Love and disagree
By Kevin G. Harney, Lead Pastor, Shoreline Community Church
Can We Disagree and Have Strong Differences and still love each other (or at least be kind and respectful)?
By Kevin G. Harney, Lead Pastor, Shoreline Community Church
Have you noticed the trend away from thoughtful conversation, civility, and compassion? Have you been struck by the increasingly combative nature of communication in the media, the political realm, the online world of social media, and culture in general? It seems like people have a very hard time disagreeing and still respecting and loving each other.
In a growing number of situations, it seems like people believe that if we don’t agree on specific topics, we must be angry with each other. When we stand on the opposite side of the aisle, we hate each other. If we have an honest disagreement, it must ignite into some kind of combat.
I grew up in a home, and a time of history, when people could disagree and still love each other. I remember a time when people could talk civilly, express divergent points of view, and still have lunch, laugh, and do life together. As a matter of fact, I watched my dad and mom disagree with strong and articulate words on many topics and still love each other deeply.
My dad was a strong and articulate Republican. He believed what he believed and would express his views with clarity and conviction. My mom was a staunch Democrat. She headed up the local teachers’ association of the public schools and expressed her convictions openly and with passion and precision. I had the honor of doing my parent’s renewal of their wedding vows at their fifty-year anniversary, just a few years before my mom passed away.
I can still remember my parents heading out to vote together, hand in hand. My dad would say something like, “We’re heading out to cancel each other’s vote.” He meant it. He knew that their votes would end up being a new zero because of their antithetical political convictions. My dad and mom believed in the political process and felt that voting was an honor and privilege. They would remind us kids that many people, in many places, have never had this opportunity through history.
My parents modeled something that seems to be a lost art form in our world. We can disagree and still be civil, loving, and friendly!
In a conflicted, embattled, and embittered time, it is a perfect moment for Christians to lead the way in showing our communities and the world that it is still possible to disagree strongly and still be kind, compassionate, and loving. It is what our Savior did. And, it is what He expects of His followers.
Jesus was the one who hung on a brutal Roman cross and looked at those who had mocked and crucified Him and prayed, “Father forgive them, they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). It was our Savior who told a woman caught in the act of adultery that he did not condemn her. In the same breath, he called her to leave her life of sin (John 8:11). Jesus is the one who saw you and me, in our darkest moment of sin and rebellion and died in our place and for our sins (Romans 5:8).
What will it take for followers of the Messiah to lead the way in loving people even when we have strong and serious disagreements? Here are some suggestions:
Have robust conversations with those you disagree with.
Ask good questions about their convictions. Dig deeply into why they believe what they believe. Listen to their answers… not using the time they are talking to mount your attack, but to really hear them and understand them. This is what Jesus did with the woman at the well when His followers were traveling through Samaria (John 4).
Pray for those who disagree with you and even those who are hostile toward you (Matthew 5:44).
Do not pray for their demise, destruction, or for judgment on them. Pray for the light of Jesus to shine, for truth to be known, and for God to work in their life. Pray also for yourself as you seek to love them and understand why they believe what they believe.
Acknowledge differences and be honest that you have disagreements.
Too many people think the way to handle differences is to ignore them. It is far better to admit and face them. I remember one of my dad’s favorite lines. When he was having a vigorous conversation about something he disagreed with, he would say (always with a smile and in a warm-hearted way), “I can’t disagree with you more!” This would lead to more conversation.
Be willing and ready to learn from those you disagree with.
God owns the domain of truth and He reveals it in surprising places and through surprising people. The Bible is full of examples of this.
Don’t let disagreements give birth to bitterness or hatred.
Watch your heart. Be very careful. Satan wants you and I to be gripped with a judgmental and hostile heart. If we become bitter, the door for the Gospel is slammed short and our witness is greatly compromised. We must be able to disagree and still love.
Beware of caricatures and over-simplification.
