My Personality Pattern

After Tony Morgan recently posted his “personality pattern” on his blog, Tony Morgan Live, I went to the same website and within 15 minutes was able to work my way through a short inventory of questions that produced a pretty accurate assessment of my personality (at least my wife thinks so). You can check it out for yourself by clicking here and finding out FOR FREE if it’s an accurate “read” on who you are. It might actually be a good assessment tool for those who evaluate potential church planters or staff members, too.

Now I’m no “Tony Morgan,” but in case you are curious and want to know a little bit more about me (that sounds so narcissistic, doesn’t it? sorry), my top ten personality traits are listed below and yes, they appear to be in order of strength.

Assertive

You behave in a confident and forceful manner, take charge of the situation, raise your hand in class, stand up for what you think is right, and lead others. Among those who have a high score on the “assertive” trait, many have jobs in which they are valued for their organizational skills as well as their talent for supervising others.

You are not interested in fading into the woodwork, leaving everything to fate, taking more time than necessary to accomplish a task, or avoiding confrontation.

Competent

You strive to master everything you undertake. You tend to learn quickly and do not shy away from challenges.

You are not a “que sera sera” type of person, nor do you go easy on yourself when attempting to master a new skill or get a job done.

Conscientious

You feel it’s important to work according to a plan and finish every task, to do things correctly and thoroughly.

You are not the kind of person who abandons a project before finishing it, or slacks off when you’ve lost interest.

Focused

You know how to lock in on what’s important. You quickly prepare yourself for a task, you don’t procrastinate, and you don’t let up until the job is done to your satisfaction.

You are the opposite of scattered. You don’t procrastinate before starting a task, and you almost never lose track of what you’re doing.

Organized

You like to think a task through before you embark on it. If it’s the slightest bit complicated, you make a list (even if it’s only in your mind) and methodically work your way through it. When you have a goal in mind, you’re not satisfied until you reach it.

You are not one of those people who ignore the details, and you don’t understand how anyone can get anything accomplished without thoughtful planning ahead of time.

Unflappable

You are not a slave to your emotions. It takes a lot to upset or unnerve you. That’s why you’re a good person to have around in a crisis.

You don’t let it all hang out, which means that those around you often don’t know the pressures you’re under or what you’re going through. You’re not the kind of person people run from in a crisis.

Rational

You see the world clearly and objectively. You know there’s a logical explanation for everything, and a logical solution to every problem; which is why you’re such a good problem-solver.

You do not take your sweet time when presented with a new task to complete or problem to solve. You don’t avoid assignments that require you to learn new skills.

Excitable

You have a strong image of how you want things to be, and when the world around you refuses to cooperate you get annoyed, distracted, or worse.

You don’t feel compelled to stay calm when the world around you is erupting in chaos; it’s not your job to keep everyone else in line.

Efficient

You are very well organized, even a bit anal. You like to stick to your plans and finish on deadline, wasting as little time as possible in the process.

You are not comfortable when things do not go according to plan, nor are you a procrastinator. You don’t waste time when you can be getting down to business.

Responsible

You fulfill your obligations and responsibilities, are true to your word, and generally obey the rules. While the majority of those who have a high score on the “responsible” trait enjoy traveling, they are usually very happy to return home — and don’t mind staying put for a while.

You’re opposed to making hasty decisions, you don’t insist that you’re above the rules, nor do you feel compelled to color outside the lines.

Well, that’s “me.” What do you think? I’m hoping you still want to be friends…

(Sorry, but there’s no “Fridays are for Friends & Family” edition today…stay tuned next week for its return.)

