It was a strange sensation.

I could not take my eyes off the young man on the corner. He was holding up one of those signs that said the store was going out of business, that you could buy some things as cheaply as 90 percent off.

You’ve likely seen them, too. In this economy, more businesses are failing. And so they use young men and women like this guy to advertise the fate of the store and the potential benefits to the customer.

He stood on the corner on a hot day in August. Beads of perspiration streamed down his brow.

It was a strange sensation. I had to stop.

Not Like Me

Lest you think I’m boasting about the deed I will soon share with you, let me assure that what I did was not normative for me. I’ve passed dozens of similar people with hardly a glance.

I wonder how many times I heartlessly passed the least of these.

But this time I had to stop.

The Conversation

I pulled into the convenience store near his appointed corner. I purchased several cold bottles of water. I approached the young man. He saw my approach, but I could not tell if his demeanor was one of curiosity or caution.

“Hey,” I began speaking. “Would you be offended if I gave you these bottles of water and some cash?” The young man seemed to have a moment of disbelief. Then, in a very polite response, he said, “Thank you sir. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

I smiled and began to walk away. He called me.

“Sir,” he said, “may I ask you a question?” I nodded. “Are you a Christian?”

“Yes, I am,” I responded. “Are you?”

The Surprise

His response surprised me. “No I’m not.” His words were matter-of-fact. I detected no animosity.

“May I share with you how I became a Christian?” I asked. He smiled and allowed me to share the gospel with him.

“You know, I’ve heard that from someone before,” he responded calmly. “I think I understand how someone becomes a Christian. In fact, both of my parents took me to church until I became a teenager, so I do know some things about Jesus.”

There was a pause in the conversation. He seemed to anticipate my next words.

“So why aren’t you a Christian?” I asked.

“Oh, I’m not really sure. I guess one of the main reasons I’ve stayed away from Christians and the church is the way Christians treat one another. You guys talk a lot about love but, I’ll be honest with you, it’s hard to hear about that love when you don’t act like you love one another.”

Our conversation ended with my weak attempt to tell him that the love of Christ is real even when Christians don’t often demonstrate that love. Again, the young man was polite, but it was obvious that he was having trouble reconciling the words we proclaim with the actions we portray.

I prayed with him and left. My heart was heavy.

Love in Action

“Now this is the command: that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another as He commanded us” (1 John 3:23, HCSB).

How many times have I shared the truth of the gospel and failed to live it? The question is rhetorical. I don’t want you to answer it because, even though I don’t know the precise number, I do know that the number is far too great.

The world looks at us Christians and laughs at our proclamations of Jesus’ love when we don’t demonstrate it, particularly when we don’t even act like we love other Christians.

Lord, help me to love others, especially my brothers and sisters in Christ. And when I think that some of my fellow Christians are just too unlovable, let me get a glimpse of the wretch that I am, a wretch whom You loved unconditionally, and let me love with that same unconditional love.

“Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another” (1 John 4:10-11).

Yes. We must love one another. 

Sometimes I just like to look through the old files.

They tell the stories of hundreds of consultations I led from 1988 to 2005. During that time I led the Rainer Group, formerly known as Church Growth Visions, to help churches all across North America. When I became president of LifeWay Christian Resources, I closed the company and Sam Rainer continued the work through Rainer Research.

The files I love to review are the stories of churches that made positive changes. Inevitably, each of these success stories has another great story within it. I then remember how leaders in these churches made changes in their own lives. Many of them didn’t believe at first that it was possible, and then God began to change them. He gave them strength they never knew they could have.

And they went from bad leaders to good leaders.

When Change Is Good

The bad leaders were not necessarily bad persons. But there was something about their leadership styles and efforts that was detrimental to the churches they led and served.

The good news is that a number of these leaders did make significant changes. They were willing to listen to input and seek God’s strength to move in a positive direction. As a consequence the churches they led became healthier as they made the changes.

Look at seven of these major transitions by the leaders. Every leader I studied in these files made at least one, and some made several, of the changes.

