The Needs of a New Church: Now and Later

The difference between good decisions and great decisions is timing. The most difficult decisions in leadership are not between good and bad; they are between "now" and "later." This legendary predicament even led to a great name for a hard candy. This is the issue when staffing the critical positions of a healthy church. Certain positions you have to have and certain positions you have to have now. Deciding which staff people to hire now and which can wait is a crucial strategic decision.

Outsource Specialists When Your Church Is Young

When your church is young, your staff members have to be generalists and play lots of roles—they each need to be a "jack of all trades" to a certain extent. And while some jobs can be done quite well by that type of leader, other jobs require a specialist. One of the ways to get specialist-caliber talent in the beginning is not by hiring them directly, but by partnering with other ministries, or "outsourcing." This way, you get the best of both worlds. Your church can be served by the passion and energy of generalists and the wisdom and experience of specialists. And every church deserves the most passionate, experienced, wise, and energetic staff possible.

Good Counselors Are Hard to Come By

In no other position is this principle more important than biblical counseling. A good biblical counselor is incalculably beneficial to a church. Good counseling multiplies the effectiveness of preaching, groups, and community ten-fold. But gifted, well-trained, experienced biblical counselors are very hard to come by, especially for a church plant. And while I do believe that counseling should be done in-house or by the local church directly, that is not always an option in the beginning. Biblical counseling is one of those jobs best done by a specialist. And while most young churches can't afford that kind of specialist in the beginning, doing without it is not a healthy option.

Partner With Biblical Counselors

The best decision, in the early stages, is to partner with a biblical counselor in your area to send your people to. This serves your church in at least two ways. One, this counselor can help you build out an in-house counseling department at your church, maybe even running it for you as a staff person one day. And two, your people are well served until then.

By outsourcing or partnering with other ministries in the area, a church planter can concentrate on gathering people, preaching the Word, and building the church to a size that it can support its own counseling department. Of course partnering with outside ministries comes with its own set of risks, and you should never send your people to someone you wouldn't go to yourself, but in the end, managing those decisions is what great leadership is all about.

Vintage Church:

In this book, Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears discuss the essentials of what it means to be a biblical church. Find out more.

with Matt Boswell
Qualifications of a Worship Pastor: Click | View Series

Not a Lover of Money

(1 Timothy 3:3 & Titus 1:7)
A worship pastor does not do his job primarily for money. He provides for his family well, but his primary motivation is his calling, not his paycheck. He doesn't lead worship and write songs for the sake of money, but to express his love and knowledge of Christ. The motivation of a worship leader should be the good of the people he is called to serve, not his own gain.

Good Husband and Father

(1 Timothy 3:4-5 & Titus 1:6)
The home life of a worship pastor is the most important part of his ministry. The home is where church begins. If you're not leading your wife and your children well, you should not be trying to lead the church. The organization of the church is built on the organization of the home. The great commandment was first given to us to teach in our homes, not our churches. Deuteronomy 6 tells us that God gave the greatest commandment (love God most) to the husbands and fathers to teach their wives and children. Before you think about, pray for, and plan for your ministry for the church, do so for your family. Give your wife the greatest love story of all time; give your children the hero they deserve. They are your primary flock, and you are their primary pastor. Do that job well! The home of a worship pastor should be one worthy of admiration and should stand as a living testimony to the gospel.

Lover of Good, Upright and Holy

(Titus 1:8)
A worship pastor should be a man of joy. A joyful disposition and an infectious hope in God are essential for successful and qualified leadership. A worship pastor should communicate the joy and hope of God in song, prayer, and life. Our goal in meeting corporately is to "stir one another to love and good deeds" (Heb. 10:24), and the worship leader has to champion that cause and be "stirring." He should continually be growing in godliness and in his own sanctification, as he also calls the church to do so.

