upward & inward

Across from me hangs a uniform coat wore by my grandfather in World War I and now displayed in my office. It's hard to believe that it has been 100 years since the beginning of "The Great War" as it was called then.  More difficult to comprehend is the incredible loss of life that was the result for both sides of the conflict . Dead:                  8,556,315 Wounded:         21,219,452      POW/Missing:     7,750,945 Even after entering the conflict toward its end, the US lost over 120,000 lives, wounding nearly twice that number. Why do I bring this up?  In the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month in 1918, the Armistice Treaty was finally signed, signaling the cessation of hostilities between the Central Powers (Germany, etc.) and the Allied Powers (France, Russia, Britain, US, etc.)....

In the London Subway system, the Underground, curved platforms often cause a dangerous gap between the platform and the straight train car. Because of this danger, they use this phrase in print and in the verbal announcement: Mind the Gap! Children in our church also face a gap.  This gap is the one that exists between someone else's faith, like a parent, and the development of his or her own faith. Some children cross the gap with no difficulties.  One day they are holding on to their parents' hands, relying on mom or dad's faith.  The next moment, they believe on their own, independent of mom or dad. We see this illustrated in the story of Jesus, the Samaritan woman, and the people of her village. Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in [Jesus] because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did."   So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days.  And because of his words many m...

Prayer Journal - August 29, 2012 "Effective Meeting tonight with council and the consultant" October 19, 2012 - "Thank You for a complete assessment!" As a transition begins, it is SO helpful to know a few things from the congregation, including: 1) Where do we think we are? 2) Where do we think we're going? As a pastor leaves, especially a long-term pastor, it helps to "look into the mirror" and we sought to accomplish this in two ways.  First, we decided to put a congregational survey in place.  During preparation and delivery, the company we used was thorough and helpful.  The questions covered a wide range of topics but the primary topics about which we were most concerned were:  Evidence of Conflict, Governance, Spiritual vitality, Hospitality, Ministry Readiness, Worship/music, and Morale.  In addition, the assessment offered an opportunity for the congregation to state what their preferences were for the characteristics and strengths o...

Since the beginning, the church has struggled with conformity. How are we supposed to behave as Christ-followers? Merriam-Webster defines conformity as: behavior that is the same as the behavior of most other people in a society, group, etc. Conformity can naturally occur in the larger society and smaller groups, like a church.  And, I suppose we can expect that a group of people who claim an affinity for one another (or to a common Person) would think, speak, and act in a similar fashion.  The challenge comes with the motivation (or cause) of the behavior. Is our motivation really to be like each other? To fit in? In societal groups (churches, schools, clubs, sports teams, even gangs), there are expectations of behavior.  (Note: I'm not a sociologist, just an observer!) Just ask a high school student and she will tell you that expectations from fellow students are strong and real.  For a church, these expectations can quickly devolve into " externalism " so tha...

Prayer Journal, May 23, 2012 - "Clear thoughts - no self-ambition. Only God-ambition". Early on in the transition, I realized that God was working dramatically, not only in our congregation, but also in His development of me as a leader.  Much was going to change within the church, staff, and leadership - much had to change! - and many of our former roles would not be the same.  Ever. So, I was prompted to pray that my thoughts reflected an ambition for what God had in store for us and not what we were ambitious to accomplish of and for ourselves. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Philippians 2:3 Looking back over the graveyard of destroyed churches, I wonder if "selfish ambition" played a part in most, if not all, of the carnage. Starting innocently enough, as passionate church members authentically and lovingly encourage a leader, it is how the leader receives that encouragement wh...

Prayer Journal: 8-9-12. Thank You for the staff who've been bold in their concerns regarding morale and order. When I returned back from Uganda in July of 2012, the directors and pastors began studying a book: FISH! A Proven Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results. Don't let the marketing title fool you.  Although, it is a very helpful book, there is a lot required to take action upon it.  And, it's not easy. For some time, staff morale had been less than positive on the whole.  As this transition began, I felt strongly that we had to do something about it.  Ignoring it would not make it go away.  So, as we read this book together, an idea developed that would be both difficult and refreshing. We assigned two of our administrative team to gather the staff in teams of 4-8 and guide them in a conversation of "What are the strengths and needed areas of growth here on staff at Central?".  The teams were purposely mixed across the ministries and offered...

Prayer Journal Entry, July 7, 2012: "Thank you for the seats that are filled and the lives that are changed for you!" As we began the transition after our Senior Pastor left, some on the Council did some reading about others' experiences with similar transitions.  The book, "Elephant in the Boardroom" by Crabtree and Weese , offers some insights regarding expectations for churches in transition. One "prediction", in particular, caught my attention: Worship attendance typically drops about 15 percent... The church loses financial support of 15 percent or so... Those are some big numbers. As the summer wore on, our attendance numbers dropped, as they often did this time of year, while our folks took some time off from regular attendance.  The big test was in late August and into September as attendance typically rises as routine schedules return.  In the fall of 2012, the predictions noted above proved to be true.  Both our attendance and our...

