by Healthy Growing Churches: Each generation that has ever lived believed that they were living in the most interesting and challenging time in history. The questions they had to answer were more significant than the previous generations, and the barriers to greater humanity were more overwhelming than any other age had ever experienced before them. The pace of cultural change appeared to unfold at a faster rate than any other time in days gone by.

The Challenge

Right now, in this generation, it is difficult to argue against the challenging culture in which we find ourselves embedded. In almost every category you can imagine, life is a constant challenge. The pace of change in our world right now is happening at a speed that makes keeping up a consistent challenge. Technology is changing the way we do everything. The economic landscape is shifting with every week that drops off the calendar. The changes in the culture of the U.S. alone can feel overwhelming. We could add to this list, but you get the point.

There is no question these changes are impacting the local church. It’s left church leaders across our country wrestling with how they navigate their way to higher levels of effectiveness in our unique cultural times. The pace of change demands that we re-imagine the relevance and role of the local church. How do we continue to morph to ensure the church continues to advance God’s redemptive cause?

The Answer

There are many answers to this pressing question as we seek to lead the local church forward in Her missional quest, but there is one answer that must ascend to the top of our lists. The local church must reclaim and live into the call to inspire, enlist, equip, and deploy everyday missionaries to be the hands and feet of Jesus where they live, work, and play.

This isn’t a new answer. Jesus was clear when He passionately spoke the words that we find in Matthew 28:19. This was Jesus’ plan A for reaching the world, and there is no plan B. Our calling as individuals is simple. Each follower of Christ should be walking another individual toward and across the line of faith into a personal relationship with God. It is then our responsibility to help them become an obedient follower of Jesus to see that process repeat to multiple generations of reproduction. It is the call of every local church to ensure there is a pathway and framework to ensure that reproducing disciples are being made and disciple-makers are being raised up and sent.

The Most Significant Volunteer Organization on the Planet

The Church is the most significant volunteer organization on the planet. There are tens of thousands of volunteer hours available from people each week who claim Christ as their Savior. What if a significant portion of those volunteer hours were being leveraged by everyday missionaries living into their missionary call in the places where they live, work, and play? What if some of those hours were more effectively being used to raise up disciples who make disciples?

Our best path forward in our unique culture times is to lean into Jesus’ Plan A for reaching the world. Anything less than an all-in approach to disciple-making as church leaders will leave us with less of an impact going forward. Worst-case scenario, it will likely mean the continued decline and impact of the Church in America.

Make Disciples!

The encouraging dynamic at play in the American Church today is the growing number of church leaders and churches that are working hard to figure out how to make disciples who make disciples to multiple generations of reproduction. It certainly feels like the number of churches that are also wrestling with what it should look like for their church to multiply is at an all-time high.

Are you in the number? If not, then here are a few questions you must answer:

Do we have an intentional framework and pathway to ensure that these everyday missionaries (reproducing disciples of Jesus) are raised up and deployed?
How are you identifying the disciple-makers in your local setting and then empowering them to reach out and disciple others?
Are you prepared to send the called and qualified leaders to establish missional outposts, networks of missional communities, and new churches?

There are resources and tools to help. God has raised up an army of trainers to help each of us figure out how to navigate our way into and through the call of Matthew 28:19. Lean into these resources so you can reach maximum effectiveness in joining God in His redemptive cause in our unique cultural times.

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by Healthy Growing Churches: In July, we introduced a new series called Fresh Expressions of the Church. Since that time, we have talked with some incredible, visionary leaders who are thinking outside the box with regards to “church.” Today, I’m excited to introduce you to Matt Chesney from Eagle Ridge Church of God in Midland, Michigan. But this story is not about Eagle Ridge per se, but about a mission and vision given to Matt and his Senior Pastor, Bill Greiner, that is impacting people daily.

The Calling

The moment Matt became a Christian, he began to hear these little whispers saying, “You need to be a pastor.” Over and over again, the Voice would call, and Matt would push it away, believing he already had his dream job as a teacher, school builder, and principal. What more would he want?

While at church one Sunday morning, Matt heard this really loud voice that said, “You need to quit your job and become a teacher for Me.” Matt doesn’t remember the message given by the pastor that morning, but he knew he could no longer ignore this calling. While loading up their four children after church that morning, Matt looked at his wife and told her they needed to talk about this clear message he’d received from God. Melissa responded with, “Yeah, me too!” Matt asked his wife to share first, hoping what she heard might be different, but as it turns out, God had spoken the exact same words to her.

Eagle Ridge Church of God

This time Matt listened to and obeyed what God was saying. He was able to continue to work as a teacher while pursuing a ministry degree, knowing that God was calling him to become a youth pastor. He was later hired by Eagle Ridge Church of God.

At the time, Eagle Ridge Pastor Bill Greiner and his wife, Robin, were living through every parent’s worse nightmare. Their son, a sophomore in college who was a bright light in the community with a promising future, was tragically killed by a drunk driver. This unspeakable tragedy caused Bill to question the direction of his life and the church.

While in such a huge painful season of grieving, the Holy Spirit impressed upon Bill’s heart that it was time to start trusting in Him instead of consistently worrying about the future. It was time for Bill, his staff and leadership, and for Eagle Ridge Church to walk by faith, and they did just that when they hired Matt as the Students Pastor. Matt learned later on that the church didn’t actually have the budget to pay him, but they decided to move forward and start being the church God had called them to be anyway.

Eagle Ridge Church, whose focus pointed more inward, was headed for a significant turnaround, which included more devotion to the community in which they were called to serve. In hiring Matt, the church was looking to breathe new life into the student ministry, outreach, and discipleship, and they saw that Matt could be a huge catalyst for this change.

