I’m often asked what exactly LRM (Lay Renewal Ministries) is and does. Depending on the person to whom I’m speaking, the answer can be more or less involved. Since I know there are many degrees of reader familiarity, I’ll start with a broad brush in addressing how we serve leadership. Next week, I hope to address how we serve individuals.
Of course, I’ll start with a story…
I was visiting a church one Sunday morning and mingling about during the fellowship time. While I was doing this, I overheard a woman speaking to a friend. She was relating how she had asked someone “How are you?” and the person actually told her! The woman sharing the story was befuddled and angry while I was confused. Wasn’t that the point of her asking? I guess not…
The response I’m assuming the woman wanted was “I’m fine.” It’s a safe response. It doesn’t require any effort or real reaction on our part.
When I talk to pastors or church leaders and ask them how things are going, the typical first answer is “Fine.” If I press the issue, the response can go a bit deeper – but usually towards the positive. I’ll hear the statistics on the “ABC’s” – Attendance, Building and Cash.
That’s not what I want to hear.
The real issue we need to discuss is two-fold:
- Are people coming to faith?
- Are people growing spiritually?
If the responses to those questions are negative or not what is desired, then we begin to delve deeper. As a ministry, we’ve developed a couple of tools that we have seen help churches identify some key benchmarks and set goals for helping believers grow in their walks.
The concept of benchmarks can be uncomfortable for some. Does this mean we are becoming “like the world?”
No. Paul was very clear in his letter to the church in Corinth that we need to grow. The progression of growth in a believer’s walk should be noticeable. In what ways? Here are three simple areas to set benchmarks and goals:
- Prayer – We move from a laundry list of our ‘wants’ to a seeking of God’s Will.
- The Word – We move from opening it on Sunday mornings to a regular reading and study.
- Application – We move from trying to ‘be nice’ to an active life of being the hands and feet of Christ.
So, how does LRM help in this process?
First of all, we approach each church as a unique church. (There are no formulas that will work for every church, so we shouldn’t pretend that there are!) Therefore, we speak with the pastor and leadership in an effort to determine exactly where they believe God is leading them and the church family.
We have a unique diagnostic tool we can use to assess and measure various levels of activity. (We do work with other tools also, but this is the primary one we suggest.) From this tool, we begin to prayerfully discuss and seek how they might move forward for God’s glory.
We meet with the leadership to begin to build or strengthen unity and focus. Depending on the situation, we may work through specific principles we find in our Biblically based leadership material (Basic Leader Training or Leadership Effectiveness Training). These principles are then applied specifically to the church in its unique setting and location. If these are not appropriate, then we take principles found in the Word and work to build a special program that will address where they are and where they hope to go as God leads.
I hope that gives you an introduction of the initial approach to discussing how LRM serves leaders in the church. Over the next few days, I plan to expand on the specific principles found in leadership development and training and how LRM partners with you.
Yours in Christ,
Marty
**See also the post on “A Story – SGCIS”
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