Preparing & Developing Godly Leaders

Spiritual leadership is intentionally cultivated in the school of life under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit. It is God who prepares this kind of leader.  Graduates of this school of leadership become better versions of themselves. When leaders walk in submission and love for God, they model Jesus’ character (Mk. 1:37-8; Jn. 5:19-20,30). Before making his decisions, Jesus spent time in prayer (Lk. 6:12-13; Jn. 17:6-7). He understood “it was his Father’s activity and not his own that was the impetus behind any breakthrough…”[1] His entire life was spent pursuing the will of his Father (Jn. 5:30). Spiritual leaders should seek to understand the will of God and allow God-given directives to set the agenda. This will increase the leader’s capacity to lead and grow the organization.

The Operation of Spiritual Gifts Within God's Church

The Equipping & Building Of The Church (Ephesians 4:12-16)

Unfortunately, in many churches, only the office of the pastor seemingly is in operation. Christ’s intent was that all of his saints who have been graced with a measure of his gift would operate in their gifting (or that which they have been graced with) “in order that everything in the church might be well arranged, or put into its proper place, that Christians may have every possible advantage for becoming complete in love, and knowledge and order.”[1]  The main idea here is that the church becomes mature when Christ’s gifts are functioning within the community of believers. Jesus proclaimed he would build his church (Matthew 16:18), and he saw fit to govern such and organism through these various offices.

Here We Grow Again! Church Home In Lauderhill Florida.

I savor moments like these, when you know you are living in a dream.  The picture to the left is myself, praying in one of the church offices overlooking the parking lot, facing a multicultural community of Inverrary/Lauderhill. Moments after I penned the last paragraph of my message for Sunday, I moved to the kitchen counter, stood by the sink for a moment, feeling a bit overwhelmed but in a good way. In the stillness of the early morning I declared, “Thank you Jesus!” The dream has become a reality. Once, a dream, now we are living it; and it feels like  a nonstop movement toward an intended purpose. Wow! Who would think we'd be doing this a year ago? Everything starts as a dream; God's providence effects the reality. "And God saw that it was GOOD" (Gen. 1:10).

Using One's Life Story In Ministry

Life Story & Ministry

     A life story “gives definition to the experiences of the past.”[1] God uses a lifetime of unfolding events, circumstances and relationships in the life of a preacher/teacher, to mold him or her into a tool for  spiritual development (personally and corporately).[2]It is interesting how God is never surprised by the path taken by any of his children. “He is never captive and will write his story in and through his instruments regardless of the circumstances.”[3] Since part of the role of encourager in chief (the preacher/teacher) will be to create and promote a community in which life stories can be freely and [4]

safely expressed (catalyst for change), then it is important that he or she is fully aware of his or her own story. The preacher becomes that catalyst for change after coming to an understanding of how he or she fits into God’s big picture. Before Peter the fisherman became the apostle Peter, bishop of the New Testament church, his Lord told him, “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32). His life story became his catalyst for change under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Peter’s influence and ministry after his last personal encounter with Jesus (John 21:15-18) set the pace for the latter half of his life, to the benefit of all of Christendom. All of his past was fuel for his future, and the same principle holds true for the preacher/teacher. It is “the preacher’s story, intersecting God’s story, for the purpose of God’s ongoing story.”

Ministry Beginnings @ Transformation Fort Lauderdale

Day 1 – Transformation Ministries Florida

Well, it’s in the books! First day of Ministry. The day I have been anticipating for years. A dream, a calling, a passion? Call it what you will, my Dad and family have started a new ministry. This I believe is a high privilege. A bit anxious the night before. I flew in from Nassau, got a haircut, and went to hang out with the team in Deerfield Beach...Nothing like some good "American Food" - burgers, nachos with cheese, chicken wings, coke. Things we take for granted...Can't get this on the islands.  A little later, I headed back to the hotel to check out the meeting space. We'd been working on plans for a while. A range of emotions when we were done with the setup...

Philosophy of Ministry

   The Way 

 (Written by Minister Kevin A. Hall)

  

God has given the church the responsibility of making disciples of every nation. Jesus’ final words to His disciples were to make more disciples – baptizing, teaching, discipling. He promised that He would be with them always, having given them the authority to fulfill this mission. The target audience of this mandate was ‘the whole world’. To accomplish this task, members of God’s church must be equipped, incarnated, then deployed. Through the ministry of the church, we evangelize, preach, teach, heal, nurture, administer, disciple, plant churches, affecting society for God’s Kingdom. 

