When Unexpected Gifts Come

     Sometimes congregations live so close to the edge they wonder if they have enough to pay the pastor the next week.  At other times churches can receive an unexpected large donation.  But these can be problematic, dividing members over how best to use the gift and ultimately moving the church away from dependence on God.  Here are some suggestions for churches that receive large donations.
     1. MEET WITH THE CHURCH LEADERSHIP AND COME UP WITH A PLAN.  Whenever a large donation is given, people will react in different ways.  Some will react with the attitude, "We must save for a rainy day." Others will say, "We must give it all away now."  The church leadership needs to develop both a short-term and long-term strategy to use the donation to further God's work.
     2. MAKE THE DONATION A CONSTANT FOCUS IN THE CHURCH'S PRAYER MINISTRY.  Churches need to constantly seek the Lord for wisdom and pray for unity.  A donation can be a great blessing, but also has the capacity to be a great divider.  Prayer is needed.
     3. MAKE THE DONATION A TOOL TO ENCOURAGE STEWARDSHIP.  Sometimes people stop giving because they figure that the church does not need the money.  However, stewardship is not based on what the church needs as much as it is a way of giving back to the Lord what He has already given. Stewardship is an important spiritual discipline that must be encouraged. One church used a portion of its large donation in its mission outreach by matching, up to a certain amount, dollar for dollar what the congregation gave to certain projects.
     4. WHEN INVESTING, SEE IT AS A WAY TO FURTHER MINISTRY AND NOT MERELY TO SURVIVE.  If done correctly, some of the donation can be invested in future ministry.  With sound financial management, a congregation has the capacity of doing $50,000 worth of ministry on a $25,000 gift.
     5. CONSTANTLY COMMUNICATE WITH THE CHURCH BODY THE FINANCES OF THE CHURCH.  One church actually had $500,000 in funds, but, for a long time, its leaders did not disclose this for fear that people would stop giving.  Nothing can erode the church's trust more than when its leaders keep secret the church's finances.  Forgiveness is free, but trust must be earned.  The church leadership has an important responsibility to ensure that their congregation is a place of trust where the church can speak and live the truth in love.
     6. CONSTANTLY REMEMBER THAT GOD PROVIDES.  It is the Lord's gift and the money belongs to Him.  The church, through celebration and reminders, must never forget the Giver.  The pastor serves an important function in guiding the church to be thankful, yet also humbled by the great responsibility that God has given it.

Starting a New Ministry From Scratch: The First 90 Days

      How many Baptists does it take to change a light bulb? The answer: "Change! Do we have to?"  For this Baptist pastor of nearly 32 years, change took place when I decided to leave my ministry to start a new church-consulting ministry.  The new direction has not been without its lessons to be learned, but through this process the Lord has taught me the following important lessons:

LESSON #1: BE PREPARED SPIRITUALLY AND PRAYERFULLY: 

     In the rush to get the new ministry organized, this is one of the areas that can most easily be neglected.  In many ways, starting a new ministry is much like a wilderness experience.  Moses and Jesus were among those who spent time in the wilderness before beginning a ministry.

LESSON #2: DO NOT BE HESITANT TO GET OUTSIDE HELP: 

     One of the most helpful aspects of making this change was in getting outside help.   Having an outside advisor such as a business consultant has proven to be a valuable resource. It also makes sense that a ministry devoted to consulting would use a consultant to help it along.

LESSON#3: USE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO "GET YOUR NAME OUT THERE"

     When doing the Lord's work, some people might be uncomfortable with the notion that one has to market their ministry.  But until the ministry is established, nobody knows what the ministry is about.   Some possible ways to share the ministry’s services include blogging, brochures, press releases, web sites, social networking, a display at retreats, workshops, and preaching/speaking at various churches.

LESSON #4: EXPECT TO BATTLE DISCOURAGEMENT AND LONELINESS

     Starting a new ministry is difficult in that it means saying good-bye to old friends and going into a ministry that has yet to be defined.  This can lead to a sense of isolation and loneliness in addition to the discouragement that things are not progressing as rapidly as one likes. 

LESSON #5: STARTING UP IS EXPENSIVE:

     When undergoing this transition, after years of preparation and prayer, the plan was to live on my wife's salary and allow the ministry to supplement our income.  God certainly has been faithful, however there were expenses that were not foreseen.  Start up costs to a new ministry such as insurance and supplies are especially difficult since they often precede income.   For this reason having some resources prior to starting is crucial.

LESSON #6: BE PATIENT

     I often pray, "Lord, give me patience and I want it now!"  The truth is that great patience is required to start any kind of new ministry.  In the church-consulting field, congregations weren't automatically knocking on my door wanting my services.  However, as I have patiently planned the direction for this ministry, God has begun to open doors and slowly the pieces are falling into place.

