Preparing To Plant Training For Church Planters

Here are some training videos for church planters and churches that want to multiply!

Next Wave with Steve Pike

I recently hosted a webinar with Steve Pike where he shared about shifts in disciple making, funding, and metrics for the next wave of church ministry. The content is so very helpful as we look to what 21st Century Church will look like.

Keeping It Simple podcast with Simple Church Collective

“What will the post-Covid church look like?” This question is getting significant attention from church leaders and Jesus followers.

In this podcast with the Simple Church Collective, we explore this question, the implications, and some of the potential shifts.

Listen Here

Church Planting In A Pandemic

In this video conversation, Josiah Gorter and Micah Dodson talk about the realities of planting a church during the Covid crisis. While there are certainly limitations, there are similarly many opportunities to innovate.

Pivot, Pivot, Pivot: Like Moses in the Desert.

This week I have been engaged in a number of conversations where church, civic, and business leaders are trying yet again to adapt to another set of prescribed Covid regulations aimed at reducing the current spike in outbreaks. California is calling it a “roll back”, Oregon is calling it a “freeze”, and Washington has yet to devise a clever name. This morning, in a planning meeting tasked with developing a plan for an upcoming ministry event, I heard the term “pivot” a number of times. As I thought about pivoting, it hit me that once you’ve pivoted enough, you’re simply spinning in circles. And for many of us, that is exactly what this season feels like.

As I worked to stay engaged in yet another Zoom meeting, I was reminded of Moses and the Israelites in the desert. The people of Israel were rescued by the hand of God as He used Moses to lead the people out of exile in Egypt and back into the promise land. Plagues, pestilence, and a bunch of other “p” words preceded Pharoah letting the people go. Finally they began the Exodus. Interestingly, this is where the first pivot happens. Exodus 13:17 “God did not lead them on a road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God Said, ‘If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.’”

Pharoah catches wind of their journey and had yet another change of mind. Egypt, now in hot pursuit of the Israelites witnesses the great power of the Almighty God. Israel comes toe to toe with a large body of water and God does the unthinkable, he parts the sea. As the Israelites cross on dry ground the Egyptians are washed up on shore. The promised deliverance became a reality.

So, what did the people of Israel do? It would be totally believable if they faithfully entered the promise land and celebrated God’s miraculous provision and deliverance…Yet, that’s not how history unfolded. A golden calf, complaining stomachs, and moldy manna sprinkle the story of how the Israelites quickly forgot their deliverance. God is faithful to His promise, but He delays the journey in an effort to draw their hearts back to him. The journey of the Exodus became a long backpacking trip of walking in circles in the desert…pivot, pivot, pivot. 

And here’s the parallel: as we pivot on repeat, there is an opportunity for each of us to remember God’s deliverance and turn our hearts in full devotion to the one who went to the greatest of lengths to capture them. God made Jesus, who knew no sin to become sin. Taking on our punishment, he died for us and rose again to give us new life. This deliverance is the greatest miracle of history. And God has made this available to you and me. And yet we pivot, pivot, pivot, in the desert of life: attaching our hope to human schemes, distracting our hearts with constant noise, and scrolling our way through the echo chambers of technology. 

I wonder what would happen if we viewed the shifting of regulations as a gift. A pause as an opportunity to Sabbath. It’s an opportunity to grow in self-awareness. It’s even an opportunity to do some of the deep abiding work that Jesus wants to do in our souls, without the angst of pushing towards fruitfulness (John 15). 

Too Busy Working In The Church?

I recently read an article called, “A Word To Tired Pastors Treading Water In Their Work.” In it the author points out that the work of pastoring in this cultural moment is much like treading water. It burns tons of calories, but you’re heading nowhere, or so it seems. I found this to be an exceedingly helpful illustration. Nearly every pastor I talk to lately says that they are extremely busy. And to be honest, I have wondered to myself, “what are they busy doing?” As I have asked into this, I am consistently hearing that their efforts have turned responsive. They are responding to needs, demands, invitations, crisis care, etc… This is the tyranny of the urgent on steroids. Because of the disruption, we haven’t known what to do, so we just do what’s right in front of us. I believe this points to a significant need: self-reflection and self-leadership. Jesus said in Mark 1:15, “The time has come, the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” When he said the “time” is near, the Greek word He used is kairos, which in contrast to chronos is a significant event or opportunity, not a time or date on the calendar. The Kingdom breaks in through these significant events. This cultural moment, this unprecedented season is a global kairos. In order to experience the Kingdom breakthrough, we have to slow down and reflect. What is God doing? What is He saying to me? How will I respond?

