One Year in Review at YCreekBC

One year ago (11/13/16 to be exact), I was invited to serve as the transitional pastor of Youngers Creek Baptist Church in Elizabethtown, KY.

“The Creek” as my family lovingly refers to her has become a wonderful home for us.

This is the eighth interim/transitional pastorate I have served and the fourth to extend beyond a year.  The longest tenure was 18 months at Monticello FBC, where I served before coming to The Creek.

I wanted to share a few thoughts and reflections, primarily to my brothers and sisters at The Creek, but even beyond for anyone who is actively involved in interim/transitional ministry or considering this calling as a way to serve Jesus’ bride, the Church, and God’s kingdom in Christian service.

3 Reflections to My Family at The Creek

1. Thank you for letting my family into your heart. 

As a smaller church made up of many inter-connected families it might be hard to let “outsiders” from Campbellsville into your heart.  But you have shown us grace and love.

You have loved my wife, my sons, and me.  You have love Dr. Cunha, Mrs. Raquel, Gabrielle and Bea.  You have loved Adam and Kaitlin.  You loved Ms. Stephanie.  None of us live in Etown.  None of us are related to anyone.  But you loved us anyway.

I pray you will always love “outsiders” in the same way you have loved us.  Remember, what brings us together is Christ.  His blood on the cross is greater and stronger than any human blood line.  We all have the same Father.  We all have the same Savior.  We all have the same Spirit dwelling in us.  That makes us one big Family.

2.  Thank you for letting me challenge and stretch you. 

I hope you have felt challenged in looking at your ministry approaches.  You definitely have been willing to try new things, do new things, attempt greater things.

Just think one year ago we didn’t have a functioning website, social media, sermon podcasts, WiFi in the sanctuary, guest cards, remodeled nursery, toddler room, downstairs restrooms, revised landscaping and curb appeal.

These might seem cosmetic or superficial, but they all have a purpose.  They say to the guest, you’re welcome here.  We are thinking about you.

3.  Thank you for trying a different church staff approach.  

There is no doubt the church staff structure we have utilized over the past year is unique.  Five part-time staff members – three living an hour away, two in town.  Permanent, interim, transitional, temporary, intern, volunteer – we’d had it all.

I know it has been odd at times wondering what was normal.  Is it was okay to call, okay to text, okay to ask for something beyond the normal schedule?  But I believe we have come through it with a great team spirit, a great atmosphere, and an amazing spirit of cooperation.  The level of commitment and volunteerism shown by the entire congregation has to be at one of the highest levels possible.

Just consider the Fall in Love with Jesus Fall Festival.  We had volunteers everywhere.  There was an amazing spirit of cooperation and pulling together to reach out to our local community.  That made me very proud and overjoyed.  As much as a hot dog can get overjoyed.

In all, I couldn’t be more happy with the year we have spent together as the faith family at The Creek.

God has graced me by bringing you into my life.  Hopefully you feel the same way.

 

 

Unusual Yet Blessed: A Different Approach to Church Staffing

Unusual.  That is a safe description of the staffing structure we are currently using at Youngers Creek Baptist Church.

Unusual in that none of our pastoral and ministerial staff live in the town the church is located in.

The church is located on the outskirts of Elizabethtown, KY, in east Hardin Co.  None of our church staff, with the exception of our fabulous church secretary, live in Elizabethtown, Hardin Co, or any of the adjacent counties.

Our worship minister, children’s ministry intern and I (the transitional pastor) all live in Campbellsville about 50 minutes away.  Our student minister has recently moved from Campbellsville and now lives in Bowling Green about an hour away.

This approach is not normal.  This is definitely an out-of-the-box model.  Honestly, it was not something I anticipated when I arrived.

When I came as transitional pastor in November 2016, our student minister was finishing his final year at Campbellsville University.  He was already in place having started a few months before.  He was one of my students and was instrumental in recommending me to the deacons to possibly come during the transition.

Then in December, just a month after I arrived, our worship leader, who was a lay volunteer, announced she was having a baby and would be stepping away at the end of the year.

I immediately went to my dear friend and colleague with extensive experience in worship leading and music and asked if he could come lead us.  It took a few months, but eventually he was able to come.

Then in January, our children’s director, another lay leader, stepped away to focus on her family and job.  I knew the perfect Educational Ministries student who could help our kids ministry.  We brought her on as a children’s ministry intern and she has done amazingly well.

So now we have…

• Four staff members and none live in the town of the church.
• Four staff members who all drive at least an hour to get to the building.
• Four staff members all who work another job or are going to school.

Unusual, yes I know.  Yet we are greatly blessed.

Our ministry to middle school and high school students is outstanding.  Our student minister keeps the focus rooted in God’s Word and is committed to making disciples.

The children ministry is vibrant and at times, overwhelming.  The Lord keeps bringing little ones to us even as our church median age is Baby Boomers and retirees.  We are seeing younger families bring preschool and grade-school aged kids more and more.

Our worship atmosphere is lively, inspiring and grace-filled.  There is a sweet expression on every face.  Our choir, praise band and media team do an amazing job leading us into the throne of grace.

Our staff planning is unusual.  Most of our communication is through text messages, planning websites, emails, car pools to church on Wednesday night, meet ups on campus, and phone calls.

Yet even as we approach things in a unique way,  the staff is of one mind, united in heart, and dedicated to the mission of Youngers Creek Church.  We, together, seek to to bring church to life.

I am so grateful for this unusual opportunity.  I recognize how unorthodox it is, but I am very thankful for a church that is willing to try the unusual.

8 Things I Am Thankful For at YCreek BC

Youngers Creek Church Elizabethtown, KY

As I am reflecting at the end of Resurrection Sunday on my back deck, I am so thankful to God for Youngers Creek Baptist Church in Elizabethtown.  This wonderful faith family invited my family and I into their lives in November.  It was a joy to spend my first holy week with them this year.

My heart is full of thanks this evening, but let me try and capture a few specific things I am thankful for.

1. The REACHOUT Effort.  We had 132 in attendance on Palm Sunday and 156 on Resurrection Sunday.  Numbers are not everything, but each of these men, women, kids and students represent a soul that God loves and Jesus was willing to give his life for. There were 3200 invitations mailed to our community and over 200 personal invites made to friends, family members, neighbors, and co-workers.  For this I am very thankful.

2. The Family Egg Hunt.  We had over 40 kids and 4 guest families attend the family egg hunt.  I am so thankful for Ms. Stephanie Litton and the children’s ministry lead team for making this a HUGE success.  They prayed, planned, invited kids and families, and created a perfect atmosphere where families could come, have fun and hear about the message of the Resurrection.  For this I am very thankful.

3.  The REFRESH Efforts.  Many volunteers gave countless hours refreshing the exterior landscaping, cleaning up the parking lot, painting downstairs, setting up banners, and completely revamping the nursery, toddler room, and kids space in fellowship hall.  Everyone has been so willing to give their time and talents to make space ready for younger children and families.  For this I am very thankful.

4. Volunteers Galore.   Over 3 weeks (i.e., Serve Saturday, Palm Sunday and Easter), we had nearly 80 volunteers serving in all sorts of ways.  We had 30+ volunteers for Serve Saturday.  About 15 volunteers who organized, decorated, cooked and led the family egg hunt.  Volunteers served as greeters for our worship services.  Volunteers prepared music and media for worship.  Volunteers arranged for the communion elements.  Volunteers baked cookies to give out as gifts.  It has truly been a team effort. For this I am very thankful.

5. Tremendous Staff Leaders.  With an all part-time church staff, you might think we would go light and do the minimum.  That has not been the case at all.  I am thankful to Dr. Tony Cunha, Mr. Adam Hicks, Ms. Stephanie Litton and Ms. Pat Filyaw for their hard work over the past few weeks.  You make my role very easy because each of you are so committed and dedicated to your ministry calling.  For this I am very thankful.

6. The Warmest of Christian Hospitality.  If @YCreekBC is known for something, it is their gift of gracious hospitality.  From the homemade cookies, to the Easter bookmarks, to the lively, friendly, inviting atmosphere, they make everyone feel right at home.  Friends and family alike can never say YCreek is a stuffy church.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  For this I am very thankful.

7. Dedicated Deacon Servant Leaders.  The six men who serve as deacons truly represent Christ-like servant leadership.  They pray, serve, guide and give without any hint of pride or arrogance.  They are humble, kind, and Spirit-filled.  They love Youngers Creek Church and do their very best to serve Christ in their words and deeds.  For this I am very thankful.

8. The Vision of Two Godly Women.  This whole 3-week effort was the dream of two godly women – Mrs. Bonnie Thompson & Mrs. Laura Mobley.  During a Wednesday night dream session, they shared their dream of letting the community know “our church is alive.”  From that dream came Serve Saturday, the community mailer, the refresh effort, the family egg hunt, and the various first impression improvements for Palm Sunday and Resurrection services.  Their vision has become the vision for our entire church.  For this I am very thankful.

