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    • Church Planting
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    • Churches
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    • COVID-19
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The Result of the Right Changes…

10/6/2020

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      For several weeks I have been focusing on leading change in the church. I have emphasized how hard it is to make sure we are making the right change, and now I am in the midst of talking about doing it at the right time, and in future articles, I will talk about doing it the right way. But I heard something this past weekend that forces me to pause and remind us what God wants us to look like when we have made the right changes, at the right time, in the right way.
 
     This past weekend Calvary Baptist Church in Glenwood held its Second Annual mission emphasis, and one of their speakers is a missionary with our International Mission Board (IMB). By the way: Thank you Pastor Matt Rappley and Calvary for your ongoing support of missionaries and the way you live out the Acts 1:8 challenge. Because the IMB missionary and his family serve in what is called a Level III area (a country that does not grant missionary visas) I will not give his name in this article, but if you are interested in contacting him, ask and I will give you his prayer advocate’s e-mail address.
 
     In the region where he serves, God is moving mightily among people who have been hard to reach. The foundational principle missionaries and local pastors use provides a picture of what the Bible tells us that the church is supposed to be. Just a reminder, the New Testament word we translate into the English word church literally means “those whom God calls to serve Him.” Their principle is...
God is changing the world through regular, ordinary believers who are filled with the Holy Spirit and who are convinced and acting on the conviction that Jesus is coming soon.
      God is changing the world: “ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” II Cor 5:17. Unfortunately, in too many American churches deep genuine life transformation (Romans 12:1-2) is a rare exception rather than the norm. David Platt’s book Radical should actually be titled Normal Christianity.
 
     Through regular, ordinary believers: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” I Peter 2:9. Remember, Peter was writing to early believers who had been scattered due to the Jewish persecution in Jerusalem—not to early apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. Peter was simply echoing what God desired the nation of Israel to be. Through Moses, God said, “if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” Exodus 19:5-6.
 
     Who are filled with the Holy Spirit: Two passages Baptists love to preach, but too often practice using our own power and abilities are Acts 1:8 and Matthew 28 18-20.  “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” Acts 1:8. “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” Matt 28:18-20. As promised, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to indwell the believer.
 
     Who are convinced and acting on the conviction that Jesus is coming soon: The small group I lead on Wednesday nights is currently studying Jesus’ letters to the seven churches in Asia Minor from Revelation 2-3. As you study them, one thing you can’t miss is that the early churches—even ones who were chastened—endured persecution that often led to death. But they maintained a passion and sense of urgency for others to hear about Jesus. The comfort and leisure of American Christianity has led us to an intellectual affirmation that Jesus is coming, but it has somehow created apathy. Maybe we have lost our first love like the church in Ephesus. Or we have watered down the word of God like the church in Pergamos. Or we are allowing people in our church to live in open disobedience to God without lovingly saying something to them like the church in Thyatira. Or we are a church that thinks we are alive, but we are really dead like the church in Sardis. Or we have become a lukewarm church, neither hot nor cold, like the church in Laodicea.
 
     No matter where your church is today, the right changes, at the right time, in the right way should be making you more obedient to God’s vision for churches being used by God to change the world through regular, ordinary believers who are filled with the Holy Spirit and who are convinced and acting on the conviction that Jesus is coming soon.
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Leading Change in Your Church

10/1/2020

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Leading Change in Your Church
Part Four

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    Last week I continued a series on leading change in the church by pointing out that we need to make sure it is the right change, at the right time, and it is done in the right way. I went on to discuss the challenges we face in making the right changes. Today I want to address the timing issue.
 
     Much of the answer to the “when” question revolves around your prayer life and your personality. If you are the one leading the charge, then you need to have significant self-awareness regarding your propensity for change. If your personality lends itself to fire, ready, aim approach to change, then you already know your way ahead of your people. I shouldn’t have to tell you to slow down, but just in case you are still wondering: SLOW DOWN! You’ve got a lot of great ideas, and you want to get them ALL accomplished in the next few weeks; however, your people are probably already worn out as they have been trying to implement the ten new things you wanted them to do last month.
 