Seven Major Transitions

From Arrogance to Humility. While some of the weaker leaders lacked confidence, others were simply self-centered. Sometimes our congregational surveys would reveal this perception. It was heartening to hear some of the leaders acknowledge their self-sufficiency, and move toward greater humility.

From Caution to Faith. On the other hand, some of the leaders were fearful of doing anything significant lest they offend someone or engender criticism. When they made the positive transition, they began to take steps of faith. The critics did not go away, but the vast majority of the church gladly followed.

From Inwardly-focused to Outwardly-focused. It was not uncommon to see some of the struggling leaders focus all of their attention on the needs of those in the church. While those needs should not be neglected, a church whose ministries are primarily focused inwardly is already dying. These leaders led their churches in the spirit of Acts 6:1-7, from self-centered to missional.

From Activity-driven to Goal-driven. The Apostle Paul said, “I pursue as my goal . . .” (Philippians 3:14, HCSB). His mission was one that was goal-centered toward Christ. Struggling leaders make the activities and the programs their goals. Those who became goal-driven looked at the reason behind the activities and focused in that direction.

From Credit-seeking to Credit-deflecting. It was absolutely amazing to watch these leaders move from persons who sought recognition and credit to persons who only desired that God be given the glory. They were also quick to praise and compliment others and to give others the credit.

From Prayerless to Prayerful. Leaders are often so busy that they take little time to pray. Those who became great leaders knew the Source of their strength, and they made time to pray. And it seems that the more prayerful the leaders became, the more prayer-filled their churches became.

From Somber to Joyful. One of the greatest rewards of observing these transitions was to see leaders move from a near joyless disposition to people who “rejoice(d) in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4). Their joy was contagious, and they led churches to become congregations of joy.

Stories Recalled, Lessons Learned

I did enjoy reviewing the old files. It reminded me again of what a great work God has done in the lives of many leaders. It reminded me again of the positive changes that took place in the churches they served.

But, above all, the files reminded me that those lessons should apply to me every day. If I’m not the leader God wants me to be, then I must stop leading. Still, I remembered in these stories that when we mess up, the God of all love and forgiveness will give us yet another opportunity.

Thank God for changed leaders.

Thank God for changed churches.

Thank God for changed lives.

And thank God that He can still change me. 

It could not be explained by coincidence.

Three people suggested it in an email. A good friend and Christian leader talked about it recently. And my pastor mentioned it in his sermon.

They all spoke of the need for Christians in general, and Christian leaders in particular, to share how God is working in their lives to lead a Great Commission lifestyle. We should not expect a Great Commission Resurgence unless we lead by example.

I am convicted. 

Reflecting Back

In an earlier blog, I wrote about a need for my own personal Great Commission Resurgence. Two months later, I heard from several different sources that I cannot be the leader God wants me to be unless I have a lifestyle that reflects my words. 

As a result, I have formulated ten questions for my own life. I don’t plan to be confessional and answer the questions in this forum. But I am responding to God about each of them.

But, without revealing my answers, I will tell you that I have a long way to go. I am consistently inconsistent. Now, the ten questions . . .

Ten Tough Questions

1. Do I read and study my Bible daily so I can know what the Word says about a Great Commission lifestyle?
2. Do I pray each day that God will lead me to a Great Commission lifestyle?
3. Do I need to reconcile with someone so that God can truly use me in the fulfillment of the Great Commission?
4. Am I willing to change my lifestyle materially so I might give more and be less dependent on the things of the world?
5. Do I really show concern for the poor and hurting in this world and in my community?
6. Would my family testify honestly that I lead a Great Commission lifestyle with them?
7. Do I have a gentle and loving spirit that reflects the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life?
8. Do I major on minors?
9. Do I see the speck in others’ eyes without seeing the plank in mine?
10. Does my life reflect genuine joy?

What Really Matters

In my church last Sunday, Pastor Mike Glenn asked a series of tough questions as he preached from Jeremiah 36. At the conclusion of the questions he made this statement: “The world does not take us seriously because we do not live serious lives.”