Lastly, I am very thankful to God for the opportunity to serve alongside the Youngers Creek faith family.  This Easter ministry season has been truly blessed.

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace. 1 Peter 4:10 

The Difference Between an Interim and Transitional Pastor

Several weeks ago, I was being interview by a church for a new transitional pastorate. It was an open Q & A format with the entire church on a Wednesday night.

There were many good questions about my ministry philosophy, doctrinal convictions, experience and personal life.

However, one question really stuck out in my mind after the fact.

The question was: What is the difference between an interim pastor and a transitional pastor?  Good question.

I gave a reasonable answer during the session, but have since thought through the question a bit more.

There really is a stark difference between an interim pastor and a transitional pastor.   It is more than merely semantics or changing a title to sound more modern and up-to-date.  It is about the pastors true intentions and ministry aspirations.  Let me try to explain.

An Interim pastor is intrigued, interested, and possibly hoping to do an elongated interview.

They are intrigued about the church and the possibility of serving at the church.  They are intrigued about the community and the mission field the congregation has been placed in.  They are intrigued about their future role at the church, but have not come to a place of security for any number of reasons.

Their intrigue has led to interest in the position.  As they come to be the interim pastor, there is an exploratory mission on their mind.  They  are hoping to explore the ministry opportunity.  Explore the community surroundings.  Explore the congregation’s resources.  Explore if this appears to be a good fit.

In a way, the interim period becomes a really long interview.  It could be 3 months.  It could be a year.

There is no pressure to rush or try and make things happen.  Both the church and the interim pastor are learning from each other and trying to discern if there is a longer future awaiting after the interim period is complete.

A transitional pastorate is different.  A transitional pastor is temporary, on a timetable, and has no interest in taking the permanent role.

A transitional pastor wants to help.  They want to serve.  They want to be a blessing to the local church and help expand God’s kingdom.  Most likely, they are cross-vocational, working full-time in another ministry, business, industry or company.

Their service with the church is not to impede the search process in any way, but support and advance the search.  They truly want the church to secure a new pastor, giving them the chance to easily, smoothly pass the baton without any problems.

While they might not admit it in the beginning, the transitional pastor is on a time-table.  They want the church to find a pastor.  They don’t want the search committee to sit back and become complacent because the pulpit is being filled by someone they like and are growing to love.

The transitional pastor encourages  the search committee to continue in their work and make strides each month to move forward with resumes, candidates, and interviews.

If, over time, the transitional pastor finds themselves interested in the permanent position, they need to make that intention known.  I would suggest removing themselves from the interim/transitional role to let the search committee do due diligence like any other potential candidate.

In summary, interim pastors are interested; transitional pastors are temporary.

If everyone can keep their lines clear and the expectations up front, these two very different roles can serve the congregation well during these critical times in the life of the church.

For more posts on transitional ministry, check these out.

https://shanegarrison.org/2016/11/20/three-types-of-transitional-pastorates/

New Lessons in Transitional Ministry

Assessing Your Resources in Transitional Ministry

Three Types of Transitional Pastorates

Over the past week, I was invited to begin my eighth transitional pastorate here in the state of KY.

Eight.  It is hard to believe.

With each opportunity, I am starting to learn and develop more concrete ideas about this type of ministry and how leaders should approach it.

One of the foundational principles I have gleaned is that there are three (3) different types of interim / transitional pastorates.  Three models or approaches that someone feeling called to this type of ministry should attempt to identify as soon as possible.

Those three types are:  Hold, Help, Heal.

Hold Us Together.
The first model is found when a church needs the transitional pastor to come in and hold things together giving the search committee or denominational structure time to find and/or secure a new lead pastor.

In the “hold us together” model, the transitional pastor is needed to provide stability, maintain positive feelings, and supply the congregation with consistent encouragement that things are going to be alright, they need only trust the process.

In this model, lay leadership and existing church staff are healthy, happy, and willing to pitch-in to do the little extras while the search process is taking place.  Overall, the demeanor of the church is positive and relaxed.

The key in the “hold us together” model is to remember time is of the essence.  With the average lead pastor search process in some denominations taking 18-24 months, the transitional pastor must read the emotions of the congregation and assure them that the search is moving and active.

If you edge close to the two years searching phase, the transitional pastor will need to address the search committee and congregation about their future.  If it is going to take longer than 24 months, a new plan might need to be evaluated.

Help Us Move Forward.
The second model sees the opportunity of a pastoral vacancy to move the church forward toward modernization.  The message of the Gospel is never-changing, but the methods and strategies utilized to convey that message must always change.

In the “help us move forward” model, the transitional pastor enters with a fresh set of eyes.  They don’t know the relationship or history.  They don’t know past successes or failures.  They don’t know which family to avoid or who thinks they runs the place.

With this lack of information and exposure, they can see the church as it is seen to guests, visitors, and to the unchurched.  Their insights are so valuable to exposing the areas of much needed improvement and renovation.

Their work is like that of an outside consultant in business.  They are not an insider, and probably will never become an insider, therefore, they can identify problems, offer solutions, and encourage the established leadership to move forward before the new pastor arrives.

Heal Our Wounds.
The third model deals with healing and wholeness.  No transitional pastor can heal all the hurts and pains a congregation goes through when there is a particularly traumatic event surrounding the exit of the previous pastor.   Events such as the sudden death of a pastor, a moral failure, leaving the ministry entirely, a marital separation or divorce, cause a congregation to deeply grieve and struggle.

Any of these events, among others, can cause the congregation to spiral out of control. There can be a leadership vacuum.  There can be hurt feelings.  There can be a sense of God has left us or we are being punished for something we’ve done.   The congregation is broken and barely hanging on.

The role of the transitional pastor in the “heal our wounds” model is to pour on love and encouragement.  They need extra hugs and inspiration from the Word of God to know that God will never leave them or forsake them (Heb. 13:5).

It is not the time for rapid change or ministry innovation, it is a time for rest, rejuvenation, and drawing together in unity.

If there has been a church-wide conflict, this can also be a time to seek out reconciliation.  Taking time to hear each side and return to recognizing everyone in the room are brothers and sisters in Christ, not enemies on opposing sides of an argument.

Hold. Help. Heal. 
These three models have served me well.  The key is taking the proper steps early on to identify which model the church needs and then actively pursuing that model for the duration of the transitional pastorate.

For more concepts on transitional ministry, check out these posts:

https://shanegarrison.org/2016/08/30/new-lessons-in-transitional-ministry/

https://shanegarrison.org/2015/03/17/assessing-your-resources-in-transitional-ministry/

https://shanegarrison.org/2013/07/06/pros-and-cons-of-interim-transitional-ministry/

 

ETCH Conf 2016 – What I Heard Part 2

I am continuing a 3-part series of posts sharing questions I repeatedly heard at the ETCH Family Ministry Conference October 3-5, 2016 in Nashville, TN.

The ETCH Conference was invigorating as nearly 1000 kidmin, student, family and young adult ministry leaders came together to learn from each other.  Jennifer and I were privileged to share in a couple breakout sessions.

As I talked with ministry leaders after those sessions, several questions kept coming up.  It seems these questions are what next-gen leaders are regularly facing in their ministry leadership.

Questions I Repeatedly Heard

1. What if the parents of my kids/students are not believers in Christ?  How do I respond to them?
2. What do I do to get outside the walls of my church?
3.  How can I respond to all the cultural issues that are flying at our kids/students?

Question 2:  What do I do to get outside the walls of my church?

Kidmin and stumin leaders are running into a consistent problem.  They are offering all these ministry programs at church, such as age-specific worship services, small group opportunities, weekend and summer activities, but the seats are remaining empty.

They want to see growth, but spiritually and numerically, but they fear their programming is not helping that happen.

They are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

The rock is the underlying pressure to go hardcore, event-driven, using a host of attractional methods such as free Xbox giveaways, big promotional events, and outlandish gimmick-type things that can draw a large crowd.

The hard place is knowing that you can’t entertain kids and students to Jesus. Entertainment-based, attractional ministry efforts have a short shelf life.  No matter how big you go, it will never be big enough to sustain.  And if you start big, you’ll have to go bigger and bigger each year in order to keep the crowd that the gimmick initially drew.

So they find themselves stuck.

• They know they must go outside the walls of the church to reach kids and students for Christ.
• They know they have to be actively involved in the schools and community in order to make kingdom connections.
• They know that in order to get the attention of kids and students in a day of uber-technology and crazy-busy schedules, they have to make an appeal to something fun and exciting, but at what cost.

They’re stuck and they don’t really know what to do.  Let me attempt to offer a word of encouragement for those who might find themselves in this predicament.

