Staffing for the Growing Church
by Pastor John Nuzzo

John Nuzzo is the senior pastor of Victory Family Church located in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania.  Pastor John and his wife Michelle founded the church in 1993.  Under their leadership, the church has grown into a body of believers possessing the same vision—to reveal the love of God for all mankind.  Their belief is that an individual’s understanding of the depths of God’s love will cause every man, woman and child to rise above their circumstances, have an eternal perspective in life, and be moved beyond their own needs to the needs of humanity.  Pastor John’s teaching is delivered in a way that is relevant to the life and heart of every believer.  Pastor John and Michelle’s desire is to see people experience God in everyday life.

I have discovered that there are several key factors to successfully staffing a growing church.  The first is providing clear direction.  The second is finding the right people, and the third is managing the people with measurable and time sensitive goals.

Most senior pastors of growing churches have little to no difficulty in knowing their intended direction for the church they lead.  However, most “visionary leaders” often have great difficulty in effectively and consistently communicating their heart and vision to staff.  Most pastors that I interact with can clearly articulate the direction, focus and passion of their hearts for the church they serve.  They also typically possess the ability to share the vision with their congregation.  However, many of them have failed to acquire the skills and tools to effectively communicate to their staff.  We often “assume” that those around us understand things in a few short meetings, which have taken us a lifetime to develop.  Most conflicts that exist in the staff are a result of differing assumptions. Communication is the lifeblood of any organization and is the only remedy to the issue of differing assumptions.  Try this little exercise at your next staff meeting.  Take 5 minutes and ask each person present to write down the top 3 things that define the focus, passion and vision of your church and what the top three things are that they are doing that week to move toward fulfilling the vision.  You may be surprised at the answers.  How can someone fulfill a vision that they haven’t yet embraced or understood for themselves?  What does a “win” look like and can both you and those on your staff clearly articulate the intended outcome for their position?

Finding the right people is in my experience the most difficult part of the staffing equation. It is made easier when the following questions are answered before you ever interview a potential candidate.  Have you defined in writing the job description, its benefits, the top three measurable goals for the coming year, who the person will report to, who will report to the person, and the type of person you need for the position?  Before you look for a person, define the position and form your questions to a potential staff person based upon the documents you have created.  What is the person’s and position’s role preference and do they match?  A “role preference” is defining whether the person is a “designer,” a “developer,” or a “stabilizer,” or a combination.

Designer – Sees the big picture and thinks in headlines and finds details difficult.  A great leader, but poor manager.

Design/Developer – leans more heavily toward the Designer

Developer/Designer – leans more heavily toward the Developer

Developer – Likes to take a project that is defined and add the skin, bones, hair and clothes.  Can stay focused for 3 – 5 years on a given project or function.  A moderate leader, but a good manager.

Developer/Stabilizer – leans more heavily toward the Developer

Stabilizer/Developer – leans more heavily toward the Stabilizer

Stabilizer – Can stay with a task for years and years.  A poor leader, but a fantastic task person.

All seven types of persons are needed to effectively run the local church.  When you ask a stabilizer to do what either a developer or designer is gifted to do, you will cause a very good person to experience failure needlessly.  This process joins a faithful person with an inherent skill set and creates a greater likelihood for success.  For example, if you were hiring someone to oversee people or a project you would be looking for a “Developer.”  If that project was yet to be defined, then you would be looking for a “Design Developer” or a “Developer Designer.”  If you were looking for a receptionist, you would be looking for a stabilizer.  Ask questions that will help you define what role preference your potential staff person fits naturally.  You can also use this process with existing staff.  You will likely discover that you have some very good people doing jobs that cause them continual frustration.

Finally, you should only “expect” what you “inspect.”  Make sure that you have a weekly or bi-weekly meeting between the staff member and the person to whom they report.  Create a team report and ask the following questions:

• What are the top three things that you need from me to proceed with your goals?
• What problems are you encountering in reaching your goals?
• What are you planning to do this week, month, and in the next six months specifically to reach your goals?
• Who are you presently mentoring; update me on their progress?
• How would you rate your personal happiness on a scale of one to ten?
• What can I be praying about for you in either your ministry or personal life?

Keep a copy of each report and start a binder for each employee.  This will create a clear and concise record of each employee’s efforts.  This will help both you and your staff determine if their efforts are productive.  Remember to insist that they are honest and thorough in their answers.  For greater details and insight into this subject, I would highly recommend the book Masterplanning by Bobb Biehl.

Dealing with Spiritual Infection
Rick Renner

Rick Renner is a highly respected leader, teacher, and author within the Christian community, both in the U.S. and abroad. He works alongside his wife Denise to see the Gospel preached, leadership trained, and churches established throughout the former Soviet Union. Rick and Denise are the founders and pastors of the Moscow Good News Church. They reside in Moscow, along with their three sons and their families. Learn more about this outstanding ministry at www.renner.org.

From the words of Christ in Revelation 2:12-17, it is clear that a very serious false doctrine — a spiritual infection — was being advanced in the Pergamum congregation by certain unnamed leaders. It only takes a few spiritual leaders getting off track to affect the longevity of a church. It is important to recall that physical infections begin at the microscopic level with a relatively small number of contagions and that many are often very treatable if they are addressed in their early stages. However, if they are left untreated, infections can quickly grow out of control and lead to serious physical complications or even death. In Christ’s words to Pergamum it is clear that a spiritual disease had infected the church of Pergamum, but it was still in its early stages.

The spiritual infection had entered the Pergamene church through a “few” church leaders whose influence in the congregation provided a platform from which they could spread their false teaching to fellow believers. Although their numbers were still small at the time Christ delivered His message to John on the island of Patmos, they were already in the process of multiplying inside the church — exactly like an infectious disease. If this multiplication was not stopped by the power of the Spirit, it would spread from one believer to another until it finally affected not just “a few,” but the entire congregation. Just as a physical infection can be stopped in its early stages from fully developing, Jesus was calling for the Pergamum congregation to hear what the Spirit was saying (Revelation 2:17) and immediately stop the spread of this infectious teaching.

Similarities Between the Human Body and the Local Church Body

InFirst Corinthians 12:12-27, Paul likened the local church body to a physical body, and indeed there are many similarities. For instance, just as the human body exhibits distinct symptoms when an infection begins to spread, a local church will demonstrate many telling signs that a spiritual infection has begun to take root in its midst. Consider the many parallels that exist between a physical infection that has invaded a human body and a spiritual infection that has invaded a local church body.

