Question #3: “What is the discipleship process that prepares our people to participate in accomplishing the mission as a daily lifestyle?”

“Quoting a passage about making disciples isn’t the same as having a plan for making disciples.” --G.F.

“If at first you don’t succeed, try doing what Jesus told you to do in the first place.” --Anonymous

If, as a congregational leader, you are inspired by the idea of your people joining Jesus on His mission as a daily lifestyle, but have struggled to help them actually implement such a lifestyle, there is one likely culprit: a lack of clarity about how to go about it. Today I will help you tackle that culprit.

If you’ve been following my latest series of blogs, you know I have been answering three questions with the goal of seeing the people of your congregation participate in accomplishing the mission of your congregation consistently and frequently, over and over again.

The questions are as follows:

1. What is the mission of our congregation?

2. What does it look like for our people to participate in accomplishing the mission?

3. What is the discipleship process that prepares our people to participate in accomplishing the mission as a daily lifestyle?

To answer these questions accurately, we have been going to Jesus in the gospels; and, so far, we have seen that He answers the first two questions something like this:

• Our mission is to join Jesus on His mission

• by living in the abundance of the Father’s love

• and looking for others who need it, too.

Boom! Simple. This is who we are. This is what we do.

(See Luke 19:10/Mark 1:17, John 10:10/1 John 3:1, and Matthew 22:37-40/John 13:35.)

Now, it’s time to press into answering our third question: What is the discipleship process that prepares our people to participate in accomplishing the mission as a daily lifestyle?

It’s important to answer this question clearly and simply because if we want to see our people participate in the fun of accomplishing the mission, then they need an effective discipleship process that prepares them for participating. Otherwise, without such a process, they are going to attend church and Bible class for literally decades and miss out on all the fun of mission participation.

Leaders, our people deserve better than that from us.

Unfortunately, most of us don’t know what to do about it. Why? Because we ourselves are products of a “discipleship process” that left us unprepared to participate in accomplishing the mission, too. (No judgement here. We just need to be aware of this blind-spot in how we were discipled so we don’t keep replicating it with others.)

Most of us were discipled to “study” and not “do.” Our training was largely scholastic: full of classes, and books, and tests. The goal of the discipleship process was for us to understand the teachings of Jesus. And that’s very good. But what about preparing us to participate in accomplishing Jesus’ mission by putting His teachings into practice for the good of others? Oops. Not so much.

So, that’s our “discipleship blind-spot.” And we are inadvertently passing this blind-spot along to our people by how we are now discipling them. It may not be our intended goal, but our process is producing people who know how to understand and believe the teachings of Jesus, but don’t know how to put them into practice for the good of others.

Now, how do we fix that?

We return to the discipleship process of Jesus; but, this time, being fully aware of our discipleship blind-spot. As someone once said, “If at first you don’t succeed, try doing what Jesus told you to do in the first place.” (Ouch! But fair.)

Ready?

Discipleship According to Jesus

To begin returning to the discipleship process of Jesus, let’s first clarify the definitions of two key words: disciples and discipleship.

• “Disciples of Jesus” = trainees or apprentices of Jesus who have entered His training process.

• “The Discipleship Process of Jesus” = Jesus’ training process that prepares disciples to participate with Him in accomplishing His mission.

In passages like Matthew 4:19, when Rabbi Jesus calls people to follow Him, He is inviting them into a training process that prepares them to participate with Him in accomplishing His mission. His goal is not only that they hear, understand, and believe His teachings, but that they gain experience and skill in living out His teachings for the good of others.

Next, to further clarify Jesus’ discipling process and return to it, let’s answer two questions according to what He shows us in the gospels:

1. What do we disciple our people to do?

2. How do we disciple them to do it?

As we start, let’s make sure we keep something straight. Being a disciple of Jesus starts with Jesus. Jesus first comes to us and then He invites us to come with Him. He comes with His forgiveness and restoration, and then empowers us to come with Him to be trained to live a life of love for the good of others. Philippians 2:13 says it this way, “…for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.”

With that reminder, let’s answer the two questions.

1. What do we disciple our people to do?

• To join Jesus on His mission

• By living in the abundance of the Father’s love and forgiveness which they have already freely received through Jesus,

• And then to look for people who need that abundant love and forgiveness and offer it to them.

2. How do we disciple our people to do it?

As we watch Jesus in the gospels, we see His process has three main parts:

• Proclamation: Jesus prepares His trainees to live a life of love by teaching them what to believe and do. (Mark 1:14/Matthew 5:2)

• Imitation: Jesus models how to live a life of love and then mentors His trainees as they imitate His example, gaining experience and skill. (Mark 1:17/John 13:15)

• Replication: Jesus immediately sends His trainees to repeat His discipling process with more trainees. (Mark 3:14/Luke 10:1)

Proclamation is about teaching. Imitation is about a relationship with a model and mentor. Replication is about multiplying disciples.

(In future blog posts, I will further unpack what each of these parts include.)

So, now we can answer our main question, “What is the discipleship process that prepares our people to participate in accomplishing the mission as a daily lifestyle?”

The answer is Jesus’ process:

• Proclamation: Our people participate in the congregation’s preaching and teaching ministries as well as personal Bible reading to learn what they are to believe and do, namely, to live in the Father’s abundant love because of Jesus and look for others who need it, too.

• Imitation: Our people are a part of a small group of people who model how to live out Jesus’ teachings for the good of others and then mentor each other so they gain experience and skill imitating Jesus’ example.

• Replication: Our people go home and repeat the discipling process with their family and willing friends (immediately not eventually).

Next time we will unpack each of the parts of Jesus’ discipling process with an eye toward overcoming our “discipleship blind-spot.”

Need help crafting a plan for your congregation?

To help you craft a mission and discipleship plan for your congregation, I offer leadership retreats in St. Paul, Minnesota. Your leadership team arrives on a Tuesday and on Thursday you leave with a clear, simple, biblical plan for making disciples who accomplish the mission. Need to do it over a weekend? Let’s talkTo start the conversation, contact me via the button below.

 My book, “Joining Jesus: Show Me How,” is another helpful resource for you to gain insight about what discipleship is according to Jesus and how to follow His example.

Question #2: "What does it look like for our people to participate in accomplishing the mission?"

We have been answering three clarifying questions with the goal of seeing the people of our congregation participate in accomplishing the mission of our congregation consistently and frequently, over and over again. The questions are as follows:

1. What is the mission of our congregation?

2. What does it look like for our people to participate in accomplishing the mission?

3. What is the discipleship process that prepares our people to participate in accomplishing the mission as a daily lifestyle?

We unpacked the answer to the first question HERE. What is the mission of our congregation? Simple. It is the mission of God. And the mission of God, according to God, is to get back the world He so loves. All of it.

The mission of God, of course, is God’s alone. It’s His to do. It’s His to work out. And He is the only One who can accomplish it (see Colossians 1:19-20). We can’t save the world. Only God can. But He does invite us to join Him. It is part of His plan for accomplishing His mission that we be His body, His hands, and His means in the created world.

Which brings us to question #2: What does it look like for our people to participate in accomplishing the mission?

In other words, if you as the leader were watching your people participate in accomplishing the mission as part of their daily lives, what would you see them doing?

This is an incredibly important question to answer clearly and simply because if we want our people to participate in accomplishing the mission, they have to know what to do.

On the other hand, if we as leaders can’t clearly and simply articulate what it looks like for our people to participate in accomplishing the mission, then the people will not be able to take action and participate. They will be stymied. They will be benched. They will sit passively in the pew week after week, but never have the fun of participating in the mission being accomplished.

Can you imagine going to church for eighty+ years and never being a part of the real action? (A lot of people can.)

So, what does it look like for the people of our congregation to get off the bench and fan out into the nooks and crannies of their neighborhoods, workplaces, and schools and participate in accomplishing the mission?

According to Jesus (and the rest of the New Testament writers), the answer is simple: It looks like our people putting the abundant love they have already received from the Father into action for the good of others.

Love. In. Action.

Jesus then works through our love-in-action (our service, our words, our presence) to accomplish what only He can accomplish: redeemed and restored lives.

Paul puts it this way in Ephesians 5:2, “Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us.” See how simple that is? Participating in accomplishing the mission is no more complicated than living a lifestyle of love. We presume it must be more complicated than that because…well, it’s always been presented to us as somehow more complicated than that, right? But look at what the Bible actually says about love:

• Galatians 5:6 says the only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

• Matthew 22:37-40 says the entire Bible hangs on love.

• Romans 13:10 says we fulfill every law when we love.

• Galatians 5:22 says the fruit of the Spirit is love.

• 1 Corinthians 12:31 says the most excellent way is love.

• John 13:34-35 says the way people will know we are disciples of Jesus is by how we love.

Here’s how it works:

1. our people receive the Father’s abundant love and forgiveness, which He has already freely given them through Jesus, and,

2. they then freely offer that abundant love and forgiveness to the people around them who need it so badly.

1 John 4:7, “Love comes from God.” Matthew 10:8, “Freely you have received, freely give.” 1 John 4:19, “We love because He first loved us.”

