Should You Mentor Like Jesus?

by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Aug 10, 2021

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!

Is Discipleship Enough?

by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Jul 14, 2021

Is Discipleship Enough?

When it comes to church revitalization, discipleship pathway systems are touted as the answer. These systems are supposed to produce disciples such as growth and thus enable churches to fulfill the Great Commission. But is discipleship enough?

In fact, I can’t help but wonder if this approach to church revitalization is short-sighted. Perhaps even problematic.

Apostleship As Training

Let’s start with the first problem. Jesus didn’t call The Twelve or The Seventy-Two or any of the others for them to be mere followers. Followership was simply the first stage in their spiritual development. Apostleship was the ultimate goal of their training.

During the three years The Twelve spent with Jesus, they observed how he thought and how he prayed. The Twelve watched how he taught and soaked up what he believed. Moreover, they watched him engage paralyzed, hurting, desperate people and they noted the way he interacted with others. After Jesus was finished interacting with others, The Twelve listened to the way he phrased things. They were privy to his miracles and glimpsed his inner relationship with God.

But they didn’t stop there. Jesus transferred his spiritual authority, agency, and accountability to them. They were to speak, act, and heal on behalf of him, and of the Kingdom. Each of these men and women were to be active agents, stewards, of the Kingdom dream.

What’s striking to me is that Jesus never hoarded his power. He freely taught others how to exercise it. After they mastered the kinds of things Jesus had done, The Twelve, The Seventy-Two and likely countless others, surpassed what Jesus had done. Not only did they heal, preach, and proclaim the Kingdom, they gathered thousands of followers, set up communities in far-flung places, and oversaw the development of structures that allowed the church to grow and expand throughout the known world.

Discipleship Pathway Systems

That’s where we get to the second problem with discipleship pathway systems. We’re not going to be any good at making the sort of disciples Jesus made until we are decidedly better at making the kind of apostles Jesus made. After all, it is apostles who make disciples, not other disciples. You can see this shift in the Great Commission. Jesus commanding the disciples to “Go therefore into all the world,” signaled the ontological change in their status. From this moment on, they were no longer followers. Their sending signaled they now functioned as apostles.

Yet in the church, we do not teach people, even our leaders, how to be apostolic: stewards of the dream, agents of change. We do not teach people that they are co-creators with God. That their words have creative, divine power. That they are more Christ-like than they know. Instead we teach people to give God all the glory. I’m not sure if God wants all the glory. Nor does Jesus. The way I read the New Testament, Jesus expects us to surpass him, to do even greater things than he did. The only way to do that is to own our God-given agency and our authority. Settling for discipleship without apostleship undercuts the ultimate meta message of the Gospels.

So before we get too invested in discipleship pathways, we would do well to build apostleship pathways, too. Interested in knowing more about how to do that?

In my work with Creating a Culture of Renewal, I’ve discovered that apostleship starts with Kingdom-oriented dreams.

When church leaders know how to dream like Jesus, align others to the dream, and realize the dream, then the dream can expand and draw others to it. Now there’s a discipleship pathway system.

Can This Church Rebuild?

by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Jun 23, 2021

Can This Church Rebuild?

Can this church rebuild? I wondered to myself as I sat in worship on Sunday morning. The church in question is one I have attended for the last 10 years so I had a special interest in the answer.

I like this church. It’s well-positioned downtown. It’s got great people.

But it’s been through a lot of changes. The dismissal of long-time musicians, the exodus of some theologically conservative members who disagree with gay-friendly policies, a well-liked pastor with a hidden addiction, and frequent pastoral appointment changes. Not to mention the pandemic.

Through these changes, and more, the average worship attendance has shrunk dramatically. They once hosted three services a week. Now down to one. Familiar faces are gone.

It’s a fair question: Can this church rebuild? The answer is Yes. And no. As you read on, consider your own church.

Yes, this church can rebuild if:

1. The church is willing to SIMPLIFY.

Let go of ministries or activities that no longer have a champion. Many ministries hang on by a thread because they were once vibrant. But if the champion has moved, died, or is no longer interested, AND no one else is stepping up, it’s time to let it go. If the ministry or activity doesn’t forward the mission and the vision of the congregation, consider the lack of a champion is a gift in disguise.

