Belonging to a church is a very unique experience - especially one like Lakeview..There are literally hundreds of different activities to be involved in - and you can be involved at several different levels. You can come and participate, or you can watch, or you can lead, or you can work behind the scenes of whatever is going on. And during some or all of these activities there will be moments to laugh or cry or sit in silence or sing to the top of your lungs' capacity..and somewhere along the way, God will speak into your life powerfully during one or all of those moments..And for some of you..today is going to hold a few of those moments..In just a little while we'll share in communion together..a time when God always shows powerfully..But before that happens I've got a few words for you..
Now - usually our weekend service is a place of introduction to the church. We design each week with newcomers in mind and try very hard to make this place and these moments approachable for seeking people - those who are just beginning their journey of faith.
Today, however, may be a slight diversion to that. Today I want to take all of you to a different place in the church.. and bring you up to speed on some behind-the-scenes stuff.
For several months God has been speaking to me about speaking to you today..(and to be honest, it will be good to complete that little mission). Here's the funny thing - When I look at these words, they don't seem very poignant or deep or even very interesting..But I think I'm supposed to tell you..and the only reason I can find is that there are times when everybody needs to hear what's going on - right from the horse's mouth..So if you're just visiting or it's your first week here..you may or may not care. (Just hang with me - communion will be cool.) And if you're part of Lakeview Church - depending on your level of participation, this could be new news or old news..
12 months ago - 1 full year ago I began our year together by talking about mass and momentum. In fact, let me read exactly what I said..
Let me talk about mass for a moment. In the church, mass = people. Without people there is no momentum. Now, our mass here at Lakeview has increased greatly in the past 5 or so years - it's more than doubled..and that increase has changed us. It feels kinda big, and not nearly as intimate as it used to be. It feels a little more corporate and sometimes impersonal.. like a religious organization. And those feelings have created in some of us a distaste for mass.
Now..the other side of mass is that this larger mass has allowed us to do things a church of 100 would have never been able to do. Things like Country Weekend or Power Hour or ZOOO ministry or our music ministry or small group ministry or support groups or all the great diversity this church has gotten used to offering..Mass has made a lot of great stuff possible. In fact, mass is what partially attracted most of you. Folks, we must not underestimate the importance of mass in the acceleration of momentum.
But to be honest, one of the things that forced us into the waiting room is an improper view of mass. Let me explain.
I think as a community we've begun to protect the mass.. instead of focusing on momentum. We've focused on the size of the wave instead of the power that wave has as it moves. Let me describe this..
Whenever an organization experiences several years of sustained growth and change and rapid expansion - like we have - there comes a season where the troops are a little tired and weary and a gathering of the forces is needed..so we can eyeball each other and see if we're still in this with our hearts - if we're ready to take the next hill together or if we even remember why we're doing what we're doing. That gathering can take quite a while. But if you're not careful, the purpose of the gathering can get blurred..and can slip from mission to survival.
The larger an organization gets, the more concerned it becomes with survival. Smaller organizations/churches are all about mission - about reaching out. But what happens when they get larger and the mission is partially reached? When the desire for survival overcomes and becomes the underlying mission, the church dies. (a picture paints a thousand words). And when a church is in the waiting place, survival sometimes seems like the bandaid we need, when the reality is..mission is the answer. A mission that creates momentum..
Well, folks, I do believe that was a true picture of us as a church one year ago - stuck in a waiting mode. Perhaps hiding a bit and somewhat unsure of what was needed next. We knew changes were coming organizationally and administratively. Our numerical growth had outgrown our infrastructure. Plus we all knew we needed a larger facility. We feel that every day of every week. There were also a dozen other heavy and challenging issues needing to be addressed (flip chart). Significant change was coming ahead and significant change in a large mass can create some turmoil (instability).
Now, if you know who I am, you'll know that patience isn't my strong suit. I like things to move - decisions to get made and action to take place - quickly. Especially if I'm leading something and especially if the momentum of that thing that I'm leading is slowing down or stalling out..Now, that may be who I am and what I like as a leader.. but for the past couple years or so that isn't exactly who we have been - as I already described..We have been in an analytical - process driven - slow decision - slow to action stage.
So..if you see those two realities together - what happens is a lot of clashing and friction and frustration and stress......Last year was a significant season of stress for this organization - for our leadership teams - for the staff - and for me..I am still feeling the toll of leading through last year.