Therefore, that is what we disciple our people to do:

1. to live in the abundance of the Father’s love and forgiveness which they have already been given through Jesus;

2. to then freely offer that abundant love and forgiveness to the people around them who need it so badly.

1 John 4:10-11, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”

This is who we are. This is what we do. We are people who live in the abundance of the Father’s love and look for others who need it too.

Everything good and healthy in the human heart flows from the love of God being freely received, fully trusted, and freely given to others. It’s a beautiful circle of abundance and generosity. And we get to participate by including others. From God, to us, through us, to the people around us who need to experience His love so badly.

That’s what participating in accomplishing the mission with Jesus looks like. Doesn’t it sound like more fun than what we have been settling for?

And as the people of your congregation do this consistently and frequently, over and over again, you will see God accomplishing His mission consistently and frequently, over and over again, too.

God is getting His world back, and He is working through our love to accomplish it. Let’s get off the bench and into the real action.

And that leads us to our third question, which we will unpack next time: What is the discipleship process that prepares our people to participate in accomplishing the mission as a daily lifestyle?

Need help crafting a plan for your congregation?

To help you craft a plan for your congregation, I offer leadership retreats in St. Paul, Minnesota. Your leadership team arrives on a Tuesday and on Thursday you leave with a clear, simple, biblical plan for making disciples who accomplish the mission. Need to do it over a weekend? Let’s talk.

To start the conversation, contact me via the button below.

My book, “Joining Jesus on His Mission,” is another helpful resource to gain insights about what it means and what it looks like to participate with Jesus in accomplishing His mission.

Question #1 of 3 Clarifying Questions: “What is the mission of our congregation?”

If you want to see the people of your congregation participate in accomplishing the mission of your congregation consistently and frequently over and over again, they will need to have clear, simple answers to the following questions: 

1. What is the mission of our congregation?

2. What does it look like for our people to participate in accomplishing the mission?

3. What is the discipleship process that prepares our people to participate in accomplishing the mission as a daily lifestyle?

Let’s begin by answering question #1: What is the mission of your congregation? It only makes sense that if you want to disciple your people to participate in accomplishing the mission, you first have to clarify what the mission is.

So, what is it?

The good news is that we don’t have to make something up. Since the mission of your congregation is the mission of God, all we have to do is clarify what God already says is His mission. And what is the mission of God according to God? Simple. He wants His world back. All of it.

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…” Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” Colossians 1:19-20, “For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him [Jesus], and through Him to reconcile to Himself ALL THINGS, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.” Revelation 21:5, “Behold, I am making all things new!”

That’s the mission of God according to God: to get back the world He so loves.

And that is the mission Jesus was sent to accomplish. He was sent by His Father on a grand adventure to redeem and restore all things to His Father’s Kingdom… in other words, to make all things new!

And He invites us to join Him.

However, let’s be sure to keep things straight. The actual accomplishment of the mission belongs to Jesus alone. He does the dying and rising and saving and reconciling. But He invites us to participate with Him in accomplishing the mission of getting back God’s world.

How? By us taking from the abundance He has already freely given us and then freely offering it to the people around us who need Him and His gifts so badly.

1 John 3:1, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” Matthew 10:8, “Freely you have received, freely give.” 1 John 4:19, “We love because He first loved us.” 2 Corinthians 5:18, “All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” 1 John 4:10-11, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” Luke 24:46-47, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed in His name to all nations…”

Wow! So, Jesus does the very hard work of saving people, and we do the very simple work that even a little child can do: loving people with the abundant love we have already received from Jesus.

That’s how we participate with Jesus in accomplishing His mission. We don’t accomplish it, He does. But we join Him in the nooks and crannies of our neighborhoods, communities, cities, and nations looking for people who need His love so He can do what only He can do through that love. We are His body, His hands, His means by which people experience His love in the created world. From Him, to us, through us, to the people around us who need Him and His love so badly.

This is who we are. This is what we do.

You might have sensed that we are now starting to answer the second question. And you are right. So, we will stop here for now and unpack more next time.

To help you and your leaders answer these clarifying questions for your congregation, I offer leadership retreats in St. Paul, Minnesota. Your leadership team arrives on a Tuesday and on Thursday you leave with a clear, simple, biblical plan for making disciples who accomplish the mission.

Let’s set a date to talk so you can get started. Contact me via the button below.

P.S. What about “making disciples?”

You might be wondering, “I thought the mission was to make disciples.” However, making disciples is a means that still requires a mission. In other words, we have to answer the question, “We make disciples who do what?” According to Jesus in Matthew 28, we make disciples who are trained to participate in accomplishing the mission. Making disciples is not accomplishing the mission, it is the means for the mission to be accomplished.

P.P.S. Is “mission” a program or a lifestyle?

There is a common misunderstanding that “mission” is a program people volunteer for, or an annual trip they take to a foreign land, or something they delegate to a staff person. However, living “on mission” means we live our lives on purpose every day. Mission isn’t a program we attend from time to time, it’s a lifestyle we live on purpose with Jesus in the midst of everyday life. It’s an important distinction. When I ask leaders to envision where they see their people participating in accomplishing the mission, too many times they envision it happening within church programming rather than out in daily life. Think of it this way: If mission is reduced to an occasional program, a small fraction of your congregation will be participating in reaching a small fraction of the community (or foreign country) for a small fraction of the time. This, of course, is better than nothing. However, think about how much more effective it would be for every person of your congregation to fan out into every nook and cranny of your community every day of the week with a clear sense of purpose, namely, loving people who need to be loved.

“Three Questions that Clarify Everything”

If you’re a leader in a U.S. congregation, you’re probably doing what’s not working as hard as you can. 

It stinks, but it’s true.

That’s because most leaders in U.S. congregations mistake activity for accomplishment. They struggle to keep all their programs running with little to show for all their struggles. They hope the activities will attract more people but rarely see it happen. They have a mission statement, but have few stories about the mission being accomplished. On top of that, all these activities require vast amounts of limited resources for the limited results they are getting – e.g., money, volunteers, leadership horsepower, professional staff, etc.

And most senior leaders are frustrated by the demands of overseeing it all.

The question is, how did we end up this way?

The answer? A lack of clarity about what the mission of the church is and how to accomplish it.

The leaders of every U.S. congregation are currently facing the same critical choice:

• Do we maintain our familiar collection of services/programs so we continue getting the same results, or

• Do we want to utilize a clear, simple, biblical strategy so we see the mission of the church being accomplish consistently and frequently, over and over again? 

If you choose the second option, the transition begins with answering the following three questions:

1.  What is the mission of our congregation?

2. What does it look like for our people to participate in accomplishing the mission?

3. What is the discipleship process that prepares our people to participate in accomplishing the mission as a daily lifestyle?

Answering these questions will clarify everything. You will be able to evaluate and recalibrate the activities of the congregation so your people are consistently being prepared to go out and participate in accomplishing the mission as part of their everyday lives.

So, what is the mission of your congregation? What does it look like for your people to participate in accomplishing that mission? And what will be the discipleship process that prepares your people to participate in accomplishing that mission?

Remember, quoting a passage about making disciples isn’t the same as having a plan for making disciples. Let’s craft a plan. Such a plan will lead to the mission of your congregation being accomplish consistently and frequently over and over again.

To help you answer these clarifying questions, I offer leadership retreats in St. Paul, Minnesota. Your leadership team arrives on a Tuesday and on Thursday you leave with a clear, simple, biblical plan for making disciples who accomplish the mission.

Let’s set a date so you can get started.

We Know How We are Saved But WHY are We Saved?

Today, we celebrate the 507th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing 95 theses to the Wittenberg Castle Church door. The date – October 31, 1517 – marks the beginning of what we now call the Reformation.

The Reformation focused on a simple but important question, “How are we saved?” By the sixteenth century, the church had veered into answering the question incorrectly. Essentially, their answer was, “We are saved by our works.” Luther grew up being taught this incorrect teaching, and he knew he fell well short of being considered good enough to deserve God’s love and forgiveness. In fact, this is one of the reasons he become a monk, to try and curry favor with his dissatisfied God. However, instead of believing his works were earning him more of God’s favor, Luther began to fear that he was heading straight for hell.

Luther became so distraught his father superior became concerned. In order to help Luther regain a sense of peace, he had him study to become a teacher of the Bible.

Well, if Luther was going to teach the Bible, he had to start reading the Bible. And when he did, he discovered something truly amazing… God’s grace.

Luther began to realize that the church was answering the question of, “How are we saved?” incorrectly. He found in Paul’s writings that we are not saved by our works but by God’s grace through faith alone (see, for example, Romans 3:28 and Ephesians 2:8-9). In response, Luther wrote down 95 statements he believed needed to be discussed, resolved, and reformed in the church.

October 31, 1517 was 507 years ago. That means we have been preaching and teaching a clear, simple, biblical answer to the question of, “How are we saved?” for 507 years. And we can be very thankful for that! However, after focusing like a laser beam on this answer for 507 years, we have gotten a little fuzzy about how to answer a second question, “Why are we saved?”

