12 Lessons Learned From 4 Years at Mountainside

Posted September 2nd, 2010 by Shawn Barden

This week marks my family's fourth anniversary of coming to this great city of Fernie.  Four years ago this Sunday I stepped up on the stage as Mountainside's Pastor (well we had a different name then, but I digress), and preached my first message entitled "Change."

I told the church that change was essential for any church; and we were no exception.  I was nervous- partly because this was the first time I’d done this lead pastor gig, and partly because I know that change in churches is often resisted.  In some churches “change” is a swear word.  They do not want change.  However churches that resist change and try to stay the same in fact change dramatically.  Gone is the vibrancy, the life, the forward looking ministry, and the vitality they once experienced, which ironically caused them to hit the “pause” button.  In trying to stay like they once were they’ve become something totally different.  

The point is all churches change; not all churches change for the good.  

We’ve changed lots here at Mountainside, and I think most of it has been for the good. 

In reflecting on these last four years of life and ministry at Mountainside, I’ve learned and relearned some important lessons.  Let me share some of the biggies: 

•The local Church is still the hope of the world-  Now of course I know that Jesus is the hope of the world, but the truth is Jesus imparted His life saving, world-changing ministry to us.  We are His voice of hope, and there is no bigger story being written anywhere in the universe than what God is doing right now through ordinary local churches filled with ordinary men and women like you and me.  Wow! 

•Leadership must be aggressive with the gospel-  If the church and her leadership is not being intentional with the gospel and our mission, the church by default slips into a state of gospel-lethargy- where we start thinking the church exist for us and our needs and our preferences.  We easily become consumers of religion rather than the hope of the world.  That is a horrible trade.  “The kingdom of God is forcefully advancing and forceful men take hold of it.”  Matthew 11:12 

•Most Christians yearn for something more-  Most Christians I’ve met want to be part of something bigger; many have this holy discontentment with where there lives are at and this hope with where their lives could be.  People want to be involved and play their part in this Divine drama that is unfolding in real time; often they are just not sure what their part is, or need to be asked.  If we did this more, we’d shatter the “80/20 principle.” 

•Prayer is vital & most of us stink at it- We are good at talking about prayer, sermonizing on prayer, doing studies on prayer, but not so great at doing it.  There is a reason Paul says “labor with me in prayer.”  -It is not easy.  We are more a people of doing for God, rather than asking of or communing with God.  The discontentment we feel is one consequence of this. 

•Gospel community is a beautiful thing-  It takes work, sacrifice, love, grace and vulnerability, but when you have it, it's so incredible.  There are people at Mountainside who really know me, and who I really know - the brilliances and blemishes.  They love me enough to encourage and support me, and call me on the inconsistencies they see in my life.  What a gift this is.

God has engineered it that we grow in true community.  You do not experience true community in an hour and a half on Sunday morning. 

•The Holy Spirit is essential to seeing God-things happen (duh)-  I’m not quite sure why I need to keep relearning this one.  I can call people to Jesus’ mission, I can paint inspiring pictures of flourishing life with Christ, I can preach my guts out, but I cannot transform a heart.  Probably the best gospel message I ever preached was when I heard the Holy Spirit tell me to put away my notes and my cutsie illustrations and “tell it to them straight.”  We need to learn to biblically walk more with the Spirit of God. 

•God’s call always involves risk-  In fact if your life and church ministry has strategically planned away all risk, I can guarantee you that you are not walking in God’s will.  God loves faith, and calls us to walk in it, which means he is constantly calling us to new opportunities to exercise faith- where we are not sure how things are going to go and we need Him to show up or everything is going to crash and burn.  We must continually walk in faith-fueled risk. 

•In ministry a growing ego is easy and deadly-  Most leaders I know want to be used by God, want to be a tool in his hands to see great things happen.  It is an easy switch however to think that the fruit is the result of the tool rather than the One who wields it.  I can think of few things more grievous to the soul of a leader and the work of God in a church.  We (I) must not get our identity or our self-worth from ministry, if we do it becomes a deadly idol.   

•The Church in Canada is not prepared for hardship or suffering-  I see this regularly and preach against it often.  Many today have a theology of Christian-karma, that if I’m good and do good things, God in return will bless me.  The form of blessing is quite predictable- my business will prosper, my health will be strong, my infirmities will be healed, my children will obey, and my bank account will grow. 

When this doesn’t happen one of two things happens:   

1) we lash out at God and question His goodness, or

2) we lash out at ourselves and conclude that misfortune and hardship is a result of some failure on our part.  We either begin to hate God or self. 

This is despite the overwhelming biblical teaching that suffering and hardships are one of the primary tools for our sanctification.  It is the obligation of Pastors to prepare God’s people for hardship and remind them that his promise is not to remove all sufferings but to be sufficient and with us in all sufferings. 

•There are few things more painful than attacks and criticism from within-  The great preacher Charles Spurgeon said “it is not the ocean of water outside a ship that sinks it; it is the little bit of water inside the ship that brings about its peril.” 

Most pastors I know expect opposition and “flaming arrows” when they are seeking to move the church forward in faith for the sake of the gospel.   But it’s the arrows that hit him in the back when he is trying to obedient to the call of God that are devastating. 

If your pastor is pursuing God and pursuing mission then instead of criticizing (and no that is not a spiritual gift), slandering, undermining, gossiping about, and rebelling against him, how about try loving, encouraging, blessing, supporting, praying for, and submitting to him.  They have a very tough job.  (And thank you MCC and Board for being great at this to me and my family!) 

•Never underestimate the magnetic attraction of forgiveness to non-Christians-  Grace is still amazing!  Second chances are a powerful call to people who see the baggage and the dirt they’ve accumulated in life.  The vision of a holy God who offers grace is soul-compelling.

I love that Jesus’ knee-jerk reaction is grace.  When he comes to a destitute leper shunned by society, he gives grace.  When is body is being brutalized and tortured, he speaks words of grace.  When he comes face to face with an old friend who abandoned him in his time of need, he offers grace.  No matter what is thrown at Jesus he is gracious (and may I say that even in his sternness and truth telling these are gracious actions if heeded). 

We must never tire of speaking and giving amazing grace. 

•Change is possible-  I’ve seen significant change in our church.  I’ve seen significant change in individuals' lives as Jesus does his incredible transforming work in repentant hearts.  That is why I get up in the morning and love doing what I do.

The Kingdom of God is advancing and in its wake are millions of transformed, healed, restored, set free and forgiven people.  Praise Christ.

Here's hoping we continue to change for His good.

Pastor Shawn