Three Post-Pandemic Questions Every Church Leader Wants Answered

Three Post-Pandemic Questions Every Church Leader Wants Answered

We are two years and two months out from the day the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic. Churches and other houses of worship have been profoundly affected by the pandemic. These places where people gathered in the tens, hundreds, and thousands – considered essential for so many of us – spiritually, emotionally, socially – were deemed “nonessential services.” That hit the church hard because many people had already decided churches were non-essential. That steady stream of people leaving had put the church in a decades-long decline. It has brought to light three post-pandemic questions every church leader wants answered. If we can grapple with these questions well and live into new answers, we can enter a new phase of renewal.

These are three post-pandemic questions that every church leader wants answered:

  1. When do things go back to normal?
  2. How do we get people (back) to church?
  3. How do we do more with less?

Medieval Christians Asked the Same Three Questions

Medieval Christians weathered a deadly pandemic too. The bubonic plague erupted across Europe for more than three centuries deeply disrupting all of society, including the church. They needed answers to these questions too.

Based on my research for my new book, Forging a New Path: Moving the Church Forward in a Post-Pandemic World, here is what I believe would be the medieval Christians’ answers based on their experience with the plague.

When do things go back to normal?
They don’t. Something new had to emerge. In medieval times, that turned out to be the Protestant Reformation.

How do we get people (back) to church?
Instead of getting people back to church, they had to go forward, and invite people into something brand new.

How do we do more with less?
Trying to fill the gaps of leadership and trust left by the plague wasn’t very successful. Instead, they had to reorganize the very way they did church.

While there are significant differences between the bubonic plague and the COVID-19 pandemic – not to mention the societies they unfolded in – we share a surprising number of similarities with people of that day. The good news is that medieval Christians figured it out – just as we will.

In the following weeks, I’ll answer these three questions from a 2022 perspective. I’ll also share what we can learn from pandemics past to shape a positive future for the church.

In the meantime, let me leave you with this: the Latin origin of the word pandemic is from the Greek roots “pan” meaning “all, every, whole, or inclusive” and “demos” meaning “of or belonging to the people.”

In many ways we’ve looked at ourselves as victims of the pandemic, but understanding the root of this word can change our perspective. If pandemic means “of or belonging to all the people,” then the church has a choice about how we answer these questions. This important shift in perspective for the church allows us to take advantage of this post-pandemic time to make things better.

If you’ve found yourself asking these same three questions and want to explore new answers, I invite you to join a Creating a Culture of Renewal® cohort. Beginning this fall, you’ll have the opportunity to work closely with church leaders across the country and learn how to bring renewal to your congregation and community. Visit the link above or contact us for more information!

 

Excerpted and adapted from Rebekah’s new book, Forging a New Path: Moving the Church Forward in a Post-Pandemic World (Market Square Publishers, May 2022).

Copyright © 2022 rebekahsimonpeter.com, All Rights Reserved.

Methodist Spirituality in a Post-Pandemic World

Methodist Spirituality in a Post-Pandemic World

According to Google, searches for prayer were at an all-time high during the height of the pandemic. Six out of ten people in the US and around the world prayed for an end to the pandemic. People were desperate for a solution. But now that COVID is receding, churches have reopened, and we are resuming familiar ways, prayer searches are back to normal. Yet the need for a deep connection with God remains. How do we help people cultivate their own relationship with God? Good news! Methodist spirituality can anchor us in our post-pandemic world.

In this article, I am going to share three strategies to deepen congregational-based spirituality in your setting. But first, a word of warning. If you are tempted to skip this article because you think your congregation already provides deep spirituality, please read on and keep an open mind. Too many churches confuse reading or hearing about God with experiencing God for themselves.

 

Jesus’ Emphasis on Spiritual Community

A peek into the community that Jesus formed with his circle of closest friends, known as The Twelve, gives us a good idea about life lived in spiritual community. These twelve disciples were a diverse group of people who might not normally mix, yet this group transcended their differences to become trusted friends.

How?

First, they embraced honesty and vulnerability by living a transparent life. As they journeyed through life together, challenging themselves and one another, their transparency built trust.

Life on the road with Jesus wasn’t easy. Several of the disciples thought about returning to their old lives. On more than one occasion they couldn’t understandJesus’ teaching and way of life.  Despite all this, Jesus never sent them away, nor did they leave. They felt safe enough to share their confusion, doubts, what they really thought, felt, and believed. In other words, they practiced vulnerability, which opened the door to accountability.

