Can churches grow in the summer? Of course they can. In fact, churches should grow in the summer. However, they rarely do for one simple reason: their leaders let down too much.

Some churches I know do away with children’s ministry for the summer to give their teachers a rest. Others quit small groups or put virtually nothing on the church calendar. Some preachers repreach old sermon series, or do the series they don’t think can handle the freight in fall or spring. The reasoning is simple: offerings and attendance go down, so it’s better to save our best efforts and cost for the times that people are actually around.

I understand that thinking completely, and half agree with it. If given the choice between “using our bullets” in summer or the “high season,” I would choose fall or spring as well. I’m just wondering if a sometimes people care less in the summer because we do. Some churches even talk about summer that way–convincing the church it’s less important than other times. I’m also wondering if we couldn’t benefit from pacing ourselves better in fall and spring so our churches don’t hibernate in the summer.

Summer is also a main time for people to look for a new/any church home. Some are moving into your city. Others want to get spiritually on track before school starts up again. Some single moms head back because the kids are out of school and some adult time to ponder her life would do her some good. If they show up and children’s ministry isn’t happening, the preacher is never there, the calendar is totally empty, and there is an overall laxness about ministry that’s palpable, you may lose a great opportunity. During our first summer at New Vintage Church, some of our most core people arrived while we thought our “regulars” were traveling. That trend has continued. Summer is a key time. Don’t surrender it.

If in fact our churches need a labor break in the summer that badly, the reality is we need to pace ourselves better–not abandon the summer. I’m not naive, I agree the summer is probably the best time for the preacher to take their vacations, trim the calendar a bit, etc. But, there is a difference between running at, say, 85% and mailing in the summer practically and mentally–which is quite common and also indirectly harmful to the fall and spring church “seasons.”

Summer is actually the best time for doing six things in particular:

• Yes, resting. Here I’m talking about taking a daily run instead of running a marathon in the summer. Don’t stop running altogether.
• Fellowship. People are already in the mood. It’s BBQ, baseball, lake/beach season. Go with it and enjoy it. Rather than plan a thick calendar. Find one or two simple ways for the church to do together what people already love doing in the summer–grillin’ and chillin’.  You can do this as a whole church, or in small groups. It will be fun and build community.
• Strategic planning. I’ve always taken some time in the summer for strategic planning–sermon series, crafting a Fall/Winter ministry strategy, preparing to launch new ministries, etc. Take note Youth Ministry is less accessible in the summer– it’s their “high” season, so I’m talking here about strategic planning that doesn’t impact Youth Ministry much.
• Apprenticing new servant leaders. Summer is a great time to “try out” new servant leaders. Just be strategic about it. Don’t throw in someone totally unprepared.
• Spiritual growth. Perhaps it’s because many have more time in the summer, but summer is a great time to encourage the church toward a season of spiritual growth through prayer, Bible study, etc. This also applies to church leaders. Make sure your walk with the Lord is vibrant. Summer gives some space for this.
• Closing loops. Summer is a great time to finish projects that remain undone and general organizational messiness. Get the new copier. Look for a better deal on lawn care. Do some digging on that new approach to family life ministry that peaked your interest.

Lastly, to my fellow preachers–don’t mail in the task of preaching over the summer. God deserves better from us. Plus, it hurts us practically as those who visit our churches as guests or vacationers get cold leftovers rather than warm, fresh bread. The guests may not come back. The vacationers may tell a friend who is set to move into the area they came and found it rather spiritually tepid–check out somewhere else. If summer is your break time, fill the pulpit with quality guests or able staff. Keep the bread fresh, whether it’s you serving it or not. Glorify God by not mailing in, or downloading your sermons.

To sum it up:

Some of the “back to school” jump churches often see is actually “regulars” coming back from summer travels along with people who become a part of the church informally over the summer. As tempting as it may be, don’t mail in the summer. It provides all sorts of unique opportunities for your church to grow–inside and out.

