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How do you start your day?   Mine usually begins with hitting the snooze button at least once, but more often twice. However, the tasks of the day soon begin to seep into my consciousness, and I start to mull over the hours ahead. Most days, before my feet have even hit the floor, I’ve begun to strategise, to set my agenda. I start by praying for my work, which involves meeting with people. However, if I’m honest, my prayers often focus on inviting God’s work and presence into my activity and agenda.   GOD’S DAY IS NOT OUR DAY   In our human accounting of time, our day begins with our activity. It starts when we wake up, get up, and get about our business. In our rhythm of life, there is morning, then evening. There is working, then resting.   In God’s accounting of time in Genesis 1, however, this rhythm is notably reversed. There is evening, then  morning. In this telling of time, the day begins not with human activity, but with a period marked by human in activity. There is resting and sleeping, then waking and working.   Commenting on this, Eugene Peterson makes the following observation.   The Hebrew evening and morning sequence conditions us to the rhythms of grace. We go to sleep and God begins his work. As we sleep, he develops his covenant. We wake and are called out to participate in God’s creative action. We respond in faith and work. But grace is always previous. Grace is primary. We wake into a world we did not make, into a salvation we did not earn. Evening: God begins, without our help, his creative day. Morning: God calls us to enjoy and share and develop the work he initiated.’ (i)   LIVING IN THE CADENCE OF CREATION It’s a great temptation to think that nothing would happen in the world, our church, or in people’s lives apart from our strategies, agendas, and activity. But the cadence of creation reminds us that we are not the primary movers and shakers. The growth of the kingdom of God in the world and in the lives of people does not begin with our own efforts, but with God’s. Our work and ministry is not primary or central; rather, our work is participation and response .   Each new morning when we wake up, we are invited simply to join in with all God has been doing and is continuing to do in his world, to cooperate with his plans and purposes for the people we serve. When we get up and get busy, we do so in response to God’s prior gracious activity in our own lives and in the lives of others.   So, what would our lives look like if we lived intentionally in this rhythm of creation? What would happen if we started to see our days beginning with the evening hours when we rest and sleep rather than the hours when we wake and work? What does the evening/morning sequence have to teach us about our lives in ministry?   Here are some brief reflections.   ATTENTIVENESS   First, the pattern of the Genesis day invites us to cultivate greater attentiveness. In ministry, it’s all too easy to begin with our own strategies for gospel growth, or with our own agendas for the people we serve. However, the cadence of creation tells us that our primary posture should be to pay attention to God’s agenda, to where and how he is working—in our communities and churches.   Questions of primary importance become questions like these.   Where is God working here? What specifically is he doing? How is he speaking? Do I have a role in this work? If so, what is it?     Instead of launching into activity, our lives become a response to God’s work in his world.   SURRENDER   Second, the Genesis day pattern helps us surrender our lives to God. Our natural instinct is to want to be in control. However, the evening/morning rhythm reminds us that in the proper posture of Christian ministry, we are not inviting God to join us in our work, our strategies, or agendas. Rather, we are submitting ourselves to his. Seeing our work as participation and response invites us to loosen our grip on our tendency to seek control. This approach enables us to grow in humility before the Lord. So, these become important questions for us.   Where am I unhealthily wedded to my own plans for the people and church I serve? In which areas am I seeking control? What might deeper surrender to God look like for me?   REST   Lastly, this pattern invites us to rest. One of the primary reasons we find it hard to rest is that we think the work depends too much on us. We think that if we stop things will fall apart, or significant things won’t be accomplished. However, the Genesis rhythm tells us that when we begin our evening’s rest, the day is not ending. It’s just getting started! As we sleep, God is working. He’s at work in the lives of the people we’re concerned about. He’s at work throughout the world, calling his people to participate with him as he builds his kingdom. So, instead of going to bed with a heavy heart, burdened by all the things you’ve left unresolved or undone, what about a different mindset? Why not go to bed with a heart full of anticipation? And as you rise each day, why not remind yourself that as you slept, God was at work? He’s always active . . . loving, restoring, forgiving, changing people, calling them into participation and relationship.   The cadence of creation reminds us that gospel ministry and gospel growth does not begin with our own efforts or activity but with God’s. It calls us to see our work as participation in God’s plans; it calls us to join the work of grace he is already doing. It invites us to be attentive, submissive to his ways, and expectant. So, I invite you to do something a little different this evening. As you go to bed, thank God for the work he will be doing as you rest. Go to bed with anticipation for what the following day will bring. And as you live in this rhythm of grace, let me leave you with a final question. How will you  begin your day?   (i) Eugene Peterson, “The Good for Nothing Sabbath,” Christianity Today, April 1994.

On 26 May, 2024, I hit forty-seven. Perhaps I can comfort myself with the thought that forty-seven is a prime number—emphasis on ‘prime’—but there’s no getting away from it. I’m well and truly middle-aged. I’ve been in paid ministry for over twenty-two years, and God willing, I hope to serve him for at least another twenty-two. Our broader culture idolises youth. People spend lots of money on skincare products, gym memberships, Botox, and plastic surgery. But we don’t quite know what to do with the middle years. We speak with slight embarrassment about a ‘midlife-crisis’, though it’s often ill-defined. Many people class it as what happens when we become aware of the gap between who we want to be (or how we wish our lives had turned out) and . . . reality. So, how does growing older affect Christian leaders? What dangers are lurking for those who are church planters or ministers? As I’ve read, thought, and prayed over the past year or so, I’ve identified three potential dangers.   DANGER 1: STEWARDSHIP The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendour of old men is their grey hair . Prov. 20:29 As we get older, our bodies change. That’s a fact. Our capacities are not what they were. We may begin to notice that our recovery time after exercise is much longer. Or we no longer have the same bandwidth, the same energy required to drive multiple projects forward simultaneously. Or perhaps, like Jesus, we develop a fondness for naps! It’s okay to admit weakness. Indeed, it’s good to acknowledge that we’re growing older. To paraphrase Solomon’s words from Proverbs (above), young people glory in their strength, while the nobility of old men is in their grey hair. Though we may seek to hide it or even dye it, grey hair isn’t something to be embarrassed about. Rather, according to Solomon, it’s a crown of splendour. Proverbs 16.31 tells us it’s ‘attained in the way of righteousness.’ As we age, we need to rethink how we steward what God has entrusted to us. We are no longer in the season of late nights, early mornings and boundless energy. Instead, we now have a bit more wisdom to share with others—not simply wisdom from books, but wisdom from a life serving the Lord. As the years have passed, we’ve often gained wisdom the hard way—through struggles and mistakes. That’s worth passing on to others and it contains both encouragements and warnings.   DANGER 2: SIN Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Col. 3.5 When I was younger, I thought the older you got, the easier it became to follow Jesus. The naïveté of youth! Of course, now I realise we never stop fighting sin. Thirty years down the line as a follower of Jesus, I still see sin in myself that I hate—perhaps even more now. It can be demoralising. Why such little progress? Why am I still struggling with pride, envy, and selfishness? The call to put to death the sinful, earthly nature is not just a call for the young. It lasts a lifetime. Sadly, as we age, we can fall into the trap of downplaying the seriousness of sin. Call it a case of ‘Christian midlife mediocrity’. Whether it’s complacency, exhaustion, or despair, it can be easy to get used to ongoing, indwelling sin. After all, if things haven’t changed much in the last thirty years, why bother? Perhaps that’s why so many Christians, even leaders, end up walking away from their faith during their middle years. They stop fighting sin. They put down their ‘armour’ and walk away. And yet, brothers and sisters, keep going!  