Here’s my thesis, many of us pastors are too busy working in the church to work on the church. Additionally, the pressure to work in the church is a barrier to taking care of ourselves (spiritually, physically, emotionally, relationally, etc…).  Part two of the thesis: as the church faces unprecedented times, there has never been a greater need for reflection, innovation, integrity, and prayerful dependence. The path through this cultural moment will require more time of listening to the Spirit and dreaming with God about our lives and ministries. As many have stated, “what got us here, won’t get us there.” 

In response to this reality, my colleague, Gary Reinecke and I have put together a free four-week offering to help you pause and reflect for 55 minutes each week. We are using a TIMELINE activity as the tool to help leaders process together and individually beginning October 2 from 10-10:55am PST. During this time,  we will help you reflect on the ways that God has been at work in your life, help you clarify your values, and help you gain perspective for the future.

 Here is the plan moving forward.  We will meet for 4 sessions over ZOOM on Fridays from 10-10:55am PST.  Below is the flow of the 4 sessions:

·       October 2: ORIENTATION TO THE MISSIONAL DISCIPLESHIP SYMBOL TIMELINE 

·       October 9: TRANSITIONS & BOUNDARIES 

·       October 16: SHARING YOUR TIMELINE

·       October 23: WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Suggested Reading: We are purposefully NOT requiring any resource costs for this exercise.  However, if you would like to learn more about the timeline – especially Transitions & Boundaries, let us suggest a wonderful companion book entitled: “STUCK! Navigating the Transition of Life and Leadership”, by Terry Walling.

We will be accepting participants until October 1 @ 5pm PST.  Please CLICK HERE to let us know you are interested in participating by entering your:

·       Name

·       E-mail address

·       Paste MISSIONAL DISCIPLESHIP TIMELINE (in the Message box).

We are excited to get started.  We hope you can join us.  And bring a friend.

Micah Dodson & Gary Reinecke

Leadership Collective Missional Discipleship

The practice of Missional Discipleship began with Jesus and was given to all Jesus followers in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). It is the idea of making disciples as you go. It has an intentional focus of discipleship starting in the harvest with people who don’t yet know Jesus. In times like these, Missional Discipleship can be the unstoppable force of how Jesus moves His church forward and you’re invited into this.

Thanks so much for checking out this video on the upcoming Leadership Collective. For more information, please click below.

LEADERSHIP COLLECTIVE on MISSIONAL DISCIPLESHIP

LEARN MORE BY JOINING OUR “BY-INVITATION-ONLY” COMMUNITY BY CLICKING THIS LINK.

When Mentors Are Monsters Part II

Part II

I found myself back in the office of an amazing counselor. I had seen him a number of times over the years, some to address personal challenges and some to get help in mediating the relationship with my former employer. He walked me through an assessment tool and pretty quickly suggested that I had significant anxiety and PTSD like symptoms. I knew that something was off, but I didn’t know to what extent. My upbringing trained me to have a high threshold for dealing with volatility. Why was I now, at forty-something, no longer able cope with the control and manipulation I was facing in the workplace? While I wouldn’t wish it on anybody, the recreating and healing work that emerged from the pain has become a gift. 

In this second part of “When Mentors Are Monsters” I want to explore why this growing and unchecked dark side is so common in Christian leadership. As well, I’d like to explore how this experience can both be a crucible for growth if we are willing to face the pain and a breeding ground of anger and toxicity if we avoid it. 

One of things that I have been reflecting on is how the pastor as CEO model of church puts CEO like leaders in the pastorate. The “church as industry” model (where a few people make the decisions and control the power for the whole church) is built on the same framework as corporate business culture. This has been particularly popularized by the church growth movement that began in the 1980’s. While the church growth movement popularized this corporate style of leadership, it was first set in motion by the Constantinian Church of Rome (4th Century AD).  By declaring Christianity as the state religion, the paradigm shifted to a top down approach to leadership that has shaped the church for centuries. It is important to understand that this model of top down leadership is distinct from the early church. The New Testament picture of the early church describes the leaders using their gifts to equip, unify, and empower all the members of the body of Christ (Eph. 4:11-12; 1 Cor 12; Rom. 12:3-8).

