I will be sharing a brief review of every book I read this year. Hope you enjoy and hope it encourages you to keep reading.
THINKING, FAST AND SLOW – by Daniel Kahneman
As the title says, this book is about thinking. Slow and fast refers to the two systems Kahneman describes in the book. System 1 is like instinct. This is our automatic thinking system where we don’t have to exert any effort to know certain things like one object is bigger than another or that 2 + 2 = 4. This is learned thinking, by experience or by effort. System 2 is where we have to take time to ponder something in order to come up with the right answer. Our choices and decisions originate from system 2. The first part of the book and the explanation of how these two systems work, is the best part of the book. The rest of the book then works through various examples of how our understanding of these systems affects our everyday lives. A great book on thinking to make you think!
There were a few times this summer where I was driving in unfamiliar territory and realized too late that I should have taken an earlier turn. I was headed the wrong direction and unsure how to safely turn around. Many intersections have “No U Turn” signs, sometimes with just the symbol, other times with the words “No U Turn” also posted. I would have loved to just turn around and go back to the starting point.
In my experience working with churches in transition, I could have used No U Turn signs a few times. Some churches long for the “good old days.” There is a hope that if only they could get back to what they were like and the programs they ran some years ago, when the church was growing, then things would turn around in the church and it would start to grow again.
In my experience working with churches in transition, I could have used No U Turn signs a few times. Some churches long for the “good old days.” There is a hope that if only they could get back to what they were like and the programs they ran some years ago, when the church was growing, then things would turn around in the church and it would start to grow again.
The reality is a church cannot forget the last few years and the experiences they have gone through and just start over. Time moves on. Culture changes. The congregation changes, and so does the community around the church. Instead of looking backwards, the church must learn how to move forward with clarity and purpose.
I love working on vision with churches. I love to help them see the reality of today and the possibilities of tomorrow. Instead of churches looking back to a certain period of history as the high point for the church, I want them to see that God has great things in store for them, so the best times are still ahead. It may take some work, and prayer, and trusting God, but looking back will not help. I tell churches that as we work on vision, I do not expect there to be radical change from what has happened in the past and what is going on in the church at the present. Instead, I believe God has the church on a trajectory that may need some adjusting here and there but the future will generally be consistent with their history.
The same applies to our personal lives. Many of us can look back to certain periods of our life where we felt things were going really well. Looking back, those seemed like stress-free times, times of excitement and joy. As tempting as it may be to somehow replicate what we once had, life moves on. We have new experiences. We have new responsibilities and new relationships. As we grow our family and develop our careers, we can’t just drop all of that to return to a more carefree time. Instead, we need to find a way forward, to try new roads and look for what God is going to do in our lives in the future.
U-turns are tempting because they seem like a quick and easy fix. Let’s just get back there and try again. This is usually not an option if we are leading a church or setting direction for our personal future. Time moves on like water under a bridge. Our past is not a static thing we can return to. We need to keep looking ahead.
The reality of being human is that we cannot start over. Yes, we can come back to some original principles to live by. We can reorient ourselves to God and His Word. We can re-establish guidelines for our life that served us well in the past, but we cannot remove history and start over. Sometimes a map directory in a mall has a little icon stating “you are here” so you know where you are starting from. The reality is, we are where we are. Now we need to know how to move on from here. We cannot change the past, but we can make changes for our future.
May God help us to learn from the past and keep moving ahead. U-turns to an earlier period in our life or in our church are not possible. Keep moving ahead.
I noticed a driver sitting at an intersection, treating a merge lane like a stop sign. There was an open lane in front of her, but she was stopped, waiting for the traffic to end. She did not seem to understand that the lane she was about to enter was wide open. It was only as she entered the lane that she would be able to accelerate to the traffic speed and merge over into the lane she was hoping to get into. And at times I have done the same thing. I know I should merge but hesitate because it seems like there is no room, especially if I have not driven that road before.