People are complex in beautiful ways. Don’t put them in boxes or quickly categorize them. Don’t look at a whole group of people, or even a single person, into a narrowly defined category that you have created. Give people the benefit of the doubt and allow time to really get to know them.
SUMMARY
Jesus calls us to bring his light, love, and life to our broken and dark world. The only way we can do this is to live like Jesus. He comes to those who hate Him, who are rebels against his ways, and who are lost in sin and He loves them right where they are. We must walk in the footsteps of our leader. To do this, we will learn to love those we disagree with. Not only can this be done, it must be done…for the sake of the gospel and the world.
Kevin Harney (KevinGHarney.com) is the lead pastor of Shoreline Community Church in Monterey, California, the Founder and Visionary Leader of Organic Outreach Ministries International (OrganicOutreach.com), and the author of the Organic Outreach trilogy and many other books, studies, and articles. He is also a regular contributor to Outreach Magazine.
The Escalating Stages of Church Conflict
By Doug Tegner, Redwood Chapel
Conflict is the Number One Predictor of Congregational Decline - Hartford Institute for Religion Research
1. (Sometimes) An Uncomfortable Feeling
Something doesn’t feel right. You can’t quite put your finger on it. Nothing explicit has been mentioned. The conflict is still latent. That is, the conflict potentially exists but needs the right conditions for it to appear.
2. A Problem Emerges
An identifiable problem has emerged and dealing with it is the focus. The participants are civil and respectful to one another as they each share their perspective. Solutions are proposed and, in most instances, issues are resolved in a calm and collaborative fashion to everyone’s satisfaction.
3. A Person To Differ With
The focus of conversation changes from what should be done and what is the best solution, to a debate of who is right and who is wrong. Frustration sets in because the attempt to achieve one’s goals is undermined by another. Parties may become more cautious in dealing with each other. The dispute can still be constructive if the parties make a greater effort to see the other person’s point of view. On the other hand, if the matter is not resolved, the situation can easily deteriorate into destructive conflict.
4. A Dispute To Win
Collaboration wanes. Other problematic issues often appear confusing matters. Disputing parties communicate less to each other and more about each other with those who take their respective side, increasing polarization in the congregation. And while there may not be an intent to hurt one’s opponent, it often results. Because the overriding goal is for one’s needs to be met or interests to prevail, there appears to be less concern about how that affects others, further exacerbating the conflict. One side comes to believe that the other cares little about them. As one side seeks to achieve it’s goals, the other side feels like their interests are being all-too-readily dismissed or sacrificed. Action then begets counteraction.
5. A Person To Verbally Attack
A power struggle emerges. Parties now see themselves as adversaries and “antagonist” (a Greek word that means “to struggle against” as in Hebrews 12:4). When people begin to struggle against each other, watch out! An invisible line is crossed that does not bode well for that relationship or for the church. If the parties in conflict could have resolved the matter without help, they would have. Now is the time to contact others for help.
Original issues and context now become secondary. At this stage, the problem is identified as a person. “You are/ he is / she is / they are / the problem”. An “us against them” mentality sets in. Emotions adversely affect objective thinking. Selective perception confirms and fuels negative stereotyping. Once stereotyped, the other side can be “written-off” as _____ (fill in the blank). Parties avoid each other and assume the worst of the other. In the absence of direct communication, each faction views the other through an increasingly distorted filter of suspicion, false assumptions, exaggeration, misinformation, and misperceptions.
Each side justifies its own hostile behavior as reactions to its opponent and to external circumstances. By contrast, the actions of one’s adversaries are attributed to internal deficiencies, such as their character, competency, or spirituality. Public admission of having exercised poor judgment or of having made a mistake becomes increasingly unlikely. In this negatively charged environment, such an acknowledgment would likely open oneself to embarrassment, further criticism, and reprisal. The disputing parties protect themselves, their vulnerabilities and insecurities, by attacking.
