Gift-based ministry

Are you good at everything?  I’m not.   Like everyone, I have strengths and weaknesses.

I spent many of my years in ministry trying to fulfil a role for which I was not really all that well-suited.  I was like a square peg in a round hole.  There are many reasons for this, but one reason is that there was no-one to help me recognize my true calling and learn to function in it.   That’s why I am so excited about the opportunity to work with small group leaders on how to identify and cultivate the natural and spiritual gifts of the people in their small groups.

As a leader, it’s easy to make the mistake of thinking that what comes naturally to you should come naturally to everyone.   When you are flowing in your gifts, ministry is a pleasure, but when you are trying to imitate what someone else is good at, and operating in their gifts instead of your own, you have a recipe for frustration.  Of course, there’s a learning process in developing your natural gifts, and a somewhat different sort of learning process in learning to cultivate the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit.  In both cases, a certain amount of trial and error is inevitable.  But when you are learning to develop your gifts, along with the trial and error there is the joy of discovery.   By contrast, when you’re trying to do something that you just aren’t “wired” for, it can be very discouraging.

We all want our small groups to succeed.  Usually you will have a mix of people in your group with a variety of gifts.  Some of those gifts will be latent, undeveloped and perhaps even unrecognized.  Others will be in various stages of development.  My dream is to see small groups that have an appropriately challenging vision, faith for that vision, and a team that is functioning well together, where each member has something to contribute and is operating in his or her gifts.  Can we get there?  I believe we can, or at least take steps in that direction.  I’m excited about the possibilities!

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Sweet or sour? It’s your choice

It’s been said that the majority of people are thinking negative thoughts up to 90% of the time. I don’t know about most people, but I know this was certainly true of me at one time.   Worry, anxiety, frustration, anger, critical thoughts about others, and expectations of failure were my constant companions.

I remember one occasion in particular, a couple of years after I had surrendered control of my life to Jesus Christ, when Marion and I were privileged to participate in a three-day prayer ministry training school with Victorious Ministry Through Christ – a ministry that over a period of several years had a life-changing impact on both of us.  The event concluded with a prayer service at which each participant was prayed over and received words of blessing from the leaders of the school.   The words spoken over me were that I would go forward in joy.   Like a good student, I dutifully wrote the words in my journal.  Later, reading my journal and reflecting on this promise of joy, I had a disturbing thought.  I realized that I didn’t even know what joy was.

Well, that was 20 years ago this year, and I thank God that my approach to life is much more positive.  Yes, I do know now what joy is – and I rejoice daily in God’s amazing kindness to me.  I can honestly say that Jesus has healed my soul (my mind, will, and emotions) and transformed my whole outlook on life.  Life certainly hasn’t always been easy since then, but I have learned the wonderful truth of the promise that everything in our lives – even difficult and painful events – can ultimately serve God’s amazingly good purpose.

The other day I was walking home from work through a snowstorm, thinking about how bad it is that Ottawa’s bus drivers are currently on strike, and feeling less than enthusiastic about the weather and the longish trek home from work.   I decided to ask God a question.  I’ve found this is a very good way of getting my thinking straightened out, as long as I’m willing to pay attention to the answer.   So I said “Well, if all things work together for good for those who love you, what is the purpose of this strike and this snowstorm in my life?”.   Believe it or not, as soon as I asked the question I realized the answer.

It’s easy to be positive when everything is going well.  The real proof of a transformed life is when peace and joy continue to mark our lives in the midst of challenging circumstances.   So in the midst of my snowy walk home, I began remembering all the evidences of God’s goodness in my life, and thanking Him for each one.

People sometimes say that you can’t help how you feel, but this is actually not true.   Of course, you can’t help being affected by events that happen to you.   I’ve had my share of painful experiences, and I’m just like you – when things don’t go my way, I don’t like it any more than you do.   But the very circumstance that causes me pain or grief or frustration can be my stepping stone to the joy of the Lord if I choose to respond in faith.  I’m not talking about pretending that everything is fine when it isn’t.  I’m talking about making the choice to respond in faith to real problems.  Am I going to stay in the pit or am I going to praise my way out of the pit?