The Path to Something Different

With this transformation happening at Eagle Ridge, a strong vision developed to build something outside of Eagle Ridge that wouldn’t even necessarily point back to the church. They wanted something that would be a service to the community and a platform for building disciples.

They wanted something that would be a service to the community and a platform for building disciples.

Matt poured himself into building the student ministry that first year, as well as learning more about the Midland community. He began thinking and dreaming of ideas that fit the vision of outward focus and discipleship. Matt and Bill did lots of research, read lots of books, and went to several conferences. They listened to ideas presented by others, many of which were GREAT ideas. A coffee shop, however, was not one of them. In fact, neither Matt nor Bill drink or even like coffee.

Dead Ends and Closed Doors

Armed with so many great ideas, Matt battled through the discouragement of hitting dead ends and closed doors. Then, the idea came to, perhaps, plant another church. Maybe this one would be completely different from Eagle Ridge and within another part of town to reach a more significant landscape of the community. Matt got a map of Midland, which, to this day, remains behind his desk. On the map, he plotted out every Christian church in Midland to see if there was a particular area not being served by a local church. Matt found that Midland has a TON of churches. Did Midland really need one more church?

Looking more closely at the map, Matt noticed an area toward the top that was just empty space. Upon further research, that space was the Midland Mall, so it was no wonder that there was no church there. The idea came to open up a church in the mall. Surely this is what God was calling them to do! However, when Matt called the owners of the mall, prepped and ready to make his case, he was only able to get out the first sentence before the mall said, “No.” After all, how would a church encourage people to spend their money at the mall? The church would only be open on Sundays before the mall even opened. The mall needed something different, and perhaps, the community needed something different as well.

Cultivate

Armed with the understanding that the mall was looking for something that would increase foot traffic throughout the mall, the idea came to open up a coffee shop. The shop would be open throughout the week to everyone. Matt began to see that by selling coffee, they would be able to afford rent on a space in the mall, and they could even pay their employees. With his background in starting schools, Matt understood budgets, profit margins, and all that has to do with running a business.

Then, in a meeting between Bill and Matt, Bill drops the bomb. Let’s give the coffee away for free! The church had connections with people in parts of Guatemala, Panama, and Uganda, so as a side effect of opening a coffee shop, Bill and Matt knew they would want only to serve coffee that was ethically sourced. Then, the coffee communities would also be empowered and encouraged as they sold more of the fruits of their labor.

It ended up taking longer to open Cultivate than Matt originally wanted. Matt had a timeline of opening before the holidays of 2018, but Bill wanted things to move a little slower. Ultimately, Bill wanted Eagle Ridge to become more passionate about discipleship and community; however, Bill gave Matt full authority on when the shop would open. By the time legal stuff was done and the coffee shop was ready to launch, many months had passed, way more than what Matt anticipated. Cultivate opened in June 2019.

Miracles Along the Way

With an opening budget of about $60,000 and only $30,000 in the bank, Matt recalls sitting in his car prior to signing the lease on the space in the mall. How was it going to work? He stopped to pray before going in and decided to go in with an attitude of faith. At the start of his meeting, the manager asks him one more time if he wants to look at the space again. As the two were walking through the mall, the manager began pointing out other vacant retail locations and asking him to notice different furniture pieces in them. With $25,000 of $60,000 of the budget allocated for furniture, Matt saw that number go lower and lower as the manager began to offer up all of this furniture to him for free.

Matt says he doesn’t know how it all worked out, but with the $30,000 they had to start with, $12,000 was remaining after Cultivate was all set up and ready to open! There were all types of small blessings happening with each step, which altogether took the initial projected $60,000 start-up budget down to only $18,000.

Since the Opening

Cultivate: Coffee and Tea wanted to be known for its friendliness and service to the community. Matt and Bill went into it with the attitude of building genuine relationships with people, not just beating people over the heads with the Bible. And as is common when one begins to engage authentically with another person, it’s not so easy to get around the subject of faith when that is the center of who you are. Within the first months of starting up, Matt and other volunteers have had the opportunity to share the faith numerous times. Almost every time, it’s others who have brought up the subject of faith in Jesus.

Cultivate has 5-6 various volunteers who have never even attended a service at Eagle Ridge. These volunteers have either become Christians or renewed their commitment to Him during the first few months of the shop’s opening, and now they are serving and discipling others. The coffee shop has become a place where people’s stories get heard, where faith is shared, and disciples are made. And that is the whole purpose of it all!

One of the most significant takeaways from this story is that you have a church intentionally not looking to put their name on another ministry or location but to multiply by making disciples. They are not trying to build their own kingdom, but God’s. You will not find the coffee shop on Eagle Ridge’s website, nor will you see Eagle Ridge on Cultivate’s Facebook page. What you will find is evangelism through genuine relationship building, disciples making disciples, and ultimately, the Great Commission. That is something to support and celebrate!

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by Healthy Growing Churches: A few weeks ago, we shared the story of River City Church and how they are doing church differently. Today, we want to share the story of The Tampa Underground Network. As we’ve stated before, we hope that by sharing these stories with you dreams, vision, and newfound faith would permeate your hearts and minds. Ultimately, our goal is for us to work together to build the Body of Christ in stronger and more effective ways.

The Underground’s Story

In 2006, Brian Sanders, along with about 50 others, left their traditional churches to pursue together a different vision for how the church should look. At least, this was the vision given to them by the Spirit for how they should do things differently, and therefore, add greater depth to the Church as a whole. They left with a love for the Western church, but “hoped for more than Sunday morning worship and middle-class Christianity.” 