I wonder if there is something about the pastor as CEO model that draws and develops “CEO-like” leaders. Could it be that it is in this approach to leadership that the shadow side has so much potential to grow unchecked? Much research has been done on the personality of chief executive leaders in the marketplace. A 2016 research project found that 21% of chief executive officers are psychopaths. This contrasted with 1% in the broader array of humanity. That’s right, 1 out of 5 CEO’s display psychopathology while only 1 out of 100 common people possess those characteristics. (21 percent of CEOs are psychopaths. Only 21 percent? By Gene Marks Washington Post Sept 16 ,2016). CEO like leadership can work in the Church when leaders are deeply accountable and humble. At the same time, history, the news, and even scriptures show how easily the wayward heart can overtake leaders who are given power. 

To make matters worse, the expectations of perfection that are imposed on Christian leaders add further pressure to appear a certain way (sinless) and greater shame to confessing struggles. A number of years ago I heard the courageous testimony of a fellow pastor that was publicly confessing his struggle with pornography and sexual addiction. In a meeting following this, another pastor who was present at the testimony suggested that publicly disclosing our struggles was too great a step and that if that was the only path to freedom, we wouldn’t find many willing to get help. Sadly, this pastor who was cautioning the approach of public confession was later found to be losing his own battle with sexual addiction. Another friend in ministry has been very outspoken regarding his recovery from sexual addiction. After sharing his testimony with his church, a family informed him that they would be leaving the church. They told him that it was inappropriate for their teenagers to hear about his struggles. Unfortunately, many church people would prefer the appearance of being a museum for saints over being a hospital for sinners. Leaders fall when there isn’t permission to be honest, vulnerable, and accountable. They fear the shame and retaliation they will face if they confess, so they remain silent. 

The enemy has a way of twisting the strengths of leaders in an effort to derail us. 1 Peter 5:8 reminds us, “Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” An overplayed strength can easily become a weakness and vulnerability where we are prone to attack. Satan can manipulate the praise of our strengths like a fog obscuring our souls from the deeper work of the Holy Spirit. “Oh pastor, no one preaches like you.” The pastor thinks to himself, “I am a gifted preacher! There’s no one who preaches like me…” The pride that exudes from success can develop a barrier of self-protection that is impervious to confession and humility. Ministry successes can work to foster this growing pride. When asked, “how come our ministry is so successful?” If the first words out of our mouths and more importantly our hearts are not, “by the grace of God” we are stepping in a dangerous direction. Even the fact that we refer to it as “our” ministry, “our” people, or “our” staff show who we think deserves the credit. As influence grows so can the dark side of the leader.

While all of these external pressures (the structure and model of leadership, peoples’ expectations, and the attack of the Devil) are very real, one of the greatest reasons that we fall into these dark side behaviors is because of sin at war within us. As Paul wrote in Romans 7:21 , “So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.” These words remind us, that like Paul, we are wretches (Romans 7:24) capable of giving in to sin. As I stated in Part I, we all have the capacity for atrocity. One comment from the last post said, “It stirs in me remorse and confession too, for words and actions when I have chosen to be a pirate, rather than a pastor” (Thanks Tim Heffer). That’s exactly the reality, we are all capable of this. 

How can we surrender these painful and often abusive circumstances to God in order to find freedom and healing?

One of the gifts of this season have been my regular meetings with a mental health professional. The counselor that I meet with has continually invited me to “travel light.” What he means by this is the truth that if we don’t deal with our hurts, they are like a truck load or backpack of toxic waste that we are carrying around with us everywhere we go leaking out on our most precious relationships. It reminds me of the biblical motif that the ways we are sinned against, if not healed, create sin tendencies in us. This is why abuse victims are more likely to become abusers. In the Old Testament, it is often referred to as generational sin. Interrupting this cycle requires grace and healing. The unpacking and healing work begins with not allowing our hurts to define us. Victims are focused on their wounds. Survivors become defensive as a way to protect their wounds. But God invites us to be conquerors and warriors. If we receive this invitation, our identity will be shaped not by our hurts, but by the strengths that emerge from our pain. Our response to others won’t be a shield of defensiveness, but rather a sword of grace. We can travel lightly when we turn to face our hurts and find the gift of forgiveness and healing. It reminds me of the image of 2 Corinthians 4, we are fragile vessels that display the all surpassing power of God. It’s in our weakness that His strength is made complete. I am learning that holding onto the hurt, the anger, the blame, etc… only leads to a heavy load that keeps me from reflecting the love, grace, and forgiveness of a surpassingly powerful God.