Note: This post is adapted from a prior post

• Among sporting events, choose a baseball game if you want to spend quality time with someone else. Last night, I took Anna to a game, and it was one of the best father-daughter experiences I’ve ever had.
• I’m really, really sad for the churches led by the three megachurch pastors who resigned due to adultery this week. I won’t throw any rocks at those guys, but the damage this brings to their families, churches, and Christ’s name in Orlando is significant. Let all Christians (and pastors especially) watch out for the enemy, who prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
• These three things are beautiful, and as rare as unicorns: an honest, quality, good-value mechanic; a happy and efficient DMV worker, and politicians taking responsibility for mistakes and giving credit to others.
• I saw the Great Gatsby. Compared to the book, I thought they made it more of a love story than commentary on greed and excess. However, it’s superbly acted and beautifully filmed. It’ll probably be nominated for three or four artsy Oscars. It’s one you’ll want to see on the big screen.
• It’s surprising how much some non-Calvinists hate Calvinism. Some of the blogs this week were unbelievable.
• I’ve never tried guacamole. As a native Californian, this is blasphemy…but a blasphemy I plan to continue.
• I never tried salsa until I was 30 years old.
• Congratulations to Bill Gates for once again becoming the world’s richest man. At least he gives a lot of it away–90%.
• Other than the obvious problems, the IRS’s biggest problem in their current malaise is that most people hate them. They have few friends, and the masses are cheering for their defeat. Thus, it’s good for politicians on both sides of the aisle to appear upset and push for serious carnage here. They perform a necessary function in our society, but in the eyes of the masses they have gone from being those who protect against fraud to the fraudulent abusers of power. Whether that’s fair or not will be born out as we see what actually happened. If they were forced to do it by the White House, trust may be partially restored.
• Going back to my post on accountability this week–let’s apply it to the current White House scandals. In each case, the Justice Department is being asked to investigate the issue. Hah!
• Remember when the Justice Department was asked to investigate the Justice Department’s Fast and Furious scandal?
• In each case, there will be an underling sacrificed. In Washington, it’s never the fault of those on top. Good leaders accept responsibility for the actions of those under their management.
• I’m sorry to rant on the subject…but it’s one of the most stark examples of failed leadership I’ve seen in my lifetime. This isn’t to say the President hasn’t had some shining moments as well. I’m saying this is clearly not one of them–and you can often see a leader’s true leadership qualities when they’ve failed.
• It feels like the NBA playoffs started a year ago. They really should make the format a little more concise.
• There is a fitness-Nazi trend among pastors these days. I think this is pleasant reversal from the days of pear-shaped pastors–and I’m jumping in.
• However, I hope we don’t get vain or judgmental about it.
• The only book I prefer in paper form is the Bible. I can’t do devotional reading of the Bible on my phone or screen. It just feels too weird. Give me a good leather Bible.
• According to the ECPA, the best-selling Bible translation in May is still the NIV–though some of this might be the scooping up of NIV ’84 bibles (now out of print) in response to the 2011 update. The New Living translation comes in at number two. They are followed by the KJV, NKJV, and ESV.
• A study released this week says those who tithe have healthier personal finances than those who don’t. It reminds me of the old Dave Ramsey quote: “If you can’t live on 90% of your income, you can’t live on 100% either.”
• It’s a shame what’s happened to Detroit. I think it’s a great city–and I hope it can get back on the right track.
• Suddenly, California is running a surplus. How about that?

What’s on your mind this Friday?

However, we’ve really messed up this concept. We don’t hold people accountable in ways we should, and hold people “accountable” in counterproductive ways. Here are six ways to insure accountability is a blessing rather than too sparse or merely a different word for control.

1. Recognize and the “intrinsic” accountability already present–and align ministry there. For instance, when hiring a new staff member, there is intrinsic accountability built into the results of the hire that insure the “hirer” will do a thorough job–if the “hirer” is the Senior Pastor. They will need to work with that person on a daily basis, manage them, and be responsible for transitioning that person if they don’t work out. Any egg on the face will be theirs. They will have to do with fewer financial resources because of the hire. So, there are a lot of built-in reasons for them to do a thorough job with the hire. Accountability is intrinsic.

Not so with a committee. They have no stake at all in the hire, and tend to underestimate the true damage a bad hire can cause because they’ve never suffered the results first-hand. This is why, in my opinion, committees are helpful in an advisory capacity, but not a “voting” capacity in the hiring process. They aren’t accountable, and have no real skin in the hire. Ministry hires are nuanced in ways business hires aren’t–and vice-versa.

