MIM EZINE, MARCH 15, 2005

CONTENTS

– Login Leadership - Getting the Right People on the Bus

– Transforming YOUth - Four-Leaf Clovers, Leprechauns, and Patrick of Ireland : The Value of Christian Biography in Student Ministry

– Book Review –  Breaking the Enemy's Grip

– Classified Ads

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Login Leadership - Getting the Right People on the Bus

by Tom Hanover

Jack Welch, CEO of General Electric for 20 years, devoted significant attention to the leadership of the company.  “Getting the wrong people off the bus and the right people on the bus” is a high priority of the leader of any organization. 

It is critically important to the ministry leader as well.  The ministry leader is just as accountable for the success and effectiveness of the ministry as Jack Welch is to GE stockholders.  We may use different titles to name the stockholders of a ministry enterprise, but they are investors nonetheless.  There are the leaders and supporters who invest their hours, dollars, and prayers.  There are the many people in our communities and world whom we hope to reach with the ministries we direct.  Then there is God, the ultimate stockholder, who has called us to this ministry.

This is no less important for the part-time pastor of a small family chapel as it is the head of a large professional staff who oversees the many ministries of a mega church.  There are differences in whether the leadership is paid or volunteer; recruiting and training procedures are formal or informal; and supervision is structured or not.  However, there are a few critically important tasks to “getting the right people on the bus.”

The first task is to clarify what you need.  This seems so obvious that some well-meaning church folk often skip past this.  As lead pastor of a medium sized church with a preschool program and a campus ministry to an adjacent state university, I discovered quickly the difficulty of racing through this step.  As District Superintendent I invest significant time working with local church personnel committees to secure pastoral leadership.  (In United Methodist polity the District Superintendent works on behalf of the Bishop in a number of tasks, one of which is the appointment of pastors to churches.)  Confused expectations generally lead to disaster and disappointment.

Leaders need to answer a number of questions.  Some are missional and strategic:

• What is our mission and vision as a church or ministry organization?  How does this role align with our stated mission and vision?
• What is the context (theological, socioeconomic, political, educational, etc.) of our ministry?

Some questions are relational:

• With whom will this person be relating?

• What relational skills and experiences would we want in this person?

Some questions are spiritual:

• For what signs or evidences of spiritual maturity are we searching

• For what patterns or habits would we look to indicate depth of spiritual commitment and demonstrated spiritual leadership?

Some questions are supervisory:

• To whom will this person report?  How will supervision be carried out?

• Who will this person supervise?  Who else will relate to this person and how?  Support, advisory, volunteer, etc.

• Is this person to carry out ministry or coordinate others in carrying out the ministry?

• What skills are needed to do these tasks well?  Include personal skills as well as professional skills.

• What educational background would be required and what would be preferred?

Of course, ministry leaders need to be clear about their support of this member of the team.  This comes in the form of supervision, staff support, orientation, access for consultation, as well as clear proposals for salary, expenses, and other benefits.

Wise leaders will consult with others familiar with the proposed position to conduct reality checks.  Is this too much for one position?  Are there expectations within our proposal that our contradictory?  Can we attract someone of this caliber of leadership with the support we are offering?

One church wanted a young family person to oversee their small group ministries.  Visitation of younger families would also be a vital part of the job description.  That seemed to me to be three competing values.  A younger parent will want evening time for family – school programs, soccer games, scout groups, etc.  Launching new small group ministries rarely fits in a 9 am – 5 pm weekday schedule.  Furthermore, younger families are rarely home in the evening let alone during a workday.  Would it be better to recruit three part-time persons for these three priorities?

Unfortunately, that church did not agree and they “enjoyed” a short-lived two-year term of employment before scrapping the whole model and starting over.

“Getting the right people on the bus” is critically important for the effectiveness of a ministry.  The investment of time and energy in clarifying what the ministry needs from this position will save much time and anguish later.

Tom Hanover has served in a variety of pastoral leadership roles for over 30 years, the last four as a District Superintendent supervising the ministries of more than 100 pastors and churches in southwest Ohio. He has a BA (cum laude) from Taylor University, the MDiv and DMin degrees from United Theological Seminary in Dayton. Contact Tom at thanover@pastors-study.com

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Transforming YOUth - Four-Leaf Clovers, Leprechauns, and Patrick of Ireland : The Value of Christian Biography in Student Ministry

By Shane W. Parker

What can you learn from dead people?  Let’s take St. Patrick’s Day as a case study.  What do we know about the significance of the holiday we celebrate every March 17^th?  First, four leaf clovers bring good luck.  Second, leprechauns make cute paper door ornaments.  Third, it is in our best interest to wear green, or we may find ourselves with significant bruising due to repeated pinches from those donning the color of the Day.

Looking at what we know from our celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day, we can assume that St. Patrick was from Ireland , liked four leaf clovers, always wore green, and either was either a leprechaun or traveled with the miniature Irishmen frequently.  The truth is that very few of us know anything about Patrick of Ireland and yet we celebrate a day commemorating his life.  What if knowing the true story of Patrick, and others like him, could not only change the way we view the March holiday, but it could motivate your students to greater faithfulness in their relationship with Christ?  Would it be worth it to share the truth with them? 

