Reflections

Just sitting at home and thinking about some things I've learned over the last few years:

• Most churches have the same problems. Those problems all stem from the same place...sin in our lives...good leaders find God inspired ways to overcome them. They help people move beyond the stronghold of sin in their lives, others can't seem to move people past them....thinking about some of the issues we had at RL and seeing many of those same issues being played out at various other churches over the last few years gives me a perspective I wish I had 5 years ago. When God provides the next opportunity for me to take on pastoral ministry in a church, I think I'll be better prepared for that...and no I don't want to give examples :)
• Thinking about the concept of being a missional person and being a part of a missional church. WE SAY we are missional, yet we have the hardest time releasing people into their missions. Most of us in ministry don't equip as well as we should, we don't recognize God's calling on others enough, and we don't tell people when it's time for them to leave our church and pursue what God is calling them to next. Got to see an example of that tonight and it reminded me again how we don't do that nearly enough. We build people up to serve under us, but what if God is calling them to do more than we are doing or are able to do?
  
• Reminded again this week how difficult the job of a lead pastor is. Everyone has an idea of how things should be done and they are certain their idea is God inspired and correct. We can't all be right now can we? If your idea is right don't badger your pastor, threaten your pastor, or try and shame him into doing what you think is right. Talk with him about it. If he doesn't agree with you pray about the situation and try and see things from his perspective. If he still doesn't agree with you and you are unsettled submit yourself to him and his decision about it. If you still can't get peace about it, perhaps God is stirring something up in you and it's not really about the church as a whole. Consider the possibility that God is calling you, and not your church, to do something.