• Physical infection can be defined as the injurious colonization of a human body by a foreign species that begins to utilize the host’s resources to assist in its own infectious multiplication. Once inside a human body, an infecting organism quickly begins to multiply inside its host. Normally, the human body has multiple systems of defense designed to protect the body from infection. But when the human body is physically weak, malnourished, or exposed to fatigue over a long period of time, the immune system is compromised, and the body becomes susceptible to infection. Ultimately, an infected person becomes contagious to others.
• Persistent infections occur when a body is unable to completely purge the harmful organisms after the initial infection. Such infections may appear to go into remission, but in actuality, the infectious organisms merely remain dormant in the body, fully capable of being reactivated if the immune system is weakened once again. For persistent infections to be eliminated from the body, serious, directed treatment is often required.
• Infection can be transmitted in a variety of ways, but the most common means is horizontal transmission, or the direct or indirect transfer of an infectious organism from one person to another. Transmission through direct contact may occur when a healthy individual comes into physical contact with an infected person’s body or bodily fluids. This can occur in numerous ways, but two very common causes of direct transmission are unprotected sexual contact and breathing air that has been contaminated by an infected person’s cough or sneeze.
• Infections can also be transmitted through indirect contact. This occurs when a person touches a physical object that an infected person has previously handled. Common examples would be actions as simple as touching the same furniture, doorknobs, or toys or sharing foods or liquids. Although a person may not directly contact an infected individual, environment alone can be sufficient to transmit infection in extremely contagious cases. In these instances, the germs can be so robust that they are able to survive outside the human body for long periods of time and still retain their infectious nature. This fact demonstrates the necessity to thoroughly cleanse and sanitize any areas, items, or people that have been exposed to the environment of an infected person.
• The longevity of an infection is dependent on whether the infecting organism is transmitted from one person to the next. If this transmission is stopped, the infection is stopped. Therefore, it is essential to stop that transmission process.
• In order to stop an infection from being transmitted to others, an infected individual must be willing to undergo treatment. Even in the ancient world, medication was used to treat infected individuals. Although the medication may be distasteful and unwanted, it is absolutely necessary to annihilate the infecting organisms in order to stop the spread of disease to others.
• If an infection progresses to a point in a person’s body that medicine alone is no longer sufficient to stem its advance, the infected person may need to submit to a surgical procedure. As unwanted and painful as this step is, it may be the only way to stop the spread of disease to the entire body. Removal or surgical correction is never easy to endure, but this procedure may save the life of a person in that dire condition.
• In most cases, it is relatively simple to avoid an outbreak of infection by making minor adjustments to one’s lifestyle. For instance, germs thrive in unsanitary environments, so regularly cleansing one’s hands and making an effort to live in a clean, sanitary environment are helpful in preventing infection. In addition, it is important to eat food that is well prepared, healthy, and clean since unhealthy, dirty food is often a major contributor to the transmission of infection.
• In the human body, some infections are easy to detect because they are accompanied by immediate symptoms, whereas others produce no symptoms until the infection has already spread inside its host. Bodily aches, tenderness to the touch, chills, fatigue, inflammation and fever, loss of appetite, nausea, pain, weight loss, and vomiting are all common, easily detectable signs of infection. These symptoms alert a person that a foreign entity has penetrated his body and is now multiplying inside.

So how does all this apply to a case of spiritual infection in a local church?

When spiritual infection finds its way into a local church, it quickly begins to multiply inside that congregation unless it is quickly addressed and stopped. God has designed the Body of Christ to supernaturally withstand most attacks by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. However, if a particular congregation has undergone a difficult period and become fatigued, spiritually malnourished, and weak, that congregation’s God-given “immune system” may become more susceptible to infection from deceptive doctrines. Ultimately, if these destructive forces are allowed to propagate within a church, they will gain strength and spread to the entire congregation, even though they may have initially been embraced by only a few.

Persistent spiritual infections occur when a church is unable to clear itself of an initial outbreak. This chronic condition may seem to go into remission — but if true repentance hasn’t occurred, it will only be a matter of time before difficult conditions cause that toxic poison to be reactivated in the congregation. If this situation isn’t dealt with properly — if the infection isn’t eliminated as soon as it first becomes evident within the congregation— the infection will simply go into “sleep mode” — and will be certain to reawaken at a later time. This is why it must be dealt with immediately and directly if it is to be permanently eliminated from the church body.

In order to stop spiritual infection from metastasizing inside a congregation, the person spreading the disease must be willing to “undergo treatment” by submitting to authority and correction. If the church itself has become diseased due to a long-term toxic condition, the spiritually infected person may also be required to submit to a stricter discipline. In extreme cases, the only way to bring correction to a church may be to remove the person at the source of infection. Although unwanted and painful, this corrective action may prolong the life of the church.

The prevention of spiritual infection is relatively simple in most cases. Making minor adjustments to one’s lifestyle, avoiding temptations to compromise, refusing to bend on one’s moral positions, spending time daily in prayer and the Word, and keeping one’s heart right toward the local church are all critical elements in preventing outbreaks of spiritual infection. Furthermore, it is very important to be fed a balanced, well-prepared, untainted diet of God’s Word.

Churches experience distinct symptoms when they have been invaded by a spiritual infection. For instance, just as a physical body might experience a lack of energy or weight loss when it has an infection, a church body can experience a lack of power or a drop in attendance when a spiritual disease has infiltrated the congregation. Or in the same way that a person dealing with infection might experience a loss of appetite, a church usually experiences a diminishing of spiritual hunger when it is infected.

There are other striking similarities between the symptoms of physical and spiritual infection. Inflamed, infected tissue often produces swelling and becomes hot and painful. The spiritual counterpart to this physical phenomenon would be the tendency for infected churches to experience swelling crowds of uncommitted believers with itching ears because a spiritually contaminated congregation often appeals to others with perhaps different but equally diseased “ideas.” Church attendance may increase in size yet be completely devoid of healthy growth. But in an infected church, “quantity” fails to reflect “quality” as people flock only to what feeds their selfish interests. Eventually the blend of these inflamed, swelling ranks becomes a toxic soup that spills out to infect ever-increasing numbers of people.

In addition, the tenderness or pain displayed in an infected physical body may manifest as a spiritual infection in a local body of believers as a combination of touchiness, agitation, and anger. This “soreness” is often reflected in the attitude of spiritually infected individuals who become belligerent with anyone who questions their erroneous beliefs. Their touchiness is always on display because they view every conversation as a potential challenge to their perspective. They become insufferable and cantankerous, feeling the need to take on the world to prove their point and producing “dis-ease” and discomfort among all who even slightly bump into them. Their irrational words, attitudes, and actions resemble the disorientation of a fevered person who can make outlandish statements and reflect bizarre behavior because of the way the inflammation has affected his or her brain.

A local church often views the symptoms described above as demonic attacks. Although this is definitely true in part, the church leadership must still determine how the devil found access into the congregation in the first place. Seeking God in earnest prayer is essential to obtaining an answer to this question. Once the answer is known, repentance is required to rid the local body of whatever is allowing the enemy to poison and destroy from within.

The most difficult type of spiritual infection to detect and treat is when one or more church leaders within a congregation become infected. False doctrine that finds its way into the heart of one leader, if it is not corrected, will begin to pass to others, just as an infection is passed from one host to the next. If this transmission isn’t stopped, it has the potential to eventually infect an entire congregation.

