Rookie Pastor |

Monday Morning Quick Hits

A big thanks to my awesome wife for making Father’s Day special. First she enrolled me in the Dollar Shave Club which is a lot of fun but it does mean that I have to say goodbye to my Mach 3 Turbo that I’ve been rocking since ’04. She also got me a sweet new journal, specifically to record all the positive stuff on our church planting journey. There will be times of discouragement so hopefully I can take a peek at the journal full of the craziness that God is doing and be reminded that He’s got this.

Beat. The. Heat.
Google and Wi-Fi Zeppelins.
Getting started with some focused church communication and the greatest pastor headshot ever.
30 is not the new 20.
You need to read the whole book. Or don’t.
Huckabee says churches should give up tax-exempt status.
Plug and Play church is lazy and dangerous.
Still thinking about switching to a standing desk? Some easy and cheap options.
Great to preach yesterday at one of our partner churches.
Pay attention to your hashtags. Southern Baptists and sports bras.
On counter-productive theological debates.
Exploitation.
Missional apologizes to Attractional.
N.T. Wright answers some questions.
Before you get excited about the new Apple stuff.

June 17, 2013 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

We Are All Liars

Heard an interview in which a physicist was trying to explain string theory. After explaining it he went on to say that his description wasn’t accurate, saying:

When a physicist talks to a non physicist they are lying

It is in the spirit of truth, but ultimately the concepts are so complex that an average person is incapable of beginning to understand the principle.

Then I started thinking about all the times I lied trying to explain things like the Trinity, predestination, eternity, the Holy Spirit, justification, grace and just about every other seminal theological issue. In some respects I lied to people as I tried to help them understand.

I’m sure other pastors and professors did the same with me as they tried to teach, and I think it is ok when we realize we are doing it.

Its when we take that reduced simplistic explanation of the incredible complicated issue and pass it off as the final word on the topic that we get in trouble.

Suddenly we are throwing verbal rocks on a topic in which we are both wrong. How would Calvin or Barth or Augustine or your favorite theologian react to the debates that divide?

Take a breath, realize we are all lying a bit and don’t let the lies get in the way of the truth.

June 14, 2013 in Challenging, Encouraging with 0 Comments

You Bought Stamps!

Wanted to pass along a quick Thank You to all of you who frequent this site.

My own Rookie Pastor journey has taken me to a new chapter over the past year or so as I transitioned out of youth ministry and into church planting.

Here at the start I have taken the modest advertising revenue from Rookie Pastor and used it to cover some expenses.

Things like stamps, coffee consumed over meetings with partners, and other exciting things like paper and envelopes.

I thought you should know that when you read, click, comment, and share anything connected to this site you are helping me cover these expenses. Those funds have gone to things that are laying the groundwork for a local church committed to living as a Movement of followers of Jesus who are declaring that life is better in a community centered around Jesus.

So thanks.

June 12, 2013 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

Driscoll on Pastoral Fears

Hat tip to Todd Rhoades on this one, per usual Todd is always a great source.

I am not a fan of Driscoll, but I do respect him. And I think he is doing incredible things on behalf of the Kingdom.

In this short video he points out some obvious things in terms of keeping our priorities in order and actionable steps behind the statements. Appreciate the aspect of having the humility to ask those around us if we are making them a priority.

Beyond spouse, family, and core group of friends; what would it look like if we asked our staffs and fellow pastors if they felt like a priority? Not in a needy or unhealthy way but for those we lead and lead with are we pouring into them as we should?

June 11, 2013 in Challenging, Practical with 0 Comments

Monday Morning Quick Hits

Jon Acuff on telling a joke.
I’m a sucker for a post on workflow, here’s Donald Miller’s.
Oh, so the Kingdom is about a financial windfall.
Great profile of Axis Church and how they do missional.
Willow Creek through the Church Unique frame.
The rise of the small church.
Helpful profile of an American college-aged atheist. Spoiler Alert: they’ve been to church.
Do we have enough churches?
Do you have a good answer for this one?
If you hate Sunday morning announcements….
Youth Ministry can kill your extrovert.
Can someone explain to me the logic of intentionally dragging out the NBA Finals? Seemed like intentionally missing Friday and Saturday night was a mistake.
Speaking of work flow, 90 minute bursts.
Only 4 in 10 MDiv students plan on full time, paid ministry.
Rob Bell calls B.S.

June 10, 2013 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

The Unemployed Pastor: Serve

You can read the entire series here.

It is too easy to lose sight of the core essence of ministry when you are in paid ministry, servanthood.

We get caught up in managing programs, keeping the machine going with set lists, lesson plans, and sermons, and everything else on your task list that we forget.

As I said in the last post in this series an unemployed pastor with limited prospects may find themselves in a dark place. One of the best ways I have found to get over yourself is to serve.

