Posts
`
Every now and then I really worry about the financial strain my health situation puts on our family. I get concerned because Brad works 2 jobs just to make ends meet and take care of us. Then yesterday the battery and starter in the van went out.
Now, in a LOGICAL sense, I know those things are not my fault...but I still feel guilty.
This morning someone at church was asking about my level of pain lately and how I have been managing it. I explained a bit about what was going on with that. I also told her that I don't know HOW it will happen, but I DO know that God will get me to the other side of this health crisis and I will stand with a testimony!
Brad had over heard the conversation and joined in. He told this woman that we really are trusting and believing for healing. Then Brad went on to tell her that when I go through these valleys of crisis and come out on the other side, that "ministries are birthed".
That sort of caught my attention...is that really what he thinks? He told me that my 9 years of work with Blessed Arrows was born out of personal adversity for the benefit of other people. ANd he expects this to be no different.
WOW...I know this may sound crazy, but to know that Brad sees "strength" in me through adversity, made me feel stronger! Hearing him say that was like a word of LIFE for me.
If I can find purpose in the pain, I can get through anything...
I guess it is sort of like giving birth...you can survive the pain by knowing the reward on the other side is, not just for your own benefit, but for the benefit of someone else!
I find that motivating!
Wow...Brad thinks that I am strong. He sees ministry to others being birthed out of my adversity. That is comforting to me right now, because I feel like a pitiful example of anything. The pain is so extreme right now that I feel like a sniveling wimp crying out for mercy. Not the epitome of "strength " in my book.
But just to know that Brad sees strength in me just made me feel like God kissed me today!
Everyone needs to have a kiss like that from God.
So this one goes out to Brad....he said the NICEST thing today!!
THANK YOU!!
Love,
Dawn
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Sunday, June 04, 2006
The Staffless Church
A Stolen Idea From Rob's Blog
I was reading my friend Rob's blog and came across a comment someone left on his post about church volunteers. Rob tried to imagine what a day without volunteers at our church would be like. And it was not a pretty picture. There are so many servant hearts in our body of believers that we would be left with a limp if our volunteers did not show up one day!
The person who commented on his blog said it would be interesting to read a commentary on what the church would do if it were staff-less....I have been chewing on that thought for a few days now. I know there are several potential directions to go with this idea...so I was curious to see if Rob would tackle the issue...but he never did. I suppose that is because he really has a humble spirit and would not want to be accused of thinking too highly of himself and write about what a day in the church would be like without our paid staff members.
So I am going to tackle this thought, if you don't mind!
I know there is a camp of folks out there who believe that a church should be run by a "plurality of non-paid leaders". I've tangoed with that thought process for years to no avail with someone who felt my husband was wrong for accepting money for doing "the work of God"--so I wont even further dignify that thought line with a response here.
There used to be a statistic (cant remember the exact figures) but it said something to the effect that 10% of the people do 90% of the work of the church. So the volunteers are really people that keep a church functioning well--sometimes to the point of exhaustion and burnout and family stress. When 10% of the people carry 90% of the load it is more than they were intended to carry.
I can remember Jesus saying to the thankful leper that was healed...WHERE ARE THE OTHER NINE ?? (or Where are the other 90% in this case?)
I found it interesting that I have been thinking on this issue for a day or two now, and then this morning someone from the 90% of inactive pew warmers came to me with a letter of complaint for my husband. She wanted me to read it first. You know, it is hard enough to serve people who are contentious and cantankerous, but to have the GRACE of GOD that the leaders in these positions carry to deal with the grumblers and complainers simply AMAZES me! Because at that very moment I felt like Peter must've felt when he grabbed his sword and went after the ear of the soldier who was trying to arrest Jesus.
God has done a work in me because I kept my mouth shut in that moment.
So I went back to thinking...what would church be like if we had no paid staff.
The first thought that came to my mind is what would happen to our precious volunteers... The faithful 10%. If you remove the leadership of the church that guards and protects the volunteers from trying to over extend themselves, they would be held hostage by the 90% of pew warmers with demands to feed them and make them feel good about themselves. The Faithful 10% would be handed over to the 90% who behave like Christian canabals! I swear, they eat their young, the leaders, and their elders!!