During their three years together, Jesus sent the Twelve (and others) on assignments where they were told to heal the sick, raise the dead, and share the coming and presence of God’s Kin(g)dom. When the disciples returned, they would give account of who they spoke with and what they accomplished. Sometimes they had miracles to share! Other times they returned empty-handed. Regardless of the outcome, the Twelve knew they were accountable to and loved by Jesus.

 

Spiritual Community in Early Methodism

In much the same way, early Methodists gathered in small groups, or “bands,” for spiritual growth. Historically, band meetings were centered around these five questions:

  1. What known sins have you committed since our last meeting?
  2. What temptations have you met with?
  3. How were you delivered?
  4. What have you thought, said, or done of which you doubt, whether it be sin or not?
  5. Have you nothing you desire to keep secret?

The purpose of these groups was to build genuine relationships with one another, and with God. This honesty, vulnerability, and accountability created powerful bonds between members, and with God. Methodist spirituality powerfully undergirded the church.

 

Post-Pandemic Spirituality Reimagined

Both Jesus’ community and Early Methodism give us examples of spiritual community. When you look at your church, do you sense this level of connectedness? When people gather for worship, Sunday school, classes or small groups, during fellowship or other events, do they transparently disclose what’s really happening in their lives? In the tough times, do they support each other, no matter how challenging or uncomfortable they feel? Do they share their struggles and overcome personal biases to be together?

If we are to emulate Jesus’ way, then we must build a true community within the church that is spiritual in nature rather than simply functional. Here are three strategies for building spiritual communities:

Strategy # 1:

Practice accountability. In my work with pastors and lay leaders around the country through Creating a Culture of Renewal®, I have been surprised how often spiritual leaders struggle with holding their people accountable. As institutions that generally put relationships first, learning how to cultivate relationships is paramount. Instead of focusing on keeping everyone happy and not rocking the boat, build true, genuine relationships with and amongst your people by creating safe environments where they can be honest about their life’s struggles and hold one another accountable as, together, you grow as disciples of Jesus.

Strategy # 2:

Highlight spiritual experiences contained in the scriptures. The God of the Bible is a God of direct encounters. Over the centuries, however, people of faith have taken the Bible and mined this recounting of spiritual experiences for morals, lessons, and do’s and dont’s. By focusing on the beliefs and behaviors rather than the transcendent states being described in them, church people begin to think that a direct experience of God is out of reach. Remind people that they can have an encounter with and experience the love and grace of God.

Strategy # 3:

Lengthen the time for silent prayer. Have you ever noticed that silent prayer during corporate worship might last only five to ten seconds before the space gets filled with words again? That brief silence in a noisy, crowded week doesn’t leave much room for people to connect with their soul or for God to speak with them. People are looking for something more substantive and more soulful. In fact, those who are leaving the church tell us that they want more spirituality in the church, not less. Allow your people time to talk to God, and for God to answer. You may find that this extra time allows you to nurture your own spirituality, which we too often become disconnected from when we are too busy working for God.

Excerpted and adapted from Rebekah’s upcoming book, Forging a New Path: Moving the Church Forward in a Post-Pandemic World (Market Square Publishers, 2022).

 

Copyright © 2022 rebekahsimonpeter.com, All Rights Reserved.

Ministry in a Digital World

Ministry in a Digital World

The pandemic hastened online adoption in nearly every area of our lives. However, as with any new technology, people and institutions adopt technology at different rates. While online tech is the answer for many congregations, not every church will be able to do all the things they’d like to do. So, what if you can’t do it all or you just don’t have the people who can do tech?

In conducting research for my new book, Forging a New Path: Moving the Church Forward in a Post-Pandemic World (Market Square, 2022), I came across a thought-provoking concept noted by author Ryan Panzer. In his article, “Digital Ministry: More about Culture than Computers,” he keeps technology in proper perspective by focusing attention on what tech can do for Christianity. “We don’t need to be sophisticated users of technology; sometimes we may not need much technology at all. As church leaders, we simply need to notice these values in action and to determine how they align to God’s work in our Christian community.”