A spiritual leader who is infected with false doctrine is only one person — but he is an influential person that touches many lives. If the infection in his soul isn’t eliminated, it is likely that others will be contaminated through his touch. His diseased influence will spread like germs until it infects people who gather to worship. If correction doesn’t come to his life, his words and teachings have the potential to become food that makes others sick. Because his influence is strong, it is likely that those who are close to him will pick up whatever has contaminated him and become infected with the same spiritual problems.

The point is that it doesn’t take too many erring individuals to transmit sickness to a church body when they hold positions of influence.

In cases where spiritual infection is extremely contagious and dangerous, quarantine may even be required to prevent the infection from spreading throughout the rest of the congregation. The person who is the source of infection may not understand the severity of his condition, or he may refuse to put sufficient space between himself and others to prevent the spread of contagion. To avoid putting the entire congregation at risk, the infected individual may have to be removed from the midst of the congregation to stop the destructive poison from spreading further.

As for the church of Pergamum, we don’t know the specific names of the leaders who were the source of false doctrine in that congregation. However, we do know that although their number was few, Christ took this threat very seriously. At this point, only a small number in the congregation had been affected. But if this threat wasn’t corrected, Jesus knew it would begin to spread like an infectious disease until the entire church was adversely impacted.

It might be difficult to imagine that a congregation who had paid such a monumental price for their loyalty to Christ would simultaneously be infected with an internal spiritual disease. However, Satan had learned that if he couldn’t destroy a church with external pressure, he would attack it from within. The believers in Pergamum had been so focused on combating the enemy from without that they had overlooked the greater enemy that had risen up in their midst. Thus, Jesus didn’t soften the impact of His words when He addressed this issue. His words were intentionally strong so those who were guilty of these damaging influences would understand the severe repercussions that awaited them if they didn’t repent.

In Revelation 2:14, Jesus continued as He warned the church of Pergamum, “But I have a few things against thee….”

The word “against” is the Greek word kata, which affirms how personally Jesus felt about the leaders in Pergamum who were spreading infection in that local congregation. Christ was so deeply disturbed by this erring contingent of the church that He had positioned Himself against (kata) them. The word kata is a forceful word that implies He would resist them until they repented of their deeds. Furthermore, kata carries a strong sense of domination and subjugation, meaning that if repentance wasn’t forthcoming, Jesus would conquer this situation threatening His church — even if it meant He must extract the infected leaders from their influential positions within the congregation.

Jesus’ point was absolutely clear — He will not tolerate those who propagate doctrinal error or teaching that leads to compromise. Jesus died for the Church, and as the Great Shepherd of the sheep, He will guard it and stand against those who jeopardize its holiness, power, and accurate representation of Him to this world.

This again explains one reason why Jesus appeared to this church having “the sharp sword with two edges” (v.12). He was poised and ready to surgically extract those who didn’t submit to His authority and choose to walk away from the teaching of compromise that was beginning to weaken the Pergamene church. The purpose of this sword was not to wound, but to cleanse and heal the church, restoring individuals who would otherwise be destroyed because of the spiritual disease that was ravaging them from within. Christ was warning those who were promoting compromise within the congregation: If they didn’t repent, He would personally lift His blade to extract this poisonous infection before the entire church became sick with it.

Those who refused to hear what the Holy Spirit was saying would soon learn that Jesus will act in mercy and compassion to attack spiritual disease and cleanse it from His Church. Christ loves the Church so much that, if necessary, He will remove those who resist Him and eradicate the false doctrine and worldly compromise that has spread like a disease so His churches can once again be healthy.

They Speak With Other Tongues
(A Humorous Look at Witnessing)
By Bob Cohen

“Have you ever been saved?” A rather wide-eyed young fellow startled me with his question as we waited for the bus. He handed me a booklet with a picture of hell on the front. “Sure,” I responded. “Once when I was nine years old I was swimming at Jones Beach on Long Island, and a strong undertow began to drag me out to sea. My uncle heard my call for help and ….” “No, no,” he interrupted, “Redeemed! Have you ever been redeemed? You know, reborn … washed in the blood?” “What,” I inquired, “in the world are you talking about?” “Convicted. Have you ever felt convicted?” “No, of course not!” I replied. “I’ve never been in trouble with the law.” He looked at me square in the eye. “I think you need to be delivered.” “Delivered? I was just waiting for the bus home. I think I’ll stick with that, but thank you very much.” He looked at me as if I were speaking another language. “Can we have lunch together sometime?” he asked. “I work just down the street.” “Sure, that would be fine.” He looked harmless enough, but I must admit he was an unusual fellow and quite difficult to understand.

That Wednesday I had lunch with Ed. He was a little late but explained that he was having some quiet time. “Quiet time?” I asked. “What do you mean?” “Each day just before lunch I have some time in my prayer closet,” he responded. I was puzzled. “Do you pray in a closet at work?” “No,” he answered. “It’s in my car.” “A closet in your car?!” He changed the subject. Like the first day I met him, again he left me confused. This Ed is quite a unique fellow, I thought.

As we parted that day, Ed gave me a little booklet that explained how someone could come into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. I read it and understood it and knew that was exactly what I needed. That night I submitted my life to Jesus, and I was “born again” as it stated in the booklet. Two days later I told Ed. He was overjoyed.

The following week we got together again, and Ed strongly urged me to find a good body. I was surprised at his suggestion, but it sounded good to me. I took his advice and proceeded to comb the local health clubs for an attractive woman. When I met Denise, I knew she was the one. We began to date and soon she became a believer, too. Ed rejoiced and told us that it was crucial that we get planted so that we could grow together.

“Sometimes it’s hard to understand this guy,” I confided to Denise. I told Ed that I wasn’t quite sure what he meant by planted. He responded, “Committed! You both need to be committed now that you know Jesus.” ” Now wait a minute,” I protested. “Just because I don’t understand what planted means doesn’t mean I’m nuts. Anyway, I think that trusting Jesus is the most sane thing that I’ve ever done in my life.”

It was obvious that Ed’s patience was growing thin. He explained, “Bob and Denise, you have to get plugged in. Don’t you understand?” No we didn’t! But I did wonder if getting plugged in had any connection with “going out under the power,” something that I had heard Ed mention but hoped it would never happen to me.

Regretfully, I had to miss worship the next Sunday. But Ed and I had breakfast together Monday morning, and he filled me in on what happened. “God moved!” he said with excitement. “God really moved yesterday!” “Where is he now?” I pleaded. I was just getting to know Him, and now He’s gone?” “No, no, Bob, God hasn’t gone anywhere.” I was relieved. “It’s just that so many people were stepping out and moving in the gifts.” “You mean people were leaving during the meeting?” I asked. “And what’s this about presents?” ” No, it’s the gifts. The gifts were really flowing,” he said. “That’s beautiful,” I answered. “People were giving gifts to each other. I wish I was there.” Now Ed seemed confused.