A Church Planting Manifesto, part 2

I Believe…

16. That denominations are only helpful if they exist for the local church and not the local church for the denomination

17. That church planters can shift their love all too easily from Jesus to the church, which is a subtle but very serious form of idolatry

18. That seeking to be a “full-service” church is a sure and certain journey to plateau or decline for 9 out of every 10 churches (try to do too much and end up doing too little)

19. That the most “earthly good” the church does happens Monday through Saturday, not on Sunday

20. That planters must not be more passionate about their methodology and “being cool and hip” than they are about reaching people with the Gospel

21. That we mistake compliance for commitment all the time and it’s killing us in churches across the Western world

22. That we must use biblical models more than business models to inform our church planting efforts

23. That it’s time to measure success by how many a church releases rather than retains

24. That a new church will mirror its leadership within the first two years of its ministry

25. That a church cannot be the church that Jesus intended without reproducing disciples and congregations

26. That prayer is the most important church planting work one will ever do

27. That planters must guard their hearts and their marriages with utmost priority in time and attention

28. That effective assessment is the gateway to everything else in a church planting system

29. That coaching is the greatest leverage leaders have with those who are planting new churches

30. That planting a church is NEVER the ultimate objective

to be continued…

(This post is part two in an ongoing series; part one can be found by clicking here.)

Who Me, a Church Planter?!

Have you ever wondered that? I did, and in the early years of my ministry I laughed whenever anyone suggested church planting might be for me. But over the course of time, and through many lessons and experiences I learned, in fact, that this was exactly what God had created me to be.

Almost every day I deal with someone who is asking this very same question. They are wondering what it takes to be a planter and if who they are, as God has created and shaped them, makes them “church planting material.” As a result of these questions and the subsequent conversations, I put together a series of videos last month to address the items of interest that any potential planter needs to consider as they attempt to discern God’s will for them in regards to church planting. Each video presentation can be accessed by clicking on the hyperlinks (not the snapshot) below; they are each about 45 minutes in length.

Moreover, if you prefer to download the audio part of the presentation or the PowerPoint itself, you can do that too. However, here’s what you must do to make that happen.

1. Go to one of the presentations below.

2. Find the top right corner and “login now.” (Registration is free, but necessary since only registered viewers can do more than simply watch the video.)

3. Proceed to download the audio as an mp3 file AND/OR save the PowerPoint to your hard drive.

The three video presentations of “How to Know if Church Planting is for You“ are offered in a linear fashion, since the content in the first is the most essential part, and the second more essential than the third, at least in my estimation. Of course, you can view them in any order you desire.

Presentation One focuses on the Calling of a Church Planter…how to know if you’re called, the process calling can take, and some essential factors, “non-negotiables,” if you will, in nurturing and living out the “timing” of that call as a planter. You can access part one by clicking here.

Presentation Two focuses on the Character of a Church Planter…the proto-typical SHAPE of such planters, PLUS other strengths and vulnerabilities/limitations they face. In addition I address the process of character development God often uses and offer some words aimed at helping planters stay “healthy” in the process. You can access this presentation by clicking here.

Presentation Three focuses on the Competencies of a Church Planter…by reviewing essential behavioral skills and capacities that show themselves in a planter’s typical activity. In addition, there is a brief overview of the needed knowledge that lays the groundwork for the ministry of church planting. You can access this third presentation by clicking here.

At the end of each presentation there is contact information to reach me for follow-up, if you so desire. Of course, if you prefer, you can always connect with me by leaving a comment below. Here’s hoping these presentations enable you to do some self-assessment and discern under the Spirit’s guidance whether church planting is indeed for you.

The #1 Principle in Discovering Effective Church Planters

Is there a secret, a “silver bullet,” to discovering effective church planters? Some of us think there is; all of us who are interested are intrigued to know. In fact, this is a great question, partly because we address it with our own biases and assumptions.

Here’s what I mean: some of us think that a Bible education (college, seminary, etc.) is necessary to be an effective church planter. In reality, only sometimes this is true. In fact, it is almost as often NOT true as it is true in real-time experience. There are reasons for this and perhaps we’ll go into them in a future post, but for now suffice it to say, formal education does not necessarily make one a good church planter.

Some of us assume that being an excellent public speaker is mandatory to being an effective church planter. While it certainly helps (especially in an “attractional” model), church planters need to know that just because you can gather a crowd does not mean you can plant a God-led church.

