Have you Given Up on Change in your Church?

The average established church knows how to train fleas.

Fleas are incredible jumpers. In fact, a flea can jump over 150 times its own size. If a man had the same strength, he could jump over 900 feet high. For some perspective, the Statue of Liberty is 305 feet high from base to the top of the torch. In addition, a flea can jump 30,000 times without taking a break. Imagine if we had that kind of strength and stamina. We could accomplish anything.

But if a FLEA TRAINER puts a flea in a jar with a lid on it, the flea will, of course, begin to jump, but after a while, the flea will lower his jump. Once they become accustomed to the fact that they cannot escape, you can remove the lid and the flea will only jump as high as where the lid was. He will never escape the jar because he has been reprogrammed to only jump so high.(1)

The flea limits it's incredible power because of conditioning and experience. The "school of hard knocks" has left its mark.

Pastors can wind up like a trained flea. Once a pastor of vision, of innovation, of giving it 100%, of God-honoring risk, of boldness and courage. Over time, resistance, complaints, anonymous letters, ugly business meetings, innuendo, criticism and disappointment take their toll. The lid on the jar is too much. They give in. And give up.

(1)cited from online reference

Testimony and Background

After 20 years ministering in the established church, I've seen patterns, experienced the ebb and flow of the work, and learned a little bit along the way. I've made enough mistakes to write several books, but have learned a few lessons along the way also.

Through this blog, I hope to put some of those lessons on paper, with the hopes that they will help some other dear brother or sister who may be struggling all alone, looking for answers. If I am able to help one person, I will count this time a success.

I saw an article recently that was discouraging as it cited many examples of entering seminary students who felt God wanted them in ministry, but not in an existing local church. A large number of students are now saying they will be involved in ministry outside the local church-- they feel the local church is ineffective, bogged in tradition, and unable to change radically enough to truly make a difference in a dark world. (I have tried to since find this article, without success. If you happen to have a reference, please let me know.) They've given up on the church! I've been in ministry a long time, and I've felt the frustration and temptation to give up on the church also.

This blog is my effort to help the cause...

My prayer is that you'll find some helpful hints for your leadership journey in the established church and be encourage and strengthened for the journey.