What man and the world intend for evil, God can actually use for good. Difficulty and pain can lead to beauty. God can actually use our pain to refine our character, grow our passions, teach us to trust Him more, and use the healing as a motivation to show compassion to others (James 1:2-5; 2 Corinthians 1:3-5; 2 Corinthians 12:9). 

I sense a renewed invitation to healing and a fresh awareness of our capacity. I find hope in the words of Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” God is never done with us. He is inviting us to travel light so that our shadow side doesn’t grow unchecked. 

When Mentors Are Monsters

As I sat there in my late 90’s Volvo wagon, my eyes welled up and a visceral outpouring of emotion overtook my body. What had I just endured? What had I done to elicit such a verbal lashing from a man of God that I had looked up to for so many years? Why didn’t I stand up and stop the verbal onslaught?

Flash back to my first paid ministry role. Having worked in a large Seattle based coffee corporation for the majority of my college years and into my mid-twenties, I was accustomed to the shadow side of managing employees. However, through this corporation, I had also been trained in policies and procedures that upheld the core values of dignity and respect. This resulted in the navigating of very difficult interpersonal dynamics while treating people of diverse backgrounds with care. Enter the ministry job: as I sat in my first ever staff meeting, I observed fellow pastors and leaders treating each other in a way that would lead to corrective action and possibly termination in a corporate environment. I looked on as leaders powered up on each other as though they were merely pawns used to accomplish self-aggrandizing agendas. I remember leaving the meeting filled with despair. Shouldn’t people who follow Jesus act like him in a leadership meeting? I had expected that leading in the church and in the corporate workplace would be a contrast, but I had wrongly assumed that the church would be the distinguishing light in the darkness.

If you’re like most folks in ministry, this has happened at least once. You’ve seen behind the curtain of church leadership only to find a mess or maybe worse, significant carnage. How can the very ones who proclaim love, grace, peace, forgiveness, and the like be so overtaken by darkness that they indulge in the very ugliness that they publicly combat?

Let me pause and say, “I’m so very sorry for the wounds that you may have received at the hands of those you looked to for care, shepherding, and leadership!” It’s sad and I believe that it breaks God’s heart. 

As I write this blog, I just observed the one year anniversary of being terminated from a denominational job. The termination was not based on performance or character, but because I had asked for a meeting with my supervisor and the board of the organization. Instead of having that meeting, my supervisor sent me home with the essential contents of my office. Months later, after some uncovering by the board, this supervisor was terminated because of an abuse of power and a long history of broken and unrepaired relationships. Fast forward 6 more months (just following the one year anniversary of my termination) I heard the news that this leader, having not repaired the damaged relationships, was being reassigned to pastor in another district under the same denomination… (no comment). 

I share all this to say that I, probably like you have had multiple encounters where I was wounded by friendly fire. In fact, I want to share my story, because I know that friendly fire can be the most devastating. I have personally experienced how it can wreak havoc on our spiritual and emotional lives. It can cause us to grapple with concepts of God’s sovereignty and power. Beyond that, without healing, it can leave the wounded in a tailspin of emotion and even toxicity. 

How did we get here? Why is this such a common experience in Christian leadership? We all have a capacity for atrocity. Jesus’ radical gospel highlighted this reality. Who is the adulterer? Who is the murderer? Any of us who have had a lustful or angry thought possess the capacity for atrocity. 

Every person has a dark side tendency. In Overcoming The Dark Side of Leadership by McIntosh and Rima they explore these tendencies. Their list describes leaders that are co-dependent, paranoid, compulsive (controlling), narcissistic, and passive aggressive. When a leader’s influence grows, often so does their dark side. It’s as though their successes are a smoke screen that blinds themselves and others to the toxicity that they exude. This reality is why some of the most influential leaders are capable of some of the greatest atrocity. Substance abuse, sexual misconduct, theft, abuse of power, and suicide have topped the recent list. 

We are all fragile vessels and it is in our weakness that God’s strength is made complete. However, in order for that to happen, leaders must tirelessly pursue humility through confession. Not only that, the goal of the leader has to be to point people to the God who does the miraculous work of ministry. Too often, instead, the leader stands in the way of pointing to God and seeks to point to themselves. This act feeds the dark side.

