The Mayberry Driven Church

May 15

More Nuttiness from Mayberry

Here’s one I’ll bet many small church pastors can relate to: DeLand pastor threatened after flag’s removal. I’ll bet this poor guy never took too seriously the admonition, “Make small changes slowly in a small church”.

Are there others of you who have been fired or forced out of a church for some small change in the church?

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May 12

Stop Telling People How to Do Things!

I received the weekly letter from Todd Rhoades over at Monday Morning Insight. His message expressed what I have believed for a long time. Micro-managing volunteers and staff is a mistake. If as a pastor, you want to do their job, quit, get a real job and volunteer or demote yourself to another staff position. Rhoades says:

I believe it was General George Patton who said, “Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.” If you think about his words, there really is a huge difference between telling people HOW to do things and telling people WHAT to do. One prescribes the process while the other prescribes the end result. As church leaders, we must recognize that everyone is not just like us, (and that, in most instances, is a great thing!)
Read the rest of this entry →

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May 09

What Would Your Church Be Like If…

mebelimebelimebelifurniture Elhovo…your members really cared about the people and community around them…? How would the money be spent? Who would be the leaders? Who would the pastor stop worrying about impressing? Could decisions be made differently? Would you really have to market the church anymore? … Just wondering…

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May 07

Please Pray For:

Andy McAdam’s wife Belle as she goes in to have surgery today on what her doctor fears could be cancer. May the real presence of Christ surround her and Andy as they walk through this very difficult week!

Also pray for our friend Michael Spencer - Internet Monk and his lovely wife Denise as they work through some foundational changes in their lives. You can read it here: “Almost the Whole Story: What’s Been Happening At Our House Since Holy Week 07 and Why I’ve Been A Nut Case Ever Since”

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Apr 28

Hope International University Student Podcasts - Spring 2008

Each semester Dr. Joe Grana’s Homiletic’s Students delve into the arena of alternative media communication. Sermons are fine, but pastors and ministry leaders must learn how to communicate in many diverse ways. Ministry students tend to think getting in front of a crowd and doing 25 minutes of homily is what being a good communicator is all about… Wrong!

These podcasts are a tribute to Dr. Grana’s love for communicating the Gospel and his vision for seeing students develop and learn to communicate in many new ways. Every semester, there are students who do a fantastic job. I hope you enjoy this Spring semester’s podcasts.

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Apr 06

Dealing with Forgiveness

Do any pastors out there find it difficult/challenging to forgive people in church who have railed against you behind your back, gone against every change you have tried to make and acted in contempt of you and your family? I do! Please tell us your story. You don’t have to sign your true name… just call yourself something like: Peeved in PA or Hurt in Hampton. Your story just might be the catalyst that helps another pastor out there…

Category Church and Culture | 5 Comments →

Mar 21

Should pastoring be different?

Do you ever feel like pastoring ought to be different. Barry Maxwell thinks it should be — and it shouldn’t be — depending on how far your culture has impacted your ministry:

I have a love/hate relationship with the pastoral office. There, I’ve said it. I love what the office should be. I hate what it’s become. I love the idea of the biblical pastor. I hate the idea of the 21st-century American pastor. I love what I could be, by God’s grace. I hate what I’m pressured to be, by man’s expectations. I love seeing the flock eat week-in, week-out. I hate the ecclesiastical steroids that tempt them between meals. I love what churches need to be biblical. I hate what churches expect to be successful. I love the institution. I hate institutionalism. I love that Jesus doesn’t need me to adorn his bride. I hate that he doesn’t need me to adorn his bride.

Like many pastors I’ve struggled to reconcile what I should be with what “they” say I should be. The tri-fold glossy pamphlets I receive peddle a pastor who is marketable, administratively brilliant, motivational, highly-starched and sharply-creased. A baptized Tony Robbins. A sanctified Gap model. A glorified spiritual guru.

Frankly, I have absolutely no desire to be any of those things.

(Thanks to Transforming Sermons for the link)

Category Church and Culture | 3 Comments →

Mar 19

Worth Reading…

“The Example” by Michael Spencer:

“At the heart of much Christianity is a strange irony: in a faith that requires us to confess, not avoid, the knowledge of our own sinfulness, we make it almost a fetish to find ways to blame unbelievers and non-believers for their low opinion of Christians.”

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Mar 17

When Kingdom-Minded People Conspire

Todd A. Rhoades over at Monday Morning Insight posts what Randy and I have been talking about in our podcasts for a long time… Don’t just read it, breath it in!

Let’s face it, the Christian community is sometimes competitive, protective, and egotistical. Too many of us think we have original ideas (while few of us do). Too many of us think we know the best way to ‘do’ ministry (few of us do). And too many of us, while we’d never admit it, turn our whole ministry career into a competition with other churches and rivals that we constantly try to out-maneuver and out-wit. The truth is, all this striving can be good and push us to do our best for the Kingdom. But it can also be a detriment to our ultimate success in ministry. To many times, while trying to out-do and over-achieve, we end up alone and, in the end, unsuccessful. I’m discovering that an unbelievable thing happens when we lay down our competitive swords in ministry: there is actually more power in working together than in looking at everyone else as our competition.

You see, I love it when Kingdom-minded people conspire together. Maybe it’s sharing and being open handed with your church’s resources (like LifeChurch.tv and Seacoast Church, just to name a couple who are literally giving away all their weekend creative elements on the internet). Maybe it’s a church looking outside its walls to partner and work side-by-side with other churches or organizations in order to serve and reach a community for Christ.

Here are some things for you to consider today. Maybe there are some ways you can put aside your competitive nature and conspire for more Kingdom impact:

1. What has your church done in the past month to work with others outside your walls to reach your community? If you’re trying to do everything on your own (or if you think you’re the only one that is qualified to do it right), then you need to re-evaluate your mindset.

2. What have you, personally done to help the Kingdom outside your main ministry area? Have you met with or encouraged a friend in ministry? Have you met with other local pastors or community leaders? Have you turned down opportunities for greater Kingdom impact because you are so enamored with your own work or ministry?

Healthy ego and competition can be positive attributes during your ministry career. But both must be kept in-check. Otherwise, you will find yourself spending your days building your own deal, and vastly limiting your Kingdom impact.

When was the last time You conspired for the Kingdom? I love it when Kingdom-minded people conspire!

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Mar 17