No Nuggets Today

Since we finished the book yesterday, I thought I would catch you up on other stuff.

Last Friday I graduated from Physical Therapy! I truly felt all my adhesions in my shoulder were broken. I had 100% range of motion on two out of three movements and I'm almost there on the last and most complicated movement. About a week ago I had the absolute joy of once again hooking and unhooking my bra behind my back. You might be thinking 'how can that be a joy?' Well, when you haven't been able to do it for about 9 months, it is a very practical joy. That is actually one of the tests they do on you to see if you have frozen shoulder syndrome. I still have to do exercises 3 times a day and if I skip, it's tight and sore. Greg learned how to stretch me the way the PT does, and it really helps a lot. So, I'm almost at the end of this dark, one year tunnel. Yeah!!!!

I was sick for two weeks with a cough and am just about over it. Greg and Kristen have had a sore throat for a couple of days and I hope it doesn't turn into the cough.

I had a cool thing happen yesterday. I blogged about not copying other churches, then I went and read Perry Noble's blog (which I rarely read but enjoy when I do) and lo and behold, he said the same thing! Check it out here.

So, while I was blogging on Erwin's book, I read Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. It's a colorful book about his spiritual journey. I think it is written more for a guy's eyes than a girl's, but it was entertaining. Some good stuff.

I've also started a cool book by WorldVision called Fed Up - Showing the World You Can Make a Difference. It's a devotional that is stirring up my heart for the poverty stricken. It's written for those youth who are doing the 30 Hour Famine. It's really good.

Still reading Perspectives and my Bilingual Bible. I really enjoy translating Spanish. I do need to work on my vocabulary though. 9th grade was a long ways back!

Until tomorrow, blessings . . .

Nuggets #36

Today is our last day for the Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus. Here's the wrap-up:
(talking about becoming a Christian)
A New Humanity
If we wait too long, the spiritual craving begins to fade. Discipleship moves from instinct to obligation. But when we capture the fuel placed within a heart that is newly God's, the fire spreads. Those with faded reflexes are renewed. When we catch the wind of a fresh follower of Christ, our sails go up and our speed increases. When we allow the Holy Spirit to soften our hearts and impassion us anew, it rekindles our first love. And when we cling to our first love, it results in a radical minimum standard.

This is how your church can become an unstoppable force.

I have to say again that this is my favorite book of all time. It speaks everything that is in my heart and soul for a way a church should be, leaders should be, Pastors should be. Erwin has said that Mosaic (his church) is not perfect. No church is, since it is made up of imperfect people, but we should never be satisfied with the status quo, doing what seems acceptable by the churches around us, or even copying other churches in other parts of the country. I believe, if we are to do what God has called us to do as individuals and as a body, we are to seek Him first and discover his perfect will for us and do that. That approach is much more exciting than getting our ideas from others. Let's get on our knees and truly seek God and not do anything new until God tells us what to do. After all, He is the head of the church.

Nuggets #35

An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus
Relating the Message
People have different levels of gifting; some have a unique anointing through which multitudes come to faith with what seems to be minimal effort.
Others establish one friendship at a time. Their strength is not the crowd or the masses. They are in no way social butterflies or honeybees that can move from one flower to another without any effort. Nevertheless, their relationships are committed to Christ, and - one person at a time - they build relationships deep into the lives of those who don't know Christ. Sometimes it takes years to see the fruit of their labor, but there is fruit in their labor. They are as faithful to an unbelieving world as those whose gifts are more obvious. Our commitment is not to become like someone else whose giftings flourish and inspire us all, but to be faithful in loving a lost and broken humanity and in opening up our lives to those who are willing to establish a meaningful relationship with a follower of God.

This final commitment is an investment of relationship. It is the fulfillment of the great commandment to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. It is a belief that God looks on how we treat others, care for others, and serve others as the genuine measure of what is in our hearts toward him.

Nuggets #34

An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus
More Than Money
Calling believers to a minimum standard of tithing and into exploring the joy of generosity is not a call to legalism but an invitation to freedom.

