The Equipping Ministry

There are some who churches rely on the pastor to do everything.  Along the way some believers have been taught, more than likely not verbally but by example, that ministry is for the pastor or paid staff to do.  So the poor pastor works himself to the bone and burns out.  I’ve heard some pastors gripe about this whole situation.  Who is at fault?

I remember, when I arrived at NHC, we weren’t here very long before Rick read the famous “resignation letter”.  He didn’t resign from the church but Rick resigned from changing light bulbs, fixing doors, from doing things that others could easily do.  What was cool was that people from the congregation stepped forward and made sure those things Rick resigned from were taken care of.  What was that?  That was ministry.

Imagine the sermon quality the church would get if the pastor had more time to prepare for sermons and didn’t have to do “all” the ministry in the church?  Pastors need to learn to let go of ministry.  Church members need to realize that all believers are ministers; you don’t have to be a “professional” to be a minister.  Got Christ?  You are a minister.  Some churches don’t grow because they aren’t prepared for the growth.  It takes every member, all hands on deck, serving in a growing church.

I sometimes find myself doing ministry that someone else in the church could be doing which ends up robbing from the ministry that I am supposed to be doing.  Not only do I rob the ministry that I’m supposed to be doing but also I rob the other members of the blessing of doing ministry.  I’m getting better at it though, I’m retraining my mind.

Pastors, church staff let the church do the ministry.  How?

Equip – That’s our job, we are to equip the church to do ministry.  Help believers learn how God has shaped them to serve.  Ephesians 4:11-13

Entrust – Give the believers in the church the ministry.  Hand it off and then trust them to get it done.  Resist the temptation to micro manage.

Enjoy – Enjoy watching the believers in your church grow closer to God as they serve Jesus Christ and the church with the gifts God has given them.  Enjoy watching the church reach her ministry potential.  (Enjoy more time to do the ministry God has called you to)

Pastors are we equipping our churches to serve and giving them the opportunity to minister?  Believers are we fulfilling our duty to Christ by ministering?  Youth pastors are you trying to do youth ministry all on your own?

When Someone Throws Up On You

If you have been in ministry for any length of time you have had the moment or moments when someone comes up to and just throws up on you.  What do I mean by throw up?  Throw up is when a person who is ticked off, mad, misunderstood, cranky, ignorant (lacking knowledge) or just plain mean comes up and proceeds to spew forth words intending to cause damage to you or to someone else.  When the damaging words are directed towards someone else this is plainly and simply gossip.  When it is aimed right at you it’s mean and hurtful.  Amazingly enough these throw up moments in ministry come from our fellow believers. 

What is the deal with that?  It should not be!  I have never had a person who is not a follower of Christ approach me and throw up all over me about something happening in the church.

How do you respond when someone throws up on you?  What is your reaction?  What do you do when damaging words spew forth intended to hurt you?

If your church or ministry is going through any sort of transition be prepared because someone will more than likely throw up on you or on others in your church.  People just don’t handle change well.  We like things to stay the same; we want to be in our comfort zone rather than challenged to move forward. 

Spew moments happen.  How would you handle this?  How do I react?

• I could choose to spew right back at the person and be just like them.
• I could talk down to this person and use hurtful words just to hurt them right back.
• I could stop them from throwing up when the launch is aimed at someone else by telling the person I don’t participate in gossip.
• I could vent on someone else rather than bite the person’s head off.
• I could stop and realize that this person obviously doesn’t get it.
• I could stop and realize that this person is afraid of change and insecure.
• I could consider that this person may be having a bad day and I just happen to be the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time.
• I could consider that this person may be struggling with some sort of emotional issues.
• I could consider that the individual doesn’t understand the big picture and is truly focused on their own life and no one else’s.  “It’s not about me” is not their slogan in life.
• I could consider that this person has never been taught how to allow the Holy Spirit to control their emotions and feelings.
• I could consider whether or not their beef is legit.
• I could stop and pray for the person or even pray with the person.
• I could choose to let it roll off my back and forget about it.
• I could attempt to talk with the individual about what they are so upset about.
• I could tell them that next time they need to throw up to throw up on someone else.  Ever notice that some people seem to have a target on them for others to throw up on?
• I could just turn and walk away (I’ve done this one and perhaps it is my reaction of choice since I fear what I might say in the heat of the moment)

There are a whole slew of options when someone chooses to spew on me.  I just hope and pray I handle it the right way when it does happen.

