#25
Skills will not earn a crown or guarantee success.
Time out: Those first three habits are so supremely important to the Church of Jesus Christ that they are included in the order to shepherd God’s flock. This three-fold divine-human blend is indispensable to your working alongside Jesus as he continues building his Church—“so that the body of Christ may be built up…as each part does its work.”Eph 4:11-13 These three blends are, 1st, divine strategies to keep the gates of hell from overcoming it. Matt 16:18 (aka keeping members from falling through the cracks), 2nd, divine tactics to encourage Christian brothers and sisters to mature in Christ, and 3rd, our Father plans for the Church to be the “family of God,”Eph 3:14-15 brothers and sisters in Christ who love and care for and about each other. Actually, these blends flow, first, from Jesus’ love for Peter, then Peter’s love for Jesus —Lord, you know all things, you know that I love you.” Jn 21:17Think of it! Your source of love is Peter’s source—Jesus—who was the first to take on the form of a willing, eager and exemplary servant. Phil 2:5-8 Loving marks a lay pastor as a notable success.
Habit 4: Covet Integrity It’s not cleanliness that’s next to godliness, it’s integrity—“I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. I Chron 29:17. What does God test for integrity? The heart (aka spirit), that non-physical, in-ner secret center of one’s life, a little higher than man, a little lower than God. It is inaccessible to family, friends, science, philosophy, accessible only to God and you. It’s where integrity and/or hypocrisy rule, where decisions and inner drives originate, finally surfacing in external behavior and attitudes. Integrity matches inner drives with external performance, something like the color and flavor of Reagan’s Jelly Bellies (gourmet jelly beans) are the same inside as outside. Though integrity can be defined as complete, incorruptible, and fixed adherence to values, it is best understood by seeing it. The more we “see” Jesus’ life in the gos-pels and the Apostle Paul’s in his letters, the farther we will move from coveting integrity toward being a person of integrity—“I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you,” Jn. 13:15 and, “Whatever you have heard from me, or seen in me, put it into practice.”Phil. 4:9 We know what the antonym, hypocrisy, is by “seeing” Judas kiss Jesus, Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyl/Mr. Hyde and Madoff’s ponzi scheme. Hypocrisy = failure; integrity = notable success in life and ministry.●
(Audio/Byeong) Dr. Melvin said about integrity, he stressed that we have to be an integrated person. It’s not cleanliness that’s next to godliness, it’s integrity. I look at dictionary what’s means: it writes the quality of being honest, and having strong moral principles that you refuse to change: For instance, no one doubted that the president was a man of the highest integrity. What does God test for integrity? The heart (aka spirit), that non-physical, inner secret center of one’s life, a little higher than man, a little lower than God. It is inaccessible to family, friends, science, philosophy, accessible only to God and you. It’s where integrity and/or hypocrisy rule, where decisions and inner drives originate, finally surfacing in external behavior and attitudes.
Though integrity can be defined as complete, incorruptible, and fixed adherence to values, it is best understood by seeing it. The more we “see” Jesus’ life in the gospels and the Apostle Paul’s in his letters, the further we will move from pursuing integrity toward being a person of integrity. We know what the antonym, hypocrisy, is by “seeing” Judas kiss Jesus. Hypocrisy = failure; integrity = notable success in life and ministry.
COMMENTS
in relation to SEVEN HABITS OF NOTABLY SUCCESSFUL LAY PASTORS[3]
Namoh Choi, Uganda, says:
Lay Pastors Ministry (LPM) is not just another church growth program. In fact, if we look at the existing lay-centered small group ministry, it has been positioned as a provider of various manuals and techniques that all churches can use according to the framework. It is no exaggeration to say that the desire and temptation to revive the church quickly lurks inside the ministry program. Technical understanding and application are prioritized over fundamental understanding. However, LPM ministry is a movement with a new approach that seeks to perceive, discover, and find answers based on a thoroughly fundamental understanding and biblical basis. In fact, one of the difficult realities facing many churches today that are making changes by introducing various lay-centered program is that the lay people who are part of this movement feel that the burden of ministry is too heavy to bear due to the program-oriented nature of the ministry and are eager to let go of it. There are many reasons for this, but the main one is that they do not have a clear understanding of lay ministry and its meaning. Therefore, lay ministry (LPM) is not a program-based ministry, but a ministry that priorities biblical and theological understanding, which is the essence of the movement, and a human approach rather than a technical approach (PACE), and a ministry that seeks to find answers together and pursue the meaning of the church required by the Bible without prioritizing results.
Lay Pastors Ministry (LPM) is a co-operative ministry. One of the conflicts in lay-centered ministry is the ambiguity of the position of pastoral ministry and lay ministry, which is why many churches have a negative perception of this ministry. This is due to a lack of etymological understanding and a lack of understanding of the nature and basis of the ministry. In fact, all of us who have become Christians have been and continue to be in ministry. This is because ministry is usually perceived as something that should be delegated to only one particular person. However, all of us (pastors, staff, deacons, and other believers) are saved and called by God to ministry. In this saved community, some are called to be ministers (Kleros) who specialize in preaching, teaching, equipping and leading, and some are called to be pastors (Poimane) who specialize in ministering to others through prayer, the use of time and resources, tangible service and contact, and life example, so all saved people are to be involved in ministry.
