#27
(See pages 56-59 of Can The Pastor Do It Alone?)
Draft Qualifications. (Note that Moses, the apostles, and Paul had qualifications for people they chose-Ex. 18:14-27, Acts 6: 1-6, I Tim 3: 1-13).
a Committed……to Christ and the church, also their readiness to commit themselves to the group.
- Mature…….having proved themselves in faith, relationships and ministry
- Available….. not overly committed to other ministries or activities. Their life situation must permit time, energy and sustained attention to this ministry.
- Creative… able to combine traditional methods and forms with emerging principles to create a new ministry. Able to release their hold on how things have been done before and how others are doing it. It helps to be imaginative.
- Communicative….ready and willing to talk, can express themselves bravely and clearly. Neither aggressive nor passive, but assertive in handling competing ideas and proposal. Can comprehend and verbalize abstractions and concepts.●
(Audio/Byeong) Dr. Melvin said when we make a leadership group for this ministry in the church,
we have to select people who are Matured, Available, Creative, and Communicative.
This is talking about people in the church, but I found people in the LPM USA are also a good team, I mean they are qualified to be leaders, and they made good group for the nationally in the States and also Internationally.
For us, when we were begun this ministry in Korea, I need these kind of qualified people those who can do for nationally, that’s entire for Korean churches.
Absolutely they should be matured people which means in faith, relationship with others and ministry. There should be time available, because some people want to belonging to leadership group, but don’t have time to gather. Also, leadership teams need creativity for better ministry, management so creative people should be involved. And also they have to be communicative which means easily sharing new ideas, insight for ministry each other.
COMMENTS
in relation to Formation of group people
Sunmi Kim, Korea, says:
At Lord Love Mission Church, where I serve, young adults make up 80-90 per cent of the congregation, including many brothers and sisters who are not yet married. Through my work with the youth ministry, I get to see how difficult it is for working Christians in today’s society to keep their faith, including the Lord’s Day, and how to apply and resolve their own struggles and conflicts.
I believe that the key to ministry is relationship, and through my one-on-one counselling work with young people, I have learnt the benefits of caring and have naturally come to know not only their beliefs, but also to build relationships with other members of the faith. In this way, I have come to realise how young people in this day and age do not have a good set of biblical values and how shallow their faith roots are.
It is very sad to see that, without realising it, their faith is underpinned by a pervasive sense of escapism and humanism. Of course, I believe that many Christians long for spiritual balance, but I also see that it is strictly a relative balance, not an absolute balance. In this respect, I believe that we all need to examine ourselves daily before the Word of God, which is the absolute truth. I believe that it is dangerous to test the authenticity of our faith by our own experiences and experiences. We should endeavour to validate it by the Bible. I am convinced that the more we can look at ourselves objectively, the more we will be able to humble ourselves before the Lord.
Our motto at Lord Love Mission Church is ‘A church that builds up one soul at a time through service and care. ‘ We believe that before we can establish a person as “one leader” of any church, we need to make it clear to him that he is a steward sent by God to serve the Lord and help him to be well rooted in the faith. We need to affirm his identity in God and in the world. We believe, in the words of Calvin, that ‘how we know ourselves is the primary condition of how we know God’.The Believer’s Life The true model of life for PACE ministry is Jesus Christ.
In a post-modern world of chaos, disorder and lack of justice, it will be increasingly difficult for Christians to survive without something to hold on to. Even the church has lost the lead in Christian culture and society is imitating and following the world, and Christians should not be swayed by the world.
Each church should be able to create its own culture, just as each individual finds his or her own colour, and I am sure that the PACE ministry will be able to help each other in this regard. I believe that as evil as the times are becoming… as weak as human beings are becoming… we urgently need each other’s care in Christ.■
Joan Dubberke, USA, says:
A large retirement village in our city publishes a little paper called ENGAGING THE ELDERLY. Webster’s College Dictionary lists” Engaging” to mean a. attract and provide occupation for, b. to arrange for their use or services. Have you looked around your church lately to see how many of you older adults are actively engaged in some type of service? Perhaps they are doing a lot for the community such as driving for Meals On Wheels or working on homes for the poor. Have you checked to see how many of your members are retired? There are two very good reasons that a Shepherd or Caring Ministry can and should give this some thought.