Prayer Journal Entries July 3, 2012: "Help us cope with [another] departure." July 5, 2012: "Comfort for the congregation during this time of transition." Like the ripples in a pond after a stone is tossed in, a big change brings other changes. When the Sr. Pastor resigned, I had already scheduled a trip to Africa and a vacation for the month of June. While it was difficult to leave the church during this time, I had to realize that this wasn't my church but Christ's church, His bride.  I remain only a steward. So, on June 30th, our team, the first team to go in 2012, returned safely.  It was great to be back in the fellowship again on that next day, a Sunday, celebrating Christ, and thanking Him for a great trip, another church built, and for so many stories to share with our church family.  It was the day after, a Monday, when the reality of another leadership lesson would shake me (briefly) out of the fog of jet-lag. After 11 years of faithful...

Prayer Journal Entry: May 22, 2012. [Please give us] Unity on Council in tonight's meeting - effective, God-honoring! As the Executive Pastor, my role is all-encompassing.  The Senior Pastor was to lead the church and I was to run the church. He is visionary while I'm operational.  He identifies the target on the map - and I get us there.  When I arrived at the church over four years before (2007), my job description was: "If you see it, it's yours."  Which I discovered to mean later: lead everything but the vision, strategy, and the preaching. Not satisfied with that ambiguity, I adapted a more detailed job description and sent it to the Senior Pastor soon after I arrived.  I don't remember ever discussing it in much detail - only following it as I progressed into the job.  However, the key portion of the job description in a time like this is: [The Executive Pastor] ensures that the church's goals, systems, practices, and policies responsibly, st...

Prayer Journal Entry, April 26, 2012: Q & A session today - [may it be] glorifying to You, honoring to the church and Sr. Pastor, unifying to the team. On the previous day, our Senior Pastor announced his resignation to the staff. Shock, tears, stunned silence, and unspoken questions hung in the air as our team tried to grasp what this meant now and in the future. What I realized was that the team needed to be heard and as many of their questions as possible needed to be answered. I scheduled the meeting immediately for the next day - to give folks a chance to think and pray about it before discussing it - so that they would "respond" rather than "react" to the news.  And, as already stated above, this also gave me time to pray. Trying to remain positive and assuring, I reiterated what our Sr. Pastor stated the day before and then asked for questions, comments, or concerns.  They came slow at first, but eventually began streaming in.  I answered the ques...

Entry in Prayer Journal, January 13, 2012: "...that I could lead effectively and honorably during this transition and beyond." This particular entry reflected the challenges of yet another staff member leaving.  But what I didn't realize then, was the prophetic last part of the prayer request: "...and beyond." Two-and-a-half months later, I would begin to understand that God had been preparing me for a greater transition: after 18 years of service, our Senior Pastor would resign.  As the Executive Pastor for our church, my role would both change and remain the same but all the more vital if the church was to weather the storm it faced. This begins what I hope will be a series of blog posts regarding the critical approach and process of successful (and not-so successful) transitions.  I think the first lesson I learned is this: Transitions are inevitable. Like death and taxes, transitions, change, gain, and loss are going to be a large part of our l...

After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They provoked the LORD to anger because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. Judges 2:10-13 As I understand it, there are three primary duties of a United States citizen: Somehow serve the country, state, county, and/or city in which you live Vote in elections Serve on a jury This week, I had the opportunity to serve as a potential jury member. As with any government led activity, it was slow and tedious - and, I was glad to have followed the advice of my wife and brought something to read as I waited. While I was not seated as a juror, I did experience the jury selection process and learne...

From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem. Acts 13:13 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. Acts 15:36-38 When we look at this story, we are not told why John (also called Mark) left Paul and his companions (including Barnabas) in Pamphylia. He may have been tired, afraid, or frustrated. Knowing all that Paul went through during his adventures in ministry ( 2 Cor. 11 ), we might understand that. Or, maybe he had another valid ministry to move to. In other words, to John, the reason may have been valid and not deserving of Paul's label of desertion. It may be, judging by his desire to bring him alo...

What Scriptural principles can be applied to teams? Here are some thoughts... The leader must get to know the followers. This undeniably important process takes time, energy, and focus. In the corporate space, this was called MBWA (Management By Wandering Around). Here in the church we call it Ministry of Presence. Just being there in the team working, listening, laughing, and sharing. The team members must get to know the leader. While this is not universally held as a leadership principle, in my experience (and by the Scriptures) it is a critical step in the building of the team that team members easily dismiss due to a variety of reasons. The disciples wanted to know Jesus and therefore sought Him in order to do so. We should do the same, obviously, as Christ's disciples, in getting to know the Savior, but we should also do the same to get to know those whom He has placed over us in authority. The better we know each other the more open we can be about what needs to be accompl...

