10 Characteristics of An Effective Pastor/Church Leader

1. I am a can-do person.

Strong teams are full of people who take accountability for themselves, and who feel most alive when they are putting their best foot forward.

2. This is not my job. This is my life.

2 Timothy 1:9 says, “He has saved us and called us to a Holy life”. This isn’t just about a job in ministry. This is about a lifestyle that reflects the transforming work of Jesus Christ.

3. I will serve the Lord with gladness.

“On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence.” Psalm 100:2 Ministry is hard, but if it isn’t also fun and full of gladness, we’re doing something wrong.

 4. Empowerment starts with me.

Strong ministries operate under the assumption that everyone is empowered to work hard, grow, overcome sin and temptation, serve others, confront conflict, make amends, take accountability and empower others to do the same.

5. I am not on the gossip train.

It’s so easy to get caught in the gossip train, if not in church itself, then in the blogosphere. Healthy ministries resist gossip - - no exceptions!

6. I am one of them.

No matter what team you are leading, what title you hold, or what title you hope to hold someday — we are all on the same team. We play different roles but are pointed toward the same objective.

7. I will bring those around me on the journey.

As a church leader, there are hundreds of people you try to “bring with you” on the journey. But the most important group of people you can bring with you is your own family. Your ministry won’t matter without them.

8. My tone of voice is not whining.

It is possible to have a good heart, but still come across as whining or complaining to others. How does my leadership sound to those around me? Leadership attitudes (real or perceived) are contagious.

9. I delegate but I don’t dump.

Do you see others around you as a means to an end, or are you also invested in what they are learning and who they are becoming?

10. My spirituality is attractive.

Our love for God, for people, and for life should be always be compelling to others.

Consequences of Pride

I would like to explore the topic of humility and pride. Specifically, the consequences of pride.

James writes:

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. 

The point is that there is blessing found in humility. When we hold on to pride, there are consequences that result. Here are several consequences of pride:

Isolation

Think about the person who is the know-it-all. They tend to drive people away. A prideful person will fail to ask for help because they will not be able to admit they need help. Because they fail to ask for help, they will end up going it alone. If someone comes along to help, a prideful person will quickly push them  away by making them feel unwanted. Pride will isolate us from others. 

Disillusionment and Despair

If you put confidence in yourself, you will eventually be let down. There will come a time when your body will fail you. Your mind will fail you. Your money will fail you. Wise King Solomon recognized that even though he was considered the wisest man in the world, that his fate was the same as a fool (see Ecclesiastes 2:14). In Proverbs King Solomon also wrote:

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 (ESV)

Remember that pride is too much belief in you

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Lack of Development as a Leader

Pride prevents growth. It leaves us stagnated. Pride gives us a sense of accomplishment. We believe we have arrived. We close ourselves off from learning, from listening, and from opening ourselves to new ways of thinking and doing. 

How many companies with a successful product failed to innovate? They were content with their success. Because they failed to innovate a new upstart company comes along with a new and innovative product. Before you know it, the formerly successful company is shuttering its doors. Blockbuster Video was an example of this. They were stuck with their brick & mortar stores. Netflix comes along and by the time Blockbuster tried to make the transition to online streaming video it was too late. Then there was Polaroid & Kodak. They once had a revolutionary instant camera, but they did not realize digital cameras were the way of the future.

 We think we have got it all figured out. Are you teachable? Are you open to learning even in an area where you may be knowledgeable and accomplished? Talent alone can get you into the big leagues, but it is nurturing and refining that talent that wins championships. There are some athletes that when they make the big time, their ego is so large; they will not listen to their coach. But the athletes that lift the trophies are the ones that get past their egos, dedicate themselves to becoming better, and open themselves to new strategies and ways of playing the game.

Humble yourself, let the Lord lift you up to new heights never imagined! Take the time to learn and listen. Consider new possibilities with new ways of seeing and doing.

Genuine Reformation & Revival

ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF GENUINE REVIVAL by  Errol Hulse

We need to preserve a very clear view of what genuine revival is and in so doing to appreciate afresh just how marvelous such a work of grace is. Those who have themselves witnessed the power of the Holy Spirit in revival hardly need written descriptions and definitions to help them. However, those who have never known the reality of revival are more prone to settle for something less.

 Many believe that revival is linked to the restoration of supernatural gifts to the church. The major revivals of the past have indeed been noted for phenomena, but these have not been of the kind seen in many modern movements. This distinction is vital and underlines the importance of careful definition of what constitutes revival.

