A few good men

I don't talk about my job much on this blog. Usually I like to brag on my wife or my kids or talk about our vacations or hobbies. This is more of a personal blog for me, not really something I consider part of my work.

But I have to tell you about something I experienced the other day with this group of pastors. We have these groups that we call "LEAD Teams". The basic idea behind these teams is a group of pastors and local churches working together to plant new churches in their region. I don't lead any of these teams, they are all led by one of the pastors, but I do attend all the meetings and facilitate the team.

At any rate, here is what took place. This was the very first meeting of this particular group of pastors. We asked them to come and try this out one time, and if afterwards they decided to join the team they could do so. To join the team they have to commit to several things. First, they commit their time and energy (we meet 5 times per year for 24 hours per meeting). Second, they commit their leadership at the local church level (they must go back to their churches and help get other leaders on board with the idea of planting new churches). They must also commit to giving money to these new churches (most will give about $4 - $5k per year, which for some of our smaller churches is a big deal). And finally, they must commit to encouraging people to leave their churches and join the new church (this is the one that strikes fear into the heart of most pastors). What do they get in return for all of this investment? Nothing. Their reward is knowing that they and their churches have been used by God to give birth to a new church that will bless people that their own churches could never have touched.

As you can see, this is not an easy sell if you are working with a group of guys who are only interested in growing their own ministries and looking like big shots. What it takes are leaders who care more about the Good News of Christ and getting that message out to as many people as possible than they do about their own comfort and security. It takes leaders who understand that the Christian life is not about what you can accumulate, but what you can give away. It takes generous, open handed leaders who in many cases serve churches under 100 people that are continually strapped for cash and people resources that choose to give anyway.

These are such men. And they have pledged themselves to pour whatever resources God has placed in their hands to bless people in the Grand Ledge area that they will probably never meet through a church that is being planted by Gordon and Lori Kettel called "imagine this" (http://www.imaginethisllc.com/). I am proud to be associated with people of this character, and I pray that God will multiply these types of groups throughout our tribe.