Most of you know that my family is from East India. I’ve written before about how this aspect of my life tends to creep into so many facets of my everyday comings and goings. Today I was thinking of one that I am noticing more and more. As I work with different ministries that are focused on second generation(second gen) Americans (ppl whose parents immigrated from a diff country) it is becoming increasingly evident how we reflect the attitudes and characteristics of our parents’ generation, whether good or bad.
It’s not a secret that many second gen Americans have grown up complaining about the behavior of their elders when it comes to leading the church. We have spent years disagreeing with policies and practices. We have called our elders self-righteous, self-seeking, politicians, hypocrites, and irrelevant. However, I charge that today I see so many second gen Americans falling into the same traps that they have complained about for years.
I see young people fighting for position and using their influence to advance their own agenda. I see young people who are ready to throw their brothers and sisters under the bus if that means it will get them closer to their end goal. I see young people fighting to be on stage instead of longing to serve God’s people. This certainly doesn’t apply to everyone, just like it didn’t apply to everyone in our parents’ generation, but sometimes it may be the very people with the greatest influence and potential.
I was having dinner with my friend, this weekend and he shared this with me. If you have 15 Indian churches in your city, and one day they all merged into one(which has long been our dream), would 14 worship leaders and youth directors quietly step down and take on roles that were unseen and unnoticed by the rest of this massive congregation in the name of God’s kingdom? I can’t even say with confidence that I would be that mature! But I’ve always thought things would be better with me in charge. It doesn’t really seem things would be that different after all.
We are so quick to point fingers when it comes to ministry that we often miss opportunities to grow and learn. How often have we sat in a group and complained about the current system without ever taking responsibility and taking the lead to say that I am going to be the change. I’m going to be different. I’m going to put others first. I’m going to address the common good before I take care of what’s good for me. I’m going to put His kingdom before my kingdom.
I believe this generation can be a catalyst for change, and even though some call me overly optimistic I still hold strong to that belief. Go! Make it happen!
I had the chance to meet with several great people in my community today. There are so many things that go into a church plant, but the most important by far are the people.
I’ve noticed over the past few weeks that people step up to a new level of commitment when it comes to ministry in their own community. Everything takes on a different condition. All of a sudden student ministry and children’s ministry is happening in the schools where your own kids attend, and your church is now a source of hope for your neighbors and the teller at your local bank, the person who cuts your hair, or the guy who works at the post office.
As I said earlier, there is a lot that goes into a church plant. You need money, a place to meet, a killer team, a ton of resources, and you need to call in every ministry favor that’s owed you. But never forget the most important parts of the equation are the people. They are fired up and ready to charge a hill. Just like Jonathan’s armor bearer they are with you heart and soul. So investinvest invest invest in these relationships. Give your people ownership in what you’re building, and help them make it their own.
I’m reading Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley for a leadership group in which I’m involved. I have been working on some areas of my personal leadership after our last meeting, and it has been huge for me.
Stanley writes, “Your weakness is someone’s opportunity.” Now, I’ve heard a hundred times, “Good leaders delegate. What is it that only you can do?” blah blah blah… However, I never thought of my weakness as someone’s opportunity.
I think we live in an innately selfish bubble, and one of the first assumptions we make about this is that the things we don’t like to do must be the things that no one else enjoys doing either. This is why I feel so guilty asking people for help sometimes. I think this is my job and my responsibility so I should bite the bullet and take care of it. I’m trying to be a servant leader. I’m trying to be the good guy and do what is best for my team.
The truth is your weakness may really be someone’s opportunity. There may be someone who is energized by doing the very thing you hate to do, and for you not to give them that opportunity because you feel guilty, well that’s the real act of selfishness here.
Understand that God has gifted everyone, but not in the exact same way. Don’t let humility turn you into a work-a-holic who is robbing others of great opportunities. Real humility takes the time to understand people’s gifts and passions, and seeks out more opportunities for them to exercise those.
My action step last week was to recognize those who are energized by what I don’t like to do and work to make my weakness their opportunity. Give it a try and see how it frees you up to take your organization and those you lead to the next level.
I’m excited to be entering a new chapter in ministry. As of March 1st I’m the Next Generation Pastor for the Yukon campus of LifeChurch.TV.
I am living a dream being a part of planting a church in my hometown of Yukon, Oklahoma. The story goes that when I was 10 years old my family would drive by the Moose Lodge on Sundays. One Sunday I told my dad that I wanted to put a church in the building. This really made no sense, because at 10 I was not that kind of kid. I wanted to be some world famous surgeon who had moved on up to the east side with a deluxe apartment in the sky. But at 10 God put something in me, and here I am at 26 recognizing more than ever that His thoughts are not my thoughts and His ways are not my ways… If you’re wondering about the rest of the story, well my church purchased that building and that’s where we will be launching the new campus on April 4th.
We have had two meetings with our core group of volunteers who will be launching this campus. There were about 300 people at the first and it looks like we had around 400 at the core event we had last night. There is such a buzz around what God is doing in our community, and I can’t wait to see what lies ahead.
Remember us in your prayers and pray for Yukon, Mustang, Piedmont, and El Reno.
Let’s stay on the same train of thought from yesterday. Steven Furtick told a story at our staff meeting once that was really interesting. Every week he would walk in to one of their portable campuses (meeting in a high school) and walk to the front row and wait for his time to preach. Every week he would sit on the front row and think to himself how horrible the sound was. After a few weeks he had enough, and thought someone was about to lose their job. So he brings up the matter at a meeting, “The sound is always so horrible, what the heck are you guys thinking?” Furtick gets the reply, “The problem is you’re sitting in the very front, it’s too close and it’s what we call a dead zone for the sound. You have to back away to get a true feel for how great the sound is in that room.” Sure enough it was true…
Yesterday we thought of taking things for granted in our everyday life. Today, think of how that impacts those of you in ministry specifically.
