i have to quit

I made a very important decision today: I have to quit! I just can't keep living like this! I cannot keep it up any longer! It is going to kill me! It is going to burn me up and out! What am I talking about?
  • My job at LCC, NO!
  • My D-group leadership, NO!
  • My Minister's Group, NO!
  • Being a husband, NO!
  • Being a father, NO!
  • My coffee meetings, NO!
  • Being a Friend, NO!
  • Blogging, NO!
Then what is it? I am glad you asked. It is really very simple - I have to quit playing the game called: Church competition and church growth success. Otherwise known as MINISTRY in AMERICAN CHURCHES!

For a long time I have measured success in ministry within the local church by numbers, programs, building size, number of active ministries and if we were "beating" the other churches in our area. It has to STOP! Afterall, How do you actually win? What is the prize? Who actually receives the glory? How do you stop the jealousy? It is a no-win situation. While I have known this in my head, it finally has found my heart.

The reality is: There will always be a bigger church than LCC. Someone will always have better programs than LCC. There will always be a cooler, bigger more functunal church building than we can afford at LCC. People will always find a church that has more ministries than LCC.

I realized today that I just can't live by this unBiblical standard of success(mostly self-afflicted). The standard that is determined by how many we had in worship Sunday as compared to last year, or even more prevelant, how many less we had than Christ Church at Mason, RiverHills, Northstar Vineyard, Eastside Christian or New Hope Baptist (add any church) had in worship on Sunday. I know there is a place for numbers (God has a whole book dedicated to it). I also know that "what doesn't get tracked, doesn't get done". I am not suggesting that we get rid of all numbers, I just need to stop using it to measure success and failure.

Since I need to quit (not sure it is going to be easy for me, because I have always been competetive and a numbers person) I need to fill my heart with something else. I need to redefine or rediscover what is truly success in ministry. Any ideas...

Here is a novel idea, I could gauge daily success in ministry by answering some of these questions...
  • Did I practice "loved to love" in my life?
  • Did I take the time to share in community?
  • Did I pray for my church family, friends and our community?
  • Did I take opportunity to share Christ with people put in my path?
  • Did I put my family above anything else?
  • Did I enjoy personal quality time with Christ?
  • Did I shut up and settle down long enough to let Christ talk to me?

I could actually measure the success of our Sunday experience by answering some of these questions:

  • Did I pray with anyone this morning?
  • Did I allow God to use me as a miracle in someone's life?
  • Did I pray & preach HIS WORDS?
  • Was someone touched by God at LCC today?
  • Were we ready and did God send us people who needed something today?
  • Did I love?
  • Did I appreciate the people serving at LCC?
  • Did GOD SHOW UP?

Honestly, this could get me fired. I mean, there is nothing in there about growing the church, or is there? My heart is just backwards. I have put the "cart before the horse". God wants to grow the church, God wants to see LCC doing more than we could even dream of. He just has a different way of determining success.

What woke me up? Lots of things, but the biggest "slap" was the fact that we have only had 1 baptism in 6 months at LCC and nobody even really noticed, including ME!

B. OUT!!