MIM Ezine, February 28, 2011

-- Book Review, "Take the Next Step: Leading Lasting Change in the Church by Lovett H. Weems, Jr. , reviewed by Tom Hanover.

Karen listened attentively as Louise instructed her on how to mix the yolks for deviled eggs. She even asked a few questions that reflected how carefully she was listening.

Louise was in her element. No one would ever catch Louise singing in the choir or teaching the Bible study, although she loved music and was a serious student. But in the kitchen, her gifts of helping others flourished.

Karen had made deviled eggs dozens of times. Her family had at least seven different recipes for different times and seasons of the year. She probably could have shared a few new ideas with Louise.

But Pastor Karen understood that before she could earn the right to lead in Louise’s mind, she had to first demonstrate a willingness to follow faithfully. This training session on deviled eggs was not about Karen’s knowledge about eggs, but her willingness to follow others.

No one leads all the time. If Pastor Karen did all the leadership in her ministry team, her limitations would limit the possibilities the team could accomplish. Her limitations would include her time and availability, as well as her own unique set of gifts and graces. She may be excellent at making deviled eggs. Is she equally competent in all the other areas of ministry?

Following first not only earns her the right to lead the team, but also helps develop the leadership of others on the team. This expands the leadership quotient of the team. Others can lead when she is not available or where she is not fully competent.

No one leads everyone. Juan and Flora are a lovely couple, faithfully supportive and deeply loyal to the ministry that Pastor Karen leads. And Karen has a good relationship with them, but as anyone might guess there are some cultural barriers. It becomes obvious to the pastor when she observes their involvement with Enrique, another team member. They really connect with him. And why not? They have so much in common.

Pastor Karen wisely encourages those connections. She realizes that no one leads everyone. So she patiently works with Enrique to make sure Juan and Flora have all the support and encouragement they need to participate fully in the tasks of the team. And when the couple approach Enrique for direction or resources Karen could provide, she smiles. She knows this helps to develop Enrique’s leadership.

Ultimately, Pastor Karen understands that the true measure of a leader’s greatness is not what the leader accomplishes. It is about what the team accomplishes. The wise leader knows when to step up to the front and when to sit in the back.

Every team and every situation is different. Static situations do not require leadership, but simple management. Discerning the distinctive needs of a team in any particular situation is part of the work of a leader.

Some situations require immediate response. For example, if the church is on fire, the leader needs to make quick decisions and brusquely bark orders to respond to the need. A thoughtful conversation about people’s feelings can wait until all have found their way to safety.

Some teams have a long history of working together. They are not only comfortable trusting each other to perform their roles, but they are confident in the competency of the other members on the team.

Some tasks are well-defined and clearly understood. Progress in setting up table and chairs for the weekly worship service is more easily measured than creating a new outreach to homeless persons.

Consequently, Pastor Karen ponders those variables as she strategically chooses when to assert herself and how to do so. Choosing well her role helps her team to grow in its effectiveness.

John Maxwell in his book, The Right To Lead, notes: “Rare is the effective leader who didn’t learn to become a good follower first. That is why a leadership institution as the United States Military Academy teaches its officers to become effective followers first – and why West Point has produced more leaders than the Harvard Business School.” (Right To Lead, p. 7)

Tom Hanover is Editor of MIM ezine. He has served in a variety of pastoral leadership roles for more than 35 years, including seven as a District Superintendent supervising the ministries of more than 100 pastors and churches in southern Ohio. He is currently lead pastor of a multistaff, multisite ministry in Dayton, Ohio. He has a BA (cum laude) from Taylor University, and the MDIV and DMIN degrees from United Theological Seminary in Dayton. You can contact Tom at hanover@dbmim.net.

Many biblical characters illustrate a developmental maturing as they learn to die to themselves and be raised to new life reflecting God's universal truth.

Nicodemus is a primary example. We see him in John, Chapter 3, coming to Jesus at night to ask him questions about God's truth. It is in the conversation where Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must "be born again."

The irony of this story is the way people have used the concept, "born again" to demand instant verification of Kingdom citizenship. What is rarely noted is that there is no resolution with Nicodemus through this one encounter and conversation. Jesus does not invite him to utter a "sinner's prayer." But that is not the end of Nicodemus. Lo and behold, he appears again in Johns' account - in chapters 7 and 19. Does anyone doubt the authenticity of his being a follower of Christ?