Researchers have found that at this stage, direct head-to-head discussions are counter-productive. “Direct negotiations have a limited usefulness once the level of conflict has escalated in intensity.” “Once in a fight, each side finds it difficult to accept the ideas of the enemy.” “A proposal that is unacceptable coming from you [adversary] may be acceptable if it comes from a third party.” “[Direct, two-party] negotiations are hard to sustain and frequently break down.”
Resistance intensifies against an adversary’s ideas often because it is one’s adversary who proposed them. Discussions and negotiations break down because they seem futile. Unilateral acts become the next logical step which inevitably lead to an escalation of the conflict.
6. My “Face” To Save
The term “face” refers to how a person is viewed by others. As long as someone is viewed as a respectable member of the community, all is well. But when one’s public image is seriously challenged, expect the intensity of the conflict to escalate even further.
To have one’s public image challenged is to be attacked on a very personal level. It is to be charged with maintaining a false facade. The attacker seeks to “unmask” the other person’s true and despicable identity. To the extent that this “insight” is believed, the prior course of the conflict is reinterpreted. With these new lenses, words or actions that may have been originally perceived in a positive light are now viewed as part of a larger, deceitful strategy. False motives are attributed throughout. The conflict is no longer understood in terms of shades of gray. It is perceived in terms of black and white and an ideological battle between the forces of good versus evil.
To “save face” against such an attack on one’s identity, people will respond with an equally ferocious assault of their own. Disputants will unleash a torrent of negative descriptions against those who have attacked and maligned them, attempting in turn, to undercut and discredit them. They will label those on the other side as unreasonable, immoral, untrustworthy, mentally unbalanced, and/or sub-human. This conclusion justifies almost any action against the other side, exacerbating the cycle of conflict to dangerous levels.
7. A Person To Expel, Withdraw From, or Ruin
The parties are locked in an all-or-nothing battle. The church is no longer big enough for everyone. The solution is either to drive out the problem person or people or leave. Or, the conflict may be so personalized, intractable, or irrational that the adversaries would rather suffer private loss or the church’s ruin to see their opponent defeated. “Together into the abyss” they go, as one individual soberly described it.
8. The Aftermath
When the dust settles, the worship, fellowship, and the work of the church, as well as individual lives, are adversely affected, often for years to come. For some, winning the battle or driving a person from the church is still not enough. The ruination of a person’s reputation may continue long after the battle is over. Another faction will express shame and bewilderment for what they have said or done. They may lose confidence in themselves for having lost control of themselves. Others will deny the depth or severity of their actions. Still others, acknowledging their embarrassing actions, will blame those who led them.
Pastor Joe McKeever, referring to his church that had split five ways in the two years prior to his accepting the call to pastor that congregation, said, “I was especially careful during my first four or five years here. We spent a lot of time addressing the issues of guilt and disappointment. Many felt guilty for their actions. The rest were disappointed - in their friends, their pastors, themselves, even God.”
SUMMARY
The more intense the conflict, the more irrational it becomes. Two intensifying processes take place throughout:
An increasing frustration / anger over the unresolved issue(s), and
An increasing negative perception of the character of the other side.
Someone needs to say, ”Stop! Enough already! Let’s go outside this cycle of conflict and contact an experienced peacemaker to help us break it!”
Prayer Evangelism
By Kevin G. Harney, Lead Pastor, Shoreline Community Church
May I Pray For You?
By Kevin G. Harney, Lead Pastor, Shoreline Community Church
Prayer resides in the very center of effective evangelism…always. Jesus himself said, “Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest field.” Interestingly, our Savior emphasized the need for us to pray for ourselves, and other believers. One of the most important focal points of our prayers should be, “Lord send me and other Christians into the world with fresh grace and boldness as we share the message of Jesus.”
With this in mind, every follower of Jesus should learn to ask this question with frequency and sensitivity, “May I pray for you?” In particular, we should be asking this question of people who are not yet followers of Jesus. Many Christians are nervous to ask if they can pray for (or with) people who do not name Jesus as the Savior and leader of their life.
