Drew Boswell

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Staff Members and the Support of Their Church

First Baptist Church Valdosta has an interesting and wonderful tradition. When the church goes through the calling process of hiring a new staff person the candidate goes through a series of meetings where he meets with various committees and groups of people.

Eventually, on the night of the church vote there is an option for discussion by the congregation and the candidate is then asked to leave the room. The church votes, typically unanimously, and the candidate is then asked to return.

Here’s where the tradition becomes interesting and wonderful. When the candidate enters the room there is thunderous applause, smiles, and cheers. The candidate enters with thoughts of uncertainty, apprehension, and unknowing only to be met with great encouragement and support.  Then the congregation lines up to shake his hand and give him words of encouragement. What a wonderful way to begin a ministry; to begin with unanimous support and a great show of love.

______________________________

Why Staff Members Need the Support of Their Church

1.  It is a symbiotic relationship. The Lord gives churches to pastors and the Lord gives pastors to churches. If both love each other, then there is peace, mutual growth, and the church accomplishes it’s God given purpose. (Matthew 22:36-40, Matthew 28, Revelation 2, etc.) When there is disharmony, distrust, a lack of submission, or when the relationship breaks down, there is only trouble.

2.  It is a trusting relationship. Often times when a church hires a new staff member they travel great distances with their families to serve the Lord and the congregation. The new pastor must trust that the church will take care of him and his needs, and the church trusts that the pastor will do his job and do it well.

3.  It is a growing relationship. Just as congregations go through stages of growth, maturity, and changes so do their pastors. Men of God are constantly changing. While their essential theology may not change, their philosophies of ministry, ability to handle difficult situations, abilities to minister to other people, and countless other life lessons that God teaches all of His servants does change. A pastor and church change over time (sometimes for the good, sometimes for the bad).

4.  It is a relationship. As with all relationships both sides have to put forth effort for it to work. Most pastors that I know work countless hours, do tasks few want to do, and truly love their jobs. Most churches have a desire to do something great for the Lord and are looking for someone to lead them. When both work together, “even the gates of hell can not stop them.” This a special blessing from the Lord.

Your church staff needs to know that you are behind them. For one young man, his family,  and a church in South Georgia it all began with thunderous applause.

Pottery Nights in March at Valdosta Kids on Mission

 Sunday nights at 6pm Valdosta Kids on Mission will be learning about pottery from a pottery professional. They will discover how God is the Master Potterer and we are but clay in His hands (for the book of Jeremiah).

Please dress your children in old play clothes because they will be getting dirty. Our goal is for the children to make one vessel to keep at home, one to decorate our children’s building, and one to give away as an act of love.

Please note that we will walk over to the pottery room at 6:10 pm.

Don’t miss a single week in March.

Advice for the Rookie Staff Person

3-25-2014 Update

I wrote this article a little over two years ago. It was for the incoming youth pastor, and it was my desire to help him and to build a relationship with him. FBCV hired a new youth pastor a few weeks ago, and he will began this week. Most of the points of the article that I wrote earlier are still true (except for #6, I do to know what happened to the chair. It is probably on a garbage pile somewhere).

Jared, I will be praying for your ministry; you are about to begin a very rewarding and difficult journey. My two sons are looking to you to be their pastor. As their father I need you to do well. Men before you have laid a road that you must repair and move forward on. I will lay whatever bricks on that road you need, and carry whatever load needs to be carried. I want to help you in any way that I can. I will have your back, and I will love your family. I will put my shoulder to work and will move mountains for you. Your success is inseparably linked to mine. If you fail, I fail. If you win, I win (and my children). Too much time has been wasted, now it’s time to change the world. Let’s get going.

_________________________

Here’s the original article.

This coming Sunday, First Baptist Church Valdosta will vote to hire a new youth pastor after almost a year search process. Barring some unforeseen drama the church should vote to hire him. His office will be next to mine in the church, and I am wondering what is going through his head right now. I remember how nervous and apprehensive I was the first week I started.

I will get to move from “rookie” status and he will now sit in that chair (thanks man.) Since I am now a well-seasoned veteran after six months, I now feel fully capable of giving some advice, so here we go.

Tips for the “Rookie” staff person

1. Let people know what you are doing, especially your boss. This is not bragging, instead you are letting people know what direction you are headed. Because people have this information, they are able to warn you of troubled waters ahead, or how that did or did not work years ago the last time it was attempted. When people are informed there is less of a chance for people to read-into situations, your motives, or where you want the ministry to go. I have discovered at FBCV that with its many years of ministry there are few things that have not been before done in some form or another. Some of my “cutting edge” ideas are just re-packaged and re-branded ideas from years ago.[1]

2. Be aware of those that have served in your position before you. Sometimes this is good, and sometimes this is bad, but knowing what they were doing will help you to know what relationships you need to focus on, where you will need to spend your initial energy, and beginning steps into your ministry.