With life expectancy growing and the older population mushrooming, what are we doing to ENGAGE them in the ministry of the church. The Shepherd Ministry can chart a course that would help older adults to feel useful, needed. Many people retire, and after several months of traveling, relaxing, playing golf, they sit down one day and ask the question, “ Hey, this isn’t really all it’s cracked up to be. What can I do now? The days are are so long, my children are all too busy to spend much time with me …” They find that they are bored and lonesome much of the time. The Caring Ministry could develop opportunities to make use of this largely untapped group of people. Besides being of great benefit to them, think of what they can do for your Shepherd Ministry and your church. Think of the vast amount of knowledge that is simply going to waste. Not only do they have extra time which young working families are hard pressed for … they also have so many skills, so much ability that could be used in a positive way.
ENGAGING THE AGING at your church could add a whole new dimension to the ministry of your congregation. Teaching Bible Class, quilters and knitters and sewers and cookers … preparing funeral luncheons, making quilts and clothes for a society like Nurses For Newborns, tutoring or reading to a young child that can’t speak English, visiting the nursing home and especially seeing the folks that have no family around anymore. Once you start thinking creatively, your list will be endless. And best of all. ..all you need is to present the needs and then let them chose something that appeals to them or fits in with their interests and health conditions.
How do you start? Do not – that’s correct – Do not put an ad in the Sunday bulletin and say, “We’re looking for old people who can come to a meeting on Friday evening and help the shepherd program do some work.” I can assure you, probably no one will attend and almost immediately you will assume that the whole thing was a bad idea.■
Byeong, Melvin University, says:
Which one from above is important to you when you recruit people? And why?
There are three serious cases on this issue: For Melvin, he wrote about PACE Plus, here mean that we have to add some more qualities to the PACE; I think this is a kind of strategy. Through this addition to PACE, it will be moving to mature and growth slowly and finally some changes among those congregation, I mean organizational change, then moving to church growth. I think this is Dr. Melvin’s strategy. Especially he wrote these elements at “Letter to Lay Pastors.”
Second, case is the Hallelujah church. Actually the church is already big size enough, 6000 members there. They were matured enough through many ministries and programs, but through PACE ministry their culture and ministry direction was totally changed, PACE effected to church growth indirectly. For instance, every people understood they have to be PACE minister, so its culture has moved that way finally.
Third, case is Rock Church in Seoul downtown, Pastor Park. Rev. Park is one of our staffs. He was very talented on preaching, and also interested in the PACE ministry, so his church have done PACE more than ten years, and still trying to adapt new strategy on PACE to his congregation. Finally he found PACE ministry is very good for everywhere; Sunday school children, youth, so on, even to the secular organizations; company, correctional center. His congregation has fully understood what that mean, so it effected to church growth in the end.
For me, how I have made myself grown through this ministry! I have been trained pastoral care through CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education), Therefore, I am sure that I am a little matured and growth myself through that training. In some way CPE has trained me good enough, however it was only introduction part of my ministry journey in comparing to PACE ministry.
I can say the former (CPE), the latter (PACE) here, both are training and developed caring skill, concept, but Melvin’s material and system is extended of caring skill, and also focus on the laypeople’s caring.
Thus, latter made me growing through the role of national leader of this ministry. I mean I have been growth on leadership with caring. This is the ultimate direction of PACE, means not only caring itself forever but growing in some specific areas of the ministry.■
ADDITIONAL COMMENT
by BYEONG
Diversity Required: Recently, I read the English book, “A Peacock in the Land of Penguins,” that is about the difficulties of entering an existing organization, and finally the peacock left it. It seems to show the conflict between peacocks and penguins and the difficulty of adapting to new places and new organizations.