So last spring (as usual) I set aside one weekend (this one) to speak to the entire church about what was needed to continue creating momentum among us..And if I'm honest, last spring I set aside this weekend to vent my frustration - to give everybody a little bit of a blast. Tired of being stalled out - tired of endless process - tired of long meetings without decisions. wearying of complaints - about anything and everything. And I was saving this weekend to tell everybody a few things..Like to not be so concerned about money and whether or not we would have enough 5 or 7 years from now - but trust that God was leading us forward. I wanted to tell everybody to quit talking about our new facility to each other and simply pray instead. I wanted to tell everybody that we were spending far too much time in analysis at every level of the organization..(the paralysis of analysis). And I wanted to tell everyone to think big - very big about the future of our church.. And I was gonna tell everybody to live by faith - to step out, believing God was with us and leading us..And I was gonna tell everybody that we didn't grow from 500 people to 1200 in 5 years by being conservative in our mindset - slow in our decisions (and we wouldn't grow to 2000 people that way either). God honors faith steps in action.
Wow - did I have a barnburner ready. But then came August and in August God began to speak very clearly and strongly to me.
The first thing He said was this - check your attitude Dean. You seem to be blaming everybody else for the church's challenges and for your frustrations. And where do you fit into that frustration equation? And Dean, maybe your driving desire to move forward quickly as an organization created a lot of that friction and stress. Maybe that's where some of the chemistry and trust issues came from in the leadership. God said - in August - clearly as I am describing it - Dean, check your attitude, because you're part of what's going on as well. Check your attitude (I hate it when He says that). Then He said this - the very same afternoon as I was starting to put this weekend's message together and beginning to describe all the things this church needed to learn..He said - Dean you first, then everybody else. Before you get up there and preach to the church I've asked you to lead (about what they need to learn).. you better learn a few things yourself. And what's more -your learning is gonna be done in public. You first - then everybody else.
So here goes - here's the things God is teaching me. And for some reason you need to hear this stuff as the church..Not fully clear - but becoming clearer. Lessons not fully learned but working on them diligently.
I. Focus
Ecclesiastes 7:16-18 says this:
"Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise- why destroy yourself? Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool- why die before your time? It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes."
These verses speak about balance in life..and that if you live on the edge of extremes continuously - you are not only being unwise, but you're not honoring God with your life either. This is the first thing God put His finger on. During the last 18 months or so I have not been able to find that balance..mostly in the time category.
I have allowed my schedule to run my life and my sleep and my health..
There were seasons last year where too much activity just about killed me - seasons where the pace of this job and life overtook my ability to keep up..and for quite a while it was like being on a treadmill that's going too fast but - but you can't quit running because you'll never catch up again. Suffice it to say the demand is excessive.
Now understand this - (I'm not looking for you to feel sorry for me here - that's not what this is about). I made every decision along the way. I chose to be at every one of those meetings and every trip and every other things I went to. And I chose to let other people's expectations of me dictate my schedule and I chose to never let my expectations of me and my schedule drop. And that was a mistake. And what it created was a bit of a mess. I got tired physically - tired mentally - tired emotionally - and tired spiritually. And I was living most of last year on too thin a thread. And I'm still not 100%. So the word God has spoken into my life every day in the last 50 days is the word focus. If I am gonna live my life the way God wants me to and lead this church the way He needs me to - I've got to be focused. And so that's what I'm trying to figure out. If there's too much on the plate, some things gotta go. And next week when you hear from Brad Hamm and Claudio Priolo (our 2 new pastors) - you'll see that they are part of that focus for me.
Also - my ability to say no is significant - I seldom say no to anything. But I'm praying for wisdom and courage and also your grace as I learn how to use that word no..God has also clearly put His finger on a bunch of other things outside the church that I need to start saying no to as well. And I'm doing that.
Folks, here's the deal. I'm no good to God or to you if I let this job and my life kill me. Lee Barbour said this to me when I was 29 - "For our leader, we'd rather have a candle that lasts a lifetime than a really bright light that burns out in 10 years."
Here's a couple things I'm doing..I am in the process of clarifying my job description in order to focus on what I must do as the point leader of Lakeview Church - in order to lead us strongly into the future..I'm also giving away a great many responsibilities to Brad and Claudio as they step in..But probably the most significant decision I've made is to get regular and consistent sleep every night. It has been many years since that has been a priority, and I'm putting a priority on it right now. I believe God is giving me the answers I need so I can be focused on exactly what He has called me to be focused on. That's part of the answer to the future of my leadership at Lakeview. Focus.
Ecclesiastes 7:16-18: "Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise- why destroy yourself? Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool- why die before your time? It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes."
Here's a further learning and clarification..
