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The Vision...

A Biblical Small Group Within Walking Distance of Every Person on the Planet.


05.03.2013

Ten Random Things This Blogger Learned Because of His Surgery

 
 
This past weekend I had an emergency appendectomy. No rupture, not even a whole lot of pain PRIOR TO THE SURGERY. I thought a few random and revealing thoughts might be in order.
 
1.     Three minor incisions can create major pain throughout any given region of the human body.
 
2.     My wife is the most wonderful person on planet earth.
 
3.     People take you seriously when you say, “Please don’t drop by to visit.”, and I’m grateful they do.
 
4.     Even at 55, it’s still comforting to see your mom sitting next to the bed in your hospital room.
 
5.     Working for someone who understands real life is a huge blessing.
 
6.     Hospital food isn’t so bad after all, if you haven’t eaten ANYTHING for 24 hours.
 
7.     Walking from one room to the next is a big deal when you’re in big pain.
 
8.     Brothers can get some very interesting and ugly pictures of you when you haven’t completely awakened from the anesthesia.
 
9.     A small group can be just as exciting and revealing when the leader of the group is unable to attend.
 
10.Good friends are everywhere. Much thanks to church leaders around the country who sent words of encouragement. 
Random Thoughts
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05.02.2013

National Community Church in Washington, DC Has a One Year Protege Program… Wow!

 
 
My friend, Heather Zempel, is one of the most impressive church leaders I know. She is a communicator extraordinaire, a captivating writer, and a person who seems to exhibit the characteristics of Christ in every setting in which I’ve seen her. When she mentioned to me that her church offers a year-long leadership development experience, I wanted to make sure that anyone within arms reach of this blog had the opportunity to consider it. Below you’ll see a description of the program as it is described on the web page.
 
 The Protégé Program is a year-long intensive spiritual growth, leadership development, and ministry immersion experience at National Community Church in Washington, DC. The program is designed to focus on three core areas: character, community and calling. As an NCC Protégé, you will be given the opportunity to learn from some of the most innovative thinkers and creators in ministry, participate in the day to day activities of church staff culture, stretch yourself as a leader, and lay a firm foundation for a life-long pursuit of the passion and vision that God has placed on your life.
As a protégé, you will choose a ministry department to focus your efforts throughout the year. You will be assigned a mentor within your department that will work alongside of you throughout the year. If you love kids- we’ve got them, and we want you to help us create environments for them and teach truth to them! If you are passionate about seeing the marketplace and the church collide, we would love for you to experience the management behind Ebenezers coffeehouse. If you love creating environments where community is built and transformational growth happens, our discipleship team would love to take your passion even further! Love creating videos? Our media team wants to invest in your talent to tell the story of God through moving pictures. If you are a worship leader, we would love to pair you up with other talented and anointed worship leaders that want to take your gifts to the next level! 

In addition to your department work, you will attend weekly protégé huddles. These huddles are led by Mark Batterson (lead pastor) or Heather Zempel (program director and discipleship pastor). Huddles offer ongoing discipleship training and leadership development in a small group environment that focuses on topics such as Leading Yourself Well, Character Killers, Dreaming God-sized Dreams, and Leadership Rhythms.

If you have specific questions about the program, feel free to email us at protege@theaterchurch.com.

Applications for the 2013-2014 Protégé Class are due on May 10, 2013.
 
If you’re considering church ministry and you want to be mentored by great church leaders who make great church leaders, you really ought to consider this opportunity. 
 
 
 
 
Training, Leadership
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05.01.2013

Kingdom Rise: The Latest Resource from the Awaken Movement

 

 
Very seldom am I so impressed with a movement that I request a guest blog post from a leader of that movement. You see, movements tend to come and go. They move in then they move out. But, when I heard about The Awaken Movement, I was hooked.
 
Worship is so often misinterpreted, even misdiagnosed. But these guys, the Awaken Movement team are aiding Christiandom in understanding the scope of worship
 
I asked one of their team members, Rob Peabody, to do a guest blog post for me about their latest resource, Kingdom Rise
 
Check out the vision, passion, clarity, and creativity that this work brings to the church.
 
