Setting Boundaries in Bivocational Ministry (Part 1)

September 14, 2014May 30, 2020Leave a comment

As young pastors in bivocational ministry, we’ve had to learn many things on the fly.

From working with volunteers and engaging with older staff to developing curriculum and teaching the Gospel to diverse audiences.

But perhaps the hardest element we’ve had to adjust to is boundary setting.

‘Cause truth is: with limited time and relational opportunities, providing pastoral care while faithfully holding down multiple day jobs can be challenging.

Knowing when to sacrifice, when to engage, when to say ‘yes‘, when to say ‘no‘ …

…I mean, let’s face it: it can be doggone hard discerning the right move at the right time, especially without a solid game plan.

Yet, we don’t have to feel helpless or lost in the dark.

‘Cause when we look at Scripture, we find that game plan in Christ and his ministry.

Now, for many, when we think of Jesus, we think about the cross, a parable he taught or one of his many miracles. But perhaps one of the most underrated aspects of his ministry was how he shepherded his own heart by setting boundaries and accepting the limitations of his humanity.

Could Jesus have done more on certain days?

Absolutely.

Yet, could he have also overstepped the boundary of authority given to him?

You bet.

After all, it’s not like Jesus forsook his divinity when he took on human flesh.

However…even though Jesus fully knew his identity as the Son of God, he never abused this by trying to bite off more than he could chew. Why? Because Jesus…

Understood the importance of rest…
Understood how rest encouraged a lifestyle of obedience…and…
Understood how rest maintained a posture of yieldedness, anchoring his priorities and needs to the will of God.

Thus, Jesus never flirted with the temptation to overextend himself, since he knew the right time to speak the truth in love, knew the right time to withdraw or redirect authority, knew when to call out unholy behavior and knew when to engage the expectations he had for people.

Bottom line: Jesus knew if people were to step into his yoke, then he had to have one to begin with. And he knew in order to cultivate the yoke, he had to rely on God so his allegiance, hunger and drive could be refreshed.

However, just because Jesus was driven, didn’t mean he was hauling 60, 70+ hours a week…as hard as that is to believe.

Rather, Jesus could have cared less about how busy life got because he knew he could rely on what God provided…and knew he could know God’s heart if he daily postured himself.

You see, Jesus’ ministry didn’t end with rest, it started with rest* . Jesus didn’t spend quiet time with God when he had the time. He made it his priority before anything else happened. Thus, when the time came for action, for teaching, for healing, for loving the outcasts, Jesus had the capacity to fully execute because his pace was still rooted in obedience to God’s will.

And for 21^st century ministers, caught up in a “work hard to reap the rest” mindset, it’s easy to forget what Jesus did behind the scenes. But it’s here where we must redirect our focus and realize it’s not about how many hours we put in during the week, but what we do with those hours that counts.

Stay tuned for next time, when we’ll talk about the difference between walls and boundaries…and how pastors can effectively establish these boundaries (whether personal, ethical or relational) while also making time for rest, family and quality time with God.

Footnotes

* Gaultiere, B. (n.d.). Ministry Begins with Rest – Soul Shepherding. Retrieved September 9, 2014.

What Pastors & Superman Have in Common

August 17, 2014August 17, 2014Leave a comment

We see our pastors as many things.

Counselor, motivator, preacher, scholar…the list goes on.

But let’s be honest: sometimes, it’s easy to imagine them as something far greater than they really are…

…like a super-hero straight out of a Marvel comic, loaded with heavy artillery, always on guard to defeat the darkest forces of evil.

However, regardless of what we like to think, pastors aren’t superheroes.

They don’t shoot lasers out of their eyes, webs out of their wrists or leap buildings in a single bound. They don’t possess Asgardian power, cyberpathic links…or the ability to save the world with incredible displays of Bible trivia and prophetic insight.

On the contrary, what pastors share with our dream heroes are much less enviable.

But though they may not possess earth-shattering superpowers or battle alongside valiant sidekicks, they still carry enormous responsibility.

For instance, not only must pastors fearlessly lead while warring behind closed doors, but they also must demonstrate consistent self-sacrifice, willing to die for not only what they stand for, but whom they stand for.

