No one person is complete all by themselves. No one believer fully bears the image of God, nor all the spiritual gifts, nor the full and unabridged/unedited Gospel message. This full view, or "big picture" requires the church as a whole. Not just the local church, but God's Church - the Kingdom.
Though the work of God is accomplished through God's people, each one of us carries a vital part of His message to the world. This is the message of our lives, our theological bent, our personal experience with the living Word.
The Word of God is not simply the written page. God's Word is written/spoken and proceeds from the Father. It is living in the person of Jesus Christ. The Word is also experienced as the Holy Spirit works in, through, and around us and others. It requires all three avenues to be active in our lives for God to transform us and write the message of our lives in our hearts.
All the pillars of our faith had such a message. For Martin Luther it centered around the grace of God. John Calvin's focus was the sovereignty of God. The apostle John, the love of God and Luke, the compassion of God. All of our contemporaries, those walking in faith beside us now, have their message as well. John Eldridge is drawn to the intimate God. A.W. Tozer, like Calvin, sees God as holy and sovereign. David Crowder sings of the God who saves the sinner.
You too have a message. It is constantly being formed in your heart with every experience, every trial, every victory, every doubt. This is the message you are to bring to the people of God. This is the God you are to reveal to a lost, broken, and needy world. As ministers in the church, you are to share your story and encourage the saints, but also, you are to help them discover their own message. We are all ambassadors of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have been called, set apart, equipped, and empowered to be so, and we will need all God will give us because to share your message, your story, it will cost you. Your message, since it is in your heart, is a part of who you are. Know God so that you can know yourself. Speak your message in word and deed. Give glory to the Father who is forever praised. Amen.
With you in His service,
Michael
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Teaching a Man to Fish
It is said that if you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime. As deacons, you are fishermen. You know what it is to walk in the knowledge and grace and truth of God - to live in His presence. That is why the scripture says not to call a new convert to be a deacon or elder, because they are not mature in their faith and will become arrogant and unable to "fish for themselves."
Since you are walking with the Lord, you can help others to do so as well. This is your calling. You are not expected, nor is it helpful, to solve people's problems for them. God has brought or allowed this hardship in their lives. If He wanted you to toil over it, He would have given the burden to you. Your calling is to come alongside those who are struggling and ask questions, offer counsel and prayer support, and guide them in what is right. The plan is to help them to develop a healthy way of dealing with trials and train them to walk with God.
What we strive for is to nurture a healthy dependence on God, not on us as ministers. We need to help them to ask the right questions, to begin to see their issues in a biblical light - to train them to see their life and experiences through the lens of scripture instead of the other way around. You do not have to have all the answers, nor do you need to sacrifice yourself on the alter of service. You simply need to care about the individual and teach them to "follow your example as you follow the example of Christ."
Since you are walking with the Lord, you can help others to do so as well. This is your calling. You are not expected, nor is it helpful, to solve people's problems for them. God has brought or allowed this hardship in their lives. If He wanted you to toil over it, He would have given the burden to you. Your calling is to come alongside those who are struggling and ask questions, offer counsel and prayer support, and guide them in what is right. The plan is to help them to develop a healthy way of dealing with trials and train them to walk with God.
What we strive for is to nurture a healthy dependence on God, not on us as ministers. We need to help them to ask the right questions, to begin to see their issues in a biblical light - to train them to see their life and experiences through the lens of scripture instead of the other way around. You do not have to have all the answers, nor do you need to sacrifice yourself on the alter of service. You simply need to care about the individual and teach them to "follow your example as you follow the example of Christ."
Saturday, January 26, 2008
A Focused Purpose
In keeping with the whole boundaries theme, I find it necessary to remind myself that boundaries are useful for ensuring that others do not take more from me than I have to give, however, on the flip side, they also prevent me from losing focus and taking on more than I need to. Identifying clear boundary lines enables and empowers me to do what I am called to do. As the pastor of a small church, this is something of which I am only now discovering the value - indeed, the necessity.
