be who they are and do not want others to judge or criticize their behavior in any way.  And the Bible is often used to support this viewpoint.  In Matthew 7:1 it says “Do not judge” and that’s as far as most people will go. But the Bible is being misquoted in this context because the rest of that verse says “or you too will be judged.”  Verse 2 goes on to say “for in the same way you judge others, you too will be judged.” The Bible does not prohibit us from judging the actions of others, but it issues a stern warning that if we do we must be able to withstand judgment of our own actions.  Jesus goes on to say in verse 5 that we must “first take the plank out of our own eye, then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”  So it is not a matter of not judging at all, it is a matter of judging properly.

Judging is about deciding on the merits of another person’s behavior. We are constantly judging the actions of others, whether it’s politics, business, legal matters, or even the church.  We do it all the time.  When someone harms us we sue them because their behavior was wrong.  When our children misbehave, we punish them for their inappropriate behavior.  When we get poor service at a restaurant we complain to the manager about the server’s behavior or lack of it.  But for the most part we don’t verbalize our judgments.  But we think it.  Those men on Wall Street are all greedy. That dress that Mary is wearing is inappropriate for church. I believe that George Zimmerman is guilty of murder.  I think Alex Rodriguez should be banned from baseball for taking steroids.  President Obama should have done something to protect our people in Benghazi.  And the list goes on and on.  Every opinion we have is a judgment. It is our observation on the merits of another person’s behavior.

The important question we must ask ourselves is what standard of behavior are we judging others against?  If it is our own standard, then we are in deep trouble.  What gives us the right to ask others to conform to our standards? I find it utterly amazing that the people who call others judgmental are usually the most judgmental people there are because they are telling others that they don’t conform to their standards, whether cultural, political, religious or ideological.  When Christians speak out against homosexuality and the LGBT community calls them bigots, intolerant and homophobic, who is really judging who? When Baptists criticize other Christians for drinking alcohol, are they not judging their behavior against a Baptist standard?

There are really only 2 standards that we as American Christians can judge others against.  The first are the laws of the United States.  When someone breaks the law their behavior is outside our civil standard and so they must be held accountable for their inappropriate or unacceptable behavior.  This is the foundation of a safe and secure society. When we see others break the law we are responsible for notifying the authorities so that appropriate action and justice can prevail.  Micah 6:8 says that we are to “act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with our God.”  Acting justly is looking out for the welfare of others and to seek justice for them.

The second standard is much higher.  It is the Word of God.  But this only applies to Christians.  We cannot judge non-Christians against a Christian standard. Since they do not believe in God or Jesus Christ, then we cannot judge their actions against a standard they do not believe in. But we are to judge other Christians against His standards found in the Bible. In 1 Corinthians Chapter 5, the Apostle Paul  sharply criticizes the church in Corinth for their tolerance of sexual immorality in their church. In verses 12-14 he states, “What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside.  Expel the wicked man from among you.” So it is clear that we as Christians should judge the behavior of other Christians according to God’s standard, and rebuke them, if we are to keep the church and body of Christ pure and Holy.

Ultimately, God is the judge of every person and will judge each of us according to what we have said and done in this life (Acts 17:31 & Matthew 12:36).  And we should be very careful when judging or commenting on the actions of others as we will be judged according to the same standard that we use.  If it is God’s standard, then we can rebuke other Christians, and they can rebuke us, according to God’s Word. But we have no business judging those outside of the church.  God will judge them in His time.

So be careful how you judge.  Because one day all of us will come before God and say, “Here Comes the Judge!”

 

Yes, You Have the Time!

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Time Management

In our Management For Church Leaders™ training we teach about time management. Time is one of the resources that God gives each individual to use as they choose.  In fact, it is the one resource that is non-renewable.  Once it is gone or used up it is gone forever.  You cannot buy more time nor can you re-use the time you have been given.  Furthermore, none of us knows exactly how much time we will have in our lives and so time is a precious and exhaustible resource.

In America, time is very valuable and so we attempt to maximize the use of our time towards things that are important for us.  As the old saying goes here, “time is money”! That goes back to the importance our culture places on work and earning a living to build a financially prosperous life. But Americans also place a very high value on our children, whether it is education, music or sports. Parents spend a lot of time shuttling their kids to soccer practice, music lessons or school activities.

But the rest of the world does not necessarily operate with that same attitude.  Many places I travel time is valued much differently.  Other cultures value leisure time and family time much more than money, work or sports. They do not see time as solely an opportunity to make money, but rather to build relationships and live life more fully.  So you would think that they would not want any training on how to manage their time more effectively since time does not carry the same level of importance as it does in America.

But that is not the case.  Church leaders from other nations do want to learn how to use their time more wisely. They know that the Bible says in Ephesians 5:15-16, “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”  They want to be more effective time managers. They just don’t focus on money as the main objective.  The principles of time management can help them determine how best to use their time for their benefit and for God’s purposes.

There are 3 types of people when it comes to using time.  First, there are time wasters.  These type of people do not use time wisely and often use their time to do things that are either non-productive or wasteful. At the end of the day they wonder why nothing got done.  Second, there are time spenders.  These type of people use their time to spend on things they enjoy doing, like sports or entertainment.  But it has no lasting value nor produces anything tangible.  Thirdly, there are time investors.  These type of people use their time to invest in learning new things, developing their skills, building relationships or helping others. They see value in helping grow a business, helping others succeed, or serving those in need.  God wants us all to be time investors and to be producing something of eternal value for the His Kingdom!

The key principle about time management is that managing time is about managing priorities.  We all spend our time on things that are important to us, or the priorities in our lives.  If it is making money, then that is our priority.  If it is spending time with family, then that is our top priority.  Every single one of us uses our time according to what is important to us at that time.  Every minute of every day we are making choices about what to do with our time.  And whatever is most important usually gets our time.  And sometimes that is a nap, or reading a good book, or watching a movie! And in most cases we are in control of our own lives and get to choose how to spend our time.

So, when you ask someone to do something with you or for you and they tell you they do not have the time, that is NOT TRUE!  They have the time.  What they are really telling you is that there is something more important they either need or want to do at that time.  I recall as a teenage boy when I asked a girl out on a date she told me she could not go because she had to wash her hair.  I think you get my point! (I certainly did…)

So to get the most out of the time we are given we must establish the right priorities for our own lives.  We must learn to value the truly important things. As Christians, God expects us to value the things that He values, like love, holiness, service to others, family, humility, witness, faith, and Jesus Christ, to name just a few. When we have these priorities straight then God will indeed bless us and use us mightily for His kingdom building.  We will become His time investors.  And we will live the abundant life that Jesus came to give us as He states in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full!”

Yes, you have the time!  But let us be time investors and use our time to serve God and others and live life to the full!