The sacrifice of time and energy, of unique skills and talents, is the overflow of a spirit of generosity. If people are selfish with money, you'll never get their real contributions.

Because generosity is a genuine expression of the heart of God; it is part of God's radical minimum standard.

When we are afraid that the minimum is an unreasonable maximum, we limit the Spirit of Christ from working in the hearts of those who genuinely desire to be used by him. I am convinced that in every believer, there's a generous heart waiting to be born, and generosity can never be expressed without sacrifice.

Short but sweet today. It grieves my heart to hear Pastors say that they have been asking their congregation to give too often, and pull back from giving them opportunities to give. There are two ways to look at this situation. One is that the Pastor feels his influence is forcing the congregation to give against their will. This sounds more like the lies of the enemy. The other way to look at is that the Pastor has a responsibility to provide opportunities for the Holy Spirit to tug on people's hearts and give them the a wide variety of giving opportunities. Some will feel drawn to give to help the poor, some to missions, others to give generously to the general budget. Where would the church be without generous, obedient givers? It is true that about 20% of the congregation gives about 80% of the funds needed to run the church. This is a sad statistic. You might think mega churches survive so well and do so many great things because they have generous givers. I believe it is because those Pastors are making it normal for the congregation to understand this has to do more with obedience and worship than it does with choice. It's a matter of teaching.

Nuggets #33

An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus
A Generous Revolution
I think many times what happens is that we teach stinginess by default. We are so afraid to talk about money and touch on issues of giving that we've taught people they can be deeply spiritual and not be generous.l In many ways we have communicated that how we deal with money is irrelevant to our spiritual lives

Each week when we stand before our guests at Mosaic, we give the classic disclaimer, "If you're a guest, please feel no obligation to give today." But every six weeks, when we introduce new members, we explain that that disclaimer no longer applies to them. The reason we can invite our guests not to give is because we as a people openly and unashamedly make the insane and unreasonable decision to give of our own hard-earned money for the cause of Christ through the local church. We believe that the use of money is a deeply spiritual issue and that how you give as an honest reflection of our heart toward God.

Paul described the Corinthian church as generous in their poverty, no generous once they were wealthy. Jesus spoke without reservation about the importance of our relationship to our material possessions. It can't get any clearer than when Jesus tells us we cannot love God and money both, but that we have to decide where to put our treasure.

I've seen a wide variety of people handle giving in a wide variety of ways. Some don't give at all, some give the same little amount every week or two, never increasing it, though their income goes up every year. Some give exactly their 10% of their gross income to the penny, and some their 10% rounded up and give to other causes, such as missions, youth, benevolence, etc. There seems to be a correlation between those who give stingily and the number of financial and other issues present in their lives. This isn't the case 100% of the time, but frequently.

I know this was true in my life as I grew into tithes and offerings. Once I trusted God to provide for me, I learned that I can't out give God. I have no idea how my income increased so much, when I was never promoted. But I did make a mistake. Wanting a promotion, I gave an extra $100, sort of seed faith, hoping God would honor that and give me the promotion. Didn't work. What I was actually doing was trying to manipulate God. "I'll give you this if you give me that." I wasn't giving with he right heart. Giving should be out of gratitude, an act of worship to the one who has given us everything we have, not because we want something in return. I won't make that mistake again.

Nuggets #32

An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus
The Benefits of Membership
Becoming a member of Mosaic is a declaration that you are moving from being a consumer to being an investor; that you are joining not simply the community of Christ, but the cause of Christ. The motivation behind becoming a member is not what can be received but what can be given. And yet on a deeper level, membership is an invitation to genuine intimacy. When people become members, they are saying that they submit their lives to the spiritual authority of this community and welcome genuine accountability in their spiritual journeys. What once was our standard for leadership is now our standard for simple membership.

People who come to faith through Mosaic never have a problem with this standard of living. The greatest tension and difficulty comes from those who are accustomed to being members of churches without any expectations on their lives.

We have broken the membership standard into four basic areas of commitment for every person considering membership. The first is that they live a holy life, acknowledging that every person is imperfect and that there is a high likelihood we will all blow it at some time or another. This commitment entails that we be honest about where we are and that when we sin we come clean and trust the body of Christ to restore us to fellowship.

