Delegation & Accountability

By | |
Leave a comment


“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight.  Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account”
Hebrews 4:13

In order to be an effective leader, one must learn to properly delegate responsibilities and hold others accountable to their commitments.  Since we cannot do all of the ministry by ourselves, especially as our ministry grows, we will need to delegate some of our responsibilities to others if we are to get the work done that the Lord requires of us.  Learning how to delegate effectively and then hold others accountable will produce action and not excuses.  

Delegation

“Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom.  We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the Word.”

Acts 6:3-4

Delegation is the act of empowering someone to act for another. When we delegate something to someone else we are asking them to take responsibility for getting something done on our behalf. There are several reasons why we would delegate responsibility to others.

First, delegation allows us to spread the workload so that more work can be accomplished in less time. Second, we delegate so that we can enlist the help of others. This enables us to have others participate in ministry and to utilize their skills. Third, we delegate to others to expand our ministry. This gives us time for other ministry work or to pursue other ministry passions and opportunities. Finally, we delegate to others to develop them as potential leaders. We do this to train others for ministry, enable ministry leadership succession, and to build the kingdom of God.

Here are 6 principles of delegation:

  1. Delegate only to qualified leaders

“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

Delegate to people of character, people of faith, and people full of the Holy Spirit.

2. Delegate to trained people

Make sure they are trained for the task at hand and provide training, if necessary, before you delegate.

3. Delegate responsibility, not activities

Give them freedom to manage as they feel appropriate. Do not dictate the process but allow them to use their own style to accomplish goals.

4. Delegate authority with responsibility

Do not hold back your authority from them. Let them make decisions within the authority you give them. Gently guide, but do not decide.

5. Provide deadlines for results

Specify project time frames for completion and make sure deadlines are agreed to. Be firm but flexible on deadlines and allow for changes due to unforeseen circumstances. Make sure new deadlines are also agreed to.

6. Follow up to answer questions or provide support

Provide ongoing guidance and encouragement.

When you delegate, first decide which project or responsibility to delegate to someone. It could be a project that you want someone else to lead or a responsibility that you do not have time to lead. Second, choose the leader wisely. Select only qualified, trained or experienced leaders. Third, communicate your expectations to them. Agree on goals & objectives and specify outputs & results. Fourth, give deadlines and specify desired completion dates. Make sure they commit to meeting the deadlines and monitor their progress to ensure deadlines will be met. Finally, provide support to them. Do not ignore them or leave them on their own. Give them encouragement along the way.

Accountability

“So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

Romans 14:12

Accountability is an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions. Leaders should never delegate responsibilities to others without holding them accountable. This is to ensure project success and the achievement of project goals, completing projects on time and meeting key project deadlines, developing the leadership skills of others and their decision making ability, and to build the leader’s confidence and trust in others.

Here are 4 basic principles of Accountability:

1.  Never delegate responsibility without accountability

It enables you to maintain control and tells them this project is important. It also shows them you are interested in what they do.

2.  Be specific in your expectations

Set deadlines for results and communicate clearly the results you expect. Write them down if necessary.

3.  Be diligent in your follow up

Check on their progress regularly and ask for status reports (weekly, monthly, etc.).  Expect results as promised and on-time.

4.  Be constructive in your feedback

Do not be overly critical and praise good work and effort. Offer your encouragement and support.

Holding someone accountable means that you first make sure objectives are clearly understood. Poor objectives will lead to poor results and potential project failure. Second, make sure deadlines are agreed to. Write them down if you have to and make sure you both agree to them. Third, ask for regular updates and status reports. Keep on top of the project and its progress and meet regularly to discuss project issues. Fourth, provide ongoing feedback and give your thoughts and comments on the progress. Fifth, praise and reward good effort and give them your encouragement. Finally, recognize success and short term achievements. Do it publicly if significant.

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

Patriotism and Christianity

By | |
2 Comments

“Then he (Jesus) said to them, ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s’.”
Matthew 22:21

As we celebrate our Independence Day in America, there is division on what it means to be a patriot. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word patriot signifies a person who loves his or her country and is ready to boldly support and defend it (that meaning has endured since the word’s arrival in English in the 16th century). Many Americans support our nation despite its faults, desire to adhere to our Constitution and the intent of our founding fathers, and want to protect our values of liberty for all, individual work ethic, and respect for our laws. Patriotism appears to coincide with this group. 

But there are other Americans who claim that our Constitution needs to be changed to reflect a changing world, that our nation has historical faults it must now atone for, and that we need to have more progressive values such as diversity, open borders, and socialism in order to provide more fairness and equality for all citizens in work and income.  This group does not support our nation as it currently is but rather wants to change it to something else. This would suggest that they are not patriots, but revolutionaries.

As a Christian, my allegiance is to Christ first and foremost. I have freedom from sin and the assurance of eternal life through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, which is of utmost importance to me personally. And I can take that to any nation on the earth and live my life accordingly. But as an American, I love my country, the freedoms and opportunities we have, and the principles and values upon which it was founded. I have traveled the world and visited many nations. I have lived in another country. But I do not desire to live anywhere else other than America! We have freedom from tyranny and oppression on this earth through our Constitution and our military. We have the world’s best system of justice, although it is far from perfect. We also have the opportunity to pursue education in any field, choose our work and become what God made us to be.

And while Christian principles are in our Constitution, our government cannot force Christianity on anyone nor prevent anyone from practicing their religion. Alexis de Tocqueville, in his book Democracy in America, said, “Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith.” In other words, we need faith and Christian values in America if our nation and self-government are to survive. So there is very little conflict between the Christian faith and our Constitution and form of government.

So where is the conflict? The conflict comes from the revolutionaries who do not reflect what it means to be a patriot. They are the ones who want to change our constitution and do not support our nation’s history, foundations and values. They want to change America as we have known it.