Merge signs generally indicate two roads or lanes joining into one. Two common places these signs are used is at intersections where they assist in free flow turning and, on the highway, where a multiple lane highway narrows to one less lane. These signs alert drivers to cooperate and allow those in the lane that is ending to enter their lane.
There are two roles for drivers when encountering a merge sign that reminds me of two experiences in life.
ONE: Merging from one lane into the other
Some of us are cautious drivers. We do not want to force our way into traffic. It seems too dangerous to use the merge lane when others are going by at the speed limit – or faster. An introvert can relate.
This is how introverts often feel in life. Merging into new situations brings fear of the unknown. They do not want to force themselves into new situation or new relationships. It seems dangerous. The others already all know each other. Will they welcome me? It is tempting to not even try new situations or to get to know new people. What if it doesn’t work out well?
If we are caught in a merge lane in life and are hesitating to move over into the main flow of traffic, we need to recognize that the merge lane eventually ends, and with it, your opportunity to make friends with that person or try that new experience. Sometimes, as we hesitate, life moves on by. Do not be too afraid to try something new. And if it doesn’t work out, try something else. Push yourself to continue to learn and grow. It doesn’t matter whether we are introverts or extroverts, we need to develop perseverance to keep trying new things and looking for new friendships.
TWO: Allowing others to merge into my lane
I am not naturally a courteous driver – just ask my wife. I have to work at reminding myself to allow others into my lane and not just push ahead with no consideration for others.
Some of us need to learn how to consider the needs of others and allow them to merge into our lane. This applies to more than smooth and safe traffic. This applies to life as well. We need to be aware of those around us who are having a hard time fitting in. It may be at church, or at work, or even in our neighbourhood. We need to open our circles to others who need a place to connect.
Sometimes we get frustrated with people who are not aware or understanding of what we try to do as leaders. Slow adopters annoy us because we have a plan and want people to follow us at our pace. It may be that there needs to be space and time given for those who are still figuring out how to merge into your lane. Leadership requires clear communication of vision and patience for people to get it and move into pursuing it. Let’s learn to make room for others.
We need to make sure we do not treat merge signs as stop signs but slowly and steadily move into the traffic flow. We can ask God to give us determination to push ahead when we are scared, and ask God to give us patience for those who are slow to merge in.
On any road trip you take, you will pass signs warning about wildlife in the area – especially if you are in a rural area. These signs are intended to make you aware of the local wildlife because of the potential dangers you may face if you and your vehicle encounter them. These signs are used to keep you safe – both you and the wildlife. For me, these signs notify me of the possibilities of seeing some of the animals common in that area.
In many areas of Canada the danger comes in the form of deer or moose. Deer are dangerous because they move fast and can come across the road in front of you when you least expect them. I know. I have had an encounter with one that stopped us on the side of the highway and made us wait hours for a tow truck to haul us and our car home in the middle of the night. Moose are dangerous because they are so big. Hitting a moose might not just damage your vehicle but cause you injury as well.
I recently made a trip up to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. There were many signs alerting us to the possibility of meeting bison on the highway. We did see some. Again, very big animals that would do a lot of damage to a car and its passengers if you were to hit one at highway speed. Majestic animals to watch, but not one you would want to hit.
Some signs are more unusual. There are signs near Lethbridge, in southern Alberta, warning of snakes crossing the road. I don’t think there would be much danger to a car if you hit one, but these signs are also to protect the snakes.
Speaking of protecting vulnerable animals, I like the signs that warn of ducks and geese crossing a road. Mama ducks and geese and their babies are very vulnerable. They have nothing to protect themselves with, and they are not very fast. The adults just head across the road and the little ones follow in a neat straight line. I remember recently just barely maneuvering around a mama leading her ducks.
So what might these road signs teach us?
They remind us of how unpredictable things can be. If you come around a corner, or pop over a hill, you have no idea what may be on the road. I have seen moose, elk, deer, antelope, bison, ducks and geese, coyotes, even a cow. I narrowly missed a horse on the road once driving late at night.