Conclusion

The role of a worship pastor goes much further than leading songs on Sunday. The worship leader is a culture-setter and champion for our affections to the Lord. He gives our souls the words we need to sing to God. Few people have the opportunity to affect people in the way worship pastors do. I have an elder who tells me that his favorite thing is when he catches himself on Sunday evening singing the songs that we sang Sunday morning. He judges the effectiveness of our service not by how he sang then, but how he sings later. His recollection brings him close to God all over again. Without a band, a stage, a screen or any people, he is again brought to the throne of God by the faithful service of a worship leader. What a great and profound privilege and responsibility! May this list of qualifications and exposition bring great challenge, conviction, and encouragement as we continue to grow together in biblical ministry.

Resurgence Literature:

Re:Lit is a ministry of Resurgence. There you will find a growing line of books to help guide the resurgence of the new reformed. Find out more.

with Matt Boswell
Qualifications of a Worship Pastor: Click | View Series

Not a Drunkard

(1 Timothy 3:3 & Titus 1:7)
Our worship pastors should not have un-battled addictions. This can be alcohol, drugs, pornography, or even fame or the praise of men. We must be driven by the Spirit of God and influenced primarily by him. Any addictions rob us of this connection and should be dealt with by confession and repentance.

Not Violent but Gentle, Not Quick-Tempered

(1 Timothy 3:3 & Titus 1:7)
A worship leader/pastor should not seek to get involved in arguments. Pastors teach and correct, but we don't "fight" (verbally, emotionally, or physically) if it can be avoided. Pastors should be known as men of peace. Our relationships and social leadership should imitate the peace of Christ. This peaceful countenance should be modeled by worship pastors for the worship team, church, and community for them to imitate and follow.

Not Arrogant or Conceited

(1 Timothy 3:6 & Titus 1:7)
Biblical worship is rooted in humility. No matter how gifted or talented a worship leader is, he must not be arrogant or conceited. The devil loves this sin and uses it to destroy lives, ministries, and churches. A maturing worship leader has a track record of winning this fight. That track record is seen in his genuine humility. Standing in front of people every week, singing, leading and helping them worship, can turn into performing and putting on a show in a second. The psalmist says, "In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, 'There is no God'" (Psalm 10:4). The prideful man is one who "does not seek him," and his heart refuses the presence of God. Pride begins with us thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought. It is the enemy of worship because pride is an inaccurate assessment of our own worth, agenda, and desires. For a worship leader, not only is this personal sin, but it makes him corporately ineffective. Genuine worship and reveling in the presence of God is necessary to lead people in worship and teach them to also revel in the presence of God.

To be continued.

Porn-Again Christian:

You are part of a culture that spends more money each year on pornography than country music, rock music, jazz music, classical music, Broadway plays, and ballet combined. Find Out God's view.

If you’ve watched the news, read a paper, or tried to watch network television last night, you have been exposed to the “pig flu” scare. When the President interrupts The New Adventures of Old Christine, there’s a major issue. Turns out the pigs have begun trying to take over the world. There is a story in Matthew 8 where Jesus casts demons into a herd of swine (Matt. 8:31), and those pigs jumped off a cliff and drowned in the sea. Apparently, Jesus knew these pigs were up to no good and did away with them quickly, despite their very tasty bacon backsides. Maybe we should have asked, What would Jesus do? concerning pigs sooner. As always, Jesus has the answer. Our only option is to drown all the pigs on the planet and move on with our lives. It will be tough, but turkey bacon will have to do.

Now on a serious note, this is no laughing matter, and while I joke about the name, we are seriously praying for every family affected by this tragedy. This article is to help answer the question, What can church leaders and pastors do to protect their flocks from the pig flu?

What Is Swine Flu?

The CDC reports the “swine flu” is a new strain of influenza virus of swine origin. Because it is a new strain most people do not have immunity to the “pig flu,” and it is spreading quickly. Even though the name suggests pigs just got really dangerous, the danger of infection doesn’t come from petting pigs, eating pork, or playing football. Like other influenza strains, it is spread through person-to-person contact. The virus spreads through tiny particles released in a cough or a sneeze.

This has caused the World Health Organization to say that “a swine flu pandemic is imminent.” As of Wednesday night, the threat level for pandemic health crisis was at a 5 on a scale of 1 to 6 (6 being a pandemic). In response, the Ft. Worth Independent School District (one of the largest school districts in Texas) has closed all its 144 schools (over 80,000 students) at least through May 8, 2009. The CDC is encouraging other public organizations to close for a season, so how should we respond as church leaders?

