Get Out Of The Church

 

Yes...I've been away for a few years but I had to put blogging on the back burner for awhile so here I go...

 

This is a word to my fellow pastors and ministry leaders though in reality, any believer in Christ could model this in their lives to reach more people for the Kingdom of God.

 

Pastors...can I encourage you to NOT think of your role as shepherd and leader to strictly ministry or "spiritual" things? What are you good at that you can help others with? What is a passion of yours that you can share with others?

For me, I enjoy dabbling in some MINOR website design and "tech/online" stuff. There are two business owners in our church that I have come alongside to help them with some website matters. I assure you...for them, it is monumental because it helps them financially AND they are given opportunities to reach people for Jesus by praying with them, talking about how God impacts them and their client base receives the love of Jesus whether they realize it or not.

Youth football has been part of our family activities since my son started flag football in second grade; he will be a senior next year. Needless to say, our family knows our way around football from a fan, coaching and recently, an announcer standpoint. Parents, players, league members, fans have at one time another been around Jesus by being around me. I've spoke with moms raising boys on their own about my influence in their son's life. People have asked questions of faith or even walked in to church services because they knew me from a football field FIRST then knew me as a pastor.

 

Hebrews 13:16 (esv) Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. 

 

Philippians 2:4 (esv) Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Pastor, let me leave you with this thought; If your ministry ONLY happens in church, YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG!!!

#ThinkOutsideTheBox #PreachJesusLovePeopleBeReal #GetOutOfTheChruch

You Never Know...But God Does!

“You Never Know”, how many times do we use that phrase?  It is used so often by so many people for various reasons.  I have been known to say it myself and you likely clicked on because you have used the phrase recently and perhaps, even today.  Most of the time when we use that phrase we do so in an attempt not hold ourself to something or a situation we find ourself in.  One example that comes to mind is, “Do you really think the situation can get any worse?”...followed by a “You never know.” We say that because there is a bit of fear or worry that it could get worse but we say that to ease our minds.

God will only clue us in on so much but we should remember that what we may never know, he already knows.  Unfortunately, we are sometimes our own worst critic and count ourselves out too often.  I am thankful for the truth in 1 John 3:20 (nasb) “We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.”  God knows all things.  Just rest in that today and the next time you admit that “You Never Know.”

Take Some Risks

Some people know the details of this post well, some don't but I believe you will get a sense of what has happened.  When as a first time lead pastor you experience tremendous growth in a church and think it's the right time to expand so you take some steps forward in the process, only to realize it wasn't the right time, well, IT STINKS.  That was a risk I took almost 2 years ago when incredible things were happening at Velocity Church and we were running out of space.  With 100% board support (because no one said no) and 100% church support (because no one said no), we began the process of a building expansion.  Long story short, we got some concept drawings done, we didn't go in any debt, no finances were improperly handled and we never broke ground but I did make one VERY COSTLY mistake.  I got focused on planning a project and forgot about pastoring people.  As time passed...it blew up.  I was convicted of using the project for self validation and got prideful.  God wasn't going to allow that to happen.  When a church you pastor, ministry you lead or company you run sees tremendous growth in a short time, it's fun and you really enjoy it. However, if things don't move forward correctly then you need to get ready for chaos to ensue, know that people will question YOU (not what you did), and you will likely see  your "dreams" or "success"  crash HARD.  For me, I handled some things wrong.  I admitted that publicly and repented before God and the church I lead.  I'm sure I hurt some people in the process.  MANY people left the church because well, their pastor messed up.  If you're reading this and you attend a church, don't expect perfection from your pastor.  Extend the same grace to them they do to you time and time again.

For many people, they ask what's the big deal, Bill? You always take risks. They would be right because I jumped out of a perfectly good plane in 2015 and had an incredible skydiving experience.  I am that guy that will do about anything once that isn't illegal and doesn't cross my spiritual or moral convictions.  Well, since last December, I haven't been that risk taker. As a matter of fact, I have begun to put up some guards. Some of those guards are ok...but most were put up out of selfishness and hurts. Hurts that shouldn't really be hurts at all.  I guess I have played it "safe" since December.  I have kept some people at a distance. I have neglected to provide leadership at times. I've been hesitant to allow people to help me with ministry because of a fear they may leave me high and dry.

I had lunch with a good friend and mentor a few weeks ago.  He was concerned for me.  He has watched me pastor Velocity Church and has even been there to coach me through a few things.  He asked me a question that struck me hard.  He asked, "Have you taken any risks since everything went down?  I asked that because you didn't get where you got by playing things safe."   Only a few days later, God began to speak to me about the first risk I needed to take and man did I argue with him.  As God would have it, Sunday August 30th, I took my first ministry risk in a long time.  What was the risk...I shared VERY openly about the Struggle In My Own Mind the last 9 months as part of our #StrengthInTheStruggle series.  (You can catch the video here: http://www.wearevelocity.church/sermons/strength-in-the-struggle/ )  I was open about why I have been playing it safe.

The big risk came when I invited up people to pray for God's power to be released and I didn't "pre-select" them .  I simply called for people to come up who were willing to pray for others that had been Baptized in the Holy Spirit.  I am telling you...God moved in incredible ways.  I love Pentecost.  I love when the Gifts of the Spirit happen.  At the same time, I have seen some weird stuff in my 17 years as a Christian, so I have guarded against some of that happening at Velocity by being very picky about who and how we pray.  Don't get me wrong, I know God does some amazing things.  I also know people do some weird stuff and say they "Experienced The Holy Spirit", giving credit to The Holy Spirit.  Sorry but my Bible doesn't have the Holy Spirit acting a fool or being some weirdo.  He is powerful.  He is incredible.  He is full of compassion but He is no weirdo.