Life, and what we encounter, can be quite unpredictable. We don’t know when we may get a health scare. Even healthy people can have heart attacks or fall and break a bone. We often go through life as if we are in full control. We make plans. We dream and strategize. We have expectations. We think that if we work hard, it will all work out. Unless we have been surprised too many times.
Too many encounters with “wildlife” can make us paranoid. We are scared to drive at night, or too nervous to drive the speed limit. Instead of moving ahead with excitement and anticipation, we fear every next move, wondering when the next shoe will drop.
These wildlife warning signs can remind us that we are not in control of all that happens. There are always potential dangers lurking around every corner. But we do not need to be afraid.
We can be reminded that God is in charge. God is sovereign over all things. Nothing happens that God does not orchestrate, or allow. As we place our trust in him, we can move ahead with confidence. Not confident in our efforts or that everything will go exactly as we want, but that it will go exactly as God wants. Our confidence is in God. No matter what happens, he will walk with us. No matter what surprises we encounter in life or in business or as leaders in the church, we can trust that God is in charge, and he will direct our paths.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
I will be sharing a brief review of every book I read this year. Hope you enjoy and hope it encourages you to keep reading.
HOPECASTING: Finding, Keeping and Sharing the Things Unseen – by Mark Oestreicher
As the title states, the book is about hope. Mark Oestreicher defines hope as: “Hope is faithful confidence that God continues to author a story that moves us from vision to action.” (p. 24) His belief is that hope is not something we work hard to get, but we can only have it as God gives it to us as we spend time with him. He describes a number of enemies of hope, each a distraction that takes our eyes off of hope to other things. I like how he shows that our role is to be Hope carriers to the world around us, already giving them a glimpse of the kingdom of heaven.
Are you in need of some hope? This is the book for you.
Many of us will be taking road trips over the summer. Maybe you already have. There are many signs along the road that guide our driving, so over the next two months, I will use these familiar signs as reminders of how we can live our lives and honour Jesus along the way.
I want to start with the sign that I think I like the most: speed signs. In Canada, these signs often show a maximum speed of 100km/h on the highway. I recently enjoyed a drive up to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. While I enjoyed the trip, I did not enjoy one large section of highway that was limited to 90 Km/h. When we are fortunate to travel on divided highways, we are allowed to drive 110 km/h. I like travelling in the U.S. because often the speed limit is even higher.
I like this sign because it is all about getting to where you want to go as fast as you can. This is not about taking a leisurely drive for no reason. The focus is on what is ahead. You don’t need your rearview mirror for this sign!
One of the joys of my job is to help churches look ahead with clarity and purpose. Yes, we do take time to look at the past and understand the present, but we do this to clarify vision, and ultimately look at where we are headed and how best to get there. It is forward thinking and forward planning. We have a destination in mind and develop a map to get us there in the best way possible. No matter what speed you are travelling at, it is all about moving ahead.
While we recognize the importance of brakes, we love using the gas pedal more. The goal is to keep moving forward as quickly as possible in order to get to the preferred future we have in mind.
We set the destination. We map out the route. Maybe, if it is a longer trip, we even plan where we will stop for meals or gas, or even an overnight stay in a hotel or with friends. With a church, this means setting some short-term goals that will help us move along to the final destination, while giving us a way to measure progress along the way. If we trust God for 10 new believers this year, it is helpful to set some goals as to how we will help friends and family become new believers in Jesus first. We need to set some more immediate goals that will help us share Jesus with people regularly, praying along the way that some of those we share with will come to know Jesus.
In our personal lives, these same reminders from speed signs might direct our thoughts to pursuing personal growth. Keep moving ahead looking for new experiences and new encounters with learning opportunities. Set personal goals that will move you in the right direction.