As we age, we draw closer to the end of the race. And though we may feel tired at times, and discouraged by the depths of our sin, our God is neither surprised nor disappointed in us. He knows us too well. Furthermore, his response to our sin proclaims the heights of his love. So, as you consider how he’s been with you in each season of life, remember that he’s never let you down. His faithfulness endures forever. Look to him for strength. Enjoy his mercies, new every morning. Be encouraged by the words of the apostle Paul, who reflected on his life as he approached death. For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 2 Tim 4.6-8   DANGER 3: SUCCESSION “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. 2 Tim. 2:1–2 When we start out, it’s easy to recite the mantra, ‘Preach the gospel, die, and be forgotten.’ A young pastor or church planter who’s fired up for the Lord is a thing to behold! Yet as time goes on, the desire to leave a legacy grows ever more powerfully inside us. If we’re not careful, as the work grows, the church develops, and lives are changed, we can easily start to find our sense of self-worth in how the church is doing. But friends, every pastor is an interim pastor. This is not your church; it belongs to the Lord Jesus. You are not the focus. He is. Always. A core part of your ministry should be the work you do to raise others up. It’s critical that as you age, you focus on training others to take over, urging them to surpass you in godliness. If you haven’t done this already, discuss a wise succession plan with your leadership. I’m convinced that one of the reasons pastors sometimes stay in post too long and end up finishing poorly is because these conversations either don’t happen or happen way too late. So, start today. Whether you’re a young leader feeling like you’ll never reach middle age, an older leader reflecting on a long life of ministry, or a mid-life leader seeking to minister faithfully as the years pass, this advice is for all of us. May we embrace whatever season of life we’re in. We pastor, we shepherd, we lead gospel-centred churches not for ourselves, but for the Lord. We follow the way of Jesus. For God’s great glory.   A similar article was previously published by Dan here

Meet Andrew.* He’s a remarkably successful pastor.** After joining a medium-sized church in a large city, he has overseen exponential growth. He’s launched several church plants, his team has more than doubled, and each week he receives requests from all over the world to speak. In fact, in the past six months, he’s been away as often as he’s been at home. When he strolls forward to speak on a Sunday, they hang on his every word. The church is packed. They absolutely love him. It all looks wonderful. But there’s just one problem. Inside, he’s dying. Meet Steven.* Steven’s churches—he oversees various tiny rural congregations—haven’t grown for years. In fact, they’ve been shrinking. His response has been to work harder. He’s running more courses and events, doing more talks, more training. There hasn’t been a huge bump in the numbers, but he’s hopeful. However, there’s something much more significant. He has the same problem as Andrew. Inside, he’s dying. As odd as it might sound, Andrew and Steven have the same problem. They talk about Jesus a lot, but they’re struggling to talk to Jesus. It’s a common problem at both ends of the ‘success’ spectrum. And that’s why it has the potential to affect any church leader. Leaders spend a lot of time talking about Jesus. They do this every time they preach a sermon. This is right and good. They do this when they train others and when they run evangelistic events. Again, all good. They do this when they discuss theology with people in their congregation, answering questions and helping them understand what God is like. Lots and lots of talking about. So, a crucial question is, ‘What are we doing when we’re talking about Jesus?’ The answer depends on context. If you’re a lecturer at a theological college, the answer has to do with the passing on of knowledge. The students must write essays and pass exams. Therefore, knowledge of the content is central to the task of a lecturer. Not so the church leader. Certainly, knowledge is important, but amassing knowledge is not the central aim. Indeed, when the apostle Paul outlines a pastor’s job in his letter to the Ephesians (4.12-13), he talks about ‘equipping the saints for works of service.’ And if you consider what a pastor is trying to achieve, verbs like ‘grow’, ‘disciple’ and ‘shepherd’ come to mind. Even when we think of the word ‘teaching’, its purpose is to help a person grow in their faith. Simply accumulating knowledge is not the goal. Becoming like Jesus is. That’s growth. That’s the description of a disciple. What has this to do with Andrew and Steven? Well, they are both struggling with their inner lives. When they sit and talk to Jesus in the quiet of their hearts, they are both unsettled. They feel distant and they are stressed. They’re not at peace. And so instead of facing the problem head on, they get up and ‘do more talking about’. They opt for tasks they know they can accomplish. Instead of true intimacy with Jesus, they focus on cerebral tasks at which they excel. Like preparing talks. Essentially, they run away from the problem. Does any of this sound familiar? THE LIFE OF THE MIND IS IMPORTANT Before you think I’ve turned into an anti-intellectual, I haven’t. The life of the mind is extremely important in forming disciples, so I would never wish to downplay the importance of teaching, nor the precise thinking necessary to understand and defend our deepest theological convictions. But this isn’t about theology. It’s about what happens when a leader’s inner life of faith hits a dry patch. Prayer becomes a struggle. So, back to the question. What are we doing when we’re talking about Jesus? We’re cultivating followers of Jesus. We’re helping our people to see Jesus more clearly, follow him more nearly, and love him more dearly, as the song goes. And if that’s our goal, it cannot be achieved if we’re not doing these things ourselves. We can’t see, follow or love Jesus if we’re not spending time with him regularly and fruitfully. A quick five minutes at the beginning of the day isn’t enough. It’s not nearly enough, and deep down, we all know it. Once the talk coming out of our mouths stands in contrast to our own spiritual reality, not only will we develop imposter syndrome, but we’ll feel guilty, stressed, and well, as I put it earlier, we’ll start to die. TIME OFF I hope my description of Andrew or Steven is a long way from your own experience. The truth, however, is that any pastor can find themselves in trouble, struggling for intimacy with God. I wonder where you are today as you read this. Could it be that you’ve started to compensate for your lack of intimacy by attempting to please God with external activity? Like talks, sermons, training, meetings? If so, what are the possible solutions? Here are some suggestions.  Take a sabbatical. If it’s available. Go on a retreat. Meet with your accountability group and seek prayer. Meet with a wise person (or persons) who can provide insight and suggest ways forward. Seek professional help (from a believer). All of these might help at various times. But often we’re trying to answer a different question. ‘Can I re-ignite my inner life of faith at the same time as doing a busy job as a pastor?’ Or ‘How bad is too bad?’ I’m not sure you’re the best judge of that. We are all prone to self-deception. Andrew and Steven have clearly told themselves it’s all okay as long as they keep working. So, Andrew will almost certainly keep going until the wheels fall off. He may have a breakdown, or he may simply look in the mirror one day and then walk off into the sunset. Steven will probably retire early. It’s just too disheartening to work for little reward, and even more discouraging when the joy has left one’s spiritual life. This is all to say, talk to someone sooner rather than later. Don’t pretend everything’s fine when in your heart of hearts, you know something’s badly awry. Don’t tell yourself you’re swimming in the deep when in reality, you’re bumping along in the shallows and the water is running out. You don’t need me to tell you that being a leader is hard. Since it’s formed of a web of interlocking relationships, it can be very stressful at times. People are fickle. Easily disappointed. Often demanding. It’s simply not possible to cope with all the external stresses unless you are tightly connected to Jesus. Spending time with him should be a balm. To meditate on the Scriptures, hearing him speak to you, and then talk to him about all your troubles—this should lift your spirit. The love of God is a deep well, a resource that has endless capacity to soothe your troubled soul. The Lord Jesus has endless patience with you. He is the Father welcoming the prodigal, the Saviour giving Zacchaeus a helping hand as he steps down from the tree, the one who responds with grace towards Peter as they sit together round a charcoal fire. The Lord is all of these things and he loves you. Not your work. Not your numbers. Not your measure of ‘success’. Just you. He loves you. So don’t just talk about Jesus. Talk to him. Every day, and as often as you can during the day. He loves to spend time with you. He loves you. *Both Andrew and Steven are fictional characters. ** Pastor here represents any title assigned to a church leader.

