Coaching Empowers!

Transforming Church
by Stanley Troyer, ACC

Many mainline churches in North America are experiencing decline. I used to think clarity of purpose, values and vision along with strategic plan for mission would bring churches out of decline and set them on a path to renewal and growth. While these changes are important and usually generate excitement and new energy in a group, they lead to what I now call "outer" change, that is change in ministry activities and programs.

Recently as a result of my ministry experience, I have come to believe deeper change is needed, a change of the heart and soul of the church. This deeper transformation is led by leaders who are engaged in the process of personal transformation. Unless leaders are experiencing the transforming presence of Christ in their lives, any attempts at leading change will result in some new "window dressings" but stop short of deep tranformation. While these changes are helpful, the church needs to become a transforming community where people are experiencing deep spiritual transformation of heart and soul.

Spiritual Transformation is allowing the presence of Christ to be formed in us for the glory of God, for the abundance of our own lives and for the sake of others. (Romans 12:1-2) This deep transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit in us as we share our lives in meaningful community with fellow persons who are on a journey of growing love with the Father through Christ.

However more than personal transformation of leaders and individual members is needed to become a transforming church, a spiritual community. Attention must also be given to the church as a organism, the living body of Christ. The soul and heart of the congregation needs attention. The congregation as a system must be transformed and renewed.

I am currently working with a church that has experienced significant decline in the recent past. I am attempting to pay attention to both peronsal and corporate transformation. It has been both invigorating and challenging at the same time. I have seen some good progress at the level of lay leadership in the church but realize there is much more needed. I would love to learn from your experience.

What have you learned about renewing the church? How do you worked to create a transforming church? Please leave a response.

Spiritual Discernment

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38 TNIV.

Greetings of peace and joy for the Christmas Season and throughout the New Year! May we like Mary seek to live in God’s will for us from a posture of humility. This simple prayer of Mary is a prayer of full surrender to the will of God. Jesus prayed similarly in the Garden when he said, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Luke 22:42 TNIV. Some refer to these as the prayer of indifference meaning I am indifferent to anything other than the will of God. In other words the only thing that really matters to me is discerning and following the will of God.

Sometimes before I can pray this prayer of indifference I must pray for the gift of indifference. So I pray, “Lord make me willing to be indifferent” or “Give me the gift of indifference”.

Often following the will of God goes against our human nature. That is my ego, sin nature or false self (mean the same) has desires and longings that incline me to go against the will of God. I am inclined to gratify my false self. Therefore God’s will feels undesirable because it goes against my sinful nature. When I listen to my soul or my true self, I long for God, his love and will for me. Deep inside me God’s will gives peace and seems right. Choosing to listen to my soul is essential in discerning the will of God.

My prayer for each of us is that we will create quiet space for God to enter into our being more and more so that “. . . you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2 TNIV. May God give you hope and courage through the miracle of Christmas for the New Year and may you be confident that Jesus who came to live among us will give us “hope and a future”. Jeremiah 29:11 TNIV

Copyright © 2011 Stanley J Troyer & CRM

Shake The Dust Off

I live with seasonal allergies. These allergies are irritated by dust especially from the earth. Even mowing the lawn triggers an allergic reaction of a "runny" nose and itching eyes.

How does dust affect you? Jesus told his disciples to get rid of dust.

Jesus Teaching

8"These were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff-no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9Wear sandals but not an extra shirt. 10Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them." Mark 6:8-11 TNIV Emphasis added.

What is this dust Jesus is speaking of? What does it mean to shake the dust off?

Jesus teaching about dust is given to his disciples as he sends them out to do ministry. Shaking the dust off is to be done in response to "any place that will not welcome or listen to you".

Relational Dust

It seems that these instructions are to be applied when the disciples experience the hurt of rejection and nonacceptance from those they are ministering to. Jesus knew that rejection and relational pain would collect like dust in their soul unless rooted out by forgiveness. This dust would keep them tied to their past relational failures and choke out their ability to rest in God, to live and minister fully surrendered to God's will in the situation.

Shake Off

How do I shake off this dust? Confession, forgiveness and surrender are the remedies. Letting go and letting God is a familiar phrase. For me this is much easier said than practiced.

