Stewardship - Time

When we talk about stewardship, inevitably the first thing that pops into most of our minds is money.  Especially in the church, the thought goes to tithes and preaching on tithing.  For some this is a touchy subject.  For me, it's a subject I think should be touched all the time.  Today's post about stewardship will focus on our time.  It really should go without saying that where we spend out time and our money depicts exactly where are heart is.

As I work with Pastors of church plants and other young ministries I often encounter this Pastor.

• Young Pastor with a young family
• Attending Seminary
• Bi-vocational - Working a full-time or part-time job
• Leading several small groups
• Working to find a facility for the church during spare time
• Preparing Sermons and leadership for weekly church services
• This Pastor also has to run a business, the church.

I am overwhelmed by that schedule just typing it.  While some may say this is simply the life of a church planter or young pastor of a growing ministry, I disagree.  I firmly believe that the Enemy will use everything he can to cripple a young vibrant ministry by crippling the Pastor.  An overwhelmed, run down Pastor can lead to a ministry that deteriorates.  As a Pastor or church leader it is critical that the decisions you make with your time reflect good Stewardship.

Being a good steward of your time, starts with identifying your strengths and weaknesses, your gifts, and establishing priorities.  Every Pastor is different and each ministry needs their Pastor to use his gifts of leadership, preaching, teaching, and discipleship in the way that will best meet the needs of the ministry.  In my realm of work, this applies in the following way.  A busy Pastor as described above works a separate job, attends to his family, takes seminary courses, and is the one in charge of running a business, the church. The church is a non-profit ministry that must make business decisions.  In the midst of his busy schedule the Pastor desire to spend time driving around town, looking for a facility to lease and calls the listing agents to get details.  This is a time choice that is less than productive.  There is a time to delegate items to other team members and professionals that can serve the ministry and allow the Pastor to focus on the most important details.

Look at your time, your talents, and your priorities.  Identify the tasks that are keeping you from excelling in the areas that you are best at.  Some ministries can be led by qualified, passionate lay leaders; children’s ministry is an example.  Other tasks like identifying facilities may require finding a professional that pursues properties for churches or a CPA to handle your books.  The bottom line is that the church or ministry will operate as efficiently as its leadership and your stewardship of your time will greatly affect the overall effectiveness of your ministry

Stewardship - Facilities

I want to keep this post short and simple.  We could discuss the building process and the entire business side of a building campaign and a building project but I do not want that to be the focus of this post.  For a long time I have told churches the following statement: "Facilities Limit Ministries".  While this statement is true it does not mean that Facilities are the product of ministry or the byproduct of a vibrant ministry.

Facilities are a TOOL of ministry.  Your sanctuary, worship center, fellowship hall, classrooms and nursery are a place for you ministry to meet and to worship.  Too often Pastors and church leaders get caught up in visions of grandeur thinking about the amazing facilities that they will build to the Glory of God.  Buildings and facilities are necessary and beneficial for most ministries but each and every ministry is different.  Your facility must meet the needs of your ministry and the people you are trying to reach.

As a ministry grows from a home, school, hotel or movie theater, the mission and vision of the church is established and becomes a part of the DNA of the ministry.  Today churches are using MultiSite and MultiVenue models to reach people in their local community.  Churches are finding ways to do more with less.  I love this because that is what Jesus did.  He fed thousands with a meal you and I would have eaten.  We live in a culture that uses a lot to do a little when we can do so much more with what we have or with what He provides.  The facility is a tool of your ministry and something that God provides, hence we must steward that gift as we do our finances and our talents.

If you are discerning through a facility expansion, relocation, lease or purchase please contact me and I would love to discuss the needs of your ministry and determine what options are available.  In my work as we help churches through facility transitions we value and acknowledge that as a church facility changes hand it is always one ministry handing over the stewardship of that asset to the next church.  This is the joy of my work.

You can reach me at 469.446.5131 or at johnm@servicerealty.com  

Life Choices, Ministry Choices - Count the Cost

There is much in the news today about CHOICES!  There is the Pro-CHOICE group that says women should have the right to CHOOSE whether a baby is born(or they say they can choose what they do with their body).  We want to have tests that are multiple CHOICE.  We expect to have many CHOICES at every restaurant.  It all comes down to what I want.  We make decisions based on me, myself, and I.

One of the fascinating parts of my job is that the groups I work with realize the CHOICES they are making are not about one individual, rather they are made with the larger group in mind.  Not only are the decisions made by and for those currently in the church family, but they are made with the vision of those to come and join later.

What would our world be like if we made decisions with less emphasis on the individual and more focus on those who could be affected by the individual?  What if we made decisions with the "end in mind" and not just the present?

The CHOICES we make affect more than ourselves.  Every CHOICE we make can and will affect how we relate to others and the impact we make on the world.  Do we choose to love one another?  Do we choose to protect the unborn?  Do we choose to put positive messages in our minds or do we choose to listen to the noise that numbs us?  It is your CHOICE and my CHOICE to be positive and change a life and impact someone today in a positive way, or it is your CHOICE and my CHOICE to miss that opportunity.

What CHOICE will you make today?  Think about it. Count the Cost of the CHOICE.