Category Archives: Leadership

Bible, Church, Leadership, Spiritual Thoughts

Skinny jeans, tenure, perseverance, millennials and the future of the church

February 3, 2017 Mark Edwards Leave a comment

The blogosphere is reacting to a fairly interesting post on Senior Pastors age. It basically states that only 1 in 7 Senior Pastors Is under the age of 40. (Article) Stephen McAlpine has a typically theological response, decrying the direction of the church here. After a long discussion with a minister from another denomination today I have to say I think Stephen may have a point. The absence of ‘Jesus’ and ‘mission’ in the denomination of my friend (not Stephen) left me feeling depressed and my friend concerned for where his movement is going.

Where Jesus is being preached, the Holy Spirit relied upon, and the people being mobilised for sharing their faith, churches are growing. Where churches rely upon their own human wisdom and disregard Jesus and the Bible, the church is shrinking. Thats reality. (Just one source of many)

I did want to comment on succession and my hope for this coming generation. In my generation of Pastors I have seen so many go. So many fall to the perils of internal church conflict. The pain of expectations of growth and revival shattered. Ministry is not easy. Its like trying to maintain the strings on a guitar. If one of the strings is frayed or broken, the tune does not sound quite right. Having an effective church means understanding that at any point at least 20% of any aspect of your church is probably ineffective. Leading a church takes heavy doses of prayer and intimacy with God, but also takes Godly wisdom and discernment, and human skill.

Some who felt called to ministry are just not suited. They do not have the skills or stubbornness to continue. That is just reality. I do not want to sound arrogant, as though I have it all together. I feel like I am only just starting to grasp at what I need to do.

My hope for the next generation is that they will persevere and pray. That they won’t expect ministry, churches and even opportunities to be handed to them. My fear is that for some of this generation so much has been handed to them that resilience is not something they acquire. For many, knowledge is a click away, music is something to be consumed, and if something does not work it is thrown away. That is not their fault. It is the environment they have inherited.

Church, mission and community does not just get handed to you. The spiritual battle is real. People are unreliable, contentious, have ungodly desire for power and they are sinful. It has always been that way. The expectation of ministry needs to be realistic but not shattering.

My experience of Church is that it has been bruising, wounding, exciting, thrilling, wonderful, terrible, exhilarating, scary and fulfilling all at the same time. I have felt like quitting on Monday more times than I can remember. I have also felt on top of the world on more Sunday nights than I can remember.

The Church has continued for 2000 years and my faith and belief in Jesus and His mandate and presence in this world means I think it will continue until He returns. Young leaders will do more with the next church than what I have ever done or could imagine. They have authenticity, passion and an innate ability to understand culture, peoples emotions and what works far better than the generation that came before. They are innovative and have a sense of what works. They have a strong sense of justice and care for the world and the people they are inheriting.

The best is yet to come.

Church, Leadership

Budget Principles for a Church

January 18, 2017 Mark Edwards Leave a comment

Some thoughts on important values in a Church Budget

Budget not to survive the year but to save for future years

We must spend on things important to our values and goals. If we don’t spend on these things, we decrease our chances of achieving our goals. Therefore, ensure we are investing in that which will help us achieve our goals

Each dollar spent justifiable to achieve our goals

Spend with thrift and creativity. Do not take the easy route. Don’t make unresearched spending just because it is easier.

We do not always need the best, we need what will achieve our goals with maximum result and minimal spend.

Leadership, Spiritual Thoughts, Theology

Manna is only good for that day

November 24, 2016 Mark Edwards 2 Comments

In Exodus 16 we have the story of the ‘Manna’ coming down from the sky as a miraculous provision from God. This wonderful bread like substance was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. The interesting aspect of this story is that Moses told the people “No one is to keep any of it until morning.”

It did not matter how much the people gathered, they had enough. God provided enough sustenance for them for that day. If they did not use what had been given for the day, try to store it, it went bad. Except on the Sabbath where miraculously the substance was preserved.

There is a real application for me in the above story. As a general principle God provides enough spiritual nourishment for the day, for the season. He speaks, he works, he challenges, he inspires. With what we need for that season.

The problem comes when we try to store up spiritual provision and hold onto it for the next day. It was good then, so I want to keep that, stay with that. The problem is that God provided for that moment, in that moment. And now, that moment has passed. Gods provision in the past provides hope for the future that He will provide when we need it next. But our relationship and ministry is always in need of provision for that day, because yesterdays wont suffice, unless we are stuck in yesterday.

Creativity comes and flows out of challenge. Some of the most creative people I know are those who don’t have much. They need to be creative, so they make out of the little they have.

My application is this, what God provides is to be used in that season. I often sense and receive words and thoughts flowing from creativity and a desire to hear from God. The temptation for me is to store those gifts from God up, to keep them. Sometimes, I confess, because I don’t trust that the next ‘manna’ is going to come. It is only as I use that which God provides for this season that I make room for that which God is going to provide for the next season.

