Church renewal (read replanting and revitalizing) is a lot like farming. You work hard, wait, work some more and then wait.  In the waiting you may begin to wonder if anything is happening, if any impact is being made, if any true spiritual work is taking place.

The normal measures of success and growth (increased attendance, bigger budgets, more programs and buzz) may remain elusive to you—especially during the early days (read first five years) of your replanting work. Even more elusive - the markers you may desire most - conversions and baptisms. It takes time to reignite and mobilize a declined congregation toward missional living.

Don't ignore the standard measurements of growth but don't be tied to them alone as the primary indicators of success, especially in the early days of your renewal work. To be clear, I’m not advocating for changing the game “where everyone gets a trophy” and you never keep score.  I am suggesting that you begin measuring something many fail to measure--moving your members toward maturity.

Maturation is a funny thing—it occurs internally yet displays itself externally. It develops slowly but appears suddenly.  Its absence and presence are undeniable. In many churches, especially those long in decline it may seem to be entirely absent in the lives of the majority of members. 

Often we've expected longevity of church membership and moral living to equate to spiritual maturity, they often don't. 

Old "Bill" a deacon who's been around for years, served on the search committee and is a Trustee for the church can be as mean as a snake whenever his ideas are contested. He's known to spout un-prayed over and critical opinions at the monthly business meeting, creating shock among the new members, shakes of the head among the old who say; "That's just Old Bill-he gets that way." 

"Gossipy Sue" a senior adult, whose family founded the church, spins her tales as she rocks the youngest of the congregation in the church nursery. Her "sharing" dispirits and disheartens those assigned to serve with her on a Sunday. Worse, when her comments are reported or shared, division is sewn into the fabric of the church family. When conflicts are dissected to discern their source, a good many can be traced back to "Gossipy Sue." 

Are these folks, who have been fixtures and staples of the church mature? By their behaviors just mentioned we'd have to say it's not certain. Are they demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit? Are the embodying Christian love? 

Paul states the goal of his ministry is to present everyone mature in Christ, he then shows us the pattern of ministry he employs to get there.

• Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus--Him we proclaim
• Skillful Discipling/Pastoring--warning, teaching everyone
• The Approach--with all wisdom
• Fully dependent on God--struggling in ministry with all his energy

What if we started asking those in our church this question: “Are you following Jesus more fully and faithfully now than you were last (week, month, year)? Is your life and are you actions/interactions characterized by Christian love, do they demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit? 

What if we began organizing our efforts and aim at helping our people mature in Christ—and trusting God to give us the strength to do so and leaving the results up to Him.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

1. Are you taking the long or short view as you develop your ministry score card?

2. Is your focus on results or presenting those you are called to shepherd mature in Christ?

3. Are you working in ministry in your own strength, or in the strength God provides?

Those seeking to catalyze change in a church or organization know that receiving criticism and efforts to sabotage those changes is not only possible, it's probable. Preparing your mind, heart and spirit for that reality is one thing, enduring and leading forward progress in-spite of them is quite another. 

Brother Pastor, Church Leader, Staff member - preparing for the battle before the first salvos are exchanged is not only good advice, it is essential. 

Consider the challenges Nehemiah faced, follow his example, trust God and lead forward.

SABOTAGE STRATEGY 1 - PUBLIC AND OPEN CRITICISM
Critics gonna criticize, often, perhaps loudly, maybe publicly, definitely to those willing to give an ear to their negative vocalizations. In part criticism is a good sign (as long as your not being mean, foolish or exercising poor leadership.)  You can expect people to get angry, mock, question and criticize. 

RESPONSE: Stay at the work

SABOTAGE STRATEGY 2 - PLOTTING CONFLICT
It is sad, but it happens. People antagonistic to changes at a church may exercise bylaw loopholes to gather a crowd (who haven't a clue about what's going on at the church by the way) to vote down initiatives, vote out a pastor and cause chaos. You'd think what with the absence of visitors, baptisms and members sharing the gospel they'd have more important work to do - but no, plotting to keep the church dying and declining-that's the important priority. 
 