     Now I must confess that I’m using a little pastoral hyperbole, but I hope that in so doing, I have made my point. Have you taken the time to prioritize all the various changes you think need to be made? Have you considered the change tolerance of your church--how many changes can they handle in a given period of time? Have you stopped to consider who will be impacted the most by the changes you are considering?

​     Additional considerations for all of us when we are leading change can be gleaned from chapter three of Bridges’ book Managing Transitions. Here are the chapter headings:
  • Identify Who’s Losing What
  • Accept the Reality and Importance of the Subjective Losses
  • Don’t Be Surprised at Overreaction
  • Acknowledge the Losses Openly and Sympathetically
  • Expect and Accept the Signs of Grieving
  • Compensate for the Losses
  • Give People Information, and Do It Again and Again
  • Define What’s Over and What Isn’t
  • Mark the Endings
  • Treat the Past with Respect
  • Let People Take a Piece of the Old Way with Them
  • Show How Endings Ensure the Continuity of What Really Matters
 ​     At the other end of the spectrum of leadership personalities are those of us who are unwilling to make changes that we already know need to be made. Sometimes those of us with a special portion of compassion are very reluctant to make changes we know will hurt certain individuals. By focusing on what some might loose, we overlook the potential of what everyone else would gain through a needed change. We often overlook the reality that people who will be most impacted by a change sometimes are the very ones who already know that change is needed. There are a lot of people serving in the wrong place in our churches (round pegs in square holes), and they know they are not being effective. Help them find their “sweet spot,” and they, along with the church, will have a better chance of flourishing.
 
    Others of us are slow to make changes because we suffer from paralysis by over analysis. This can be driven by indecision or the inability to discern what changes are “the best.” Not all whom God calls into the leadership role of pastor have the gift of discernment. If you are one of them, there are multiple options for you. Find someone in your church who is a good strategic thinker and lean into their abilities. In your pastors’ network, specifically ask fellow pastors to help you talk through your options. Plus, you are surrounded by Great Commission Baptist (SBC) leaders who have years of experience. They are ready, willing, and able to help you individually or to assist your church in a consultation role. You are not alone!
 
      Ultimately the timing issue, “when is the right time to implement the right change,” is a matter of prayer. Our culture is so accustomed to change that we just “assume” the changes we are imagining are both right and ready for today. Is there a place in your leadership system where you take potential changes to influencers or to a leadership team within your church? When you do that are you looking for a rubber stamp or feedback? Do you take time to pray with them and to seek ongoing prayer for divine leadership? I guess what I am asking is, do you practice what James told us to do?
​“Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.” (4:13-16)
  Knowing who you are and who He is will give you great clarity in knowing when the right changes need to be implemented.
​
Yours in Christ,
Mark R. Elliott, DoM
Heartland Church Network
402-551-0608
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Leading Change in Your Church (Part Three)