Then I thought about the grumbling and complaining that would come from the 90% when one of them was sick or in the hospital and the "pastor" did not come to see them personally. Okay...so do you want the pastor or not? Would they feel just as validated if Polly Pew Warmer showed up? I know...that is a laughable stretch of the imagination because "pew warmers" dont do those kinds of things ...those kinds of tasks are for the paid staff!
I would also be curious to see what "pew warmer" would be willing to have the responsibility to seek God for the heart of worship in the church and be willing to walk in that sacred trust against the gripes and complaints of the pew warmers. Pew warmers come in all shapes and sizes. Some think we do too many hymns. Some thing we dont do enough. Some think the music is too loud, some think it is not loud enough! Few really care that there were hours of prayer, seeking the heart of God over how to minister to HIS heart and to lead the congregation in that worship. And far too many think that the paid worship leader is their personal "christian juke box" after all...."we pay you--play me what I want to hear"...have you ever heard of CD?? They are about $10 from any walmart. Worship is not about your favorite play list. It is about bridging the heart of man to the heart of God. And there is a wide variety of people from youth to senior adults that the worship leader is trying to include in that trip to the thone room on any given Sunday.
What happened to our ability to look out for the interest of others rather to our own desires? I have more than enough CDs at home that if I dont get to worship with the church what is on my heart, I can complete my act of worship at home. I am willing to NOT hear my favorite song if it means that a youth or senior adult can touch the heart of God. I just like being a part of that corporate experience.
So if we get rid of our worship leader in trade for a Christian Juke Box, sure we would save money in a salary, but we would also miss the heart of God, who has chosen to lead the church through leadership--even paid leadership.
Then we have the "paid staff" who are also among the volunteers! I remember a time when Mrs Eva, our facilities upkeep worker was also the superintendant of the Sunday School Department (for several years...a volunteer position!)
Yes, I suppose the church could survive without a paid staff. And I suppose the 10% volunteers would rise to the occasion of assuming 100% of church responsibility of the 90% satisfied pew warmers...but is that really what we WANT??
I really think people miss the heart of people who have chosen (at least in our church) ministry as a vocation. It is not because of the money. I know that our pastor has forgone his pay in the past to make sure his staff got paid. He still had a family to feed too. His ministry to the church is not based on money--it is love and conviction.
Every one of our staff members could have taken a job in any other field with a more competetive pay--but they CHOSE ministry to GOD's PEOPLE.
I dont think pew warming people really know the struggle and strain families in ministry go through. We do it out of love. Yes, there are moments of frustration and even sheer exasperation when people just dont "get it"...but it is those same people who I often have to repent and confess my sin to the Lord about because if I dont guard my heart I will lose compassion for them. I have to remember, as Jesus said, "Forgive them, for they know not what they are doing."
Why is it that they dont know what they are doing?
All this to say...It would be a SAD day at the Vine Fellowship if the paid staff members decided not to show up.
Well...I think I have probably said WAY too much, so I will close.
Dawn
I was reading my friend Rob's blog and came across a comment someone left on his post about church volunteers. Rob tried to imagine what a day without volunteers at our church would be like. And it was not a pretty picture. There are so many servant hearts in our body of believers that we would be left with a limp if our volunteers did not show up one day!The person who commented on his blog said it would be interesting to read a commentary on what the church would do if it were staff-less....I have been chewing on that thought for a few days now. I know there are several potential directions to go with this idea...so I was curious to see if Rob would tackle the issue...but he never did. I suppose that is because he really has a humble spirit and would not want to be accused of thinking too highly of himself and write about what a day in the church would be like without our paid staff members.
So I am going to tackle this thought, if you don't mind!
I know there is a camp of folks out there who believe that a church should be run by a "plurality of non-paid leaders". I've tangoed with that thought process for years to no avail with someone who felt my husband was wrong for accepting money for doing "the work of God"--so I wont even further dignify that thought line with a response here.
There used to be a statistic (cant remember the exact figures) but it said something to the effect that 10% of the people do 90% of the work of the church. So the volunteers are really people that keep a church functioning well--sometimes to the point of exhaustion and burnout and family stress. When 10% of the people carry 90% of the load it is more than they were intended to carry.
