Hey Friends,

As you probably know by now insecurity is rampant in the Church of Jesus Christ. Insecurity breeds a need to please people. Needing to be needed by people is codependency. Codependency will cripple a Church and it’s leadership. One of the things a leader has to do is make the hard calls! If you are codependent you will never make the hard call because people will always disagree with the decision.

So let me ask you, are you codependent on your Church or group? If you are now or ever want to be in leadership you must mature beyond the need for the approval of the crowd. As a matter of fact you actually play for an audience of One. That is the One that died for you and me. He is the Head of His Church and He is the One we want to make smile every day.

I have watched codependency kill churches and leaders. As a leader it is not in our ability to please everyone because they want different things. Some scream for evangelism, others for discipleship, others for exegetical preaching, and others for social justice. The list grows longer daily.

A motto I embraced many years ago is, “I can’t lead people if I need people.” As the leader we must be faithful to the vision of the organization. There are times leaders are forced to make unpopular decisions and if we are codependent we will never make them. As leaders we must be willing to do things that others are unwilling to do.

As leaders in the Kingdom  of God we must be willing to take a risk! It is called moving out by faith. Most people do not want to take this road, but as leaders it is our job to lead  them there. We must take them where God wants and not necessarily where they want. This is the calling of the leader.

Do you need to be needed? Just a question.

Love ya

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

As leaders one of the most difficult things we do is make decisions! We all have different ways of making them, but make them we must. Every Monday morning the senior team of Faith Promise meets from 8:00 until 11:30. During that meeting we cover much information and we do many things. The most important thing we do is make the decisions we think are the direction of the Lord.

I love what Jason Fried said,“When you put off decisions they pile up. And piles end up being ignored, dealt with in haste, or thrown out.  As a result, the individual problems in those piles stay unresolved. Whenever you can, swap ‘Let’s think about it’ for ‘Let’s decide on it.’ Commit to making decisions.”  I love this logic.

Pastor Josh Whitehead, our Executive, always says in our meetings, “Let’s just make a decision.” He is right! Pastor Chuck Carringer says, “There are no problem-free solutions,  let’s go!” Far too many worry, “What if we make the wrong decision?” You will sometimes; no one bats 1,000%. Just make them, and if they are wrong you can remake them later. Most decisions are not FOREVER decisions and can be done over at a later date.

Too many churches and organizations are stuck in paralysis by analysis. We want to wait until we have all the information and we know all the possibilities and options. If you have all that, then it is probably too late to make the call. Just make the call. If you miss it, acknowledge it and move on.

I don’t know about you, but my crystal ball is pretty foggy! So pray, get the info you can and move out by faith. Make the call or as J.W. says, “Let’s make a decision!” Let’s don’t lose motivation and momentum by stalling out on decisions because making decisions enables us to keep moving forward.

What are you waiting on?

Love ya,

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

I sure hope you read the Older Testament, for it is packed with leadership gold from God! Let me give you a great verse for leaders: “Arise! For this matter is your responsibility, but we will be with you; be courageous and act.”

Several times in the O.T. God encouraged His leaders to get up and get moving. Joshua is one that comes to mind right off the top of my head. How many today need the Word to get moving and act? Ezra was in a bind. God had given him great favor and he was back in Jerusalem. He found that the remnant had inter-married with the peoples that God said not to marry. He was heartbroken at the disobedience. God was opening a door for restoration and now look at this. He wept, and was not sure what to do next. Get moving!

The work was going to be hard! Decisions, difficult! Isn’t that what God raises up leaders for? Go to the next book and read Nehemiah – plenty of problems for the leader. That is why we do it.

Through the ages, I wonder how many God has called who refused the call? How many families, cities, and even nations fell because the leader refused to act or even follow the call? I’ll bet it is multitudes.

Spiritual leadership is not just important, it is imperative! God has called us to lead and lead we must. Hard? Yes! We all face it, but let’s arise, be courageous and act!

The question of the day is - do we trust God?

Just a thought and a word for the leaders.

Love ya,

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

I hope you did not think that I was discouraged as you read yesterday’s blog. I was not discouraged! I did want to be honest and transparent with you. I believe I have the gift of faith. Many who know me agree with that assessment. With that said, I wanted you to know that I hit the wall just like most everyone else. No one is perfect and we all struggle with issues.

Lately I have entertained some thoughts (maybe from God and maybe not) of huge leaps of faith for FPC. When I sit and think through them the implications are profound. Each “Next Step of Faith” is longer and farther than the last. It is NEVER easy, for me at least. I just wanted you to know. We are all in this together. We are all longing to impact and grow the Kingdom of God. It is a walk of faith –  PERIOD.

As the lead Pastor of FPC, I am facing some decisions that are massive and the mountains are huge. I really can’t see the tops yet as they are covered with clouds. I can’t even tell how high they really are! Scary!

