Make sure the Water is in the Pool :

Sometimes life/ministry/leadership just dishes up some disappointing results doesn't it ?

Sometimes its others letting you down, and at other times its all because of the choices
or mistakes you made along the way.

Make sure the water is in the pool before you go diving in !!!!

We all know what would happen to us if we dived into an empty pool....it would not be a very good or pleasant result. Yet many in this world do just that with decisions and choices along their journey, and then when they suffer the consequences of their choices, its everyone elses fault or they try to justify their position.  

Here's a thought....it may have been better to see if the water was in the pool before you dived in, hey ?

As I was praying this morning, I had one of those moments when I felt God speaking to me about this subject.... not about belly flopping, or diving into something over my head, or failing to see what lays before me as I make my choices... or even seeing if the dive I make is going to hurt me... or maybe even thinking that I may just flounder in the deep end or even drown....  but it was way more positive...

it was about spring boarding into my future.....  using the diving board as a resource to bounce into the next phase of my calling.

Spring boarding into 2103.

I don't share this to hurt anyone(especially at Craigieburn), but only to express my feelings at the moment about what lays before "me" personally as a Leader in God's Holy Church.

I don't want to hit 2013  with the thought I am going to sink.... or drown or belly flop...but rather I want to spring into the year with a new bounce in my step, a new drive motivating me, a fresh pool to jump into and perform the most elegant " Spiritual leader" dive I possibly can muster.

God is my springboard .

The water is my Church ministry....

The way I dive in, my attitude towards it, my behavior on the diving board, is all a choice, that I am willing to make, to please the God who called me to such a purpose.

I wouldnt mind some synchronized divers working alongside me also...  you know, diving in accord...

with the same purpose, same cause, together, focused, in harmony, same goal....

So, maybe there may be some out there reading the blog who might think to join me in synchronized diving into ministry into Ringwood Salvos...but if not specifically at Ringwood, any Kingdom ministry counts...for that's what we are "all" building...not an empire, but enhancing the Kingdom Pool.

Here's a truth for you.... and me..... even if no one dives with me, I will go solo.... cause I want to dive into what God has called me to be and do.

So what will it look like if we ( I ) springboard into the new year ?

1. Stop looking back. You cant dive forwards if you are looking backwards spiritually, you will slip and fall.

2. Embrace the dive.  Don't freak out on the edge of the board, but jump in.

3. Get wet. get fully immersed.

4. Try to get the dive right. I am not looking to belly flop next year, but dive into that water of Ringwood and 

    not make too big a splash as I do.  

Its my belief and opinion, That God calls us to spring into the ministry opportunities He sends our way. It doesn't mean we forget about and write off the past.

I will never forget my time and work and ministry at Craigieburn, it's now a part of my life. 

But I indeed intend to dive in, with my whole being, into the new opportunities coming my way.

I want a spring in my step.

I want to get fully "wet".

I want to see other divers in sync with me as I dive. 

God is my springboard....He equips and empowers me to dive higher and with more intent and purpose than what I could do alone, so being in sync with Him is primary.

I am going for it...and getting my self psyched up right now....

How are you going to dive into 2013 ?

I hope you don't intend on belly flopping into an empty pool.....

OUCH !!!!

6 reminders for every leader/officer/pastor...

Someone said the other day that if their new Officer wasn't going to "pastor" them, then they were going to leave their church.

It reminded me that sometimes, people are fickle....  some are so demanding, others are quite passive, others are downright rude, and others just go with the flow.

Being an Officer/Pastor has its challenges, I will probably never live up to everyones expectations, and will no doubt dissappoint many along the way.  Sorry to those who I have already disappointed...... :(

But I will always do my very best at what I do.  Always.  !!!!  You will never get a half hearted , half baked effort from me.

I think there are many Officers and Pastors who would like to remind some of the fickle people along the way of their own responsibilties also.

It's all well and good for the people to demand their "rights" as sheep..... the right to be pastored and shepherded....  the right to hear great preaching, to get the worship style perfect for every single person in the congregation...all the time.... for the Officer to be available for their every need at any time of the day or night, and every other demand leveled at us....

