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Jumping Ship.

09 Feb

I’m seeing a growing trend lately that bothers me. I will admit right up front that I’m tempted by it myself at times. So what is this trend? Good Leaders leaving the church.  I can think of 5 guys off the top of my head that I know personally that have left the church or are seriously considering it. Whether it’s the frustration of church politics, serving with burnt-out or arrogant pastoral staff who won’t return calls and seem unreachable many are moving outside the church to use their gifts.  I’ve known guys who worked in a church world for a decade jump ship for a para-church ministry. I’ve seen other guys get frustrated as the church places more and more responsibility on them while keeping their salary the same year after year. Still others avoid church leadership because they don’t have “everything together”…and who would blame them with how the typical church responds when someone has a “moral failure?” (Check out this article on Mars Hill)  Recently I learned of youth pastor I respected being fired because of kicking a water bottle in an apparent exhibit of out-of-control anger at a soccer game.  Parents put enough pressure on church leadership till they caved and fired the guy after he had served faithfully there for 7yrs! Good leaders shouldn’t be so expendable. No doubt there can be a freedom that comes working outside of the church world, I’m experiencing that right now in my season away as I focus on school and family.  Most of the time I remain excited to jump back into vocational ministry, yet at other times I think about creating a non-profit organization aimed at helping churches be more effective and still other times I think it might be smarter to get a “‘real” job and volunteer at a church. Sometimes these thoughts are motivated by a better understanding of my gifts but usually come when I hear from friends struggling on the inside.

As I said many times before, what is the church left with when all the good guys jump ship? Or maybe better put, what happens when all the guys with leadership & pastoral gifts leave the church? I will let you answer that…but I can tell you for the rest of the guys on staff it becomes a drain.  Instead of looking forward to go to work you dread it. You bet as I interview for my next ministry position I’m going to be picky. Yes I’m looking for a place to use my gifts to impact God’s Kingdom, but I am also looking for a place that will invest in me, using time and resources to invest in my development.I want to be part of a church that extends grace not only to the congregation but also to its staff.

Sitting on my kitchen table is a 3X5 card with one of my goals as it relates to my next chapter in ministry:

To be part of a ministry team of like-minded and passionate individuals. 

I still think and hope that will be within a local church…but who knows.

 
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Posted by on February 9, 2012 in Uncategorized

 

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9 Things Your Pastor Wants To Say To You, But Won’t

24 Jul

Found this on another blog and thought it was worth sharing…

Here are nine things that your pastor wants to say, but might not ever tell you (and maybe should):

1. It’s not my job to share the gospel with your friends:Contrary to popular belief, it is actually your job to do that.  I am here to help equip you to share the gospel.  Stop taking the easy way out and just bringing your friends to church, and expecting me to do all the work.

2. I have a life when I’m not at church: And it’s actually pretty important to me.  Just like you have family, friends, and hobbies I do as well. Even though the church is really important to me, my life does not just revolve around the events there.  If I don’t respond to every phone call or text message right away, I will as soon as I am free.

3. It might be nice, if I knew you cared about me once in a while: Beneath this strong exterior of leadership, I have a heart that cares deeply for the people I pastor.  I would love to know that they care for me too.

4. Why is it okay for you to have nice things, but not me: I like nice things too, just sayin.

5. If you wouldn’t cry so much, I would cancel our Christmas pageant: And give the money to families who can’t afford to buy their kids gifts.  I think its what Jesus would do.  Maybe it is time to think about the real values of our church and walk in them.

6. I can’t fix your problems: Even though you might think I can, I really can’t.  I might even have a lot of good advice, but it is impossible for me to be your rescue.  That doesn’t mean I don’t want to hear what you are going through, because I really care, but all I really can do is listen and let you know God is with you, because…

7. I actually struggle with sin too: I know, I know.. I’m the pastor, but lets get real here: Pastors are people too.

8. I don’t want to run this church alone: I would rather partner with you.  Church is a community, where we all work together to bring the hope of the gospel to the world.  Your involvement is key to the success of the church and it’s ministries.

9. The gospel is about Jesus’ unending love for humanity, not your comfort on Sunday morning: The mission of the church is a little bit more serious then your music preference during our worship services.  That doesn’t mean your opinions are not valid, but let get things in perspective here.

Chances are that your pastor has actually said some of these things to you before, but the reality is that a lot of pastors are not able to openly say hard things.  I am lucky to be apart of a church that values honesty.  My heart goes out to those ministers who are not able to speak truth.  I long to see a Christian culture that is values truth over harmony.

