The Country Shepherd

The Importance of Leadership Training Part 2

2009-04-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

The Challenges in Leadership Development.

It is one thing to recognize the need, it is quite another to implement the program. While everyone would admit that the need for leadership training in the small church is acute, developing an effective training strategy remains one of the most difficult challenges the small church pastor faces. Even when there is the desire to implement the program, there are a number of obstacles that make leadership development particularly difficult.

1. The pastor lacks to time to effectively train leaders. Being a small church pastor is a time consuming task. Because the church does not have a staff to do support ministries, the small church pastor’s day is easily filled up with a variety of tasks and responsibilities. The pastor constantly faces the pressure to carve out enough study time to prepare for the messages and devotionals he must lead during the week. When he is not visiting or preparing sermons, he must take care of the church facilities, help out an elderly couple who are having trouble with their furnace, attend community functions and a host of other activities. The reality for many small church pastors is that at the end of the day they feel like they have accomplished little to empty the mythical in box on their desk. It is no wonder that many small church pastors feel stressed by the amount of work that is left undone at the end of the day. As a result, the development of a training program for the board continually get’s pushed aside. It is not that we see it as unimportant but the demands of the present cause us to push the project to next week’s priority list. However, the demands of the daily schedule repeats itself so that it always stays on the to do list, but never gets actively addressed. What we fail to realize is that the key to effectively leading the church and ministering to the needs of people is not working longer hours, but being more intentional in how we use our time. An essential part of expanding our ministry and the ministry of the church is training people to become involved in ministering to the needs of people. For training to occur we must make training a priority of our time and ministry.

2. The challenge of training leaders is further compounded the lack of time people have. This is especially true in rural areas where people a common work day is 12-14 hours and it is repeated six days a weak. Sunday remains a critical day for rest and spending time with the family. However, this is not just a rural problem, but an urban problem as well. More and more time is required to be spend on the job and the leisure time remaining is quickly evaporated as the demands of a being involved in the lives of the children, the upkeep of the home and the activities in church fill up a persons day timer. As a result most church boards are able to only meet once a month. With all the time required to deal with various issues, there is often no significant amount of time for training. Like the schedule of the pastor, so also with the board, the training continually gets pushed aside on the agenda. However, there are ways that the pastor and board can provide training even with a busy schedule. First, take at least 15 minutes each board meeting for training. While it may be a short time, like a savings program, a little training is better than no training and over the long haul can provide the comprehensive training needed for the board. Second, at least twice a year, devote the full time at the board meeting. By doing so a more substantial amount of time could be devoted to training. Third, conduct a weekend board retreat can provide a significant amount of time for prayer and training. While finding the necessary time to conduct the training will always be difficult, if the church is to become more mature it is necessary.

3. Small churches struggle to provide training for the board because of a lack of resources that are available. There are few resources available for effectively training the board and those that are available are often geared for larger churches with little application for the small congregation. Many of the resources for boards are based upon the organization side of the church and how to effective lead a larger congregation with multiple staff and programs. The staff is looked upon to provide the spiritual care while the board provides the oversight. Furthermore the larger congregations have a system of in house training that occurs before a person is placed on the board. In the small church, more often then not a person is placed on the board with little or no training. He is throne into the pool of leadership with the mandate to lead the church with no training how to swim. As a result they have no idea what is their biblical role and no resources available to provide the training. The problem is further compounded by the cost of the resources that are available. Many small churches struggle financially to pay the necessary expenses. Consequently, he small church further struggles because the available resources are often too expensive for the church to afford. They view the purchase of these resources as non-essential and thus it is pushed aside. The result is that the pastor often has to develop his own training material let lacks the time to do so.

4. The church struggles to develop leaders because of a lack of desire. Often people have a view that they already are sufficiently trained to be effective for leadership. They see leadership training as a waste of valuable time when they could be doing something else. This often springs forth from a misconception about leadership. For many people, the board is responsible for the physical and organizational running of the church. The board makes sure programs are operating correctly, the budget is being met, money is being wisely distributed and the facilities are being taken care of. The spiritual care and oversight of the church is given to the pastor. Since the organizational oversight of the church parallels what they already do in their farm or business, they feel that no training is needed. When someone brings up the need for training regarding the spiritual care of the congregation, they respond with, “That is the pastor’s responsibility not ours.” Consequently they resist training that moves into the arena of spiritual care for the church. However, when we examine the most critical need for training it is in the area of the biblical responsibility of the board that emphasizes the spiritual responsibility not only of caring for the church, but also making spiritual decisions that are governed by scripture rather than merely business management.

5. The small church struggles because often people are not avid readers. Any training program, but necessity, will require reading several books to address all the breath of the ministry. However, the pastor often get discouraged as he purchases books and assigns them to the board, only to find after months of prodding, the members still have not read the book. This is not to say they do not read—they do, but they tend to only read what they have an interest in. The key then is not to assign a book to read, but to instill an interest first in the responsibilities and tasks of the board before assigning the reading material.

2009-02-10T14:41:00.000-08:00

The Importance of Leadership Development (Pt 1)

Since the inception of the church, it has faced the challenge of developing leaders who could guide and direct the church in spiritual transformation and maturity. In the initial establishment of the church it was the practice to appoint individuals to serve as shepherds and leaders for the church. In Acts 14:23 we find that as Paul and Barnabas established churches they “appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.” The practice continued as the church grew and progressed into the second century of its existence. Clemet of Rome, writing towards the end of the first century, speaks of the practice of establishing elders and deacons to lead newly founded churches (S. Clemet of Rome, To the Corinthians, 42, The Apostolic Fathers, Clement Vol. 2 p. 293). However, they were not left without instruction. When Paul writes to Timothy and Titus he provides training and instruction for them regarding their responsibility as leaders within the church. Those who are appointed to be elders are not to rule arbitrarily but to follow carefully prescribed instructions that define their roles and responsibilities.

The need for leadership development continues today. This is especially critical in the small church where the pastor and the board often struggle to lead the people in the direction God intends. The task is further compounded by the plethora of literature that often gives confusing and even contradictory advice on what the board and leadership is to do. Through the fog of confusion we must delve deeply into scripture to develop a theology of biblical leadership that is not only biblically driven and theologically sound, but one that is relevant to the present struggles facing the church today.

The Crisis of Leadership

The small church continually faces the challenge of equipping its leaders to be effective. While the problem is not entirely unique to the small church, it is especially felt by the small church.

1. The church faces a crisis of leadership because of the vacuum of a biblical theology of leadership. Tragically, the church has neglected the formation of a comprehensive biblical theology of leadership. In the course of history it has carefully defined its theology of God, salvation, etc., but it has yet to develop a comprehensive theology of what it means to be a leader. When we study the theology of the church the focus is upon the spiritual and organizational nature of the church, but not upon the nature of its leadership. When attention is given, it is only in the area of the plurality and biblical terms used, but little is said regarding the nature and purpose of leadership. As a result a vacuum exists in our understanding. To fill this vacuum, the church has adopted secular model so that often there is little distinction between books written in the secular sector on leadership and those written within the circle of evangelicalism. While there is much that can and should be learned about leadership from those outside the church, it has still left the church feeling that something is tragically missing. The secular model has done much to help us understand leadership from an organizational perspective, but done nothing to help us understand the nature of biblically governed spiritual leadership.

2. The church faces a crisis of leadership because of the lack of training. More often than not, when someone is asked to serve on the board, there is no training provided in terms of their role and responsibility as a board member. As a result, they approach their position within the church like they would approach their role on the school board, community organization or how they would run their farm. The focus is upon attendance, budgets and programs rather than spiritual care, guidance and transformation. When the pastor brings up spiritual issues such as discipline, discipleship and prayer, the board responds, “That is your job, that is why you went to school.” Little do they realize that it is at the center of their job description. If we are to have a board that leads spiritually we must train them to be spiritual leaders.

3. The church faces a crisis of leadership because it has a limited pool of qualified leaders to fill leadership needs. The small church often does not have the luxury of having a surplus of individuals who are qualified and ready to step into leadership positions. While they may be qualified in terms of spiritual maturity, they lack the experience and knowledge to effectively lead the church. Pastors often respond to this shortage in one of two ways. Either they place people in leadership who are not qualified and then complain about the board’s lack of spiritual depth, or they leave positions unfilled which often results in the pastor functioning as a dictator rather than a team leader. However, there is a third alternative: train individuals to be more effective as spiritual leaderships. This training is often done best “on the job.” In other words, rather than restricting their involvement, we get people involved but in the process start to train them how to serve effectively. Barnabas provides an excellent example. When looking for someone to help him in his missionary journey he chose Paul, one who was ready but not equipped (Acts 11:15-16). This on the job training soon enabled Paul to become a prominent leader.

4. The church faces a crisis of leadership when it is organizationally effective but spiritually weak. The goal of the church is to transform people into the likeness of Christ (Col 1:28-29). Tragically, however, the church often has an efficiently running organization but has had little impact on the lives of people. Too often the church becomes merely a mirror to the outside world in which we live. It manifests superficial change but not the inward substantive change that God desires to accomplish. The church needs to train its leaders so that they are more concerned about the spiritual health of the church (character transformation) than they are about the organizational health (programs and numbers).

5. The church can face a crisis of leadership when there is a turnover of pastoral leadership. Small churches are plagued with short-term pastors. As a result often there is a lack of continuity of leadership that is necessary for the spiritual growth of the congregation. To offset this, the board plays a greater role, not only in the organizational health of the church, but also the spiritual healthy. If the church is to maintain its health even with the turnover of leadership, then its board must be both stable and involved in the spiritual care of the congregation. When pastors leave, it is the board that must provide stability for the congregation. If the board has been active in the leadership, when there is a change of leadership the church does not suffer for the “sheep still have shepherds who are caring for them.” The problem of the turnover of pastoral leadership can be further compounded by the burnout pastors experience because they lack support from the board. James E. Means rightly points out, “The reasons for brief pastoral ministries and burnout differ widely, and are sometimes complicated, but the fact that the typical church loses its pastors with remarkable regularity is compelling evidence that better leadership is needed throughout the church.” (Means, Leadership in Christian Ministry, 21). God never intended the leadership of the church to be placed on the shoulders of one individual. To do so will only result in both dysfunctional leadership and dysfunctional churches.
6. A crisis of leadership arises when powerbrokers within the church exert control but lack a genuine understanding of the purpose of the church. Many churches, especially the small church located in a rural community, will have individuals who exert significant influence over the rest of the congregation. When these individuals have a biblical understanding of the church and leadership, they can become a key asset for the pastor in leading the church towards the accomplishment of its biblical mission. However, at times they lack such an understanding and as a result they conflict with what the pastor is seeking to accomplish. Rather than become frustrated with their lack of support, the pastor needs to begin to train them so they become a valuable team member for the pastor. More often than not, when the power brokers in a church fail to support the programs of the pastor, it is not because they are carnal, but because they fail to understand what the pastor is seeking to accomplish.

7. The small church can face a crisis of leadership when the church no longer allows new people to be in leadership positions. One of the needs for leadership training is to prevent ingrown leadership. When new people are not being trained for leadership, the leadership can become stagnant where new people either are not available to serve or new people are not allowed to serve. The result is that the church lacks new ideas that can keep the church moving forward in ministry. The world in which we live is constantly changing and the needs and opportunities for ministry are constantly changing. This requires the church to adapt its ministry in order to reach a new generation. If the church does not adapt and change it will slowly die as it falls into the abyss of irrelevancy. Bringing new people into leadership positions brings fresh ideas and perspectives that enable it to remain relevant. One of the purposes for training new leaders is to provide qualified trained individuals who understand both the context of the past, the foundation of Biblical truth and the issues of the present.

8. The church often faces a struggle when there is a lack of ministry participation. Perhaps at no point in the history of the church has the church been so active and yet accomplishing so little in terms of genuine transformation. The problem is that we have reduced the church to a spectator sport, where the crowds come to cheer on (or criticize) the few who are actually doing the ministry. The result is people who become church hoppers. Driven by a consumer religious, they seek churches that only minister to their needs rather than become active participants in the church who exercise their spiritual gifts for the growth of the whole body. If the church is to be transformed into the vibrant and dynamic body of Christ that God intended where every member does its part (see 1 Corinthians 13), then it must begin with the leadership.

9. A lack of leadership results in a lack of effective ministry. James Means sadly points out the truth that should trouble leaders, “Numerous churches in every major city carry on feverish activity of all kinds, but have little that qualifies as authentic ministry. Many churches have no meaningful evangelistic outreach in their communities; outreach is relegated to a committee whose primary concern is sending dollars overseas. They lack true discipleship ministry. Genuine ministry involves comforting the bereaved, caring for the sick, disciplining the wayward, feeding the hungry, erecting support structures for the poor, preaching the Word, encouraging the aged, healing the wounded, strengthening the weak, sheltering the homeless, equipping the saints, developing spiritual gifts, and sending missionaries. Many churches conduct services and run programs that never touch these needs.” (Means, Leadership in Christian Ministry, 22). Often the reason is that the leadership has never been taught what is the purpose of the church. As a result they focus on perpetuating the past and present rather than dynamic ministry that ministers to the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the people. They focus upon running programs rather than spiritually transforming people.

10. A crisis of leadership develops when conflicts are not resolved properly. Conflict is an inevitable part of ministry. The critical question is not how to avoid conflict, but how to handle it when it arises. If the board fails to function properly and provide necessary leadership, conflicts will devastate the church. A trained board not only will help prevent conflicts from arising, but when they do they will deal within appropriately so that it does not damage the overall health of the congregation.

11. The church faces a crisis of leadership when there is a lack of teamwork between the board and the pastor. Tragically the board and the pastor often develop an adversarial relationship. Forman, Jones and Miller write, “Some organizations that work with churches have identified tensions between the senior pastor and the governing board as one of the greatest hindrances to church unity and effectiveness (Forman, Jones, Miller, The Leadership Baton, p. 24). The pastor resents the intrusion of the board and the board suspects that he pastor is trying to take control of the church. The result is that there is a breakdown in the teamwork that should exist. The pastor fears training the board, thinking that if the board is trained they will become even more controlling. The board mistrusts the pastor because they often do not fully understand the purpose and ministry of the church and why the pastor is doing what he does. The more the board is trained, the more they will be able to work with the pastor to accomplish the purpose of the church.

12. Leadership training is needed because of the danger of lone-ranger ministry. The church was never meant to be the work of one individual. Yet often pastors become lone-rangers who are caring for the spiritual needs of people with little and no help for the board. While the board takes care of the organizational issues, it does little for the spiritual care of the congregation. The result is that the pastor becomes burned out and discouraged and the congregation becomes passive. Both the ministry and leadership of the church was never meant to be done by one person. God entrusted the ministry of the church and the spiritual care of the congregation to the whole board. When the whole board is working to minister to the needs of people, then the pastor is no longer a lone ranger but a member of a ministry team that strengths the church and transforms people.

If the small church is to remain effective in the future it needs to begin preparing its leaders in the present. While this remains no small task, it is vital for the ongoing health of the congregation.