How do I move forward without carrying hurts from my past? Do I allow this dust to insulate me from intimate relationships now and in the future? Shaking off the dust means forgiving and confidently trusting the past and the future to God. Someone told me recently that it is important to prepare for the future but let go of anticipating the future.

Recently I was reminded of a broken relationship in my past. I continue to pray for healing of this relationship. Is there more I can do to restore this relationship? Probably, yet at the same time I need to release, let go, shake the dust off and move on.

Consider

Reread the scripture again and ask yourself:

1. What dust am I carrying from the past that God would like me to shake off?
2. What is the role of forgiveness and surrender in shaking off this dust?
3. Listen and write down anything you need to remember.

Remember

I believe "shaking off the dust" is how we keep bitterness from taking root in our hearts. See to...that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12:15 TNIV

Bitterness causes us to live in the past and the future but robs us of the joy of living in the moment-basking in God's love and forgiveness.

Copyright © 2011 Stanley J Troyer & CRM

Count The Cost

Some of the best things in life come with a price we must pay. Usually short-term benefits must be sacrificed to realize the long-term goal. In the summer of 1966 Marilyn and I began a term of service in Nigeria with the Teachers Abroad Program (TAP). Still in our first year of marriage, fresh out of college and full of idealism fueled by the Vietnam War, we chose to go to Nigeria leaving everything behind except what we could carry in our luggage and a fifty-five gallon drum. It was a life-changing experience and well worth every price we paid to serve in this way.

Past Issues "But don't begin until you count the cost."Jesus Luke 14:28 NLT

Jesus Teaching Jesus talked about counting the cost in Luke 14. He used the examples of someone planning to build a house and a king preparing to go to war against another king with an army twice the size of his own. Jesus said that if we do not count the cost or consider the price we will need to pay, we may give up when the short-term cost begins to confront us. Athletes Athletes in training know well the pain and suffering their bodies must go through to compete at their best. As their success increases, the level of sacrifice placed on their body increases as well. Consider When you want to realize a long term goal, carefully consider the cost required. Otherwise short-term prices may sabotage your long-term achievements. What long-term goals do you have that will be difficult to achieve? What are the prices you will need to pay? Who else in your circle of relationships will need to pay a price? Remember Count the cost before you 'start to build' or 'go to war'. Otherwise you may only 'lay the foundation' before you run out of money, or you may 'go to war' and throw up the flag of surrender before victory is achieved. May power of the Holy Spirit enable you to achieve amazing goals for the glory of God. Copyright © 2010 Stanley J Troyer & CRM Find more troyercoaching eNews articles here.

Rewire Your Brain

I am reprinting the following article about change by Dr. Keith E. Webb for this issue of my eNews. I hope you are challenged and blessed.

Your response is welcomed below!

Winston Churchill said, "To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often." I believe this is true.

Coaches help people change. Yet change is difficult. Our brains are wired to do what we've always done. We need to rewire them. That's the subject of this month's article.

Rewire Your Brain for Change

"You can't teach an old dog new tricks." We all know how difficult it is to change. We get set in our ways.

Neuroscientists used to explain our difficulty in learning "new tricks" by saying the brain didn't change during adulthood. Our brains, they thought, are wired to do what we've always done.

New research shows our brains can change. We can rewire them.
Your brain is like a circuit board with impulses shooting from neuron to neuron along pathways called synapses.

Let's try it. If I say "chocolate," what came to mind? "Yumm!" "Let's eat." "Where can I get some?" The thought of chocolate started in one neuron and shot across a synapse to your response neuron. Synapses are like muscles, the more you use them and the bigger they grow.

The trouble is our thinking forms ruts, like deep ruts in a road. When the synaptic pathway is well-formed it's difficult to respond is a different way. Like trying to steer a car out of ruts.

The solution, neuroscientists says, is to form new pathways and strengthen and enlarge those preferred thoughts. In other words, change your mind and literally grow your brain.

The Bible told us as much. The Greek word for repent means "to change one's mind." "Do not conform to any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2a).

"Stop It" Doesn't Work
When you focus on stopping doing something, you are still sending impulses along the old pathway, strengthening it further. The more you focus on that pathway, even negative attention, the stronger it grows. Thus, making change all the more difficult.

