Drift Happens! In fact, drift seems to be the norm rather than the exception. Drift happens within the boundaries of every organization, denomination and church. The key to overcoming drift, is seeing the problem and facing the facts before it’s too late. Jim Collins, in his book Good To Great calls this practice, FACING THE BRTUAL FACTS. The problem with facing these facts is that it is tough on the ego. That is probably why most leaders would rather not. But we will never rally go beyond where we are unless we are willing to face our problems head on. Every leader must stop and ask, when they see that the organization is drifting from a movement to a monument, “How can we find our momentum again? How can we energize this movement before its to late?” (The reality is that if you wait too long to ask that question, it may be too late. Every leader and organization should spend time renewing and refocusing each year.)

The simple solution is, to get back to the basics. Too refocus and narrow down your strategy is always a good idea, but it goes much deeper than that. We have to look back and rediscover what drove the founders of your movement and recapture that driving force. As it concerns the church, the answer is simple: The Great Commission was the driving force of the early church. Today, however, I fear that the Church across our nation has replaced the Great Commission as a driving force with a drive to be comfortable. Many have also traded in the call to grow the kingdom with a call to grow an empire. With that menatlity, many have lost the missional drive that launched their church in the first place.

Jesus called his people to action in the Great Commission. “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, All authority is given to Me in Heaven and in earth. Therefore go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things, whatever I commanded you. And, behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the world. Amen.” Matt 28:18 – 20. Again in Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” This is what drove the early church.

How did the early church understand the Great Commission and practice it? Once we understand that, we can put it into our own context. The church today views the Great Commission as a program or outreach event, but the early believer’s understood it in the context of “going” and “spreading” the Gospel. Early believers lived out this commission by establishing of new communities of believers everywhere they went. Keeping a Great Commission mind-set will keep your church from experiencing Historic Drift.

Good leadership is essential for any organization to move forward. In hard times, it is even more important. What traits does a leader need to posses in the midst of hard times?

1. Honesty And Credibility.You can’t hide, fake or bluff your way through tough times. If you don’t know the answer to the problems or need help finding solutions, ask.  Allow those you are leading to see you as someone who is humble, honesty and willing to seek counsel. They will respect you for your authenticity.

2. The Ability To Inspire. Tough times bring on frustration, uncertainty and anxiety in most people. As a leader you have to focus on what could be. Help those who follow you become realistically optimistic about the future. They need a vision that will excite and drive them to work for something better.

3. Be Willing To Face The Brutal Facts.Gather all your information and look at reality as it is. Your ability to see reality will help you generate a vision of what could be.

4. Boldness.In this time of uncertainty everyone is tightening the belt. Ministry is slowing or coming to a halt. It may save you cash in the short-run, but it will be detrimental to the future of the ministry. It will take a risk-based faith to step out and strategically do something new when there is little money and no guarantee of success. Yet, faith is critical for the church in the midst of tough times. God has not changed even though everything else around us has. What good will it do to limp to the finish line and find nothing there? “What good will it do for a man to gain the whole world and yet lose his soul?”

Don’t stop doing the right thing. Its not about what you can afford to do, it is about doing the right thing. God will do the rest.

Based off the book Leadership In The Era Of Economic Uncertainty

On April 15, 1912 the unthinkable happened when White Star Lines unsinkable ship, the Titanic, sank. The sinking resulted in the deaths of 1,517 of the 2,223 people on board, making it one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history. Could the Titanic have been saved? Could this disaster have been averted and what lessons can the Church learn?

Many mistakes were made by those who were responsible for this voyage, but five problems stick out, from which we can learn.

1. Multiple warning signs of impeding disaster were ignored.

Captain Smith ignored seven iceberg warnings from his crew and other ships.

2. The Ship builder’s decided to cut corners.

About three million rivets were used to hold the sections of the Titanic together. Some rivets have been recovered from the wreck and analyzed. The findings show that they were made of sub-standard iron.

3.The ship’s speed and course was not allowed to be altered.

To meet this schedule the Titanic could not afford to slow down. The owners had something to prove.

