Dealing With Critics

Every pastor and ministry leader must deal with critics. It is part of ministry in the 21st Century. The question is not if, but when. It is impossible to meet everyone's unrealistic expectations.

So, when the critic comes forward, or begins work behind the scenes, what is the leader to do? Consider the following:

#1 - The Explanation Phase

Sit down with the people that are critical of the ministry that the Lord has called you to do, and reason with them and help them to fully understand why you do ministry the way you do it.

However, most critics don’t want an explanation … they want an argument. They want the chance to shame you, to speak down to you, to tell you how right they are … and how inept you are. So, sometimes, the explanation attempt is fruitless and pointless.

#2 - The Argument Phase

Argument can involve the critic, but sometimes involves the critic and all his/her followers -- everyone who has a negative word to say about the ministry.

Be careful not to allow a “us versus them” mentality to develop.

The Apostle Paul warns in II Timothy 2:23 not to have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments. Arguments can be both foolish and stupid.

#3 - The Anger Phase

Even ministers can allow anger to get the best of them. But, anger will control you. It will drive your decisions and will be impossible to hide. You will spend all your time trying to respond to critics rather than really listening to the Lord. Be careful, it will damage you emotionally and spiritually.

Paul warns in Ephesians 4:27 NOT to give the devil a foothold.

If you are not careful, you will end up beating up hundreds of people just because of one e-mail from a negative person. If you are a church leader, please do not allow Satan to control you through your critics. The price is too high. And, you will spend all of your time on defense rather than on offense!

#4 - The Ignore Phase

Don't read their blogs. Don't read their MySpace page. Don’t receive their e-mails. This either does one of two things to them …

First of all – it REALLY ticks them off. But then second of all, they usually go away. Seriously, if you refuse to put fuel on the fire they start, it will eventually go out.

I love what Nehemiah said in Nehemiah 6:1-4 when his critics tried to get him to take his eyes off of the work, “I am doing a great work … and I cannot come down.” That must become your rallying cry.

I will admit that it’s hard at times. But, by not getting into arguments with critics, it will set you free in a major way.

Always listen to those who love the Lord and love you. Never listen to a blogger or MySpace addict/stalker who has no life OR someone who sends you an email with a fake address. I don’t have time for them – and neither do you!

#5 - The Compassion Phase

In Luke 15 when the prodigal son comes home and the older brother doesn’t come in the house to meet him, the Father goes outside and pleads with the older brother to come in.

I think we are called to do the same. Because in that story, it would seem that the oder brother (who was the critic) was just as lost as the younger one.

Jesus dealt with this as well. He did weep over Jerusalem. But, He also turned over temple tables. There IS a time to respond in boldness. But there is also a time to respond with compassion. Because, well, people just don’t understand.

Compassion does not mean trying to explain to them, or even exchanging emails with them. But, it means praying for them (NOT the Psalm 3:7 prayer) and asking God to allow them to come into the house and celebrate what He is doing -- even if it isn’t their style.

[Based on notes from Perry Noble]

Seventh-Day Adventists Church Controversy

Dwight Hall, president of Remnant Publications, a non-profit Christian publisher, announces the release of Dr. Herbert E. Douglass' A Fork in the Road, a powerful new exposé that chronicles a significant and controversial chapter in the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

A key eye-witness to the drama surrounding the publication of Seventh-day Adventists Answer Questions on Doctrine in 1957, Dr. Douglass shares his personal experience, and often provocative insights, with the backlash of the book and its continuing repercussions on church theology today. Says Dwight Hall, "Let there be no mistake: this isn't just a passive documentation of the events that followed Questions on Doctrine; it offers an important historical context from an insider's own experience in the crisis. It's a riveting read that asks and answers a lot of questions today's Adventist believers and thinkers are sure to have."

Asked why he chose to tackle the topic after 50 years, Dr. Douglass responded, "Most, if not all, of the so-called 'dissident' groups of the last 45 years are direct results of the positions espoused by Questions on Doctrine on the atonement and the incarnation. Our church needs insight now into this complex history as it seeks not only healing but also growth in the years to come."

