Family Picture

This is what we're thinking about using as a communication piece with our supporters as we leave to plant a church. It was taken last weekend at my cousin's wedding. It's a pretty fun picture, unlike the standard post card perfect family photo. I like it. We'll probably make it into a magnet or something like that.

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Team Leadership

I read an interesting blog today. You can find it here.
It follows up and even references another article that I read that can be found in the newest issue of Leadership magazine. Apparently there is a trend among younger evangelicals toward churches with a team leadership structure, rather than a hierarchical or senior pastor model. Of course, this intrigues me as I'm getting ready to set out and launch a new church. I really resonate with the idea. I don't want to be the guy in the spotlight, and I certainly don't want a church that is "Jeremy's church." I guess what I wonder though is how you do this in a practical sense. How does it work? How are decisions made? Who sets the vision for the church? Who holds people accountable to their particular ministries? Who does the fundraising for the new church? Who recruits people? It seems like at some point there's got to be a point person. And maybe that is only necessary for the first year or so, up until the church launches. Maybe at that point leadership can be shared. But it's an interesting idea nonetheless. It seems more biblical to me. Rather than one guy trying to be and do everything, there's a team of people who function and minister out of their areas of giftedness. I say it seems biblical, but then again in the New Testament it seems pretty clear that there is a hierarchical structure in place. Form Peter to Paul to Timothy, there are clear cut leaders in the local churches. Paul writes to whole churches at times and urges them to function as the body of Christ, but other times he writes specifically to the leader (Timothy, for example) and encourages him to lead.

It will be interesting to see how this all works itself out in the next 20-30 years. I do think that the current model is lacking. I wonder though if this team leadership model is the answer. My guess is that there is some kind of balance of the two that would be ideal.

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Church Planting is Hard

We haven't even moved yet. And I feel swamped by this. I've been buried in budget planning, fundraising, team building, house selling, and ministry. My stress level is pretty high right now. I'm a worrier, and I think that's because I am kind of a control freak. I want to have everything figured out and planned out and yet so much of this is simply a step of faith. I don't get to have all the answers. It feels like everything I was holding on to for security is being yanked out from under me. The people I was totally sure were coming with us are now in question. The places I was sure I was going to be able to fund raise are now being pulled away from me. The money I was sure we were going to get from our house selling is now slipping away as the price continues to drop. My plans are falling apart. And maybe that's the point. This isn't about my plans, it's about His. I've always wanted my life and the things I do to be unexplainable apart from God. I want it to be clear that He is the reason for everything that happens - not me. It looks as though He is making sure that happens. I am running out of plan B's at this point. It's all going to happen according to His plan, His will, and His glory. And that's the way it should be.

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