I have discovered, over and over, that almost every human being is open to being prayed for. If they are going through a time of great joy or deep sorrow, most people would love to have someone come alongside and support them in prayer.
My mother was an intellectual who resisted faith and claimed no relationship with Jesus. We sat on the couch in her living room talking about my dad. They were in their fifth decade of marriage and she was going through some fairly normal relational challenges, but she was concerned. After listening to the struggles they were facing, I looked in my mom’s eyes and asked, “Mom, can I take a moment right now and have a prayer for you and dad?” I did not know how she would respond. She paused, pondered, and finally said, “I think that would be nice.” I finished the prayer and closed by asking, in the name of Jesus, for God’s hand and leading on my parents’ marriage. I looked at my mother and was surprised that she had tears in her eyes. I was sure that she felt the presence of God’s Holy Spirit, even if she did not know how to name or explain it. This was one of dozens of times I prayed with my mom through the years.
Esther was one of three adult daughters who works at a family-owned Italian Restaurant near my office. She was always kind and very curious about my faith. She had family history with church, but was not practicing her family faith in any serious way. As I sat for lunch, Esther took my order and seemed unrushed so I said what I often do, “When my food comes I will be saying a prayer and I would be honored to include you if you have any needs or joys. No pressure, but I would love to pray for you if you are comfortable with that.” Esther quickly told me about her pregnancy and asked me to pray for her unborn son. She even told me his name. To put things in context, Esther was about nine and a half months pregnant, so there was no mystery about her upcoming delivery. When she brought the food to my table she lingered, waiting to be part of the prayer. As a matter of fact, she stood very near the table and slid her belly (and baby) onto the table right in front of me. I wondered if she was looking for me to place a hand on her stomach, but I refrained. I lifted up a prayer for my meal, for her family’s business, and for Esther’s baby boy. In the coming months, whenever I dined at that same Italian restaurant, Esther would show me pictures of her boy and would let me pray for her family. This also opened the door for many spiritual conversations.
Gretchen sat next to me on an international flight to London and began talking right away. I was tired, but she was up for a chat and seemed to have a lot of energy and passion about her work and life mission. Gretchen was an atheistic, humanistic, communalist who ran a camp in Berlin Germany. The focus of this camp was gathering high school age young people together for a week in an effort to help them resist the dangers and lures of Christianity. Over the next hour and a half I asked many questions and listened with great interest. I had never met anyone quite like this twenty-five year old woman. When she finally asked me what I do for a living, and I shared my story, she was shocked and amazed. We ended up having a wonderful conversation and before we landed I asked her the simple question, “Gretchen, would it be OK if I said a prayer for you right now?” She was curious and very open. I don’t think anyone had ever asked her this before. I prayed for God’s love and presence to shine in her life and for Jesus to show her his presence. I also gave her a couple of books and we exchanged contact information. She even offered her home to me, my wife, and our sons if we were ever in Berlin.
Summary
There are all kinds of ways Christians should pray as we engage in outreach. I believe one of the most important and powerful ways to pray actually praying with non-believers. As we do this, God shows up, the Spirit moves, and hearts become tender. The next time you are with someone who does not have a relationship with Jesus, they could be a friend, family member, or someone you just met, don’t be shy to ask them, “May I pray with you right now?” If they say yes, lift up a prayer with grace and passion.
Kevin Harney (KevinGHarney.com) is the lead pastor of Shoreline Community Church in Monterey, California, the Founder and Visionary Leader of Organic Outreach Ministries International (OrganicOutreach.com), and the author of the Organic Outreach trilogy and many other books, studies, and articles. He is also a regular contributor to Outreach Magazine.
Saving Your Ministry Before You Lose It
By Kevin G. Harney, Lead Pastor, Shoreline Community Church
By Kevin G. Harney, Lead Pastor, Shoreline Community Church
He spoke only a few words and I knew something was wrong…desperately wrong. When my phone rang and I saw who it was, I was happy. Ken (not his real name) was a faithful friend and pastor of a local church in our community. I had known him for about a decade and I respected him greatly.
