Haiti at last

We arrived in Port au Prince today around 3:00 PM. It is hotter than blazes and the place is a mess. We are strategizing about the week's work. We are all a bit overwhelmed. We would appreciate prayer support.

I'll do my best to keep you updated as the week advances. Should be lots of stories and pictures.

Grace to you!

life changes fast

Last night, we enjoyed a really great time with our immediate family. This is a special and rare treasure for us. In fact, these times only happen every few years. I consider my immediate family as me and Letha, Jessica and Josh (daughter and son-in-law) and Richard, Janet and Grace (nephew, his wife and their daughter). As we were eating a nice meal around our table, I thought that this is the first time that we weren’t missing someone in a long time.

Only a few years ago, 8 to be exact, Letha and I and Jessica and Rich were enjoying happy days in Minnesota. Now, none of us live there. Richard moved to China for four years, met and married Janet and then Grace came along. Jessica went to school in Tennessee, married Josh and now they live and minister in Guatemala. Thankfully, Rich joined our church staff a couple of months ago and Jessica and Josh are itinerating in the States for a few weeks – so we all get to be together for a short while.

I’m telling you, embrace your family when you can be together. Time flies and things change fast. I am soaking this up.

countdown to Haiti

We are 4 days away from our trip to Haiti. I have been on the phone today with our hosts in Port-au-Prince and they have everything in place for our visit. Looks like we are going to spend our time putting up tents for churches and a Bible School. I was kind of surprised that they still need tents, considering it's been over 8 months since the earthquake. I assumed more long-term solutions would be the focus. It just lets us know how very far this country is from recovery.

My prayer today is that the people of Haiti will see the love of God made clear. This will happen at the hands of other people: People loving, people serving, people giving. If I can be a small part of that process, it will be awesome.

my new favorite quote

“When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure.” Peter Marshall

secret passions of pastors

I am betting big money that this title will pull in some readers.

Cool off, no exposés or confessions here. This post has nothing to do with moral failures or temptations or high-dollar TV preachers who are cheating on their fourth wife. This is not as titillating as those things but it is way more important.

I want to write about the high number of North American pastors who secretly, or not so secretly, wish they were doing something else for a living. And I am not talking about the guys who would rather be a plumber because they are discouraged in ministry.

I want to talk about the pastors who would rather be missionaries.

I have a friend who was a successful pastor for 25 years. Six months ago, he resigned his church and is now a full-time missionary. He has never been happier. I have another friend who was a pastor, left there to be a missionary for 5 years and then tried to return to the pastorate. It didn’t work. He lasted about 18 months in the local church and, you guessed it, he now travels around the world doing disaster relief and working with orphans. And he is quite fulfilled. There was a well known and successful Assembly of God pastor named Dean Galyen who, several years ago left a large church in Missouri to become a missionary in Africa. People thought he was crazy and said he was making a huge mistake. He proved them wrong.

I have had numerous discussions with my pastor friends, and I don’t mean a few, about this topic. On Saturday, a successful pastor a couple of hours away told me, “the only thing that is keeping me from making the leap into full time missions is my personal finances.” This guy has been in local church work for 25 years, his current church for 20. I personally know of a dozen or so pastors who, over the past several months, have told me something very similar.

So what is behind this phenomenon? What is going on in the heads of local church pastors that cause them to desire to work in third-world countries rather than in comfortable suburbs? In just a few words: they are tired of beating their heads against the wall with little or no results. Ministry in North America is resulting in miniscule numbers of converts and disciples. Measurable life–change is microscopic. According to most stats, the conversion rate is almost at nil. Many of these same pastors have had the honor of doing short-term missions work and have seen the results of their efforts. They have seen how far money goes in other countries as it reaches the poor. They have experienced jam packed churches with no air conditioning and no running water and no creature comforts. But they have also witnessed these people worship God passionately for hours without complaining. In fact, there are no complaints about how loud the music is or how long the pastor preaches or what songs they were singing. You need to know that, in North America, these are the trifecta of church complaints! The pastors who have seen this on the mission field have a very difficult time staying inspired at their churches where commitment wanes and where most of their times is spent dealing with disgruntled church members.