Going BIG Once in a While Is not Sinful

I would offer that doing something attractional on a yearly basis is not out of line.  If for no other reason than to get the message out that your ministry is still alive and kicking.

While cars might drive by your church day after day, most will swing by Monday through Friday when the parking lot is mostly empty.

Doing one or two attractional events in a given year lets folks know, “Wow, they’re open. We might check them out sometime.”

Additionally, kids and students have strong connections to their peers.  One benefit of the occasional attractional events is for the students in your ministry to have an easy invite to their friends.  We know they can invite their friends to any Bible study or worship service, but one attractional event can create an easier opportunity for them to be on-mission.

Never Expect the Crowd to Turn Into the Core

If you utilize an occasional attractional event, keep your expectations in check.  If you have 200 at the large event, expect 5-10 to come back the following week. Don’t expect 50. Keep your expectations reasonable.

Consider the fact that Jesus had differing levels of followers: the crowd, the crew (the 12) and the core (the inner 3, Peter, James, and John).  The same is true today.

An event can draw a crowd, it will be the Spirit and the seed of the Gospel that will bring them back.

“Outside-the-Walls” Ministry Takes Creativity

If you choose to hold-off on attractional events, you have my complete support.  I back you 100%.  It is not for everyone in every ministry context.

For that reason, you will want to be thinking about other ways to consistently connect with kids, students and families outside the walls of your church.  This approach is more organic and missional in that you keep your eyes open for ways to be an avenue of blessing to the students and families in your town.

You might…

• Offer tutoring for students struggling in math.
• Adopt a sports team and provide meals for them after home games.
• Provide water and snacks during big tournaments weekends.
• Host parent workshops & seminars on hot topics.
• Organize service projects like cleaning a park or painting a building.

Creative, multi-faceted, missional approaches that change from month-to-month, year-to-year, will keep the ministry you lead from becoming insulated inside the building.

Remember, kingdom work is a marathon, not a sprint.  Be open to the Spirit’s leading and have your eyes open to where kids and students are gathering.  Then find a creative way to build a bridge into that gathering place.

This will work much like an attractional event but extended over time.

See the responses to question #1 and #3 in corresponding posts.

 

 

 

ETCH Conf 2016 – What I Heard Part 1

This week my family and I spent a few days in Nashville, TN at the ETCH (Equipping the Church & Home) Family Ministry Conference sponsored by LifeWay Christian Resources at the beautiful Music City Center.

Jennifer and I were honored to lead a couple breakout sessions and record a podcast for the LifeWay Kids podcast.

This is my fourth time to be a part of the conference; Jennifer’s second.

We love seeing many familiar faces from the CentriKid world and the VBS Preview events.

The conference attendance was close 1000 people from all over the country.

As we shared with kidmin, student, family and young adult ministry leaders, several questions kept rising up in our conversations.  I thought these repeated questions were a good indicator of where nextgen ministries are these days.  These leaders are on the front lines of ministry with children, students, and young adults in churches small and large.

Questions I Repeatedly Heard

1. What if the parents of my kids/students are not believers in Christ?  How do I respond to them?
2. What do I do to get outside the walls of my church?
3.  How can I respond to all the cultural issues that are flying at our kids/students?

Reflections about the Questions

In a series of three posts, I want to try and reflect and respond to these questions.  Not that I am an expert in any way, but these questions are really at the heart of disciple-making for kids and students – something near to my heart.

Question 1:  What if the parents of my kids/students are not believers in Christ?  How do I respond to them?

The issue of unbelieving parents should not be a surprise to any of us.  Kid and student ministries that actively reach spiritual orphans have been facing this for decades.  When children and students find their way into a local church without believing Christian parents in tow, some of our recent ministry paradigm shifts come to a screeching halt.

The paradigm shift of family ministry and moving the focus to equipping believing parents to be the primary discipler of their kids has been a wonderful shift.  There is no question that when kidmin and stumin leaders push believing parents away from their ministry design, they are making a terrible, unbiblical mistake.

The parent equipping shift, however, only works when you have believing Christian parents.  If the kid or student finds their way into your local church without believing parents, the family-based discipleship model is useless.  There are no believing parents to equip and encourage.

Even more difficult, but eternally glorious, is when an unbelieving child or student comes to faith in Christ without believing parents and the ministry now has the discipleship responsibility for that infant brother or sister in Christ for the long haul.

Kidmin and stumin leaders are seeing that the family-ministry shift, while necessary and good and wise, is based on the premise that believing parents will be available.  That isn’t always the case.

S0 how do you respond to unbelieving parents?  I offer you four suggestions: Introduction.  Information.  Conversation.  Friendship.

• Introduction:  Introduce yourself to them.  Share your name, role at the church, cell phone number, email address.  Much like a coach introduces themselves to parents on the first day of practice, give them a chance to get to know you.  In their mind, you are kind of like a new coach or teacher for their kid, just in church-y things.
• Information:  Keep them informed of what is going on.  The coaching metaphor works again.  Give them a schedule of the games, times for practice, and regular updates throughout the season.  You will never go wrong in sharing information with unbelieving parents.  They expect it from their kid’s teachers and coaches, they expect it from you as well.
• Conversation.  As you share information, make yourself available for conversation. Send a note basically saying, “God loves your kid.  Our ministry loves your kid.  I know you love your kid, so if there is anyway we can do to help you and your family, just let us know.”  Then let the conversations naturally come.
• Friendship.  Hopefully over time, you will become a trusted friend to the unbelieving parent. Maybe you will never be super buddy-buddy like you might be with a Christian parent who serves alongside of you in ministry, but a friendship and mutual trust will form allowing their child or student to remain in the ministry for the duration.

In my limited opinion, the number of kids and students in ministries without believing parents is going to rise exponentially in the coming years.  As our nation becomes more and more secular and the place of personal faith becomes more and more marginalized, churches will see a good number of kids and students coming who have no faith background or previous spiritual exposure in the home.

I see this as an amazing opportunity for Gospel advance.  It will require ministry leaders to be wise and savvy to recognize that their ministry efforts will have two parallel tracks – one track for students with believing parents and another track for students without believing parents.

The two tracks are not in competition or opposition.  They do, however, have different speeds.

See the responses to question #2 and #3 in corresponding posts.

 

 

New Lessons in Transitional Ministry

This Sunday, September 4, will be my final Sunday as Transitional Pastor of Monticello First Baptist Church.  We have served this loving congregation in Wayne Co., KY since March, 2015.  My longest transitional pastorate to date ending at 18 months.

As I pass the baton to Bro. Mark Helton, a fine pastor and faithful man of God, I am turning over some new lessons I learned in this church that I hadn’t picked up in previous transitional pastorates.

I thought I might share 4 of those lessons.

1.   Keep an eye on the financial health of the church.  There is a temptation in transitional ministry is to focus exclusively on the people and the preaching leaving the financial side of house to others to keep watch over.  This is not a good idea.

The lead pastor, no matter permanent or transitional, has to keep an eye on the financial flow and pacing of the church.  This is part of what it means to be a good steward and a wise shepherd.  You have to watch the weekly, the monthly, and the annual trends.  Any major dips, swings, or abrupt turns must be addressed.

Additionally, there can be strategic steps taken during the transitional period that cannot happen when a pastor arrives.  For example, at Monticello FBC, we eliminated a building renovation debt during the transitional period.  We also adjusted the yearly budget to be more in line with the weekly giving trends.  We also took a hard look at future personnel needs and tried to balance what was needed versus what was financially reasonable.

Because we were in the transitional period, we were able to evaluate these needs while the budget was a little padded as we were not supporting a full-time senior pastor.

2.   Elevate different leaders in worship.   As a transitional pastor, you might feel you have to preach every Sunday because that’s what you were brought in to do.  But actually I have found that you can share the pulpit with great guest speakers, missionaries, lay-leaders, seminarians, and other trusted guests.

You have the freedom that a senior pastor might not have to share the preaching load.  As long as you are physically there and have secured someone solid, there isn’t much of a fuss if you are preaching 50 Sundays a year.  Especially if you are equipping people from within the church to use their gifts in public teaching and proclamation.

Beyond the pulpit, I have found the transitional period to an excellent opportunity to incorporate others in worship leadership, such as college students, kids, teenagers, outside musicians, testimonials, and mission teams.  There is an openness in to involving lots of different people “on stage.”

3.  Make pastoral care connections at church.  There is no way a transitional pastor can handle pastoral care demands, especially in a situation like mine where I lived 1.5 hours away.

Therefore, I had to make pastoral care a priority while in the building.  If someone was sick and after they recover are able to make it to church, you make a bee-line to check on them.  If someone has experience grief or loss and you’re able to go to the funeral, the next time they are back in church you spend extra time with them.  Sit down with them and give them the same time you would have given at the hospital.