Technology itself is not a utopian solution. It’s more about the culture that digital technology has brought about. Panzer concedes that it’s not so much that churches need to become masters of technology. With technological advancements happening daily, there is much that simply can’t be mastered. Rather than try to stay abreast of every platform, keep up with every breaking trend, and use every app, he suggests that you look instead to the culture that digital technology has created. He calls this “tech-shaped culture.” Its four values include questions, connection, collaboration, and creativity.

Let’s look at them in turn.

 

Questions: Invitation to New Answers

Long before she had ALS, my mother was the first person I heard say, “Let me Google it,” when looking for an answer to a question. Now “Google” is an accepted verb and a commonplace way of researching information on the internet. Practically everybody uses it.

The ability to ask a question and have Alexa, Siri, or Google answer your question is a turning point in the quest for knowledge. Before these search engines, knowledge was organized by answers, not by questions. If you wanted to know what dinosaurs ate, you had to find a specialized book, or look up the entry “dinosaurs” in an encyclopedia, then browse the entire book or article to pick up the answer to the question. That’s very different from asking, “Siri, what did dinosaurs eat?” Further, encyclopedia entries are contained, assuming this information is all we know, or maybe even this is all there is to know about any particular field of study.

A question-oriented culture is a major shift in context. Asking questions pushes boundaries and opens possibilities. The question-asking culture encourages curiosity, agency, and engagement. It assumes that no question is off-limits, that every question has an answer, that a range of answers is available, and that questions are good and welcome.

In church cultures where every correct answer is “Jesus,” this sort of open-endedness and freedom can be both uncomfortable and exhilarating. It expands the boundaries of what can be created. So how can you encourage the asking of questions? Start by being willing to entertain and engage questions. Ask open-ended questions during worship and Bible study rather than give answers. Allow new points of view to shape new answers—especially points of view that come from a variety of generations and backgrounds. Allow people time to process, ask new questions, and discern the best answers.

Connection: Transcending Boundaries

The second value of the tech-shaped culture is connection. Digital technology connects people in Zoom rooms, on FaceTime, and through Facebook Live. It even connects people across the physical and the virtual, creating hybrid experiences. It transcends boundaries like location and distance in real-time, allowing for connection across many realms.

 

Collaboration: Participation and Contribution

In addition to online platforms like Zoom that allow people to meet together in real-time, other online tools allow people to collaborate by creating documents. Google Docs is one prime example. The world has come to expect collaboration; Google Docs has made it easier. Working together makes for stronger buy-in. It includes many points of view, and it engenders a sense of community. Leadership in the church is often seen as top-down, or sometimes, bottom-up. But imagine collaborating laterally in the realms of worship, mission, liturgy, and the future of the church. This type of teamwork goes beyond committee planning to a deeper give-and-take between and among people. Collaboration is consistent with our trinitarian theology. Just as the three persons of the trinity flow into one another and become inseparable, so collaboration produces something that is greater than the sum of its parts.

 

Creativity: An Expression of the Divine Within

In the online world, each person is a content creator. From the simplest post to sharing photographs to recording a video, social media platforms have encouraged an explosion of creativity. This profusion of self-expression can easily be encouraged and included in the church as well. Imagine people sharing their prayers, artwork, and unique spiritual experiences with one another. Historically, church has been a venue for creativity from spoken word, to fabric arts, liturgical dance, and music ranging from classical to traditional to innovative. Creativity is the ultimate expression of the divine Creator. As we share our own creativity, we have the opportunity to expand the presence of God in the world.

 

Changing Your Focus

Making this shift to a tech-shaped culture doesn’t require any special equipment. All it requires is a change in focus. When you think about it, church sanctuaries are arranged like classrooms of old where a teacher stood in front of the class to dispense knowledge. But even classrooms have changed. Instead of a teacher standing in front of rows of desks, children are often gathered in huddles of desks so that students can learn together in groups. Students not only learn from the teacher, but they also learn from each other and from other sources such as books, online resources, and outside experts. One way this recent model of learning can be applied to the church is to envision church in the round.

Open Space is one such example. This format, developed by Rev. Mary Beth Taylor, forms Jesus-based community by fostering open-ended questions and discussion about matters of faith during in-person and online church meetings. Mary Beth has found particular success with bringing young people in by offering permission to ask questions in a safe and welcoming space. When churches discourage questions, they self-sabotage by pushing younger generations away, making them feel as though they should just “be quiet and believe everything they’re told.” Only, that’s not the way it works anymore. Not in a tech-shaped culture. In a tech-shaped culture, questions, connections, creativity, and collaboration mean anyone and everyone can participate.

