Put your trust in God. He has this.
From the Pastor
Responsibility of Leadership
As a developing leader, it is important to remember the weight of responsibility leadership carries. Along with serving the people we lead, there is a duty to lead in such a way that Christ is glorified. As you lead and disciple others, it is up to you to raise them up as loving, Christ followers.
When Paul was writing his letter to the church in Corinth, he admonished them, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1) Paul was in a position to tell his disciples that they could think and act as he did, because Paul himself was an accurate representation of how Jesus thinks and acts. Paul’s character was so in line with the character of Christ that the believers in Corinth were able to see who Jesus was by knowing Paul.
Are you in a position to tell others that your character is so close to Jesus that by watching and following you, they would be able to know what Jesus would do?
Read the account of David in 1 Samuel 17-18. David appeared to just be a young shepherd, but turned out to be a great warrior.
David was such a great warrior that King Saul became jealous and tried to kill him. David was forced to flee for his life. Read 1 Samuel 22:1-2 to see what took place next.
The people who followed David were the dregs of society. The men who were in debt, who were distressed and discontented. These were not the military elite, great heroes and champions. They were average guys with nothing going for them. They were broken in spirit and broke financially. But they followed David and learned from him, even as they lived in caves.
What became of these men that followed David? Read 2 Samuel 23:8-39, 1 Chronicles 11:10-47 and 2 Samuel 21:18-22.
These broken men fleeing for their lives spent time with David and became great warriors and giant killers, just like David himself. David discipled these men, and they became like him. When you disciple people, you can teach what you know, but you will reproduce who you are.
David’s disciples when he was younger are some of the greatest warriors described in the Bible, but what about David’s latter years?
Read 2 Samuel 11.
David had been a mighty warrior, but instead of going to war, David stayed home sent his army out to do battle without him. David then commits adultery, and then plots to kill Uriah, (one of his own mighty men!) to try and hide his sin. Instead of a mighty warrior, David is now a plotting, murdering, adulturer.
How do the faults in David’s character affect those around him? Read 2 Samuel 13.
David’s sons did not learn to be great warriors, but instead echo the moral failings of their father. Amnon raped his sister and Absalom in turn murders him. In 2 Samuel 15, we see how Absalom even plots to take the kingdom from his father David.
You can teach what you know, but you will reproduce who you are.
Discipling others takes commitment and sacrifice; it takes determination and hard work. Jesus called his disciples and spent nearly every moment with them for 3 years. While praying in the garden before His arrest, Jesus spoke to the father about His disciples. Read John 17:6-26 to see the heart cry of Jesus for His disciples.
Read 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8.
Paul shares the heart of discipleship with the Thessalonians. We see Paul’s heart clearly in verse 8 when he says, “we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.”
Discipleship is more than just teaching about the gospel. Discipleship is even more than modeling the character of God. Discipleship is about sharing your life with others. Just as Jesus did with His disciples, living with them as He taught them about the kingdom of God. Just as Paul did when he traveled to the different cities of the early church, living with them and teaching them. Just as David did as he lived with and fought alongside his men.
In James 3:1-2, James says, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.”
As teachers and leaders, there is a responsibility to lead well. Are you willing to put yourself to a higher standard, to allow God to mold you into the man or woman of God you are called to be? Are you willing to run the race like Paul, casting aside anything that hinders you? Are you willing to take up the call of discipleship so you can say to others, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1)?
Take time to search your heart and ask God to reveal to you areas where you can continue to grow in order to be the ambassador for Jesus you are called to be. Ask yourself if you are willing and able to take on the responsibility of leadership. Pray about these questions and take on the challenge and responsibility of leadership and discipleship.
Leaders as Servants
The local church is vital to our growth as Christians. As fellow believers, we encourage one another and speak truth and life to each other as brothers and sisters. It is a joy to worship together and dig deep into God’s word as we grow in our knowledge of Him. Because of the local church, we have a connection to one another as a family, and as a family we have a responsibility for one another as well.
Knowing this, our participation in church should not be passive attendance. Being part of a church means more than filling a seat and hanging out with other members. It is more than giving tithes and offering. It is more than being an observer. Being part of a church requires us to be a blessing to others using our gifts, talents and abilities.
The local church is a home; it is a family. And just as with any other home or family, every person helps out and the family is better for it. In a church, our participation is more that building a home, it is building the kingdom of God.
Read Mark 10:35-45 and Matthew 23:11-12.
In the Kingdom of God, it is service towards others that makes us great. Jesus himself is the greatest model of servant leadership. He is almighty God, and yet came and served humanity.
Read John 13:1-20.
Jesus, clearly the leader and teacher of the disciples, took on the role of the lowest servant and served His disciples by washing their feet. In Biblical times, it was customary to regularly wash one’s feet as the dust and dirt of walking everywhere would quickly make feet dirty again even after bathing.
Take a moment and picture these ancient paths and roads. Throngs of people, carts and even animals constantly moving about, stirring up dust. If you have ever been around large animals like donkeys, horses and cows, I am sure you can imagine what else was generously scattered on these paths!
