Off the Agenda: Conversations for Building Church Leaders

"Micah 7:8-9 is a picture of what you say to your enemy when he scoffs at your defeat. I call this practice 'gutsy guilt.' The believer admits that he has done wrong and that God is dealing roughly with him. But even in a condition of darkness and discipline, he will not surrender his hold on the truth that God is on his side. Pay close attention to these amazing words. Use them whenever Satan tempts you to throw away your life on trifles because that's all you're good for.

Micah 7:8-9 is what victory looks like the morning after failure. Learn to take your theology and speak like this to the Devil or anyone else who tells you that Christ is not capable of using you mightily for his global cause."

--John Piper, from his article, "Gutsy Guilt," in the October 2007 edition of Christianity Today. To read the entire article, click here.

What tools have you found useful to maintain your sexual integrity?

We're off to a successful start here at Off the Agenda. Hopefully you've had a chance by now to get to know our team, and some of the people within the church community who have joined us to help shape the conversation here. And we really hope the posts you've read so far already have encouraged you, challenged you, and equipped you for the leadership roles you handle day to day.

But now that you know who we are, it's time to get to know you.

We'd love to see you comment to this post to tell us a bit about yourself.

Continue reading "And You Are?"...

As I prepared to leave for a recent speaking engagement, I realized how tired I was, how desperate I was for my own experience of intimacy with God, and how much I needed the very things I would be guiding others into on that day. After 25 years of life in ministry, I had learned to pay attention to such inner dynamics and knew better than to wait for a better time. I packed a simple bag, made overnight arrangements as I drove to the retreat I was leading, and left right from the speaking engagement to enter into 24 hours of silent retreat. That choice alone changed the tenor of the whole week and the whole month that followed.

One of the most important rhythms of my life as a person in ministry is a constant back and forth motion between times when I am engaged in the battle, giving my best energy to taking the next hill and times of retreat when I am not “on” and I do not have to be any particular way for anyone. Times when I can be in God’s presence for my own soul’s sake.

A sobering truth about life in leadership is that we can be very busy and look very important, yet be out of touch with that place in the center of our being where we know who we are in God and what he has called us to do—that place where we are responsive to the voice of God above all others.

Continue reading "Before Ministry Life Burns You Out"...

Several months ago I had the privilege of attending the Purpose-Driven Small Groups conference at Saddleback Church. Randy Frazee was the opening plenary speaker, and he started off with a quote from Lyle Schaller that still has my attention today: “The biggest challenge of the church is to address the fragmentation and discontinuity of the American lifestyle.”

That’s why I’m such a big fan of small groups. When done correctly, no other ministry has greater potential for life-changing connection and community. No other ministry has a better shot of sewing together the fragments and divisions of the American church—let alone the American lifestyle.

But that begs an important question: What makes a small group a small group?

Continue reading "What Makes a Small Group?"...

The look of bewilderment and hurt in my friend’s eyes caught me off guard as we ate lunch together last April.

It was just after Easter, yet that look still remains vivid in my memory five months later. And our conversation helps illustrate the spirit and purpose behind “Off the Agenda,” the new blog we’ve launched here at Building Church Leaders.

I had just asked my friend, a veteran pastor leading a small congregation, what one thing was keeping him up at night. I didn’t get the usual type of response, such as dealing with a board fight or a struggle to increase members’ giving. Instead, he looked down toward the table for a moment, shifted in his seat, and took a deep breath.

Continue reading "The Looks in Our Eyes"...

Off The Agenda: Conversations for Building Church Leaders is a blog where people in church leadership positions — pastors, staff members, and volunteers, among others — gather for discussion, where they encourage, equip, and prepare each other for the joys and challenges they face each day. The blog is a part of BuildingChurchLeaders.com, a web site devoted to equipping and guiding church leaders worldwide.

