Innovative Church Community

The leader of our small group ministry is leaving the church. So is one of our key tech leaders. And two deacons.

No, we’re not having a split. We’re just living in our reality.

None of these people are leaving because they’re mad. They’re actually quite unhappy they have to leave. But they are all military families and when Uncle Sam says, “Move to Ft. Campbell,” they move to Ft. Campbell. And we lose key leaders who have been integral to our church for years. Read the rest of this entry →

For those who missed or want to review our ICC session with Gary Combs from January 2012: http://vimeo.com/35110543

Pastor Steve Davis of Spout Springs Church has a brand new ebook out on Amazon.  Transform(180) is a devotional ebook we are all bound to love (despite the fact that many of us know the author!).  Click here to purchase your Kindle version on Amazon. Be reminded, Kindle Readers work on almost all computers, smart phones and tablets.

Here is the Amazon product description:

“This is not your typical warm, fuzzy devotional book. Filled with cutting-edge analogies and real-life applications, Transform(180) contains 180 daily readings designed to redirect your spiritual journey and reignite your passion for God.

And with titles like Cranked to Eleven, Faith and Stupidity, Arrogant Butterflies, and The Buffalo Chicken Prayer, you’re sure to have quite a few laughs along the way.”

In light of today’s session with Bob Felts on the topic of Leadership and Sex, this list of accountability questions seems appropriate.  These are taken from Gene Getz’s book “Elders and Leaders.”  Every man, especially a leader in the church, needs an accountability partner or group.  Often, when starting an accountability group or relationship, we don’t know exactly how to get going.  This list of questions would be a great place to start.

Accountability Questions:

1.    How often did you meet with God this week?

2.    What has God been saying to you through His Word this week?

3.    What sins in your personal or business life did you experience this week that need confession?

4.    Are you giving to the Lord’s work regularly and proportionately as God has blessed you?  What percentage did you give last month?

5.    What movies did you see this past week?  Do you feel good about viewing these movies?  What about the Internet?  Would you be able to tell your fellow Christians in your church what you have seen without being embarrassed?

6.    How did you influence your marriage and family this week?  How positively?  How negatively?  What could you do to improve?

7.    Did you pray for me/us this week?

8.    What challenges or struggles are weighing on your mind?

9.    What lives did you influence for Christ this week?

10. Did you just lie to me?

Gene Getz

Elders and Leaders, Moody, 2003, p. 274-275.

Want to affair proof your marriage and ministry? Click out this article from Ron Edmondson:

http://bit.ly/t0wguK

Jason (not his real name) and his sweet wife sat on the couch in our living room. They both had attended our marriage conference the year before and when he called and said they needed to talk, Deb and I knew from the tone of his voice what the problem was. Unfortunately we have heard that tone many times before and it almost always indicates some sort of sexual problem in the marriage. Unfortunately Christians, especially committed followers of Christ, seem to think they should be immune to such problems and are the only believers struggling with sexual issues.

Jason looked at us with downcast eyes. He was battling a pornography habit and when his wife found out she was stunned and dismayed. She had sensed something was wrong for a long time but just could not put her finger on it. They had only been married for a few years and to look at them you could foolishly think this would not be a problem for them. She was beautiful with long flowing hair and she had a great body; the kind of looks every young man hopes his wife will have. He thought getting married would be the answer for his years of sexual struggles as a single, but of course it was not. He had not set up adequate structures around him to help him overcome his problem. Now his life, ministry, walk with God, and marriage were hanging in the balance.

Frank, (not his real name either) was a good friend from seminary. He and his wife were in one of our small groups. God blessed him greatly in ministry and his church grew to thousands. Frank never told anyone, but his roaring sex drive and lack of emotional connection with his wife was something he thought he was just going to have to live with. He actually did fine for years, immersed in the busyness of a flourishing ministry. He was sure that infidelity was something that would never happen to him because he was committed to avoiding it and committed to Christ. Besides he had a family with a bunch of great kids he loved with all his heart. But through a series of emails with a female co-worker he let another woman into the hurting emotional part of his life and soon an emotional affair caught him totally by surprise. It was only a matter of time before it became a full-blown affair. In tears my friend told me he has now lost his church, his marriage, and he is retraining for a new career. They are close to bankruptcy and most everything he held dear is gone with his reputation. Read the rest of this entry →

I confess, I have not done a good job of addressing the economy in my role as pastor and Bible teacher.  I haven’t dealt enough with the recession of 2008-present because I just don’t understand the economy.  I am trained in counseling and preaching and church leadership and exegesis.  But my knowledge of issues related to money and employment/unemployment and business is pitiful.

Now, though, there is a new book out that seems like it was written for me and pastors like me.  Preaching in Plenty and in Want from Judson Press is about the relationship of preaching and the economy.  This is an extremely practical, user-friendly book.  It will help you address quite possibly the most pressing issue faced by most of the people who come to your church (or at least the perceived most pressing issue if we would  agree that sin is at the core the actual most pressing issue).

I encourage you to check it out.  Click here learn more and/or purchase from Judson Press.

Now, reading this post, and then checking out the book, you’ll note that the author, Matthew Tennant, has my last name.  He is my brother.  But, I wouldn’t ask you to go buy his book just because I want him to be successful.  I might do that on my facebook page, but not in the Innovative Church Community.  I respect this community too much to use it as a personal forum.  No, there’s one reason I am recommending this book.  I truly  believe your preaching-teaching will benefit.

Here’s a link for an endorsement from someone who does not know Matt at all, and it simply recommending the book on its own merit.

Read Preaching in Plenty and in Want and let me know how you are preaching with relation to the economy.

Based on the topic of our upcoming ICC Learning Community in December, I thought a link to this article that just came to my inbox might be appropriate:

Why a Healthy Sex Life Makes You A Better Leader

In a fairly recent session with a client, I heard what they were saying, beating around the bush, trying to express their feelings of frustration about their jobs, without being too hard on their upper level management, who they personally liked.

As I listened to them talk among themselves, I began to try to think of a way to summarize what they were trying to say.  All of a sudden it hit me – and so I blurted it out, without much thought.  ‘ACCOUNTABILITY WITHOUT EMPOWERMENT EQUALS MISERY!’  They stopped in mid-conversation, and said to me, ‘Say that again….’ And so I did, and wrote it up on my trusty whiteboard:  ‘ACCOUNTABILITY WITHOUT EMPOWERMENT EQUALS MISERY!’

“That’s it!” they said.  I was able to capture what I heard them say in just five simple words.  The framework formed, they were able to move forward into a productive conversation around the issues they were facing – an organizational culture that expects so much from them and their people, but one in which the ‘company’ (the leadership) doesn’t know how to give those employees what they need in return.

The fact is – it wasn’t like my statement was so revolutionary in nature (although the human ego in me would have liked to think it was…).  It was simply a statement of fact, I believe, for humanity in general.  I believe that just about all REASONABLE people would be negatively challenged in an organizational culture like this.  As a matter of fact, I had heard this same thing from numerous clients, in varying sectors – churches included! Read the rest of this entry →