The second commitment is to be an active participant in ministry. This is a commitment to move beyond a spectator mentality to a participatory one. Involvement is understood-on a minimum level-to be a faithful worshipper in corporate celebration, to be actively involved in a small group committed to life transformation, and to find a particular place of service in which to use gifts and talents.

The third commitment area is in tithing. We ask every person who feels called to be a part of Mosaic to be a generous giver, and by generosity we mean to give 10 percent of our income and beyond.

An finally, the fourth commitment of all members is to live an evangelistic lifestyle. People commit to using their many gifts and unique personalities in building meaningful relationships with those who do not know Christ and, through a genuine expression of love, help others come to faith.

So up front, we ask all members to invest their passions, their service, their resources, and their relationships for the sake of the kingdom.

It's amazing how much people can accomplish if you'll simply have confidence in them and call them out to give God the very best of their lives.

How does your church handle membership? If you're a member, do you remember what you committed to? Are you often reminded from the pulpit, or do you just have a vague idea? If someone asked you what it took to become a member of your church, could you give them a full answer? Are you living out your commitment to your church as stated in your membership agreement? Does your church offer constant opportunities to become members, or every once in a while? Are those times consistent and predictable? I'd love to hear from you on the questions I pose each day. If you'd prefer to remain anonymous, you can email me at gshazenberg@sbcglobal.net.

Nuggets #31

An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus
On the Job Training (cont.)
For a lot of people, church membership is not that different from a membership at Bally. (a health club) They're a part of something that they do not take part in. Another problem with the word membership is that many times it is associated with being exclusive. Many people struggle with churches having membership rolls because it feels exclusive and alienating to those outside.
I certainly understand the biblical imagery of membership. Paul describes the church as the body of Christ and all of us are members of that body, members in the same sense that arms and legs are members of the human body. To be dismembered is to be cut away from the body that brings life. I can imagine how inconceivable it would be for Paul to think of a Christian as someone who was not a member of the body. But time corrupts language and the word member in our present context is quite different from the time in which Paul used it.
We decided that everything that we could do for a person we would do regardless of membership. If you want to learn the Scriptures at Mosaic, you don't need to be a member. If you want to receive counseling, you don't need to be a member. If your desire is to be loved, accepted, cared for, or encouraged, you certainly do not need to be a member. Everything we can do, it is our intention to do for everyone, regardless of membership. There is really only one reason to become a member at Mosaic.

Don't mean to be mean, but tomorrow we'll look at what that reason is. How is membership handled at your church?

Nuggets #30

An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus
Decoding DNA
Just because a person can not read doesn't mean she lacks the capacity to learn. One's present condition is not an indication of potential, but of development. The radical minimal standard that our "heroes" from Acts aspire toward is not intended to be a yoke of burden on our backs, but to inspire us to see who we could be if we allowed God to unleash his potential in us.

Resilient Transformation
The marvel of leading a New Testament community is that the genuine measure of leadership is not simply in the calling out of the extraordinarily gifted and talented. Instead, it is in the creation of an environment where each individual discovers and develops her unique gifts and talents.

On the Job Training
If the three years of Jesus' public ministry were meant to prepare his disciples, then his method of preparation was to send them into the world. The disciples never enjoyed insulation from realities of ministry and the pressures of the world around them. They were training in the context of real life and were expected - from the very first moment - to begin the process of becoming fishers of men.

Already knowing how he would meet the needs of the people, Jesus was determined to push his disciples to a different level of faith, which would result in a different level of living.

Jesus began by establishing a radical minimum standard that would permeate his church long after his ascension to heaven. We must evaluate our own preconceptions and assumptions about what it means to be a Christian.

So, my question to you is, are you being prepared to go out into the world to become fishers of men?

Nuggets #29

An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus
Life is Not a Stage
I didn't experience the stage theory of discipleship, a view that the spiritual journey is a series of building blocks or spiritual Legos. You build into a person one aspect of the Christian faith at a time, and if a person follows Christ long enough, then all the elements of spiritual maturity will be finally engaged.

