ECCLESIOLOGY Part 9 - PROBLEMS AND GROWING PAINS

 

I suspect most church leaders want their churches to numerically grow. Such church growth, though, is often elusive to many church leaders. While there is no guaranteed formula for achieving numerical church growth, there are certainly well-established ways for a local church not to grow (which I will refer to shortly). There are some churches that experience rapid growth then, just as rapid, experience decline - and are often bewildered as to why. Perhaps it is not true in every instance, but often this happens because of how these churches process problems. That is, churches which are ill-prepared for dealing appropriately with problems inevitably will probably experience numerical decline. This is why every church which is seeking to sustainably grow numerically must know how to process problems in a healthy way.

SEEING PROBLEMS DIFFERENTLY

The late David Cartledge told me something quite counter-intuitive about what was the measure of a good leader: 

“The measure of a leader is determined by the size of the problems they solve!” 

I have never forgotten this gem of wise insight from Dr. Cartledge. This comment has significantly helped me to grow as a leader and to view problems quite differently. Rather than seeing problems as roadblocks, hindrances, distractions, or setbacks - I began to understand the relationship between problems and the growth of a leader. (Every parent understands this problem:growth relationship as they help their young children grow into adults as they help them to learn how to deal with increasingly complex life problems.) By viewing problems as an opportunity for growth, a leader can then approach these problems with the aim of resolving them rather than retreating from them. By seeking to resolve a problem a leader becomes teachable and open to learning new solution strategies. This leads to him or her becoming more equipped to deal with similar but bigger problems next time.

I have noticed that when a church leader stresses too readily over minor setbacks or disappointments, the confidence placed in them by those they lead tends to be diminished. Similarly, when a volunteer, team or department leader is confronted with a problem which is overwhelming them - and their senior pastor shows them how to solve that problem wisely, their confidence in the senior leader grows. Thus, dealing with problems, rather than avoiding or denying them,  is essential if a leader and his or her church wants to grow. However, the problem:growth relationship is also inversely relative...    

GROWTH CREATES NEW PROBLEMS!

It’s almost like the classic problem of which came first - the chicken or the egg? Not only does solving problems within a church potentially lead to numerical growth, numerical growth creates problems! The first (and ongoing growth problem) is resistance to change. An anglican church growth consultant used the analogy of retail businesses to illustrate this growth problem. 

1. Consider the mum and dad corner-store. In Australia these used to be called milk bars. They sold bread, milk, newspapers, cold drinks, a few essential grocery items, and confectionary. These stores would have a regular number of customers from around the neighbourhood. The store owners knew many of these customers by name. Churches with up to 70 regular attendees are run like these corner-stores.

2. The independent hardware store. These stores may be privately owned by one owner, but will have a few staff also employed. The owner is known by those who shop in his store, and he knows some of them by name. Churches with 100 to 180 regular attenders are like these stores where there is a senior minister who also employs one or two part-time assistants.

3. The department store. These are larger stores which sell a variety of goods that are organised into departments. The manager of the store is probably not the owner and therefore is not personally known by the customers. There could be around 20 or more employees with some of them working as department managers. Churches with 200 - 700 regular attenders are like these stores where most congregants do not deal directly with the senior minister but do have a pastoral relationship with assistant pastors who oversee a department of the church. 

4. The Shopping Centre. These are the largest retail expressions where nearly everything that is ordinarily sold, is available for purchase. These shopping centres include large department stores, specialty stores, entertainment, dining, and comfortable environs and décor. Customers do not generally know who the centre manager is - and probably do not mind this. Their concern is that they can comfortably shop and get what they want when they want it. These centres cater for people from all backgrounds, ages, and tastes. Churches with a regular attendance of 2,500 - 5,000+ are often like these shopping centres (and are referred to as “mega churches”. The senior minister is probably a gifted orator whose preaching/teaching is what attracts people to the church's Sunday services. But this is also supplemented by professional level worship singers and musicians, a well-run concurrent children's program, professional quality multi-media presentations, and clearly defined discipleship pathways which enable people to get involved and utilise their gifts and ministries. 

Consider these four scales of church growth and consider the challenges that would have been encountered by those leading in #1 to grow to the size of #2. Imagine the circumstances where this growth may have been foisted upon the mum and dad because of overwhelming customer growth and demand. It is not too difficult to imagine that this mum and dad may have been overwhelmed and decided to sell their small business to someone who was not overwhelmed by the prospect of this growth - in fact, the new owner may even look forward to the challenge of restructuring this business so that it could grow. This is a scenario faced by many type #1 churches and pastors.