With a passion for the poor and the lost, The Underground works to “empower communities to reach and serve the people who exist at the margins of the church as we know it.” They believe that intimacy with God means committing to His mission, which leads to “prioritizing both those in poverty and those without knowledge of His saving grace.” 

Discipleship is of utmost significance to The Underground. They help empower people to pray and seek to know their unique calling and then find a community where they can pour themselves out. At the heart of this vision is the micro-church. As people find their true callings, they can get to work mobilizing communities to meet needs there and to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus and His kingdom.

Theology

One of the best places to discover The Underground’s theology is in Brian Sanders’ book, Underground Church, which we highly recommend. Flip to the back to Appendix A, and you find their “Manifesto,” or statement of belief. As one who senses the call and is starting a micro-church movement in my community in South Carolina, this book has been transformational in my thinking and planning.

The following is what The Underground’s website states regarding their Theology:

Theologically, we are orthodox and evangelical. Being an independent church plant (not coming from any denomination) we are anchored by the ancient and historical creeds of the church. The first and simplest creed: Jesus is Lord. We seek to place Jesus Christ as the head of this church, and to establish and submit to his supremacy in all things.

We acknowledge both the historical significance and the prophetic call of the Lausanne Covenant (1974), agreeing with it completely, and the reaffirmations of the Manila Manifesto (1989). These creedal/confessional documents serve to anchor our theological commitments while also expressing our missional and evangelical convictions. We stand to be both challenged and guided by these core expressions of theological commitment as we try to grow and mature into the church that God has destined us to be.

Learn More

The very best way to get to know this incredible ministry network is to watch this video. You will not regret the time spent watching!

What’s Happening Now?

The Underground now supports and encourages 100s of micro-churches across 6 continents.

The Underground also has 12 global sister movements. You can click here and find out more about each of these movements.

Most importantly, people from all walks of life are making a difference in their various communities by becoming empowered and supported to live their God-sized, God-given dreams!

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by Healthy Growing Churches: Back in May, I had the privilege of interviewing Ryan Sidhom, the lead pastor of River City Church in Vancouver, Washington (USA). As we explore creative, fresh expressions of the church, we thought his story and the church’s mission, vision, and rhythm were so inspiring that we needed to share it with you.

The Dream to Plant a Church

In June of 2016, Ryan and his wife, Clarissa, took a trip to Portland and began to tour the city in search of the area in which they would plant a church. Although they knew God was pulling them towards the Portland, Oregon area, the entire time they were there, nothing felt right. They then journeyed right outside of the city into Vancouver, WA. As the couple explored this city, they knew that “this was it!” They had found the place they would plant River City Church.

Returning home to Tennessee, planning got underway. Ryan and Clarissa worked to develop a prospectus, decided on the mission and vision of the church, and planned their departure from Tennessee and move to Vancouver. Their first day in Vancouver was May 1st, 2017. This husband and wife duo hit the ground running. As River City Church, they began making connections with people and learning more about the culture in Vancouver. What was discovered was that the prospectus created from the start didn’t make sense within the context of the community they were called to serve.

Community Survey

Ryan and Clarissa started surveying the people within the community. With willing hearts to serve and to meet the people where they were, what they discovered changed the way they would approach this fresh expression of church. Two items on the Community Survey stood out:

Families needed things to do with one another on the weekends. With most households in the Vancouver/Portland area requiring two incomes, family quality time was in high demand.
Millennials, who are a large part of the population in Vancouver, were searching for purpose and belonging and were genuinely interested in volunteer opportunities. They wanted to do things to help their community. River City Church knew they would need to help this population find hope in Jesus and belonging and purpose in serving together.

Why Do Church Differently?

I asked Ryan about how River City Church was different from other churches of which he had been apart. Ryan wanted to create a church that was more relational than attractional. That means putting relationships first. The beautiful thing that develops due to that priority is the church becomes attractional as more profound and deeper relationships form.

Ryan also realized early on that he was not there to bring the south to Washington. Instead, the whole purpose for being there was to bring Jesus, fully and completely. Ryan said they ended up adjusting everything they’d planned, except for Jesus. River City Church would require a vastly different rhythm to reach those away from Christ.

Mission Statement and Tagline

I love the mission of River City Church! The Mission Statement is:

Encountering the Author of Love and Engaging Our Community in that Love

The Tagline of River City Church is:

Changed by Love

One of the many stories Ryan told me regarding the truth of the words above occurred at their Sunday gathering on May 5th, or Cinco de Mayo. With many cities and towns in America having higher rates of Hispanic migration, Ryan and Clarissa had already decided that they would have live Spanish translation available for their Hispanic neighbors during all gatherings. On this special holiday in Hispanic culture, the decision was made to flip the script.

When people gathered for the music and message on Cinco de Mayo, they were greeted with a Mariachi-style worship band. The entire service was in Spanish; therefore, the English speakers got the opportunity to wear the headphones feeding them the live translation of the message. After service ended, the entire church was met outside by a fantastic food truck serving tacos. The day was special for everyone involved!

Service

Service is at the core of what happens at River City Church. From the very first day in Vancouver, they started serving the community as River City Church even though they hadn’t yet launched their first service. In fact, the official launch of Sunday services was Easter Sunday of 2019. This launch was two years after the move to Vancouver!

Ryan talked to me about the importance of serving without expecting anything in return. One story he told me was about a local public elementary school there. He had reached out to the principal hoping to support the needs of teachers and students. Initially, the principal would hardly enter into discussions with Ryan as Separation of Church and State is a prominent value in Vancouver, WA.  As the church began meeting the needs of those in that school, over time, the principal’s heart softened. This year River City Church was able to host a giant Easter Egg Hunt on the property of that school where they were able to meet and serve over 600 people!