4. Improper Structure’s

The Titanic had sixteen watertight compartments that did not reach as high as they should have.

5. Failure of others to pay attention and help

At around 11.15, Californian’s radio operator turned off the radio and went to bed. Sometime after midnight the crew on watch reported seeing rockets being fired into the sky from a big liner. If the Californian had turned on the radio she would have heard the distress messages from Titanic and would have been able to reach the ship in time to save all passengers.

Like the Titanic, many churches and their leaders are shocked when they find themselves in a desperate situation. These leaders, like those involved in the disastrous voyage of the Titanic, made these five mistakes. 

1. Multiple warning signs of impeding disaster were ignored.

Many churches and their leaders have been hearing and experiencing the warning signs of plateau and decline, but they have failed to listen to these warnings, steam ahead and now find themselves in a disastrous situation.

2. The Church leaders decided to cut corners.

Far too often church leaders cut ministry corners. Instead of doing the hard work and paying the price to protect the vision, create disciples and grow healthy leaders, they look for the quick fix or easy road to growth. All the while, under the surface major problems develop. What seems so small on the surface eventually leads to the demise of the church.

3.The Church’s speed and course is not allowed to be altered.

To often leaders are afraid to slow down, think about the course of the church and make positive course corrections. Instead they stubbornly steam ahead feeling like they have something to prove to the rest of the community. These leaders refuse to make mid-course corrections in the ministry of the church, its relevance to the community and its philosophical methodologies.

4. Improper Structure’s

Every system is perfectly designed for the outcome it produces. A failure to look at the church’s structures and systems will simply perpetuate the problem and weaken the church’s ability to hold up under pressure. Most churches don’t grow due to structural problems they are unwilling to face.

5. Failure of others to pay attention and help

Allow me a brief opportunity to get up on my soapbox. Too often Pastor’s tend to be either to timid to confront  a problem head on or opportunistic. We are to be accountable and responsible to one another. I think the Bible mentions this idea a few times. If we see a disaster coming, we are to help others see it. I know we all want our churches to grow, but we should never wish for the demise of any other church in our community so that ours might grow. That is not the Great-Commission!

So how are you faring? 

Just started reading Paul Borden’s book “Assaulting The Gates: Aiming All God’s People At The Mission Field.” Haven’t gotten far into the book yet, but he has already peaked my interest. I highly recommend the book to anyone seeking to move toward becoming a missional church.

The thought that started my mind racing has to do with what Borden calls the “Pacification of the church.” His words ring too true! In most churches, districts, denominations, or associations (whatever your flavor may be) across America we have allowed the mission of the church to be replaced. Once a driven, passionate, soul winning movement, we have become an institution that values peace and harmony at all costs. By in large the Church has become a place where strife and friction are no longer tolerated. In fact, peace has been so elevated in the economy of the church that it has been put up on a pedestal, admired and worshiped. The church has now become a place designed to meet our personal needs and dissent is not tolerated even if those who are correct are right in pointing out that the church, denomination, district, association or etc, has lost its way in relation to the mission Christ has called us too. If any real debate does creep into the church it is often over issue of structure, methodologies or styles rather than essential issues like sin, evil or righteousness.

Why? Too often those in leadership fear the loss of money, people, clout and influence. A leaders temporary, earthly status trumps their calling to preach Christ to a needy world. Think on this quote from Paul Borden;

“In this process of pacification we have lost the idea that the church of Jesus Christ is to be militant against sin, the forces of evil, and unrighteous systems; we have forgotten that the church is called to convert those who use such systems to create injustice, war, and great inequities of civilization. We have lost the idea of being a soldier of the cross, an army marching for the salvation of people, and lifeboat captains rescuing the perishing.“  What we want now is “a wonderful place to worship each Sunday and meet the needs of me and my family without upsetting anyone.” Worse yet, “the silent majority of most churches would rather allow the spiritual terrorist church bosses to keep the congregation from mission rather than raise issue that might upset the church’s illusory peace.”

