You or Us
Part II

In my last blog I talked about a change of paradigm from a "Me and MY ministry" mentality to a mentality of "US".  It is such a slow changing mentality that like most, when we think we have it, we don't!  Even in a flexible wineskin like Church structure is supposed to be, it still proves to be difficult to maintain the position of a new stretching.  That is why revival continues to be necessary.  Revival stretches the wineskin and forces it behind its old parameters. ( I believe a much needed revival would focus not on saving souls, as on saving the church by changing it for good.  Then a changed church would be more effective as saving souls.)  However, as soon as the stretching ends the culture rushes back to it's comfortable "old time religion".  Last week I tried to make the point that while there has to be a change in the attitude in the pew to understand that "I" must be a minister, there also has to be an attitude in the pulpit that says, "I must prepare Them"!  We say it , we have conferences about it and the following Monday Church staffs meet to plan the next "show" so we can have it ready when "they" come to hear and watch.  It is a paradigm that hasn't really changed that much regardless of the rhetoric.

What is at the heart of change?  Much of the time change comes when there is a realization that the old isn't working any longer.  Often that realization comes via economics.  As long as there are people in the pew and money in the coffers change is slow in coming.  I will say that there are many today who are making changes and are deliberately changing their paradigms among their people.  They are beginning to see the outward fruit of disciples being made and local cultures changing for good.  

It comes down to motivation.  As in all fields of labor a critical factor in success is motivation.  One of the basic definitions of a good coach is "a person who gets people to do what they don't want to do in order to help then attain what they want to achieve".  That is a wonderful description of a New Testament leader.  He is not as focused on "hitting the home run as he is on activating his team to hit home runs."  Sales trainers use the old adage, "watch me do it, I watch you do it, you do it."  I think the unspoken finale to this statement is that once "you do it", I find someone else to develop in the same way and you now not only continue to do it but you find another to train and release as well.    

Let me end this by talking abut the "Show".  I use this word critically because I can't think of a better negative example of most church services.  One of my favorite criticisms as a leader came well over 35 years ago when a member of our church said in a frustrated tone, "every time you speak you act like you are training a bunch of preachers!"  He came from an old paradigm of entertainment.  We don't like to think about preaching as entertainment.  However, it can become that. As a matter of fact, if a person hears teaching on a topic once and doesn't do what they hear then the next time they hear it it becomes only entertainment.  Think about the last really exciting movie you saw.  It may have inspired you, it may even have made you think about doing something.  How did that work out for you?  Shows don't really bring about long lasting motivation.  Ahhhhh!!!!  There is the key to true leadership.  Activational leadership must first be motivational!  My cry to all leaders reading this blog today is to change your ministry motivation to Motivation.  Make a decision today and ask the Lord to help you become "Motivated to Motivate!"