The stage theory approach to discipleship is often doctrinally heavy and spiritually light.

Only after a proper theological foundation has been established do we begin to expect the fruit of ministry to emerge. For most people the extent of this expression relates to faithful attendance at church. If a Christian has a sound theological perspective and is a regular attendee in church life, he or she is perceived as qualified for the highest levels of leadership in most churches. Around these two foundational commitments of sound doctrine and regular attendance, we build another level of commitment: church participation and service.

Tragically, the basics of spiritual formation are seen as expressions of extraordinary Christian maturity. Some people move to an extraordinary level of faith and actually become evangelistic. Some begin to express an unusual connection through prayer. Others seem compelled to extraordinary sacrifice and begin to tithe, and still others receive a unique missionary distinction characterized by their willingness to uproot and go anywhere for the sake of the Gospel. The stage paradigm for Christian discipleship works on an assumption that the core is proper beliefs and the journey is adding on the different components of spiritual life.

The best biblical metaphor for the discipleship process is that new Christians are new babies, not new buildings. To make disciples is not to add a second floor and a third floor and a fourth floor, but to nurture what is already there and allow it to grow naturally.

Newborn babies are disproportionate to their adult shape, with large heads, very small bodies, and tiny fingers and toes. But they have every part they're ever going to have.

It's important to note that discipleship should be a natural process, not a legalistic one. It should be strategic and unique for the disciple maker, taking an inventory of the gifts and makeup of the disciple, and then developing what God has already given that person. They still need every aspect of spiritual maturity, but they were given their spiritual gifts for a purpose and those should be developed. Liken it to someone with a passion for a certain career. They still need to take their general ed courses, but they concentrate on their major.

Nuggets #28

An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus
Chapter Ten: A Radical Minimum Standard
Rising Above the Fall
Isn't it interesting how we think of grace as something less than the law?

(book of Acts) We have rescripted the text to be a picture of heroes of the faith rather than the simple lives of the faithful.

It is essential that we return to the origins of the church and reestablish the elemental faith of the first disciples.

The disciples of Jesus were not extraordinary individuals. In fact, their actions confounded everything that was known about them. They were best described as ignorant and unlearned men. Their spiritual pedigree was far from pure. This was a band of fisherman, tax collectors, and social outcasts. Yet it was with men like these that God began his revolution of faith, love, and hope.

Qualified to Serve
Could it be that the minimum standard of faithful fellowship of Jesus Christ can be described as being full of the Spirit and wisdom?

I'm going to keep it short today, as tomorrow's section is bigger. It's on discipleship methods. If you haven't read the comments on my spiritual warfare dreams, I'd recommend it. My friend Michele (Michele's blog) gave me a very insightful interpretation of my dreams. Thanks Michele!

Nuggets #27

An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus
Epilogue Chapter Ten A Radical Minimum Standard

"There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siegeworks against it. Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man. So I said, 'Wisdom is better than strength.' But the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded" (Ecclesiastes 9:14-16)

Perhaps we have underestimated our capacity. Maybe being created in the image and likeness of the Creator God still means something. Could one poor man with the wisdom of God really rise up to set an entire city free? And what would motivate those he delivered to despise him? Is there a conspiracy of mediocrity? Are we unwitting enemies of nobility and heroism? In Australia it's called "cutting the tall poppy." We choose to live where apathy is normal and average is the goal. Occasionally, some refuse to cooperate. They rise out of the rubble of decadence and conformity, and by the power of God, they show us a new way. They shock us into reality. They force us to accept responsibility. They inspire and require us to consider a new way to be human.

Look for those in your sphere of influence who are the 'tall poppy'. Those who call attention to things that aren't quite right, the things that need to be tightened up, the things that aren't Biblical, the things that are sinful, and the things that are masked as 'cutting corners'. Look at your life and ask if you're telling yourself, "in the grand scheme of things it really doesn't matter". In reality, it probably does matter, not just for your own sake, but for the sake of those who are watching you. You are modeling Christ, whether you realize it or not. Moldable baby Christians are learning what's right and what's wrong and they're learning it by watching those around them. And since more is caught than taught, it's important that we all re-evaluate ourselves continuously. It's a huge responsibility, being in the family of God. Don't take it lightly.