I have found that most people understand your limits and recognize that you can’t be everywhere all the time.  Still, if you can, give them your undivided attention at church when they return so they know they are loved and thought of.

4.  Create collaboration pathways that the new pastor can immediately use.  When you are transitional and living a good distance away, you have to rely on numerous collaboration tools to keep the ministry going.

I use email, text, Remind, Slack, Planning Center Online, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Each one of these tools allowed me to plan, communication, and collaborate with my volunteers without meetings.  This is out of necessity.

The key is to transfer these pathways to the new pastor so that he can continue using them in the early days of his ministry.

There is a tendency for ministry volunteers to press pause when a new pastor arrives waiting to see what he wants, likes, and needs.  The problem is that this pause slows down the momentum of the ministry.

With these collaboration tools already in place, the new pastor can immediately see who the volunteer teams are, what they have been up to in the past 6-12 months, and what is the horizon.

In other words, they don’t have to wait to get their teams and communication channels in place.  They can bring their vision and direction to a good working system from day one.

These four lessons are now added to my ever-growing list of practical lessons in transitional ministry.  To read more, select these topics.

Assessing Your Resources in Transitional Ministry

Pros and Cons of Interim Transitional Ministry

Interim No. 7 Coming to a Close

 

 

 

 

The Great 8:28: Eight Years in Review

Eight years ago (July, 2008), my family and I felt God’s call to leave our beloved Main Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, KY to serve in the Campbellsville University School of Theology.  I can’t believe it has been 8 years.  I still dream about Cincinnati chili and wonder who has claimed my Red’s clergy pass.

During these 8 past years, I have been so honored to serve alongside 7 churches as transitional pastor: Parkway Baptist, Bethany Baptist, Living Grace Church (2xs), Lancaster Baptist, Hurstbourne Baptist, Stanford Baptist, and Monticello First Baptist. We also were invited to do short preaching stints at Pleasant Grove Baptist & Hodgenville Christian.

We had no idea that transitional ministry was going to be God’s plan for us to stay connected in local church ministry all the while teaching full-time in the classroom at CU.

For three years, I traveled the country on the LifeWay Kids VBS training tour and for the past 5 years been a content developer and camp pastor for LifeWay CentriKid Camps.  These ministry opportunities still amaze me.  I am so unqualified to represent such a top-quality national ministry.

In the School of Theology, I’ve been so blessed to teach amazing students, travel to Israel and Jordan (2xs), Greece, and Turkey, and work with some of the most encouraging people on the planet.

Then, starting in 2015, God opened the door for me to try my hand at academic administration as the Dean of Online Education.  Again, I am humbled by the chance to stretch my leadership wings and explore what it means to lead & teach in the Christian university setting.

Over the past 5 years, Jennifer (my beautiful wife and ministry tag-team partner) started, finished and graduated with her Ph.D. in Family Ministry from Southern Seminary and began her teaching career also in the Campbellsville University School of Theology.  When we left Main Street 8 years ago, this idea wasn’t even in our wildest dreams.

Most importantly, above all else, both of our handsome, strapping sons have trusted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior and have followed Him in believer’s baptism.

Isaac surrendered to Christ during a worship service at Hurstbourne BC saying during the invitation to his mother, “Momma, I need to be saved.”  He was baptized a few weeks later.

Ethan prayed to trust Christ during VBS at Campbellsville BC while his Momma was explaining the Gospel to the children.  He was baptized a year later in Monticello FBC.

We praise God for His work in the lives of our sons.

Eight years.  2008-2016.  Wow, what a ride.

In a few weeks, we will finish transitional pastorate #8.  And the question of “where next” is upon us.  But we are holding fast to the GREAT 8:28 from Romans 8:28.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 ESV)

Wherever He leads, we will go knowing that God’s amazing purpose for our lives is for our good.

He has worked.  He is working.  He will continue to work all things together for our good.

My Ministry Dream

I have a dream.  A ministry dream. Nothing as world-changing as Dr. Kings’ dream.  But a dream nonetheless.

For years, God has been forming a dream in my heart for a very different type of future ministry.  The only problem is I haven’t found a church to take me up on the offer.  I’ve twice laid the dream out to a group of church leaders and I’ve twice seen the strange looks on their faces staring back at me.

I am not sure why my ministry dream is so radical or far-fetched.  I think it could be a church revitalization plan in the making.  I think it would expand the ministry outreach of a church in decline and bring a fresh wind of leadership and momentum to any congregation.   I think it would solve numerous problems in one fell swoop.

But it’s bold.  It’s different.  It requires a significant among of trust, faith, and dependence in the Lord.  It requires rethinking staff leadership and what is means for “outsiders” to come in and take over.

What is my ministry dream?  I am so glad you asked.

For the record, this has never been shared publicly.  It’s raw and unbaked.  I am sure it needs refinement through godly counsel and wisdom to be effective and practical. There is, no doubt, significant problems I haven’t explored or even considered.

I share it now, here, publicly, because I am nearing the end of my eighth transitional pastorate.  It could be that there is a church somewhere around Campbellsville who might be in decline and need a church revitalization plan that is out of the box.

It might be time for this dream to be birthed in a church in central KY.

MY MINISTRY DREAM

STAGE ONE:  Reshape the Idea of Single Pastor to Pastor Team.
Most small to medium-sized churches have the largest single line item in their budget designated to the compensation for the lead pastor.  It could be 40, 50, 60k or more total package.

What if that amount was distributed evenly between 3 or 4 cross-vocational pastors? Each receiving 1/3 or 1/4 of the total compensation.  Each member of the pastor team would have responsibilities in teaching/preaching, volunteer development, and community outreach.

Because each pastor would be cross-vocational, they would not need health insurance, retirement, housing allowance, or other types of benefits.  The whole pastoral compensation package would be divided evenly.

The pastor team would come as a package, not piece-mail.  The team would already be arranged, much like a church planting core team, before the church even called.  The church wouldn’t be considering only one pastor, they would be considering the established pastor team.  Its a yes or no to the team, not the individuals.

STAGE TWO:  Access Young Leaders as Pastor Team Interns.
Since the church now has  3 or 4 pastor team members for the price of one, the other staff compensation would be used to bring on a series of ministry interns.  Call it a laboratory or ministry farm club or Paul & Timothy mentor-mentee type experience.

In my role as a college ministry professor, I interact with many talented, passionate young men and women who have a heart for God and who love His bride, the Church. They have gifts and skills that could be so powerfully used in the ministry of the local church NOW and later.   They need experience for future ministry and mentoring for personal development.

They would be easily connected with one of the pastor team members and be mentored in real-time ministry training.  All it would cost is the salary of a full-time secretary or second staff position.

With each pastor team member having at least one intern at their side, the church staff grew from 1 or 2 full-time persons to 6 or 7 cross-vocational staff.  And here is the kicker… the church budget hasn’t changed at all.  Not one additional penny has been spent, but the church staff has tripled.

Before I move to stage three, let me explain the rationale behind the pastor team and ministry intern approach in church revitalization.  

A church in need of revitalization feels flat or stuck.  They have exhausted their best efforts and don’t have the necessary energy to keep fighting the good fight.  They have a building.  They have a core group.  They have a few ministry teams led by stable servant-deacons.  They have a good sense of fellowship and community but the ministry approach needs to be refreshed.

When you bring in 3 or 4 new pastoral leaders plus a slew of ministry interns, all of a sudden there is growth.  Actual instantaneous numeric growth.  If each pastoral team member has a family, there’s growth.   The 3 or 4 ministry interns have friends who tag along on Sundays, so there’s growth.  The congregation feels like hope has arrived because they grew numerically by 20 or so on the very first Sunday.

Along with numeric growth, there is financial growth.  One of the key commitments for the team would be that everyone, both pastors, their families, and all ministry interns would faithfully tithe their income to the church.

For the 3 or 4 cross-vocational pastors that means tithing on their full income, both church and other job(s).  For the interns, that means tithing on their church stipend plus any other income they may have.

I’ve played with the numbers and I think a church would actually grow their budget (depending on the income level of the cross-vocational pastors and spouses). Financially, the church could have more resources immediately.   More financial resources means more ability to do ministry out in the community.

Along with numeric and financial growth, there would be instant momentum growth. Each pastor and ministry intern would be ready to go.  They would be excited, fired-up, enthusiastic, and passionate.  They would be ready to love on the people and reach out to the community from day one.   This kind of enthusiasm is infectious.

It would be like a heart that was in cardiac arrest and on its last leg having a shot of adrenaline jabbed right into it.  The heart would explode back to life.

STAGE THREE:  Shift Meeting, Planning and Church Admin to Remote and Digital
After serving 8 churches as transitional pastor and only 1 of them being in my own town, I’ve learned that planning, meeting, and strategizing about ministry can be handled remotely.