Those words remain with me even now.

Am I really living a serious life for the Gospel? This life is too brief to play a game and call it Christianity. Too much is at stake. Eternity is in the balance.

You see, this blog is for me. If you happen to read it and think it applies to you, that’s fine. But I really need to worry more about me. I do have a long way to go before I can claim my own Great Commission Resurgence. 

Lord, I choose to follow You more closely. In Your strength, let my own life reflect the priorities and passions of the Great Commission. And when I fail, convict me and forgive me that I might start anew. May others look at me and see You more clearly in my life. For Your glory Lord, use my life to make difference.

These things I pray in the name of the One You sent to die for me. It is in Jesus’ name I pray.

Amen.

Leadership resources abound.

There are books, courses, conferences, coaching, and mentoring.

There is no shortage of leadership material. So I can’t even pretend to make any significant contribution to the discussion. But there is one area that fascinates me. It’s the matter of the leader’s personality. Again, I know that a plethora of materials and data exist on personality assessments and characteristics, so I’m not likely making any new discoveries or pronouncements.

The Personality of Leaders

Of course, my background is such that most of my observations have been about church leaders and other Christian leaders. In the process of over two decades of research and consultation, I’ve seen and worked with a lot of leaders.

Some of them are effective. Some are not.

And I’ve been fascinated to observe the personality characteristics of these leaders. Over the course of these twenty years, I’ve thus taken copious notes on leaders. I’ve found that some of the most effective leaders share common traits. That is not to suggest that they are personality clones. They do, however, have commonalities.

Seven Common Traits

Since my research is more subjective than not, I don’t want to suggest that this list of personality characteristics is exhaustive. Nor do I want to suggest that the order is one of a particular priority.

Okay, enough disclaimers. Here’s the list:

Effective leaders are loyal. They are loyal to God, their families, and the places where they serve. They are loyal to friends. And their loyalties are intense and clearly noticeable by all who know them.

Effective leaders are joyous and fun. One of the main reasons they are good leaders is because they have eager followers. People like to follow leaders who are fun and who demonstrate obvious joy in their lives. After all, who wants to follow a grumpy and joyless leader?

Effective leaders have a strong work ethic. In fact, one of the greatest challenges of these leaders is maintaining balance. They are prone to be on the task 24/7.

Effective leaders are self-aware. They are able to see their strengths and weaknesses with a great deal of objectivity. They seek out critical evaluations from people they trust to tell them the truth. Because they are self-aware, they are constantly seeking to improve.

Effective leaders take initiative. These leaders do not need to be prodded to complete a task. To the contrary, they go well beyond others’ expectation. Good managers complete an assigned task. But good leaders are regularly envisioning a better way and better strategy.

Effective leaders love people. Some effective leaders are extroverts; they are energized when they are around people. Other effective leaders are introverts. Put them in a crowd sharing small talk, and they will be drained by the end of the day. But both types of leaders have a love for people. They truly care about others. They embody servanthood.

Effective leaders are tenacious. You rarely hear about them giving up. While others may view a setback as failure, the effective leaders see it as an opportunity to move in another direction.

Personalities That Make a Difference

Notice what is not on the personality list. There is no mention of charismatic personalities. And though most of the effective leaders I have observed are pretty smart, they are not necessarily the most intellectual persons I have known.

The good news is that these seven personality traits can be learned. For sure, some traits may be more natural for some people than others. Still, none are beyond the capacity of any leader.

Do you really desire to be an effective leader? Maybe you need a personality change. Well, at least in part. Effective leaders are relatively few in number. But, in God’s strength, you could be added to a group who are really impacting the world with their great leadership personalities. 

“I’m just going through the motions in this life. There is no fulfillment, no purpose. I wish I just could get rid of all the clutter and live a simple life with meaning.”

Her name is, ironically, Joy. She lives in Indiana. And Joy was one of more than 1,000 people who gave us graciously of their time to talk to us about what really matters, and what doesn’t matter.