We had an incredible altar experience.  Yes I gave some instruction on how people needed to pray for people but asked that they pray with POWER and BELIEF.  God is doing something new in me and at Velocity Church.  I have been troubled and challenged by a lack of SIGNS not following me (Mark 16:15-20).  I thank GOD that on 4 separate occassion by 4 different men,  I was challenged with a simple principle.  Basically, "Christian, you can see those same signs happening in your life."  My cry, my focus, my prayer, my HEART now is that people begin coming to Velocity Church because of miracles, signs and wonders...NOT some nice worship experience, a good sermon or incredible kids stuff.  So, take it from me...Take Some Risks.

Stay Connected

I get it.  It is tough to do.  You get that email or text from a ministry colleague about an upcoming meeting and conference and you think to yourself, "If I was full time, I would go."  Let me tell you that those meetings or occasional conference may be what you need to get over the "funk" you are in.  If your "other job" gives you personal time, use it for that afternoon meeting with some pastors in your town/area.  You can't expect to stay healthy if you aren't staying connected with other like minded people.  It is good for you and I to attend those meetings so we don't fall prey to the lone ranger mentality that says it's just me and my church...I got this.  YOU DON'T.  If that is your thought, prepare for wreckage because it is coming.

Trust me, your spouse will understand if you need a couple nights to get recharged at that conference.  If they don't then I question how much they really supported you being a Bivocational pastor.  Perhaps your job will give you the time off but you don't earn paid time off.  No problem, just approach your church board about covering the salary you will miss out from that employer.  Your board should love you and want to see you taken care of.  Besides, you're the one making a major sacrifice for the church to not receive a full time salary.  I find it hard to believe that most churches couldn't find a couple hundred dollars to cover missed salary and conference registration for you.  It may require some creative approaches such as a special offering or shifting some funds but most churches can make it happen but they don't know because YOU haven't asked.

Personally, I am blessed that the church I serve covers my conference expenses.  They don't cover my missed salary from my sales job for conferences, instead they cover me for my MANDATORY 2 weeks vacation I now take.  Yes, the church board has mandated me take 2 weeks off a year and they value that so much that they make up my lost commission because if I don't sell, I don't get paid.  There were several things that lead to this understanding but it all started with a conversation.

Let me add one final thought.  If you don't value your own personal growth and connection with other pastors, will those people you minister to value their personal growth and connection with other believers?

Pastor The Moment...Not Just The People

DISCLAIMER: This post isn't about bivocatonal ministry but certainly will help you.

I have the privilege of pastoring an Assembly of God church to which our fellowship (denomination) has some deep Pentecostal roots.  We understand that the Gifts of the Spirit are still available for today's believer in Christ in order to encourage, build up and bring direction to the local body.  Full confession...our church doesn't experience these gifts in operation on a weekly basis.  Some would argue that we aren't "Spirit Led Enough."  To that point, I would steer the conversation by asking if the pastor of their "Super Spiritual" church is pastoring the moment and they would likely look at me with a very confused look.

At Velocity Church, on nearly every occasion that the gifts have been in operation, I Pastor The Moment (I say nearly just in case I have missed doing so once in 6 years).  What I mean is that I take a few moments and explain to the audience what they just heard or experienced.  It only takes a matter of minutes and usually ends with two tasks for those who aren't familiar with it.  The first is for them to go a read 1 Corinthians 12 & 14.  Go figure, right...I direct people to God's word in hopes He speaks to them through it.  The second is I encourage them to speak with me about the experience if they still have questions.

I really felt the need to share this after speaking with someone after service yesterday who had visited our church, along with another couple, for the last two weeks.  Guess what happened on their first visit last week...YEP...God showed up in an incredible way and gave the church a message in tongues, followed by an interpretation that encouraged our church so much and was right in line with the message of the day.  When that happened, I pastored the moment.  What they guy shared with me yesterday floored me.  For him, seeing the gifts at work during a service weren't new to him because he had attended Pentecostal churches in the past but he said that until his visit at Velocity Church, he had never heard a pastor do what I did.  He expressed there were many teachings and sermons on the Gifts of the Spirit, but he hadn't experienced a brief explanation after something had happened in the service.  Now, that doesn't mean I am some great pastor, only that I care a great deal that people experience Pentecost in a way that draws them closer to God and doesn't have them running for the doors.  It isn't unusual for that same experience to happen when someone first visits the church because there are many families still at Velocity Church and on their first visit, they experienced the moving of the Holy Spirit through the gifts He gives...and they are still around!!!  Not only are they still around, many have since experienced the Baptism in the Holy Spirit as a result of me pastoring the moment when they first walked through the doors.