2. Build in accountability for everyone, and especially those in power. I said in my class on leadership at the Pepperdine Bible Lectures (affiliated with Churches of Christ) something that stung, but got a lot of nods. “Churches of Christ are built to protect against the autocratic minister. However, they have little or no immune system to protect them against autocratic or unhealthy elders.”

I’ve never seen a true autocratic minister in a Church of Christ. However, autocratic elderships are quite common. One reason is there is no accountability mechanism for those who hold the most power. This is so dangerous. In other tribes, it’s a Deacon Board or Senior Pastor for whom there is zero accountability. In every case, in every tribe, it’s a bad thing. Whether it’s a rotating elder system, a differentiated ministry system, a by-law or policy governance accountability system–choose wisely and make sure there is some accountability for those with the most power. This is especially true for matters of character.

3. Make sure accountability and responsibility match. People should have responsibility for that which they will be held accountable for…and be held accountable for decision they actually make. If the elders, for instance, make a poor decision and fire the preacher for the results–this is both unfair and assurance of future mistakes. After all, the pastor has changed, but those who made the mistake haven’t–and there’s an invincibility quotient that is likely to factor into future decisions. If the elders grant freedom to the minister and they abuse the power given, they must be held accountable for responsible use of the power granted.

4. Don’t allow accountability to disguise attempts at control. Or, we should just call it “control.” Accountability is a good word that carries with it the connotation of doing what’s best for those involved. Accountability is something healthy people seek rather than avoid. Control is a different concept–and loves to wear the banner of “accountability” in dysfunctional situations. One of the worst things a church can do is give people legitimate reason to fear “accountability” by asserting inappropriate or unnecessary control.

5. Pay Attention to the “Shots on Goal Principle.” In baseball, a .300 batting average is considered quite good. This is in part due to the fact most advantages belong to the pitcher and it’s graded over 162 games and 600 at-bats. In basketball, shooting 30% from the free-throw line is terrible. Why? Because you’re shooting with no one guarding you, standing still, from a short distance. A good free-throw shooter needs to hit at least 75% of their free-throws. The percentage of “misses” one is allowed by a coach depends on the shot taken and the number of shots taken.

Here’s the point: The harsher your “accountability” processes are, the less risk your staff is likely to take. Fewer mistakes don’t make someone a better minister. It means they make fewer mistakes–though they are likely making the key mistake of never stretching their ministry. Highly “accountable” ministry means fewer catastrophic mistakes, but it means you’ll score fewer points as well. Your most effective minister isn’t necessarily the one making the fewest mistakes. It might be the one who misses more because of the kind of shots they take and how often they shoot. Make sure you’re clear about how many and what kind of shots you want people to take–and hold them accountable for results based on that “style of offense.”

As a rule, we at New Vintage save our highest accountability for character matters.

6. Remember grace. “Accountability” isn’t best when it’s punitive. People are going to make mistakes, and we serve a gracious Savior who is the only true Head of the Church. So, while upholding His standard, we must remember grace. Elders, pastors, committees, volunteers–they all make mistakes. Coaching, correcting, adjusting and forgiving is usually the best approach.

Thoughts? What else might you add?

Five years.

Churches are willing to get less out of a minister for five years so they can protect against them doing the church harm either practically or spiritually? Why hire such a person if they deserve such suspicion? Who would jump at the opportunity to serve in such a system? Does this all make sense?

At one level, it makes none at all–given the average pastoral tenure is less than that. In addition, new elder selection processes reset the trust clock with at least some. Furthermore, frustrations relating to freedom to do ministry usually run toward the top of the list. In addition, how is a minister supposed to earn trust based on competency when they aren’t allowed to do what they’re capable of?

Ironically, churches choose people as elders they believe are trustworthy. In most cases, full regard for their input and authority is granted from day one. However, this doesn’t happen at the staff level–which is why both systems–elders and staff–struggle to work together.

I obviously believe absolutely EVERY minister should be trustworthy. However, I also believe the infamous “earning trust” phase is self-defeating–leading to lower productivity and higher turnover than would otherwise.

Why not just hire people you trust?

