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For years churches have had a revolving door. People join and people leave…visitors walk in and visitors walk out…people come and people go. Though this is not a new trend, it does need to be addressed.

Since people are the Church’s greatest asset, we can’t afford to lose any; on the contrary, we ought to be adding to our ranks rather than watch them shrink. The Lord is not into subtraction but added to the Church daily.

As I travel and speak to friends who pastor churches, I find that their greatest disappointment and hurt is caused by people leaving the church. The pain created by their departure can almost feel like that of losing a loved one or going through a divorce. This sense of loss comes because people aren’t merely showing up at a church building but are intimately woven into the very life of that local body of believers. The Lord has added us and woven us together in His artistic tapestry, so when people break this spiritual union by leaving over a conflict or offense or being lured away by the devil, there is a tearing out of their fabric.

It ought to go without saying but I will say it anyway: all Christians should have a church home where they are committed and submitted. It is fine to visit another church when there is special ministry that doesn’t conflict with involvement in one’s home church, but it is not healthy to wander from church to church. Neither is it acceptable to call Christian TV or an internet-based church one’s spiritual home.

Though I will touch on some legitimate reasons why people should leave a church, let me hasten to add that the people and pastors with whom I work are rarely part of such churches.

Legitimate grounds for leaving a church and moving to another:

1. People may leave because the church is “dead”; there is no life and no openness to the present-day workings of the Spirit. (On the other hand, some people leave precisely because of the moving and working of the Spirit…you can’t win them all!)
2. People may leave because there are major doctrinal disagreements. I am not talking about minor preferences but about fundamental conflicts over doctrine. Christians should attend a Bible-believing church that holds to the foundational tenets of the faith.
3. People may leave because the leaders are control freaks and those who attend display cultish loyalty to them. “Don’t drink the Kool-Aid” is my advice to those who belong to a church where there is control, manipulation, and abuse.
4. People may leave because there is moral failure or financial corruption that they have no power or authority to address.
5. People may leave because there is no sense of community and friendship. Often the pastor is popular and has good biblical content in his messages, but attending the church is more akin to attending a show or concert. It is a place for an audience to gather, but eventually people want more than a sermon; they desire fellowship and a sense of being connected.

The most common reasons that people leave their church:

1. People leave because they are bored with the same old same old. They want more, so they look elsewhere. This in itself could become a subject for a blog but suffice it to say that we need to make sure that as leaders, we offer quality ministry of the Word and worship. We should ensure that the church life is vital and alive. We can have seasonal changes where we have a temporary focus on Christmas or Pentecost or Thanksgiving, but this must never overshadow the permanent focus of our values or vision, which must remain constant and predominant. The same applies to anything that we may emphasize for a time, whether a building project or a special series of upcoming teachings. We must not allow these things to interfere with the church’s overarching corporate vision. The expanded choices in life, education, and entertainment have taken their toll on our church culture. As a result, people feel entitled to choose what they want and just change the channel when they want something different. They may prefer dessert but they need vegetables and a healthy diet. I prefer candy to broccoli but I can’t live on candy. We can blame the flock but the truth is that it is our responsibility as leaders to give them something that will keep their attention. This can only be accomplished by making sure that we are relevant and cutting-edge in what we offer them; we cannot afford to be lazy or indifferent in our message preparation and presentation but we must be creative and alive.
2. People leave because they feel like they are a commodity or a means to an end and they want to belong to a church where they have a part to play. A good pastor is committed to training, equipping, and mobilizing the members into their calling. Any pastor not doing these basics is not worthy of being called pastor. We exist for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry. Ask yourself who you are developing and mobilizing into the work of God.
3. People leave because they are weary of being in a church where there is strife, disunity, and immature leadership. They long for a spiritual home that is balanced, healthy, and ordered. Leaders will sustain their numbers by keeping the environment strife-free. Just as some schools have signs posted outside that state “drug-free zone,” we ought to have signs at the church door that state “strife-free zone.”
4. People leave because they feel that the children’s or youth ministry is inadequate and their children don’t like the church. Thus, they feel obligated to find a church where their children would at least want to attend. I want to encourage you to spend money and get good children’s materials. Also get a director over the children’s department who is anointed, called, and creative. This is easier said than done but you need to get before the Lord of the harvest and ask Him for a laborer that has these specific characteristics. God does answer prayer. Remember Jeremiah 33:3!
5. People leave because their spouse will not come to their church, so to preserve the marriage they feel compelled to attend the church preferred by their spouse. Unfortunately, those who leave for this reason may eventually find themselves losing their fire and passion for God. It is a fact that exposure to an unhealthy environment will contaminate your surroundings. Trying to preserve the marriage by attending the spouse’s church is a noble desire but rarely produces the hoped-for results; on the contrary, I have seen more cases of the strong spouse weakening in his or her pursuit of God. However, those who leave their church in order to heal the home or marriage should not be made to feel that they are compromising or making a wrong choice. This remains an individual decision that each person will have to make from his or her own conscience. By the way, when young adults start falling in love and talking about marriage, you will find some great young people leaving your church because their future partner is from a different denomination. This is tough because I have seen good people with the call of God marry nominal Christians, but because love is often blind they become unequally yoked.
6. People leave a church because they move to another part of the city and the commute is too far. For years my wife has been riding about 25 minutes each way to attend a local church to which she is committed. Love for the pastors and the church will take you out of your way, but the challenge of driving long distances can eventually wear down the best of saints. I personally know people who travel over an hour each way to get to church. While this speaks volumes about their loyalty, I always warn pastors that one day they will tire of the commute and start looking for a congregation closer to home. I have also seen people with such a great love for their church that they reject promotion because they felt called to that church and the promotion would have required them to move to a new city and a new church.
7. People leave a church because they are just plain fickle. These Goldilocks Christians, as I call them, believe that the church exists for them and their glory. Their favorite chorus is, “It’s all about me, Jesus, and all this is for me, for my glory and my fame.” Their second favorite is, “Lord I lift my name on high and I love to sing my praises.” With the Goldilocks Christians you win 1 in 3. It’s too hot or too cold (the heat or air conditioning) or it’s just right. It’s too hard or too soft (the seats) or it’s just right. It’s too long or too short (your sermons) or it’s just right. I am convinced that even if Jesus were their pastor they would find fault and leave.  Christ came to save sinners but the fact of the matter is that some who are saved are simply weird and carnal. With such people I remind Jesus that they are His and that I didn’t save them. As long as I have done my best to shepherd them, all I can say is God bless them and the next ten churches that they will attend and find fault with.