LESSON #7: GOD IS IN CONTROL

     The old hit song says, "Breaking up is hard to do" but I would add, "Starting up is hard to do."  However in the midst of these challenges, I have come to appreciate, more and more, the sufficiency of Christ.

4T..I-40 Church Consulting Blog with Steve Reynolds: The "Electrifying" Congregation

4T..I-40 Church Consulting Blog with Steve Reynolds: The "Electrifying" Congregation:      What makes an "electrifying" congregation? Dynamic preaching? Uplifting music? State-of-the-art facilities? Multimedia minist...

The "Electrifying" Congregation

     What makes an "electrifying" congregation? Dynamic preaching? Uplifting music? State-of-the-art facilities? Multimedia ministry?  While all these things may be valuable in developing an "electrifying" ministry, there are two electrical devices that may best describe what an "electrifying" church might look like.  These devices are the extension cord and the surge protector and they can teach us much about what it takes to be the church that God desires.

THE CHURCH AND THE EXTENSION CORD: 

     Extension cords are necessary in a home especially where the outlet is nowhere near where you want to utilize a light fixture or an appliance.  We all know the feeling when we want to place our favorite lamp in the corner of the living room only to find the outlet is 15 feet away.  Without the extension cord, the lamp can still be plugged into the outlet but its light may be of little use to anyone.
     Extension cords are plugged into the source of electricity and can extend the lamp outwardly to different parts of the room or house.  When it comes to power tools, they are useful in being able to go on rooftops and places far away from the source.  By their very nature, they are plugged into the source and extend an electrical device beyond where it would normally be able to function.
     The extension cord teaches us some important truths about the church.  First of all, the church must be plugged into the source-the Lord Himself.  In John 15, Jesus uses the picture of the vine and the branches and the importance of abiding and staying connected to the Lord.  Like an extension cord, the church will be of no use if it is not connected to the source.
     Secondly, it is God's will that the church extends itself and illuminates places that are dark even if those places seem far from the source.  Frequently, the Lord commands the church to extend itself (Matthew 28:16-20, for example).  Too many churches want to stay close to God but are shedding its light on places that are already light and not in the dark places of this world.  Staying connected to God does not mean that the church forms a holy huddle in which light hangs out together.  All that produces is a lot of spiritual glare and does not take God's light into a darkened world. Like the extension cord, the church must go beyond the source and develop its ministry in places beyond its comfort zone if it is truly to become an "electrifying" church.

THE CHURCH AND THE SURGE PROTECTOR

     Surge protectors have two primary functions- to prevent overload and to utilize different electronic devices.  Occasionally, there are power surges that can destroy highly sensitive electronic equipment.  Some surge protectors can even protect electronic objects from the surge caused by lightning strikes and other electrical phenomena.  Surge protectors also are designed to share a number of electronic devices.  I happen to love electronic stuff (I suffer from "techno-lust!") and I have a number of "toys" hooked to my surge protector including a video, projector, DVD player, surround sound, TV, I-pod charger, computer and a few other items.  Each of these items have a role and work together to form a rather extensive media center in my "man cave." Like the extension cord, they are plugged into the source but they allow or a number of electronic functions without creating an overload.
     In many churches today, leadership often suffers from overload which is caused by a few people trying to do all the work of the ministry.  In smaller churches, the overload can often be placed totally on the pastor's shoulders although some larger congregations can experience this as well.  In Exodus 18, Jethro, Moses' father-in-law warns Moses of his overload and his trying to do everything himself.  In Acts 6, when conflict arose, the apostles appointed seven leaders to address the issue while the apostles devoted themselves to the ministry of the word and prayer.  In I Corinthians 12, Paul describes the many functions of the body-the church while in Ephesians 4, he outlines role of the leadership gifts which are to equip the entire church for works of ministry and service.
    To be an "electrifying" church means that people are utilizing their gifts and that leaders are not getting overloaded.  Leaders, too, must get over the "easier to do it myself" syndrome and equip and turn people loose for the work of God's kingdom.  Until that happens, it will not be an "electrifying" church.
     As we consider the extension cord and the surge protector, would our congregation be defined as an "electrifying" church or has the plug been pulled or have we put the switch in the "off" position?  If we, as followers of Jesus Christ, want an electrifying church, it must start with us by plugging ourselves to the source and being open to where God wants to extend us (See Isaiah 6).  In addition to this, it means using our gifts that God has given us to share the burden of kingdom work so that the entire body may be strengthened to do God's work in a dark world.  It is time for the "charge" to begin.

A QUESTION FOR MY FELLOW BLOGGERS:

     So far I have laid the premise for what it means to become an "electrifying" church.  What are some practical ways that you would go about in your church of seeing this happen? You comments and thoughts are welcome.  Feel free to respond.