Others assume that an limitless fundraising ability is the key to a successful church planter in establishing a new church. And again, I have to tell you that while it may be advantageous (I repeat: MAY BE advantageous), there’s a down side too. In fact, in the long run it may have more to do with the church plateau-ing than growing (again, maybe this is for another day).

There are many other biases and assumptions we make that all of us carry into the learning process that may cause us to “misread” the potential in church planters. There is, however, one standard predictor, one basic principle that crosses cultural, linguistic, educational, racial, socio-economic differences to suggest effectiveness in church planters.

The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.

Period.

In other words, we’ve learned that the characteristics, traits and habits of an individual are the best way to evaluate his effectiveness in the future.

What does this mean? For one thing, it means analyzing the potential planter’s past behavior, not his resume. Resumes share the good, the accomplishments and the positions held, but rarely do they disclose behavior, or the habits and values of the person who accomplished them. An assessor must delve deep into the way things have been done before in specific areas where church planters who are effective must apply themselves to see if a candidate has the behavior patterns needed to be successful.

Additionally, cross platform (different life settings, i.e., family, work, school, ministry, etc.) and cross temporal (children, adolescence, young adulthood, etc.) dimensions in these traits and characteristics validate greater strength in the characteristics or behaviors being explored. In other words, the more different life settings and time periods this behavior has been seen in your life, the more it stands to reason that it will be seen in the future, too.

Add to this a certainty of God’s call upon one’s life to plant churches and consequently, the result from our own human perspective should be overwhelmingly affirmative in anticipating the impact of a ministry of starting new congregations in the Kingdom. The key then is to match the “right” planter to the right place with the right plan at the right time.

A caution, however, is in order: while this kind of analysis is the best predictor available in determining the effectiveness of potential church planters, it is still JUST A PREDICTOR. Forecasting the future cannot take into account changes in environment, crises that shape one’s heart, succumbing to inevitable temptation or the direct and inexplicable work of God on one’s life.

In the final analysis, only God can know the future. This is simply the best current tool we have to see what is yet ahead and thus, act as wise stewards in resourcing, training and empowering others to follow the voice of God in joining Him for His work.

The Man in the Mirror

Here’s an advance look at the monthly church planting article I’ve submitted to our newsjournal for publication later this month…

This past weekend brought the tragic news of Michael Jackson’s sudden and untimely death. Like many others from my generation, his music impacted my life. One of the songs that made a marked impression upon me personally was the song “Man in the Mirror.” In that song, which went to number one on the pop music charts in March of 1988, Jackson wrote,

I’m starting with the man in the mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself, and then make a change.

In the past few days, we have had three church planting candidates come through our church planting assessment process. This is an opportunity for us as a partnering entity to get to know them and look for evidence of calling, character and competency for church planting in their lives. For the candidates, it is an opportunity for self-discovery, confirmation and clarification in their life regarding their future in church planting.

Why is this so important?

I had been a church planter for about two years and, by all accounts, we were off to a great start. The church was growing and lost people were being reached with the Gospel. But one Monday morning as I reflected upon where our new church was “at,” God revealed to me a startling discovery: this new church plant had become a “mirror-image” of me! My values had become their values, my lifestyle had become their lifestyle, and so on. I remember shuddering at the responsibility and significance of the example of my life daily before them. “The Man in the Mirror” had come to stay.

Three years ago I had the privilege of serving as the interim pastor at Montrose Baptist Church in Rockville, Maryland. That same year, at their Christian school’s commencement the speaker made one of the most profound statements I’ve ever heard at such as event. “You teach what you know,” he said, “but you reproduce who you are.”

How right he is! My research and observation since that personal “light bulb” church planting experience has confirmed that this reality takes place over and over and over again in the life of church planters (and to some degree, in all churches where a pastor has a longer tenure, but that’s another story for another day). It is a telling reminder that who we are impacts what others become. Paul understood this and that’s why he is able to say, “You became imitators of us and of the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 1.6).