Dealing with the Pressures of Ministry

2007-12-04T14:14:00.000-08:00

Dealing with the Pressures of Ministry:

The numbers are staggering. Eighty percent of pastors feel discouraged in their role and fifty percent would leave the ministry if they had another way of making a living. The numbers are even higher for the spouse where eighty five percent struggle with depression and eighty percent wish their spouse would choose another profession. Such numbers are too profound to overlook. To enter ministry is to enter a world of pain, discouragement and frustration. This can be especially pronounced in a rural area where pastors are isolated and often lack a support network. How then can we regain our perspective?
The first step to regaining our perspective is to maintain a biblical view of ourselves and our ministry. In many ways our culture has placed unrealistic expectations on us and upon our role. We are pressured to lead the church to new heights of attendance and increase the number of programs within the church, all with little funds and little help from the congregation. Furthermore, our culture has instilled within us the expectation that life should be free from difficulties and hardships. While we decry the health and wealth doctrine as being unbiblical, in reality we have accepted it in our view of ministry. The scriptures warn us that to enter ministry is to enter a life of difficulty and struggles (2 Corinthians 7:5; 11:24-29). We are in the midst of a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:12). While we may complain about the hardships we face, Paul saw it as a badge of honor to suffer for the cause of Christ (Colossians 1:24; see also Philippians 1:29 where the word “granted” is the Greek word referring to a graciously given gift). The reason he had this perspective is because he recognized that the strength from ministry comes not from ourselves or even our training, but from the hand of a sovereign and gracious God who empowers us to accomplish his purpose (Col 1:29).
The second step to regaining our perspective is to take care of ourselves and our family physically and emotionally. God recognized the importance of rest when he instituted the Sabbath day. This is equally true for us in ministry. Working seven days a week is a recipe for burnout in ministry and neglect of our spouse and family. We need to make sure that we take the time to be renewed and take the time to be with our family and spend time with our children. God makes it clear that he expects us first and foremost to care for the needs of our family so that the do not become the sacrificial lamb on the altar of ministry (1 Timothy 3:4-5).
The third step is we need to develop a network of individuals who can offer support, encouragement and perspective. Moses needed Aaron and Joshua, Paul needed Barnabas and Titus. Tragically seventy percent of pastors do not have a close friend, confidant, or mentor. We need to develop these relationships. It may be a fellow pastor in the community, it may be a fellow missionary, it may be a friend that we talk with once a week or month. If we do not have a close friend, then we need to start praying for one.
Fourth, we must seek help when we need it. Often there is a “pastoral pride” that exists that hinders us from seeking help. We feel the pressure to always have our act together and that it is somehow a sign of weakness to seek the help of others. We forget that we also are human beings struggling in a difficult ministry. There are times when we need to be “pastored.” There are times when we need the counsel and input of others. There is no shame it getting help. Proverbs states that it is the wise who seek the input of others. It is the fool who thinks that he does not need the assistance of others.
We need to realize that ministry has been, is, and always will be a difficult and painful calling. However, we must also realize that God’s grace is always sufficient and that where there is trouble there is also his sustaining hand.

The Church in a Postmodern World

2007-10-16T11:09:00.000-07:00

By Glenn Daman

We live in a postmodern world. Its influence is not only see in the secular world but it is increasing seen in the church as the issue of epistemology is becoming more critical in our understanding of truth, the scriptures and its implications for our life. The basic tenet of postmodernism is that there is no metanarrative, that is there is no overarching explanation of life and truth. This view collides with the fundamental doctrine of the church, that there is an absolute truth that is absolutely exclusive. As Ravi Zacharias points out, “We as Christians make a staggering claim: We lay claim to truth that is exclusive. In a society that not only does not believe in metanarrative or in exclusivity but also rejects the notion of objective truth, ours is a monumental claim.” (Telling the Truth: Evangelizing Postmoderns; D.A. Carson editor, p. 38). Certainly the issue of absolute truth is a fundamental issue in our interaction with the secular mind, what is even more troubling is that it is becoming a critical issue even within the church. While people would not reject the absolute truth of scripture in the church (that would be heresy), postmodernism sneaks into the church in our understanding of the role of interpretation of scripture. No longer is interpretation the pursuit of an absolute understanding of scripture, rather it becomes a pursuit of each person’s own perspective. Instead of there being one interpretation and many application, it now has become many interpretations, each equally valid. Because we cannot have an infallible interpretation in all matters, many conclude that we cannot know for certainty any interpretation. The battle we face in the next decades will be the battle of truth: Can we know truth and how do we know it?
How then do we respond, how do we point to the certainty of interpretation. While we cannot know all truth absolutely, we still can know some truth absolutely. (For example: we still may not know with absolute certainty the relationship between God’s sovereignty and man’s free choice but we can know for certainty the deity of Christ and the necessity of faith alone as the basis of salvation.) . In response to those in the church who would question our ability to know with certainty the meaning of scriptures there are three critical principles we need to affirm. First, God is a God of truth. In John 14:6, Christ states, “I am the way, the Truth and the life.” There is absolute truth because truth is an expression of a perfect God, in whom there is no falsehood. God cannot lie and cannot distort the truth or misrepresent it any way. It is intrinsic to his nature.
Second, God, as the source of all truth, has communicated to us. (2 Peter 1:21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). God as the source of absolute truth and as the perfect communicator has communicated to us in order that we might understand and live according to that truth. Scripture is not arbitrary, it is not partial, it is complete, and it is absolute. Because it is his communication, it is not for us to be arbitrary in our understanding of it. The critical question is not, “What does it mean to me?” it is, “What did God say?” He holds us accountable for how we understand and treat the word of God.
Third, God has given us the Holy Spirit to guide and teach us in truth (John 16:13). The certainty of our interpretation comes not from our own abilities or intellect, but from the internal presence of the Holy Spirit who guides us in our understanding. Because the Holy Spirit is the same in each individual, there is consistency in what he teaches. Thus, my personal interpretation must be consistent with the rest of the body of Christ. I am not free to treat the scriptures willy-nilly, but am accountable to the rest of the church for my understanding.
The challenge before us as pastors is to not only respond and witness to a postmodern world, but equip our people to respond as well. To do this it is critical that we provide them a foundation by which they can engage a postmodern culture but not be influenced by it.

Strengths of the Small Church - Part 5

2007-09-20T10:23:00.001-07:00

This is part 5 of a 6-part series

5. Flexibility.

When the small church has a streamlined organizational structure, it can quickly adapt to the changing ministry environment. In many rural communities the environment is rapidly changing. While some communities are facing significant decline, others are experiencing rapid growth.
While some communities remain culturally and ethnically homogeneous, others are experiencing rapid cultural and ethnic diversity as the influx of people provide new opportunities for cross-cultural ministries. Each of these transitions has a major impact on the community, the church, and the ministry opportunities confronting the church.

The advantage of the small church is that it can make substantive changes and implement new programs and direction with little organizational bureaucracy. Because decisions can be quickly made and information quickly disseminated in the small church, it can quickly rally people to a "cause or project, carrying out a new program or ministry with fewer problems and delays of the larger, more structured congregation" (Ron Crandall and L. Ray Sells, There's New Life in the
Small Congregation, p. 94).

Village Missions / Keeping Country Churches Alive
www.village-missions.org
PO Box 197 / Dallas, OR 97338 / 800-617-9905
To learn more subscribe to our weekly enewsletter Country Matters by sending an email to
countrymatters-subscribe@village-missions.org

Strengths of the Small Church - Part 4

2007-09-05T10:55:00.001-07:00

This is part 4 of a 6-part series

4. The need for greater dependency upon God.

For those in the small church the lack of resources is often a source of discouragement. They wonder how they can be effective when they have so little to work with. When we minister in a small church we often lament that if we had more volunteers, bigger facilities and greater financial resources, then we could see greater results and growth.

However, what many see to be a detriment can actually become the basis for a stronger church. As Gary Farley rightly points out, "When a church lacks resources and knows that it does, and then it is more likely to recognize its utter dependence upon God. When you have about all of the resources that you need, it is awfully easy to cruise along on your own..." (Anthony G. Pappas, ed. Inside the Small Church, p. 102).

It is the lack of resources that challenges us to trust in God's provision rather than our own abilities. It challenges us to rest in the provision of God. It confronts us with the need to live by faith. The struggle facing many small churches is not the issue of a lack of resources, but a lack of faith. Rather than seeking to know God's will and purpose and trusting in his provision to accomplish it, they live in fear, conserving resources in fear of the "rainy day."

However, when the church looks to God for his provision, even when their resources are meager, they recognize that God can use them for significant ministry that impacts the lives of people for eternity.

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Village Missions

Keeping Country Churches Alive

www.village-missions.org

PO Box 197

Dallas, OR 97338

800-617-9905

To learn more subscribe to our weekly enewsletter Country Matters by sending an email to
countrymatters-subscribe@village-missions.org

Strengths of the Small Church - Part 3

2007-07-27T10:22:00.000-07:00

By Glenn Daman

This is part 3 of a 6-part series

3. Support and caring network.

An essential quality of a healthy church is that it must be a caring
community where people not only look upon their own interest but also
the interests of others (Philippians 2:4). A supporting and caring
community exists where each person recognizes that they have a
responsibility to consider the needs of others and the struggles they
are facing.

We live in a depersonalized world where people become indifferent to the
needs of others. In urban areas people hardly know the person next door
and care little about the struggles they are facing in their life. We
work in jobs where they care little about the problems a person faces at
home, they only care about our productivity and achievements. They
pressure us to perform even if requires us to sacrifice our families in
the process.

Into this world, the small church breathes a breath of fresh air. In
the small church people know they have a place where they belong, where
they are loved, and where people care about them and for them. Kennon
Callahan points out the strength of the small church when he writes,
"Members reach out and care for each others with love and sustained care
which does not end on Sunday. Members rally to each other in times of
crisis, offering themselves, their resources, and assistance to those in
need" (There's New Life in the Small Congregation, p. 94).

When a person is laid off from work and facing financial difficulties
the church takes up a collection to help them. When someone requires
hospitalization because of illness, members of the congregation will
visit them. In the small church we do not need to remind them to visit,
rather we often have to ask them not to visit because the person is
getting too many visitors. In the small church they visit the elderly,
help a student who is struggling with reading, and help out when someone
needs an extra hand.

The small church may not have a great number of people, but the people
who are present support and care for one another. It is this strength
that becomes the appeal for evangelism. People are attracted to the
small church because it is a community not just a gathering.

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Permission is granted to copy the newsletter for distribution provided
it is furnished free of charge. All rights reserved.

Village Missions

Keeping Country Churches Alive

www.village-missions.org

PO Box 197

Dallas, OR 97338

800-617-9905

To learn more subscribe to our weekly enewsletter Country Matters by sending an email to
countrymatters-subscribe@village-missions.org

Strengths of the Small Church - Part 2

2007-07-27T10:18:00.001-07:00

By Glenn Daman

This is part 2 of a 6-part series

2. Built in accountability

Accountability occurs when people lovingly confront others when their
actions, attitudes and behaviors are damaging their own spiritual growth
and the growth of the rest of the body of Christ. Because the church is
small there is built in accountability within the whole church. When
someone's behavior is destructive to themselves or to others, then
people are willing to say something to them. Not because they are
judgmental and desire to belittle the other person, but because they
have a genuine concern for them.

When a person in the church is struggling spiritually, not only does the
pastor know about it, but people within the church are aware of it and
often will talk to the person to help them deal with the situation. When
someone is absent from the church people will call them to find out
where they have been and if there is a problem. This is not done
through a formal "follow-up" program, but informally because of the
relational connections people have. While the large church must
carefully examine why people are leaving through the "back door," in the
small church the "back door" does not exist. Before a person leaves the
church, they have often had several contacts not only with the pastor,
but also other members of the church.

While the small church often has an informal sense of accountability
regarding spiritual growth and the Christian walk, it often neglects to
hold people accountable in the area of ministry responsibility. Because
of the close relationships within the church, people do not desire to
hurt others. As a result they overlook the shortcomings of others. On
the positive side, this means that people are not judged by their
performance, but by their faithfulness and willingness to be involved.
On the negative side, people are not challenged to change when they are
incompetent and ineffective in ministry because of their failure to do
the job assigned to them.

The challenge in the small church is to maintain the balance between
loving acceptance of the efforts of others and loving accountability
when people are not fulfilling their responsibilities because of neglect
and apathy.

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Permission is granted to copy the newsletter for distribution provided
it is furnished free of charge. All rights reserved.

Village Missions

Keeping Country Churches Alive

www.village-missions.org

PO Box 197

Dallas, OR 97338

800-617-9905

To learn more subscribe to our weekly enewsletter Country Matters by sending an email to
countrymatters-subscribe@village-missions.org

Strengths of the Small Church Part 1

2007-05-31T12:32:00.001-07:00

By Glenn Daman

This is part 1 of a 6-part series.

1. Shepherding ministry.

The small church is strong because the pastor can provide personal care for each person in the congregation. While some have downplayed the importance of this personal care, it remains central to our role and responsibility.

Christ, as our model shepherd, not only cares for the whole flock, but he cares for each individual (Luke 15:4-7), having a personal knowledge of each person (John 10:3). One of the privileges we have in the small church is that we know our people. We know the struggles each person is
facing in the congregation. We know those who are struggling with financial difficulties. We know those who are facing problems with a rebellious teen. We know when people are facing tension in their marriage.

When we preach on Sundays, the message is not generic to the masses; it is specific to the needs of the people sitting in the pews. This care extends beyond just the message on Sunday. Because we interact with the people throughout the week we can privately address personal struggles they are facing, often in an informal setting where the person is more open to discuss the issues. We should never underestimate the value of this personal interaction.

This also means that not only can we communicate biblical truth in a way that is relevant to the specific needs of people, but we can be there with them in times of crisis. Because the church is small, we can spend time with people. When a family member is in the process of dying, we
can do more than "drop in and show our face." We can spend the whole day with them, providing comfort and care.

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The newsletter may be obtained free of charge through e-mail by
emailing:
country-shepherd-subscribe@village-missions.org; with "Subscribe" in the subject Line or by visiting the web site at
http://www.smallchurchleaders.org/

Permission is granted to copy the newsletter for distribution provided
it is furnished free of charge. All rights reserved.

Village Missions

Keeping Country Churches Alive

www.village-missions.org

PO Box 197

Dallas, OR 97338

800-617-9905

To learn more subscribe to our weekly enewsletter Country Matters by sending an email to countrymatters-subscribe@village-missions.org

Strengths of the Small Church

2007-05-24T16:39:00.001-07:00

The Country Shepherd
Vol. 1, No 1
May-June, 2007

This is the introduction to a special six-week series

Strengths of the Small Church
By Glenn Daman

For those of us who live and work in the small church, we can easily start to focus upon all the things wrong and all the shortcomings that it possesses. We decry the lack of facilities. We become discouraged because of the continual struggle to make the budget. We long for the day when we would have more volunteers to implement new programs. We envy the large church for its diversity of ministries, wishing and struggling to duplicate them. It is little wonder that morale is one of the most significant problems confronting both the leadership and laity
in the small congregation. The problem lies not in the ministry of the small church but our perception both of God and of the nature of the church. We are reminded in scripture that we are given "everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us
by his own glory and goodness" (2 Peter 1:3). Furthermore, we are blessed "in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ" (Ephesians 1:3). In other words, through the knowledge of God and the sufficiency of our salvation he has provided all that we need to live
godly lives and accomplish his purpose; the purpose which he ordain and now accomplishes by his own power and sovereignty. Ministry in the small church requires that we have a firm theology of the involvement of God within the church. We must recognize that it is his church and his ministry. We do not build the church; rather he builds the church through us.

Along with our theology of God we must have a right perspective of the church. The church is not a building nor is it a program. The church is people who live in fellowship with one another and in obedience to Christ. Church is not somewhere we attend, the church is who we are.
We do not go to church on Sunday; rather we live the church in the daily affairs of life. The strength of the church is not found in the size or variety of ministry it is found in the lives of people. Consequently the church can be effective regardless of size. If we are to be effective in the small church and maintain a positive perspective of our ministry, then it is imperative that we recognize the strengths of the small church, strengths that not only point to the viability of the small church, but manifest the very nature of what the church is to do and be.

The Country Shepherd (formerly entitled Mikros) is published bi-monthly by the Center for Leadership Development, a ministry of Village Missions and the Institute for Small Church Heath a ministry of Western Seminary. Dr. Glenn C. Daman, editor. The newsletter may be obtained free of charge through e-mail by emailing the-country-shepherd-subscribe@village-missions.org with "Subscribe" in the subject Line or by visiting the web site at http://www.smallchurchleaders.org/ Permission is granted to copy the newsletter for distribution provided it is furnished free of charge. All rights reserved.