With a laptop, cell phone, and collaborative apps such as Planning Center Online, Evernote, Remind, and Slack, you can pretty much keep everyone on the same page from your backyard.

Now there are times when people need to sit down and talk face-to-face. There is no replacement for meaningful dialogue and team prayer times around the kitchen table.  But you can do a lot more administratively via remote than you might think.

Having someone in the church building 40 hrs a week is simply not necessary. Consider church plants who function for years in rented space like a movie theater or elementary school.  They are required to do volunteer training and leadership development away from the physical building.  Much of that is completed from their laptop.

Staff meetings can be remote (I’ve done them).  Training volunteers can be via video. Idea sharing for worship, preaching and teaching can be done in the cloud.

For this reason, I think my dream could work for a church that was in one city and the pastoral team and interns living in another.   For example, I could see a church in Elizabethtown, KY (50 mins. away) embrace this dream with the pastoral team members and interns living in Campbellsville, Louisville, Hodgenville, or Greensburg.  I don’t believe the entire team would need to be in one location or even live in the city of the church.

That’s my ministry dream.
Reshape the idea of single pastor to pastor team of cross-vocational pastors.  Access ministry interns and put them in the shadow of every pastor team member.  Rethink church administration and communication from in the building to in the cloud.

I truly believe God has put this dream in my heart.  At age 39, I pray I will see this dream become a reality in the next decade.

Why I Keep Saying “Thank You But No Thank You” to Full-Time Church Ministry

For the past 8 years, I have served in cross-vocational ministry.  I have willingly, intentionally, and consistently turned down several gracious invitations to return to “full-time” church-based ministry.  “Why did you say no?” you might ask.  Please let me explain.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with full-time, church-based ministry.  It is a high calling and something I believe firmly in.  As a ministry professor, I am thrilled when I hear that my students have accepted their first FT position on a church staff or in a para-church organization.  I remember well my first FT ministry position and how it changed my life forever.

However, I am seeing some trends in the larger landscape of ministry today that compel me to stay in a cross-vocational role with no plans of making a change in the future.

What are some of those larger landscape trends?

1. Issues with insurance.  While none of us enter into ministry to make the big bucks, the reality that self-employed insurance premiums can  drain our monthly budgets very, very fast.  Even with new government-subsidized insurance plans available, the cost is still significant to a ministry family.

If there are on-going medical needs, monthly prescriptions, or the desire to have a large family full of little ones running around, you could see a fourth of your monthly take-home pay devoted to medical expenses.

Churches are doing their best in trying to help their ministerial staff, but in all honesty, they are only able to provide a small portion of what is actually needed.  Going cross-vocational can assure that a second employer is there to help with medical expenses and possibly even provide medical insurance as a benefit over and above the salary.

2. Access to influence.  Everyone knows that the community influence once held by pastors and ministers is waning in the US.  The church is being pushed further and further to the periphery of society, being displaced from the central position it once held.  A voice once sought after in community affairs is slowing being silenced from the public dialogue.

Yet, by remaining cross-vocational, you’re influence in not tied to your church position. It’s tied to the relationships and networks you’ve built within your community. Because you work in this industry or are a member of that professional group, your voice within community is held much stronger.

3.  Invitation to conversation.   There are two types of people never invited to the party: the pastor and the police.  Yet, Jesus was constantly being invited to gatherings of all sorts.  He was invited because people wanted to hear what he had to say.

When you’re only answer to the most avoided question – “What do you do for a living?” – is pastor or minister, you know the conversation will quickly end as walls go up and stereotypes flood in.  But if your honest answer is teacher, nurse, sales, event planner, web designer, then you have a chance for the conversation to move forward. You will be given the opportunity to build a relationship and engage in a conversation which eventually could lead to the topic of faith.  When your lead is “preacher,” the conversation is pretty much over.

4.  Financial freedom from the finance committee.  Lastly, I continue to say no to opportunities to return to FT ministry because, frankly, I don’t trust a committee or volunteer group to hold my financial future in the palm of their hands.

I am not opposed to churches utilizing finance or stewardship teams in making decisions on salaries and compensation.  I actually applaud congregational leadership and place value in seeking and hearing from wise counsel in decision making.

Yet, I don’t want an argument or disagreement I’ve had with one member of a single committee to become a foothold in my heart, creating fear and anxiety about my next paycheck or raise.   Nothing makes my blood boil more than a volunteer committee using the pastor or church leader’s salary as leverage to get what they want.

“If you don’t bend to my way, you will never see an increase as long as I am on that committee.”   This mentality is the exception to the rule, I assure you, but I have seen it with my own eyes and know it happens all the time.

The FT minister can be stuck between leading with courage and boldness and facing fear about feeding their family all because of a disagreement with someone on a volunteer committee.  When you have an income coming from somewhere other than the church, you can lead far more courageously.

For these reasons, and others, I am happy to say “no thank you” to the gracious invitations to return to FT church-based ministry.

Personally, I see the cross-vocational calling aligning well with the words of the Apostle Paul,

For you remember, brothers and sisters, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. (1 Thessalonians 2:9)

 

The Pharaoh Effect in Leadership

¹⁰ So the taskmasters and the foremen of the people went out and said to the people, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I will not give you straw. ¹¹ Go and get your straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced in the least.’” ¹² So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. ¹³ The taskmasters were urgent, saying, “Complete your work, your daily task each day, as when there was straw.” ¹⁴ And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not done all your task of making bricks today and yesterday, as in the past?” Exodus 5:10-13

Have you ever been confronted with the workplace concept of “do more with less.” For example, be more efficient with less people. Or be more productive with less resources. Or make more sales with a smaller sales force.

Pragmatic leaders can often look at efficiency, productivity, and task management through the lens of the Egyptian Pharaoh in the days of Moses.

We read in Exodus 5 that after a confrontation with Moses, the Pharaoh, or king, ordered the Hebrew slaves to continue their brick making, but without their daily supply of straw.

To make bricks you needed mud, straw and lots of sun.  Pharaoh’s punishment was to remove one of the necessary elements, normally provided to them, so that their work would be harder.  They would now have to gather the straw AND  make the bricks.

Yet, they were to keep their same quotas; meet their same daily goals.  Do more with less.  Keep up the same productivity levels, but now with less resources.

I call this the “Pharaoh Effect” in leadership and I see it everywhere in organizational life.  Do more, expect more, demand more, but with far less resources, staffing, and support.

How can this be considered good strategy?  How can this not be considered what it was in Moses’ day – cruel and harsh punishment.

As a mid-level leader myself, one of my goals is to constantly advocate for my team to the upper-level executives.  To show their value, efficiency and productivity to those who make the highest decisions.   I must work hard to never become the task-master who sees their work as inferior or secondary to my own.  The minute I begin barking orders and cracking the whip on them as slaves, I loose my leadership influence forever.

In other environments, I find myself as a first-chair leader.  I would never go as far as considering myself anything like a Pharaoh or king, but in some situations I sit atop of the organizational chart.  In that role, I must never, no matter the budget shortfall or the climate in the boardroom, choose to remove necessary resources from my team with the hopes of greater productivity.  I simply can’t take away the straw and expect the same number of bricks.

“Sorry team, our computers are gone until we pick up the numbers.”  “Sorry team, vacation and sick days are gone until we see third quarter gains.”

If the straw must be removed, competent leaders must find other ways to encourage their teams toward ingenuity, creative pragmatism, and out-of-the-box thinking to rebuild and grow.

The Pharaoh Effect in leadership is everywhere, but it should be avoided.  Give your teams the resources they need to succeed otherwise they might take an “exodus.”

 

 

4 Advantages to the Rural Church

Written by guest contributor Mr. Zach Gray – Master of Theology student in the Campbellsville University School of Theology

While the statistics show that the Southern Baptist Convention is in decline, potential growth can be found back at its beginnings: small rural churches. For these churches, which have remained the “backbone” of the convention, the potential ministry is growing. For the sake of argument the term “small” are congregations numbering roughly 150 or less and “rural” meaning those churches out from the city limits serving a particular but smaller community. This concept is best known if you’ve ever been to one; you would remember it. So why would these type of churches have an advantage over a large church with many resources? Assuming the people are sold on the idea of doing missions there are at least 4 advantages for small rural churches on mission.

1.  Location, Location, Location.  

For those who have lived and attended church in the rural U.S., especially the South, the churches we attend have existed in the same spot for years. While some take the mindset of “if they were going to come they would’ve done so by now” approach, there is some advantage to this. When these churches were built, they were made at the center of the communities. It represents a place that brought people together. Jump back to 2016; these places are now known for division and disunity. If you’re the type of church that is serious about reaching the community you can still tap in to the former opinion, but now you have to prove it. Getting people back into the building could depend on your ability to draw on their familiarity with your location coupled by showing them that once again the church is a place where they are wanted.