Let's pretend for a moment that you and I are on our way to see someone we both admire greatly. This person could be anyone, absolutely anyone in history - Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther, Martin Luther King, Jr., and so on. We've received our invitations, the time and date has been set, and we're really on our way. How would we approach that event? Would it be with excitement? Or, even muted anticipation? Would it be, instead, with a casual disregard? Once we arrived, would we seek a seat in the back? Or, would we get there early for a seat as close to the front as possible? If we are followers of Christ, worshipers of the Most High God, then whenever we gather together in corporate worship, we have this opportunity.  We are not coming just for the music or the speaking - no matter how great (or not so great) they may be. Instead, we are coming to see and celebrate not a man like those in the example above, but the King of Kings and ...

God has wired me to work. So, while I have a day each week to be away from the office, I still work. He works my mind and heart to be better aligned with Him. I catch up from the previous weeks and dig out of email (and voicemail) jail. But I also try to plan. Planning for the future is important - but while that is true, I must also realize that the plans I make are all under the complex sovereignty of God. He reminds us in His Word that His purpose prevails over our plans ( Prov. 19:21 ). What am I left with then? I must commit my plans to Him first, then they will succeed ( Prov. 16:3 ). Without that caveat in our planning, we're whistling past the graveyard, ignoring our ends ( Heb. 9:27 ) and, more importantly, ignoring the power and will of the Most High God. Given that all is up for change - my personal vision, mission, strategy, etc. - this will take a while. And, that's a good thing. In this approach, I can be more assured that I'm not getting ahead (or going sidew...

On Friday, November 26, 2010, Richard "Dick" Buehler, Sherry's Grandpa, passed on to his eternity with Jesus. I met him soon after I began dating Sherry, my bride. And, over 23 years later, I've learned a lot from him. Here are just a few observations: Grandpa loved. This was not the emotional, sappy, temporary kind of love that our common culture seems to advocate. In his generation, love was a "many splendored thing". In mine, it was a battlefield. But, the love I'm describing is God's love, the love Christ commanded us to have toward one another ( John 13:34-35 ). This love was the one Jesus described as none greater (that a man would lay down his own life for another - John 15:13 ). A love that was patient, kind - not rude, envious, boastful, or proud. This love delighted in the truth, not evil, keeping no record of wrongs. This kind of love always trusts, hopes, perseveres, and protects. This love never fails . He demonstrated that love for his ...

Here's some sobering information from a site that shares analysis on government revenue and debt. US Federal Revenue 2008 Total: $2.524T ($1.45T Income Taxes) 2009 Total: $2.105T ($1.04T Income Taxes) US Federal Yearly Deficit (more than 3x increase!) 2008 Total: $459B 2009 Total: $1.41T Ok, so here's the point. There are some very hard times coming where we will have to make some difficult decisions as a nation. Not to be over-simplistic, but when the revenue falls, each of us as families must take a hard look at what we can cut out of our expenses to stop or slow "the bleeding". For a time, we might have to take on additional debt to get past a season of reduced revenue. But, the government seems to avoid these "third rails" of politics and, as a result, we're passing them down to our children and their children. Looking at the expenses , there are no easy answers. Assuming there are inefficiencies (probably not an assumption) in the expenses, even 10...

As I grew up working through high school, into the military, through my college days, and into the corporate work environment, I learned that it was perfectly acceptable to speak negatively about others while they weren't around - especially about whoever I was working for at the time - but also colleagues and coworkers who weren't living up to "my expectations." At its base level, this is gossip and God is clear about what He thinks of this behavior. As God began to convict me of these (and other) sins, maturing me in my walk with and for His Son Jesus, I learned something extraordinary: gossip dishonors God, the target of the gossip, the receivers of the gossip, and me. It's plainly a lose-lose-lose-lose proposition. What's the answer? It's simpler than it may seem. Under most circumstances, words spoken to describe another should be the same whether they're in the room or not. And, those words should be as objective as possible and as kind as possib...

Here is an interesting decision made in Kentucky recently. A judge considered this phrase in the charter of Kentucky's Office of Homeland Security unconstitutional: "dependence on Almighty God as being vital to the security of the Commonwealth". A state representative, also a minister, added the phrase that caused a few in Kentucky to take notice and file motions to have it struck. However, in the current preamble of Kentucky's constitution established in 1891 this reference to God is presented: We, the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, grateful to Almighty God for the civil, political and religious liberties we enjoy, and invoking the continuance of these blessings, do ordain and establish this Constitution. So, Kentuckians thank God and give Him credit for the blessings of civil, political, and religious liberties and want Him to continue giving us these blessings. But, refuse to depend on Him for security? In His Word, God shows that He is patient, long-...