How to develop a strong membership of loyal believers and thus stop the revolving door:

1. Connect people to the vision of the church. They must feel a sense of stewardship in the vision. We are called to build and grow disciples, so the biggest mistake would be to build an audience. Raise up believers to follow you in your vision and while they follow you, make them fishers of men. Give them something to live for…no, to die for.
2. Develop each member to become a minister and a leader. If you don’t raise and mobilize them you will eventually lose them; they may stay there in body but not in potential.
3. Ensure that you give your members realistic expectations. I have found that unfulfilled expectations, whether spoken or unspoken, lead to offense or disappointment. Have a thorough orientation for new members in which you share what you expect from them and what they can expect from the church, leaders, and pastors.
4. I have communicated this many times to the pastors who relate with me but I will say it again: make every meeting count. Don’t get sloppy or lazy in your preparation. Let the Word be rich in truth and life.  Be sure that the meetings are always bathed in prayer and that there is a sense of the presence of God. Stay on the creative edge in all that you do, and insist on   the same from every department in the church. The grass is not always greener somewhere else, but to prevent the sheep from wandering, keep the grass sweet and the water fresh.
5. Your leadership team and all workers must reflect the traits of excellence, friendliness, warmth, and the ability to communicate your vision and message. People may like a church but be driven away by the staff’s insensitivity or lack of skill. Don’t allow your staff or leadership team to drive people away from the church.

In closing I want to encourage you to take some time and reflect upon the contents of this blog. Look at your church and determine the main reasons that people come and people go. Build on the strengths of the church and address the areas of weakness. Do your best to keep people from leaving by building an environment of growth, life, presence, and purpose.

I would like to start this blog by stating the obvious because it still needs to be said:

1. Revival is a state found in the heart of a God-hungry soul. It is also the condition that can be evidenced in a church where the Holy Spirit’s presence is welcome.
2. Revival includes meetings but the meetings in and of themselves are not revival; they simply serve to foster an atmosphere in which hearts can be ignited in passion. I believe that the true fruit of revival is demonstrated by what the believer does after the meetings.
3. Revival is accessible at any time. The requirements for revival are hungry and open hearts coupled with a willingness to seek God and to go out of our way to embrace fully all that He asks of us. The Holy Spirit was poured out on the Day of Pentecost and His presence is available to all who desire to be filled.
4. Some prefer to use the term “renewal” because according to their view, “revival” affects the moral condition of an area, whether a city or a nation. This in itself could be a dissertation, but “revival” simply means “again to live”; that which was dead, asleep or dying is brought back to life. Books on revival history describe moral changes that took place in various communities, but such subjective changes were never meant to be the standard for determining what qualifies as revival. I will continue to use the words “revival,” “renewal,” “restoration,” and “refreshing,” as these all depict the different workings of the Spirit in the heart and in the Church. Hopefully, an awakened believer will affect the Church which will in turn impact the morality of the nation. The greatest impact that we can make is not a moral change but the change that comes from the new birth. The true measure of revival would be the winning of the lost, not the shutting down of pubs.

We need revival all over the world
We must have revival not just in the USA and Canada but on every continent because it is a universal need. Every nation in the world needs God and every local church needs more of God, including “alive” churches. Even awakened and zealous Christians need to be refilled.

Here is Leon’s expanded, unpublished version of Ephesians 5:18: “Let your heart be influenced and controlled by the Spirit; while being filled you must stay being filled with the Spirit. You can’t live on yesterday’s experiences and power. You need the Holy Spirit every day.”

Revival – you’ve got to love it!
All of us have seen things in revival that make us shudder and squirm with embarrassment. Though there are those who have been offended by some of the extremes, surely the outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost would be considered extreme, yet what took place was right and good. The Holy Spirit is God, so when He moves we should not withdraw because of our desire to appear politically correct. We should not be dominated by the opinions of carnal men but rather let God be God; He is the ruler of the universe and possessor of the Church. We had better not quench the Holy Spirit because we have a budget to meet or because we don’t want to lose people. I am not at all suggesting an atmosphere in which anything goes; let everything be done decently and in order. However, we must keep in mind that God’s order is often different from our order. If revival causes hearts to open and God touches and manifests Himself in people, we should not be embarrassed but should celebrate what He is doing.

I have just returned from the city of Kingston in upstate New York where a Vineyard Church has been in about fifteen weeks of revival meetings. The glory was intense and the worship sweet as God moved powerfully. The church was strengthened and the believers were ignited. As a result, unity has grown among the local churches, souls are being saved, and cold hearts have been set ablaze. The devil is mad and some of his followers clothed as believers are pretty upset as well, but I would certainly rather make the heart of God glad and the devil mad than the opposite. The point that I want to make is that God is moving; in fact, He has never stopped moving in the hearts of seekers. What He is doing in upstate New York He will do for you also. Being in these meetings has encouraged me to keep pressing into all that God has for the Church. We need revival fires to blaze from your house to the White House as well as in God’s house.