We know HOW we are saved – by grace through faith! But WHY are we saved? To sit on the bench and run out the clock until we die and go to heaven? No. It’s much better and more fun than that.

The good news is that the Bible provides an answer that is just as clear and simple to the question of, “Why are we saved?” Paul writes in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

God does all the work of gracing us, and faithing us, and saving us so that we are now able to be a way through which the good of God is experienced in the lives of people around us. God gives us His goodness by grace, then He prepares people around us to receive some of the goodness we have already received from Him.

From God, to us, through us, to the people around us who need God’s grace, goodness, and good news so badly.

We are saved by grace and for a purpose. Let the adventures with Jesus begin!

"3 Reasons We Aren't Seeing the Discipleship Results We Envision"

Why aren’t we seeing the results we envision?

It may be frustrating, but it is also most certainly true: our churches are perfectly calibrated for the results we are currently getting in mission, discipleship, and multiplication. We envision our people reaching their neighbors and seeing them come to faith. We envision our people making disciples who are making disciples who are… (you get the idea).

But even after investing all that preaching, and visioning, and programming, and money, and volunteer hours – what are the results we are actually seeing?

In the gospels, in the book of Acts, and in many places across the globe today, wherever followers of Jesus are living, redemptive movements are breaking out. In other words, those followers live in such a way that more and more people around them are experiencing and hearing the Good News of God. However, in North America, despite having Jesus-followers in every community, we aren’t seeing those kinds of results in a majority of our churches.

Pastors and congregational leaders envision such results but they are not seeing such results.

Dwelling 1:14 has come alongside hundreds of congregations and thousands of leaders over the last dozen years, and in our experience, there are three common culprits that are responsible. I will briefly introduce all three in this article and then invite you to dig deeper with Zach Zehnder and me during our webinar on May 16, “Walking with Jesus: Creating a Discipleship Plan for Your Church that Transforms Lives in Your Community.”

The good news is that in the gospels Jesus has already shown us the fixes which will result in redemptive movements breaking out in our communities, too.

Why aren’t we seeing the results we envision?

Three reasons and how to fix them:

1) Leaders do not understand what it looks like to pursue the mission of God in daily life. And, not surprisingly, neither do the people in their congregations.

What does it look like for a person to join Jesus on His mission as a daily lifestyle?

The training, experience, and expertise of most professional church workers is in gathering people around God’s word at church (worship, study, ministry, etc.). Likewise, the experience of the people being gathered is in the “being gathered.” The people are discipled to gather, listen, sing, discuss, believe, and then head home until they gather again the next time.

Unfortunately, in the meantime, day after day, all those Jesus-followers are having very little impact on the people around them wherever they live, work, or go to school. People who badly need what the Jesus-followers have are left unaffected… year after year. As a result, a congregation full of Jesus-followers could be in a community for decades and no one is the community is better off because of it.

The good news is that there is a simple fix. Start asking: If I were watching someone who has been trained to pursue the mission of God with Jesus, what would that lifestyle look like?

Of course, the Scriptures already describe this lifestyle.

John 13:35, “By this all people will know that you are My disciples [that you have been trained by Me], if you love one another.” 

Ephesians 5:2, “Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us.”

What does a lifestyle of mission look like to a person watching? It looks like a lifestyle of love. It looks like someone intentionally watching for opportunities to love the people around them in such a way that those people know they have been loved. When hundreds of Jesus-followers are living such a life, the community is transformed – not after decades, but after months.

If, as leaders, we take up such a lifestyle of love in our own neighborhoods – and if we, therefore, become more experienced and skilled at it – then we can show our people how to do the same.

More about this on May 16.

2) Leaders (and their congregations) think scholarship is discipleship. It is not.

Unfortunately, for a very long time now, leaders have thought discipleship is accomplished through the accumulation of scholarship. We think that if we have preached and/or taught God’s Word to our people, we have discipled them in God’s Word. Turns out, Jesus’ way of discipleship is more than knowing correct answers about Him. Discipleship is being trained to follow His ways for the good of others in everyday life. This is why Jesus says, “Come, follow Me.” He told His trainees His teachings but then He showed them how to put His teachings into practice by how He lived.

The result of Jesus’ discipleship process was the multiplication of redemptive movements wherever His trainees went. The result of our discipleship process is more disappointing. After years of being discipled by us, our people may be confident theologians, but they remain untrained and inexperienced in what to do with that theology for the good of their neighborhoods.

Think of it this way: when leaders disciple their people in the teachings of Jesus, what is everyone’s expectation as they head back home? That the teachings will be understood and believed (no thought is given to what they may actually do with it to bless others). However, what is the expectation of Jesus? That it will be understood, believed, AND put into practice for the good of others.

In the gospels, when Jesus uses an action verb, yes, He wants us to understand it and believe it. But using action verbs mean He wants us to take action. Someone nearby needs us (the Jesus-followers) to put into action what He has given us to do. Understanding and believing what Jesus gives us to do doesn’t bless our neighbors. Our understanding, believing, AND putting it into practice does. When hundreds of Jesus-followers are sent home to put the teaching they understand and believe into practice, the community is transformed – not after decades, but after months. 

The reality is that a person will never change someone else by what they believe. They will only change someone else by putting what they believe into action.

The good news is that there is a simple fix. We can turn scholarship (which we are really good at) back into discipleship (which our people and our communities really need) by asking this important question: Now what?

When preparing a Biblical message or teaching, we can follow this simple outline:

·   Know what? What facts does the text communicate?

·   So what? What does this mean for us?

·   Now what? Now that we understand and believe this word from God, what will we do with it?

 The question, “Now what,” turns scholarship (I know the right answers about Jesus) into discipleship (I am gaining experience and skill in applying the ways of Jesus in daily life).

More about this on May 16.

3) Leaders overlook and underestimate the importance of relationship in discipleship.

If leaders want to start seeing the results they envision for their congregations regarding mission, discipleship, and multiplication, they will need to rediscover and prioritize the essential role of relationship.

To see our people join Jesus on His mission as a daily lifestyle, they will need to be discipled in HOW to join Jesus. To see our people begin discipling others, they will need to be discipled in HOW to disciple others. And to see our people be the epicenter of redemptive movements (multiplication) in their neighborhoods, they will need to be discipled in HOW to multiply redemptive movements in their neighborhoods.

 For that to happen, our people need more from their leaders than what we are giving them. We are settling for TELLING them how to do these things. That strategy is perfectly calibrated to get the results we are currently getting. We can TELL them how, but they need someone to SHOW them how.

The good news is that there is a simple fix. As leaders, our first priority can be to create a plan where people have a relationship with someone who models this lifestyle for them and then mentors them as they begin gaining their own experience and skill in living it.

Of course, we have already seen this in the Scriptures. We just overlooked and underestimated its importance.

Hebrews 13:7, “Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.”

Philippians 3:17, “Join with others in following my example, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.”

What could a discipleship plan look like that prioritizes relationship and sees the results we envision?

Join Zach Zehnder and me during our webinar on May 16, “Walking with Jesus: Creating a Discipleship Plan for Your Church that Transforms Lives in Your Community” to get the full picture. It’s simpler than you think and a lot more fun!

"Small Congregations in Small Towns Make a Big Difference"

On Main Street in Small-Town America

Small congregations in small towns can make a big difference as they join Jesus on His mission. If you think about it, in the gospels, most of Jesus’ work was not conducted in big cities but in small towns. That means if your congregation is situated in a small town-setting, Jesus has already been showing you how to make a big impact.

Before we dive into the “how,” consider the following:

Recent surveys show that 92% of U.S. congregations have 250 or fewer people attending weekly worship services. 68% have 100 or less in attendance. The chart below shows the trends in LCMS congregations between 2002 and 2022. Larger congregations are shrinking which is resulting in there being more and more smaller congregations.

What should our response be? To give up? Does Jesus write off all those congregations because they are too small to be effective? OR, could Jesus be up to something here? Could it be that small congregations in some very important ways have an advantage over bigger congregations. And, if so, how?

Let me offer you a recent example. I was talking last week with a congregation in eastern Montana. The town has a population of 630 residents and the congregation has about 30 regular attenders each month. The pastor is bi-vocational (that is, he has a day-job to supplement his part-time church salary). They said their claim to fame is that they are the town furthest away from any Starbucks in the U.S. (LOL!)

Most of the congregation’s families have lived in the town for generations. Most everyone knows most everyone else. There are six other churches in the community.

What can they do?

If they settle for operating as they have in order to maintain their status quo, they will continue to make little impact on their little town and they will eventually close. Right now they worship together on Sunday, have a Bible class, and struggle to maintain any programs. Sound familiar?

However, in the gospels, Jesus shows us how to make a big difference with a few people in a small town.

When a few people have their lives changed by God’s love, and they begin to change the way they live, they begin to effect the people around them in very positive ways. On the one hand, if church people live in the community the same way they always have, no one will notice. But if church people start to live an intentional life of love in the community - noticing people, caring, asking questions, listening, responding, helping - the community will notice and be effected.