We believe in one God, the Father almighty. Nicene Creed I believe in God, the Father almighty. Apostles’ Creed Are you a creedal leader? Which is to say, ‘What influence do the core truths of the faith expressed in the early creeds of the Church have on how you lead your church?’ This is the question I’ll be considering in this new series of blog posts. At this point, some of you may already be reciting one of the creeds in your head. Perhaps they form a regular part of corporate worship in your church tradition. Others may have already switched off. Like me, you may come from a tradition in which the creeds are never used in corporate worship. You may even be suspicious of them. For my own part, I came to appreciate the creeds deeply when I was seeking a way to evaluate church planting by evangelicals in Northern Ireland. That was the focus of my PhD studies. I needed a manageable set of principles about the Church that have been shared by Christians throughout the centuries. The creeds provided me with four words about the Church that became a lens through which I could assess what I saw in my time and place: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. I came to see that the creeds have a timeless quality. They are not Scripture, but they are a faithful distillation of the most important biblical truths, communicated in words that are accessible and memorable. When originally written, they served a dual purpose of uniting believers and guarding against heresy. In this series, I want to suggest that they can also shape leadership and help us guard against distortions of the leader’s task. I’ll be considering twelve great truths to which the creeds call us. The two creeds I am working with are perhaps the best known. The Nicene Creed (also called the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed), which reached its final form in the late fourth century, is the only creed accepted and used by all three major branches of Christendom (Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant). The Apostles’ Creed was written a little later, and derives from second and third century formulae that were used in baptisms. The Nicene Creed is plural (‘We believe’), while the Apostles’ Creed is singular (‘I believe’). Together, they call us to commit ourselves afresh to our core beliefs as individuals and as communities of God’s people. The starting point of the creeds is belief in God, the Father almighty. That is quite right, since Scripture also begins with God. He is the source and the starting point of all things, including humankind. He is almighty. Those who wrote the creeds could have started with any of God’s wonderful attributes—his holiness and justice, or his mercy and love—but they chose to emphasise his power. And by using the word ‘almighty’, they made clear that God’s power is without limit. ALMIGHTY There is an exclusivity to the word ‘almighty’. Only God is all-powerful. Indeed, all power derives from him, and by the exercise of his power he accomplishes what the creeds describe. He has power to create, to judge, to save, and to raise the dead. He has given created beings power, but they are accountable to him. All power belongs to him and any power he assigns to his creatures should be used by them according to his will and for his glory. The sovereignty of God is also implicit in the word ‘almighty’. POWERFUL LEADERS The fact that God is almighty has implications for Christian leadership. Leaders have power. That is good and necessary. By definition, we can’t do anything without power. But we must always remember that the power we have is a gift from God, and we will give an account to him for our use of it. In Living Leadership , we encounter many stories of the misuse and abuse of power, both by leaders and against leaders. We want to help leaders understand how to handle power for God’s glory. My colleague Marcus Honeysett’s book Powerful Leaders is a great resource to help with that. If there is one piece of advice I could give you about exercising power well, it is to keep in mind at all times that one day, you will give account to almighty God for your use of power. Knowing that, do not wait until the judgement seat of Christ to seek accountability. Do it now. Find someone (or more than one person) who can help you remain faithful. If you don’t do it intentionally, it won’t happen. Let others speak into your heart and receive their counsel without defensiveness or pride. OUR FATHER Yet God is not simply all-powerful. The creeds state that he is the Father almighty. Not a father, but the Father. And not like a Father. He is the Father. Contrary to the claims of Sigmund Freud and other atheists, we did not dream up a heavenly Father in the image of our earthly dads. God is the eternal Father (Isa 9.6). The very concepts of fatherhood and family flow from him (Eph 3.14-15). This title tells us how God exercises his power. Not as a despot bent on his own aggrandisement, but in loving care for his children. The Father loved before we existed. The trinitarian structure of the creeds reminds us that mutual love exists eternally within the godhead. In creation, God extended this love towards his creatures and supremely towards humankind. He exercised his power for our good. He poured out—and continues to pour out—blessings on us. Because of our sin, he sent his Son to redeem us (John 3.16). The almighty God is resolute in his commitment to the people he loved before creation (Eph 1.4-6). His power is focused on the goal of transforming us into the likeness of his Son. Nothing can prevent him bringing that glorious plan to completion. What does this mean for Christian leaders? Well, Christian leadership is a lot more like parenthood than we may sometimes think. The apostle Paul writes that he was ‘like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children’ (1 Thess 2.7b). That’s why the family is the primary place where potential leaders are tested. These verses, in which the apostle Paul addresses the role of leaders, are instructive. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) 1 Tim 3.4-5 An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Titus 1.6-7 Christian leaders are called to exercise their power in a similar way to a parent. Parents are committed to the good of their children and to their growth to maturity. That is how God fathers us. It is how we should lead others. As a good Father, God sees, knows, and cares for us (Matt 6.4,6,18,25-26). He gives generously to us (Matt 7.11; Jas 1.17). When we are in need, he comforts us with his compassion (2 Cor 1.3). He also disciplines us when we might be trapped in sin (Heb 12.5-11). He judges fairly, showing no favouritism among his children (1 Pet 1.17). He loves patiently, relentlessly, and selflessly. As leaders, we need to find rest in the father-heart of God, and we need to lead others to experience that same rest. The way we lead should reflect the way God fathers us. Tender care as well as honest warnings. Comfort and discipline. Fairness and generosity. Of course, we won’t always get this right. When we don’t, we should confess our sins and weaknesses. We should set an example by taking responsibility for our mistakes and showing due humility. This model, when exhibited properly, will lead people to the Father whose heart of forgiveness is extended to them at all times. He will never disappoint them. Christian leaders, ‘We believe in God, the Father almighty’. What a sure and solid foundation on which to build. As creedal leaders, I encourage you to learn from the Father’s example. Learn to love others with the same abiding love shown by your Father, who loves you. And remember that the way you exercise power should always have the goal of serving your people and helping them grow. One day, you will give an account before the throne of God, the Father almighty. So, make this your confession today: ‘ I believe in God, the Father almighty’.

On this fifth Thursday of the month, we want to take that opportunity to share with you what is going on around Living Leadership, where we see God at work and what we are seeking him for going forward. We’re praising God for…. …time spent as a team At the end of September, the Living Leadership Network met in Derbyshire for its Annual Gathering, bringing together staff, Associates, and Trustees from across the UK and Ireland for two days of reflection and fellowship. This important event in our organisational calendar offered an opportunity to reflect on the past year’s successes and challenges while refocussing on the vision and mission of the ministry as we head into this new ministry year. We engaged in meaningful discussions, sharing updates on the ministries we are all involved in, where we have seen God at work through this ministry, and we thought through future activities we could do locally and nationally to support more leaders and spouses in the coming year. It was also an encouragement simply to be together. As a growing team scattered across the UK and Ireland and who only usually meet monthly online, the Annual Gathering offers us plenty of time to chat over a coffee or dinner; meeting new people and catching up with those we haven’t seen properly since the year before. We are so thankful for such a precious time together and look forward to seeing what God will do with many of the ideas sparked there. …our recent Formation Residential Conference September is a busy time for Conferences for Living Leadership. In addition to the gathering, we also held the first Formation Residential Conference for this academic year. Formation Residential Conferences are designed for new leaders to complement the training offered by the church. It is focused on helping those starting out in ministry to ask “What does healthy Christian leadership look like?”. We were delighted to be joined by 25 leaders at our September Conference, looking at the book of Philippians and topics such as ‘enjoying God’s grace’, ‘living in the love of God day-by-day’, and ‘loving the Church’. As team, it was also such an encouragement to be able to meet one-to-one with the delegates and pray for them for the upcoming year. We look forward to reconnecting with many of these delegates, and any additional delegates, at the March Conference . …the launch of Sabbaticals Toolkit Earlier this month we launched a brand-new Sabbaticals toolkit, available to purchase through our online shop (or free to those churches signed up to the Leadership Commitments Scheme). This 40+ page toolkit is designed to help individuals and churches plan, prepare and get the most out of a sabbatical. Sabbaticals play a vital part in maintaining the spiritual health of Christian leaders and enriching and sustaining their leadership. That is the conviction behind this toolkit. Living Leadership Associate Richard Underwood puts it like this: "By setting aside a few months for sabbath rest we are able to dramatically disconnect from life and work as usual and bring ourselves more fully to God and his call upon our lives." For this to happen, a leader needs to be released; that is, given permission and support by others in the church or organisation so that the sabbatical season can be guilt-free and well-resourced. This toolkit was written to help organisations and churches to do this. We have been so encouraged by the many leaders already purchasing this resource and hope the Lord will continue to use it to support and resource many. We’re praying for… …upcoming events we’re attending Next week several of our team will be out on the road meeting people from across the UK. Some of our Northern Irish team will be manning a stand at the Northern Ireland Ministry Assembly (NIMA) and others of our team will be manning a stand at the FIEC Conference, where Marcus will also be leading a seminar stream for those early in ministry. If you plan to be at either of those events, pop along to say hello to our team. We’d love for you to join us in praying that we might be able to connect many more leaders and spouses with support through these events. …Refreshment Days & Pastoral Refreshment Conferences We are looking ahead to several more Refreshment Days happening in South East England, Moorlands College and Dublin, and our Pastoral Refreshment Conferences in February, in Hertfordshire and the Lakes. These are brilliant opportunities for those in ministry and their spouses to take a day away to receive from the Lord. We're praying that these spaces might be an oasis for church leaders and their spouses to rest, recuperate and rediscover the wonder of God's grace in Christ. Won’t you join us in praising God and praying for the work of Living Leadership?