To wrap this up, I want to share a few reasons why I believe this is so important for Spirit filled churches to do in the moment.  The first reason I would give is because Peter did.  Right after the Upper Room experience happened, Acts 2:14 begins telling us about how Peter pastored the moment. Secondly, if 1 Corinthians 14:22 tells us that tongues are a sign to the unbeliever, they have to be told what that sign means.  Imagine a new driver being handed the keys to a car.  They are going to see some signs on the road.  If they don't know what they mean,  they are going to cause some damage.  The same will happen in the church if we fail to tell people what is happening in the service.  Let me also add that 1 Corinthians 14:33 & 40 CLEARLY lay out the fact that God is about order, not chaos.  Explanation brings clarity.  Clarity brings order. Don't let things get away to the point it seems as if the circus has showed up.  You're not "quenching the Spirit"...you're ensuring order that is needed. Finally, I would say that I believe when we pastor the moment, it causes people to want to know more.  In their wanting to know more, they soon begin desiring those gifts, just as Paul instructed the early church to do in 1 Corinthians 14:1,12 & 39.  The Gifts of the Spirit are still FOR TODAY...but it is up to Pastors to "Pastor The Moment."

Systems vs Relationships

So, you're in bivocational ministry.  That likely means you are in smaller churches with less than 200 people.  If you are like me, you find yourself at conference after conference waiting for one word to come up..."systems".  Don't get me wrong, I know systems are necessary.  I am thankful for the brake system in my car and the alarm system at the church.  God gave us systems within our bodies to ensure they function the way they are intended to.  As necessary as the systems are, they don't tell the whole story.  

For us in smaller churches, we must first learn to build relationships before we ever begin to lock down systems.  If you leave that conference or that meeting and all you can focus is implementing new systems, you have missed something.  Think about some larger churches you know and what they do to make sure their systems work...they have small groups.  The small groups give opportunity outside of their Sunday mornings for people to connect with other people.  They are building relationships.  Trust me, that didn't happen overnight and yes, they messed it up time and time again but they stayed with it.  

Good systems don't flourish until great relationships become the focus.  For smaller churches, the "system" you need to focus on first is getting people to move from a guest to part of your church family.  Of course, you need to have plans or systems in place for the newcomers to your church but if that system doesn't happen with the intention of building relationships, then all you have become is a concierge service at the front door.  You can't expect to just find someone with a nice smile and a great personality to put at the front door and think it will turn in to people flooding your church because you're the "friendly church" in town.  At the same time, you can't have an incredible assimilation plan that leaves out people connecting with people.  It takes both relationships and systems working together to make your church a great fit for new people coming in.  Remember, the focus must be on building relationships that help lead to creating better systems.

Making An Impact vs Getting Out

As a bivocational pastor, I am asked many questions when it comes to what I do.  If you have done this for a year or longer, you know the questions.  Questions such as "How do you balance everything?", "Does your church have a problem with you not being at the office every day?" and the BIG ONE..."When do you hope to get out of bivocational ministry and be full-time?"  Many people are surprised that I don't CURRENTLY have a 5 or 10 year plan to get out, I simply want to make an impact.  Sure, in the beginning, it was a nice thought but soon it became more of passion rather than a plan.  I have told our board that when they feel there are funds in the budget to bring me on full-time, then that would be a great time to hire someone to help with the ministry of Velocity Church.

When I interviewed at Culligan, I told them I would expect to be back at the church within 2 1/2-3 years...that was nearly 4 1/2 years ago and I am so grateful.  There was a slight transition that took place in April of 2015 when I moved into sales but I was thankful because I realized God was continuing to allow me to walk into peoples homes long before they would ever walk in my office at church during the day.  I am thankful that I get to walk in numerous homes every week and make an impact on them.  No, I am not going in there to share the gospel of Jesus but I do hope to make an impact by the way I treat them.  When I am in meetings or hanging out with our service techs, I can be a voice that builds people up, not one that tears them down.  I don't walk in homes and announce I am a pastor but it has come up and opened the door for me to pray with people, encourage them and on occasion, invite them church.  Some have visited, many have not, few have stayed.  For all I know, there may be customers of mine that are sitting in a church in Knox or Richland County because their Culligan Man told them to find a church and get plugged in.

I don't use the platform of bivocational ministry to build Velocity Church.  If it happens in the process, GREAT. I do my best to use it to make an impact in the lives of people and do my part to build the Kingdom of God.  If you are in bivocational ministry and thinking more about going full-time than making an impact on people, you need to reevaluate some things.  If you can't honestly see yourself stepping in to bivocational ministry without knowing there's an end in sight and you may have to do it for many years to come, you probably shouldn't go down this road right now.

Benefits Of Bivocational Ministry

It can seem at times that being a bivocational pastor is such bummer.  If we're honest, we feel as if the enemy works overtime on making us feel like a second-class pastor.  As if we have missed the mark along the way.  But have you ever though about the benefits?  Just for a couple minutes, put aside the hurts and hurdles you have overcome or are dealing with at the moment. Here are a just a few things I feel are tremendous benefits to my family and the church I serve.  There are certainly more but if someone is looking at going into bivocational ministry and they were to ask me whey they should do it, these would be my top three.

1. PERSONAL FINANCIAL STABILITY:  Let's get real, ministry can have a very high turnover percentage.  Forget the stats that a Goggle search can show you.  We just know from experience in our churches, our towns and our fellowships/denominations that pastors leave ministry or leave churches and that will continue to happen. You and I would be hard-pressed to not name a church or pastor in our own community that has changed in the last year.  But for those that earn an income outside the church, if for whatever reason we need to leave or the church says we need to leave, we have some income that doesn't have us rushing the process to find the next church.  We can take the time we need to heal, let our kids finish school, or just take a time out from ministry because we still have a source of income.  Transition is hard enough.  To add a financial burden on that transition is like throwing fuel on an out of control fire.

