There is in our community a man who made his fortune in restaurants. Now he has sold them and spends his time planting churches and helping others do the same. I sat with him not long ago and talked about church planting in this new day. He tells people to move into a community and settle down there. Then go out and get a job, any legitimate job. Work in fast food if you have to. With your Christian lifestyle and work ethic, you’ll be managing the place in six months. Do what you have to do to make a living. Then do what you have to do to bring together that core group to start your church.
His approach is not only entrepreneurial, but also includes Christians being embedded in their community. Our greatest goal should be to insert into a community called people who are trained and connected, then help empower them to support themselves while doing viable and vital ministry through existing small churches and/or through planting new house churches.
We want Christian families to become embedded in their communities. Many people today never make a place for themselves in their neighborhood or community. They are present only as a resident and only as long as their jobs keep them in that location.
While we recognize the necessity of being mobile, we should also seek to become contributing members of a community. We should seek to know our neighbors and introduce them to Christ. And we want to know and fellowship with other Christian families.
Showing posts with label people. Show all posts
Showing posts with label people. Show all posts
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Entrepreneurial Minister
In a day of economic challenges and shrinking churches and denominational bodies comes a call from God that we enlarge our territory of ministry. The calling comes not only to churches, but to those called to do the ministry.
For those called to ministry, carrying out the call of the Lord often means taking more responsibility for raising their own support. An entrepreneurial attitude toward ministry must be developed.
An entrepreneurial minister is creative. The Lord works in the heart to bring vision - sometimes a new vision no one is even attempting. But that means there are no tried and true ways to make it happen.
An entrepreneurial minister is self-sufficient. The entrepreneurial minister recognizes it is up to them to make things happen. The final responsibility is not shifted to a church or organization, though those partners are gladly welcomed.
An entrepreneurial minister is connected. That sounds like a contradiction to being self-sufficient. We all depend on each other. And it is the wise person who realizes that dependence. While the entrepreneurial minister is not afraid to take the lead in developing, planning, funding ministry, that same minister welcomes and develops contacts through various networks. No entrepreneurial effort is likely to succeed without a network of support.
An entrepreneurial minister is ready to fail, if need be. An entrepreneurial minister is prayerful. No one is more prayerful than someone who carries so much of the responsibility themselves. An entrepreneurial minister is willing to do what is necessary to support a family and to make that ministry happen.
Let this be a summons to people with a burden for ministry to take the necessary steps to make that ministry a reality. Maybe you can depend upon a church to make it happen. Maybe you’ll have to find other support. Likely it will take it all.
For those called to ministry, carrying out the call of the Lord often means taking more responsibility for raising their own support. An entrepreneurial attitude toward ministry must be developed.
An entrepreneurial minister is creative. The Lord works in the heart to bring vision - sometimes a new vision no one is even attempting. But that means there are no tried and true ways to make it happen.
An entrepreneurial minister is self-sufficient. The entrepreneurial minister recognizes it is up to them to make things happen. The final responsibility is not shifted to a church or organization, though those partners are gladly welcomed.
An entrepreneurial minister is connected. That sounds like a contradiction to being self-sufficient. We all depend on each other. And it is the wise person who realizes that dependence. While the entrepreneurial minister is not afraid to take the lead in developing, planning, funding ministry, that same minister welcomes and develops contacts through various networks. No entrepreneurial effort is likely to succeed without a network of support.
An entrepreneurial minister is ready to fail, if need be. An entrepreneurial minister is prayerful. No one is more prayerful than someone who carries so much of the responsibility themselves. An entrepreneurial minister is willing to do what is necessary to support a family and to make that ministry happen.
Let this be a summons to people with a burden for ministry to take the necessary steps to make that ministry a reality. Maybe you can depend upon a church to make it happen. Maybe you’ll have to find other support. Likely it will take it all.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Networking in Ministry
When I wrote Making It In Ministry several years ago (still available on Amazon - shameless plug), I suggested that future ministry will require networking. Fact is, the days when a seminarian could graduate and expect to be called to First Church, County Seat USA and spend a lifetime in ministry reasonably well provided for are gone… at least for many if not most people. Making It In Ministry arose from the senior seminar I taught in an urban, interdenominational seminary. Even then it was my dubious privilege to make those students aware they might have to create their own opportunities and approach ministry as a bi-vocational calling.
In my first blog entry, when I talked about what I wanted to be when I grow up, I didn’t say “I want to start a network.” But, actually, networking is the only way to make some of the other goals come together.
Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory!” I Chronicles 4:10 NIV
“Enlarge the place of your tent…”
Isaiah 54:2 NIV
For several hundred years, congregationally governed churches have networked into associations of churches to do ministries and missions and conduct training that would have been impossible for individual churches. Ministers and staff persons of those churches found some support and training from the associations, but for the most part remained on their own - virtually as individual contractors.
I believe the time has come for ministers to network together in associations of their own. Without competing with associations of churches, these minister associations would serve to network and resource those seeking to do ministry. They would also be prayer partners and in some cases provide needed representation in finding placement and raising funds.
It’s “seasoned” (please don’t say “old”) preacher types like me that should probably lead the way in putting these associations together. We bring experience. We’re often already placed in ministry and the association should not interfere with existing ministry placements. We may not be financially secure, but we’re probably enough along in life and have enough of the pressing financial responsibilities behind us that we can take on a new task without having to depend upon it for income. We ready to have the Lord enlarge our tents.
If you want to follow this line of thinking, there’s a Squid page for that: www.squidoo.com/jabez-project. I’ve put together the first effort at describing a ministry association I’m launching. You might want to be more involved in the visioning process or in the association itself.
In my first blog entry, when I talked about what I wanted to be when I grow up, I didn’t say “I want to start a network.” But, actually, networking is the only way to make some of the other goals come together.
Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory!” I Chronicles 4:10 NIV
“Enlarge the place of your tent…”
Isaiah 54:2 NIV
For several hundred years, congregationally governed churches have networked into associations of churches to do ministries and missions and conduct training that would have been impossible for individual churches. Ministers and staff persons of those churches found some support and training from the associations, but for the most part remained on their own - virtually as individual contractors.
I believe the time has come for ministers to network together in associations of their own. Without competing with associations of churches, these minister associations would serve to network and resource those seeking to do ministry. They would also be prayer partners and in some cases provide needed representation in finding placement and raising funds.
It’s “seasoned” (please don’t say “old”) preacher types like me that should probably lead the way in putting these associations together. We bring experience. We’re often already placed in ministry and the association should not interfere with existing ministry placements. We may not be financially secure, but we’re probably enough along in life and have enough of the pressing financial responsibilities behind us that we can take on a new task without having to depend upon it for income. We ready to have the Lord enlarge our tents.
If you want to follow this line of thinking, there’s a Squid page for that: www.squidoo.com/jabez-project. I’ve put together the first effort at describing a ministry association I’m launching. You might want to be more involved in the visioning process or in the association itself.
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