Jun
30
2009

Hiatus Over?

It seems at least once a year I take an unintentional hiatus from blogging.  Honestly, it’s difficult to get back into the habit of blogging when you’ve taken a break.

In the past 3 months I have started at a new church, moved houses, been to Barbados and now I’m nursing a sinus infection.  It seems there has always been ’something’ to keep me from having any free time to blog.  Even now I am a tad overwhelmed with everything - and to be honest, I cannot wait to be finally moved fully into our new house.

So let me tell you about a little bit of what God has been doing in our lives:

I spent the beginning of the year anticipating a change in ministry- and God brought us to Prince Avenue Baptist Church near Athens, GA.  It is a GREAT church that God is doing so much in!  I have followed a guy who was here for 29 years (which is almost unheard of in any circles whether pastor or youth pastor) and there are some big shoes to fill.  I welcome the challenge and am enjoying it.  In fact, last sunday we voted in a Middle School Pastor - so I am looking forward to that partnership as well.

I commuted for 6 weeks to work - which is about an hour and 15 minute drive.  It could’ve been much worse, but with everything going on around here, it kept me pretty busy!  I would return home only to help Melanie pack a few things up in boxes and spend a few precious minutes with Shay.

I was THRILLED to sell my home, however our buyer picked a closing date that made our lives a little stressful (though not as stressful as not selling our home!) - by setting our closing date 3 days before we left for Barbados.  That got pushed back to 2 days, which pushed our closing on our new house to the day before we left on our mission trip!  We closed on Wednesday morning on our new home, moved all day wednesday, had youth group wednesday night and left the house at 6:30am for Barbados on Thursday!  It was CRAZY!

I was the Project Coordinator for an International World Changers event in Barbados.  Actually, more specifically I was the PC for the first ever Powerplant International which worked through IWC.  We had 67 participants and saw God do some amazing things that week!

We arrived home to a house full of boxes to unpack.  It’s not the worst scenario in the world, but when you’re looking forward to relaxing on the couch - first you have to find the couch, then clear it, then lay down. :)  If all we had were boxes it would be one thing, but that next week we had c3 camp  and VBS here at church.  I helped a little with C3 and Mel helped with VBS.

Last Saturday, Mel left for her families vacation.  I am hoping to catch up with them on Wednesday night and stay until Saturday so I can be back for church - but now it turns out I have a sinus infection.  I think I’m just ready to get back ‘in the groove’.

So, needless to say - while I have taken a hiatus, I have really just been trying to stay on top of things.  I think when you do blog (or simply write) relatively often, you start thinking in blog form.  It’s like when I’m able to Twitter (no data on my phone for the past 2 months has kept me from twittering as much) frequently, I start thinking in 140 characters or less. :)

One thing is certain in the midst of the craziness starting out this year - I am thrilled to be exactly where God wants me at a wonderful church.  I have thankful (beyond measure) for an incredible family who has stuck through so much and stayed strong.  I am blessed to be in an incredible house - that is definitely one of the nicest places I have ever lived.  I am looking forward to many great years ahead!

By pgillen | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)
Jun
26
2009

3 Kinds of Churches

I’m sure there are more, but in my short experience I have noticed at least 3 different types of churches.  Often times these churches reflect their pastors, but in reality their culture can be so ingrained that it would take many years for a pastor to ‘undo’ or ‘redo’ anything that needs a little bit of a change.  It is another reason why it is so imperative that a church hire a pastor that they can follow and trust - because it is difficult to move forward without a leader.

My names are pretty lame, but you get the idea nonetheless.

1.  The Dead-in-the-water Church. This is the church that hasn’t seen ‘life’ in a long time.  They are doing the same thing they did 50 years ago with no results.  The church is shrinking because the congregation is dying out.  They have no desire to change and are otherwise ignorant to the fact that they are largely ineffective not just in reaching their community, but in reaching their own congregants.  This type of church is happy not making waves and their primary goal is to stay afloat and pay the bills.

2.  The Struggling-to-breathe Church. This church has seen better days, and often speaks of those days with fondness.  There is sometimes a desire to break out of their shell and other times a willingness to do whatever it takes.  Often the struggling church struggles because everybody isn’t on board with the same vision.  There is a tension because there is a desire to grow, but not a desire to change in order to reach that growth.  Many don’t understand that changing in methods is not a change in theology or philosophy in ministry.  Another version of this church could be ‘the fluff’ church.  One that may be growing numerically, but they aren’t grounded and solid in the Word.  It’s not just enough to get warm bodies in the door - it’s a matter of what we DO that defines our direction here.

3.  The Solid and Growing Church. Probably the least common (unfortunately) church is the solid and growing church.  This is a church that trusts their leadership, that is faithful to the task of fulfilling the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.  They are often the ones found doing the ministry, and not just talking about it.  This church is not to be confused with a fluff church - as often they appear to be solid and growing but truthfully it’s built on the fame of the pastor, methods, or something beyond the Gospel.  While it’s easy to measure a church by it’s tangible growth, a solid church will also have intangible growth as more and more people become disciples and further commit to following Christ.