I want to encourage you to do the following:

1. Seek God for a fresh touch upon your heart and ministry.
2. Expect God to move in and through you in power.
3. Stir up the gift of God inside of you.
4. Light the fires.

Pyromania is an uncontrollable urge to set things on fire. Well, I would like to be remembered for being a Holy Spirit pyromaniac, obsessed with starting fires…of revival, that is.

The temperature in the church is not controlled by the ushers but by the pastor. If you want revival in your church and you are up to the challenge, you can have it because God is for it. Many think that revival is a divine operation of God, a sovereign act of His will, but theologically I disagree. Since God has already given the Spirit, what is now required are hungry hearts desperate for change that will invite Him to fill their lives. You don’t have to plead for what is already offered and given as a gift.

“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (Luke 11:13)

“Follow-through” defined:

The continuance or completion of a project; the continued action of a stroke, or of the delivery of a ball, after it has been hit or released; to finish; to complete, especially, of a commitment; carrying some project or intention to full completion

I play a little bit of golf; I am not very good at it but I like getting out in the fresh air and even manage to enjoy myself despite frustration with my bad shots. Though I don’t play very well, I do know the theory of a golf swing. In the same way, many Christians know the theory of what they should do but often don’t handle the practical too well.

Since they make their living at it, it comes as no surprise that golf pros have beautiful swings. I have heard that they can practice up to eight hours a day, hitting about 1,000 balls in their attempt to perfect what is already a great swing. They work on their tempo, club-head speed, and follow-through. (Could you imagine how good you would be if you were to devote eight hours a day to one area of your ministry?) In this blog I want to address the follow-through in ministry, which can be likened to a golf swing. I have learned that good contact with the ball will not produce a good shot unless it is accompanied by follow-through. If I don’t hit through the ball but hit at it, I will block the shot and it will go off to the right. I say all this to illustrate that doing a task is not enough; follow-through is absolutely indispensable.

Ministry success is limited by a lack of follow-through

When we lead people to Christ, their acknowledgement of Him as their Lord is only the first step. We need to then get them baptized, filled with the Holy Spirit, integrated into church life, and connected to God through prayer and the Word. Without follow-up and discipleship, many new converts will never continue on or become fruitful in their newfound faith. We can blame these new converts, insisting that if their conversion were genuine, they would move forward. We can blame the church, asserting that if they were greeted properly and made to feel welcome, they would return. The real question, though, is not where to assign blame, but where is the follow-through? If there is no follow-through on the part of both the church and the new convert, the latter may soon fall away.

In counseling, one session will most likely be insufficient to help those who come to you. I might set up sessions that could last up to a year, during which time those being counseled would have books to read, videos to watch, and guidelines to adhere to. I would do follow-up calls to make sure that they were continuing on the course that I had set for them.

In pre-marital counseling leading up to a wedding, many follow-up discussions would be held. Staff, volunteers, and the wedding coordinator would have to follow through on many issues. In fact, I would say that the success of the wedding process would be in direct proportion to the amount of follow-through, particularly with the small details. Neglecting just one small detail could cause a domino reaction.

I have found that many pastors and ministry leaders fail to follow through on small details, the neglect of which jeopardizes the hoped-for success of their project. Even if you delegate responsibility to a staff member or department leader, you will still need to hold follow-through meetings or calls to be sure that the process is being correctly handled. Since people to whom you have delegated a task can let you down, it is your responsibility to ensure that things are proceeding as planned.

Though my ministry has a fairly large scope, in reality we consist of an abundance of small (but effective) areas of engagement. If I don’t see to it that all the little details are properly taken care of, a snowball effect kicks in and I soon face a landslide. This means staying in touch with all the staff and volunteers, which I do by means of calls, e-mails, status reports, and personal appointments. To save time I try doing as much by e-mail as possible but also hold conference and video calls. I keep a task list in front of me to make certain that follow-through takes place. Confirmation calls, e-mails, and letters all make this diverse ministry stay cohesive. This same principle will apply for any church or organization.

When you get right down to the root of the meaning of the word “succeed,” you find that it simply means to follow through.

(F. W. Nichol)

Follow-through in relationships

If you want your church or ministry to flourish, you will need to build relationships by cultivating the follow-through. Many first contacts get forgotten and possible divine-hook ups are missed because we are not diligent in this. For example, you are introduced to a new visitor who comes to the meeting. Instead of a generic e-mail or phone call, take the person’s name and number and make the call yourself. If you meet someone in a restaurant that recognizes you, give him your card and get his personal contact information. When you get home, shoot him an e-mail and establish a relational connection. Keep a file of people who have expressed interest in the church or an area of your ministry, and from time to time send them an e-mail telling them that you were praying for them and thinking about them. Take a few minutes to respond to all personal e-mails even if it is just a one-line thank you. When you make personal contact and follow through, you will see your ministry grow.

When people have offered to assist you or have done something to ease your load, follow through with a thank you card, e-mail or call. This reminds them that you place value upon their lives, time, and sacrifice. Even though their reward will come from the Lord, you must never take them for granted. Do this with your follow-through.

Not following through with relationships or a task means that you are standing still. Follow-through will help you keep up the momentum.

