Leadership Development and Clarity

One of the most challenging things I have learned in church planting has been providing clarity clearly and accurately. In the beginning, there was a long season where I was doing a lot of the work from preaching, leading a missional community, and building the website. As time went on, the Lord was gracious and faithful to bring people into the fold where eventually I had a small staff team and was able to delegate a lot of responsibility thus freeing myself to focus on leadership development, church planting, and preaching and teaching.

In this short post, I wish to share how clarity has been a challenge for me and why I believe it’s a great skill for every leader to develop, especially when working with a staff team or volunteers.

OVERWHELMED

There are moments in ministry where emotional stress and operational oversight can be overwhelming because it’s falling on one person or a small group of leaders. I think it’s important to take a step back and evaluate what is going, identify a disconnect, and then respond appropriately. Sadly, I see many leaders approach these disconnects poorly.

In other words, they will evaluate, identify, and then that’s it. In my case, that’s exactly what I have done and assumed that other leaders would pick up the breadcrumbs that I’ve left behind to understand how to best care for a situation. All that does is create distortion in communication and frustrates individuals in their roles and functions.

So, if you find yourself overwhelmed in ministry, here’s what I would suggest:

1. Evaluate
When you are experiencing stress and tension within your ability or teams, there is a great chance that they are experiencing it too. In evaluating, you’re taking a step back to figure out what is going on by asking yourself questions like “what is overwhelming me?” or “what am I frustrated with?” Questions similar to these will help you process everything from your emotions to your structure.

2. Identify
Identifying a disconnect in your team or among other leaders can be difficult because, in this area, we are inviting others to speak into what they see. And sometimes, it’s a word of encouragement to you while other times it’s a word of loving rebuke. In identifying a disconnect, you may be taking responsibility for something you’re not doing, should be doing, or simply learning what is keeping you from addressing certain situations.

3. Respond
Responding appropriately is a great step and work in your personal sanctification because if there are frustrations and disconnects in your teams, then how you respond and begin creating a solution is incredibly important. When you respond appropriately, you begin by pursuing humility and within that humility, sometimes you need to apologize for not taking action or humility may require to listen more than you speak. Either way, responding appropriately is a work of sanctification and the pursuit of humility for the purpose of communicating clarity accurately.

WHY ARE YOU OVERWHELMED?

As I conclude this post, I would love to offer a question for you to chew on: why are you overwhelmed? I would encourage you to think through this well and give yourself some time to evaluate and identify what is going on. Are you overwhelmed because of fear? Or control?

Is your value and worth found in your work rather than the One who is faithful and at work within you? Whether it’s inviting a friend to speak into you or receiving a rebuke, this is a question I would spend a good amount of time thinking through.

In the end, developing clarity is crucial for the health of any team, church, or organization for the purpose of health and stability. When we neglect to develop or communicate clarity, for whatever reason, we exercise a pride that hinders growth and prevents health from forming.

What have you experienced in the area of clarity as a leader? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Staff Culture and Values

On occasion, I get asked by friends in ministry about the culture of our staff at Storehouse McAllen and I often get pretty excited talking about this topic because our staff are super-star theological ninjas.

I have been a part of ministry teams and staff in the past and this is probably the healthiest team that I have had the privilege of serving alongside of. And while it may sound a little obvious, health is incredibly vital to the well-being of a team because if you cannot trust one another or are not compatible as co-workers, you’re going to have a serious problem in your church organizationally and philosophically.

Personally, I love working on a team because that’s how I am best wired. It’s not only that a lot of things can get accomplished, but on a team there’s a lot more than just tasks that happen. In a healthy staff culture, you’re going to have people who get work done, but are also involved in one another’s lives and earnestly want the best for you because more than anything, at least on our team, we want to grow in the image and likeness of Christ. And I understand that a lot of this may sound too clean, but it really isn’t. We’ve had big disagreements, long discussions, tear filled confessions, and difficult seasons to walk through together.

Every staff will have those seasons to walk through, but if our desire for one another is our personal sanctification then walking through those seasons help to draw us closer to the Lord, repent of sin, and grow relationally. In all of this, here are a few things that I highly recommend for a healthy staff culture. I’m sure there are more and even better reasons, but, for me, I know these rank highly on my list of values.

1. Like Minded

While we may have differences on second-handed issues, our team stands firm on our theological foundations and convictions at Storehouse McAllen. This is incredibly important because not only does it place us on the same page as a team, but it sets the tone for the direction we’re headed and how we do ministry at our church.

2. Meaningful Friendships

I love that our team in on the same page theologically and missionally, but I also love that we’re friends. I love that we give each other a hard time and hang out outside of ministry related tasks. I love that our team likes to get work done, but I also really love that we enjoying having fun together.

I love that we celebrate personal wins and grieve seasons of difficulty with one another. More than that, I appreciate the love and care for one another because it translates into a culture of discipleship; pointing one another to Jesus in encouraging and confronting scenarios.

3. Making Disciples

When I say that we’re on the same page missionally, I don’t simply mean that we’re only in agreement with the missional partnerships that we’re apart of, but that we understand and embrace the mission God has set before us and that is to make and mature disciples. Discipleship is the central mission of the church regardless of how many partnerships or ministries we have. If we’re not making disciples, something needs to change.

What does making and maturing disciples look like? Check the post out here.

I love our team because we enjoy one another, get work done, and share life together. We also understand that in the middle of all of those things, we’re going to have struggles and disagreements and being aware of that helps us to fight for one another instead of fighting with one another.