God is doing something amazing, and you are part of a special and unique move of His Spirit. Don’t take that for granted. It’s so easy to be envious of what we see in another ministry or at a different church. We get jealous over the resources they have or the money they spend on this and that. We complain that so many people show up to their services or experiences or coffee houses or small groups or youth groups or children’s church or Bible studies or whatever you call it where you are. We are always so concerned with THEM.
You may just be too close to what’s going on right under your nose. You’re in the dead zone. Take a moment today to look at the incredible things God is doing right where you are. Reflect on those lives that have been and are being impacted for the kingdom of God. Take a moment to be grateful, because, if we’re honest, none of us deserve any of this.
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” 1 Cor. 2:9 (NIV)
I think we are always searching for greener grass. When you’re standing in your own lawn and looking up and down the street you may feel that everyone has grass greener than yours.
Once in a while, you have to take a journey outside your own lawn.
You may realize that many people desire the very thing you have taken for granted for so long. It’s easy to be so focused on what you’re working for and fighting for that you forget what you have. We were made for pursuit, we were made with the innate need to conquer. Don’t become passive, and don’t become lazy. But take a moment today to examine the amazing things God has done in and through your life. You may find that you are more blessed than you realize, and your grass is greener than you think.
“Praise the Lord, O my soul, all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” Psalm 103:1-2 (NIV)
Piper talks about what may be the root of the attitude we find in many churches today. These thoughts led me to do the very painful act of self-examination.
Many of you have heard of Church Online by now. If you haven’t you must check out LifeChurch.TV’s internet campus which now has over 30 experience times. America had always been the country with the most people on Church Online, but in recent months India actually had more people attending than any other country.
One could say that’s not a very big deal, I mean, it is a country with over a billion people. So of course a lot of people will check out Church Online, but the reach of technology goes so far beyond that. Here is one specific instance just to give you an idea.
I heard about a great number of people from Rajasthan being involved in Church Online. The stats I got said they were estimating about 300 people, and that is a low estimation. Rajasthan is a state in norther Indian with a border shared by Pakistan. 89 percent of people in Rahasthan are Hindu and 8 percent are Muslim, Jains Sikhs each make up less than 2 percent of the population. Now you do the math…How many Christians could there possibly be in this state of 54 million people?
More importantly, places like Rajasthan are extremely closed off to the gospel. My friend, Sujith Jacob, was quick to point out that you would never be able to gather 300 people in this place to tell them about Christ. However, Church Online is clearly reaching into the darkest places with the light and love of Christ.
I’m writing this post today, because I had a conversation recently about how foolish the idea of Church Online is, and that we have gone too far in trying to be cool that we are making a mockery of the church. My response….I think avenues like Church Online are allowing us to be the church in this century like never before.
And don’t forget to pray for all those places where the light can now invade and cast out the darkness.
The staff of LifeChurch.TV participated in a 21 day fast at the beginning of 2010. Fasting has always been a very personal experience for me, but I’ve never done it for such an extended period of time.
As I began my time of fasting one thing was continually revealed to me. I could not get away from it. “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4 (NIV)
I’ve read this scripture a hundred times, but I was compelled to really evaluate how much I have LIVED on the word of God. In the past year and a half I believe my love and passion for the scriptures has waned. I wish I could tell you why, but I can’t. It crushes my heart to admit that the truth is, maybe I would only immerse myself in God’s word so I could teach it to others and not so God could speak to me. I fear many pastors run into this wall.
I have been invigorated by God’s word this month. I pray that it will continue to come to life in me so that I may find life in it.
We have at our fingertips a most powerful and most under-utilized weapon. Check out YouVersion.com for a number of Bible reading plans to choose from, and get started today.
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double‑edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)
Most of you know that my family is from East India. I’ve written before about how this aspect of my life tends to creep into so many facets of my everyday comings and goings. Today I was thinking of one that I am noticing more and more. As I work with different ministries that are focused on second generation(second gen) Americans (ppl whose parents immigrated from a diff country) it is becoming increasingly evident how we reflect the attitudes and characteristics of our parents’ generation, whether good or bad.
I had the chance to meet with several great people in my community today. There are so many things that go into a church plant, but the most important by far are the people.
I’m reading Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley for a leadership group in which I’m involved. I have been working on some areas of my personal leadership after our last meeting, and it has been huge for me.
I’m excited to be entering a new chapter in ministry. As of March 1st I’m the Next Generation Pastor for the Yukon campus of LifeChurch.TV.
Let’s stay on the same train of thought from yesterday. Steven Furtick told a story at our staff meeting once that was really interesting. Every week he would walk in to one of their portable campuses (meeting in a high school) and walk to the front row and wait for his time to preach. Every week he would sit on the front row and think to himself how horrible the sound was. After a few weeks he had enough, and thought someone was about to lose their job. So he brings up the matter at a meeting, “The sound is always so horrible, what the heck are you guys thinking?” Furtick gets the reply, “The problem is you’re sitting in the very front, it’s too close and it’s what we call a dead zone for the sound. You have to back away to get a true feel for how great the sound is in that room.” Sure enough it was true…
I think we are always searching for greener grass. When you’re standing in your own lawn and looking up and down the street you may feel that everyone has grass greener than yours.
The staff of LifeChurch.TV participated in a 21 day fast at the beginning of 2010. Fasting has always been a very personal experience for me, but I’ve never done it for such an extended period of time.