 
We all want to change the world.
 
Whether it’s large or small, in some form or fashion, we want to be a part of change.
 
We want to make a difference.
 
We want to leave our mark on someone, someplace, or something.
We want to feel as if our years on this planet actually did something productive.
That we left our relationships, our jobs, our families - whatever it was that we devoted our time and energy to - in a better place than they were before we engaged in them.
In its simplest form, one could argue that we all want to be considered worthwhile, valuable, productive… to know that we are not just wasting time and space.
 
Right?
 
We all wrestle with this concept.
 
But there’s a problem when we translate this human yearning to the way in which we do church.
 
Although we know and identify this desire deep within us, many of us have believed the lie that this is unattainable. That only the “professional” Christians (the pastor, the worship leader, the missionary, etc.) are the ones that God really uses for change. So while the “professionals” are being used at any given church service, the rest of us end up going to church once a week, singing the songs, listening to the sermon, tithing our money and then going home with a “feel good” that lasts for a few hours Sunday afternoon before real life on Monday hits.
 
Many of us have allowed ourselves to come to a place where church, the Christian life and ultimately Jesus are something condensed into a one-hour time slot once a week. Our worship gets isolated to a single event that happens in the service and without even realizing it; we have effectively given Jesus our left-overs in life. And then we question why our faith is dry, why we don’t feel connected to God or see Him moving, or why church… and even Jesus seem boring.
 
There has to be something more…
 
Kingdom Rise was birthed out of this reality. This creative and powerful new worship resource is aimed at engaging both individuals and the church to live as agents of change for the Kingdom of God. This four-session study will challenge your views of worship and leave you never again satisfied with the status quo of merely viewing worship as something that happens in church for an hour a week – but rather a radical life change that empowers and unleashes God’s people to live on earth as it is in heaven.
 
Designed to be used as a personal or small group study, Kingdom Rise: Redefining a Life of Worship and Justice is paired with four gripping short films that enhance the learning experience - taking you or your group to a deeper level of understanding and impact.
 
The complete Kingdom Rise worship resource bundle includes the four-session book study, four short films and Awaken Worship’s Kingdom Rise album (produced by Stu G. of Delirious?) - with songs written to go hand in hand with each session of the study.
 
For more information, or to purchase Kingdom Rise visit: http://awakenmovement.com
 

Find us on:
 
Resources
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04.30.2013

The Power of a Synergistic Conversation and How to Host One

Last week I had the opportunity to be in a room with some of the most respected small group pastors in the country. For two and a half days we discussed/debated topics like, “What is discipleship through groups, really?”, “How does a church, especially a small group ministry, respond as Christ would to those in the gay community in search of a growing relationship with Jesus?”, “How does technology play a role in the disciple making process?” and other relevant topics.
 
The conversations were more than enlightening. They were sometimes overwhelming. They were overwhelming in that so much important information was being unearthed that I found myself engulfed in the flow of ideas, principles, and practices.
 
In a synergistic conversation one thought leads to another, one idea to an undeniable principle, one undeniable principle leads to the unveiling of a practice that is universal.
 
Might I suggest that, when dealing with a difficult issue, you gather a group of people for the sole purpose of having a synergistic conversation. A few things you’ll want to keep in mind…
 
1. Choose people who are passionate about the topic or issue that is on the table.
2. Choose people who are secure enough to be questioned and who are open to healthy debate.
3. Choose people who are out of the box thinkers but who are wise enough to know that this conversation has not been created so that they can move a personal agenda of theirs to the forefront.
4. Choose people who know enough about the topic to bring important information into the conversation.
5. Create the right environment by letting those involved know that, 1) Everyone’s input is vital, 2) No one is necessarily wrong in any statement he/she makes, 3) It’s more than okay to play the devil’s advocate, 4) You want them to voice top of the head thoughts so long as they are relevant to the conversation.
Team, Leadership
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04.29.2013

3 Things Small Group Pastors Could Learn From My Emergency Room Doctor

 
 
Saturday morning I found myself experiencing some ominous pain in my lower right side. I went about my morning doing the things I normally do. I noticed, as the day wore on, that the pain was gaining ground. Before evening arrived I found myself in the Williamson County Emergency room. You got it… Appendicitis. Yesterday my appendix was removed and today I’m in recovery mode.
 