“Anyway,” he said, changing the subject, “Denise was there, and boy, was she on fire.” “Fire? Denise got burned? What happened? Is she O.K.?” “No, Bob, you don’t understand.” (That sure is an understatement, I thought.) “Denise is just fine. It’s just that I believe she is really called, and that God wants to use her.” Things were not getting clearer. “Did Denise mention that she’s getting too many phone calls or something? And what’s this about God wanting to take advantage of her?” I asked. Ed sighed, “Can I walk in the light with you?” “Where do you want to go?” I answered. “Of course we can walk in the light. It’s daytime, Ed.” He just shook his head. I don’t know what it is, but sometimes it seems that Ed and I have a hard time communicating.

It’s been two years since I was saved and delivered. Now I’m plugged in, planted, and committed to a good body. God has been moving, and I’ve been stepping out in the gifts. I can hardly believe how God has been using me! I have developed one new problem, though. It seems that all my old friends just don’t understand me anymore. When I share about my redemption, that I’ve been washed as white as snow, and that I desire to follow the Lamb, they seem to tune me right out. I guess they’re just convicted when they see that I’m on fire.

Go! A Simple Way to Share Your Faith Pastor Joe Cameneti

Joe Cameneti is the Senior Pastor of Believers’ Christian Fellowship, located in his home town of Warren, Ohio. Pastor Joe, along with his wife Gina pioneered BCF in 1983 following his graduation from Bible School. The Cameneti’s have four children: Joe Jr., David, Michele, and Deanna.
 
This article is an excerpt from Pastor Joe’s book by the same title.  To learn more about his book, click here.

Go! This is God’s command—to take the greatest story ever told to our world. But why? How? These are the simple questions that all too often stand in the way of a world in need. So many of us spend years struggling to truly find a successful approach in reaching our world. We desperately want to follow God’s command, but we’re lacking training and instruction to make it a reality. Frustration emerges, and soon we give up all together. The good news is this. You don’t have to be frustrated, and you can make a lasting impact for your creator! One of the most common obstacles within the Body of Christ spans from confusion about personality and style. So many have been falsely convinced that their gifts and style are not conducive to sharing Christ effectively. This couldn’t be further from reality! No matter who you are, God has a designated purpose for your gifts, style and personality. You are one of a kind, and you are called to reach those around you just the way you are! Here is an excerpt from chapter six of my book “Go: A Simple Way to Share Your Faith.” It’s called “You,” and I think it will help put things in perspective.

The subject of sharing our faith through our God-given style reminds me of a fishing story—my first fishing experience ever. I didn’t go fishing for the first time until I was in my mid-thirties. Although I had a great childhood, my dad didn’t fish and thus, I didn’t fish. My wife’s father has a lake home, and we were vacationing when our two boys were young—probably six and eight at that time. My father-in-law, who we affectionately call Grandpa Vito, was so excited to have the opportunity to take his two grandchildren fishing for the first time. He had us up early, before sunrise. I was also excited because I had never fished before! We learned how to put worms on the hook and how to cast

our lines out into the water. That part was interesting to me and I figured it out pretty quick. So, I, along with Grandpa Vito, helped my boys bait their hooks and cast their lines. Then, the real art of fishing began. Sitting and waiting for a bite! I’m not the best sit-still-and-do-nothing-person on the planet. Maybe I’m one of the worst! When Gina and I go to a beach, she’ll sit and read a book and tan and hardly ever go into the water. I love to read but I can’t read on a beach, in the heat, shade or no shade! When I go to a beach I have to be moving the entire time. I’ll spend three to four hours in the sun but I have to be moving. I’ll stand in the ocean water for an hour, immersing myself, then standing and walking in the water up and down the shore line. Then I’ll snorkel for an hour. Then I’ll get out and sit until I’m dry, and then I go back in! The entire time Gina is relaxing, lying still and reading, or listening to her iPod.

That being said, you can imagine how I felt when I had to sit and do nothing. I walked away from my first fishing experience feeling guilty. I thought, Maybe I’m not a man; maybe something is wrong with me. Real men love to fish! That night we were eating some fish that the boys caught and Grandpa said, “Let’s go again tomorrow.” My boys were so excited! I wasn’t! I thought, I cannot put myself through another two hours of just sitting there in that boat, or I may explode! Later, I approached Grandpa in private

and told him I thought it would be a great bonding time if he took the boys himself. I felt I was getting in the way!

He was fine with that, and I was free from the boredom of sitting still and waiting! And that’s how some of you may feel about soul winning; about sharing your faith. Your first witnessing experience may have been a disappointment. It might not have been a good fit for you!

Now here’s the rest of the story! A couple of years after my first fishing experience with my father-in-law, I was channel surfing one day, and I saw these guys standing in a river, and they were fishing. But it wasn’t like the fishing I had done, so it caught my attention. And I thought, That looks like fun. They were fly fishing, using those fake flies or real insects as bait. In fly fishing, you throw out the line and hook a certain way—there’s a special technique to it. It has to hit like an insect landing on the water, and then you have to move it along like an insect coming up and down on the water. So I watched these guys fish for a while, and I thought, Wow! That’s hyper enough for me to enjoy! I discovered a type of fishing that fits my personality. I discovered that I don’t hate fishing; I just didn’t like the traditional method I had learned first. Again, it’s the same way with soul winning. I boldly declare to you that you will love to share your faith when you do it within your God-given style. I also want to be upfront and tell you that there will always be a little apprehension when it comes to actually sharing your faith, even if you do so through your style. That’s natural and will dissipate over time as you gain confidence from experience. Moving forward in this chapter, I identify the four Biblical styles of soul-winning with the purpose of showing every reader that they have a powerful gift, shaped by God and driven by their personality.

Here they are with a brief definition:

The Finger Pointer

If your God-given style is that of a finger pointer, you’ll feel very comfortable knocking on the door of a perfect stranger to share your faith with them. Finger pointers have no problem doing a cold call either. It comes naturally for them. The apostle Peter was one of the greatest finger pointers who ever lived. Think about it. Who did God choose on the day of Pentecost to give the first sermon and altar call for His church? He picked the finger pointer—Peter. Why? Because finger pointers don’t mind getting in somebody’s face in order to bring them to Christ. They are bold and tenacious, and they are always ready to do what others are uncomfortable doing.

The Hand Grabber

The hand grabber is a person who grabs people they know and have a relationship with and brings them to church or a small group, or special meeting so they can hear about Jesus. This comes natural to them. Their natural personality style is to look at somebody they know and say, “God changed my life, and I love my church. It’s a great place to learn how Jesus can change your life. I’d like for you to come and check it out.” Hand grabbers may not be able to knock on doors, but they can grab people they know and bring them to church. I recently read a Barna Research Poll that said one in four adults or 25 percent, declared they would go to church if someone would ask them. One in four! Think about that! This should encourage all of us, especially the hand grabbers, to go reach our world!