So, why is Christianity now being attacked in America? Why are Christians suddenly facing persecution for their religious beliefs? And does one have to be a Christian to be an American patriot?

The reason Christianity is now being attacked stems from a misunderstanding of what our Constitution actually says about religion. Many secularists claim that there should be a separation between church and state, and that on that basis our government cannot have any Christian values or principles. However, this is not what our Constitution says. It simply says that the state cannot establish a religion for all citizens nor prevent the practice of any religion. All Americans are free to practice their religion, whether in government or in any other part of our society. Christians do have and must have a voice in our government and culture. We are free to share our values and thoughts and to pursue policies that encompass them. The secularists want to deny Christians that voice so that their values and policies prevail.

The reason Christians are suddenly facing persecution is because the progressive values of the secularists are based on individual preferences and not on any moral standards of behavior. Having no standards, such as the Bible, allows people to do what pleases them regardless of the impact on others. The Book of Judges from the Bible shows us exactly what happens when people think that way. According to Judges 21:25, “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.” Without a standard for moral behavior a society will descend into chaos and destroy itself. Consequently, I believe that secularists do not want to have a standard of behavior, because that may not allow them to do what they choose to do. They do not want to be held accountable to God or anyone else. So they seek to have the Bible and Christian influence removed from our culture entirely.

Finally, being a patriot does not mean that someone has to be a Christian in America. A person can love our nation, support its military, have a strong work ethic, and enjoy its freedoms without being a Christian. I believe most Americans would agree. But there are some religions, such as Islam, that are not consistent with our laws and culture, and Americans would be wise to be wary of them.

The Bible does not speak a great deal about nations and patriotism. Rather it speaks of God’s love for us, our rebellion from Him, His mercy upon us, and His grace through Jesus Christ. It is all about us as individuals and how He wants us to have faith in Jesus and live our lives according to His Word. He wants us to live lives that are holy and obedient to Him, and to serve others in His name. But God did speak to the nation of Israel in 2 Chronicles 7:14 when He said that “if my people, who are called by my name, will humbles themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Let us humble ourselves so that God can bless America and heal our land! Amen!

Holy Spirit Moves in Nigerian Church!

By | |
1 Comment
Pastor David Akinsanya

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.”

Romans 8:26

I recently received this wonderful testimony from Pastor David Akinsanya from Lagos, Nigeria (photo) who went through our Management for Church Leaders self-training book and began to apply some of what we teach within his church. Here is his testimony of how God used it to impact his ministry and congregation:

“I have been experiencing tremendous positive changes in my leadership. I had to conduct a training for my under leaders last week Saturday from 6am-2pm. The outcome has been wonderful. I am blessed in my life by the Holy Spirit and the resources you sent to me. I am more conscious of Holy Spirit more than ever before in my life and ministry, and the results of this has been Awesome. Our Sunday service was a super Sunday because I committed the under-leaders to His Holy hands and He used them in a way that made me cry at my ignorance and what my pride has blindfolded me from seeing.

I quickly see my ugly picture and how I have been insensitive to His Leadership role and place in the church management, mostly in our church – HOUSEHOLD OF FAITH COVENANT CHURCH. The leaders (workers) were so excited and happy to be given a role to play in the kingdom assignment, a goal that I have been assigned by God. It was so visible that with the enthusiasm of each and every one of them that were given a role to perform for God during the service and you can see that they have long been waiting for this kind of mighty move in the church with the backing of the Holy Spirit as well as to be trained and to be trusted with such responsibilities. 

And you need to see the Joy of been allowed to use their God given gifts for the Lord. Oh Barry, Holy Spirit moved in a new dimension in our fellowship last week Sunday and I strongly believe IT IS A NEW DAWN!!!! You won’t believe how quickly people began to use their gifts with joy (for example, one of them walked up to me and said, “Pastor, the Lord Says you should not minister by sharing message today. Instead, you should let Brother Ruben take the message.”).  I said noted and I called the said  brother during the workers fellowship (which is where we workers always pray for one hour before the Sunday School and Main Service and commit everything during the service to God). I told him I was told that the Lord wants you to minister to us today, so please go prepare your message and whatever the Holy Spirit places in your heart please say it (HE MINISTERED USING THE TOPIC HOLY SPIRIT). 

It was a powerful Ministration (sermon), and with the backing of the Holy Spirit it made everyone present to tremble. I cannot but shed tears!!!! I only ministered during the service in the administration of the Holy Communion which we do often on the first Sunday of the month. This was the product or result of one day of training showing them the Scriptures on the place and role of leadership and Holy Spirit in Church Growth and Health as well as the role and place of the 3 types of workers in the church being (1) Congregation, Committed, and Core from your training material. All I did was to tell them what we all need to do to move to the next level now from that of being just a Congregation to being Committed members, and to keep developing ourselves and playing our role of going out (evangelism) according to Matthew 28:19-20. I returned all the Glory to God.

Things are gradually changing for the best. Thank you Holy Spirit and thank you Barry, for allowing God to use you and your training to minister to me.”

We are very grateful to David for sharing his testimony with us so that we could share it with you. To God alone be the glory!

Building Community in the Church

By | |
4 Comments

“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

By | |
Leave a comment

“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!

To see our other blogs, click here!

Spiritual Reproduction

By | |
4 Comments

“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!

To see our other blogs, click here!

God Provides

By | |
Leave a comment

“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!

To see our other blogs, click here!

Keeping Christ in Christmas

By | |
Leave a comment

“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!

To see our other blogs, click here!

Spiritual Mirrors

By | |
3 Comments

“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!!

 

To see our other blogs, click here!

Ministry Budgeting

By | |
Leave a comment

“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)

 

To see our other blogs, click here!