Building Church Leaders, founded by the editors of Leadership journal in 1998, started out by providing notebooks of training materials to church leaders. In 2001, the web site launched, offering downloadable training resources on myriad topics. It has steadily grown ever since, and now reaches nearly 90,000 subscribers through its free weekly e- newsletter .

"Off The Agenda" was added in 2007 when BuildingChurchLeaders.com relaunched as a revamped and upgraded site, adding interactive assessments, online community connections, and insights from leading thinkers in the evangelical world, including Leith Anderson, Reggie McNeal, Angie Ward, and Mark Driscoll, to its roster of more than 2,000 training downloads.

Contributors to "Off The Agenda" include Marshall Shelley, Matt Branaugh, Chris Blumhofer, Amy Simpson, Kevin Miller, and Sam O'Neal.

Have a question? An idea for a blog post or training article? Contact the editors at BCL@ChristianityToday.com.

"Every church wants to grow, right? Not necessarily. Some leaders and members subconsciously may see growth as threatening and prefer to keep things ‘the way they used to be.’ This secret resistance among key people will surely inhibit growth.” —Douglas J. Brouwer, from the Building Church Leaders Assessment Pack, “A Welcoming Church.”

Have you encountered a secret resistance to growth at your church? How did you respond?

What is code? It’s a difficult question. We can talk about code as the essence or soul of a church. We can talk about what code does, which is to shape the face of how the church displays itself to the world. Under the radar, code shapes our vision, values, and mission. It subtly mirrors our symbols, stories, and history. It is difficult to define because it is invisible, like the air we breathe.

But perhaps code is most easily understood when things are out of alignment, when something isn’t right. In fact, a church incongruent with its code is the single greatest cause of conflict I see, and it creates far more damage than clashes over personal differences, worship styles, or even most theological differences. Incongruence can prove to be highly destructive.

Incongruence is the disconnect between what we say and what we do. It is commonplace, almost expected, in our culture. For example, when Sears launched “the softer side of Sears” campaign, it landed on deaf ears. Why? Because when people think of Sears they think of tools and appliances… not nightgowns and dress suits. It didn’t fit their code. Healthy churches have a clear sense of identity. They know their code. And they don’t deviate from it.

That code gives a church a sense of collective personality and uniqueness; it defines each fellowship as one of a kind. Transforming churches work hard to bring their operating culture into alignment with their code.

Unfortunately, too many churches fall prey to formulaic approaches, becoming McFranchises of something else.

Continue reading "Breaking Your Church's Code"...

“Make a mental switch on the way home. If that’s not possible, give your family a signal when you’ve shaken off the day and are home at last. Take a shower, change your clothes, or even wait to drop the tie until you’re ready to be mentally present with your family.”

—Marshall Shelley, from the article “Winning the War for Family Time,” in the Building Church Leaders Assessment Pack, "Time Management."

Our friends at Out of Ur recently wrote a post regarding a new survey that finds 70 percent of young adults stop attending church by age 23. The research was conducted by LifeWay Research and directed by Ed Stetzer, an editorial advisor for Building Church Leaders:

A new study reported by USAToday finds that a high percentage of young adults who attended church while in high school stop attending by age 23. The poll was conducted by LifeWay Research, an affiliate of the publishing arm of the Southern Baptist Convention. 70% of young adults drop out of Protestant churches, and 34% do not attend even sporadically after age 30. That means at least one in four young people who leave the church never return.

"This is sobering news that the church needs to change the way it does ministry," says Ed Stetzer, who directed the study. "It seems the teen years are like a free trial on a product.

Continue reading "Evangelical Drop-Outs"...

"Schedule time together between official meetings, whether one-on-one or with a few. It can be in the pastor’s or a member’s home for an evening (with spouses), or over lunch. Tomorrow morning, for example, I have initiated a breakfast meeting with five key board members as we work through a matter for our congregational business meeting next Sunday. But sometimes the get-together may simply be for social purposes. I’ve found I must plan these times well in advance, or they won’t happen.”

