If you have ever flown, you may remember this as a part of the safety speech after the cabin door has been closed, “In the event of a decompression, an oxygen mask will automatically appear in front of you. To start the flow of oxygen, pull the mask toward you. Place it firmly over your nose and mouth, secure the elastic band behind your head, and breathe normally. Although the bag does not inflate, oxygen is flowing to the mask. If you are travelling with a child or someone who requires assistance, secure your mask on first, and then assist the other person.”

We are reminded to first take care of our own air mask and then help others with theirs. The reality is that if you have passed out from a lack of oxygen you will not be of any good to any one else around you. There is a part of this that goes against what we believe the Bible teaches about Jesus being first, other people being our second concern, and only then are we to think about ourselves. Being selfless instead of selfish is a big part of our Christian walk and we are commanded in Philippians to, “consider others as more important than youselves.”

There are some areas where you must take care of yourself first if you want to be of any help to others around you. You must protect your passion for the Lord and His purpose for your life. You must make sure you do not quench the Holy Spirit (I Thes. 5:19) by resisting what He wants to accomplish in your life. You must passionately pursue His presence and His purpose for you. No one else can do this for you and it requires a determination and desire to abide in Him. You cannot stay strong and faithful off of someone else’s faith and passion for long.

Here are some necessary things to protect your passion and determine your purpose.

First, guard your heart. Is there any unconfessed sin in your life? In order to maintain your passion you must not allow any sin to get comfortable and build a stronghold in your heart. It hardens our hearts and it hurts our relationship with Him. You must take personal responsibility for your own heart. You cannot blame it on the times, the devil, church members, or difficult circumstances. If you do not guard your own heart you will find it very difficult to help others with their hearts.

Second, keep your faith. Eph. 3:10 says, “Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us.” The focus of this verse is sometimes incorrectly placed upon what we can ask or think. The real focus is not on us at all but on “Him who is able.” Our faith is not in what we can accomplish but rather, what our God is able to do through us. It is up to you not to listen to the doubts and fears that attack our minds continually. It is up to you to keep your faith strong by believing His word over your present situation.

Third, remember who God is. Think and meditate upon His attributes and you will remember from Christian Doctrine 101 about the immutability of God. Remember that your circumstances change but God doesn’t. To imply that God changes would also imply that He needs to improve. There is no need and no room for improvement in God because He is already perfect. The reality is not only that God does not change but also that He cannot change! Why is that important? You must remind yourself continually that He cannot lie, He cannot break a promise, and He never makes a mistake.

Fourth, discover what His plans are for you. The place to discover His plans for you is in His presence. It has been said, “Never question in the dark what God showed you in the light.” It is easy in the midst of trials, difficulties, and challenges to begin questioning if we are where the Lord wants us to be. God’s plans for us should not be decided because of problems but because of the Lord’s direction in our lives. If you are not careful you will drift away from His calling and His direction because of the critics and the naysayers.

Fifth, abide in Him. You must schedule and protect your time alone with the Lord. No one else can do this for you and reading about other people’s intimacy with the Lord is not enough. You must experience for yourself. One of the meanings of the word abide is to stay overnight. In Draw the Circle, Mark Batterson says this about abiding, “Sometimes we need to press into the presence of God a little longer. And if we linger in His presence, God’s presence will linger on us.” Be careful that you are not so busy doing things for God that you have neglected time with God.

Sixth, don’t get discouraged. Yes, that is far easier said than done but it is possible if we take proper care of our spiritual health. Paul tells the church in Eph. 3:13, “So then I ask you not to be discouraged over my afflictions on your behalf, for they are your glory.” Paul is expressing to them that when he weighs his afflictions against the glory of God and the furtherance of the gospel it is a no-brainer. When we contemplate God’s glory it makes counting the cost an easy calculation. It can be difficult at times but it is well worth it for the cause of Christ.

Seventh, take personal responsibility for your attitude. We are to have the mind of Christ. Quit making excuses if your attitude is bad and encourage yourself in the Lord. You must make sure that your spiritual oxygen mask is on first before you help others with theirs!