However, because this is my blog and my thoughts I have few demands I wouldn't mind leveling back on the congregation..... ( just a thought- well 7 thoughts really, and these are not aimed at Craigieburn or even Ringwood...just generalizations that I have noticed over the past 17 years or so )   :)
 
1. How about turning up every week for church worship and being on time when you do .
2. What about being involved in the great commission and bring a few people to church with you. 
3. Oh Yeah, the tithing bit..... that's not a bad idea, its God's way of funding His mission on the earth.
4. Prayer meetings are notoroiusly the lowest attended meeting in most churches, it would be good to see  
    the demanding people, those precious fickle ones, turn up to pray.
5. And about sleeping through the one hour worship service, or my sermon that I prepared hours to 
   deliver...?   cant you sleep at home ? and stay awake for God for just one hour or so on a                      
   Sunday morning ?  
6. Grumpiness and backstabbing don't belong in any church.... wouldn't mind seeing that go too.
7. And yep, the final one ( there could be dozens more probably) Church is about God, the commands of 
    the Word of God (His Bible) are not optional, so it would be good to see the church live it out and get on 
    with it.

The church is not perfect, no church is.....every church has its fickle ones, and every church has its saints. I believe that we all need to remember who we are, and what we are on about...

It's not playing church, or playing Salvation Army..... its not a club, or musical society, we are a movement on a mission...

We are meant to be growing, getting bigger, attracting others in, serving many, supporting people as well, and most primary of all aspects of our being, is the fact that we are meant to be the people of God on earth, even with our distinctive style and shape as The Salvation Army.


so here's a few reminders from a great book to just help keep the Officer and leader focused... (for me too )
( taken from The book;  "The Heart of a Great Pastor" (HB London and Neil Wiseman) 

Do Remember these things: They will help you....

• God's nearness makes ministry an adventure regardless of location. 

• People in your setting have incredible spiritual needs. 

• Your outlook "limits" or "liberates" ministry. 

• The gospel seed penetrates the hardest soil. 

• God has up-to-date plans for every setting. 

• Everyone—pastor, parishioners and the world—needs a miracle.


 so the next time, the fickle ones get under your skin, just have a chat to God..... call in the big guns from heaven, speak the truth, preach the word, love the sheep, feed the sheep, and ask for some miracles, and leave the rest for God, afterall its His church and you and I are His servants.

Awesome isn't it ? 

7 Resources every Officer has at their disposal

I have started reading again,a book that impacted me many years ago, it is one of my prized books in my library, and I want to share with you,  some "nuggets", "gold" ministry tools that every Pastor or Officer should remember in ministry.

there are 7 resources that every Officer has at his or her disposal, right within his or her own reach....


Resource 1:

Every Congregation is Unique.

Using a church's uniqueness is an important factor in developing a flourishing ministry. God gives uniqueness to a church to achieve His purposes. He has created your church.

Look for your uniqueness, what makes your corps/church unique ?  Nail it then in that area, specialize in it, it is your God given uniqueness, ordained by Him.... and go for it.

Resource 2:

Every Congregation responds to a Pastors / Officers Love:

Congregations seldom thrive without an Officers love. The sheep grow restless without an attentive shepherd. This love is the God given love, the agape kind of love, and if we will love our people, we will find love covering over a multitude of other stuff.

remember Matthew 22:  Love God, with all your heart.mind and soul, and love people like yourself.

Resource 3:

God provides Supernatural Empowerment:

Contemporary evil and human brokenness are not too much for the power of God.  If He can find a few faithful servants, He will work miracles.

I think sometimes we get scared of the supernatural, when we ought to embrace the supernatural power of God in our church and allow God to do amongst us what we cannot do.  It is way more than a resource it should be our life DNA as a church.


Resource 4:

Every Church Needs Bible Preaching:

God has preserved the Bible as a supernatural guide for life and faith.
Better biblical preaching will make every church healthier.

I know that not everyone operates in the same style with preparation and preaching, but it is  a privilege to share Gods word with Gods people.  It ought be a priority in every preachers diary to prepare well for this privilege.  its not a chore...its life giving.    Let's lift our game in preaching and see our corps become healthier.