The emergency room doctor was astounding. He served me graciously while leading his team with authority. There are a few very practical things some small group pastors could learn from him in relation to the small group leaders they lead.
 
1. When speaking with your small group leaders, acknowledge your equality while establishing your level of expertise. The first thing the doctor said to me was, “I’m your emergency room doctor.” He emphasized the word doctor, immediately establishing that he was the person with the knowledge necessary to lead his troops toward bringing healing to my body. Every team needs to know that someone is the expert in the room, that the person leading the pack has more knowledge than do they and that the small group pastor will use that knowledge to lead the team to accomplish great things.
 
2. When asked a question, be willing to find the answer and get back to the small group leader as quickly as possible. As you might imagine, my wife and I had some questions we wanted answered. If we asked the doctor a question he didn’t know the answer to he immediately went on the hunt for that answer and either returned to tell us himself or asked one of his nurses to speak with us. This raised our respect for him and alleviated our tensions concerning the situation we were in.
 
3. When necessary, send someone to represent you who has the time to  accomplish what you cannot. We were in the emergency room over four hours. On a couple of occasions the emergency room doctor was with us and I asked for something. In almost every instance, he sent a nurse bringing me what I needed. You know what, I didn’t care who met my need, I just needed my need met. Sometimes a small group pastor is asked to do something for someone and they have every intention to do that thing. The problem… they don’t have the time to get that thing done. Small group pastor, asking an assistant or a coach to meet a need on your behalf is, in most instances, just as effective as doing it yourself. Never getting that thing done or getting around to it days or weeks later will diminish your influence and may even cause the leader in need to doubt your passion for them and/or the group they are leading. 


You May Also Want to Read... 
Small Group Pastors... What We Can Learn from Olympians
The Secret Sins of Small Group Pastors
11 Characteristics of the Greatest Small Group Pastors




 
Small Group Leadership
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04.26.2013

Pastor... If Jesus Were Your Mentor, I Wonder If...

 
 
Mentoring is a hot topic today, especially in pastor circles. It seems that many pastors are seeking out a mentor to aid them as they journey into what it means to lead a church. Sometimes I speak with pastors who are being mentored and I'm astounded with some of the things they're being told. It seems the supposedly biblical mentor has as the goal to raise up a church leader who is ambitious to build a kingdom for himself.
 
The mentor is primarily about aiding the pastor in growing a big church rather than focusing the pastor on Kingdom principles that are espoused in the New Testament. In fact... If Jesus were your mentor, I wonder if...
 
…There'd be no talk about how big your church will become... Jesus might even suggest that you thin the ranks. (Luke 14:25 - 33)
 
…Before teaching you the leadership principles necessary to direct a large organization He'd be discipling you so that you grow to spiritual maturity. (1 Timothy 3:1 - 7)
 
…He'd be telling you that your primary responsibility is to make disciples who make disciples not gather the largest crowds possible on weekends. (2 Timothy 2:2)
 
…He'd make you aware that staff members aren't throw aways, they're brothers and sisters in Christ just as important to the church as you are. (1 Corinthians 12 - 13)
 
…Jesus would be telling you that you are not under pressure to grow the church numerically because He determines the growth patterns of every church. (Hebrews 3:1 - 4)
 
Mentors
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04.25.2013

Small Groups and Theology, My Interview with Matt Svoboda Day 3

Over the last two days you’ve gained valuable insights from small group pastor, Matt Svoboda, about small groups and theology. Not only has Matt’s answers to important questions been driven by principles, he has also given we pragmatists some real handles to hold onto.
 
But today Matt is giving us wisdom that cannot be overlooked. He’s climbing right into the places where small group pastors find themselves between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Matt’s wise counsel today is vital. So…
 
Rick: Matt, we live in a world where very few people, even many small group leaders hold to a biblical worldview. This leads to a few important questions. I’ll be asking questions along those lines today. How should a small group pastor respond when they find out a small group leader has purposefully or accidentally allowed false teaching to take root during a small group meeting?
 