RESPONSE: Pray and set up guards

SABOTAGE STRATEGY 3 - ENEMEY INFILTRATION
Not everyone who is with you is for the vision God has given. I've been surprised by betrayals, spies, moles and leakers who took information, manipulated it to their own ends. These close insiders mischaracterize vision, leaders motives and look for ways to kill progress and take out leaders. I wish it weren't so, but sometimes it is. 

RESPONSE: Equip everyone with the truth so that they can defend

SABOTAGE STRATEGY 4 - REQUESTING A "MEETING" 
Let me give you some trusted insight, borne out over a couple of decades of ministry experience. If a recently vocal negative critic wants to "meet" to talk things out, if they aren't leading with repentance, if they have spread gossip and rumors like wildfire, sewn dissension among the congregation and their invitation to convene a conversation isn't absolutely soaked with apologetic humility - don't meet. 

RESPONSE: Focus on your important work

SABOTAGE STRATEGY 5 - THE ANONYMOUS LETTER 
Our seminary and bible professors told us this would happen, the stories prepared our minds cognitively but nothing prepares our hearts for suffering but actually suffering. Typically we hear about such letters only after others have received them. What do the authors intend? Perhaps it's to blanket the congregation with criticism, it could be to plant seeds which would sprout additional opponents. Such letters are meant to strike a blow to the leader, eliminating their voice, silencing them to address the matters raised in the document. 

RESPONSE: Speak the truth, pray.

SABOTAGE STRATEGY 6 - INTIMIDATION
Some critics and their allies attempt to strike a leaders heart with fear. Using hyperbole, exaggeration and over statement they claim things are worse than they actually are, that circumstances are perilous, that the future is dire. Their advice - hide, run, play it safe, back down, stop. 

RESPONSE: Discern the source, pray.

SABOTAGE STRATEGY 7 - SIDE CHANNEL CRITICISM
When leaders are undaunted, when all the strategies employed to get them to stop, change course, lose heart or quit a Saboteur in a last ditch effort to have their way may "flood the zone" with a wide spread last ditch attempt to discredit the work, the leader behind the work and build a coalition of like minded critics among the influential, the common public and the entire community. 

RESPONSE: Disregard

Questions for Reflection

1. What sabotage strategies are you dealing with right now?

2. What can you learn from the example of Nehemiah?  How can you mirror his response? 

3. What help do you need to stay on course - pursuing the vision God has given? 
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Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-3
 
There are many Pastors who are feeling the weight of of ministry and are likely beyond exhausted, physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally. In the past month I’ve heard my pastor friends say these things:
 
“I’m ready to quit.”
“I don’t know how much longer I can keep going.”
“If one more family leaves over ____________ I’m not sure our church will be able to survive financially.”
“I’m not going to abandon the church now, but when this season is over, I’m planning on resigning.”
“I’m depressed, discouraged and feel like a failure.”
 
When I pastored I said similar things. When I led in difficult seasons I thought about them, regularly. We should acknowledge that some of our brothers and the churches they pastor are growing and thriving, we can rejoice and be thankful for that-we can also confess that many are not, in fact they may be the majority.
 
Brother Pastor, let me encourage you to keep running and endure. The writer of Hebrews offers us a great exhortation to keep going, even when things are difficult.
 
Consider the Example of Others
History is replete with the stories of missionaries and pastors who labored faithfully over years, often at great costs and with great hardships, while not seeing great numbers of conversions.  Consider the life of Adoniram Judson, who after four decades of ministry in Burma, could count, at best, twenty-five converts to Christ. In that same timeframe he buried two wives, six children, and eleven co-workers. By God’s grace, the gospel took hold and the number of converts tracing their faith to his work now number in the millions.
 
Lay Aside Hindrances
What are the things that hinder your joy, undermine your devotion and slow your ministry? Could it be an expectation or desire to be successful by a certain standard which now has you second guessing your call or feeling frustrated? Are you facing real emotional challenges that would benefit from counseling, medical examination or medication? Are you watching and listening to other Pastors and comparing yourself to them? Are you following the advice of consultants who peddle quick solutions for churches in crisis who have never led a church during a season like this? Do the work of prayerful reflection and set aside whatever things the Lord reveals are hindering your race.
 