This is why assessment for our church planters is so important. By helping us and planters “see” better who they are, all of us will understand what that church will one day likely become, as well. As a result, it helps all of us plan intentionally to stay healthy, spiritually as well as physically, and to nurture others as we ourselves are nurtured and coached to the extent of our God-given potential.

So the next time you stop and look at the “man in the mirror,” ask yourself this…is what I see reflected back to me the same thing I want to see in the lives of those whom I lead?  And if not, what are you going to do about it?

Why Church Planters Don’t Reproduce Churches

I have long held the belief that churches over fifteen years of age, give or take, will only in the rarest of instances reproduce. There are reasons for this worthy of discussion, but that’s a topic for another day. What has surprised me, as I said yesterday, is that most planters in my ten years of experience don’t reproduce other new churches out of their own plant, either. This is indeed shocking to me, since they all SAY they subscribe to this value and its importance. But the fact of the matter is, they far and away, don’t.

Why not? What keeps them from following through on a basic philosophical tenet that has undergirded their ministry strategy from its conception? Several of you made comments, both here and on Facebook in regards to this topic, and I am very grateful for your wisdom. It has been insightful and enlightening for me. I share some of your thoughts here.

• “I wonder how many of these churches actually had the concept of multiplication present during vision casting and core development.”
• “Lack of growth in their own church (to their own expectations), making them feel like they could never send people away to plant a new church.”
• “Most of those planters are actually pastors and they end up shepherding their flock instead of looking for new ways to extend the Kingdom beyond their own communities or churches.”
• “Small churches in a church culture that rewards large churches struggle to reach the point of health where they can start another church.”
• “Some of them are reluctant to experience what they see as a loss of power, recognition or money…”
• “Lack of budgeting for reproducing”
• “Multiplication [not] presented with the same enthusiasm as any core value”

You added other thoughts, as well.

In thinking through these comments and others, I would like to build upon them with the following suggestions.

Church planters don’t often reproduce new churches out of their church plant because of:

1. Faulty assumptions. This starts with those in charge of the system. Perhaps we show our naivete in thinking all planters should, or can, reproduce their plant. Or in taking their word on this, at face value, without more investment in digging out what is understood. But planters do it, too. They assume they don’t have enough people. Or they don’t have enough money. They suggest they have to add staff or find a better facility first. They believe the timing’s not right, and on and on the list goes. And through it all, we have a tendency to think of church planting as a preferred option but not a mandate, since it’s “our endeavor” (not God’s) and that it depends on our resources rather than our obedience.

2. Wrong metrics. We still reward the churches who are bigger and suggest that, as such, they are better. Planters see it too; the planters who start bigger churches are asked to be speakers at conferences, write books about their experiences for others, etc. You rarely see reproducing planters highlighted as valued for that very reason (never a “standalone” reason, though it might be an “add on”), just as we still persist in rewarding all churches for conversions not disciples. It’s been said that we measure what’s truly important to us. If that’s the case, what does this say about those of us who create the measurements?

3. Inadequate Systems. We have created systems that strongly support the planter financially and in training during the initial stages of his work, but these diminish over time. Then at this crucial stage, we expect planters to “do more”–give more to our denomination, add staff, find a permanent facility AND reproduce. We haven’t prepared them well for these changes and the decreasing financial resources force them to readjust their priorities in a very pragmatic way.

4. Incomplete Assessment. Plain and simple, most systems don’t assess planters for reproduction. I have to believe this is what Charles Ridley was actually after when he suggested that we evaluate a potential planter’s commitment to church growth. Today, however, most organizations have minimized this characteristic or replaced it with “church health” (thank you, Rick Warren), missing its strategic importance for the future. Since planters are typically “big picture visionaries,” if we don’t determine their ability to reproduce self, i.e., disciples and/or leaders, how can we ever expect them to be able to reproduce a congregation? In assessment, you only get what you’re looking for.