If you are still struggling to get your people on board with technology, I invite you to join me for my upcoming webinar, How to Do More with Less: Leading the Post-Pandemic Church. We’ll explore not only how to do more with fewer resources, but also with less experience.

 

Adapted and excerpted from Rebekah’s upcoming book, Forging a New Path: Moving the Church Forward in a Post-Pandemic World, 2022.

 

Copyright © 2022 rebekahsimonpeter.com, All Rights Reserved.

Embracing a Jewish Jesus

Embracing a Jewish Jesus

This week we celebrate the miracle around which Christian life revolves: the death and resurrection of Jesus. It makes me wonder if we are truly ready to embrace a Jewish Jesus.

Jesus is seen as a Jew in many pulpits and pews, but usually as an exception, an anomaly. In too many sermons, commentaries, and hymnals, his teachings on love, inclusion, and forgiveness are set up as a contrast against the Jews and Judaism of his day. What makes him distinctive, we say, is that he’s not like the other Jews. He reached people on the margins. He talked to women. He ate with sinners and tax collectors. But these characterizations of a Jewish Jesus are still distorted.

Dr. Amy-Jill Levine explains why:

“Jesus becomes the rebel who, unlike every other Jew, practices social justice. He is the only one to speak with women; he is the only one who teaches nonviolent responses to oppression; he is the only one who cares about the “poor and the marginalized” (that phrase has become a litany in some Christian circles). Judaism becomes in such discourse a negative foil: whatever Jesus stands for, Judaism isn’t it; what Jesus is against, Judaism epitomizes the category.”

Yes, Jesus reached out to all kinds of people. Yes, he counseled mercy and patience. Yes, he healed and set people free. But rather than see Jesus as different from the Jews around him, I suggest it is time to see Jesus’ ministry as a natural evolution of the whole history of Jewish teaching, ethics, morality, practice, and service of God. Otherwise, he serves as an archetypal anti-Jew.

Think about it. If Jesus was fully Jewish, operating in a Jewish context, living a Jewish life, studying Jewish texts, praying to a Jewish God, clothing himself in the Jewish commandments, where else did it come from? If we believe that Jesus was one with the God of Israel, then surely, Jesus drew upon the same Source and sources that inspired all the other teachers, miracle-workers, prophets, and kings that preceded and surrounded him. Quite often the rabbis of his era were arriving at the same conclusions he was, from the Golden Rule, to teachings on Sabbath, to the importance of love of God and neighbor. Others were engaged in calling disciples, healing, and miracle-working. Even his interactions with women, children, and Gentiles were not anomalous.

More than that, the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament is marked by theological and behavioral leaps, beginning with Abraham’s innovation that God is one, not many; continuing with Moses’ skilled but previously unknown leadership in leading the Israelites from slavehood to peoplehood; game-changing visions from prophets; and the courageous renewal of Judaism under Nehemiah and Ezra after the return from Babylonian exile. Jesus is the product of generations of Jewish innovators, completely in line with the spiritual genius that went before him and even those that came after him.

If we were to truly embrace a fully Jewish Jesus, it would take a renewed scholarship among preachers, prayers, poets, professors, and Bible study writers and teachers. It would take some work to leave behind comfortable but dishonest dichotomies and ready stereotypes. Not easy for already overworked church leaders. But there are many excellent resources that can help, many of which I note in my book The Jew Named Jesus. It’s worth the effort. We are grand participants in a historic reconciliation, the fruits of which are only beginning to be realized.

This historic reconciliation points out an underlying truth: it hasn’t always been good between Christians and Jews. A long history of Christian teaching of “contempt of the Jews” made positive interfaith relations all but impossible for centuries. After hitting a theological bottom in the Holocaust, though, the church has intentionally hammered out new theologies and reached for new understandings that allow for love, acceptance, and embrace of Jews. In response, Jews have done the hard work of forgiving and rapprochement too.

However, a worldwide uptick in anti-Semitic crimes, including synagogue attacks, bombings, and the targeted killing of Jews, undermines this progress. But would this anti-Semitism have any traction if we truly embraced a fully Jewish Jesus? In good Jewish fashion, I assert that even the question is a good one.

It leads to all kinds of other interesting questions. If Judaism and Christianity could hammer out a new relationship, is the same possible for Christianity and Islam? If we could, should we?