Matt: I always start that conversation by asking questions. What was said? How did the conversation get there? What was wrong with what was said? (that question helps me know there understanding and if it was accidental or purposeful) How should we address this moving forward? Was there something that held you back from correction the false teaching on the spot?
 
Not until I have those answers can I really move forward. If a leader accidentally taught or allowed false teaching to take place on a major issue, like justification by faith alone, I would open Scripture with them. I would show the leader exactly what Paul is saying in Romans 4 and Ephesians 2 so in the future he can take his group to the same passages. Typically, I will also buy a resource for the leader if it is an area he needs to grow in.
 
Small Group pastors should have the leaders revisit the topic at their next meeting. Again, this is only for major doctrinal issues. I dont want any leaders policing everyone on secondary doctrines like, spiritual gifts, eschatology, etc. When there is room for disagreement, don’t police. 
 
Even in my own small group, if a person says something about a pretribulation, premillennial(which I dont hold to) understanding of the End Times when that isn't the real topic I will simply nod my head and move on. If we are talking about perseverance of the saints I dont want people to spend the next hour hammering out the rapture. When we do a study on the End Times we will discuss different beliefs at the appropriate time.
 
 
Rick: What are the foundational theological issues every small group leader needs understandings of?
 
Matt: Typically, everything in their churches statement of faith. We require all of our leaders to be members, therefore, they have to hold to our statement of faith. Beyond that I allow there to be some freedom and diversity on secondary issues. 
 
In most churches the foundational theological issues are the ones that make up the statement of faith. If that is true for your church, use it. 
 
I don't ask leaders where they stand on secondary issues. All I say to them is that one of the quickest ways to stop being a Small Group leader is to allow their "pet doctrine" to become divisive. For instance, I dont care if they are a calvinist or not. I just care if they allow calvinism to become divisive, whether or not they agree with my stance. 
 
 
Rick: Should every small group leader be made aware of the theological perspectives of the church that sponsors the group? If so, why?
 
Matt: Yes. Absolutely, yes. The quickest way to cause theological disunity is to speak while in ignorance. Small Groups leaders ought to ask questions and make sure they arent going to be speaking directly against their church leadership in an unhealthy way. 
 
For example, we are a complementarian church. I will let a person be a House Group leader if they are egalitarian as long as they don't make it a divisive issue. If they don't know our stance on gender roles they could say things that strongly contradict the church. This can cause confusion and disunity. 
 
Another example, we are Elder-ruled. Our leaders should know how our church functions. If they don't they could answer very important, practical questions very wrongly. 
 
To be honest though, this is primarily the responsibility of the church leadership, not the small group leader. If a small group leader loves the church, wants to be a small group leader and yet doesn't know where the church stands on major and/or controversial issues that is a failure on the church leadership.
 
 
Rick: What is the best way to make them aware of these?
 
Matt: Great question. Have a membership process that values doctrine. We have an "Intro To The Bridge" class. We do a lot in this 2 and 1/2 hour class. One of those things we do is deal with how we approach doctrine, what our statement of faith is, and what other doctrinal distinctives make us unique. For instance, you don't have to believe in a plurality of elders, believers baptism, or complementarianism to be a member at our church. Yet, it is made abundantly clear that is what church leadership believes. 
 
We use that as an opportunity to tell them they are welcome to be a member even if they disagree on those three issues and a couple others, but that we wouldnt allow them to be divisive over those issues. 
 
It is unfair for a church to scold a person for being divisive when it was never made clear what church leadership believes. We make it clear.  
 
 
Rick: What should a small group pastor do if someone wants to lead a group but is not on the same page as the church concerning a non- negotiable theological issue?
 
Matt: I know this sounds harsh to some, but you must refuse them to be a small group leader. This is a major reason why we require membership for small group leaders, we never have that problem. 
 
If they simply don't hold to a central, non-negotiable doctrine it is best to encourage them to go elsewhere. Pastors, telling people your church might not be the one for them isn't the worst thing that can happen. Letting that person in only for them to split your church in half a few years later is much worse. 
 
Have a process in place that guards you from that. If you never ask any theological questions before you make someone a small group leader you are asking for a wolf to come devour some sheep. 
 