CONCLUSION

No matter what type of church it is, problems will arise and need to be wisely dealt with. As church leaders and churches grow, commensurate problems will arise. These problems should not thought of as unusual. Consider the narrative through the Book of Acts. In nearly every chapter there is a problem > solution > growth pathway.

Note the problem which led to the initial restructuring of the church's leadership and ministries:

Acts 6:1 ¶ Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.

Acts 6:3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. Acts 6:4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

Problems force us to humble ourselves and seek the help, assistance, and advice of others. This is an important ingredient in growing stronger. While prayer is essential and important for solving overwhelming problems, too many pastors deny themselves the means of growth that is derived from wise and godly counsel because of pride - or perhaps, ignorance. If you want your church to grow it begins with a willingness to seek it and to be transformed by God's Spirit so that it can happen — which means this growth will commence in you first! I encourage you to seek the kind of growth that strengthens you in wisdom, knowledge and character. And this can only begin to happen when a leader is committed to humbly following Christ and heeding His Word.  

I welcome your feedback below.

HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR RELATIONSHIP SKILLS

 HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR RELATIONSHIP SKILLS

This year we have been laying a foundation for knowing God and then each Sunday building upon it. Throughout June we are focusing on how knowing God enables us to find our joy in Him and consequently to discover that He enables us to find joy in our relationships with others. But sadly, for many people who have vowed to love, serve, and follow Jesus, this has not always been easy to do. This is why the current sub-theme of humility is critically important if someone desires to truly experience joy in each of their various relationships with others. 

 

HOW WE DEFINE JOY AND HOW WE DEFINE HUMILITY:

WHY SOME PEOPLE HAVE A HARD TIME AT DOING RELATIONSHIPS:

HOW THESE LACKING RELATIONSHIP SKILLS CAN BE CORRECTED:

Over the next few weeks we continue build on the foundation of knowing God which leads to building more joyous relationships with others. If this is something that you want to improve, remember, it begins with humbling yourself.

Amen.

Your Pastor,

Andrew

Let me know what you think below in the comment section and feel free to share this someone who might benefit from this Pastor’s Desk.

FORMING A TRUE MAN

  Domestic violence, sexual assault, date-rape, sexual trafficking of minors, marital infidelity, street-gang violence, illicit drug abuse, high rates of suicide, increased ‘deaths of despair’, homelessness, are each the major problems confronting our culture right now. Governments regard these issues as matters of justice (punishing offenders) while agencies regard these issues as matters of social justice (helping victims). Both are valuable but neither are equipped or positioned unilaterally to solve the causes of these growing problems, and many in both of these sectors believe that it can never be solved. But I believe they can be. And I need your help. To achieve this, I propose two outrageous, yea – ridiculous – strategies. They are outrageous because they are simple (although not easy); and, they are ridiculous to materialists because they regard them as just fanciful, idealistic and supernatural nonsense. However, I have history on my side. It will involve men and women, young and old. But I particularly need all men to read what I am about to propose and for them to share this with other men and together with everyone else help to bring about the biggest social and cultural revolution our country has ever seen.  

 

WHY TRUE MEN ARE THE SOLUTION AND ARE THE KEY TO THE REVOLUTION

For this much needed revolution to happen it requires the formation of true men.

 You don’t need to be a sociologist to see that there is at least one common thread to most of these societal problems – men behaving badly. We have a crisis of manhood in our society. Prof. Nancy Pearcey’s 2023 book, The Toxic War on Masculinity details why it is reasonable to describe the lack of true men as a crisis. She gives reasons why men are becoming afraid, unsure, and reluctant to be who God created them to be. She draws on good social research to show that men have been duped into being believing that if they act like true men they will be guilty of being “toxic”. Of course this raises the question, what is a true man? Consider this list of traits of a true man which I will contrast with another list of traits of a false man. A True Man is:

* Powerful, using his physical strength to be productive and for the benefit of others;

* Courageous, he faces up to difficult circumstances and conversations that have to be had;

* Fearless, he will take calculated risks and is not afraid to fail when trying something new;

* Learning, he may not ‘schooled’ but he has learned how to learn (especially how to communicate);

* Problem-solving, he doesn’t give up easily but seeks out solutions to life’s problems;

* Committed, he is a man of his word and will finish what he committed to do;

* Thoughtful, he values the ideas of the others and seeks out wisdom;

* Protective, he is a guardian of the vulnerable; 

* Gentle, he is polite and tender in speech, especially toward women and children;

* Considerate, he has learned from the natural strengths of women to think empathetically of others;

* God-fearing, he has said “I will” to God and is not ashamed to publicly worship God;

* Truthful, he is honest and fair in his dealings and conversations with others, and will not comply with the lies of culture.