The purpose of this large study was to hear from people across America about the priorities of their families and lives. They talked to us about time pressures, family challenges, and money problems. And they talked to us about God.

The recurring theme was a desire to slow down and to simplify.

The cry was for a simple life.

From Simple Church to Simple Life

Art Rainer, my middle son, and I began a quest to hear from families across our nation. We wanted to hear their hopes, hurts, and dreams. When the research was complete, we knew that we had a title for the book. Thus Simple Life was born. It releases this month.

We quickly realized that the process of my predecessor book with Eric Geiger, Simple Church, was sorely needed. The book soon became a road map for people to move toward simplicity. Where Simple Church was primarily a book for church leaders, Simple Life is aimed at a broader audience. We seek to speak to all who desire greater meaning in life.

The Dash

Art wrote my favorite chapter of the book. He actually spent time in a cemetery in preparation for the book. He thought that the best place to get a perspective on life was to go to the place where the physical body resides at the end of life.

He went from grave marker to grave marker looking at names. Of course, he saw the birth dates and the dates of death of each person whose mortal body lay beneath the sod. But he was most fascinated by the dash, that simple mark that represents the entirety of life.

But there was one marker that caused him to pause. Listen to Art’s story.

“I soon came across a granite marker with a bronze plate screwed into the stone. On the plate was molded the name ‘Arthur.’

“That’s my name.

“I stared at it for a while. The name represented another Arthur, but one day that same name on a stone will represent me. It will represent my body. It will represent my life, a life that will be over. I was looking at my physical end.

“On each grave marker is a dash between two years. The dash is time, and that is where we are, in our dash. And before there is some year placed on the other end, we need to figure this whole thing out.”

Lord, Teach Me Your Simple Life

I am too often guilty of wasting time in this life. I let minor frustrations distract me more than I should. And I let silly busyness get in the way of God’s business. As Art said, I need to figure this life out before the final year is placed on the marker.

Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance” (John 10:10b, HCSB).”

This life is too brief to major on minors. The simple life is ultimately all about a simple and singular focus on Jesus. It’s about His way and His will. That’s the abundant life.

Lord, teach me Your way. Teach me Your simple life. And help me to realize that nothing else really matters.

Then, and only then, can I say that the “dash” was fully lived. 

I have a special affection for pastors and other church staff. Perhaps my sentiments are closely tied to my former ministry as a pastor of four different churches. Perhaps it is related to over twenty years of church consultation where I listened to the dreams, hopes, and cries of pastors and church staff members. And perhaps it is explained by my current position at LifeWay Christian Resources, where I hear from these persons on a regular basis.

Whatever the explanation, I have a love and respect for these God-called individuals who serve in the local church.

Listening to the Cries

Not everything I hear from pastors and staff is negative. To the contrary, most of them speak with great love and affection for the churches they serve.

Still, there’s a lot of hurt among these church leaders. Unfortunately, I’ve heard those cries too many times. And over the course of three decades of ministry, I’ve heard some consistent concerns. I classify these concerns as “Things I Wish My Church Members Knew (Though I’m Reticent to Tell Them).”

The Top Four Concerns

As I have listened to ministers over the years, I’ve heard a number of hopes, dreams, and hurts. But there are four concerns that seemed to arise repeatedly related to the members of the church. The four are not listed in any particular order or priority. I chose to speak on behalf of the pastors and staff by speaking in the first person.

Please don’t ask me to do something or respond to something right before I preach. After spending hours preparing for and praying about this sermon, I am focused. Please don’t criticize me right now. Let it wait a day. Please don’t ask me to make any announcements. And please ask someone else to get toilet tissue for the restroom.

Please don’t criticize me until you have prayed and thought through your criticism. Do you know I receive three or four criticisms a week? That’s around 200 a year. Those verbal jabs take their toll on me. I know I make mistakes and I’m not above criticisms. But please be prayerful before you’re critical.