Of course some problems are a lot bigger than others, but if you believe God is real and that He loves you, the size of the problem doesn’t change the way you need to respond if you want to stay in God’s peace.  I have consistently found that if I begin to lay out my concerns to the Lord and then start praising and thanking him, suddenly my whole perspective begins to change, and the goodness of the Lord is what begins to fill my sights instead of the problem.   Not that this always changes the painful circumstance – quite often it doesn’t.   But it does change me – my thoughts become more settled, I begin to feel more positive, I begin to see a way forward.  If the trial I’m going through is particularly painful, I may have to keep fighting the battle for joy and peace for days or even weeks, but I know that Jesus is more committed to my success than I am, and in the end, if I respond in faith and trust, I can only win.  And like any kind of training, choosing God’s peace gets easier the more you practice it.   Years of doing this have functioned like a kind of training for my soul, so that my thoughts and emotions are much more stable and God-oriented than they once were, and my peace is not nearly so easily disturbed.  Even if my life is threatened, I know where I am going to spend eternity, so I have no need to fear.

Yes, life can be challenging – and no doubt some of you reading this have been dealing with challenges far greater than mine.  But we do have a choice about staying in God’s peace.   If you read your Bible you will know that the purpose of testing is to form the character of Jesus in us.  Whether or not this actually happens in my life is pretty much up to me.   Will I take hold of the resources of faith and grace that God has made available through Jesus, and become a conqueror?  Will you?

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What is the #1 goal of small groups?

Why do we do small groups in church?   There are many reasons, but most often people will say that small groups are important to meet the need for fellowship.

I both agree and disagree with this statement.

I agree because it is so obviously important to focus on building strong relational connections.  I love the weekly Sunday service at my church, with its dynamic worship, powerful and relevant preaching, and top-quality children’s ministry.   But over the years too many people have attended for a few weeks or even a number of years, and then drifted away.  While people leave churches for many reasons, I am convinced that most will only stay if they form strong relational connections with at least a few people.   Besides, didn’t Jesus command us to love one another?  It’s hard to love people that you barely know!   It’s no accident that most of the churches in the New Testament met primarily in homes.   As small group life spreads, and we place more emphasis on building loving relationships, our church is gradually becoming a little more like the church of the New Testament, which was a household of faith, not just a collection of people who met in a building once a week to sing songs and listen to a message.

But in spite of all these compelling arguments for the importance of building relational connections, I can’t really agree that fellowship is the primary purpose of small groups.  I believe that the healhiest small groups will be those that focus on making disciples – in other words, helping one another follow Jesus.  Small groups that focus on fellowship as their highest goal are likely to end up being self-centred and shallow.  Groups that focus on  making disciples have the potential to be exciting, dynamic and always challenging as well as supportive.

The biggest single weakness of the North American church is that there are many attenders but very few disciples.  Disciples are people who are learning to trust and obey God in their daily lives, people who are choosing – as best they are able, with God’s help – to pattern their lives after Jesus.  We all need help with this, and a small group that sees its goal as making disciples is a great place to get support.  There you will be loved and accepted but also challenged to grow into the image of Christ.

A small group that is focussed on making disciples will also reach out to others to bring them into God’s family – because that’s what disciples do!  It will engage with the Word and apply the Word to daily life – because that’s what disciples do!  It will spend time in prayer and worship – because that’s what disciples do!   It will focus on serving – because that’s what disciples do!  It will help its members discover their spiritual gifts and apply them – because that’s what disciples do!

A group with this kind of atmosphere is lots of fun and leads to awesome fellowship.   In a healthy small group, people feel included, they feel they belong, they feel they have something to contribute and that they are making a difference, they feel that they are growing in their faith – because they are!  Great fellowship is like the matrix – the atmosphere in which disciples can be made.  You can’t become like Christ on your own.  It’ s not possible, because the Christian life is meant to be lived in community.  But if you make fellowship the primary goal, your group will be shallow.  If you aim at helping one another in the journey of discipleship, you get everything else as a bonus.  In small group life as well as finances, it really is true that if we seek God’s kingdom first, we get everything else thrown in!