Sound, familiar?

So while we may think our pastors are protective guardians living largely in extravagant estates complete with lavish interiors and ritzy paraphernalia, the reality is our pastors are silent sufferers…dirty shepherds wrestling with the same ups and downs as everybody else.

They aren’t any more perfect.

They aren’t any less weak.

Yet, all the while, it’s one emergency after another: a hospital call, a parishioner’s broken marriage or an untimely death…their life and desires put on hold as they faithfully tend the needs of the flock.

Thus, the idea of pastors having it easy…couldn’t be further from the truth.

‘Cause when we go behind the scenes, we don’t find clean-cut lives saturated with serenity, but rather ones messy and muddled….filled with desperate tears and inherited heartbreak.

Sure, the world may think pastors have to have it all together in order to be effective…in order to be qualified…that somehow, it’s up to them to do the “saving”. But sometimes, we forget how important it is for our pastors to struggle…to battle…to contend…to model by way of vulnerable action…all the while operating as the living embodiment of Galatians 6:2.

———————————————————————————————————-

So as a young pastor, learning this firsthand, I encourage you to pray supernatural strength and endurance (Romans 5:3-4, James 1:2-4, James 1:12-18, Colossians 1:11, 1 Corinthians 10:13) over your church leaders, understanding no matter how heavy the load, they’ll ~~almost~~ always carry a greater bullseye on their back.

And if you’re in a place of leadership, I challenge you to pray for your staff and team members to stay the course…to keep trusting God even when you feel invisible.

‘Cause when we talk about our pastors and ministers, there will be inevitable down days when they feel like anything but a superhero.

Yet, we don’t have to be indifferent bystanders, disengaged from supportive action.

But rather, we can be empowered by praying for our leaders to be empowered…and we can be encouraged by encouraging the people who make it their mission to encourage us…remembering even when we feel alone and misunderstood, there’s a God inspiring pastors and non-pastors alike to war for one other.

‘Til then, rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer (Romans 12:12).

Image from Kevin DeYoung

Making Time for Quiet Time (Part 1)

August 2, 2014May 30, 2020Leave a comment

Have you ever wondered how your pastor spends his alone time? Or what he does away from church?

I know I have.

In fact, I remember as a kid, thinking the pastor was like the Wizard of Oz – a man of big presence and mystery, yet shielded behind the curtain of Monday thru Saturday.

But as I grew older, and watched my dad make the transition from road warrior to senior pastor, I learned firsthand the importance of not only making time for God, but being a wise steward of that time.

And now, as a bivocational minister, I’m living what I learned, rediscovering the value of quiet time in an entirely new light.

Now, I know when we talk quiet time, it’s easy to get squeamish. After all, it’s not easy making room for it with so much going on in life.

But it’s not like pastors are any exception.

‘Cause with pastors, quiet time can get lost in the shuffle rather easily, whether in tedious logistics…like studying and writing out sermons, orchestrating service flows, making phone calls, responding to e-mails, staff meetings…or the personal items like counseling sessions, house church, attending important social engagements, hospital visits, etc.

And keep in mind, we’re not even talking about other full-time jobs, academic loads or family commitments.

But maybe you’re reading this wondering what the heck is real “quiet time” anyway?

Well, at its core, quiet time is time intentionally set aside for intimate communion with God, whether through prayer, intercession, reflection, reading the Word…or a combo platter of two or more.

So quiet time is basically premeditated meditation.

However, for ministers and church leaders, quiet time can be a slightly more complicated issue.

For instance, many pastors prep multiple messages on a weekly basis, spending many hours submerged in Scriptures, commentaries, concordances, databases, journal articles, etc.

Is it okay, then, for them to occasionally use prep time as quiet time?”

Well, the quick, smart-aleck answer is: Of course!

‘Cause if you think about it, prep time is literally applied quiet time…

…yet, with one notable caveat: Prep time is seeking God with an agenda, quiet time is seeking God for the agenda.

True, both can be purposeful…and planned out in advance.

However, with “quiet time”, we’re talkin’ about a holy hangout we get to have with the living God, completely free of technical, relational or work-related distractions.