The Arm Opener

Arm openers are people who open up their lives and pull others in. They like gathering others together, so they’re always inviting people to their house or out for coffee or dinner. An arm opener will develop deep relationships with people, and because of this tendency, they often have crowds at their disposal! Now they just have to take the chance, the step, and in one way or another share Christ with these people they’ve developed relationships with. If this is you, try asking them to watch a DVD with you or invite a pastor or elder in your church to share with them. But, it’s never a bad time to learn to share your faith on your own! It’s simple and easy and you can do it!

The Back Patter

The fourth style of soul winner is what I call a back patter. They have an incredible amount of mercy, and they are always reaching out to the down-and-out, the outsider, the poor, and the hurting. It doesn’t matter whether a person is a Christian or a non-Christian, the back patter will encourage and exhort them to the higher calling, to the correct spiritual thing that they should do. They don’t mind reaching down into hurting humanity and pulling people up out of the pain of this life. This is their DNA, it’s who they are! A back patter can become a powerful soul winner because people will open up to the mercy they’re showering on them. Any of these sound familiar? I’m sure by now you have identified your individual style, but maybe you’re still a bit apprehensive of the whole “going” part. If this is the case, there’s one more thing you can do to implement soul-winning in your everyday life: Pray.

Transformed Together: Why Every Believer Needs the Local Church
John R. Carter

John Carter is committed to helping people reach their potential in life through spiritual transformation. Known for his engaging and practical teaching style, he is the senior pastor of Abundant Life Christian Center, a culturally diverse church located in Syracuse, NY. He is the founder and president of Mercy Works, a charitable organization that creatively meets the practical needs in distressed urban communities. John and his wife, Lisa have three sons – Jordan, Joshua and Caleb.

This article is an excerpt adapted from The Transformed Life, by John R Carter. The Transformed Life is powerful discipleship tool that is designed to help believers experience personal transformation through a dynamic relationship with Jesus and the local church. The Transformed Life will be available for sale on December 14, 2012. If you are interested in per-ordering the book, please email transformedlifenow@gmail.com. 

You and I cannot do it on our own. In fact, God never intended for us to try. God designed you for a family.

“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named” (Ephesians 3:14).

In the passage above, God is called the Father of the whole family in heaven and earth. The family in heaven are those believers throughout history who have finished their earthly lives and are now with the Father. As we learned in lesson seven, when the physical body wears out and dies, the eternal spirit that is the true you departs to be with Christ (Philippians 1:23). In God’s presence we will be consciously united with our loved ones who know the Lord and every other believer who has left the earth.

The question then is, “exactly who is my family on earth?” In this lesson we are going to learn that when you were born again, you were joined to the Father and His family. Understanding the nature of God’s family on earth is absolutely essential to living the transformed life.

While times of fasting and private devotion are essential to spiritual growth, they are not in themselves the path to spiritual maturity.

You Were Created for Relationship

One of the first things we have learned about our Father is that He is a relational being. You and I were made in His image, and therefore we are relational beings too. However, we were not designed to be in a relationship with God alone. In His wisdom, God made us to also live in loving connection with one another.

You cannot reach your full potential in Christ by developing your personal relationship with God privately. Some believers consider their faith a private affair between themselves and God and have no interest in sharing their spirituality with others. Sometimes you may hear sincere believers say things like, “All I need is Jesus. I have no interest in having a relationship with people.” They imagine that true spirituality is achieved by withdrawing from others and going “inside themselves” to find God. While times of fasting and private devotion are essential to spiritual growth, they are not in themselves the path to spiritual maturity. In fact, personal isolation is a sign of spiritual weakness and immaturity.

Jesus came for one primary purpose. Everything He did in His earthly ministry, everything He did for us on the cross and resurrection, and everything He has done for us ever since, has been for this purpose: to build His church. Everything Christ does on the earth today is through, and for, the church. The church is the New Testament family of God. Just as salvation in the Old Testament joined you to the family of Israel, salvation in the New Testament joins you to the family of Jesus: His church.

Jesus said that He would give His church the keys of the kingdom of heaven—keys that would carry the authority of Jesus to carry out God’s will on earth. These keys are given not just to individual believers, but to the church collectively. This is why it is essential to understand that when you are born again, you enter a relationship with God and His church.

Saved Together

It is impossible to read the New Testament letters and not see that everything Christ did for us personally, He also achieved for us collectively. Most of the time when Paul or Peter spoke of Christ’s work in their writings, they used the plural pronouns “we,” “our,” and “us.” They understood that our individual salvation was accomplished as part of something Christ was doing collectively. Just as God saved Israel as one related community from the bondage of Egypt, so Jesus secured us individually and collectively through His finished work on the cross.

Did Jesus Really Die “Just for You”?

Becoming a Christian is a very personal experience. Because we come to Christ as individuals, each of us has a testimony or story of how and when we received Jesus as our personal Savior. Our self-esteem soars when we hear that Jesus died for us individually. Sometimes people say, “If you were the only person on the planet, Christ still would have died just for you.” We say such things to emphasize the personal love God has for each of us.

It is true that Jesus knows each of His sheep by name, loves us individually, and calls each of us to Himself personally (John 10:3). The Bible, however, almost never refers to salvation in this manner. In nearly every instance where the New Testament speaks of Christ’s work on the cross, it uses the language of community. We are saved together with others. We are not just a group of individual believers. We are a team of faith.

Jesus did not die for us one by one. He redeemed us as a community—purchasing salvation for all of us at once. We were saved together. When writing to the churches about salvation, the apostles almost always used the term you in reference to the entire community of the local church. Grammatically, it is the plural form of the pronoun, “you.” It was not unlike the common expression found in the southern United States today, “y’all.” Notice how the word you in the following verses speak to the entire local church collectively:

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:4-8).

“To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are in Colosse: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you” (Colossians 1:2-3).

“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;…giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:9-10, 12-14).

Jesus died for us together. We were raised with Christ together. We are called to live our Christian faith together.

You are Not Alone!

There is a joy in knowing, embracing, and understanding our collective salvation. This joy is found in the wonderful comfort of realizing that we are never alone! Jesus designed you for a family, and a family for you. Embracing Jesus means embracing His family. No matter what you or I face in life, both the Lord and His church are there to help. As Peter taught, “You are a chosen generation…His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God” (1 Peter 2:9-10).

In fact, many of the things God has planned for you as an individual, He designed for you to receive through a relationship with His church. The church of Jesus Christ is the only environment God has given for us to experience the transformed life. That’s why we need to teach believers to develop a loving relationship with Jesus and His church.