Nuggets #26

An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus

Engage

The church must be understood as a catalyst for change and every process related to the church must be interpreted through this filter.

Spiritual leadership in the change process is not so much about being the primary advocate of change but being the primary example of change. When the people of God see in their spiritual leaders a willingness to sacrifice for the sake of others and to be the first to change for the sake of the Gospel, they're more likely to make the changes that they need to make. The ultimate outcome of the change process is not the implementation of any one single change, no matter how significant. It is to move the people of God through a jouney that leads them from transition to transformation.

That's the end of the things that struck me in Chapter 9. Next will be Eiplogue, Chapter 10: a Radical Minimum Standard and that will conclude this book.

I've started reading Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. I won't go through that book like I have this one, as it is more of a descriptive journey of Donald's spiritual walk, including doubt and disbelief. I would call the book colorful, from the first chapter. It think it is probably written more for men, as he explains what he thinks and feels about women, dating, etc. It's an interesting book, it catapults me forward as I read. It's a good break from the Church leadership books I've enjoyed reading lately.

After I finish Blue Like Jazz, or even simultaneously, I'll probably start on Greg's Perspectives book. Perspectives is a 4-6 month class, 3 hours a week, 1 night a week, and it is awesome for giving someone a perspective on God's missional heart for his church. You really get to see the big picture of Christianity from God's perspective, how it all fits together for the world, rather than just my little church in my little town with my Christian friends that I know. You can check out Perspectives here. I hope you continue to join me on my quest for becoming a better Christian today than I was yesterday.

Nuggets #25

An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus
Empowering Spiritual Entrepreneurs
If you can affirm everything that isn't changing, while highlighting something that strategically is changing, you'll more easily gain adherence and support.

Through pilot projects, an apostolic environment can be introduced and affirmed one layer at a time.

When a particular project fails and you acknowledge its failure but don't lose hope, it does two things. It teaches your people that you are more committed to the purpose than you are to the particular project. And secondly, it demonstrates to them that you have integrity when faced with failure and successes. When you acknowledge failure for what it is, you gain the confidence of others as you speak on God's behalf.

In many situations, failure is the very thing that restrains God's people from doing great things for God. They've been taught that failure is equivalent to sin, and so they'd rather not try at all than risk failing. When you face failure with humility and hope, you teach others how to risk. When you affirm those who risk great things for God and count them as successful even if their particular endeavor has failed, you have affirmed something far deeper than any particular project or strategy could every encompass. It is not so much the experiment that is of greatest value, but the affirmation of spiritual entrepreneurialism among God's people.

This is such an important truth and I think part of it has to do with trust. When you trust an individual to do what God has called them to do and let them do it, it gives them the freedom to soar and do great things for God. They're not working under their own power anyway, they have God on their side. Any failure is just an opportunity to learn. Any success gives glory to God. It's a win-win situation.

Nuggets #24

An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus
Do Not Pass Go!
The fourth step in the process of effective transition is energizing the possibilities.

Many leaders make the mistake of beginning with what rather than why, so the what is quickly rejected. Sometimes the reason we as leaders do this is because we've thought about the why so much that we think it's obvious to everyone.

It is when we move from the strategic to the tactical that the people of God can be most powerfully unleashed.

The Creative Enterprise
As tightly as a leader must grasp the purpose of the church, he must equally relinquish his grip on the creative process of how the church accomplishes the mission of Christ. Too many times, we confuse a call to leadership as a monopoly on the creative process. Just as some churches are unwilling to follow genuine spiritual leadership, some pastors find it difficult to entrust and empower God's people.

...perhaps our most important role is to be able to identify a great idea when we hear it.

For creativity to flourish, it has to be nurtured and affirmed so that people get a clear sense of whether their ideas are genuinely valued. You can energize an environment in which the best ideas emerge by allowing questions, affirming ideas that are not your own, and asking questions rather than giving answers. Perhaps most important of all is inviting people into the process before you get too close.

