We're on the hunt for a Children's Pastor

To anyone and everyone who reads this blog, please feel free to share this post with people you know who (a) might be interested or (b) know someone who might be interested.

So much of church staff searches are networking, so I'm asking for some help.  Please pass along the information included in this post and the link to the Job Description below.

We are on the hunt for a full-time Children's Pastor, a person willing to take on responsibility for the children's and preschool ministries of our church, Heritage Park Baptist Church.  We do our best to hire stellar pastors who seek to pastor the church through their particular area of ministry.  If you know someone who might be interested, please have them contact me via email:  trent at heritage park dot org.

You can download a PDF of the job description and send it along (or just send the link) by clicking here.

The uncertainty and the Certainty

Confession:  I didn't sleep particularly well last night.

I can hear your "ahhs" and "ohhs" from here.  I'm glad you're concerned, so I'll go ahead and tell you why.

We're in the beginning stages of hiring a children's pastor.  God commissioned our other one to another church, even against our protests and prayers.  So we're in that personnel process as a church.

I was thinking about that and many other issues in the middle of the night last night.  And I just sensed the Spirit of God speak to the spirit of Trent and say, "Who you hire doesn't affect who I am."

The circumstances of my life, my leadership, our church, our staff, our health, our children's health, or anything else I could name does not affect who God is.  He is the same - yesterday, today, forever (Heb. 13.8).  He never changes.  Never waffles or shifts.  No transitions in Him.  Not even a shadow of turning, in the older phrase of James 1.17.

Be encouraged, dear reader.  No matter your circumstance, you will find God the same in it.  No matter what changes in your life, He will not be one to morph on you.

Constant.  Certain.

But that's just me thinking thoughts...

Controversy Week: Mark Driscoll (now Updated)

I have been mulling some comments about some things happening in conservative evangelical life in the U.S.  All three of the circumstances have some controversy surrounding them.  I'd like to weigh in for a moment.

Let's start with the lightning rod, Mark Driscoll.  He's planted a church in Seattle, seen thousands come to Christ, been a part of controversy before, and has, in my estimation, been a pretty good guy who has done good Kingdom work.  Some disagree with that last phrase (which they have the right to do), but God forbid my life being under the same scrutiny as his.

The problem, as I see it, is he started believing his own press.  In the South, you might say he was getting a little big for his britches.

First, there were plenty of controversial sermons.  Just Google "Mark Driscoll controversial sermon" and you'll have enough material, a good portion of which is not worth your time.

Second, there were plagiarism issues.  He, pretty clearly, plagiarized a chapter in one of his books.  I'm in a doctoral program where not citing sources gets you kicked out.  I'm not sure that publishing a book should get a pass either.  Then there was plagiarized material in a study guide the church sold.  Then more material in another book.  Then a sermon, more or less.

Now, here's the deal on some of this.  I have ingested several books in my lifetime that have had such impact on me that I can quote them without knowing that I am quoting them because it has become part of my thinking.  He gets a pass from me on stuff like this.

Here's the difference:  when someone says, "Hey Trent, that's from Dallas Willard's Divine Conspiracy, right?"  I typically think for a second (to make sure that's right), and then say, "Yep.  You should read that book again!  It's just that good!"  If someone asks, "Hey, why didn't you give him credit in your sermon?"  I look at them, and yes I have done this, and say, "You know, some of his writings have soaked into me and they just come out at various times.  But you're right - I should have said it was Willard's material.  Spread the word that the good part came from him, okay?"

Driscoll hasn't done that to my knowledge.  He's berated a talk show host.  He's backpedaled on some of his claims.  And he's blamed an unnamed research assistant who conveniently no longer works for the church.

Lastly, there is the New York Times Bestseller issue.  His church (!) paid over $200,000 to get his book on the NYT list, some of that going to a company that specializes in gaming the system and some of it going to purchase books per that company's recommendation.

