Many of you know that this past Sunday (July 25) I celebrated 40 years of pastoral ministry.  In the providence of God I am reading 2 Corinthians 2 & 3.  The major question about 40 years is "How did you make it this far?"  I think anyone in any position be it church ministry or business, etc., asks the same question and there are probably many answers to the "How."

But for me the secret is found in the phrase "ministry of the Spirit." Paul is contrasting his ministry with teachers who were calling these believers to adopt the rules and regulations of the old covenant to be "truly spiritual."  Let's just say that temptation to have a structured definition of what being a Christian is or even what church ministry should look like did not pass away with Paul.  Legalism is a default mode for most of us, especially for those of us who like structure, who like to know what to expect.

But, we lose in the end and I'm willing to wager that many of my fellow ministers who quit do so because of the attempt to minister under "the written code" instead of the Spirit or are placed in situations where the "written code" is enforced.  The warning is "the written code kills, but the Spirit gives life (see 2 Corinthians 3:4-6)."  Good intentions, issues of morality, how to do true church, and many other good things but instead of ministering righteousness or the new covenant - we end up ministerng bondage - to others and ourselves.

I want to be a minister of the Spirit.  Whether it is one on one with someone, or to a LIFEGroup, or to a larger congregation.  How about you?  I know that has been THE reason for 40 years.  Not that I have been perfect but with Paul I say, my competency comes from God.

It seems recently that a lot of my conversations are about balance.  Whether it is healthy eating, exercise, use of time, even theology (God discussions) the discussion ends up with the need for balance.  I remember a piece of advice I was given as a kid, "All work and no play makes Jack/Jill a dull boy/girl." 

As I am thinking about LIFEGroups I've been drawn again to this concept about balance.  Too much of any aspect of our ministry in our small groups results in unbalance.  The danger is that this lack of balance causes us to mess up on God's purposes for us being together.  It is hard to say that too much worship or too much loving on one another in prayer and service, or too much reaching out to neighbors is wrong. But, unless there is a balance of all three - our worship ends up empty without any life transformation, our loving one another becomes "koinonitus" (it's all about us and no more disease). Outreach without the other two becomes manipulative and condemming without the Spirit empowerment and the life demonstration of a true community.

So, how am I doing as a leader of my small community?  I need to be more careful in the balance of our time in group and outside of our group meeting.  How about you?

Have you ever made a plan as a leader only to find at the time of implementation that it needed to be severely adapted or even abandoned?  All of us have been there!  But perhaps you have also created a plan and then watched God take and add His special touch and really do something way beyond your imagination.  You, as a leader, basically have your jaw on the ground in open wonder!

My father-in-law, Louis Glickert, belonged to a men's organization that held an annual "Advance."  He used to tease me that that we were "retreating" but that we should be "advancing."  So, his men's group held an Advance but it sure looked like a retreat!

When the disciples returned from one of their missions, Jesus invited them to come with him to a lonely place and rest awhile.  Mark says, "For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat." (Mark 6:31)  What happened, however, was that the people figured out where they were going and when they arrived, there was a crowd of 5000 men plus women and children waiting for them.  So much for that retreat!

Any plans we make have to be held with an open hand for the Chief Shepherd to change according to his wishes.  Most times He understands that we need to meet with Him and one another in a "lonely" place, away from the hustle of everyday life and work.  The purpose of a retreat, though, is to listen, re-tool, and refresh so that, indeed, we can advance.

As leaders, we need to remember not to "run on empty."  A retreat is a strategic way to refill our "tanks."  We need to be refreshed in spirit, soul, and body.  We need to get our lives back in sync with the Kingdom and its purposes.  While you may not be able to go away, take the time and go to a park, a bank of the river - some lonely place.  Take your Bible and a notepad and ask the Chief Shepherd what you need and receive.

As a missionary kid (MK) I have had several different responses to a call for involvement in world mission.  During my pre-teen through a good part of college, I was resistant to any call of God on my life for world missions.  The deadly part of that resistance was that it was inside.  On the outside, especially if anyone would ask me about my future, I would mumble something about being willing if God would call me but inside I basically said to God, don't ever ask me to do that.  God "put up" with that hypocrisy until we finally had it out as to "am I really Lord or not?" during my junior year in college.  While He never sent me permanently overseas my life in ministry might as well have happened there!  It has been and continues to be here at LAC a wonderful ride.

As an Alliance pastor, I have found that missions festival week to be a great time for a re-calling to a bigger mission than the local church and area I pastor.  I get to connect with people who are in distant places like Chile, France, and Burkina Faso!  And I get to partner with God in bringing the gospel there!  I'm writing this as an encouragement for you as you lead your LIFEGroup to not forget the larger picture and to foster the  attitude that "we get to participate . . . ."  Don't be hesitant to call your group to involvement in that mission.  Perhaps one of your members wants to go on a short term mission trip - what if your group helped them do it?  What would that do to the life of your small group?  Just a thought!

I'm reading a book that is titled, 8 Habits of Effective Small Group Leaders by Dave Early.  The sub-title is "Transforming Your Ministry Outside the Meeting" which is an idea I have been "chewing" on since David and Ty King talked about living in fellowship everyday (life).  One of the habits he talks about is having a dream for your LIFEGroup.

I think the dream is what you want your group to be.  It is really easy to focus on the meeting, who is there, who is not, what are we going to talk about tonight, etc. and get lost in the details.  Having a dream about what would be a great group helps keep us thinking about where we are going.  He also suggests that it keeps us going when things are discouraging.

Pieces of my dream include really deep relationships between our members.  That members would be in community not just when we meet but through out the weeks between meetings [no surprise there if you know me at all!].  Also, selfishly, my dream is to have a really good friend (besides Susan who is my really good friend!) who comes alonside me and shares the dream and helps lead with me.  That dream is becoming reality.

Another piece of the dream has to do with outreach.  I long to have someone become part of our LIFEGroup who is a seeker - some one who we are describing as a neighbor.  One of my favorite memories is a group that met in our home many years ago - one of our "churched" members suggested that we study 1 Corinthians, and a voice from the other side of the room said, "What's Corinthians?"  There is hardly anything better.  The questioner became a follower of Jesus about one year later at an Easter service!

I'm sure there will be other aspects to my dream for the LIFEGroup of Bliss.  What's your dream for your LIFEGroup?

Monthly LIFEGroup Briefing - this Wednesday, Feb. 17

following the River in FH 102, 103

• Presenting "The School of Prayer" (possible LIFEGroup curriculum)
• Announcing our new coaching structure
• Reservations for our LIFEGroup Leaders Retreat:  March 19 & 20
• bring your monthly Health Reports/deposit for reservation for retreat