Consider this: Most New Testament teaching about the church refers to the visible local church. The word “church” is used 118 times in the Greek New Testament. Only 14 times is it used to describe the universal and invisible church. All of the other 104 references are speaking of the visible, or local, church. Just as Israel was God’s visible family in the Old Testament, the local church is His visible family in the earth today. When Jesus said He would build His church, He indicated that He would give her the keys to the kingdom of heaven. He said we were to use them on earth (Matthew 16:19). Therefore, Jesus was talking about building the visible church.
Seven Characteristics of the Visible Church

1. The Visible Church is Local

The first fact about the visible church is that you can see it. That means it is near to where you live. For this reason we speak of the church as being local. The word local comes from the Latin word locus, which means “place.” A location is a particular place. A locomotive is a vehicle that moves you from place to place. The local church is a place. It exists in a geographic area. Because the church is a place where you actively participate, it needs to be in the region in which you live. Every believer needs to discover the place near them where they can participate in God’s church (Acts 4:23, 15:22).

2. The Visible Church is a Community of Regenerated People

The local church is more than property, buildings, and a parking lot. It is not a social club, an educational center, a non-profit corporation, or a relief agency. The church is a community of people who have been born again by faith in Jesus and called together into loving relationship. Attending church does not make you a part of this community. You must have had the genuine work of the Holy Spirit creating a new heart inside you in order to authentically belong to the local church.

The word “community” comes from the Latin word communis which means “to share a place intimately with others.” God has called the church to be a community who follow Jesus and experience his transforming life together. Members of our Father’s family need to commune and share their lives with one another. This requires that we develop a genuine personal relationship with both Jesus Christ and His church.

The local church is also a community of faith within a community of darkness. Every church is to be a witness to the world around them. Jesus referred to His people as a “city that is set on a hill” and a “lamp” that gives light to those in the darkness (Matthew 5:14-16). As believers grow in the local church, their faith becomes a witness to the greater community in which they live. He also said, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:35 NLT). The local church evangelizes the world by loving each other. It is impossible to show the world your love for other believers unless you are in a visible genuine relationship together.

3. The Visible Church is a Gathering

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).

The word church in ancient Greek was used to describe a special assembly of people called out of their homes to a public meeting or council. In fact, the word church could be translated “those called to meet together.” This is the word Jesus chose to describe the new family of God He had come to establish. That tells us something essential about God’s ideal purpose for the church. Of all the things the church might be and do, it is first and foremost a physical gathering of people. In other words, every believer is supposed to go to church.

From the very beginning of Christianity, believers understood that being a church meant regularly meeting together. The first church meetings were on the Sunday of Christ’s resurrection (John 20:19), and the Sunday of Pentecost, seven weeks later (Acts 2:1). From that time forward, Christians would gather each weekend to worship God and hear the teaching of His Word (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2).

There are some Christians who do not understand the importance of being physically present with their fellow believers each week. Some think that because they have a personal relationship with the Father, they have no need of a commitment to a particular local church. They have failed to understand that many of the things God has designed for their lives can only be received through a living connection with others in the local church.

The church describes both a people and an event. It is both a group and a gathering. When you become a part of the group, you are supposed to gather. By coming each week to the event of local church worship, you build real connections with the people God has given to be your spiritual family. In this environment, there are special gifts that are exercised, practices that we participate in, and ministry we receive. When we go to church, we are not going to a building, but rather going to the body. Where we gather is not as important as the fact that we gather.

4. The Visible Church Has a Creed

A “creed” is a set of beliefs that are designed to guide one’s actions and shape one’s thinking. While we may have our own ideas about music, movies, politics, and food, to be a part of the church, the members must be committed to a set of beliefs that are non-negotiable. There is room in the Christian faith for differences about many things, but each local church must decide what is essential for their individual community.

For a local church to be effective, it must be unified around a set of core doctrines, beliefs, and key values that guide its mission. The Transformed Life has been developed to help local churches teach powerful truths that will instruct believers and cause local churches to grow into transformational communities together.

5. The Visible Church is Organized

Heaven is an organized place. God is not just figuring things out as He goes. The angels don’t just do whatever they want, whenever they feel like doing it. Through the eyes of God’s prophets, the Bible allows us to capture a glimpse of what heaven is like. In each case, we see that our Father lives in a place that is highly organized. Every detail is planned and its beauty and order is overwhelming. There are specific numbers of angels that surround God’s throne—each executing specific details in perfect harmony. When the Prophet Isaiah saw this, he was “undone” (Isaiah 6:5). God showed Moses a vision of heaven and he built a replica of what he saw (Hebrews 8:1-5). The details of God’s sanctuary, and its furnishings and dimensions as described by Moses, reveals that our Father’s home is a place of unmatched beauty and exquisite detail. Why would His church on earth operate otherwise?

God actually commands us to worship and do everything in the local church with planning, organization, and excellent execution.

Today many people have rejected “organized religion” because of the elaborate rituals and controlling structures of some church denominations. In many cases, these Christians have imagined that following Jesus is purely a personal matter, and have confused organization with unnecessary oppression and control. But the New Testament commands believers to worship God in organized local churches.

“For He…is not a God of confusion and disorder but of peace and order. As [is the practice] in all the churches of the saints (God’s people),…But all things should be done with regard to decency and propriety and in an orderly fashion” (1 Corinthians 14:33, 40 AMP).

The Greek word translated “decency” comes from two root words. The first is the word eu which means “of good quality.” The second word is schema from which we get the word “scheme” or “well-formed plan.” The Lord is telling us that all things in the local church are supposed to be developed according to a well-formed plan of high quality.

The word “orderly” in verse 40 is the Greek word tasso which was a military term that means “to systematically organize people according to rank and file.” It also means “to arrange in order and according to a fixed time.” This verse could be read like this:

“Let everything in the local church be developed according to a well formed plan and with attention to a process of quality organization.”

In other words, the local church is not supposed to be a loose, unplanned environment. God actually commands us to worship and do everything in the local church with planning, organization, and excellent execution. While each local church may have its own particular flavor, approach, and methods, all local churches are called to be well-planned and organized.

Organization does not mean stuffy and predictable. Good organization enables the local church to maximize its creativity by increasing its quality.

6. The Visible Church Has a Structure of Authority

There is no such thing as a biblical church without biblical leadership. We are going to study this in depth in the next chapter, but the principle of church leadership was established by Jesus Himself. He chose twelve men and trained them as leaders. It is clear from the book of Acts that wherever people responded to the gospel, these apostles appointed leaders for the local churches. The earliest word that was used to describe the role of the pastor was “elder.”

“So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed” (Acts 14:23).

“For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you” (Titus 1:5).

There is not a single example in the New Testament of a church that was without authorized spiritual leadership. There are no exceptions in Scripture. That means a group of Christians meeting in a living room does not constitute a local church unless it is meeting under qualified spiritual leadership. Believers may gather in kitchens, public places, coffee shops, rented auditoriums, or elaborate cathedrals for prayer, Bible study, sharing, and testimony. These fellowships are expressions of the church. But if there is not a qualified, God-appointed pastor or minister present to lead, it is not a complete expression of the New Testament local church. The New Testament knows no spiritual ministry outside of local church authority. It is the sole agency of God’s work on earth today. All scriptural Christian ministry is either under the covering, or in service of the visible local church.