 Four basic essentials can be observed at Pentecost which characterize all revivals of this epoch. We shall examine each of these in turn.

 1. The sense of God’s nearness and especially an awareness of His holiness and majesty.

2. A greatly intensified work of the Holy Spirit in conviction of sin and giving repentance and      faith.

 3. A marvelous increase in the numbers added to the church.

 4. Powerful preaching of the gospel.

Follow this link to the full article.

http://reformationandrevival.org/page65.html

Orthodoxy & Orthopraxis

Orthodoxy & Orthopraxis

 Orthopraxy is a compound Greek word. The first word in the compound is ortho, which is quite familiar to most of us today. It means “right, correct, or straight.” An orthodontist is a dentist who can “straighten” or correct teeth. An orthopedist is a doctor who works with deformities or misalignments of the skeletal system, often the spine, with the hope of being able to correct them. Praxis, the second word of the compound, sounds similar to the English equivalent—practice. Orthopraxy or orthopraxis is simply “correct practice” or “correct behavior.”

Orthopraxy is often seen in distinction from orthodoxy, which is “correct teaching” or “correct doctrine.” If someone is orthodox, it means that he believes correctly. Orthodoxy and orthopraxy are often seen to be on opposite ends of a spectrum. Some forms of Christianity seem to place more emphasis on correct doctrine. Other forms of Christianity seem to care little for doctrine but place heavy emphasis on proper deeds. Orthopraxis can also refer to the correct performance of required rituals, which is important in some expressions of Christianity as well as in other religions. In many religions, it matters little what one believes as long as the correct works and rituals are performed.

Evangelical Protestantism emphasizes correct doctrine, and critics sometimes caricature the evangelical position as teaching that, as long as you believe the right things, it doesn’t matter what you do. That is not a genuine evangelical position, and neither is it a biblical understanding of the relationship between orthodoxy and orthopraxy.

According to the Bible, correct doctrine will lead to correct behavior, but the doctrine comes first. In Romans, Paul spends the first eleven chapters explaining correct doctrine. In Romans 12:1 he transitions to correct practice: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” The word therefore means that the instructions that follow are based upon the doctrine that has just been explained.

In Ephesians we see the same pattern. Ephesians 1–3 explain correct doctrine, and chapters 4–6 explain correct practice. Once again, Ephesians 4:1 makes the transition: “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” In the first 3 chapters, Paul has explained the calling of the Christian in doctrinal terms, and now he calls his readers to live in light of that doctrine.

In Titus 3:8 Paul pulls orthodoxy and orthopraxy together in one verse: “I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God [orthodoxy] may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good [orthopraxy]. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.” He does the same thing in Ephesians 2. Verses 8–9 emphasize the orthodox teaching that we are saved by grace through faith apart from good works: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” Verse 10 completes the thought: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Once again, correct belief comes first, and out of that flow correct works. We are saved apart from works; God’s purpose in saving us is that we do good works.

In fact, the relationship between orthodoxy and orthopraxy is so strong that, if a person does not perform good works, it is doubtful that he believes the right things. First John 2:3–6 explains, “We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.”

Some religions and some forms of Christianity emphasize orthopraxy with little regard for orthodoxy, but this is not the biblical pattern. Likewise, some forms of Christianity emphasize orthodoxy with little regard for orthopraxy. This too is unbiblical. The biblical model is that we must embrace correct doctrine (orthodoxy), and this must be more than mere intellectual assent to truth. Biblical faith involves trust and personal commitment. When a person goes beyond affirming the fact that Christ is the “Savior of the world” to trusting Christ as “my Savior from my sins,” then he or she is born again. The indwelling Spirit of God begins to change that person from within. Correct behavior (orthopraxy) will result from that inner work.

We cannot see a person’s heart, but the link between orthopraxy and orthodoxy is so strong that, if a person’s practice is not correct, we can infer that his faith is not truly orthodox. “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder” (James 2:14–19). Even demons have an orthodox theology, but they are not saved!

In summary, both orthodoxy and orthopraxy are important. If any form of Christianity emphasizes one to the exclusion or diminishing of the other, it is unbiblical. Good deeds are a necessary and normal part of the Christian life; however, they are unable to make one righteous before God. Justification is only possible by faith in the Savior whose substitutionary, sacrificial death paid the penalty for our sins and provided us with the righteousness that we need to make us acceptable to God.