Your immediate community, whether they realize it or not, know right where you are. It is part of the scenery on their daily drive to work. In recent years I have seen and heard stories of churches opening their doors for other reasons than to hold a service. With sometimes burdensome drives to town for the community, churches have become hosts for programs like A.A. or celebrate recovery. The possibilities here are limited only by imagination. Allowing other groups to use the facilities on off days can become a creative way to recapture some sense of the church being a community place and also a place where they care about people’s struggles. Every opportunity that a non-believer has to be inside your building can be turned into an advantage in ministry.

2.  Room for Growth

Older church buildings have experienced renovations and additions over time. Many churches, including my own, built with an anticipation of numerical growth. When this didn’t happen many were left paying on unused or underused space. When a congregation decides to become missional what are they to do if they experience rapid growth? The reality is that many churches could hold many, many more people that currently attend. If growth begins to take place (and I hope it does) the church has some space to grow into.

Another aspect to take into account is that this space may allow you to reach people you might not be able to reach otherwise. Growing up in farm country in central Kentucky, I would see a large number of Hispanic workers come in the summer to work in the tobacco fields. With the help of some Spanish speakers and our abundance of space we were able to house not only one congregation on Sunday morning but two! Since these were seasonal workers, they didn’t have a centrally located place to meet. This opened a whole other avenue for ministry as a church and while maintained, became effective in our community.

3. Ruth

Though these types take many names, they’re all essentially the same. These are the people that know just about everybody and the name of their dog. They’re usually older, outgoing, and been in your church a long time. Chances are they know your parents, grandparents, aunt, uncle, friend, neighbor, or if nothing else, somebody that looks like you. The potential here is great. Since relationships are so key to doing ministry these people are masters of conversation starting and making connections. This can never be underestimated when it comes to church growth. If a visitor or new community member can’t feel connected within a relatively short amount of time, you might have already lost your chance. Where others may not know how to interact initially, Mrs. Ruth digs to find that one thing that could connect them with your church.

4. Numbers

In the eyes of many a small church size is an indication of failure or weakness. In some ways it could indicate a failure of the church to faithfully carry out its mission, but regardless of what caused the numbers to be small, you can use it as a strongpoint. For a world that is the most connected we’ve ever seen (via social media and smartphones) we are also among the least connected of any previous culture. The problem is that we have lost depth to our relationships, and now people are searching for it like no other time. The small rural church has something to offer: intimacy. In a way your strength can be in lack of numbers. This is an advantage that small churches have over big ones. Small churches generally allow more opportunity to let relationships run deeper. Offering a genuine sense of belonging should resonate with the community, and allows an avenue for spreading the gospel.

While this list is not exhaustive, I think it is a good place to start. For far too long small rural churches have been wrongly characterized as ineffective, but the true value is not in the numbers but in the ministry that takes place. If you are part of one of these church, realize that you have strengths to fulfill the great commission and spread the gospel.

#PreachingAintEasy

Written by guest contributor Mr. Justin Williams – Master of Theology student in the Campbellsville University School of Theology

I’ve been in the ministry for almost 7 years now. Next to being a teacher and husband, this is probably the best thing that has ever happened to me and is a source of joy, pride, and stress all at one time.

There truly is no feeling greater than getting up and standing in the power and presence of God to deliver His Word to people who need to hear and feel something that is greater and more powerful than themselves. But, I have somewhat of a confession to make… It’s not all as easy as some of us make it look.

I hear the wheels of your head spinning. So, let me help you understand what I mean. From a very early age, I was ‘hooked on drugs’. Yes, I was drug to Bible Study; drug to prayer meeting; drug to Sunday School and any other church service or event that was typical in the Black church tradition.

Needless to say, I was- and still am- a ‘churchboy’. This meant that I was exposed to much of the stereotypical characters of the church, including the black preacher.

Stereotypically, the black preacher was fiery, full of fervor, somewhat well-dressed (depending upon whether or not he/she was from the north or deep south), and could whoop like nobody’s business.

Yet, there were the negative stereotypes as well.  Greedy, fat, uncouth to a certain degree, and flirtatious.

Still, the majority of what I saw growing up fell into the former category and not the later.

On top of all that, God had the audacity to call my mom into the preaching ministry, which now meant that my siblings and I had to assume another moniker, “preacher’s kids.” Needless to say, at least one of us was bound to follow in these sacred footsteps. Furthermore, I bit that bullet!

Since being brought up in the closed doors and back doors of the preaching world, I have come to the realization that the deck is stacked against anyone who describes themselves as “called” to the preaching ministry.

You have to deal with the cliques, isms and schisms, and temptations of what I have begun to call The Industry. Behind the Sunday morning façade, there is a world that many people do not know of. What used to be seen as a noble profession and calling has become a caricature of what I believe it originally was.

Many of the headlines of recent years confirm exactly what I am feeling. From sex scandals to fraud and embezzlement, it is no wonder that many people would prefer to stay in the world than to come into the embrace of the local and ecumenical church.

Despite all this, I dare venture to say that there are still some people, like me, who believe in the power and efficacy of the preached Word. There are still some who do not mind holding up the blood-stained banner for truth, love, and righteousness. There is still a remnant that exists among the broken and scattered pieces of the Kingdom.

Therefore, it is incumbent upon me to sound the clarion call to all those who are maintaining the Kingdom in remarkable and unimaginable ways. Now is the time for us to come together and do the real work of MINISTRY. There is a cry in the land for more relationship and less religion. The time for just ‘having church’ is now over.

I have come to the realization that authentic ministry is now being done in unconventional ways. Though the Word remains the same, the methods and tools of ministry are different and have an almost instantaneous global affect. With the advent of social media and other instant sharing platforms, the propagation of the Gospel has reached a level of exposure that has never been seen before.

That being said, I have resolutely decided that preaching just ain’t easy. I know that that was improper grammar. But, it was a necessary colloquialism to express a sentiment that could only be understood with the eloquence of ebonics. There is pressure to be relevant, engaging, and holy all at one time. Additionally, you have to avoid the pitfalls and traps that are set for you by the trap kings and queens.

Now, more than any other time, I believe that preachers and church leaders must strive for impeccability in public as well as in private. With the world losing respect for the church, impeccability should be at the forefront of pastoral care and functioning.

Don’t get me wrong. Not at any point did I think that ministry would be easy- in any sense of the word. I think what is more important is that now I see exactly how complicated the call can be. There is always a balance between being trendy and being true to one’s self; being used and doing unusual ministry. We as preachers and leaders have to be careful to still maintain the efficacy of the Gospel to save, heal, and deliver while balancing alternative forms of ministry in a world and time where gimmicks are everything!

The Bi-Vocational Pastor

Written by guest contributor Pastor Jermaine Wilson – Master of Theology student in the Campbellsville University School of Theology

I have served as a pastor in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church for the last sixteen years.  Within the 16 years, I have held other jobs.  This dual role has taken a toll on me spiritually, emotionally, and physically.  It is demanding because it is hard to find a balance with two professions, a wife and two kids.

The reason I continue to be bi-vocational is two-fold: 1) the need for me to provide for my family and 2) my desire not to be a burden on the church.

When I first started out in the ministry, an older preacher gave me some wise advice.  He told me to always make mention to every church you pastor, that “your family is second only to your relationship with Christ.”  I heard what he said, but at that time, I was still single.  I few years later, after getting married and having the first our two children, I understood what he meant.  I knew that it was my responsibility to make sure that I was providing for my family.

Over the years, as I was promoted to larger and more demanding churches, I would receive remarks from other pastors that I needed to stop working my secular job.  These pastors were telling me this because the churches I pastored, were historically led by pastors whose sole vocation was pastoring.

My father in the ministry has even made the comment to me that I was greedy.  I was unpersuaded and still stand on the premise that I need to be bi-vocational.   1 Timothy 5:8 says, “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (NIV).

It is very expensive to provide for the basic needs of children.  I believe that God wants me to do my best as it relates to providing for my family.  I have learned to look pass the comments of others because they do not know my situation.

The second reason I remain bi-vocational is my desire to be a blessing and not a burden on the church.  The last three congregations I have served were financially so bad that I had to take a significant cut in salary.  All of the congregations had less than $300 in their accounts and one of the three was on the verge of foreclosure.  Being bi-vocational not only helped the church but it also kept my family from going without.  The people at each church were so appreciative that I was willing to make the sacrifice in my salary, and they saw that I was there to serve them.

