Archive for Church Issues
Changes A Growing Ministry Have Brought About In Me – Part Three September 2, 2010
Last post on this subject…
#6 – I Have Become More Appreciative And Thankful For Lucretia and Charisse (my wife and daughter.)
The pastors wife is hands down THE most under-appreciated role in the church. There are not many people on the planet that can identify with them and the ups and downs that they experience.
Lucretia has been right by my side since we planted NewSpring. She has been my encourager, my confidant and has even rebuked me on an occasion or two!
She’s seen me at my best…and she’s seen me at my worse…and she STILL loves me and wants to spend the rest of her life with me!
The larger this ministry has gotten the more I have appreciated her and want to be around her and Charisse. (Pastors…when you want to be around your ministry more than you do your bride then you MINISTRY has become your MISTRESS…and that is DANGEROUS ground!)
I had a friend in the ministry give me this warning once when it comes to the crowds, “Be careful Perry, because those that deify WILL crucify…the same crowd that shouted ‘Hosanna’ at the beginning of the week shouted ‘crucify Him’ before the week was over!”
Pastors…here’s a question for you…IF the church you are serving (for some reason) turned their back on you…would you have a wife and kids who would help you through that process…or have they had to suffer through your absence and neglect for so long that you being at home more would be more of an nuisance and not a blessing?
That is why I have a date night with my wife every week…and I DO NOT carry my cell phone. (If you tweet/facebook while on a date with your wife you officially suck! Stop it! Repent! Give her the attention that you give your phone and it will blow your mind how much better your relationship gets.)
That is why I have a date morning with Charisse at least once a week!
That is why I have dinner with my family nearly EVERY night! THEY are my priority!
The larger the church has gotten the more time I try to spend with Lucretia and Charisse. Because…if I grow a large ministry but have a family that hates me…I fail!
#7 – I Have Become More Aware Of What God Wants To Do In The Church Long Term.
Matthew 16:18 is true…He IS building HIS church! The book of Acts wasn’t given to us as a place we should aspire to get back to…but rather it was the FOUNDATION of what God wanted to accomplish through His church…and our focus should not be getting back there but actually accomplishing the GREATER THINGS that Jesus spoke of in John 14:12!
God’s church is STILL God’s plan! He still wants to impact the world through HIS local church! If Jesus doesn’t come back for another 1,000 years then you can bet your last Bible that HIS church will still be here while every other organization that we know on this planet will have ceased to exist.
God wants to reach the world…and the church was HIS plan to do it. I’m seeing more and more church leaders begin to understand this and REFUSE to be normal. I am seeing church leaders step up and take huge steps of faith…unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. I am seeing church leaders cast aside personal preferences and embrace what God is doing that is outside of their particular comfort zone. I am seeing church leaders care WAY more about what God thinks that what the biggest givers in the church think.
AND…God is doing what He said He would do…BUILDING HIS CHURCH!
God has GREATER THINGS in store for HIS church…I literally believe that we are quite possibly on the brink of another Great Awakening here in America…and I believe that if we will continue to seek HIM and HIS ways of doing church that the NEXT generation will see things that no generation has ever seen!!!
Changes A Growing Ministry Have Brought About In Me – Part Two September 1, 2010
Continuing from yesterday’s post…
#4 – I Have Become More Dependent On The People Whom God Has Surrounded Me With.
When we first began NewSpring Church I had the mentality that “if I want something to be done right then I must do it myself.” It took me years to discover (the hard way) that that thought was driven by insecurity, pride and a desire to control everything.
I used to know everything about every ministry that was happening here at NewSpring Church…and today I find myself saying when asked about a particular ministry, “I don’t know.” Why? Because I have really gifted men and women around me who have embraced God’s call on their life and are passionate about their area of ministry and making a difference…and they can do a MUCH better job handling the day to day issues associated with that ministry than I can.
Basically…I hire the right people and get out of their way.
However, let me be VERY clear before moving on from here. I am very quick to delegate responsibility and authority…but I never, I mean EVER delegate vision. Doing so will lead to a church that is very busy with activity but actually not accomplishing anything significant. AND…if there are ever times when I really feel the Lord press into me about a particular ministry…I listen to His voice and begin to ask the right people the right questions in order to obtain clarity as to the direction that particular ministry is taken.
#5 – I Have Become More Dependent Upon His Holy Spirit.
One of the most common phrases I keep seeing in the book of Acts has to do with the leadership being “filled with the Spirit,” which is something that I am continually begging God for on a daily basis.