We, as leaders never move past the need for humility, accountability, and confession. If we are not growing and uncovering new areas in our lives that the Holy Spirit wants to address, we are in a dangerous place. This is why so many leaders have found the need for spiritual direction and counseling. It’s a gift to have someone walk alongside and point you to Jesus’ transforming work. We never graduate past the need for this healing and transforming work. 

Innovating Church

In this weeks blog, we have featured an interview with Rob B, the pastor of multiplication at Salem Alliance Church. Rob shares about how this church commissioned, empowered, and equipped 60 new house churches during the Covid season.

Church and Social Justice

I recently had the opportunity to be a part of an online conversation called “Race, Justice and the Kingdom of God”. It featured a number of influential black leaders and pastors and two white evangelical pastors all from the Portland area. The conversation was hosted and moderated by Michelle Jones, Spiritual Formation Pastor at Imago Dei Church. It was such a powerful reminder that for many of us white evangelical pastors and leaders, we truly don’t know what we don’t know. Further, it was a powerful discovery that in order to break through our unconscious incompetence, we need to listen to the voices of those that have been impacted and oppressed by social injustice. I wanted to share some of the conversation as a way to help us all journey towards a response that reflects Jesus.

Here are some of the principles I heard from this conversation:

Listen –  One of the primary things that these leaders imparted was the reality that white people are used to having a voice even the dominanat voice.  A result of this is that white folks have a way of “whitesplaining” everything. Multiple scenarios were shared where a white leader would hear something from a black leader and then turn around and restate what they had heard as a way to teach or explain it. This practice not only expresses an ignorance, it shows an inability to listen. “Listening” means not talking.  Further, pastor Eric Knox said, “There is an idea that the white narrative sees it all, but it is just one perspective.” He then went on to talk about how the white perspective often believes that it is all knowing, all seeing, and even all powerful. This can lead to viewing the black and brown community as a project rather than the image of God in humanity.  

Silence is a verb – I know it sounds contrary to the last principle, but the principle is to first listen and then do something about it. Silence and inaction are a form of oppression. Imagine that you witness an adult beating a child. Would you simply stand by and not say or do something? To respond in that way is an action and it’s a way of being complicit in the act. Watching injustice and not responding is not a neutral response.

We can’t stand with oppressed people without confronting and changing oppressive systems. We reflect Jesus when do so with a posture of humility, a surrendering of perceived authority, and a heart for reconciliation. You can’t reconcile without acknowledging the wrong that has been done. 

I think that many white evangelicals are afraid to speak up.  I have heard some of us saying that to speak up would be political. And therefore, we wait in silence. In fact, I recently heard a sad story of a friend who is a white evangelical pastor who has an adopted black son. In response to recent events, he posted “Black Lives Matter” on social media. What followed were an array of comments shaming him for having made that political statement. Uggh…Injustice is happening, it’s time to stand.

One of the presenters at the conference, I believe it was Mark Strong suggested that we each watch the full George Floyd incident and listen to what the Holy Spirit speaks to us. I know as the video rolled on, I couldn’t hold back tears. The imago dei displayed in this now lifeless man as onlookers beg the police to get off of him.  It’s not just that he couldn’t breathe, as Pastor Richard Probasco of New Song Church said in an interview with John Mark Comer of Bridgetown Church, “it’s not just,  ‘I can’t breath’, it’s that you don’t want me to breathe and you have the power to keep me from breathing.” I know much work has been done to discredit the violent act by spoiling Floyd’s character. There is no amount of character defamation that justifies this abomination. 

What is God stirring in you? How will you respond?

Why Coaching May Be The Very Thing You Need…

As leaders are seeking to navigate uncharted territories, a coach can be an essential guide to unearth new possibilities.

A Helpful Response to the “Agents of Grace and Peace” blog written by Jon McNeil

Thanks for this, Micah. It’s very good to hear what you’re struggling through and your approach to living out grace. 

Jesus was very good at naming demonic spirits and casting them out, and he’s given us that same power—I think the Church needs to use it! We need to call out the demon of systemic racism that possesses our country. The demon of police brutality. The demon of the myth of the American dream and Neoliberalism. The demon of greed that allows corporations to thrive while their employees die. The demon of an addiction to consumerism and entertainment. The demon of ‘iDolatry’...