Protect Your People

My suggestion is that you take this unique opportunity to serve your people well and protect them. As pastors we fight to protect our people spiritually, emotionally, and socially, and now you have the opportunity and responsibility to protect them physically. If you have no reported issues in your city or your church body, then you should meet, but take quality precautions.

Here are the precautionary measures our church is taking:

• editors note:The most effective thing to do is tell sick people to stay at home.
• All volunteers and children will wear facemasks in the classrooms to minimize the spread of germs and infectious bacteria. They will be specially decorated and their use will be incorporated into the lesson content so as not to scare children. Please talk to your child beforehand about the masks to minimize any fear and communicate their importance.
• Toys have been removed from most classrooms and remaining equipment and materials thoroughly sanitized according to guidelines set forth by the CDC and WHO, in addition to our regular practice of sanitizing all toys and equipment between services.
• Check-in and checkout procedures will change to limit the number of people in the small hallways of the children’s area. Parents will now drop off and pick up at the entrance to the children’s area instead of at their child’s specific classroom. Staff and deacons will walk the children to and from their classrooms.
• We will cut out our weekly greeting during our services to cut down on person-to-person contact.
• We are asking that everyone in attendance take every precaution possible to cut down on the spread of germs, including regularly washing your hands and covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing.
• We will be offering individually wrapped options for breakfast as a substitute for donuts.

Our hope is that your people will continue to faithfully worship together, no matter the circumstance, and that they would feel their pastors and leaders are doing everything they can to love them and serve them well.

with Matt Boswell
Qualifications of a Worship Pastor: Click | View Series

Sober-Minded or Disciplined

(1 Timothy 3:2 & Titus 1:8)
Many worship leaders are stereotypically labeled as "over-emotional." Many times this is not the fact, but when it is it needs to be addressed. Being emotionally-driven is not a personality type, but an immaturity needing repentance. Pastors should be driven by the Truth. You can be loving, gentle, soft, and caring, but not "driven" by emotion. James 1:6 describes it as being "like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind." Worship pastors must be stable men who stake their lives, their joy, and their soul on Truth. The most effective worship leaders stir people's affections for God through being rooted and grounded in Truth.

Respectable, Well Thought of by Outsiders, Not a New Convert

(1 Timothy 3:2, 6-7)
The core issue here is the reputation of the gospel. This qualification draws a connection between a man's respectability and his spiritual maturity. The assumption is that the longer we walk with Christ, the more respectable we get and the more highly we're thought of by others. This means a worship pastor must be disciplined to foster respectability among the community. Letting his yes be yes and his no be no (James 5:12b) is crucial to people trusting him. Does this man do what he says he's going to do? Is he on time when he's supposed to be somewhere? All of these things, while they seem small to us, foster respect among those we minister to. Worship leaders should not be characterized by a persona or their "stage charisma," but by their spiritual maturity.

Hospitable

(1 Timothy 3:2 & Titus 1:8)
The first-century idea of hospitality was hosting foreigners or non-believers. A worship pastor is called to be an evangelist. This type of evangelism should be practiced on- and offstage. Onstage, is our music Christ-centered? Do we sing correctly to God? Do we present the gospel regularly in our services? Offstage, do we intentionally befriend and invest in non-Christians? All pastors should be doing the work of an evangelist: leading people to Jesus through corporate worship services and through regular interaction with the lost.

Able to Teach

(1 Timothy 3:2 & Titus 1:9)
Many worship leaders do not feel comfortable teaching or speaking. While this is not a requirement to be able to preach, it is a requirement to know and be able to communicate truth. Teaching pastors teach through preaching, and worship leaders teach through singing. Songs chosen for corporate worship services teach doctrine, theology, even methodology. Worship leaders must be able teachers in this regard so that the songs being sung in the church reflect the convictions the church has been built upon.

The mandate for worship leaders is to ensure the songs a church sings are faithful to the Scriptures. Worship leaders become a vital voice in the theological understanding of a church and should take this responsibility very seriously. Leading worship is a sacred trust and must be done under the authority of the Scriptures. If there are any questions to the content or nature of a song, they should be directed to the senior pastor for his approval and oversight. A worship pastor must be able to correctly handle and communicate the truth of God.