2. The church is willing to SHED.

Let go of properties that drain you financially. Properties that do not forward your vision or drain you financially can undo a church. Release the sentimentality, sell the properties, and get back to your main mission.

3. The church embraces SOCIETY.

Gone are the days when a church could simply focus on itself and expect to maintain or grow. Pastors must be called to both church and society. But it’s not just the pastor who must have this focus. Worshipers, too. If the people refuse to extend themselves, the pastor is sunk. And frankly, so is the church. Church improvement plans don’t keep a congregation alive.

4. The church cultivates SPIRITUALITY.

People are deeply hungry for spirituality that makes a difference. Let prayer and Bible study move you beyond a discussion about God, or a rehearsal of beliefs, into the realm of experiencing God. It’s easy for church life to stray into the mundane. Too much focus on budgets and buildings, though, can tempt you to forget the miraculous. Don’t allow that to happen.

If the church is willing to simplify its activities, shed unnecessary properties, embrace society and cultivate spirituality, it has a good chance to rebuild.

However, rebuilding will remain forever out of reach without one more crucial element in place.

No, not money. Not even younger people. Or a prime location.

The most critical element for rebuilding is a willingness to dream like Jesus. In order to rebuild in a sustainable way, the church must have a big, bold, God-sized vision. Something compelling enough, and risky enough, to require them to grow in faith, depend on each other, and partner with God. Only a vision of this size and scope will draw people forward into the rebuilding phase.

If you’re ready to rebuild, download your DARE to Dream Like Jesus plan here. Need more insight? Join us for a How to Create a Culture of Renewal seminar.

Three Stubborn Obstacles that Keep Your Congregation Stuck

by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Jun 8, 2021

Three Stubborn Obstacles that Keep Your Congregation Stuck

There are three stubborn obstacles that keep your congregation stuck. These barriers to renewal reinforce patterns of decline. Not only that, but these barriers also prevent congregations from moving into a growth phase, no matter how much your people say they want to. And no matter how much you might like them to.

Unfortunately, these obstacles don’t always respond well to a direct confrontation. But there is a way to gently dissolve them so you can start on the road to renewal.

Let’s start by taking a look at these obstacles.

The Three Stubborn Obstacles

Personalities When congregations focus on personalities rather than purpose, they suffer. Soothing the sensitive, coddling the anxious, and pampering the headstrong is a seductive trap because it can become the de facto mission of the church.

Yes, God is love, and yes, Jesus found ways to include the unlovable. But relationship-building never took the place of his mission, or his purpose. How do we know this? Because along the way, Jesus irritated and angered plenty of people. Including his own family members, and his dearest disciples.

I remember the evening one of the church’s most effective leaders stormed out during a particularly contentious meeting. I anxiously ran out after him to try to keep him involved. Even as I was doing it, warning bells went off in my head. I remember thinking: if I react to him every time he gets hot under the collar, then personalities, not purpose, are what’s driving this meeting. Yet, it’s hard to watch people get bent out of shape.

Past When a church’s best days lay behind them, the congregation is steering into the future with the guidance of the rear-view mirror, not the windshield. That’s a problem. Not only are rear-view mirrors a window into the past, but they are also much smaller than a windshield. You just can’t see that much looking at a rear-view mirror compared to the windshield.

It used to be churches wanted to go back to the 1950s, then the 1970s, then 1990s. Now, most of us would be happy to settle for 2019. There’s nothing wrong with staying connected to the past. But you can’t live there.

Probable If your decision-making sounds something like this: “Let’s do this ministry because it probably won’t ruffle feathers, or it probably won’t challenge the budget, or it probably won’t upset the Trustees,” then you are in trouble. Ministry by probability lowers expectations. And you can’t co-create miracles with Jesus if you don’t raise expectations. Ministry by probability is the most anti-Gospel obstacle of all. Jesus didn’t traffic in the realm of the probable. He operated in the realm of the improbable, the impossible even. Jesus was about miracles.

