The Other Side of Brokenness

A few years ago, I sat on my back porch with one of our campus pastors who was struggling in his role. It was clear that he may not make it as a campus pastor.

It wasn’t because he wasn’t trying. This guy was bringing his best. And it wasn’t because he didn’t care. No one cared more than he did. This guy simply wasn’t succeeding at producing the right outcomes through his people.

When he asked my advice, I told him that God needed to break him. That obviously wasn’t what he wanted to hear. Through tears he told me that he was pretty sure that he was broken.

I explained that if he was “pretty sure,” then he wasn’t broken. When you are broken, you know for sure you are broken.

Over a series of other painful events, this campus pastor finally reached a place of deep brokenness before God. When many parts of his life fell apart, God started putting them back together. Almost overnight, this pastor became an infinitely better spiritual leader and is leading a campus in a way that truly honors God.

Recently he told a group of people, “You won’t really know the goodness of God until you are totally broken.”

If you are hurting deeply right now, God’s love and power are even more evident on the other side of brokenness.

23 comments

Ministries From the Church

I’m so thankful many Christians are becoming more missionally minded. This week alone, I’ve had people ask me (or our church) to support:

• A group that hands out hotdogs to the homeless.
• A group building homes in Honduras.
• A local ministry that helps drug addicts get jobs.
• A few guys building long lasting pumps to help get drinking water to people without it.
• A girl ministering in an orphanage in Mexico.
• A Christian radio station.

Each ministry is led by passionate believers hoping to make a difference. I’m sincerely thankful for each one.

But sadly, none of these ministries were an extension of any church. In fact, when I asked each one what church they were involved with, several didn’t have a church home.

Instead of branching off to do a new and separate ministry, I love when ministries are supported by a church.

A ministry sent from a church has some built in advantages that include:

• Potentially better financial support.
• Accountability.
• Engagement of people from the church.

Maybe it’s just me, but I’d love to see the church more involved in creating, blessing, and sending great ministries than seeing them birthed outside of the church.

29 comments

The Good Ones That Don’t Think They Are Good

Many times some of the best (developing) leaders are strong leaders but don’t realize they are.

A lot of the great leaders have very high standards for themselves. Because they have such aggressive goals, they often don’t achieve all they’d like to achieve.

Because they didn’t meet their own expectations, they often don’t feel like they are doing a great job.

It is fun to invest in this type of growing leader. Since they don’t feel like they are great, they are often very teachable.

Those who think they are already good often aren’t as hungry to grow—ultimately limiting their potential.

13 comments

Developing a Leadership Culture

One of the most important things we can do in our ministries is develop a strong culture of leadership. Too many pastors hope to find great leaders. In most cases, great leaders are built, not found.

Rather than searching for a developed leader, I like to search for a developing one. Those with more future potential than past success are often the hungriest and most willing to learn.

Average leaders look for great leaders. Truly great leaders find and develop other great leaders. This week, we’ll talk about developing a leadership culture.

What are you learning?

25 comments

Sharing the Final 10%

In my own life, sharing the first 90% of my heart is the easiest. The first 90% rarely takes any risk.

When it comes to developing intimacy, it usually happens when I share the final 10%. (The final 10% often consists of some combination of my fears, insecurities, doubts, and weaknesses.)

Most likely, like you, I’ve been burned after sharing the final 10%. Because of my hurts, for too long I kept the final 10% to myself.

Looking back, it is amazing how much this barrier limited my relationships.

Now, I’m blessed to share the final 10% with many people.  It is in final 10% I find the most healing, intimacy, and trust.

How about you?

14 comments

The Final 10% Relationally

I’ve noticed that when it comes to relationships, it is easy for me to rationalize giving 90%.

• In my marriage, I might believe that when I serve Amy with 90% of my heart, I’m still offering her more than most men do.
• In my friendships, if I’m giving 90% of my best, most would be satisfied with my commitment.
• In my ministry relationships, if I serve pastors with 90% efforts, that is probably way better than most.

Jesus taught us to go the “extra mile” or give our coat as well as a shirt. If I stop serving others when I’ve given 90%, I haven’t given my best.

I’m writing this post on a plane after being at an out of town funeral. Normally, I would have flown home on an earlier flight. Today I booked a later flight to spend a little extra time ministering to the family.

Even though I’m very tired as I type this and I miss my wife and kids dearly, I’m still thankful God gave me the chance to give my final 10% to a family in need.

How have you recently shown the final 10% relationally? How have you not?

15 comments

Thoughts on Pastoral Preparation

More than classroom education, I’m a big believer in mentoring and discipleship. I’d love to see more seminaries or bible schools design programs that allow student pastors to minister and study simultaneously.

Although I see the value in what students learn in the classroom, I honestly believe that churches should take the lead role in preparing pastors. (This could also help eliminate some financial pressures that keep too many pastors from furthering their education.)

I can’t think of a better way to learn than serving under great men and women of God. Rather than three years in classrooms, I’d rather see students serving in a church while taking specialized classes.

Each pastor has such different developmental needs. Some need more time learning the basics of God’s word. Others are strong in the word, but have significant relational or leadership challenges. These are different needs that deserve different educational approaches.

Although no system is perfect, I prefer throwing gifted people into the ministry waters and helping them learn to swim rather than sending them to three years of classes to learn how to clean the pool, treat the water, and apply sunscreen.

I’m grateful for what God did in my life through seminary, but so much of the time (and money) invested doesn’t apply to what I do today. Just as I love seeing innovation in the church, I’d love to see innovation in the way we prepare pastors.

Thoughts?

42 comments

Disadvantages of Hiring From Outside

Some of this is repetitive from earlier posts this week. In many ways, I’m saying the same thing from a different perspective. Even though these thoughts are similar, I think they are worth addressing again.

The disadvantages of hiring from outside your ministry include:

1. Cultural risks. Just because someone is successful ministering at one place, does not guarantee they will be successful at another. The cultural and value differences are often difficult to discern in an interview.
2. Hurt Relationships. If you hire from other ministries, you can put a strain on ministry friendships. We must be careful to hire with integrity.
3. Family risks. When someone uproots their family and moves to another city, state, or country, there are many factors involved besides the giftedness of the pastor. We’ve hired effective staff from other churches, but the spouses and children never settled in and kept their ministry relationship from working long-term.

Please share from your experience.

8 comments