Okay, now it is your turn.  How would you respond to your pastor, if he told you some these things? On the flip side, what would YOU like to say to your pastor, but haven’t?

Darrell Vesterfelt is a social media strategist atSheepish Design, where he is able to express his passion for social media and the church. He is also on staff at a church plant in West Palm Beach, FL as an associate pastor. You can read his blog here, and follow him on twitter here.
(you can find the original post HERE)
 
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Posted by on July 24, 2011 in Uncategorized

 

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Keep it Simple.

19 Jun

I have always strived to be a communicator that teaches from the bottom-shelf.  I don’t think the average person benefits from “deep” teaching and think that you can go to seminary for that sort of theology and depth. I have often used the analogy of going to a place like Jiffy Lube to get an oil change. People go to Jiffy Lube to get an oil change…plain and simple. I have yet to meet the person who got transmission work done at Jiffy Lube. It always drives me nuts when the mechanic comes out to meet you in the lobby and tells you multiple things he recommends you fix that very day.  Church shouldn’t feel like this. Senior Pastors should work hard to keep both their messages and the vision of the church simple. Pastors who constantly talk about the “depth” of their teaching are often filled with pride and are more interested in wowing people with their knowledge than actually communicating something that changes lives Monday-Saturday.

I resonated alot with what Rick Warren said in this interview;

 
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Posted by on June 19, 2011 in Uncategorized

 

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Another Church That Gets “It”

03 Apr

Didn’t think there could ever be anything redeemable about Charlie Sheen? Think again…this one comes from my “home” church near Detroit Michigan, NorthRidge Church. Click on the picture to check out an interactive website meant to invite people to their Easter services.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         UPDATE: Apparently the billboards are now getting local and national attention. Check out an interview of the Senior Pastor HERE and more on the purpose of the campaign.

 
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Posted by on April 3, 2011 in Uncategorized

 

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2 Churches That Get “It”

01 Apr

Saw both of these videos recently and thought they nailed it.  This first one does an awesome job at casting vision from Granger Church in Indiana…heck after watching I thought about moving there and joining the movement!

Secondly this one highlights the creativity of students when a church isn’t afraid to use them. It’s from Fellowship Church in Texas.

 
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Posted by on April 1, 2011 in Uncategorized

 

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Quote2Share

11 Feb

“All down its history, the Christian church seems to have oscillated from one extreme to the other.  At times, it is so worldly that it goes to the extreme of self-confidence, as if evangelism were merely a question of business efficiency and human technique.  At other times it becomes so otherworldly that it goes to the opposite extreme of self-depreciation, as if evangelism were entirely the work of the Holy Spirit and we had nothing whatever to contribute.” - John Stott

 
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Posted by on February 11, 2011 in Uncategorized

 

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What Now Sunset?

03 Feb
The announcement came down this week that my former employer Sunset Presbyterian is letting go both their Senior Pastor AND the entire governing body (called Session in Presbyterian churches).  I definitely have my opinions regarding this situation and am happy to share them privately, but what I thought would be more beneficial to share here is some thoughts I have for the members and staff over at Sunset:
  • Hire for the future not the present. There will be some that will think hiring someone very similar to the former senior pastor would be the wisest thing to do, I think this would be a big mistake.  This is a pivotal moment for Sunset and hiring the next senior pastor is a “make-it or break-it type decision. ”  Picture the world in 2020, 2030…hire someone who can lead the church forward into uncharted territory. Think just how much the world has changed in the past 20 years!
  • Be sure your interim pastor has a strong pastoral gift. Many things were revealed throughout the process of the past four months. I think one of the most important being that the staff is tired, wounded and in many cases struggling.  Perhaps the greatest gift the interim pastor could bring to the church is a pastoral gift to begin to repair the damage that has been done. Not doing so I fear will lead to inevitable staff turnover which was painful over the years but would spell much bigger consequences in this fragile transitional season.
  • Stop trying to keep people and instead reach them. Have people left the church? Yes. Will more leave after hearing this decision? Yup.  Is the primary goal of the church to keep them? No.  Let those who now attend Solid Rock continue to attend there. Inviting them back hoping that things might “return to what they once were” sets them and the church up for failure. The fact of the matter is that Sunset will never be the church that it once was.  How can it? So much of the style and values came out of a pastor who lead it for 29 years.  More so than ever Sunset has a unique opportunity to reach this community in a much different way than it did in the past.  I know there are very real budget issues facing the church and the fear of losing more tithing members is palpable.  But really what would you gain other than money in keeping those dissatisfied members? I believe it would only continue to keep the church stuck and unable to move into a truly new chapter under new leadership.
  • Your best days may lie ahead but they will not come apart from hard work now. Pastors love to throw out the phrase: “I believe our best days are ahead of us” like it’s going out of style.  I think it’s great to give your church hope for the future and a vision that includes better days for the church. However if it’s not tied into reality and with some clear goals attached to it than it’s nothing more than an pithy emotional statement.  Do I think Sunset’s best days might be ahead? Absolutely!  But the keyword in that sentence is “might.”  We don’t live in a vacuum, great churches and organizations don’t just happen by chance…they happen with the hard work of it’s people.  I continue to pray for the right leadership to passionately lead the charge and also for the staff that has stuck it out throughout this junk.
 