 
Rick: What is the senior pastor's role in the theological training of small group leaders? How does a small group pastor go about enlisting the senior pastor to help with this?
 
Matt: His role ought to be the same with small group leaders as it is with everyone else. I don't enlist my Lead Pastor to do anything unique with my small group leaders for theological training. I see that as a crucial part of my role so I give significant time to it. This goes back to one of the earlier questions of doctrine not being for Senior Pastors only. 
 
The most important word in Small Group Pastor is PASTOR. If we can't equip people theologically we need to either address that ASAP or find a new vocation. Pastors, all of them, ought to be about to lead and equip leaders in the foundational doctrines of our faith. If you can't do that you can't make a disciple. If you can't make a disciple you certainly can't pastor. 
 
The Senior Pastor obviously has a role in the theological training of his church, but I dont seek for him to do anything unique with Small Group leaders. At most, if needed, I would recommend Small Group pastors to go to their Senior Pastor only to ask for advice about how to better theologically train his small group leaders. I would not enlist him to do it for me.
Small Groups, Theology, Interview
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04.24.2013

Small Groups and Theology, My Interview with Matt Svoboda Day 2

 
 
If you follow this blog you are aware that I am doing a three day series on small groups and theology. Matt Svoboda, my own small groups pastor, is the interviewee. His passion for the church and theology is contagious. More importantly, his wisdom on the topic is vital. So…
 
Rick: What is your definition of theology, Matt?
 
Matt: Rick, I try to keep it simply, but a little more specific than most. I simply say theology is the study of God; his being and his works. Its important to remember everyone has a theology. We all believe something about God, even if our belief is that he is mythological.  
 
 
Rick: Because you’re my small groups pastor and one of the teaching pastors at our church I know you’re a passionate theologue. Most small group pastors are more about methodology than theology. What drove you so deeply into the theological space?
 
Matt: Hopefully what drives everyone to go deep theologically; love for Jesus. I hope no one dives into theology just to gain intellectual understanding. That is when theology gets really dangerous. 
 
I want to know God deeply, intimately. I want to see his goodness, mercy, kindness, grace, justice, and righteousness in all he has done and all he is currently doing. We cannot know if our lives reflect the life of Jesus well if we don’t know Jesus well. 
 
I love methodology. It is exciting and always changing, rightfully so. Yet, methodology falls really short if good theology isn’t the backbone of all we do. There is a reason Paul charged Timothy to "watch your life and doctrine closely" for in doing that we will "save ourselves and our hearers." Methodology can't do that. 
 
We ought to work really hard to grow and constantly learn methodology. But, when we end up talking methodology forever and never mention Jesus we have lost our way. 
 
We must realize that if we are to function in a healthy way theology must drive all that we do. 
 
 
Rick: Why do you think many small group pastors give less attention to theology and much more attention to methodology?
 
Matt: I think it is for very different reasons for different people. Some people are simply more naturally inclined to think that way. It is those who are more gifted as a "king" than a "prophet." Part of that goes to the nature of the position. We have to be pragmatists in order to lead a Small Group Ministry well. If we are all theory we can have great ideas and biblical principles that need lived out without any feet on how to actually work them out! 
 
We are also in a culture in which caters to pragmatism over theology, sadly. We see theology as controversial and methodology as creative.  Our Christian culture sees theology as something stale and only for scholars. This is sad and in a lot of ways is killing the American church. 
 
 
Rick: How do you think this has affected the small group world?
 
Matt: We fall into the trap of always teaching "what we do" and "how we do it" without ever going deeper into "why." Ask most people and in Small Group why they are there and they wont give you a good answer. They give a bad answer, we then think, "uh oh, its not working" and then change our methods again rather than shepherding them and walking them through the "why." We can’t treat people like robots in a healthy Small Group ministry. We have to tell them the truths that drive the practice. 
 
I believe most people disconnect over fallout from never understanding why they are doing what they are doing, not because the method needs to be improved even more. 
 