II. Gifting
"The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?" (1 Cor. 12:12, 27-29)
The Bible clearly states that each person who follows Jesus Christ is given a few specific spiritual gifts or abilities..Some people can teach or preach, others can lead, others can give care or administrate, others have musical or artistic gifts. Now the Bible says that the church works best - it functions best - if the care givers give care and the administrators administrate and the music guys do music and the leaders lead and the preachers preach..
Now, here's what happened over the past 7 years. As the church has grown, I stepped in to several places with the gift to lead - but ended up doing things that clearly weren't in my fit mix. Counselling, facility planning, building policy, budgeting, resource development, and administration on all levels. Now, if you just want to get the job done, it's ok to step in. But if you want to get the job done well and with excellence, then you better get the right people with the right gifts on the right jobs.
So that's what God has been putting His finger on with me - to get out of everything I do that I'm not gifted in and to get all of you with those gifts in the right spots. Now - catch this - this isn't a new learning for me. God is telling me to apply what I already know. (There's lots of that in life.) If we are gonna move forward as a community, every one of us needs to be in exactly the right spot - using the gifts God has given specifically to each of us to minister to others. That's how the church works - that's how the kingdom of God functions best.
And when then church functions the way it's supposed to, there's nothing like it. Nothing anywhere. But today, you need to know that's what God is telling me - do what I'm gifted to do - to lead - to speak clearly to those who are seeking and to live by faith with practical everyday wisdom. And everything else that's gotta get done has got to get done by everyone else. That's what will ensure the success and future of Lakeview Church.
III. Heart
I'm not sure how to describe this one - it's the most foggy of these 3. But I think it starts with what God is most about. I think He's more about individual people than He is about an organization of people. Let me explain. Myself and our leadership core has been very focused for 2 full years on our organization - How are we supposed to be structured and organized to face the future growth we feel is coming..But organization and doing everything well administratively as the church is only part of who we are. Crossing all of our t's and dotting all of our i's - returning every phone call and balancing every budget is only half of what God wants for us.
The other half is all about heart (not mind). It's about a reckless abandon to chase what God has for us..regardless of human rules. And folks, it is a faith-driven risk-filled adventure He calls us to that never completely adds up in human terms..but only adds up when God supplies the extra - when God supplies the answer to the risk - the answer to the faith part of the equation.
The Bible clearly states that God cares far more about people than anything else. People matter to God. And what He wants the church to care about is people first - no matter what. People before budgets. People before programs. People before facilities. People at any cost - at any price. God has put His finger on this for me, and I think for us..that whatever Lakeview Church is supposed to be - if we're called to be a great organization that changes the landscape of this city and province and country (or not)..people are the key to that. Not organization or structure or administration. People.
So you can expect me and us to put every ounce of effort we have left into taking care of people. Whether that's in small groups - for those of you who are part of Lakeview Church, small groups are a key to care here and will be in the future. We'll put energy into that. Or maybe it's in care ministry you'll see it - where we put the time and money and effort of 1,000 people caring for the needy and poor of this city..we'll put energy into that. Or maybe it's about caring for people who are seeking spiritually. I can tell you this - we will continue to spend time and energy and money to create places for spiritually seeking people to seek here at Lakeview.
I can't even begin to put into words how God has placed this on my heart as a priority for me and for us.
Matthew 5:13-16 (The Message): "Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand-shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven."
Folks, that's what the church is supposed to be - a light - bringing out the God colors in the world.
Let me ask you - where else in life are people gonna hear the message about a God who deeply loves them - a God who is willing to walk beside them in life - a God who was willing to die a horrible death so that they might find life and life eternal. Where else are people gonna get that message but in church? That's why we're here - to be a city on a hill - shining brightly the mysteries of the faith.
God has been reminding me of my mission lately and of the mission of Lakeview Church. Spiritually lost and seeking people matter deeply to God..and for some reason - which I don't fully understand - He has called us to be the track..the conduit through which He pours down His message of love and salvation. And that's what the church is supposed to be - a place where people find God. A place where people find hope. The church of Jesus Christ really is the hope of the world.
So folks - you can expect us to swing the doors wide open this year - as we invite as many people as we can to join our community.. no holds barred. You can expect it to get more crowded. You can expect us to do whatever it takes to be that city on a hill - shining brightly the life changing passion of God's grace.
I cannot let this slip. We cannot let this slip..not even a little bit. We are not just about ourselves. We are about everyone seeing and understanding the truth about God..
That's what God's been doing in me - renewing my passion. Actually, renewing God's passion in me for spiritually seeking people. People who are lost but want to be found..and making my life's first priority and this church's first priority to do whatever we must in order to help people find God..Why? Because people matter to God, therefore the church's first priority must be people. |