9/25/2020

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      In the past two weeks, I have talked about change in the life of the local church. I pointed out the reality that pastors have to be better leaders than do leaders in other segments of life, and that the number one person a pastor must lead well is himself. This week I want us to remember that as we lead change in the church, we need to make sure it is the right change, at the right time, and it is done in the right way. This week I want to talk about the challenges we face in making the right changes.
     There are several things that make it hard to know what the right changes are. One is the reality that there are no two churches exactly alike! A church is a living organism-organization that is made up of unique people. There was a time in our nation’s history when being a Great Commission Baptist Church (GCB) could be clearly and uniformly described. Those days are long gone. Although we share a common theology, the churches in our own small part of GCB life that we call the Heartland Church Network are very diverse: we have large and small churches; new and old churches; urban, inner-city, small town, and rural churches; churches that worship in English, Spanish, Arabic (Neur and Bari), Zomi, Karen, Creole, Chinese, Korean, Russian / Ukrainian, and Nepalese; churches that are predominantly Africa-American and Native-American.
     Although principles transcend time and culture, the application of those principles can look very different from one culture to another. There was a time in GCB life that when a church found something that worked really, really well in their church, their pastor was hired by our Sunday School Board. He wrote a book or guidelines on how to do what he did in his church. Pastors and church leaders were trained on how to do that specific program. They ran the program. And if it was done well, it usually worked. Those days are long gone. This means that not only does a pastor have to be a better change agent, he also has to be a better strategic thinker. But this has to start with a strong prayer life. One that is hyper-sensitive to what is happening in the life of his church members (where is God leading them) and his community (what are the opportunities and needs).
     If that isn’t enough to frustrate you, let me point out that we live in a constant state of information overload. In simpler days, our problem was finding enough information to make an informed decision. Today we have to filter through the volumes of information that are available at our fingertips as we google the world’s answers. Everything you read is not relevant to your context. We even have to wade through disinformation as we sort out what is true as well as what is relevant. Not everything we read on the internet is true—no matter how fancy the web site! When I am searching, I will also find a lot of what I will call uninformed information. The number of bloggers is almost unlimited. Some of them know what they are talking about, but some are just suffering from undelivered speech. I also find non-critical thinkers telling you why their church is growing. These will be people who are in the midst of the forest and can’t see the forest for the trees; however, they are willing and they think they are able to tell you “all about the forest.”
     I will briefly mention a third complicating factor: the rate and level of change that is occurring in our culture. What might have been the right change in January 2020 suddenly became the wrong change in March. We had to be willing to pivot on a dime as we moved quickly into unchartered territory. No one had a map! Well, that’s not actually true. God has the map. Which brings me back to your prayer life.
     "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to  give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart." –Jeremiah 29:11-13
     Bottom line: I strongly encourage every pastor to lead his church in times of focused prayer, seeking God’s leadership as we navigate uncharted waters. Having done that, I would encourage you to invite an experienced outside consultant, like your Associational Mission Strategist, to work with your leadership team to facilitate some simple, but revealing, strategic exercises. Then, with some options in hand, you can prayerfully and carefully begin to identify the right time and the right way—which we will look at in the next two weeks.
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Leading Change in Your Church (Part Two)

9/15/2020

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​Last week I wrote on the reality that pastors have to be better leaders than leaders in other segments of society. Today I want to point out that effective leaders, no matter where they are called to lead, must first learn to lead themselves or they will never lead others at a high level.
 
     One major area where pastors and other Christian leaders “should” have a significant advantage in is self-leadership. On a daily basis, God’s Spirit seeks to speak truth to our spirit. Unfortunately, pastors are no different than any other professing believer, because there are times when our actions or our failures to act will grieve or quench the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30 and I Thessalonians 5:19). However; when we are being filled by the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), we become broken vessels that God can and does use in powerful ways. I will not labor the point by preaching to the preachers on this topic; however, I will say that unless we are in a truly accountable relationship with other pastors, we will become easily self-deceived. Let me use one of my Wyoming cowboy analogies at this point. Satan’s number one tool for making a pastor an ineffective leader is to cut him out of the herd. Once he has you trying to do your job on your own, the clock is ticking. It’s only a matter of time before a self-isolated pastor’s ministry will falter. Our culture is full of fallen and disgraced pastors who thought they could do it on their own.
 
     Another reality of self-leadership is that it takes time and prioritization. While I am busy trying to lead others, I can easily lose sight of the need to lead myself. We have to be able to hear our inner voice, and that of God’s Spirit, whispering to us over the cacophony and the cries of the world around us. Those of us who have a special portion of compassion (shepherds) are drawn to care for the hurting hoards that surround us. Those of us who are driven by the gift of evangelism are focused on the lost and dying in our midst. Those of us who are gifted in leadership will always be striving to make those around us better leaders. Those of us who are uniquely gifted in administration (overseers) will always be tweaking our organizational processes and the people who staff them so they can function more effectively. It is absolutely Biblical that we serve as God has uniquely gifted each of us (I Timothy 4:14). But, we must always be serving out of the overflow, mindful of the admonition in Psalm 46:10 to “be still, and know that I am God.” Lead yourself to frequent times of refreshment with Him.
 
     Speaking of time, we all know that trusted leaders are more effective leaders and unfortunately it takes time to build trust. The fact is that there are churches whose history requires a LOT OF TIME before a pastor can develop trust. I had a conversation yesterday with a church leader whose church is currently looking for a new pastor following the painful resignation of its last pastor. Our visit basically revolved around a lack of trust that exists between members and their current lay-leadership team. Knowing the church’s history, my only counsel was to be patient and prayerful because it will take time for trust to be reestablished.
 