This fall we launch another campus with a far greater cost that we initially imagined. We are also in the planning stages of expanding the Pellissippi campus. The dollar cost is staggering. I know God can! I know He as no limits to His power and potential. I know that walking this road will grow FPC closer as a spiritual family. I know many will not get it. Many will not want to give and will leave due to the cost. All these are facts!

I know that every lost man, woman and student without Jesus will go to hell forever, and that thought keeps me pushing forward like a mad man. Do we really believe our lost family and friends will spend forever in a Godless eternity? Doesn’t that still matter to the people of God? Or today is it just about helping the poor? (Which I am all for.)

Well, you see my dilemma. And I believe that this day will be blessed, I will see the Hand of God move and lead and I will join Him in His journey – regardless of the cost. “If you love Me you will obey My commands.” I believe Jesus said that for us.

Just a thought. Hit any walls lately?

Pastor Chris

Hey Friends,

Hope you read the blog yesterday because the continued theme is leadership in tough times. One job on the leader’s list is making good decisions in tough times. In turbulent times it is our job to see where we are going, to chart the course, and lead the group. Usually, in critical circumstances emotions run high, making decisions difficult. This is the time for you to be steady (I would say Eddie, but your name is not Eddie!).

Let me list some of the calls you must make in a crisis:

1. “First Things First” Decisions – In the midst of the crisis, what has to be done? Start there.

2. “This Has to Go” Decisions – What has to change to meet the current crisis? What has to change as the culture changes?

3. “Take This One on the Chin” Decisions – What must be done? Remember you’re the leader and only you can face this.

4. “What a Great Idea” Decisions – What are your options? What changes can you make to put your team in a position to win?

5. “I Can’t Do it Without You” Decisions – Who do you need to survive the current storm in this culture?

As the leader, it is up to you to make the calls or at least to lead the team to go in the right direction. I once taught a leadership series out of the book of Acts, when Paul was on a ship. In the beginning it was the captain that was the leader. But by the end of the voyage Paul had become the leader because he knew what to do in the midst of the storm.

Does the team look to you in the midst of the storm? It is your job. The crisis will reveal your mettle.

Just a thought,

Pastor

Hey Friends,

I hope you read Thursday’s blog. If not, please skip back and read it quickly because today’s piggybacks off of it. We talked about making decisions versus managing decisions. Leaders, we need to know this because at the end of the day we must help the followers manage or follow through with their decisions. Years ago my only concern was how many people found their way down the aisle and to the altar during an invitation. Slowly it dawned on me (I’m not the fastest car on the track) that the number of people at the altar didn’t mean much because most did not follow through on commitments made.

Last weekend we talked about the importance of small group community in personal growth. 250 people signed up for “grouplink” on the following Wednesday night. When Wednesday night came 3 or 4 days after “signing the card” to attend, 150 showed up. Praise God for those who showed up and are connecting in community. What about the other 100 that said they would come?  Making decisions is easy, following through is not.

 As leaders we must understand the concept or risk being discouraged and depressed on a regular basis. It is our job to help people manage the things they really want to do. We are leading people down the “narrow road” and calling them to do what is not easy. So as we are called to make disciples we must help them. We will all fail! We will all drop the ball with the decisions we have made, but we must pick it back up and “run the race that is set before us.”

Am I discouraged because of the 100 that did not show up? NO WAY! They will come next time. We will continue to help people manage spiritual decisions and help grow them to be more like Jesus. As I recall, Jesus had some difficult times with His disciples, didn’t He?  Just a thought.

Yours to count on,

Pastor

P.S. At the end of  the journey it is not about decisions, but about disciples. It is not about how many cards were filled out, but how many Christ- followers we make.

Hey Gang,

We all know Christianity is a team sport, so why do most pastors, missionaries, and leaders feel lonely? I must tell you that I have felt lonely more times than I can count.  There are many reasons for this and we must face them as leaders and be prepared for them.

1. Loneliness comes when the decision rests on your shoulders.  We can all get great counsel and we should.  But in the end the senior leader must bear the responsibility. The Scriptures are clear that the leaders bear more accountability. This knowledge can create a feeling of loneliness. This is a great reason for TEAM LEADERSHIP!

2. Sometimes you can feel drawn into times of silence and solitude for prayer.  This is seen so many times in the Life of our Lord. If it is good enough for Jesus it is good enough for us.

3. Some leaders go deep inside themselves and isolate themselves for serious contemplation and query.

4. There are times the enemy will attack us and make us feel lonely.  The M.O. of the “Lion” (The Devil) is to isolate the prey and attack. The enemy will cause us to “feel” like we are all alone so he can move in for the kill. Some leaders will pull away from trusted advisors and friends when they do not need to. Without being alert, the enemy will pull us away and destroy us.

One thing the leader must be prepared for is our constant companion and that is PAIN. On Monday I will deal with this topic. Let me leave you with a few questions: Do you feel alone? Is it necessary? Do you have trusted advisers that will walk with you no matter what? This is an area I am very blessed in today, but it has not always been that way. It is sad how many ministers feel like they do ministry all alone.

Yours to count on!

Pastor