When you can't measure what is important, the temptation is to take what you can measure and turn it into what is important. Ken Burns This quotation by the renowned American filmmaker contains tremendous insight. What’s his point? Well, he has two. First, he implies that we sometimes struggle to identify what really counts. Second, our response to this is to find a metric we can deliver on and present that as ‘the thing that really matters’. Once we think like this, we’ll come to believe that ‘bigger and more popular’ equates to success. Why? Because they’re measurable. What implications does this observation have for the church? What happens when ‘bigger and more popular’ is achievable but at the expense of healthiness? What if we can increase our numbers but only by entertaining people and airbrushing out the less culturally palatable bits of the gospel? Like sin, for example. When Jesus (intentionally) lost almost all of his followers overnight by teaching unwelcome truths (John 6.66), was that success? Not if you believe the metrics of size or popularity. Imagine what happens when, unable to identify what’s important (because it’s not measurable), an organisation picks a metric that can only be delivered by unhealthy means—driving your team; massaging the figures; authoritarian control; creating impressive but false narratives about yourself or the organisation. Imagine further what happens when leaders either acquiesce or actively collude, and are evaluated or congratulated on delivering this apparent success. Remember that it’s very common that, at least to start with, everyone likes it and applauds it. Unhealthiness then becomes baked into the organisation at a fundamental level. And worse, from within it is invisible. A CRUMBLING CULTURE Organisational cultures—and it is no less true for churches and Christian organisations—lose their way when they allow their ‘shadow side’ to become normalised, slice by slice. In fact, they increasingly veer off course by creating a culture that’s resistant to examination. Inside the organisation, people just learn to live with it, as with a dysfunctional family. At first, some will put up with this state of affairs for the sake of the apparently successful outcomes. They get used to holding their tongues, in case they’re responsible for the ‘success’ drying up. Sadly, the act of wilfully turning a blind eye eventually becomes actual blindness. What makes this more disconcerting is that the good is mixed in with the bad, and because there are no overt ‘red flag’ sins, the issues can’t be seen from the outside either. When churches start doing things that are neither healthy nor faithful to the gospel, it is by no means guaranteed that those things will be unpopular. On the contrary, they might be the very activities that increase the church’s popularity, especially if they deliver something that looks buzzing, growing and—most attractively—big. A feedback loop between leaders and organisation develops in which measurable successes reinforce the leaders' popularity, identity, and position. The leaders continue down the same path because that's what people like and demand. Even if they start to realise they’re on a hamster wheel, they have little room for manoeuvre. They can’t jump off without alienating everyone. CRACKS WILL START TO SHOW Sooner or later, the cracks will probably start to show. But not for a while. By this time, leaders have often painted themselves into a corner, and they don’t want to see them. They have a strong interest in avoiding them, or explaining them away. But you can't build on sand forever, and eventually the building will collapse. In fact, the larger the building (the higher the numbers), the louder the crash will be. Sooner or later, someone will end up with a nervous breakdown. Either the leaders themselves, or prominent people in the organisation. Or more likely, both. Sometimes, a leader starts to realise that they’ve made a mistake. They come to understand that the focus on numbers has had a negative impact on their faithfulness to the gospel. They may even feel trapped. As this self-awareness increases, a rift with the organisation can open up. The leader wants to become healthier but the organisation doesn't. Or, the other way around. Either way, a lot of people become caught up in the aura of success and they will fight against any change because they believe in current ‘successful’ practices. In fact, it’s important to avoid looking too carefully, since this rocks the boat, and looking the other way keeps everyone feeling safe. Sadly, during this process, spiritual healthiness has disappeared. It has been replaced by the need for an appearance of perpetual success, which is deemed essential to the organisation, the leaders and maybe to a wider brand. Perhaps most tragically, while things were going wrong under the hood, nobody really intended it, or did it deliberately. However, you can guarantee that people within have started to feel sinned against at an organisational level. Is that possible? Can an organisation sin at the level of organisational culture? I believe they can when feeding the success machine becomes the most important thing. People are no longer treated as dearly loved children of God and instead become cogs in the machine. Helping people rest in and delight in Jesus is no longer the aim. Success becomes more important than the people, and leaders become strategists for the machine rather than shepherds of the flock. This is when a church (or parachurch ministry) has truly lost its way. So, let me leave you with a question. Are you building a culture of healthiness—growing a grace community of people knowing and delighting in Christ and his gospel, full of prayer, thanksgiving, and worship—or are you delivering something that is actually an impressive-looking substitute for spiritual healthiness? It’s a chastening question. We should never assume that simply because we consider ourselves to be leaders who want to walk in repentance and faith, that we will never veer off course. Any leader can lose their way, which is why all leaders and organisations need to be open to accountability and challenge. Perhaps most of all, we need a recognition that whatever the numbers may indicate, they mean nothing unless we remain faithful to the gospel. As I finish, a couple of verses to consider. For we are weak and fallible, ever in need of the Lord’s guidance and the leading of his Spirit. The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? Jer 17.9 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Matt 23.12

In that haze between sleep and the dawning of a new day, when your brain attempts to grasp what day it is, there is a moment when you realise . . . it’s a Sunday! In that split second moment, where is your heart? Where is your mind and where are your emotions? Are you eager to meet the day with action? Are you frantically ticking off the jobs you need to complete before church? Do you experience the stomach-clenching dread of facing situations and people you feel ill-equipped to deal with? How we feel about Sundays will vary each week. Some weeks will feel more challenging than others depending on our tiredness, encouragement levels, and other factors. I’d love to say that I’m the ‘jump out of bed with joy’ kind of pastor’s wife, but sadly that’s not true. I’m not bad at the jumping bit but the joy part often eludes me. One recent Sunday morning before church, I read these words from Isaiah. If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath a delight and the Lord’s holy day honourable and if you honour it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.’ For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Isaiah 58.13-14 I was struck to the heart. If God expected Israel to find delight in the Sabbath, he must surely expect Christians to delight in the day when we meet regularly with his people!* But delight was far from how I felt that morning, and this had been the case every Sunday morning for a long time. It’s not that our church context is especially challenging at the moment, or that our church places unattainable demands on us as a family. How had my attitude towards church slipped so far from delight? I was aware that over time I had begun to view Sundays in an increasingly negative light. Why? Sometimes it’s obvious why we develop negative attitudes towards church services. Tricky pastoral issues, challenging people, and the anticipation of negative reactions to our ministry—these things can take their toll. In addition, the low-level warfare known as ‘getting our children to church’ can tire us out before we’ve even left the house. When you add in the preparations necessary to host a gaggle of students for lunch after the service, along with countless other tasks, well, it’s draining. So, we can be physically tired, and perhaps emotionally vulnerable, but why should that turn our hearts from delight to dread? Surely something else is going on. Here I could remind you that church is God’s very good idea; that we are called to serve, and that church is a privilege that many don’t have. But I’m not sure that such reminders are helpful. In fact, if you find yourself dreading the Sunday routine, they may just leave you feeling more guilty. WE’RE TOO BIG My suspicion is that often our dread of Sundays springs from the fact that we have become too big. As in, too big for our boots. We’ve begun to believe the lie that the ‘success’ of a Sunday service relies on us and our ministry. We’ve come to believe that we must expend more energy than we can spare to preach or teach in a way that changes hearts. We’ve told ourselves that it’s our responsibility to greet every newcomer in such a winsome manner that they’ll be sure to return. It’s all up to us. And when we’re discussing an issue with an awkward member of the congregation, we’re failing unless we speak with the persuasiveness of St. Paul. Deep down, then, we don’t trust God. Not really. We don’t believe that he can produce fruit unless we’re performing at the top of our game. Nor can he heal us from the bumps and bruises we receive in a life of ministry. I’m not arguing that we shouldn’t do our best on a Sunday. But at what point do our prayers move from asking the Lord to work through us in our weakness to asking him to make Sunday go smoothly? Sometimes a subtle shift occurs and we find ourselves asking God to give us a problem-free day instead of trusting that he will bring glory to himself and fruit among his followers through the messiness of a Sunday. Is his power and freedom to work wonders in human hearts really constrained by the amount of sleep we’ve had or how coherent we are on a Sunday morning? Have we made the assumption that God’s ability to bear fruit in his people is limited by our energy levels and platform skills? God is at work, building us into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood (1 Pet 2.5) and we can be confident he will complete this good work (Phil 1.6). WE ARE ALSO NEEDY As I reflected on my dread of Sundays, I realised that I had forgotten that I am as much in need of church for my own growth as everyone else. Somehow, our lives in ministry (Phil’s and mine) had caused me to think in terms of ‘us and them’. We do ministry. They receive it. But that just isn’t true. Something much more wonderful is taking place. God is working in us and through us and he’s doing the same thing inside everyone else. We’re growing together; we’re becoming spiritually mature. Together. After all, we’re a body, as the apostle Paul reminds us. God has put the body together, giving greater honour to those that lacked it, so that there is no division in the body but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 1 Cor 12.24-25 ‘Them and us’ thinking assumes that God is only at work in church as we minister well. It places a tremendous burden on our energy and skills. But worse still, the more we become aware of our weaknesses, the more we’re tempted to put on the mask of professionalism. We do this in the vain hope that somehow our frailties will go unnoticed. At some point, the mask will slip. So, why not just take it off? Forget the pretence and come out into the light. There is such refreshment when we acknowledge that any ‘success’ is the work of God. He is the one who is changing us by his Spirit and if others are also changed, well, then that’s his work too. In his kindness and grace, he calls us to partner with him as he produces fruit in wonderful and unexpected ways. WHERE’S THE LOVE? Over time, you would expect our love for our churches to grow. If only it were that simple. Sadly, relationship breakdowns can occur, past wounds still hurt, and weariness can set in. I’ve spoken to several pastors’ wives recently who are struggling with frustration at just how slow their congregations are to change. ‘What else can we do to help them change?!’ they cry. Ministry over many years can lead to compassion fatigue and a loss of excitement once felt at the start. How do we restore this love for our congregation? In my early years as a pastor’s wife, I would pray regularly for each individual in the church as part of my devotions. It’s harder now that we’re in a larger church and somehow this practice has slipped off my agenda. Our church has grown such that I’m not entirely aware who is a regular anymore! It’s become tempting to disengage emotionally, since the numbers are so daunting. In response to this, a wise pastor once encouraged me to love a few people in the church well. Do to the few what you wish you could do for the many . I took this advice to heart. I decided to meet with a small group of women with the aim of sharing our lives together and praying for each other. Doing this has greatly enhanced my love for them and has helped me feel less overwhelmed. SLOW BUT NECESSARY WORK I knew I needed to break the grip of Sunday dread. So, I started by repenting of my wrong heart attitudes and skewed perspectives. I will confess that it’s been slow work at times. I’m still working on it. I can testify, however, that taking time to delight in the Lord and his goodness has worked wonders in my heart. Nowadays, I like to remind myself that however Sundays pan out, God is still on his throne and he is still at work. By committing each moment to him instead of lurching my way through the day, I have found so much more peace and contentment. I may never be someone who positively springs out of bed on a Sunday, but recently, I’ve spent those moments immediately after waking more profitably. I now hand the day over to the Lord. It is his day, after all. I trust him to fill it with good things. As I prepare for the busyness that lies ahead, my heart is less concerned about the ‘success’ of the day, and more eager to see God at work. In others and in me. For his glory. * I am not commenting here on the debated question whether Sunday is the ‘Christian Sabbath’. My focus is simply on our attitude to Sunday gathered worship and Sundays in general.

This is a letter to an imaginary friend, who has sought advice as he takes up a new position as pastor* in a church of a hundred and fifty members. We’ll call him David. Dear David, Therefore go and make disciples . Matt 28.19a Be strong and courageous . Josh 1.6a Thanks so much for asking me for advice. That is very brave 😂. I believe very strongly that when the church invited you to become its leader, this confirmed your calling. To lead a community of God’s people is both a calling and a privilege. So, as requested, here are some thoughts that I hope will be helpful as you begin work in your new role. THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY Nothing is more important than your own relationship with God. This should be blindingly obvious, but it’s so obvious that some leaders miss it. So, I’m using up some of my precious words to drive the point home. Prioritise your own spiritual life above all things. This is not selfishness. It is essential. You are no good to your church unless you are walking closely with the Lord. Led by the Spirit of God. Without a rich inner life, you’re like a car without an engine, a kite without the wind, a sailing boat without a sail. Ensure you make time to develop the spiritual disciplines that lie at the heart of your own growth and intimacy with Jesus. Solitude. Simplicity. Prayer. Fasting. Study. Scripture reading and meditation. Worship. Never, ever, become so busy that your devotional life suffers. If, at any point, you feel yourself drifting, please seek help. DON’T NEGLECT YOUR FAMILY Pastors sometimes believe that working fourteen hours a day is noble. It is not. Certainly, God should hold your greatest affection, but as a married man, you are not your own. You belong also to your wife, and your children need time with you. Do NOT neglect them. MISTAKEN IDENTITY Don’t ever tie your primary identity to your calling. You are first and foremost a child of God, dearly loved. Your role as a leader is important but never see it as anything more than a gift from God. And a privilege. One day, he may move you on to something different. Your primary identity as child of God, however, never, ever changes. You are his child forever. THE NEW BOY You’re the new boy. New boys shouldn’t make waves. During the first few months, your task is simply to learn. The community you’ve joined has a long history. It must be respected and understood if you’re to have any chance of implementing change. Learning about what has happened in your community before your arrival is never wasted time. ‘Forewarned is forearmed’ and all that. PEOPLE, PEOPLE, PEOPLE Church leadership is the ultimate people business. It’s all about relationships. With God. With your fellow believers. With external partners. Building relationships with those you want to reach with the gospel. (For more on relationships, read this post .) Spend the first few months learning names. They are the key to a person’s heart. Meet Jerry one Sunday and remember his name the following Sunday—you’ll have a friend for life. (For more on the importance of names, read this post .) You can’t know everyone at the same depth, so prioritise the relationships you want to invest in. The people on your leadership team. The home group leaders. The youth and children’s volunteers. Get to know them well. Show you care by remembering the details. Then work out how you will either disciple them or organise for them to be discipled. When it comes to discipling others one-on-one, invest only in key people who will then disciple others. Delegate. You cannot do it all. BE A LEADER Be a leader. You are not just a facilitator, you are a leader. So it’s necessary to avoid a lot of the self-deprecating false modesty that is common among leaders nowadays. Me? Oh, not me. Look to Jesus! The apostle Paul didn’t lead like this, and neither should you. Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. Phil 3.17 Leadership is influence ( read a post on this .) The pastor exercises that influence by living a life of integrity, by showing others what it looks like to follow Jesus. This is not vanity. It is leadership. After you’ve been at the church for a while (the Lord will guide you on this), you will need to move from simply completing tasks (preaching, leading meetings etc) towards casting vision. VISION, VISION, VISION Great leaders know how to cast vision. ( Read a post on this .) It’s terribly tempting to wrap vision up in theological language. Growing disciples. Reaching the lost. Building the kingdom. Creating community . All true, but how will your particular church reach these goals? How do you intend for people to become disciples and make disciples? If it involves teaching, then how will you establish good teaching? (It has to be more than just a Sunday sermon. Preaching is great, but it’s not teaching.) How will the church reach the lost? How will you build community? What will hospitality in your church look like? What is the purpose of your small group gatherings? Over time, you will need to answer these questions. CULTURE Vision ties directly into the culture of a church. Culture is simply ‘behaviour based on our beliefs’. Or, as I like to say . . . It’s what we do around here. Cultures can be weak or strong (or in-between). You must work to create the kind of culture that enables your people to implement the vision you have given them. Churches with strong leaders and strong cultures tend to have members who know exactly what the church is about, what its priorities are, and which activities are important to achieve the goals set out by Jesus in the gospels. If you want to communicate ‘what we do around here’, then a new members class is a great way to do that. It is a unique opportunity to talk about expectations. A church with very low expectations tends towards a ‘smorgasbord’ culture. Members engage as much or as little as they wish. Some hardly eat at all. In churches with strong cultures, leaders never pressure new members, but they do call for ‘active participation’. They urge new members to engage in ‘what we do around here’. They expect people to . . . dare I say it . . . make an effort, turn up, commit. Never forget, however, that creating a culture like this takes time and needs the agreement of your leadership team. Once you and the leadership team embody ‘what we do around here’, others will follow. A LITTLE HUMILITY Remember, also, that you require due humility. God has been working among your people for years. So, first, discover where God is already working . Where you see good things happening, encourage. Rejoice when the Lord does wonderful things in and through your people that have nothing to do with you. It is the Lord’s church, not yours. EQUIP AND RELEASE So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service , so that the body of Christ may be built up. Eph 4.11-12 Equip his people for works of service. This is your job description. To help your people flourish in the gifts they have been given. For some leaders—perhaps because of a lack of vision or courage—equipping simply means preaching a sermon each Sunday. This is inadequate. May I encourage you, therefore, to think creatively and boldly when it comes to the task of equipping. One-on-ones, prayer triplets, seminars, courses, even conferences that unlock the tremendous knowledge and gifts among your own members. There are many ways to equip your people. AVOID BURNOUT Plan to rest. And then rest. Properly. Living Leadership's Refresh services are available to help you make space to do that, you can also check out our articles on Ministerial Burnout for some signs and solutions. A WARNING ABOUT PEOPLE PLEASING It’s very easy to become a people pleaser. After all, your congregation—via the elders—pays your salary. They can fire you. But you’re not there to be popular. You’re there to lead. So you must lead with conviction. Not abusively and selfishly, but self-sacrificially and wisely. Together with your leadership team. You are accountable to one person only. The Lord Jesus. He’s the only one you live to please. ACCOUNTABILITY It’s nice to spend time with close friends who are believers. They will support you. But I’m not sure this rises to the level of accountability. Proper accountability involves someone who will ask you searching questions about your devotional life, your time, your body (sex), your money, your areas of weakness and shame. This takes a very special person (or persons), who will love you whatever you tell them. If you can find someone like this, you are mightily blessed. Otherwise, meet with some friends regularly and pray together. That’s better than nothing. NEVER TAKE A HOLIDAY IN THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF SEPTEMBER Why? Because it’s best to cast vision about the new year . . . at the beginning of the new year! This takes place not in January but in September, when many return from holiday and a new school year begins. If you’re not there, you will leave an enormous gap where you should be. Your people seek direction and encouragement at the beginning of the year. They need to see you and hear from you. I think sometimes pastors should view God as Willy Wonka. Wild, immensely creative and powerful, unfathomable, and generous. As C.S. Lewis would say, ‘Not safe, but good.’ Following him requires a willingness to join him in an elevator that blasts through the roof. That takes great courage. So, as you grasp your golden ticket, be bold and unafraid, because he’s right there with you. Always. Grace and Peace, Richard * The titles of church leaders and their leadership structures vary across denominations. However, this post applies to any church faithful to the Lord, whichever titles are used.