Just a few thoughts I’ve had lately that probably aren’t worth much!

By pgillen | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)
May
28
2009

A Ministry Like Facebook

It wasn’t that long ago I can remember my excitement over Myspace.  Though it was short-lived, I remember loving the ability to connect and keep up with friends beyond email or any other type of correspondence.  By updating my page, I could inform many of my friends at the same time what was going on in my life too. Social networking had been around, but it was typically at a price and had many parameters that narrowed it’s ability to connect.  Myspace was free and untamed.

Not long after that day someone turned me on to facebook.  Almost immediately I stopped using my myspace (after finding many of those same friends over on facebook) except for people who weren’t in college (at the time facebook was for people with college emails only).  With myspace, you have the ability to over-customize your experience.  Every Myspace page looked different as people added their own designs.  The problem with such personalization is there seemed to be no uniformity in the mission and goal of myspace.  Almost as if myspace was simply a template in which you could create your own neck of the woods.

Facebook, on the other hand, is not as easily customizable.  There is one color scheme and basic layout.  You can change the info and data, but not the overall experience.  Even the ads seem to be more well placed, that you simply don’t mind them.  There are many reasons facebook has grown to be much larger than myspace, but I believe it’s clear uniformity in goals and purpose are a major part.

There are a lot of ministries that take both approaches, but in my opinion the ones that take the more ‘facebook’ approach tend to win out.  Simply handing out jobs is not delegation.  Trying to appease each individual person creates a spiritual mess and you don’t know what to expect from person to person.  In being effective in reaching others, we need to create a defined system or way of acting and reacting in our ministry.  In other words, the overall purpose and objectives are displayed in the very structure itself.  Sure each person is different, their likes and dislikes - but people will jump on board when they know what you’re about.

Handing pieces to different people not on board with the vision can ruin what you hope to accomplish.  Instead, delegate and distribute responsibility based upon an agreed upon set of values and goals — you’ll be better in the end for it.  After all, not many people miss myspace.

By pgillen | Posted in ministry | Comments (1)
May
23
2009

I love change, but I had transitions.

I’m simply not patient.

In fact, I waited for 23 years and when I got engaged, I was ready to get married and quit waiting — so Mel and I were engaged for 4 months.  Ok, there were other factors, but a lot of it came down to not wanting to sit in a state of transition for a year or more.

The thing is, change is healthy.  I’ve told people that so many times in my life and I live it.  I’m not afraid of change, and in fact embrace it as an expected and welcomed part of life.  The past few months have brought much change, but also a long period of transition. (hence the lack of blogging or much else)

In the past few months my laptop has been in the shop 3 times.  When you’re trying to get stuff done, this is not fun.  My cell phone randomly deletes emails, contacts and even calendar functions… and the battery was lasting only 20 minutes of talk time (until Ray hooked me up)!  Put on top of that I’m commuting 80 minutes each way to work while we are packing our house up and moving to a new one.  Our buyer set our closing date 6 weeks out - which is a long time of transition.  I hate that state of limbo - the part where you’re not fully one place or the other.

Of course we move in a little over 2 weeks and have 2 days to move in before we’re in Barbados on a mission trip.  However, after that - hopefully the dust will settle a bit and we’ll be ready to start our new life in Bogart.

Change happens, so prepare for it - but I never get used to the transitions.

By pgillen | Posted in random | Comments (0)
May
15
2009

More Blog Love

While I’m settling into a new ministry, trying to get the house packed up, and preparing for a mission trip… I haven’t had the time to blog as often.  So I may take the opportunity to highlight others who are doing a great job.

Perry just posted on a series on 4 Points of attack that people will use to attack your ministry. Here’s an excerpt from #4, Your Ministry Methods:

People are GOING to question how you do things…no matter how you do them.  (BTW…they questioned the ministry methods of Jesus!  I would say if people aren’t asking questions and getting offended then you are not being like Christ!)

(A little more on the above thought—Jesus was ALWAYS healing on the Sabbath, which was considered to be a “sin” in that society.  Think about that…there were people who actually accused Jesus of sin because His ministry methods didn’t match up with their personal preferences.  Hmmmm.)

  • If you preach line by line, verse by verse then some people are going to prefer that you be more of a topical teacher.
  • If you preach topical messages some people will scream that you need to exegete the text!
  • If you use “secular” music then some people will scream you are “loving the world.”
  • If you use all “Christian” music then some people will scream that you are not relating to people outside of the church.
  • If you dress up then some people will say that you make them feel uncomfortable because they don’t really have any “church clothes.”
  • If you wear jeans and a T-shirt then some will say that “you aren’t giving God your best!”