The church is people, and as we all know from personal experience, people aren't perfect.

Oh, one more, I could walk around in a poncho to protect myself.  Perhaps the poncho is the shield of faith?

Operation Backpack

It is so awesome to be a part of the church that gets it!  I was gone all week speaking at Cale Retreat and Conference Center and I returned last night.  This morning I rolled into the church to participate in Operation Backpack.  Our Operation Backpack team, made up of members from the church, met earlier in the week and set the auditorium up as a distribution center for school supplies.  

This morning we had multiple stations in the lobby for coloring, face painting, games, painting, balloons.  We also had refreshments available.   The whole event went off without a hitch and was well organized.  Many local families were helped with free school supplies and backpacks for the new school year.

A huge thanks to the team and the leaders that put this event together.  I look forward to future Operation Backpacks.  I think what was most awesome to me is to see members in a church realize that they are ministers.

Last Night at Cale

Last night was "campfire" night at Cale.  Everyone that has ever gone to camp knows that usually Thursday nights are special because it is the last night of camp.  Steve started a fire and the campers all gathered around the fire on benches and the camp counselors shared their testimonies.  In between the testimonies we sang a songs.  It was a great night at the fire.  It was good for the campers to hear from some college age young people instead from an old man like me.

Last night I taught about allowing the Holy Spirit to control your life especially your emotions and feelings.  One boy pulled me aside and asked me if his counselor had talked to me about his temper.  I told him know and showed him my notes that I printed off last week.  He said that was the message he needed to hear.  It's cool how God works.

Final day today at Camp Cale.  I have one more message to deliver and then I address the parents this afternoon.  Should be a great day!  It's not hot out this morning!!!!!!!!

Bubble Invaders

What is with people that invade my bubble?  You know them, you may even be one.  The people that feel the need to get within 8 inches of you to talk to you.  I don't even get that close to my wife unless I'm going in for the smooch.  

Do they close in on you to make sure they have your attention?  It doesn't get my attention but it makes me rather uncomfortable and a bit nervous.

Is their hearing not the best and need me to talk louder?  If so please tell me and I would be happy to raise the volume.

Did they forget their glasses and can't see me?  If so they really don't need to see me to hear me or carry on a conversation, the telephone pretty much proves that point.

I don't get that close to people because not only does it make me uncomfortable but what if my breath is stinking?  Have they considered the same for themselves.

Please, for those of us that appreciate our bubble of space in conversation, take two steps back.  Thanks!  Comfort bubble people of the world unite!

Camp Cale Today

Did I mention it is hot?  It was great having my family here with me a couple of days.  Now I'm back in the camper all by myself, just me and the Mac.  Gonna pop in some old Andy Griffith videos and watch them.  I figured out how to pipe the audio from the Mac through the speakers in the camper, it's pretty much the coolest camper on the campground this week.

Today was a great day for the campers.  We talked this morning about Bible Study and the importance of that discipline in Endurance.  Tonight we talked about protecting ourselves with the spiritual armor (Ephesians 6).  The talks went well but I had to talk fast to get the message in before the kids fell asleep because of the heat.  It is 9:17 at night as I type this and it is still over 90 degrees in the room where we hold the worship gatherings.  Cale's new building will help incredibly.

Keep praying, God's working on camper's hearts.

Cale Day 3

Cale was hot today!  Campers were having a great time though.  

This morning we talked about My Mission and how sharing Christ is a tool in the discipline tool bag in building a life of endurance.  Last night's talk went well.  I talked with a young lady today and God is obviously working in her heart and life and that's what it is all about.

This afternoon they played "poo" games.  Yes, POO!  Since there are horses close by their were some team competitions that involved fertilizer.  Game one the team had other teams dump buckets of manure on their tarp and that that team had to run the tarp through an obstacle course.  Game #2 was much fun to watch.  One team member stood in a circle with a bucket on their head while the rest of the team launched manure off a tarp and the player in the circle tried to catch as much manure as possible in the bucket that was on their head.  Yes, it was messy. (no pun intended)  Camp Cale is the home of the "Poo Games 2008".