—Chuck Swindoll, from the article,“Build Better Relationships with Your Board,” from the Building Church Leaders Practical Ministry Skills, “Becoming a Great Church Board.”

What are some valuable ways your church's senior staff and board have built camaraderie?

Following years of urban ministry in Chicago and Cincinnati, Alvin and his wife, Caroline, founded River of Life Church in downtown Cincinnati in the midst of civil unrest over the shooting death of an African American teenager by a white police officer. River of Life is a mostly biracial (white and African American) church with a heart for reconciliation.

Continue reading "Dr. Alvin Sanders"...

Leith’s many interests involve him in pastoring, teaching, writing, speaking, and leadership. Leith earned a master of divinity from Denver Seminary in Denver, Colorado, a doctor of ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, and a doctor of divinity from Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He has been senior pastor of Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, since 1977.

He currently is president of the National Association of Evangelicals.

Continue reading "Leith Anderson"...

Charles Arn completed his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Southern California, majoring in Instructional Design and Technology. He became actively involved in the church growth movement as his father, Dr. Win Arn, began to pioneer the study and application of church growth principles to North America in the early 1970s.

Charles began working full-time with his father at Church Growth Inc., specializing in research and new product development.

Continue reading "Charles Arn"...

Lynne M. Baab served in pastoral roles in two Presbyterian congregations in Seattle and is currently lecturer in pastoral theology at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. She is the author of several books, including Fasting: Spiritual Freedom Beyond Our Appetites (InterVarsity Press, 2006), Sabbath Keeping (InterVarsity Press, 2005), and Beating Burnout in Congregations (The Alban Institute, 2003).

Continue reading "Rev. Lynne M. Baab"...

Ruth Haley Barton is co-founder and president of The Transforming Center, a ministry dedicated to caring for the souls of pastors and the congregations they serve. She is a teacher, spiritual director, and retreat leader trained through the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation (Washington, D.C.) and The Pathways Center for Spiritual Leadership (Nashville, Tennessee).

Continue reading "Ruth Haley Barton"...

Chris Blumhofer is assistant editor for BuildingChurchLeaders.com, where he began working in February 2006. In his role, Chris coordinates and edits many of the articles and training downloads that reach Building Church Leaders' customers.

Chris attends College Church in Wheaton, Illinois, where he has served as a small-group leader, a short-term missions trip leader, a Sunday school teacher, and as a ministry intern. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biblical and theological studies from Wheaton College.

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Matt Branaugh is director of editorial and special projects for Christianity Today International’s Your Church Media Group. Prior to this role, he led Christianity Today’s Ministry Team, which includes BuildingChurchLeaders.com and FaithVisuals.com.

He is passionate about equipping and energizing church leaders with the principles and tools that help them more effectively serve the kingdom of God.

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Mark Buchanan is an author and pastor living on Vancouver Island with his wife, Cheryl, and their three children, Adam, Sarah, and Nicola.

Mark graduated from the University of British Columbia’s Creative Writing Department, and he holds a master’s degree from Regent College in interdisciplinary studies.

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Gary R. Collins is a licensed clinical psychologist with a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Purdue University. He is the author of about 200 articles and more than 50 books, including The Biblical Basis of Christian Counseling and Christian Coaching: Helping Others Turn Potential into Reality. His classic textbook, Christian Counseling: A Comprehensive Guide, appears in several languages and has been revised in an updated and expanded third edition published in 2007. An accompanying Christian Counseling Casebook will appear later in the year.

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Dave Ferguson is the lead pastor of Community Christian Church, a multi-site, missional community in Chicagoland that draws more than 5,000 people every weekend at eight locations. The church recently was recognized as one of the most influential churches in America.

Continue reading "Dave Ferguson"...

Stephen A. Macchia became the founding president of Leadership Transformations Inc. (LTi) on July 1, 2003. LTi is a ministry focused on the spiritual formation needs of leaders and the spiritual discernment processes of leadership teams in local church and parachurch ministry settings nationwide.