In my own life, this forward momentum is evident in my love for learning. When I finished high school, I attended a Bible College. I wanted to learn what I could to become equipped for Christian ministry. I thought I would be involved in fulltime camp work or some kind of Christian education. Halfway through my Christian Education degree, God spoke through a few people and adjusted my destination to be pastoral ministry specifically. I added an extra year of education so I could get my Pastoral Degree as well. As I began ministry, I wanted to keep learning. I began taking courses at a seminary level. I was in no rush to complete the degree, wanting only to keep learning, so it took me over 20 years to get my Masters of Arts in Leadership and Ministry. Presently I am applying for the opportunity to pursue a Doctorate of Ministry. I desire to keep moving forward, to keep growing as a person and as a pastor.
Speed signs are about moving ahead at the highest speed allowed. I encourage you to consider where you have been going slower than you should. Maybe God is asking you to pick up the pace and keep moving forward to what is next. Trust God to guide you as you look to him for the right destination to pursue.
If you have ever worked on a car or built a deck, you know the value of a good tool. With the right tool the work becomes easier and you see better results. The same is true for a pastor. We benefit from having good tools to help us.
Some of you may immediately think of tools like a good commentary or online study tools. These are great and we need those, but I’m thinking more along the lines of the ideas and questions we come across in our reading and study.
Sermon Tools
Over the years I have gathered many questions that I use regularly to help me better dig into the scripture I am preparing to preach. Referring to my pates of collected questions and processes has enhanced my sermon preparation. These are questions like:
What does it say?
What does it not say?
Could it mean what it says?
Sometimes I move through these three questions quickly, other times, if it is a difficult or controversial section of scripture, I tend to slow down and make sure these questions help clarify what God’s Word is truly saying.
One question that I have found helpful to me, especially because I am usually preaching to a congregation of all ages is:
4. “How will this sermon engage with a 12 – year – old boy?”
I want to preach to everyone, but if I can get a pre-teen boy to be engaged, I will most likely I will engage with the rest of the congregation as well.
Here are a sample of a few more questions:
How does this speak to unbelievers?
What is the audience’s thoughts, feelings, emotions, struggles, needs – relating to the big idea of this teaching segment or message?
What are some practical steps the listener can take?
One process I use is a diagram that helps me to move through a scripture passage in a way that moves my study from the text, to historical context, through the Biblical theology, to how it is fulfilled in Christ, and then to how we need to apply the scripture today. Following this process keeps me from taking a shortcut and miss an important step in clearly understanding what the scripture text is saying.
Prayer Tools
I have come across some great ideas for prayer, whether personal or corporate. In his book, The Hour that Changes the World, Dick Eastman suggests praying for an hour i12 periods of 5 minutes. I try to use this prayer plan about twice a week. The forms of prayer are: 1. Praise and worship 2. Waiting on the Lord 3. Confession 4. Praying scripture 5. Watching 6. Intercession 7. Petitions 8. Thanksgiving 9. Song 10. Meditation 11. Listening 12. Praise
I have used this one-hour prayer plan many times for myself as well as for a prayer group.
Pastoral Tools
One of the “tools” I need to remind myself of occasionally is to “move slowly through the crowd.” It is easy for me to have things on my mind and things to do, but there is benefit of moving slowly through the crowd prior to or after the Sunday morning service because it gives me opportunities to connect with people, or for them to stop me with a question or comment. It helps me to be more present in the moment and available to people.
I don’t know what tools you have gathered over the years that have helped equip you to improve your ministry and leadership, but I hope you have many. I would love to hear from you about the tools that help you. Send me an email to share some of your tools with me.
Most churches experience seasons in their ministry. There are times that are slow, times that are steady, and times that are extremely busy. Summer is often a slow season for many churches. The church I’m serving right now has Vacation Bible School at the beginning of July, and then only a monthly prayer meeting and Sunday morning services for the rest of July and August. How can we use the slow times in a beneficial way?
Slow down yourself.