I don’t know about you, but that causes me to stop and think! Has peace in the church become a higher value than mission? Are we willing to militantly follow the call of God and lead our churches in the proper direction or will we allowthe “immature majority” of our churches to govern the direction of the church? Could this be the reason so many churches are experiencing decline and plateau?

I have been reading The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch. I would highly recommend this book to every pastor. Alan spends a great deal of time talking about the missional drive of the church. He gives us a stark reminder that if we don’t keep the main focus before us, we will quickly become an institution guided by rules and bylaws, rather than a movement driven by passion and vision. Hirsch’s description of a movement and an institution are worth sharing and considering. As you read these contrasting descriptions ask yourself where your church/organization fits and how you can make steps to change.

A Movement

Has pioneering missional leadership as its central role.

Seeks to embody the way of the founder.

Based on internal operational principles.

Has a cause.

The mission is to change the future.

Tends to be mobile and dynamic.

Decentralized network built on relationships.

Appeals to the common person.

Inspirational/transformational leadership dominant; spiritual authority tends to be the primary basis of influence.

People of the way.

Centered-set dynamic

An Institution

Avoids leadership based on personality and is often led by an “aristocratic class” who inherit leadership based on loyalty.

Represents a more codified belief system.

based on external legislating policies/governance.

Is the cause.

The missions shifts to preservation of the past.

Is the cause.

Tends to be more static and fixed.

Centralized organiztion built on loyalty.

Tends to be more elitist and exclusive.

Transactional leadership dominant; Institutional authority tends to be the primary basis of influence.

People of the “book”.

Closed-set dynamic.

Which one are you?

On Friday Jan 28 Jeff Roth, my ministries coordinator, and I flew out to Salt Lake City to investigate the need for new churches in the Salt Lake Valley area. As we made our final approach to the Salt Lake airport we flew over the Daybreak Mormon Temple, which was lit up like a Christmas tree. This temple is located just outside Herriman, Utah. Herriman is is a growing city in the southern part of the Valley. Presently the city has a population of about 22,000 and is projected to grow to over 100,000 in the next decade. The interesting thing about Herriman is that it is one of 22 other cities in Utah without one Evangelical church.

Once we arrived Charles Hill, our church planter, took us up on a peak where we could see the Valley. He shared that less than 2% of those in the greater Salt Lake Valley were going to church in an evangelical church of any kind. I have to admit, I was fairly skeptical of his statistics. Church planters are notorious for exaggerating numbers.It didn’t take long for me to beging to see the reality of his stats.

On Saturday morning we jumped in the car and started to drive around the city. Our first stop was Temple Square. Temple Square is the world headquarters for the LDS church. Two young ladies fulfilling their missionary duties, escorted us around the campus and shared the history of the LDS with us. The buildings were immaculate and finished with a great deal of excellence. The speeches of the young ladies were polished funny and well rehearsed. From the time we stepped on the campus until the time we left my heart was burdened and overwhelmed with a sense of compassion and despair for those who are caught in this lie. I looked around at all the young people pouring countless hours into guiding people around the campus. Most of them were smiling and seemed to have a sense of personal pride. All for the sake of a lie. They had a form of Godliness, but denied the power. Their view of God, their understanding of Jesus, and their theology of eternity, in the end left them no hope.

After leaving Temple Square we drove around the valley for hours. Around 6 pm, after hours of driving, we counted a total of 5 small churches. As a mid-westerner, that is hard to swallow. If we drive down the streets of mid-America, we can pass by 5 churches in a matter of minutes.  We have a unique opportunity in Utah to bring the Gospel into a dark place.

For more information on how you might be involved in a Missions trip to Slat Lake contact Jeff Roth by Clicking HERE. Join me as we pray for and support a great move of God in the Salt Lake Valley.

Temple - View From The Southwest

Pipe Organ Inside Round Temple

Statue Of Jesus Inside The Visitor’s Center

Daybreak Temple Outside Herriman

Temple - View From The East

As most everyone knows by now a massive, 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti near the capital of Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, January 12th. The damage to buildings is extensive and the number of deaths is estimated, by the American Red Cross, to be upwards of 50,000. World Vision, a Christian humanitarian charity organization, is on the ground rushing emergency supplies to survivors of this catastrophe.

