Monday, February 4, 2008

Change

This weekend will be the first time since the winter of 2001 that I have not gone to a M.S. Winter Camp. All to Forest Home except in 2005 I went to Pine Summit... I inherited that camp from the previous M.S. Pastor... I quickly corrected that the following year.

I am very excited about this big transition that God is leading me to but at the same time I am sad and will truly miss investing full time into students.

March 2nd is my final day on staff at FBC Ventura. With Damon and I moving on, that's a 71% turnover rate of Pastors in 2 1/3 years... the numbers clearly speak for themselves. When you intentionally cling to no specific strategy an organization becomes schizophrenic and you get large turnover numbers because no one is called to be part of a schizophrenic organization long term especially when your business is handling the most dangerous substance known to man... the gospel message.

My goal is to keep RPCC focused! That's my number one strength on 'strengthsfinder' and I'm excited and up for the challenge. (That's why the last 3.5 years almost drove me to the funny farm!)

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm posting a comment because nobody reads my blog. I'm a sad, sad blogger who really needs to get a life. :(

john alan turner said...

you have a friend in georgia who reads your blog -- when you actually post something!

Anonymous said...

Hey James,
I wonder if you really think this a respectful way to leave a church? Does bad mouthing it really do anything for you or the people in it. I mean we are talking about people who have supported you in the last 3.5 years. People who came over and moved you when your house flooded. People who are going to be supporting you when you leave to plant a new church. I'm just wondering? Maybe after this you could blog on how your not really talking about the people at the church, but wouldn't that really be a mistake to say. I mean isn't it the people who make the church?

James said...

Anonymous: "Bad mouthing people"? Where... who??? :) I have commented on a violation of a principle "no specific [macro] stratagy"... this violation is no secret to the current leadership of the church. That's why our current pastor is passionate about one simple strategy (3D) and hiring staff who are in alignment with it and that's why the current elder board is fully supporting him.

I've never been more excited for the people of FBC than over the last 6 months because they have a leader with a clear vision (strategy) from God and a team to support that.

I have and will continue to pray that the folks at FBC would all run with the vision God has given its leadership... I pray the same thing for RPCC.

Thanks for your comment and would appreciate more dialogue!

Anonymous said...

The North American church is everywhere declining, it is aging; churches are closing their doors faster than we can plant new ones. While we have seen the rise of the megachurch, there are fewer in church then there were 20 years ago. As one leader put it: 20-30 year olds are not leaving the church, they have left. I believe that if the people who are most poised to change the direction of church--i.e. its leaders, whether, pastors, elders, deacons, lay leader etc. . .--do not make the necessary changes to remove the obstacles standing in the way of people who are trying to get to know God that God will hold current church leaders responsible for this generation's lostness. (Acts 20:26) While not unforgivable, an unwillingness to change resulting in a whole generations exit from the church is not a unforgivable sin, but it is certainly very serious. Because it flies in the face of Christ's very mission: to build a bridge to God. When we hold on to traditions that are obstacles to those coming to God that is a sin that this generation of leader's needs to repent of. When the mission is at stake you cannot move too fast to re-center it in the church.

James said...

Dear anonymous... I encourage you to contact me directly... how does remaining anonymous help?