5. Big Egos. Almost all planters have big egos. They are confident, assertive, Type-A, driven people. The growth and development of their church plant feeds that; conversely, any diminishing of their own plant starves their ego. Most fear failure more than just about anything else, so this works against their own desires and interests in reproducing a church out of their own. A Kingdom theology is all well and good, but a Kingdom praxis is really where the water hits the wheel.

6. Local Myopia. As with all churches, internal needs and matters accumulate and over time, they dominate our attention. The tyranny of the urgency is real, and these “squeaky wheels” truly do sap our time and money away from the more important things of lasting, expanding value. Perspective makes a lot of difference…before, when we are on the outside of the plant itself, we see the broader view, but once we are on the inside, we like others often can’t see beyond our own local church.

Bob Logan, North American church planting writer and “guru” to many of us in my generation, has reminded us that unless a new church plant reproduces by the time of its second birthday, it will likely not do it at all. Whether you agree with Logan or not, I certainly agree that the chances diminish exponentially over time and happen THEN only at major crossroad-type experiences in the life of a church.

Yes, I still believe in church planters and I believe most of them want to plant churches out of their own church plant. All of us have made that desire difficult to realize since there are so many hurdles to jump. But mark it down: no movement of any continuing impact can take place until church planters–and those who serve with them–take, not just to heart but to practice, the correctives necessary to enable church planters both to desire AND to implement the steps necessary to make reproduction and multiplication “a given” in the development of their own new work. I live for that day; how about you?

What to Look for in a Planter/Pastor, part 2

What makes an effective pastor different from an effective church planter? We talked about the characteristics of an effective planter in the previous post today.  Here we want to examine what makes a pastor effective.

Earlier this year a new book was published that’s name is very suggestive in this regard: 15 Characteristics of Effective Pastors (by Kevin W. Mannoia & Larry Walkemeyer, Regal Books).  It’s approach is different from that of Dr. Ridley and the behavioral characteristics of church planters.  Whereas Ridley researched a multitude of church planters across North America to determine the characteristics of those most effective, Mannoia and Walkemeyer enlisted a “focus group” (my word) of nine acknowledged, significant ministry leaders across North America and determined from them the characteristics they believed most significant in effective pastors.

These fundamental characteristics are:

Grace and Growth. Possesses a lively experience of God’s grace and growth in his Christian walk.

Love for God. Possesses a deep, personal love for God.

Spiritual Formation. Develops regular habits for spiritual formation (devotions, etc.).

Personal Integrity. Values and consistently manifests personal integrity.

Love for the Church. Demonstrates a love and a zeal for the Church of Jesus Christ through his actions.

Servant Leader. Demonstrates a godly servant attitude in personal and leadership roles.

Model of Holiness. Models and leads the congregation in the pursuit of personal and corporate holiness.

Prayer Life. Models an effective, regular, growing prayer life.

Holy Spirit Empowerment. Believes in the power of the Holy Spirit and expects the Holy Spirit to work in an ongoing way.

Inspired Preaching. Exhibits an ability to preach God’s Word in a fresh, invigorating way.

Sure Calling. Lives and ministers out of a clear sense of calling.

Godly Character. Demonstrates godly character, manifested through the fruit of the Spirit.

Personal Accountability. Invites and embraces personal accountability.

Strong Marriage. Possesses a strong marriage with obvious loving regard for spouse.

Visionary Leadership. Possesses an ability to communicate a vision and motivate others toward it.

It could be argued that the two lists (here and in the last post), as varied as they are from each other, suggests a wildly different kind of leader is necessary for these settings.  Perhaps.  On closer examination, though, you will note that these particular characteristics are not all the “same kind” of behavioral characteristics as some are “single-behavior specific” (preaching, praying, etc.). In addition, many more here are internally focused on character pursuit and development (holiness. integrity, character, spiritual formation, etc.). Calling is included here, but context and strategy are not.