I also think: this moment in history really sucks and I don’t think the white church really knows how to deal with suffering the way the black church does. They have had much more practice at it. We need to pay better attention to the stories they tell and how they respond to these situations, and draft behind them. Our religion is a religion for the poor, subjugated, downtrodden, and forgotten. Every time we feel a bit of pain in situations such as these, it’s a gateway to help us connect with the pain of our neighbor, the pain of our spiritual forefathers, and the pain of our crucified Savior. I think the Church runs from that at our own peril. 

Real talk here. Evangelicals are at the root of this malignant cancer in our country, and we must repent and repent and then repent again for that. I’m not talking about a Christianity Today op-ed on the editor’s last day on the job kind of repentance, where the stakes are incredibly low. I mean a rending of garments on the street corner in a humiliating way. We just witnessed a mini abomination of desolation a few days ago and it’s crickets out there from evangelicals. That has to change soon. It’s becoming a short distance between America 2020 and Bonhoeffer’s Germany.

Agents Of Grace and Peace In An Age Of Hate and Violence

I went to bed last night feeling overwhelmed with the angst and chaos of our nation. The news is filled with images of peaceful protests juxtaposed with the American President holding a Bible while inciting violence and retaliation via twitter, and then those protests that have become destructive. It’s overwhelming wondering how best to respond. I woke up this morning reminded of the chaos. Seeing the endless social media posts of black out Tuesday was both a comfort that I’m not alone in the chaos and a reminder of the unresolved tensions and injustice that linger. So, I did what I do, I went out for a run.

While I was running (which has for me become a place of prayer and processing) I was reminded of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s response to Nazi Germany during the time of Word War 2. Bonhoeffer, a theologian and follower of Jesus, fled Germany in the early years of Hitler’s rise to power. While studying abroad, he was convicted that he needed to be in Germany in order to have a voice with his fellow Germans. The return to his homeland lead to a more active role in opposing the Nazi regime and eventually to his death. There are so many lessons to glean from his life, but here’s my takeaway: Jesus followers have an opportunity and responsibility to stay engaged with the condition of our cultural moment. Doing nothing is not an option. In fact, God invites us as recipients of His Grace to be agents of His Grace (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). But how?

Newton’s third law states that, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” While this is primarily a law of physics, it also rings true sociologically and anthropologically. Commonly reduced, it’s the concept of an “eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” It’s the human cycle of justice: you hurt me, I hurt you back (but maybe a little worse). Human justice creates an ongoing cycle of retaliation. Every victim has a justification for their equal and opposite reaction. Sometimes the retaliation is towards the abuser, and sometimes it’s toward the closest or most vulnerable subject (aka kicking the dog, because your boss is a jerk). Human justice seeks to respond or retaliate in an equal or greater response in order to end the transaction. As the history of humanity illustrates so well, this retaliation carries on. 

There is only one thing that can stop this cycle: grace. 2 Corinthians 5:21 speaking of Jesus says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God.” God sent Jesus, His sinless son to pay the price for sin and injustice. Jesus didn’t deserve to pay that price, but he paid it freely as an act of grace. In the account of Jesus’ life found in Matthew 5:38-39, Jesus says, “you have heard that it was said, ‘eye for eye, tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person, If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” Jesus not only taught this, but lived it as well. In the greatest event of human history Jesus defeated death by laying down his life. When we were enemies of God, deserving of death, he paid that debt for us, dying in our place. Grace is a free and undeserved gift. God’s grace is seen in that while we as humans had sinned, he freely pours out forgiveness, redemption, and eternal life through Jesus (Romans 3:23-4). Grace interrupts our cycle of justice (an eye for an eye). It is the only thing strong enough to defeat injustice and death, bringing about healing and life. 

Here is my takeaway, grace is how we must respond. Reflecting Jesus during this cultural moment means that we take seriously the call to be agents of grace and peace or as 2 Corinthians 5:19-20 states it, “we are ambassadors of reconciliation.”  God entered humanity to extend us the greatest gift of grace and now He has entrusted us with the ministry of showing and telling people about that grace. 

How do we then show grace and peace during a time of so much hate and violence? Here are several principles that I am thinking through:

 -       Respond in Faith, not fear. When we respond out of fear, it is an attempt to control circumstances that we can not. Control is the opposite of love and puts us back into the cycle of human justice. Faith, in contrast reminds us of the words of Psalm 46, “Be still and know that I am God” and, “therefore we will not fear.” These words come right after the descriptive image of the world falling apart: “though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.” Both war and natural disaster may come, but we have secure refuge and hope in God. I am tempted to move quickly past this reminder and ask, “but what can I do?” However, this is the foundation that our action as Jesus followers must be built on. If we remember that God is in control of all things, then our response is not “what do I do?” but, “how do I partner with what God is doing?” The all-powerful God is always about grace and love not retaliation and control. This provides the foundation of our responses.