“We would be very concerned about a quake of this magnitude anywhere in the world, but it is especially devastating in Haiti, where people are acutely vulnerable because of poor infrastructure and extreme poverty,” said Edward Brown, World Vision’s relief director in the United States.

While we do not have a denominational way of contributing, as General Baptists, it is our Christian duty to help in this time of need. Any gift you are able to make now will help distribute life-saving relief supplies – including food, clean water, blankets, and tents — to children and families devastated by the earthquake and aftershocks in Haiti.

Here are a few sites and contacts to help you find a way to give:

State Department - Text 90999 to give $10.

American Red Cross - 1-800-RED-CROSS

World Vision - Donate Online Now!

Compassion International

Smaritan’s Purse

Hands and Feet

Utah is one of the fastest growing states in the Unites States. Even during the times of recession, Utah continues to grow by leaps and bounds. Unfortunately, the Church is not keeping up with the growth curve and hasn’t for quite some time.

   Many communities throughout Utah share one thing in common: They have no Christian church and, consequently, no gospel representation. In fact, most of these cities have never had a church (other than a Mormon ward/church) inside the city limits. I want you to think about that for a moment. In the Midwest, where the bulk of our churches are located, we are used to seeing a church on every corner. However, in Utah there are approximately 22 cities with  ZERO churches representing the truth of Jesus Christ. 

   Herriman, Utah, is a great example. Located at the south end of Salt Lake Valley, Herriman is a primary area of growth. According to the 2000 U.S. Census Bureau, Herriman had a population of only 1,500. The city now boasts over 20,000 in population with a projected increase of another 40,000 in the next few years. Yet Herriman is without one single church!

   Our church planter for this new project is Charles Hill. Charles received his master’s degree in theology at Ashland Theological Seminary in Ashland, Ohio. He has worked as a police officer in the inner city of Columbus. He has also been a youth pastor and has planted a church in the small town of Loudonville, Ohio, called New Hope Community Church. New Hope exploded to over 1,000 people in a town of 2,000 and grew into three multi-sites, one in Shenzen, China.

   Charles is also the founder of The Sticks. The Sticks is a national gathering for pastors who are leading churches throughout rural America (small and medium-sized towns) and hard-to-reach places. In many ways, Charles will fit into our movement very well. He is in line with our doctrine, and his ideas fit with who we are. I am excited to welcome him aboard.

   I am also looking for any church or individual whose heart beats for the lost population of Utah. We need your prayer support and your financial support. Within the next month National Missions will be developing an opportunity for three to four MVP teams to visit the field in Salt Lake Valley. If you are interested, get your reservation in quickly.

Over the last few days I have been contemplating the necessity for change. Change in my own personal life, change in my work life, change in my church, change in the organization of which I am a part. Whether we like it or not, change seems to be a constant. It is also very needed. Peter Drucker,  recognized by many as the godfather of management, wrote: “Everybody has accepted by now that change is unavoidable. But that still implies that change is like death and taxes — it should be postponed as long as possible and no change would be vastly preferable. But in a period of upheaval, such as the one we are living in, change is the norm."

Too often we fight change, avoid change, fear change, kill change or flat out reject change. But should we? Change is never easy, but is usually very beneficial for us. If we stop changing, we stop growing and growth is the only real evidence of life.

Saint Augustine once wrote, “If you would attain to what you are not yet, you must always be displeased by what you are.  For where you are pleased with yourself there you have remained.  Keep adding, keep walking, keep advancing.” Paul wrote in 2 Cor 3:18 “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” I guess that means for the Christian, change should be welcomed and embraced. Notice I didn’t say enjoyed, although some change is enjoyable. Change is often far from being something we enjoy.

As I was reading the Psalms the other day God laid these verses before my eyes. (Ps 32:8-9) The Lord said, “I will guide you along the pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” So far, so good! I like this verse. I love knowing that God is guiding my pathway and watching over me. Gives me a sense of peace. But then the Lord said, “Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and a bridle to keep it under control.” Senseless horse or mule!? Not sure I like that visual. My mother always said I was like a bull in a china shop. The opposite to the senseless horse is one that will follow its master out of a relationship and trust.