I hope you are not offended. Don’t be. And I hope you won’t adopt the attitude that says that these guys should just quit and go on to do their happy little missions work. Maybe it would be more helpful if we would start looking at America as the mission field. Possibly we need to call it like it is and agree that the church in North America is in serious trouble.

Pastors, hang in there! If God is calling you to the mission field, get going as soon as possible. But don’t let the discouragement of no progress cause you to go searching for greener grass. The mission field is no picnic.

Bottom line: let’s know what God called us to do and get on with it.

sunrise at Palm Beach Shores, FL

Enjoy these pictures from our sunrise worship service at Palm Beach Shores this morning.

got 1:55?

Helping Haiti from Maranatha Church on Vimeo.

4 steps to changing course (finale)

The last part of this series will focus on making the move – actually engaging the change.

If, after assessment, change is still needed, take action- make the move.

Now, this is gut-check time.

There are a million reasons not to lead change: Change is not popular. It will get you criticized. It is easier just to stay the same. They may even want to kill you (refer to Moses in Exodus 17:4).

There is never the perfect time for change. Sometimes, we get stuck in the process of evaluations – to the point that we freeze. I like the little phrase - "the paralysis of analysis". Don’t try to wait for the perfect time. Ecclesiastes 11:4 says, “Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest.” (NLT) Let’s not get stuck doing nothing and blowing our greatest opportunities. As John Greenleaf Whittier said, “For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, 'It might have been’.”

Leaders lead. And many times, change is exactly what needs to happen. A leader that is afraid to shake things up won’t last long in leadership. You have to be strong and be able to withstand opposition. And another consideration – you have to be in it for the long haul. It is completely unfair for a leader to change course and (sorry for the mixed metaphors), jump ship. If you don’t plan to hang around, don’t mess things up for those who are sticking around and for your replacement.

I have yet to mention a very important aspect of impacting transition – consensus. If you are smart, you’ll be sure that you are not alone in your quest for change. Good leaders don’t lead by popular opinion, and God’s kingdom is not a democracy but you’d better be sure the key people and the influencers are on board with you. These people need to be the kind that will run through a wall with you.

So, you are in charge of something, are you? Well, you’d better be ready to bring change. Slow, strategic, deliberate change. If done properly, the result will be worth the pain.

So a quick departing recap:
#1 Identify the need/problem – what’s wrong with this picture?
#2 Set the vision – where do we want to go?
#3 Answer: Is it worth it? – am I willing to pay the price?
#4 Change! Just do it!

Thanks for sticking with me on this series. Feel free to send it on to Twitter or facebook or share it on your blog with the buttons below.

Grace to all!

Rick

4 steps to changing course (3)

Is it worth it?

Did you have growing pains as a kid? I did. My legs used to ache terribly, especially at night when I couldn’t sleep. Growing hurts.

Organizational transformation is costly. There is usually a financial cost associated. There is almost always an emotional cost. Sometimes, change hurts so much it seems like it just isn’t worth it. And maybe sometimes it isn’t.

When changing course with a group of people, there are a lot of considerations. It can be emotional and stressful. People fight change. I think the older and more stayed a group, the more difficult it is to effect change.

The “is it worth the cost” question must be answered in light of the health of the organization. If a group of people is strong and healthy, well-adjusted and vibrant, change is welcomed, even encouraged. Short-term pain will result in long term gain. But if an organization is sickly and diseased, one minor shift can be fatal. The mere suggestion of transition can be viewed as lethal. In these cases, the results of the change may prove worse than the original problem. Reality is, most organizations that are that weak are already dead. Arne Larson said, "If you're green, you're growing, but as soon as you're ripe, you begin to rot." I really hope you are not trapped in one of these situations. If so, get out now.

For the rest of us, change is simply a matter of inconvenience. We don’t want to change because we are comfortable. People resist transition because they are too lazy to change. We have to move beyond these temporary hesitations.

When all is said and done, you have to decide if your group is strong enough to survive the changes you are considering.

If you are on the wrong course and can’t be happy going in that direction, you need to change. Here is something to consider: while change is painful, stagnation is also painful. Nothing makes me more miserable than to be in a dead end situation with no way out. So, you have to decide between the pain of stagnation and the pain of growth.

