Do What You Are Called To Do - Lead
Posted in Leadership |I know a number of church planters read this blog; and It’s my hope to provide help and support to them. It’s redeeming for me when we’re able to take the experiences we’ve had at Palm Valley (good, bad & ugly), and share them with others to help them do this church thing better.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as a pastor is that I have to stay rock solid on the vision God has given me, and lead from that vision. As the lead pastor, I’m called to be the leader.
Note: Please understand, I’m not saying that I shouldn’t listen to others, or that I’m the only one who can make any decisions. I’ve got a great team of people around me, and I value their insight. The key is to listen to the right people, ignore the wrong people, and ultimately make sure you’re hearing from God. Every big decision I’ve made at PVC has been in the context of a team. We have a staff lead team, and legal trustee team, who help advise me on the pro’s and con’s of decisions. I’ve also given these guys & gals the freedom to say anything to me; because I value their insight. I know they’re in prayer. However, at some point the leader has to make the call. This is Biblical - study it!
When we were first starting, there were many people who thought they knew better for our church than me. They would make their comments, ask me over their house, even try to rally support for what they thought we should do. These were critical moments in our history. I had to get alone with the Lord, make sure I’d heard from Him, and then stand firm with the vision God had given me. Sure, we lost people over this; but they were people that needed to find another church.
Along the way I’ve made some tough decisions, and every one has come amidst oppostion. Let me explain…
I have released staff for many different reasons: ineffectiveness, inability to work with (or lead) a team, failure to live by biblical qualifications for leadership, need for that person to find a better fit, etc… Each time I knew it was the right decision. Now get this leaders, it has never been easy, always painful.
I love every person who’s been on our staff, that doesn’t mean though that they should be on staff now. The temptation for leaders is to not make these tough calls, knowing that it will be unpopular. When you know you’ve made the right decision before the Lord, you won’t need to defend it to others or get into the gossip game. Make the decision and keep moving forward!
Another big area for us has been building our campus. We could have built long ago, but much smaller, and it would have been easy. Believe me, I’ve felt the pressure. Funny, it’s usually from people who are unwilling to help with set-up & tear-down. We’ll even have people visit and say “I like your church, I think I’ll come back when you build”. –pathetic.
We made a decision as a church that we would pay the cost, remain uncomfortable, and wait for the right time to build. This has allowed us to purchase 40 acres of prime land so that we won’t be limited in how many people we can reach. It’s definitely hard work being portable, but we don’t use that as an excuse not to grow. We’re breaking ground this spring on our campus, and it will just be another tool God can use to bring more people into His Kingdom.
It’s at these crucial points (and many others) that your leadership will be defined, as will the future of your church. If you don’t make these decisions because of fear, you cease to be the leader of your church. My leadership integrity and skills have been refined through these decisions.
Church planters, I encourage you, define and refine the vision God has called you to — AND STICK WITH IT. If it’s God-given, it’s non-negotiable. There will always be people who want to change your vision, don’t let them. To say “yes” to them, you’re saying “no” to God. Don’t do it! Be faithful to Him, and the right people will follow you — as you follow Him.
One help: get some mentors; pastors who are steps ahead of you and can coach and help you through these tough things. It’s been huge for me to have some incredible leaders I can call on and get some help with tough decisions.
