Planning Your New Year
Is It Too Early To Begin Planning?Â
I know that the second week of December seems a tad early to begin discussing the new year, but I typically use the down time between Christmas and New Years to contemplate the next year. But with new responsibilities and ministry planning, the next year already weighs heavy on my heart. So as I prepare to spend time with family, finally buy my Christmas gifts, and celebrate Christ’s birth, I also begin to think about the new year.
God in His grace gives us newness; new days are given after a night’s rest, new growth is seen as the seasons of the year change, and new years are given to be used for His glory. If you have not had a good year, or if you seem to be reacting to life instead of moving the rudder of your life’s ship, then consider the following as you approach the new year:
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Six Items To Consider As You Prepare For a New Year
1)  Pray. It seems obvious, but God already has your year mapped out, so why not see what he says about your next year. Are there things that you find yourself foolishly repeating year after year simply because you didn’t spend time with the Lord? Before we begin to plan our next steps, we must consult the Lord and His plans for us.
Jeremiah 29:11-13 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare2 and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.â€
2)  Develop Your Calendar. It has been said, “If you don’t control your calendar, then your calendar will control you.â€Â As you chart your next season of life, begin by taking your yearly calendar and adding all of the big annual events (vacations, ministry events, family events like anniversaries and birthdays, and conferences).
Once you have yearly events, then move to monthly, and then weekly. But before you add all the events from last year to the calendar for this year, you must prayerfully consider each one. How will you evaluate if you need to do this or that event again, on the same scale, or the same way?
Make sure you put as much information as you know on the calendar. There will be events that you do not have a specific date for yet, but try to place it as close to the date of where you think it will be held. By having all your events on the calendar before you, you can also evaluate if there will be simply too much going on, or if more things can be added to the calendar. Perhaps, an alternative is to move events around until you find the balance between the two.
3)  Along with your events, simultaneously, develop your budget. How much will you need for specific events, trips, or ministry efforts? You may find that you need to scale down an activity or that you have the ability to do something else or to do the event on a larger scale than you once thought possible.  Like air in a clown’s balloon, you can twist all the links into it you want, but there is only so much air and the balloon can only stretch so far.
4)  Consider your own personal goals and need for growth. If you are finding yourself feeling “burned out†spend some time asking the Lord, “Why am I feeling this way?†or “What am I doing regularly that is negatively impacting my life?â€
It may be that you are spending too much time away from home, or not enough in devotional time. It will be different for everyone, but now is the time to plan out how you will not continue to do these same things. You don’t have to feel tired, depressed, worn out, etc. all the time.
This is also a great time to consider the needs of your family. Just as the seasons change, so do the needs of family. Each year brings its’ own set of problems and challenges, and so as you prayerfully plan your budget, calendar out events, and set your personal goals, also consider how your family has changed in the past year. Avoid excessive activity, and build in family time, or special time with a child that may need some extra attention. Your first responsibility is to your family, and then to ministry.[1]
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New Years Resolutions
For a person to keep a New Years’ resolution it has to be rooted in the person having a genuine need and the person seeing the benefit of keeping the resolution. Your praying, planning, budgeting will bring needed resolutions to your attention that if you make these changes will help you to be healthier, happier, more rested, and growing as a person.
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5)  Review the past year. I keep a journal where I record detailed notes of meetings, planning lists, journal entries, ideas etc. and I when I go through this time of planning I review these journals from the previous year. I am reminded of ideas that I had forgotten about, people I need to develop relationships with, projects that have been completed, or even goals that have been met.
These journals are encouraging because I am able to see how God has answered prayer, provided what was needed to complete various ministry projects, and carried me through one more year of ministry. They are a reminder of God’s faithfulness.
Unlike a previous year’s calendar, a journal reminds me of thoughts and feelings. There are some items and information that I will transfer from an older journal to a new one, but for the most part each journal is a step forward into a new year.
Regardless of your method, how will you review the previous year?
6)  Contentment but not Satisfaction. This is not about “we had 20 last year, so this year I want to have 40.†Or “we had 6 groups last year, so this year I want to have 12!â€Â Wanting more people, money or “equipment†simply because that’s how the world measures success is not a good way of determining a direction in ministry. This method is rooted in pride and will be quickly abandoned when things get difficult.
