Bricks. Mortar. Carpet samples…

These aren’t supposed to be the stuff of ministry, are they? Oh yes. From time to time God leads a church into a building expansion project. It is an exciting season in the life of the church. But for the pastor? Not so much.

In addition to Serving Strong coaching, I serve as VP of Operations for Cogun, Inc. – a company that helps the Church expand by building the right ministry space. Formed in 1970, we have helped over 660 ministries.  Click to read more about Cogun. This post comes out of observations we’ve made along the way…

There are a multitude of choices to be made. Are we making the right choice? What if we’re wrong? What if nobody likes the foyer design?… questions like these relentlessly pursue a pastor’s mind. Plus, the disruption of the norm creates distractions from sermon prep, ministry focus, and personal self-care. Here, then, are a few principles to keep in mind if you are leading your ministry through a construction project:

• Don’t be a lone ranger. Seek a small, but trustworthy, band of relationships to help you stay focused and accountable to the mission.
• Take breaks. A construction season will open the door to a flurry of meetings, discussions, decisions, and so on. It’s very easy to unintentionally neglect your body and mind.
• Accept the season for what it is. It’s a season. Although the project may seem like it will go on forever, it won’t. Rest assured, a good contractor will want to get you the Certificate of Occupancy as quickly as possible so they can get out of your way to pursue your expanded ministry. Step back and look at things in light of eternity.

Your turn: Have you been through a building program? What have you learned through the process?

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We are born. We die. Those are the bookends.

What matters is how we live the gap, no?

Do we make a difference by drifting? Not likely.  We make a difference when we are intentional about being all God designed for us to be. That takes planning.

There are a lot of resources online to help you create a life plan.

Here’s one (by Psychology Degree Online)

Here’s another (by Michael Hyatt)

Also, try Googling the phrase “Life Plan”. I did and got over 1 billion results in 0.22 seconds. But be discerning. Not everything on the web is legit (no duh!)

Are you following a life plan? What’s it look like?

Every ministry leader who gets serious about their Kingdom impact, serving strong and finishing strong will eventually come to the conclusion that a weekly review is absolutely essential. Times when we pull off to the side of the road and take inventory; take stock. Times when we take the exit ramp and rest and reflect.

That may describe you, but you don’t know where to start with your review. If so, here are 14 questions I am beginning to build into my weekly routine. They come from Gordon MacDonald in an article found over at Christianity Today entitled, “Your Most Important Conversation”. You can read the entire article here.

1. What have been the beautiful moments in which God may have been revealing himself to me? And what have been the evil moments when the worst in me or in the larger world showed itself?

2. What happened this week that needs to be remembered, perhaps recorded in a journal so I can return to it in the future and recall the blessing (or the rebuke) of God? Making such a record is like those monuments and altars God had the Israelites raise up when great things worth remembering had happened.

3. What have my prevailing feelings been (and what are they at the present)? Has there been a preponderance of sadness, of fear, of anger, of emptiness? Or has it been a time where joy and enthusiasm has been the dominant mood?

4. What have been the “blessings,” those acts of grace that have come through others or—as I perceive it—directly from God himself? Can I express praise and appreciation (sometimes even written in a thank-you note or journal)?

5. Have things happened for which I need to accept responsibility, perhaps leading to repentance? Why did they happen? Were they avoidable and how can they be prevented in the future?

6. What have been the thoughts that have been dominating my leader think-time? Noble thoughts? Escapist thoughts that woo me away from more important or challenging issues? Superficial thoughts that lead to nowhere?

7. Is there a possibility that I am living in denial of certain realities? Painful criticism, sloppy work, habitual patterns that are hurting me and others?

8. Are there any resentments or ill feelings toward others that remain unaddressed, unforgiven?

9. As a leader visualizing myself in the company of spouse, children, friends, colleagues: am I a pleasant person to be around? Are people challenged, elevated, enthused when I enter the room? As someone has observed, “Some people bring joy wherever they go; others bring joy when they go.” Which am I?

10. What is God trying to say into my life today? Through Scripture? Through other readings? What has he been saying through those in my inner circle of relationships? Through critics? What insights swirl up and out of the deepest parts of my soul? Which of them needs to be repudiated, and which needs to be cultivated?

11. What are the possibilities in the hours ahead? Where might there be ambushes that would challenge character, reputation, well-being?

12. What are the things I might do and say that would make the people in my inner circle feel more loved and appreciated?

13. Am I mindful of the socially awkward, the poor, the suffering, the oppressed in my local world and in the larger world? Am I in tune with appropriate current events in the world and perceiving them through the lens of biblical perspective?

14. What specific steps will I take today to enhance growth as a follower of Jesus?

As you do your weekly review, what are you learning about yourself?

Every ministry leader who gets serious about their Kingdom impact, serving strong and finishing strong will eventually come to the conclusion that a weekly review is absolutely essential. Times when we pull off to the side of the road and take inventory; take stock. Times when we take the exit ramp and rest and reflect.

That may describe you, but you don’t know where to start with your review. If so, here are 14 questions I am beginning to build into my weekly routine. They come from Gordon MacDonald in an article found over at Christianity Today entitled, “Your Most Important Conversation”. You can read the entire article here, but for brevity, here are the 14 questions:

1. What have been the beautiful moments in which God may have been revealing himself to me? And what have been the evil moments when the worst in me or in the larger world showed itself?