Lay pastors ministry (LPM) is a 21st century reformation of the church. It is interesting to ask the question, could the stifling church of the Middle Ages have survived to the present day? It’s a fascinating question. What would the church look like today if Martin Luther and other Reformers hadn’t revolutionized the closed church structure of the time and made the Bible available to the laity in translation? God, the Ruler of the earthly realm, moves through history and will continue to call for reform and change in the church He has established on earth. Whereas the Reformation in the 16th century opened up the Bible, God’s Word, to the laity and to all people, the church reformation in the 21st century is about opening up the ministry of ministry, which has been restricted to specialized clergy (kleros), to specialized lay ministers (poimane), so that the Word of God and the power of salvation can be spread to all corners of our diverse world. Lay Pastoral Ministry (LPM) is not just about shifting ministry positions, but about restoring the nature of ministry to all of us.
In conclusion, we can dream of a church that looks like this. A church where you can come to church on any day of the week and find lay ministers and members praying, singing, crying, laughing, talking, counselling, sharing God’s word, and enjoying Christian self-esteem and the joy of being a Christian…A church where you can find lay ministers and members living out their assigned roles in life, living exemplary lives that they have been given by lay ministers, supported by ongoing prayer, having their needs met, meeting with them as needed, living together, and having members who naturally take on such ministry themselves. In this sense, LPM ministry is not another church growth or church transformation program, but a ministry of biblical teaching and call to the growing number of redeemed people on earth in a true 21st century church reformation that breaks down the hierarchy of the church and brings all the redeemed together.
Byeong, Melvin University, says:
Integrity is one of the most difficult elements in our live and ministry. What do you say?
There are many kind of lay ministries in the world but we LPM is on the lay pastoral care. This is easier than other lay ministry in some sense, and this is the basic ministry for the people. And also if we want to do this ministry more productively, we need to make proper system of the ministry, as Melvin mentioned, this is the system of congregational care by laypeople, so we have to make adaptive system to the church, then we will find what the LPM is, look like. There is another aspect on the lay ministry which is a little radical approach which is called market place theology saying by Prof. Paul Stevens at Regent College VC, Canada. Beyond that there is missional church in the States, Mission Shape in the UK. I found that they are ok, but those who have traditional concept ,it’s not easy for them to accept, some of them are really good for teaching at seminaries, however they adapt to the local church, a lot of modification should be needed.■
ADDITIONAL COMMENT
by BYEONG
About “Listening”: In many cases, the training courses of leaders conducted in churches contain content about ‘listening’. It means that it is important to listen well in the ministry of guiding and caring for a team or group.
Listening has a variety of teachings, such as passive, active, and paraphrasing, etc. It is also true that listening is highly important in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE).
But there’s a fatal mistake in this regard: we’re tempted to open up our own academic background, our own history, and our own Biography too quickly. This impulse is bound to happen all the time, a fatal mistake for a small group leader.
There is no problem between students and teachers at school, and there is no problem answering when the other person asks. However, in this case, opening too much is more harmful than helping in relationships. I don’t think it’s wise for us to talk about Biography first without the other person asking. This is because it results in causing the other person to have the following misunderstanding:
“Is he going to brag to me?”
“Is he coming to me to brag about himself?”
“Who doesn’t know as much as he does?”
“Did I ask him?”
As a result, it becomes boring and negative rather than positive, as the mind that was considered good disappears. This is a fatal mistake. It can be made up for it with something else, but I think it’s already a little late.
We can’t avoid it when we have to use our own Biography. For example, when we write a book or have to submit a resume, we can’t avoid it. But it’s really forbidden for us to talk about academic background, history, and biography from our own mouths. Why do we expose ourselves so quickly? In the end, it has no choice but to see it as self-pride, and it has no choice but to see it as a lack of consideration from the other person. If we really want to introduce ourselves, we should wait until a third person introduces you. We can’t do anything, even if they don’t introduce us. The fatal thing lies in saying it ourselves. Moreover, these days, because of the Internet, people can find out all of our history by typing our name. We don’t have to say it ourselves.
It sounds a little childish, but if the other person says, “I have visited New York.” Then we might say, “It would have been nice!” That’s enough. By the way, if I say “I’ve been to the U.S.” and talk about my experience longer. Definitely, wouldn’t it be rude?
Also, if the other person says, “I graduated from OOO university,”
You can say, “You graduated from a good university.” That’s it. But you say “I graduated from OOO University,” and talk about my university longer, Definitely, wouldn’t it be kind of weird?
Especially if this kind of talk comes and goes from inside the church! A small group leader should not do this. The leader also believes that self-discipline and self-control are necessary.