Years ago this is the statement made by a very well known preacher, ”It takes three to thrive!” He encouraged you to be faithful to Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. There certainly is great wisdom and benefit to being faithful but church attendance does not guarantee spiritual maturity. We should not forsake Christian fellowship and there is not a better place to grow then in the company of other believers.  We need the word God, the Spirit of God, and the people of God (community) to thrive spiritually.

The three to thrive this article addresses our congregational worship, spiritual disciplines, and participating in a small group. These three dynamics are very important for continued spiritual growth to occur. Every church needs to think through the systems they have in place to encourage that these three are understood, available, and can be easily followed. When a follower of Christ is personally involved in all three of these it enables them to spiritually grow faster, stronger, and continuously.

First, understand the importance of Sunday worship. Jesus encouraged those interested in following Him to “Come and See!” The first four months of His ministry were allowing them to watch and observe if He was for real. Sunday morning is one of our best opportunities to invite people to come and see that God is real. What other time do you have where people will feel comfortable attending? There are many entry points to introduce people to the church family but many are not comfortable when connecting through a small group, Bible study, or a prayer meeting.

Do you gear the services more toward the churched or the unchurched? Usually, the message is for the believers to strengthen them. Unbelievers cannot truly worship but they can be invited to participate and it is a wonderful thing for them to watch believers worship. It is a big step for someone who does not know if they believe or not to enter our world on Sunday mornings. One pastor said, “Our theology is for the churched, termed for the unchurched.” This time is also a great opportunity for a gospel appeal to be offered!

Second, emphasize the necessity of daily spiritual disciplines. Most believers know they should read their Bibles and grow but they have never been shown how to do that or what that looks like. Has your church developed a plan that everyone can easily follow and participate in? If a new disciple wants to go deeper in the word of God how do they do that at your church? Is there someone who can show them how to study their Bible and grow spiritually? Corporate worship is important but without personal private worship the believer will not thrive!

Consider developing a plan where everyone in your church is reading the same daily scriptures and challenge them to journal. This builds an environment where everyone is discussing the same truths and asking similar questions. Publish a scripture reading schedule so everyone knows what passage they are to focus on each day. Teach them to approach the scriptures asking a couple of questions. What is God saying here? What does He want me to do about it?

Third, participate in a small group. These groups are an opportunity to share what you are studying and discuss it further. This is where relationships are built and accountability can be developed. When people are not connected to a small group they will not thrive spiritually and many times will eventually drift away from church. This is where they can be cared for the best by other believers on a very personal level. This is the place where they can love and be loved, serve and be served, know and be known, and celebrate and be celebrated (Bill Hybels).

Do you have a system in place to connect people to a small group? It is not enough to just announce it from the platform. Consider ways to sign people up, recruit people to different groups, and give public testimonies of how these groups have helped someone to grow and develop spiritually. People need to realize that the group quality is diminished when they are not faithful to their small groups. In The Disciple Making Pastor Bill Hull says, “When people get to know each other, needs are identified and met. It is vital to good care of people that the church provides such a vehicle.”

What if all three were connected to one another? Our church is having a six-week campaign on The Bible Questions by Hal Seed and it connects all three of these around the theme of “Shedding Light on the World’s Most Important Book.” The elements of the campaign are this:

1. The sermon on Sunday. The message is meant to hopefully make the Bible come alive and encourage people to want to read it more. The series enables the pastor to focus everyone on what they are to study and why. The messages are designed to prepare them for what they are going to be reading daily and what they will be discussing in small group.
2. The daily reading. The book The Bible Questions was made available to everyone so they could read daily about the word of God. For four weeks they read a short chapter each day Monday through Friday. There is then a passage of scripture to read and questions to answer. This will take the average person 12-15 minutes to complete.
3. Small Groups. Then the small groups come together to discuss what the pastor already preached and what they have read and studied during the week. The leader of the group is prepared to answer questions and lead the group into some deeper discussions on the content already covered!

Quoting Hal Seed from the book, “The more your brain has top-of-the-mind-awareness of God’s view of things, the less your heart will want to do the things that hurt you and other people.”