This is so true. I like the line about pastors finding it difficult to entrust and empower God's people. This is also true with staff and ministry leaders who haven't been trained in how to do this. Sometimes it is a mindset, but sometimes it is a lack of knowledge.

When it's a mindset, I think fear and pride can play a role in it. It may be that these leaders are afraid of losing their position in the church, so they don't encourage others to succeed and rise above them. The best thing to do is try and out-position yourself. In the corporate world we call this succession management. You will be more valuable to the organization the more things you can do, the more flexible and willing you are to learn new things. If you are the only person who can do what you do, and you leave, the organization suffers, and that is selfish.

In my corporate experience, the company would identify individuals (usually MBAs who played golf, who were young, good-looking, and never challenged the way things were done) who were willing and flexible and would take them through a variety of different jobs, rotating them around the organization. This gave them a great exposure, not only to business processes but also to individuals, from vice-presidents to secretaries. After several years of this, they got to decide what area they wanted to work in most, and that's where they landed. But they could also be picked up and moved anywhere else at anytime that was needed. This reduced the cost to the company of hiring and training another high paid MBA. Everyone just rotated around. The lessons learned from this experience and exposure were wide and quick.

So, the moral of the story is to develop the leaders around you and put yourself out of your current position. But you need leaders who are not territorial, or fearful, or prideful. You need mature individuals and a plan to carry this out. The organization will be much stronger and more protected from people leaving abruptly.

Nuggets #23

An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus
Prophetic Whispers
After we have expounded the purpose of the people of
God in human history and exposed the problems that must be addressed, we must turn to a third step that is critical to effectively change leadership. This step is the identification and equipping of point men and women. In this step, we must remember that the critical issue in momentum is not the establishment of structures or the implementation of methodologies but the transformation of a corporate culture. The selection of a transition team can determine one's success or failure in implementing change. The individuals you are looking for are men and women who personify spiritual pliability and responsiveness, reflecting an apostolic ethos.

Required for this role are the abilities to understand the issues, embrace the direction, and transition others emotionally. One of the most significant evidences of the work of the Holy Spirit in the change process is the emergence of these spiritual leaders. Too many times, pastors begin a radical transition process without solidifying the key spiritual leaders necessary for healthy transition. The whole of God's people will be led into a wilderness experience-through the work of these indigenous leaders.

In our present context, most pastors are, at best, welcome guests. They are what sociologists might call "the acceptable outsider." As much as a pastor may love his congregation and have a deep sense of calling and commitment to its people, the nature of his position makes him a voice coming from the wilderness. It is essential, in leading a congregation with an already established ethos into a new future, to call out from within that community those who would hear the prophetic voice and respond by embracing the calling of God.

The voice of the spiritual leader, when echoing the heart of God, resonates in the hearts of those who are already seeking after God.

The key to cultural transition is not to bring something alien into a new culture, but to call out from within that culture those things that are most true and right. Deep within the heart of the local church is the heart of God. The local church cannot live without the heart of God pounding vibrantly within her. When the leader endeavors to awaken an apostolic ethos, he should not be surprised when men and women rise up to this higher calling of God.

Wow, that was good stuff. I think it is so important, whether starting to change the culture or start a new initiative within the church, to have the staff/volunteer structure in place prior to the change. Movements need to be planned, so that everything is done in a fitting and orderly way. Cross-functional teams should work together, covering all aspects of the initiative, to make it as clear and seamless as possible. I believe congregations begin to lose trust when they see disorganization, lack of planning, and sloppiness. When these things are present in a business environment, do people go back for that kind of experience again? Probably not. Why would we expect them to behave any differently in a church environment? Whether inside or outside a church, everyone is a consumer of something. I'll stop here or I'll start tapping into my Marketing background and that's a whole other blog.

Nuggets #22

An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus
Chapter Nine Re-Formation

Becoming a Problem
The third area of problems to be exposed-though seemingly paradoxical-is the ability to create problems. Great leaders creat great problems. If you're not willing to create problems, you're not willing to lead. Leaders create problems by changing expectations. Many churches that have been stagnant for years do not consider themselves to have any real problems. Only when a leader begins to call them out to the status quo does it begin to be perceived a problem.

