Slideshow image

On August 1st, I will have been the pastor of Auberry Community Church for three years. Wow. Time is flying by. What have I learned? Well….a lot.

ACC was given more than it could handle.

One of the most mishandled verses in the bible is 1 Corinthians 10:13. It reads:

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. (1 Cor. 10:13)

Somehow many (if not most) Christians interpret this to mean that God will never give you more than you can handle. But this is not the meaning of this verse. God often gives us more than we can handle. This is why we need the omnipotent Spirit to empower us to live lives of holiness. If we could handle everything, why would we ever cry out to Jesus?

Before becoming the pastor of ACC, this precious church went through a really hard time. Details are unnecessary, but it wasn’t the best era in ACC’s long history. It was a bad breakup. People left. Our testimony was temporarily damaged. I was told by a few congregants that they were unsure ACC would make it. But God wasn’t done. Our numbers rebounded and continue to grow. But most importantly, our spiritual family continues to become more healthy, more mature. We had to look to Jesus, becasue we did not have the answers….and we knew it. This was the turning point.

Go “back to the basics”.

It sounds cliche, but it is the truth. When you seem to lose your way, go back to basics. What are the basics?

  • Biblical preaching
  • Prayer
  • Evangelism
  • Developing biblical leadership
  • God-centered corporate worship
  • Living out the “one-anothers”
  • Encouraging biblical community
  • Exalting Jesus in all of our ministries

Be a student of the culture

I study a lot. I study my wife. I study my kids. I study the Scriptures. I strove (especially in the beginning) to study three concentric circles, when I arrived, related to my new pastoral calling.

The first circle is in the center which is the culture of Auberry Community Church.

  • Studying the people.
  • Studying the leadership.
  • Studying the history.
  • Studying the church government.
  • Studying the constitution/by-laws.

The second circle (from the center) is the church culture of the foothills.

  • Studying the individual churches.
  • Studying the flavor/doctrinal focus of each church.
  • Studying the current health of the foothill churches.

The third circle (from the center) is the culture of the foothill community.

  • Studying the economy.
  • Studying the needs of the community.
  • Studying the key people/organizations.

To be clear, I am still studying. But it would have been super foolish to think that I could just show up, day one, and understand/relate/shepherd to these precious people and this special community.

Just preach the word.

I know. I know. Don’t all pastors do this? Not really.

Now does this mean this is all I have done in three years at ACC? Hmmmm……no. I have (with God’s help) encouraged change from a number of vantage points. But the constant has been given proper attention to prayer and the teaching of God’s word. God’s word is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword (2 Tim. 3:16-17). God’s word will not come back void. It will accomplish what God has ordained it to accomplish (Isaiah 55:10-11).

Why would I just tell stories? There are no authority in my words. Only in the words of God.

True healing is found in repentance and forgiveness, not just the passing of time.

As I mentioned above, ACC went through a difficult season. Wounds were pretty deep. Has time passed? Yes. Does time heal relational wounds? Not necessarily. The only proven method to heal conflict and relational wounds is repentance and forgiveness. This is hard work. This is vulnerable work. This is not easy, but it is life-changing.

I have watched people own their sin, confess their transgressions publicly and invite anyone who they might have been offended to come to them. They did this so they could confess and ask for forgiveness. This is amazing. This is the good news of the gospel. God forgave us so we can forgive each other. Again, amazing. Only God can do this. He did it in our family. Now we strive to look forward, not behind.

The forces of evil will attack churches that are harvesting spiritual fruit.

Notice I said spiritual fruit, not numeric growth. Almost every church can grow numerically. The seeker sensitive movement proved this. But the Enemy doesn’t necessarily care about numbers. It cares about spiritual growth. When a local church is living out the “one-anothers”, confessing sin, inviting spiritual accountability, the Prince of Darkness mobilizes his troops.

I have observed these attacks, especially this last year. The arrows of the evil one have begun to pierce the walls of ACC, but we continue to spiritually grow stronger, more resolute. Examples are hidden, but present, I assure you. And yet, as we continue to practice biblical conflict resolution, standing firm on the Rock of Ages, our shields of faith rise up. The gates of Hell have not and will not prevail against it.

Being a pastor is hard.

I already knew this, but certainly the last three years have not changed this fact. People are messy. I am messy. Not always a great combo. Furthermore, shepherding can be lonely work. Making the hard decisions, especially the unpopular ones, are necessary, with no pats on the back. I have learned to deal with this, but nevertheless, these are the requirements for faithful leadership.

Get the right people around you. 

My next words will not shock anyone. I AM NOT VERY GOOD AT CERTAIN ASPECTS OF PASTORAL MINISTRY. But that is okay. What is not okay is either 1) being too arrogant to admit these deficiences or 2) being unwilling to invite honest criticism to help me pinpoint my weaknesses. This is why having the right people around me is crucial for my personal growth and the growth of our church. 

Thankfully, I am confident I have invited those types of people into my life. These certain individuals encourage me (sometimes forcefully) to delegate, to release control, to focus on my weak areas and to address issues that I would rather avoid. 

I need them. I will not grow as I leader without them. I pray that I will continue to listen to them even when I don't want to. 

People at ACC are a blessing to me and my family.

There is no question that we have been received well at ACC. People have sent cards and encouraging notes. I am often given verbal encouragement after every sermon. People ask often about my wife and kids, making sure they are adapting to life in the foothills. Now I want to say this next part very carefully.

I am sure I am not everyone’s cup of tea.

And I want everyone to know that is okay. Here is what I appreciate about those who fit in that category: You love me even if I am not your cup of tea. They know God has called me here. They appreciate my faithfulness. They CHOOSE to love me and treat me well.

People are hungry for God’s word.

I have observed during my time at ACC that there is a growing zeal for God’s word. People are digging into God’s word personally, throughout the week. They are asking questions. They are striving to apply it to their lives. Their posture is different during the sermon. They are listening well. They are meditating on God’s word long after Sunday morning.

The future is bright at ACC.

Is there growth at ACC? Absolutely. We have almost tripled in size. But that is not why the future is bright. The future is bright because PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT JESUS! People are telling their friends about Jesus. People are inviting their friends, their neighbors, their co-workers to church. People are hungry for community. People are eager to experience God in a deeper, more profound way. It is happening. I am watching God bring the right people, who have specific gifts, to address the current and/or growing needs.

Where will we be in 2 years? 5 years? I don’t know. But I do know if we continue to look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our Faith, our journey will be more incredible than we can possibly imagine.

Can’t wait to see what God will teach me in the years to come!