I have seen pastors and their families struggle financially because they were too stubborn to supplement their salary from the church with another income.  Not only does the pastor’s family struggle, but the church struggles as well.  Perhaps these pastors did not want to put in the extra work.  Unfortunately, when situations like these arise, it can lead to the pastor doing some unethical things.  I know pastors who are so desperate for money that they will ask the members in their church for a loan.  This is an unacceptable practice that can cause a major rift in the congregation.  I have also seen where pastors will find a way to steal money from the church.  This has been done through the pastor taking loans out in the church’s name, receiving rent money from tenants who lease property from the church, and unauthorized use of a church credit card.  Not only is this unacceptable, but also a criminal act which could land the pastor in jail.

You cannot be lazy if you are going to be bi-vocational.  It requires you to manage your time well, be intentional with spending time with your family and delegating duties. Time management is essential because you do not want to find yourself wasting time.  I work 37.5 hours a week on my job.  I therefore plan all of the church activities in the evening.  There are times when I must take off work and be at the church during the day.  These times include funeral services, church conventions, and celebrating an accomplishment of a parishioner.  I can only do evening bible studies and all meeting are held at night.  Sometimes, instead of having a meeting at the church, I conduct conference calls.

My wife is very helpful with planning family outings.  I try not to schedule any church activities on the days I spend time with the family.  My goal is to keep my Saturdays open and to devote that time for family.  Sometimes, this does not work.  On occasion, there are funerals and meetings in my denomination that I’m expected to attend.  Friday evenings has also been a time to spend with family.

What’s Been Up with You Lately?

I was in a restaurant the other day and a friend I hadn’t seen in a while came in to eat. We saw each other and approached warmly to give a handshake and a hug.

After exchanging pleasantries, he asked, “What’s been up with you lately?”  A very regular thing to ask to an old friend.  My response started, “Well…a lot actually.”

What would constitute a lot?  Well, my beautiful wife, Jennifer, finished her PhD in Family Ministry from Southern Seminary back in December, which was huge for us. This was a long 5-year long process that began with her being laid out on the coach recovering from a back surgery.  She defended her dissertation a couple days before Christmas and passed with high marks.  She will walk in May.

What else?  Well, back in July I made a switch from full-time faculty to full-time administration at Campbellsville Univ.  I still teach a two or three classes per semester in the School of Theology, but my main responsibility is to serve as Dean of Online Education overseeing 25 fully-online academic programs at CU.  I am only 6 months into this new role when, just over the new year, I was asked to take leadership of the Graduate School, which has graduate programs online, on the main campus, and in Louisville.  This has been a HUGE growing experience in academic leadership, vision casting, team building, and systems management.  The learning curve has been steep.

What else?  Well…I told my friend at the restaurant… I am still serving as transitional pastor at First Baptist Monticello.  We’ve been there right at a year.  It is such a healthy place to be.  Great people.  Sweet spirit.  Generous in ministry.

What else?  Well, my oldest son has to get braces and my younger son is really doing great in school.

What else?  We are just a couple months away from finishing off all our student loans. Hallelujah.  And Jennifer is planning a fabulous western US summer vacation to celebrate her completion.

What else?  Well…as I recounted all of these life developments with my friend, I began reflecting in real-time that I am as happy as I have been in years.  I am feeling the shine of God’s favor and blessing.  I am amazed at His goodness and kindness to me and my family.

So what’s been up with you lately?

Delayed Adulthood = Delayed Discernment of Call

Photo from Time Magazine. Jan. 2005.

Have you ever experienced something you don’t want to be true, but in your heart of hearts you know that it has already happened?  Have you ever observed a visible, tangible shift in the tides and wanted desperately for them to stop shifting out from underneath you?

Every single day, serving, teaching, coaching, mentoring 18-22 year olds on a Christian college campus in the middle of the Bible belt, I see the shift.  It is real and present and there is absolutely nothing I can do to stop it.

I haven’t heard anyone speak about it.  I haven’t seen anything published on it.  I haven’t even had conversations about it, except with a few of my closest colleagues. Nevertheless, I know it is there.  I know it is happening.  I know it is going to impact local churches and theological education for the coming generation.

What is it?  What is the shift I am so concerned about?  Here is my purely anecdotal hypothesis:

I firmly believe the prolonging of adolescence and the corresponding delay of entrance into adulthood is radically impacting Christian young people from hearing, discerning, and surrendering to the call of vocational ministry.

I recently heard Dr. Meg Meeker, M.D., founder of The Strong Parent Project and author of Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters share research that the new entrance into adulthood is 25 years old.

For previous generations, it was much younger.  For the Builders and Boomers, it was 18 when you could vote, move out, and be drafted.  For Gen. X, it was 21 when you finished college and could legally drink.  For Millennials, it has shifted again to 25 years old when a young adult is finished with college, maybe finished with grad school, and is getting established in their first career position.

This change has been recognized by many, especially educators and employers of younger adults.  We see it everyday.  Calling an 20 years old an adult is socially correct because they are not kids and calling them such is offensive.  The label teenager is so passe.  Putting the “you are an adult” spin on it helps a bit, but they don’t feel like an adult.  They have no desire to be an adult at this stage.  Adulthood is some far off, distant experience that comes after you get out of college, find a job, possibly get married and have to pay real world bills.

This delay touches all sorts of things in our society.  It touches the economy.  It touches the first-time home buyers age.  It significantly touches the thought of marriage and parenting.

We have more students in graduate school than ever before.  More young adults living at home with their parents for years after finishing college.  More young adults pushing back repayment of their student loans because they can’t find adequate employment in the struggling job market.  There are jobs to be had, but they don’t pay enough to support independence.

The delay also touches something near and dear to my heart: hearing, discerning and surrendering to God’s call for vocational ministry.

When mature, faithful, Christian college students are considering their career and future, I am fervently praying God will speak to their hearts about the possibility of surrendering to the call to vocational ministry.  Whether in cross-cultural missions, church planting, church revitalization, pastoral leadership, kids ministry, student ministry, non-profit work, community restoration, para-church organizations or any  type of kingdom-building work.

But if they are not entering adulthood until 25, I believe they are struggling to consider, to discern, to surrender to the call God may be putting on their life.

As they are delayed in their social, emotional, economical, psychological maturity, I see a corresponding delay in their spiritual maturity.  I find this to be particular true among Christian young men.

The problem I face is that I teach Christian ministry and leadership to primarily 18-22 year old college students.  That is my mission.  That is what I believe God has called me to do in this world.  But I am seeing less and less of them stroll through our hallways and into my classroom.

I wonder if any other Christian college theology or ministry professor is seeing the same phenomenon among their students.

5 Ministry Modifications for Cross Vocational Pastors

The complexity of cross vocational ministry has be to addressed by each and every pastor pulling double-duty.  You have to evaluate time spent at work, at church, with your family, with your church family, in Sabbath and in labor.

No cross vocational pastor will be able to do it all.  They must make strategic modifications to their ministry approach  in order to maximize their time and their efficiency.

Let me offer 5 suggestions which might help you modify ever so slightly.

1.  Use your cell phone as a conference room channel for team meetings.  Get everyone on the phone using the merge call function and have them open up individual laptops.  Once everyone is connected, use a shared church calendar or virtual planning app and let everyone contribute in real-time.  You might not be able to pull off a full, in-person staff meeting because everyone is at their “other” job, but you can plan and connect as a team if you are thinking ahead.

2. Use text messages & social media to connect to people that you won’t see during the week.  With your day-job absorbing the bulk of your time, you might only see your congregation when you are in the actual building.  To make a connection without being present, send a personal text message, post on the church’s social media channels, or write a church wide email.  Each digital touch gives your people a chance to connect with you, even if it is only with a “like” button.

3.  Write stock notes to be delivered when others make hospital visits.  There is no way you will be able to make all the visits and surgery runs.  If you have a team helping you cover the hospitals, give each person a stack of pre-done hand-written notes to take with them sharing your concern and prayers.  You might think it feels impersonal, but I promise the person in the hospital will appreciate a card from their pastor.  It is something tangible that will go a long way.

4.  Record voice memos of sermon ideas, staff meeting plans, and future ministry strategies.  You might not have a chance to come back and write down your ideas while at work.  So pull out your phone and record your idea before it gets away from you. You can even send those memos to various team members as voice messages allowing them to start stewing on the idea.

5.  Choose family outings where your congregation might also show up.   When you go out to your local bowling alley, movie theater, community festivals, farmers markets, or ball games and see people from church, greet them warmly.  You don’t have to neglect your family to be in ministry-mode, but just say hello and show interest.  It is another connection that makes all the difference.

The key to cross vocational ministry is to be intentional and strategic.  You must maximize your time and take advantage of the little things that can make a huge difference.

What ideas or modifications would you suggest?  Leave a comment.

Pulpit, Podium, Music Stand or Bistro Table

When you enter a church for worship, what piece of furniture do you expect to find on the elevated platform?  What you expect to find often speaks to what you believe about the importance and role of the preaching and teaching ministries in the local church.