The good news is that our lives have already been changed by God’s love through Jesus. All that’s left for us to do is to now live an intentional life of love for the good of our neighbors (see Ephesians 5:2). In other words, we already freely receive from Jesus in worship and His Word. Now we get to go into our week and into our little community looking for people who need a little of what we have already received in abundance.

This isn’t about simply feeling love for our neighbors. This is about loving our neighbors in such a way that our neighbors know they are being loved by us. It is love in action. It is love on purpose. It is love that helps.

This makes a big difference in small towns.

Imagine 30 people heading out of church each week with a simple purpose (mission): they look for people who need a little of what they already have in abundance. Imagine 30 people living generous lives of love in a town of 630. It wouldn’t take years to see the effect. It would be weeks.

When 30 people who have love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness head out and live on purpose, the town of 630 will soon be experiencing that love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness in real life. And with that reality in play, the congregation of 30 will soon be growing. Not because of new programs, not because they spiffed up their worship services, but because the town will finally be experiencing what small towns in the gospels were experiencing 2000 years ago:

Changed people living changed lives on purpose for the good of their neighbors.

It’s not a crazy pipedream. It could start happing in your small congregation in your small town this Sunday and next week.

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If you’d like to talk with Greg Finke more about how you can start such an adventure in your community, please contact him at finkeonthemove@aol.com.

"Asking New Questions Leads to New Insights”

Ask yourself, “If a congregation of God’s people has been in a community for 10, 50, 100 years, freely receiving God’s abundant love and then going out into their community to freely offer that love to neighbors, co-workers, fellow-students, and strangers, what could you expect the effect to be on that community?”

If for 10, 50, 100 years, the community has been on the receiving end of such consistent, abundant, personal love - in the form of hospitality, service, advocacy, encouragement, good news, laughter, joy, and peace - what do you think the result would be?

Would you not be able to expect that a community would be completely transformed because a congregation had been actively loving it for 10. 50, 100 years?

So, why don’t we see it happening?

Take your congregation, as an example, how long has it been in existence in your community? How many years… or decades? After that amount of time, what has been the effect on your community? Has it been transformed by your congregation’? Or has it not even noticed you’re there?

In Matthew 10:8, Jesus says, “Freely you have received, freely give.” In John 13:34, He says, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” In Ephesians 5:2, Paul says, “Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself for us.”

What if we did? Personally. On purpose. Consistently. Each day. Freely receiving Jesus’ abundant love, and then freely offering it to the people around us.

For 10, 50, 100 years, if we had followed Jesus’ simple practice and instruction, it would have been transformative for our community.

So, why ARE’NT we seeing such transformation?

Simple.

We haven’t been doing what Jesus gifted us and told us to do.

We have been freely receiving His abundant love for decades, but we haven’t been going back home, back to work, back to school and looking for those who need a little of what we have in abundance.

And, frankly, your community is suffering because of it.

We shake our heads in disgust as we judge our community and complain about the people, even though Christians are the main reason our community remains on a downward spiral - namely, we Christians aren’t doing the one thing Jesus gifted us and told us to do… we’re not freely and personally offering the main antidote for what is eroding the people of our community… God’s redemptive love.

But what if we did? What if we started?

What if, starting this Sunday, we became clearer about what our congregation’s true purpose is in our community?

What if, starting ASAP, we began offering simple training for how to join Jesus in freely, personally giving out God’s love to those around us?

What if we did?

We wouldn’t have to wait 10, 50, 100 years to see the effect.

Because God’s love works… when we use it.

P.S. I can help you and your congregation gain clarity and offer training for how to join Jesus on His mission in your community. It’s simple, it’s biblical, and it works. Contact me via email: finkeonthemove@gmail.com. Note: A sermon series and Bible class on “Joining Jesus” is an important start, but is not training. Training means having a process to gain experience, skill, and confidence for joining Jesus in real life. Let me help. Training > Books

P.P.S. If you think your congregation is not yet ready for this step, I offer “First-Step Retreats” here in St. Paul to help pastors craft a simple strategy for leading their congregations forward. Contact me and we can see if this is a good fit for you.

"Earl, the Everyday Missionary"

Recently, I took an Uber to the airport.

I don’t know what kind of experiences you’ve had with Uber drivers, but mine usually fall into one of two categories: 

1. The Uber driver who is silent.

2. The Uber driver who is chatty.

With the silent types, it goes without saying, the rides are pretty quiet. There is a polite exchange or two, and then we drive.

With the chatty types, the conversation could go anywhere. However, usually, the driver gets around to asking about why I am traveling. 

When they do, I usually answer with something like, “I run a nonprofit that provides training for churches who want their people to become more intentional about loving their neighbors in day-to-day life. You know how Jesus says, ‘Love your neighbor?’ What if He meant that?”

That usually gets a chuckle and a nod of the head.

However, during this Uber ride, my driver had a little surprise for me.

His name was Earl. And as I finished up my usual spiel, he said, “Yeah, I like that. That’s basically what I try to do as I drive people around. I never know who God will bring into my car.” He told me that he was a follower of Jesus too and that he basically treats every Uber rider as an opportunity to join Jesus on His mission.

Turns out, Earl the Uber driver was also Earl the everyday missionary. And he was an experienced practitioner too. So, I mined his experience, “Tell me about how a typical ride for you might go.”

 He replied, “First, I pray, offering myself for whatever God might want to do. After all, this isn’t my gig; it’s His.

“Then I follow the lead of the rider. I talk when they want to talk and I fall silent when they fall silent.

“If they tell me their struggles, I listen and ask questions to better understand. Then I tell them that God loves them and that they are of great worth to Him. I give them words of encouragement because most people need encouragement.

“If their struggles are because of self-destructive attitudes or behaviors, I tell them they don’t have to settle for that stuff anymore. I tell them that God is ready to help them if they ask Him.”

Then Earl told me the story of a woman who had been one of his recent riders. She was already distraught when she got in the car. So, Earl silently prayed and followed his usual course of conversation. He listened. He asked some questions. And then he told her the good news that despite her struggles, God knew her, valued her greatly, and wanted to be a part of her life. Earl said to her, “God sent His Son Jesus to forgive you and get you back for Himself. That sounds like a pretty cool second chance to me.”

As they approached her destination, she said that she had changed her mind and asked if Earl could take her somewhere else.”

He answered, “Sure, but why?”

“Because when I requested the Uber, I was planning to go kill myself. I don’t want to do that anymore. You’ve given me hope. I needed to hear what you had to say.”

Earl said he was so glad; he would have driven her anywhere!

* * * * * * * * * *

I am often asked, “I get the importance of loving my neighbor, but then what do I say to them?”

Earl’s tutorial is helpful and effective:

• Pray and be available.

• Follow the lead of the person.

• If the person is struggling, listen and ask questions to better understand.

• Tell them the good news that God knows them and loves them, and wants to be a part of their life… in fact, that’s why God sent His Son Jesus: to die and rise for the forgiveness of their sins and to restore them to a love relationship with Himself. God is for them not against them.

• If their struggles are because of self-destructive attitudes or behaviors, tell them they don’t have to settle for that stuff anymore. Tell them that God is ready to help them if they ask Him.

Like Earl said, people need encouragement. They need a little news that’s good. You don’t have to guess what they need, just listen. If they’re not ready, they’re not ready. But when they are… they are.

Enjoy your adventures with Jesus!

"Easter Was Fantastic! Now What?"

Easter worship was amazing! All those people! All that celebrating! “Jesus is risen! He is risen, indeed! Hallelujah!”

Now what? 

Good question.

As Susan and I were filing out of a packed sanctuary last Sunday, I wondered, “What will all these people do now?” I overheard one usher telling another that there had been 1100 people in the service. What would 1100 people full of the life and love of Jesus be able to accomplish this week in their neighborhoods if they were also full of the purpose and mission of Jesus?

And what about all the people in your Easter services? Now what? Maybe there weren’t 1100. Maybe there were 110. Maybe there were 11. Same question. Same opportunity.

Now what?

Now that we have observed and celebrated Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection… again… now that we have heard the good news of our redemption and restoration… again…, what are we going to do? Sit on the bench and run out the clock until we die and go to heaven?

No. Now that Jesus has freed us from sin and death and has restored us to His love and life, we get to follow Him and join Him on His mission.

You see, Jesus is on a mission. He was sent by His Father on a grand adventure to redeem and restore all things to His Father’s Kingdom. And He invites us to join Him.

“Come, follow Me.”

However, for many Christians, therein lies the mystery: What does it look like to “follow Jesus” in everyday life and join Him on His mission?

Does it look like following the rules? Does it look like following religious rituals? Does it look like convincing people of Jesus? Selling people on Jesus? Saving people for Jesus?

No.

The Bible says “following Jesus” looks like “loving people.”

For instance, in John 13:34 Jesus says, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” Ephesians 5:2, says “…live a life of love, following the example of Christ.” In fact, “loving people” is how Jesus says everyone will recognize that we have been trained by Him, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another,” John 13:35.