Please don’t expect me to be everywhere. Many people in our church have a priority about where I should be: meetings, dinners, church events, hospital visits, home visits, and many more. The problem is that everyone has a different priority. And sometimes church members forget that I have my own family. Please understand my limitations on being in so many places.

Please don’t treat my family members like church employees. My family already lives in a glass house. The expectations on them are already high. My wife and children will be faithful to the ministries of the congregation, but they have activities outside the church. Please don’t tell me that they should be every place I am at the church.

The Spiritual Warfare Pastors Experience

Pastors and other staff members are on the front line of ministry. They are subject to the attacks of Satan and his emissaries in the battles of spiritual warfare. Unfortunately, some of the most painful wounds come from friendly fire, though the friendly part is subject to debate.

Perhaps our churches in this country are struggling because they have leaders who have to spend an inordinate amount of time dealing with issues that take the focus off the main tasks to which God has called them. In my very first blog on this site, I called for more prayer warriors for pastors and church staff. I am convinced more than ever that the need is great and the timing is urgent.

Let us hear the cries of these pastors and respond with love, with encouragement and, above all, with prayer.

The early church in Jerusalem was at a crisis point.

This time the problem was not an external foe. It was not heretical teaching in the fellowship.

It was simply a body of believers that had misplaced priorities.

The church was in danger of losing its passion for prayer.

Good Question, Bad Answer

The congregation had a legitimate question. The story is told in Acts 6:1-7. They wanted to know who would take care of the Hellenistic Jewish widows. Who in the church would take care of those widows and get them food every day? Good question. After all, the Hebraic Jewish widows were getting their food. We can’t leave out one group, the church declared, while another group gets its needs met.

It seems, though, that some were suggesting that the apostles should add this duty to their growing list of responsibilities. That was a bad answer. Still, the Twelve handled the situation well. They selected seven men of godly character to lead in this ministry. The widows were fed. The church was pleased. And the number of disciples multiplied greatly.

Crisis averted.

Fascinating Response

The particularly fascinating response in this passage takes place in Acts 6:4. The apostles said: “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the preaching ministry.”

They could not, under any circumstances, neglect prayer or the preaching ministry. As important as pastoral care to the widows was, prayer and preaching could not be minimized.

So we leaders in churches around the world have rightly held high the priority of preaching in our churches. That clarion call should never be silent.

But it’s the first part of Acts 6:4 that we don’t see often in churches in America today: “But we will devote ourselves to prayer . . .”

Prayerlessness = Powerlessness

Did you get that? The Jerusalem church would not just have a weak prayer meeting. Prayer would not be an addendum to their worship services. Prayer would not be simply preparation for the consumption of food.

The church would be devoted to prayer.

The church at Jerusalem had power because they had prayer.

In a study we did several years ago on the most effective evangelistic churches in America, we found one of the highest correlated factors to that effectiveness was a passion for and a devotion to prayer.

It seems like we have little power in our churches today because we have little prayer.

Not just perfunctory prayer.

Not just an offertory prayer.

Not just a hospital prayer.

Powerful churches have a passion for prayer. They are consumed with prayer. They are devoted to prayer.

Gratitude for Praying Churches

I have been blessed over the past two decades to witness the power of praying churches. They are few in number, but they are great in their witness and ministries. For these churches I am grateful.

My own denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, is struggling. Churches are becoming less evangelistic. Biblical illiteracy is on the rise. Missions giving is down. Sometimes it seems like the only area where we are on the rise is conflict.

But I am grateful that our denomination has issued a clarion call for a Great Commission Resurgence. And I am especially grateful that the first priority of this movement is a call to prayer.

When Churches Pray

We have tried a mountain of methods. We have read thousands of books (including my own). We have declared new programs and ministries.

But it seems like we are missing the main thing: We are not focused on the power of prayer.

When churches pray, God hears. When churches pray, the people declare that they are insufficient and God is all-sufficient. When churches pray, the focus moves from self and personal needs to God and His glory.

May our churches, like the early church at Jerusalem, be consumed with prayer.

Then we just might see a true Great Commission resurgence.