Summary: Ministry is actually a whole lot like being a real parent. Are you comfortable with your ministry developing its own personality? Do you feel that it MUST remain in your hands to move forward properly? Let others have a chance to spread their wings and take flight.

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Are you ok with a ministry taking on a life of its own? Are you ok with someone else shaping that which you started? Are you ok with some aspects of what you started being undone and remade through the hands of another? Are you comfortable releasing control? Do you feel that it MUST remain in your hands to move forward properly? Are you cool with releasing something and that something NOT keeping your exact image? When you think about entrusting someone else with ministry, do you have a skyrocketing sense of anxiety? How much of this hesitation to multiply is about you and your personal sense of control?

I often thought about the ministries under my care as my own personal children. I had oversight and responsibility over Sunday School, Children’s Church, Wednesday Night Ministry, Pre-Teen Ministry, Special Needs Ministry, Summer Programming and more. I had to make sure all of these “children” or ministries had food, clothing, and direction from “good ol’ dad.” I viewed all of these ministries as my children and I wanted to raise these children right.

And yet, children are to grow up, right? Kids don’t crawl forever. Kids should learn to walk, shouldn’t they? Am I the type of parent that never wants my kids to stumble or get a scrape? Would I be a hover parent that inhibits normal growth? Would I demand control around every corner? Would I have to be present at all times, smothering all exploration and freedom?

Can I ask you a hard question? Are you cool with one of your “Children” or one of your ministries developing its own personality? Are you ok with allowing another leader the space and grace to breathe? Are you willing to provide the needed “Family Values” to a ministry and yet allow them the freedom to cut their own way? Ministry is actually a whole lot like being a real parent, isn't it? My challenge is to let others have a chance to spread their wings and you sit back and marvel at their ability to take flight.

Summary: When we experience organizational soreness, it just indicates where we are a little weak and unprepared. Think about organizational soreness as your friend. View problems as indicators where you need to strengthen your organizational muscles.

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Have you ever done a random task and a day later your muscles are sore in the weirdest of places? You may be helping someone with a physical task. When you do certain physical tasks, you discover these weird muscle groups that have clearly NOT been used in a long while. Outside forces showcase our atrified organizational muscles.

When we experience organizational soreness, it just indicates where we are a little weak and unprepared. If you are experiencing a problem INSIDE your ministry, it is because you do not have a system or structure in place to deal with it. Where aren’t we prepared? What don’t we have ready? Who is not in place? These and other questions arise and reveal weak spots in our ministries.

This is what happened with the first century church. I encourage you to stop and re-read Acts 6. The apostles quickly realized they were not prepared to deal with widows in a healthy way. The inequity of care PROVED they had a missing link in their ability to properly administer God’s help. The unmet needs of the widows helped show WHERE a structural problem existed.

Not to beat a dead horse, but I want to get practical. Let’s take a nursery check-in situation. You realize that the current way of doing check-in is cumbersome and is causing major frustration for young families. Parents are getting anxious and getting angry. Their MAJOR FRUSTRATION is not the problem. That is the indicator that our process has a problem.

I want you to start thinking about organizational soreness as your friend. I want you to view problems as indicators where you need to strengthen your organizational muscles.

Summary: Outside forces only shine a light on the inside problems. External forces are often painful spotlights on our structural inadequacies, our moral flabbiness and our unpreparedness.

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I am filming this video in the midst of a global pandemic. And while this video might be viewed 3 years from now, I just don’t think the Coronavirus will soon be forgotten.

The coronavirus was not the problem. The coronavirus only brought about the conditions that exposed the hidden issues already existing within our organizations and lives. Corona was NOT the problem. Corona was, however, the force that showed us where we were weak and underprepared. Our unpreparedness was the problem. Corona just exposed our weaknesses.

Think of this situation as a tea bag and hot water. You honestly don’t know what’s inside of a tea bag until you put it into hot water. In the same way, we do not know what is truly inside our organizations until they are placed into hot water. The coronavirus WAS that hot water. That hot water was the means of determining what was inside your tea bag all along.

When the virus hit, did you have true disciples or did you have names on a roster? The coronavirus likely exposed that reality. Did you have a system built for 21st technology or was your ministry avoiding digital and reliant upon analog? This preparedness or lack of preparedness was realized because of the coronavirus. The Coronavirus was the grand revealer of what your church and team were really made of.

OUTSIDE forces only shine a light on the INSIDE problems. External forces are often painful spotlights on our structural inadequacies, our moral flabbiness and our unpreparedness. Comically, the great investor Warren Buffet said, “When the tide goes out, you find out who has been swimming naked.” Funny but true.

Let me challenge you: Begin to listen to complaints or see traffic jams as nothing more than a humongous flashing arrow pointing to where you need to address a structural problem.

Summary: I am a big fan of building solutions and systems to facilitate ministry. When something does not go right, it simply showcases our areas of needed growth in our systems.