2. What happened this week that needs to be remembered, perhaps recorded in a journal so I can return to it in the future and recall the blessing (or the rebuke) of God? Making such a record is like those monuments and altars God had the Israelites raise up when great things worth remembering had happened.

3. What have my prevailing feelings been (and what are they at the present)? Has there been a preponderance of sadness, of fear, of anger, of emptiness? Or has it been a time where joy and enthusiasm has been the dominant mood?

4. What have been the “blessings,” those acts of grace that have come through others or—as I perceive it—directly from God himself? Can I express praise and appreciation (sometimes even written in a thank-you note or journal)?

5. Have things happened for which I need to accept responsibility, perhaps leading to repentance? Why did they happen? Were they avoidable and how can they be prevented in the future?

6. What have been the thoughts that have been dominating my leader think-time? Noble thoughts? Escapist thoughts that woo me away from more important or challenging issues? Superficial thoughts that lead to nowhere?

7. Is there a possibility that I am living in denial of certain realities? Painful criticism, sloppy work, habitual patterns that are hurting me and others?

8. Are there any resentments or ill feelings toward others that remain unaddressed, unforgiven?

9. As a leader visualizing myself in the company of spouse, children, friends, colleagues: am I a pleasant person to be around? Are people challenged, elevated, enthused when I enter the room? As someone has observed, “Some people bring joy wherever they go; others bring joy when they go.” Which am I?

10. What is God trying to say into my life today? Through Scripture? Through other readings? What has he been saying through those in my inner circle of relationships? Through critics? What insights swirl up and out of the deepest parts of my soul? Which of them needs to be repudiated, and which needs to be cultivated?

11. What are the possibilities in the hours ahead? Where might there be ambushes that would challenge character, reputation, well-being?

12. What are the things I might do and say that would make the people in my inner circle feel more loved and appreciated?

13. Am I mindful of the socially awkward, the poor, the suffering, the oppressed in my local world and in the larger world? Am I in tune with appropriate current events in the world and perceiving them through the lens of biblical perspective?

14. What specific steps will I take today to enhance growth as a follower of Jesus?

As you do your weekly review, what are you learning about yourself?

photo: Felipe Venancio

Spent some time in a meeting where Todd Wilson shared. He remarked how Bob Buford starts his day. Bob does the “Blackaby” thing well. He wakes in the morning, takes a look out the “window” to see where God is working and moving, then asks how he can join God in the pursuit.

He wakes.

He goes to the window.

He starts walking.

I want to start each day that way, don’t you?

How do YOU start your day?

Every ministry leader who gets serious about their Kingdom impact, serving strong and finishing strong will eventually come to the conclusion that a weekly review is absolutely essential. Times when we pull off to the side of the road and take inventory; take stock. Times when we take the exit ramp and rest and reflect.

That may describe you, but you don’t know where to start with your review. If so, here are 14 questions I am beginning to build into my weekly routine. They come from Gordon MacDonald in an article found over at Christianity Today entitled, “Your Most Important Conversation”. You can read the entire article here, but for brevity, here are the 14 questions:

1. What have been the beautiful moments in which God may have been revealing himself to me? And what have been the evil moments when the worst in me or in the larger world showed itself?

2. What happened this week that needs to be remembered, perhaps recorded in a journal so I can return to it in the future and recall the blessing (or the rebuke) of God? Making such a record is like those monuments and altars God had the Israelites raise up when great things worth remembering had happened.

3. What have my prevailing feelings been (and what are they at the present)? Has there been a preponderance of sadness, of fear, of anger, of emptiness? Or has it been a time where joy and enthusiasm has been the dominant mood?

4. What have been the “blessings,” those acts of grace that have come through others or—as I perceive it—directly from God himself? Can I express praise and appreciation (sometimes even written in a thank-you note or journal)?

5. Have things happened for which I need to accept responsibility, perhaps leading to repentance? Why did they happen? Were they avoidable and how can they be prevented in the future?

6. What have been the thoughts that have been dominating my leader think-time? Noble thoughts? Escapist thoughts that woo me away from more important or challenging issues? Superficial thoughts that lead to nowhere?

7. Is there a possibility that I am living in denial of certain realities? Painful criticism, sloppy work, habitual patterns that are hurting me and others?

8. Are there any resentments or ill feelings toward others that remain unaddressed, unforgiven? 

9. As a leader visualizing myself in the company of spouse, children, friends, colleagues: am I a pleasant person to be around? Are people challenged, elevated, enthused when I enter the room? As someone has observed, “Some people bring joy wherever they go; others bring joy when they go.” Which am I?

10. What is God trying to say into my life today? Through Scripture? Through other readings? What has he been saying through those in my inner circle of relationships? Through critics? What insights swirl up and out of the deepest parts of my soul? Which of them needs to be repudiated, and which needs to be cultivated?

11. What are the possibilities in the hours ahead? Where might there be ambushes that would challenge character, reputation, well-being?

12. What are the things I might do and say that would make the people in my inner circle feel more loved and appreciated?

13. Am I mindful of the socially awkward, the poor, the suffering, the oppressed in my local world and in the larger world? Am I in tune with appropriate current events in the world and perceiving them through the lens of biblical perspective?

14. What specific steps will I take today to enhance growth as a follower of Jesus?

As you do your weekly review, what are you learning about yourself?