Be still before the LORD, and wait patiently for him;
— Psalm 37:1-9
Resource Archive: Newsletter Archives
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— Psalm 37:1-9 Resource Archive: Newsletter Archives |
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Who would benefit from this issue? Pastors, church ministry coordinators, and any leader serving within your congregation.
A- Read: Psalm 37:1-9
I think it's pretty safe to say that our society has trouble sitting still. Families and individuals are constantly on the go doing chores, transporting kids, fulfilling work responsibilities, and meeting deadlines. All you have to do is spend a little time behind the wheel of your car to see that we have difficulty being patient. I can't tell you how many times people have honked at me because I didn't accelerate fast enough after a light turned green. And, people frequently zip past me on highways even though I'm driving the speed limit. We're not very patient in our congregational lives either. When I served as an intentional interim pastor, I observed a lack of patience and trust as church leadership fretted over having to conduct a study of the congregation and its ministry needs. Slowing down to study the needs and goals of the ministry meant the church would have to wait longer for a new pastor to arrive. Its leaders wanted a pastor, not a study. Even Christians are not a patient people. The psalmist reminds us that God calls us to be both still and patient as we listen for God to communicate with us. God speaks to us every day, but often we are moving too quickly to hear. Caught up in the worries of the day, we are anything but still and patient. Yet we need to hear this word of God. It's meant for us. O God, help all leaders of your church to patiently await your word on all matters as they serve in Christ's name. Amen. Copyright © 2007 Susan M. Lang
2- The Time Is Ripe: Nurturing
Spiritual Leaders When I conduct retreats and workshops for congregational leadership teams, I typically ask the spiritual leaders in the room to raise their hands. Predictably, the pastors and lay church staff do so, while everyone else looks at them. In reality, everyone should be raising his or her hand. What makes leadership in the church different from other forms of leadership is that we are all spiritual leaders rooted in Christ’s love and empowered by the Holy Spirit. While we may utilize some of the skills used in the business world, we’re not a business. We’re the Body of Christ and our meetings and life together should reflect that. Often they don’t. In August 2007, I served as a voting member to the Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. I was moved by the fact that before every major vote, including the votes to elect a new presiding bishop and secretary, we stopped. We sang hymns and we prayed, asking for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The question I’ve been asking ever since is "why don’t we do this in our congregations, too?” In “Becoming a Blessed Church: Forming a Church of Spiritual Purpose, Presence, and Purpose” (Alban Institute, 2005), author N. Graham Standish talks about how he and his leaders changed the shape and the feel of their church meetings. Rather than being your run-of-the-mill business meeting, each meeting now resembles a worship service. Candles are lit and prayers are lifted for the needs and concerns of those present. And, no longer do they vote by asking who is in “favor of” or who is “against” what is being voted on. This more traditional language, typically used in voting, unwittingly places the focus on the desires and wills of those in the room. Standish writes: “The question asked for each vote is “All who sense this is God’s will, say ‘yes’; all who don’t say ‘no.’” Focusing on God’s rather than on our own will for our ministries can require a leap of faith. And, asking leaders to reflect upon God’s will before taking a vote certainly changes our leadership perspective. We begin to realize that ministry really isn’t about us and what we want. Instead our leadership continually looks to the Holy Spirit for guidance and direction. Create the Foundation Moving in the direction of recognizing the spiritual leadership of all leaders, not just the pastor and staff, will require intentional prayer. It may even mean a different way of looking at each other, no longer as a church hierarchy, but as a partnership in ministry in Christ’s name. It means acknowledging that we are all disciples of Christ—each and every one of us. Recognize that this shift can be a bit frightening for those who enjoy roles that assign them power in a congregation, be they pastors, staff, or lay leaders. But rooting it in prayer gives it a firm foundation. Preachers might also consider a sermon series on the baptismal vocation of each Christian. In addition, leadership retreats can be used as a time for deeper reflection on the nature of spiritual leadership. Create the Atmosphere For years, I’ve wanted to create a personal prayer space within my home. When I recently moved the living room furniture I found a configuration that finally felt right. A table next to my favorite chair now holds a white alabaster cross, a small stained glass candle, a Bible, and my prayer beads. It’s made a huge difference and has given me the space I needed, both externally and internally, for renewal in my prayer life. Take a look at each room in which you traditionally hold your meetings. What does the room feel like? Is it conducive to being grounded in the spiritual, or is it overflowing with old books and discarded materials? What simple transformations might you make to the room to evoke a deeper grounding in the Holy Spirit? Table runners can be purchased from a variety of sources, including religious supply and book stores. A simple cross and candles placed in the center of the table will be a reminder of the true nature of your calling as leaders. The space in which you gather does influence how you conduct yourselves. Create a Spiritual Resource Library Locate a spot in your