The initial first steps have the capability to put people at ease, or to exacerbate an already aggravated situation. You could also reach back to a well-run ministry before and link it to what you are doing to add some continuity to the ministry. With continuity (of success) brings predictability, with predictability brings trust, with trust ministries can be built. If the one serving before you did a poor job, then this trust building will take more time and vice versa.

3. Balance your life with ministry. There will be a huge temptation to make a huge impact as soon as you can. You will want to work long hours, go to every meeting, and get involved in everything. But remember that ministry is a marathon, not a sprint. In order for your ministry to be solid, long lasting, and life impacting your family has to be solid, long lasting, and life impacting. You will fall into a predictable work week before you know it.

Talk with your spouse about your commitments, scheduling, and how you plan to balance everything. Build some extra time into your schedule, because new and unpredictable things pop up constantly. If you have maxed out your schedule, you will be stressed to add one more meeting, one more counseling session, one more “opportunity” at the expense of a child’s ball game or concert.

That being said, work and get things done, when you need to work and get things done. If you slack and say, “I’ve got this extra time built in,” then it never fails that a crisis will arise when you also need to write a sermon, or teaching lesson, or whatever.

4. Remember you are apart of a team, a staff. When I first started at FBCV, I was contemplating setting up an office in the Children’s Building and just using the office in the main building as storage or something. But, I have now learned how bad of an idea that would have been. You need to stay plugged into what other staff are doing, and how you can help them (or they can help you.)

If everyone sets up offices all over the campus in their “areas” then there is little chance of people interacting with each other. It is that daily interaction and doing ministry together that creates a bond among the staff. If you rarely see each other on a weekly basis, then there is also little accountability. Offices are just an example of a mindset of how you will work with others.

Make the extra effort to engage them, ask them to go to lunch, spend time on the weekends with them, etc. Even though you are the “rookie” make the extra effort to be friendly. The staff are not there for you, you are a part of a team to serves the church as a whole. Take the first step to build a friendship, don’t wait on them.

5. You are a professional, be a professional. How you act, dress, and relate to people in the church environment directly impacts the rest of the staff and the direction the pastor is directing the church as a whole. You represent a larger congregation, and they are counting on you to lead in your area of responsibility and to be professional in how you do it. Be on time, dress nice, and think about what you say and how it will reflect upon others.

6. My office Chair. Along with all this information that I pass on to the “rookie,” I also pass on the office chair that was in my office when I got here. It needs a little “adjustment” and there are also some other ministry essentials (junk) that I moved out of my office to make your life easier. So, good luck with that.

Rookie, I hope this helps. My office is next door any time you want to roll over.

 

[1] Ecclesiastes 1:9 “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.”

Why Is It Important to be a Member of a Local Church?

The Early Church 

In Acts 2:42 ff. immediately following the indwelling of the Holy Spirit upon all believers, the believers begin to meet (daily). Luke rarely mentions the Greek word εκκλησία (church) in the book of Luke, but mentions it over 24 times in Acts. So, the church came into existence after Pentecost.

While we don’t know exactly what membership in the apostolic church entailed, it was certainly for the purposes of edification, prayer, service, and, as can be seen particularly in Acts 5, discipline. Christianity is a corporate matter, and the Christian life can be fully realized only in relationship to others.[1]

The early church shows us that members invest their passions, service, resources, and relationships for the kingdom through the local church. They commit to a holy life characterized by integrity and confession of sin. The commitment to membership means active participation in ministry, in worship, in fellowship, and in service for the mission of the church, along with generous giving and evangelistic living.[2]

In the handling of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5), as well as Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 5:1-5) and the Galatians (6:1) regarding the treatment of sinners, argues for a careful monitoring by the group of the spiritual condition and conduct of the members. While prefect purity of the membership is ideal which cannot be realized within this life (Matt. 13:24-30), open unbelief and sin are not tolerated.[3] Before we get too far into what the church should be doing, let’s look at what the church is not, and then give a clear definition.

Defining the word “Church”

What the church is not, as indicated by Mark Driscoll, “The church is not a holy building in which spiritual meetings take place. The church is not a Eucharistic society through which God dispenses grace by means of the sacraments and a duly authorized and empowered hierarchy of bishops and priests operating in unbroken succession from the apostles. The church is not the moral police force of a society seeking mere behavioral change through legislation. The church is not a weekly meeting where people gather to do spiritual things.”[4]

Driscoll goes on to give a definition of the church; “The local church is a community of regenerated believers who confess Jesus Christ as Lord. In obedience to Scripture they organize under qualified leadership, gather regularly for preaching and worship, observe the biblical sacraments of baptism and Communion, are unified by the Spirit, are disciplined for holiness, and scatter to fulfill the Great Commandment and the Great Commission as missionaries to the world for God’s glory and their joy.”[5]

The Bible speaks of church membership in relational terms – as members of one body and as members of the household of God – so that God’s people live as a gospel community and help one another grow in Christ and reach others for Christ.[6] There are no “Lone Ranger” Christians in the Bible, and there should be none today.