     But it takes both time AND effective leadership. You cannot expect people to follow if you are not leading yourself well. Do you follow-through on what you say you will do? Scheduling a meeting and then not showing up communicates disrespect for others. Are you punctual with your appointments? Showing up late tells others that their time doesn’t matter. Do you do your homework before meetings and do you have a printed agenda for them? Stumbling and stammering your way through a meeting is a quick way to destroy leadership credibility. Trust can be destroyed in a minute.
 
     Bottom line! To effectively lead others we have to be a better leader of oneself. To lead ourselves better we must yield every minute to God’s leadership through His indwelling Holy Spirit.

Yours in Christ,
Mark R. Elliott, DoM
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Leading Change in Your Church

9/9/2020

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     When change is needed, a pastor has to be a better leader than leaders in most other segments of our culture for two reasons. In other sectors, a leader can, at the minimum, get people to accept the change because if they don’t the paychecks stop coming. On the other hand, a pastor is expected to motivate, equip, and deploy volunteers who can choose to walk away when they don’t like the change. Secondly, we live in a rapidly changing world in which COVID has forced even more changes. Everyone’s tolerance for change has been tested!
 
     What also makes leading change in the church harder is that most committed believers view their church as a haven of rest, a place of stability and security from a world rocked by chaos and change. So when changes are needed, and in today’s world every church has had to make significant changes, a pastor has to be able to clearly define current reality, communicate why change is needed, know how to identify what the right changes are, and be able to lead the adoption and implementation of those changes.
 
     From my experience, and I have had it confirmed by others who serve churches in a similar capacity, the majority of pastors use their gifts of shepherding, teaching, and preaching more than they do their gift of leadership. That reality shouldn’t surprise us when we stop and remember the majority of churches are single staff or bi-vocational, and the day-to-day pastoral care required is extremely fluid. Most churches end up reacting to the changes that are forced upon them rather than being proactive to identify needed change and implement it well.
 
     Because of the changes that engulf us, the need for thoughtful and prayerful leadership is greater today than it has been in decades. The early church had to navigate significant change. Acts 1:15-26 records a simple four-step process describing how the church replaced Judas as an apostle. First, they established specific criteria (21-22). Second, they identified their top two candidates (23). Third, they had a time of focused prayer (24-25). Finally, they used a culturally accepted selection process (26). We see a similar process used in Acts 6:1-7 when the church made major changes to their ministry to widows. First, they defined their new reality—the church was growing, there were unmet needs, and the current leadership structure was not adequate (1-2). Then they defined the criteria for the new ministry role and clarified the ongoing role of the apostles (3-4). They received consensus from the church (5a). Fourth, they identified men who met the criteria (5b-6a). They had a season of prayer to seek God’s face (6b). Finally, there was a formal recognition of those selected through the laying on of hands (6c).
 
     Processes are available, but how can a pastor and church in a chaotic and busy 2020 world find time to define reality, identify what needs to change, brainstorm options, determine the best choices, and implement the needed change? Well, I’m delighted to share with you a resource I encountered a few weeks ago. It is the book Where Do We Go from Here? Strategic Planning for the Smaller Church by Dr. Leo A. Endel. I even used it Saturday with one of our language churches. Dr. Endel is a long-time friend, and the book lays out a simple process that with minimal coaching any pastor could use to lead a one-day strategy training event.
 
     Heartland Church Network has purchased several copies, and if you are interested, I would love to get you a copy. I am also willing to coach you as you use it in your church. Give me a call, send me a text, or drop me an e-mail and I will get you a copy. After you’ve read it, give me a call, and we can talk through the process. Take time to lead in a prayerful and proactive manner without having to use a painfully long and often unproductive process.

Yours in Christ,
Mark R. Elliott, DoM
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What Can I Do?

9/1/2020

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     Listening to the radio on my commute this morning, the on-air personalities discussed a survey on current causes of anxiety. They concluded that our inability to control what is going on around us was THE source of human anxiety. As I look at my own life and visit with pastors and church leaders, I sense a lot of anxiety as we are living in turbulent and unprecedented times. Things are “not normal” and from day-to-day we must make decisions based on new circumstances and new information—things seem to be spinning out of control. 
 