Rhythm

It was refreshingly apparent in my conversation with Ryan that the most important voice he listens to when thinking of mission and vision for his church is that of the Holy Spirit. There is a Sunday to Sunday rhythm that River City Church follows that is different from any other church I’ve encountered. I would even call it a brave leap of faith. Each month, they follow this Sunday Schedule:

1st Sunday: Study – This is a worship service where there is music and study of the Bible and its life principles.
2nd Sunday: Serve – The entire church gathers for a family-friendly volunteer project. It is a different project each month.
3rd Sunday: Study – This is a worship service where there is music and study of the Bible and its life principles. The difference here from week one is the individual teaching is typically one who is being discipled, equipped, empowered, and eventually sent out to start another church.
4th Sunday: Play – This service is infused with fun! It is a family-friendly gathering where you may experience a game day, a comedy show, holiday parties, and other creative ideas to bring families together and build tighter community.
5th Sunday: Next Generation – In this service, kids, youth, and college ministries take over the service.

Would having this type of rhythm in your church be scary? With this church rhythm, a pastor would have faithfully risk relinquishing a lot of control. Ryan, who self-admittedly is a bit of a control freak, has had to adjust to the freedom of prayerfully letting go. He has to be able to trust those he’s discipled who are speaking on the Sundays he isn’t. He has to train up and trust his volunteers on the Serve and Play Sundays when the entire community is invited to be served and to have fun. Ryan and the whole team at River City Church have to be willing to get their hands dirty and commit to engaging the daily lives of those far from Jesus no matter how messy the lives of those people.

Vision

River City Church has a courageous vision. Their goal is to plant 32 churches in 20 years. Due to those aspirations, the church is keenly aware of the need to develop and mature believers into leaders and leaders into future pastors. You can see this vision coming to life within the rhythm of the church where on the 3rd Sunday of the month, a future church planter delivers the message.

Marked By Generosity

River City Church also aspires to be a church that is “Marked by Generosity.” A great example of this is what they do with their visitor cards. Many of us likely have a mug, t-shirt, pen, or cup from a church we once visited with a friend. But when someone new comes to River City and fills out the visitor card, that person gets to choose a charity they would like to support. The church then donates $5 to that charity. But wait. There’s more! When that visitor returns for a second time, the church donates another $10 to that charity! (Also, take note of the “Where Are You?” section where individuals can indicate where they are on their spiritual journey, all the way from “Not Curious” to “Disciple-Maker”).

Dedication to People and Small Businesses

A significant part of the vision for River City Church is its dedication to people and small businesses in the community. Ryan says it this way, “The Gospel doesn’t just redeem people, but it has the power to redeem entire communities!” He believes that the church should be friends with and support those running small businesses in the community. This concept has already made a significant impact even before the church officially launched earlier this year. One local business is a bubble tea shop. The owner there has seen the value River City Church has brought to the community through service and support. Though she is not a follower of Jesus, she has become a monthly supporter of the church! “The Gospel doesn’t just redeem people, but it has the power to redeem entire communities!”

The church’s vision of supporting and reaching the community is so big that even though the church had the fortune of inheriting the building where gatherings now take place, one of the first things they did when moving in was to vacate the office area there. The official office of the church can be found out in “the public square,” or the local coffee shop.

What Next?

So as you’ve read through pieces and parts of River City Church’s story, what do you do with that information? Are there risks you’ve been dreaming about taking that you’ve pushed to the side? I encourage you to genuinely listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to you. We know statistics indicate the church in America is on a sharp decline. We take hope in the truth that there is fresh Spirit-infused creativity that we must tap into to see the Church not just survive but thrive in the decades to come. And we do this not for our fame or glory but the glory of Jesus Christ!

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by Healthy Growing Churches: On July 11th, 2017 the Barna Group published an article on their website that began with this paragraph:

“It may come as no surprise that the influence of Christianity in the United States is waning. Rates of church attendance, religious affiliation, belief in God, prayer and Bible-reading have all been dropping for decades. By consequence, the role of religion in public life has been slowly diminishing, and the church no longer functions with the cultural authority it held in times past. These are unique days for the church in America as it learns what it means to flourish in a new “Post-Christian” era.”

Before I could read on, I was already processing an important question:

What does it look like going forward for the Church in America to flourish in a post-Christian era?

This question deserves more than just some mental attention, but it must become a significant matter of prayer for every follower of Jesus. Church leaders, it’s time to circle up and figure out how to advance the Gospel in the new American landscape.

We have to start thinking in terms of a paradigm shift for the Church. Some of our deeply held assumptions regarding Church need to be unlearned if we hope to reach the growing harvest in America. It will also likely require a new posture for those who desire Kingdom impact in both the current cultural reality and into the future.

Fresh Expressions

Currently, there are pioneers of the faith who are experimenting with what many are beginning to refer to as “fresh expressions of the church.” Freshexpressionus.org is one network working hard to empower, resource, and celebrate the growing number of fresh expressions of the church.

They define these fresh expressions of the Church this way:

“A Fresh Expression is a form of church for our changing culture, established primarily for the benefit of those who are not yet part of any church.”

They go on to add:

“Fresh Expressions is an international movement of missionary disciples cultivating new kinds of church alongside existing congregations to more effectively engage our growing post-Christian society.”

These expressions of church are taking many different forms. There are many creative variations of the Church emerging, and God is calling up creative and courageous people to generate new pathways for people to explore and discover all the fullness of Jesus. People searching for God have more accessible options to meet Jesus within contexts they understand rather than them trying to fit into a one-size-fits-all model. Gatherings take place in coffeehouses meant to be an epicenter for disciple-making. Group meetings may also include weekly dinners that foster an intentional spiritual conversation, where people can come and feel free to wrestle with some of the difficult truths of Scripture. Some churches are meeting in bars to attract those who may never feel comfortable stepping into a church building.

