Changing Your Church Without Your Church Changing You

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Changing Your Church Without Your Church Changing YouAlex D. Montoya

Professor of Preaching, The Masters Seminary

I. YOUR CHURCH CAN CHANGE YOUA. For the Better

Shape you up Sharpen you up Build you up Cheer you up

B. For the Worse Beat you up: hurt you spiritually, emotionally, physically Bum you out: disillusion you in ministry Burn you out: drain you of all you emotional resources Bend you out: tempt you to compromise you ethics Boot you out: eliminate you from ministry

II. THE DOS OF THE EARLY YEARSSome key suggestions to keep in mind in finding that first church and succeeding

in the early years of ministry.

A. Do find a church compatible with your doctrinal statement and with yourphilosophy of ministry.

Unequally yoked marriages do not last Success comes through harmony

B. Do plan to stay for the long haul (unless its prearranged) Shows commitment to the church Demands commitment from the church

C. Do love your people Your greatest virtue (cp. I Cor. 13:1ff.) Creates community Covers a multitude of sins (yours and theirs) The key to everything else


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D. Do practice Biblical ministry Expect Biblical ministry Explain the basis for Biblical ministry Execute Biblical ministry

E. Do dedicate yourself to the main tasks-Acts 2:42; 5:42; 6:4 Clarify the main tasks Advance the ministry Avoid sidetracks

F. Do equip the saints for ministry-Eph. 4:11-16 Goal of the ministry Role of the minister Role of the people

G. Do establish vision and goals Know what you need to do Know where you want to go Know how you plan to get there

H. Do empower people and delegate duties-Exod.18 Avoids burnout Avoids dissatisfaction Avoids frustration Avoids stagnation

I. Do the work of an evangelist Mandated Means of growing the church Model for the church

J. Do continue learning Ministry perfects what does work Ministry purifies what doesnt work Areas of enhancement:

(1)people skills


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(2) leadership and administration(3)preaching(4) evangelism

III.

THE DONTS OF THE EARLY (AND LATER) YEARS

A. Dont underestimate the magnitude of the taskMinistry is hard work which demands that we work hard.

B. Dont try to change everything all at once Change takes time People resist change Some things do not need to changeLove people, disciple the saints, win the lost; all else is baggage.

C. Dont neglect your family or yourselfIf you lose your family or your health, youve lost your ministry.

D. Dont plunge yourself or your church into debt.Money does strange things to people.

E. Dont engage in needless battles.Pick the hill you intend to die on.

F. Dont criticize the previous administrationLook forward; never look back except to learn or to laud.

G. Dont capitulate your leadershipStay in the drivers seat.

H. Dont run from problemsProblems do not run from you. They must be solved.

I. Dont let people get you down


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Learn to forgive and forget.

J. Dont just focus on the problems. Look for small victoriesInspire yourself.

APPLICATION:

Do a check list above to see which of these we are breaking and which of these

we are neglecting. Ask a close friend or church member to also evaluation your ministryin light of these lists.


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SUGGESTED READING LIST

Finzel, Hans. The Top Ten Mistakes Leaders Make. Victor Books. 1994. 197 pp.

London, H.B. and Neil B. Wiseman. Pastors at Risk. Victor Books. 1992. 240 pp.

MacArthur, John. Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry. Word. 1995. 440 pp.Saltar, Darius. What Really Matters in Ministry. Baker Book House. 1990. 199 pp.

Schallter, Lyle E. The Small Church is Different. Abingdon Press. 1982. 189 pp.

Stowell, Joseph. Shepherding the Church into the 21st

Century. Victor Books. 1994.273 pp.

Wiersbe, Warren and David W. Weirsbe. Making Sense of Ministry. Baker Book

House. 1989. 153 pp.

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Changing Your Church Without Your Church Changing You