We should be content with where we are, being the person we are in Christ, and in the position we hold, but we should never be satisfied in our level of quality and service to the Lord. So, we are not to look for the next bigger and better thing, instead we are to look for ways to constantly improve what we are doing for the Lord.[2]
The Importance of Having Leaders Who Are Releasing Others to Leadership
When Jesus began His public ministry one of the first things he did was to surround himself with disciples, who were given increasing levels of authority and responsibility as Jesus traveled. Eventually these disciples were released into independent leadership. For leaders, no matter how talented or energetic, there is a need to have others to help them and that they invest themselves into others.[1]
Sometimes this investment does not give the dividends that are desired. Judas, for example, was one of Jesus’ chosen disciples and had unprecedented access to Jesus. We know that things did not turn out well for Judas. But 11 out of 12 times the investment in others turned into the expansion of the gospel.
As a leader, investing in others and giving them genuine responsibility does many things for the expansion of the gospel, specifically:
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Three Reasons To Lead Another Toward Leadership
1)  It allows the ministry to expand – two people (or more) can do more than one person.[2] The gospel was able to go in twelve different directions at the same time, multiple churches were able to come into existence, and countless disciples were made in multiple places all at the same time because a leader invested in and trusted them.
2)  It allows people to grow as persons – with this newly given responsibility, the new leader will be stretched to learn new things, deal tactfully with “ministry situations†that up until now was handled by the main leader. These new leaders will learn to lean on the wisdom and experience of others to do the ministry better.
When Joshua served as Moses’ amanuensis[3], it was a service of great learning for Joshua. Moses needed help, and God provided Joshua to help him. It was a symbiotic relationship where the work was able to be done at a greater quality than if one did not have the other.
When God was giving Moses the law on Mt. Sinai, Joshua was there and experienced the giving of the Ten Commandments, even though he was serving as Moses’ assistant.[4] Joshua was able to learn how to deal with even greater situations by closely watching the main leader. Eventually, Joshua would have Moses lay his hands upon his head and this great weight of leadership would lay heavy upon his shoulders.
Jesus even said in Mark 9:33-37, “And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?†34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.†36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.†(ESV)
It is serving as the least, as an amanuensis, that a person learns how to lead. It is in humility and humbleness that you seek to make another person look great and make him a better person that you learn how to lead. Sadly, many people don’t want to serve years or decades as a servant of another leader – they want leadership immediately. The problem is that they tear churches apart in their learning process and don’t know what to do with this eternally important responsibility once they have it.
3)  It allows the main leader the ability to be away from his primary responsibility in order to do other ministry tasks. When there is no leadership, ministries fall apart and decline. Someone always has to “stand in the gap†of leadership.[5] So with a new leader “holding down the fort†while the main leader is away, there is an assurance that things will continue to run smoothly and progress.
Every leader needs time away for rest, spending time with family, mission trips, or learning at conferences or workshops. When these leaders are able to rest or learn they return to the ministry refreshed and better equipped to take the ministry even further and with a renewed vision.
Three Types of Friendships Men in Ministry Need
Coffee at the Cracker Barrel
Ministry will inevitably take its toll on even the strongest and mature of men. Eventually, every person who seeks to do ministry in Christ’s name will undergo temptations, trials, and ministry circumstances that will change them. Life has a way of being a blessing and a curse at the same time. In these times, God is always working in the life of His disciple – always.
I met with a new friend this week who shared his heart with me (it was deeper than the cursory sports, weather, jokes, etc., topics); he was feeling beat down and was discouraged. He is a man who has a huge vision to do things for God, but has a host of obstacles laid before him that seem to be a blockade to his ministry. As we talked over coffee and “the Old Timers’†breakfast, I realized that he just needed someone to talk to. In ministry it is not always easy to find someone who you can bear your soul to. Trust is something that is hard to come by.
As a leader you can’t honestly speak openly with those whom you lead; they may doubt your integrity or ability to make decisions. You can’t talk with your spouse about truly weighing issues because a man tries to protect those he loves (especially his wife). So who does this leave in a minister’s life? If you invest a majority of your time in your ministry, church, and family, there is little time left to invest in a friendship with someone. Therefore, many in ministry are lonely and left feeling all alone.
I have been blessed by God at my new place of ministry, but was especially blessed this week with finding a friend in ministry that I can walk with in friendship.
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Those in ministry need
three different types of relationships with other men. [1]
1. The first type of relationship that men need is a “Paul.†This is a person who realizes that they are consciously investing their knowledge and experience into another person. Every ministering man should submit themselves to the guidance and wisdom of a mentor. This “Paul†will take you with them on their ministry journey, and will coach you in yours.
This person is someone you esteem and respect for his many years of faithful service to Christ. This relationship can be “official†and structured or spontaneous and casual – but the important thing is that you have someone who you highly respect that you can bounce ideas off of, ask hard questions of, and can model your life after.
The apostle Paul regularly took people with him on his missionary journeys. Who is a “Paul†that can coach you in your ministry?