Micro-Churches or Missional Communities

Francis Chan’s book, Letters to the Church, (amongst others) has inspired pioneers of the faith to launch networks of what is commonly referred to as micro-churches or missional communities. These fresh expressions of church are the most basic expressions of the church that are seeking to be the hands and feet of Jesus in their neighborhoods and cities. These fresh expressions include individuals deeply passionate and committed to both meeting the needs of those in the margins and making disciples who make disciples.

The Tampa Underground Network

The Underground Network in Tampa, Florida has been a tremendous kingdom resource for those seeking to launch a network of micro-churches or missional communities. Brian Sanders, one of the founders of the movement, went back and took a deeper look at the way the early Church functioned and then designed ecclesiastical minimums accordingly. They say it this way:

“When believers work together in sincere worship and genuine community to accomplish part of the mission of God, they are the church.”

As you read that statement, I hope your mind races with the plethora of fresh expressions of church that could change the world for Jesus. What would happen if the Church empowered everyday missionaries to launch fresh expressions of the church in the places where they live, work, and play? Is there any doubt that even asking the question puts a huge smile on the face of our heavenly Father?

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by Healthy Growing Churches: This summer, our focus has been on helping you lead well. We posted about leading ourselves, our families,  our ministries, through transformation, and leading through conflict and adversity. Last week, we shared with you some of our favorite Podcasts to help you grow and mature in your faith, marriage/family, and ministry. This week, our focus is Books. Check out the five that we think you should read this summer.

1. Pioneering Movements, Steve Addison

God’s mission needs movement leaders. Jesus pioneered something completely new in human history—a dynamic missionary movement intent on reaching the world. His mission is as clear and as relevant today as in the days of the early church: to make disciples everywhere, baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything Jesus has commanded. But the potential of the church remains untapped. What does it take to lead movements that successfully carry out this mission? In Pioneering Movements, Steve Addison identifies what it takes to follow Jesus’ example. Building on his previous books Movements That Change the World and What Jesus Started, he reveals the apostolic qualities and behaviors of biblical, historical, and contemporary pioneers who can guide church and ministry leaders today. This is a book for those who are called to embrace the mission-driven work that Jesus and his disciples began—making disciples of all nations, in all places.

2. Switch on Your Brain, Dr. Caroline Leaf

According to researchers, the vast majority–a whopping 75-98 percent–of the illnesses that plague us today are a direct result of our thought life. What we think about truly affects us both physically and emotionally. In fact, fear alone triggers more than 1,400 known physical and chemical responses in our bodies, activating more than thirty different hormones! Today our culture is undergoing an epidemic of toxic thoughts that, left unchecked, create ideal conditions for illnesses.

Supported by current scientific and medical research, Dr. Caroline Leaf gives readers a prescription for better health and wholeness through correct thinking patterns, declaring that we are not victims of our biology. She shares with readers the “switch” in our brains that enables us to live happier, healthier, more enjoyable lives where we achieve our goals, maintain our weight, and even become more intelligent. She shows us how to choose life, get our minds under control, and reap the benefits of a detoxed thought life.

3. Deep Roots, Wild Branches: Revitalizing the Church in the Blended Ecology, Michael Adam Beck

What is the future of the church in North America? Churches are closing faster than new ones can be planted. Existing churches engaged in effective evangelism beyond the tired tactics of attractional approaches are increasingly rare. One of the major pitfalls of the past few decades is “either/or” thinking—either attractional or missional; traditional or contemporary; old or new. In Deep Roots, Wild Branches, missiologist and church planter Dr. Michael Beck contends we must cultivate what he calls a “blended ecology” of church that has both deep roots and wild branches. Beck introduces us to present-day models and examples that don’t leave traditional forms behind, but harness the power of “both/and.” It honors vintage models while blending fresh expressions of real evangelism.

4. Canoeing the Mountains, Tod Bolsinger

Explorers Lewis and Clark had to adapt. While they had prepared to find a waterway to the Pacific Ocean, instead they found themselves in the Rocky Mountains. You too may feel that you are leading in a cultural context you were not expecting. You may even feel that your training holds you back more often than it carries you along. Drawing from his extensive experience as a pastor and consultant, Tod Bolsinger brings decades of expertise in guiding churches and organizations through uncharted territory. He offers a combination of illuminating insights and practical tools to help you reimagine what effective leadership looks like in our rapidly changing world. If you’re going to scale the mountains of ministry, you need to leave behind canoes and find new navigational tools. Now expanded with a study guide, this book will set you on the right course to lead with confidence and courage.

5. Anxious Church, Anxious People, Jack Shitama

The key to effective church leadership is the ability to be a non-anxious presence.

This is not a technique. It is a way of being. It is deceptively simple but tremendously difficult. Yet, if you are willing to take the journey, you can lead change in even the most challenging contexts. Read this book and you will understand:

•The process that keeps churches anxious and stuck.

•How leadership through self-differentiation gets churches unstuck.

•How to develop as a non-anxious presence so you can lead change anywhere, but especially in an anxious church.

Anxious Church, Anxious People is based on a family systems approach to congregational leadership. It is for church leaders who are willing to learn more about themselves and their family of origin so they can be a non-anxious presence. It will resonate with those who have tried everything else and realize that they cannot change others, but can only change themselves. It makes family systems concepts accessible and practical through the use of examples from personal experience.