Healthy churches thrive because they have connected the dots of congregational worship, spiritual disciplines, and small groups!

The message of Acts 1:8 is clear, but sometimes we do not grasp the full magnitude of the moment in which it was delivered. The disciples certainly appeared to be very hopeful that maybe this was the time for the Kingdom to be ushered in triumphantly. Then, instead of that occurring, Jesus ascends back to heaven and they are given their marching orders. We “get it” to a degree but look a little deeper and think about the seismic shift that the great commission asked them to make in their focus.

All through the Old Testament the people of God focused on the city of God, Jerusalem. They travelled there for the festivals and this great city was where their king sat upon the throne. The temple was built there and the Ark of the Covenant rested there. It almost appears to be a huge magnet that draws everyone’s attention, time, and worship. Even the woman at the well said, “Yet you Jews say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem.” It was the center of Old Testament worship, sacrifice, and service to God.

Now, in Acts 1:8, Jesus is instructing them to go out of this one city, Jerusalem, and go into all the cities of the world with the gospel. This major shift of focus and energy was to be embraced by all of the disciples present that day, all of His followers through the centuries, and all of His disciples today. Each and every church does not have a mission as much as the mission of God has churches to carry out that mission. Luke 19:13 makes this clear, “Engage in business until I come back.”

The centrifugal mission of taking His kingdom message to every city was replacing the centripetal mission of bringing outsiders into an earthly city. Centripetal force pulls everything to the center and creates a momentum (think black hole) that constrains anything from moving outward. This helps us to better understand this question; “Is your church more inwardly focused than outwardly focused?” In Subversive Kingdom, Ed Stetzer says, “Spiritual growth and maturity should not lead us away from contact with unbelievers but rather right into the midst of them.”

A great exercise for your church would be to make two lists. The first list is where you should write down every ministry that is focused on people already in the church. The second list is where you then write down every ministry focused on who is not in church. You may be shocked to find out that quite often 90-95% of all church ministries are focused on who is already there. How could you shift the focus outward? How could you better challenge and train your people to live focused on those far from God?

Centrifugal force creates a momentum moving and directing everything outward from the center. It is the exact opposite from centripetal force but both can be of equal power. Every church must ask themselves which force is the primary focus of their ministry and how that reality aligns itself with the scriptures? In 7 Steps to Transform Your Church, Bill Hull says, “The traditional church is talking out of both sides of its mouth, giving a hearty ‘amen’ to the Great Commission and an entrenched ‘no’ to the changes required.”

We are kingdom soldiers who are establishing kingdom outposts behind enemy lines. The reality is that we cannot reduce the mission of God down to attending services, Bible studies, and enjoying each other’s fellowship. The scriptures remind us repeatedly that we cannot fulfill the Great Commission by getting together a couple of times a week, teaching our best Bible studies, singing our best songs, and preaching our best sermons. These are all vitally important and valuable but they are to ground us in our mission and focus us on sending capacity not seating capacity.

Ed Stetzer in Subversive Kingdom also says, “We’re not just opening the doors and hoping for a good turnout. We’re opening our lives to show off the glory of our Savior by the way we live together, serve together, and reach out in Jesus’ name together.” The kingdom of God is compared to yeast, which means we have to “mix it up” to be effective. We are also told to be salt, which requires contact with world for us to have an impact in their lives. We are also to be a light unto the world and light streaks away and shines everywhere in every situation.

In Matthew 5 in the Sermon on the Mount we are admonished by Jesus several times that “You have heard said but I say unto you….” One of those examples of having a kingdom impact is in verse 41, “And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two.” While there is much to say about the context of this passage, one truth is clear, we need to be willing to go do more, sacrifice more, and give more as we represent our king. One truth though is that if we willing to go the extra mile that gives us more time to tell the one we are traveling with about Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Healthy churches work diligently and intentionally at moving away from centripetal force to being a centrifugal force church. The healthiest churches take Luke 15 seriously where it speaks about the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. Healthy churches are focused on the core, the crowd, but also the community. Our church strives to express it this way, “We desire to be centered on God, committed to one another, and concerned about our community. We must resist the temptation to be focused on the first two while neglecting the third.”

