13 Jun Summer Hours (Packed into Four Days)

This is the last Friday, for a while, that the Healthy Ministry Resources office will be open. For the rest of the summer, we’re going to a four-day schedule, with ten-hour days. 

Hours: 7 a.m. — 5:30 p.m., Monday – Thursday
Dates: June 16 — August 29

We traditionally leave at 1 p.m. on Fridays during the summer, tacking an extra half-hour onto each other day. But with gas prices so high, it didn’t make sense asking half of our workers, who drive 20-40 miles one-way, to come to the office for a half-day of work. So we’ll see if we can put up with each other for ten hours at a shot. 

03 Jun The Things We Leave Behind

For change to occur in your church, you need to leave some things behind. That is hard. If you’re not willing to leave some things behind, you’ll never experience change. That’s true for us personally, for our families, and for our churches.

A lot of times, churches become layered: in the 1960s you did this, in the 1970s you added this, in the 1980s you began doing these things. You get all these layers operating, because nobody wants to leave anything behind.

It’s interesting the things we’re not willing to leave behind:

• Pews
• Worship style
• Music preferences
• Church dress code
• Organizational structures

So ask yourself: What am I willing to leave behind? And then make sure it’s the right things.

How about it? What are some things you’ve seen that churches have difficulty leaving behind?

29 May Weapons of Our Warfare

Ed Stetzer, who works with the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board, says if you get serious about spiritual formation, you will have to deal with satanic oppression. Spiritual warfare is a given.

One verse that has meant a lot to me the past few years is in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, which says, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought
into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”

We can’t change the world by signing petitions. That’s a worldly weapon. You can sign all the petitions you want, but that’s not how to change the world.

I think Satan has been very happy with the United Brethren church for the last number of years, while Jesus has cried tears over us. We need to change that so the Lord is pleased and Satan is not. But Satan won’t give up easily. He’ll throw everything at you.

You’ll wonder, “Where did that come from?” I’ve learned, during my years of ministry, that stuff comes from unexpected places. From places you thought were spiritual, and all of a sudden they come at you as if they are the enemy. In one church recently, a long-time member said, “This church belongs to us. We let God use it two hours a week.”

Ministry isn’t easy. We’re in the trenches fighting hand-to-hand.

21 May Organize for Growth

You always need to organize yourself beyond what you are. If you’re a church of 200 and want to be a church of 500, you need to organize like a church of 500. Otherwise, you won’t get there.

When I became pastor of Mainstreet Church in Walbridge, Ohio, we started at about 220, grew, and began adding staff. I took the staff to larger churches on little field trips. How does it look and feel? How do they structure themselves? We began to tinker. God blessed us and the church grew.

Over half of our growth was new converts. You get people who don’t know anything, and it’s fun. You get a chance to infect them with the real disease.

I covet that for you. Not that you get big; that doesn’t make any difference to me. What makes a difference is that you become effective in what God has called you to do.

20 May Also Receiving Their Degrees….

Among the proud parents at college commencements this month were all three Global Ministries staffpersons.

• Carissa Burkett, daughter of Phil and Darlene Burkett, graduated from Azusa Pacific University on May 10 with a degree in Fine Arts, with a concentration on sculpture.
• Jessica Hollopeter, the youngest daughter of Jason and Donna Hollopeter, paraded with 215 other Huntington University students on Saturday. Her degree was in History.
• Jeff Bleijerveld’s daughter Julie Navrotsky graduated on Saturday from Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne (Fort Wayne, Ind.) with a degree in Anthropology, while her husband, Rick, received his Business degree.

20 May Make the Drive to Church Worthwhile

Confronted with the price of gas and a 20-mile daily commute to the office, Jeff Bleijerveld and I thought it made sense to ride together. So today, I picked him up. We both live on the southwest side of Fort Wayne, maybe a mile apart. It was good fellowship, we saved money, and we reduced our carbon footprint.

Seth Godin predicts that in the business world, with the price of fuel, it’ll become more common to hear people, after a meeting, complain, “I came all the way here for this?”

Churches don’t have nearly as many meetings as they once did.

• Monthly board meetings have become bi-monthly or quarterly.
• We’ve dispensed with lots of committees that once seemed necessary.
• We’ve streamlined our church structures. Streamlining is good.

But now, church meetings don’t only take up a person’s time. They also hit the wallet.

• Every trip Pam and I make to church costs us around $5.
• Other people drive much, much farther.
• A single board meeting could involve a collective cost of $50 or more.
• Since we’re a low-income church, gas hurts.

So whatever awaits us at church, whether a meeting or music practice or a service, needs to be well worth not only the time, but the gas money.

That, of course, should have always been the case. But money has a way of focusing our attention.

16 May LET’S TALK: About Pastors’ Salaries

Right now, the base salary for UB fulltime ministers is $35,000. Many churches generously go far beyond that amount. But too many churches cling to the minimum.

The Executive Leadership Team, during its April meeting, spent some time talking about pastors’ salaries. They didn’t make any decisions; I just wanted their input as I consider making some proposals. Here are some thoughts from that discussion:

• About two-thirds of our churches have an attendance less than 100. To sustain a minimum fulltime pastor, you probably need 125 people.
• We have a lot of churches on the bubble of being able to afford a fulltime pastor.
• A lot of quality pastors are being less than adequately compensated.
• If you can’t pay a fulltime salary, you need to let your pastor supplement his income with other work.
• The fulltime salary suggestion should reflect a true living wage.
• We can’t expect to recruit ministers if, as a denomination, we set such a low salary. It’s embarrassing to talk to a prospective pastor and tell him what our minimum fulltime salary is.
• Churches should do a lot more in adding benefits for pastors, such as paying for a cell phone, computer, internet access, and other things.
• In denying pay raises for ministers, people point to the plight of other members of the congregation.
• A pay increase for the pastor usually requires a board member willing to champion that cause.

What are you thoughts? What would you like to add?

13 May Rest for Pastors and Spouses

Tom Blaylock, our Director of Church Multiplication, describes his wonderful five-day vacation courtesy of Broom Tree Ministries in Delafield, Wisc. This ministry provides a free getaway retreat for pastors and spouses. Perhaps you could benefit from this.