We, Small Group pastors, are not called to make systems, but to make disciples. If we believe people are to live in gospel centered community (whether you use that language or not) with other Christians they need to be told and shown why, not just told its good for them. Every person, if not told and shown why they are doing something will eventually quit. Why? They can’t embrace the value and importance of it. They also cant invest its value into another disciple if they don’t know the "why." 
 
In summary, our lack of theological focus leads us to not answer the question why for our people. This hurts Small Group ministry because we end up throwing people into a system they don’t understand and therefore cant reproduce. 
 
 
Rick: What are you doing to help the small group leaders you have oversight of to build a theological foundation?
 
Matt: A few things:
1.             Building a culture that values theology for the right reasons. They wont build a foundation on something they don’t value. 
2.             Investing time and money to helping them build a foundation. I walk out of a lot meeting with a book to purchase or a blog to find, (or a blog to write!) in order to help my leaders. I spend significant resources helping my leaders not just be better Small Group leaders, but to be better Christians. This includes them having to "increase in the knowledge of the Lord." Colossians 1.
3.             All of my Small Group leaders have Coaches they meet with monthly. Those meeting often include training in one of three areas: theology, leadership, mission.
4.             We also offer Porterbrook at our church. This is a church based theological education. The tag line is "Theology for mission."
 
 
Rick: Many small group pastors didn't have the opportunity to study theology. They were in another area of study in seminary or were in secular jobs prior to becoming small group pastors. Are there some books, websites, on line degree programs, etc... You might direct them to so they could establish a healthy theological foundation?
 
Matt:
Books:
I have a lot of books I can suggest, but I will show mercy to your readers! 
 
Here are the 5 books I would suggest to start a theological foundation:
1.    Knowing God by JI Packer
2.    According to Plan by Graeme Goldsworthy
3.    Surprised by Hope by NT Wright
4.    Doctrine by Mark Driscoll
5.    Concise Theology by JI Packer (I buy this a lot for HG leaders to use as a reference)
6.    If you want 3- read the first two and buy the 5th as a reference. 
 
Websites:
Honestly, there aren't many I would suggest. Most people who write blogs lean to pragmatism or they are angry theologians. Books are better for building a theological foundation.  
 
The only one I read frequently is The Gospel Coalition blog. There are a lot of good, different writers and they put out a ton of content. I primarily recommend Trevin Wax and Ray Ortlund from The Gospel Coalition. Most of the writers at TGC are good at relating theology to every ministry and life. 
 
Online Program:
Seriously, if you have a Porterbrook Learning Site near you, use it. The content is incredible, you learn theology in community, for mission, and it is incredibly cheap for what you get. 
 
If you want a more full degree I would do SBTS's 60 credit hour MA in Theological Studies or Criswell College's 30 credit hour MA in Christian Studies. 
Small Groups, Theology, Interview
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04.23.2013

Small Groups and Theology, My Interview with Matt Svoboda Day 1

 
 
When a small group point person mentions the word, “theology” to their small group leaders, some of those leaders sink deeply in the quagmire of their own ignorance. Even some small group pastors are hesitant to consider the importance of theology in group life. It is for this reason that I asked my own small group pastor, Mat Svoboda to allow me to interview him.
 
Few small group pastors are as passionate about theology and the importance of it as is Matt. He continually drives us to know more. What you’re about to read over the next three days is very, very important. So…
 
Rick: Matt, thanks a ton for doing this interview. I'm thrilled you said yes to this. Mostly because you're the right person to enlighten us concerning the topic of theology and small groups. First off... Tell us a little bit about yourself. Describe your family and tell the people reading this post what you do to be sure you make time to be a good husband and parent.
 
Matt: Thanks Rick. I’m not sure I will "enlighten" anyone, but I am thrilled to get to talk about theology and small groups with you and your readers. I am a normal dude that loves sports, the outdoors, and being with people. I have been married for 5 years to my wife, Meredith. I have two sons, Caleb (4) and Calvin (1). Marriage and fatherhood have been a great journey that encourages and challenges me greatly. 
 
