John Sweetman
The very sound of the word "perseverance" feels old-fashioned and boring. These are times of change and freedom. We grasp new opportunities and move on quickly. "Persevering" might mean that you're stuck with the out-of-date and doomed. Why persevere when things get tough or new openings beckon?

I must admit that in the past we may have been prone to flogging dead horses. As a leader, it's just as important to decide what you're not going to do, as to decide what you are going to do. There will always be more opportunities than time and energy will allow. So sometimes you have to say "No." Sometimes you have to move on.

Paul was a good example of this. He was a church planter. He would evangelise an area, plant a church, and then head off to the next town. He didn't hang around too long. Planting was his calling. He was always looking for new opportunities. Sometimes he even moved on in the middle of effective ministry (eg. 2 Cor. 2:12-13).

Jesus was the same. He sacrificially gave himself to people, but there were limits. At times he dismissed the crowd (eg. Matt. 14:22) and on at least one occasion he avoided involvement altogether (John 2:24), despite peoples' interest.

So I'm not trying to push you to tie yourself down forever to a particular ministry. There are times to say, "No." There are times to move on. There are times when you've done enough.

But if short bursts are your pattern, if your enthusiasm and commitment quickly wane, then you probably lack perseverance. This is a dangerous flaw for a Christian leader because it means that you will not develop character. Listen to what Paul says, "We know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope" (Rom. 5:3-4). It's persevering when things are tough that produces strong Christian character (a must for a Christian leader).

I'm going to persevere on this one. Next email I want to share some biblical ideas on how to hang in there when the going gets tough.

John

Christianity Today has re-launched their BUILDING CHURCH LEADERS site. On it they recommend a number of resources for all types of church/ministry/leadership issues.

Check out their recommendations here.

This week our leader profile sees us connect with Chris Mundy who is the chaplain at Albany Creek State High.

Chaplaincy in state schools started around 15 years ago as a way of providing extra support to students and a Christian presence in schools. It grew by around 15% per year until 2007, when the federal government announced a national school chaplaincy program in which some funds would be provided to put chaplains in schools. However, chaplains largely still need to rely on church and community donations to survive.

What have you seen God do?
What God does varies a lot. Sometimes he grabs a hold of student and they feel guided to head in his direction. For others it's the grace to survive another day coping with depression, a drug problem, death or family breakdown. For others it's a burning passion to help others. And for others it's a prompting to keep asking the big questions of life. And people see God at work in my dealings with them too (which is sometimes very surprising!).

What is something that has worked and something that hasn't worked?
What definitely worked was getting involved in local community projects. Networking with local politicians, police and community groups enabled me to build up enough credibility to get a lot of things happening and to identify what needs were out there. Radical Christians don't tend to work in the education system – whether they are radically fundamentalist or liberal. Any type of pushing is normally seen as a threat by most people. It's always best to kick back and let the light shine through your actions and then people are drawn to God that way.

What challenges lie ahead?
The National chaplaincy program will bring its challenges – some groups don't want Chaplains in schools and are quite vocal about it. There's also the challenge of finding an extra 200 chaplains over the next 6mths to fill positions and admin staff to support these positions. And also we need to let the community know that we still need financial support because government funds don't cover everything. Locally the challenge is keeping local churches involved and working together, dealing with new Education policies that affect chaplaincy and keeping funds up high enough to pay my wage. Daily challenges revolve around working with the pain of families and bringing the hope of Christ to their situations.

What have you learned in this ministry?
That only God has all the answers. That we can't do his job for him. Also that leading people towards Christ is just as important as leading people to Christ. I've also learned that serving others is often the most powerful declaration of God's goodness to people. But I've also learned that sometimes Christians can be too comfortable and uninvolved in the world around them. I've seen God more at work in people who aren’t Christians than in those who are.

Other Comments?
We're always looking for suitable volunteers to help out and hang out with students. We always need your prayers. Financial support is tax deductible and you can support Chaplains by contacting your local school Chaplain or checking out www.suqld.org.au . Check out my website at www.chaplainchris.com

John Sweetman

Last email I suggested that every leader has a trust account with each follower. It's like a bank account where you have a certain account balance and you make deposits and withdrawals. When a leader's trust account balance gets low, followers will no longer trust the leader to lead them. They may withdraw from the leader or even attack the leader.

I spoke, last email, about how to make deposits in your trust account. This email I want to talk about the withdrawals that you make from your trust account.

Causing Withdrawals

As a leader, you must sometimes make calls or do things that will reduce trust. This is inevitable. If possible, make sure that you trust account balance is strong when you do this.  Here’s how to withdraw from your trust account:

1. Bring change. Some people don't like change and some are disadvantaged by change. Any major change that you champion will deplete trust in some circles.
2. Take a stand on an issue. There are certain matters on which you have to take a stand. Whenever you take a stand you will gain trust in some circles and lose it in others. If you find yourself taking a major stand on almost every issue, you will quickly lose trust with most people.
3. Disagree with people. Everyone has an opinion and sometimes their priorities will be different from yours. When you disagree over what is important or what should be done, you will lose some trust.
4. Fail in a ministry program. Disappoint people. No matter how hard you try and how long you pray, some things don't work. The loss of trust at these times will depend on the impact of the failure and whether you are prepared to admit that your plans haven't worked.
5. Lose vision. When people feel that you are no longer calling them to a future that will make a Kingdom difference, some will slowly lose trust in your leadership.
6. Fail in character. Dishonesty, lack of integrity, losing your temper, pride, sexual failure, gossip, etc., all produce withdrawals in your trust account. Some character flaws may mean that recovery of trust is impossible with your team.

It would be nice to think that our trust account could just keep on growing without any withdrawals, but this is impossible. Sometimes the withdrawals are a result of our personal brokenness and sometimes they're a result of our effective leadership. If you think you can pastor without trust withdrawals, you need to study the leadership of Jesus.

But trust is vital for spiritual leadership. People who do not trust, will not follow. Keep on making those deposits, knowing that withdrawals are on the horizon.

John Sweetman

John Sweetman

Every leader has a trust account with each follower. It's like a bank account where you have a certain account balance and you make deposits and withdrawals. When a leader's trust account balance gets low, followers will no longer trust the leader to lead them. They may withdraw from the leader or even attack the leader. So it's important, as a leader, to know how your trust account balance stands.

Some time ago a pastor came to me in disbelief. He thought that things were going really well in his church, but to his complete surprise, the church did not extend his call. It was such a shock to him. Obviously he was completely unaware that his trust account was running very low. So how do you make deposits and what causes withdrawals? Let me briefly share a few ideas on making deposits. Next week I will look at what causes withdrawals of trust.

Making Deposits

1. Love and serve those you lead. When they see that you really care about them, they will trust you more.
2. Listen to those you lead. You don't have to agree with everyone, but people will trust more when they feel that their opinion is being considered. Listen to criticism and make changes when needed. Don't be defensive.
3. Live with integrity. Be honest and real. Share your life. Admit your failures. Show that you can change. Let your heart for God show.
4. Succeed. There's nothing like a few ministry successes to build trust. Of course, success comes from God, so listen to Him and believe.
5. Work hard. Be reliable. Keep your promises and fulfill your commitments. Show that you can be counted on.
6. Hang in there. Trust builds over time. Show that you're prepared for the long haul. Don’t give up easily.

There will come a time when withdrawals from your trust account will be inevitable, so make deposits while you can. Of course, each person you lead will have a different level of trust in you.

How's your trust account at the moment? What are you doing to increase it this week?

John Sweetman