This letter to Christian leaders, created by Muslim clerics and scholars, “A Common Word Between Us and You,” stated that as the two largest world religions, the peace of the world depends on peace between Muslims and Christians. It used as its reference point the Hebrew Bible teachings of love of God and neighbor, saying they were common to both Islam and Christianity. More recently, House of One, a faith center in Berlin, is being built as “a house of encounter” between three religions – Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. This prayer and teaching center will serve as a place for the three religions to coexist peacefully.

We have the opportunity to turn a new page. To restore and revamp our understandings of Jesus and Judaism. And to open our hearts to new understandings of our Muslim neighbors. What a great start to the Easter season this would be.

They’re risky moves for sure. Especially in an age of polarization and blame-game politics. But isn’t that when the resurrection is needed most?

 

Copyright © 2022 rebekahsimonpeter.com, All Rights Reserved.

Eight Ways to Fill Your Pews

Eight Ways to Fill Your Pews

How to fill your pews has been a question since before the pandemic. It is especially compelling now.  As you think about this important question, keep in mind the following eight facts, and eight ways you can act. I encourage you to share this article with your key leaders and decision-makers so that you can discover the unique ways you will choose to fill your pews this year.

People are built for relationship with God.

FACT: No matter what else may be true these days we are wired for God—from our brains to our nervous systems. We need opportunities to grow spiritually.

ACT: Gather people for study, prayer, encouragement, worship, and mission.

EXAMPLE: With fall coming, this is a perfect time to start a new Bible study, prayer initiative, or relationship class.

People are social.

FACT: We survived shutdowns in very creative ways. But people suffer when they are isolated for too long. We need community.

ACT: Gather folks together around common interests and needs. Be creative by weaving the spiritual into the social.

EXAMPLE: Cooking, crafts, construction, or gardening classes can not only focus on biblical themes like hunger, creativity, building, and growth—they can lend themselves to needed community-oriented projects.

Youth and young adults need friends.

FACT: Young people generally want to spend more time with friends than family. This fact reveals their deep needs to belong. But alphas and digitals don’t belong like boomers belong. Developmentally, younger folks are in the stage of exploration, questioning, pushing the edges and finding acceptance on their own terms.

ACT: Churches can fill this need by encouraging questions, cultivating discussion, and accepting differences.

EXAMPLE: Open Space is a unique format developed by my friend and colleague Rev. Mary Beth Taylor. It’s a way of forming Jesus-based community which fosters open-ended questions and discussion about matters of faith.

The pandemic has changed our habits, patterns, and  expectations.

FACT: Don’t expect people to automatically resume their 2019 habits. We have come to expect flexibility, shorter events, and online options.

ACT: Reduce the length of worship, Bible study, and class time. Focus on making things interactive, and more interesting.

EXAMPLE: My friend, Market Square Publisher Kevin Slimp, runs a Sunday school class that has grown by 33% during the pandemic. It offers both in person and hybrid attendance options and runs a mere 35 minutes.  No matter how good the conversation gets.

The digital space is busy.

FACT: You’ll need to stand out to get and keep people’s attention.

ACT: Communicate, communicate, communicate. Don’t assume everyone gets your message in the same way. Use all channels to get your message across:  email, print, text, phone, Facebook, website, phone calls, and flyers. Regularly announce and invite people to join you.

EXAMPLE: Resurrect your snail-mail monthly newsletter. Let people know the “what, when, where, and how” of your worship, studies, and other gatherings.

The pandemic is not over.

FACT: With infections on the rise among unvaccinated populations, people need a sense of safety. You will want to ensure continuity of meeting.

ACT: Normalize mask-wearing and social distancing, as well as non-mask options. Keep your online presence alive and active. Encourage what Thom S. Rainer, author of “The Post-Quarantine Church”, calls “dual citizens” or people who comfortably inhabit both physical and virtual spaces.

EXAMPLE: Re-locate study and social groups from small classrooms to the sanctuary so people can be together and socially distance. Keep the camera rolling so others can attend online.

We don’t need buildings to be/do church.

FACT: We’ve discovered we can do without buildings.

ACT: Leverage your buildings as community assets so they don’t become the focus of inward-based congregational life once again.

EXAMPLE: Form partnerships with your community. Thom S. Rainier writes about a church that painted one of its rooms in bright colors, dubbed it The Birthday Room and offered the free space to the community. See your building as a community asset, not a church asset.