There is no magic key to success on how pastors should make time be a good husband and parent. The best thing I do in this area is lead with my style. There is no cookie cutter way a pastor leads a church and the same can be said of the home. We dont pray before our meals, we sing the doxology (not in public, too much of a coward!).  
Here are some bullet points that work with the rhythms of my family:
 
1.Like most people, sometimes my schedule gets out of whack. When this happens I am quick to apologize to my wife. We look at my schedule and we make it right. 
2.Normally I limit my schedule to 4 nights with people a week. (most of the time the family is there)
3.We canceled out television in order to maximize our time together. Not saying TV cant be good in the home, but for now it's better for us if it isn't! 
4.We go to the park, a lot. 
5.I read and consistently analyze how to grow in this area.
6.I study my family and try to figure out what rhythms work and what dont. 
7.We observe the Sabbath, religiously! :) 
 
 
Rick: What churches have you served and where are you serving now?
 
Matt: I serve at The Bridge Church in Spring Hill, TN. It is a great, great church. This is the only church I have served on staff at a full time capacity. It would please me greatly if it was the last church I served on staff with. I serve as the Pastor of House Groups and Training. 
 
 
Rick: Where did you study theology, Matt?
 
Matt: Formally, I studied theology at Boyce College, the undergrad of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.  I am now pursuing my Mdiv through SBTS as well. It is a great institution. Learned a ton and met my wife there. Seminary does have its numerous short comings, but I definitely needed the good it offered. 
 
Informally, I study at my home, Starbucks, and our church building. Pastors have to keep a consistent routine of study in their lives. I try to always read one academic book alongside a personal growth or ministry/practitioner book at a time. I usually have a couple more thrown on top of my supposed limit of two! I love to read, but it is also a needed discipline.  
 
Side Note: if I had it to do over again I wouldn't go to an institution that cost 40K+. I would have found a healthy church that valued raising leaders and had a church based theological training. They are out there.  
 
 
Rick: Why did you choose to study theology?
 
Matt: I wanted to be a pastor and I didn’t know any theology. I got saved as a freshman in High School and felt led to pursue pastoral ministry as a sophomore. I’m grateful for that church, but at the same time learned very little my four years there. Its an encouraging reminder that God even saves sinners likes me in churches that are as wrecked as I am!
 
All in all, I knew very little of the Word, yet felt called to be a teacher of the Word. I knew for me to walk in faithful obedience in pursuing pastoral ministry I had to learn the Word. I also didnt want to waste my time getting an undergrad in something I wasnt interested in or thought I wouldn't ever use. Its too much time and money.
 
 
Rick: Why do you believe small group pastors and leaders need to be involved in the study of theology?
 
Matt: Theology is not a game for Lead Pastors only, not even close. Healthy doctrine leads to healthy practice. Bad theology always leads to unhealthy practice and living. We are trying to help people grow in intimacy with God and submit their entire life under his Lordship. For this to happen people need to always be growing in their understanding of who God is, his character and nature. People need to always be growing in their understanding of his goodness and grace to us in the cross and resurrection. Small Group pastors have to teach our leaders how to apply the gospel to every area of their lives and their people's lives. You simply cant do this well without good, deep theological understanding. Post it note quotes wont cut it. 
 
A lot of times, good theology being the foundation to our practices becomes the difference between being real kingdom advancing difference makers versus settling into being busy bodies. The goal isnt simply to "plug people in." We have to go deeper. We want people to "plug in" because Scripture shows us a pattern of following Jesus in community and living out the "one anothers". They need "plugged in" for the purpose of their sanctification and those around them. We dont simply want people to "volunteer." We want them to find their spiritual gifts and become ministers of the gospel through those gifts. 
 
Another area that good theology is crucial is shepherding. We dont simply want people to "be held accountable for sin." We want people to confess and repent of sin, have the gospel applied to their life by their Christian community, and then encouraged to walk in grace. Weak theology on the gospel and sanctification will surely lead to many disheartened, embittered Christians. It will also lead to a bunch of self-righteous legalists.
 
Here are some doctrines that I would look at to see if a Small Group Ministry was healthy:
1.             Priesthood of the Believer
2.             the Gospel
3.             Sanctification
4.             Adoption
5.             Active work of the Holy Spirit
6.             Ecclesiology
7.             Missiology
 
This is obviously not to say the doctrines I didn’t list aren’t important. My point is, I believe the ones listed above are usually the ones that primarily separate healthy Small Group Ministries from unhealthy ones.