Service also brings us out of a professional mindset. Nothing wrong with being a pro, only if it doesn’t create distance in your mind and in your actions between you and the non-pros out there. For more on this topic read this and let Peterson kick you around a bit.
(Seriously look at that Amazon page, all those reviews and all 4 or 5 stars?!?)

When you serve you rediscover the humility we all could use.

Serving forces you to learn. You see what it is like to be a volunteer, how others lead, and other realms of ministry you may have missed before.

Taking up service gives you a self-esteem boost. No one ever complains about how lousy they feel after giving of themselves.

And when done with an appropriate heart service opens you up to employment opportunities. If I’m hiring someone I’m going to look for someone who serves with or without a paycheck. I’ll call friends in ministry and try to steal their best volunteers. I won’t be looking for the guy or gal who got caught up on Game of Thrones or has a timeline full of “woe is me” updates.

June 6, 2013 in Challenging, Encouraging, Practical with 0 Comments

Rob Bell Calls B.S.

First some context provided by Jay Bakker and Tony Jones, two open and affirming pastors/theologians.

Also this is a longer 20 minute video, worth your time but in the last 5 you will see Bell call it B.S. and some tension boil over.

Bell is tired and probably has sat through countless other interviews like this since Love Wins and What We Talk About When We Talk About God came out. I can’t imagine just constantly being attacked at the level with that frequency.

I’m sharing this video not to take a side (in fact I think there are two distinct conversations going on that aren’t resolved) but to give a glimpse into what comes with notoriety.

My great dream used to be to lead a very large, very influential church. And my guess is that some of you have had or do have similar dreams.

That goal was of course clouded with pride and arrogance with a dash of Gospel.

I’ve repented of that notion and wouldn’t even take an interview at the type or size of church I thought would want to lead. Regardless of theological persuasion would you really want to deal with what Bell or Warren or Driscoll have to deal with on a constant basis?

But we also see what happens when experience criticism to the point that we have had enough. The difference is that Bell is always being watched. This is a radio interview in the UK that without web 2.0 you or I would never see it.

As for the debate itself.

Wilson is trying to get at the heart of this conversation and Bell’s shift on it. Has the shift occurred because of larger cultural shifts? Or has it happened because of a new understanding or interpretation of Scripture?

The question is never really resolved, but it appears that Bell is taking the latter.

All in all a very interesting conversation and one that gives us a glimpse into the lives of those pastors and leaders with big platforms that we all (used) to envy.

June 4, 2013 in Challenging, Practical with 3 Comments

Monday Morning Quick Hits

Not a ton of links for this week. So I’m going old school and blending in some riffs.

Dear Mr. Hibbert: I love watching your baby hook and intimidating defense. And yes you should have gotten more attention this year, and I would agree that they Heat are soft, but come on you can’t complain about lack of attention and drop a derogatory label and drop the f-bomb on the media. You seem better than this, hope you are.
Speaking of the Pacers, we have the worst crowd free t-shirt participation in league.
Evernote and Remember the Milk are playing nice.
When tackling a project break it into chapters and celebrate when you complete one.
Speaking of big projects and chapters.
Three storm chasers died in the second round of Oklahoma tornadoes.
As someone who is part of a not for profit I’m alarmed at the prospect of the IRS potentially holding things up, but is a PAC (of any persuasion) really deserving of a non profit status?
Thinking about selling a vehicle, any advice?
Currently sitting in a bar for Christians.
It all comes back to balance.
Associate level pastors: what is one thing you could do improve your relationship with your Lead Pastor?
Lead Pastors: similar question what is one thing you could do to improve this relationship with your staff?

June 3, 2013 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

Finished Chapters are a Big Deal

We underestimate huge projects we take on.

We focus too much on completed projects.

Year long plans are made over New Year’s. Sweeping 5 year initiatives are formulated in a meeting and forgotten the next day.

Absolutist statements are made, that leave no room for grace. Guilt ensues when you fail to live up to your stated ideal.

So instead of focusing on the finished project, celebrate the finished chapters along the way.

I’m in the beginning stages of planting a church and in the span of the last week or so several big things wrapped up that have been hanging over my head. We started closing on a house, finalized and signed a contract, and completed some important paperwork with supporting churches outlining their role in this new church. Much of this happened because God has brought supportive and generous people into my life.

I was absolutely elated! Sent emails of thanks and made calls to my wife and a couple of others who have been instrumental in this.

My joy only lasted about an hour though.

Soon after lunch I was thinking about the budget I needed to make, getting design work done, and how I was behind in creating a social media presence for the church. Let alone the common questions still looming like location, staff, and getting people I will hopefully meet to show up to a church that doesn’t quite yet exist.

Chances are you are in the middle of at least one big project. Most of us work or work for someone who thinks in these terms, so the projects are never ending. And big never ending projects are overwhelming, including and maybe specifically ones with eternal consequences.

Start breaking your projects into chapters, phases or whatever you want to call it and take more than an hour or two to celebrate it.

And don’t celebrate on your own, let others know of your progress and what you are headed towards. People want to help.