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Source: Leading Yourself Well – Five Books

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by Healthy Growing Churches: This summer, our focus has been on helping you lead well. We posted about leading ourselves, our families,  our ministries, through transformation, and leading through conflict and adversity. Over the next few weeks, we want to share with you some of our favorite resources to help you grow and mature in your faith, marriage/family, and ministry. This week, our focus is Podcasts. Check out these five that we’re listening to right now.

1. This Cultural Moment

https://thisculturalmoment.com

A podcast about following Jesus in the post-Christian world. This Cultural Moment is a collaboration of Bridgetown Church in Portland, USA and Red Church in Melbourne, Australia.

2. Multiplication Collective Podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/church-multiplication-collective/id1223819670

The Church Multiplication Collective is an intentional community of pastors and leaders committed to DISCOVERING, DEVELOPING, and DEPLOYING workers for the Lord’s harvest, until we have a transforming presence in every zip code. This podcast is all about learning how to be an effective church multiplier and helping you become a catalyst for God’s missional movement on earth wherever you are.

3. Unseen Leadership

https://leadership.lifeway.com/podcast-unseen-leadership/

Unseen Leadership, hosted by Chandler Vannoy and Josh Hunter, explores the unseen stories that have made leaders who they are today. This is a podcast for young leaders to learn from those ahead of them by exploring the early days of their leadership, understanding the mistakes they made, and identifying the habits that shaped them. All to help you lead in the future.

4. Fierce Marriage Podcast

https://fiercemarriage.com/podcast

Discussing all things marriage: Sex, Communication, Finances, Priorities, Purpose, and Everything In Between. New episodes every Tuesday morning.

5. The Accidental Creative

https://accidentalcreative.com/podcasts/

With millions of downloads, The Accidental Creative podcast has provided twice-weekly tips and interviews with top thinkers, leaders, and artists for over a decade.

We hope you can add these podcasts into your normal flow and rhythm of life. You’ll be happy you did!

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Source: Leading Yourself Well – Five Podcasts

The post Leading Yourself Well – Five Podcasts appeared first on Passion for Planting.

by Healthy Growing Churches: Imagine for a moment it is a few days after Labor Day later this year. Your laptop is fired up while some really good music plays in the background. You are sipping a warm cup of great coffee in the middle of a very busy week. You are filled with excitement as you review the plans for the fall ministry season at your church. The energy level of you and your team is peaking. You are full of anticipation for all that God can do as the 2019 ministry year races to a close.

Getting to a place like this a few months from now will not happen by accident. You will need to prepare if you want a similar story to unfold for you and your team this fall.

What can you do this summer to be prepared for a great fall ministry season?

One of the most significant ways we get there is to ensure this summer has a healthy rhythm of work and rest.

My son is a drummer. His ability to keep rhythm has always been amazing to me. Listening to him use his hands and feet to make noises that blend so well with a band on a Sunday morning at church never gets old. He also played snare drum for his high school marching band. Listening to five elite snare drummers play in unison is remarkable!

I am not a drummer. Actually, I have a tough time clapping on rhythm during a worship gathering. Worse yet, put a snare drum in front of me or set me in a drum kit and all you would get is noise. There would be absolutely no rhythm to the noise I would make.

Life is meant to have a rhythm.

We find this rhythm in the creation story. God worked six days and rested one. He made the seventh day holy to be set aside to rest. And with that dynamic, He created the rhythm of life. Work six, rest one. When we follow His rhythm, our life will have rhythm. If that isn’t our pattern, our life and work will sound and feel like me on the drum set trying to make music. When our lives do have a rhythm like the one God created, it would be like my son helping a dynamic band stay on time as they make wonderful music.

What could a healthy rhythm of work and rest look like for you this summer?

Consider a few ideas below as you process what that could look like for you and your team. Commit right now to develop a plan for June, July, and August to work hard and rest well. Put that plan on paper. Calendar the necessary items and log important task somewhere with timestamped reminders.

Think about these ideas:

How are you going to rest?

Hopefully, you have already made vacation plans. If you haven’t stop and do that right now! Block at least a week plus to be completely unplugged from the daily ministry grind. If you can get two weeks in a row away from it all, even better! If you cannot afford to get away to a destination then plan a staycation. Do not let money deter you from unplugging at least one full week this summer.

How are you going to grow?

What is your Bible reading plan for this summer? If you do not have one, stop right now and figure out a plan. Maybe it is a fresh reading of the Gospels or a couple of Paul’s letters. Are there a couple of books you have been meaning to read or know you should? Choose at least one for each month this summer. Pick something that will challenge you in an area where you know you need some wisdom and insight.

Who is in your life that you could connect with a couple of times this summer to help you process your leadership lids, blindspots, and biggest challenges right now? Write them an email this week and get them in your summer calendar. The suggestions are endless, but unless we have summer growth mapped out, we will fall well short of what could have been.

When do you plan to dream?

Hopefully, the pace of ministry this summer will be a little slower than normal. The slower pace often opens up bandwidth to dream. Block a few hours per week and a few full days this summer to invite God to give you fresh eyes for the fall ministry season and the 2020 ministry year. Make sure you calendar those dates and keep those appointments!

How are you going to connect?

The importance of healthy and meaningful relationships for church leaders cannot be overstated. How can you use summer to deepen some of your most meaningful relationships? What kind of rhythm could you put into place to help your relationships deepen? Determine a plan, reach out to those people, and get those dates in your calendar.

Summer can be a powerful time to reload our energy and emotional tanks. For that to be the case, we have to have a plan. Do you have a plan? If so, great! Work that plan. If not, please use this blog as inspiration to develop a plan. We will be glad we did when our calendars change to September.