Pretty amazing, eh?

Yet, when we dig a little deeper, we find “quiet time” to not only be a conversation with God, but also a gateway to higher level understanding concerning the ways of God. Thus, if we’re truly thirsty to see our relationship with God advance, then spending yielded time with Him is not an option.

And hear me, guys, I know what it’s like to wrestle with a desire to spend quality time with God, especially on days when I have a lot on my plate or when I’m feeling burnt out.

Yet, whenever I find myself wrestling with the decision to spend quiet time with God, I ask myself:

Have I committed this day to the Lord?
Have I expressed praise and thanksgiving to God today?
Have I spent agenda-free time with God today?
Have I opened my heart to give and receive from the Lord today?

If the answer is ‘no’ to any of these questions, then chances are, I need to pause and recalibrate through quiet time. And hey, if you run down the checklist, but are still struggling, simply ask God to fill you up with a deeper desire to know Him more. It won’t take long before He pours into you with supernatural hunger.

So coming back to the initial question: is it okay for ministers to use prep time as quiet time?

Well, yes…

But think about it: wouldn’t it be better for quiet time to lead into prep time?

Shouldn’t prep time flow out of quiet time, given the point of either is seeking God first and foremost above content?

‘Cause bottom line: We don’t prep to have quiet time, but have quiet time so what we do flows out of it.

Matthew 6:33 confirms this:

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (ESV)

In other words, when we lay down our agenda and seek the Lord first, we’ll find He, in turn, will inspire the content for the prep. Thus, quiet time doesn’t have to hinge on our productivity or intellectual efficiency. Rather, we can rest in knowing God will be faithful to provide the timely word or revelation we’re looking for. All we have to do is stand at the door and knock (Revelation 3:20).

Stay tuned next time, when we’ll conclude this mini-series by talking about how ministers can tangibly model quiet time and how they can keep it from becoming a “grey area” in the church.

Staying the Course: The Importance of Not Quitting (Part 1)

July 14, 2014March 22, 20252 Comments

I’m going to be quite frank: I’m not a fan of my day job.

I mean…don’t get me wrong. I take great pride in being bivocational, serving as a full-time volunteer youth pastor with a permanent governmental position on the side.

But on some days, I’m telling you…I seriously consider buying some “Just for Men” products just to combat premature greyness potential.

After all, it’s hard to stay engaged at work when you sense your passion bucket is drying up…when the only thing keeping your midday heart afloat is a splintered desire for excellence.

‘Cause truth is: Sometimes, it’s easy to want to quit…to unplug and refresh, especially when you feel you’re heart and résumé are headed in opposite directions.

However, when we soak in the Word and rest in the arms of Christ, we can find value in steadfast persistence, even when our circumstances don’t make sense. Yes, we may be burning for a reset compass to the tune of 90°, maybe 180°, but this doesn’t have to compromise our faith in staying the course.

Think about the ministry of Christ…

Whenever Jesus encountered a difficult situation, what’s the first thing he did? He yielded. He relinquished his prerogative and instead, referenced the Father so he could be filled with wisdom and understanding.

In other words, Jesus lived what God said…because he saw his life as a pure reflection of the Father’s heart and continually established the hope of glory as his vanguard.

Thus, the more Jesus yielded, the more supernatural strength he received, which in turn, helped him not only stand firm in the midst of trials, but also live a lifestyle of perpetual obedience.

Essentially, when we discern the ministry of Jesus, we see how holy surrender is the best way to never give up.

But maybe you’re still scratching your head, wondering how this relates to the humble workingman stuck in cubicle country. I mean…it’s not like these factoids can ease the burden of two rush hour commutes a day or the patronizing, unprofessionally filtered dialogue ponging up the airwaves and hallways…

…or can it?

You see, studying the nature and ministry of Christ not only inspires us to live a life worthy of the calling set before us (Ephesians 4:1), but also compels us to take up our cross (Matthew 16:24-26). Without it, there’s no way we can expect our natural perspective to calibrate to where it needs to be.

And yet, on the flipside, I understand the profile of the unfulfilled employee whose frustration mounts whenever a co-worker is promoted out of bias or when another is intentionally disregarded.