In UTurn Church Kevin G. Harney says, “The gravitational pull of the church naturally pulls us inward, toward each other. If we are going to move outward toward those who are lost, it will take more energy than most of us dream.”

Once a baby is born, the first 20-30 minutes are crucial. This time is to make sure the baby is healthy and what steps might need to be taken to ensure their proper development. At one minute and at five minutes an Apgar assessment is performed that checks the heart rate, breathing, muscle tone, reflex response, and color. The newborn’s weight and measurements are taken and recorded. The baby is never more dependent upon others than when postnatal care is taking place.

When a person receives Christ as their Lord and Savior we need to consider how important the first 20-30 minutes are for them. All too often we celebrate, and we should, but we do not immediately begin to care for the infant in Christ. It is almost as if they are left to fend for themselves and we believe that they will just naturally grow and develop on their own. They are not ready to care for themselves and they need someone who will guide and help them at this crucial time.

There are two keys to spiritual growth.

• First, you must begin taking steps immediately.
• Second, you must continue to take steps constantly.

The first key is vitally important but what if you do not know what steps you should take? Yes, the individual believer is personally responsible for his or her own spiritual growth but we also are responsible to these new babes in Christ. We must be available to lead them on a path that will help them grow as quickly and smoothly as possible.

Paul makes this clear in Galatians 4:19, “My children, I am again suffering labor pains for you until Christ is formed in you.” Once someone takes the step to become a child of God we must then help him or her to grow and mature knowing that it does not occur just automatically. Consider the importance of postnatal care to the young believer. Someone must be ready to care for them in the areas they are unable to care for themselves by mapping out the next steps they need to take so they mature in the Lord.

What does postnatal care look like for the new believer?

1. Have a designated caregiver! The first steps for a new believer can usually be accomplished more effectively in a one on one relationship with a more mature believer. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every time someone made a public profession of faith that they were immediately introduced to a caregiver? The journey begins with someone who can help guide them in the next steps of following Christ. The caregiver begins to assess the new believer’s needs.
2. Relationships are immediately built and deepened. Titus 2 clearly shows us the importance of older men and women teaching and guiding the younger ones. This is not necessarily older in age but could also be older in their walk and maturity with Christ. Win Arn has said that a new attender needs six new relationships in the first six months for them to stay around; “Six to stick!” It probably must happen much faster in today’s world. The caregiver begins the steps toward strong relationships.
3. The discipleship process begins immediately by teaching them about the next steps they need to take in their spiritual journey. What does it mean to be born again? What is baptism and why is it important? Why should they be faithful to attend worship services weekly? What does it look like to read their bible daily and develop a prayer life? Consider all of the things you want the new believer to experience within the first month as a Christian and be prepared to show them the next steps after that.
4. You demonstrate to them that they are not on this journey alone. Sometimes they do not realize that help is available. If a mentor was assigned from day one of new birth then it would develop a culture where it is natural that every new believer has a caregiver until they can care for themselves and then help care for someone else. The goal is always to be moving them forward. Remember, the second key to spiritual growth is for them to continue to take steps forward.
5. Keep them moving forward. Hal Seed, pastor of New Song Church in Oceanside, CA, says this about caring for new believers, “Newborns are pretty much helpless. They can’t feed themselves, change themselves, or help themselves in any way except to cry out for momma. Young children, on the other hand, can do many things for themselves. If children are coddled and never learn to take responsibility for feeding and clothing themselves, their personal growth will be stilted.”

“Likewise, if teens don’t start helping others, their character development is stunted and they wind up as self-absorbed and self-centered adults. Help your people take responsibility for themselves and then for others as early as possible.” Constantly moving the new believer toward being a self-feeder and showing them how to progress from the milk of the word to the meat is essential. Then the new believer becomes a maturing believer and the maturing believer can then become a reproducing believer.

Healthy churches care for their newborns. Colossians 1:28-29 says, “We proclaim Him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that they may present everyone mature in Christ. I labor for this, striving with His strength that works powerfully in me.”