But I’m going to share with you some interesting things in the appendix of the book. The appendix presents 13 options, which are described as [strategy]. I think you can make a choice according to your own talents. In other words, there are several options for whether to stay or leave such an organization, or ministry, and you have to choose.
If you stay, it is suggested that you have the following options. Of course, it is true that any choice has its advantages/disadvantages.
BLUE BIRD STRATEGY: Always looking cheerful in difficult situations. It is a positive person in any situation.
MOCKING BIRD STRATEGY: To imitate what people around you do. It is a person who is easy to assimilate into the organization and adapts well.
SPARROW STRATEGY: Staying neutral and creating your own brand behind the scenes. No one recognizes you by not showing off publicly. It’s a good case for long-term work.
HUMMINGBIRD STRATEGY: To move fast and be efficient; to have immediate consequences.
CANARY STRATEGY: It looks colorful and attractive. They are always at the center, attractive and entertaining.
SWAN STRATEGY To earn respect with dignity by doing his job. It’s that he always look confident.
VULTURE STRATEGY Showing off its own differences. It’s about doing things that other people don’t want to do.
OWL STRATEGY Being professional in a field. It is considered valuable and important.
HAWK STRATEGY, becomes a valuable person because he is good at building skills and strategies in new ministry.
DOVE STRATEGY, a peacemaker we know well, a mediator, a problem solver. This is an important role because there are bound to be conflicts and problems regardless of the organization.
EAGLE STRATEGY is playing a leadership role in bringing about changes to improve. It is a case of sacrificing oneself for a greater good.
PEACOCK STRATEGY: Bringing positive results with an excellent talent. But people around you may feel uncomfortable about this.
OSTRICH STRATEGY is a style that always hides something. It’s good for the time being, but bad for the long term.
As you can see, there are various characteristics and it is clearly beneficial to any organization or ministry.
However, the other is the view of welcoming new members in terms of existing members. In the book above, it was true that the older penguins were uncomfortable with the new peacock’s various things. Even if the feathers were too different, the philosophy of life was too different.
It is necessary for new people to come in regardless of the organization. Whether it’s a church, an Institute, or a school, the same people gather to start, but over time, new members come in. You’d better take it as an opportunity.
Some of the 13 above are unfamiliar to me, but we at Melvin University also need such characters, employees, and professors. I think that’s the only way to develop. Regardless of which organization it is, the existing members’ ideas and strategies become mediocre after a few years. It is difficult to come up with a new strategy from the old member. After five to six years, it’s all gone.
New wine in the new wineskin? Just as new wine is added to the new wineskin, I think it is necessary to have an open attitude for new people to come in and leadership to maximize their capabilities so that not only themselves but also their organization can benefit.
오른손이 하는 것은 왼손이 모르게
이것은 선행을 베풀때 자랑하지 말고 조용히 하라는 의미이겠다. 나는 두 가지가 기억난다. 하나는 멜빈목사님께서 아프리카 학생을 도운 것이다. 거의 20여년전의 일이지만 최근에 알게 되었다. 20여년전 멜빈목사님께서는 아프리카 학생을 도와서 데이스터 대학 (Daystar University)을 졸업시켜준 얘기이다. 그 학생은 멜빈목사님의 첫번째 책을 신학교 도서관에서 발견하고는 읽으면서 감동을 받고, 목사님께 연락하여 둘이 서로 교제가 시작되었다. 그래서 케냐에서 연구소를 오픈하여 전국적인 사역을 하였는데, 결국은 그 학생이 아버지가 물려준 땅 18,000평을 희사하여 멜빈대학교가 탄생된 것이다. 그가 바로 현재 멜빈대학교 부총장인 존 오길라 목사이다. 미국인인 멜빈목사님이 아니었더라면 결코 아프리카 청년이 정규대학(university)을 졸업하지 못하였을 것이다.