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I am a big fan of building solutions and systems to facilitate ministry. However, those solutions and systems have their limits, right? Solutions and systems that worked for a congregation of 100 will likely not work for a gathering of 200. In the same way, fixes for a congregation of 200 will not work for a congregation of 450. There are breaking points to all of our systems and solutions.

When something does not go right, it simply showcases our areas of needed growth in our systems. The problem, almost guaranteed, is our system. Remember, every system has its limits. Complaining people or a congestion of a line or a weekly parking lot traffic jam are not the problem. The problem, more times than not, is our systems and our structures.

In the auto industry, a certain type of engineer creates oddly elaborate “Stress Tests” on everything from car doors, to radio buttons, to the distributor cap. Their task is to determine if the on/off switch on the radio can sustain 60,000 ons and offs and not break. They repeatedly open and close a door 100,000 times to find out which component in the system fails first. It is not a matter of IF IT WILL BREAK, it is a matter of WHEN it will break and which cog in the wheel broke first.

In our ministries, we can theorize how care for the flock will happen. We can predict where the line for nursery check-in should go. We can imagine how the sign up for providing and delivering new moms with home cooked meals will play out. But it is only when we plug in real people that we see the breaking point of our ability to effectively execute. Let me challenge you: The next time you have a mess to deal with, dig a little deeper and see if the solution is a structural one. You may be surprised.

Summary: You are where you are for a reason. Will you accept this assignment? You have a platform already. Consider faithfully standing on it and proclaiming to those around you the good things God has done for you.

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Today, I want to talk about contentment. We all have a current station in life. We all have a current placement. Are you content with where God has you right now? Are you faithfully serving where God has placed you, or are you wishing and even pining for a bigger platform?

Do you need to take a moment and accept the place and space God has placed and planted you. Paul said this, “He is not served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breathe and all things; and He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God.”

You are where you are for a reason. Will you accept this assignment? Interestingly enough, you are not there by accident. Your station and placement is, in my opinion, not only important, but divine. What if you were faithful at being you?

So many times, I fall prey to wanting to live the calling of another. Have you ever felt that? If you have, you are not alone. I might go so far as to call it, “Coveting the Calling of Another”. What if you focused on your calling? What if you became content with you being you? It could change the world. Rather than looking off in the distance, focusing on something off in the distance, what if you considered what was directly in your path today.

I met a man who was a war vet. He has a story. After years of drinking, he was seeking sobriety. He wanted to change the world. I appreciated his heart and passion. Yet, he was unwilling to talk to local veterans about their struggles, stating, “Josh, I want to speak to thousands.” I am not positive, but I think crafting our message to thousands starts with figuring out how to say it to the one or two people in front of us today.

Who is in your life, right now, that you need to more strategically invest your time and energy? You have a platform already. Consider faithfully standing on it and proclaiming to those around you the good things God has done for you.

Summary: Find others with raw and unrefined abilities and work tirelessly to hone their gifts so that they can be the best that they can be, maybe even better than you. Ministry multiplication seeks to bring out the best in others.

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Selfish and small leaders are threatened by the building of other gifted leaders. It would be like the quarterback not throwing the ball to the best receiver for fear that receiver might get better press.

And yet in doing so, they shortcut the possibility of that team ever getting Super Bowl rings for everyone.

Find others with raw and unrefined abilities and work tirelessly to hone their gifts so that they can be the best that they can be, maybe even better than you. Build others to be better than you. Ministry multiplication seeks to bring out the best in others. People in your orbit should be so happy that you’re in their lives. They would be happy that you are so generous in providing them opportunities for growth.

Can you celebrate the growth and victory of another? Always remember: this is the kingdom, this is NOT your kingdom.

Summary: If you have been in the ministry for any length of time, you have encountered strong opinions. Some opinions simply carry more weight than others.

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People have strong opinions in ministry. If you have been in the ministry for any length of time, you have encountered strong opinions. Some opinions are expressed graciously. Some opinions are expressed rather forcefully. I do not count opinions. I weigh opinions. Let me say that again. I do not count opinions. I weigh opinions.

Some opinions simply carry more weight than others. What items carry more weight with me as someone shares their opinions? I consider their character. I consider their godliness. I factor in how much skin they have in this game or how involved they are. I consider their history and track record. I contemplate their approach and demeanor as they share their opinions.

Years ago, I was approached by a very new couple at the church. They had been attending our church for less than a month. One day, the husband asked me if we could have a meeting. He and his wife forcefully told me we should completely dismantle our current Wednesday program and replace it with the system and curriculum their previous church had been using. He was forceful. He wanted us to make this change quickly and had much to say about what we had been doing for the last 15 years. Keep in mind that he had observed our Wednesday for a grand total of 4 times.

We get a lot of opinions thrown our way in ministry. We have to weigh those opinions. Needless to say, I did not implement the opinion of this new and forceful couple. Simply put, their opinion, while valid, was not weighty enough to make a major ministry decision. As a side note, less than 6-months later, they changed churches, presumably to be as forceful at the next church as they had been at our church. I chose to weigh opinions. I do not simply count them.