“Can I come over to your office and talk?” I let him know my schedule was pretty full, but maybe we could set up a lunch the next week. With a stern voice he said, “I have to come over and talk to you right now.”
My heart sank and I could feel a knot forming in my stomach. I cleared my schedule and awaited his arrival. When he walked into my office he was without his normal smile and energy. He walked to a chair in the corner and sat down. He never made eye contact.
“I made a mistake…a big one. It could cost me my ministry, my marriage, and maybe my family.” Over the next hour we talked, prayed, and cried together. The specifics of his crash are not relevant for this blog, but he was absolutely right. The series of decisions he had made and the actions he had taken cost him his ministry. By God’s grace, his marriage did not end. But for five years he invested a great deal of time and energy in rebuilding trust and restoring love.
What struck me as I watched my friend and his family journey through almost five years of hellish pain and struggle was that he could have avoided it all with a few simple decisions. I am not saying these decisions would have been easy, but they are quite simple. Here are some ways a Christian leader can make a decision to save their ministry before they lose it.
Have at least one faithful mentor who will keep you accountable.
In James 5:16 we read, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed…” A wise leader has at least one mentor who will listen to gut-wrenching confession and call them to repentance. This person needs to exhibit grace and also bold strength. This mentor should listen, pray, speak truth, and even exercise leverage to call you to holiness and godly living. If you don’t have a person in your life who will do this, pray for one and make work of nurturing this kind of relationship. If you do have a mentor, thank God and commit to be painfully honest with them.
Do consistent soul-self-examinations.
King David, who knew a fair deal about temptations and struggle, wrote, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24). A leader who wants to stand strong for a lifetime, will learn to invite the Holy Spirit to search their heart and soul. You will look at your choices, habits, motives, secret struggles, and face them honestly. When you see your soul shriveling under the weight of sin, you will learn to run to the arms of God and turn from patterns and actions that dishonor Him.
Address compromise when it is small!
A wise leader repents and battles sin when it is still small. Better to cut off a “harmless” flirtation with a volunteer at your church than to deal with the repercussion of an affair. Better to repent of using the church credit card for a personal lunch than to be caught having embezzled thousands of dollars from the offerings of God’s people. Identify small areas of compromise and crush them before they grow into a massive monster.
Learn to run away.
The apostle Paul instructs his protégée, Timothy to “Flee the evil desires of youth…” (2 Timothy 2:22). Sometimes the best way to deal with mounting temptation is to run away. This is not an act of cowardice, but courage! Early in my ministry I found myself inappropriately attracted to a woman who volunteered in one of our ministries. When I recognized this was growing in my heart, I told my wife and I made sure I never lingered around this woman. In a short time, the attraction melted away in the light of truth and accountability.
Blow the whistle on yourself.
If you can’t develop habits of discipline that overcome a growing area of temptation, blow the whistle! Tell your spouse, a pastor friend, even a trusted leader on your church board. It is always better to admit your struggle than to get caught as you are seeking to cover it up. King David spent a lot of time and energy seeking to cover up his affair with Bathsheba. In his efforts to hide his sin, he heaped up more damage and mayhem. In the end, God knew and sent the prophet Nathan to call David to repentance (2 Samuel 11-12). A wise leader does not wait for God to send a messenger to uncover their sin.
SUMMARY
No one who travels the road of ministry leadership will journey far without facing temptation. Our Lord Jesus, God in human flesh, was the target of Satan’s enticements (Luke 4, Matthew 4). Who are we to think that we won’t face the same kind of battles? What we need to do is stay alert, identify the tactics of the enemy, admit our own human weaknesses, and decide to fight back. Don’t wait until you are caught to face your sins and admit your weaknesses. Make a decision to save your ministry before you lose it!