Ministry Purpose: 

Our goal is to equip every member for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12). Submitted to the Holy Spirit, we will mobilize the Christian community to live redemptively so as to become Christ’ witnesses. We will be incarnational in execution, entering others’ world, as Christ entered our world, without compromising God’s truth, biblical convictions, our values, nor our standards. We will engage in Presence ministry, fully involved in the community through relationship building, speaking life to the dark corners of the earth, and proclaiming the Kingdom of God. 

Youth Ministry Can Get Tough

Common Issue Faced by Youth Leaders

I recently conducted interviews with 3 seasoned Youth leaders in two countries - The Bahamas and The United States. By far, the most common issue faced by all three Youth leaders is that of Team Motivation or a lack thereof. In the next few paragraphs I will attempt to provide encouragement for ministry leaders on the subject of Team Motivation and setting some boundaries to prevent burnout and loss of integrity.  Life in ministry can get difficult at times. It gets even more difficult when we do not have the right support system in place. Ministry was not designed to be a one man show. Take a page out of Pastor Moses’ book. He got to a place of frustration where the next thing to do besides blame God was to quit the job:

¹¹ So Moses said to the Lord, “Why have You been so hard on Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all this people on me? ¹² Was it I who conceived all this people? Was it I who brought them forth, that You should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries a nursing infant, to the land which You swore to their fathers’?¹³ Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me, saying, ‘Give us meat that we may eat!’ ¹⁴ I alone am not able to carry all this people, because it is too burdensome for me.¹⁵ So if You are going to deal thus with me, please kill me at once, if I have found favor in Your sight, and do not let me see my wretchedness.”  (Numbers 11:11-15)

It does not have to get this way for any ministry leader. God in his wisdom provided Pastor Moses with a solution:

¹⁶ The Lord therefore said to Moses, “Gather for Me seventy men from the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and their officers and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. ¹⁷ Then I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit who is upon you, and will put Him upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you will not bear it all alone”. (Numbers 11:16-17)

God provided Pastor Moses with a team. We need people to be successful at ministry. In fact, “People are the Plan” (Robbins, 526). If we are to be successful at building a team, consider these seven competencies a leader should have:

The Challenges of The Ministry

The Challenges of The Ministry

 (Written by Kevin Hall   09.01.17)

Burnout related to the work of ministry is a reality one can avoid. The stats related to the issue say that over 57% of respondents would leave the ministry if they could; 71% struggle with depression; 80% leave within 5 years; 70% feel they have no close friends and 75% feel unqualified (lecture. Pape). These numbers do not bode very well for those considering entering the ministry, not to mention the fact that compensation may not be at the top of Glassdoor’s salary rank. Therefore, the work of ministry must be a calling. 

One must be sure of divine guidance to work the field.  The good news is that there are numerous steps one can take to reduce or prevent burnout – these include taking care of my health; having a hobby; making time for family and friends; keep the learning wheels turning (a leader must constantly learn new things) and having adult friends.

Now, one thing we should not do both personally and professionally is to “neglect the inner man” (96).

Is There A Need Need For Organization In The Church?

Considerations for getting organized

(Written by Kevin A. Hall    04.2017)

There are some things that we take for granted when it comes to the operation of ministry. According to Getz there are 6 focus areas that church leadership can place an intentional effort in order to achieve their desired purpose and objectives - Evangelism, Edification, Leadership, Communication, Administration and Organization. In all these areas a few key questions should be asked to assess effectiveness: (1) How can biblical principles be translated into purpose? (2)  How can the goals, objectives and standards be formulated for the local church? As we make these assessments in all areas of the ministry, we cannot afford to allow ourselves to be in bondage to the culture and we definitely should not be separated from it. Every consideration we make should be done in light of scripture with the intent to build bridges.

As we consider the impact of culture, the church needs to look at her place within that culture. How does culture impact the worldview of its members? How does the church impact society? We need to provide outlets for the church to be incarnated into the society; adapting yet not compromising. This means ensuring our reach extends beyond the four walls to influence activities within the government, businesses, schools, the arts, our church programs and especially our homes.

Regarding Evangelism, we need to consider our role in contributing toward the Great Commission. Does the mission of the church extend into the local community and beyond? Is there an effort to encourage corporate witnessing? Is the church just a “Saving Station” or is it a “Place of Empowerment – A Bridge to the World”? How are we doing in reaching families, households and single individuals? Are we actively seeking to identify, develop and to deploy our members’ gifts? How about our New Convert Care – what happens after we have made converts? Is there a strategy in place to “disciple” our brothers and sisters?

I Refuse To Be Like My Father! - King Hezekiah

Along The Way:  King Hezekiah - A Different Path

(Written by Kevin A. Hall     07.04.17)

To be or not to be like my father – That is the question Hezekiah must have asked himself many times. His father was King Ahaz, one of the most evil kings of Judah. Hezekiah must have been aware that his father sacrificed his brother to a heathen god. His father made sacrifices and burnt offering in high places “on the hills and under every green tree” (2 Kings 16:4). His father introduced pagan customs and made major changes to the house of God for his personal benefit. 