When I say platform furniture, I am speaking of the wooden, metal, or Plexiglas structure that the pastor/teacher uses during the message.  I am talking about the pulpit, podium, lectern, or other make shift device that they stand behind.  Some call it the sacred desk; others refer to it as the hunk of wood that will never go away.

These furniture pieces have changed dramatically in the last 20 years.  These days you basically have eight options to choose from.

The Potter’s House Pulpit. Dallas, TX

1. The Wooden Pulpit.  The wooden pulpit can be natural, stained or painted wood.  It is usually equipped with a hidden storage space, sometimes a clock, maybe even a lamp.

The wooden pulpit establishes a high view of preaching authority.  Since the Reformation, wooden pulpits have been placed front and center to project the importance of the preaching/teaching moment in the worship service.  In predominately African-American churches, pulpit are becoming larger and more elaborate.

2.  The Plexiglas Pulpit.  For those who wanted to move away from the behemoth wooden pulpit, the Plexiglas pulpit became the preferred choice.  It was lighter, easier to move, and allowed for the church logo to be etched in the front, creating a branding opportunity.

The Plexiglas pulpit is see-through, breaking down some of the distance between the pew and the pulpit.  For the first time in years, you could see the pastor’s legs while they preached.  It was meant to make the pastor more tangible, more human, more accessible.

3.  The Cellphone Tower.  A new addition to modern pulpit design is what a dear friend of mine calls “The Cellphone Tower.”  This pulpit is portable, modern, and gives the appearance of being industrial.  It basically a podium made of piping or stage rigging.

Both the Plexiglas Pulpit and the Cellphone Tower communicate something different than the Wooden Pulpit. They communicate innovation and an appeal to close the gap between the preacher and the pew.  Most pastors bemoan the large, wooden pulpit and tend to move out from behind it while they preach.  They believe coming out from behind the pulpit make a closer connection with their hearers.  These newer designed pulpits attempt to do the same thing.

4. The Music Stand.  The thought behind this piece of furniture is ease and utility.  The music stand is already on stage, nearly invisible and projects that the sermon/message is more about the communicator than anything else.

Consider the musician or soloist who uses the music stand for their sheet music – no one notices the stand, they focus on the artist.  The same thought is at work when the pastor preaches with a music stand – focus on the message, not the furniture.

5.  The iPad Pulpit.  Even newer than the cellphone tower, the iPad Pulpit has entered the church marketplace as more and more pastors toss out the paper notes and go fully digital.  This pulpit looks sleek, modern, and like a control panel on the USS Enterprise.

As with the music stand, the iPad Pulpit places more focus on the communicator than the furniture piece itself.  It can be moved to and from the platform with ease, making transitions seamless, perfect when the stage hand has to place stage props or move band instruments.

For younger generations, the idea of packing a leather-bound Bible to church and scribbling out notes with pen and paper may seem antiquated.  Everything is digital these days.  Open your Bible app, use Notes to keep ideas, Tweet good ideas.  If the hearers in the pew are going digital, maybe the pastor should as well.

6. The Bistro Table.  In the world of conversation and dialogue, a new pulpit concept has emerged.  Enter the Bistro Table.  The bistro table says to the hearers, “Welcome. Pull up a chair.  Let’s chat.  No judgment.  No tradition.  Just conversation.” 

Bistro tables are present in your local restaurant or sports bar, why not at church.  They are cheap, sleek, and very easy to move. They are high enough to hold your notes and Bible with without problems seeing what you’ve written down.

As with the music stand and iPad pulpit, the view of the preacher/teachers is more casual and laid back.  No suit and tie.  No formal robes and vestments.  We are here to worship God and to be in community together.  There is no better way to communicate community than to preach with a restaurant table.

7.  The High Chair and Monitor.  Tossing aside the podium, lectern, stand or table, the high chair and flat panel monitor are growing in popularity.  Probably made most famous by Pastor Andy Stanley of North Point Community Church, this removes the pulpit furniture altogether and embraces a communicator-teacher-presenter effect.

The pastor/teacher interacts with the stage props, the audience, and the monitor all in real time.  There are no notes, no Bible, no manuscript. The message is memorized and rehearsed. The sermon is a talk.  The pastor is the presenter.  This is conference style communication. There probably isn’t much of an invitation or call to publicly repent, but that is not the design of the service.

8.  Nothing at all.  Consider the apostles, the disciples, or Jesus himself who preached to thousands with no platform furniture at all.  No pulpit.  No cellphone tower.  No monitor.  The founders of our faith preached on hillsides, from fishing boats, seating in synagogues and in open public squares.  They preached without notes, without furniture, without iPads, yet they preached with passion, vitality, and full of God’s spirit.

All in all, whatever platform furniture piece you use, remember these items are not essential, nor are they sinful.  They are tools to use.

Simply put: don’t let platform furniture become a sacred idol.  We can preach the Gospel with or without them and be perfectly biblical and Spirit-led.

The Explosion of Cross Vocational Ministry in SBC Churches

Over the past several months, I have been researching trends and developments which I believe will result in an explosion of cross vocational ministry across the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in the coming years.

I would like to identify six (6) issues which I believe will culminate in a huge increase in cross vocational ministry leaders across the convention.

1. Church planting.  As the SBC continues to start, launch, plant, and multiple new churches, the ministry staff of these new churches usually begin as individual church planters or part of a church planting team.  There are no full-time ministry leaders in the new church plant for a period of time, therefore, everyone is cross vocational.  Once the church is more established, I believe some leaders might want to remain as they started.

2. Health insurance premiums.  The cost of health insurance for self-employed individuals (such as church staff members) is outrageous.  Many pastors and ministry leaders will need another job in order to help pay the healthcare bills or to have an employer who can provide health insurance for their family.  Family self-employed insurance can reach $10,000 to $12,000 per year.

3. Decline in cultural Christianity.  As the American culture becomes more secular, more post-Christian, even anti-Christian, ministry leaders will need to access multiple avenues in the marketplace to meet and engage with unbelieving people.  Much like cross cultural missionaries in an international context use work platforms, church ministry leaders are seeing less and less unbelieving people seeking out the Gospel or a church on their own.  They are not banging down the doors to get into church.  Therefore the cross vocational ministry leader has more opportunity for evangelism and outreach if they are in the workplace than if they are isolated in the church office.

4. Smaller budgets, smaller full time staffs.  While giving to the IMB & NAMB missions offerings are up, overall church giving and budgets are continuing to decline.  Builders, who are the most generous and faithful, are passing away.  Boomers are moving toward their retirement fixed income and struggling to pay for rising healthcare costs.  Gen. X’ers are saddled with consumer debt and are not very generous as a generation in general.  The Millennials, who are very generous, feel more compelled to give to social causes than local churches.  The result is smaller church budgets which results in less funding for personnel.

5. Accessibility of online theological education.  More and more ministry leader are exploring online theological education.  The cost is affordable.  The availability is endless.  The flexibility is tremendous.  Decades ago, theological education required relocating to a seminary, finding a new job, new church, new place to live.  None of those are required now.

Cross vocational ministry leaders who are presenting serving in a company and a church who thought they would never have the opportunity to study and learn can take online courses from anywhere.

I had an online Master of Theology student who was a full-time Bible teacher at a Christian high school and served as a part-time youth pastor in his church.  The thought of leaving both the job and the church did not sit well with him, nor his wife.  He decided online theological education was the way to go and it worked very well for him.  His high school and church both chipped in for his tuition, which made the cost very reasonable.

6. Threat of tax-exempt tax status removal.  There has been recent discussion about the ending of the tax exempt status for churches and non-profit ministries.  If this does come down in the coming decade, churches will have to position themselves to work with less funding due to the tax liability.

In my humble opinion, the way around these issues is to bring on more cross vocational ministry leaders in a variety of positions or roles.

What if the whole church staff was cross vocational?  What if your church had the funding for two full-time positions and instead of two FT’ers, you moved toward four cross vocational leaders.  You double your ministry staff in one swoop.

I once suggested to a church that was seeking to bring on a FT senior pastor for 90k annually to consider bringing on three or four cross vocational staff instead.  If they took the senior pastor job description and broke it into three parts – preaching/teaching, administration, and pastoral care – they could fill all three roles with part-time leaders for 25k each and still have enough funds to add a ministry assistant or intern using the same 90k package.  Four staff for the price of one.

Certainly the look and feel of the ministry staff would be different, but consider the benefits: more numeric staff, more connections to various groups within the community, more relevance in the marketplace, and more innovation to break the traditional staffing mold with a new structure that looks more missional.  The church choose to not take my suggestion.  It was simply too radical for their liking.

Cross vocational ministry has always been present in the SBC, but I believe it is about to gain momentum out of necessity and innovative thinking.