Follow-through in planning projects and events

Without follow-through, many God-given plans and projects will wind up being shelved. When David had the plan to build a temple to the glory of God, he began to lay aside gold, silver, and precious stones. He did this from his personal treasury as well as from the nation. He didn’t wait until the last minute to take action but made plans and then followed through with them. Life and ministry is full of plans, but unless you follow through, your life will be a memorial to unfinished dreams and goals. Every project or special event needs preparation and planning, but making it a success demands follow-through.

My closing thought: remember Tiger Woods, Ernie Els or your favorite golfer and think, “Follow-through.”

I want you to be highly successful for the glory of God.

Dr. Leon

So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

“So much to do and so little time to do it” is the oft-heard lament of countless overburdened lives, yet the root issue is often not the pressures of life but simply the wasted time. Upon hearing his army officer apologize for lateness, a general responded, “I have been in the habit of calculating the value of the thousandth part of a second.” Though we do not need to go to that extreme, it should be sobering for us to contemplate what could have been accomplished with the time foolishly spent on insignificant pursuits.

You have 24 hours to live!

(Today, that is…)

Because your and someone else’s eternity is locked into every second, leaders must understand the value of time.

If we as leaders place value upon our gifts and calling, then it is vital to also place value upon our time since it is the essence of life through which we will accomplish our God-given assignments.

The obedience with which we should approach everything that God assigns to us should automatically include investing the time necessary to accomplish it. Until we get a real revelation of the preciousness of time, we will continue to take it lightly and handle it carelessly, using it without the prudence and wisdom that it deserves.

How we use our time will determine success or failure

Work while it is called today, for you know not how much you may be hindered tomorrow. One today is worth two tomorrows. Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today. (Benjamin Franklin)

The difference between success and failure will depend on how we use or abuse our time. Though everyone is allotted the same amount of time, an undisciplined person will squander it and thus neglect to make time for the God-given tasks at hand.

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:15-17)

God apportions to each one the time needed to accomplish His purposes. Both the wise man and the fool know the will of God, but the difference is that the wise man plans or budgets the time to achieve it while the fool does not. To waste time is to waste your gift, the treasure that God has placed in the vault of your life. When you kill time, you are killing your gift, destroying your God-calling. No wonder such a person is called a fool.

With just three short years in which to accomplish a monumental amount, Jesus never seemed hurried, stressed or pressured. He took time for meals, even with those who opposed Him (Luke 7:36). He took time to pray, though this appeared to be when the others were sleeping (Luke 6:12; 22:39-46). While He knew the urgency of the hour, He also realized that He had to get alone to seek the Father. Good leaders are wise to stay busy, but not so busy that they don’t have time for meals with friends and family, meals with those who are needy, and time for prayer and meditation.

The diligent leader

Leaders ought to view their God-given ministry as a sacred trust that requires a high degree of diligence and discipline. It is not for the lazy or for those who fritter away time, but for the diligent. The lazy person’s ministry is on an inexorable downward spiral that will degenerate into neglect and decay:

I went by the field of the lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; and there it was, all overgrown with thorns; its surface was covered with nettles; its stone wall was broken down. When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction: a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest; so shall your poverty come like a prowler, and your need like an armed man. (Proverbs 24:30-34)

The diligent leader is the industrious leader, and the result will be provision and increase.

He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough! (Proverbs 28:19)

Diligent leaders nurture and care for the area of responsibility that is delegated to them, utilizing all the resources at their disposal to gain ground and to advance the cause of Christ. Using creativity, faith, and wisdom, these industrious leaders will build a team and share the workload so that it can be completed. Such leaders will be fruitful and enjoy the benefits of an expanded place of authority within their sphere of influence.

Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and attend to your herds. (Proverbs 27:23)

Jesus knew the value of His time

And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples.” (Matthew 26:18)

Knowing that only a short while remained before His death, Jesus maximized His time by placing a high priority on completing the training of the disciples. He put everything into His ministry, extracting the most out of every available moment so that at the end of His life He could triumphantly proclaim, “It is finished!” It has been said that John Wesley always preached as if it were his last message, also putting his all into it.

“Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” (John 4:35)

In the above verse, Jesus was teaching the disciples to understand the timing of God rather than to be moved by the natural elements. They were to shift their focus onto the spiritual dimension, which was “harvest time.”

Harvest time is a very short season

I once met a man whose fingertips on one hand had been severed after getting caught in harvesting equipment. Instead of running off to the emergency room, he simply bound his hand in a cloth and continued working. Why? It was harvest time and he had to work while there was still time. This is the same attitude with which we Christians should approach our vision, calling, and assignments.

I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. (John 9:4)

Procrastination is not only the thief of time, but also the destroyer of the vision of God!

Archias, the magistrate of Thebes, was drinking wine at a feast when a messenger rushed in with a letter to be read at once. Rather than opening it immediately, he put it aside and told the messenger, “Urgent business tomorrow.” Before the party ended, conspirators killed Archias. The letter contained the details of a plot against his life and warned him to flee. He paid the ultimate price for his procrastination!

At the end of their lives, some leaders will never be able to echo the words of Jesus, “It is finished!” They will not be able to look back, as Paul did at the end of his ministry, and affirm, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging of an uncompleted task. (William James, 1842-1910)

“Finish” (teleo) means to bring to a close, to end, to perform, to execute, to complete, to fulfill. Some will not be able to finish the race because they routinely delay action until another day or until the opportunity is lost; in other words, they are procrastinators. Though many leaders have serious intentions to do a work for God, they justify their inaction by insisting that that there is simply not enough time to get it done. The fact is that there will always be something luring us away from what we are called to do, but if an assignment is God-given, it is our responsibility to budget the time for it.