Resource 5:

Every Officer is Distinctively gifted:

God whispers His call to ministry to committed people who posess many diverse gifts and abilitys.

God has ordained your placement in this church/corps at this time, and he has already gifted you with a uniqueness, that makes you, "you".  Celebrate it and work within in it and use the gifts you have for His glory. Your church will love it when you are in your sweet spot.

it doesn't mean you don't do anything else outside of your gifting, we all know that ministry requires us to do loads of other stuff too, but  work within your gifts and use other people in other areas of gifting, its how the body functions best.


Resource 6:

Every Setting has Potential:

Something very special needs to be done in every setting.

In every area no matter wherever your church  or corps is situated, there are numerous amounts of people who remain unsaved, in a very close proximity to your corps, and what is glorious about that, is that God has positioned you to connect with them and add them to the body of believers of your church.

What a privilege we have, yet many don't do it , for fear of rejection or ridicule.  Just do it anyway its  a valuable resource that God has given us all.


Resource 7:

Every Church has Something to Give People :

We have been lulled into believing that the small church has little to offer.

We have allowed the "big is best" mindset to dilute the fact, that when the church is the "Church", regardless of size, it is a mighty instrument in the hand of God.

when we love others...
care for others...
embrace others...
listen..
serve...
help...

we do what most won't do in this world.  Just "be" the church, and watch what God does amongst us.


( these thoughts and resources are taken and adapted from the book : 
"The heart of a great pastor"   
by  HB London and Neil Wiseman

It's about thriving and flourishing where God has planted you.

I have heard it many times, if we only had this or were that big we could do this or do that but we cant, because of this or that we dont have.

the above is a list of things that every church and corps has at its disposal and it will make the world of difference to the world in which we live, if we just gave it a crack.

I also have had many times when I have wondered why some churches grow larger than others, why some plant new congregations, right amongst other churches.

Sadly, in many cases its only because the churches that already exist in those areas have stopped doing its job, and there are people still waiting to be saved.


so what would it look like if you had a crack at some of the 7, or all of them right where God has positioned you right now ?

can it do any damage if you did  try ?

but maybe it might grow your church and cause it to be healthier if we did ...

I'm gonna keep trying.

This week (part 2)

its all out in the open now, we will be the new Corps Officers of the Ringwood corps in Eastern Victoria.

personally I am pretty pumped about it. Not sure how everyone in Ringwood is feeling, hopefully ok.

I have been humbled by some of the responses of the Craigieburn folk, and now after 12 years, its time to move on.

On Christmas Day December 2000 our little family arrived here, starting a small holiday before a fairly traumatic beginning to S3064. we enjoyed Christmas with Julie's family in our new home and then started unpacking. At the end of that year we hadn't achieved much, a small group of people had joined us, but the ministry and work of TSA had begun in Craigieburn, and now 12 years later it is one of the largest Corps in Melbourne Central Division. (being careful here about pride) But it is satisfying that after all these years there are results. and they are mostly good results.

There is a good strong leadership team in place.

we have an awesome worship and ministry facility.

100's of people visit our site every week.

and around 120 on average, attend worship on sundays.

we have faced trauma together, done the funerals of loved ones, dedicated new babies, who we have seen grow before our very eyes. and of course we have had our fair share of wedding celebrations too.

there are many soldiers, and stacks of adherents, in fact we are about to make some more new soldiers in the next few weeks.

AND now...its time to move on ( January 9th )

I have many mixed feelings.... a part of me is very sad... the other part of me is very excited about the next chapter in my life and ministry book...

the sadness is because its kind of like leaving a child behind, or leaving family, the 12 years we shared, we grew together, they were hard years, there was nothing easy about it, ......it was pure hard work and agonizing prayer times as we sort after Gods will with and in us.

God never promised anyone, an easy road as a Christian leader, he calls us to surrender our rights, and to commit to His purposes....and whilst it may have been hard work, it is incredibly satisfying to look back over this past decade and see the fruit of that work. Which I pray becomes even more fruitful over the coming years.