Under his father, “Judah’s religious system became shambles” (Nasb). His father was also weak; so was the high priest (Urijah) during his reign (2 Kings 16:16). The nation followed his father’s lead.

At some point, Hezekiah chose not to follow his earthy father’s example, but to embrace his heavenly father as his model for living. We too, can choose our own path. Hezekiah did not have the privilege of the indwelling Spirit, but he chose to follow God. We have God’s Spirit as guide if we submit.  

Caring For Those We Work With - The Prophet Elisha

Along The Way: Leaders Who Care –Elisha

(Written By Kevin A. Hall   06.30.17)

Throughout Elisha’s ministry, we see the heart of a man who cares much for the basic needs his ministry partners. We should practice his servant leadership. He prayed to God for the deepest desire of the Shunammite woman – God gave her a son (2 Kings 4:17). When there was a famine in Gilgal, he was instrumental in providing a large pot of stew for the men at the School of the Prophets (2 Kings 4:38-41). When a stranger brought food to the school, he prayed and God miraculously stretched the food to feed everyone with leftovers (2 Kings 4:42-44). When the School outgrew its space, he agreed to supervise the work at a new location by the River Jordan (2 Kings 6:1-3). He was engaged and involved at all levels. How else will a leader get to know his people? We must enter their world. When the axe head fell in the river, Elisha was concerned and through another miracle, retrieved the borrowed axe head (2 Kings 6:5-7). There was no concern too small for him to take to God.

John C. Maxwell - Law Of Explosive Growth!

John C Maxwell - Running With The Giants

How Do You View The Leadership Of Your Church?

What does leadership look like in your church? How about your leadership style?

Written by Kevin.A. Hall (03.26.17)

I conducted a study of the leadership styles of our early New Testament church leaders as well as the ministry of Jesus. This was an intensive study, covering the books of Ephesians, Acts and The Gospel of Mark. I was encouraged, yet convinced that there is much work to do in many of our churches. Along with the study, I reviewed the Nine Marks of a Healthy Church Model. Please see link below. So, how does your church match up to the example of the early New Testament church? How is your leadership style in view of the example set by Jesus and the Apostle Paul?

Jesus – Biblical Leadership

Jesus was mission minded. He was connected to the source from the beginning, always modelling what He expected. He kept up with a routine – Went regularly to the synagogue; prayed quite often, most times alone and in remote places; He relied upon the Father (the ultimate expression of leadership – You see me, you see the Father); He was a man of authority – He spoke the Word of God; He cared about injustice – Jesus confronted those taking advantage of the less fortunate and the weak (we see this in his care for children, the poor, widows, women and sinners). Jesus confronted sin and hypocrisy – Wherever He saw it, He addressed the issue head on, rebuking when necessary. Jesus considered sin and hypocrisy the likes of ‘leaven’, affecting everyone and everything it touched. Jesus was compassionate – He cared about the physical needs of the people. We see this in His acts of healing, providing food, working miracles and casting out demons. His work ethic was unquestioned – He got up early and worked till late; yet He was sure to encourage His disciples to rest.

Christian Ethics in the Workplace - Do I live two lives?

Ethics in the Workplace

Written By Kevin Hall (10.16.2016)

How is a Christian to conduct themselves in the marketplace? What’s our approach to ethical challenges?

This issue is very important as it speaks to colliding worldviews that influence how we live out our day to day lives. Ethics in the workplace is of particular interest to me as I have struggled with this issue for years. I was a supervisor in different capacities over the past 15 years and in every role to which I was assigned, my Christian worldview dictated my actions. It influenced how aggressive I was in conducting business, the criteria for becoming a part of my team, employee/employer relationships, customer/business relationships, the efficiency of the operations, rewards and motivations, accountability and performance reviews, diversity in the workplace, music in the workplace, religion on the workplace and the list goes on.

One thing that was obvious was that I operated on a different level than my peers. In fact, at one point my boss alluded that my “Christian religion” is what was preventing me from being as demanding as I should be on my employees. He wondered then if I could “play the game”. It was obvious that I was not fighting as the others were (unfairly) doing. Rae (342) mentions that one of the ways this is achieved by many professionals is to employ the strategy of “Dual Morality” – dealing with the ethical challenges in the workplace by creating two separate worlds to operate in. This is a strategy where each sphere has its own set of rules and guidelines to follow. One set of moral rules for the workplace and another set in private life.

John C. Maxwell - Law Of Explosive Growth!

John C. Maxwell - Laws of Growth