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Can you trust this man?

The huge and enthusiastic turnout for the inauguration of US President Barack Obama shows us how hungry people are for hope and inspiration.  In troubled and uncertain times, we instinctively gravitate towards leaders who seem to be able to offer the promise of a better tomorrow.

Whatever else we may say about him, Barack Obama is clearly a man of considerable skill in many areas.  He is a powerfully effective speaker who has a remarkable gift of inspiring crowds and filling them with confidence.  He also seems to work well with people, earning the trust and loyalty of those close to him.  He is apparently a very intelligent man – someone who can absorb a great deal of information on a variety of topics and quickly grasp the essential features.  He seems to have the ability to understand and analyze issues quickly and accurately.

All these abilities and many more are needed for effective leadership of a nation.   But there’s another set of qualities that are ultimately even more important.  These are not skills or abilities, but qualities of character – integrity, humility, wisdom, compassion, faith.

I don’t know how Barack Obama’s presidency will ultimately turn out, but the level of adulation being heaped on Obama gives me cause for concern.   Will he be a leader who encourages his people to trust in themselves, in him, or in the God who alone is worthy of ultimate trust?   Embedded in the midst of Obama’s inaugural address, in reference to the challenges of renewing the US economy, putting technology to work for positive purposes, and cleaning up the environment, we find these telling words :  “All this we can do. And all this we will do.”   Really?  All by ourselves, we’ll fix all the problems that past generations have created?

It is true enough that people need to be encouraged to dream big dreams and to believe in the abilities that God has put within them. Without a vision the people perish.  But what is our vision?  On what, ultimately, does our hope rest?  Positive thinking and a “can-do” attitude are not enough – our reliance needs to be on more than ourselves.  One of my favourite Psalms  puts it this way,

Don’t put your confidence in powerful people;
there is no help for you there.
When they breathe their last, they return to the earth,
and all their plans die with them.
But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper,
whose hope is in the Lord their God.

In ancient Israel, the kings who were remembered with affection were the ones who humbled themselves and placed their reliance on God.  The ones who were impressed with themselves and didn’t think they needed to pay attention to God caused no end of grief to the nation and brought about its eventual doom.   Things aren’t so different today.  Humility, faith, and dependence on God are still the core determinants of a leader’s character.  By that standard, how will Barack Obama measure up?

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Choose your friends wisely

Last night  my wife and I  spent the evening with friends.   That’s not so unusual, I guess, but the things we talked about sparked some reflection on why we need friendship.

We humans are made for relationship.   When God made the first human being he declared that it was not good for the man to be alone, so he gave Adam a wife.  From the beginning we have been social beings.   I consider myself an introvert; I have a high need for solitude and love to spend time alone with God.  But while I love to be alone, I also need time with friends.

It’s a little weird that an introvert like me is responsible for promoting small group ministry at our church!   But even introverts need relationships.  So, Marion and I encourage others to be part of a small group, and of course we are involved in home groups ourselves as well.

Last night we spent the evening with our friends in one of these home groups.   It was a bitterly cold night and with the OC Transpo strike, our days are more complicated and getting around is difficult.  On top of that we have a long to-do list at home.   So all in all,  it would have been easier to stay home.  But we decided to go to Dan’s place anyway, and I came home realizing just how much we need these relationships.

Pretty well everyone enjoys hanging out with friends.   Friendships can be a lot of fun!  But while joy and laughter are important aspects of friendship, friendships are for more than just fun.  Good friendships are also a tool for growth.   In our home groups we spend time encouraging each other, challenging each other, discussing topics that help us understand God’s plan for our lives, praying for each other, and reaching out to others.

Your friends can can drag you down or they can build you up.   Long ago a wise man said that those who spend time with wise people become wise, and those who hang out with fools pay a price.

We become like those we spend time with.   I want to spend time with people who are hungry for God, people who are looking for honest, accountable, loving relationships, people who will encourage me to be better than I am.  I want to walk in the light of God and help others find His light and walk in it, so I choose friends who are either seeking the light or already walking in it.