From... To...
Again, the Bible helps, look at the pattern of turning from something to something better: "You were taught,... to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds, and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Ephesians 4:22

The pattern is significant. Move from what you want to change, to how you want to be. The key is to focus on the new thought or behavior to strengthen that new neural pathway. Or as the Bible says, renew your mind.

3 Steps to Change and Grow Your Brain

1. Recognize: What thought or behavior would you like to change? What do you want to move from? What reasons do you have to change at all? Why change now?
2. Refocus: What would you like to change it to? Be specific. What would it look like? How will you know when you have achieved it?
3. Revalue: What benefits will you receive from the new? What will change? How will you feel? What will make this change worth it?

Change means renewing your mind: starting with making a decision to move from something, then focusing attention to a new way of being until that new way forms a strong pathway.

Copyright © 2010 Keith E. Webb & CRM

Dr. Keith E. Webb is a trainer and cross-cultural leadership coach helping non-profit organizations, teams, and individuals multiply their cross-cultural impact. Find more free articles at http://www.CreativeResultsManagement.com.

Copyright © 2010 Stanley J Troyer & CRM

Leaving The Crowd At The Door

Recall a recent demanding time in your life or ministry.

How did it change your behavior?

Pressure to perform can cause us to rely on our abilities and skills rather than on God.

In verse 33 below note Jesus early success in ministry.

That evening at sunset, many sick and demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. 33And a huge crowd of people from all over Capernaum gathered outside the door to watch. 34So Jesus healed great numbers of sick people who had many different kinds of diseases, and he ordered many demons to come out of their victims. But because they knew who he was, he refused to allow the demons to speak. Mark 1:32-34 NLT (Emphasis mine)

Now read the rest of the story.

35The next morning Jesus awoke long before daybreak and went out alone into the wilderness to pray. 36Later Simon and the others went out to find him. 37They said, “Everyone is asking for you.” 38But he replied, “We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too, because that is why I came.” 39So he traveled throughout the region of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and expelling demons from many people. Mark 1:35-39 NLT

Imagine you are Simon and answer the following questions (Please journal your answers):

• After the evening of Jesus’ successful ministry what are you expecting from Jesus tomorrow?

• What are some of the reasons you go looking for Jesus?

• After you found Jesus praying alone in the wilderness what would you have said or asked him?

• How did Jesus deal with “the crowd at the door”?

Jesus responds to a very successful ministry event very differently than most of us do. When I’m needed and “Everyone is asking...” I am easily seduced into working to satisfy the needs of people seeking my help especially when my efforts seem to bring good results.

After Jesus has been very successful in ministry he rises very early the next morning and goes out into the wilderness to be alone with the Father and pray. He wants to hear God’s instructions for this day. After spending time in prayer he knows he must leave the “crowd at the door” and go preach in other towns.

I’m sure Peter thought Jesus should stay and continue the great ministry of last evening. It does not make sense to leave the crowds that had already gathered for another time of healing and deliverance. The crowds were ready for more of last evenings miraculous ministry.

How do you deal with the “crowd at the door”? Do you feel compelled to respond to those seeking your help? Do requests for help give you a sense of importance and significance? Does it gratify your need to be needed? Do you kick into the performance mode and accelerate your “doing” without listening to God for direction?

My true significance is found in the cross of Christ, in receiving the love of God more fully. Performance shifts me from relying on God for my fulfillment to exercising my gifts and abilities to receive the accolades of the “crowd at the door.”

Effective “doing” or ministry flows out of “being” or my relationship with God. My deepest need is for God’s love not the applause of people. I must be clear about my focus otherwise I will “crash and burn” pursuing God’s calling. Is this what Jesus meant when he said, “And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process?” Matthew 16:26 NLT

Read the passage again. Take at least ten minutes and talk to God about your struggle to pray when the crowd is at the door. Reflect and journal your answers to the following questions:

• How does “the crowd at the door” affect your time with God?

• How do you make time for prayer when the demands of ministry press in?

• What is God saying to you about how you should respond “to the crowd at the door?”

• What is your main focus?

• What is the deepest longing of your heart?

• What changes is Jesus asking you to make?

• What do you need to eliminate?

• What do you need to do more of?

• What do you need to do differently?

Increasingly I am committed to focusing more of my energy and effort on intimacy with God. This begins by making time to be with God so that God’s love is received deep into my heart, mind and soul.