So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!”
John 19:5

Jesus is the man — the true man. This is why I propose that all men make Jesus the Christ their model of the true man (Matt. 4:19; 16:24). While the Bible presents several men who were impeccably close to emulating each of the traits, most especially Enoch and Daniel, only the Lord Jesus epitomised each of these twelve qualities of a true man. And since I do not, and neither does or has any other man on the planet, I have to add a thirteenth trait for myself and for all members of our universal brotherhood who would seek to become a true man. This is the trait that God lauded in King David.

And when He had removed Him, He raised up David to be their king, of whom He testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after My heart, who will do all My will.’
Acts 13:22

But David was a sinful, fallen man, just like each of us. But he learned the thirteenth trait that qualified him as a man after God’s own heart: how to repent.

¶ Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to Your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! ¶ For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.  Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be justified in your words and blameless in Your judgment.
Psalm 51:1-4

David learned how to repent by confessing his sin to God and to those he sinned against (Psalm 51) and then discovered the answer to the very thing he sought God for – the cleansing of forgiveness.

¶ Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. ¶ For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah  ¶ I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
Psalm 32:1-5

Repentance, and all that it involves (including learning how to apologise to the one/s he has injured with his words), is what every man must learn how to do. When a man sins by yelling in anger at his wife, he should repent. When a man mis-uses his strength to physically harm another person. He should repent. This is the only possible means for a man to become a true man.

¶ Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
First Corinthians 16:13

Can you imagine what our society would look like if more men aspired to become a true man? Can imagine how this would cause women and children to flourish if the men of their lives — their husbands, their fathers, their brothers, their uncles, their beaus – were each striving to be a true man? Can you imagine what homes, marriages, and families would like emotionally, economically, psychologically? Could you dare to imagine what public school classrooms could like? Could you possibly believe what a revolution of true manhood would do to our judicial system including prison populations?

 

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A FALSE MAN

In contrast to a true man, a false man is:

• Harmful, he harms people with his words and actions;
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• Selfish, he takes care of “Number One” and expects others to also regard him as their “Number One”;
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• Uncaring, he fails to empathise or sympathise;
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• Angry, he blames everyone else for his troubles;
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• Bitter, he is unforgiving and resentful;
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• Childish, he is irresponsible and unreliable and subject to unpredictable tantrums;
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• Untrustworthy, he will lie, exaggerate, deceive, and misrepresent;
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• Lazy, he will procrastinate, waste time on trivialities, and not clean up after himself;
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• Ignorant, he cannot be taught, and has little desire to learn.
•  

The good news, though, is that it is possible for a false man to be transformed into a becoming-a-true-man. And if I am right, our society has a chance of undergoing one of the biggest cultural revolutions in our nation’s history!

 

THE STRATEGY FOR REVOLUTION

Shortly after arriving in Legana and being invited by the 17 members left in the church to be their pastor, I began to share what God had put on my heart. It seemed ridiculous. I was describing a church of hundreds of people that would grow to have 300 men following Christ and worshiping together each Sunday and filling key roles within out State and Nation. While we have made progress, I thought that I had still years of ministry and work ahead of me to see it all finally fulfilled. But with my diagnosis and the need to step down next year, it seems that I may not live to see this happen. However, as restricted as I am by this incurable condition that is progressing without any way of halting it, I am still committed to getting as close to seeing this vision for our society as fulfilled as I can. If you haven’t already guessed, here is the strategy that I am continuing to employ in order to see more men in our State get a vision of what a true man is and how to strive toward reflecting it:

 Firstly, let’s ensure that our house is in order. I want to be an example of the very thing I am urging all other men to strive toward (1Cor. 11:1; 2Tim. 1:13). I want to make sure that I am the husband, father, uncle, and Grandfather that my family needs me to be. I want to be an example to our church of a man striving to be a true man, and to do all I can to inspire the men of our church to strive toward true manhood.

 Secondly, let’s start young! Let’s raise of generation of boys who are in a community of true men who model the humility required to repent when they fail. Let’s begin to treat 13-year-old boys as young men and expect great things of them and to become increasingly responsible for their words and actions – especially as it relates to their interactions with young ladies.

 Thirdly, let’s welcome broken false men into our community and introduce them to Him who changes hearts, minds and lives, from falsity to truthfulness. This requires having pathways for such men to be introduced to the outskirts of our church community through fishing trips, sporting events, men’s breakfasts, and dinners (especially BBQs) together.