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Source: Rhythm and Rest

The post Rhythm and Rest appeared first on Passion for Planting.

by Healthy Growing Churches: Last week, we began our discussion about Leading Through Conflict. Feel free to check out that post before moving on to this one.

People long to be connected to something, and our hope should extend towards the type of connection that is positive and leads hearts closer to the Holy Spirit. As a leader, those who serve on your teams want to connect with you.

Vulnerability

One aspect of leadership that I believe is vital to redeeming broken teams is transparency and authenticity. I am going to use the word vulnerability as an umbrella for these two terms, because, to be truly transparent and authentic, you must learn how to be vulnerable.

Vulnerability, by definition, means that you

“make yourself capable of or susceptible to being wounded; you make yourself open to moral attack, criticism and even temptation.”

Who would say, “Sign me up for that?”

Vulnerability is hard, but the rewards in creating such incredible authenticity within your teams are worth the risk of heartbreak and criticism. Being vulnerable with your team does not diminish your authority as the leader. Rather, your team will lean into you, knowing they can better identify with you.

Being vulnerable with your team does not diminish your authority as the leader. Rather, your team will lean into you, knowing they can better identify with you.

What the Bible Says

Paul and Barnabas:

Paul, then called Saul, met Barnabas sometime after his conversion. In Acts 9:27, Barnabas is the one who brings Paul to the apostles to let them know of his conversion. In my mind, I imagine that a fierce friendship began between Paul and Barnabas because they end up working together in ministry, along with John Mark from Acts 12:25-the end of Acts 15. John Mark had left Paul and Barnabas before their departure from Paphos to Antioch.

In Acts 15:36-41, we see a deterioration in the relationship between Paul and Barnabas. Barnabas, who comes across as more of a relational leader, wants to help redeem John Mark back into the fold. Paul, who is more of a driving leader, is ready to move on. From the moment of Paul’s conversion, it appears that he is most concerned about getting the job done. Barnabas, on the other hand, doesn’t want to let a lost sheep get away. Neither of these two amazing men is wrong, but their approach is different, which leads to a “sharp disagreement” after which they separate from one another. Paul chooses to do ministry with Silas. Barnabas sticks with John Mark.

So, as it appears on the pages of Scripture, we would assume that Barnabas is the vulnerable, relational leader. BUT Paul shows his own brand of vulnerability when he writes to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:15-16:

“This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.”

Vulnerability looks different to different personality types. Consider the DISC profile. For people who are “Influential” or “Steady,” vulnerability may look more emotional. A win in being vulnerable may mean an incredible emotional high and vice versa. Vulnerability for leaders who are “Dominant” or “Conscientious,” may look like being able to admit performance failures. Since many people may rank high in two different profiles, you can see how vulnerability in each individual may look different.

Take a moment to think about your DISC profile. Where do you lie on the spectrum? Are you more of a Paul or a Barnabas?

How about your people? Think about the people on your team that need you to be a Paul to them and tell them to get their big boy/girl pants on. And then think of those people who need to be taken out to coffee for 30 minutes to have some quality time with you.

Crucial Conversations

The primary way we get to the bottom of the whos, whats, and whys of our dysfunctional team is through engaging in crucial conversations. Let’s say one of your team members is disengaged suddenly. Have you reached out? If you genuinely know this person and that this change is uncharacteristic of their typical behavior, it is your responsibility to ask some hard questions. Are his/her finances struggling? Perhaps his/her marriage is rocky, or the kids are going crazy. Maybe he/she has lost sight of the vision or goal and needs a reminder or needs to feel cared for and appreciated.

Ask yourself, “Do I know my team members’ dreams and goals?” Maybe the team is dysfunctional because the team member isn’t actually in the correct role. After working through that, encourage and support your team member on their journey, even if it means they leave your team. Having a person leave your team to follow their own God-given goals and dreams is a win! Also, for a team member to learn how to work in a more significant way within their own calling and capacity is a win!

An important thing to consider when undertaking these crucial conversations is “speaking the truth in love.” Ephesians 4 says it this way:

“Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love” (verses 14-15).

From this passage, we learn that speaking the truth in love

Allows us to grow up and be more like Christ.
Allows all the pieces and parts of a team to work properly so that the body builds itself up in love.

This is why when we are leading through conflict, it all comes down to love!

This is why, when we are leading through conflict, it all comes down to love! Jesus was intentional about choosing His twelve disciples. For three years, He taught them all that they would need to know to share His Good News with the whole world. They asked some really dumb questions, or so it may seem to us now having the Bible in our hands. Jesus remained patient, just as he does with us. Jesus nurtured and genuinely loved His twelve, even the one who betrayed Him! He is the ultimate leader in His vulnerability and love. So remember this:

Being intentional about learning more about each of your team members = love

Letting our vulnerability show = love

Discipling your team = love

Understanding generations that are not your own = love

Speaking the truth in love = love

I would challenge you all to think about and acknowledge how lost we are without love. If we can’t lead our teams with authentic, genuine love, then, perhaps, we have no business at all leading our team. And of course, I say that to you…in love.

The post Leadership Development: Leading Through Conflict Part 2 appeared first on Healthy Growing Churches.

Source: Leadership Development: Leading Through Conflict Part 2

The post Leadership Development: Leading Through Conflict Part 2 appeared first on Passion for Planting.

by Healthy Growing Churches: Conflict in and amongst our teams is inevitable. Each member of the team is human after all, and as much as we hate to admit it, we don’t always walk perfectly in alignment with the Spirit like we wish we could. Also, each member of your team is passionate and gifted in different areas, and while their contribution to a specific project may be significant, sometimes those passions and giftings clash with others’ or even our own leadership.