The future is surprising.

FACT: We can’t predict the future, but we can prepare ourselves.

ACT: Own your resilience. Claim God’s presence. Do away with scarcity language, and focus on abundance and enoughness. Stop saying you can’t, and practice saying, “We can.”

EXAMPLE: Now is the time to develop a bold vision, and embrace a bigger sense of God.

 

The world has changed. But your pews don’t need to empty out. Choose a few of these eight ways to adjust to the world, re-set your expectations, and prepare to serve God’s people. You can fill your pews!

Need some more help thinking it through? Join us for Creating a Culture of Renewal®.

Copyright © 2021 rebekahsimonpeter.com, All Rights Reserved.

Should You Mentor Like Jesus?

Should You Mentor Like Jesus?

Mentoring is the glue that held the early church together. If your congregation is falling apart, it’s time to take a look at the power of mentoring.

Jesus mentored his followers. Those followers, in turn, mentored new followers. And so on until the message and the power of the Gospel spread far and wide.

You can’t disciple others without mentoring. Mentoring provides the framework to guide attenders into discipleship, and to advance disciples into apostleship. The question is, Should you mentor like Jesus? Or was his approach too risky?

Take a look at the Gospels. Jesus insisted that his followers master the kind of skills he had. He didn’t settle for mediocre results. When things didn’t go well, he was direct in his feedback. Even if his followers pushed back against it.

Not that Jesus didn’t show love, or offer friendship, or extend grace. He did. Yet, he never sacrificed the mission just to “be nice” or make sure people didn’t leave.

Frankly, most church leaders are reluctant to mentor like Jesus. I get it. After all, the last thing you want to do is drive away the people you are inviting into leadership.

But I’m here to make the case that you can’t afford NOT to mentor like Jesus. If  mentoring is what fueled the growth of the early church, it can infuse your congregation with new life as well.

I’m so convinced that effective mentoring is essential to healthy congregations, that it is a key aspect of what we teach in Creating a Culture of Renewal. Effective mentoring allows burnt-out leaders to recognize their strengths, own their fears, and dare to advance from discipleship to apostleship. It also shows them how to grow new leaders with less frustration and better results.From my study of the Gospels, I believe that mentoring like Jesus includes mastering these three skills: holding people accountable, standing for another’s growth, and dealing with pushback. To help you get a picture of what I mean, here are three mentoring wins that church leaders report.

Hold people accountable

LaShawn: “Before Creating a Culture of Renewal (CCR), I was reluctant to hold my people accountable. They’re grown people, I thought. Why don’t they just do what they said they would do? I didn’t ask for clear commitments or by-when dates. I was getting more and more frustrated. Through CCR, I realized that people come to church because they want to grow. But they need help getting there. I’ve learned to set aside my frustration and ask for clear commitments and by-when dates. Then I follow up with them. Now I see that I’m not treating them like children, I’m helping them grow. I’m less frustrated. And more things actually get done at the church.”

Stand for another’s growth

Jamie: “Before CCR, I mentored as if the goal was to get people to like me, and to think I’m a cool guy. It’s all about me, right? But that approach got in the way of my being able to stand for my people. Through CCR I have learned to set aside the fear of how I look to others and to call them to their best. Now when I read the Gospels, I see that Jesus didn’t let things slide so others would love him.  Now when I meet with my lay leaders, I keep their growth top of mind. This works much better!”

Dealing with pushback

Lin: “Before CCR, I stayed below the radar so that no one pushed back against me. I dislike conflict. When my leaders reacted negatively to what I said, I took it as a personal reprimand. Like I must be doing something wrong. Through CCR I learned that people push back for different reasons. Sometimes, they’re unsure of themselves. Sometimes, they just don’t understand the process yet.  But it’s not really about  me. Jesus stood by the disciples until they got it—even Peter. I am trying to do the same for the people I lead—you know, stay the course with them. I don’t have to fold or take it personally.”

How you can mentor like Jesus

Start by choosing one of these three skills to incorporate into your mentoring: holding others accountable, standing for another’s growth, or dealing with pushback. As you practice the skill, study the Gospels to see how Jesus did it. Then pray for his leading to be clear and courageous. After all, the health of the church is at stake.

Not sure what your next step might be? Reach out here for more assistance. I’d love to mentor you through your challenges!

Copyright © 2021 rebekahsimonpeter.com, All Rights Reserved.