There are many resources available today for churches to get direction on structure and systems. They can help you to determine your core values, mission, vision, and a strategy of implementation. Leaders need to be committed to lifelong learning. Leaders need to be readers. While reading does not guarantee you are a leader, you probably will not be the leader you should be if you are not a reader. Be selective about what you read by getting recommendations from others you trust but also, do not be afraid to branch out.

One key to implementation and follow through is being part of a learning community. Join a “small group,” if you will, of other pastors and church leaders. Even if there are not any in your area, you might want to consider beginning one. These groups provide an opportunity to learn, stretch, challenge, and grow together. Prov. 15:22 says, “Plans fall when there is no counsel, but with many advisors they succeed.” We know there are benefits from hearing other people’s perspectives and experiences.

We have implemented these learning communities into the Activate program (Pastor Huddles) and we are using them to promote church multiplication (Church Planting Clusters). In the education world these are described as, “a group of people who share common academic goals and attitudes, who meet semi-regularly to collaborate on classwork. Such communities have become the template for a cohort-based, interdisciplinary approach to higher education.” They also can benefit pastors and churches!

First, they provide a place of prayer support. These groups give us a place to not only share our blessings but also our burdens. They need to be a safe place where participants can share their struggles with complete transparency. There are challenges a church leader may be going through and perhaps he does not have anyone in his church with whom he can share. What if he is thinking about getting out of the ministry? What if he is struggling with depression? What if he has a conflict that he does not know how to handle? These groups are meant for people to come alongside one another!

Second, they provide excellent examples of good and bad ideas. We not only learn from what has worked but also from what did not work. How do you get through those times where your credibility has been challenged because of a failed project? What steps need to be taken to reestablish trust in your leadership if it has taken a hit? Remember, just because something worked (or did not work) in one church does not mean it will be successful in your ministry. Know your people, know your culture, and do not feel the need to copycat, although you can learn from one another’s experiences.

Third, learning communities can provide a reality check. We all need a good reality check at times to see if we are looking at the situation correctly. The old adage is true that sometimes you cannot see the forest because of the trees. It is also helpful to get other viewpoints. All of us will, at times, require a reboot on our perspective. These huddles and clusters can enable us to step back and see if emotions, burnout, or even bitterness could be clouding our ability to see things properly.

Fourth, these groups also provide accountability. When meeting on a regular basis we can help one another with implementation and follow through. This can happen by revisiting commitments made from the last meeting and asking each other what kind of progress is being made. Everyone in the group will come prepared to give updates when they realize it is an expectation for all group participants. Accountability and deadlines can be our best friends in putting the knowledge to use that has been gained from the time together.

Fifth, learning communities promote creativity. This “think tank” approach can stimulate ideas that come out of good healthy brainstorming. The use of a good white board can cause new fresh ideas to emerge as we throw out every thought that we can think of and see what sticks. Imitation is highly overrated while innovation is highly underutilized. Creativity is often stifled because we do not have these types of meetings in our regular schedules. We are driven by the daily demanding tasks of ministry and we can easily lose sight of the big picture.

Sixth, new friendships can be discovered and developed. Close friendships cannot be forced but happen naturally when we meet someone and it just clicks. These groups give an excellent forum for this to happen as they discuss vision, burdens, philosophy of ministry, and share each other’s hearts. Before long you are drawn to someone who has a kindred spirit and interests. Or maybe they challenge you to get out of your comfort zone. All of us could use more friends!

Lastly, they remind us that we are not in this alone. It is an encouragement to know that there are others on the same journey as you. They truly understand your struggles, challenges, and opportunities. It is an encouragement to hear from leaders who went through trials and came out the other side still committed and faithful (check out 2 Cor. 11). Remember that two are better than one and that a three-fold cord is not easily broken. There really is strength in numbers.

Find a group or form a group! If you need help with what it might look like or what kind of structure might work feel free to contact me.   Some of our learning communities have decided on a book to read together and then meet monthly to discuss it. Other groups have content given at the meeting that hopefully adds value to their leadership. These groups can even meet via the web through different available programs. It really is not rocket science and is more about taking the time and initiative to follow through.

Healthy leaders are committed to being a part of a learning community!