Some hints to help you to better manage yourself:

1. To most efficiently manage your time, look at the big picture. Regardless of how busy life gets, the most successful people rise above the pressures of life and maintain their focus because they have an overriding vision that they are determined to fulfill.
2. Set clear goals and priorities so that you can plainly see where to invest your time. In today’s fast-paced world, it is easy to get lost in the shuffle of the daily grind.
3. Use time management techniques so that you can take control of your days; instead of being a prisoner of circumstances you will be a conqueror of goals. Whether you use a paper or digital planner, you must have a consistent system and stick to it. Avoid jotting down your “to do” list on bits of paper.
4. Organize your time as you would a closet. Have a place for the things that are important and make sure you allocate some space for projects that you are tackling. Don’t allow anything not assigned for that “space” to take it, but keep it for specific goals. Just as a closet has limited space for objects, a schedule has limited space for tasks. Each day is simply a container, a storage unit that has a clear-cut limit. Viewing time as having finite boundaries and borders will enable you to become more realistic about how much you can accomplish.
5. Discover the “roadblocks.” Before you can manage your time you must manage yourself and know your strengths and weaknesses. This means that you must work out what’s holding you back or limiting your progress, and then fix it. Other people might be impeding your progress or you might be hindering yourself by a life that is undisciplined and out of control. Often the problem is not a lack of time but failure to seize time. Don’t allow roadblocks to get in the way of advancing toward your dream.
6. Start today! Procrastination is not only the thief of time but also the destroyer of dreams. It clutters up our lives with an ever-growing pile of half-done things that can even potentially destroy relationships if things committed to be done for others are left undone.

$86,400 every day

Many years ago, Pastor Robert G. Lee wrote this “timely” analogy:

If you had a bank that credited your account each morning with $86,400 that carried no balance from day to day, allowed you to keep no cash in your account, and finally every evening canceled whatever part of the amount you had failed to use during the day, what would you do? Draw out every cent, of course! Well, you have such a bank and its name is “Time.” Every morning it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it rules off—as lost—whatever of this you had failed to invest to good purpose. It carries no balances. It allows no balances. It allows no overdrafts. Each day the bank named “Time” opens a new account with you. Each night it burns the records of the day. If you fail to use the day’s deposits the loss is yours.

Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with You; You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass. (Job 14:5)

Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week!

A LEADER MUST KNOW THE VALUE OF TIME

“Each second allocated to us is pregnant with divine purpose; time being so precious that God deals it out only second by second. Once it leaves your hands and your power to do with it as you please, it plunges into eternity, to remain forever what you made it.” (Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, 1895-1979)

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:15-17)

Among any bad habits that might be in your life and ministry, none is more certain to produce failure than procrastination. Avoiding what needs to be taken care of in a timely manner will guarantee a continual backlog of things that cry out for your attention. This habit of delaying and evading your responsibilities will disturb your sense of inner peace and joy. Procrastination will not only rob your time but more importantly, your vision. If procrastination is not dealt with head on, it will prevent you from accomplishing God’s will for you and will serve only to further burden your already-pressured life.

“Procrastination is, hands down, our favorite form of self-sabotage.”

Alyce P. Cornyn-Selby

“Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.”

Wayne Gretzky

“Procrastination is the grave in which opportunity is buried.”

Author unknown

You can either add additional pressure to your life…or you can get organized. Procrastination may be deadly but thankfully it is curable! You can get free from this enemy of the vision and call of God by getting organized.

Those who regard me as a diligent, punctual, man of my word will be shocked to learn that I am a procrastinator. I am not a procrastinator in everything, but there are times when I find myself not addressing certain situations that are on my “To Do” list, such as

1. when I have disciplinary issues or tough decisions to make
2. when I don’t like a certain activity (this goes along with point #1)
3. when I am swamped and simply have no time to attend to a matter (of course, I could make the time by going without sleep or meals, but this short-term response would catch up with me all too quickly)
4. when I agree to help someone and then find myself overwhelmed because the task is so time-consuming

Procrastination can adversely affect others as well. Delaying a call or failing to reply to an e-mail often sends people the message that they are not important to you and that you don’t care about your relationship with them.

Planning and Organization

Without proper planning, your life will be in disarray and the ensuing chaos will hinder you from ever reaching your God-given potential. Demons operate through disorder but God is the God of order. Because they mistakenly view order and organization as worldly concepts, some Christians insist that we only need to be led by the Spirit. While it is true that the Holy Spirit must have His way, the fact is that you will find Him working in a climate of order. Those who don’t plan are the victims of their circumstances; instead of making things happen, things happen to them.

I have a saying, “Plan your work and work your plan.” By prioritizing my daily schedule, I am able to stay focused and on track.

I like to prioritize my daily tasks in the following way:

AAA – Must do today

AA  - Must try and do today (or tomorrow at the latest)

A   - Will do my best

B   - Is in my task folder and I will get to it

“…in most cases a schedule is more liberating than restricting. Working with a schedule helps enormously to organize our use of time. The schedule should be a friend, not an enemy. I find it freeing in that the schedule can include time for leisure, recreation, and avocation.”

R.C. Sproul

While most people procrastinate in particular areas, I have also known some “chronic procrastinators.” Whether their procrastination stems from fear of failure, inability to make decisions, or even the rush from finishing a task at the last minute, the most common cause would certainly be the lack of planning. Time management—or more accurately, self management—is the key to overcoming procrastination (no one can actually manage time but everyone has the ability to manage self). It goes without saying that planning by itself will be useless unless you take action by actually doing what needs to be done. Some people spend more time setting up their planners than following through with what they have planned! Permit me to be blunt: there is no room in the ministry for lazy, undisciplined people. If you want to serve God (and that means helping people), then do it to the best of your ability. As the Word puts it, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men” (Colossians 3:23).

