The Ministry Bus

This is what I shared with my leaders last night at our leadership meeting. Click here to get the rundown:

http://www.startingamovement.blogspot.com

Cool Poem I Read…I Usually Hate Them

Okay, I hate forwards. I usually don’t read them unless it is specifically to me. SORRY to all my friends. But here is a poem I read today and it really spoke to me. Hope it does the same for you:

This is a poem written by a teenage girl with cancer in a New York Hospital.

She wants to see how many people get her poem.
It is quite the poem. It was sent by one of her Doctors.

Make sure to read what is in the closing statement

AFTER THE POEM..

Thought of the Day

SLOW DANCE

Have you ever watched kids

On a merry-go-round?

Or listened to the rain

Slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight?

Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down.

Don’t dance so fast.

Time is short.

The music won’t last.

Do you run through each day

On the fly?

When you ask How are you?

Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done

Do you lie in your bed

With the next hundred chores

Running through your head?

You’d better slow down

Don’t dance so fast.

Time is short.

The music won’t last.

Ever told your child,

We’ll do it tomorrow? And in your haste,

Not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch, Let a good friendship die

Cause you never had time To call and say,’Hi’

You’d better slow down. Don’t dance so fast.

Time is short. The music won’t Last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere

You miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,

It is like an unopened gift…Thrown away.

Life is not a race. Do take it slower

Hear the music Before the song is over.

What am I not seeing?

I wish I could travel back in time. I hear this phrase to describe time travel, “If I knew what I knew then, what I know now, I could change so much.”

It would be great to get to go back and change things.

I try to time travel everyday, but not to the past, but to the future. I ask myself, “What will future Kevin kick today’s Kevin in the butt for not doing or rather…seeing?”

During this church plant, I am trying to take time to say, “What am I not seeing that will hurt me in the future? What am I not taking into account that could destroy me?”

I get the answers some different ways, first is God. I open my heart for Him to speak to me, He knows the future. Second is trusted people around me. People around me can see those areas that I do not see. Thirdly, from just reflection on the mistakes I am most prone to in the past.

Sure, I time travel everyday.

Communicating in a Postmodern World

Communication is very important. I work very hard each week to prepare a message that speaks to the lives of the people who attend our ministry. I am trying to keep a grasp on how each generation learns. Usually preachers are generation preachers. They have the “model” of their generation and they learn from them and then sound like that. Or they are denominational preachers. Certain denominations have certain ways their preachers preach. Our denomination, The Pentecostal Holiness Church, has a way. I can tell the guys in their 50’s have a certain style.

We are in a postmodern era. Any good teacher is more concerned about how people learn rather than how they enjoy communcating. I see so many leaders who are inconsiderate of the culture, of different generations and how people learn. A great communicator is great at transition. Postmodern’s do not see things in black and white. They see things in gray. They want to be lead by questions, not given answers.

They want the message to be interrupted by a video or skit. They do not enjoy being preached at, rather they enjoy new concepts and being brought on a journey toward growth. Contrary to popular belief, this generation likes to be challenged. Also, use sermon series or campaigns and decorate your meeting place to reflect what you are teaching. Brand it, use logos and make your ministry time an experience.

Here are some basic points on communicating effectively across generations-                                                                                   1) Use a powerful opening statement.                                                                                                                                                                       2) Preach one message, one theme, not 50 things. Clarify and focus on one concept they need to leave with.                        3) Use powerful questions in your message that leave the people thinking.                                                                                         4) ALWAYS share the history and background of the passage. Do not assume everyone knows the Bible or what you are talking about.                                                                                                                                                                                                              5) Don’t PUSH your message or preach at people. If your message consistently says, “We need to, you need to, you ought to or you should….” This means you are pushing your people and preaching at them. You need to PULL, talk about how great that thing is and they will move toward it. Listen to yourself and evaluate that.                                            6) Tone and tempo. I preach fast. That is my fault. If you are Baptist you will probably be too laid back or if you are Pentecostal you will be too loud and fast. Pace and use pauses.                                                                                                               7) Be humorous, just not too humorous. I am a high “D” personality, so I am on a mission communicating. That is my fault. Have funny parts about your own life, but don’t look like a joke on stage while communicating. Use funny stories. As the Joker said, “Why so serious?”                                                                                                                                                                                                                             8) Avoid repetitive religious slogans or jargon that are formed out of habit or culture rather than planned to help accentuate the message. Count your Amens and your Uhms. Is there a phrase you use way too much? I counted one preacher who used the phrase, “How many of you know?” about 50-60 times in one message.                                                    9)Be cautious to not sideswipe people or take shots at them from the pulpit. You don’t want your people taking cheap shots, so you don’t take em’ either.

Finally, enjoy your time up there! Listen to all preachers of different styles and denominations. After you do all that, be yourself. People want to hear you.

Do Your Leaders Know You?

I was thinking on this today.

Do your leaders know you? Jesus said, “My sheep know my voice…they do not follow another.”

Accusations and lies will be spread about you. People will be coming that want to destroy you. There are two voices and one victim in a matter of conflict.

When these accusations are hurled, do your leaders know you? Do they know your voice? Your leaders will know you by close relationship. Have they spent enough time with you to know your character? Your leaders will know your character by your credibility. Do you follow through for them?

If you have a close relationship and they KNOW you, then when other voices arise, they will not be swayed.

If people are swayed, there are two possible issues: 1) You have not spent time with them in close relationship, exhibited character and followed through or 2) They are swayed because they allow themselves to believe lies.

In all conflict and false accusations, you will find out if your leaders really know you.

Musings from my devotions

Here are some random thoughts as I am doing my devotions today. During my devotion time I read:  “Sparkling Gems from the Greek, A Daily Devotion by Rick Renner.” I also read, “Leadership Principles for Graduates by John Maxwell.” “101 Wisdom Keys” by Mike Murdock is another great read. The books I am currently reading are “Chazown” by Craig Groeshcel and “Movements that Changed the World” by Steve Addison.

for more on starting movements, go to my leadership blog: www.startingamovement.blogspot.com

Here are some thoughts from todays quiet time as I am reading:

Dying institutions display these characteristics:                                                              Willingness to Sacrifice Unique Identity                                                                             Conservative in Setting Goals and Inability to Face the Reality of their Mediocre Performance.

Seed-faith sowing is sowing what you have been given to create what you have been promised. As God told Moses, “Use the stick that you have. When you submit what I have given you to use, then I will submit Myself with what you have.”

Finally, Mrs. Fields (yes from Mrs. Fields Cookies) said:  1)Believe in your product.  2) Select Good People and 3) Love What you Do.

This is my quiet time on my day off. I hope you enjoy.

Plowing

I was in a small group Tuesday night. There are various pastors and ministry leaders that meet. The leader of the small group, Dr. Rick Kendall, began to share with us about plowing and how it ties into the Kingdom of God. Jesus said, “If a man puts his hand to the plow and looks back, he is not fit for the Kingdom of God.” That saying has usually been one of whether you go to  heaven and hell.

As pioneers and bringing the move of God forth, we need to look at this verse differently. We want to see His Kingdom come and His will be done. As we are plowing through hard, unbroken ground, we will feel awkward and unfruitful. The key to plowing is what you are breaking, not what you have broken. As pioneers we cannot look back at our accomplishments or failures. We must stay focused on where we are going and what we are to break open.

I am not the Youth Pastor

This blog is for younger leaders and older leaders alike.

I am a 30 year old pastor and people usually mistake me for the youth pastor. I will tell people, “No, I am actually the pastor of The Well.” They will say, “Great, I love what you are doing with the youth.”

I recently had a pastor in his 50’s who told me there is no way he could let a 28 year old man pastor him. “What experience does he have?” the man said. The man in his 50’s pastors a 300 member church while the 28 year old pastor has a church of over 5,000 people.

Over half of our population is under 25 years old. Is your ministry reaching them?

I have to appeals to make, first to the younger leaders: “Keep pressing on. Jesus was 30 years old when he started ministry. Many of the Pharisees probably looked down upon him, especially when he was teaching in the temple at 12 years old. Just allow the pepper haired men to pat you on the head and call you ‘sport.’ Don’t try to prove yourself. Success shuts the mouth of all critics (or makes them really hate you). They may be silently against, you, but they will not be able to say too much. Just don’t treat younger leaders the way you are treated.”

To the older leaders: (www.startingamovement.blogspot.com) Read my blog on “Men in Black.” “First, you do have wisdom and knowledge. That comes because someone gave you a chance and believed in you. They did not say it, they acted on it. Don’t look down upon those who are younger and have zeal. Learn to speak into their lives instead of just trying to be the know-it-all guru. Some of these guys may know things that you do not know. Learn to invest into the next generation in tangible ways. ”

You don’t grow by experience. Some people have had the same experience 20 times over and never grew. You grow by evaluated experience.

I am not the Youth pastor. Sorry.

Desperation

I posted a thought about this also in: www.startingamovement.blogspot.com

This blog is a little more lengthy than I like, but please read…

God has really been speaking to me lately about “ministry.” When I was called to ministry (church ministry), I did not enter the call to manage problems and play it safe. I accepted the call to see lives radically changed as mine was. Somewhere along the way I am lured by the models of success in Christendom. I begin to lust after  successful ministry. One of my friends once called it “Ecclesiastical Pornography.”

Before planting this church, The Well, I studied every church planting book known to man. I visited the Baptist Church Planting Conferences, Pentecostal ones and Independent. I studied the fastest growing churches and why they were growing. I taught church growth and even earned my Masters of Ministry in Leadership.

Churches can grow and be planted without desperation. I see many lazy pastors who have strong churches. I accepted this call to start a movement and see the world changed. I did not accept this call to play status quo and manage church polity.

Last night during our staff meeting I shared with the group about desperation from a book I was given by a good friend, Billy Mitchell. The book is “Movements that Changed the World,” by Steve Addison. He is speaking of the Salvation Army and he does training for them and was sharing about a time during training when he reminded them…”this movement was not started with great resources, only the call of God and a fire.” John Wesley shaped England and America with Methodism. This was done because he had a personal encounter with God that shaped his life.

We talked about a personal renewal by the power of God in our lives. The only way we can see God’s presence change lives is if we  we encounter God and burn for Him.

Movements are not built on people who have a balanced, disciplined relationship with God. Rather, movements are built by those who have a burning passion for God. It is built on desperation.

Hearing God this Year

It has been heavy on my heart during prayer this week that  we will need to hear God this year in very specific ways. There are things you are thinking about right now; decisions, moves, relationships, ministry experiences and God is going to bring you to a place where you will have to hear Him.

Many of us, including me, live and think on a level of good is always God. If the opportunity gets us better pay, then we jump on it. If it means that we will “move ahead,” we jump on it.

Ask God to make you sensitive right now. Ask God to prepare you to listen, and to obey.