Being a deacon presents an interesting dynamic. You are a member of the church and so are empowered and encouraged to begin or get involved in any ministry that fits the church's purpose and process. However, you are also ordained - set aside - by the membership to serve the church in a specific function. As deacons your calling is to minister to the needs of the church. The deacon ministry is not, in its intent, an evangelistic ministry, nor is it a ministry that leads the church in the adoption, development, and implementation of programs or ministries. These things are the calling of the leadership team, elder board, or associate pastors (depending on church structure). Here is where the confusion typically sets in: as a member, you can be involved in the church and serve according to your passions and desires, but as a deacon your ministry is to the people of the church.
The deacon ministry, as modeled in scripture (Acts 6), protects and promotes the unity of the church by ministering to the physical and spiritual needs of the church and so partnering in the ministry of the word. What that looks like in our church is this:
1) Keeping in touch with members and regular attenders and getting to know them so that you can be effective in counsel, encouragement, and exhortation.
2) Encouraging individuals to get connected in community with one another through small group interaction by getting your care group together for a meal, prayer, or Bible study, or by encouraging individuals to get involved in a small group that might meet them at their need.
3) Facilitating small group service projects where members can use their time, talents, treasures, and passions together for the benefit of others.
If we attempt to make the deacon ministry more than what it is meant to be, we become ineffective. Just as the body cannot be all one part, so one part cannot be the whole body. It takes each part doing it's job and allowing the other parts to do theirs. Don't overextend yourself in ministry, but stay focused and purposeful. Only then can we be powerful and effective.
With you in His service,
Michael
Being a deacon presents an interesting dynamic. You are a member of the church and so are empowered and encouraged to begin or get involved in any ministry that fits the church's purpose and process. However, you are also ordained - set aside - by the membership to serve the church in a specific function. As deacons your calling is to minister to the needs of the church. The deacon ministry is not, in its intent, an evangelistic ministry, nor is it a ministry that leads the church in the adoption, development, and implementation of programs or ministries. These things are the calling of the leadership team, elder board, or associate pastors (depending on church structure). Here is where the confusion typically sets in: as a member, you can be involved in the church and serve according to your passions and desires, but as a deacon your ministry is to the people of the church.
The deacon ministry, as modeled in scripture (Acts 6), protects and promotes the unity of the church by ministering to the physical and spiritual needs of the church and so partnering in the ministry of the word. What that looks like in our church is this:
1) Keeping in touch with members and regular attenders and getting to know them so that you can be effective in counsel, encouragement, and exhortation.
2) Encouraging individuals to get connected in community with one another through small group interaction by getting your care group together for a meal, prayer, or Bible study, or by encouraging individuals to get involved in a small group that might meet them at their need.
3) Facilitating small group service projects where members can use their time, talents, treasures, and passions together for the benefit of others.
If we attempt to make the deacon ministry more than what it is meant to be, we become ineffective. Just as the body cannot be all one part, so one part cannot be the whole body. It takes each part doing it's job and allowing the other parts to do theirs. Don't overextend yourself in ministry, but stay focused and purposeful. Only then can we be powerful and effective.
With you in His service,
Michael
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Helping the Broken, Wounded, and Needy
It is one thing to say we need boundaries, but another to actually live within them. It has been brought to my attention that there is a need to establish some healthy boundaries as people begin to come to you as ministers of the Gospel with their issues and struggles.
Since you have a heart for people, you will long to be able to fix the brokenness of their lives. This, however, is a very delicate area. Most of us, honestly, lack the training or the experience to really succeed at bringing someone through such a trial as abuse or addiction (chemical or other). Though it is the Holy Spirit's job to change hearts, heal hurts, and free the captives, we can do great harm if we are not careful. Therefore, just as much as we need to establish boundaries for others (i.e. "don't call me on Fridays" or "I simply can't help you that day, try calling ____."), it is equally important for us to establish boundaries for ourselves.
There will come a time when someone who has come to you needs more than what you can offer. Always pray for them, but do not hesitate to refer them to a professional counselor or to a recovery facility or shelter if need be. Taking in a battered wife, for example, is not a good idea. This can put you and your family in harm's way and it opens the door for transference of feelings and/or temptation. Remember, the church is a body and each part plays a vital role in realizing victory in the lives of God's children. If you are unsure as to whether you ought to invest more of yourself in a hurting individual, a professional counselor or your pastor is a good resource to help offer direction.