The power that is available to followers of Jesus through His Holy Spirit is unlimited! And I am beginning to discover that the more I rely on His Spirit the less I worry about my inadequacies and inabilities.
I remember getting ready to go out and speak and confessing to some ladies in my office that I was very nervous about the upcoming message that I was about to give…and one of them looked at me and say in a very respectful but direct way, “Perry, when are you going to stop relying on your abilities and learn to depend on the anointing that God has given you?”
BAM!
I can’t say I have mastered the art of not worrying before a message…but I can say the more I depend on Him the better I feel about doing what He’s called me to do.
Changes A Growing Ministry Has Brought About In Me – Part One August 31, 2010
Change is inevitable…it is going to take place…and we can either embrace it or fight it.
One of the questions I often get in leadership circles are in regards to what kind of changes have taken place in me personally since the ministry of NewSpring Church has grown. I reflected on this for quite a while and came up with eight…
#1 – I Have Become More Aware Of The Cross & The Grace That Was Poured Out On Me.
Every single time I preach the Gospel I am filled with passion because I can’t quit thinking about what Jesus has done for me! Every time I see someone respond to the Gospel I get so fired up because of the internal change that happens inside of them the moment they meet Christ…and I am reminded that the change they are going through is THE SAME thing that happened to me.
I’ve NEVER gotten over the cross and how Christ changed me when I called out to Him. Even when I see people who have walked down the path of horrendous sin I remind myself that if it were not for HIS grace poured out on me…I would be the very person that I am tempted to despise! (This is why many churches are legalistic and feel like they are morally superior to those outside the walls…they don’t understand the cross!)
#2 – I Have Become More Aware Of His Power And Ability
I made a 790 on my S.A.T. I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer. I dropped out of seminary. I do not have any sort of religious pedigree. I still wrestle with sin on a daily basis. AND…as I look back on what has happened at NewSpring Church over the past 10 years I know that I cannot personally take any credit for this. We are seeing Zechariah 4:6 come to life right in front of our eyes. AND…the more we grow and the more our influence increases the more desperate I am for HIM to work through me. Left on my own I am screwed…He’s not just a good idea…HE’S ESSENTIAL and I need Him more today than I have ever needed Him before.
#3 – I Have Become More Desperate For His Revelation & Direction Through The Scriptures.
Of all the books on “How to do church” there is none better than the Bible. (I would say the same for “How to do life” as well.)
However, I must say that one of the dangers in reading the Bible is doing so just to see what God wants rather than really diving into WHO He is! We will never discover what He wants until we see who He is…because doing so fills us with a faith that will attempt the “impossible.” The reason so many people back down from God’s obvious calling on their lives is because they fail to see what the Scriptures so clearly portray about Him.
AND…in regards to how to do church…I am realizing more and more that correct theology MUST drive my methodology…and consistant time in the Word is the BEST thing I can do as a leader so that I can be shaped and transformed…then and only then can I lead others through that.
Ten Things I Want NewSpring Church To Know August 30, 2010
As I sit and think about what happened at our church yesterday I am in awe of the God that we serve…that He would allow our church to have such a small part in what He’s been doing for over 2,000 years…reconciling the world to Himself through Christ! (See II Corinthians 5:17-21)
I wanted to say several things to each one of you…
#1 – Thank you to everyone who invited someone to church yesterday! I am SO proud of you guys…every time we issue a challenge to invite people to a church service you guys step up and BLOW IT OUT OF THE WATER! We saw over 500 salvations yesterday because so many of you were willing to step out of your comfort zones and bring someone to church.
#2 – Thank you to everyone who prayed for yesterday! We must NEVER underestimate the importance of the power of prayer. We’ve been praying for this date in particular since May (when I first shared the vision for this series with the staff) and yesterday we saw the result of what happens when God’s people BEG HIM to do something only HE can do.
#3 – Thank you to everyone who served in a volunteer role yesterday! It wasn’t my preaching that “brought them in,” but rather it was all of us serving together, using the gifts and talents that He’s given us in the context of HIS local church, and, as a result, seeing peoples lives be eternally transformed.
#4 – This coming Sunday we will conclude the series with a message that REALLY focuses on how we can continue to walk with and grow in Christ once we surrender our lives to Him! SO…if you brought someone with you yesterday then bring them back next week!!!
#5 – For those who invited someone to church and they did not receive Christ…DON’T GIVE UP ON THEM! (The guy who invited me to church was SO persistant…and I am SO glad that he was!) Keep asking God for opportunities and making yourself available to them.
