It Came in the Mail

It arrived tonight and now it feels real!

Chasing this lifelong dream came during a long season of relational drought. Here’s what I learned: Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you CAN’T chase your dreams. Naysayers and gossips miss out on the miracle and not worthy of your attention. Pursue your calling wholeheartedly and focus on the future.

“Grace mixed with faith and love poured over me and into me. And all because of Jesus.” (1 Timothy 1:14, MSG)

Inside the Oral Defense of Doctoral Process

This week I wrapped up a two year journey toward earning my Doctorate. The final phase was the Oral Defense, a time-honored rite of passage required before completing the doctoral candidacy.

For what it’s worth, I filmed a reaction video and shared a couple clips from my Oral Defense to help educate others on the process.

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MOSES & MOSOGI

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There will be challenges in 2023. Life is hard. Can we thrive and build resilience in the midst of a broken world? We are becoming hard-wired to live “comfortable” lives. We want our homes a comfortable 70 degrees in the winter and 68 degrees in the summer. We want our groceries door dashed, and our Starbucks waiting at the drive thru. But, when we enroll in seminary, take our first pastorate, or simply engage broken people, we find that life is challenging.


Oftentimes God will have us undertake a misogi that moves us into the uncomfortable to help us thrive in life. A misogi is an activity that challenges a person, and is hard, but reveals that God can see you through it. Moses’ story is a misogi that may teach us about life.

1) START. BUT REALIZE THERE WILL BE CHALLENGES

In the midst of difficulties, Moses was called to lead God’s people out of slavery (Exodus 3). Moses worked through his insecurities, and stepped into the uncomfortable. For many of us, adrenaline will propel us in a new endeavor. Like Moses, we have our challenges. Those challenges can come from external power (Pharaoh) or internal ones (the Israelites).

2) EMBRACE THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN THE CHALLENGE

In ministry, change is hard. Moving people to a healthy place is hard. And, people will gravitate to the comfortable before they embrace the unknown (Exodus 14:5-12). Moses experienced God guiding him through the challenges of leading people from slavery to freedom. In this, Moses learned that “God will help in his challenges” (Exodus 14:13-31).

3) LEAN INTO OTHERS TO SUCCEED IN THE CHALLENGE

Ministry drains a person. Even in success, there are challenges. Moses reveals challenges are best encountered when we surround ourselves with people who are honest and supportive. Moses needed Aaron and Ur to help him for Joshua to defeat the Amalekites (Ex 17:8-16). Moses also listened to those who offered wise counsel (Ex 18:1-16).

4) SETBACKS ARE A PATH FORWARD IN THE CHALLENGE

Moses was with God (Ex 32:1). But, the people were struggling with life, and seeking a path that was culturally easy (Ex 32:2-10). Moses implemented correctives mid-course, and shows setbacks can impede forward movement, but they also can reshape a better direction.

5) FLUIDITY IN THE CHALLENGE

Past success isn’t necessarily the key to future success. In the midst of dehydration (Ex 17:1-7), God instructs Moses to strike the rock for water. It worked. Then, in a similar situation (Numbers 17), Moses was instructed to “speak to the rock” for water. Instead of being fluid in God’s directions, Moses privileged the past for his present. This profoundly modified his future (Numbers 20:20).

6) ACCEPTANCE THAT THE END MAY NOT BE IDEALIZED

Due to a few mishaps in the challenge, Moses’ finish line experience is not the idealized finish. Moses did not make it into the land. But, in God’s grace, Moses was taken to the top of Mount Nebo and shown the land (Deuteronomy 34). Moses’ journey was over. He encountered many challenges in life. And was given the privilege of finishing his misogi.


Ministry is hard. Life will have challenges in 2023. We can let the challenges paralyze us, and make us quit. Or, we can train for challenges, and learn from Moses.

Doctoral Class Sequence

Entering the final stretch of my doctoral candidacy at Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity, I’ve really enjoyed connecting with fellow and potential students via my YouTube Channel. For those just joining us, I’ve been posting video blogs of my doctoral journey:

One viewer emailed me asking about my course sequence. For what it’s worth, here is the sequence of courses I took for my cognate of Church Planting & Evangelism:

August 2021

DMIN810: Foundations for the Doctor of Ministry

Fall 2021

DSMIN815: Personal Spiritual Formation

EVCP810: Biblical Foundations for Evangelistic Church Planting

EVCP820: Missional Considerations for Evangelistic Church Planting

Spring 2022

EVCP820: Missional Considerations for Evangelistic Church Planting (Retake)

Summer 2022

DMIN851: Micro-Project I: Biblical Precedence

DMIN852: Micro-Project II: Current & Historical Practices

Fall 2022

DMIN853: Micro-Project III: Personal Engagement

DMIN854: Micro-Project IV: Recommended Engagement

January 2023

DMIN855: Portfolio Presentation

As you can see, although I was considered a full-time doctoral student, there was only one semester where I took three classes simultaneously, which in hindsight I do not recommend.

I am looking forward to my final few weeks this January - March and will keep you updated on my Defense.

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New Podcast Debuting This Week

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A couple months ago I took down all my past podcast episodes in order to rethink and revamp my approach.


I want to be more effective in helping you reach people far from God!


As part of my doctoral work, I'm excited to share that I will now be launching a new version of my podcast, renamed 'LeaderShift.'


Trailer is up now, Episode 1 will be dropping later this week.


Some of the early episodes will feature content you've enjoyed in the past, but don't worry; plenty of fresh new content will be coming your way shortly!


Don't miss a single episode: SUBSCRIBE to LeaderShift on your fav podcasting platform now!