Both informative and riveting, A Fork in the Road also shares evidence brought to light by Julius Nam and George Knight, who show the depth of criticism by those who were alarmed by the book's reformulation of Adventist theology -- even as private letters and other evidences show how an important defender of Adventist theology was left to stand alone in the outcry.

During his distinguished career, Dr. Herbert Douglass has served as a pastor, ministry president, college professor, and administrator. He is also the author of more than 13 books and numerous articles focusing on Christ, the great controversy, and the church.

(For more information about A Fork in the Road, and to order copies, contact Remnant Publications at 517- 279-1304. You may also visit www.RemnantPublications.com. Or write to Remnant Publications • 649 E. Chicago Road • Coldwater, MI 49036.)

[Source: Christian Newswire]

Russian Christians Concerned About New President

As Russia swears in Dmitry Medvedev as its newest president today, evangelical Christians throughout the historically anti-western nation are reacting with anxiety and uncertainty over the future of their ministries.

Many Christian groups worry that Medvedev, who was elected this year in what many analysts describe as a mostly lopsided, unfair, and uncontested election, will continue many of the authoritarian and repressive directives attacking religious freedom that have characterized the past eight years of the country during outgoing President Vladimir Putin’s administration.

Paul Tokarchouk of Russian Ministries, an evangelical organization based in Russia, said that it remains to be seen what kind of treatment Christian groups will receive over the next few years, though it would probably be a continuation of what Christians in the country have already experienced.

"I think the new president, Mr. Medvedev, will be more open to keep the law and keep those regulations that are already in the law and keep those regulations that are already in the constitution," he said, according to Mission Network News.

In the past, many foreign Christian groups have faced harassment and government scrutiny, Tokarchouk said.

"[The Russian government] consider as a threat, foreign Christians who would help strengthen the evangelical church and the evangelical church becomes strong and more influential and that is the threat that they see in this relationship,” he explained.

Tokarchouk emphasized, however, that Russian Ministries was at the forefront of preparing for the future through its summer ministry programs that would train and empower the gospel among young people throughout Russia.

"The number one need is for dedicated, trained, influential people from this young generation who would be willing to take the Gospel to their peers, to their society and who would be relevant,” he said.

“Our prayer is that God would use young generation leaders to reach thousands and thousands of kids,” he added.

[By Joshua Goldberg - Christian Post Reporter]

Billy Graham's Life - A New Film

[By Jennifer Riley - Christian Post Reporter]

A film on America’s favorite evangelist, Billy Graham, is being produced in Nashville, Tenn., where one of the featured cast members is Graham’s first cousin. The biopic, Billy: The Early Years, focuses on Graham’s life, starting with his teenage years in Charlotte, N.C. Besides Nashville, the film was also shot in Watertown, Tenn.

Graham in his older years will be played by his first cousin, Bill Graham, who is also a preacher, according to The Tennessean.

But for most of the movie, Armie Hammer, who is said to have a strong resemblance to the renowned evangelist, will play young Graham.

"They've never made a movie about this guy, and beyond any sort of spiritual reasons or anything like that, he is really an iconic figure of the 20th century," said Hammer to The Tennessean.

"He's gone places and done things that no one else has been able to do, and he can do it all with such grace,” reflected Hammer, who is the great-grandson of industrialist/philanthropist Armand Hammer. “From an acting standpoint, that is such a difficult role to try to emulate.”

Hammer expressed his commitment to capturing the character of Graham – from his accent and movements to even his motivation. He said he spent hours studying videos of Graham’s sermons. "I've been going to church and reading my Bible and doing a lot of other spiritual work to get in that right headspace to even start to play someone like Billy Graham," Hammer revealed. In addition to Hammer’s efforts, the hair stylist reportedly spends about two hours shaping Hammer’s hair to resemble Graham’s wavy locks. Co-producer Bill McKay, who has already done two documentaries on Graham, said the preacher was concerned that “the images that we might paint of Billy Graham … could eclipse the face of Jesus.”