     If their assumption about the source of anxiety is true, and I think it hits the heart of human anxiety, then the key question is, “What do we actually control in our world?” For most of us, if we were really honest, it is a very short list. As human beings, we struggle to even control our own passions, let alone have the power to control what’s happening in someone else’s life or the events occurring around us.
 
     So the critical question really is, “How can I find the power to move my own heart from anxiety to peace?” As professing Christians, our first question is what does the Bible tells us about anxiety? Most of us are familiar with the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:25-34). In it Jesus tells us to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” In other words, we are empowered when God is THE priority in our daily life. The question then becomes, “What does our calendar and check book tell us about how high God is on our priority list?” The lower He is on our priority list the HIGHER our anxiety in life will be.
 
     Paul’s words in Philippians 4:6-7 are often quoted in times of stress. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Many Christians can quote these verses, but how often do the words alone bring peace? Paul is suggesting that we are empowered when prayer is a regularly practiced spiritual discipline in our life. The Bible teaches us that rote memorized prayers and meaningless recitation of Bible verses is not what God is seeking in our prayer life. “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)
 
     In the upper room the night before Jesus went to the cross, He told His disciples “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) Jesus mentions two variables for finding peace. One is that we admit tribulations are a normal part of life. The other is that God is the source of peace, because He has overcome the chaos of the world. Before making this statement to His disciples, Jesus had repeated multiple times two specific themes: as we are going, God will empower us with the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-18 & 2-28, 15:26-27; 16:5-15) and God answers our prayers (John 14:13, 15:7 & 16, 16:23). So, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit that dwells within us and we are empowered by the knowledge that God hears and answers our prayers. Anxiety resides within us when we are listening to the spirit of our fleshly nature, and are denying the power of prayer.
 
     Now comes the moment of honesty and confession. Even knowing all this to be true, there are still moments, and some times days and weeks, when anxiety resides in our hearts. In those “moments,” we need to humble ourselves like the father of the epileptic son did when he cried out “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) We also need to lean on one another and seek the encouragement and/or exhortation of a brother or sister in Christ who can help us through those difficult moments.  James tells us to confess our trespasses to one another, and to pray for one another, because the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous friend will avail much (5:16). We are empowered by the prayers of our friends when we confess our faults and failures.
 
     We can’t control much in life, but we can choose to do the things that can truly empower us.
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Standing Side–by-Side, but Living Worlds Apart

8/26/2020

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     Yesterday I had a conversation and time of prayer with Pastor Vernon McMorris of International Church Christ Built. He had stopped by the HCN office for a few minutes and shared a deep burden in his life. He told me that morning while he was sitting on his front porch doing his morning quiet time he heard five shots fired not far from where he lives. Then he told me that he had run into a young man at a store a couple of weeks ago who had been attending his church off and on. Pastor Vernon mentioned to the young man that he wasn’t in church the previous Sunday. The young man said he would be back, but then Vernon told me that the young man had been shot and killed in an apparent gang-related encounter just a few days later. My heart grieved for the young man’s family and for Pastor Vernon and his church.
 
     As I reflected on that conversation, my mind went to recent deaths that have been part of my world. One was the passing of my Aunt Darlene who had been in a retirement home and had passed at the age of 91. I did her memorial service last Monday in Wyoming. Another was the mother of Jim Hayes, Pastor of Cornerstone Church in LaVista. He called and asked me to preach for him last Sunday as he would be going to California because his mom was placed on hospice; however, she passed away as he was en route. A third was the mother of Pastor John Hart of Faith Family in Tekamah. I talked to him a couple of weeks ago as he was returning from Colorado where he had visited his mother. Last Thursday he sent me a text to let me know she had gone “home to Jesus.” All three ladies had experienced the joys and challenges of living long lives.
 
     As brothers in Christ and fellow ministers of the Gospel, Pastor Vernon and I share an awful lot in common. But our ministry contexts (who God has called us to minister to on a daily basis) are radically different. It forces me to realize that I can pray for him, encourage him, and extend genuine sympathy to him, but I’m not sure I can truly empathize with him.
 