To be continued.

Pastor Mark:

Get the latest content from Mark Driscoll, the
preaching pastor at Mars Hill Church. See More.

with Matt Boswell
Qualifications of a Worship Pastor: Click | View Series

A Worship Leader Is a Pastor

Understanding the biblical role of a worship leader in the local church is central to the health of a church body. While the task of leading people in worship is outlined in varying ways, the implementation and function of the modern "worship leader" isn't found anywhere in the New Testament. What we do find is that pastors or elders are mandated with the job of leading the people in worship. For example, 2 Chronicles 7:6 describes priests leading David and Israel in worship. This tells us that the primary function of a worship leader should be pastor, not just artist.

Shepherd the Flock

The call of a worship leader in a local church is first to shepherd the flock (1 Peter 5:2) and second, to be the creative voice behind their collective song. Worship leaders should be pastors who have a deep love for the people they lead. Not just anyone with a guitar can lead worship, and not just anyone with a voice should be called a worship leader. It is a specific calling and has specific qualifications.

The qualifications for pastors and elders are spelled out in 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:5-16. If we believe worship leaders are primarily pastors, then they need to be held to the same qualifications as pastors. We believe that anyone who leads the church of God long-term should be qualified biblically to do so. A healthy, God-honoring church must have qualified leadership at every level. Hopefully a look at these qualifications, particularly for a worship pastor, will help us all grow into maturing and increasingly qualified leaders.

Above Reproach

(1 Timothy 3:2 & Titus 1:6-7)
In being above reproach, a worship pastor should be spiritually maturing. This qualification is set apart from having a good reputation or being well thought of. Being "above reproach" goes deeper than people liking him. The maturity spoken of here is a life and walk that is worthy of imitation. A worship leader must maintain a consistent character with those both inside and outside the church. A worship pastor must sing in a way that makes people want to participate, lead in a way that makes people want to engage, and live in a way that makes people want to follow. Leading worship involves all three components.

Husband of One Wife

(1 Timothy 3:2 & Titus 1:6)
A worship leader must be a "one-woman man." He must maintain integrity in relationships with the opposite sex and go to great lengths to protect himself from sin. This man must have a godly, growing, and strong marriage. He must not be addicted to pornography or have wandering eyes. He is a great lover, friend, and leader for his wife, who honors him in public and in private. He must provide for her financially and lead her spiritually as a testimony of the gospel (1 Tim 5:8). If he is single and not called to celibacy, he must be working toward marriage by growing personally, spiritually, and emotionally.

To be continued.

Total Church:

Tim Chester and Steve Timmis make the case for reinforcing and strengthening churches with particular emphasis on the gospel and community. Find out more.

Pitfalls in Church Planting: Click | View Series

You need to define for your church its open- and closed-handed issues early because they will all be tested. Determine which theological issues you are willing to lose people over and which issues you are not. These will help you decide which issues are closed-handed for you. Those things should be decided early and written down! If they’re only in your head, they don’t exist.

Get It On Paper

Create a document so it can act as an objective third party. This way people don’t have theological disagreements with the pastor, they have theological misalignments with the church. When your church is small, you don’t want people to come in a stand against the pastor. It’s too subjective and even when you win an argument, you lose people. When the church takes a stand on paper, there is no argument, only teaching and guiding. Use a good, biblical, well-thought out Statement of Faith to ward off wolves and false teachers.

In conclusion, plant more churches. Join a strong, bible-teaching network and get to work. There are estimated 120 million non-Christians in the United States of America, which makes us the fourth largest mission field in the world, according to The Lutheran. We need more gospel-centered, theologically sound, missional churches. Join the fight.

Trial Study Guide:

Get the companion study guide to Pastor Mark's latest sermon series in downloadable PDF form. Find out more.

Pitfalls in Church Planting Click | View Series

Almost every lead pastor I know deals significantly with loneliness. I think the struggle is even more difficult for church planters. The move from staff person to lead pastor is huge, and the move from layperson to lead pastor is even greater. All of a sudden you find yourself at the top of an organization, and the people closest to you either work for you or spiritually depend on you. This puts you in a very strange social environment. Unless you go into the church planting process ready for this, it can really be an issue.

