My son and I have had several deep conversations about balance, about choosing between what is good and... good. Not good and bad, not good and better, but between two choices that are equally good.
The good choices involve service opportunities, athletic events, concerts, friends, even opportunities for work. All have value to God, because he redeemed all of us. There is no separation between secular and spiritual. All of life is spiritual, we cannot compartmentalize certain activities or aspects of living.
Church-focused individuals will assume that the only choice is service opportunities, but that's not the case. Church and service opportunities through church are part of our lives, but not the central focus of our life.
With the proper perspective, the conflict between the two is easier to reconcile. If you believe, according to I Cor. 10:31, that "whatever you do" is to be done for the glory of God, then the pressure to say yes to everything can be tempered by balance.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Ministry Communication, Expectations, and Organization
After 25 years of serving and observing, it's clear that there are three areas where ministries frustrate their volunteers (so leaders, pay attention, you need to fix these!).
Communications: The core of many frustrations. It may seem basic, but if you clearly communicate who, what, when, where and why to everybody involved – that includes the volunteers, the audience, the leaders and if it's a children/youth ministry, the parents – everybody will be on the same page.
Expectations: What's my role? What's your role? Who's in charge? What are my responsibilities? Who's on the team? What are the expectations of those participating in the ministry in which I'm volunteering? What will I be doing today? Don't be ambiguous with any of these details. Volunteers need to know what their boundaries are so that they can serve with their gifts and be effective.
Organization: As a volunteer, don't waste my time. I have a specific set of God-given gifts, and a calling to serve, so please be prepared when I show up to serve. Don't make me wait while you prepare your presentation, organize materials or simply get your act together.
It's important not to frustrate volunteers. They want to serve with their gifts and not get frustrated. They want to be motivated, not demotivated. They want to serve with joy, and they want to receive joy from their service. It's the role of the leader to help make that happen.
Communications: The core of many frustrations. It may seem basic, but if you clearly communicate who, what, when, where and why to everybody involved – that includes the volunteers, the audience, the leaders and if it's a children/youth ministry, the parents – everybody will be on the same page.
Expectations: What's my role? What's your role? Who's in charge? What are my responsibilities? Who's on the team? What are the expectations of those participating in the ministry in which I'm volunteering? What will I be doing today? Don't be ambiguous with any of these details. Volunteers need to know what their boundaries are so that they can serve with their gifts and be effective.
Organization: As a volunteer, don't waste my time. I have a specific set of God-given gifts, and a calling to serve, so please be prepared when I show up to serve. Don't make me wait while you prepare your presentation, organize materials or simply get your act together.
It's important not to frustrate volunteers. They want to serve with their gifts and not get frustrated. They want to be motivated, not demotivated. They want to serve with joy, and they want to receive joy from their service. It's the role of the leader to help make that happen.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
I wish I was on a missions trip
So, you're back from your summer missions trip, and off the mountain and headed back down the side. (for some, literally, our church's youth group spent a week in the mountains in Appalachia – but this a biblical reference and metaphor for that missions-trip buzz you're coming off of. That's why it's called a trip).
At the end of the week, you were tired, but excited about the work that you saw God doing. Now what? Some of you want to stay where you were, because "It's not as boring as where you are now." You love the feeling of doing something special, of really serving those in need. Admittedly, it can be a grind coming back to whatever reality you live in, good or bad.
Perhaps you're missing the point: Missions trips are a sprint in the marathon of life, and the apostle Paul says we're to run the race to receive the prize, the writer of Hebrews says we are to run the race with endurance. Life is a marathon, (not a sprint) and a marathon requires endurance.
Why are the missions trips so exciting and invigorating, and why do our day-to-day activities seem so, well, boring?
Missions trips are special, and they should challenge you, give you opportunity to stretch yourself, to let God stretch you, and to draw you closer to God – while you're serving others. Shouldn't that be happening at home too? Of course, but at a slower pace. Any gardener knows that growth happens with water and fertilizer – too much of either can burn out or drown a plant.
If serving God through missions is your passion, don't forget that there are mission fields at home – we just don't call them that. We make them seem less that that by calling them school, community, work, church (yes, church!) – any place you happen to be. Remember what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:20, "We are Christ's ambassadors, God is making his appeal through us." We've got a daily task of reconciling people to him, but it takes focus, strength and endurance. An ambassador represents their King no matter where they are or what they are doing.
What to watch for when you come down off the mountain? Just like Moses, keep your eyes out for the golden calf.
At the end of the week, you were tired, but excited about the work that you saw God doing. Now what? Some of you want to stay where you were, because "It's not as boring as where you are now." You love the feeling of doing something special, of really serving those in need. Admittedly, it can be a grind coming back to whatever reality you live in, good or bad.
Perhaps you're missing the point: Missions trips are a sprint in the marathon of life, and the apostle Paul says we're to run the race to receive the prize, the writer of Hebrews says we are to run the race with endurance. Life is a marathon, (not a sprint) and a marathon requires endurance.
Why are the missions trips so exciting and invigorating, and why do our day-to-day activities seem so, well, boring?
Missions trips are special, and they should challenge you, give you opportunity to stretch yourself, to let God stretch you, and to draw you closer to God – while you're serving others. Shouldn't that be happening at home too? Of course, but at a slower pace. Any gardener knows that growth happens with water and fertilizer – too much of either can burn out or drown a plant.
If serving God through missions is your passion, don't forget that there are mission fields at home – we just don't call them that. We make them seem less that that by calling them school, community, work, church (yes, church!) – any place you happen to be. Remember what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:20, "We are Christ's ambassadors, God is making his appeal through us." We've got a daily task of reconciling people to him, but it takes focus, strength and endurance. An ambassador represents their King no matter where they are or what they are doing.
What to watch for when you come down off the mountain? Just like Moses, keep your eyes out for the golden calf.
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