Confession:  I've never written a book, though some day I hope to, so I don't know the pressure that comes along with actually selling the stuff.  However, gaming the system to make the NYT list seems to go way beyond "getting the message out" and "all things to all people in order that I might win a few."  Long past contextualization, it seems like cheating.

To his credit, he has withdrawn his moniker as a NYT bestselling author and taken some other steps.  But the deal is that the church still paid for it and it undoubtedly profits Driscoll, something the IRS calls inurement and frowns upon with penalties.

** Update ** Driscoll has written a letter of apology that gets a solid 'B' from me.  It specifically addresses the NYT issue and vaguely addresses some other stuff.  Link here.

Here's why all this crud matters (at least to me, and I hope to you).

We gripe about politicians who don't do what they say, do the opposite of what they say, or cut a deal that's good for them and bad for everyone else.  We fuss when our boss messes us over and takes credit for something he had the tip of his pinky in, but no other investment.

But we have nothing to say when one of the more famous pastors in America (is that the problem in a phrase?) has all this happen in a matter of a few months and gets called on the carpet for it, with barely a word of explanation but lots of excuses?

Shame on us.

If God withdraws His hand from what appears to be a substantial, theologically informed, Spirit-driven movement among the younger generation, it may be because we tolerated the celebrity instead of loving the Truth.

I'm not on a witch hunt here.  Again, God forbid my life be under the same scrutiny.  But we have to speak to our own.  Judgment begins with the house of God.

Daniel - keeping his distance, making a difference

My Bible reading plan has me reading through Daniel right now.  I'm familiar enough with the stories but a particular theme has come up this time through that I mentioned in my sermon this past Sunday.

Daniel kept his distance but made a difference.

Two examples of the former will suffice.  He and his compatriots didn't eat the king's food because it was defiling (chapter 1).  He also didn't want the reward the king was offering for being an interpreter of dreams (5.17).  Both show that getting too cozy with the government is unwise.  They also provide a good example of keeping your distance in an appropriate way:  who is your provider?

But he stayed engaged in the government and made a difference in the world.  He gave good advice.  He answered when called upon.  He faithfully served God and those in authority over him.  He spoke the Truth to power.  He was excellent in his skills.  On and on we could go.  He made a difference.

How about you?  Where might you apply this?

Keep your distance (God is your provider).  And make a difference through your diligence and excellence.

But that's just me thinking thoughts...

Bonhoeffer and The Plot

By all historical accounts, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor, was involved in a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, the leader of the Third Reich and megalomaniac extraordinaire.  Let's put that in the category of not-quite-a-pacifist.

He struggled with the decision.  Killing and murder are certainly two different things in the Bible, but it's still a serious and grievous thing to think about, plan for, and then ultimately take another person's life.  

Here's where it came down for him:  it was going to be more unloving to do nothing than to do this potentially sinful thing (thank you, Eric Metaxas, for this insight from Bonhoeffer's writings).  And that ruled the day for him.  Although the plot failed and ultimately cost him his life, it was the right thing to do.

And to all in leadership who might be paralyzed by a particular decision:  is it more loving to "do nothing" in hopes of getting it right or to go ahead and act on a thought-through plan?  Pastors in particular can get paralyzed by the "get-it-right" mentality.  Sometimes it's action that is needed most (assuming of course there has been clear-headed thinking and the path isn't sinful and all the other ethical caveats needed here).

But that's just me thinking thoughts...

Social Injustice and Spiritual Rebellion

I preached on Micah 5.1-4 for the Second Sunday of Advent yesterday.  One of the things that struck me that I hadn't particularly seen before (and you can blame me for that, though my professors might have landed on one and not the other) is the clear prophetic word against both the social injustice of their day as well as the spiritual rebellion.

It's particularly en vogue to address and speak out against and work for the eradication of social injustices in the world.  Rightly so!  There are many!  Corrupt politicians and business leaders.  Sex trafficking.  Cyclical poverty.  Drugs and crime.  On and on and on.