So, if you want to follow Jesus and join Him on His mission, it really is this simple: look for people who need a little of the abundant love you have from the Father and offer it to them. Or, as the Bible puts it, “Love your neighbor.”

Because we are baptized into Jesus (Romans 6:3), we have Jesus living in us and through us. That means to the people where we live, work, or hang out, you and I are literally the body of Christ. We are Jesus with skin on. We are the way people experience His love in the material world where they live. The love comes from Jesus, but it is experienced through us – from Him, to us, through us, to the people around us who need Him and His love so badly (1 John 4:19).

That means you get to have fun being the neighbor, co-worker, or fellow-student people enjoy having in their life. You get to be the one who smiles and waves, notices and helps, listens and understands. You get to be the one who is quick to listen, slow to become angry, and the first to apologize. You get to be the one who practices hospitality, generosity, and humility. You get to be the reason someone receives some joy, experiences some kindness, or has an advocate.

Dear friends, living a life of love is the best way to live. It is a full, rich, abundant way to live. It is how we join Jesus on His mission. And it works.

I am often asked, “I know the Bible says to love my neighbor, but when do I tell my neighbor about Jesus?” That’s easy. When they ask. At least, that’s Peter’s advice. “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you…” (1 Peter 3:15).

Let me tell you a story.

About a year ago, a couple who attended one of our “Joining Jesus” trainings, decided they were going to be more intentional about meeting and getting to know their neighbors so that they could do a better job of loving their neighbors.

They began smiling and waving more. They noticed and helped more. They stopped and listened more. They teamed up with other neighbors and started having more cookouts, more game nights, and more birthday parties. And with all this, came something else. Conversations. The small talk among strangers turned into conversations among friends.

And then one evening it happened. As everyone was enjoying a fire in the backyard, one of the neighbors said to the couple, “We really enjoy hanging out with you and your family. There is just something about you… we always feel good after being with you. You’re Christians, aren’t you?”

Just like that, they were having a conversation about Jesus.

Neither the husband nor wife were theological experts, but they could tell the neighbors why they trusted and followed Jesus. To the neighbors, what the couple shared rang true because of how they had seen them live. The couple wasn’t perfect like Jesus, but they had offered love like Jesus. And the experience of that love made all the difference.

Last May, the children of those neighbors were baptized. Last fall, the whole family joined the church. It’s a cool story. But don’t forget. It all started with a couple becoming more intentional about getting to know their neighbors so they could do a better job of loving their neighbors.

The couple wrapped up their story by making an important observation, “We think our neighbors wanted to ask us about Jesus that night because we first took the time to show them Jesus in how we lived.”

Yep. The Bible says that’s how it works. Show them Jesus’ love so they can experience Jesus’ love. And then, when they ask, be ready to tell them why you trust and follow Jesus. When people experience Jesus’ love through you, it opens up their intake-valve to be more curious about Jesus’ truth as well. They want to hear more because of what they have seen and experienced with you.

From Jesus, to you, through you, to the neighbors around you who need His love so badly.

Joining Jesus on His mission: It’s simpler than you think and a lot more fun! 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Would you and your congregation like to begin joining Jesus on His mission this spring and summer? It’s the time of year when neighboring is most natural. In the months ahead, your congregation could start having their own stories like the family above. And Dwelling 1:14 can help.

We offer online, 90-minute “Neighboring Workshops.” Greg Finke leads the workshop live and walks participants through a simple process that results in everyone having a self-identified plan for joining Jesus in their neighborhood or wherever they travel this summer.

The workshops are offered on a weeknight of your choosing sometime before mid-June. After the workshop, Greg will also schedule three follow-up Zooms to continue coaching participants as they implement their plans throughout the summer.

Interested? Contact Greg at finkeonthemove@gmail.com or call 281-844-7644.

From Poetry to Strategy: Part 3 – “How to Craft a Strategy for Your Congregation”

So far, we have answered the following questions about strategy:

1. What is a strategy?

2. Why do we need one?

3. What makes for a good one?

(Go to Parts 1 and 2 below to review.)

Now it’s time to ask, “How do we craft a strategy for our congregation?”

Good question! Let’s check it out.

Not long ago, I was invited to work with a congregation who needed to craft a strategy statement. They had their poetry: A pithy, memorable mission statement. It was biblical, inspiring, and pointed to the transformative difference they could make in the community with Jesus and his love. What they needed now was a strategy so the people of the congregation would know how to participate in what the poetry inspired and promised.

In other words, “How will our congregation intentionally and consistently make, mentor, and send out disciples who know how to join Jesus on his mission?”

In advance, I asked the pastor to gather leaders of the congregation who were living a life of mission. To get started, I met with these leaders and talked about what a strategy is and what makes for a good one. I then divided them into working groups and asked them to write down their congregation’s mission statement. This they did with ease. They knew their poetry well and were clearly inspired by it.

Next, I pointed out that the congregation obviously had components of an effective strategy scattered throughout its ministry options since the leaders had somehow become excited participants in the mission themselves. The question was, “What are the components that caused this transformation?”

Or to put the question another way, why were some members transformed into excited mission-participants and others not. What were some members participating in and others not?

In order to tease out these answers, I asked the leaders to write down all the congregational activities, classes, and programs which had inspired and prepared them to live a life of mission. The groups got to work. When they were done, I asked them to identify and write down why they had experienced transformation by participating in these activities?

When they had completed this part of the exercise, I invited them to review everything they had written down and circle common words or phrases that emerged. What pattern, pathway, or progression did the words reveal for how the congregation was making, mentoring, and sending out disciples to join Jesus on his mission?

Once they had clarified which components were the cause of the transformation, they had essentially discerned their strategy. All that was left was to brainstorm pithy ways to communicate it.

In time, because of their newfound clarity, it would be much simpler to evaluate which ministry activities served the congregational strategy best, which ones needed to be reformed so they could serve the strategy better, and which ones needed to eventually be phased out because they actually distracted or diverted people from the strategy.

Likewise, when they were ready to create new activities and programs, their strategic clarity would enable them to intentionally include the components necessary to consistently make, mentor, and send disciples to join Jesus on his mission as a daily lifestyle.

Are you and your leaders ready to start crafting the congregation’s strategy statement?

1. Invite leaders who themselves are participating regularly in accomplishing the congregation’s mission to help craft the strategy.

2. Have them write down the congregation’s mission statement and pose the following question: “How will our congregation intentionally and consistently make, mentor, and send out disciples who know how to accomplish this mission?”

3. Explain what a strategy is, why one is needed, and what makes for a good one.

4. Have them list all the activities, classes, and programs the congregation currently offers which inspired and prepared them to live a life of mission.

5. Next, ask them to identify why participation in these ministries resulted in their transformation.

6. Now review everything written down and circle common words or phrases that emerge.

7. What pattern, pathway, or progression do the words or phrases reveal for how disciples are being made, mentored, and sent out to join Jesus on his mission? This is the essence of your strategy.

8. Brainstorm pithy words or phrases to communicate the strategy.

If your congregation needs help with this process, Rev. Greg Finke and Dwelling 1:14 are ready and available. Contact us at finkeonthemove@gmail.com.

From Poetry to Strategy: Part 2 - "What Makes for a Good Strategy?"

In the last post, we called a congregation’s mission/vision statement its “poetry.” Congregational leaders often spend a lot of time, effort, and dollars to craft it. And this poetry is absolutely necessary because, if it is crafted well, it articulates in a pithy, memorable way who the congregation is and where the congregation is going.

However, poetry is not strategy.

While the congregation certainly needs the clarity and inspiration of the poetry, they also need a simple strategy to know how they are going to personally participate in what the poetry describes and promises.

For example, if a congregation’s mission is to live a life of love as they join Jesus on his mission, what is its simple strategy for how they will disciple their people to participate in such a lifestyle? In other words, what is the plan, process, or series of steps needed in order to train, mentor, or prepare people to join Jesus every day?

The problem is, most congregational leaders don’t have a clear, simple answer for that. They crafted the poetry but never constructed the strategy.

Instead, when asked about strategy, leaders often point to a long list of congregational programs, activities, and options and – as if they were hosts at a buffet – invite people to choose what seems good to them. Unfortunately, these leaders are falling for an age-old leadership fallacy: They are mistaking activity for accomplishment. Because they don’t have a simple strategy for preparing their people for a lifestyle of mission, they instead offer a long list of options hoping a few missional disciples somehow pop out on the other side.

And, of course, it doesn’t happen. At least, not very often and certainly not very regularly. The mission remains nothing more than a poetic dream. And, worse, the neighbors in the community who need someone to love them with the love of God, continue to struggle without it.

So, what is your congregation’s strategy for discipling your people to participate in the mission as a daily lifestyle?

Let’s tackle the strategy-challenge by addressing two basic questions:

1. What makes for a good strategy?

2. How do you create one for your congregation? (Which we will tackle next time in Part 3.)

What makes for a good strategy?

As congregational leaders, you will want your strategy to be able to answer “yes” to the following five questions:

1. Is it biblical?

2. Is it relational?

3. Is it intentional?

4. Is it clear and simple?

5. Does it work?

Let’s briefly look at what each question is getting at.