I can remember Jesus saying to the thankful leper that was healed...WHERE ARE THE OTHER NINE ?? (or Where are the other 90% in this case?)
I found it interesting that I have been thinking on this issue for a day or two now, and then this morning someone from the 90% of inactive pew warmers came to me with a letter of complaint for my husband. She wanted me to read it first. You know, it is hard enough to serve people who are contentious and cantankerous, but to have the GRACE of GOD that the leaders in these positions carry to deal with the grumblers and complainers simply AMAZES me! Because at that very moment I felt like Peter must've felt when he grabbed his sword and went after the ear of the soldier who was trying to arrest Jesus.
God has done a work in me because I kept my mouth shut in that moment.
So I went back to thinking...what would church be like if we had no paid staff.
The first thought that came to my mind is what would happen to our precious volunteers... The faithful 10%. If you remove the leadership of the church that guards and protects the volunteers from trying to over extend themselves, they would be held hostage by the 90% of pew warmers with demands to feed them and make them feel good about themselves. The Faithful 10% would be handed over to the 90% who behave like Christian canabals! I swear, they eat their young, the leaders, and their elders!!
Then I thought about the grumbling and complaining that would come from the 90% when one of them was sick or in the hospital and the "pastor" did not come to see them personally. Okay...so do you want the pastor or not? Would they feel just as validated if Polly Pew Warmer showed up? I know...that is a laughable stretch of the imagination because "pew warmers" dont do those kinds of things ...those kinds of tasks are for the paid staff!
I would also be curious to see what "pew warmer" would be willing to have the responsibility to seek God for the heart of worship in the church and be willing to walk in that sacred trust against the gripes and complaints of the pew warmers. Pew warmers come in all shapes and sizes. Some think we do too many hymns. Some thing we dont do enough. Some think the music is too loud, some think it is not loud enough! Few really care that there were hours of prayer, seeking the heart of God over how to minister to HIS heart and to lead the congregation in that worship. And far too many think that the paid worship leader is their personal "christian juke box" after all...."we pay you--play me what I want to hear"...have you ever heard of CD?? They are about $10 from any walmart. Worship is not about your favorite play list. It is about bridging the heart of man to the heart of God. And there is a wide variety of people from youth to senior adults that the worship leader is trying to include in that trip to the thone room on any given Sunday.
What happened to our ability to look out for the interest of others rather to our own desires? I have more than enough CDs at home that if I dont get to worship with the church what is on my heart, I can complete my act of worship at home. I am willing to NOT hear my favorite song if it means that a youth or senior adult can touch the heart of God. I just like being a part of that corporate experience.
So if we get rid of our worship leader in trade for a Christian Juke Box, sure we would save money in a salary, but we would also miss the heart of God, who has chosen to lead the church through leadership--even paid leadership.
Then we have the "paid staff" who are also among the volunteers! I remember a time when Mrs Eva, our facilities upkeep worker was also the superintendant of the Sunday School Department (for several years...a volunteer position!)
Yes, I suppose the church could survive without a paid staff. And I suppose the 10% volunteers would rise to the occasion of assuming 100% of church responsibility of the 90% satisfied pew warmers...but is that really what we WANT??
I really think people miss the heart of people who have chosen (at least in our church) ministry as a vocation. It is not because of the money. I know that our pastor has forgone his pay in the past to make sure his staff got paid. He still had a family to feed too. His ministry to the church is not based on money--it is love and conviction.
Every one of our staff members could have taken a job in any other field with a more competetive pay--but they CHOSE ministry to GOD's PEOPLE.
I dont think pew warming people really know the struggle and strain families in ministry go through. We do it out of love. Yes, there are moments of frustration and even sheer exasperation when people just dont "get it"...but it is those same people who I often have to repent and confess my sin to the Lord about because if I dont guard my heart I will lose compassion for them. I have to remember, as Jesus said, "Forgive them, for they know not what they are doing."
Why is it that they dont know what they are doing?
All this to say...It would be a SAD day at the Vine Fellowship if the paid staff members decided not to show up.
Well...I think I have probably said WAY too much, so I will close.
Dawn
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)