However, whenever I feel suffocated or ignored by a colleague, I remember the attitude Christ had whenever he encountered animosity.

And suddenly, my crap doesn’t feel so…crappy anymore.

True, I may be tempted to vent steam in the face of what feels like discriminate functionality. But glory to God if I’m hard-pressed. Glory to God if I feel abandoned…if I’m stuck in a jam and the only way out is reliance upon His unfailing masterheart.

Bottom line: You may find yourself in a bland situation, feeling like you’re filing your creativity away …or stuck between provisional responsibility and a dream pursuit.

But whether you feel pinned under overwhelming pressure or hardened by lifelessness, the point is: Don’t quit…but stay the course!

Remember each season of your life is a stepping stone in the direction of the unfathomable calling God has for you. So don’t believe the lie that God doesn’t care about the job you do…or that everything has to make sense in order to embrace the opportunity in front of you.

Instead, press in, press through and put yourself in a position to hear God’s heart and voice, so when you hear His call, you won’t hesitate to obey even if you don’t fully understand the answer. For God always sees the ultimate goal and nothing is impossible with him (Luke 1:37). After all, He not only sees the light at the end of the tunnel – He is the light.

Let’s pray…

“God, we want to be difference makers at our jobs, even though it may seem most of the people we work with tick the living shrek out of us. God, we want to love what’s hard, not just what’s easy. We don’t want to give up and surrender the chance we have to be light in the darkness. We may not be a fan of what we do. We may not see how this pertains to our calling. But by faith, we’re going to believe there’s a purpose behind the position you’ve blessed us with. We don’t have to see it to believe it and we don’t have to like it to live it. At the end of the day, we’re going to be obedient. And we trust that you’ll create and develop in us a stronger desire to selflessly serve while standing tall in adversity. It’s not about us. It’s all about you. So take this numb heart and breathe life back into it so we may be able to give life back to others. Amen!”

4 Ways to Maximize Time Efficiency (Part 2)

July 8, 2014May 30, 2020Leave a comment

Last week, we discussed the first two points in our 4 Ways to Maximize Time Efficiency series. Today, we’ll wrap things up with two more…

3. Shut up and drive. For the bivocational pastor, there’s something majestic about the open road…something soothing as to what it represents.

For example, I find the open road not only the epitome of dedication, but also an outlet where quiet time and dreaming come together. Unfortunately, many treat “drive-time” as nothing more than a trivial agenda item, unaware of how it can be used fruitfully.

But think about it: the world we live in requires motion to function, so why not use it constructively? ‘Cause truth is: Sometimes, we gotta shut up and drive if we’re ever going to embrace the joy in stillness and find breakthrough in our Kingdom pursuits.

Granted, a drive from ‘point A’ to ‘point B’ may not sound too exciting. But perhaps there are other options you enjoy that also can’t be helped, like exercise or household chores.

At any rate, it’s important to identify with whatever helps us align to the heart of God. For when we start capitalizing on these experiences, we’ll find we’re not only advancing the most important relationship in our lives, but also integrating efficient time management into things we can’t control.

Bottom line: Consider your “open road” and make sure to block time for it.

4. Stay communally connected. Let’s be real: It can be hard finding time for relationships outside of work and family. Stress, life changes, technology, unforeseen conflicts…it’s like life is a merciless jungle and we’re all trying to survive it one day at a time.

But let’s get real: It can be super easy making excuses when it comes to faithfully stewarding community. Stress, life changes, technology, unforeseen con…oh wait, I’ve already said that.

Truth is: If you want to have time for people, you gotta make time for people. After all, that’s what community is all about – being intentional about pursuing meaningful relationships in an authentic way.

Of course, not every relational road is a straight-a-way, given life has a way of creating dead-ends from time to time.

However, if you’re reaching out to people at work, school or church, but still find it hard to connect, fear not! Instead of withdrawing, try engaging people with similar interests through meet-up websites, local Facebook groups, recreational leagues, etc.

Either way, by choosing to stay communally connected (or at least making the sincere effort), you’ll discover a more complete joy that organically comes when God’s love is made apparent.