The Pressure

Recent statistics from the Schaeffer Institute show that up to 70 percent of pastors regularly fight depression. The same study asked 808 pastors about the quality of their marriage, and 77 percent of them said their marriage was “not good.” I believe most of these issues would be solved if pastors lived in the biblical community we urge our people to find.

What many pastors don’t realize is the social toll this new life will take on them and their family. Most pastors work alone, and this is especially true for church planters. "In 70 percent of the churches in America, the pastor is the only full-time staff person. In this environment the pastor is often expected to be omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient," stated Thom S. Rainer, founder of The Rainer Group, and recently elected president-candidate of LifeWay Christian Bookstores.

Make Community a Priority

Church planters and pastors must make biblical, life-giving community a real priority. Proverbs 18:1 says, “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.” As pastors, we cannot buy the lie that we don’t need the community our people need. Our enemy, the Devil, loves it when church planters/pastors isolate themselves. We become easy prey when we try to stand alone. Our wives and children become easy prey when we try to make them stand alone. Build a strong community for your family.

To be continued.

Vintage Church:

In this book, Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears discuss the essentials of what it means to be a biblical church. Find out more.

Part of the Pitfalls in Church Planting series.
Continued from Pitfalls in Church Planting: No Accountability.

Most church planters have grossly underestimated the importance of a permanent building. Churches used to be able to plant in a school and spend the first few years growing to a size of 400-500 before they even attempted to build anything or move into a building. Well, times are much different. In most cities you can no longer rent high school auditoriums, so the only spaces available are elementary or junior high school cafeterias. This space only holds around 100-150 people and provides little to no space for children.

Get an Intermediate Location

Instead of planning on growing your church to 400-500 and then building, church planters must find an intermediate location as they get to that goal. This could be 6000-7000 square feet of office space or storefront that used to be retail. You don't have to own it or build it, but you need to get serious about finding a location where people can come to you and know you'll be there every week.

Most churches double in size the weekend they move from being mobile to a more permanent building. People are also less prone to give faithfully to a church that's mobile. They don't know if it will be there in two months, so why sacrifice? But with a permanent location, you have much more credibility with attendees and the city you are trying to reach.

To be continued.

Resurgence on Facebook:

Become a fan of the Resurgence on Facebook, get connected with other fans, and stay current on all the latest updates. Find out more.

Part of the Pitfalls in Church Planting series.
Continued from Pitfalls in Church Planting: Focus.

Planting a church is very dangerous for you and your family spiritually and morally. The time and pressure takes a toll on church planters, so good, safe, and humble accountability is essential to walking with integrity and honoring God. Moving to the top of an organizational chart should be done with strong accountability in place, or the devil will eat you alive.

Entitlement

One of the biggest issues you should watch for is a feeling of entitlement. It’s the feeling that you do so much and work so hard that you deserve a little something extra. Or maybe you deserve a certain respite from the moral standards you would place on others. Lots of church planters end up drinking too much or dealing with pornography because they are at the top of the leadership paradigm with no one to hold them accountable. Find elders from a sending church or other church planters to help you out in this way.

Protection for Your Soul

More important than delivering a great sermon to your people is becoming a great man for your people. Bishop Quayle says, “Preaching is not the art of making a sermon and delivering it. Preaching is the art of making a preacher and delivering him.” That doesn’t happen without help. Your church plant will be an agent of sanctification. The Lord will use it to refine you, break you, and put you back together. Accountability protects you from being disqualified in the process. Having a safe place to be held accountable is protection for your soul. It’s like holding a shield out in front of your character.

For our staff we use accountability forms that are filled out weekly (most weeks). Our staff knows that they will not be fired for anything they write down on that form. If you confess struggles and sin, then you will be protected and restored. If you get busted, then you will be removed and restored. Build a culture of confession and restoration for you and your team.

To be continued.

Vintage Church:

In this book, Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears discuss the essentials of what it means to be a biblical church. Find out more.