You should be diligent in your use of time and not squander it on what has no lasting value. Ensure that you get your life to stay ordered. Place value not only on the number of days but also the hours and minutes.

So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12)

“Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of.”

Benjamin Franklin

Personal Checklist:

1. Do you have a good scheduler?
2. Do you use it every day?
3. Do you take time to plan your planner?
4. Are you a chronic procrastinator? If so, get help.
5. Do you have room to improve when it comes to planning and staying punctual?

I will leave you to ponder the following “timely” thoughts on procrastination by the Scottish preacher Alexander MacLaren (1826–1910): “No unwelcome tasks become any the less unwelcome by putting them off till tomorrow. It is only when they are behind us and done, that we begin to find that there is a sweetness to be tasted afterwards, and that the remembrance of unwelcome duties unhesitatingly done is welcome and pleasant. Accomplished, they are full of blessing, and there is a smile on their faces as they leave us. Undone, they stand threatening and disturbing our tranquility, and hindering our communion with God. If there be lying before you any bit of work from which you shrink, go straight up to it, and do it at once. The only way to get rid of it is to do it.”

INFUSE Pastors and Ministers Conference

I am happy to report that our recent INFUSE Conference in Tampa was a success as all seemed to enjoy the times of refreshing, the Word, and fellowship with one another. I am grateful for all my friends and colleagues in the work of God for coming and being a part of these meetings.

To download or listen to the MP3 podcasts that we are offering on our website, visit us at www.gmrinc.org/infuse-downloads.htm.  These teachings will benefit you whether you are listening to them for the first time or were present to hear them live.

We are also in the process of setting up a Facebook group to facilitate the sharing and exchanging of ideas regarding building your ministry and leadership team.  You can access this at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Tampa-FL/INFUSE/51689941519?ref=s.

I am planning another time of pastoral training next January, and I am considering making it part of a three-day cruise to the Bahamas.  The dates will be announced next month and we will keep you posted on further details.

World-Changing People

The last few blogs have dissected my frequently-used saying, “Every member a minister; every minister a leader; and every leader a reproducer”. I have now extended this phrase to include, “Every reproducer a world-changer”.

“Every member a minister; every minister a leader; every leader a reproducer; and every reproducer a world-changer”

Since the purpose of ministry is to equip the saints for the work of service, you can use this saying as a goal to aim toward as you train the believers in your care.  I encourage you to do your utmost to train your flock to become members, ministers, leaders, reproducers, and world-changers.

When I recently taught on this in Quincy, Illinois, the glory cloud was tangible and a deep work took place as the Lord moved significantly in the hearts of the people. I am pleased to announce that this series is being converted into MP3 and will soon be available as a free download.

My trip to Africa

I left for Africa on Friday, January 23, to hold various leadership training conferences in South Africa and Tanzania, and will return on February 2. During this time, I will not have access to voice messages and my access to email will be limited.

For any urgent needs please contact Miranda at office@gmrinc.org or (813) 615-2600.

The last few blogs have addressed my oft-used phrase:

“Every member a minister; every minister a leader and a reproducer”

I will now deal with “Every leader a reproducer.”

To reproduce means “to make a copy, representation, duplicate; to generate offspring.” The very nature of the gospel and the call of God upon our lives is to reproduce. This is seen in the call that Jesus gave the disciples when He said, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.” In three years He made them leaders and reproducers. Having been “caught” by His message and ministry, they were then trained and sent out to “catch” others. The Book of Acts makes it clear that new believers were immediately equipped to reach and win others, resulting in the daily growth and expansion of the Church.

The goal of our equipping ministry

Our equipping ministry should ensure that all those whom we influence should aspire to become:

1. servant-hearted workers in their local church and in the world
2. leaders
3. soul-winners and disciple-makers (reproducers)

Stagnation in the Church

The Church is stagnating numerically, not because our gospel message is unattractive or devoid of power, but because of apathetic believers who are uncommitted to communicating the gospel. Whether they have absolved themselves of the responsibility of the Great Commission because of the busyness of their lives, discouragement over previous efforts, fear of rejection or just plain laziness, they need to be equipped to do the work of an evangelist.

1. They need a fresh touch of God to awaken (or reawaken) a zeal for souls.
2. They need to become effective in personal evangelism through training.
3. They need leadership and an example to follow.
4. They need ongoing encouragement and exhortation to share the gospel with the lost.

It might be time to make some adjustments to your ministry

As equippers, we should rethink our strategy for the God-entrusted task of making leaders and reproducers. What we have been doing is not working; it has turned out good and reliable members but not passionate ministers, leaders, and reproducers ablaze with gospel zeal. Take a day away from the office and set aside time to reinvent your ministry. You want your church to grow and to see every member become fruitful. Ask God for wisdom and strategy.

Don’t settle for good members but rather make ministers who become leaders and reproducers

In my last blog I began to address a phrase that I use as an important ministry strategy:

“Every believer a minister (servant), every minister a leader, and every leader a reproducer”

As equippers, we are called to “equip the saints for the work of ministry,” teaching and training those under our care to become mobilized, servant-hearted believers. God does not expect us to merely build a congregation of attendees; rather, our goal is to mobilize skilled, servant-hearted workers.

It is time to be brutally honest with ourselves and recognize that there is a problem in the church world. It is futile to do the same old thing in the same old way and expect to get different results. We don’t have to look too far to see that we have a problem, perhaps in our own congregation.