Tonight we talked about how God's Word is the support to what we believe and why it is important to know what we believe and to own our faith.

Let's just say that the guys on the tract on beachpreach's blog would not have appreciated today's camp.  They wouldn't get it.  On top of that there were drums and electric guitars in our worship time.  That's right, Cale is rockin it for Jesus!

Cale Day 2

Today we start constructing the building of Endurance.

This morning I will be talking about spending time alone with God (I had my Hang Time with God in the air conditioned peaceful camper this morning and it was good).  I will share with them the "Why and Hows" of Hang Time.

Please pray for our worship gathering tonight.  This will probably be my favorite message to deliver all week.  Most camp experiences Thursday night is the "big" night.  I'm going to skip right to the "big" night tonight.  This evening we lay the foundation and I will be giving the campers the good news of Christ tonight.  Please be in prayer today for students who don't know Jesus Christ.  My prayer is that tonight we see several come to Christ.

Thanks for praying.  I'll update Day 2 after worship tonight and let you know how today went.

Cale Retreat is Hot!

Really, it's hot here.  This afternoon it was a scorcher but as the sun sets and the breeze picks up off the river it is starting to cool down.  What is Cale?  Glad you asked.

Cale Retreat and Conference Center is a camp that is owned and operated by our association of churches.  This week is teen week.  There are 75 campers this week.  They actually had to turn away some campers because all the beds are full.  They will be building  new conference center soon for year round use.  Steve, the camp's director, has done an incredible job turning this camp around and making something out of an old run down camp.

I'm here this week as their camp pastor.  I'll be speaking to the students 3 times a day.  That's a lot of speaking but for them that will be a lot of listening but I promised to go fast and short.  They will keep up with the ADD I think.

The theme this week is Endurance.  We know what Endurance is but how do we endure as believers?  How do we fight the good fight?  How do we finish well?

I just got to meet the campers in the orientation and layed out the week and the direction we re going in our worship times.  I'm approaching Endurance as a building: (pm messages)

1.  Foundation - Salvation

2.  Support - God's Word

3.  Interior - Life controlled by the Holy Spirit

4.  Exterior - spiritual armor

To building we are using the tools of discipline: (am messages)

1. My time with God

2.  My mission

3.  My service

4.  My possessions

5.  My Bible study

Cale is a beautiful place.  No air conditioning in the cabins but I'm sitting here on a picnic table by the river on wireless internet.  What a great place!  Here's a pic from my table spot.

Thoughts on Tourists

I'm glad we have tourists here on the OBX.  If we did not have tourist I probably would not be living here.  

Now a few observations on tourists from this past week:

1.  Tourist will park their car in the parking lot but not in a parking space.  I know, I hit one this morning.

2.  Tourist drive 35 mph in the fast lane all week on vacation.  They are in no hurry to go anywhere, they are on vacation.  BUT they will run you over trying to hurry and get their donut and coffee at 7-Eleven in their race to leave the beach on Saturday morning and finally drive at least 50mph since arriving here.

3.  They are using us for our beach.  

Impact Outer Banks

I don't know of a time in the history of the Outer Banks when 10 church youth groups got together to work together in sharing the love of Jesus Christ in a practical way to our community.    The week was fantastic!  I'll nutshell why I think it was fantastic:

• Ten teams doing some great mission projects in our local community
• Teams were made up of students from different groups, my team had 9 students, each student from a different church.
• Churches working together
• No turf or territory wars between the youth pastors (check out www.obxymn.com)
• Hundreds of people in our community were touched.  
• Great lunches.
• Great music
• Community Collision was great
• Students lives were impacted

I wonder what the ripple affect through the community from this event will be?  I also wonder how many churches who chose not to get involved will wish they had and hopefully will join in next year?  I hope more of NHC's students will get involved next year.  My prayer is that this attitude of servanthood will be carried by these students into their school halls in a few weeks.

I have already heard comments from people outside of Impact about the event and we have had groups from out of the area interested in either coming next year or putting an Impact together in their town.  Impact was a great experience and I look forward to our youth group getting involved again next year.