He is the author of Becoming a Healthy Church (Baker Books, 1999), Becoming A Healthy Church Workbook (Baker, 2001), Becoming A Healthy Disciple (Baker Books, 2004), the Becoming A Healthy Disciple Small Group Study and Worship Guide (LTi Resources, July 2004), and most recently, Becoming A Healthy Team (Baker Books, 2005).

Continue reading "Rev. Dr. Stephen A. Macchia"...

Gordon MacDonald is an author, speaker, and teacher. He was a pastor for more than 40 years, most recently the senior minister at Grace Chapel, Lexington, Massachusetts. When he stepped down from that position, the Grace Chapel congregation honored him with the title, Pastor Emeritus. Other pastorates were in New York City, Southern Illinois and Kansas. For three years MacDonald was president of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

MacDonald has written more than a dozen books and co-authored others with his wife, Gail. Perhaps his best-known book has been Ordering Your Private World, which won the Gold Medallion and the Platinum Awards from the Evangelical Christian Publishing Association. There are nearly 1.5 million copies of this book in print, and it has been translated into a dozen or more languages.

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Reggie enjoys helping people, leaders, and Christian organizations pursue more intentional lives. He currently serves as the Missional Leadership Specialist for Leadership Network of Dallas, Texas.

Reggie’s past experience involves more than a decade as a denominational executive and leadership development coach. He also served in local congregational leadership for more than 20 years, including being the founding pastor of a new church. Reggie has lectured or taught as adjunct faculty for multiple seminaries, including Fuller Theological (Pasadena, California), Southwestern Baptist (Fort Worth, Texas), Golden Gate Baptist (San Francisco), Trinity Divinity School (Deerfield, Illinois), and Columbia International (Columbia, South Carolina).

Continue reading "Reggie McNeal"...

Sue Mallory, the author of The Equipping Church and co-author of The Equipping Church Guidebook, has spent more than 20 years in full-time ministry.

Sue served as the founding executive director of Leadership Training Network (LTN) for eight years and more recently as the directional leader and executive director for Leadership Connection. Sue served as executive consultant for Church Volunteer Central, a division of Group Publishing.

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Kevin A. Miller is editor-at-large of Leadership journal and executive vice president at Christianity Today International. Kevin writes for Leadership journal and PreachingToday.com, and he is a featured speaker for Preaching Today Audio. Kevin is also the author of several books, including Surviving Information Overload (Zondervan).

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Sam O’Neal is managing editor of the Discipleship Team at Christianity Today International, where he works primarily with small-groups resources. He is a contributor to Leadership journal, Ignite Your Faith, and Christianity Today.

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Marshall Shelley is editorial vice-president of Christianity Today International, and editor in chief of the Leadership Media Group, which includes Leadership journal, PreachingToday.com, BuildingChurchLeaders.com, FaithVisuals.com, SmallGroups.com, and ChristianBibleStudies.com. He served as general editor of The Quest Study Bible, a best-selling edition of the New International Version, released in 1994.

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Amy Simpson is passionate about serving the church and its people through leadership, communication, and resources. She currently serves as executive director for the Leadership Media Group at Christianity Today International.

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John is the pastor of City Church in Minneapolis, Minn. Prior to leading the founding of City Church in 2005, he was executive director of Wooddale Center, a ministry to churches and church leaders at Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minn. Previously, John was a marketing executive at General Mills. While there, he held a number of marketing positions, including marketing manager for Cheerios and the European head of new product development for Cereal Partners Worldwide, a joint venture between General Mills and Nestlé.

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Angie Ward is a “leader of leaders” with more than 15 years of leadership development experience in a variety of ministry settings. She is the founder of Forward Leadership and is a contributing editor for Leadership journal.

Angie is passionate about helping leaders and organizations realize their full potential. She has a unique ability to see how little details fit into the big picture, and the steps needed to move toward greater effectiveness.

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