We see the following symptoms of a failing church system:

1. Lack of growth resulting from little or no soul-winning
2. Lack of interest in any activity that requires effort or commitment
3. Prayerlessness
4. Loss of spiritual hunger for the things of God
5. Low attendance for special events (other than those which offer free food)

I believe that the problem starts with our inability to define our purpose as equippers. We are not called to merely take care of the flock, though this is a part of our ministerial responsibility. In our role of making disciples we do offer pastoral care, but our supreme role is to raise the people in our trust to become servant-hearted ministers and leaders.

Making leaders is to be a priority

After calling the fishermen to follow Him, Jesus said that He would make them fishers of men. In just three years, He exceeded this goal by not only making them successful soul-winners but very effective leaders as well. Through the process of discipleship, He made simple fishermen into leaders of the emerging Apostolic Church. They would successfully lead the Church in a society that was violently opposed to its very existence. The Church thrived despite this opposition, and so I believe that it’s also part and parcel of our calling to grow leaders who will operate in a God-resistant environment.

Some things for you to consider:

1. Do you have a process for training believers to become servant-hearted leaders?
2. Have you established basic requirements for entry-level leadership training?
3. Do you offer ongoing training for those who are already leaders in your church?

Every tree produces fruit according to its kind

Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth”; and it was so. (Genesis 1:11)

Apple trees produce apples…leaders produce leaders

Leaders should establish a process for leadership selection and training. This training should consist of two levels:

1. Entrance into leadership
2. Ongoing leadership

Before granting formalized positions of leadership, you will need to ensure that candidates are already functioning as leaders. They will need to have evidence of character, conduct, attitude, stewardship, and spirituality. You can start training individuals for leadership who don’t yet have a proven track record, but don’t make the mistake of placing them in leadership positions without the evidence of shared values and vision.

I have two manuals in the GMBI Extension School Program that you can use as part of the training. The topics dealt with in these manuals are:

Leadership 1

1. Jesus Followed Before He Led
2. Jesus Understood the Importance of Godly Character
3. Jesus Christ: Leadership Defined
4. Jesus: A Man of Vision
5. Jesus Recognized and Released Potential
6. Jesus Pressed Through Barriers, Obstacles, and Difficulties
7. Jesus Knew the Value and Urgency of Time

Leadership 2

1. Jesus Turns Little Into Much
2. Jesus Delegated Leadership
3. Jesus Understood Accountability
4. Jesus Raised A Leadership Team
5. Jesus Communicated With His team
6. Jesus Avoided Conflict
7. Jesus: The Servant Leader

Another training manual that I would highly recommend using is Christian Character:

1. Development of Christian Character
2. Servanthood I
3. Servanthood II
4. Servanthood III
5. Excellence of Ministry I
6. Excellence of Ministry II
7. Integrity
8. Faithfulness
9. Submission to Authority I
10. Submission to Authority II
11. Diligence

Be sure that those selected to be elders and deacons have been specifically trained for these roles; generic training is not enough. The same goes for roles such as worship leader, youth leader or children’s leader, all of which require job-specific training. If you place them as interns alongside an existing leader, make certain that the one training them is a good leader. Don’t expect anyone placed next to a sloppy leader to be properly trained. The leader-in-training must also be given some exposure to the overall operations of the church/ministry. Though they may produce well in their department, without seeing the big picture they may develop tunnel vision and thus not benefit the overall vision.

Making leaders is not an option but a priority. Every believer can become a leader, not necessarily in an official capacity but informally in:

• family
• career
• society

Most of all, every believer should be able to lead someone to the Lord and then take that convert into basic discipleship.

If you make believers into leaders who are servant-hearted, you will never lack workers and you will have established a solid foundation for ongoing growth.

INFUSE Pastors and Ministers Conference

If you haven’t already signed up for the Infuse Conference in January, I sincerely encourage you to consider making this time to be encouraged and equipped to take your team to the next level. I am confident that you will come away from this conference with the knowledge and honed skills to build your dynamic leadership team.

Unity and strategic planning and implementation are needed now in the church more than ever to combat the forces coming against us in these trying times. Please consider this opportunity to learn how to build and maintain an effective team for this purpose and successfully impact your community and enlarge your sphere of influence.

For more information, please visit http://www.gmrinc.org/pdf/infuse.pdf. I hope to see you there!

Since those who have been around me awhile have often heard me quote the above phrase, I would like to use this blog to define the strategy behind it.

As equippers, our task is not to grow our membership but rather to launch ministers. Clubs grow  membership, but the problem with today’s Church is that we have grown an audience.

For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. (Romans 12:4-5)

In this passage, members are not merely the attendees or an audience or even those who subscribe to our style, philosophy, or doctrines; instead, members are parts that carry out a function in the Body of Christ.

For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:12)

In saying that the body has many members, it is apparent that Paul expected churches to grow numerically.

But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. (1 Cor. 12:18)

Each member is essential to the overall functioning of the body and is uniquely placed in the Church by Christ for a divine purpose (1 Corinthians 12:22-23).

We are not just called to grow numerically but to equip and mobilize those entrusted to our care.

Ephesians 4:11-16 stresses the spiritual offices and equipping believers to train.

Col 1:28 admonishes us to raise believers into maturity.

Some pastors are growing the crowd but we are called to grow ministers.

Ministers

The Greek word for “minister” is “diakonos” (from which we get the word “deacon”), which means ”one who runs errands and attends to others, a waiter, a servant.” We may appoint some to the position of deacon or deaconess, but every member ought to “deac,” i.e., be a servant in attitude and deed.

Qualities found in servants:

1. Selflessness
2. Sacrificial serving
3. Diligence
4. Faithfulness

I know that these are not popular words in the modern-day Church, but maybe that is why the modern-day Church is in its present state.