‘I’ve had enough, Lord!’ I exclaimed out loud, as I flopped onto the grass. I was in the middle of a garden maze on the final day of a retreat. The frustration and weariness of navigating the twists and turns of the path seemed to mirror my own frustrations and weariness about life. A long season of heart-breaking hurdles had worn me down. So, the words exploded out of me. ‘I’ve had enough, Lord!’ It was the cry of a weary child, who was scared and unsure if she had the resources to get through the next hard season. But more than just an expression of exhaustion and fear, it was an appeal for the suffering to stop. Like a wrestler in the ring, who says, ‘I’m tapping out. I can’t go another round! I’m too wounded and weary.’ Have you ever felt like this? When we’re drowning in these feelings, it’s easy to believe we are the only one who has ever felt like this. Self-pity can threaten to overwhelm us, along with a nagging sense that we shouldn’t entertain these thoughts, let alone say them to the sovereign God of the universe. In that moment, we are faced with a choice. Acknowledge these feelings and press into them with God, or push them aside and pretend they don’t exist. Reapply the veneer of ‘It’s OK, I’m OK’, and carry on. For me, in that moment, I had no more emotional reserves to keep going and I finally had to press in. The Lord, in his kindness, met me in a special way, and reminded me that I am not the first of his children to say these words to him. HEY THERE, ELIJAH! In 1 Kings 17, we meet the prophet Elijah for the first time as he confronts King Ahab with the news that the land of Judah will face a drought ‘for the next few years’. We know little about Elijah except that he is a Tishbite and that he serves the Lord. Elijah’s life is one of twists and turns. Here’s a short recap. The Lord leads him to a ravine where he is fed by ravens. He drinks from a brook. ‘ Some time later’ , we’re told, ‘ the brook dried up ’, so he moves in with a widow and her son, whom the Lord feeds with oil and flour that never run out. ‘ Some time later ’, God answers Elijah’s prayers to bring the widow’s son back from the dead. ‘ After a long time, in the third year ’, the Lord sends Elijah to Ahab and he ends up in a face-off with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. In one of the most dramatic scenes in the Old Testament, Elijah humiliates the prophets, who call vainly on Baal to consume their sacrifice. When it’s Elijah’s turn, he calls down fire from heaven, that immediately consume his sacrifices. His triumph is met with public acclamation. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, ‘The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!’ (1 Kings 18.39) Baal has been shown to be a false god. Not only that, but Elijah then executes divine justice by slaughtering all four hundred and fifty prophets. A highpoint in his life, right? Yet, he finds himself in immediate danger. On hearing the news, Ahab’s wife, Jezebel, sends a message to Elijah, telling him that she intends to kill him. Scared out of his wits, Elijah abandons his servant and runs for his life into the wilderness. It is here, as he sits under a broom bush, that Elijah utters the words I am so intimately familiar with. ‘I’ve had enough, LORD’. 1 Kings 19.4b In one way you can see why, can’t you? What a few years he’s had! He has antagonised a king, lived in the wilderness, declared a famine over the land, confronted disease, and gone up against the biggest religious powers of the day. Now he finds himself on the run for his life. Literally. What exhausting experiences. On the other hand . . . what a few years he’s had! He has served the Lord with great courage, and the Lord has provided for him in dramatic and miraculous ways. He has seen answers to prayer in ways few of us could ever imagine. In fact, because of his courage and obedience, God has responded by demonstrating his power and glory in ways that have literally gone down in the history books! So, what are we to make of Elijah as he collapses beneath a bush and calls upon God to take his life? How does the Lord respond? Personally, I have learned two encouraging lessons from God’s response. I hope you will find them encouraging too. Especially if you ever find yourself in despair. ORDINARY NEEDS MET IN AN EXTRAORDINARY WAY It may be stating the obvious but Elijah is physically spent. Scholars differ on the exact distance he ran but it’s much like an ultra-marathon. Or several ultra-marathons. During a heavy rainstorm, he ran about fifteen miles from Mt. Carmel to Jezreel. (1 Kings 18.46) After that, he ran from Jezreel to Beersheba—about 95 miles (1 Kings 19.3). He achieved this after a sleepless night on a mountain and years of famine. No wonder he’s exhausted. What’s more, Elijah is alone. In an ill-advised move, Elijah has chosen to leave his servant behind in Beersheba and travel a further day alone into the middle of nowhere. So, when he flops to the ground under a bush, there is no one with him to tend to him or talk to him. And yet . . . Though Elijah calls on the Lord to end his life, this is a prayer that is met with a resounding ‘no’. Instead, an angel wakes Elijah and invites him to eat some food provided by the Lord. Let’s zoom in there. God could have woken Elijah with a voice, but he had an angel do it with a touch. God meets Elijah’s loneliness with the tangible presence of the angel. Then the food. He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. 1 Kings 19.6a Freshly baked bread and a jar of water. You know when someone brings you a tray of food and drink when you’re ill in bed? It is more than just provision; it is tenderness and care. Elijah sleeps twice and eats twice, and this is sufficient to revive him. WHAT ABOUT YOU? I wonder how you’re doing right now? If you feel exhausted and are on the verge of saying, ‘I’ve had enough,’ it’s worth considering your physical condition. Do you need to hear God’s call to sleep and eat? Do you need to know God’s physical provision first, before you press further into God’s truth for you in this season? Perhaps it doesn’t seem enough—what difference could two good nights of sleep and a meal make? But just look at what the Lord is able to achieve. Strengthened by that food, he travelled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. There he went into a cave and spent the night. 1 Kings 19.8-9 Forty days and forty nights! After a little food and some sleep. I hope this encourages you. God is able to take a little, and make much of it. Miraculously and powerfully. He can do the same for you. LIES OF DESPAIR BANISHED BY GOD’S PRESENCE Elijah believes a lie. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too. 1 Kings 19.10b He believes he’s all alone, when in reality, he’s never been alone. This lie—that’s he’s all alone—is at the root of his despair. And what is God’s response? First, his presence. But not a powerful presence. He’s not in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire. He draws near with a gentle whisper. A still, small voice. Elijah knows all about God’s power; he has seen it first-hand many times. But what Elijah needs to learn is that God can also come in a whisper. There is a tenderness and intimacy here. To be heard, a whisperer must be nearby. You are not alone, Elijah. God is near. Neither, reader, are you alone. God is near to you as a whisperer, even in your despair. Nearer than a whisper, God’s Spirit is in you. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to see how near he is to you today. Second, God shatters Elijah’s ‘alone’ lie with truth and much-needed support. Go back the way you came … anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet … I reserve seven thousand in Israel —all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him. 1 Kings 19.15a, 16b, 18 You are not alone, Elijah. Don’t believe the lie. God has thousands in Israel just like you, and you have a new servant and companion, Elisha, waiting to succeed you in this mission. Go back the way you came and find them! Neither are you alone, reader. Don’t believe the lie. Through Christ, you have been brought into God’s family, the church. It is vast, covering the globe, and yet it contains individuals nearby who are happy and willing to draw near to you and support you . So, let me leave you with some questions: Do you believe any lies about yourself or God that could be at the root of your despair? Do you need to embrace more fully a particular truth about God and his plans for you? If you need it, is there someone from whom you could seek help today—a person who could walk with you as you seek God’s presence and provision? God was near to Elijah as he collapsed under that bush with his cry of “Enough!” God was near to me on the grassy floor of that maze, as I cried out ‘Enough!’ God is near to you as you cry out ‘Enough!’ May you receive fresh encouragement from him and find fresh support today. An important note from the author : My hope is that the above is an encouragement to the downcast. However I want to acknowledge that for some, the declaration ‘I’ve had enough’ can mean something more profound and life-endangering. (Elijah himself was asking for death.) If you think you might be experiencing clinical depression , including thoughts of hopelessness, or that it would be better off if you didn’t exist, and especially if you find yourself thinking of ways you could end your life—seek help, urgently! Contact your GP, a pastoral care giver or close friend, or call the Samaritans on 116 123 (who are available to talk 24/7).