Is it biblical?

Within the context of a Christian congregation, our strategy should reflect the strategy Jesus has already given us for accomplishing his mission. We don’t have to make up a new strategy. We only need to follow the strategy he has already laid out for us in the Bible.

And why should our strategy reflect his strategy? There are a number of reasons why, but perhaps the best one is this: because Jesus’ strategy actually works. The more our strategy strays from his strategy, the less effective our strategy becomes. All that congregational effort, all that money, all those volunteer hours, all that leadership horsepower is watered down as we stray from the simple, effective strategy Jesus already gave us in the Bible.

The bottom line is this: If the mission of Jesus is to transform human lives, we better follow Jesus’ strategy. Jesus’ strategy results in human transformation. Our strategies do not. They might be positive, but they are not transformative.

So, what precisely is Jesus’ mission? And what is his strategy for accomplishing his mission?

Often people think Jesus’ mission is to “make disciples of all nations,” (Matthew 28:19). But, strictly speaking, making disciples is not his mission; it is his strategy for accomplishing his mission. His mission is to redeem and restore all people to his Father’s love.

Jesus’ strategy for accomplishing that mission is to make, mentor, and send out disciples who know how to join him on his mission. What does it mean to make, mentor, and send out disciples?

1) Jesus makes disciples: He redeems and restores our true identity as beloved children of the Father through the forgiveness of our sins.

1 John 4:19, “We love because he first loved us.” Everything else is fueled by this good news of his abundant love and forgiveness for us. We are invited to believe it, receive it, live in its abundance as a daily lifestyle, and share it with whoever else needs it.

2) Jesus mentors disciples: He then invites us to be in relationship with a smaller circle of fellow Jesus-followers for two reasons: a) so we are mentored by one another in how to actually experience and live in his abundant love as a daily lifestyle; b) so we are mentored by one another in how to share that transformative love with neighbors who also need it so badly.

John 13:34-35, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” Hebrews 13:7, “Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” By cultivating friendship and community within a smaller circle of fellow Jesus-followers, we help each other remember our true identity, experience God’s abundant love through one another, and rely on each other for the support, example, and accountability we need to go out and offer God’s love to others. In this way, we are regularly filled up with God’s love in order to go out and offer God’s love to our neighbors.

3) Jesus sends disciples: Every day, we join Jesus looking for neighbors in the community who need a little of the love we already have in abundance, and offer it to them.

Matthew 10:8, “Freely you have received, freely give.” This is how we join Jesus as he accomplishes his mission day-by-day, person-by-person.

And that’s the goal for congregational leaders too. You want to articulate a strategy for your congregation which reflects Jesus’ strategy so you see his mission being accomplished in your community through your people on a regular basis. Woohoo!

[Note: for a simple but thorough dive into how Jesus made, mentored, and sent disciples, you can read my book, “Joining Jesus – Show Me How: How to Disciple Everyday Missionaries,” which is available on Amazon.com.]

Is it relational?

One of the most common mistakes congregational leaders can make is undervaluing and not prioritizing the importance of relationship for their people. However, as we saw above, the strategy of Jesus for accomplishing his mission has relationship at the very core of the process. Jesus loves us and then we love Jesus back, love one another, and love our neighbors.

As you craft your strategy, reprioritize the importance of relationship for your people.

Is it intentional?

If the strategy is intentional, it sets up your people to deliberately take action for the good of others. The language is action-oriented and leads your people to be intentional about making a difference in the lives of others. It puts your people into position to intentionally look for neighbors who need a little of the abundant love they already have and to offer it to them.

You see, intentional action impacts others. It affects others. It makes a difference in the lives of others.

That’s why the best strategy will use biblical, relational, intentional language.

Is it clear and simple?

Some of the hardest work leaders must do is to distill all the goals, activities, and possibilities of a congregation into a pithy strategy that people can understand, remember, and engage.

I have a friend who often consults with Lutheran churches (my tribe). He once told me that in his experience Lutherans are “the master of the semicolon.” I laughed when I heard that because it is so true! If you want a thorough theological dissertation with a lot of semicolons, come to us. However, if you want a concise, pithy summary, we tend to struggle with that. (Can you relate?)

So, why is it important for congregational leaders to do the hard work of crafting a strategy statement that is clear and simple? It is so that people can understand it and remember it. If they don’t understand it and can’t remember it, they won’t be able to engage it as a daily lifestyle. A vague, complicated strategy will leave even your most willing people confused and unsure of what to do next. However, if it is clear and simple, everyone who is willing will be able to understand it, remember it, and engage it. And the result? You will see Jesus’ mission being accomplished on a regular basis through all of them! Woohoo!

(More on how to accomplish this in Part 3.)

Does it work?

In the end, the only value a strategy has is if it actually works. Does the plan or process successfully make, mentor, and send out experienced Jesus-followers to join Jesus in accomplishing his mission?

If that’s not happening, either the congregational leaders need to evaluate and refine the strategy or the leaders are not effectively engaging the congregation in the strategy. (Both are common.)

However, if the strategy is working, leaders will see the lives of neighbors in the community being transformed because their people are going out full of the Father’s abundant love and mentored in how to look for neighbors who need it too.

And that, my friends, is what makes for a good strategy. It’s what your poetry is looking for.

Next time, in the third and final post, we will look at how to create a strategy for your congregation.

Discussion questions to process with congregational leaders:

1. What was something in the article that caused a light bulb to pop on for you?

2. What is the mission of Jesus in the gospels? Is our current “poetry” more of a mission or strategy statement? Why?

3. Are we seeing Jesus’ mission being accomplished by our people in the community? Why or why not?

4. Do we have a strategy? If so, discuss how it is biblical, relational, intentional, clear and simple. Does our strategy seem to be working? Why or why not?

5. If we do not yet have a strategy for our congregation, why is that? What would we like to do about it? To prime the pump for next time, start brainstorming words and phrases that are biblical, relational, and intentional (action oriented).

From Poetry to Strategy, Part 1 - “What Every Congregation Needs from Its Leaders”

[Below is Part 1 of a three-part series.]

Poetry is not strategy.

Congregations and their leaders spend many hours (and dollars) crafting mission and vision statements so they can articulate in clear, pithy, memorable ways who they are and where they want to go.

I call these kinds of statements “the poetry of the congregation” because – if crafted well – they sound good and make people feel good while also communicating critical clarity about the identity and purpose of the congregation.

Here are some examples of the poetry congregations are using:

1. Know Jesus and Make Jesus Known

2. Gather, Grow, Go

3. Love God, Love People, Make Disciples

4. Reach Up, Reach In, Reach Out

5. Share the Love of Christ with Our Neighbors and the Nations

I know of several congregations who have spent a year (or more) in meetings and tens of thousands of dollars on consultants to craft their poetry. Was it a waste of resources? Not at all. In fact, it was absolutely necessary. People and their leaders need the clarity. They need to be able to communicate in memorable, pithy ways who they are and where they are going.

However, as necessary as the poetry is, it is not sufficient for moving the congregation forward into the envisioned future. Why? Because while “the poetry” is important, it isn’t a strategy.

Strategy is the plan of action. Beyond knowing who they are and where they are going, people need to know HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET THERE? What’s the pathway? What’s the process? What are the day-by-day practices and action-steps people can take so that they are able to actually live in the reality of what the poetry describes and promises?

In other words, “What do we need to DO?”

For example, one congregation’s poetry might read: “We are a congregation of disciples who make disciples who make disciples.” Great! This statement is clear, biblical, and inspiring. But, what do I need to do to participate in that? Now that I am inspired to be a disciple who makes disciples, what do I do and who will help me start to do it?

The problem is, most congregational leaders don’t have an answer for that. They crafted the poetry but never constructed the strategy. They have inspiring poetry to use on their website and in their publications, but no clear process for helping their people step into the reality of what the poetry inspires.

There is an exercise I do with leaders to help them recognize this blind spot. I give them a large piece of paper and ask them to write down the congregation’s mission and vision statements (their poetry). I then say, “If a person walked up to you after worship one Sunday and said, ‘I want to live out this congregation’s mission. What do I do now?’ What would you tell them?” I then ask them to draw a flow chart illustrating their strategy for helping the person to start living out the reality their poetry inspires.

You know what happens most of the time? They realize they don’t have a strategy to illustrate. They have a strategy for becoming members of the congregation. They have a strategy for assimilation into the programs of the congregation. They even have a strategy for getting offering envelopes into the homes of the congregation. But they don’t have a strategy for helping people to live out what their poetry says is the most important outcome of the congregation.

In fact, during this exercise leaders often chuckle and say, “Well, no one ever asks that question.” And I say to them, “Why is that? Could it be because no one actually expects anyone to do anything with your poetry… except be inspired by it?”

Your people need the poetry. But to live in the reality of what the poetry describes and promises they also need the strategy.

What’s yours?

In the next couple posts, we will look at what is needed to construct a practical strategy that works.