Don’t spend five years paying someone to be, largely, a professional trust earner. Besides, every elder and church member may have different criteria for what earns their trust. For some, it will be competency. For others, it will be not rocking the boat. Others will have totally different “trust earning” criteria.

This system doesn’t work.

Hire people you trust, and trust them until there is some reason not to–remembering grace if/when they make mistakes. Let’s not choose five years of suspicion and caution instead of five years of ministry together based on trust. The best way to do that is to hire well, with a clear picture of “trustworthy” looks like as you hire.

As New Vintage Church, we look for these four things.* (The first three are from Bill Hybels in Courageous Leadership.)

1. Character. They pursue a growing relationship with Christ and live a life of integrity.
2. Competency. They are able to lead their area of ministry with excellence.
3. Chemistry. They get along well with others in leadership and the congregation as a whole.
4. Fit. They fit our staff culture–creative, excellence-oriented, flexible, fun-loving, and buy into our ministry philosophy.

If we know (as best we can) they have these four things, it’s not hard to trust such a person.

Question: What does it take for you to grant trust to someone you work with?

• My spiritual hero, Dallas Willard, died this week of cancer. I grieve for his family, and for those who’ve been shaped by his writings as I have. No other Christian author has impacted me as much as Dallas Willard. He is so much more than an author, though. Using the term “author” to describe him is a gross understatement.
• I could post Dallas Willard quotes on this blog for a year and never run out. But, here’s one that came to mind as I was studying for this week’s message. It’s from The Great Omission: “Christians who do read their Bibles often don’t know their Bibles. The reason why they don’t know their Bibles is because they don’t really read their Bible as a treatise on reality, as something that brings change and transformation of our lives.”
• Here’s another: “But, someone will say, can I not be “saved”—that is, get into heaven when I die—without any of this? Perhaps you can. God’s goodness is so great, I am sure that He will let you in if He can find any basis at all to do so. But you might wish to think about what your life amounts to before you die, about what kind of person you are becoming, and about whether you really would be comfortable for eternity in the presence of One whose company you have not found especially desirable for the few hours and days of your earthly existence.”
• I was thrilled to hear my utility rates are going up again. I was just thinking they were far too low
• So all four American Idol judges are supposedly gone after this year. It’s been a good run, but it’s over. I think the best years were those when just Simon, Randy and Paula hosted–and it stayed really clean.
• Glad to hear someone is in talks with Kiefer Sutherland to have 24 come back. However, it isn’t fair to play with my emotions this way. They must get it done. Jack needs to be back…Jack!
• The Padres are on a roll. This is occupying my thinking to some level because of its rarity. When the Space Shuttle first landed on the moon…it was a big deal.
• I’ve noticed people have a lot of opinions on doctrinal issues these days which are not grounded in Scripture. What I mean is that even for Christians, Scripture isn’t necessarily the starting point for shaping one’s worldview and opinions any more. Increasingly, it’s our own sense of what is right and wrong in our own eyes. Dangerous and sad.
• Ask someone where the biblical root of their position is on a contemporary issue or doctrinal position. Fewer and fewer Christians can do so–or are interested in doing so. This of course doesn’t make their position unbiblical. However, doing/thinking was is simply right in one’s own eyes without considering God’s desires takes whatever position one takes off the mark–from a Christian perspective.
• When I consult with churches, I’ll often ask to interview a few members of the congregation, the staff and elders. One of the questions I’ll ask them is, “If you were forced to choose one, is your congregation more loving or spiritual?” While these are obviously not mutually exclusive, I’ve never seen a church in decline where the dominant answer was “spiritual.”
• Love is fruit of God’s Spirit. We need God to love others well.
• Whatever happened to OJ Simpson?
• I spent three days with the good people of the Solomon Foundation and learned some incredible stuff at the leadership conference. I got to know a lot more about two churches you ought to check out: Real Life Ministries (Post Falls, Idaho), and The Crossing (Quincy, Illinois). Both are extremely large churches that are multi-site and in, relatively, the middle of nowhere. If your church is in the country or located near “micropolis” communities, you ought to check these churches out. I’d add that Real Life is doing some amazing work in the area of discipleship, and the Crossing is doing some of the most ambitious and innovative multi-site stuff out there.
• While at the Pepperdine Bible Lectures last week, I was thrilled to hear so many people talking about starting new churches. This is certainly a good thing.
• Summer is stinking expensive when you have kids. And long. And awesome. And one month too long.
• Let me encourage your church not to surrender the summer, entirely. It’s a time when people do a lot of transitioning, and we’ve noticed the summer provides one of our highest growth seasons.
• So, if you are going to use the summer to water the horses, rotate people like a hockey team–regularly and somewhat briefly. Don’t play like it’s off-season. It’s not.
• How can you not like the Golden State Warriors right now?
• Dennis Bratton and Don Wilson (CCV) did a great and convicting session on Sabbath at the Solomon Foundation conference. I need to process that one and do something with it.
• I got to play golf at Torrey Pines this past week. I’m still smiling.
• The more time goes by, the more I love my Windows Phone.

