The Steveston Project – our LPD Church of the Week
What if you started a church with a mission of making disciples, but had no programs to invite people to, no building, no Sunday service and no blueprint for “church.”
In these days of COVID, all this may seem rather normal, but typically, such an approach may sound rather strange. Typically, we have often defined “church” by buildings and programs rather than mission. At the Steveston Project, we began with the mission of making disciples, and then introduced ministry events that would further this mission. While freeing, such and approach can also be a bit unnerving, and involves launching out into uncharted waters.
Please pray for the Steveston Project, as they celebrate the work of transformation that God is doing in people’s lives and seek the Lord for the next steps. Pray also for Allen and Hannah Chang, and Daniel and Joyce Wong as they provide leadership to this, and our district leadership as we serve alongside.
Steveston Project Vision
To see a network of simple micro churches blanketing and
transforming the city of Richmond and beyond.
Steveston Project Mission
To listen and obey Jesus at all costs and invest in those who desire to do the same.
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Will you hang in there?
A recent Barna survey reports that 29% of pastors in America have seriously considered quitting full-time ministry in recent months. This has not only meant contemplating leaving one’s current ministry – many are considering leaving ministry as a vocation altogether – a change of careers.
While the study does not provide us with all the reasons for pastors contemplating leaving ministry, it is evident that in this season of COVID, many struggle with discouragement and lack any tangible measure of effectiveness in ministry. Many simply feel that they are no longer effectively leading their church.
Rightly or wrongly, traditional measures of pastoral “effectiveness” might involve attendance – i.e., “Is our church growing?” “Views” on our church’s YouTube Channel do not replace people attending physically. Another measure might be feedback, both when delivering and following a sermon. We know when we are “connecting,” when God is moving and we witness God working through our preaching. One gets feedback in the foyer following the service. Preaching to a camera, even over ZOOM, does not provide this. A third measure is pastoral care. We connect with people after the service. We share life, and we learn who needs to be followed up on in the week ahead. As church has gone online, pastoral care for the most part has been one on one. It is labour intensive, and seems somewhat impersonal, as we may need to deliver it online or over the phone.
Given this, how does a pastor measure his/her effectiveness? As even our board meetings are online, we lack personal feedback and affirmation by our circle of leaders.
We are not the first generation to face discouragement as leaders. Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah and the Apostle Paul are all examples of leaders who went through seasons of discouragement. If their sense of value and “success” was based upon the accolades of people, they would all have had reasons to quit – and in reality, they even considered it. The Apostle Paul, being challenged, criticized and devalued by the Church at Corinth, writes:
Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
Such confidence we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (2 Cor 3:1-5).
At the end of the day, it is not the accolades of those we serve which determine our value or effectiveness in ministry. It is that, as we have directed people to Christ and He has worked in their lives, they become a testament to our ministry, and we have peace, knowing that ultimately, our competence comes through Him. If seek to build a strong reputation of pastoral “success,” we will be challenged and likely disappointed. If we focus on faithfully pointing people to Christ, “success” is measured by faithfulness to our call.
Here are three resources for your encouragement as you serve through this time of COVID and beyond! We in the LPD are here to be an encouragement and resource to you and your church! Hang in there!
29% Of Pastors Want To Quit: How To Keep Going When You’ve Lost Confidence In Yourself.
29%-of-pastors-want-to-quit
Pastor Tim Keller has ministered to many through the years. Now, diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he shares about life, suffering and ministry through COVID
https://www.barna.com/research/cpw-tim-keller/
Ministry to Spouses of Pastors
While many of our articles focus on the life and ministry of pastors, let’s not forget pastor’s spouses. They feel and share the discouragement of of their pastoral spouse, but often do so alone.
the-most-overlooked-person-in-your-church-and-5-ways-to-invest-in-them/
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Racism Dialogue
Thank you for your kind feedback and suggestions on my article regarding racism in my Five Minutes on Friday last week. We are truly brothers and sisters in Christ – as as such, when one part suffers, so we all suffer too.
Let’s stand together, as family in Christ from many places, and pray for a positive Christian witness, both in and through our churches. I appreciate hearing from members of the Asian-Canadian Community, that they are seeking to respond with both Christ’s love and forgiveness, and let’s support them as they seek to do so.
Here is a link to an article by Sherman Lau, a member of Fort Langley EFC, and Manager of Agency Collaboration at Mission Central. I shared this last October, but is relevant for today – and includes our own Jorge Lin…
Longing to Belong:How do Christians live out our welcome and inclusion of minorities?
