In two decades as a pastor, I've seen countless churches and ministries slide toward failure. Some recover, but many fail to learn how to resolve their problems. Sadly, they end up splintering, dwindling in size or becoming altogether extinct. When this happens, the people involved search for reasons for their failure. They blame lack of funding, an uncommitted staff, bad timing or even "missing the will of God."
I have concluded that something else is often an issue in failed or failing ministries: poor communication.
In everyday ministry, wise communication has primary importance. Clear language in the right tone can be the difference between successful, life-giving ministry or defeat. Saying what we mean and meaning what we say reveals our hearts, not just our thoughts. Authentic communication is open, honest, truthful and transparent.
So where's the pastor?" asked the concerned leader at the monthly leadership meeting.
"Why hasn't the pastor contacted me?" inquired the sick parishioner in the hospital.
After more than 30 years in ministry, I have heard these questions thousands of times. We know that a solitary pastor in a church, or even a staff of pastors in a large church, cannot be everywhere and meet each person's expectations. However, as pastoral leaders, we must understand that "being there" carries more anointing and weight of glory than most anything else we can say or do in ministry.Read Full Article >>
Sharpen the Arrow
By Larry Keefauver
Teaching is imbedded into the DNA of each of the fivefold offices (see 2 Tim. 2:24-26). Unfortunately, it faces a crisis in Spirit-filled churches.
Since coming into the charismatic movement from a mainline liberal denomination, I have heard seminaries decried as cemeteries from the pulpit and academic studies criticized as unnecessary and foolish.
Teachers impart important foundational truth for the church, provide needed correction to false doctrine and heresy and equip believers for doing the work of ministry.
A missionary in China sends a text message to his home church as if he were just across town. In Europe, immigrants from the Southern hemisphere plant churches with huge success. In Saudi Arabia, families with satellite dishes access Christian television and hear the gospel. In the United States, Anglican congregations place themselves under the authority of African bishops. Welcome to the global church. Or, as I prefer to call it, the flat church.
Most North American Christians are aware of the global church, but we still view Christianity through Western-tinted glasses and assume we are the dominant players in the kingdom of God. We don't realize how proportionately small we actually are, even among our own denominations.
Despite the billions of dollars corporations spend each year on seminars and training, many are noticing that managers and leaders who attend corporate training do not integrate those changes into their workday lives. Simultaneously, corporations are discovering that the impact of coach-training can last for years, yielding a higher return on investment (ROI) and resulting in more sustainable change than the traditional approach.
Additionally, there has been a generational shift from accepted vocational leadership styles, moving from military commander (key value = loyalty) or even CEO (key value = fulfillment of the CEO's vision) to the emerging leader as coach (key value = connectedness and individual growth).