2. INCREASED MINISTRY BUDGETS: In 2016, 30% of our general fund went to our ministry departments various needs, honorariums and rooms for guest speakers/missionaries and some leadership training.  What that means is that our leaders get the curriculum and training they need to their ministries better.  They don't have the strain of paying for some additional conferences or training material out of their own pocket.   When we have a guest speaker come in, we don't have to let them feel like we don't value what they do because we are able give them a generous honorarium and put them up in a nice hotel if their travel deems it necessary.  Considering the majority of my personal income comes from my "other job", it allows Velocity Church to support missions and our network (district) with an additional 15% of our general fund. Would that 45% of the general fund be nice as for a salary increase?  Of course, but it excites me that our church does what it does for so many other people whether it is in our own community or around the world.

3.  A DEEPER CONNECTION WITH PEOPLE: How many times in a sermon or teaching moment do pastors try and "relate" to what people are experiencing?  For a Bi-vocational pastor, we REALLY can relate. We know about those situations when the conversation turns a little inappropriate in the break room and we are looking for a way to escape.  We have likely dealt with the boss who gets under our skin and we do all we can to not "lose our salvation" or lose that job.  We have heard people talk about "the preacher" and faith under their breathe in a not so pleasant way.  So yeah, when we have those preaching or teaching moments when we encourage people to do the right thing and show the love of Jesus in those situations and so many more, the people connect with the fact that we know the struggle they have as well.  They appreciate that we are in the "real world", just like them.  I am certainly not taking anything away from the pastor that went to Bible School straight from high school, graduated and moved right into a church and has only known the role of a pastor and nothing else.  I have a number of friends in ministry that have gone this path and they are terrific people.  There is a great value for them in many ways but the reality is that they can only imagine what it must be like for the people in their audience when they use a work situation as an illustration.

So, stop beating yourself up if you are in bivocational ministry.  Besides, we're in good company with Paul and other New Testament individuals who worked outside the church to earn a living while spreading the the Gospel.  Be encouraged that God is using you in incredible ways to reach people that need Jesus in their life.

Focus on Four

Pastors have a tremendous amount of responsibility.  We face an endless list of things that need our attention from our families, our churches, our communities and our own personal needs.  At times, I find myself looking for the phrase, "He gave some to be jugglers" in Ephesians 4...but it's not there.  Whether we are working 40 hours a week or on the road for 20, we must find a way to balance all those things.  For me, this reality hit home in 2012 when I entered back into bivocational ministry after 5 years and 4 months.  We had a unique situation of coming to a church that had went through a season of difficulty and experienced quite a bit of decline in attendance and the availability of workers was scarce.  Don't get me wrong, the people that were there were willing to help in whatever way necessary.  I was super cautious of not wanting to put too much on them and so I did what most pastors did...I did much of it myself.

I was in deep.  I feared asking people to help around the church mostly because I had a fear that it wouldn't be done my way. Stupid, I know.  As if I was the only one who could shovel the sidewalks, set up ProPresenter, do my own graphics, find a Sunday morning video illustration, Blah, Blah, Blah.  The issue exploded on January 4, 2013 when I was overwhelmed and found myself at the brink of wanting to throw in the towel.  Thank God for amazing Network leadership.  John Musgrave, OMN Director of Church development, gave me some great advice.  He asked me to focus on four things that were things only I could do at that point.  He assured me that anything I was doing that didn't get picked up by someone else wasn't all that important.  He was spot on.  I began coming up with the list of those things I was doing and met with others who I felt could do it.  I knew if I let them know where I was, they would step up.  If not, it would probably be okay and wasn't vital to reaching the community for Christ.

Here are the four things I began to FOCUS on.  Not that other things don't have my attention or I am not ware of them, it's just that I realized if those "other things" don't get accomplished,  life would go on at Velocity Church.

1. The business of the church.  Working with the treasurer/book keeper week in and week out to ensure everything was paid up, taxes were covered and we locked down some incredible systems so the business of the church wouldn't hinder the ministry of the church.   I talked more about the business of the church in the October post, Be About The Business.

2.  New visitor/absentee follow-up.  I knew it was important for me to cover this.  For us, we know that people coming in and who have missed a couple Sunday's, need to hear from the pastor.  Our process isn't extensive but it is important.  In a church our size, the people are expecting to have decent access to my wife and I.  I knew if I delegated this concept to someone else, it would backfire.

3.  Membership.  I still believe in the commitment that comes with church membership.  We use Growth Track to aid us in moving new people along in their process at Velocity Church.  Moving new people from consumer to contributor is vital in ANY church.  It's not just doing a class...it's connecting with new people on a level where we learn about one another and they find their niche at Velocity

4.  Sunday Morning Preaching.  For a VERY long time, I had to focus on just a Sunday morning message.  Not videos, not fill in the blank notes, not bulletins or the occasional stage design.  People at Velocity didn't NEED those things.  They neeed a message that would challenge them in their faith and connect them to their creator.

For you, perhaps your four will be similar or much different.  Every situation is unique.  Your church needs you healthy and on your A-Game.  If you are playing "juggler" with things not vital to church health, it's a C-Game at best.  Be sure to talk with your board and leadership about making the necessary changes for you to shrink your list because it won't happen overnight and won't be effective without their help.