For more information on this topic, see the book: Leadership from the Inside Out, Examining the Inner Life of a Healthy Church Leader.
Kevin Harney (KevinGHarney.com) is the lead pastor of Shoreline Community Church in Monterey, California, the Founder and Visionary Leader of Organic Outreach Ministries International (OrganicOutreach.com), and the author of the Organic Outreach trilogy and many other books, studies, and articles. He is also a regular contributor to Outreach Magazine.
Responding to Moral Failure in Church Leaders
By Kevin G. Harney, Lead Pastor, Shoreline Community Church
By Kevin G. Harney, Lead Pastor, Shoreline Community Church
The most recent rash of moral failures, accusations, and heartbreak over sin and human frailty is upon us. Ed Stetzer shared some very helpful reflections on this topic recently. (The Moral of Moral Failings of Christian Leaders by Ed Stetzer.) Every time this topic hits the church (and world) I find myself examining my heart, dissecting my life, and crying out to God for all of those impacted. After forty years following Jesus and leading in the local church I have a growing number of insights I hope are helpful for you.
Let’s Not… Look the other way and ignore the problem.
Of all groups of people, the church must be open and ready to hear those who have been hurt or abused in any way. We can’t fool ourselves saying, “If we ignore this it will go away.” We must have open ears and hearts to the cry of those who are hurt. Of course we need to listen with discernment and wisdom. An accusation does not always mean an injustice has happened. But, it is essential that we create an environment where people know they can come, speak, and be heard.
Let’s Not… Air our struggles and battles in the public or social media.
We live in a highly connected world where news goes viral at the push of a button. As much as is possible, Christians need to do all we can to deal with grievances face to face and in a biblical manner (see Matthew 18:15-17).
Let’s Not… Function as judge, jury, and executioner.
There is a judge, His name is the Lord Almighty. Christians and church leaders must listen, address real issues, take action, and bring judgment. But, none of us is wise and holy enough to sit as the final judge.
Let’s Not… Take delight in the fall of brothers and sisters.
Far to many of us get secret or even public pleasure when someone in a prominent church or place of leadership falls. May God forgive us and change our hearts.
Let’s Not… Say, “I saw that coming,” when we said nothing when it was happening.
I have heard so many people confidently explain that they saw character issues or problems in the life of a leader months, years, or decades before the sin became public. This prideful declaration betrays our own sin of silence. Let’s refrain from bragging about what we saw coming. Instead, let’s speak up immediately when we see cracks in a leader’s character…before more lives are damaged.
Let’s Not… Gossip and talk about brothers and sisters struggling with sin.
It is easy to spend time talking with other Christians about specific people and their sins. There are a lot of better ways to spend our time. Maybe these conversations should quickly pivot to how we can live with boundaries, walk in holiness, and pray for those who are broken in sin as well as who have injured by the actions of others.
Let’s Seek To… Embrace the reality that men and women are different.
All Christians should acknowledge that God has made men and women differently. One of the primary breeding grounds for some of the recent accusations and actions comes from trying to operate as if men and women are identical. We are not the same and the rules must be different in how we interact and serve Jesus together.
Let’s Seek To… Set boundaries that honor Jesus, and protect people (including ourselves).
While in seminary I presented a study on boundaries for church leaders. In particular, my own rules. I never meet with a woman one-on-one in any private setting. I don’t drive with women alone in a car. I don’t make personal calls or send personal texts to women (I do it through my church account and make sure it is church related and public). I presented ten clear rules. Both students and professor accosted me. I was told, “You are afraid of your own sexuality!” I said, “Yes, I am terrified by it!” Then I declared, “I will still be in ministry in thirty years and most of you will not!” That led to a robust conversation. Just for the record, I have lived with those rules for over three decades and I am still in ministry.
Let’s Seek To… Create ministry environments where the gifts of women and men are fully used for the glory of Jesus.
God has gifted all people. Wise leaders can have boundaries and still create a place where all gifts are leveraged in all people.