Discussion questions to process with congregational leaders:

1. In the gospels, what is the main thing Jesus tells His followers to do? Are we doing it?

2. What is our congregation’s mission and/or vision statements? (In other words, what is the poetry we use?)

3. Do we have a simple strategy to follow so that people are able to actually live in the reality of what our poetry describes and promises? What is it?

4. If a person walked up to one of us after worship and asked, “I want to live out this congregation’s mission. What do I do now?” What would we tell them?

5. Can we draw a flow chart illustrating the strategy such a person can follow to start living out the reality our poetry inspires?

2022: Reasons Dwelling 1:14 is giving thanks

As Dwelling 1:14 winds up another year of mission and adventure, I wanted to share with you some numbers:

• 1535 - that's the number of people who received missional training this year through our training process. Join us in thanking God for 1535 new everyday missionaries!

• 25 - that's the number of new communities into which we sent trained missionaries. Join us in thanking God that 25 new communities have trained Jesus-followers in them who are intentionally joining Him on His mission!

• 15 - that's the number of states we traveled to in 2022: Colorado, California, New York, Massachusetts, Texas, Idaho, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

• Hundreds more people were introduced to a missional lifestyle this year by attending one of our 10 conference presentations.

• Thousands more people were inspired and instructed through reading our “Joining Jesus” books.

We were also thankful to be able to publish the new book, "Joining Jesus as a Family." So far, about 1000 copies have gone out to families who want to intentionally raise their children to be followers of Jesus! (Get your copies HERE.}

And let's not forget how - back in January - God timed it for us to be able to train 20+ Ukrainians over Zoom just before Russia invaded their country a month later. Or that He had a translator translate "Joining Jesus" into their tongue. (So far, reports remain positive about our Ukrainian brothers and sisters. Not one of them have lost their lives, Some have lost their homes but were able to relocate. And each of them are actively joining Jesus day-by-day.)

Yes! Join us in giving thanks for all the Lord has done!

Giving Tuesday and a Matching Gift

Giving Tuesday is coming up. It is a day when ministries like Dwelling 1:14 invite donations to help us do what we do. I am excited to announce that one of Dwelling 1:14's donors has agreed to match up to $2500 in gifts!

Will you help us match it? That means a gift of $25 becomes $50. $100 becomes $200, etc.

Thank you to those of you who have already given!

If you would like to help us too, you can donate using your credit card by clicking HERE. To give via check, mail your donation to 489 Grand Hill, St. Paul, MN 55102. Please make the check out to Dwelling 1:14.

Thank you so much!! If you have any questions, just respond via this email: finkeonthemove@gmail.com.

I would love to connect!

"How to Neighbor on Halloween"

The evening when families are going door-to-door to “Trick or Treat” would seem like a logical time to up your “neighboring” game.

The “trick” is how?

Unfortunately, if your goal is to get to know the kids in your neighborhood better, Halloween might not be the best time. On Halloween, the kids have just one goal: get your candy and head to the next house to get theirs. (I know because that was my clear goal when I was a kid.) You might want to take a moment to chat and get to know them better, but they’re itching to be on their way!

However, what if you re-aim your goal from the children and families streaming by to the neighbors who live on either side of you? While you certainly want to provide a friendly presence to those stopping in for 60 seconds as they “Trick or Treat,” the real opportunity is with your immediate neighbors.

Here’s what I mean.

In the next day or two, go to your neighbors on your left and right and make this suggestions: What if we sit together in the driveway handing out our treats? We could do it separately from our own doorways, or we could hangout together for a couple hours and have fun with the “Trick or Treaters.” What do you think?

You could provide hot cider (or something stronger), snacks, and even have a fire in a fire pit. And, of course, plenty of the best candy for the “Trick or Treaters.” (Take if from a former kid, don’t be the house with the rep for giving out cheap candy.)

This simple strategy gives you unhurried time with your two closest neighbors and plenty of entertainment!

Share some snacks, share some laughs, and build some friendships. It’s simple and it works!

"What Does It Mean to 'Disciple' My Child?"

“What Does It Mean to ‘Disciple’ My Child?”

This summer, my wife (Susan) and I were honored to published a new book in the “Joining Jesus” series. The title is “Joining Jesus as a Family: How to Raise Your Children to be Followers of Jesus.”

Below is a excerpt from chapter two of the book. It answers the question that most terrifies parents, grandparents, and anyone mentoring a child: How do I disciple a child to be a follower of Jesus?

The answer is simpler than you think and a lot more fun. Take a look below.

“What Does It Mean to ‘Disciple’ My Child?”

“Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.”

-Paul, a follower of Jesus, writing in 1 Corinthians 11:1 

“What I really lack is to be clear in my mind about what I am to do, not what I am to know.”

–Soren Kierkegaard, renowned theologian, when he was 17

So, what does it mean to “disciple” your own child?

It’s actually a surprisingly simple answer. Because of the way God wired the child/parent relationship, you’re already doing it.

If you’re “raising” your child or “parenting” your child, you’re already “discipling” your child.

Raising my child = Discipling my child

The question is what are you raising/discipling your child to be and do?

Because the words “disciple” or “discipleship” are not ones we often use outside of religious circles, the definitions have become fuzzy for most people. However, these words have synonyms in our modern conversations that are familiar.

For instance, “apprentice,” “trainee,” and “intern” are all synonyms for the word “disciple.” So, when we read in the gospels about “the disciples of Jesus,” we are reading about “the trainees of Jesus” or “the apprentices of Jesus.” Disciples are people who are being mentored by Jesus to become like him and live like him for the good of others.

Jesus explains it this way, “A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher,” (Luke 6:40).

Disciple of Jesus = Trainee of Jesus

The word “discipleship” is often associated with “Christian Education.” In other words, discipleship = scholarship. However, in the gospels, “discipleship” is more than sitting in a classroom, mastering doctrine, and passing a test.  Rather, discipleship is Jesus’ training process where people literally follow him around to gain experience, skill, and confidence in living like him for the good of others.

Discipleship = Jesus’ training process

To put this into more familiar parenting language, we could say that Jesus’ training process for his followers was a kind of parenting process. To highlight the parallel, we could think of Jesus as “raising his kids [his disciples] to live like him.” (Jesus certainly wasn’t their biological father, but in John 13:33 he does call his disciples “my children.”)

Discipleship = Jesus’ training process = A parenting process

If we then go to the New Testament understanding that discipleship is a parallel to parenting, we start to see a lot of applications for the parenting/discipling of our children.

Read the following passages and imagine the disciples are not grown adults but impressionable children:

1. Mark 1:17 (NLT), “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people.”

2. John 13:15, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.”

3. John 13:34, “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

4. Philippians 4:9, “Whatever you have learned from me or seen in me – put it into practice.”

5. 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

As you can see, discipling/raising your child is not just about telling your child what you believe but showing your child what you believe by how you live. Our words and what we say we believe are important, but what matters most to our child’s spiritual formation is how we live out (or don’t live out) what we say we believe.

As the old saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words.”

And because of that, Jesus says, “Come, follow me.” In other words, “Come with me. Let me show you what my words mean by how I live them out.”

How I live my life = How I disciple my child

“Follow me.”

“Observe how I live.”

“Learn from how I do it.”

“Be like me.”

“Follow my example.”

“Imitate me.”

“Consider the outcome of my way of life.”

See the pattern?

That’s what “discipling” your child looks like. God wired your child to observe you, follow you, and want to be like you, for better or worse. That doesn’t mean your child will become a carbon copy of you but a unique version of you. God has given your child his or her own unique talents, challenges, interests, and opportunities (see Psalm 139:13-14 and Jeremiah 29:11). Having said that, how you live out your life and faith is still the pattern and object lesson your child is observing and absorbing as they form their own way of life.

So, why not live the better life? Live the joyful, purposeful, fulfilling life of a Jesus-follower. Why? Because your child is following you.

A few years ago, Mark Baacke, my high school biology teacher, posted the following tribute to his late father on Facebook. I asked him if I could include it for you because he captures the essence of what we are talking about here.

“20 years ago today my dad went home to heaven. He taught me how to play golf, ping pong, baseball and how to make a game out of any situation I faced. He taught me always to do my best even at things I didn't like too much (History, English, washing the car, etc.). When something seemed impossible and I felt like quitting, he would say, ‘That's no hill for a climber.’ Or when a situation totally sucked or was unfair, he'd tell me, ‘Sometimes it goes like that for days, and then it gets worse.’ I don't recall him ever telling me to be a teacher, but he was such a good teacher himself that I grew up wanting to do what he did. He was serious about the important things in life, but he would be the first one to laugh when life threw him a curve ball. He had the ability to see right through fake people. I think the little kid in the story about the emperor's new clothes probably grew up to be my dad. He loved his country and made it better by being a good man himself.