Why These Obstacles are So Stubborn

What makes these obstacles so stubborn? Why won’t one good sermon series or leadership retreat get these obstacles in line? Because these stubborn obstacles are expressions of foundational beliefs. As I have written elsewhere, unshakeable beliefs ripple out and impact the people around you. That’s true whether these unshakeable beliefs are empowering or disempowering.

My guess is that at the base of these stubborn obstacles is an unshakeable belief such as “Our best days are behind us. If we ruffle feathers, or upset our systems, we’ll lose our last remaining ties to our glory days. Then where will we be?”

Truth be told, if the congregation is in maintenance mode, then the belief is spot on. Because when the church got started it operated with a passionate vision or an aspirational dream that called people to something greater than they could imagine. Once that vision came to pass, and no new equally challenging vision replaced it, the good old days were in fact behind them.

Re-invent the Future

So, how do you lead people past these stubborn barriers and into something life-giving? You have to re-invent the future so that your best days are yet to be. I call this process DARE to Dream like Jesus. Sign up to receive a copy of your plan here. Then, learn more about how to transform these three stubborn obstacles into new visions at How to Create a Culture of Renewal.

Minority Rules

by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Jun 7, 2021

Minority Rules

The minority, not the majority, rules. You may think that because we live in a democracy, and like to give everyone voice and vote, to make sure that everyone has a seat at the table, that the majority would rule. You would be wrong. The minority rules.

It turns out that the words of anthropologist Margaret Mead are spot on: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world: indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Thoughtful Citizens

These thoughtful citizens were the focus of Malcom Gladwell’s 2000 book Tipping Point. Just how many people does it take for a minority viewpoint to become the majority? Gladwell figured that the tipping point of a new idea overtaking old ideas would only require the active participation of a small number of people: say 20% of the total population in question. He called this the “law of the few.” Gladwell was on the right track, but it turns out the law of the few is even smaller than 20%. In fact, it’s half that size.

In 2011, scientists at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute found that when just 10 percent of the population holds an unshakable belief, their belief will ALWAYS be adopted by the majority of the society. So, the minority does rule.

Church and the Minority

What does this have to do you with your leadership in the church? Everything! For example, often church leaders become discouraged because they feel they are in the minority even in their church. It’s hard to get others to go along, to see your vision, to care as deeply as you do.

lightbulbs going off as leader spreads vision

But what if you only needed 10% of your congregation to see things the way you do? To care as deeply as you do in order for your ideas to catch on? What if 10% was the necessary size of the leaven in the loaf?

Even better, what if your congregation itself became the leaven in the loaf for your community? If your 10% minority viewpoint on love, justice, and reconciliation ends up becoming the majority? What could be possible then?

It worked for Jesus and his Twelve apostles. They turned the world upside down. Not so much because of what they did, as what they believed. As a result, their unshakeable beliefs were the foundation of the transformation that occurred in the known world as the church spread like wildfire.

I have written extensively about the unshakeable beliefs that Jesus and the apostles held, and that you are invited to share. These beliefs form the bedrock of apostolic ministry. I never expected to see mainstream science upholding the power of these beliefs. But there you have it.

Good News

Again, this is all good news for you. Being in the minority can actually work in your favor. You don’t need to worry about the competing voices and ideas out there. Or to shout others down or prove them wrong. You only need to focus on grounding shared unshakeable beliefs among 10% of your congregation and your community. From there, back up those beliefs with everything you have. Don’t be afraid to speak them, preach them, share them, live them!

The more confident you are, the more others will feel confident in buying in to your message, and sharing it with others.

I don’t know exactly what your call is. But I imagine it has something to do with spreading love, teaching peace, and sharing Jesus. With a call like that on your life, you want to have an impact. Learn how to Dream Like Jesus. Join me for a lively discussion of How to Create a Culture of Renewal and discover the unshakeable beliefs that may be holding your congregation back.

Believe in Your Superpowers

by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Mar 8, 2021

It’s no coincidence that these 40 Days of Apostleship overlap with some pretty scary times in our nation and world. As the world battles the coronavirus and we learn more about the attack on our nation’s capital, fear can threaten to engulf us. There has never been a better time to believe like Jesus—to develop the kind of faith he had—so you can perform the type of miracles he did. This is a great time to embrace your superpower.