Summary: 1st Corinthians 15:58 says, “Nothing you do in the Lord is in vain.” If you are in ministry, you know the bizarre cornucopia of tasks that seem to have no direct bearing on the Gospel. The people of the church will likely not know the extent to which we labor and strive in ways unseen. Can your heart be filled with worship as you operate in the mundane?

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I want to introduce you to a word that I made up: Administriva. Yup, I made up a word. This made-up word is a combination of Administration + Trivia. The Ministry is FILLED with often trivial administrative tanks. Hence the creation of a new word, Administrivia. I was blown away at the number of random and less glamorous tasks that I found myself joyfully doing.

There is a wonderful verse that I embraced early on in church ministry. 1st Corinthians 15:58 says, “Nothing you do in the Lord is in vain.” This small portion of scripture was a wealth of encouragement to me. Naively, we might think that the mundane and behind the scenes items are necessary but lame. I want to challenge this thinking. If you are in ministry, you know the bizarre cornucopia of tasks that seem to have no direct bearing on the Gospel. We can, at best, mindlessly do these tasks, or at worst, resentfully do these tasks. We can be frustrated as we engage in the “Administrivia” of ministry, only thinking that certain things are “Truly Ministry”.

Folks, this is not true. It is all ministry. Nothing you do in the Lord is in vain. Couple this with “Let all you do be done heartily, as unto the Lord.” The people of the church will likely not know the extent to which we labor and strive in ways unseen. Can your heart be filled with worship as you operate in the mundane? Can you be a walking altar of incense as you engage in the administrivia of your week? Remember, “nothing you do in the Lord is in vain”.

Summary: If you are married, my challenge is to reflect on how your spouse bears part of the burden for fulfilling your calling in ministry. Call it out. Celebrate it and bring it to the light today.

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I want to speak to you about the realities of marriage and ministry. Before I do, however, I want to set the record straight. Ministry does not require that someone be married. Quite the contrary. Paul said in 1st Corinthians 7, “If you can stay single, by all means DO THIS.” Paul is clear that marriage complicates matters. You do not have to be married to be in ministry. But if you are married, or if you plan to be married, keep your ears open.

I have a calling on my life from the Lord. I am blessed to be married to someone who also has a calling. We seek to operate in spiritual oneness. We steward what I call, “Our Collective Calling.” The way our callings play out can, however, look different in different seasons of our lives and our marriages.

I was on staff at a church for over a decade. There are costs to our calling. For me, I drove to church by myself and did not get to attend our couples Sunday School class since I was working. This was a small cost to fulfill my calling, but a cost nonetheless. During that same time, my spouse was carrying out her calling in a different way. She was bearing the load of being a single parent on a Sunday, wrangling 4 kids to church. There was a cost for her to fulfill on our collective calling.

Are you married and in ministry? Do you understand that your spouse can take a beating and you do not even realize it. For those who are married and in ministry, take a moment and reflect on how your spouse helps you manage and even fulfill your calling. For us, it’s “better together.” Sarah and I are collectively called. Our calling as a couple means that we each fulfill various aspects of this calling from God. We can, however, overlook the vital role of a staff spouse and their hidden burdens.

If you are married, my challenge is to reflect on how your spouse bears part of the burden for fulfilling your calling in ministry. Call it out. Celebrate it and bring it to the light today.

Summary: When you go first and model vulnerability, you can cause a chain reaction of “Jailbreak Moments” where others are set free.

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Today, I want to talk to you about the power of a “Jailbreak Moment.” Imagine watching a movie and all of the jail doors simultaneously open. Every prisoner’s door is flung wide open. We might call this a “Jailbreak Moment.” As leaders in the church, we long to witness “Jailbreak Moments” and see people set free.

Let’s keep that movie imagery in mind. People are locked up. They want to go free and yet prison bars seem to be holding them back. They feel stuck. For the sake of our discussion, let’s imagine that freedom is found through vulnerability. Vulnerability is being honest with where we are right now, no longer hiding behind a mask. Freedom is found as jail doors open and people come clean about their true self, their true struggles and experience true freedom.

In my experience, in order for a “Jailbreak Moment” to happen, someone has to go first. Someone has to take a first step and model vulnerability. There is power in someone being honest about where they have been, sharing transparently. There is power in being honest about where someone is right now, sharing with vulnerability.

Have you ever experienced a “Jailbreak Moment?” Here is how it can happen: Someone shares that they feel like a bad parent because their teen is angry all the time. At that moment, 3 other parents come out of the darkness and share that they feel the same way. Now four people no longer feel alone. Someone went first. At this moment, one person took off a mask. When one person shares, taking a step of vulnerability, the prison guard’s button, “Open All Jail Doors” seems to be pushed. Others feel they can walk through.

You go first and model vulnerability. You may cause a chain reaction of prison doors flying open.