Think about it for a minute. How often have we acted like the senseless horse in the face of change? When things don’t make sense in our world and change catches us off guard, how do we react? Whether change is related to work, home, church or our own personal growth, we tend to fight change, don’t we? How willing are we to simply follow the master, even when it doesn’t make sense, isn’t enjoyable or when it doesn’t feel good. How often does he have to bridle us as senseless beasts?

The Lord says to each of us, “I will guide you along the pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.” He knows us best and ultimately has our best in mind. So embrace, expect and welcome change knowing that the Father is using it to change us from glory to glory. Change is never easy, but it is necessary. If we stop changing, we stop growing and growth is the only real sign of life.

The size of a congregation will, by and large, set the agenda for its future viability and effectiveness. We become what we think we are. The congregations attitutde about themsleves will set the pace for the future of the churches effectiveness. As Solomon wrote, "as a man thinks in his heart, so he is." Prov 23:7. It becomes a self fulfilling prophecy of sorts.The self-image of a congregation is very important in its effort to grow.

I am not questioning the commitment and call of churches that do not grow. I am simply stating, mainly from my own experience in working with churches for the last twenty-three years, that ministry is slowed, and the danger of falling into a survival mode will be a greater probability.

Smaller churches struggle to grow. The reasons for this struggle are multiple. Smaller churches, while effective in some ways, tend to be more family oriented and do not allow visitors to feel at home as readily. Lyle Schaller refers to churches under the two hundred mark as “Collie” churches. Some people tend to wonder why these churches remain on a plateau in size or why church shoppers often do not return after that initial visit. Collies tend to have strong affection for members of the family, but they often bark at strangers. When any church falls into this mode of operation, growth becomes almost impossible. Myriads of books and articles have been written about the growth problems of the small church. The key to avoiding these problems is for a new church to reach the two hundred mark as quickly as possible. New church plants that do not grow rapidly will develop a small church mentality, stifling their ability to reach out and impact the community. Planting new churches should be an attempt to overcome growth problems, not emulate them.

Crowds attract crowds. To create new missions that break out of the mold of the self-serving, survival-minded, family-run organizations, leaders must find a way to plant churches that grow rapidly in size in a very short period of time. When a church is able to grow rapidly and gain momentum, it will create a healthy attitude among the members, A primary difference between growing and declining churches is their attitude. Growing churches feel they have something worthwhile to offer to their community. Their high level of self-esteem provides the energy and strength to share the gospel of Christ with people in the community.

Church plants, as well as established churches, that do not grow beyond the 150 average in attendance, will often lose momentum and fall into the smaller-church trap that will result in a low sense of congregational morale. Church plants are more vulnerable to a sense of low morale due to heightened expectations for success. When not met with immediate success, most church plants fall prey to discouragement.

The attitude of most members involved in an established church is usually fairly level. Most have settled into a routine way of doing church. Members may pray for, expect, and hope to grow, but the level of expectation for dramatic and rapid changes is not as high as in a new church. In contrast, the expectation of those involved in a church plant is one of rapid growth within a short period of time. When expectations are not reached at the level anticipated, a sense of failure is certain.

Once an attitude of defeat settles into the hearts and minds of the church planter and the new congregation, they begin to view themselves as small, weak, unattractive, powerless and frustrated with a limited future. Unfortunately, this attitude is the state in which many church plants find themselves. If conventional wisdom is true, two-thirds of church-planting attempts will begin to develop a small-church self-image.

Any church looking to break out and grow needs to reach the two hundred mark quickly or face a myriad of problems. Rapid growth will help a new church maintain momentum and offer it a sense of credibility. That growth will also give the church the ability to offer holistic services that can answer the felt needs of the community. A new church that does not reach this mark will struggle financially and may develop a sect-like attitude. The church plants size will perpetuate the problem. Both rapid or slow growth churches will generate a sense of corporate self image that can dictate the future impact of any church in its community.