But the thing that struck me in studying Micah was how he addressed both, and seemingly evenly.  What's more, there were some particularly harsh words for priests who ministered with a wage instead of the Lord in mind and prophets who gladly said whatever garnered them some sort of gain.  You can check me out in Micah 3.9-12 as an instance.

Even more, having reflected on it, I can only speak to our church and to our culture and point out that if you get the two out of order, you will cure neither.  Social injustices are direct results of spiritual rebellion.  So to address the former requires addressing the latter as a priority.

And all of that's fine and good in the broadest of terms.  But let me bring it down:  where are my rebellions and how are the affecting the social justice within my own family? neighborhood? circle of friends?

Societies get changed by changing the people within them.  And that's not "those" people - it's this person.

But that's just me thinking thoughts...

Snakes are Scary: Uh...No.

No.

And if you attend a church like this, you may want to ask Jesus for permission to leave.

And in case you're wondering, the good people of Heritage Park are excellent followers.  But it's not their pastor they follow.  It's Jesus.

And if a pastor feeds well and serves the Body, the Spirit will lead through him.  But service is the way Jesus leads His people, not forcing something down their throats.

Leadership: before or during?

Here's a precept of leadership that I have practiced and encouraged others to do the same.  If you, dear reader, have commentary on it, I'd love to hear it.

The maxim:  you don't do leadership in the meeting, you do leadership before the meeting.

For me, this means...

1.  Knowing what the options (or at least most of them) are before you get there and articulating what is good and bad about each.  I like to do this in a pre-meeting email.

2.  Having a A, B, and C choice for the options.  If the whole team is in agreement, then bingo.  If not, the meeting is productive in hashing it out.  And because I have had conversations prior to the meeting, I know more or less where each person stands.

Some accuse this kind of process as manipulation of the meeting.  I don't think that's it at all.  This isn't a creative meeting where we're dreaming big or just dreaming.  Those are different meetings.  This is a decision-making meeting.  The point is to make a good decision, in my case, for the sake of the church.

This also prevents a few things...

1.  People not really understanding the question on the table or the options to answer that question.  Confusion in a meeting like that makes for frustration, inefficiency, and poor decisions.

2.  People growing weary over fact-finding and "what if"-ing.  The best case is when they already know the facts and know the what ifs.  Yes, there could be something you miss.  There could be another option on the table that you haven't considered and need to.  But that's rarer than wearing people out while exploring the options.

3.  Preventing agenda-drift by sticking to the choice at hand and the implications thereof.  A clearly defined question in a pre-meeting email is handy here.

So leaders, lead before the meeting.  You'll find it a lot easier than trying to lead in it.

But that's just me thinking thoughts...

Churches: Get an Interim

This post may not be valuable to you now, but it just might some day.

I'm (too) acquainted with a church that is going through quite the brouhaha in their pastoral search process.  One of the things adding to up-and-down nature of it is they are using current staff to preach on Sundays.

I've been asked no less than four times what I think about that situation.  Every time my answer has been the same:  get an interim pastor.

The response has been the same each of those four times:  we have people who can preach on Sundays, so why spend the resources or muddy the waters with yet one more body around.

I'm not saying I'm the smartest guy in the room in any room I'm in.  But I think an interim pastor serves several purposes...

1.  An interim pastor can preach on Sundays.  And he can often say things that others cannot or will not.

2.  An interim pastor can lead the staff.  In most every case you can describe or experience, the staff needs leadership from a central source.  And whether the church is congregational, monarchial, or prebyterian in its polity and leadership structure, a single focal point of leadership and accountability is crucial.

3.  An interim pastor brings a fresh set of eyes.  And that's much-needed in most cases.

I was blessed, unbelievably, by the interim pastor who preceded me at Heritage Park.  He said things that needed to be said.  He led the staff.  He brought fresh eyes to the situation.  And he set the church up for the transition.  I stepped into a functioning and ready-to-be-led environment because of his willingness to serve as the interim pastor.