7. The Visible Church Pursues the Mission and Purposes Given by Jesus

Every local church has particular purposes and assignments that are unique to their mission in the community. But all churches share the responsibility to pursue the main mission given to us by Jesus Christ. We call this the Great Commission.

“‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen” (Matthew 28:19-20).

The mission that God has called the church to perform above all others is to reproduce ourselves by sharing the life and teaching of Jesus Christ in our generation. All local churches are called to expand by sharing the gospel with the world, baptizing those who believe, and turning them into passionate disciples (Christ-followers) through teaching and instruction.

This article is an excerpt adapted from The Transformed Life, by John R Carter. The Transformed Life is powerful discipleship tool that is designed to help believers experience personal transformation through a dynamic relationship with Jesus and the local church. You can obtain "The Transformed Life" by calling 888.367.2523 and asking for "The Word Shop."

Secure Leaders By Walker Schurz

Walker and Haley Schurz have lived and ministered in Southern Africa since 1994. After graduating from Oral Roberts University they attended Rhema Bible Training Center and graduated in 1991.

Their ministry, Africa Outreach, is strategically based in Lusaka, Zambia and extends to many of the surrounding nations such as South Africa, Botswana and Mozambique. God has blessed them with a great ministry team to reach the estimated 90% of pastors in Southern Africa who have not had any formal Bible training. In addition to their ministry through Africa Outreach, Walker and Haley pastor Miracle Life Family Church in Lusaka, Zambia.

I’ve had the privilege of being with Walker and Haley twice in Lusaka and seeing their great work.  God’s hand is upon them and their work.  Please take a moment to learn more about their ministry at www.africaoutreach.org.

God created each of us in such a way so that our deepest needs can only be truly met by Him and within His plan for man.  We were designed to worship, to have meaningful relationships, to have a sense of eternity and as well as many other heart-level desires.  Before knowing Christ, many of us tried to find these needs met in places other than where God designed, resulting in frustration and pain.

Man was created by God to have a healthy sense of dignity and worth.  He is the only one who can fulfill these needs of security.  If our self-worth is not fully met in who God has made us as his child, man desperately searches for other places for security.  Two inadequate, but typical paths are: (1) in what others say or think about us or (2) in our performance.  If we take these paths into ministry, we are doomed for frustration, injuring those we are to serve and not fulfilling the God-given mandate on our life.

God did not design ministry and service for our own needs to be met, but to help meet the needs of others.  We can unknowingly abuse ministry because we are using it for a purpose that God did not intend for it to be used for.

Positions of leadership cause the cracks in our foundation to widen.  The baggage that we carry in life grows heavier as our responsibilities increase.  A healthy leader can recognize dysfunction and go to God for answers.  Unfortunately, our personal insecurities blind us at times and we instead defend, deny or deflect these issues rather than getting Biblical solutions.

I so wish that what I am writing about came out of someone else’s testimony, but unfortunately many of these symptoms came from my own life experience.  I saw that others in the Bible struggled with some of these same issues.  Many Biblical leaders grappled with insecurity – some overcame them and fulfilled their call, while others allowed them to carry them down a negative spiral to destruction.

Let’s look at some typical signs of insecurity in leaders and find God’s answers.

1. Insecure leaders have a misplaced idea of success and failure

The reality of ministry is that all success and fruitfulness comes from God while much of the failure is a result of our mistakes and shortcomings.  Even when doing everything right with proper motives, many times people will not respond and our efforts will not have the desired effect we hoped for in their lives.  A leader who is secure in Christ can take the risk of getting out of the boat of their comfort zone, because they realize that failure is only an event, not who they are.

Leaders with identity problems never take the blame for negative results.  It is always someone else’s fault in their mind.  Conversely, any degree of success must be because of their skillful application of wisdom and their leadership skill.  Paul realized that what was happening through his ministry was entirely because of God.

2 Cor 10:16-18 MSG

16 And we’ll all still be within the limits God sets as we proclaim the Message in countries beyond Corinth. But we have no intention of moving in on what others have done and taking credit for it. 17 "If you want to claim credit, claim it for God." 18 What you say about yourself means nothing in God’s work. It’s what God says about you that makes the difference.

What God does in our life is because of his grace that was given to us.  This grace to minister was given to us, but not for our own benefit. 

Eph 3:2  NIV

Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you

As we avoid pride we are positioned to receive more grace as James tells us it is given to the humble.

2. Insecure leaders care greatly about opinion of others

Since God is the only one who sees everything, we truly are playing our lives in front of the audience of One.  Only his opinion is true because only his perspective accurate.  If a leader is consumed with pleasing people, he is plugged into the wrong source and will experience frustration.

Jesus made an amazing statement in John 5:41 (NLT):  “Your approval or disapproval means nothing to me.”  Because he was secure in his Father’s love, he did not find it necessary for others to approve of him.  Kenneth Hagin said that a sign of true spiritual maturity is a deadness to both censure and praise.  Either or both do not affect the secure leader.

Paul seemed to have this same perspective.

1 Cor. 4:1-4  NLT

So look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God’s secrets. 2 Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful. 3 What about me? Have I been faithful? Well, it matters very little what you or anyone else thinks. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point. 4 My conscience is clear, but that isn’t what matters. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide.

3. Insecure leaders are competitive

Many of us were brought up in the competitive environment of sports where in order for us to win, someone must lose.  Many times, Christian leaders feel that if someone out there is getting a bigger piece of the pie, then theirs must be smaller as a result.  This causes the insecure leader to do the exact opposite of what we are commanded in I Cor 12:26:

And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

This drive to be ahead seemed to also be a part of the leaders that Jesus was raising up.  In Mark 10, James and John wanted the best places beside Jesus in glory.  This quest for position did not sit well with the other disciples.  Because John was allowed to write his gospel account, he wanted all Christians for thousands of years to know that he beat Peter in a foot race to the tomb.

John 20:4

So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first.

Even thought there is not much spiritual significance to that statement, John thought that we would be blessed to know that he won and Peter lost.

Thankfully in the body of Christ and ministry it does not have to work that way.  God does not want us to live in jealousy, with a fake smile on our face when we hear of someone else doing well.  Each church and ministry can fulfill their mandate, encourage other parts of the body and collectively watch Satan lose more and more people from his grasp.  We can all win and celebrate the success of others.

4. Insecure leaders are jealous of the success of others and constantly compare

At the end of the earthly ministry of Jesus, He was giving some final instruction and encouragement to Peter about his future and reminded him to “Follow Me.” 

John 21:19-22

19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me." 20 Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, "Lord, who is the one who betrays You?" 21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?" 22 Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me ."

Instead of obeying the command of Jesus, the first thing Peter did was to worry about John.  Evidently he misunderstood Jesus to say, “and also make sure that John is following me.”  Following Jesus is a full-time job and will take all of our efforts and dedication.