What’s on your mind this Friday morning?

In the church world, the problem is invariably leadership. Is your church stagnant or in constant tumult? It’s a leadership problem. Does the church need to change? That’s a leadership problem. Most, if not all church problems are leadership problems, which is why we ought to focus on the change of heart, mind, or system of leadership rather than the specific change itself. For, until that change happens, tinkering with what is may lead to worse conclusions than the status quo.

If you find yourself saying, “we’ve tried for years and they won’t change,” realize you probably can’t do anything about it. So, ask yourself if you can settle for what is, whether you need to change personally, or whether you need to graciously go somewhere else. That last one is a last resort–for when the environment is truly spiritually toxic or leadership is sinning and will not repent–that sort of thing.

HOW WE CONTRIBUTE TO THE PROBLEM

Sometimes, we contribute to the leadership problem from the pew or the preacher’s office by assuming only they can change, and our job is to tolerate whatever they do or decide. This isn’t true. In fact, we often help sustain an unhealthy system through quiet subservience. So, sometimes, our problem is us.

Some would call it being like Jesus to quietly endure dysfunctional leadership in silence. In fact, I heard someone I greatly respect teach this last week.

The problem is, that’s barely Jesus at all.

Nothing about it resembles Jesus’ intolerance of vain religiosity or abuses of power. When one reviews Jesus’ encounters with the religious leaders of His day, it’s hard to make the case for silent tolerance of sin or hypocrisy in church leaders. So, why do His followers put up with it? Because we are taught that’s what it means to be like Christ. Sometimes, it’s good old-fashioned fear. Or, we’re taught that we’re outranked and have no right to speak up.

Hogwash.

Being like Christ means being for truth, for justice, for mercy, for what’s courageous–and doing so for the sake of others without pride or malice. Remember you don’t have all the answers, and be willing to admit when you’re wrong. Don’t expect everything to go your way, and be steadfast in loving the church. Communicate in biblical ways that are seasoned with the fruit of God’s Spirit.

But, don’t be the problem. Don’t be the leadership problem in your church, or sustain such a sickness in the Body.

Here are some things on my mind this Monday morning:

• We baptized our beautiful daughter, Anna, yesterday morning. Of all my dad moments, it’s is unquestionably on the Mt. Rushmore. Anna is a born worshiper. God filled her soul with music and praise when He knit her together in her mother’s womb. I can’t wait to see what He’ll do with her in the years ahead.
• How we anyone suggest, legally, it should be OK for a 15-year old teenager to choose to abort a child, but not OK to drive a car?
• Also, why should teenagers need parental consent to sign up for soccer, but not for abortion?
• I’m convinced the processes employed by many church planting organizations don’t serve church planting very well. This is primarily because they are rather costly, slow, and inflexible. Having said that, they do have value. I’m simply suggesting there might be better ways out there.
• I can learn more in a day at a round table with thoughtful church leaders than at any conference out there.
• But, I do love conferences.
• New discovery: pizza with chicken and jalapenos.
• I love jalapenos. I could eat them on my cereal.
• Rick Atchley is a true preacher. He is an able communicator, as well. But there is a big difference between a “communicator” and a “preacher.” It’s hard for me to define the difference, but most of us know the difference–and it has something to do with biblical groundedness, spiritual authority and passion. I’d rather be a preacher than a communicator.
• When I hear some of my colleagues talk about Kingdom, heaven or hell these days, their beliefs more closely resemble the Bahai faith than Christianity. In all of our efforts to build bridges, we need to make sure we aren’t setting fire to others–namely the one that leads in and out of the Gospel itself.
• The Padres are creeping, ever so slowly, back to life. That noise you just heard was not the Giants shaking in their cleats.
• I had a really interesting discussion with a friend this past week. We agreed that we think churches may begin to align themselves with a churches of like mind when it comes to ministry philosophy. This may happen in networks, etc., and less by denomination or “tradition.”
• Congratulations to Rick Gibson and Mike Cope on job extremely well done on the Pepperdine Bible Lectures. I thought the Keynotes were particularly strong this week. I’ll have some more thoughts on Pepperdine later this week.
• How did not spending money become good stewardship for churches?
• One of the smallest, but most important financial decisions a church can make is what to do with its savings.
• Here I mean, saving too much or too little, leaving it an account that bears little fruit, refusing to spend when they should or spending when they shouldn’t.
• If money were no object, we would have all the church planters we needed.
• But, would we have planters who were truly called?
• Is there such a thing as a “calling” to church planting?
• I taught a class at the Pepperdine Bible Lectures on the leadership crisis born of a dysfunctional relationship between ministers and elders. The response to the class was overwhelming. There is no recording of the class, but I will blog some of the concepts over the next few weeks.
• If I had known they weren’t going to tape it, I could have told the really good stories
• I’m really looking forward to The Great Gatsby coming out. Luhrmann is crazy, and the cast is amazing.
• I STILL HAVEN’T SEEN 42 YET.
• When was the last time you heard of a terrible umpire or referee being held accountable for being terrible?
• I love the old-school looking NBA uniforms like those Indiana and Brooklyn wear.
• In fact, I love nearly anything old-school.
• In this life, nothing will shape you spiritually more than parenting.
• Except marriage.

What’s on your mind this Monday morning?

I’ve hiked Mt. Whitney and know what conditions are like at around 14,500…and the thought of doing that on Mt. Everest is almost nauseating. Even worse, the thought of hikers brawling with the smartest, most experienced, and most resourceful hikers on the mountain—those present only to help them—is ridiculous.

One would think the conditions alone would bring everyone together. One would think cooler heads would prevail and perspective maintained when it’s a matter of life and death.

Nope.

When the flesh takes over…we sometimes forget who we are, where we are, and what we’re doing.

As ridiculous as it sounds, I’ve seen church leadership teams behave just as insanely. I’ve seen church leadership teams risk the church’s future by fighting in the midst of challenges that demand teamwork and sacrifice from all involved. It’s when everything is going well, or when the church is in the midst of a major transition or God-challenge that Satan often creates a dust-up…when the most damage can happen. Rather than recognize the stakes and the spiritual warfare at play, the flesh takes over, people get hurt, and the congregation gets the bill for years to come. It’s often on Everest that churches begin to die.

I will say there is more fighting in the flatlands. Churches not trekking anywhere fight over the leftover grits and water. However, churches fighting on Everest are risking death and the well-being of all who depend on them. They are tempting God who called them to that journey.

Fighting when the stakes are that high betrays three things:

1. A lack of reverence for the mountain you’re climbing.
2. A lack of regard for the life and well-being of one another.
3. A lack of regard for those below impacted by the fight.

Whenever the church is really heading somewhere “risky,” resolve there be no fighting on Everest. Don’t avoid discussing things passionately—or dealing with things that really have to be dealt with. After all, no one gets to the top of Everest without some adverse weather. However, do not make your own adverse conditions, and remember getting to the top makes a lot of petty disagreements disappear. If you still have them after you get to the top, talk about them when you get back down.

Fighting on Everest is a foolish game for those who don’t realize how fragile we are higher elevations. The answer isn’t to stay in the flat-lands and avoid the trek. We are called to pilgrimage. The answer is a trekking in a way that honors God in all conditions. When the tempter dares us at 29,000 feet, we recognize it for what it is, and refuse to put ourselves, our fellow hikers, and the well-being of those God has put under our spiritual care at risk.

Let’s hike wisely.