So if you're ever in a position where your church is in pastoral transition, wave the flag for an interim.  It'll do the (church) body good.

But that's just me thinking thoughts...

Church Leadership: is it embarrassing to you?

Stolen...ahem...borrowed and reposted in its entirety from the NavPress Blog.

 

 

I’m embarrassed when church leaders take their disagreements into public forums.

 

I’m embarrassed when church leaders compare attendance then silently compete with other churches.

 

I’m embarrassed when church leaders are unwilling to fellowship with other churches or church leaders because of a theological difference of opinion.

 

I’m embarrassed when church leaders choose business practices over biblical practices in their oversight of Jesus’ bride, the church.

 

I’m embarrassed when church leaders prove through their attitude and actions that they are spiritually immature believers.

 

I’m embarrassed when church leaders make decisions that enhance their personal agenda rather than making decisions that further God’s agenda.

 

I’m embarrassed when church leaders view themselves as career ministers when they were called by God Himself to be pastor shepherds.

 

But most of all... I’m embarrassed about the times I’ve exhibited some of these tendencies.

Wading into the Water (part 2)

Well, since I'm in the pool, I might as well keep swimming.

Julie Anne Smith was sued.  By her church, Beaverton Grace Bible Church, where the pastor is Chuck O'Neal.  For $500,000.

Why?  She had been shunned by the church for some issue that they called church discipline.  She wrote a blog about it.  They called it defamatory.  The lawsuit was summarily rejected and the church had to pay Mrs. Smith's legal fees.  Booyah.

Can someone please explain to me how a pastor should sue a former church member for an opinion?  Just at what point did that seem like a good idea?  A biblical idea?

I have no clue as to how people get into situations like this, but someone needs to look at a Bible and at a Throne every so often and remember that you will stand before the latter and be judged by the standard of the former.

Chuck O'Neal, you have to stand for that one.  And your elders along with you.

But that's just me thinking thoughts...

The Top Five Forgotten Founders

Friends, Americans, Countrymen, lend me your eyes.

Below you will find a wonderful, 60-second read from my good friend Tommy Kidd.  I had never heard of these folks before.

The Top Five Forgotten Founders

Happy 4th, everyone!

PLEASE Give me 3 minutes

Fast forward to the 12-minute mark.  The whole interview is incredible and packed with wisdom.  But if you only have 3 minutes, jump to the 12-minute mark.  This is J.I. Packer answering Carl Trueman's question:  "Dr. Packer, what would you say to younger people?"

DVD's and Ministry Models

I spent a little bit of time yesterday getting copies made of DVD's of the End of Year Video that the Queen made for the Ninja's kindergarten class.  When completed, I ran a couple through my computer.  One of the randomly sampled ones didn't work.  Not good.

I walk down the hall to a TV/DVD combo and start checking them one by one.  23 of 24 worked.  The bad apple was thrown away.

I come home from the office and the Queen decides to check them in our DVD player, which is probably older than most children you know.  2 of the first 3 don't work for her.  Across the street she treks to check them on a much newer DVD player at the neighbor's house.  All were indeed okay.

And I tell that story to make a point about ministry models:  sometimes they work across broad ranges, sometimes they work only in certain areas, and sometimes they don't work at all.

I remember when everyone wanted to be Rick Warren and the Purpose Driven Church was all the rage - back before Purpose Drive Life took off.  There was the baseball diamond and the 101-201-301-401 system.

I remember when everyone wanted to be seeker-sensitive, and Bill Hybels and Willow Creek were the "it" guys of the day.  It go revealed that the disciples they were producing didn't look very much like Jesus and they had to change some things.

And there was bus ministry.  And there is now Gospel-centered everything.

For me, it's not that ministry models are bad.  I've learned from all of the above-mentioned models.  But like the DVD's, some of those only work in some areas or under some circumstances.  To try to replicate a model just because it worked somewhere else is a bad idea.  Learn from it?  Sure!  But replicate it, not so much.