Now as one of the disciples, imagine your horror as you see your teacher, chosen Messiah and Son of God, begin to prepare to wash your feet. In preparing for the passover, you forgot to find a servant to wash everyone’s feet. Perhaps in the rush and excitement of it all, it simply slipped your mind. Now however, it is somehow so much worse than you could imagine. Jesus is getting down on his knees and washing your feet. You remember stepping in some unrecognizable nastiness earlier, and the most powerful person on earth is doing the dirtiest job possible in cleaning your feet. Just a few days earlier you watched as Lazarus rose from the dead as Jesus uttered three simple words (John 11:43), but here He is meticulously cleaning gunk from beneath your toenails.
Peter’s reaction makes so much sense now doesn’t it? If Jesus, being who He is could do such a thing, how much should we be willing to serve one another?
Read Philippians 2:5-11. Verse 5 in the NIV states, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:”
Have the same mindset; be like Jesus; be a servant.
God gives us gifts and talents so that we can be a blessing towards others. In Genesis 12, God calls Abram and says in verse 2, “And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.” Just as Abram was blessed to be a blessing, so too are we blessed to be a blessing.
Read Ephesians 4:11-16.
In another blog we will examine the roles of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher along with other gifts God gives us. For now however, why did God give us these gifts?
To equip the body, that is the church, for service and maturity.
As members of a local church, we have been given gifts and skills to further equip and grow our church for greater impact for the Kingdom of God. Look for ways you can help and serve. Be ready to fill needs as they arise. By being available to help out and give our time and skills we emulate Jesus Christ just as He gave of Himself.
As you continue to grow and in turn lead others, remember that great leaders are measured by their service. Being a leader does not mean exercising authority and power over others, but serving them. Just as Jesus served His disciples and gave His all so that we might have life and freedom from sin, remember that leadership does not grant power and privileges, but increased service.
Think of different areas you may be able to get involved and serve in a greater way in the church. Think of how you can use the gifts and skills God has blessed you with to be a blessing to the body. And I promise you, as you serve and become involved in a greater way, you will be blessed even more.
As you have the same mindset as Jesus and become a servant, you will be amazed at the ways God uses you to impact the church and the Kingdom of God.
No GPS!
I distinctly remember 35 years ago when Peg and I moved from Indiana to Minneapolis. This was quite an adventure for a couple of small town “Hoosiers!” We had no idea what life in the “big city” was going to be like. We had heard horror stories about the cold and snow and the traffic; were just not sure what we were getting ourselves into. I remember going to job interviews when I graduated from St. Thomas. I did not want to deal with the “unknown” on the day of the interview concerning where I was going, the location of the office buildings were, how long it would take to drive there, etc (remember this was pre-GPS days!). The job interview was enough stress! I did not want to deal with the other unknown factors at the same time. Quite often, the day before a job interview, I would drive to the area and locate the office building and walk to the office just to make sure I knew where I was going. I would even drive down at the same time of the interview so I would have an idea of how traffic was going to be. Perhaps you have needed to go someplace you have never been before, and you knew the route to take, but you still experienced some uncertainties because you have never been there before. You are not quite sure what you are going to find when you get there! Psalm 119:105 tells us that God’s word is a lamp to our feet, and a light to our path. God so often gives us direction and guidance for what is in front of us. Often the destination is not quite revealed. Walking in the woods at night with a flashlight, we find ourselves more concerned about what is within the next few steps, and only look far ahead a few times as we progress.
God does not want us to stay in our places of comfort. We wants us on the path, with His Word lighting our steps. I am not so sure that God even really has a destination for us, but wants simply to take us on a journey. We always seem to want to know where we are going. We as a culture are so task and performance oriented we feel such a need to know what the outcome will be. God takes delight in the journey. It seems to me that when I feel I finally understand something about God, He opens it up even deeper to me, and I feel like I have only begun to scratch the surface. I want to encourage you today. You may not understand enough for your comfort where God seems to be taking you, or what He is doing with New Life Church. Rather that being concerned about the “destination”, enjoy the journey! God is love. Love is not a place, it is life! May God bless you this month! Let His Word be a lamp to your feet!
Pastor Jay and Peg Snyder
New Pastor at New Life!
August 3, 2017
Dear New Life Church Family,
We are pleased and excited to announce to you that Rev. Ken Snyder has accepted the invitation to become the next Pastor of New Life Church! Ken comes to us with a degree from Bible School in Pensacola, Florida, 17 years of ministry experience in addition to his life-long history and commitment to New Life Church.
Several months ago, Ken came to our leadership team indicating that he felt God was calling him off the mission field to pastor New Life Church. We began discussions at that time and we look forward with anticipation towards what God has for the future. We believe Ken has a passion for the Lord with many strengths that will lead New Life Church into this next season.
Ken comes with experience and a heart for local outreach. In the church where Ken served in Penang, Malaysia he organized and led many local outreach events and opportunities in their community. He has a desire and passion to disciple and to see people become what God has for them.
Pastor Ken’s start date will be November 1. He returns to Malaysia in mid-September to finalize his logistics there and will return in order to start in November.
We appreciate your prayers and patience as we have progressed through this transition. We desire your continued prayers as we prepare for Ken and develop a leadership structure around him that will bring success to him and New Life Church.
If you have any questions, please contact any of our leadership team. Blessings to you all as we go through the remainder of this summer, and prepare for the fall season.
In the Father’s love,
Pastor Jay Snyder
Sr. Leader