If vision is anything at all, it is an invitation to excel beyond the present condition. In a sense, when a leader begins to cast vision, he begins to create problems. No matter how healthy or vibrant a church is, once a people begin to aspire to greater heights than presently experienced, problems are created. Before a leader casts a vision, there may not have been a problem in that arena at all. Only when the standards have been raised does a crisis ensue.

The Problem with Vision
When a church has too few problems, that may be because it has too little vision.

I'll have to stop there for today, the next section is long. If what Erwin says is true, and I believe it is, it is bad news for those who are conflict phobic. But when you look at the cost vs. benefit, who wouldn't choose to have a vision that is clearly and often communicated? One that stirs the hearts of the church?

Nuggets #21

An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus
More of Chapter Nine

Jungle Warfare
The second kind of problems is camouflaged problems, problems that are not so clear but need to be uncovered. If stating the obvious can seem like a courageous act of leadership, then unwrapping problems that have remained unseen is even more dangerous. Clear problems are often related to the present condition of the church in its relationship to the mission of Christ. Camouflaged problems, on the other hand, are often hidden within the human heart. Camouflaged problems usually involve core values and human motivation.

Camouflaged problems may appear when blame is being assigned. It's amazing how the local church will blame the outside world for the struggles within. While acknowledging that greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world, we attribute the decline of the church to the darkness outside or the apathy of those without Christ. We are too quick to blame the decline of the church on the disinterest of the unchurched.

If the root issues or core problems are not identified, a church can spend too much time and energy addressing the wrong issues.

Though all of this part of the book struck me, I really like how he uncovered the issue of camouflaged problems being hidden within the human heart and usually appear when blame is being assigned. I thought about two different scenarios where this is true. As one person blames another, the issue could be within the person being blamed. There could be a heart issue that needs to be addressed. Then again, if the person is being blamed wrongly, the issue could be within the blamer's heart. Only through open and full communication can the root issue be uncovered and dealt with.

Nuggets #20

An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus
Still in Chapter Nine

Seeing the Obvious
Three kinds of congregational problems must be addressed. The first is problems that are obvious to everyone. Strangely enough just because a problem is obvious to everyone doesn't mean it has been addressed. In an unhealthy community, such problems are what we've come to know as "family secrets." Everyone knows what's going on, knows there's a problem, and knows what the problem is, but no one has the courage to talk about it out loud. In many cases no one will even acknowledge that it exists. If someone alludes to the problem, such an immediate denial will likely follow that the conversation will be shut down.

I've found that simply having the courage to say the problem out loud and in public is perceived as a tremendous act of leadership. But sometimes speaking the truth in love is so difficult and painful that the help that could result from it is never engaged or experienced.

The role of leadership in declaring problems that are obvious to everyone is clearly not to bring new insight, but to establish the credibility to lead. We sometimes avoid speaking about congregational issues to avoid conflict or maintain harmony, yet what is lost is the credibility gained from a demonstration of our perceptively. If a part of leadership is painting a compelling picture of the future and inspiring people to a new vision for life and community, how will anyone have confidence in your ability to lead or create that new world if you can't even engage the present reality effectively?

When you ignore problems, you relinquish a place of truth. When you ignore problems, you communicate a lack of confidence that God can overcome obstacles that have debilitated or even paralyzed God's people. Identifying the clear problems is not expressing pessimism or negativity. It is not judgmentalism or condemnation. It is standing to face whatever Goliaths stand before God's people and speaking with confidence about a future gained after Goliath's defeat. Identifying the clear problems is the beginning point of spiritual warfare in leadership. It gives the spiritual leader an opportunity to call God's people to prayer and usher in the promises of God, promises of a future and a hope.