Instead, I advocate this model:  listen to the Holy Spirit and learn from His people and then implement what He shows to be best.

But that's just me thinking thoughts...

Tree of Life Day 82: 1 Timothy 1-4

I know I have ranted and raved about this before, but since it's in the text, indulge me...

Leadership is about character.

There.  I said it.  Whether it's political, business, ethical, classroom, extracurricular, church, marital, parental, or any other sphere of leadership, it all boils down to character.

Leadership has the capacity and the tenacity to put you in tough situations.  When you're in tough situations, two things are true:

1. Your future character is developed (see Romans 5.3-5, James 1.2-4).
2. Your current character is demonstrated (you know a tree by its fruits, etc).

And you see that in the list of qualifications for the two offices in the church:  elders/overseers and deacons.  Leadership is about character:  above reproach, gentle, etc.  And you measure the leadership not by their effect but by their relationships (to wine, money, their family, etc.).

Man, that Paul guy and the Holy Spirit who inspired him sure are smart.

Get 'em and Keep 'em

While on our cruise, we got to stop at Ajaccio, Corsica. It's an island in the Med and its claim to fame (or infamy) is its role in history as the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte. The man who wanted to rule the world was born on an island in a good-sized house on a street that, quite frankly, was a little hard to identify and find. I don't desire to hyperspiritualize everything from the trip. I actually find that quite loathsome. However, I couldn't help but think about another Emperor-to-be who was born in a backwater place that was a little hard to find.

Napoleon wanted to conquer the world. He made a pretty good run at it. Yet, you keep empires like you build empires. Forceful conquering requires even more force applied to rule. It becomes unsustainable over time. That's proven true throughout history.

It's the same way in church life and ministry. One of my mentors in ministry says, "You keep 'em how you catch 'em." If it's lights and coffee and coolness, you have to find more lights and better coffee and hipper coolness. If the ministry model is simpler (for which I obviously advocate and lead), you can sustainably do the simple things of ministry: sing, proclaim, care.

You keep 'em how you catch 'em. It's true in a lot of life.

But that's just me thinking thoughts...

A Quote from Thomas Paine

I don't think Thomas Paine was a friend of Christianity in any of its forms (during his day nor would he be in ours).  But this quote is worth hearing and has some inherently Christian thinking in it.

Not a man lives on the continent but fully believes that a separation must some time or other finally take place, and a generous parent should have said, ‘If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace’; and this single reflection, well applied, is sufficient to awaken every man to duty.

The kind of call to duty mentioned here means we take responsibility for what needs to be done, for getting it done, and for making the world a better place.  It means living courageously and, at times, ferociously to protect those who need it and will come after us.

Seems pretty biblical to me.

But that's just me thinking thoughts...

For the few Religious Nerds like me who read this...

If you're not up to speed on anything concerning SGM or you don't know what SGM stands for, this is a great time to stop reading, head over to Facebook or CNN or Google and find something useful to do with your time.  No seriously.  Leave.  Right now.  And just don't worry about today's entry.  These are not the droids you're looking for.  You are free to go.  Move along.  Move along.

Okay, for the three of you who stayed, I want to recant something that I said in an earlier blog entry.  In it, I mentioned someone who stepped aside from ministry leadership because of stuff he needed to get done in his own soul.  I applauded then.  I don't do so now.

An SGM insider challenged me, when I mentioned that I was going to post something about this, about the Kingdom value of such a post.  Point taken.  Here, as in most ugly ministry situations, are three observations.

First, everyone's guilty in this situation.  Brent.  C.J.  Dave.  Bob.  Josh.  The bloggers.  Challies.  Mohler.  Duncan.  I don't even know what to say about the Panel of Three.  The only goodwill I can offer them is that they had such a narrow charge that they answered the most legal definitions of their investigation, like a jury is restricted to answer a specific question.  So much for getting my book published at Crossway (just kidding, I don't have a book).