계획, 그리고 준비
(Plan, and Preparation)
나는 인도 나가랜드에 신학교를 세울 때 이 두 가지에 매우 관심을 가졌다. 즉 계획을 세우고, ‘준비’를 시작했다. 이 두가지 단어는 어쩌면 다 알고, 쉽고, 그래서 심각하게 생각지 않을 수도 있겠다.
대개 어떤 사역이나 프로젝트를 하기로 해놓고 이제 계획을 한다. 그런데 계획을 세우는 데에는 많은 시간과 에너지를 투자하지만, 그것을 실제로 진행은 못 하는 경우가 많다. 계획을 실천으로 바로 옮기려 하니 까마득하다. 실천 이전에 ‘준비’가 필요한 이유이다.
준비라는 것은 ‘밤에 촛불을 켜면 1~2미터 앞에만 보인다’는 얘기가 있듯이 한꺼번에 모든 것을 다 준비하기보다, 할 수 있는 것은 준비해가라는 뜻이다. 내가 나가랜드에 학교를 시작하려고 했을 때, 나와 현지인과 많은 이야기를 나누었다. 현지인은 (Mr. Aloto) 한국에 온 유학생이었다. 한국에서 2년간 함께 훈련하면서 알던 사이였다.
우리는 학교를 설립하기로 했고, 서로 “기도하자”고 여러 번 이야기했다. 기도하는 동안, 나는 미국 옥사노Auxano 연구소가 만든 책의 요약에서 한가지 글을 읽었는데, ‘계획보다 준비가 더 중요하다’는 제목이었던 것 같다. 그래서 기도하고 계획을 세운 후 “이제 준비해가자”고 나는 Aloto 에게 얘기했고, 그도 내 말의 뜻을 이해하고 준비에 박차를 가했다. 더 이상 ‘계획’이라는 말은 필요 없었다. 준비라는 말과 개념, 그리고 ‘준비해간다’는 동사형만 남아 있었고, 사실 그 ‘준비하는 것’만이 우리를 기다리고 있었던 것이다. 그래서 준비를 계속해나가다 보니, 결국 개교식까지 할 수가 있었다. 거의 1년이라는 시간동안 꾸준히 준비해온 결과였다. 계획만으로는 결과가 나타나지 않는다. 그저 뭔가 일어나기를 기대만 해서는 안 일어난다.
사실, 우리는 ‘계획을 세우기 위해’ 많은 것을 배우고 또 그렇게 해왔다. 계획을 세울 필요가 없다는 것은 아니지만, 계획 그 자체가 끝이라는 잠재적인 무의식이 우리를 얽어맬 때가 종종 있다. 즉, 계획 이후에는 준비 Preparation에 더 집중하고 힘을 쏟아야 한다는 뜻이다.
왜 준비가 중요한가! 준비라는 것은 일회성의 구호도 아니고, 한 번에 완성되는 것도 아니고, 또 정지해 있는 명사형(noun)도 아니다. 그것은 실제로 끝이 없는 무언가를 지속적으로 하면서 진행해가고 있는 것이다. 그러다 보면 언젠가 우리가 완성한 결말의 순간이 올 것이다.
아무튼 일단 준비가 시작되면, 우리는 내부와 외부로부터 많은 아이디어, 통찰력, 자원을 얻을 것이다. 계획을 세우기 위해 가만히 앉아 있기만 하면, 우리 주변의 자원들을 볼 수도 없고 찾을 수도 없다. 우리가 어떤 목표를 위해 [준비해갈 때], 우리는 방법을 찾을 것이고, 또한 그럴 때 사람들도 우리가 하는 것을 보기에 도울 것이다.
로버트 프리츠는 자신의 책, “저항을 최소화시키는 방법”에서 강조하기를, 만약 우리가 하나의 주요 목표를 정하고, 그 목표를 이루기 위해 노력한다면 우리 주변의 모든 것이 우리를 도울 것이라고 했다. 왜냐하면, 사람들과 상황들이 그렇게 정렬되어 가기 때문이다. 이것이 소위 그가 말한 “구조 역학(structural dynamics)”이다.
그렇다. 중요한 사역을 준비해 나갈 때 하나님이 함께하실 것이다. 계획만으로는 충분하지 않다. 많은 사람이 계획을 세우지만, 실천하는 사람은 많지 않고, 그냥 가만히 서서 기다리기만 하면서, 더 이상 그런 방향으로, 즉 준비를 해나가지 않는다. 계획은 아주 잘해도 아무 일도 일어나지 않는다.
나는 이런 [준비를 계속해서] 학교를 개교했기 때문에, 이것이 사실이라는 것을 알게 되었다. 우리가 계획만 세우고 거기서 멈추면 완성할 수 없다. 많은 사람들이 계획은 세워놓고 준비하기 전에 멈추게 되는 것은 슬픈 사실이다. 왜냐하면, 그들은 계획을 세워놓고는 다 한 것처럼 멈추어버리고 만다. 그러고는 뭔가 “어떤 일어나겠지!” 하고 기대만 하고 시간을 보내지만, 실제로 그런 일은 안 일어난다. 계획했으면 그 다음에는 준비로 옮겨가야 한다.●