     The question I’m constantly asking myself is, “How does God want me to be involved?” In my role as a Director of Missions for a very diverse network of churches, I often find myself being moved with compassion because I see so many who are weary. In Matthew 9:35-38, we are told that as our Lord “went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom,” that “He saw the multitudes, and then was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. “ Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
 
     Although my compassion cannot approach that of our Lord nor can it achieve complete empathy in every situation, I can seek to follow His example. I CAN faithfully continue to preach and teach everywhere God sends me to all who are willing to listen. I CAN open my eyes to see and my ears to hear what is happening in the lives of those I encounter. I CAN be moved with compassion knowing that every human soul I encounter is an image-bearer of God and is worthy of being invited into His Kingdom’s harvest. I CAN be part of the solution by becoming a more faithful and obedient laborer myself and by helping to equip other faithful laborers. And I CAN pray that through my simple childlike obedience that the Lord of the Harvest will send more laborers into His harvest.
 
     So let’s all go and make disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples…so that the Light of the World will shine more brightly in the darkness that surrounds us.
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Standing Side–by-Side, but Living Worlds Apar

8/25/2020

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Yesterday I had a conversation and time of prayer with Pastor Vernon McMorris of International Church Christ Built. He had stopped by the HCN office for a few minutes and shared a deep burden in his life. He told me that morning while he was sitting on his front porch doing his morning quiet time he heard five shots fired not far from where he lives. Then he told me that he had run into a young man at a store a couple of weeks ago who had been attending his church off and on. Pastor Vernon mentioned to the young man that he wasn’t in church the previous Sunday. The young man said he would be back, but then Vernon told me that the young man had been shot and killed in an apparent gang-related encounter just a few days later. My heart grieved for the young man’s family and for Pastor Vernon and his church.
 
     As I reflected on that conversation, my mind went to recent deaths that have been part of my world. One was the passing of my Aunt Darlene who had been in a retirement home and had passed at the age of 91. I did her memorial service last Monday in Wyoming. Another was the mother of Jim Hayes, Pastor of Cornerstone Church in LaVista. He called and asked me to preach for him last Sunday as he would be going to California because his mom was placed on hospice; however, she passed away as he was en route. A third was the mother of Pastor John Hart of Faith Family in Tekamah. I talked to him a couple of weeks ago as he was returning from Colorado where he had visited his mother. Last Thursday he sent me a text to let me know she had gone “home to Jesus.” All three ladies had experienced the joys and challenges of living long lives.
 
     As brothers in Christ and fellow ministers of the Gospel, Pastor Vernon and I share an awful lot in common. But our ministry contexts (who God has called us to minister to on a daily basis) are radically different. It forces me to realize that I can pray for him, encourage him, and extend genuine sympathy to him, but I’m not sure I can truly empathize with him.
 
     The question I’m constantly asking myself is, “How does God want me to be involved?” In my role as a Director of Missions for a very diverse network of churches, I often find myself being moved with compassion because I see so many who are weary. In Matthew 9:35-38, we are told that as our Lord “went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom,” that “He saw the multitudes, and then was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. “ Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”
 
     Although my compassion cannot approach that of our Lord nor can it achieve complete empathy in every situation, I can seek to follow His example. I CAN faithfully continue to preach and teach everywhere God sends me to all who are willing to listen. I CAN open my eyes to see and my ears to hear what is happening in the lives of those I encounter. I CAN be moved with compassion knowing that every human soul I encounter is an image-bearer of God and is worthy of being invited into His Kingdom’s harvest. I CAN be part of the solution by becoming a more faithful and obedient laborer myself and by helping to equip other faithful laborers. And I CAN pray that through my simple childlike obedience that the Lord of the Harvest will send more laborers into His harvest.
 
     So let’s all go and make disciples, who make disciples, who make disciples…so that the Light of the World will shine more brightly in the darkness that surrounds us.
IN HIM,
ME
Mark Elliott, DoM

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Distilling Truth in Deeply Divided Times Part VI

8/18/2020

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Handling Conflict in a Godly Manner

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    Last week we identified four specific conflicts that the early church encountered regarding money, ministry, the message, and the messenger. This week I want us to note two important things that were true of each of these situations. These principles and practices helped the early church stay healthy through times of conflict.
 