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The overflow of the heart

Words are one of the main ways that we influence people and situations, for good or for ill.  The tongue has huge potential to serve the purposes of the Father and bless those around us.  And so, at times I am humbled to see how God has used my words to touch others with His power and love.  The trouble is, the same tongue also has huge potential to serve the purposes of the Enemy and curse those around us.   And so, at times I am dismayed to see how the Accuser has used my words to bring discouragement or confusion.

Jesus said that a good man brings forth good fruit out of the goodness that is stored up in his heart.  I have learned that my tongue inevitably reflects what is in my heart.  I seem to need to keep learning this lesson.  I know that words that bring blessing come out of a heart that is full of God’s grace.  In the words of a popular worship song, my goal is to be so controlled and filled by God’s goodness that His character comes out of me “from the inside out”.

We all deal with many concerns every single day.  We encounter many people who may affect us in different ways.  We are exposed to thousands of influences every day of our lives from friends, workmates, family, television, movies, the internet, and so forth.  But which influences do I actually allow to grab my attention?  Which ones do I cultivate and allow to affect my heart?

My tongue will ultimately always reflect what is in my heart, and the condition of my heart will be a reflection of the things to which I have given my attention.  And so I have a choice.  The more I allow myself to be distracted from the presence and goodness of God by other concerns, the more distant I become from Him, and the more my heart becomes dull to God and vulnerable to being weighed down and polluted by darkness in various forms.   In this condition, even when I try to do good with my tongue (give advice, encouragement, or whatever) my words are likely to do as much harm as good.   On the other hand, the more I choose to expose myself to the presence of God, the more His Spirit penetrates my heart and makes it soft and pliable and able to reflect His goodness, purity, truth, love and power, and this will be reflected in the words that come out of my mouth.

Am I going to bless or curse with my tongue?  Is my tongue going to be a reflection of the Father of lights  or the father of lies? The answer to that question lies ultimately in how I decide to use my time.  Am I going to devote myself to the pursuit of the presence and goodness of God,  the source of all goodness, or will I give myself to things that ultimately really don’t matter?   I am more determined than ever to invest my life’s energy in seeking the face of God.  What about you?

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One thing I seek

Last week my son Simeon, who is interning with Bethany House of Prayer (BHOP) in Bloomington, MN, told me about the OneThing08 year end conference at International House of Prayer (IHOP) and encouraged me to listen in on the free webcast.  I didn’t get all of the conference, but the bits of worship and teaching that I did hear,  and the teachings that I downloaded, have been having a significant impact on my life.

The title of the conference – OneThing – summarizes the overall theme, which is based on David’s prayer in Psalm 27:4

One thing I have desired of the LORD,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD,
And to inquire in His temple.

Of course, this is poetic language, and David didn’t literally mean that he would never do anything but pray.   He was aware of the fact that there were practical tasks of life that he needed to look after!  After all he was a shepherd, who sometimes risked his life fighting off wild animals to defend the sheep, and later he became an army captain and then King of Israel.   But despite all these responsibilities, the desire that David was expressing here was to make the pursuit of intimacy with God his life’s highest goal.  Along a similar vein, Jesus once told his friend Martha that her sister Mary was making a better choice by choosing to sit at his feet and listen to His teaching while Martha cooked and did the dishes.  He wasn’t saying that cooking and doing dishes was unimportant.  He was saying that Mary had recognized that only one thing ultimately has lasting significance, and gives purpose to the rest of our life – and that one thing is the pursuit of God.

For years I’ve had the desire to pursue intimacy with God, but my exposure to the powerful teaching and worship at IHOP has stirred up and refreshed this desire in my life.  This year I want to become more like Jesus, staying close to Him and letting His love and power transform me into a better reflection of His likeness.   I want to see ongoing transformation in my marriage and family, in my business and finances,  in my church, in my community and in my nation.   Although I am involved in the business of IT consulting as a means of earning a living, and I want to see my business blessed, my true passion is to see the Church, the Body of Christ, come into her identity and calling as the holy people of God, transforming the earth as we prepare for the return of  Jesus Christ.

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