Maybe you can adjust your vacation time to have shorter days in the office and spend extra time with your family. Maybe you can take an extra day off to enjoy a long weekend doing something fun with your kids. Or just take some time to focus on a personal hobby. Allow yourself time to slow down a bit. I’m not sure that taking vacation in the summer is the best plan. Sometimes we need to save that break for in the middle or just after a busy season. Enjoy the time at home with your family without a bunch of commitments for you or them, to distract you from each other.
2. Take a personal retreat.
Maybe you can go camping by yourself or go to a local retreat center for a day or two to spend time with God. Talk with God about what has been happening in the last year and ask God for direction for what is next. I have benefited from even a half day retreat out of the office to just spend time with God.
You might want to ask God to help you plan your next preaching year. Pray through what God is asking you to preach on. Start by choosing which books of the Bible to preach on, or consider if there is a topic that your church needs to address scripturally. Do a rough summary of the texts that you identify and how many sermons you might need to fully preach through the topic or book so you can start plotting them on a calendar for the year ahead. These opportunities to plan a preaching year have been of great benefit to me when I have been in the middle of busy seasons. It has been very helpful to have a plan in place already.
3. Read a book or two.
I have been greatly encouraged through reading good books. You probably have a list of books, maybe even a pile of books, that you have been meaning to read. This is the time. Or maybe there is a topic you would like to know more about. Maybe there are certain trends or cultural issues that are affecting your church and ministry.
Look for a book that addresses that issue. Ask around for recommendations from others for a book that speaks to your church’s needs. I recently enjoyed some great books by Preston Sprinkle on issues of sexuality and gender.
4. Connect with friends.
Summer may be a time to connect with leaders or members in your church, but it may also be a time to connect with friends who are not involved your ministry. It may be a pastor down the road, or a friend in another part of the country. Good friends can be very encouraging and may be worth a trip to meet up with. Do a road trip with your family that includes the opportunity to connect face to face with your friend.
5. Enjoy nature.
Our slow time for many is summer. Summer is a great time to enjoy God’s creation. Go for a walk with your spouse. Go camping if that is your thing. Take a day trip to nearby waterfalls or into the mountains. Enjoy a picnic by a lake. Maybe catch a fish and fry it up for supper. Allow yourself to breathe some fresh air and slow down in God’s creation.
We all have busy times. Sometimes we feel like we are running to just keep up. So take the time to slow down during the slow times. Your health will benefit, and so will your relationship with your spouse, with your family, and with God.
One of the unique opportunities of a pastor is to walk with people as they take significant steps in their journey with Jesus. It is humbling to think that God allows me to be part of these times when people are making decisions that will impact their eternity. Let me share a few stories.
I remember a teenage girl who was searching for answers. She came from a difficult home situation and loved the acceptance she was experiencing in the youth group and church. Her friend brought her to me and together we introduced her to Jesus! She knew there was something better than what she was experiencing at home.
One young man had gone through many hard things. You could tell, just by looking at him, that life had been hard on him. I got to know him and tried to help answer his questions until the day that he asked to be baptised. Just as we headed to the washrooms to change for the baptism, he pulled out a cigar and handed it to me. What a fitting gift! He was so excited about what was about to happen and wanted to celebrate it with a gift for me.
I love the excitement of those preparing for baptism. One teenage girl was determined we would have an outdoor baptism in the river near the church even though it was fall already. The special day arrived, and there was already a skiff of snow on the ground, but she was not backing down. We made sure to have plenty of extra towels to wrap up after and went down into the cold river for the baptism. It was one of the quickest baptisms I ever did!
I remember reading the Bible with a new friend. He didn’t know the Bible but wanted to just read it together. This was not a Bible Study or in-depth lesson. We just started by taking turns reading in the Gospels. As we read the stories of Jesus, we stopped when he had a question or clarification was needed, and then kept going. I loved seeing his responses to a story that I was so used to but was brand new for him!