Weigh the pros and cons - of not changing course and of changing course. Make a list, talk through it with trusted confidants. Do your homework. Then decide, is the change worth the pain?

If so, get moving, launch the change!

To recap the last few days:

#1 Identify the need/problem
#2 Set the vision
#3 Answer: Is it worth it?

The last part of this series will focus on making the move – actually engaging the change.

4 steps to changing course (pt. 2)

#2 Set the vision

We are talking - changing course. This is the 2nd installment (first take a minute to read the previous post).

There are times when we simply have to do something different. When we hurt badly enough … when we are sick of no forward movement … when going back is just not an option. These are the times that call for vision.

Vision has been defined as “a view of a preferred future”. Considering our topic is how to shift directions in an organization, we should think “forward” rather than “backward”. Change can be painful and that is why many people avoid it. Those who resist change spend time talking about history. Those who embrace change talk about the future.

While it may not seem like it, the key question concerning setting vision is: "What will solve the problem?"

Take yourself all the way through and beyond the issue that is holding you back and at the completion of that journey you will find vision.

Leaders find solutions. Peter Arnell said, “True change springs from an idea whose time has come. It is powered by dissatisfaction with the way things are.” Visionaries despise the status quo and are willing to take the risks necessary in order to break out.

I shared in my last post that our church is in process of making adjustments. We usually are. These transitions come from our assessment that we can do better, we can be more effective. It starts with dissatisfaction with the way things are or how they are going. We then develop a vision for what could be. This is our target. "What could be" is our motivation.

You can’t change course unless you know which course to get on. It is equally important to get on the right track once you have abandoned the old one. The end of the course is your vision.

If you need to change course, first figure out the problem. Then, decide your goal. Vision obsession is necessary in order to succeed. Lock in on it, pursue it with passion. You are already half way home!

Now, set the vision and get going toward it!

Next time we are going to talk about the cost of changing course: the big questions: – "is it worth it?"

Com’on back!

4 steps to changing course

This is a four-part article on effecting change. Please stay with me for a few days as each of the four topics require more time than any of us have at one reading.

We are in process right now of some adjustments at our church. These changes are fun and exciting and necessary. But our steps to these changes must be calculated and deliberate. While we navigate these adjustments, I thought about how many people could benefit from knowing how we are going about them.

So here goes:

#1 Identify the need/problem:

Being a “fixer” is not healthy. People who are on a mission to make the world a perfect place won’t survive in real life. But there is something deep inside every leader that desires to see wrongs righted and problems solved.

A skill we need in order to function and stay emotionally healthy is that of distinguishing between what problems we are to tackle and what problems we are to avoid. If something is wrong – in that – someone is getting hurt or in danger, we just have to step up. But how about if an organization is not as effective as it could/should be?

Let’s learn to think solutions. But before we can find the answer, we have to know the question:
Why are we not making progress?
What is holding us back?
What adjustments can be made that will result in greater effectiveness?

Wrestle through these questions with your team. Put your finger on the problem. Call in an outside consultant, if necessary. But shine a light on the issue. It may be difficult. It may be that one of the team members is the issue to lack of forward movement. It could be tradition. It could be lack of leadership skills. But the source of the problem must be exposed.

It is only then that you can think about a solution. Solving a problem is generally the result of a willingness to do whatever it takes. Be brutally honest about what is killing the fulfillment of your mission. Kill or be killed.

Apply this concept to your situation. What is holding you back from become all that you should be?

Next thought in this series: Set the vision. Join me.

God Heals . . . tomorrow

It will be interesting to see how people react to our worship services tomorrow. We are dealing with some raw topics. God Heals is a comforting and therapeutic series that is taking us into spiritually healthy places. But it is necessary to expose the hurt before healing can begin.

Tomorrow we are talking from John 4, the woman at the well. I'll be sharing how Jesus healed her life and how He also wants to heal ours. We are including a testimonial video from Brian Welch, former guitarist for Korn. Check it out.

Brian Welch - Edited from Maranatha Church on Vimeo.

Be with us tomorrow, if you can. If not, maybe give a listen online here.