그런데 나는 이사실을 전혀 모르고 있었다. 멜빈목사님과 사역을 20여년 가까이 하면서도 아프리카에 학생을 돕고 있다는 얘기는 나에게 한 번도 안하셨다. 멜빈목사님이 세상을 떠나시고, 오길라가 부총장이 된 다음에 그렇게 도움을 받았다는 얘기를 나에게 해서 알게 되었다. 사실 한국에서 사역을 할 때 나와 우리 연구소 스탭들이 멜빈 목사님을 많이 원망했었다. 그렇게 가까이 하면서 10원도 안 도와 주신 것이다. 지금 생각하면 못 도와주신 것이다. 아프리카인 오길라 부부와 자녀를 다 대학의 가족 기숙사에서 넣어서 4-5년 지원했으니 우리 한국 사역을 도와주기는 힘들었을 것이다. 내가 예상하기로 1억이상 오길라 공부에 투자했을 것이다. 그런데도 나한테 외국인을 도와주니 한국은 못 도와 준다는 얘기를 안 하신 것이다. 직접 몇 번 만났는데도 얘기 안 해주셨다. 정말로 오른손이 하는 것을 왼손이 모르게 하라는 실천적 교훈이 되신 것이다.
다른 하나는 카니(Connie)할머니이다. 케나다에서 신학교에 다닐때 임상목회훈련 (CPE)을 받아야 하는데 토론토에서 실습할 곳이 마땅치 않아 몇시간 정도 떨어져있는 우드스탁(woodstok)이라는 곳의 정신박약아 센터 (Mentally Retared People) 에서 실습하도록 배정되었다. 다행히도 지도교수 뮤리얼 Muriel 할머님은 (당시 70세이상 들어 보였다.) 인도에서 선교사로 10여년 이상 사역하셨던 분이었기에 나 같은 동양인을 잘 이해해 주셨다. 영어도 잘 못하고, 또 문화도 케나다와 한국은 많이 다르니 그 교량역할을 잘해주셨다. 당시 나머지 6명은 전부 캐나다인으로 좋은 대학들 나왔고 나보다 경험들도 많은 사람들이 었다. 토론토에서 너무 멀기에 매일 출퇴근은 어려우니 방을 하나 구해서 주간에 근무하고 주말에는 토론토 집으로 돌아와야 하는 상황이었다. 그래서 뮤리얼 지도교수님이 본인의 친구라면서 단독주택을 소개해주어 2층에서 몇 달 기거하게 되었다. 집주인인 카니 할머니는 일반 병원의 사무직원으로 거의 30여년간 근무하시고 계신분이었다. 매일 아침 그분은 그 병원에 근무하러 출근하셨고, 나는 정신박약아 센터로 가서 실습을 6개월간 하였다. 그 집에 입주할 때에 한 달에 250불씩 내기로 게약했다. 내가 학생이었으니까 싸게 해주신것 것 같았다. 그런데 6개월 실습을 마치고 보따리를 싸 가지고 토론토로 올려고 출발하려 하니 카니 할머니께서 할 얘기가 있다고 잠간만 보자고 하여, 거실 의자에 앉았는데 봉투를 하나 내미시는 것이었다. 그러면서 내가 낸 방세를 쓰지 않고 모아두었는데 이제 돌려주겠다며 갖고 가라는 것 이었다. 나는 좀 당황했고 또 처음 겪어보는 일이라. 그러나 모아두었던 것이라하여 안 받을 수도 없는 상황이었다. 그 당시 나는 학생으로 또 가족과 함께 토론토에 지내고 있었기에 봉투에 든 1,500불은 큰 돈이 었다.
지금도 생각하면 멜빈목사님의 그런 모습, 또 카니 할머니의 그런 생각을 하고 계셨다는 것이 나로서는 부끄럽기도 하고 또 정말 배워야 할 모습들이라고 다시금 생각하게 된다.●