My belief is that BOTH lists are beneficial.  While planters may be more entrepreneurial in calling and nature and pastors may be more, well, pastoral in calling, both sets of lists are instructive and helpful in prayerfully analyzing whether a planter or pastor may be “effective” in their ministry.  The differences in leader roles are more likely personality variations than just behavioral characteristics.

What’s most important among the things Ridley and other behavioral psychologists have taught us is to recognize that a person’s past behavior is the best indicator of what his future behavior will be. Their ideas may be good and interesting, but they won’t help us predict their actions in the days ahead. This is huge, since many who select church planters or a new pastor get caught up in the suggestions or thoughts the prospective leader may have, but ignore the telltale signs from his past that imply he’ll act otherwise.

So if either or both lists are found to exist in the candidate, does that insure success?  Of course not.  This makes John W.’s comment even the more important to note, for he writes:

I think the context and strategy ‘fit’ become more important. The church should already have a mission, vision, history, etc. and it’s almost like the incoming pastor has to match up with that in a sense.

And I’d add to that “the existing church’s tradition, methodology, personality…” Making sure the candidate is the right “match” to the people, place and plan are probably the most important variable, all other things being equal.

What to Look for in a Planter/Pastor

This week there was an assessment done on a potential church planter at our offices; next month will be the same.  Each time we start this process, we seek to determine, as best we can, whether or not he will be effective and successful if he pursues this endeavor.  I say “endeavor” because some are very passionate about it being a calling, while others appear to see it only an an option.  This is a huge difference, and typically a “make or break” difference in whether or not we will be partnering with them in their effort.

Beyond this there was a landmark study done about 15 years ago that posits the belief, based of research across North America, that successful church planters share certain behavioral characteristics in common.  Dr. Charles Ridley, a Christian and professor of Behavioral Psychology at Indiana University, boiled it down to thirteen definitive behavioral characteristics. They are:

• Visionizing Capacity. Ability to receive, follow, share and implement the vision of God for the new church.
• Intrinsic Motivation. A self-starter, who is motivated to focused action.
• Creates Group Ownership. Has the ability to get others to buy in to the vision, their leadership and the new church.
• Passion for the Unchurched. Spends time with and reaches the lost and unchurched with the Gospel.
• Spousal Cooperation. Both spouses are “on the same page” about planting a church and within their marriage, in general.
• Effectively Builds Relationships. A people person, who has relational skills and values others.
• Committed to Church Growth. Maybe better, Kingdom growth, suggesting he doesn’t give in to comfort and apathy when there are others to reach with the Gospel.
• Responsive to the Community. Builds bridges to the community, in order to engage it, rather than withdraws or ignores the community where the church is started.
• Utilizes the Giftedness of Others. Recognizes his calling requires him to equip the saints AND that the work can’t be done if he alone seeks to do it, he helps others find their calling and giftedness and plugs them in accordingly.
• Flexible and Adaptable. Willing and able to change when circumstances require it, for the sake of the Gospel and the church.
• Builds Group Cohesiveness. “Glues” the group to each other, taking individuals and facilitating their development as a family.
• Resilient. Never quit attitude, determined and persevering.
• Extraordinary Faith. Believes, expects and sees God do the miraculous and the “impossible.”

In addition, the effective planter has to be a correct match to the context (Does he fit in with the people and/or place to whom he seeks to minister?) and the strategy (Is it congruent with whom he is and the people/place where he is?)

This week, the church where I’ve been ministering as Interim Pastor for the past year will have a prospective pastor in town “in view of a call.” In other words, everyone will be seeking to determine whether it is God’s will that they serve together for the years ahead. While I’ll be praying for them all to have clear minds and pure hearts in discerning God’s will on this matter, I’ve wondered–and here’s the point of this blog–what differences might be found in the characteristically effective/successful pastor as opposed to the prototypical planter mentioned above.

In a second blog later today, I’ll suggest two possible answers to this question.  In the meantime, I”m interested in your opinion.  What do you think?