building where you can develop a leadership resource library. Many churches already have libraries where a shelf might be used for a special collection of books and CDs. But you want these materials where people will know where to find them and will actually use them. This may mean placing them in your meeting room or another public spot. Be sure to have a procedure for signing out a book. This could be as simple as a legal pad listing the name of the borrower, resource borrowed, and date borrowed. Things that you’ll want to include are: a variety of prayer books and resources, books on spiritual leadership, and CDs of music that can be used during prayer time at the start of meetings. Ask your leaders for suggestions of resources to include. Many people have favorite prayer or devotional tools that might be helpful to others. The very conversation will get you talking on the spiritual level, and that’s good! (See a starter list in the sidebar following this article.) Create Space for Spiritual Leaders to Lead Pastors are frequently viewed by others as being the pray-ers of the congregation. When someone needs a prayer, whether it’s grace before a meal or a prayer for healing, he or she asks the pastor. But all leaders can be nurtured to develop a deeper prayer life. Begin by encouraging them to participate in opening your meetings with prayer. Once you have a resource library, they’ll know where to turn to find books and other materials to use. Then, create the space for them to use these tools. Discuss whether you’d like to have a standard format for opening your meetings or if you’d like to go with the flow of the Spirit as it works in the life of the convener. I make regular use of instrumental music at workshops and retreats as I find that it helps center both me and the groups that I work with. Given the opportunity, I weave music into meetings and have even been known to have it play quietly in the background. Create a Space for the Holy Spirit The next step is to actually invite and welcome the Holy Spirit into the room during each meeting. This can be done through the opening prayer time, but consider doing it prior to each vote. And consider, as Standish suggests, re-phrasing how you take the vote so that the emphasis is not on the will of those present, but on how, as a group, you discern God’s will for your joint ministry. Imagine praying before every vote and maybe even holding hands doing so. How might that small change transform your ministry as leaders? Consider what an emphasis on prayer and spiritual leadership might look like in an adult Sunday school class. What shape might it take on in the worship life of your congregation? How might you expand the variety of prayer forms to expose your congregation and its leaders to new spiritual practices? Most of our leaders are involved in leadership positions because they want to serve God and grow in their faith. However, we seldom support and nurture them in the growth they desire. Instead, we follow business as usual and often end up enabling people to burn themselves out by doing too much. A change to supporting and encouraging your leaders in the development of a more spiritual lifestyle can have transformative effects in the life of a congregation. And, it all begins with prayer. Copyright © 2007 Susan M. Lang
Devotional Resources and Tools
Visit and peruse your local Christian bookstore for additional resources.
What has gobs of goodies, flowery decorations and pretty china? A tea party! A friend invited me to a tea party at her church. The women transformed the fellowship hall into a vision of feminine beauty. Lavender and pink netting festooned the speaker's area, while springtime wreaths adorned the walls. The women from the host church each took a table, setting it with exquisite linens, china, crystal, and silverware. The event started with a welcome and introductions. Each guest received a heart-shaped cookie cutter with a couple of Hershey Kisses tied up in pink or purple netting and labeled with her name. A program announced the theme: "Matters of the Heart." The first speaker talked about heart health for women, followed by an author who talked about a healthy spiritual heart. No tea party would be complete without scrumptious food. An eye-catching buffet table laden with tea sandwiches, fruits, veggies, scones, and pastries provided selections for almost every taste and diet. A variety of teas coaxed even the most die-hard coffee drinkers to sample a different beverage. A tea party is a fun way to celebrate a holiday, have a get-together for women from several churches, or reach out to the community. Besides the obvious enjoyment of food and fellowship, the gathering celebrated the bonds of friendship and encouraged women to take good care of themselves both physically and spiritually. Come up with a unique theme and enjoy your own tea party. Copyright 2007 Susan J. Reinhardt
A - Recent RevWriter Sightings:
B - What's New?
C - Still Available:
Financial Contributions Welcomed Due to the addition of new charges at my e-zine delivery system, this year it will cost me over $400 to produce and manage The RevWriter Resource. Writers of devotions and main articles have always been, and will continue to be, paid. In the past, this has come out of my personal writing income, but as this ministry continues to grow, the cost to me will also continue to increase. In the effort to maintain the ministry provided through the publication of The RevWriter Resource without requiring a subscriber's fee, I am now welcoming contributions from subscribers.
Most importantly, I appreciate your prayers as this ministry continues to grow during its fifth year in publication. Sue
About the author: RevWriter, Rev. Susan M. Lang, is an interim pastor and writer, residing in Pennsylvania. She is also the author of the Augsburg Fortress Congregational LEADER Series book entitled, OUR COMMUNITY: Dealing with Conflict in Our Congregation. Revwriter Susan M.
Lang http://www.revwriter.com & http://www.suelang.com
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