"Most of the evangelists I've met, I wouldn't give you two nickels for. But when I sat down with Billy Graham, it was an entirely different experience," McKay said on Nashville TV station WKRN.

The movie also features Oscar nominee Hal Holbrook in the role of Graham’s friend and mentor Charles Templeton, according to Christianity Today. "It's like this is a message that he continued to get out his entire life," Hammer said, referring to the movie’s focus on Graham’s proclamation of salvation through Jesus Christ. "Now that he is getting older and he can't get the message out, we're doing it for him. "We're taking his story and his message and staying very true to that and getting it out."

Filming for Billy: The Early Years began March 26 and, according to schedule, will run through May 10. The movie is slated to be released in fall 2008.

Wesleyan Church Attendance

Last year, an average of 57,821 people attended the 49 largest Wesleyan Churches.

Last year, 55,755 people attended the smallest 1,210 Wesleyan Churches.

What do we learn from these stats?

Church Graphics Resources

Free Church Graphics and Resources

CreativeMYK.com - Offers free church graphics including logos, photos, vector art, projector slides, bulletins, sermon graphics, projector slides, templates, and more. The site also includes a social network for Christian artists.

LifeChurch.tv Open - Offers free sermon series resources that include message outlines, sermon graphics, videos, and more creative materials created by LifeChurch.tv (Edmond, OK).

Muddy River Media - Offers free illustrative videos, motion backgrounds, countdown timers, stock photographs, illustrations, small group resources, and more.

NewSpring Ministries - Offers free sermon series resources (e.g., sermon graphics, audio, message outline, & service outline) as well as administrative forms and manuals created by NewSpring Church (Anderson, SC).

Northside Christian Church Creative Resources - Offers free logos, posters, and other artwork designed by Northside Christian Church (New Albany, IN).

Nside Admin- Offers free administrative documents from North Point Community Church (Alpharetta, GA) on church government, human resources, accounting, facilities, IT, and Web.

Seacoast All Access - Offers free sermon series resources that include sermon graphics, motion graphics, audio, video, message notes, and small group questions created by Seacoast Church (Mt. Pleasant, SC).

Vine Resources - Offers free sermon series graphics, postcards, countdown videos, and message bumpers created by the college ministry of Southeast Christian Church (Louisville, KY).




Free General Graphics and Resources

Adobe Exchange - Offers free downloads to use with Adobe software including brushes, styles, gradients, custom shapes, and patterns for Photoshop.

BittBox - A blog that regularly highlights free Photoshop brushes, Flash components, vector graphics, and more.

Brusheezy - Offers free Photoshop brushes.

Flasheezy - Offers free Flash elements.

PS Brushes - Offers free Photoshop brushes.

Smashing Magazine - A blog that regularly highlights free graphics, fonts, and more.

Vecteezy - Offers free vector graphics.


Church Resources that Cost Money

Creative Pastors - Sells sermon series resources that include sermon graphics, video, mind maps, outlines, audio, and more created by Fellowship Church (Grapevine, TX).

North Point Resources - Sells logos, DVDs, sermon messages, conference messages, and more created by North Point Community Church (Alpharetta, GA).

Outreach - Sells church graphics that include postcards, banners, bulletins, door hangers, invitations, brochures, logos, signage, and more.

The Church Box - Sells sermon series resources that include sermon graphics, PowerPoint slides, and audio created by Four Corners Community Church (West Chester, OH).

WiredChurches.com - Sells sermon series resources (e.g., outlines, graphics, videos, audio, & scripts) and administrative resources (e.g., forms, documents, & manuals) created by Granger Community Church (Granger, IN).

WorshipHouse Media - Sells mini-movies, motions, stills, software, and editables for churches.


Free Graphic Design Ideas

Check out the Flickr Church Marketing Lab. Designers post different types of postcards, posters, slides, etc. for peer review. There’s some pretty good designers and some pretty good ideas in there.

Also check out Colour Lovers to get ideas of color schemes and pallets.


[From churchrelevance]

Keys to Leadership

1. Stay True to Your Passion. No leader can be effective who does not identify 100 percent with the organization’s mission. Because this identification between leader and organization is so important, it’s critical for you as an aspiring leader to identify your passion – what really drives you – and to stay true to that passion through the course of your career. If you do, you will find that this passion is a powerful resource for guiding you through the challenges of leadership the hard way.

2. Get An Invisible Mentor. No aspiring leader has to wait to be assigned a mentor. Choose and invisible mentor, someone whose behavior you study from afar. Choose someone whose leadership style you relate to and admire. Study that person closely.

3. Become a Reflective Practitioner. A term coined by organizational theorist Donald Schön in his 1983 book, a reflective practitioner is one who systematically reflects on one’s own experiences. It’s the kind of learning that happens in the moment. Build systematic reflection into your everyday activity.

4. Learn From Your People. A close relationship with your people can give you a tremendous resource for bootstrapping you r leadership capabilities. There are a variety of ways to develop that close bond – be present in the organization, don’t be afraid to expose one’s own mistakes to the organization, welcome dissent, and use your own behavior strategically. Aspiring leaders should get in the habit of thinking of their actions as a form of communication.

[Leadership the Hard Way by Dov Frohman]

One Approach to Assimilating Guests

(Click on image to enlarge it.)

Synergy Church Consultants

Sometimes, the Senior Pastor or church staff just need an outside look to maybe just confirm what they already know. An outside set of eyes and ears can see and hear what the resident staff no longer sees because of familiarity.

So, an experienced church consultant can be very beneficial in assisting the team to formulate their vision and strategic plan.

When Synergy consultants come in, we generally look at the following issues:

- Is the senior pastor confident in the vision and direction for the church?

- Is this vision communicated clearly, understood and embraced by the congregation?

- Are the paid pastoral/ministry staff members unified and productive?

- Are the official non-paid key leaders of the church unified and productive?

- Are new leaders are being cultivated and developed?

- Are the current leaders are being trained on a regular basis?

- Are the primary leaders of the church open and receptive to change?

- Are committees and or teams well organized without any "bottle-necking" blockages from primary leadership?

- Does the organizational structure allow the important issues to be resolved and implemented quickly?

- Do the key leaders, paid and non-paid, place a heavy emphasis on prayer?

- Does the primary leadership hold Biblical leadership as a top priority?

- Does the primary leadership model servanthood with a joyful spirit?

- Are the primary leaders trustworthy?

- Are the primary leaders courageous and willing to take risks?

- Does the pastoral/ministry staff communicate genuine care and concern to the people?

- Are the primary leaders positive and full of faith?

- Is there an intentional effort to identify and include new leaders?

- Do the primary leaders freely empower others to lead and do the work of ministry?

What would we find in your church or state?

Pastors With A Sixth Sense - Discernment

In consulting with a pastor or a church, we look at tracking rhythms in the life of an organization. The first move is to look at trends (people in groups, # of people serving, # of leaders, attendance, giving levels, # of guests, etc…).

But also, God puts something in a leader akin to a sixth sense or a gut-level awareness of the movement of the organism. It is an area where natural and supernatural co-exist, contradict, and compliment.

Sometimes, you have to wipe away the data and listen to the sixth sense, the gut, or that internal pause that is speaking. The Holy Spirit can speak through data and trends and realities. But, how often does He speak through that still, small voice? I’d say pretty often. The bothersome thing is when that gut is checking you to do something that doesn’t make sense or is inconvenient.

Listening to that counter-intuitive voice doesn’t always make sense. But, developing an ear to recognize it is key to strong leadership.

An even bigger challenge to hearing it is articulating that gut intuition so that others can understand and follow.

[Idea from Travis Johnson]

We Can't Find It In The Bible

According to a CNSNews.com article, in her Earth Day news release, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) attributed this quote to the Old Testament: "To minister to the needs of God's creation is an act of worship. To ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us."

However, many biblical scholars cite a problem with that quotation: it doesn't exist in the Bible.

It was not the first time Pelosi has used this alleged biblical passage. The California Democrat has used it on several different occasions, and has even attributed the passage to the Old Testament Book of Isaiah.

