Tips & tools to Multiply Your Impact

As I write this, I am now entering the twenty-fifth year where I have been actively involved in helping other churches get started. Back in the fall of 1996, Allison Park Church helped to plant its very first church in Mars, Pennsylvania! Since that time, we have now helped to directly parent thirty-one new churches, and have assisted other multiplying churches to do the same. Overall, we have worked with more than one hundred planters to see over a hundred church plants launched.

Our season of multiplication happened to coincide with an era of aggressive church multiplication.

• New and creative forms of multiplication emerged through the advent of the multi site movements.

• Church Planting organizations were founded that provided funding, training, coaching, and best practices.

• Buzz was in the air. Church planting was cool. It was what emerging or younger leaders were doing and everyone, it seemed, wanted in on it.

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One of the major things that I have attempted to do in the last ten month, in every decision that we have made regarding our approach to Covid-19, is consider the needs of my team before anything else . My first question has been, how does this affect the staff? I want to come out on the other side of this with a strong, unified, and healthy team.

When it comes to a leaders health and well-being, I recognize that there are certain things that I can do as the leader of the organization to build a healthy culture. But there are some things that are completely out of my control. The fact of the matter is:

No one can be responsible for the health of your soul but you!

Culture. Work environment. Positive circumstances. Mentoring. All these things can help add value to your soul-health, but none of them are the determining factor. The absence of some things makes it more challenging to be healthy, but not impossible.

It’s like the Proverbs says in chapter four, verse 23: Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Do you hear that? You, guard your heart. That’s the challenge. It’s up to you. If you do a great job at that, the rest of your life flows from that one developed skill-set. So how do we invest in the health of our own soul?

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One of the things that has become apparent during the last ten months is that, we as followers of Jesus, have forgotten an ancient spiritual discipline that was practiced by both Jesus and his disciples. It is the practice of SUFFERING for the sake of Christ.

I know, I know - this may not be the most motivational post! But hear me out.

Maybe its because as Americans, we have had it drilled into us that we have rights and freedoms? Maybe its because in our culture we have enjoyed uninterrupted favor and affluence for many decades? Maybe it is just because suffering is one of the most unpopular concepts in Christianity? But consider this….

#1 - Suffering Was Part Of The Calling Of Jesus!

This thought should be incredibly obvious. Jesus came to suffer and die for us on the cross. (Though, He did not stay dead, but rose from the grave!!!) But this fact was not obvious to his disciples. Look at the conversation in Matthew 16:21-22

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In just a few months, i will complete my thirtieth year as the Lead Pastor of Allison Park Church. When I tell some younger people that, they look at me like I should be able to describe the architecture of Noah’s Ark! What was it like to be alive way back when!?!

When I entered my fifties, I have to say that my age bothered me a bit. How did I get here? It used to be that someone who was 56 years old was really really old! Now it does not seem so old at all. As they say, it’s all a matter of perspective!

And that’s what I want to talk about. Each season of life carries its advantages! And each has some disadvantages. Knowing what season you are in allows you to maximize and enjoy the moment. Let’s trace these season by the decades.

#1 - THE TWENTIES: The Directional Decade

When we hit these early adulthood phase of life, we are often trying to figure out who we are, what we are designed to do, and who we want to be with. So many huge decisions are made during this time-frame. Truly, we set the course of our lives when we are here.

This can be a bit intimidating! It can even be paralyzing because we don’t want to get stuck in something wed don’t enjoy and we don’t want to make a mistake. There are some key things that make this season more effective.

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A few days ago, a pastor asked me, “So what is your vision for 2021? Do you have any clarity? Any big plans?”

As soon as I heard the question, I laughed out loud! “Nope! No big plans! I am just trying to get through the next few days!!!” But after the fact, I started to reflect a bit on that question. Can you have a clear and compelling vision for 2021? Let’s face it, there have been some enormous challenges presented to our ability as leaders to set goals and to measure success.

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One of my favorite things to watch, as a sports fan, are the post game news conferences. It’s so amazing to see the various approaches to leadership that are on display after a big win or a big loss.

Some coaches do an amazing job of taking responsibility for failures, and sharing credit for successes. Some coaches demonstrate that they have truly gained some new insights about their team during the game. Other coaches simply show their frustration with their team, and at times their own incompetence!

Most of them say something like this, “We will need to get back into the film room and watch our performance, so that we can learn from it all and get better.” Post-game evaluations, if done well, are a key to getting better. This is true in every area of life. When we win, we need to take the time to celebrate! When we lose, we take the time to mourn. But neither of those emotions can last too long - because we have another game coming up in the follwing week.

So what is the post-game evaluation for this crazy year of 2020? Here’s ten things I have learned.

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There is a response that many, who oppose mask-wearing, offer as a quick retort to explain why ‘wearing a mask’ is a lack of faith and therefore should be rejected by followers of Christ. Here’s the responses: ‘Would Jesus wear a mask? I can’t imagine that He would. He walked on water! He raised the dead! Why would he wear a mask!?!”

As a pastor, I have to be honest, that is a really great question! Would Jesus have worn a mask?

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Can you believe that this crazy year of 2020 is almost over. We now have just a little over sixty days left in this turbulent year. While the struggle is not over, we can start to look beyond our present moment and attempt to bring some meaning out of it.

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This past week, I was hiking with my wife and my dog Emmie, and Melodie and I were talking about ‘prophetic impact’. God has called her and is using her more and more in the area of prophetic encouragement to younger leaders.

We were discussing some hidden principles of what makes a person’s gift truly carry something more than just momentary impact. Some ministry is for the moment. Some ministry is done in such a way that it creates a movement.

What is required for that kind of multiplied impact?

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One of the questions I get asked often by other pastors who are younger than me: Have you ever been through a year that is anything like 2020? My answer is clearly NO! There is nothing quite like this year, especially for pastors and church leaders.

Now, I do not want to sound like I am complaining. I realize that God has given me (us) the honor of serving him and his people. What I want to do is just restate the uniqueness of these last seven months:

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It is an understatement to say that 2020 has been one of the craziest years in our lifetime! Covid-19, the quarantines, election year, the tensions that have risen due to racial injustice, and on and on it goes. These events are enough in and of themselves, but the emotional stress is compounded by social media combativeness.

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