Sunday evening update: It was great day of ministry at Maranatha. The response to the message was in-depth. People prayed and confessed some very painful past experiences and saw the healing hand of God. We have one more week of God Heals. This is a good season of God's work.

WCAGLS

This week, our leadership team is attending the Willow Creek Association Global Leadership Summit. This is a video simulcast taking place here in Palm Beach Gardens. It is live in Chicago.

While we are only half way through the process and there are a lot of great speakers yet to hear and material to process, I already have been impacted.

As usual, Bill Hybels is speaking to my heart, he is one of my perennial favorites. But this year, Jim Collins is also leaving his mark. I have read his book Good to Great and I own, but have not yet read all of How the Mighty Fall. I love his quote: "Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness is largely a matter of conscious choice, and discipline."

You can check out his materials and resources at jimcollins.com.

I'll be hitting you up with some more highlights in coming days and weeks.

Grace!

local news media coverage

The following story was in TCPalm newsblast yesterday:

Maranatha pastors prepare for Haiti missions trip

PALM BEACH GARDENS — Two area pastors will travel later this month to Port Au Prince, Haiti, to assist in building homes, security walls and churches. Eight pastors will make the trip—seven of whom reside and pastor churches in South Florida.

Maranatha Church Senior Pastor Rick Whitter and J Simms, Maranatha’s Executive Pastor, will depart on Aug. 28, for the Caribbean country. The Palm Beach Gardens pastors have made a monetary commitment of $5,000 to build a prefabricated house for an elderly Haitian pastor and his family who have been without permanent housing since the January earthquake. During the weeklong trip the team will also be involved in minor rebuilding projects throughout the city. Additionally, the pastors have committed to bring with them basic supplies and monetary contributions to help the people of Haiti.

“We're going to do our little part to try to make someone’s life better,” states Pastor Whitter. “The need is major and I can’t imagine taking enough money to cover everything that needs to be accomplished. We can’t do it all, but we can all do something.” He continued, “We hope to take a good amount of supplies for those in need, along with money to help them with practical needs. We are raising money to help fund these projects. Our tickets are paid for, so every penny that is donated will go directly to assist the people of Haiti.”

For more information on the upcoming mission trip or to make a secure donation please visit Maranatha’s outreach website at www.wecanshareit.org or Pastor Whitter’s blog at www.rickwhitter.blogspot.com.

Maranatha Church is an interdenominational fellowship of believers committed to impacting the world with the love and message of Jesus Christ. The Church is located at the intersection of Prosperity Farms and Lone Pine Roads in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Worship services are held at the Palm Beach Gardens campus Sunday mornings at 9 and 10:45 a.m. and at the Palm Beach Shores campus Sunday mornings at 7 a.m. The Palm Beach Shores campus is located at the Palm Beach Shores Community Center, 120 Ocean Avenue, Palm Beach Shores.

For more information on Maranatha Church please contact the church office at (561) 622-8330 or visit the website at http://www.maranathachurch.org.

to seethe story on their site, check out tcpalm.com.news.

every little bit helps

We are raising money to take to Haiti and have about 4 weeks left before our trip. Would you consider helping out? Maybe you can't give much but what you give will go a long way to help provide basic necessities for the people of Haiti. So far, we have raised around $3,500.00.

To contribute, visit wecanshareit.org. All donations are tax deductible and 100% will go to the project. Thanks for your generosity and for forwarding this info to others.

God Heals

Yesterday, we launched an awesome message series called "God Heals". For those of you who may wish to hear part one of this series again or if you were not at one of our worship events, you can listen to the message here. I hope you enjoy. Make plans for next Sunday to be with us @ Maranatha Church.

29 years and counting

Today is our wedding anniversary. 29 years. 348 months. 1,508 weeks. 10,585 days...you get the idea.

After 3 worship services today, we decided to go snorkeling. It was a great day on Jupiter Island at Coral Cove Park. We saw a ton of beautiful tropical fish, probably more and in greater variety than we have ever seen around here. We also saw a 4 ft. barracuda! A little creepy, knowing he could take a significant bite if he wanted to.

It's been a great day and a great 29 years. Letha is a great gift from God in my life. I thank God for her.

Now here we go on the next 29...