Should someone share information regarding physical harm (to themselves by themselves or by others...or threatening others) we are obligated by law to involve the appropriate authorities. It is only fair to let someone know ahead of time of your obligation to report certain instances - especially if they ask you not to share what they are going to tell you with anyone. Again, as a deacon, it may be wise to involve the pastor or a professional counselor in such matters and go through the reporting process together.
We cannot live people's lives for them, and it is not always helping to just take the struggle away from them. Additionally, we only have as much authority in one's life as they give us so we cannot simply barge in and tell them how it's going to be from now on. Broken people must be handled delicately, with care, patience, and consistency.
With you in His service,
Michael
Since you have a heart for people, you will long to be able to fix the brokenness of their lives. This, however, is a very delicate area. Most of us, honestly, lack the training or the experience to really succeed at bringing someone through such a trial as abuse or addiction (chemical or other). Though it is the Holy Spirit's job to change hearts, heal hurts, and free the captives, we can do great harm if we are not careful. Therefore, just as much as we need to establish boundaries for others (i.e. "don't call me on Fridays" or "I simply can't help you that day, try calling ____."), it is equally important for us to establish boundaries for ourselves.
There will come a time when someone who has come to you needs more than what you can offer. Always pray for them, but do not hesitate to refer them to a professional counselor or to a recovery facility or shelter if need be. Taking in a battered wife, for example, is not a good idea. This can put you and your family in harm's way and it opens the door for transference of feelings and/or temptation. Remember, the church is a body and each part plays a vital role in realizing victory in the lives of God's children. If you are unsure as to whether you ought to invest more of yourself in a hurting individual, a professional counselor or your pastor is a good resource to help offer direction.
Should someone share information regarding physical harm (to themselves by themselves or by others...or threatening others) we are obligated by law to involve the appropriate authorities. It is only fair to let someone know ahead of time of your obligation to report certain instances - especially if they ask you not to share what they are going to tell you with anyone. Again, as a deacon, it may be wise to involve the pastor or a professional counselor in such matters and go through the reporting process together.
We cannot live people's lives for them, and it is not always helping to just take the struggle away from them. Additionally, we only have as much authority in one's life as they give us so we cannot simply barge in and tell them how it's going to be from now on. Broken people must be handled delicately, with care, patience, and consistency.
With you in His service,
Michael
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Happy New Year!!
Though God is eternal and unchanging, something about the New Year always carries with it the expectation of newness and anticipation. I look forward to the things God will be doing in, through, and around us this year as, together, we Build a Community of Faith for the glory of God our Father.
Grace, Peace, and Blessings,
Michael
Grace, Peace, and Blessings,
Michael
Monday, December 31, 2007
The Blessing of Boundaries
In the first entry I mentioned how, as ministers, we cannot begin caring for someone and then cease to care for them without doing irreparable damage. I would like to offer this in tandem with that thought: Though you are a servant in the Kingdom of God, you are not a doormat, whipping boy, or at the beck and call of those to whom you minister. Boundaries are healthy and necessary.
Another term for the concept of boundaries is "stewardship." We must be good stewards of our time, talents, treasure, abilities, relationships, and limitations. Stewardship is the wise practice of doing the best you can to be as faithful as you can with all you have been given by God. Stewardship is not an excuse to brush someone off or neglect the ministry to which you have been called, but rather, stewardship, and the boundaries that result, are our attempt to be faithful to God by managing our whole lives with wisdom and discernment keeping the common good in view as we make decisions.
You will need, in the name of good stewardship, to discern what are real needs, what are perceived needs, which needs are ones you can meet and which ones you will need to counsel the individual to find help outside of your ministry. The temptation for one who has the heart and mind of Christ is to bear the burden of those to whom you minister. This must be your first boundary line: Though you weep with those who weep, when the weeper goes home, the weeping goes with them. You have enough in your own life to deal with, you cannot own the problems of others too. Pray with them, pray for them, keep your eyes and ears open to answers to those prayers, but do not allow yourself to be tortured by another's problem as if it were your own. Part of trusting God is being able to let go and let God work.