Why Join a Church? 

Why should I become a member of a local church? I’m already saved and a part of the body of Christ (universal) so does it even matter if I am a member of a local church? Well, it does matter because we do become a part of the family of God when we receive Christ, and the actual expression of that is found in the New Testament local church. There is not one Christian mentioned in the New Testament who was not connected to a local church.

Rick Warren has written, “Many Americans Christians are what I call “floating believers.” Anywhere else in the world, being a believer is synonymous with being connected to a local body of believers‑‑you rarely find a lone‑ranger Christian in other countries. Many American Christians, however, hop from one church to another without any identity, accountability, or commitment. This is a direct expression of America’s rampant individualism. They have not been taught that the Christian life involves more than just believing‑‑it also includes belonging. We grow in Christ by being in relationship to other Christians. Romans 12:10 says, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.”

This same lack of commitment to any one church can be found in the youth of today as well. There is a phenomenon of youth jumping from one youth group to another in order to “get their needs met” or to the one that’s “cool” right this minute. They don’t tithe, serve, or have any formal ties to any one youth group. Without this commitment there is no accountability, few relationships where they serve and love one another, encourage each other toward holiness, or have a sense of responsibility toward the group. They have learned this from their parents who either model it for them, or enable them to express this behavior of selfishness.

C.S. Lewis once wrote an essay on church membership, reminding us that the word membership is of Christian origin, but it has been taken over by the world and emptied of all its original meaning. Today, most people associate the term membership with paying dues, meaningless rituals, silly rules and handshakes, and having your name on some dusty roll.

Paul, however had a very different image of membership. To the Apostle Paul, being a member of the church did not refer to some cold induction into an institution, but rather it meant becoming a vital organ of a living body (Rom. 12:4‑5; 1 Cor. 6:15; 1 Cor. 12:12‑27). Any organ that is detached from the body will not only miss what it was created to be, it will also shrivel and die quickly. The same is true for Christians that are uncommitted to any specific congregation.”

Nowhere in Scripture does it imply that salvation comes through membership in any church. Luke says of the early church, “And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). When questioned about salvation, the apostle never suggested that it depends upon connection with a group of believers. When Peter and others were asked, “Brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37), the reply was, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of the Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (v. 38). Peter’s message was the same in Acts 3:12-26 and 4:7-12. Paul’s reply to the Philippian jailor’s question, “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30) was straightforward: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household” (v. 31).[7]    So while there is no link between salvation and membership, there is a direct link between sanctification and membership in the local church.

Benefits of Membership  

It is important to realize that there are several benefits that can come to you through church membership. The benefits include:

1) It provides a spiritual family to support and encourage you in your walk with Christ (Gal. 6:1‑2; Heb. 10:24‑25).

2) It gives you a place to discover and use your gifts in ministry (I Cor. 12:4‑27).

3) It places you under the spiritual protection of godly leaders (Heb. 13:17; Acts 20:28‑29).

4) It gives you the accountability you need to grow (Eph. 5:21).

5) It gives you a place where there are people who will share the burdens of life through prayer, love, sharing, support, and encouragement (Gal. 6:2).[8]

As long as you are not committed to a local church body through membership, you are not able to live the Christian life God intends for you live. Even if you “attend” a church for a long time, it is the formal commitment on your part to the church and the church toward you, that creates a bond of accountability, encouragement, and ministry in Christ’s name. [9]

[1] Acts 20:28-31; Ephesians 4;11; 1 Timothy 3:2; 1 Corinthians 11:18 ff.; 1 Timothy 5:16; 1 Corinthians 16:1.

[2] Mark Driscoll. Doctrine (Wheaton, Illinois; Crossway) 322.

[3] Millard Erickson. Christian Theology (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Baker) 1048.

[4] Driscoll, 307.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 2:18-19; 3:6; 4:25; 5:29-30.

[7] Erickson,1047.

[8] Rick Warren, 101 New Members Class Manual.

[9] Other suggested books to read on this topic that were not mentioned in the footnotes;

Bible Doctrine, Wayne Grudem (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Zondervan) 1999, and Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches, John S. Hammett (Grand Rapids, Michigan; Kregel) 2005.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith." Ephesians 2:8

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