 Fourthly, let’s be a prophetic church that exemplifies the qualities of truthfulness and is prepared to boldly declare the truth of God’s Word about sexuality, sex, marriage, fathering, mothering, and discipling. (I encourage you to check out the Bible Study series our Young Adults are doing at the moment, 5 Cultural Lies about Sex.)

Fifthly, let’s encourage the other pastors and church leaders of our city and our State, to join with us in being the kind of salt and light that Jesus referred to:

¶ “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. ¶ “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:13-16

It is my hope, that as we see many of the men of our church take their positions in our city, our State, and our nation, as “gate keepers” (Note the use of this term in 2Sam. 19:8) in business, politics, sport, the arts, and Christian ministry, that each of the key indicators referred to in my opening sentence of this article will become measurably and dramatically improved. As I said in my opening paragraph, the reason I have great confidence that it can is derived from my study of history. I read about it in the Book of Acts. I read about it in the annuls of ancient Christian history. And I recently read about it happening in Prof. Stuart Piggin’s two volume masterpiece, The Fountain of Public History, where Australia’s leading historian documents example after example where Australia has previously experienced such glimpses of the type of socio-cultural revolution I have been referring to. And this is where we all need to play a part. Prof. Piggin has convincingly demonstrated that it was when God’s people united in prayer and action that God has most often moved in ‘revival’. And perhaps the most obvious and inspirational aspect of this account of Australia’s history is that nearly three chapters of his great tome has been spent on how Tasmania was particularly blessed by such glimpses of revival. Now the time for revival glimpses is over! Now it’s time for a sacred revolution that will transform our culture over the course of the next 40 years and sow the seeds for prolonged revival glimpses for centuries to come! 

“I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in His ways and keeping His statutes, His commandments, His rules, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn
First Kings 2:2-3

Your Pastor,

Andrew

Let me know what you think below in the comment section and feel free to share this someone who might benefit from this Pastor’s Desk.

THE DAY THAT DAVID COULD NO LONGER KILL GIANTS

¶ There was war again between the Philistines and Israel, and David went down together with his servants, and they fought against the Philistines. And David grew weary.
Second Samuel 21:15

Years earlier on the day that the Philistine's champion, Goliath, challenged the army Israel (under the leadership of King Saul) to come out and face him man-to-man in one-on-one combat — not one man dared accept his challenge! When the sixteen-year-old shepherd boy, David of Bethlehem, arrived with supplies from his father for David's seven brothers, David did what none before him had dared do. He accepted the challenge of the 12-fingered giant and with God's help defeated him.

AND DAVID GREW WEARY

Years later, David is now much older - probably close to 60 years of age. He no longer has the youthful vigour that he once had. “And David grew weary” the unnamed prophet writes. And what nearly happened next nearly changed the course of human history!

And Ishbi-benob, one of the descendants of the giants, whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of bronze, and who was armed with a new sword, thought to kill David. But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You shall no longer go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.”

  Second Samuel 21:16-17

WHAT DAVID COULD NO LONGER DO, COULD STILL BE DONE - EVEN MORE EFFECTIVELY!

After this episode, the unnamed narrator includes a remarkable series of giant-killing tales that actually greatly honoured David (2Sam. 21:22). Four young men, Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Sebbecai the Hushathite, Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, and Jonathan the son of Shimei (David’s brother) each slew giants as big as—if not bigger than—the original Goliath that the young David had slain!

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You shall no longer go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.”  ¶ After this there was again war with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Saph, who was one of the descendants of the giants. And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, the Bethlehemite, struck down Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was descended from the giants. And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David’s brother, struck him down. These four were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

Second Samuel 21:17-22

David had been fighting battles, that no-one thought could be fought - let alone won, for many years. He was not just weary. He was battle-weary. But in the process of being present, courageous, faithful, and fearless, he inspired a generation of young warriors to step up and enter into the fray. What their parents and grand-parents thought could not be done, and what they had never witnessed anyone even brave enough to try, these four young men dared to believe was also possible with God’s help just as David had once done. While the day came that David could no longer kill giants, it came on the same day that four young men were inspired to believe that they could!

It would be a nice way to conclude the Biblical story of David's life with this honourable tribute of his inspiration of the next generation, but sadly, this is not where it ends - and even sadder for the memory of King David is the narration that the shepherd-turned-warrior King did not handle his lack of military-identity with the required humility needed for such a high royal office. The Scriptures reveal that there are certain life-changes which require a good deal of humility to be able to enter well, and even though David, the once humble shepherd boy, had been selected by God precisely because of his humility, toward the end of his life he did not maintain it as well as he had when he started. There are some great and difficult lessons for us who are ageing to learn from this.

Pastor Andrew Corbett

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