-       Perfect love casts out fear. If we are acting in love, we aren’t fostering fear. I feel challenged to channel my frustrations into acts of love. Where can we show radical love and generosity? When I am tempted to be defensive, how can I instead show grace? When I disagree strongly with someone, how can I still have a gracious posture of listening and learning? One of the best ways to show love is to pray for others. Pray for our government leaders. Pray for police officers. Pray for those that have been discriminated against. Pray for reform and change. Another way to express love is to serve those who are oppressed. James 1:27-2:1 says that true religion is to care for widows and orphans. Who are the widows and orphans in your neighborhood, local schools, and city? If you are a church leader, seek out ways to give minorities a voice and influence in your church. Look for ways to be a student of peoples’ cultures. Fear is what is driving much of the atrocity we are seeing across our nation. As Jesus followers we have an opportunity to express a radical “gospel” love that allows us to love even our enemies.

-       Stand for what you are for, not what you’re against. One of the great tactics of Satan is to get us focused on what we are against more than what we are for. This is a posture of defense or being a victim and it puts us back into the cycle of human justice (eye for an eye). But we are not of those who shrink back (Hebrews 10:39). In Jesus we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37). What are the things that the gospel of Jesus stands for? Stand firm in those. What does this look like? Practically speaking, this morning I wanted to post and image of the President on social media posing with incredulity, “how we have gotten here?” I was tempted to digitally alter this photo of the president holding the Bible. Both of these actions come from a place of feeling like this is happening to us (victim thinking). I felt convicted that this was not a response of grace. It wouldn’t have changed the president’s actions, it wouldn’t have halted his Tweets, it would have lowered me to his level of jousting on social media. In fact, it would only add to the attention he tirelessly seeks. What are we really for in Christ Jesus? Grace not retaliation. Forgiveness not accusation. Peace not violence. So, how can I show this? Maybe instead of burning a flag, we put out a flag that says, “black lives matter”. Maybe instead of getting angsty at the latest news report, we look for an opportunity to bless one of our neighbors with a meal or a check in. Or maybe we deliver water bottles to those protesting, or peacefully walk alongside them in solidarity. Maybe instead of getting mad at someone in the grocery store, I think about how to encourage and thank people, especially the essential workers. 

 I don’t know where God is asking you to partner with what He is doing, but I do know that if we ask Him, He will show us. Pray with me for peace. Pray with me for grace. Pray together that Jesus will return and set all things right.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and where you are seeing the Lord lead you.

Leadership Collective 2020

In this Video Brian Wilson talks about how his church is innovating in the Covid Crisis.

Leadership Collective 2020

In this Interview Colin Noyes explores why disciple making begins in the harvest.

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Innovating Church In The Covid Crisis

This past week I interviewed three different churches on how they have innovated in the face of the Covid Crisis. My hope is to share their ideas and innovations as a way to spur further innovations and ideas amongst the Church. Please take a few minutes to check out these clips and discern what ideas come from seeing the shifts other leaders are making.

One thing is for sure, this cultural moment is a point of inflection. What has been will no longer be. A pastor I recently spoke with said, “this moment is like a cocoon; what we do in the waiting will determine the church that emerges from the crisis.”

Here are four principles that I heard from conversations with these churches and others:

1) Innovate and prepare to keep pivoting as the crisis continues.

2) Leaders must focus on empowering the people of the church to be the church. The “come to us” approach to ministry is at least on pause, if not gone.

3) Seize the Gospel opportunity by being the hands and feet of Jesus. This mean quick action expressing compassion in tangible ways. The church that doesn’t actively seek ways to serve will quickly loose relevance.

4) Truly empowering leaders requires intentional robust discipleship. While church attendance is on pause, the church can make tremendous impact by shifting our focus from the crowds to the few. This also fosters the relational connection that people are longing for amidst social distancing.

