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Wanted: People who are better than me

It used to bother me when I had bosses, colleagues, employees and volunteers who were faster, smarter and more creative than me.  I always felt like I had to prove something.  I didn't want it to be said of me "He couldn't do that."  Let's call it what it is...insecurity.

Then September 1, 2011 arrived.  That was my first day on the job of being a Lead Pastor.  I don't know if my perspective changed or if what we were going through as a church (quick start-up and a new facility) caused me to change.  Perhaps the combination of all of my responsibilities (husband, father, pastor, son, friend, counselor, etc...) forced me to have a change in my attitude.  

I still have a long way to go.  Sometimes I still try to sound more intelligent (that never works by the way) and to prove myself to other people.  However, I'm enjoying the faster, more creative, and "better" people around me so much more than I have in the past.  I'm more inspired now by them rather than feeling insecure by their skills, experience and results. I find myself really thankful for them and longing for more of them around me every day!

To Sum It Up

Hi everyone.  This past Sunday was one of those days that I'll remember for a very long time.  Allow me to sum it up...

• After over 14 months of negotiations, we were able to announce that Hilton Head Island Community Church had executed a lease/purchase contract with Hargray at mm 9 on Hwy 278.
• We have roughly 100 days to complete our demolition/renovation work for Phase I, which should start in the next few weeks.  If you signed up to volunteer to help with the Phase I work, you will be contacted very soon.  The best way to help us now is to respond quickly.  Every day that we delay at this point is a waste of money.
• I want to remind you that while the church is NOT a building, that God will use our new facility  to draw people to Himself.  Praise to God for seeing us through this thus far.
• My message last Sunday centered around the relationship between Naomi and Ruth.   I talked about being patient with our loved ones means staying close to them, sacrificing for them and serving them.
• Perhaps there are some of you who have already been doing these things and your own patience is running thin.  Let me remind you that Paul encourages us in Galatians 6:9 not to "become weary in well doing."  You might not be able to physically continue this three step process, but you can still have an spirit of patience in those situations.

Here is how you can pray for HHICC and the Phase I renovation project at the building at mm9.  Pray that...

• ... the permit process with the Town of Hilton Head Island is completed in a timely manner.
• ... we are able to raise the remaining $ 85,000 that is needed to complete Phase I renovations.
• ... all those who work on this project are kept safe during the demolition/renovation work.
• ... God would use this new facility to further His kingdom here on HHI!

Have a great week!

character in crisis

There is a great passage in Nehemiah 5, where the prophet Nehemiah is angry with the Jewish people because they are engaged in charging interest against loans given to their own people.  He asked them to stop immediately, and these words totally jumped out at me today:  "Shouldn't you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? The Jews who charged interest were essentially putting their brothers and sisters back into slavery.  There were doing this so that they could pay their own taxes and possibly their debt to the king.  It was a time of harsh economic downturn; a famine of unprecedented proportions.  And these Jews were resorting to unusual and unsavory practices to cover their own butts.  They violated their own personal values and dishonored God in the process.

But the issue isn't money, or the lack thereof.  The issue is character; faithfulness to God in desperate times.  We don't have a clue about a famine, but these, by modern standards, are severe economic times.  I know that I've done things in my past that have not honored God during times of stress and crisis.  So how do we act and respond today?  Do we crack and make our problems others or do we stand resolute, steadfast, honorable to God and his Word?  In 2009, which by many experts predictions will be tougher than 2008, I'm asking God to give me the courage and character to stand strong!

wheres the leadership?

Remember the old Wendy's commercial, "...where's the beef?"  After Tuesday's election, I find myself asking "where the leadership?"  I'm an old hard-core Republican who has been tempered in recent years, because of a renewed passion and call to reach others for Christ.  That mission supersedes and is more important than any political party affiliation.

Although I no longer like to label myself, I still hold closely to the conservative values that generally define the Republican party.  All the conservative and some of the liberal pundits were blaming the GOP loss on wrong values, misguided passion and off-target mission!  I can't disagree, but I do have to add one major issue that too many GOP affiliates won't admit because it might hurt their own political careers.  That issue is that there is NO clear leader in the GOP....not one!

Republicans controlled the executive branch for 8 years and both houses of Congress for 4 of those 8 and in that time didn't develop one leader for the future.  Of course, that may be because there was no compelling leader in place making sure that happened in the first place.

My old boss, John Maxwell use to say: "EVERYTHING rises and falls on leadership."  If the GOP wants to see America flourish under conservative values, they need to start looking long and hard within for a leader!  Tackle that issue and then move on to issues, values, voter registration!  EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING will rise and fall on who that leader is!

unity vs. controversy

My wife posted what I think is one of her better post's on her blog last night. You can check it out at www.cynthiacullen.com The subject matter: her personal call to full-time church ministry and how that relates to the hot potato topic of the day of women being involved in the workplace and more specifically, the church. Her blog was both personal and tackled the issue in a non-divisive way. I loved the point she made about going to a different church if you don't like the fact that women are involved in leadership in your church. Leaving a church for those types of reason causes much less division than if you were to stay and grumble!

I have heard this topic discussed over and over again lately from a variety of viewpoints. It is one of those topics where I believe from Scripture an argument can be made either way. I'm just not sure why this particular topic has become so visceral and divisive in the church today. There are many other doctrinal stress points that we overlook in the church today. Why do we make one of a person's involvement in helping further God's Kingdom, or in this case that lack thereof, such a high priority?

Perhaps is that when a mom and/or dad abandon their home for church work, or any other work for that matter, then the home is in jeopardy. I can understand that discussion.  Certainly any Christian home where the man and woman are working must be always ready to place boundaries and parameters on the schedule, involvement and lifestyle. We have those types of conversation regularly in our home and quite honestly I believe it make us both better parents.

The point that I would like to make is one of a balance between unity and controversy in today's church. At the end of the day, I look to "themes" in scripture to see where God's priorities lie. Salvation, sacrifice, love, money are all mega-themes; things that are talked about in great quantity in the Bible. I believe that God places a high value on those issues. Another one of those themes that Scripture focuses on with great frequency is unity among believers. A woman's place in the church or outside of the home is a topic in Scripture for sure, but it is mentioned with much less frequency than unity in the church.

So the question that we should be asking is: "Is our discussion of a woman's role in the church so dogmatic that we are causing division in the church and perhaps driving the unbeliever away as a result? I believe that with the tone of much of today's rhetoric, that answer is YES. I believe that we, as Christian leaders, have a responsibility to "tone down" these types of issues for the sake of unity of the Church and the Great Commission. I'm not saying don't discuss or debate, but the tone of this issues I believe is once again driving people away from the church.

When we all have to stand before God one day and give an account of what we did for Him, do you think He'll say: "Well done good and faithful servant. You were doctrinally correct when you caused so much division and drove so many people away from me?" I just don't think that God is going to reward being right (which is debatable anyway) over being one who promoted unity and drew people to Jesus.