Dr. Raymond Bohlin is president of Probe Ministries, a non-profit apologetics ministry. He offers his findings. "You're just not going to find that kind of statement anywhere in Isaiah, let alone anywhere directly in scripture at all -- Old Testament or New Testament," says Bohlin. "So, you know, it's hard to know where something like that gets started. But it's unfortunate that she's referring to it as a scripture quotation because it's not."

Although Bohlin agrees that Christians need to be good stewards of the environment, he believes Pelosi and others share a twisted view of that biblical principle. "[Sometimes] they may put ... a sort of Christian caring and compassionate view to things," he notes. "But ultimately, down deep, I think they're operating within the context of a naturalistic worldview that's looking to be concerned for all of life, and for all of earth -- and that becomes the primary value." As a result, he concludes, "what happens to human beings becomes a secondary value."

Speaker Pelosi has used the quote while defending her stance on issues from the environment to the budget.

Discipleship Truisms

[From Ministry Best Practices by Bill Reichart]

1. Information doesn't guarantee transformation. Information alone doesn't change people. If it does, what's our excuse? (Never before has the church been so resourced.) There's been a big disconnect between the head and the heart. Very true, discipleship isn't merely about information download. Too often we have treated discipleship like a classroom. But Jesus didn't disciple in a classroom. It was life on life. With life on life spiritual investment comes true, meaningful and real spiritual transformation.

2. Never equate longevity with maturity. It is possible to be in the church a long time but not have increasing evidence of Jesus' indwelling. Any congregation can become a spiritual club, where graytops are merely infants in diapers. I heard a friend say that too many people in the church suffer from the Sponge Bob problem - they just come to church to sit and soak. If that is all people do, they will never grow. Spiritual transformation is never passive.

3. The measurement of discipleship is obedience. Nothing more, nothing less. I would add this qualifier that we don't want obedience stemming from legalism, but rather a person whose heart and life is captured by the love of the gospel. It is true that discipleship isn't merely about "knowing," but we must be "applying," otherwise it falls short.

4. Personal charisma doesn't guarantee transformation.You can be a nice guy and still be a Lost nice guy. Having spiritual manners -- even some spiritual sensitivity -- doesn't make you mature. Nice people are adept at fooling others. Of course it is true that external niceness doesn't necessarily indicate internal heart transformation. People can wear masks and be posers. Discipleship demands that we are willing to delve beyond external behavior and manners and get deep into matter of the heart.

5. Disciples aren't made effectively in classes. There's no way around it: time, time, more time. Coffee, coffee, more coffee. One conversation, then another. Classes are components but shouldn't be the main method. Disciples are made within the messiness of real life. There is no substitute for it. People want to see how faith intersects real issues, struggles and challenges in life. You can't teach that in a classroom.

National Day of Prayer

Synergy Ministries

Where do we go from here?

In Church Identity and Change (Eerdmans, 2005) Roozen and Nieman offer a study of the major denominations in North America. They conclude that all are struggling to transmit a positive, significant doctrinal identity to their constituents - in other words none of them are doing a good job of discipleship that is theologically grounded in the scriptures.

Add to this David Olson’s groundbreaking The American Church in Crisis (Zondervan 2008). In using a data base of over 200,000 churches, he concludes that overall weekly attendance is not, as previously taught, 43% but closer to 17%!

New church development is far behind population growth and new churches are short-lived for lack of properly trained and persevering leadership. ⁽¹⁾

The time is now for us to strive to renew and expand the church in our day. We must be devoted to transmitting a strong Pentecostal Christian identity which is radically missional.

We must give priority to leadership development and church planting which will make us evermore centered on practical ministry. The church will rise or fall on the work of local churches, which will be led by pastors. Thus, the key person in the future of the church at large is the Pastor.

I predict that strong local churches will become stronger, and weak local churches will become weaker. ⁽²⁾

___________________________________
(1) Dr. Steven Land, President, Church of God Theological Seminary, The Seminary Story, Spring 2008.
(2) Don G. Brock