What I am saying is this…there is NO WAY that a ministry leader can please every single person coming in the doors!  I once told a pastor, “You could stand at the back of your church this Sunday and give away $100 bills and SOMEONE would hate you for it!”

What you’ve GOT to do is figure out God’s unique calling on your life…and then DO IT with no apologies.  If you and I are not being true to the call God has placed on our lives then we are basically slapping His grace in the face and saying to Him by our actions, “People’s opinions are more important than Yours!”

(I once heard Craig Groeschel say, “Becoming obsessed with what people think about me is the quickest way to forget what God thinks about me.”)

By pgillen | Posted in Blogs, ministry | Comments (0)
May
14
2009

Money Doesn’t Produce Passion

Shaun King hit the nail on the head with this post about how Money Doesn’t Produce Passion. Some of the worst things you can do is have people on your team who are there for a paycheck. There is absolutely nothing wrong with people getting paid, or being a blessing to someone who is committed - but you’ve got to beware of making sure your team is involved because of their passion for ministry above a buck.

Here’s a little of what Shaun says:

  • If people were not really passionate about God or the church you lead before you started paying them, they won’t grow one single ounce of passion about God or the church you lead because you pay them.
  • If people were really passionate about God or the church you lead before you started paying them, paying them does not mean that this passion will be magically sustained or revived with each paycheck they receive.
By pgillen | Posted in ministry | Comments (0)
May
12
2009

The Silver Bullet

Every pastor and leader is on the lookout for the next silver bullet.  Something that will revolutionize his ministry, double his attendance, and increase the number of volunteers.  Whether its conferences or going as far as to emulate other pastors down to the way they dress - leaders will do anything to find the magic fix.  The bad news is, there is no silver bullet.

While there are still a few guys wearing Hawaiian shirts out there (surprisingly), you have to personalize your ministry.  In reality, it’s not methods that change lives - it’s the Gospel that changes lives.  Your methods need to mirror your community, and they may often mirror other churches - but don’t look for the silver bullet because it doesn’t exist.  Instead, look for a way for your church to reach your community the best way possible.  You will most likely try and fail more than once before getting it right, but keep placing Jesus in the front of everything you do.  Only He can change lives.

By pgillen | Posted in ministry | Comments (1)
May
10
2009

Sharp Shooting

I’m always impressed by snipers.  They have honed their craft so tightly; that even on an ocean wave they are able to pick off a few pirates before they even knew what hit them.  A sniper is a sharp shooter.  He spends the majority of his time practicing over and over that one shot - so when it counts, he doesn’t miss.

On the other hand, have you ever shot a shotgun?  There is definitely some skill involved, but not near as much.  A shotgun is a great gun for close range, but if you’re looking to hit a target further than a few feet away you may want something else (ok, some shotguns are better than others, but roll with me).

Why do we so often in ministry use a shotgun when we should be pulling out our snipers?  In other words, we try to do so much and only braze the target - when we should be knocking it down.  It’s easy to get caught up in programs, buildings and so many other things that are ‘good’ - but keep us from being effective.  Often shotgun users are the ones trying to please people, instead of keeping the ministry on task.  They often worry about what has always been done - rather than evaluate the effectiveness of a ministry.  A shotgun user can’t see beyond a few feet in front of him - whereas a sniper can see the big picture down the road that God has planned.

There is a HUGE difference between good and great - and I believe we need to stop trying to do a little bit of everything good, and start doing a few things great.  And hey, a sniper at close range is still pretty deadly.

By pgillen | Posted in ministry | Comments (0)
Apr
25
2009

Saturday Fun

The other day Mel sent me this photo, and I had to post it.  She titled it “What have you done?!”

photo-54

By pgillen | Posted in fun | Comments (0)
Apr
23
2009

Own your faith — but don’t buy it

There is a big disconnect within many Christians today - and it’s in the fact that they “buy” their faith instead of owning it.  In fact, a better way to our ideal is to let our faith own us.  Instead of giving everything we have toward the mission of God, we tend to look at our faith like a commodity.

I have been guilty of this in the past as well.  I fell into the trap of buying “Christian” t-shirts, only listening to “Christian” music, and of course going to church for all of the wrong reasons.  The problem isn’t in a t-shirt with a cheesy slogan - the problem is that we often purchase a lifestyle instead of giving ourselves over to a new way of life.  The term “Christian” was never meant to refer to anything other than the people of God.  There is no “Christian” music, just music that honors or doesn’t honor Christ.

Semantics?  Maybe, but we all need to be careful to not fall into the trap of simply trying to wear all of the right clothes, listen to the ‘right’ stuff, and finish our checklist.  Everything we do should be motivated by a desire to give God glory.  He deserves all we have — and I’ve got a feeling he’s not a huge fan of the cheesy shirts either.

By pgillen | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)