2. The second type of needed relationship is a “Timothy.†No matter how long you have been in ministry you have learned something that you can pass on to someone else. We must invest ourselves in the lives of other men in ministry to help them to be a success. The apostle Paul refers to Timothy as, “beloved and faithful son in the Lord†(1 Cor. 4:17). This was a relationship of spiritual father to a spiritual son.
And in Acts 16:3 we see that Paul desires to take him along as a traveling companion. I have been extremely blessed by God with the ability to have gone to seminary and have completed my doctoral work. But even more important than that are the ministry experiences that seem very common among my brothers, like high school Bible questions – you have heard them all after a while. [2]
There are ways to deal with change, unruly people, mean people, etc. that in ministry are the “tricks of the trade.†I was also blessed early on in my ministry to have had some men who allowed me to journey with them in ministry and I learned a lot about what it means to love people and shepherd a flock from watching them in action.
3. The third type of needed relationship is a “Barnabas.†In Scripture, Barnabas’ given name was Joseph, but the early church called him, “Son of Encouragement†or Barnabas. He traveled with the apostle Paul and in most cases was equal in their role in the church. It was Barnabas who originally brought Paul into the church and gave him the “ok.â€
They traveled together, and even argued over who they should take (i.e. John Mark in Colossians 4:10). The main idea is that these men were equal in standing, ministered together, and were a source of encouragement to each other.
You are not going to argue with your mentor, or your protégé, but you will with your comrade in arms; you have enough love and respect to confront him when he is wrong. In some circles this is called an accountability partner. This is a friend, who also is in ministry, that you draw strength from, and give encouragement to.
All three of these relationships are needed in a minister’s life, and none will develop unless some effort is made on your part to move the relationship forward. So, pray first, and ask God to make these relationships clear to you and then make some effort to build these friendships.
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[1] I recognize that women also serve in ministry. Since I am a man, I can not honestly speak to what a woman needs in ministry. Men and Women are worlds apart, and I am just now figuring out what I need in ministry. Not, only that, but we are talking about “feelings†so give me a break.
[2] Questions like, “where did Cain’s wife come from?†or “if God is so good, then why does he allow so much suffering?†or “what about those who have never heard of Jesus or the gospel?â€
Who Owns Your House? Luke 20:9-18
Luke 20:9-18 tells the parable Jesus gave of the owner of a vineyard who went away and how the tenants desired to wrongly own the vineyard themselves. In order to maintain control of the vineyard they abuse messengers sent by and even kill the owners son. As with all parables, we must be careful not to push details of the story too far, but the main idea is that the owner of the vineyard has the rightful claim of the vineyard and that the tenants are wrong in their desiring to own the property. The parable points back to the Old Testament and how God’s prophets were sent to the Israelites and the world and their ultimate rejection of these prophets. It also points to Jesus’ ultimate (as the Son) death at the hands of the religious leaders and sinful mankind.
Luke 20:9-18 “9 And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. 10 When the time came, he sent a servant2 to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. 13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15 And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.†When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!†17 But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? 18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.‒
But there is a common question that I have encountered in ministry that this passage helps us to understand. In conversations with non-believers and discussions of the Bible I have heard something like “if God is so loving why would he tell the Israelites to kill everyone on the land they were conquering?â€
The root of the answer is “who has rightful claim to the land?†God created the world, and as Creator it is His (Genesis 1:1 ff.). He created man and sent them out (as His followers) to “fill the earth.†His original design was for the world to be filled with those who bear His image to reflect His character and bring Him glory. But sin came into the picture and whole nations rejected the One True God and followed false gods.
God also, in His mercy and love, sent prophets among the nations to warn them of the consequences of their rejection. So by the time we see passages like 1 Chronicles 21, Deuteronomy 3, Joshua 6, Judges 21, and 2 Kings 10 these nations are not innocent. They have all rejected the One True Creator God, and as the owner of all, God had the right to take certain land from one group of people and give it to another group of people. Also, in many cases Israel’s conquering and killing was a judgment upon these pagan nations. This same judgment would also come upon God’s own people when they apostatized throughout the Old Testament.
The Holy/Promised Land (as was the entire planet) was a place that was to be dedicated to the worship of the One True God (the Creator). So when the owner of the “vineyard†demanded that they give him a portion of the harvest (worship, praise, tithes, adoration, etc.), we can see how evil it is for the tenants to reject the messengers and even kill his son. God owns everything in all of creation, and yes, even you (for you are wonderfully and beautifully made). Our choice is to accept this as God’s Word lovingly and mercifully warns us, or reject it and face the ultimate consequences of trying to claim something that is not rightfully ours.
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