Bivocational Pastor...Get Some Rest!

If you follow this blog, you are confused right now.  If you don't follow this blog, you likely saw the last title and are thinking I have a split personality.  Here's what is happening.  I shared in October about finding something to do outside of ministry that breathes life into you, brings you joy or occupies your mind from ministry.  I stand behind that to this day.  Suddenly, you find me telling you to Get Some Rest...and I have good reason to because a lack of rest is why I haven't posted in 2 months.  I have had a problem for far too long of not taking some time off/rest and it caught up with me in a nasty way.  I came to Velocity Church in 2011 and have only taken one vacation in nearly 6 years.   It's dumb and I certainly don't recommend it.  A day off sounded more like a unicorn or Sasquatch because they just didn't seem to exist on a regular basis in my world.  I couldn't ever tell anyone what my day off was because if I wasn't at the church, I was out trying to sell something. I always said I would work it in but you likely know how that goes because something unexpected happens and there went any hopes of time off because if we really have to "work it in", it isn't all that important to us.

As I have previously mentioned, all but approximately 18 months of my time at Velocity Church has been bivocational.  For 2 1/2 years, I was working a 40 hour work week while pastoring.  The last 20 months, I have been doing sales.  Trust me...there is a difference from those two scenarios.  When I would work the 40 hours, I was done with work and ready to set my mind on things at the church at the end of the day.  Yes, that has it's own challenges that many pastors realize and live through every week.  In sales, it is much different from the view that I am never really "clocked-out" except on Sunday's and oh yeah, I have to preach on those days.  For so long now, my mind has typically been in one of two places...Sales or Pastoring.  Unless of course I was at football as I shared in my previous post.  It seemed as if I never had a break from THINKING about "work."  Unfortunately, it caught up with me. 

There were several things that led up to this URGENT need for a Time Out.  Perhaps I can share how that went at another time.  It ranged from using a vision God gave for a building expansion to validate myself, trying to pastor the church I wanted rather than the church I have and focusing on planning a project rather than pastoring people.  I was in a BAD spot!!!  Sure, it all looked great on the outside but on the inside, I was a mess.  A close friend of mine asked me what my destructive behavior was. IT didn't take long to figure that out in that moment.   It wasn't cheating on my wife, doing drugs, hitting the bottle, gambling, ripping off the church, looking at pornography or whatever other destructive behavior I could of found myself in.  My destructive behavior was that I didn't care!  I didn't care about the needs of people in the church, how much office time I put in, how much I was putting into messages or Bible studies.  That same mentality trickled into my sales job as I found myself taking shortcuts, not making follow-up calls, not sending out letters, not engaging in sales meetings and dismissing possible leads.

On November 13, I announced to the church that I would be taking a 3 week sabbatical from ministry.  Leading up to that Sunday, I met with our church board and some key leaders to share with them what I was dealing with.  They were all in agreement that I needed the time off.  The first 2 weeks I didn't do anything ministry or church related but still ran sales calls.  The final week I was off from all things Velocity Church and Culligan Water.  A week of REAL REST and VALUABLE TIME OFF.  Just as I will share about the struggles and mindset I had leading up this need to take time off, I will also share about what I am planning to do in the future to make sure I don't travel down this road again.

If you are like me, you are thinking how could I possible afford to go somewhere.  I would challenge that and tell you that you can't afford NOT to.  Trust me, it is beneficial to get away geographically...that's why we spent our final week in Myrtle Beach.  I have a pdf of some incredibly affordable or FREE opportunities that range from cabins, Bed and Breakfast, retreat centers or campgrounds.

The link below is a list by Lifeway of some additional affordable retreats/vacation spots for pastors.

http://www.lifeway.com/pastors/retreats-and-getaways/

My wife and stayed at the Hampton Inn on this list in Myrtle Beach for our final week.  Our 4 nights cost us $266.  The first image is from our bed looking at the ocean.  The second image is us enjoying the view in the morning from the balcony. The only thing that separated the ocean from hotel was the hotel swimming pools and about 30 yards of sand. We are going back in April.

The reality is that in Exodus 20, it takes 4 verses to talk about the Sabbath Day or Rest. The other Commandments contain 1 verse on keeping God first, 3 verses on idolatry, 1 verse on misusing the Lord’s name, 1 verse on honoring your mother and father, 1 verse to not murder, 1 verse to not commit adultery, 1 verse to not steal,1 verse to not lie and 1 verse to not covet your neighbors stuff.  Here's my take.  The 4 verses on rest doesn't necessarily make it the most important BUT without the rest, we will struggle to keep the other 9.

Find time to rest. 

Control your calendar, don't let it control you.  

Don't let your diligence become disobedience.   

Bivocational Pastor...you need something else to do.

Stay with me!  As a bivocational pastor, it seems insane to add something else to your week from your job and your ministry.  It's only for a season but it will be last beyond that.  For me, I just wrapped up my 6th season of coaching youth football.  Does it take away from some stuff at the church, Yes.  Does it take away from the job I earn money from, Yep.  So, why do I do it?  Because it brings me a sense of joy and fulfillment.  For me, when I step on that practice field or game field, I'm not thinking about anything ministry related.  I admit to having a major problem when it comes to taking time off or "resting" from ministry.  It's not something I'm good at.  I'm not talking about just physically going to the office or holding meetings but shutting off my mind (just ask my wife).  So, yeah, a typical week of football consumes approximately 8 hours of practice time, game time, roster adjustment, play changes, etc.  BUT...that is 8 hours that I am not thinking ministry stuff.  

For me, coaching is a "getaway" from ministry.  However, none of this works if not for the support of Velocity Church and my family.  I have been blessed with an understanding board and ready to help leaders that allow me 3 months to reach out to other families in our community  For them, they are ok with the reduction in office hours and the frequent guest speakers.  From August through yesterday, I had 5 Sunday's that I did not have to prepare for.  The church understand how much of a passion for football I have.  They understand the need for their pastor to be involved in the community.  Coaching allows those two things to come together.  The BIG difference maker is that they don't expect me to do all the coaching on top of preaching every Sunday.  For my family, we do as much of it together as we can.  From time to time, my daughters will be water girls for the team, my son will help run chains and my wife is always ringing that ridiculous cowbell in the stands, lol.  We all know that during football season, dinner is gonna be late and Dad is gonna yell alot (on the field of course) but they know that even though my schedule is busy, my mind isn't occupied by more ministry stuff.

I'm not telling you to go out and start coaching...especially if you don't know anything sports, haha.  I am encouraging you to find something away from your church to be involved with that brings joy and fulfillment to you and keeps your mind off the ministry.  When it can be in your community, that is even better as you will build relationships and meet people that you may not otherwise get to meet. So yes, it will take some work and vision casting from you to your church board and your congregation. Am I promising you that all of the sudden you will have people flooding your church when you add something else to your list? NOPE!!!  What I am promising is that when you find whatever that is and get the church and family support you need, you will be a better you and a better pastor.  It will take some trial and error of scheduling and re-assigning tasks to some leaders but remember, it all means your church is healthy.

Be About The Business

Well, it is another Monday morning.  For many pastors, it is the day they wake up and don't want to go to the office.  Sure, there are stats out there about how many want to leave the ministry on Mondays but who really knows how true those are.  Today, that is not where I am going. However, I do think many of those problems would be less concerning if pastors, especially those that are bivocational, did a better job of running the business of the church.  Oh No, I just lost you or you think I don't care about the ministry.  That isn't the case.  It is because of the business of the church that I can do a better job ministering to the people of the church and those in my community.

It was the advice of my presbyter, Kevin Crow (pastor of Harvest Ridge Church, North Ridgeville) where this mentality first surfaced.  Of course, this was new to me because at my two previous churches, I was in the role of a team pastor and wasn't very involved with the business of the church.  At the time, Kevin did not know me very well but today I would consider him a great friend and mentor.   What he did know was that I was a 29 year old Lead Pastor taking his first church.  As a presbyter, he also knew some of the struggles Velocity Church had faced in the decade or so before I arrived...many things I did not know and quite frankly, didn't care to know.  Look, if God calls you to a church, he wants you to dream about the vision not dwell on the past.  Kevin said these words to me, "Bill, many churches fail because of good pastors and terrible business men."  At the time, I didn't really get it.  It didn't take long for me to realize what he meant. As I came to the church, I began to look at some of the policies and procedures of bookkeeping, past tax practices, payroll practices, etc.  Oh, by the way, there wasn't a course at the Ohio School of Ministry on all of that.  And someone just felt, "This guy didn't even go to Bible college, what does he know?"  I know that if you don't heed this advice as I did, you will be out of ministry or at the very least, out of your church within 5 years.

Needless to say, I learned quickly how we needed to do business better with some help from our Ohio Ministry Network Resource Center (district office) leaders and their admins.  Within a year, the church had switched to a payroll system with W2's verses a 1099 or letter at the end of the year along with regular filing of our quarterly 941's (all for less than $200/year).  We did an overhaul on how expenses were paid and how deposits were recorded in Quickbooks.  We also purchased software to help us better track people's personal tithes throughout the year.  We developed a system for ministry leaders to PROPERLY be reimbursed for expenses they were racking up.  This hasn't been picture perfect for us, but we have done a good job of learning the right way to do things.  Since that time, we have even adjusted these systems as our church nears 100 people.

Here is a Facebook post of mine from March of 2015:  "HUGE VICTORY TODAY FOR Velocity Church!!! As a GROWING CHURCH (we don't use the word "small church") it is often left up to the pastor to act as Pastor, CEO, CPA, etc. all at the same time. Of course, most have people, as I do, that help out with these things but the reality is that most of the time...it is the Pastors butt on the line. Coming to #VelocityChurch as lead pastor, I knew very little about church law and finance and by no means am I an expert now. With help from churchlawandtax.com, The Ohio Ministry Network and Shelby Pratt, I have learned a few things along the way. Part of my natural DNA is a refusal to back down...from anyone or anything. Long story short, the IRS sent letter after letter explaining why we owed nearly $800 in payroll taxes from 4th qtr 2011. I knew if qtrs 1-3 were good, so was the 4th. They levied our bank account in December of last year. Once again...I sent them some more paperwork/documentation. Today, we got a check back for the amount they levied PLUS $4.48 in interest. If you are the pastor of a GROWING CHURCH and you do the payroll and taxes in house, don't just pay up. Swallow your pride, ask questions, get help, learn something and defend the gifts that come in for offering week after week!"  Side note, since this Facebook post, I have learned more about being a "small church" and it isn't all bad.  I will share more about that in a future post.

Just recently, the Secretary of State Office sent a letter informing us that we hadn't updated our articles of incorporation.  In case you don't know, that has to be done every 5 years. So, if you can't recall doing it since 2011, check their website as soon as you finish reading this. It was a quick phone call and a document reference that showed them I had filed it.  They called it a "clerical error."  

As I wrap this up, I want to remind you to keep copies of everything.  If you don't have a business or corporation folder for your church, start one.  Even for those emails and scans...keep some copies.  Perhaps you are blessed with people that "handle" all of these items for you.  If so, that is great! You need to encourage them and resource them as much as possible and at the same time, stay in the loop.  If not, you may find yourself in a legal battel you don't want to be in.  If you "Love people and preach Jesus" (advice from MY Pastor, John Dawson) and you determine to Be About The Business of the church, you will find Mondays a little less intimidating.  Perhaps that means you need to contact your denominations district or national offices for some help.  If you are an independent church pastor,  find a colleague in ministry to assist you. Pastor, at the end of the day whether you like it or not, you are running a business so don't let your church fail because you failed to care about the business of the church.

The Bivocational Pastor

Spoiler alert...I am a 34 year old bivocational pastor.  In case you don't know or need a reminder, a bivocational pastor works outside of the church or ministry they serve in order to supplement a shortage of salary that can't be provided from their church.  Chances are, you clicked this link because you are one. There could be many reasons for this but the main reason is that the pastor or staff pastor serve a smaller church, typically less than 150 people but sometimes, depending on the churches financial situation, could be a church up to 250 people.  This is my situation as pastor of Velocity Church in Mansfield, OH.  Velocity Church is a church that currently averages 75-85 people (including kids) on a Sunday morning.

Moving forward, I'm hoping to take a few minutes each week to encourage those currently in bivocational ministry or who may find themselves there someday.  Know this...being a bivocational pastor doesn't make you a second class pastor.  You and I experience things, see things and have insight to things that some full-time pastors could only dream to be part of.  At the same time, we experience struggles that at times, have our mouths watering to be in full-time ministry or perhaps wanting to throw in the towel every other Monday.

As for me, I have been in some form of pastoral ministry since 2005.  I'm not saying I know all there is to know about ministry...far from it.  I just hope that some of my experiences will help or encourage someone else. In 2005, my home church, New Hope Assembly of God in Lancaster, Ohio asked me to serve as youth pastor after being active in the church and youth ministry since 2000.  I did have a 10month break in there and someday, I may share that situation.  I was thrilled to accept the position while I was also working full-time outside  of the church while serving the students of New Hope. After getting credentialed with the Assemblies of God in 2007, I went to New Beginnings A/G in Tiffin to serve as full time youth pastor and was there until 2011.  In April of 2011, my family and I made the move to Mansfield.  Originally, I was full time but in August of 2012, made the move back to bivocational ministry and continue to do so to this day.

If you are keeping track, of my 11 years in pastoral ministry, all but 5 years and 4 months have been as a bivocational minister.  I wouldn't say this makes me an expert on the subject but it certainly makes me qualified considering I have done it as both a team pastor and a lead pastor.  No, I have never written a book, done an interview or been a conference speaker. Until now, I have never really blogged about it and yet I am sure there are some finer writers out there on the subject.  I have simply been that guy that has gutted it though hurdle after hurdle, year after year and am still active in ministry.

Be encouraged by Galatians 6:9 (ESV)  "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." You are doing good.  Lots of Good.  Keep it up! Don't give up!!!

So, in the posts to come, I will share some REAL thoughts, REAL struggles, REAL loses and REAL victories that I have experienced as a result of nearly 6 years in bivocational ministry.  I hope to give you insight of experiences that were good and not so good for me personally, my family or the church.

Waiting Room

Today, I am with my mom and nephew in Marion as my nephew awaits an oral surgery. As I sit here, I am thinking of the people that sit and wait for a procedure as they struggle with thoughts of fear of the unknown or thinking of all that can go wrong. They have the stress of how they will pay for it and what kind of restrictions they may have with foods to eat or time off from work and school. Then, I thought of my time on earth as I await Heaven. It is not with fear of whether or not I will make it or what the price will be. Jesus paid that price on a cross for me already. Because I accepted that price, while I am in the "Waiting Room" of heaven, I can live a life that looks forward with great anticipation of His second coming. What about you? How is your wait to get to Heaven going?

Philippians 3:20-21 NLT "But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.” 

Chill Out

It seems the closer we get to Christmas, the crazier some people get.  We are 15 days away and so much is happening.  If going from house to house to see family causes you to flip out on someone, why do you do it?  If making 60 dozen cookies causes you to stress eat, why do you do it?  If spending hundreds of dollars you don't have so your kids get the perfect gifts sends you into a whirlwind of worry, why do you do it?  If trying to prepare the perfect Christmas Eve candle light service has you wishing it was over already, why do you do it?  If the Christmas season brings you more panic than peace, something is wrong.  If this time of year causes you to be jumpy instead of joyful, something is wrong.  If you have fear over something going wrong rather than having fun, you missed it.   How about you just "Chill Out"!  This is supposed a time of year filled with kindness, love and lasting memories.  Take some today to evaluate what your next 15 days look like.  If you dread them, then you probably need to take some time for yourself and get alone with God.


Philippians 4:6-7 (ncv)  Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks. ⁷ And God’s peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

What's Next

As I am approaching 5 years as a lead pastor, and trying to navigate a building change or addition, I am constantly asking God,  "What's Next?". Many times, that question is followed up by the reality of me having no idea how to do what He has in mind. I constantly find myself in prayer with God and having conversations with mentors and friends that I value a great deal. I realized a long time ago that if I want to go very far in ministry, I need to surround myself with people who have taken a similar journey. Of course I know God has given me a vision for ministry and yet at the same time, He instructs us to seek advice. So, if you want to know what the next step is, you likely need to follow someone that has taken the step prior to you. 

Proverbs 19:20-21 (esv) Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future. Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.

Purpose First

We've all been there. You get an idea or thought and you act on it. You plan out so many things that you just know it's going to work how you planned. When you get into the thick of things, something happens you didn't plan for. You don't understand it and you may not even get why it happened. Sometimes, the end result seems to be better than what you planned. How about this? As you go through this week, seek out God's "Purpose First". You can still make the plans necessary to carry out what is ahead but when you seek God's purpose as the end result, it will save you from some unnecessary setbacks and possibly even some failures. 

“You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.”

Proverbs 19:21 NLT

Never Settle

I am stirred in my spirit today about settling. As I feel I am gaining traction as a lead pastor, I am being challenged to "Never Settle" for where Velocity Church is. Challenged to not be satisfied with the great things that have happened in Mansfield the last 4 1/2 years but to know that there is so much more to be done for the Kingdom of God. Velocity Church has been in a great season of growth and spiritual maturity as of late but I know that the Holy Spirit has so much more to accomplish through my leadership. 

What about you? Do you have that job you have always dreamed of?  Are your finances better than they have ever been?  Does your relationship with Jesus seem to be closer than ever?  All that is great but there is so much more. The cool thing about serving God is that there are no limitations; except the ones we set in place when we settle for where we are or for what God has done. Today, I challenge you to take a look at your spiritual walk and see where you have become comfortable or settled. Once you discover that, chase after God with all you have. Acknowledge and praise Him for all he has done but ask for His guidance as you move forward because He has so much He wants to accomplish through you!

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

Philippians 1:6 NLT

The Call

14 YEARS AGO TODAY, I RETURNED THE MOST IMPORTANT PHONE CALL OF MY LIFE!!!  It was the just the previous year on May 14, 2000 that I came to really know the incredible grace of God and was saved.  Unfortunately, I thought the "old way of life" was better for me and at this point 14 years ago, on May 6, 2001, I was as far from God as I had ever been.  It was early on a Sunday morning when my phone rang and I let go to voice mail.  Needless to say, the previous night was a rough one...remember, I had walked away from "The Call" God had on my life.  The voice mail came through so I figured that if they left a message, it must be important.  It was Amy and she had just got back to Lancaster after spending the previous day with some friends at King's Island and wondered if I would like to grab breakfast.  At this time, Amy didn't have the best life scenario going on and she was looking for something to do besides go to her apartment and deal with whatever came up there. 

Up to this point, Amy and I had only spoken a few times on the phone in addition to the casual conversations we would have at Crosssroads Center for Youth where she worked as a probation officer and I ran the open gym program.  Now, let it be known...I liked her...like REALLY LIKED HER but I didn't know how she felt about me.  We agreed to have her swing by my apartment in Millersport and we would grab breakfast and go from there.  The day consisted of breakfast at Bob Evans, a walk around Buckeye Lake, grabbing lunch to go at Rally's and going to Rising Park to eat, a walk up Mt. Pleasant, a trip to the watch 'The Mummy Returns', and then we went to my best friends house to play cards.

At the time, we had no idea what God had in store for us.  A couple months later, I dedicated my life back to God (after one crazy night with cops...maybe later I will write about it), Amy gets saved, we then get engaged on her birthday and on April 6, 2002, we were married...only 11months after that phone call.  I am so thankful for a God that had a plan for me, that included extending me grace to come back to Him after I had walked away and re-establish "The Call" he had placed on my life.  What is even cooler is that God used my stupidity and my ignorance when I walked away from him, to provide me with a wife that would answer "The Call" of ministry partner.

No matter where you are right now...if you feel that God has a plan for your life, whatever it is, will you answer "The Call?" Maybe you haven't yet come to know the saving grace of God...guess what, he is calling you to give your life to Him...just answer "The Call."

--Romans 11:29 (niv) for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable 
--Romans 10:13 (niv) for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

--Proverbs 16:3-4a (niv) Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. ⁴ The Lord works out everything to its proper end—

--Proverbs 16:9 (niv) In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

Digging In

It has been a pretty intense 13 months for Velocity Church from the end of 2012 until now.  In October of 2012, we were averaging 31 people on a Sunday morning.  November of this year, we had a record high average attendance of 62.  The November attendance record was the 5th monthly increase in a row.  There is a great deal of things that have happened since my last post but the best thing were some things that God dropped in my spirit about "Digging In."  Looking back...I'm so glad I listened to what he had to say.  Did I know at the time that God was about to bring people in to Velocity Church right and left? No! Did I feel that by staying on task and focused on God's plan, that some incredible things could happen? Absolutely! So, when things get tough and chaotic, just dig in and leave the results up to god.


Galatians 6:9 (nlt) So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.