This week we explore the third of Jesus’ core beliefs. Jesus not only believed in his partnership with God and that his prayers had power, Jesus believed in his superpower. No, I’m not talking about spidery web-making, speed, strength, shapeshifting, time travel, elasticity, invisibility, freezing, or flight. As impressive as these superpowers are, Jesus’ superpower makes these look like child’s play.

Jesus Believed in His Superpower

It’s easy to think that Jesus’ leading superpower was miracle-making. After all, he walked on water, calmed wind and waves, and rose from the dead. But I think those miracles were the result of his superpower, not the superpower itself.

Instead, I believe Jesus’ superpower was his ability to choose a miracle-making mindset. When faced with the worst of conditions—temptation by Satan, crucifixion by Pilate, disavowal by family—Jesus opted for faith. He wasn’t swayed by group-think or done in by peer pressure. Nor was he intimidated by personalities or daunted by principalities. Time and again, he chose God’s future over fear. Using this superpower means he stayed calm amid conflict, present under pressure, and mindful amid the madness. All of this allowed him to tune in to God’s prompting.

Soulful Step

Jesus isn’t the only one to possess this superpower. God has given it to you as well (Romans 12:2, Ephesians 2:8, 2 Timothy 1:7). Like Jesus, you too, have the capacity in every moment to choose your mindset. Don’t get me wrong. You’re probably not going to walk on water the first time out. Using this superpower requires a great deal of practice. Think Jedi Masters. It took Luke and Rey a long time to work well with the Force. The scriptures remind us that even Jesus himself had to grow up into the wisdom and stature of the Lord (Luke 2:52).

Choosing your thought-life begins not in your head but in your heart. To take this soulful step, tune in to your heart through quiet meditation, mindful breathing, reflection on scripture, or time in nature. It is from this grounded place that you can begin to notice the pattern of your thoughts. Ask yourself: Do my thoughts build my faith? Or do they tear me down?

Embrace the Belief that You Have This Superpower

The world is battered and wounded. At this writing, the pandemic has cost the lives of over 500,000 Americans and crippled families across the nation. The January 6attack still echoes in our minds, as we wonder if/when the next horrific display of white supremacy and racism will occur. Fear rises to the surface.

When fear threatens to set up camp in your heart, remember this: apostles don’t panic. Instead, like Jesus, they know they have a partnership with God. They know their prayers have power. They know they possess a superpower. Buoyed by these divine beliefs, apostles can hold a high vibration and invite others to it.

You can deliberately resist being hijacked by fear and harness your own superpowers. Apostles are spiritual badasses in the making.

Through prayer, I was reminded that God called me to this ministry in the early days of the 2007-2008 crash and God has been by my side ever since. I realized that I didn’t have to cede my faith or surrender my spiritual authority to any wind or waves back then, and I certainly don’t now. I remembered I could choose my mindset.

Apostolic Action

How can you contribute to the miracle-making mindset the world needs? May I suggest the Prayer of St. Francis as a starting point?

And remember, if you long to be a shapeshifter or a time traveler, that the miracle-making mindset is the biggest superpower there is. Because when you decide to choose your thoughts, uplift your consciousness, and up-level your faith, everything becomes possible.

As a next step in learning to use your individual superpowers for the good of the nation and the world, I invite you to join me for my next free “How to Create a Culture of Renewal” webinar.

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Next Entries »

Should You Mentor Like Jesus?

Is Discipleship Enough?

Is Discipleship Enough?

Apostleship As Training

Discipleship Pathway Systems

Can This Church Rebuild?

Can This Church Rebuild?

1. The church is willing to SIMPLIFY.

2. The church is willing to SHED.

3. The church embraces SOCIETY.

4. The church cultivates SPIRITUALITY.

Three Stubborn Obstacles that Keep Your Congregation Stuck

Three Stubborn Obstacles that Keep Your Congregation Stuck

The Three Stubborn Obstacles

Why These Obstacles are So Stubborn

Re-invent the Future

Minority Rules

Minority Rules

Thoughtful Citizens

Church and the Minority

Good News

Believe in Your Superpowers

Jesus Believed in His Superpower

Soulful Step

Embrace the Belief that You Have This Superpower

Apostolic Action

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