     First, church leaders did not ignore the problems nor did they try to do a “quick fix.” In each situation, they were willing to lovingly identify reality, and they were willing to seek a Godly solution. A second thing I want you to see is that the church was not hurt by the conflict, but it was actually strengthened by the Godly handling of difficult issues.

Money conflict: Before the issue surfaced we read, “Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul (4:32).  After God resolved the issue, “great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things. And through the hands of the apostles, many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord (5:11-12). Now stop a second and ask, “What would have happened to Ananias and Sapphira and to the church if the lie were permitted to stand?” 

Ministry conflict: Before the issue surfaced, “the number of the disciples was multiplying” (6:1). After they implemented a Godly solution “the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith” (6:7). Believe me, if the “murmuring” of widows had been left unaddressed, they would have gotten pretty loud. Also, note that God’s solution included a ministry entry point for two men, Stephen and Phillip, who later played prominent roles in Acts. 

Message conflict: This issue surfaced in Antioch when “certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” This obviously caused “no small dissension and dispute” (15:1-2). Paul, Barnabas, and certain others went up to Jerusalem and a council was formed to prayerfully consider the issue. A clear decision was made and the results were reported back to the church in Antioch. “When they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement” (Acts 15:31). Dealing with the question, “What must I do to be saved” set a precedence for how the church has handled issues for centuries—through councils. It also clarified the heart and core of the gospel message. 

Messenger conflict: The ink on the Jerusalem Council decree was barely dry when the fourth issue surfaced. The disagreement was so severe that Paul took Silas and headed one way while Barnabas and John Mark headed another. The immediate result was two separate missionary teams—sounds a bit like a church split to me. But of great importance, and different than 99% of the church splits I have seen, is that a few years later Paul and John Mark were able to work together (Col 4:10 and II Tim 4:11). Issues left unresolved WILL over time create a spiritual barrier between any individual or any church and God.
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     The bottom lines: 1. Don’t let Satan sell you the lie that any and all conflict will always end up bad; and 2. Don’t think that if you ignore conflict that it will go away. Instead, prayerfully, biblically, lovingly, and honestly deal with issues that surface in your life and in your ministry. God can and will make some great lemonade out of the bitter lemons that too often end up on your table

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Distilling Truth in Deeply Divided Times Part V

8/12/2020

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Conflict in the Church

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​       Occasionally I will hear someone say, “I wish we could be like the church we read about in the book of Acts!” To which I usually say a quick “Amen!” with an even quicker follow up question. “What part of the early church do you particularly admire?” The unanimous response is the church as it is described in Acts 2:42-47.
"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
 
So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."
      Since I am one who wants to make sure we are telling the “whole truth,” I usually remind them that it takes a lot of hard work to maintain a church as it is described in Acts 2. For example, we must be willing to lovingly and honestly confront difficult issues. Then I point out that the early church had to face conflicts. In fact, Acts records four major ones dealing with money, ministry, the message, and the messenger. I’m sure you’re not surprised that they are even alliterated
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    So, you can have a healthy church and you will still encounter conflict. But those conflicts must be handled in a biblical manner. Stay tuned for further insights from these early church conflicts in next week’s edition of Distilling Truth in Deeply Divided Times.
IN HIM,
ME
Mark Elliott, DoM
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    Author

    Mark is in his twenty-seventh year of serving as an Associational Missions Strategist. He served in western Iowa for almost eight years, and is in his nineteenth year with HCN. He has a passion to see pastors and church leaders grow in their abilities to lead their churches. He continues to have a heart and desire to see new churches planted and God continues to use his strategic thinking skills in this area. Mark also has a wealth of experience in helping churches clarify who God has created them to be, and what they can do best to reach their community. He has had ample opportunities to help churches in times of conflict, and has seen God do exciting things to restore a spirit of harmony, returning churches to a time of fruitfulness. He also helps churches in transition by working with search committees. Mark and Phyllis who were married in November of 2018 have four children and three grandchildren. They will enjoy their combined 87th anniversary in just a few days.

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