I have preached many sermons in my life. There are many I have forgotten, but others stick in my mind because of how people responded. One Sunday, I preached on receiving the Holy Spirit from the book of Acts. I pointed out that sometimes people had leaders lay their hands on them and pray for them to receive the Holy Spirit. I made it clear that there was nothing special about me, but if there were any who wanted to have me lay hands on them and pray for them, to come on up as I closed. One man actually ran to the front! Then others started coming up. There were so many people who wanted to receive more of the Holy Spirit, that I had to recruit a couple of elders to lay hands on and pray for people with me. What a joy to see people respond to God’s word!
Working on vision with church leaders is one of the things I get excited about as I serve as a Transitional Pastor. I love seeing leaders begin to hear God together and get a sense of how God is leading their church. I served one church where leaders put in two planning and dreaming sessions of five and six hours each, working together to hear from God on His direction for the church. It was amazing to watch as they listened and heard from God together, coming up with the right words to describe who the church was and where the leaders felt God calling them as a church. The time of prayer and listening and discussing together brought a clear sense of direction that guided the church moving forward. What a privilege to coach the leaders through this process of listening to God.
Walking with people as they make decisions to follow and honour Jesus has given me opportunities to develop some great friendships. One friend and I spent many hours together in the church and serving in the community and just doing life together. It was a joy to eventually baptise him as he said yes to Jesus. Another friend was struggling with a desire to be holy and feeling he was far from it. As we walked through this time together, not only was I able to encourage him to continue to follow Jesus and go deeper with him, I also found a great friend.
I hope these stories show you what a gift it is to walk with people as they make big spiritual decisions and take steps in spiritual growth.
We conclude our look at fruitful leadership with the fruit of the Spirit called “self-control.” Galatians 5: 22-23 gives us a list of nine fruits that should be evident in every believer. As a Christian leader, these fruits should be portrayed in the leadership of our church or organization.
Self-control is about mastering one’s self, controling one’s self. It could be used to mean self-mastery, or self-restraint.
When someone is overwhelmed and expressing their emotions, whether in anger or in sadness, we might say, “get ahold of yourself.” Someone who does not know how to control their anger may be describes as “flying off the handle.” These phrases describe the need for the person to gain some control over themselves. Self-control is needed when our emotions take over and we act in ways that we would not if our intellect was in charge.
People who give in to addictions are described as lacking self-control. They seem to be controlled by outside forces that make them act in ways that they themselves say they do not want to act. Others may say they just couldn’t control themselves. They are lacking self-control.
It is interesting to find this characteristic in a list of spiritual fruit. Self-control implies that each person needs to take personal responsibility for their actions and master their body. Yet, when we understand the fruit of the Spirit, we recognize that each of these fruits are evident in one who has given up control to God. It is God’s Spirit, working in and through a believer, who enables them to have these spiritual fruits. So, self-control begins by letting go of control of ourselves and handing the reigns of our life over to God.
Self-control is more about giving God control than about willing ourselves to gain the strength to overpower our emotions and desires. Yes, we need self-control in our lives. Good leaders will be self-controlled. But that self-control only becomes stronger as you trust in God more.
Leaders need self-control when in a situation where they are tempted to get angry at a team member or someone they serve. As we ask God to help us gain control over our anger, we trust him to help us.
Leaders need self-control when they are tempted to take shortcuts. These might be ethical shortcuts when a leaders is tempted to do something wrong because it is easier. These shortcuts will damage your integrity. Self-control, under God’s control, will help leaders remember that sinful and harmful shortcuts will only hurt them and their organization in the long run.
Christian leaders need self-control when they attempt to go ahead of God or beyond what God has asked of them. Our ultimate goal as a Christian is to honor and obey God, not to build the biggest organization at the fastest pace or make the most money or grow the largest church. Those things may happen, but we need to check in with God regularly, looking to him for what is next for us and the people we serve. Business solutions may work and may be good, but make sure that you check in with God about his plans for your first.
We need to display self-control as we lead, and with God’s help we can.
Elevate with Andy 