#6 – If you are unsure as to how to share Christ with someone you can go here and watch the evangelism seminar we did several weeks back, OR you can go to the NewSpring Church podcast on itunes and download it for free!
#7 – For those wondering what we “did with those people” who received Christ yesterday…well…we simply believe that the same Holy Spirit who drew them to Himself in the first place is able to continue to do that same supernatural work in and around them. So…what do we “do” for them? WE DO CHURCH…and pray that as they continue to attend and hear HIS Word that they will continue to take their next steps of obedience as He leads them!
#8 – Let’s keep praying, keep inviting, keep sharing Christ and keep believing for GREATER THINGS!
#9 – God isn’t just doing this in our church…I’m hearing of things like this happening in SO many places…I honestly believe that our country is on the verge of another Great Awakening!
#10 – Cannot WAIT to begin our next series entitled, “The Blessed Life” on September 12 as we begin to explore how we can all live a life that is beyond our imagination!
BONUS – I LOVE MY CHURCH! I love you guys…can’t believe we get to do this…praying Acts 2:42-47 over us and believing God for it!
Why Some Churches Struggle With Money August 25, 2010
Some churches are struggling in regards to finances…yet many are not, even in the recession that our country has recently went through. So…why do some churches seem to struggle while others do not. Four reasons…
#1 – The Church Has No Vision
People will not consistently give to a visionless organization. However, when a church begin to seek God, BEG for HIS direction and commit to go and do whatever He says…and when steps of faith are taken…and when lives begin to be impacted because of that…and those changed lives are celebrated on a consistant basis then giving becomes a joy for the church instead of an obligation because they can see that their investment is making a difference.
#2 – The Pastor Refuses To Teach On It
It’s amazing the number of church leaders who fear teaching on money…they say, “people will get mad and leave.” I always answer, “of course they will! BUT…the only people who get angry when you teach on adultery are the ones who are actually committing adultery. SO…think about it, the people who get mad when you teach on money are the ones who have money as their god!”
Sixteen out of the thirty eight parables Jesus taught had to do with money, around 15% of His total teaching had to do with the subject of money and He taught that money is the number one spiritual indicator of where a persons heart is.
Yet money is the only subject that we address in the church that many pastors feel like they need to apologize for. Jesus didn’t apologize for it; in fact, He said some pretty BOLD things about it. (See Matthew 6:19-24 AND Matthew 19:24) If Jesus taught on the subject with authority then so should the church.
#3 – Pastors DO Teach On It…But With The Wrong Motives.
I am not going to argue that money is arguably the most abused subject when it comes to false teaching. It is a fine line because when we do teach on money many people are automatically going to think you (pastor) are after their wallets.
I once heard Andy Stanley say this to his church…and I totally ripped it off and say it all of the time, “We don’t want anything FROM you…we want something FOR you!”
BAM!
I’ve literally told our church whenever I teach on the subject of tithing that if they think NewSpring Church is after their money then I want them to go home, open up to the yellow pages, pick a ramdon church and send them the tithe for the next three months and see what happens! Whenever I say that people look at me like I am smoking crack…but I am SERIOUS!
Which leads to number 4…
#4 – Many People In The Church WANT To Give But Feel Like They Can’t Because Of Poor Financial Decisions.
In other words–PEOPLE ARE BROKE!
That is why we can’t just teach “giving” to solve all of a persons needs…there is also the command of biblical stewardship. That is one of the reasons why, at least two times a year, we offer classes at NewSpring Church (by Joe Sangl…the best there is out there on this subject) in regards to how to get out of credit card debt, how to live on a budget, how to set aside cash for a rainy day…and tons more.
AND…the church does not charge for the class…we let people come for free…because, once again, we don’t want anything from them, we want FOR them to discover the financial freedom that God wants them to live in.
Dear NewSpring Family… August 23, 2010
Howdy!
As I said in last nights post I feel like the Lord is doing something amazing in our church right now…I have never witnessed this level of excitement and anticipation at any point in our 10 year history.
A couple of weeks ago (on August 8th) we began our current series (I Love The 80’s) with a message entitled “Found People Find People” where we looked at the story in John 1:43-51 about how Phillip found Nathaniel. In that service we passed out refrigerator magnets and had everyone write the names of people who we were going to pray for AND invite to church on August 29th. (THIS COMING SUNDAY!) BTW…you can watch/listen to that message here if you missed it…OR if you want to see it again.