Have you ever attended a service celebrating a minister who’s stepping down after many years of service? I heard this tribute that one speaker gave during such an event. ‘Listening to the congregation today, you have clearly taught us all to sing!’ It’s a strange compliment, perhaps, but an insightful thing to say, for you can tell a lot by the singing of a congregation. There’s an old story of a king who asked his stewards to go round the towns and villages to listen to the singing of the people. If the singing was healthy and joyful, so was the town. If the singing was feeble or mournful, then the king knew there was serious malaise within the community. JOY Congregational singing enables the local church to express one of the key marks and fruit of the Christian life—joy. ‘Joy’, wrote C.S. Lewis, ‘is the serious business of heaven’. Joy—that is, rejoicing, exulting, and praise . . . is the proper expression of the human heart when it sees with clarity the magnitude, certainty, and permanence of our salvation. But often ‘the music’ is a cause of conflict in church, and the minister knows this more than anyone. Whether it’s working with a music director and band or just a pianist/organist, there is often a struggle over songs and hymn selection. It could be over a new song, or the lyrics, or the placing of the song in the service. And there is one other significant–and often unrecognised–factor. Our own sense of self. BEWARE YOUR OWN IDENTITY If the minister’s identity is wrapped up in how well the service goes, then that comes out in tell-tale ways. When I was pastor of a large church, my friends noticed how often I felt the urge, mid-service, to go to the back and fix the PA system! Similarly, a musician’s sense of self-worth can be affected by a request to play a difficult piece of music or a song that requires a challenging musical style. When a musician’s vulnerabilities are exposed, we have a recipe for frustration and anger. THE PURPOSE OF MUSIC So, it’s worth asking the following question. What, biblically, is the aim of congregational music? One answer is provided by Eugene Peterson. Music enables a congregation to be attentive to God. We are moved from our own preoccupations to look to the one who made the heavens and the earth, our Redeemer and Saviour. But there is a horizontal connection too. Recently, after a service, someone complained, ‘I simply couldn’t hear the congregation sing!’ My mind went back to the services I attended as a child with my father in the RAF Wattisham chapel. It’s now a museum. Even on parade days, my father and I and the Station Commander were the only ones making a sound. ‘How can they not sing?’ I said, with all righteous indignation of an eight-year-old! The command to ‘sing to the Lord’ is joined by ‘sing to one another’. A couple of verses in Ephesians come to mind: Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Eph 5.18-19a When we sing, we speak out our hidden, heartfelt convictions about our God, and by singing them, we declare them loudly to each other, involving our heart, mind, and soul. In this way, we ‘gospel’ each other through a unique, reverberating means of communication—singing. It’s a beautiful gift from our heavenly Father. The question of ‘the music’ now becomes much clearer. THE CHALLENGE Both leaders and musicians must answer the following question. What can we do to help our congregation sing with all their heart, mind, and soul? With this servant-hearted aim, we will grow in wisdom about which songs to sing, and where to place them. When we are other-focused, we will discover an appropriate way to play, and at a speed that helps the congregation offer their hearts to the Lord. If the aim is to encourage the congregation to ‘gospel each other with the gospel’, then musicians will choose a key that suits most of the people, and not simply the vocalist. In a nutshell, the right hymn/song at the right time, with the right tune and pitch, is like a sharp arrow that penetrates the heart with the truth of the gospel. RIGHT SONG, RIGHT TIME On the first day after the Covid lockdown, when congregations were finally allowed to sing, I was at the Keswick convention. The band stood up to play the first song, and the opening strains of ‘Great is thy Faithfulness’ rang out. When we reached the third verse, the band stopped playing their instruments. The vocalists stepped back from their microphones, and hundreds of voices blended in harmony as the entire gathering sang a cappella. We declared to each other God’s faithfulness for the first time in many months. It was the right song, at the right place, played in the right way. In that moment, our horizontal encouragement raised our attention vertically towards our God. And it was beautiful. There was health, and wonder, and tears of joy among the King’s people.

I caught you! It’s the cry of the child, discovering someone hiding under the stairs during a game of hide-and-seek. Or the yell of triumph when a homeowner discovers a dead rat in the jaws of a mousetrap. It’s even a phrase that might come from the mouth of a conman, who’s tricked his victim into handing over some cash. But, in what circumstances would a minister possibly say, ‘I caught you’? Yet, like all the other phrases in this series, it is among the apostle Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians. He writes: Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! 2 Cor 12.16 (NIV) Is this Paul’s big reveal? Is he finally admitting that he’s been manipulating them all along? Sadly, some ministers are indeed guilty of manipulation. Worse still, this often comes to light only when they are exposed by courageous victims rather than by their own admission. But that’s not what’s happening here. Paul isn’t making a confession. That is clear from the context of his statement. Earlier, he reminded the Corinthians that he’s planning to visit them for a third time and assures them he won’t be a burden to them and does not want their possessions. So, Paul’s statement in verse sixteen is not his confession but the words of some in Corinth who were questioning his actions. The ESV inserts the words ‘you say’ to help us see this. I was crafty, you say, and got the better of you by deceit. 2 Cor 12.16 (ESV) Despite all he had sacrificed for them, some believers apparently believed Paul had manipulated them for his own gain. Paul goes on to remind them that he had never taken advantage of their hospitality, nor had any of the others, including Titus, who he had sent to them. Paul was not ‘crafty [ panourgos ]’. Quite the opposite! He had written, ‘We refuse to practise cunning [ panourgia ] (2 Cor 4.2). How painful it is for a servant of God to be wrongly accused of deception and manipulation. Especially when that servant has sacrificed so much for the sake of the gospel. Is any pain known to the human heart worse than betrayal? Yet, Paul’s experience – himself following in the footsteps of his Master, who was betrayed with a kiss – is shared by many faithful ministers today. Let me absolutely clear. There are ministers who mistreat God’s people, who use them as a means to an end. The word translated ‘crafty’ or ‘cunning’ in 2 Corinthians literally means ‘all deeds’. We might say ‘by any means’. It refers to people who will do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. They often think the end justifies the means. Their vision, usually presented as God’s will, drowns out others’ insights and overrides others’ consciences. They are often arch-pragmatists, caught in a web of self-deception, insisting that they are acting for the greater good when, in reality, they are acting in their own self-interest. Such leaders are like the ‘super apostles’ Paul writes about in 2 Corinthians. We must be on guard against such behaviour. It must not be tolerated. However, faithful ministers sometimes face unfair accusations. They are not perfect. None of us are. But they are genuine in their faith in God, their love for those they lead, and their desire to be found faithful when they give account to their Master on the last day. I meet many such people in my work with Living Leadership . It is a privilege to walk with them and encourage them on the way. It is heartbreaking to hear how many have been bruised by people who misjudged them. Sometimes, there is a kernel of truth in the accusation, but it has been greatly exaggerated. Occasionally a specific incident—for example, a moment of bad temper— has been generalised into a globalising statement: ‘You lack self-control’ or ‘You are intimidating’. Assumed motives are presented in the worst possible light. There is no attempt to see the good. Always there is a lack of grace. Where are those who will come alongside ministers gently to help them see their weaknesses and grow towards greater holiness? Who will intercede faithfully for them before God’s throne of grace? Where can ministers find a space to be open and transparent about their struggles without fearing graceless condemnation? Living Leadership exists for God’s servants and their families. If God has laid this need on your heart, perhaps you would pray for us, help support us financially, or even volunteer with us? The apostle Paul called out unfairness among the Corinthians. He did not want to defend himself, but he had to. Sometimes a faithful minister will need to do the same. If so, here are some tips based on Paul’s example: 1. REPEAT THEIR WORDS . Repeating exactly what’s been said about you, as Paul did, allows the words to be examined in the light of day. If the accusations are false or exaggerated, this will often become clear. This also allows the minister to respond in humility with an apology if there is anything that rings true. 2. BE OPEN . Approach accusations with humility. Don’t be tempted to generalise. Instead, admit your specific mistakes along with the ways you could have acted better. Remember that the way you confess your sins and limitations sets an example to others. If you think you need to explain the circumstances around what you did or said, don’t turn those into a justification for your wrongdoing. Rather, make a genuine confession of your limitations as a created being and an imperfect person. Paul was open about his weaknesses. We should be too. At the same time, it is right to affirm the actions you took correctly, yet without defensiveness. Sometimes judgements are simply false or unfair. You should not apologise for what is not wrong. The truth matters. 