According to Ephesians 4:11-12, our ministry is to make ministers (servant-hearted people who will represent God’s interests and priorities on the earth).  These servants will serve mainly in two areas:

1. In their local church
   • according to their gifting
   • according to the work that needs to be done
2. In society as a witness and ambassador
   • according to needs
   • according to opportunities
   • according to strategies employed by the church

A servant is one who labors or exerts himself for the benefit of another, without regard to his or her own needs or interests.

In our relationship to God we are not servants but sons and daughters, but in our relationship to the Church and our society, we are servants. We do not serve in order to gain approval, acceptance, recognition, or promotion, but because we love God.

Remember that your work is to train, mentor, and make servants (members who are servant-hearted).  When you grow the people to be large in vision and passionate about Him who called them, your church will grow.

My next blog will deal with the need for every minister to be a leader.

Leon

Infuse Pastors and Ministers Conference

January 12 - 15 2009

Tampa, FL

This will be a great opportunity to be trained and shaped in leadership skills. Please visit the following link for more information:

www.gmrinc.org/pdf/infuse.pdf

Last month’s blog dealt with “Vision Casting”; this month I want to address “Vision Catching.”

As a leader you can cast vision, but will the people following you catch it? I am reminded of Moses who sent the spies into the land. Though he cast vision, they were unable to catch it to the point of laying down their lives for it. Their inability to catch the vision caused that entire generation to miss God’s provision and their opportunity.

As a fly fisherman, I can cast my fly into the water, but if I do not make a good presentation it is unlikely that the trout will take the bait. It takes skill and experience to select the best fly for the conditions. I also must be proficient at casting the line so that I don’t spook the fish.

With this example of casting a fly, let’s look at casting vision:

As a leader, you are not only expected to share the Word of God to equip the believers but also to share the vision of the church. People follow a leader who can take them somewhere while at the same time help solve their problems. These followers don’t simply need their problems addressed, but also their aspirations and potential awakened. Casting vision will take the people into something bigger than their own world and needs.

Nehemiah was a leader who cast vision in such a way that the people caught it:

Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.” And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work. (Nehemiah 2:17-18)

Nehemiah’s presentation succeeded in getting the people to willingly throw their entire weight and support into his cause. They said, “Let us rise up and build.” Not only did they affirm that they would be a part of the plan, but they matched their words with action: “Then they set their hands to this good work.” Now that is vision catching!

Some hints on “Vision Casting” so that others will catch it:

1. Unless the vision is truly yours, it will never be theirs – As the leader, you must first be the possessor of the vision; you can’t give away what you don’t have. This is where the vision and who you are become inseparable. This process can happen rather quickly, especially when produced by an encounter with the Lord, or it can be a drawn-out process in which you spend time in meditation until it becomes fully established in your being. One thing I know is that people can tell whether your vision is from your heart or your head. They will catch a “God idea,” but if it’s just a good idea they will be suspicious and unlikely to buy into it.
2. Write out the vision – This simple exercise will enable you and those partnering in the vision to stay focused. So many things clamor for our attention in today’s world, but writing out your vision will help keep you from becoming distracted. A clearly-defined vision statement will also keep you accountable to your goal. As a leader, you must translate your vision into reality. By writing out your vision, you are creating a plan of action to bring your dream to fruition. Use banners, brochures, and e-mails, and feature the vision in a prominent way on your home page.
3. Communicate, communicate, communicate – “Men will never cast off their dearest pleasures upon the dreary request of someone who doesn’t ever seem to mean what he says.” (Richard Baxter)

   For a vision to be caught, it needs to be communicated in a way that motivates people to want to partner in it. This should be done in stages. Ensure that the leaders closest to you hear about it as early in the process as possible. This will allow for their input as well as give you a real sense of the response from the people. If the leaders closest to you are not excited, then those farther from you will probably be equally unenthused. Once the leaders closest to you are in full support, go to the rest of leadership and ensure that they are also on board. Finally, present it to the people without rushing it or cramming it into a five-minute window as people are getting ready to leave. Take sufficient time to present it but don’t go on for too long, either; your presentation of the vision has to be just right.

   Use graphics or media to make a memorable presentation. Marketing companies have found “teasers” to be very effective in the build-up to a launch, so you might try these to arouse curiosity and create interest.

   Rehearse your presentation so that you are comfortable with it. Have an audience (preferably not your dog or cat) and watch their response. Get their feedback and make adjustments. Once launched, keep the progress in front of the people for some time. You can do this with updates, videos, articles, and letters.

4. Build a leadership team that can help you get the job done – Empower your leadership team through training, inspiring their loyal support, and giving them resources to do their part. Your leadership team is critical; unless they catch the vision and help you in the work, you are unlikely to advance.
5. Measure the progress - Set regular feedback meetings so that you can measure the progress that has been made and then make adjustments where necessary. I recommend holding monthly meetings with the leadership team to discuss the momentum, pace, and progress that has been established.

Accomplishing God’s will, growing the church, and winning the lost will require the following:

• Faith
• Passion
• Character
• Anointing
• Vision

As discussed above, it will also require a team of leaders and people who will participate in this process. To gain their support you will need to be skilled at vision casting, and your leadership team will need to be developed to catch the vision. I trust that this blog will inspire you in your ministry. If I can be of help, please feel free to call or e-mail me.

Leon

INFUSE CONFERENCE

Tampa, Florida (January 12-15, 2009)

If you have not yet signed up to attend this dynamic ministry training conference, please visit this link:

http://www.gmrinc.org/pdf/infuse.pdf

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