Mortify Sin
Sustained discouragement in the life of a Christian, especially a Pastor can become an incubator for sin. Our desires can slowly over time skew toward self-we want to feel different, be happy, feel successful. Our desire to feel good, experience success, and enjoy personal fulfillment can become an obsessive quest. We each have sins that are prone to ensnare our hearts, minds and hands. Know the specific sins that could take you out and ask the Lord to deaden you to them.
 
Run Your Race
God calls each of us to the same ministry of proclaiming the gospel and making disciples who make disciples. But his call to each of us is unique to a certain context. I served in an affluent, highly educated, extremely progressive and gospel resistant city. You may serve in a sparsely populated conservative rural county. We each have a race that lies before us-one that is very different. I’m called to faithfully run mine and you yours. I may think your race looks easier and want to abandon mine-but I must finish the race God has laid before me.
 
Keep Looking at Jesus
I ran long distance on the track team when I was much younger, I did not run well at all. I like to say now that the only time I run is when I’m scared or in danger-which means I don’t run much! In my track days I struggled to run effectively because I was focused not on the finish line but my pain. Pastor, what are you focusing on as you run the race God has put before you? My experience reminds me that when I focus on the pain of my race and not on Jesus, who is the author and perfecter of my faith, who successfully ran his race to the cross I will struggle and want to quit running.
 
 
The race is not over brother Pastor, let’s keep running and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.

IT BEGINS (AND CONTINUES) WITH SOMEONE
In any group of people, be it a workplace, school, office or church there are some who initiate action or instigate change. It can come in the form of a suggestion; "Hey why don't we..."  or "I wonder if we ______" and let's add, "I think we should......."  These are the catalytic leaders among us, they see an opportunity, an inefficiency or injustice and rise to action, call for something different. They are movers and sometimes they shake things up. We need them, some who prefer status quo, resist their gift and work. 

PROGRESS REQUIRES LEADERS & FOLLOWERS
It's not uncommon to get confused about leadership. In the late 90s and early to mid 2000s a lot of church conferences claimed that everyone is a Leader. Myriads of resources were created and foisted on Pastors and Churches-a lot were good, some were not. In reality, not everyone functions in the lead position. If we were all leading, no one would be following, and nothing would be accomplished. Let's tweak the now two decades leadership assertion to this-Leaders lead, others follow, those that follow lead out in the accomplishment of the mission.

DIRECTIONAL LEADERS SET THE COURSE, DOING LEADERS MAKE IT HAPPEN
A simple leadership principle-to go somewhere you have to actually go somewhere. Someone (the leader) has to determine direction-be it through declaration, relational influence or collaboration-a person has to begin the process of saying let's go here, let's do this. At that point, those around, who are part of the community have a decision to make-do we agree? Are we going to put in the effort to go there, to accomplish, to achieve the movement toward that direction?   If yes, they engage in "doing" leadership.

DIRECTIONAL LEADERSHIP MUST BE STEWARDED
Our natural tendency is to start something and not fully finish it or see it through to completion. The task of the leader is to see it through all the way, even in the face of opposition, delay, challenge and lack of resource.

Leadership: A called, qualified and committed leader navigates dangers, threats, challenges to the accomplishment of the vision-keeping the congregation united and focused and moving forward.

 In Nehemiah 2, we see a great example of stewarding the vision God is giving and shaping  

• Observation - understanding realities and challenges
• Reservation - caution to not communicate vision before it is time
• Communication - unveiling the vision at the right time
• Preservation - guarding and guiding the vision from critics, detractors who want to subvert it's implementation

GUARD AND GUIDE DIRECTIONAL LEADERSHIP
I've read a leadership guru who writes that we should be "mean" about the vision. I get what he's trying to say, but I'd want to be careful to caution and encourage leaders "mean" doesn't convey you have to run roughshod over people to accomplish the task-don't be a jerk, tossing people disagree off the "bus." 

Simply communicate the vision, protect and guard it, encourage its adoption and implementation. Do this in every way possible, circle back to it regularly.  Don't take time to debate critics who want to make you stop-just keep going.

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

1. Are you a Directional or Doing Leader? What are some supporting examples that informed your response?

2. Are you stewarding your leadership assignment well?  

3. Is the vision under attack? How are you responding?