3. REMIND THEM . Once you’ve confessed any wrongdoing, it’s important to remind others of all that you share together. These are your brothers and sisters. They are your family. You can be honest about your flaws while also talking about your sincere commitment to those you lead. 4. INVOLVE OTHERS. It is better to involve others if the accusations are serious. They can help you gain a fair perspective. They can mirror back to you how you come across, and they might see grains of truth that you’ve missed. They can help you not to act from your insecurities or pride and to keep the issues in proper perspective, neither catastrophising about relatively minor things nor minimising what is major. Paul had co-workers like that. People like Titus, who knew his heart could help in his defence. Make sure you have people to whom you’re accountable. These are people who will know your heart, and whose words in your defence will carry weight. But beware. You may be tempted to involve only those people you know will support you – the ‘yes people’ or the ‘inner ring’. That is another kind of manipulation. You need people who will be committed to what is true above their commitment to you. These tips are certainly not a fool-proof safeguard against false accusations. They won’t always work. But we must do what we can to be transparent and accountable in ministry. We must renounce all underhand practices and seek to act and speak in the light. We must eschew the powerful lures of self-promotion and self-protection. We must glory in Christ and help one another on our way to godliness. Brother or sister in ministry, please never reach the point where you have misused or abused God’s people and so need to confess, ‘I caught you!’ And to those aren’t in leadership, may I urge you to encourage the faithful servants of God, and gently help them to be even more faithful. And to you all, as I close this series from 2 Corinthians, let me remind you of Paul’s closing words in this letter. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Cor 13.14

I’d like to introduce you to two of my friends. I call them Konrad and Waclaw. You can see their photo here (right). I became a reluctant user of trekking poles about five years ago. Before that, I’d seen people using them, including some very young people, moving at astonishing speed over rugged terrain. However, in my manly pride, I’d always thought, ‘They’re great—for those who need them.’ But then I tore my calf muscle, a running injury which then ran on for a long time. Every time I thought it was safe to exercise, it would ‘go’ again. Now, I had two things coming up for which I was desperate to be fighting fit. Or at least, dancing fit, as one of them was my daughter's twenty-first birthday party—a barn dance. I wanted to be able to dance with my daughter, stripping the willow with gusto. The other event, a couple of weeks later, was a rare trip to the Lakes to walk the hills. So, the party came, and I did dance, (you shall go to the ball!), though by the end of the evening I was paying for it. In fact, I suspected I'd set back my recovery. And the walking trip? I was going alone, and didn't fancy getting halfway up a mountain only to be rendered immobile. I was feeling gloomy and pessimistic. Then, at the back of a cupboard, I stumbled upon a trekking pole of my mother’s, discovered while clearing out her flat. To cut a long story short, I was astonished at what a difference this one pole (at this stage) made. I quickly acquired a pair and was away. So helpful were they that I’ve continued using them long after my calf muscle has healed. Why are they so helpful? Several reasons. I walk much faster with poles. There’s an obvious gain when moving over muddy ground, as the extra points of stability enable you to move your feet more quickly. Going uphill, it’s like having your own portable bannister rail. Going downhill, they’re even better, since they stabilise you while also taking weight off your knees. It’s that final factor where their lasting value lies; they take a huge strain off your joints. I see them now as an investment in my future (albeit my temporal future). Surely, if my poles enable me to continue enjoying God’s wonderful world in twenty-five years’ time, it must be worth it. So, I thank the Lord for my pole-ish friends. THE NEED FOR FRIENDS As on the hills, even more so in life. Boy, do we need friends! Bill Withers was absolutely right—we all need ‘somebody to lean on’. Friends provide points of stability. They help us when we are going uphill, and they’re there for us when we descend into the depths. Friends share the strain. Friends help us to keep on going and going and going. Why then, at times, do we only see our need for them once we’ve been forced into a debilitating situation? This shouldn’t be true for those in Christian ministry, but for some reason, it is. Is it because my generation has grown up with a rather individualistic pietism? Do we feel, somehow, that for Christian leaders, Christ should be enough? How out-of-step this is with the example of Jesus, who valued his own friends highly. Yes, they deserted him at the toughest point, but still he wanted Peter, James, and John with him in the garden. He valued not only their prayer support but also their physical proximity. (Matt 26.36-46). The apostle Paul also knew the value of good friends, along with the pain of abandonment (Demas; 2 Tim 4.10). Of course, friendships take time and effort. Sometimes they are inconvenient, and it may seem more efficient to plough on alone. But this is a false economy. DIFFERENT KINDS OF FRIENDS Friendship is like an array of multifaceted gems. It comes in different shapes and sizes. Maybe a handful of very good friends from our youth have stayed with us. These are to be valued very highly. It is definitely harder to make new friends later in life. I also appreciate the companionship of my younger colleagues, and like to think of them as friends. (They like to think of me as Grandad!) In addition, I have many friends in our church fellowship. I don't buy into the notion that the pastor should avoiding building friendships in the local church, though we’re wise to appreciate the dangers and limitations. In particular, there is something very special about friendships forged in leadership teams. They are often deepened by facing fiery trials together. A CLOSE-KNIT GROUP I’ve also learned to be intentional about building friendships with people with whom I can share, and who ask searching questions. I’m so thankful for my small ‘brotherhood’ group that meets every few months. I didn’t know some of them very well when we started, but (rather like a marriage) we committed to each other and now, after a dozen years or so, I highly value their support, encouragement, and friendship. When we’re due to meet up, it never seems convenient; I often think I can’t spare the time. Yet again and again, I come away thinking, ‘Yes, that did me good; I really needed that!’ I’m so thankful to the Lord for them. I’ve also appreciated various older men over the years who have listened, asked questions, and prayed for me. One of these friendships has fallen into abeyance recently, and I feel its lack. Outside the church, I have also come to appreciate the friendship of my hockey team-mates, most of whom are not believers. My awareness of our shared humanity certainly enhances my life. A FRIENDSHIP IN THE BIBLE One of the most touching moments in the Old Testament occurs in 1 Samuel 23. Previously, David and King Saul’s son, Jonathan, had sworn friendship to each other. Now here is David, on the run from Saul, hiding out in the Desert of Ziph. In verse sixteen we read, ‘And Saul’s son, Jonathan, went to David at Horesh and helped him to find strength in God.’ This was costly for Jonathan. Not only did he risk his father’s wrath, but by supporting David, he was promoting David’s cause against his own claim as heir to the king. But this is what good believing friends do for one another. They help each other to find strength in God. When that happens, it’s beautiful. GOD’S FRIENDSHIP Why is friendship so important? Because it matters to God. In John 15, the Lord Jesus holds friendship up as one of the most valuable qualities of all. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends . You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends , for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. John 15.13-15 We are, of course, God’s children, but we are also his friends. And he calls us into bonds of friendship in the church. The Bible is clear. The examples of David and Jonathan (and Konrad and Waclaw) are also clear. If we want to continue in Christian ministry for the long haul, and if we want to live fruitful lives for decades to come, we’re wise to invest in friendship. For our own sakes, and for the sake of the gospel.