We also had a live event at each campus where I taught for two hours on why evangelism is so important AND how to practically share Christ with someone (and we are already hearing stories of people receiving Christ as a result!) Over 4,000 people attended and were trained! (You can watch that event here or download it for free on itunes – it is on the NewSpring Church podcast.)
And so…this coming Sunday is THE SUNDAY I asked you to pray for and invite people to in regards to us doing a service where a very clear presentation of the Gospel is given…and there is a very clear call to respond.
Every time we have done a service like this we’ve seen HUNDREDS of people come to Christ…and our church is NEVER the same as a result. Needless to say…I can’t wait for Sunday…and would ask you as our church family to do several things…
#1 – Take some time every single day this week to pray for our services this Sunday.
We have worked hard and prepared for months for this day…but if God does not move then we’re screwed! Let’s take some time this week to BEG HIM to move in and be THE DIFFERENCE in our services…let’s LIVE OUT Isaiah 62:6-7 and literally not leave Him alone all week long!!!
#2 – Make yourself available this week by praying every single day, “God, here I am, take me and use me to invite people to church and/or share my faith today!”
#3 – Do whatever it takes to get people to church on Sunday.
I know that it CAN be discouraging to keep inviting people and then you are told “no,” don’t give up…they may need just one more invite. Let’s live out II Peter 3:9 to those who so desperately NEED HIM!!!
#4 – Get to church a little earlier this Sunday.
We are expecting record attendance at each campus…so whatever time you normally get to church…try for about 10 minutes earlier.
Like I said earlier…I cannot wait to see what Jesus does this weekend! I really do LOVE our church…and I love the way that you respond each time this challenge is issued!!!!
Let’s do ALL we can to reach ALL we can and then place it ALL in HIS HANDS!!!
Five Reasons Why People Quit The Ministry August 19, 2010
#1 – Burnout
I once heard someone say, “I would rather burn out than rust out.” Uh…BOTH are bad because NEITHER of them finish well. Too many people in the ministry work themselves into a frenzy, never take time to disconnect and refresh and do absolutely nothing for fun…this always goes bad!
When it comes to leadership circles in America we’ve equated being busy with being godly; however, the haunting reality that confronts that idea is what God Himself said in Psalm 46:10, “BE STILL and know that I am God”…not “be busy!”
If we are not taking regular breaks, doing things “just for fun” and disconnecting then burnout isn’t a matter of “if,” but “when!”
#2 – Unrealistic Expectations
Too many people believe that ministry = easy…despite the fact that it seemed to go really bad for everyone in the Scriptures that sold their life out to Him! Jesus went to the “place of the skull” to be crucified…why would we ever believe He would lead us to “the place of the mattress?”
When we impose our plans and ideas on God and refuse to surrender to His…and then things don’t go as planned…it usually leads to people “giving up” because “God just didn’t come through.”
#3 – Criticism
Criticism hurts…it always will…and if it ever doesn’t then, according to my counselor, something is dead inside of you. AND…it is always personal (especially when someone begins with, “don’t take this personally…but…).
You can’t let the critics dicate what you think/feel! If you have a ministry that constantly responds to critics then you will not have one that responds to Jesus. You MUST respond to the people who God has placed in your life to surround you and protect you–that’s not criticism but rather correction. However, you cannot allow those who know you the least to control you the most–period!
#4 – Discouragement
Every church leader I’ve ever chatted with has done some serious battles with discouragement. After your message on Sunday the enemy comes in and begins to accuse you, telling you that you did a pathetic job and that no one is going to come back next week. Heck, I’ve had to battle discouragement during the message before, hearing voices inside of my head saying things like, “you suck, these people hate you…you need to quite the ministry…” and so on.
This is why it is essential for leaders to get in a place like David did in I Samuel 30:1-6…he faced an incredibly discouraging situation and yet someone managed to find His strength in the Lord. I do this through reading through encouraging letters and emails that I’ve received in the past, placing myself in encouraging environments and focusing on what God’s Word says about me.
#5 – Losing Focus On God’s Power
When we actually believe it is up to us to make people come back to church every week rather than believing we are conduits that God wants to work through to do that very thing…it’s over! Because…we fall into the trap of trying to outdo ourselves every week, every series and every year…and prayer/seeking the Lord becomes something we love to talk about but fail to do. He saves…He draws people…and He uses us to do it. It’s not up to us…but rather allowing Him to work through us to accomplish all that He wants to do!
Face it…on our own we don’t have enough power to blow our nose! We NEED Him…HE is the game changer!!!