Village Missions

Keeping Country Churches Alive

www.village-missions.org

PO Box 197

Dallas, OR 97338

800-617-9905

To learn more subscribe to our weekly enewsletter Country Matters by sending an email to
countrymatters-subscribe@village-missions.org

Announcing The Country Shepherd Blog

2007-05-24T16:26:00.001-07:00

Mikros is now The Country Shepherd.

The Country Shepherd is published bi-monthly by the Center for Leadership Development, a ministry of Village Missions and the Institute for Small Church Heath of Western Seminary. Dr. Glenn C. Daman, editor.

The newsletter may be obtained free of charge through e-mail by contacting emailing
the-country-shepherd-subscribe@village-missions.org; with "Subscribe" in the subject line, or by visiting the web site at http://www.smallchurchleaders.org/

Village Missions

Keeping Country Churches Alive

www.village-missions.org

PO Box 197

Dallas, OR 97338

800-617-9905

To learn more subscribe to our weekly enewsletter Country Matters by sending an email to countrymatters-subscribe@village-missions.org

15 Characteristics of the Small Church

2005-06-01T11:21:00.000-07:00

While no church will manifest all 15 of these characteristics, in most cases there will be several that predominate.

The small church is relationally driven.
There exists within the congregation a family atmosphere where individuals are considered part of a bigger family, where relationships become more important than performance and organization.
The small church works through informal channels.
Because of the close relational bonds, decisions are often made over coffee rather than formal meetings. While policies and procedures for conducting church business are important and should be implemented, they should be communicated informally and in relational terms, rather than through formalized channels.
The small church works as a whole.
When the church acts, it acts as a whole rather than as individual parts. The whole congregation makes decisions rather than a representative few. People desire to know what is going on in every program and ministry even though they are not directly involved. The ultimate decision-making authority resides within the congregation rather than within the board or pastor.
Power and authority reside in the laity rather than the pastor.
The small church is owned and operated by the laity rather than the pastor. While the pastor may retain the title, the power of the church belongs to the people who have built and directed the church for generations. If the pastor comes into conflict with that power, then the pastor will often be asked to leave.
The small church relates as a family.
The small church functions as a family. To become part of the family, a person must be grafted in. This depth of relationship takes time to develop, thus making it difficult for first timers to be included.
Communication occurs through the grapevine.
Everyone knows what is going on because everyone talks about it. The rule of thumb regarding the grapevine is that the smaller the church and more close knit the people, the more the grapevine will be an asset.
Traditions and heritage undergird the structure, ministry, and culture.
Within the small church, traditions are more than ruts; they are the stories and bonds that tie the present congregation to previous generations. Because the small church values not only the present membership, but also past members, traditions play an important role within the life and expression of the church. They are slow to change for change constitutes a break not only from the past, but from the past membership.
The church functions and worships intergenerationally.
Because they are a family they want to be with the whole family. To divide the congregation by age is to split the family. People in the small church not only enjoy being with other family members; they often resent any segregation (other than during the Sunday school).
The focus is on people rather than performance.
In the small church, the focus shifts to the individual person instead of performance. Thus, a person is kept in a particular position even though there are others more qualified and could do a better job.
They have a place for everyone.
The small church has a place for everyone. Whether it be the mentally slow person who runs the sound system, or the retired grandmother who teaches the adult Sunday school class, everyone is given the opportunity to be involved.
The small church values relatives.
Because of its size, the church often has a higher percentage of people related to other members of the church. This interrelatedness has tremendous impact in the life of the congregation. One way it impacts the church is in the selection of key leadership positions.
The small church values generalists.
In an age of specialization, the small church values and utilizes generalists who can do a number of different jobs and responsibilities. Because there are few workers to perform the multiple tasks within the small church, there is a greater value placed on leaders who can do a number of things satisfactorily rather than an individual who can do one thing extremely well.
There is a place for everyone and everyone has a place.
Place is extremely important in the small church. Like a family that sits in the same place for every meal, people sit in the same place Sunday after Sunday. When they are absent, everyone notices their places are empty and they are missed. Place is also a symbol of their belonging to the church family. It symbolizes their security in a world that is insecure. It becomes part of the memory and story of the congregation.
It has a different calendar and different timetable.
Small churches have their own calendars around which they function. These calendars are often seasonal and tied to the employment base for the community.
Small-church attenders are givers.
People in the small church have a strong sense of ownership of the church. As a result, they are willing to give their time and money to the church. However, often they view giving differently. Instead of giving from the standpoint of a set amount, they approach it based upon the needs of the church.

Understanding Your Rome

2005-06-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

The apostle Paul’s desire was to proclaim the gospel without apology or compromise (1 Corinthians 9:16). Yet he recognized that the communication of the gospel needed to be culturally sensitive. The proclamation of the gospel is not done in a cultural vacuum, but must be done in the context of a specific cultural setting. While not compromising the gospel in any form, Paul was willing to adapt his ministry to the cultural sensitivity of the people he was desiring to reach (1 Corinthians 9:19–23).

In the process of establishing direction for the smaller church, it is necessary to have a cultural understanding of the community. Like the men of Issachar who "understood the times and knew what Israel should do" (1 Chronicles 12:32), the church needs to understand its times and cultural setting. This involves six steps.

ASSESS THE SPIRITUAL CLIMATE

Each community, small and large, has a different spiritual climate. Some communities are receptive and open to the gospel; others are tolerant of the church, but disinterested in the gospel. Some communities are antagonistic toward the church and openly hostile toward its ministry. To understand the spiritual climate of the community, Rick Warren suggests asking the unchurched five questions.

What is the greatest need in the area? This question gets people talking and sharing their thoughts about the community.
Do you attend any church? If they do, thank them for their time and move on to the next house. The purpose of the survey is to understand the spiritual receptivity of the unchurched, not the churched.
Why do you think people today don’t attend church? Asking people why they don’t attend church will put them on the defensive. Asking people why others do not attend will usually result in them sharing why they don’t attend.
What would you look for in a church if you were to attend? This question helps the church understand what kind of church programs people would be interested in.
What can we do for you and what advice can you give us so we can better serve the people of our community? Since the church is to minister to people, it needs to know how it can better serve people.

This survey should be brief, and it should be made clear that you are merely seeking their opinion rather than trying to sell them something. After the survey is conducted, the information can be used by the church in assessing its evangelistic programs. By using the information in program development, the church is able to minister to the people in a relevant manner.

ASSESS THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE COMMUNITY

In smaller communities, developing a demographic assessment of the community can be done by having people assess their own neighbors and compile the information or by obtaining a demographic assessment from a demographic research organization. In larger communities, demographic assessment can be obtained through government agencies or demographic research organizations. (See sidebar, "Building His Church Wisely With Numbers—It’s the Demographic Way.") The demographic study should address the following:

Age: What is the median age of the community and how many people are in each age bracket?

Family status: What is the number of children in each family and their ages? What is the marital status of people? What percentage are divorced, remarried, widowed, or living together?

Employment and economic base: What are the primary industries and job opportunities within the community?

Income level and social status: What is the average income level of the community and the average social status? Do the people have a high or low standard of living? (See sample chart 1.)

Education level: How much education does the average person have? How much education is required for the employment opportunities within the community? (See sample chart 2.)

Nationality and ethnic background: Is there any ethnic background within the community? Does the ethnic heritage of the community have any effect on the religious base within the community? (See sample chart 3.)

Religious background: Has there been any religious background that has predominated in the community?

Geographic boundaries: What is the geographic extent of the ministry of the church? Is the influence of the church limited to a portion of a city or town, the town itself, or the surrounding areas?

ASSESS THE CULTURE OF THE COMMUNITY

Effective ministry planning incorporates the understanding of its cultural environment. Culture is the ideas, norms, and material formations that typify a specific group of people. The purpose of the assessment is to gain insight into these areas by looking at the visible expressions of the culture. By assessing the culture of the community, the church will have a better perception of the influences that not only affect people within the church, but also affect the programming of the church.

1. Assess the mind-set and lifestyle of the community.

Active versus sedentary. Are people’s lifestyles filled with activity, or do they spend their leisure time quietly?

Family versus career focused. Some people form life goals based on their careers, while others base them on their family relationships.

Individualism versus community. Is there a strong sense of community and are people measured by their contribution to the community, or is there a strong sense of individualism apart from any community involvement?

Politically conservative versus politically liberal. How the community votes provides insight into the values and beliefs of the community.

Environmentalist versus environmental usage. Do people in the community place the preservation of the environment as a higher value than individual livelihood?

Traditional versus progressive. Traditional communities evaluate issues by the past traditions of the community and resist change, while others place little value in the traditions and have a more innovative outlook that welcomes change.

Religious versus secular. Does the community have a strong religious heritage or are people uninvolved in religious activities and secular in their mind-set?

Stable population versus mobile population. What is the turnover rate of the population within the community? What are the factors that contribute to the turnover rate?

Homogeneous versus multicultural. Is the community predominantly influenced by one cultural expression or are there multiple subcultures and ethnic backgrounds within the community?

Relational versus accomplishment. Are people evaluated by their ability to relate with others or by what they can accomplish and achieve?

Blue collar versus white collar. Depending on the economic base, some communities may consist predominantly of professionals while others belong to the working class.

Federalism versus libertarianism. Does the community hold to a strong centralized government or to a decentralized government where the federal government is viewed with suspicion?

Cosmopolitan versus providential. Cosmopolitan communities have a strong interest in world events, whereas providential communities are concerned only with the events happening within the local community.

Academic/educational versus nonacademic view. Is education highly valued and emphasized, or is higher education seen as unnecessary for success? Are decisions based on a scientific model or on one’s gut reaction?

Futurism versus here and now. Are people anticipating the future and future events or are the people predominantly concerned only with the present?

Hi-tech versus lo-tech. To what extent have people been influenced by the technological movement?

2. Assess the social centers of the community.

Understanding a community involves examining the community to see what the social centers are for that area. Where do people congregate? What social events does the community support? When people get together with their neighbors and friends, where do they go?

3. Assess the customs of the community.

Are there any customs that mark the community? Customs are the long-established practices that become an integral part of the community infrastructure.

4. Assess the history of the community.

Every community has a different story. Whether the story is actually verbalized or not, it does serve to undergird the fabric of the community. New people in the community eventually learn and become part of the community story, or they remain outsiders. For the church to understand the community, it needs to have a clear understanding of the history of the community.

5. Assess the cultural indicators of the community.

There are many other cultural indicators that can be surveyed to gain greater insight into the cultural background of the community.

Music. What type of music is the most popular within the community? What are the most popular radio stations? At community-sponsored musical events, what type of music is most often played and what groups are brought in?

Reading material. What magazines are the most popular within the community? Talk with local businesses that sell magazines to find out which ones are the most popular. What type of books are most often read or purchased? Check with the local librarian to discover the types of books people are reading.

Local newspaper. The local newspaper is more than just a recording of local news; it is a record of local culture. The articles that are written describe the culture. By reading the local newspaper, the church leader can gain insight into the interests of the people.

Community organizations. Community organizations play a vital role in the social and cultural structure of a community. The organizations that are the most popular are not only those who do a service to the community, but who, in the process, express key values that mark the community.

ASSESS THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY

The goal of assessing the community is to gain an understanding of the community needs so the church might minister to those needs to bring people to a redemptive knowledge of Christ. While the church is to proclaim the gospel, it is also called to minister to the needs of people (Matthew 15:31–38). The critical question for the church to ask is, "What are the social, emotional, physical, and financial needs of people to whom we have the means to minister?" While the church cannot meet all the needs of people, it can and should seek to minister to their various needs.

PERSONALIZE YOUR TARGET

After the assessment is done, the church can personalize the target community by creating a composite profile of the typical person within the community. By doing so, the church is able to clearly articulate who it is to reach. This composite can serve as a guide for the church as it seeks to develop direction for the church ministries.

INTEGRATE THE ASSESSMENT

The final step is integration. The community assessment is of no value if it does not influence the ministries of the church. The questions the church needs to ask are:

How are we going to reach this person with the gospel?
What type of programs would minister to the needs of the community?
As these individuals join our church, are there any key issues that need to be corrected?

To establish goals and direction for the smaller church, the church needs to understand its community and recognize that its mission is to reach that community with the gospel.

Leading in the Family Model of Leadership

2005-06-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

The small church functions as a family rather than a business. For the pastor or church leader desiring to work within this model, there are exhilarating rewards as well as exasperating frustrations. The depth of enjoyment coming from the close bonds existing between members within the church is priceless. However, for the pastor and leaders striving to move the church forward in the accomplishment of the great commission, the family model, at times, smacks of dogged exclusiveness and unbending traditionalism. Can the small church function under the family model of leadership and still be effective in ministry? Surprisingly some have answered no. For them, the only proper course of action is to change the model and transition the church into a more progressive and task focused orientation. More often than not this only results in the congregation and the pastor becoming frustrated and hurt, as both perceive the other as being hardheaded and demanding. Crucial to working within the family model of church organization is to accept the form of leadership and to learn to understand and serve within the philosophy adapted by the church. The task of leadership is not to force people to follow, but to create an atmosphere where they desire and are willing to be lead, where they trust the leadership and are willing to support the leadership. That can only come through understanding what the people expect of their leaders and serving within the context of those expectations.

Qualities of a Family Model Leader

1. The family leader leads by example.

The small church leader has personal contact with everyone within the congregation. Because of this interaction, the daily life of the pastor and the leadership is open for constant inspection and evaluation. Leaders earn the right to lead when they establish a model to follow. The apostle Paul understood the importance of leadership by example when he writes on numerous occasions for people to follow his example as he follows Christ (1 Cor. 11:1; Phil. 3:17; 2 Thes. 3:7). Likewise, when writing to young pastors in the ministry he challenges them to be a model for their congregations to follow (1 Ti. 4:12; Tit. 2:7). Being an example encompasses two critical areas. First, the leadership must be a mature disciple of Christ, one who submits all aspects of life to the authority and guidance of scripture. Second, the leadership must exemplify the type of committed and dedication (both in time and energy) needed if the church is to accomplish its mission.

2. The family leader leads through servanthood.

While Paul gives the responsibility of leadership within the home to the husband, he makes it clear that genuine leadership is not dictatorial but sacrificial (Ephesians 5:22-33). Servant leaders are not concerned about their own success, instead they sacrifice themselves completely for the success of others (as Christ did for the church, Eph. 5:25). A servant leader is one who is not concerned about the accomplishment of his or her agenda, but is dedicated to assist people in the achievement of their dreams and plans. Servant leaders strive to assist people. They do not fit people into their schedule rather they fit themselves into the schedule of others. Servant leaders do not write people off when they fail to measure up to expectations, rather they come alongside them and help them grow into the job. They do not take offense when people express frustrations; instead they carefully listen, finding ways to help.