It is also easy to be used by those who might take advantage of your compassionate heart. Discern timing and urgency. There are things that are urgent and things that are important. Do not run around attending the urgent at the cost of the important. Discern what level of investment is necessary and count the cost.
There are things to which you were called that are priorities, such as family, work, and your own walk of faith. There will be times where the needs of others are more urgent than these and it is up to you to decide whether it is important enough to make a sacrifice.
You can care for others without utterly spending yourself on them. Caring does not mean exhausting yourself. Be discerning as to how caring must manifest itself in each case, and whether what is being asked of you is really helping or not. Establishing boundaries is good for you, and so, good for those whom you serve. You are no good to anyone if you are stretched too thin. Boundaries will help you know when to say no and when it is okay to say yes.
With you in His service,
Michael
Another term for the concept of boundaries is "stewardship." We must be good stewards of our time, talents, treasure, abilities, relationships, and limitations. Stewardship is the wise practice of doing the best you can to be as faithful as you can with all you have been given by God. Stewardship is not an excuse to brush someone off or neglect the ministry to which you have been called, but rather, stewardship, and the boundaries that result, are our attempt to be faithful to God by managing our whole lives with wisdom and discernment keeping the common good in view as we make decisions.
You will need, in the name of good stewardship, to discern what are real needs, what are perceived needs, which needs are ones you can meet and which ones you will need to counsel the individual to find help outside of your ministry. The temptation for one who has the heart and mind of Christ is to bear the burden of those to whom you minister. This must be your first boundary line: Though you weep with those who weep, when the weeper goes home, the weeping goes with them. You have enough in your own life to deal with, you cannot own the problems of others too. Pray with them, pray for them, keep your eyes and ears open to answers to those prayers, but do not allow yourself to be tortured by another's problem as if it were your own. Part of trusting God is being able to let go and let God work.
It is also easy to be used by those who might take advantage of your compassionate heart. Discern timing and urgency. There are things that are urgent and things that are important. Do not run around attending the urgent at the cost of the important. Discern what level of investment is necessary and count the cost.
There are things to which you were called that are priorities, such as family, work, and your own walk of faith. There will be times where the needs of others are more urgent than these and it is up to you to decide whether it is important enough to make a sacrifice.
You can care for others without utterly spending yourself on them. Caring does not mean exhausting yourself. Be discerning as to how caring must manifest itself in each case, and whether what is being asked of you is really helping or not. Establishing boundaries is good for you, and so, good for those whom you serve. You are no good to anyone if you are stretched too thin. Boundaries will help you know when to say no and when it is okay to say yes.
With you in His service,
Michael
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Important: Read this before responding!
I want to issue a warning to you all before anybody submits any postings. This is the world wide web. Though this blog (short or "web log") is intended for a specific group of people, it is on a public domain and the world has access to it. Therefore, choose your words carefully. For one reason, you are a witness to the world for Christ, but secondly, anything you say here, if juicy enough, will find its way around the world in less than a heartbeat and you cannot retract your statements. They will live forever in cyberspace for all to see.
This is not a forum to vent frustration with specific individuals. Our face-to-face meetings will help us work through that. Breathing out frustration and anger in this forum is neither constructive nor helpful. There are better ways to deal with specifics.
Here are a couple guidelines for you:
1) No names. Unless you have the expressed permission of those you are referring to, keep it anonymous
2) Keep it generic. Stick to issues, and topics, not specific situations. If you need to give an example keep it as anonymous and general as possible
3) Don't make assumptions. Let's stick with what we know and keep ourselves out of the dangerous realm of speculation and assumption
This is not a forum to vent frustration with specific individuals. Our face-to-face meetings will help us work through that. Breathing out frustration and anger in this forum is neither constructive nor helpful. There are better ways to deal with specifics.
Here are a couple guidelines for you:
1) No names. Unless you have the expressed permission of those you are referring to, keep it anonymous
2) Keep it generic. Stick to issues, and topics, not specific situations. If you need to give an example keep it as anonymous and general as possible
3) Don't make assumptions. Let's stick with what we know and keep ourselves out of the dangerous realm of speculation and assumption
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