What kind of things do you value on your team?

3 Reminders About Counseling

I am often asked about counseling at our church. I think providing counsel and care is both a privilege and a burden for any ministry leader because as you aim to point people to the gospel, you carry their grief with you at the same time. I think counseling is an incredibly important ministry in the life of the church as it provides formal avenues to care for people in our churches. I would also add that simply because you provide biblical counsel, that doesn’t make you a counselor and I hope that’s some pressure off of your shoulders because it is for me.

Here are 3 things that I have learned (and have often failed at) about counseling:

1. PRAY

I feel like this sounds obvious, but I cannot stress it enough. During your day, be sure to schedule or block appointed times of prayer, especially before meeting with an individual or couple. This is vital because it'll do a few things.

First, prayer connects you with the God of the Bible and places you in a position of humility before God. Second, prayer helps to remind you that the same God you're asking people to fix their eyes upon is the same God you're turning to. And third, prayer reminds you and whoever you meet with that you're hope is not in yourself or them, but Christ. 

2. PREPARE

While part of your job is to be present, don't be afraid to have an agenda in order to stay on topic, but also to help you bring the conversation back to the gospel. I've walked into several counseling appointments without any sort of a plan and there have been some appointments that should have lasted an hour but went three hours. Or I've had appointments that should have lasted three hours, but I only spent an hour with members. 

An agenda helps you stay on track in the conversation and also reassures those you're meeting that you're looking to get to the heart of their disconnect with God and one another. Additionally, an agenda helps you stay organized should you recommend practical next steps; this helps those you're meeting with a direction.

3. FURTHER CARE

It is perfectly normal to refer people to professional and licensed counselors. You're not going to have all of the answers. Your job is to point them to Jesus AND some need further care that is outside of your wheel house. I think many leaders often place a great deal of pressure on themselves to be someone they’re not or feel pressured by others to be someone they’re not; just because you’ve hit a wall doesn’t mean you’ve failed.

Make sure to have a list of counselors in your area that you trust and potentially have partnered with.

The ministry of counseling is certainly one that needs to be handled with great care and sensitivity, but you should also be aware of your limitations and do not be afraid to ask for help. The goal is to walk others toward hope in Christ and it is also equally important to cast our burdens on God because He cares for us just as much as He care for those we’re caring for.

Book Review: Am I Called? The Summons of Pastoral Ministry by Dave Harvey

I've decided to review this book by beginning at the end. The final chapter, While You Wait, in my opinion was biggest time of reflection for me. This is not to imply that the rest of the book was of no use, rather I think this entire book should be on the shelf of every man who believes they're being called to pastoral ministry. The final chapter is a great place to start (for review) because it brought me to a place of nostalgia and is very authentic. 

In short, Am I Called? is a book written by Pastor Dave Harvey where he gives a biblical breakdown of the qualifications for an elder as seen in 1 Timothy 3. Additionally, it's a book that provides a great deal of academic resources for further reading with complimentary real-life stories from men who have gone before us. 

REVIEW & REFLECTION

"A man listening for a call is never a man sitting still." - Dave Harvey (p. 188)

I cannot begin to stress the importance of this statement. First, I wish to begin by saying that I do not write this from a position of "arrival," but from a place of understanding, failure, and reflection from my experience in ministry. 

I believe that the Lord was calling me into pastoral ministry when I was 22 years old, just 8 months after surrendering my life to Him and hearing about Him for the first time. It was intimidating and scary bringing that up to my pastors. I had never set foot in a church much less imagine that one day I would be a pastor! 

However, during that time, I was discipled primarily by our lead pastor (Tom) and several other godly men. And if I could summarize my attitude and spirit from that season into two words, they'd be prideful and hungry. I wrestled with (and still do today) with wondering how quickly or soon God would place me in pastoral ministry not knowing or understanding that I was already involved: the set-up team. We had just planted our church and setting up chairs was the need. I never thought that serving in that capacity would help shape me. More than anything else, my pride was soaring based on my ability to potentially lead others and knowledge of the Bible. I was an observant punk. Nonetheless, serving in multiple capacities helped me to not only pursue humility, but taught me patience and that ministry was going to be a journey. For the time being, my primary role was that of repentance (1 Samuel 16:7). 

"Obscurity fertilizes man with humility so that what he grows into can really bear fruit." - Dave Harvey (p.194)

I have been involved in the set-up team, security team, teaching in our children's ministry, social media and event coordination, kitchen and bathroom clean-up, hospitality, and many other areas of ministry that I simply had no clue what I was doing. All of the sudden, the confidence I had was quickly diminished by several 8 year olds. The truth is that when I look back at all of these experiences and "random" areas of ministry that I served in, I would not want it any different. Each one of those areas helped teach me my strengths and gifting while others showed me where I was lacking and that I wasn't pursuing humility. 

I recommend this book because it is not only filled with biblical wisdom and insight from Pastor Dave to the call of pastoral ministry, but it provides readers with the realities of waiting- something that's quickly overlooked. Aspiring to a noble task is not the issue, rather it is the heart of man that falls short. 

"The ultimate test of a called man is whether he desires the advancement of the Gospel more than the advancement of his own ministry"- Dave Harvey

If you believe that the Lord is calling you to pastoral ministry then I encourage you to pick up this book. I would also encourage you to read 1 Timothy 3:1-7 over and over again and ask yourself the following questions: 

Am I this man? | What areas do I lack in after reading this passage? | Would I still strive to be this man even if I do not become a pastor?