3. Family leaders learn to be relational.

The writer of Proverbs wisely points out that the security and stability of the king is found in his willingness to love people, "Love and faithfulness keep a king safe; through love his throne is made secure" (20:28). To be effective, the leader must learn to be a relational leader, one who grounds his or her leadership upon the development of strong personal relationships with the people they serve. Being a lover encompasses five critical characteristics.
First, a relational leader loves deeply. Being motivated by love involves having a deep love for Christ, a love that springs forth from his love for us (2 Cor. 5:14). When we love Christ, we learn to love his bride, the church. What motivated Paul to write an undoubtedly difficult letter, one that taxed him emotionally and threatened his relationship with the church, was the deep love he had for them (2 Cor. 2:4). Love is built upon our love for each individual. It is not enough merely to love the church; we must love the people who make up the church, including those who are difficult and problematic to love. Some people are abrasive, some are unloving, some are obnoxious, but the call to leadership is a call to love each of them.
Second, a relational leader accepts people. Acceptance does not mean we give blanket approval to everything people might do. That would be unloving and selfish. However, before we can guide them through the process of change we need to accept them for who they are. This involves learning to understand and value their particular sub-culture. A leader who moves into a farm community without learning the pressures farmers face and the way they view life will have a short tenure as a leader. Acceptance is central to trust and without trust the leader will never be able to effectively guide the congregation. Douglas Walrath, in his excellent book, "Making It Work: Effective Administration in the Small Church," writes, "Their (the small church) past experience with 'outsiders' makes members of many small church suspicious of administrators who function 'professionally' and organizationally. Their first concern is not whether an administrator is efficient or effective, but whether he or she is devoted to them. They trust the leader who belongs, or who clearly wants to be in a committed relationship with them. An administrator with minimal skills who belongs in a small congregation will fare far better than one who is highly skilled but detached. Members of small churches will respond with both energy and faith to the devoted ministry of a relational administrator" (p. 20)
Third, relational leaders must be good listeners. While biblical leaders are called to be communicators of truth, listening comes before speaking. A person who presumes to speak before he has listened is regarded as a fool in the book of Proverbs. Thus the sage writes, "He who answers before listening, that is his folly and his shame" (Prov. 18:13). Effective leaders learn the story of the church before they attempt to radically change the church.
Fourth, relational leaders are personal. They are not afraid to allow people to get close to them. They do not hide behind the office door. Relational leaders are willing to spend time with people, willing to visit them and willing to invite them into their home. They are approachable and not bothered by interruptions. They are not afraid to be vulnerable by sharing their struggles.
Last, relational leaders value each individual as much as they do the whole congregation. Within scripture there is the constant interplay between the community of God's people and the individual's personal relationship with God. While God is the shepherd of Israel (Psalm 28:9) he is also "my" shepherd (Psalm 23:1). Both the community and the person are equally important to God and are given equal attention. A relational leader learns to value the contribution and worth of each person, and not place the community over against the individual. Nor does he emphasize the individual at the cost of the community. There are times when the leader must focus primarily upon the community and other times when he must spend time with an specific individual. But throughout he never neglects one or the other.

4. Effective family leaders are patient.

The apostle Paul instructs Timothy to "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction" (2 Tim. 4:2). Family leaders do not force people to change; they carefully assist people in changing. They patiently wait until the person is ready. They work with the individual's capacity to process information and accept change rather than imposing their own rate and expectations upon them.

5. Effective family leaders are teachers.

They do not assume people will accept their ideas and changes merely because they suggested it. Rather they recognize that before growth can occur, there has to be careful instruction (2 Tim. 4:2). Often the failure of people to accept change is not a result of their unwillingness to change. Rather, it results from the failure of the leadership to adequately teach the people why the change is necessary, how to implement those changes and how to maintain the new plans and strategies developed.

Leading and decision making in the family model.

1. Leading the family model involves participative leadership.

Although a family has a designated leader, decisions that affect the whole family require everyone's participation in the decision making process. A husband does not decide to move across the country without the input from his wife and children. Participation means that everyone interested in the decision or affected by the decision are given the opportunity to share their ideas and concerns before plans are formulated.

2. Gain acceptance for decisions rather than just majority vote.

Making decisions strictly by a majority vote can easily alienate family members. When moving across country the husband, wife, and two small children may be in favor of the move, but the teen-age daughter may find the idea of changing schools unacceptable and threatening. To move without her acceptance will only invite rebellion and further conflict within the home. It would be far better to gain her acceptance before the move is made. While she may not be in favor of the move, she may accept the transition, thus supporting the decision in the long run. The family leader recognize that a majority vote may get the issue passed, but it requires acceptance by the whole congregation before it will be fully embraced and implemented.

3. Family leaders work with the tribal chiefs.

Within the small congregation there is often an individual or individuals who, by their position, exert great influence over the rest of the community. These individuals may or may not hold an "official" office, but will nevertheless be the ones everyone else looks to guidance. In most cases this will not be the pastor, but someone who has a long history within the church. The effective leader learns to accept the position of these individuals. They are not threatened by them, but learn to work with them and through them.

4. Family leaders recognize the value of informal and personal communication.

The most important time the family communicates is when they are all sitting around the dinner table sharing the effects of the day. The best time for a parent to interact with a teen is not by sitting down and stating, "lets talk." Usually, that is the best method to quiet the teen. Rather, the most significant interaction comes when the father and son are working on a car together, or the mother and daughter are working on a project with one another. The same is true in the family church. Notes in the bulletin, announcements from the pulpit, and letters sent to the congregation are all helpful means of communication, but the most important and effective communication within the family is done over a cup of coffee and personal interaction. Thus, the leader recognizes that he needs to spend time with the people and share his plans and goals with them long before he attempts to implement them.

5. Keep the organization subservient to relationships.

A father's decision to take a new job is not determined by the economics gains the advancement will bring, but by the positive and negative affects the new job will have upon the family. The same is true in the family church. The ultimate question is not "what is best for the organizational church" but "what is best for the individual relationships within the church." Replacing the organist with a worship team may be the organizationally right thing to do, but it might damage relationships that would undercut the very vitality and strength of the small church.

Have Bible will Travel: The Multiple Church Ministry

2005-06-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

What began as a Sunday evening Bible study, evolved into a second church ministry. While we had several families traveling to our church from the Cascade Locks, the presence of the Columbia River formed a geographic barrier that made any outreach into the community difficult. We determined that the only potentially successful way to reach the community would be to establish a ministry in the area. Since we were not having a Sunday evening service in our church we could establish an evening service in Cascade Locks. While this discussion was going on a former mainline church that had existed within the community for over 100 years was on the verge of closure. Because of problems in the past and the decline of membership, the church could no longer afford to attract a pastor to come to the congregation. When they heard that we were considering starting a new church service they approached us with the proposal to join their congregation. After much discussion it was decided that we would if they reorganized the structure of the church, rewrote the constitution and changed the doctrinal statement, and broke their ties with the denomination they with whom they were affiliated. When they agreed to do so we entered the world of the multiple-church ministry, a world with significant blessings as well as unique and difficult challenges.

Enjoying the Benefits

Sharing a pastor between two congregations has both its negatives and positives. Before joining two ministries, it is important for the leadership of both churches to carefully understand the positive and negative impact it can have upon the individual churches. One of the benefits of having one pastor serve two congregations is that it provides an answer to the problem of staffing in the small church. Some are predicting that in the future there will be a shortage of pastors. If this holds true, the hardest hit will be the smaller church. An alterative to closing is sharing a pastor with another church.

Even more problematic for staffing the small church is the shortage of funds. Newly graduated seminary and Bible College students, who once were the small churches' main supply to fill pastoral positions, can no longer afford to go to the smaller church because of the heavy debt load they carry from school and the meager salary the church can afford to pay. The smaller church is finding it more and more difficult to keep up with the continual cost of living increase and the amount it takes to adequately provide for a pastor and his family. Having two churches share a pastor can enable the congregations to have a pastor who is available to minister to their spiritual needs. It also enables the pastor to provide an adequate income for his family. Having this duel income can ease the financial pressure that causes such a stress upon the family of those in ministry.

Having two congregations in different locations can be an effective means of outreach in rural areas. When great distances or natural geographic boundaries separate communities, it will be difficult to encourage unchurched people to attend the services. Families are often reluctant to travel great distances to attend church. They may not be interested in attending a church in a different community, especially if the church is in a different school system where they children will not be friends with any of the other children in the congregation. They are, however, likely to be open to an invitation from a church in close proximity to them. One of the primary reasons we were willing to enter the venture was because we saw the importance that it had for outreach into the community. When two churches are in partnership with one another by sharing a pastor, it also expands their limited resources. Guest speakers or special groups can more easily come to the church because they are able to perform at two services for the cost of traveling to one church. With the two congregations, they receive greater compensation than they would in one of the churches individually. When special projects and needs arise, the churches can join forces and minister to these. When we first started the second church, this smaller congregation could not staff or fund a children's ministry which was critical to its development. Instead of neglecting this ministry, they were able to send their children to the other church's mid-week youth ministry. By utilizing the ministry of the other church, they were able to establish the foundation that eventually became the basis for splintering off and forming their own ministry. When this opportunity arose, not only did they have the base of children already in place, but the people were already trained and experienced because of their involvement in the other ministry, thus making the transition smoother.

Being Aware of the Pitfalls

While there are benefits, having a multiple parish ministry is not without its costs and dangers. One of the first costs is the fact that I cannot be present in both churches during the whole Sunday ministry. Because our churches are approximately 5 miles apart, we have both Worship services in the morning. From 9:00-!0:00 I preach in one church. I arrive at the church at approximately 8:30 a.m. and leave at 10:15 a.m. to travel back to the other church for the 10:45 a.m. service. Because of this schedule I am not able to be involved in the Sunday School program and miss the opportunity to be involved in the adult Sunday School class. While I do not normally teach a Sunday school class even if I am present, there are times when I do miss opportunities to teach informally as I sit in the class. It also impacts the mid-week ministries of the church as well. While I am involved in one of the children's ministries that meets Wednesday evening, I am not able to participate in the other church's mid-week ministry which meets at the same time.

A second problem is that my limited time schedule does not permit me to do the amount of visitation and pastoral care for the second church that I would like to perform. When the agreement was established, it was determined that I would only spend one-half a day on Thursdays at the second church. Because of this limited schedule, I am not able to follow-up visitors and people who are missing in the way that I would like. Instead the church is much more reliant upon the lay-leadership to provide some of the pastoral care.
Closely related to this is the fact that since I do not live in the second community. This makes it more difficult to become involved within the community. Since my children do not attend the school, I am not as involved in the school system as I am in the community in which I live. I am not as aware of the community activities, which prevents me from addressing community issues. This lack of involvement makes outreach more difficult since people are not able to get to know me outside the church setting.
Having multiple ministries brings further strain upon my family. Pastoring two church churches means more evenings tied up with meetings and activities. This requires me to guard my time with my family even more closely and not being afraid to say no.

Making it Work

Serving two congregations has been richly rewarding, but in order for it to work we recognized that careful planning must be a part of the agreement. The reason it has worked well is because of the following steps that were taken by the congregations.

First, from the outset there were clearly defined roles and guidelines. When the proposal was first made it was clearly established how much time I would spend in the second church and how much I would be available. Because of this neither church feels "cheated" when I am not there. By clearly setting the parameters of my time and ministry, there are no misunderstandings and people's expectations are established by these guidelines. This helps protect me from unjust criticism from people.

Second, the primary church I was serving saw the agreement as an outreach ministry rather than an organization function. For them it was not a matter of losing their pastor's time, rather it constituted a further extension of their ministry into the community. This was easily realized because reaching this community was a burden of our congregation even before we proposed the association. When the opportunity arose, it was a fulfillment of our church's vision, not contradictory to it. When the primary (i.e. the larger congregation) sees the value of the agreement for the cause of Christ then they are less likely to be jealous of the pastor's time. When the other church grows, they can rejoice with the other congregation at what God is doing in their midst. One of the reasons we do joint baptisms is so that both churches can rejoice together in what God is doing.

Third, we discovered that active lay involvement is critical. Because I had a limited amount of time I could spend in the smaller congregation, it was crucial for the lay leadership to take the initiative to oversee the day-to-day operation of the church. While I could provide spiritual counsel and oversight, they are responsible for program development and the operation of the ministries. This means that they need to be more directly involved in the establishment of goals and direction for the church. One of the reasons it has worked well for us is the people within the congregation are self-motivated and do not require a great deal of supervision.

Fourth, clear communication was necessary so that people understood what was expected and what the results would be. Since communication is always a challenge it is even more important that the pastor clearly communicate what is happening in the two churches to the respective boards so that misunderstanding do not arise. When issues do arise, it is important that there be communication between the boards to resolve the problems. One of the issues requiring careful communication from the outset was what would happen should either church decide the venture was not working out. From the beginning it was clear that my primary responsibility belonged to the first church so that if problems arose, my first obligation was to the first church. By having this clearly understood by both churches I am not caught in the middle when possible tensions over my time might arise.

Fifth, the time must be right. What made the transition successful was the timing for both churches. Because the ministry of our first church was running smoothly, the new responsibility did not have any detrimental effect upon the congregation. In the smaller congregation, the timing was critical for they were willing to make the sacrifices needed. Since the church was on the verge of closure they were willing to make the changes necessary to make the agreement work.
Sixth, after the venture is implemented, there should be a period of evaluation. When we first proposed the joint venture, we made it clear that the agreement would be evaluated by both congregations after one month, and that it would be revisited after one year. This helped to alleviate people's fears and provided both congregations an acceptable method of disassociation should the agreement not be working out. It is also understood that if either church feels it the arrangement is hindering its ministry, they can break the association.

Last, it is important that the churches have a clearly defined purpose and reason for why they are entering into the agreement. They need to identify and understand the rational for joining together. If they do not have a clear reason, but they are merely doing it because "it sounds good", minor problems will become major issues and threaten the cooperation between the two congregations.

Having a multiple church ministry is rewarding and challenging. By careful planning it can be an effective way for the kingdom of Christ to be advanced and can be an effective way for the small church to thrive and adequately provide for the pastor. While it is not the answer for every situation, it can be an excellent answer for some.

Ministry Renewal In The Small Church

2005-06-01T11:05:00.000-07:00

Before we arrived, the church had dwindled down to a handful of people. Although the church had been in existence over 100 years, they were faced with the possibility of closure. They no longer had the people or the funds to run any programs and it was doubtful if they could obtain any pastor who would be willing to come. Through a series of events we were asked to become their pastor along with the church we already served.; After we arrived in the church, a new excitement captured the people. The fact that we were willing to come brought renewed hope to a downcast congregation. They began inviting their neighbors to attend. People who had previously left the church came back to see what was new. It wasn't long until the attendance moved from twenty to thirty and then passed forty. The budget that was once a struggle to maintain became healthy. People were enthused about what the church was doing and new people were attracted to the church.
Congregational Renewal: A Matter of the Heart: Ministry renewal involves more than getting an increasing number of people to attend a declining congregation. It involves spiritual renewal. Renewal comes when people become passionate about God's Word, when they are burdened for those who are spiritually lost, when they manifest mutual love and care, when they wholeheartedly commit themselves to be obedient to Christ and his commands.; When the leadership merely takes an organizational approach to renewal it may gain short-term success, but lasting results that bring long-term health to the congregation require inward transformation as well as outward organization. While organizational restructuring is important and beneficial, the final determination of the church's future is the sovereign plan of God. Neither the congregation nor leadership resurrects the dying church. That remains the responsibility of God.; The task of the leadership is to carefully seek the direction and will of God, making sure they are fulfilling God's purpose for the church. Congregational renewal is not a matter of numbers and rolls; it is a matter of the heart. It is not an event, but an inward process conducted by the Holy Spirit within the life of each individual involved in the ministry of the church. The task of leadership is to develop an environment where the heart may be transformed.
Congregational Renewal: Developing a Transforming Environment: While the renewing process ultimately stems from the work of the Holy Spirit within the community, he does use the leadership and congregation to develop right setting. In accomplishing this task, there are ten steps the church can follow to help create the atmosphere for congregational renewal.

Step One: Refocus upon the nature and activity of God.; Revitalization begins when people understand the nature and activity of God. When Nehemiah set about the task of rebuilding the city of Jerusalem, his confidence came from the promise and activity of God. It was because God was at work that he could face the insurmountable odds. He was not only convinced of this, but whenever he addressed the people, he carefully reminded them that God was the one working through them, giving success to their task (2:20; 4:9, 14, 20, etc.).; As people set about the process of renewal, they need to be reminded of God's inexhaustible empowerment. They need to be able to view the ministry as God's work through them rather than their work for God. God does not need us to accomplish his ministry, but he does desire to use us. When this becomes their perspective, people will have lasting enthusiasm for ministry.

Step Two: Focus upon prayer.; Since the foundation of revitalizing a church is spiritual rather than organizational, prayer becomes the cornerstone for action. The desire of God for every church is that it will become a house of prayer (Isaiah 56:7), for prayer remains the means through which God accomplishes his purpose. The prayer of the church encompasses the need for inward righteousness and holiness within the congregation, the desire to clearly understand God's will and purpose, and willingness to minister to the needs of people within the community.; Building the prayer base of the church can involve twenty-four hours of prayer, prayer walks where people go through the community praying for each house, special prayer services, and spending more time in prayer each time the church gathers together. The importance of prayer to the revitalization process can never be overstated.

Step Three: Strengthen the fellowship of the church.
: The strength of the small church is the fellowship and mutual care evident within the congregation. When a church declines, tensions and frustrations arise which can fracture relationships within the church. Consequently, it is often necessary first to build unity within the congregation before attempting to reach the community. People are attracted to the small church because of the fellowship that exists within the body of Christ. If the fellowship becomes strained, then it will become difficult to attract new people.; A second reason the fellowship of the congregation must be strong before attempting to renew the ministry has to do with change. A declining church must change for the simple reason that what it has been doing in the past has not been effective. If the church is to be revitalized it must do things differently. Previously ineffective ministry must either be altered or dropped altogether. All this requires change.; Critical before change can be effectively made is for trust to be built up within the congregation and between the people affected by the change and those seeking to implement the change. Trust hinges upon the strength of the relationships existing between people. If there is conflict and tension, suspicion replaces trust. Consequently, before the leadership can suggest and implement change it must first focus upon the cohesion within the group.

Step Four: Identify and correct any cause of decline.; When a specific reason is identified for the decline and if that reason is within the control of the congregation, then steps should be taken to correct the problems. Some of the causes of the decline reside outside the control of the church (i.e. declining population within the community).; The church needs to develop creative strategies to work within these limitations. Others the church can address (i.e. loss of evangelistic vision, conflicts within the church). If a church attempts to bring renewal without addressing these issues, then the future success will be thwarted by the past mistakes of the congregation.; Perhaps the most critical is sinful behavior that hinders the effectiveness and growth of the congregation. The story of Achan in Joshua 7 illustrates that the actions of one can have an adverse affect upon the whole community. When this happens, the whole community must address the issue (see Matthew 18:15-17).

Step Five: Involve the laity in the process to gain ownership.; The small church is a lay-run ministry where the people retain the power and authority for operating the church. In contrast to the larger church where the decision making process is top down, in the smaller church the congregation demands the right to be involved in the decisions that are made.; Consequently, it is crucial for renewal for the congregation to be involved in the whole process. Without their involvement they will not gain ownership to the renewal, and without ownership there will not be any commitment or willingness to sacrifice their time and resources to bring about renewal.; Central to involvement remains clear communication. Communication is more than sharing what is being done and what needs to be done. It involves constant listening. To gain the trust and commitment of the people, the leadership needs to carefully listen to what the people are thinking. It involves gaining their ideas and input from the very beginning of the renewal process, not only on what they would like to see happen but what would be the best method to achieve it.; When people feel that they have been heard and their contribution valued, they will develop trust for the leadership and a strong sense of identity with the ministry. When that happens then they will devote their time and energy to the task.

Step Six: Develop a clear vision for the church.; Long before the church actually dies, the vision for what God can do through the church dies. Churches do not close their doors because of a lack of finances or people, but because they no longer see what God desires to accomplish through them. Vision is the awareness of the distinct and divinely ordained present and future ministry of the church based upon its sociological, theological and cultural setting that enables the congregation to accomplish their biblical purpose and mission. The vision that the church develops must be based upon the needs and ministry opportunities within the community.; Dying churches can easily become inward focused. In order to maintain the core ministries of the church (Sunday School, worship service, etc), as resources decline, often the first ministries dropped are those directed towards the community. Instead of preventing further decline, it contributes to the erosion of the ministry.; When renewing the ministry of a dying church, the congregation must develop a church-planting mentality rather than a survivalist mentality. Church planters are willing to risk the present to build the future, while survivalists risk the future to maintain the present. Survivalists try to resurrect the past; church planters try to build toward the future by ministering to the needs of the people within the community. Survivalists appropriate all their finances to maintaining the present structure (paying the preacher, buying the Sunday School program, etc.). Church planters budget for ministries that reach into the community.

Step Seven: Reorganize to adapt a simplified organizational structure.; When a church has declined from a larger church to a smaller congregation it can mistakenly maintain the past organizational structure. This hinders the ministry as people spend their time keeping the structure running rather than spending time reaching their neighbors and ministering to people in the community.; One of the ways to assist people is to simplify the organizational structure so that they spend less time running the church and more time being with people. This may require restructuring committees and ministry teams. It may involve dropping programs that no longer attract new people. It might entail combining programs (such as combining the High School and Junior High groups together).

Step Eight: Establish short-term and medium range goals.; Achieving goals gives people a sense of accomplishment and purpose. When establishing goals it is important to plan and celebrate small victories (such as painting the church sanctuary). When tangible goals are achieved, people have a greater sense of God's blessing upon their life and ministry. The congregation gains a sense of the future.; People without hope are people who stop making goals. Because of the decline within the church, people sense only the frustration of failure. Setting and accomplishing easily attained short-term goals gives people a feeling of success, that there is a future for the congregation. As these goals are attained, the congregation develops greater confidence to set more challenging and long-term goals.; Goals are necessary for the implementation of the vision set by the church. They define what the church needs to do and how it will go about accomplishing it. Goals enable people to measure their efforts and organize their efforts into a coherent plan.

Step Nine: Develop a strategy for becoming visible within the community.; People in the community need to be aware of what the church is doing differently and the new ministries being planned. When we set about revitalizing our church, we sent letters into the whole community to let people know that we were beginning a whole new work. Because of the 100-year history of the church in the community; most people know of our existence, what they did not know was the new programs we were starting.; Consequently, we sent letters to everyone inviting them to come and see our new beginning. We planned special services in the local community events, we invited people to special events, and we allowed other groups such as the garden club to use our building. In this way the people in the community were able to gain a fresh look at our church and see what was going on.

Step Ten: Celebrate the past.
: For many people who have labored in a church for a number of years, having ties to the church that span generations, the idea of change can be frightening. For them, change is not just a departure from the previous methodology; it is a break from the past generations that built the church.; Change alters the symbols that define the church. Many of these symbols are representatives of past family members. To alter the symbols is to break a relational tie to the previous members. To overcome this fear, the leadership needs to carefully build upon the past and celebrate the past contributions that people have made.; Recognizing the past contributions of people can give assurance that the church is not breaking from the past but building upon it, that they are not rejecting what others have done but continuing the long history of the church. Recognizing what others have done in the past enables new people to learn the story of the church and identify with that story so that new people are united with the older members in a common history. It enables the new people to value the contributions of others.

Business vs. Family Polity: Insights For The Smaller Church

2005-04-22T09:45:00.000-07:00

By Glenn Daman

There remains a vast difference between what is written today about leadership and the type of leadership accepted by people within the small church. In recent history, the church has adopted much of the leadership model formulated within the secular business community.

While it is true that there is much that can (and should) be learned from the business paradigm of leadership, often that paradigm conflicts with the concept of leadership adapted within the small church. This results in the accusation that the small church remains hardheaded, unchangeable, un-leadable, old fashioned, or worse, downright sinful.

However, the problem is often not found in the people within in the church but in the failure of the leaders to understand the different paradigm by which the small church understands the role and nature of leadership.

Whereas much of what is written about church leadership follows a business model, the small church operates under a family model of leadership where relationships form the fabric for the community and organization. Just as a family owned and operated business views leadership vastly different from the large, Wall Street corporation, so also the congregation within the small church understands the roles and responsibilities of those placed in key positions differently from the larger church.

This is not to say that one is better than the other. Both paradigms can learn much from each other. However, if the pastor and board desire to be effective as leaders they need to understand the criterion by which the congregation judges and views leadership. Failing to do so results in the leadership grossly misunderstanding the people, bringing frustration and hurt to both the pastor and congregation.

1. The business model manages by objectives; the family model manages by relationships.

Management by objectives means that the leaders of the church and/or group formulate goals and objectives which become the basis for decisions. Plans are made based upon the desired outcome. Any decision that does not result in the achievement of the objectives is to be rejected. Only those that move the group closer to the accomplishment of the goals are validated.

Within the small church, decisions are not based upon objectives, but upon the effect the decision will have upon the unity and fellowship within the congregation. A decision, no matter how significant or beneficial, will be rejected if it is perceived to undermine or threaten the unity within the community. The decision to replace the organ with a keyboard is not based upon the objective of reaching baby boomers, but how it will affect the family who donated the organ and the person who has been playing the organ for the past twenty years.

2. Within the business model the leader is the visionary and direction setter; in the family model the congregation sets the vision and the leader serves as a facilitator and guide in assisting the congregation in determining and implementing its vision.

Most of the literature today dealing with the vision and direction of the church reflects a model adapted by the business community. Within this model, the pastor is responsible to set the direction and vision for the congregation. The congregation then follows the pastor and assists the pastor in implementing the vision.

George Barna, in his book, The Power of Vision, quotes Bill Moore who states, "The leader's got to have a vision of where he plans to take the company. He has to be able to dramatize that vision for his organization." (p. 168). In George Barna's model, the pastor function like the leader of a company in determining the direction for the church. As the pastor communicates the vision to the board and congregation, then they will rally around the pastor in moving the church forward.

In contrast, the small church often balks at any pastor who attempts to dictate the direction of the congregation. In the family model of leadership, any direction for the family is based upon input from the whole group, with each family member having a say in the matter. The role of the pastor is not to set the direction, but to help the congregation establish the direction they want to go. The people, not the pastor sets the vision for the congregation. The pastor is responsible to work with the various groups to implement that vision. In the small church they want a pastor who listens to their visions and dreams and works with them in achieving them.

3. Within the business model the pastor serves as the CEO, in the family model the pastor serves as a shepherd.

The small church wants a pastor who relates to them as individuals. They look for someone who will minister to them as a person rather than through programs. They want a leader who is approachable, who provides guidance and comfort through the struggles and daily pressures of life. While the pastor may oversee the various programs and ministries, the people are more concerned about relational skills than managerial skills.

Within the business model, the pastor's performance is evaluated based on the effectiveness by which he supervises the programs and sets the direction for the church's ministries. In the business model, it is more important that the pastor ministers to the whole congregation than to each individual within the congregation.

In the small church, how he ministers to each individual within the congregation is more important than how he ministers to the whole congregation. People evaluate the pastor by how well he relates to them. People examine the amount of time spent with them. They want to know the pastor personally and individually. They are not content to leave messages with his secretary or be referred to another staff member. The pastor needs to be accessible and available to each one.

4. Within the business model of leadership organizational plans dictate policies and procedures, in the family model of leadership relationships dictate policies and procedures.

The business model operates under the assumption that the health and well being of the organization is more important than the individual. Procedures are determined based upon the effect they will have upon the whole organization. Consequently, policies and procedures are designed to protect the organization and keep the congregation running smoothly.

Within the small church, because it focuses upon a family model, the assumption is that the individual is more important than the whole organization. It is not that they fail to see the importance of the organization, but that the health and well-being of one individual is seen to significantly impact the health and well-being of the whole group.

If one person is dissatisfied or upset, then the whole congregation experiences tension and the group dynamics are drastically altered. Consequently, policies and procedures are made to assure health of the individual and protect the individual from harm, even at the expense of organizational effectiveness.

5. The business model measures success by programs and growth, the family model focuses upon stability and unity.

The church operating under a business model measures success by results. They are product oriented rather than process oriented. The church is considered evangelistic if baptisms are occurring. The number of programs that are being developed and the amount of people participating within these ministries measures the growth and success of the church.

Thus, people evaluate the health of the congregation by the location and visibility of the church, the percentage of people involved in small groups, the stability of the financial resources, the adequacy of the facilities and the development of multifaceted programs. If numbers are increasing, people are satisfied because the church is growing. When numbers are decreasing, the leadership becomes dissatisfied because the church is declining.

Within the family model, relations and inward experiences measure success. The congregation is process oriented rather than product oriented. The congregation is considered to be evangelistic if people are sharing Christ with their neighbors and being involved in the community even if that does not translate into baptisms and the addition of new members.

The church is successful when there is unity within the congregation, when people are caring for one another. Health is measured by the absence of conflicts, the stability of the rolls, the willingness of people to be involved and the amount of personal growth experienced. People are satisfied regardless of the numbers as long as each individual is growing.

6. In the business model few make most of the decisions, in the family model the congregation makes most of the decisions.

The larger the church the more decisions are made by delegation. The various boards are responsible for most of the decisions. The congregation is responsible for the election of people to serve on the boards. The people decide only the most significant decisions that affect the whole congregation and future of the church.

Within the smaller church, everyone is considered to have an equal voice and the congregation makes most of the decisions. The various boards make only minor decisions and then only after the congregation has carefully delineated what those decisions would be. The boards are responsible for researching the issues and bringing recommendations to the congregation, but it is the congregation who has the final say in the matter.

Within the business model, decisions are made by the whole only when they affect the whole. In the family model, decisions are made by the whole even when they affect only a part.

One must also recognize that though some small churches may affirm the "equal vote" principle in theory, in practice it may not often be the case. While no one would admit it, there are cases where the patriarch's or matriarch's vote carries far more weight than another's vote.

On the other hand, small churches in exurban or suburban areas may operate under the principle in practice as well. In these churches there may not be a dominate tribal chief and people are given more of an equal status in the voting process. Such depends on each individual church. The most important thing for the pastor to realize is that he must first understand the congregation's perspective of leadership before the pastor attempts to force one upon them.

7. In the business model the budget guides decisions, in the family model decisions guide the budget.

When a business contemplates a proposal being considered, one of the first considerations is how the idea will fit within the budget. While the financial statues is not the sole determining factor, it does play heavily into the process. The formation of the new budget for the coming year is an important process and is given careful consideration.

Within the family model, the budget plays a far less significant role. Within the small church, budgets are made but rarely followed. People give based upon the need presented rather than the budget. The budget serves only to give general guidelines. When needs arise and proposals given, decisions are based upon the present financial status rather than any future budget. If there is a need, the congregation readily alters the budget rather than restricts it based upon the future budgeted needs.

8. In the business model groups function independently, in the family model groups function interdependently.

In the business model, there are a number of different groups that compose the whole function independent of each other. Only when their function and purpose affects the whole congregation, or another group is there mutual discussion and inter-relatedness.

Within the family model, the focus shifts to the whole where each group is an interrelated part. As a result, every decision of one group is of interest with the other groups, even when that decision does not have any direct bearing upon them. People in the Christian Education department desire to know what the Worship Group is doing because they see their work as part of worship and want to coordinate efforts.

When Sheep Squabble - Dealing With Conflict in the Smaller Church

2005-04-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

By Glenn Daman

The small church revolves around the close relationships formed within the congregation. Because of this, many believe that a small church is a place where deeply caring people who love one another and mutually support each other gather to worship, where conflicts are nonexistent, and where “never is heard a discouraging word.”

While this is true of many smaller congregations most of the time, it is not true of every congregation all the time. Conflict is a reality that confronts a congregation regardless of how loving and caring the people are. The difference between a loving congregation and one settling into patterns of warfare is not the amount of conflict or the intensity of conflict, but the way they respond to and resolve conflict.

Loving churches resolve conflict with minimal damage to long-term relationships. Warring congregations allow conflicts to fester and grow. They never seek resolution and often add new conflicts to their existing problems.

Since conflict is a reality pastors face in small-church ministry, they need to understand the dynamics of conflict within the small church and develop godly methods for resolving it. While conflict can affect a church of any size, when it arises in a small church it can devastate the spiritual well-being of the congregation and undermine its ministry for years to come.

The Dynamics Of Small-Church Conflict

When tensions develop because people disagree, even two or three individuals within the congregation, the small church experiences spiritual stress and emotional upheaval. Conflict can be especially traumatic for the people and pastor as they try to deal with the crisis.

Conflict undermines the morale of the pastor

One significant problem in a small church is the isolation of the pastor. In a small church there are no staff members from whom to obtain emotional and spiritual support. When issues arise the pastor often faces them alone.

This isolation is especially acute when pastors are embroiled in a controversy that involves the board. Because pastors do not have anyone to confide in, they lack the input and wisdom that could be gained from someone who understands the issues and can provide the unbiased counsel needed to resolve the problems.

Many pastors in small churches in isolated communities also experience the compounded effects of isolation. They often feel overlooked and abandoned. Even their denominational leaders may sometimes seem distant and unavailable to them and their congregation.

Some pastors find comfort and counsel from other pastors in the area, but small-church pastors often do not have this option. There may be no local ministerial association and the nearest church may be miles away. As a result pastors become easily discouraged and soon feel overwhelmed by the conflict. When they can no longer maintain a positive perspective, they start seeing the situation as hopeless and soon leave the church or ministry.

Conflict undermines the morale of the small church

The morale of a small church is often fragile. Because the church may struggle with finances, staff, and resources, there is a concern that the church will no longer be viable. A small church can become discouraged if other churches grow and it does not. The people can become discouraged if new families visit, but go to the church down the road because it offers more programs. The positive characteristic they cling to is “we are a loving church.” If, however, the church becomes embroiled in a conflict, it undermines the one characteristic that is the strength of the church. The discouragement this causes adds fuel to the conflict, especially when people start blaming each other for the current problems.

Small churches often mask conflict under the guise of relational unity

A small church has a relational culture. The people can appear unified in public, but conflicts often remain hidden below the surface. Members may be resentful from past hurts and offenses, and even be angry and bitter.

In a small church there exists a cultural obligation for people to get along, to help one another and work together. This cultural expectation pressures people to overlook their differences and look beyond the petty quarrels that divide people. This can often challenge people to resolve their conflicts, but it can also become a mask behind which conflict simmers and festers, and eventually explodes and divides the church. The tensions may never degenerate into open warfare, but a cold war can exist where people manipulate church politics to undermine their opponents’ programs or ideas.

Conflicts affect the whole

A disagreement between two individuals in a larger church may remain unnoticed by the rest of the congregation; but in a smaller congregation, the whole church feels the tension. A small church operates as a whole. People want to know what is going on in every program and ministry, even if they are not directly involved. Consequently, everyone becomes aware of a conflict between two individuals. They will intuitively sense the tension, even if they are not fully aware of the issues.

This can be beneficial if the congregation puts pressure on the individuals to resolve their differences, but it can also be destructive when people start choosing sides. This polarization can happen because of existing bloodlines in the church. When the conflict involves two prominent families, clan warfare can arise as each tribal chief fights for dominance.

Conflicts affect the testimony of the church

The future ministry of the church can be affected when people become angry and bitter with one another. This is especially true for churches in smaller communities where the population remains static. People in the community say, “Well, I used to attend that church, but. …”

The ongoing conflicts that hinder the outreach of the church may not only stem from internal conflicts within the church, but also from conflicts within the community. When invited to attend the church, people say, “I would go to church, if so-and-so did not go there.”

A church that has a history of conflict may become known as “the church that can’t get along.” These scenarios are especially true when a past conflict was never resolved. Before the church can begin any significant outreach into the community, it may need to bring resolution to issues that happened decades ago.

Stress Points In The Small Church

Many issues can cause tension within a church. People have conflicts over values and goals. They disagree over issues of power and authority. Conflicts can also arise because people are discouraged and morale is low. These can undermine unity within the congregation. The small church is no more exempt from these issues than a large church. There are issues, however, to which a smaller congregation is more susceptible.

Conflicts because of cultural tensions

In the past, small churches, especially those in rural areas, were a homogeneous group unified around established cultural norms and values reflecting the homogeneous nature of the whole community. In recent years, however, there has been a dramatic shift in rural areas. People moving back into rural areas from urban areas create the potential for cultural tensions when traditional rural values and culture collide with urban values and culture. This not only affects relationships within the community, but it also affects relationships in the church.

Congregations become involved in tensions over music, versions of the Bible, dress codes, and other cultural differences. Concerns that are cultural become biblical issues when the division between cultural values and biblical values becomes clouded. When tensions arise, people not only disagree, but also see the opposition as being liberal or legalistic, and thus ungodly.

Conflicts also develop over nonreligious issues such as the environment, land-use policies, and other political issues being debated within the community. These political hot potatoes not only dominate the political landscape, but they also infiltrate the church. People on opposite ends of the political arena may be sitting on the same pew on Sunday. The tensions they experience in the secular world create tensions within the congregation and affect the congregation’s interaction and involvement with the secular community.

As these opinions collide, the church can provide reconciliation within the congregation and community. The church can have a significant witness, not by taking sides in the cultural battles, or remaining indifferent to them, but by demonstrating the ministry of reconciliation between people and pointing people to spiritual reconciliation with God (2 Corinthians 5:18–21).

Tribal warfare

Quite often a person or family within a small church becomes the tribal chief. This individual or family, because of past involvement, possess significant authority and influence in the church. This person may be in an official position of authority such as on the board, or he may not hold any recognized position. His influence, however, significantly controls the decisions and direction of the church. The congregation looks up to him.

Conflict arises in a small church when the tribal chief’s authority and influence are challenged. Often the challenge comes from the pastor as he finds himself at odds with this individual over the decisions and direction of the church. The result is tribal warfare in the congregation.

When the conflict is between the pastor and the tribal chief, people often will not openly oppose the pastor, but they will begin to withdraw from ministry positions and from financially supporting the church. In many cases, when the tribal chief conflicts with the pastor, the rest of the congregation will support the tribal chief and the pastor becomes isolated from the church and is eventually forced to resign.
Change

Change inevitably leads to conflict, even when the change is unavoidable. Change creates a conflict with the past as the church seeks to move forward to the future. Small churches have often been criticized for being rigid and unwilling to change. While this at times is true, in most cases people are willing to change, but they do not want to be forced into a change they do not understand or do not perceive as beneficial to themselves and to the church. When making a change creates a problem, most often it is not a reflection of the people’s attitude toward change, but the way the leader has introduced and handled the change.

Because the small church is relationally driven, people are not willing to embrace changes that may negatively affect relationships within the congregation. They will not embrace a change that is perceived to destroy a relational connection with past and present members who have built the church. For example, the church may resist changing the pews even though the old pews are terribly uncomfortable because John, who was a founder of the church, purchased the pews. For them, the issue is not the discomfort they feel during a service. The pews are a testimony to the heritage John left the church. Changing the pews would destroy the visible and tangible testimony of that heritage.

When making changes, the pastor must determine what the relational connections are and how to maintain them during the process. In the case of the pews, it may mean placing a plaque on the new pews that recognizes John and his contribution to the church.

Personalities

People disagree because people have different personalities. Some people enjoy country music, some enjoy classical music, and some enjoy contemporary music. Some people like red carpet, some prefer green, and some want no carpet at all. A church of 75 people has 75 different personalities. In a small church, people freely express their preferences and desires. While people may develop skills to work through the personality differences, there are times when those differences clash profoundly. Individuals become hurt and angry if they interpret the rejection of their ideas as a rejection of themselves. What seems to be a minor disagreement becomes a full-blown war as individuals fight for their personal identity.

While pastors encourage people to live out their faith as Paul challenges us in Philippians 2, placing the needs of others above their own rarely happens. People remain self-serving rather than self-sacrificing due to their uncontrolled carnal nature. Leaders must foster an atmosphere where people value the differences they have and realize that the strength of the church is not found in the homogeneity of the group, but in the diversity of the group, both in giftedness and personality.

Resolving Conflict Within The Small Church

Conflict in itself is not wrong or necessarily destructive. What is wrong and what causes the destruction of relationships is how people respond to conflict. The key to dealing with conflict is not to avoid it, but to properly resolve it. Many resources are available that can assist the pastor and board in conflict resolution.1 The following issues are relevant to resolving conflict in the small church.

Personal interaction

Because the small church is relationally driven, the first and most crucial element of conflict resolution is personal and direct interaction with the other person. Many conflicts between two people can be handled by a personal phone call or visit. The pastor can serve as an informal mediator between the two parties, helping them understand one another and come to a common and agreeable solution. The foundation of this approach to problem solving is the relationship the pastor has with the two people. If a pastor develops solid relationships with his people, they will respect and welcome his involvement in the situation. If the pastor, however, remains aloof and distant from his congregation, his involvement will be seen as an intrusion and cause the conflict to escalate. When issues arise between people that cause tension, the pastor should be able to go to them, listen and assess the issue, and provide suggestions for a quick and fair resolution. In a small church, the pastor is quickly aware of conflicts and usually has a positive, personal relationship with the people involved. This relationship provides opportunities for pastoral involvement in conflict resolution.

Board intervention

If the conflict affects a group of individuals, the whole congregation, or if the pastor becomes involved in the conflict, then the board must be included in the resolution process. The issue may be minor, and it may be one the pastor can address. But if the conflict is on a church issue, the board needs to be aware of it.

The board can provide prayer support for the people involved and emotional and spiritual support for the pastor as he seeks to bring about the resolution. It is a mistake for a pastor to make decisions that affect the congregation without first communicating to the board. The pastor then becomes the center of the conflict and is without any support. If the pastor has communicated clearly with the board and is acting on decisions that were jointly made, the board will unite and support the pastor even when people are critical.

Active intervention

A small church has a tendency to overlook conflict and sweep it under the carpet. This does not bring resolution, but creates subversive hostility. The people involved begin to develop bitterness and anger toward each other. When tensions arise, it is important for the pastor and board to become actively involved in making sure the issues are resolved.

To resolve the problems, the pastor and board chairman need to first meet with the individuals involved and determine the issues that gave rise to the hostilities. Second, once the issues are identified and clarified, then the pastor and board need to meet to discuss the problem and the kind of intervention needed. Third, in many cases the pastor and the board need to meet with the people involved to help them find a solution to the problem. When meeting with the individuals, the board should try to find a solution that both parties can support. Once a solution has mutual support, the people involved need to be asked to make a covenant with the other party stating that they will work toward the solution. Finally, once both parties agree to the solution, it is the responsibility of the board, not just the pastor, to hold the people accountable by ensuring that the agreement is lived out.

Preventing Conflict In The Small Church

While all conflict cannot and should not be avoided, many conflicts within the small church can be prevented. Many tensions can develop, not because of sinful behavior, but because pastors fail to communicate clearly and learn how to work with others.

Working with the tribal chief

Pastors can avoid being entangled in controversy by learning to work with the tribal chief of the congregation. Remember, this individual has considerable influence in the church. A pastor sometimes wrongly assumes that the tribal chief disagrees with his ideas because he is carnal and power driven. In most cases, however, the tribal chief has risen to the rank he holds because of his faith and long-term involvement in the church. A tribal chief often provides the spiritual stability small churches need during changes in pastoral leadership.

Because small churches tend to experience rapid turnover in pastoral leadership, people in the church do not always look to the pastor to provide the stability needed to see the church through difficult times. Rather, the tribal chief is the stabilizing influence. When a pastor seeks to unseat a tribal chief, he finds himself not only at odds with the tribal chief, but at odds with the congregation. When the church becomes unsettled because the pastor and the tribal chief have entered into conflict, the people will not look to the pastor for stability and security, but will turn to the tribal chief.

If a pastor desires to have influence in the growth and stability of the congregation, he must learn to work side by side with the tribal chief, gaining his trust and support. When the pastor enlists the support of the tribal chief for a new ministry or a change in ministry, the entire congregation will readily adopt the idea. They will no longer see the change as a threat to the stability of the church.

Orchestrate change carefully

Most change results in conflict as the desired new methods clash with the established old methods. As a result, change involves a loss as well as a threat to the stability of the church. This is especially critical to a church that is struggling to exist. Even though the change may be necessary for the church to remain viable, people fear that the change may be the final action that pushes the church over the edge.

When a pastor seeks to make changes within a small church, it is important to orchestrate the change in a way that minimizes the threat and loss to the congregation. This involves clearly communicating why the change is necessary, communicating both the positive and negative effects the change may have, and then allowing people the freedom to accept or reject the change. It is important to gain the people’s consent and support when seeking approval for a change. The people need to give their support to the proposed, otherwise it will not be effective.

Maintain communication

Pastors often create tension because they assume everyone has heard and understood what has been communicated. Conflict usually arises because pastors have under-communicated rather than over-communicated. The rule of thumb is: the more significant the issue and the more it affects congregational life, the more pastors must communicate clearly and continually what is happening and why. This is especially true in the small church. The people want to know what is going on in every aspect of the ministry. The adage, “communicate on a need to know basis,” does not work in the small church. Communication in a small church is as critical and necessary as it is in a larger congregation, perhaps even more so. The people are interested in the church’s ministry and have a need to know.

Conclusion

Conflict is a reality in every church, whether it is large or small. The task of pastoral leadership is not to eradicate every conflict in the church, but to help people resolve the conflicts in a way that honors Christ, protects the people, and manifests love within the congregation. To achieve this, the pastor of a small church must be proactive in conflict resolution. Too often, pastors assume that love will override the conflict because a small church is relationally driven and enjoys close interpersonal relationships. This is often not the case.

Unresolved conflict becomes the seedbed of dissension and division and can destroy the closeness of the church and undermine its ministry. Pastors need to be active in assisting people to communicate openly and honestly about disagreements and to work toward mutually agreeable solutions.

When the board becomes involved in the resolution, the effects of the tension on the whole congregation will be minimized. When the congregation knows the board is united, they are more willing to remain on the sidelines rather than become involved in the dispute. Furthermore, when they see the issue being resolved by the board, they are less likely to become stressed by the crisis. Instead, they will remain confident that God is at work in the church.

When pastors resolve conflict in a godly manner and communicate clearly with the board, they maintain a spiritually healthy and vibrant church even in the midst of disagreements. Conflict does not need to destroy the ministry of the pastor or the church. It can become a springboard for spiritual growth as people learn to communicate clearly, love unconditionally, and forgive completely. It is not the absence of conflict that distinguishes a loving church, but the resolution of it. When pastors successfully resolve conflict within the church, it distinguishes the church from an unloving world where bitterness, anger, and hostilities destroy relationships. When the people in the church love their enemies, accept one another in spite of their differences, and resolve their disagreements, then all men will know that they are Christ’s disciples from the love they have for one another (John 13:35).
Endnote

1. Norman Shawchuck, How To Manage Conflict in the Church, vol. 1and 2 (Glendale Heights, Ill.: Spiritual Growth Resources, 1984). Also, Edward G. Dobson, Speed B. Leas, Marshall Shelly, Mastering Conflict and Controversy(Portland, Oregon: Multnomah Press, 1992).

Originally published in Enrichment Journal Spring 2005 http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/

The Purpose of Leadership: The Call to Transformational Ministry - Part Two

2005-04-22T08:50:00.000-07:00

Part Two

By Glenn Daman

If the purpose of our ministry is transformational in nature, the question confronting us is whom we are to transform and how do we go about achieving the process. We have repeated stated and implied that ministry is intrinsically simple, but it is not easy. This is especially true regarding the task of influencing and impacting people’s lives. In ministry we can become so focused upon programs and structures that we loose sight of the real object of our ministry. In many cases we fall prey to the proverbial error of the tail wagging the dog. The reason is because we become muddled in our thinking regarding the focus of our ministry. When this happens ministry becomes confusingly complex and thorny. The result in the small church is that we start trying to duplicate what worked elsewhere. We attempt to become the mini-mega-church. Instead of developing a ministry that is tailored to our specific small church location and environment, we try to force an external model upon the church. The result is not only frustration in the ministry of the pastor and people, but a failure to develop a truly transformational ministry.

Any size church can have a powerful, transformational ministry whether it is small or large. Because the focus of ministry is transformational rather than merely numerical growth, the size of the church is never an indicator of the quality of ministry it might have nor is it a barometer of the influence in can have in changing people’s loves. However, to make a difference for the cause of Christ we need to have a clear understanding of whom we are to influence and how we have a transformational impact upon them.

We are to transform people by being a shepherd.

One of the pictures used to present the pastoral ministry is that of a shepherd (from which the term “pastor” is derived). This term used by Paul in Ephesians 4:11 had its roots in the Old Testament understanding of Biblical leadership in relationship to both God and the human leaders of the people. God was the shepherd who cared for his people, protecting and providing for them (Psalm 68:7; Psalm 23; Isaiah 40:11). This correlation between the leader of the people and the shepherding model finds it parallel throughout the Ancient Near East. With its close ties to an agrarian milieu, both within the language and culture the king was regarded as the shepherd of the people. Thus it was easy for the Old Testament writers to speak not only of God being the shepherd of Israel, but also referring any individual who was designated by God to be the leader of the people of God. This imagery further finds expression in Christ’s own picture of his care of his people. He referred to himself as the good shepherd and his people as his flock. While the terms “Elder” and “overseer” describe the position of leadership within the church it was the term shepherd that served to describe the function of leadership (see 1 Peter 5:1-4; Acts 20:28-29). This picture provides us a clearly perspective of the responsibility we have as pastors. Rather than being leaders who are visionaries, we are shepherds that care. As E. Glenn Wagner points out, “I wonder: If I came to a new church and showed the people that I was a shepherd, that I cared for them-but did not yet have a vision for them-where would that congregation be in a year? Worst case? I might be pasturing a church of forty or fifty people because my abilities and gifts wouldn’t carry me beyond that. But is that so wrong? …Doesn’t that little church deserve a shepherd who models Christ? On the other hand, where would that church be if I came as a leader which great vision but no shepherd’s heart? I think the latter scenario could be more destructive than the former.” (Wagner, Escape from Church, Inc, p.148). While having a vision and being a leader is beneficial to ministry, it is not the core of our ministry. Instead we are called to provide care for the people. A shepherd is one who understands the people and tailors the ministry to minister to the needs of people.

An effective shepherds cares individually for the sheep.

Being effective within the pastoral role involves more than overseeing the spiritual well being of the whole congregation. It also involves providing individual care and guidance for everyone within the congregation. The danger is that we can depersonalize ministry to the point that we are leading the congregation but not ministering to the individuals within the church. However, Christ himself models individual care by giving personal attention to each person within the body of Christ. Christ states that a shepherd is one who “calls his own sheep by name” (John 10:3). This implies a personal relationship in which there is intimate knowledge of the special needs and care necessary to bring healing and health to the each sheep. Furthermore, the word “calls” “expresses personal address rather than general or authoritative invitation” (Westcott, Gospel of St. John, p. 152). This is further highlighted by Christ’s statement in verse 14 and 15 that “I know my sheep and my sheep know me-just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.” Just as there is personal interaction and involvement between the Father and the Son, so there is personal interaction between Christ and his followers.

As pastors of small churches we often decry our lack of resources and our limitations within the church and within our own giftedness. What we fail to recognize is that we already possess the greatest asset necessary for effective, transformational ministry: That being a personal knowledge of the people we serve. Because the church is small, everyone within the church has direct access to us, and we have a personal knowledge of what is going on in their lives. We know everyone’s strengths and weakness, we know the struggles and triumphs they face. We know the difficulties that they are confronted with each day. This knowledge becomes the basis for effectiveness in ministry as we can personally encounter them in their daily lives. We can have a personalized ministry, one that ministers specifically and particularly to them. Our ministry is not generically conducted with a “one size fits all” approach. Rather it is custom-made, tailored to the individual. As we interact with people we can apply scripture to specific situations they are facing. This is not done in a “formal counseling” session, but over informal interaction over a cup of coffee or a breakfast at a local diner.

An effective shepherd cares for the needs of the sheep.

When people enter the church they do come from a spiritual vacuum where they are untouched by the spiritual perceptions permeating our culture. Nor do they enter into the church spiritually whole. The reality remains that everyone (ourselves included) enters the church spiritually scarred and wounded. They have been damaged by the pains and trials of spiritual battles. They have been marred by the effects of sin in the past. Like Peter, after his denial of Christ, they wonder if God could ever accept and love them again. However, perhaps the greatest tragedy is that often they are not even aware of the spiritual scars that plague their life. The greatest deception of the evil one is the deception that we are not in desperate need of God’s infinite grace and forgiveness. We believe that we are inherently good and acceptable before a righteous God. We have been taught so long that we are to have a healthy self-image that we have forgotten that before we can think rightly about ourselves, we first must think rightly about God. The result is not only spiritual disaster but also emotional upheaval. So people struggle with their personal identity, with depression as they are unable to cope or understand the struggles they face, with anger as the actions of others seem to thwart their own search for personal identity. The apostle Paul summarizes the reality of many when he writes, “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips” (Colossians 3:5-8). Paul recognized that there remains often a dichotomy between the way people are to live because of their new life in Christ and the way in which they are currently conducting their lives. He realized that just because we are called to live Christ-like does not mean that we will live Christlike.

It is this discrepancy that challenges the pastor to shepherd his people. We are the avenue through which God often uses to bring his healing suave to the spiritual and emotional wounds of people (see Ephes 4:11-16). To do this, we must “feed the sheep,” that is we must constantly be communicating the truth of God in a manner that addresses and heals the spiritual struggles we face. The way we bring this healing is not through programs but through the proclamation of the word of God. When we are serving small churches, especially in isolated rural areas, we often do not have the counseling resources to which we can refer people for help. While there is a great deal of value to psychology and it is a discipline that we should not hesitate to utilize, we also can have confidence that we have an invaluable resource already in our possession by which we can bring spiritual and emotional health to people.

This is not to say that the use of professional counselors should not be utilized when it is available. In the ongoing debate concerning the value and place of psychology to address the emotional needs of people we often forget that it is not a case of either/or, but an issue of both/and. When psychological services are available we should not hesitate to utilize them. However, even in addressing the emotional needs of people there are also spiritual needs that need to be addressed. This is the role we fulfill as shepherds. A shepherd not only mends the broken but provides oversight in helping people find other resources to address individual needs and then follows up to make sure the person is on the way to emotional and spiritual health. The advantage we have as shepherds of small churches is we can often identify individuals who are in emotional and spiritual stress and we can intervene before the individual comes to a point of severe crisis

An effective shepherd protects the sheep.

Spiritual wolves are the constant threat to the sheep. Consequently the shepherd is to be continually on vigil least these wolves infiltrate the sheep and decimate the flock. Paul warns of this danger in his writing to those who desire to be shepherds of God’s flock (Acts 20:29). The church lives in a hostile area where the battle we face is incessant requireing perpetual vigilance. There remains the relentless threat that individuals and false teaching will infiltrate the church and seek to destroy the health of the church. This warning relates to the false teachers prevalent in a fallen world. These false teachers will corrupt both doctrine and practical living. They will distort the truth of scripture and the understanding of God and his redemptive plan, and they will corrupt godly behavior in order to prevent people from being transformed into the image of Christ. The challenge we face in the church is the challenge of not only doctrinal integrity but Christ-centered consistency in daily practice. One of the strengths of the small church has been its adherence to doctrinal truth. The small church has often remained a stalwart in upholding the doctrinal history of the church. However, in its adherence to correct theology it has often fallen prey to the same error as the church at Ephesus which maintained doctrinal purity and diligent activity, but had lost touch with its daily practice. It had strongly opposed the Nicolaitans and their heretical theology, but lost connection with the daily relationship with God (Revelation 2:1-7). Those in the small church have long upheld the doctrines of the church but overlooked the greater danger of no longer having a biblical worldview that governs all aspects of life. We have become practical schizophrenics who believe one thing, but practice another. As shepherds it is not only our task to correct bad theology, it is also our task to correct corrupt lifestyles. To guard against spiritual wolves is to be vigilant concerning both those who teach heresy and those who practice it. When we become professionals rather than preachers, where we become driven by crowds rather than truth we run the risk of teaching what is popular rather than what is transformational. When this happens we are no longer shepherds but hired hands who abandon the sheep to avoid the trauma of confronting wolves (John 10:11-13).

However, error not only infiltrates the church from a secular culture bent on rebelling against God, it also comes from those who are within the church. Paul goes on to warn, “Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:30). These are individual who are more concerned about position and their own standing within the church rather than the health of the congregation. They promote their own agenda rather than prayerfully seeking God’s direction for the church. They reduce the church to a political struggle for power and authority within the congregation. While in the small church the “tribal chief” is often one who has a deep love for God and a passion for the well-being of the church, and the wise pastor learns to work with them, there are times when their position within the church and their desire to maintain their authority becomes more important than what is best for the church. Sometimes some of the most difficult tasks we face in the small church is confronting the tribal chief and loosening authority from them. While this should always be done carefully and under girded with prayer, there are times that it must be done even at the risk of our position within the church. To be godly shepherds requires that we protect the congregation from those who are within the church who lead the church away from the truth and hamstring the ministry. While this is never easy and sometimes extremely painful, it may be necessary to be faithful to our calling to be shepherds.

An effective shepherd sacrifices for the sheep.

When we entered ministry we did so with optimism and a sense of excitement. We had an idealistic view where people would be thrilled by our messages and excited about our programs. With the command of Jesus to “feed my lambs” in our mind, we entered with a serene pastoral image of a shepherd lovingly watching over the flock as the little lambs frolic at his feet. It does not take long for this idealistic view to be shattered in the pain of rejection, discouragement and disappointment. Instead of a flock of sheep, we often wonder if we were given a herd of stubborn mules, who have the furiousness of wolves, the spiritual sensitivity of a baboon and the speed of a turtle.

Not only are we confronted with the pain of dealing with broken people, but also we ourselves are often broken by our own inadequacies and failures. The demands of ministry always exceed our capabilities and resources. We face the difficulties of trying to heal conflicts, deal with emotionally disturbed people (some of whom may even be on the board), and free people caught in the snares of sinful behaviors. We are confronted with our inadequacies as we counsel couples who have deep-rooted bitterness towards one another, assist parents whose child is rejecting every value and ethos they treasure, and help someone through the trauma of terminal cancer. In all this we are painfully aware of our own sinfulness and weaknesses. At times we stand in the pulpit knowing full well that we are not practicing the very message we are preaching. In our despair we blame our education and complain that the seminary or college did not adequately train us for the problems we face. But the reality is that the failure is not the seminary or college, for no matter how much training we received we could never be fully prepared for the trials we face.

What we failed to realize as we enter ministry is that to be a shepherd and transform people there would be an incredible cost that we would have to pay. When Jeremiah complained to God about the wickedness of the people and the treatment he received, God reminded him, “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan” (Jeremiah 12:5). In other words, “If you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen.” What we forget is that when God called us to transform people there was a sacrifice that had to be made. Christ realized this when he stated, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). What distinguishes the genuine shepherd from the hired hand is the degree that the shepherd places the welfare and well-being of the sheep above his own. The genuine shepherd is willing to pay the price in protecting the sheep. Paul recognized the cost when he described the trials and struggles he faced in ministry (2 Corinthians 4:7-12). His motivation was that “All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God” (verse 15).

If we desire to change people and transform individuals into disciples for Christ, then we must be willing to sacrifice our time, energies and talents so that others may realize the grace of God operating in their lives. It requires that we sacrifice our dreams of “success” (i.e. serving larger churches or growing churches in highly visible locations) to minister to a small congregation in isolated communities. It means that we recognize that the church of thirty is just as valuable to God as the church of 3000 five blocks down the street. God is just as concerned about the growth of the individual as he is the growth of the whole. In our market driven, mega-size society, what we often fail to understand is that God values each individual and that he sacrificed himself not just for the masses of people who would become the church, but also for each individual who would become part of the church. Since we are to follow him and pattern our ministry after his, we should do no less. The power to transform people corresponds to the amount we are willing to sacrifice for them. God did not call us to a life of ease, but to a life of pain, sorrow, and difficulty in order that in the end he might receive the glory.

An Effective shepherd searches for the sheep.

The picture Christ desires to present of his own ministry is not that of a shepherd who oversees the well-being of the 99, but the shepherd who leaves the 99 in order to search diligently for the wayward one (Matthew 18:12-14). While this statement makes for a wonderful picture of a shepherd carrying his lamb back to the flock, what we often overlook is that the context is not of someone who got lost, but someone who has become ensnared in sin and is rebellion against God (verses 15-20). This is not a lamb that lost his way, but one that deliberately went his own way. Perhaps even more troubling is God’s condemnation of the shepherds in Ezekiel 34:1-10. His chief indictment against them was that “you have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost” (verse 4). To care for people means that we are diligent in our care even of those who are in rebellion against God and causing us the most difficulties in ministry. We are not satisfied merely to look at the number of people we have in our pews or how many new individuals have come in the front door. We are also deeply concerned about the people who are leaving the church, who are no longer attending and we go out of our way to bring them back into fellowship. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:28-29, “Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?” To be effective as a shepherd requires that we are not content when people leave the church, not because we have “lost a costumer,” but because the person has stepped outside of fellowship with God. Consequently we are willing to go and diligently and lovingly seek to bring them back into a right relationship with God.

The Purpose of Leadership: The Call to Transformational Ministry - Part One

2005-04-22T07:57:00.000-07:00

Part One

By Glenn Daman

To understand leadership we need to understand its fundamental purpose. It has been rightly said that if you do not know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else. In other words, if we do not have a clear idea of what our goals are, then we will never have a clear idea of what we are to do. This is especially true concerning leadership. How we understand the purpose of leadership will determine how we define the task of leadership and how we go about performing our responsibilities. Our purpose defines our goals, our goals define our priorities and our priorities influence how we define our responsibilities. If our purpose as leaders is organizational, then our goals will be to have an efficient organization. Our priorities, then, will be determined by what contributes to an efficiently run organization. Our responsibilities will ultimately be organizational in nature. However, if, our purpose as leaders is spiritual in nature, then our goals must be spiritually defined.

The spiritual purpose of a leader is to bring people into a personal, vibrant and real relationship with Christ.

Paul describes the purpose of his ministry in Col 1:28-29, “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labour, struggling with all his energy, which so perfectly works in me.” For Paul, the purpose governing all his activities and efforts was the spiritual transformation of people. This defines our purpose as well. Since it is our function to bring people to Christ, our goal is to lead in a manner that brings transformation in the lives of people.

People, to enter into a vital relationship with Christ, must be radically changed. First they must be changed redemptively, that is they must be changed from being spiritual dead to spiritually alive. Second, they must be changed sanctificationally. Even though they have a relationship with Christ, there must be the ongoing process by which they begin to manifest and reveal Christ’s character within them. This task, while resting ultimately upon the initiative of the Holy Spirit, involves the work of spiritual leaders. Paul states emphatically that God gave leaders to the church for the purpose of assisting the church in this sanctificational process (Eph 4:11-13).

The goal of leadership is transformational in nature.

A spiritual leader does not lead passively, merely imparting knowledge about God in the hopes that people might respond. Instead, we are to aggressively and actively seek to influence and impact people for the cause of Christ. Too often, in the church, our preaching and ministry has followed how we present theology. The reason theology has lost its power and influence in the church is because it was often presented without a transformational goal. Systematic theology, which is the study of God, too often was given without the call to respond properly to God. It addressed the mind, but never addressed the will. It may have challenged how we think about God, but it neglected to challenge how we live before God. So people regarded (wrongfully and tragically so) theology as dead orthodoxy rather than necessary for vibrant spirituality. We face the same danger in the church regarding leadership. When we start to view leadership merely organizationally (i.e. vision casting, administration, programs, etc.), we lose the very soul of leadership. The task of leadership is not to challenge the mind of people with biblical facts (although this is necessary), nor is it to guide the church organization, it is to seek to challenge people with transformation through the proclamation and application of biblical truth (see Acts 2:40; 26:3,29; 2 Cor. 10:1,2; Gal 4:12). When we lead the church without seeking to transform the church the end result is that we render leadership impotent and stagnate. The effect is that people become cynical and apathetic towards leaders.

The Necessity for a Transformational Ministry

Crucial in our understanding is the realization that all transformation is ultimately the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the individual and congregation. In the end, we must always recognize that we have done nothing worthy of recognition and merit in changing people. All the credit must and will go to the work of a sovereign and gracious God working in the lives of people. However, equally crucial is the realization that God in his infinite wisdom and grace chooses to use us as leaders in the process for effecting change within the church and within people. We are to lead with a transformational goal simply because God calls us to this ministry, equips us for this ministry, empowers us in this ministry and uses us through this ministry. Being transformational in our task is critical because of the need for change in the lives of people. They do not come into the church spiritual whole. Instead, they enter the doors of our sanctuary spiritually and morally crippled and marred.

We are called to lead people in spiritual transformation.

The world in which we live is in a crisis of confusion concerning the character of God. Like the paganism and polytheism that tainted the Ancient Near Eastern world, so our society is influenced by corrupted views of God. The names have changed, but the false gods they represent have not. Instead of Baal we have New Age philosophy, instead of Re we have Eastern Mysticism with its worship of creation, instead of Asherah we have the worship of the super-models and the sexuality they represent. We have consumerism, materialism, humanism, Yoga, meditation and a host of other philosophies that spew forth the same cesspool of idolatry represented by the gods of the Canaanites. Like the Israelites in the times of the prophets, so our culture has been indoctrinated with the teaching of the modern idols resulting in the incorporation of these even into our own view of spirituality. We live in an age where there is a renewed interest in spirituality. However, this interest has not brought a clarification of biblical truth in the minds of people, but corruption as truth has become relative and God has become limited in his own being (as expressed by Process Theology). The result is a clouded view of God and a confused understanding of the nature and being of God. Like the prophets of Scripture, our task as leaders is to call people from the confusion of polytheism to the clarity of the monotheistic God of Scriptures. Like Elijah on Mount Carmel we are to challenge people to choose between the God of the Bible and the gods of the culture. We are to confront faulty notions of God and rebuild people’s perspective with a right understanding of God. Transformation begins, not with changing people’s perspective of themselves, but with changing people’s perspective of God. Even though we know our people well, even in the small church we should never assume that they have a right understanding of God. Many people who come to church Sunday after Sunday, who have been raised in our congregations, who wouldn’t dream of reading any other Bible but the King James Version, have idolatrous views of God. As Stephen Charnock points out, it is not the absolute denial of God that is at the heart of atheism; it is the denial or doubting of some of the rights of his nature (The Existence and Attributes of God, 1:24). Idolatry is not just the denial of the God of Scripture in favor of another; it also is the misrepresentation of him. If we are not actively seeking to correct people’s view of God, then we deny the exclusiveness of God and the vitality of his nature and we become idolaters ourselves.

We are called to lead people in moral transformation

With the distortion of our view of comes a distortion of our view of morality. It should not surprise us that we see a moral decline in our culture for it is the inevitable result of post-modernity. When truth becomes unknowable, morality becomes indefinable (1 Timothy 1:10-11). Morality and ethics are further undermined when the focus shifts from personal character to personal achievement. As Millard Erickson points out, “The effect of this modernization is to create two separate spheres, the public and the private. The one world is defined by personal relations, and is made up of small, insulated islands of home, family and personal friends. The other is defined by the functions within the capitalistic machine. In this great system of production and distribution, persons are valued not for who they are or what they believe or hold as values, but for what the do” (Milliard Erickson, Postmodernizing the Faith, p. 30). The tragedy is that what is true in our culture is equally true in the church. No longer is a leader evaluated by what the values he or she represents, but by the achievements they accomplish. As long as the pastor is well liked, communicates effectively from the pulpit and “builds” the church, people are willing to overlook significant moral and ethical weaknesses.

Along with this moral decline has come a whole new set of moral questions. Genetic engineering, artificial reproduction technology, doctor assisted suicide, right to die and a host of other medical ethical questions brought about by the advancement of science have raised a whole new set of moral issues. Other issues, while long present within different subcultures are now become prevalent within the mainstream of society. Issues such as gambling (now supported by the state), pornography (both soft and hardcore), civil disobedience, drug abuse (both alcohol and stimulants), divorce and a host of other social issues are no longer outside the church but present within the church. We live in a society where self-centeredness and manipulation are encouraged (for an example see the proliferation of the ‘reality TV’ shows where people are willing to hurt, embarrass and manipulate others for their own gain) and humility and community are abandoned. Just because people come to church does not mean they leave the cultural morality (or immorality) behind to embrace a biblical morality and ethos.

It is in this world that the leader must lead. As we lead we must not lead people to transform their morality by merely confronting cultural vices; we must challenge people to be completely different. As Carl Henry points out, “Christianity is qualitatively different or it has nothing distinctive to offer the world.” He goes on to point out, “We need to do more than to sponsor a Christian subculture. We need a Christian counterculture that sets itself alongside the secular rivals and publishes openly the difference that belief in God and His Christ makes in the arenas of thought and action. We need Christian countermoves that commend a new climate, countermoves that penetrate the public realm” (Carl Henry, “Twilight of a Great Civilization, p. 44). The transformation that we are to call people to is to be complete and entire, affect the very core and essence of the personhood. Concerning the transformation that is to take place, Paul writes that we are to be a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). This is not merely a restoration of the person by the Holy Spirit to a pre-fall condition, but a complete transformation penetrating the very nature of the individual. The result is that we are to thinking differently and have a completely different mindset (Romans 8:5-7).

Becoming a Transformational Leader.

Inherent within our call as small church leaders is our calling to transform people. While it is ultimately the work of the Holy Spirit in accomplishing this transformation we need to recognize that we have the distinct privilege of being used by the Holy Spirit in challenging peoples lives. To be one who is used by the Holy Spirit it is important that we be available for him to use. This availability is not only in our inward willingness to serve, but how we develop as leaders.

1. To be a transformational leader we need to be cultural students

To effectively speak to the issues of people and the misconceptions they have, we need to understand the culture in which we live. We are the product of our culture. It influences and governs our thinking far more than we realize. A person who was raised in an American culture thinks and reacts radically different than a person raised in an Islamic culture. Even within a specific culture, there are a divergent number of subcultures that affect the way people live and the moral values they embrace. An individual living in an inner-city subculture will view life differently from a person raised in a rural setting. A person from the south has different values than a person in the northwest. Where our culture embraces and supports biblical values we can embrace and encourage them as leaders. Where our culture remains neutral, we can and should remain neutral (for example in issues of dress and styles). However where our culture violates biblical values and teachings we must confront and challenge them from a biblical perspective. To distinguish between these different levels of cultural involvement, we need to have a thorough and Spirit guided knowledge of our culture. We need to strive to step outside our culture and honestly assess our culture from a biblical perspective. While it is ultimately impossible to be culturally neutral (we are always influenced by our culture), we must strive to be culturally critical, ever re-examining our cultural expectations and values by the standards of Scripture.

2. We must have a clear perspective of God’s design for individuals, the church, and the community

To lead effectively we need to understand what God desires to transform people and the church into. This perspective is determined from Scripture as we seek to understand what God desires to accomplish within the lives of people. As the leaders, we are to be continually searching and examining the Scriptures to determine what God wants to church to be and how the church is to be involved within the community.

3. We must be transformed

We cannot lead where we have not gone, we cannot transform others if we ourselves are not at the same time being changed. The greatest challenge we face in ministry, and the most important ingredient to effective leadership is not what we do in relationship to the church, but what we are allowing the Holy Spirit to do in relationship to our own life. The disciplines of study, prayer, self-examination and personal discipleship are central to the pastoral responsibility. We may be able to run an organization without prayer and an intimate relationship with God, but we cannot transform others. If we are not being transformed we will inevitably fall prey to the same snare that captured the leaders of Israel, who became more concerned about their own well being than they did about spiritually nurturing the people (Jeremiah 23:1-2, 16-18).

Transforming Our Community

2005-02-28T14:05:00.000-08:00

Volume 11, Number 1

Part One

By Glenn Daman

The church is not merely called upon to exist within the community at large, being isolated from it and having no impact upon it. When Christ states that the will of God is not to remove the church from the world but to protect it from the negative influences of the world, he clarifies our role (John 17:15). We are to be a visible and real presence within the community. While the church community has long wrestled with how we are to influence society at large, there is little question that we are to have an influence. In a number of places within the New Testament the writers draw attention to the fact that we have a responsibility to those outside the church. We are not merely to enter the secular world to do financial business and earn a living and then retreat into the church community for "spiritual work." Within the pages of Scripture there is not the dichotomy between the "secular" and the "sacred." Rather we are to enter the secular community in order to engage it.

This holds the greatest potential for the small church as well as it being its greatest weakness. Especially in small communities where the church still plays an important role in community life, we can often have an influence that far exceeds the size of the church. The pastor is seen as a spiritual leader in the church and a social leader in the community. In times of crisis the community at large looks to the pastors and church for assistance. In rural communities there is often a significant shortage of social programs and resources to assist the poor, provide help in times of natural disasters, and deal with the social and economic pressures that confront the community. In answer to these needs people often look to the church. However, in this critical juncture often the small church has been so preoccupied with not being "of the world" that we are no longer "in the world." In our quest to avoid moral compromise we have so isolated ourselves that we have lost our moral influence.

This isolation and lack of influence is further aggravated by the lack of resources available in the small church. Even if we desire to engage our culture and community, we often resist utilizing our resources for fear that in the use of our resources we may threaten our very existence. For example, we are reluctant to have the community use our church building for fear that the wear and tear will exceed our resources to maintain the facilities. What we fail to recognize is that in our fear of risking the future of the church we undermine the very future that we are seeking to preserve. If the small church is to continue, then it must seek to be an integral part of the community and seek to influence the community. As Os Guiness points out, "If we today stress the spiritual aspect of the gospel without the social, we lose all relevance in modern society. But if we stress the social without the spiritual, we loose our reality altogether." ( James Boice, Transforming our World, (Portland: Multnomah Press, 1988), 69.)

Understanding Our Prophetic Role

While it is true that the gift of pastor/teacher is distinct from the gift of being a prophet, there is nevertheless a prophetic role we play. Often when we think of the role of a prophet, we focus upon the predictive nature of the prophetic message. What we often overlook was that in the Scripture the primary role of the prophet was not predictive, but rather addressing current social and spiritual issues through the proclamation of Scripture. Leon Woods describes the role of the prophet, "The manner of speaking by the prophet may be best characterized as preaching. Here the idea of preaching is used as over against the idea of teaching. In teaching one addresses primarily the mind of the hearer, while in preaching he addresses the emotion and will. The interest of teaching is to impart information; the interest of preaching is to stir reaction and response. The work of Israel’s priests was to do the former; that the prophets was to do the later." (Leon Woods, The Prophets of Israel, (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1983), 67-68.) He goes on to state, "Though the prophets did predict at times, as God gave them this kind of information, the greater part of their declarative ministry was in preaching to the people of their own time. They were really much like preachers today, urging people to live in a manner pleasing to God. They used prediction in their preaching only on occasion, whenever it was necessary to impart a message God wanted given." (Ibid, p. 68-69) The prophet was one who sought to challenge people with the truth of God for the purpose of transforming the person individually as well as transforming the whole community. This they did as they addressed the leadership of the community. Within Scripture there is the recognition that the health of the country is dependent upon the leadership. The prophet sought to alter the course of society in order to bring about moral and spiritual change and they sought to do so by contacting the leadership. As society continues to grapple with more and more morally complex issues it needs the prophetic voice of the Word of God to address them. The community needs Biblical leaders who are willing to relate Scripture to these issues and challenge the leadership of the community with moral and social ills. If we are to be effective leaders we must recognize that our leadership must go beyond the church walls and into the community at large. We are to seek avenues to have an influence; we are to be advocates of the socially disenfranchised.

As preachers we are to be brokers of truth to the world. We have something to say not only to the church and to individuals within the church but to our culture and society as well because God has something to say to our society. The basis of this prophetic role stems from the very nature of God’s Word and the order God has established in creation. Wisdom literature recognizes that God’s morality is absolute and the universe is governed by these moral absolutes. The strength of a nation is not determined by its military might or economic strength, but by its adherence to the moral absolutes established in the universe. While the intent is not to establish a theodicy in governmental politics, we are called upon to influence our society so that people adhere to the moral laws that form the foundation for society. (Carl F. Henry, The Christian Mindset in a Secular Society, (Portland: Multnomah Press, 1984), 99.) While our task is not to save the country, nor does making a nation "Christian" result in the individual redemption required for salvation, we are to be involved in our society in order to encourage an environment where the gospel may be readily proclaimed (1 Timothy 2:2).

Being Salt in the Earth

Christ, in admonishing and preparing the disciples for ministry, instills within them the concept that they are to be salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13). Concerning this statement of Christ in the Sermon on the Mount, D.A. Carson comments, "Implicitly he is saying that apart from his disciples the world turns ever more rotten: Christians have the effect of delaying moral and spiritual putrefaction." ( D.A. Carson, Sermon on the Mount, (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1984), 30.) The church is to do more than co-exist with secular culture; it is to have a positive and moral influence upon the culture and society at large. We do this as we become positive models for the world to both examine and follow. This goes beyond merely the message we convey to the world, but to how we act and react to the world in which we live. Paul states that we are to "be wise in the way you act toward outsiders" (Colossians 4:5). That is, we are to be both cautious (i.e. so that we are not negatively influenced) as well as interactive, responding both in message and deed in a way that reveals Christ to them. We influence our world when we are working diligently on the job, when we are honest in our business, when we are positive in our attitudes towards the government. When we are mistreated by the world, we respond with kindness and blessing (1 Corinthians 4:12-13). Thus in the process we develop a positive reputation with those outside the church (1 Timothy 3:7).

The Role of the Church in Rural Society

The church always has had and will continue to have a significant impact upon the social, cultural and moral framework of any community, but this is especially true in rural society. Students of sociology point out that we do not inherit a specific culture or knowledge of cultural expectations. Rather through the process of socialization, we learn our culture and the expectations it places upon us. This socialization "takes place within the social organizations closest to us—the family, school, and church. Other institutions, including community organizations such as civic groups or social clubs, play a lesser role. Collectively, the social organization through which culture is transmitted are called agents of culture." (Cornellia Butler Flora, et al., Rural Communities: Legacy and Change, (San Francisco: Westview, 1992), 61.) There is no debate concerning the extent of the influence the church has upon the social, moral and even economic shape of the community. As agents of culture the church "can preserve the past or work towards change; which course they take depends on the character of their relationship with the community." (Ibid, p. 63)

The church shapes the community as it instills moral and ethical standards that not only govern people within the church but significantly influence those outside the church as well. It has this influence because it is not only a spiritual center, but a social center as well for both the people in the church as well as the community as a whole. ( Arthur Vidich and Joseph Bensman, Small Town in Mass Society, (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1968), 228.) Often when a church has social events (such as a supper or ice-cream social) the people who come are not only from the specific church, but from other churches as well.

The church shapes the community by being an agent for social change and providing for social and economic needs within the community. In many small communities, the services that provide assistance for people facing emotional or economic crisis are not in close enough proximity to provide help. As a result the church, rather than governmental programs, become the resource people turn to in order to obtain help. Flora reports, "Community solutions, when they do occur, are often the task of voluntary associations rather than a responsibility of local government. This puts a heavy burden on rural churches, for example, to organize meals-on-wheels programs and care for the elderly or to provide the kinds of food, clothing, and shelter for the poor, both those who live in the community and those who pass through." (Rural Communities: Legacy and Change, 278.)

Because of our position as leaders within the church and because the church has a significant role within the community as a whole, we often are viewed as community leaders as well. However, to have an influence we must recognize the importance of being a contributor within the community. In rural areas people measure others by what they contribute to the whole community. A pastor who isolates himself in the church and only serves the church will become isolated from the community and not respected by it. A pastor who is involved in the community and is seen as a positive contributor (through volunteerism in community service organizations) will be respected by the people and have a greater voice within the cultural formation of the community. Being a part of the volunteer fire department, serving as the chaplain for the local sheriffs office, and becoming part of the PTA are more than avenues by which the Pastor can build relationships with people outside the church and in the community. They are avenues by which the pastor gains respect, as the pastor becomes a part of the community and a contributor to the well-being of the whole community.