But it definitely is .."no pain, no gain" kind of stuff, and so yes it will be hard to leave, for me personally, very very hard. But I know.... YES I KNOW, it is the right time and it is Gods plan and will for us to go.

So as difficult as the next 2 months will be, I embrace it, trusting Him completely that what He started He will continue, - In Me, and in S3064 church.

I intend on finishing my leg of the race here at Craigieburn, as best as I can...I believe in finishing well, and I intend to do that.

My mind and heart is starting to be spoken to by the Lord God about 2013 and what He requires of me in Ringwood, however...there are a few things to start finishing off here at Craigieburn( for us) and preparing for a new set of fresh and vibrant and revolutionary leaders, in Pete and Jo Brookshaw. (great people)

and so I come towards the end of a very large chapter of my life ministry.

and start writing a new chapter....

what will that bring ?

well only God knows that and I trust Him,

so it's all good.

 

 

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This week...

This is a very big week, and tomorrow it will be evident why ... as hundreds of Salvo Officers in our territory are notified of where they will be serving Jesus in 2013.

We will let you know what is happening with us when the time is right ...
(which is 1.00pm Thursday Oct 11th , 2012 AEDST)

**********************************************************************************

God has been speaking to my heart his week though, and it has been very special for me. The other night I was walking around the block on my normal walking routine, and I heard the still small voice of the Lord speak into my heart about what I was to do in 2013 and who I was to Minister to.  I became overwhelmed with emotion as I pondered that thought, and allowed God to just speak into my spirit very deeply in those precious few moments on the streets of Craigieburn.

I (& Julie) have been ministering in Craigieburn for 12 years now and so whatever this week brings will be interesting indeed for us, even if it means staying for another year.

I trust the Lord, implicitly...He has my heart... I am His man and I believe that my future is well placed when I trust and obey Him .

I  will blog some more later this week once everything is clearer out there....

however...here's what I have learned so far...

if we stay-

Surrendered.....
Committed...
Obedient..
Faithful...
Willing...
Patient...
Trusting...

then the days ahead will always be God ordained and blessed.

My New Routine ...

I don't think I am fat, but I feel the need to adjust my lifestyle and eating habits and exercise routines.

This is all a bit personal, really, but I am a transparent leader, so I usually allow things about me to be in the open, when I can.

Recently I have weighed 76. 5kgs, and over the past 3 weeks after having started the change, have now dropped down to 74.1kgs.

here's whats happening ( a bit of a follow on to the heart doctor visit)...................

changed eating habits... no more sweet things (at least for a while), no more junk food,  ( for a while)
and I started the Gym for the first time today.

I have been walking everyday with Mel, my daughter, for  around a month or so now, 4.5kms most days, and the goal is to crank that up in speed and time.

The Goal ?

is to lose another 4.1kgs.  Hopefully by December 2012, and then keep it off.

why ? to feel healthier, and ensure that my body is a clean and a healthy temple for God to be able to use, for a long time to come.

I am tired of feeling sluggish...

But wait there's more....

No one will ever really  remember how I started.... as an Officer.

Some may remember, but mostly I am the only one who really knows how I started out this Officer journey  thing. 

What I want people to see, and for myself to be.....

is to finish my race well.  To be remembered for what I did at the end.  How I ended up.

After all that's when the real race actually just begins.

I have set some personal health goals...

I have also set some personal spiritual goals... one of them is to finish well.

I don't want to be physically or spiritually sluggish.

I believe strongly that many people become sluggish physically and spiritually, as a result of one of 2 things. Firstly they have become lazy, apathetic or undisciplined in their approach to their physical condition and or even spiritual condition. OR  Secondly they just simply don't care about the health of either their body or their spirit, and as such neglect both or either.

I am not becoming a fitness freak, but I have just decided that enough is enough, of the sluggishness and I reject it physically AND spiritually and I believe the two are very closely connected.

I am not going to impose my new routine on any one else, it is for me...

I am not going to deliberately  make others feel guilty about their choices either...

Its just that I have made a choice, and I am starting to feel the benefits of it already, and it's good.