2 Cor 10:12  NLT

12 Oh, don’t worry; I wouldn’t dare say that I am as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, and measuring themselves by themselves. What foolishness!

One of the challenges of our modern world of Christianity is that we want to have a composite ministry – kind of a “best of” all the great ministries we see on TV and read about in books.  Firstly, we cannot be a combination of everyone else, but can only use the gifts that God has given us.  Secondly, Christian TV edits out all of the mistakes and we only witness the polished version of each church service.  Thankfully, we can be inspired by how God is blessing others, yet realizing that God is giving us the grace to accomplish our specific task.

5. Insecure leaders find their greatest joy in ministry

It is a thrill and honor for God to use us in this kingdom, yet we are not to find our highest pleasure in what we do.  Jesus sent out seventy-two followers with an assignment and equipped them for success by giving them his power and name.  They came back pumped up and excited with what happened as people’s lives were changed.  As they reported back, Jesus realized they needed to refocus their joy on something higher.

Luke 10:17-20  NIV

17 The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." 18 He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

God did not design ministry to make us happy, but for others to be happy.  We should go into ministry with a secure sense of who we are, who God is and our incredible relationship with Him.  The Message Bible sheds further light on what Jesus said:  Luke 10:20  MSG, “Not what you do for God but what God does for you — that’s the agenda for rejoicing." 

In summary, God wants each of us to survive the ups and downs of ministry with its challenges and wide range of emotions.  We can be secure in who we are as children of God and serve others for their benefit, not our own.  As we find our place more and more “in Him” we will find it less and less in what others say about us.  As we allow God’s word to affect our heart, we will be more satisfied in our life and also see more lasting fruit in our ministry.

Second Fiddle
Beth Jones

Beth Jones is an author and minister, who, along with her husband Jeff, pastors Valley Family Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan. They are the parents of four children.

To receive Beth’s daily e-devo, go to http://www.bethjones.org/stay_connected.

To learn more about Beth and her ministry, go to http://www.bethjones.org/home.

"Then Pharaoh placed his own signet ring on Joseph’s finger as a symbol of his authority. He dressed him in beautiful clothing and placed the royal gold chain about his neck. Pharaoh also gave Joseph the chariot of his second-in-command, and wherever he went the command was shouted, ‘Kneel down!’ So Joseph was put in charge of all Egypt. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I am the king, but no one will move a hand or a foot in the entire land of Egypt without your approval.’"
Genesis 41:42-44, NLT

This is a devo for all the frustrated "second fiddle" people. That is, those of you who serve in ministries or organizations as the #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #10 person—not the #1 person. You’re not the President, CEO, Senior Pastor, Head Honcho in the driver’s seat. Sometimes you can be very frustrated in that role, because in your own right you are a leader. You know you are gifted, called and anointed to accomplish, succeed, influence and make a difference in this world—but you don’t always feel you have the positional authority to do all that is in your heart. Be encouraged today! (And…hopefully a few first fiddle people will read today’s devo and be encouraged to empower those in second fiddle roles.)

The Bible is full of examples of amazing leaders who were mightily used of the Lord from their position in the second chair—not the first chair. In some cases, the #2 person was more effective than the #1 person.

Think about Joseph. We know him as an incredible leader. He had a God-given dream and was surrounded with favor. We forget that Joseph was second-in-command; yet from that second slot he exercised wisdom and leadership to such an extent that he changed history and received quite a bit of ink in the Bible!

Think about Daniel. He was in bondage, but through God’s favor he eventually landed in a #2 role in King Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. (Daniel 2:48) From that position, Daniel was used by God to change history and predict the future.

Think about Esther. Again, through God’s favor and divine purpose, she was second-in-command next to her husband. God had her right where He wanted her and through her role as #2, He used her to save the entire Jewish race from extermination. (Several other women in the Bible—the Proverbs 31 woman, Huldah, Mary the mother of Jesus, etc.—played the #2 role very well. Thankfully, they had husbands who recognized God’s hand upon them and these men released their wives to do great things. They changed eternity from their second fiddle position.)

Think about David. God had called David to stand in the #1 slot one day, but first he had to prove himself faithful in the #2 role. David was exemplary in the second fiddle role—especially since the first fiddle kept trying to kill him! David trusted God and in time he was promoted to #1.

There are other examples of those who maximized their position as second fiddle to fulfill God’s purposes. The fact that they weren’t #1 didn’t deter them from doing all that God had called them to do.

Are there any keys that helped them to succeed? Indeed! God has words of wisdom for both the second fiddle and first fiddle persons.

Words for Those Playing Second Fiddle:

Love God and seek first His kingdom. (Matthew 6:33) They were totally sold out to the Lord and His purposes and were willing to pay any price necessary to fulfill their destiny.

Honor those in the #1 slot. (1 Samuel 26:23-25) They served the #1 people with diligence, faithfulness and honor. They refused to touch God’s anointed with their words, swords or behavior. In all things they showed respect and honor for those they served.

Trust in God’s timing and favor. (Genesis 39:21; Esther 2:17) They didn’t have to whine, pout, fight or push their way to the top spot. They trusted in the Lord with all their hearts and He surrounded them with favor. They were able to do all that was in their hearts from the second spot.

So, second fiddle people—be encouraged today—seek God, honor those in first fiddle roles and trust God’s timing and favor. Promotion comes from the Lord. What God has anointed and blessed, no man can keep down. Be strong—your time will come.

Words for Those Playing First Fiddle:

Recognize God’s favor and anointing on others. (Genesis 41:42) The #1 people who did it right were those who recognized the hand of the Lord upon the #2 people. Out of respect for God, the #1 people empowered, blessed and gave authority to those in the #2 slot so they could succeed. (The #1 people who didn’t do it right were those—like Saul—who were too narcissistic, competitive and insecure to recognize the anointing on others—like David. Instead of helping the second fiddle people move into their callings, the "first-fiddle-Sauls" work to silence and discourage the "second-fiddle-Davids." God’s ways eventually won out—sadly, Saul died prematurely and, thankfully, David was promoted to his God-ordained place.)

So, first fiddle people—be encouraged today—recognize those whom God has anointed. Don’t allow your pride, jealousy or insecurities to cause you to hinder those in second fiddle roles. Trust the Lord—empower, bless and grant the needed authority to empower those in the #2 spot.

Second Fiddle People: "Father, I am playing second fiddle. Instead of being frustrated, I choose to seek You first and foremost. I choose to continue to honor, respect and bless those who are playing first fiddle. I choose to trust You for favor and perfect timing to fulfill all You have put in my heart. In Jesus’ Name. Amen."

First Fiddle People: "Father, I thank You for the authority and responsibility You have given me. Help me to recognize Your anointing and favor on those in the #2, #3, #4 and beyond slots. I will not allow competition, insecurity, jealousy or pride to stop me from promoting, empowering and blessing those in second fiddle roles. In Jesus’ Name. Amen."

The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards
(1722-1723)