Let’s Seek To… Listen with grace and take every accusation seriously.
When a woman or man, a girl or boy comes with an accusation, a concern, or a story of inappropriate behavior by a church leader, we must listen. No matter how painful and no matter how hard it is to hear.
Let’s Seek To… Take appropriate actions to find the truth.
Once we have heard, we are compelled to dig in and find the truth. A church board or staff team must do everything in their power to find the truth, no matter where it leads. The truth might be hard to face, but covering it up will always do more damage to the person who was brave enough to tell their story, to the church, and to the person who is being accused.
Let’s Seek To… Confess quickly and blow the whistle on me.
If I am living in sexual sin, hurting others, and crossing lines, the best thing to do is confess this to God and to appropriate church leaders. It is always better to blow the whistle on myself than wait until someone else speaks up.
Let’s Seek To… Create Strong accountability relationships.
Every church leader should have one or two people who know their frailties, struggles, and temptations. These people should have leverage to make the hard calls, ask the challenging questions, and blow the whistle!
Let’s Seek To… Show grace and forgiveness when people are truly repentant.
We are all sinners in need of amazing grace. Let’s extend the forgiveness of God to all broken sinners, even leaders. We can do this while addressing sin and calling people to repentance.
Let’s Seek To… Pray for people who are caught in sin (far more than we talk about them).
When we find ourselves talking about or thinking about people embattled in public sin and scandal, let’s go right to prayer. Cry out for justice, pray for the truth to be known, Ask for healing in the lives of the victims, and seek God’s restoring power in the life of the offender.
Let’s Seek To… Recognize that with growing leadership influence, the target on our back for spiritual attack gets larger.
A doctor friend of mine was asking me about some of the recent news on leadership failings. He said, “We really need to pray more for church leaders. The bigger the church and responsibility, the larger the target on their back. I agree! Let’s pray, in the power of Jesus, for spiritual protection of church leaders.
Let’s Seek To… Develop a practice of self-examination.
Invite God to search your heart and life. In Psalm 139:1 & 23-24 we read:
“You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me…”
King David acknowledged that God knew him in his mother’s womb, knew his every thought, knew every unspoken word, knew him inside and out. He still prayed…
“Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.”
May the God of power, truth, and grace search our hearts, know our thoughts, forgive our sins, and make us more like His Son, Jesus Christ!
Note: If you want to dig into the topic of meaningful self-reflection consider reading Leadership from the Inside Out…Examining the Inner Life of a Healthy Church Leader.
Kevin Harney (KevinGHarney.com) is the lead pastor of Shoreline Community Church in Monterey, California, the Founder and Visionary Leader of Organic Outreach Ministries International (OrganicOutreach.com), and the author of the Organic Outreach trilogy and many other books, studies, and articles. He is also a regular contributor to Outreach Magazine.
The Pastoral Unicorn - 30 Years of Pastoral Consistency
We had the incredible opportunity to interview two pastors who have been pastors at the same church for close to 30 years each (an opportunity that we consider *almost* as rare as spotting a unicorn). Terry Brisbane has pastored Cornerstone Church in San Francisco for 29 years and Mark Mitchell has been the senior pastor at Central Peninsula Church in Foster City for 31 years. See the below videos for their answers to some of our questions. To watch the full (1hr. long) interview, watch the video at the bottom.
When you officially became the lead pastor, did you ever think, "How did I get here?"
The Bay Area is a difficult place for the church. There are a lot of cultural nuances and a hostility towards Christianity. Has it gotten progressively worse or was it just as hard back when you started?
What is something that you’ve done in order to remain steadfast for so long?
How important is it to invest in the next generation of pastors?
What impact has you been a pastor had on your kids? What encouragement would you give to a young pastor starting a family?
What’s one seminary class that you wish they would have taught?
If you could go back 30 years, knowing what you know now, what advice would you give yourself?
Watch the full (1 hour long) interview below: