Operation Christmas Child

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Last month I wrote about how the Leadership Board is seeking to move forward in our own maturity as leaders within the church. I wrote about the qualifications for Leadership Board members at Calvary, pointing to the sections of our constitution and by-laws that lay out those qualifications. And I also listed six essential leadership functions that are prescribed in Scripture. The six are: teaching biblical truth, modeling Christ-like behavior, maintaining doctrinal purity, disciplining unruly believers, overseeing financial matters, and praying for those who are ill. This month I would like to discuss modeling Christ-like behavior.

Looking to the Scriptures and the example of Paul, in his own life-on-life ministry, he used a twofold approach – modeling Christ’s likeness while at the same time providing verbal instruction. In 1 Thessalonians 2:10, Paul emphasized to the church at Thessalonica exactly how he, Silas, and Timothy lived their lives while among them:

You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous, and blameless we were among you who believed.

Paul later encouraged Timothy, calling him up to be a model of the Christ-like life:

Don’t let anyone look down on you  because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity. – 1 Timothy 4:12

This is the challenge before leaders in the church. We are called to be an example in all aspects of our lives, from our speech to our love

to our purity. We are to lead blameless lives. Only in seeking this with God’s help can leaders succeed in living blamelessly and maintaining a credible life witness. Note that this is more about character than particular gifts, abilities, or skills.

Leaders in the church are assaulted on many sides every day – from our own human sin nature to the culture of materialism, greed, and self-absorption around us. The media has covered many cases of church leaders who have failed to model a Christ-like life. These leaders can be forgiven and restored, but their credibility – and thus their ability to lead – is forever damaged. While none of us are
immune to failure, by holding each other accountable through living life together and staying close to the Lord, we have the best possible chance to succeed.

In service to Christ,

Kevin Zemanek
Leadership Board Chairman

By Kevin Zemanek, Chairman, Leadership Board

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

"The church is the black hole that sucks Christians out of society." That provocative statement was how Dan Moose, Director of Church Planting for the EFCA’s North Central District, led off the Cultivating a Culture of Outreach seminar held at Calvary on March 7. Interacting with the great turnout of 40 people in attendance, Dan facilitated three very engaging sessions: (1) Captured by God’s Mission, (2) Compelled by Christ’s Love, and (3) Spirit-Led and Empowered! Each session was biblically- based, causing us to consider our roles and responsibilities – and our underlying strength – as Christ’s ambassadors to the world. We were challenged to think about the culture  of our church and how we relate to the lost world: Are we an attracting (i.e., trying to get people to come to us) or a sending/go-to (i.e., meet people where they are at) kind of church? (Hint: we need a balance.) Do I have “pagan” friends who would call me in a crisis? Jesus was a friend of sinners (Luke 7:34).

In the second session Dan discussed our need to see people “eternally, not externally”: to look at their heart. He challenged us to see the lost – our neighbors, coworkers, family – as Christ saw them – …harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd (Matt. 9:36). Seeing lost people from Jesus’ perspective can be difficult because they can be “prickly”; also, we’re too busy or it is not politically correct to consider someone lost. And, there are risks and costs to us when we follow through, like the risk of rejection or being outside our comfort zone and the time it takes to build a relationship. But what are these costs compared to what our Savior paid for us? It is not our responsibility to save someone; that is a choice they must make for themselves. But as Christ’s ambassadors – authorized representatives living in a foreign land – it is our responsibility to ensure that they know  enough about our King and what He has done for them to decide if they want to change citizenship.  This seminar was insightful, thought-provoking, and practical. It fit well with Calvary’s desire to be outwardly focused and inwardly strong.

For the past two Leadership Board meetings, we have spent additional time discussing the list of strategic initiatives proposed by our Core Shepherding Team. We are excited to have a framework for our areas of focus to move forward. Church Planting and Paths of Discipleship are two of the five initiatives we want to develop soon. Another subject of leadership discussion has been our high attendance on Sundays. Our sanctuary is often 80 to 90+ percent full in the two morning services. Those of us who have been around awhile typically don’t mind sitting close to someone; however, guests are less likely to feel comfortable doing so. For those new to Calvary, this can be an intimidating worship experience. So, the Board, working with the Core Shepherding Team and pastoral staff, is considering options, none of which involve moving to a larger site. More on this subject as it develops.

Kevin Zemanek
Leadership Board Chairman