You May Also Want to Read...
Why Should I Care About Theology? by Chris Surratt
Three Responsibilities of Those Who Teach
Books Every Small Group Pastor and Leader Shoud Read, The Kingdom Life: A Practical Theology of Discipleship and Spiritual Formation

 


 
Small Groups, Theology, Interview
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04.22.2013

When Hiring Staff Members, Be Aware and Beware of Your Personal Biases

 One of the most important things a senior pastor does is hire a staff member. Once a person is on the team, it's difficult and painful to let them go, especially since the senior pastor was the one who made the hire. When a senior pastor makes a bad hire it reflects that pastor’s reputation. On the other side of the issue… When a senior pastor finds and hires the right person, that area of ministry flourishes and the senior pastor gains the respect of the church.
 
So... It's vital that you are careful not to alleviate the best people based on your own biases. In order to keep that from happening you must know where your biases lie.
 
What biases do most of us need to look out for?
 
1.    The bias of our own stereotypes. It's so very easy to look at individuals not as individual persons rather as a person who fits a particular stereotype, a stereotype that is implanted in a Senior Pastor's mind.  A senior pastor might believe, because a person has been involved in a particular activity, that they will flourish in a particular role. For instance, someone might say that, when hiring a laborer, hire a person who has been a musician in the past because "musicians know how to follow the lead of the person directing them because they have, through the years, become accustomed to following the direction of the conductor or musical director." Or... someone might say when hiring a leader choose someone who played sports because, "people who played sports are natural leaders because they’ve watched coaches lead teams.” Or someone might say, When hiring an assistant, hire someone who has been a homemaker because, "anyone who has been a homemaker knows how to serve without expecting any kudos." This ideology anticipates that every person in a given genre of activity is alike. And anyone who has ever been in an orchestra, played ball, or been in the room with a group of persons who spend most of their time creating a wonderful home environment knows that within each of these groups there are great leaders, great followers, and amazingly humble servants.
 
2.    The bias of our own gender. Because many of us subconsciously hold to "the good ol' boy" or "good ol' gal" syndrome it is important that a leader, when making a hire, be purposeful in taking a close, maybe even a closer, look at those who are of the opposite gender than themselves. I've worked alongside some females who were off the charts when it comes to leadership and I've worked alongside some men who were equally gifted. Overlooking or purposefully writing off anyone due to gender may be to overlook God's person for a role that simply needs a "wise and gifted leader."
 
3.    The bias of our own school of training. If we're honest, at many of our seminaries there is an undeclared pecking order. Those in the school of theology were deemed the most elite, followed by those in the school of education, then the musicians in the school of music, then the school of student ministry, and finally, those persons studying to lead a Children's ministry. Senior Pastor, might I be so bold as to suggest that you do all in your power to set aside a flow chart that has the stench of ecclesiastical eliteness.
 
4.    The age bias. There seems to be a bias in ministry circles today, a bias like I have never seen in my lifetime. Bottom line... "Hire young." I am often contacted by church head-hunters in search of possibilities to fill various positions. One of the executive search guys I was talking with was willing to answer my questions. I asked him, "How many churches tell you they want someone under 50 years of age and that you needn't send them anyone over 50?" I was astounded by his response. He said, "Rick, the churches that call me won't look at anyone who is over 39." While each church gets to make its own call concerning this issue, it might be wise to consider that along with age comes experience, wisdom, and the ability to relate to the life situations almost all your church members will face, as those of age have already raised a family, dealt with many of the stages of life, and have a library of knowledge concerning the emotions that accompany the pains of life. Don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting that those under 39 are unable to speak to life issues. I'm simply suggesting that, a person who has personally lived through certain life situations will gain a greater hearing from those who are coming to a church leader for counsel. Know my heart... I'm not suggesting that you hire old or young. I would advocate the importance of setting no one aside due to age, too young or too old. Allow God to guide you to the person He has for the position you're filling. I can assure you, He'll get it right every time. 
 

 



 
Staff, Senior Pastor
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