Own Your Desperation

Don’t be fooled by the world’s paradigm for leadership, or the whisper of your indwelling sin.

We cringe at the thought of being seen as needy and coming off as desperate. Especially in positions of leadership. Don’t disclose your flaws, we hear from without and feel from within. Exhibit your strengths, demonstrate your capabilities, win their confidence. But a different word comes from above.

Good spiritual leaders — indeed, healthy Christians — are not those who suppress their failings and tell themselves over and over again they can do it. Rather, they own their neediness and acknowledge they are helpless to do what matters most.

“All true spiritual leadership,” writes John Piper in The Marks of a Spiritual Leader, “has its roots in desperation.” The spirit of the true Christian leader is not, “I’m up for the task,” but, “Who is sufficient for these things?” (2 Corinthians 2:16).   Continue at David Mathis

10 Characteristics of Mr Controller

I’m trying to figure out how to distinguish between authority and authoritarianism. Any help you can give me would be much appreciated because while I think I can tell the difference, I’m finding it difficult to define the difference. I think I know it when I see it, but can I explain it to someone else? Not so easy.

But let me take a stab at this and please jump in with your own suggestions and corrections. I’ll begin with some broad definitions:

Authority is the lawful use of lawful authority: God, the church, the state, or a business has given someone the right to govern and guide your life in a certain area, and that authority is being exercised in the right areas in the right way.   Continue at David Murray

Is it Gossip or Conversation?

People talk. They talk behind your back. They talk about you. They talk about your leadership decisions. It’s normative. Expect it. And don’t call this talk gossip. Most of the time it’s not.

If you’re a leader, then you probably lean towards being a control freak. It’s expected. Laissez-faire leaders don’t typically last long. In many ways, leadership is simply interference with the status quo. When people talk, you want to shape the conversation. That’s healthy. That’s leadership.

What is not healthy is how often leaders can gripe about conversations as if it’s gossip every time someone says something about them while not in their presence. Get over it. Dialogue is not gossip. In fact, discussions are usually good signs. It means you’re doing something that causes people to talk. But how can you discern between gossip (which is clearly a sin) and conversation (which is not sinful)?   Continue at Sam Rainer

10 Ways to Delegate But Not Frustrate

I remember my first day on a new job I had been trying to get for a while. I was nervous, excited, young, but eager to get my fledgling career going on a big project under the oversight of my new bosses. The project manager drove me out to the nearly 1000-acre job site, at which basically a small town was being constructed. We visited what, to me, seemed like a mad frenzy of contractors, over-sized haul trucks, trackhoes, upset foremen, all scattered about with no rhyme or reason. The next day my boss said something like, “Well, we’re going to throw you in the fire. Here are some documents. Have fun!” Needless to say, as time went on, I made some costly mistakes and grew frustrated, both at myself and the lack of direction and communication from my new leadership.   Continue at Eric Davis

Thirty Things I’ve Learned in Thirty Years of Ministry

It was thirty years ago that I began serving a small rural church in southern Indiana. I was so incredibly green then; I’m glad I didn’t always realize it. I loved those people in that church and, for some reason, they loved me too. I had to be one of the most inept pastors in history, but they just continued to show me grace and love me even more.

Now, three decades later, I reflect back on what I’ve learned in ministry. Some lessons came rather naturally; others were very painful.

1. God is always faithful. Always. Always. Always.
2. My family is my greatest gift beyond my salvation. I wish I always realized it.
3. I spent too much time worrying about things that I can’t even remember today.
4. I took too many criticisms personally. Most critics weren’t mad at me.
5. I always grow stronger when I spend time in the Word and in prayer.
6. My wife endured a lot in our ministry. I needed to minister to her more.
7. When I can laugh at myself, I am more effective in ministry.
8. I learned to be more compassionate through the deaths of my parents and grandson. I can now understand the pain many experience.   Continue at Thom Rainer

10 Ways to Delegate But Not Frustrate

I remember my first day on a new job I had been trying to get for a while. I was nervous, excited, young, but eager to get my fledgling career going on a big project under the oversight of my new bosses. The project manager drove me out to the nearly 1000-acre job site, at which basically a small town was being constructed. We visited what, to me, seemed like a mad frenzy of contractors, over-sized haul trucks, trackhoes, upset foremen, all scattered about with no rhyme or reason. The next day my boss said something like, “Well, we’re going to throw you in the fire. Here are some documents. Have fun!” Needless to say, as time went on, I made some costly mistakes and grew frustrated, both at myself and the lack of direction and communication from my new leadership.

Too often church leadership teams can treat dear saints this way in the local church. What can happen is people, who love Christ, will take initiative, or respond to requests, to function as a body part and be obedient to use their giftedness. They have the humility to fill a need as a ministry leader, yet existing can often say, “Great, we’re going to throw you in the fire, have fun!” without clear task definition and encouragement. Understandably, serving under this type of leadership can easily result in frustrated sheep.   Continue at Eric Davis

Church vs. Parachurch

Each of the terms in the title is problematically broad, yet both are unavoidable. 