Most importantly, he loved his Lord and Savior, and the more I think about my dad, the more I realize how many times and in how many ways he was letting me see that love in the way he treated people and the way he went through life. Over these past 20 years there are lots of memories and images of my dad that have stayed with me, but one keeps coming up more than most. I'm an eight-year-old kid, and dad is taking me fishing. There are tall weeds between where we parked the car and the pond where we're going to fish. Dad goes ahead of me and I try to follow, but soon he's lost from sight, and I'm surrounded by weeds that are twice as tall as I am. We've done this before, and he's taught me not to panic but just to follow the trail of bent and broken weeds. So that's what I do until I reach the pond and find him smiling back at me because he knows where I'll pop out of the weeds. And so it's been 20 years now that I've been walking through the weeds of life without him, but I've got his trail to follow because he intentionally did things to help me see it, and I firmly believe he was following a trail that Jesus left for him. So, one day I'll pop out of the weeds and Jesus will be waiting for me with Dad right there with Him.”

Yep. That’s what we’re talking about. We live and lead so our children can follow and imitate. That’s what it means to “disciple” our children.

Here’s the Point

So, what does it mean to “disciple” your own child? Because of the way God wired the child/parent relationship, you’re already doing it. If you are “raising” your child, you are already “discipling” your child. As Jesus shows us in the gospels, discipling/raising your child is not just about telling your child what you believe but showing your child what you believe by how you live. Our words and what we say we believe are important, but what matters most to our child’s spiritual formation is how we live out (or don’t live out) what we say we believe.

Part 4: "Why Missional Living Fizzles" (and how to reverse it)

This week we are looking at the fourth reason so many congregations make a good start with missional living, only to see it soon fizzle.

What are the other three reasons? (And what are the simple remedies?)

1) We think studying what Jesus says is the same as doing what Jesus says. (Read the full blog here.)

2) We never seem to get around to building an actual friendship with someone who is living without Jesus’ grace and truth. (Read the full blog here.)

3) People are recruited away from the mission of God by their own congregational programming. (Read the full blog here.)

And here’s #4:

We think discipleship is rooted in scholarship. It is not. It is rooted in relationship and lifestyle.

When discipleship is rooted in scholarship, we reproduce nothing but scholars and do it very slowly. Likewise, the unintentional but clear message to the congregation is that discipleship is really just for the smart kids. Unfortunately, when discipleship is simply scholarship, we end up with people who know the right answers, but don’t know what to do. They remain untrained and inexperienced in practicing the ways of Jesus for the good of others.

However, discipleship is not just learning the facts and figures of the faith. It is having a relationship with someone who can show us how to live out the facts and figures of the faith for the good of others. When discipleship is rooted in relationship and lifestyle, we see the rapid multiplication of discipleship among people (John 13:35, Philippians 3:17, Hebrews 13:7, Matthew 28:19).

Because preachers and program leaders think discipleship is scholarship, they over-value teaching new content and under-value facilitating discipling relationships and lifestyles.

Remedy: Re-prioritize discipling relationships.

At home: the parent/child relationship is the strongest discipling relationship there is. Children are designed to imitate their parents and, for better or worse, are already being deeply discipled by them. Therefore, the most effective family ministry begins by helping parents understand the deep influence their lifestyle is already having on their children and give them tools to become more intentional about how they live. (Our upcoming book, “Joining Jesus as a Family: How to Raise Your Children to be Followers of Jesus” will help parents unpack this. Soon we will be able to announce when it will be available.)

In neighborhoods, workplaces and schools: implement the Connect Strategy in order to foster and multiply discipling relationships and unhurried conversations throughout the congregation and out into the community. Here’s a two-minute video where Susan and I briefly explain the Connect Strategy.

If you would like to unpack this more, email me at finkeonthemove@aol.com

Part 3: "Why Missional Living Fizzles" (and how to reverse it)

Why do so many congregations make a good start with missional living, only to see it soon fizzle? It is no longer a mystery.

There are four unforced errors most congregations are committing that are keeping them from seeing better results. What are they? (And what are simple remedies we can use to reverse the errors?)

1) We think studying what Jesus says is the same as doing what Jesus says. You can read more here.

2) We never seem to get around to building an actual friendship with someone who is living without Jesus’ grace and truth. You can read more here.

3) People are recruited away from the mission of God by their own congregational programming.

Turns out, the mission of God is not really the mission of our congregation. God’s mission is to ignite redemptive movements in every neighborhood. Last Sunday, what were our congregational announcements recruiting people to participate in?

I sit in congregations every weekend where the stated purpose of my being there is to help train and aim the congregation toward missional living. However, even then, when it’s time for announcements, what do most (if not all) of the announcements promote? The mission of God in the neighborhood? Or the programs, needs and opportunities within the congregation?

Jesus said, “Come, follow me, and I will make you to become fishers of men,” Matthew 4:19. Into what do most of our congregational efforts go?

Remedy: Provide a clear, simple plan for people to join Jesus on His mission in their neighborhoods and then use every congregational gathering to celebrate and facilitate such a lifestyle.

What is a clear, simple plan for joining Jesus on His mission? Have people engage two mission assignments.

Assignment #1

Seek the Kingdom: I will practice seeking, recognizing and responding to what Jesus is already doing in the lives of people around me.

Assignment #2

Love your neighbor: I will follow a simple plan for getting to know and spending unhurried time with at least one neighbor who is living without the grace and truth of Jesus.

Then use every congregational gathering - every meeting, study, rehearsal, etc. - to celebrate and facilitate participation in those two assignments. How? By prioritizing “Take-10 Conversations”.

What are “Take-10 Conversations”? “Take-10” means “take ten minutes” at the beginning of any gathering at church to break into groups of two or three and talk about how participating in the two mission assignments is going. You can also encourage people to have “Take-10 Conversations” at home around the dinner table.

Regular “Take-10 Conversations” help people receive the encouragement, insight, and accountability they need to prioritize joining Jesus on His mission in their daily lives.

“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds…,” Hebrews 10:24-25.

It’s simple and it works.

If you would like to unpack this more, email me at finkeonthemove@aol.com

[more next week]

Part 2: “Why Missional Living Fizzles” (and how to reverse it)

Why do so many congregations make a good start with missional living, only to see it soon fizzle? It is no longer a mystery.
 
Congregations are perfectly calibrated for the results they are currently getting in mission, discipleship and multiplication. And most congregations are not getting very good results - no matter what their mission statements may say or how much mission passion they may have.

Why?

There are four unforced errors most congregations are committing that are keeping them from seeing better results. What are they? (And what are simple remedies we can use to reverse the errors?) Last week we looked at the first and biggest reason.

1) We think studying what Jesus says is the same as doing what Jesus says. You can read the post here.

Unforced error #2 is just about as big.

2) We never seem to get around to building an actual friendship with someone who is living without Jesus’ grace and truth.

It sounds obvious when we say it out loud, but we cannot effectively join Jesus on His mission until we are investing in at least one friend who is living without His grace and truth.

Think about it. How many lost people would each of us need to invest in every year to double the size of our congregation’s redemptive impact annually?

The answer? One.

Not hundreds. Not dozens. Just one. One is not a crazy goal. Even people who don’t naturally like people can humble themselves and invest Jesus’ love in one person who needs it.

“While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house…” Matthew 9:10. (also Luke 15)

Remedy: Identify your “ONE” and invest in friendship.

Make it a congregational priority that each person spends regular, unhurried time building a friendship with at least ONE neighbor, coworker or fellow student who is living without the grace and truth of Jesus. How? Share some food, share some laughs, share some stories. It works.

Then the next time you gather with fellow Jesus-followers (at home or at church), begin by taking ten minutes to ask, “Who’s your One? How’s it going?”

If you would like to unpack this more, email me at finkeonthemove@aol.com

[more next week]

Part 1: "Why Missional Living Fizzles" (and how to reverse it)

Last week, Susan and I had the great fun of joining 2600 people at the Best Practices for Ministry Conference in Phoenix. Over the next four weeks, I will share with you the four main points of our session: "Why Missional Living Fizzles” (and how to reverse it).

Why do so many congregations make a good start with missional living, only to see it soon fizzle? It is no longer a mystery.
 
Congregations are perfectly calibrated for the results they are currently getting in mission, discipleship and multiplication. And most congregations are not getting very good results - no matter what their mission statements may say or how much mission passion they may have.

Why?

There are four unforced errors most congregations are committing that are keeping them from seeing better results. What are they?

1) We think studying what Jesus says is the same as doing what Jesus says.

U.S. Christians have very little impact on the neighborhoods where they live because studying what Jesus says doesn’t benefit our neighbors. Jesus tells us to love our neighbors not so we will study His words, but so that our neighbors will experience His love. Remember, action verbs mean we take action.

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” Luke 6:46.

“The entire law is summed up in a single command, ‘Love your neighbor,’” Galatians 5:14.

Remedy: Pivot from studying to taking action.

When teaching the Bible, conclude by asking people to respond to the following question, “As a result of what I have studied today, what does Jesus want me to believe and what does He want me to do for the good of others?” Have them write down their responses and then look for opportunities to put Jesus’ words into action in daily life. The next time you gather, begin by taking ten minutes to have them share the stories of what happened and what was discovered.

If you would like to unpack this more, email me at finkeonthemove@aol.com

[more next week]