So, what is the truth?  Here is a brief biography of Patrick. He was not from Ireland , originally.  He was born in Britain (c.385).  When approximately 16 years old, he was taken by Irish marauders and sold into slavery in Ireland,  Patrick, having had little interest in God before,  turned to Him for help.  Approximately six years later, Patrick escaped and returned home to Britain.  Upon his return, he began to make preparations to become a priest.  In c.435, Patrick was commissioned to return to Ireland as a bishop and missionary, among a thoroughly pagan society.  Basing his operations in the Northern area of Ireland, Patrick spent the remainder of his days making extensive missionary journeys throughout Ireland, sharing the Gospel of Christ with the Irish people, while facing persecution and numerous arrests for doing so. St. Patrick’s Day was established c.461 by the Irish Christians who were thankful to God for bringing the Truth of Christ to their land through the ministry of Patrick.      

The knowledge of the truth about a figure in church history, like St. Patrick, can have a number of positive effects on your students.  First, it gives them the opportunity to see that others have gone before them.  In other words, offering students the biography of historical Christians allows them to experience and see lives of faith, which have had an influence on their own.  Let students know that Christianity, and the way in which they practice it, did not simply appear in their present cultural context.  Familiarize them with significant persons and movements that God has used to shape their denominational tradition.

Second, biographies give students the opportunity to share these stories, and the Gospel, with their friends and family members.  In one student ministry in which I participated, just before October 31^st we always celebrated one of the most important days on the church calendar.  No, not Halloween.  October 31^st is Reformation Day, which commemorates Martin Luther’s posting of the 95 Theses, and the informal beginning of the Protestant Reformation.  To celebrate this event, I would present a different “Life of a Reformer” each year.  Through sharing the lives of men like Luther and Calvin, I noticed that the students began to get pumped about sharing the stories of these figures with their friends.  Many times they would share the Gospel with the person who sat beside them in class, simply by beginning the conversation with, “How’s your Reformation Day goin’?”  To which the other party would normally reply, “Huh?”  This would ultimately lead to a conversation about the truth of Christ.  Third, biography gives them an opportunity to become guarded against untruth.  Your students need examples of heroism and courage to stand for the truth.  Although historical examples are not without their faults, and Patrick is certainly no exception, they do provide students with examples of people who have made a firm stand for truth at great cost to themselves.

So, as your students think about what green item in their closet they should wear, or what Irish-themed party they will attend, consider sharing with them the truth about the life of a man who wrote in his Confession:  

I pray those who believe and fear God, whosoever deigns to look at or receive this writing which Patrick, a sinner, unlearned, has composed in Ireland, that no one should ever say that it was my ignorance if I did or showed forth anything however small according to God's good pleasure; but let this be your conclusion and let it so be thought, that---as is the perfect truth---it was the gift of God. This is my confession before I die.   

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Shane Parker has been involved in multiple areas of student ministry for close to a decade. He has served as a Student Minister in North and South Carolina, and as a student event and conference speaker in the Carolinas, Tennessee, Virginia, Florida, Pennsylvania, Washington, Utah, Wyoming, and Southeast Asia. He is a graduate of Columbia International University (B.A.); Columbia Seminary (M.A.); and Southeastern Seminary (M.Div.). Shane and his wife, Lydia, reside in Louisville, Kentucky, where he is the Student Minister at Gardenside Baptist Church in Lexington. He has a central passion to equip students, and student pastors, for the uncompromising glorification of God in intensive study and ministry. If you would like to schedule Shane for an event, or just talk about life and ministry, you may reach him by e-mail: swp76@msn.com. 

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Book Review – Breaking the Enemy’s Grip: A Step-by-Step Guide for Overcoming Unforgiveness, Self-condemnation, Sinful Habits, Bitterness, Past Wounds, and other Bondages

By Eddie Smith, Bethany House, 2004, ISBN 0764229982, 145 pages

Reviewed by E. Dian Moore

Eddie Smith, is author and co-author of several books. He and his wife Alice are cofounders, president and executive director respectively, of the U.S. Prayer Center in Houston, Texas. The subject of being in bondage to sin and how a person, both Christian and non-Christian, might get that way is explored in detail, with real-life, helpful tips one can put to use immediately.

Smith gently, but thoroughly, leads the reader through a journey of spiritual healing. He includes why some people are more susceptible to Satan’s lies than others are and explores why forgiveness is crucial to breaking the bonds of Satan. He also offers sound advice on “how” to forgive.

Subjects covered include removing excess baggage from one’s life, getting rid of the weight that makes one’s life heavy and the journey miserable,  cleaning out the past by resolving issues that have remain unresolved, and making restitution if necessary; and shedding the grave clothes of sin without false guilt sabotaging you in the process. Additionally, Smith supplies, in detail, the steps necessary for attaining freedom through Christ.

Not every Christian needs to take these steps, but if someone is unhappy and their life is littered by generational problems, then most likely they are in the grip of Satan. Smith also explores how a new believer, or even a mature believer, might not understand how to manage his or her freedom from sin. He gives sound, well-researched advice on ‘getting ahead alongside Satan.’

Anecdotes and real life stories illustrate how to incorporate all of the steps into every life. Breaking the Enemy's Grip is an excellent source for mature groups, aged 18 and over, of either sex, and can also be used as a guide for sermon material.

Reading Level: Moderate to Complex - Most Christians could understand the contents and benefit from them, though new converts might need to do further research.

Dian Moore is a Christian freelance writer, editor, reviewer and photographer and the hands behind Hands for Hope, http://www.handsforhope.com.  

Order Breaking the Enemy's Grip

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