So let's proceed. I'm sure others have done this better than I, but I feel compelled to put in what I've got.

I feel about parachurch organizations the way I do about denominations. The concept makes sense, but the execution usually ends up being problematic. Parachurch organizations, at their best, address specifically targeted needs in ways that span churches and denominations. They might be clearing-houses for defense against cults, or response to scientistic attacks on our faith. They're Bible colleges, seminaries. A kid's at a secular college for some time, and a parachurch organization provides some on-campus fellowship, encouragement, instruction, camaraderie. I completely get that.

But here's the problem. Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her (Eph. 5:25). Not the parachurch. Christ is the Head of the church (Eph. 5:23), not of the parachurch. He gave pastors and teachers for the equipping of saints for the work of service (Eph. 4:11). The church is created for, founded upon, and united in, its allegiance to the person of Christ who exercises His headship through the specific truths of God's Word (Jn. 8:31-32; 17:17, 21, 23; Eph. 4:4-5). The task of enlisting and cultivating students of Christ has been entrusted to it (Matt. 28:18-20). The task of preaching God's Word come what may has been thunderously pressed upon its leadership (2 Tim. 4:1-6). Assuring doctrinal purity, and guarding against (and repelling, and shutting the mouths of) unbelievers is Divinely mandated for that local church leadership (1 Tim. 1:3-11, 18-19; Titus 1:5-16; 2:1, 15; 3:9-11).    Continue at Dan Phillips

Jay E. Adams on the Organic Dynamics of Church Eldership

The Word of God, through Paul, states the following as the qualifications of church elders (Christ's undershepherds, functioning at the local church level, ministering to His sheep):

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. (1 Timothy 3:1-7)

But what now after the church leadership (session or consistory) has been organized? Jay E. Adams offers valuable wisdom (sourced from Ordained Servant [vol. 1, no. 2 (April 1992)]):

Working with the Eldership

Probably the first most significant achievement of any minister who newly assumes the pastorate of any congregation is getting to know his elders well and learning how to function smoothly with them. No time can be invested more wisely during the first year of his pastorate (when, as a matter of fact, much else cannot be done anyway) than the time he spends developing and cultivating a close relationship to his elders. This, he should do, both individually and corporately.[1] He must learn to know these men through and through, and he must be willing to expose himself as fully to them as well. A relationship founded upon truth and mutual trust must be built. All of this is essential so that when he tackles the large tasks and faces the crises that inevitably will come, the pastor will not have to do so alone. In many situations, without the full understanding, confidence and backing of his eldership, a minister will be left in a precarious position. His attempts to exert the authority of Christ will be undercut, his efforts to exercise church discipline for the benefit of an erring and contumacious member may be foiled, and his ability to move quickly and smoothly in emergencies will be seriously impaired.  Continue at Underdog

The Disastrous Consequences of Heavy-Handed Leadership

I remember the evening with shameful regret. One of our leadership teams was experiencing some normal ministry struggles resulting in a period of disunity. Though the situation was not disastrous, you may not have known it from my response in the moment. In prideful pomp, I said some regretful words out of a heavy-handed spirit. Later, a brother graciously confronted me. I was amazed at the destructive leadership of which I was easily capable. At that time, God pressed upon me the danger of heavy-handed leadership. It’s subtle, all too prominent, often sinfully excused as “righteous anger,” and, if gone unchecked, will leave a path of carnage.

It is the unmistakable symptom of a kingly motive, looking for any way to build one’s little kingdom. No man is exempt from the intoxicating influence of a little power. Anyone is an easy victim to it. Power is a dangerous thing for a mere man to have; especially a young man new to ministry.

In his younger days, it’s possible that Peter made similar mistakes. Perhaps for that reason, God penned the mandate to future leaders: biblical leadership means not “lording it over those allotted to your charge” (1 Peter 5:3).

To “lord it over” carries the idea of “exercising dominion against someone, for example, to one’s own advantage” (Werner Foerster, TDNT, 3:1098), or, a “heavy-handed use of authority for personal enlargement that is seen in the desire to dominate” (D. Edmond Hiebert, 1 Peter, p. 305). The word is also used of the demon which attacked and “subdued” the seven sons of the high priest in Acts 19:16.  Keep Reading >>>

How Do You Address Modesty?

One of the topics in the church that leaders rarely address is modesty. It’s awkward. You can be accused of legalism. People can be offended. It can seem politically incorrect.

But that doesn’t mean it should never be addressed, nor that there’s not a gracious way to do it. Ideally, those who participate in a public platform on Sundays should be aware that people learn not only from what they say but what they wear. (I did another post on what we wear when we worship here.)

Certain things are clear. We aren’t to treat people differently based on what people wear (James 2:1-5). That means we don’t look down self-righteously at those who dress differently than we do. Both men and women are to dress modestly, preferring others over themselves (Phil. 2:3-4). We aren’t to do anything that would make someone else stumble (Rom. 15:1-2). Specifically, women should wear “respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control” (1 Tim. 2:9). Keep Reading>>>