servant leader

December 1 2019

Leadership Myth Busting #4… “full time ministry”

Tim Tucker Leadership Myth Busting Christian, Grab a Towel, leadership, ministry, servant leader, Servant Leadership, service 0

I’ve now been in paid Christian work for over 20 years. Initially, I worked in two churches as a ‘youth pastor’ but have since been leading missional organisations (registered as Christian non-profit organisations). I have, therefore, been employed in what is commonly called ‘full-time ministry’. Yet, the longer I’ve been doing what I do, the more I’ve come to realise the dangers of the distinction between those in ‘ministry’ and other classifications of Christians.

The myth that there are varying degrees of Christian ministry is one that needs to be busted. The danger of the concept of ‘full-time ministry’ can be particularly pernicious when related to leadership. There is a double power-whammy when secular approaches to leadership are coupled with a hierarchy of Christian ministry. This toxic mix can result in Christian professionals who are paid to perform Christian duties on behalf of a consumerist Christian culture. Over hundreds of years of the church, this has resulted in a distinction between what is termed the ‘laity’ and those in “ministry’. This separation causes some to ‘sit and soak’, while others are expected to ‘stand and deliver’.

I believe Peter helps explode the myth that some are in ministry and some aren’t when he wrote: As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1 Peter 4:10 NKJV).

Let’s break this down by asking some questions:

Who has received a gift? Everyone. Not just church leaders, missionaries, or any other form of paid Christian worker. The implication is everyone has been given a unique gift – something given by God for the purpose to serve others. Not the chosen few. Everyone!

What is the purpose of the gift? It is to minister to others. The gift is to be employed in the service of others… that’s what ministry is. One Christian simply serving another person.

What is the ultimate purpose of ministry? Peter says that each person is then required to be a good steward of their gift, through which they are revealing the grace of God. When we grab a towel and serve others, we are demonstrating the ‘multi-faceted grace’ of God (as the Amplified Bible puts it).

The conclusion is that ministry is not about position, professional or otherwise. It is all about service. When we serve we are in ministry… nothing more, nothing less. All of us. Title or no title. Qualifications or no qualifications. New believers or mature elder. Those that serve are in ministry, and those in ministry are those who serve!

Christians have continued to create a divide between the so-called laity and clergy, the sacred and the secular. Frank Viola argues that “the term ‘laity’ is one of the worst in the vocabulary of religion and ought to be banished from the Christian conversation….” Likewise, AW Tozer exploded the myth of dichotomy between what is sacred and secular. He wrote: “It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular, it is why he does it. The motive is everything.” Therefore, the person serving in their work-place is performing an equally ‘sacred’ role as a full-time pastor (or other paid Chrisitan worker), if their motive is to bring pleasure to God

Paul sums up the heart and motive of what true ministry is when he wrote to the church in Colossae, He said, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col.3:17). The key word here is whatever. In the Bible, there is no limitation on what is considered ministry and what is considered something else. As believers, everything we do is a function of our ministry and calling to serve the Lord.

One of my favourite quotes on this subject is from Stacy Rinehart who wrote in his book Upside Down,

Ministry is not a task, program, or production. It is an act of worship by people who acknowledge that God’s great mercy has redeemed them for the purpose of relationship with Him, for sacrifice, and for service to others.

Of course, the terms ‘being in ministry’ and ‘full-time ministry’ have become entrenched in our language and will probably remain that way. However, we need to be careful of the assumptions that are being perpetuated through the language we use. It is a myth that there are different classes of Christians. It is a myth that those of us who receive salaries because we are in some form of Christian employment are more qualified to minister than anyone else. Everybody is in full-time ministry! God has uniquely called and equipped every follower of Christ to serve others. There is a distinct purpose and role for every believer.

And as leaders we need to be especially careful that we don’t reinforce the ‘full-time ministry’ myth through our words or actions. The best way to do this is to grab a towel and ensure that we assume the posture of a servant… recognising that our ministry, as leaders, is to enable others to flourish. Our primary goal is to help others serve God more effectively as they discover their calling, gifts and purpose. Therefore, my job as a leader within a Christian non-profit organisation is to provide a platform for as many people as possible to discover that they are in full time ministry as servants of the Lord.

How about you – how are you expressing your call to full-time ministry?

January 26 2019

Keep Your Head

Tim Tucker Faith and Life, Servant Leadership Grab a Towel, Jesus Christ, leadership, Morpheus, Neo, servant leader, Servant Leadership, The Apostle Paul, The Matrix 0

I recently introduced my teenage boys to one of my favourite films – The Matrix. Released in 1999, the film describes a future in which reality perceived by humans is actually the Matrix, a simulated world created by machines in order to pacify and subdue the human population. Upon learning this, computer programmer,Neo, is drawn into a rebellion against the machines.

There’s a scene in The Matrix where Neo first enters the computer-generated world and is learning to live counter to what he has been programmed his whole life. He is with his mentor, Morpheus, and they are walking against the tide of hundreds of people on a city’s streets. Morpheus, overcoming the confines of his mind, is able to walk without bumping into anyone – parting the proverbial Red Sea of people. Neo, on the other hand, bumps into everybody and is unable to avoid all the tide of people in his path.

I believe that the experience of a Christ-centred servant leader is more like Neo’s experience than Morpheus’s. In Grab a Towel I argue that servant leadership is counter-cultural to the norms of leadership prevalent in the West today. The reality is that servant leaders have to go against the flow of contemporary wisdom and cultural norms. But going against the flow inevitably means encountering obstacles and opposition. The task of Christ-centred servant leadership means going against the tide of popular opinion, standing up for righteousness, and calling others to do the same. This is a call that will inevitably result in opposition and criticism. At times, it will unavoidably lead servant leaders to question their sanity. It is a bumpy and tumultuous road. Jesus called it carrying our cross – the cross being the ultimate symbol of self-sacrifice and self-denial.

In his second letter to Timothy, Paul gives these words, “Keep your head in all situations” (2 Timothy 4:5) Keep your head! Don’t lose the plot; don’t succumb to the temptations that periods of intense stress and opposition bring. Seek to remain calm under pressure. Maintain your poise. Guthrie says we are to “cultivate unruffled alertness.” I like that… the equal and opposite dangers in times of immense pressure is that we “zone out” or we “stress out.” Rather, we need to find the middle ground where we are alert to the dangers, but continue to keep our cool and navigate the storms with faith, hope and love.

The wonderful Rudyard Kipling poem, “If” opens with the words, “If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you…” It is a big and important “If” because the damage can be disastrous if we lose our heads. Leaders who rant or sulk, leaders who are inconsistent, leaders who are prone to losing their temper; these leaders break the trust of their followers. And trust is a priceless commodity, particularly when navigating difficult waters. The leader that keeps their head, and who maintains dignity and poise, gains the confidence of those in their care and will have their influence elevated as a result.

When everything seems to be falling apart; when going against the flow takes you into turbulent waters; when the people you lead are beginning to feel disconcerted and under threat… then, keep your head! That is the way to serve others. Cultivate unruffled alertness! Avoid flapping. Don’t panic. Grab a Towel and remember why you are doing what you’re doing. Keeping the bigger picture in mind will enable you to keep your head and face the challenges you are facing with dignity and poise… a Christ-like quality that should be a hallmark of leaders following in his footsteps.

This post has been adapted from a section of my first book, The Pace Setter. Click here to order on Kindle or contact us to order a physical copy.

November 14 2018

Raising Urban Heroes: Identify, Platform, Mission

Tim Tucker Faith and Life gangs, Grab a Towel, hero, servant leader, The Message Trust 0

Below is an extract of a speech that I gave at The Message Trust’s Urban Hero Awards (click here for more info on the event). The Awards celebrated stories of transformation and told the stories of men and women who, against all odds, are now exerting a positive influence in society. Having turned their backs on gangsterism and crime, these incredible young people are now positive role models. This speaks to the heart of what Grab a Towel is all about… providing an environment for emerging leaders to flourish in faith and life, which is an ultimate act of service.

What you have seen tonight are stories that don’t make the headlines. These Urban Heroes are not the normal narrative we hear about South Africa. What you are seeing here is a reversal of the negative impact of gang activity that affects all of us who live in Cape Town… but particularly those who live in our vulnerable communities.

You see, the gangs have a strategy…

They identify youth at risk… they prey upon school children – even in our playgrounds. Young people who are vulnerable, without positive role models, and seeking identity. Gangs provide pseudo security in a dangerous world.

Then the gangs provide a platform… the gangs give young people a place to belong – where they feel accepted – even a family. But it is a family with a sting in the tale as they are told – there is one way in, and no way out.

Ultimately, gangs want to get young people on mission… to fight their turf wars, deal their drugs and commit their crimes. These missions provide them with rank and status that entangle young people more deeply into the gang culture – trapped, addicted, lost.

As I said, what you’ve seen tonight is a reversal of the strategy of the gangs… at The Message, we also have a strategy:

We identify potential in young people. We will go to vulnerable communities, prisons, gang-infested areas, and call that potential to life through the Gospel. We believe every young person has the potential to turn their life around like Mt, Melissa, Xola and the others have done.

We provide a platform for these young people to flourish in faith and life. Through our creative mission, community transformation and Christ-centred enterprise programmes, we provide an environment that reverses the negative impact of the gangs through ongoing discipleship.

Finally, we get young people on a mission. This is the true measure of our success… when those we’ve impacted become transformational leaders and role models– starting a ripple effect of transformation across this city.

And this is our dream. To scale the impact of what you’ve seen this evening as we continue to empower young people who were once the problem, but now have discovered the answer – and his name is Jesus Christ.

Xola won the overall Urban Hero award. He is a young man who epitomises what it means to be a transformational leader. Click here to check out a short video of his story here.

The challenge for all of us is to Grab a Towel and serve the next generation of leaders through identifying, providing a platform, and mobilising them for mission.