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Posted by on February 3, 2011 in Uncategorized

 

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What Churches in Decline Have in Common.

04 Jan

In my 13 years of ministry I served at two churches…two churches that were radically different.  One of the ways they were different was the first church I served at was experiencing explosive growth (think 1,300-14,000 in seven years) while I worked there and the second church was in a slow but steady decline throughout my six years there.

What makes one church explode into life and one slowly die? I believe there are many variables and it would be foolish to say it was one thing that brought about a churches demise. However when you look at many churches experiencing decline, there are trends they typically have in common.  I recently read the post below by Tony Morgan and decided to share it here because I would say his 5 attributes are spot-on with what I’ve observed.  Ironically the opposite of these commonalities were part of the DNA of the first church I served at.

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Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to talk with a denominational leader in a different part of the country. Over the last few years, he’s personally been involved in consulting engagements with about 60 declining churches within his denomination. That grabbed my attention. Honestly, I don’t have a lot of experience working with churches that are in decline. With that in mind, I was curious to learn if there were any common themes. Within moments, he rattled off these five attributes of churches he’s worked with that are in decline:

When I work with churches for the first time, I think sometimes they’re frustrated with me because I’m not willing to help them fix something specific. Sometimes they want me to tweak their internal systems. Other times they want me to speak into improvements in their Sunday service environments. Other times they want me to provide feedback on their website or their music or their facility. I’ve found that churches can become convinced that they know why their church isn’t growing.

There comes a point when it’s healthy and appropriate to address specific environments, systems or tactics; however, these five foundational aspects of a healthy ministry have to come first. If we’re unwilling to address these critical elements, then we’re not going to shift the declining trends.

The crazy thing about this is that there are many churches that would rather close their doors (hundreds every year) than make the necessary changes it would take to have an impact. Why is it that we put our personal preferences ahead of our ministry impact?

I’m glad at least one denominational leader in one part of the country is willing to try to change that pattern.

(You can find the original post HERE - and special thanks to Jason for sharing this one his Facebook)

 
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Posted by on January 4, 2011 in Uncategorized

 

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Sunset at a Crossroads

10 Oct

Sunset Presbyterian Church is at a crossroads – and while it may seem like it has arrived at this crossroads in the past few weeks, she has been here for years.

The crucial question being asked at this crossroads is: Will we make the necessary changes to reach a younger generation? Significant and lasting change, a commitment to continual change to reach and ever-changing world.

The challenge facing the congregation is attempting to please all the people-all the time. But while this might seem logical for a large church with multiple demographics, it simply doesn’t jive with the biblical definition of church.  Church was never meant to be about pleasing any demographic – rather it’s God-given purpose is to reach a demographic. While some may think this is the same thing I would argue that it is not.

Churches seeking to reach a demographic (or group of people) rather than please them are filled with members who understand the concept of sacrifice. Older generations must give up their desires when they become hurdles to reach the next.  This is doubly important because in most churches the older generation fund the majority of a churches operating budget. Also they often hold well established lines of political power to impact important decisions.

While the immediate future of Sunset may seem grim, I have hope that a healthy, effective and even larger church can emerge. This will only come about it its members are willing to sacrifice and understand their role in reaching new people for Christ. There are tens of thousands of people within the geographical location of Sunset that are in desperate need of being introduced to Jesus. My prayer is that Sunset would emerge as one of the primary vehicles the LORD uses to reach these people.

Dont give up the fight Sunset for this generation..

 
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Posted by on October 10, 2010 in Uncategorized

 

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Resurrection Day

04 Apr
 
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Posted by on April 4, 2010 in Uncategorized

 

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