Let me tell you a little about my leadership journey to help us put some things into perspective. First of all, I have been in some leadership ministry role in church since I was a teenager. For the majority of that time, I was a worship leader. In October of 2010, I became the Worship Arts Pastor at a local church in Upstate, SC. I was in my twenties and full of energy and zeal, which is excellent! Don’t lose that!

Unfortunately, however, I inherited a dysfunctional team. During the first five years of ministry there, I felt like all I did was pick up broken pieces and try to put them back together. It was suffocating and creatively stifling. If you’ve been there or you are now, you know exactly what I am talking about. You have God-given, God-sized dreams and goals, but there’s this constant pounding up against what seems to be a brick wall. And no matter how hard you try, you can’t find a breakthrough. Here are some things I learned during parts of this season and some things that I am still working out today.

There are warning signs. Don’t gloss over them.

So many of our ministers in local churches today fall into the category of the shepherd, teacher, or shepherd-teacher. While these roles are critical for a vibrant church, other roles are important too, like the apostle, prophet, and evangelist (Ephesians 4). My experience in the local church has been one where the shepherd and the teacher ruled and, unfortunately, issues and major warning signs of the dysfunctional got swept under the rug or glossed over. As Christian brothers and sisters, we have to have relationships with those whom we serve that are deep enough to call these things out! It is imperative.

There is a right and a wrong way to deal with conflict, and there are books written to that end that you can study. But the point is that a problem is not just going to go away. It would be like saying a deep, infected wound would heal on its own. No, the way a deep wound heals (without treatment) is that a scab forms over the top of it, but infection and a lot of gross stuff festers underneath. No matter what, that junk is going to come back up to the surface. You either deal with an issue now, or you deal with a much greater one later. In the case of an infected wound, we could be talking about an amputation here. So think about that analogy in light of your teams.

So what are the warning signs for which you should be on the lookout?

1. Disengagement

Is there someone on your team who use to share incredible vision and ideas that now seems preoccupied in meetings or team activities? Is there someone on your team that used to seem excited about the mission and vision of your church, but now appears disinterested and maybe a bit jaded? If you’re the lead/senior pastor at your church, take a look at your youth, children’s, and worship pastors. Are their teams engaged? And are you engaged with them?

2. Discipleship or lack thereof

Do you have members of your team mentoring and discipling other members of your team? Are there conversations going on outside the parameters of the team, church, or ministry? Who are you, as the leader, discipling? Are you setting the example? Do the people on your team seem to generally like each other, even if they don’t always agree on a particular strategy?

Those are just two of the warning signs. It’s likely that you’ve experienced others. Gossip, backbiting, quarrels, and discord – all of these are warning signs, but I believe that all stem from either disengagement or lack of discipleship.

YOU are the key to leading a functional team.

One of the critical elements in determining if your team is dysfunctional is YOU. It is so essential for you, as the leader, to acknowledge your role in the dysfunction of your team. Is there someone on your team with whom you clash? Are you disengaged or disinterested with the team you have either built or inherited? Have you become jaded and unhealthy in your relationship with Jesus? Are you being discipled, and are you making disciples?

Now that you know and understand that your team is dysfunctional and you’ve acknowledged your part in the dysfunction, it’s time to make a plan. This is where the hard work comes in, especially for those who may not be natural relational leaders.

Leading teams effectively requires some range of vulnerability and transparency, regardless of your personal leadership style. In general, you’ll find that more people will follow your mission and vision if they believe and know you actually care about them. This is especially true of Millennials and Xennials, perhaps less true with baby boomers and such.

Whether you like it or not, those who are actually already beginning to take the reigns of the Church or will be leading the church in just a few years are of the millennial generation. I personally think this is a great thing, and I believe there is a lot of hope for the Church because God has uniquely gifted this generation with different gifts and abilities, just like He has with all generations before this one. Every generation has had its particular calling, and when we work across generational lines, we see an essential glimpse of heaven. We begin to see the body of Christ in motion.

An important point to remember is that we all lead people out of who we are. So here you may think, “Well, I’m a strong-willed, unemotional person who just wants to get the job done. That’s who I am. That’s how I’m going to lead.” But there’s a caveat to the statement just mentioned: “We lead out of who we are, but we must lead who we have” (Greg Wiens). The “who” that you lead may need something different from you, and it is important to know this about your team members.

Tools to Utilize

If you’re uncertain about who the people are on your team, there are several tools you can utilize.

Go to our website and have your team members take the FREE Spiritual Gifts Assessment.
Head on over to Healthy Growing Leaders’ site, take and give the DISC Assessment to all of your team members. This will provide you with powerful insight into what makes your team members click – how they need to be led.
Give your team members the Love Languages test. If you want to be a servant leader, this is vital.

During my time as Worship Arts Pastor, I would give all of my volunteers in the band and production these three assessments. I found that some of my team members driven by gifts or words of affirmation, so one of the most perfect ways to encourage and motivate these team members was a hand-written note of encouragement. For some of my other team members, a $5 gift card to Starbucks when they’d really outdone themselves would really speak to them. Many of my millennial team members needed quality time, so a 30 min coffee break was a nice treat to them. Some liked to be acknowledged publicly; some privately. The important thing was that I knew these things about my team.

It all comes down to a desire to be connected, so stay tuned for Part 2 of this blog next week where we’ll talk more about that connection. Also, be sure to check out all the other posts in this series.

The post Leadership Development: Leading Through Conflict – Part 1 appeared first on Healthy Growing Churches.

Source: Leadership Development: Leading Through Conflict – Part 1

The post Leadership Development: Leading Through Conflict – Part 1 appeared first on Passion for Planting.