That's a lot to chew on for today. I totally agree with him. I know it's hard, I'm not overjoyed when I have to address a problem myself, but I've seen God's faithfulness when I've taken a big swallow and just done it. It takes several times, but the fear going into it decreases each time. I'm not talking of addressing a congregation, as I've never been in that position, but of one on one confrontation with ministry leaders. I've also walked others through it. I don't think anyone looks forward to moments like that unless they have experience doing it. It's kind of like public speaking. Scary at first, but gets easier with the more practice you get.

Our Second Prayer Walk

Today Greg and I went for our second prayer walk. I picked the more affluent northeast side of town to see what God would reveal. I spent about 3/4 of the time silently praying, Greg about 1/2 and the rest of the time we listened for anything God wanted to tell us.

When we started out, Greg told me to lead where we would walk. As I turned down a court, he told me that we were starting exactly where is platoon (group of young men he discipled last year) had left off on their prayer walk. That was cool!

When we got back to the car, we 'debriefed'. We talked about what we felt God had communicated to each of us and it was amazingly similar. Basically, that both this part of town and the West Side had many similarities. Though the West Side was concerned with what they didn't have and the northeast side with what they did have, both had domestic problems. There were addictions to alcohol and drugs, physical abuse, fathers who were too hard on their kids, and those who were almost absent. Both neighborhoods had homes where they weren't taking care of the yard. Too busy? Unexpected life situations? Other priorities? I saw one huge house with a Mercedes, a BMW, and a Cadillac in the driveway, but their roof was bare in places where they needed shingles, if not a new roof.

As we talked about the domestic issues, we explored the differences in how the husbands in both neighborhoods reacted to divorce. My impression was that because the Hispanic culture is very family oriented and dedicated, a divorce would be devastating both emotionally as well as socially. Their whole family would be disappointed. In the predominately white affluent neighborhood, the social aspect may not be as present or severe. That might contribute to the higher divorce rate among whites. Just a thought.

I was very excited to see that God told both of us that the neighborhoods were very similar, even though the income levels were so different. I would encourage anyone to go on a prayer walk in any part of town. Spend part of the time praying and then just listen for God. Start with your spouse. Take your small group. Take a friend. Go by yourself. I'm so looking forward to the next one!

Nuggets #19

An Unstoppable Force by Erwin McManus
Chapter Nine: Re-Formation

Redefining Church
Many who hear the prophetic call to return and restore the purpose of God for the church are inspired to new levels of obedience and faith. For them, the process of examining every program and expression of the church against the biblical mandate to make disciples of all nations becomes necessary for church health and renewal. Yet for others, this is not true. (For me this is VERY true. It's my passion!)
Known by the Scars
People need to know that the purpose of God burns in your heart, that people not only matter to God but also genuinely matter to you. The people you hope to lead need to see that your life has been reoriented around the very purposes that you advocate.

Yet I was reminded from the encouragement of spiritual men that what's important is not that everything goes right, but that what you're doing is right. If you are to lead God's people in the way of God, then you must prepare yourself for spiritual warfare ahead. If your motivation is the approval of men or being measured as successful in this world, then this journey may not be for you. But if you can live and die on the knowledge that you have given your life for the purpose of God, then you can move to the next step in the process of spiritual re-formation.

I'm going to make my comments in italics from now on, a suggestion from my husband so people know when Erwin stops and I start. Not that anyone would mistake my babble for a genius like Erwin, but I'll do it to make things simple.

So, there's the break between those who do right and those who focus on the outcome. I think this goes back to fear. The other day I wrote about those who wouldn't be caught dead doing something wrong. This is out of fear. But there is so much freedom and peace of mind when you're doing what you know God has mandated in his Word and you leave the desire for the approval of men in the dust. Being a soldier for God is referred to many times in the Bible. I believe that our spiritual walk is often a battle, and our faith, freedom in Christ, and the salvation of others is something to fight for.

Isaiah 41:9-14 (NIV)
"I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
All who rage against you
will surely be ashamed and disgraced;
those who oppose you
will be as nothing and perish.
Though you search for your enemies,
you will not find them.
Those who wage war against you
will be as nothing at all.
For I am the Lord, you God,
who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help you.
Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob,
O little Israel,
for I myself will help you," declares the Lord,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel."