By Kent Fillinger
At age 28, when Justin Miller transitioned from the role of youth minister to senior minister at Real Life Christian Church (Clermont, Florida), the church was in the midst of a nine-month spending freeze. It was 2002, the church had no money, and Miller”s paychecks often came with a note attached: “Do not cash until . . . “
The elders hired him to be the solution to the church”s problems; they told him, “We”re putting our hope in you.” But Miller quickly realized God didn”t choose him for this position for any of the reasons the elders thought.
Where New Life Starts
Miller immediately realized the church needed to repent. “New life in Christ always starts with repentance””this is true individually as well as corporately as a church,” he said. “And as we do it individually, we do it corporately.”
It was customary to open elders” meetings with a general perfunctory prayer, but in one of his first meetings as senior minister, Miller challenged everyone to get down on their knees to pray, repent, and to hand the church back to Jesus so he could lay a new foundation. Every elder complied.
Miller said: “We were guilty of not loving the sheep as shepherds. We needed to repent of being governed by the fear of man instead of the fear of God. . . . We would no longer listen to controlling and critical people.”
A house divided against itself cannot stand, and the elders of Real Life were divided; according to Miller, that”s the reason the church had failed to grow beyond 200 in attendance. Miller knew Real Life had to “repour the foundation and let God build his church.”
Miller started by looking at himself and asking, “Am I the leader I need to be?” Then he spent time with the key influencers in the church to establish a unified eldership. Once that was accomplished and the elders were united around the new vision and mission for the church, the leaders approached the deacons and communicated the new direction.
Since that time, Real Life has focused on substance over style and continued to work from a strong foundation. Miller notes too many churches focus on style over substance, “Just because you paint the walls of your house, it doesn”t mean you have a good house.” Eighteen months after starting this change initiative, the church changed its name to reflect its new mission and calling as a church.
Steps for Leaders
Miller suggested church leaders take these steps:
“¢ Make sure Jesus is the foundation and is in charge of the church.
“¢Â Establish a culture where Jesus always wins and where you won”t compromise on what Jesus says.
“¢Â Make a list of the issues your church needs to repent of corporately.
“¢Â Establish a clear vision before making changes in the church.
“¢Â Recognize the “change snowball” and make some easy changes (i.e., win some easy “victories”) first so you can build trust as a leader and people will rally around you. Miller said, “Some guys make the mistake of going too big too soon” when it comes to change in the church.
“¢Â Listen to everyone throughout this process.
“¢Â Confront factions and divisiveness. It”s painful and hard to do, but leaders must confront divisive people.
“¢Â Feed the sheep. Find the intersection of people”s needs in your community and the truth of God”s Word. “Don”t try to be cool, but go deep,” Miller said. Hungry people know where there”s food, and they”ll always come searching for it.
“¢Â Focus more on the mission and the message than the methods. “We stopped trying to be clever and just started preaching the Word.” He described Real Life”s style as a “hard-core teaching ministry or a lordship ministry where we”re trying to practically help people make Jesus the Lord of their lives.” He added, “You have to resort to methodology if you don”t have meat.”
“¢Â Stress discipleship. Miller said Real Life has focused more on making disciples than on getting people to come to church. Here is the philosophy: “If you build people, then they will go out; (it isn”t) if you build it (a building), then they will come.”
“¢Â Stay uncomfortable as a leader. Miller strives to maintain his self-awareness. He surrounds himself with the right people and trusts their insights.
“¢Â Practice leadership development. “If you”re not raising up the next core of leaders, you”ll soon be extinct because you”re only as good as the next level of leaders you”re raising up.” At every meeting, elders focus on identifying potential leaders within the church and determine how they will develop and coach these potential leaders.
Since 2002, Real Life has grown to almost 3,000 in worship attendance. In 2008, it relocated to a new 90,000-square-foot facility.
Kent Fillinger is president of 3:STRANDS Consulting (www.3strandsconsulting.com).
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