Church, Leadership, Spiritual Thoughts

Spontaneous Baptism

November 22, 2016 Mark Edwards 1 Comment

On the Sunday just gone we had a Baptismal service at Inglewood Church.

Two months ago our pastoral team set a date for Baptism and said if we get one baptism, we will do it. One person came and said they wanted to be baptised so we started advertising the date. We had a further 4 people come and say they wanted to be baptised.

On the night before the Sunday I had someone ring me and we chatted and they too wanted to be baptised, so that made 6.

The service was amazing, a real sense of joy and God active in peoples hearts. After I had baptised the last person I felt really convicted to ask if there was anyone else who wished to be baptised. Two more people, on the spot said yes they wanted to be. I asked them to come forward and they shared their testimony. It was amazing.

I also said to people that we still have the baptismal (we hire a spa) and if anyone wanted to be baptised at our evening service, come and let me know. Two people did. Their stories were authentic and wonderful. So at our evening service I baptised them.

It was an incredible, spirit filled day. Probably one of the best in my 23 year Pastoral ministry at Inglewood Community Church.

Leadership

Some people do

November 12, 2016 Mark Edwards Leave a comment

Some people write letters.

Criticise.

Write blog posts.

Be a doer…..

Church, Leadership, Spiritual Thoughts, Theology

So many church plants

October 31, 2016 Mark Edwards Leave a comment

There is a plethora of church plants occurring in Perth at the moment. It seems like every week on Facebook there is a new shiny church springing up at a community centre or high school near you. The websites look good, the worship team seems fully formed and the pastors are passionate about reaching our city for Jesus.

Studies tell us that percentage wise more people become Christians during the formative years of a church than at any other time. So perhaps this is a good thing.

Some in church leadership have the gifting and the charisma to be effective in church growth. One easy measure of effectiveness in ministry is people on pews. This measure is not to be disregarded. Generally speaking we count what is valuable to us. Indeed the early church was well aware of the number of people who came to know Jesus on a particular day (Acts2.41).

New churches springing up is something we should celebrate, just as we mourn the passing and closing down of churches. Unfortunately in a dying churches history they have moved from vision and growth to management. Once a church has moved away from the upward scale of mission they plateau and move into the downward cycle of maintenance. Creatives move from such churches and are naturally attracted to the new, the fresh. They take their energy with them. Those who stay in dying churches decry this but only have themselves to blame. For them, the pain of change is too much to bear, so they choose the pain of slow painful death. Without change, a church will die. And the life will go elsewhere.

Likewise though, we cannot only keep moving from the new thing to the next new thing. That is exhausting and a waste of hard gained resource. Instead, somehow, the vision and the mission must be kept in the drivers seat. Creativity and passion must be stoked.

Character is actually the answer for balance. Character will cause you to make decisions which are contextual and yet have the same result. In some case, new life must rise from the ashes. In other cases strength will push new life out in new ways. In other cases the little strength you have will be able to be harnessed through deep painful change.

Leadership

Baptist Assembly 2016

October 24, 2016 Mark Edwards Leave a comment

I attended the Baptist Assembly at Carey Baptist Church. It was a significant meeting.

The fact we could even have the assembly at Carey, a fantastic facility, is because of much of the leadership change we have seen brought in at Baptist denominational level. Healthy accountability structures enabling people to be creative and spirit led. Carey was founded upon sound leadership principles which came out of the whole leadership structure that has been brought in.

Worship time was great, Jett and his team of hipsters led us well, and to hear a Elevation song done, well that is always going to make me happy.

It was very interesting to see in reality the change in the face of people who came to assembly. There were a lot of women leaders, Pastors and associates and and others. The person who was accredited to be a Pastor in the Baptist Family of Churches was an Asian woman. What Mark Wilson said in regard to the changing role of women in church leadership was excellent. There was also a lot of younger pastors and leaders there, engaged and interested which was very interesting and encouraging to me. They feel the WA Baptist Family of Churches is a denomination they want to be a part of. I don’t think we can underestimate the change in culture that has taken place in ten years. To hear people laugh and enjoy assembly. That just didn’t happen before.

I think back to over ten years ago and Steve Smith was up against it. I don’t think we can underestimate the platform he brokered that enabled Mark Wilson to be able to come in. God has gifted Mark with the ability to bring reality, realness and social intelligence to a gathering. The meeting was good humoured, passionate and focused on mission. People don’t like change, but the change at denominational level has been necessary and incredibly positive.

It was great to see Mark Wilson get a overwhelming majority vote for him to continue in his role for the next five years. Mark presented some videos and thoughts on what Baptist Churches in WA get involved in and run. Like Sportsfest, Leavers at Dunsburough, Baptist Care, Baptist Schools and churches growing and being planted.

The Next Season

With all the changes taking place in our denomination there is a wonderful opportunity here for our Baptist Family of Churches to continue to to shine a light now and for generations. The reality is that in our post-christian generation our Baptist Churches continue to grow and be vibrant places of spirituality, shaping culture and communities for Jesus.