We see the same open-endedness with the woman Jesus met at the well (John 4). We cannot detect where she has moved from death to life, but we can see the infant stages of her own metamorphosis - where a new mind-set is starting to develop with her by her question: "Could this be the Messiah?"

In our day-to-day ministry at Java Journey, we have seen and are seeing this happen in people's lives. The opportunities at Java Journey are unlike any I've had since we began concentrating our lives to service and obedience to Christ. The day-to-day spontaneous engagement has so much more continuity than the week-to-week planned event format of the past. The "go" and the "send" emphasis in Jesus' mandates seem to have more application with the former, rather than the latter.

Without naming names, I have seen folks who were more into Buddhism and Islam, have their mind-set change from considering Jesus as Messiah, to full-fledged commitment to Him and his teachings. There was never an urging or an event or point in time we could mark as the moment each became whole-hearted followers, but they are indeed. I have also heard from the mouths of those living lives that run contrary to biblical standards (like the woman at the well or the tax collector praying in the temple), emphasizing their need and dependence on the mercy of God through Jesus Christ.

This has become a major lesson to us in how we go about ministry and "Kingdom opportunities" at Java Journey. The woman at the well benefited from such an approach. A man named Dionysius and woman named Damaris both took interest in Paul's convictions and became followers at Mar's Hill (Acts 17). This lesson also causes us to look at every conversation as a potential opportunity toward service and obedience in Christ.

---Jeff Stewart, a published author, is a manager and spiritual advisor at Java Journey. Check out Jeff and Teena’s ministry at www.javajourney.org

Take the Next Step: Leading Lasting Change in the Church by Lovett H. Weems, Jr. (2003, Abingdon Press, 159 pages, ISBN 0-687-02084-0)

The church has long called for change in the world. The Gospel itself calls for people to repent, to change, to alter their course. But what happens when change actually occurs? What happens when the world changes around the church and threatens to render the church irrelevant?

Some high profile leaders have made a lot of social capitol with rare stories of nuking the landscape and starting over. However, that is not the world in which most ministry leaders live.

Weems is the Distinguished Professor of Church Leadership and Director of the G. Douglass Lewis Center for Church Leadership at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. He has also authored Church Leadership: Vision, Team, Culture, and Integrity and Leadership in the Wesleyan Spirit.

In this book he unpacks the elements of leading a church through lasting change in healthy and effective ways. Sprinkled throughout his writing are a number of stories from his experience to illustrate his points. This makes his work practical and applicable to ministry today.

The contribution Weems makes to ministry leadership is that he translates some of the best of leadership theory into the world of church ministry. He is able to make sense of concepts of trust, vision, defining reality, life cycles, and more.

The tone of the book is positive and hopeful. Weems believes in the ministries of local congregations and writes to encourage effective and passionate leadership. At the same time he recognizes that leadership has changed. Ministry cannot be done in the same manner as it has been done in the past.

This is an excellent resource for the leader who wants to lead a church into clear and compelling vision for ministry. Several different models are profiled to give the leader options from which one can choose. His instruction is practical and thorough.

Looking for something, but not sure where to find it? DreamBuilders Ministry in Motion has produced a 50-page Resource Guide that just might have what you need. And it's FREE! You need adobe acrobat reader (also free) to read the document. Check it out at: http://www.ministryinmotion.net/christian_ministry_resource_guid.html

Site Build It -- There are many different hosting plans for those wanting Christian websites but few work with you to drive traffic to your site. SBI differs from these because it is an all-in-one do-it-yourself website program that doesn’t require html knowledge. Includes domain registration, hosting, keyword research tools, search engine optimization, ezine mailing, and non-interactive blog option. The system guarantees success in getting good ranking with search engines thereby assuring you of more traffic. This website system is used by DreamBuilders Ministry in Motion. Site Build It Quick Tour

Be sure to visit Ministry in Motion's Bookshop. Every resource is developed from hands-on church experience. Help members discover their spiritual gifts, how to connect them in ministry and more. Visit MIM's Bookshop.

Ministry in Motion is looking for columnists and writers in the following areas: women's ministry, men's ministry, single's ministry, youth ministry, worship ministry, small group/bible study ministry, and general ministry. We are also open to general church ministry related freelance articles. If you have an idea for a column or would like to share ministry insight or even short ministry tips, we'd love to hear from you. Present payment is promotion only -- no pay but great exposure for you, your ministry, book, or website. Please read our writer's guidelines here.

DBMIM February 28, 2011