True, not everyone is guilty of the same sin.  Also true, what they are guilty of as individuals has different effects and consequences.  Blackmail is different than gossip in its effect and consequence.  Covering up sexual abuse of a child is different than slander in its effect and consequence.  All sin is sin in the eyes of God and its ability to separate us all from God is devastating.  But not all sin has the same effect or consequence.  So, I reiterate:  everyone's guilty.  Good to remind ourselves in the midst of ministry junk.  It's not an Apostle vs. a new believer.  It's one sinner dealing with another.

Second, everyone's been negatively affected.  See the same list above.  I don't hear anyone engaged in the situation who thinks this has positively impacted them.  I suppose Dave, who got a quasi-promotion in the ugliness, could see it that way depending on if he has ambition.  But no one is celebrating.  Again, good to remember in the midst of the ministry mess.  Paul with Philemon.  Philemon with Onesimus.  Paul and Peter in Galatia.  Acts 15.  No one is celebrating.

Lastly, no one on the internet that I have seen who is an outsider to SGM is talking about the real victims of this situation.  It's not Brent or CJ or Josh or anyone else.  The children and the families impacted by the tales of abuse at the hands of the church are the victims.  Anyone want justice for CJ or Brent or Josh?  Fine.  But let's get justice for the most victimized first.  I know CLC in particular is trying to reach out to some families and the effort's getting brutalized on the blogs.  I for one think it was a good gesture and effort.  And I know that there are unpublicized efforts to make things right.  But consider this a prophetic call from the outside by someone who cares about and shares some affinity with SGM.  Take care of the real victims first.  And here's a hint:  we don't know their names.

That also is important to remember when it comes to ministry messes.  Sometimes selfish neanderthals like me can make it all about themselves.  It's a good reminder that we're often not the only people offended nor are we the most victimized.  Eyes off of self.  Eyes on Jesus, who helps us see those who need to be seen.

But that's just me thinking thoughts...

"Some meat to chew on"

This phrase came to me in an email from a friend.  He offered some feedback to me that has been both helpful and insightful.  Believe it or not, I actually don't get things right all the time or get the right things right all the way all the time.  I know, I know.  Shocking.

But this is why we need one another in the Christian life.  Like in my car, I have blind spots where I can't see what's happening.  That's dangerous enough when you're doing 70mph on the Gulf Freeway.  It's worse when you're headed through life toward eternity.  Even more so when you're trying to lead others who are headed through life toward eternity.

Some of the biggest controversy happening in evangelicalism in this moment is related to a man who wouldn't hear feedback, who wouldn't take and chew on the meat he'd been given.

Father, give us the humility to hear and ponder what you have for us, especially the things that come through others who love You.  Amen.

Sin in church and ministry leadership

"News" broke last night that one of the key leaders in today's evangelical life is taking a leave of absence from his ministry position to deal with charges brought against him for "various expressions of pride, unentreatability, deceit, sinful judgment, and hypocrisy."  No adultery.  No immorality.  No impropriety.  Just good, old-fashioned sin that hurt others that, by his admission, he just wouldn't see.


I put "news" in quotes earlier because it's really not news.  A man in high leadership of a ministry still struggles with sin?  God convicts this man through some tough conversations?  He humbles himself, submits to disciplinary action, voluntarily steps down from ministry because of the widespread nature of this sin, and doesn't blame others or flat out deny it?  That's not news.  That's a model to follow and cheer.


Think about every other public leader you can right now who has had issues.  Anthony Weiner.  Bill Clinton.  Mark Sanford.  Newt Gingrich.  How about this one:  Ted Haggard.  Ergun Caner.  Eddie Long.  Benny Hinn.


Denials.  Well-crafted media statements.  "Release" from current positions (they can't say fired?).  Tearful apologies on 20/20 or Dateline or 60 Minutes or Oprah.


And here's this other guy.  No denial.  No blame-shifting.  Accepting responsibility.  Accepting accountability.  


But isn't that the way it should be?


But that's just me thinking thoughts...