Interview with Bryan Halferty of Anchor Church Tacoma, WA

Interview with Tim Heffer Hidden Creek Community Church in Olympia, WA

Interview with Luis & Melissa Sanchez Church For The Nations in Marysville, WA

Developing Discipleship

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Thoughts On Discipleship

Discipleship. What is it? Why is there so much talk about it these days? Recently I’ve been reading specifically on this topic. Discipleship has never been my favorite subject. I know, that seems weird because it’s so foundational and essential in what Jesus challenges his followers to do, “go make disciples” or “As you go, make disciples” (Matt 28:19-20). As a “professional Christian” or a pastor (please hear the humor in that), I have devoted most of my adult life to leading people in following Jesus. I wonder if the allergy to discipleship primarily comes from the reality that the evangelical church in North America has often reduced discipleship to a knowledge transfer for people who are already followers of Jesus. Once you graduate into Christianity 101, you’re invited to a discipleship class. 

Strangely this approach to discipleship doesn’t seem to match Jesus’ simple approach of calling his first disciples. Jesus’ invitation was a simple “come follow me” (Matt. 4:19). Three simple words that lead to a transformed life, “come follow me”. Drop your familiar nets. It sounds more like mentoring and apprenticeship (even simply put) friendship. Notice, what he says after that invitation, “and I’ll make you fisher’s of men.”  There’s no emphasis on teaching, but rather training. Most of Jesus’ teaching was cryptic at best and was intentionally delivered in parables that contain deeper esoteric meaning. Note, He says, ”come follow me and I will ‘make you’…” He doesn’t say, “come follow me and I’ll teach you.”

So, here’s the tension: when I think about what churches (in my experience) have called discipleship and what Jesus called and lived as discipleship, I am struck with two very disparate images. One picture is an invitation out of the world into a classroom where people are taught a new vocabulary and concepts about God and human behavior. The other is a picture happens in the world as we experience how God would live our lives if He were us. It’s less about teaching and more about modeling. Follow me, I’ll show you a different kind of fishing. (Again, the picture of modern “discipleship” often shows Christians who know far more about the Bible and theology than they put into practice.) The classic bumper sticker comes to mind, “Jesus may love you, but everyone else thinks you’re an A__hole!” Ok, maybe that’s a little too hyberbolic, but you get the idea. The other picture again, a group of Jesus’ early followers being sent out two by two and told to bless people and stay with those people of peace that receive their blessing (Luke 10). Remember Jesus’ earthly ministry was only 3ish years. These early followers didn’t have time to go off and get trained. Jesus counted on an approach of training that would quickly put their hands on the wheel (or the plow). His invitation to “make them fishers of men” was the focus. He enlisted his disciples in gathering the food that he would multiply for thousands. He sent them out as sheep among wolves to declare the good news of God’s kingdom. He invited them to fish as they followed and he put the nets in their hands. 

Now, I need to pause for a moment and make a little disclosure: I said that I have a bit of an allergy to “discipleship”, while at the same time, I’ve gone to Bible College and Seminary. I’ve been “discipled” in numerous schools of discipleship. I’ve read dozens of books devoted to the concept of discipleship. I was both discipled and have been the discipler of others. All of this discipling was in the context of North American Evangelical Christianity.  So, my self-disclosure is that while I see the discrepancies in these pictures of discipleship, I have been an invested part of the modern picture that looks strangely unlike the Jesus picture. In fact, after having “successfully” planted a church in the early 2000’s it hit me that maybe there was something about how we were making disciples that was actually fostering consumerism more than it was discipleship. Much of our ministry approach could be summed up in “come to us and we will give you the spiritual goods and services you need.” Mature and maturing Jesus followers were portrayed as those that would give back by supporting the ministry with finances and time. The discipleship process was so intermingled with consumerism that to separate the two seemed more difficult than splitting the double helix strands of human DNA. 

During that season, there were two little books that kept finding their way onto my desk. The Master Plan of Evangelismby Robert Coleman and Jesus With Dirty Feet by Done Everts. Both of these books and a new little friend of mine called As You GO, Make Disciples by Colin Noyes emphasis a very simple key that I am beginning to think may be the silver bullet to discipleship. Noyes calls this concept imprinting.  Whatever approach we choose to employ, discipleship is at it’s core a transfer from one person to the next. An Imprinting of life onto life. It is modeling, mentoring, and training. There are undeniably a lot of spiritual dynamics and implications. Pause for a moment and think about what was the most impactful in how you were disciple. My guess is that more than a program or a study, you, like me think of a person. A person who was willing to invest. A person who trusted you enough to let you put your hands to the plow.