The 3 Types of Church Start-Up Models

Based on chapter five of Planting Missional Churches,1 three different leadership models are presented for church planters: The Apostolic Harvest Church Planter, The Founding Pastor, and Team Planting. Each model offers different strengths and weaknesses, which will be briefly explored here.

The Apostolic Harvest Model occurs when a church planter starts a new church, raises up leaders from within (i.e. Paul and Timothy), and then moves on to begin a new church work. To be sure, this model was championed by Paul in the Book of Acts, as the Apostle would travel along the Mediterranean Rim in his efforts of spreading the Gospel through establishing new churches.2 The recording of Paul's words to the new Ephesian Elders gleans insight into the leadership hand-off of the church planter to indigenous leadership.3 This model excels at multiplying many churches since the main church planter is made available every few years for new church planting efforts. However, this model lends toward weakness if strong internal leadership is not properly trained or raised up in the church planter's absence.

The Founding Pastor Model involves a church planter starting a church initially, remaining as the entrepreneurial leader for the short-term before transitioning into a more long-term role as pastor of the new church. Examples of this model include Priscilla and Aquila,4 C.H. Spurgeon, and Rick Warren, the latter of which have influenced the majority of current North American church planters with this model. Strengths include stability for the newly-established congregation leading to long-term impact in their community. A weakness of this model could be the mission field "loss" of a church planter who neglects possible skills and giftings for future Kingdom expansion.

Finally, the Team-Planting Model is exemplified by a team of planters/pastors who relocate to a new area to begin a church plant. This model is rare in North America due to the financial cost and group buy-in required. Internationally, however, it is excelling: "Today, in cross-cultural mission, the team approach has become the norm for pioneer church planting. Often team members are all vocational missionaries, but this is not always the case; some may be bi-vocational."5

An indirect example of the Team-Planting Model in Scripture involves the church at Ephesus which had a number of formative leaders (Priscilla, Aquila,6 Paul,7 Apollos8), underscored by Paul's letter to Timothy to now lead the church at Ephesus: "To Timothy my true son in the faith... As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies."9

Strengths of this model include robust spiritual gifts being deployed into one new congregation, sharing the tasks and burdens of starting a new church from scratch. Weaknesses include, as mentioned before, the higher financial costs of employing multiple ministry workers at the onset of a new church plant.

While all models provide opportunities for advancing the Gospel, one finds himself most drawn toward the Founding Pastor Model, as it provides both creative flexibilities for the church planter while also allowing shepherding gifts to be utilized in caring for the new congregants and making a lasting impact for eternity. Due to this model's prevalence currently in the North American context, training and coaching is readily available for the Founding Pastor, better supporting the ministry efforts of the new church start-up.
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1 Stetzer, Ed and Daniel Im, Planting Missional Churches (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2016).
2 Acts 16 (NIV)
3 Acts 20:22-35
4 Romans 16:3
5 Ott, Craig, and Gene Wilson. Global Church Planting: Biblical Principles and Best Practices for Multiplication (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2011).
6 Acts 18:18-19
7 Acts 18:24-25
8 Acts 19:1-21
9 1 Timothy 1:2-4

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Life Church's Core Values

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Values are important in any organization as they articulate the kind of organization we dream of becoming.

Putting into words the culture you are seeking to model into existence is hard work.

During my recent doctoral studies, I've been refreshing Life Church's Core Values for the journey ahead.

For what it's worth, here are our Core Values, Version 2.0...

We Are United Under One Vision


To reach the people no one else is reaching, we will do the things no one else is doing.
We will do anything short of sin to reach people far from God.
We will unapologetically and aggressively defend our unity and vision.

Every Person Matters


All people are image-bearers of God and are wonderfully made.
Because every person matters, relationships are not disposable.
We will always choose conversation over condemnation.
We will always seek to maintain the relationship over winning the argument.
We choose honesty over hypocrisy and gospel over gossip.

We Strive for Integrity, Transparency & Accountability


We do not gossip or spread rumors.  No insider politics here.
Full of honor and integrity, we will choose to do the right thing even when it hurts.
Our position is to out-love, out-serve, and out-give those who misunderstand us.

Because we have nothing to hide, we value humble transparency in all areas, including finances.

Everyone is accountable to someone at Life Church.

Found People Find People


We will put more effort into reaching the Lost than keeping the Found.
We will never allow this lifeboat to become a yacht club.
We will spare no expense because the just-one-more is worth it.
We will celebrate every story because every person matters.

Saved People Serve People


“... just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve..."  (Jesus in Matthew 20:28)

Becoming more like Jesus means we focus on serving others.
When we take the spotlight off ourselves and place it on other people, it will result in improving our marriages, making a difference in our workplaces and discovering our spiritual gifts.

We are never more like Christ than when we see Sunday mornings as our mission field.

Growing People Change


Jesus accepts us as we are, but He loves us too much to let us stay that way.
Over time, the Lord changes us from the inside out.

Colossians 3:9-10 reminds us that we have "taken off the old self" and "put on the new self."
Once we know Jesus, we can’t go back to the people we were before.

As we listen to Jesus and do what He says, our desires change.
We begin to think and act and love as He did.

I Cannot Out-Give God


“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  (Jesus in John 3:16)

It is a spiritual impossibility for us to outgive God, because He has already given us everything.
Everything belongs to God and we are simply managers of God's stuff.
When we give, we’re giving God back a small portion of what He’s already given us.

Jesus is Our Only Celebrity


We celebrate the contributions of God's servants to our spiritual education and formation,
but we look to Jesus above all others and put our hope in Him alone.

 

Movements Move


We are not Atari, we are Apple.
We believe in humor over hammer.

We will always maintain a posture of humility and learning new methods for reaching people far from God.

We will always narrow the focus in all we do.  We think steps, not programs.

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