Giving the right impression matters.

In the last few days, the new Prime Minister of Australia, and several other members of parliament have got themselves into a spot of bother with the way they have used (and some say, mis-used) their travel entitlements. It seems to be a case of "one man's junket for a sporting event is another man's opportunity to meet members of the electorate at a community event."

Who knows what will come of it? Probably not much. (and living in a country where rip-offs of the system usually involve figures containing many more zeros, it hardly seems big bikkies).

However, there is an important lesson to be learnt for those of us who have the privilege of being paid from donations, and there have an important level of accountability to our donors. (To fit in with my opening argument, I'm using the term "donation" in a very broad sense, to include tax! But I think the issue of accountability still stands.)

The lesson is, we need to do the right thing, but more than that, we need to be seen to be doing the right thing. The impression we give is just as important as the fact.

Christian workers, pastors, missionaries - we need to take notice of this, because the dangers that this issue can cause to us personally and to the ministries we are involved in are real and severe.

First, there is the danger to the reputation of the gospel. There are those who will want to tear Christians down at the slightest hint of us misusing the system. Opponents of the gospel would like nothing more than to highlight the moral, legal or personal failure of a Christian to further their cause. From time to time articles are written and fingers are pointed at the way churches and christian organisations use or misuse their tax status. Failures, or perceived failures in this area do not recommend the gospel.

Second, we have a responsibility to be good stewards of the money that has been given to us by our supporters and church members. In response to our requests, many people give sacrificially and generously, and it is our responsibility to ensure that our care in spending matches their care in giving, both in what we actually do, but also in the impression we give of how we do it. Because no matter how many audit reports and bank statements and scrutinised budgets are presented at the annual meeting, if the beneficiary of the donations is perceived to be wasting the funds, it will leave a bad taste in the mouth of the donor.

Let me share a personal example. I was recently on a multi-stop trip, a long one, paid for totally by generous donors to CMS Australia, the mission organisation that does a great job looking after us here in Mexico. I had been at a conference of theological educators - people like me who are directors of seminaries, leaders of training institutions etc. A group of us caught the bus to the airport and so we were checking in for our various flights together.

Two things happened which made me think carefully about this issue.

1. Earlier this year, a generous supporter gave me a one year membership to the Qantas Club. This means in some airports and with some airlines I can enjoy the benefits of their "VIP departure lounges" (basically free wifi, comfy chairs and snacks). It is really nice and it was generous of him to give it to me. He knows that I have a lot of trips and that small things like this make the experience a bit more comfortable. One of the benefits of this membership is that it allows me to skip the check-in line and use the business class desk.

So, off I went, checked in at the business class desk and met up with the group again later on.

A few of them said - wow - your organisation must be doing OK - you get to fly business! (said with not a particularly positive tone of voice!) So I explained the situation and their attitude immediately changed. What if I hadn't have had the opportunity to explain myself? I think their perception of "overseas funded missionaries" might not have been so good.

I know this because of the second thing that happened.

2. As I was leaving the check in line, a couple of others from the conference also went to the business counter to check in. And I couldn't help noticing that when they finished, they had boarding passes with those magic words "Business class" written on them.

What was my impression? Well, they must be doing alright to be able to waste money like that. What can't they fly economy like the rest of us? Are they better than us?

Wow - maybe they had used some points to upgrade? Maybe they had a sore back and had asked nicely? Maybe a generous person had given them a membership that gave them an upgrade? Who knows - but my reaction to what I saw was at the same time severe, jealous and judgemental.


For me, it reinforced the need to be seen to be doing the right thing as well as actually doing the right thing. Sure, maybe we need to work harder at educating our donors how we spend our money and being as open as we can about doing the right thing, but we also have a responsibility to be seen to be doing the right thing.

As world travel becomes easier, and as opportunities and invitations for travel become more frequent, here's a few things I've learnt along the way about doing the right thing, and making sure the impression you give is also that you are doing the right thing.

1. Make sure your accounting and reporting structure is accurate and externally audited - whether it is an official "government required" audit or just someone external who can check it for you. It is an insurance policy for you and for your organisation against any accusation of impropriety.

2. Don't not use the system for small transactions. If you are willing to fudge a bit on small amounts, the temptation is to change the definition of "small". When I'm travelling, I keep a small notebook with me and jot down all expenses, with receipts where possible. (I understand there are apps for that!)

3. You won't have the opportunity to explain your circumstances to everyone, so be humble and circumspect about it. Enjoy the opportunities you have, but don't brag about them.

4. If you must post "travel reports" on facebook, consider the impression you are giving. Inevitably, the photos at the beach, in the game park or at the national monuments are more interesting than your time in the library, giving the conference talk or meeting the pastor's group, so they'll end up dominating your postings. Think about the impression this gives.

5. Don't just give reports of your "extraordinary" activities. Talk about your day to day life with the same enthusiasm as the exciting bits.

6. Consider the way you talk about the people you are working with / serving alongside. In your excitement and enthusiasm, try not to come across as the saviour. Admit your difficulties and hardships, be honest about your homesickness, feelings of being out of your depth, loneliness. Real reflections help give the impression that you are working, not just having a fantastic holiday.

7. If you do have a holiday - be honest and open about it! Don't be a gospel tourist. Just be a tourist! Enjoy the opportunity to work, enjoy the opportunity to be a tourist, and do what you can to not confuse the two.

High emotions, higher certainty

Latin America is a very emotional place – keep an eye out for the Latin American teams and their supporters in the World Cup next year and you’ll soon get the idea.

This “high octane emotion” is not only evident in the stands of the football stadium, but in church as well. Prayers in our church often involve tears genuine tears – both of joy and sorrow. There are churches here where I have experienced a level of genuine and authentic Christian joy not often seen in “the west”. For a pretty reserved bloke like me, this can be a bit of a challenge (although I can now give strangers a warm hug like a local!)

Of course emotions come with a warning. Emotions come and emotions go. They can be manipulated or turned on and off for show. You can feel great because you’re well fed, have a comfy seat and your favourite song is on the radio. You can feel bad because there was no milk in the fridge, the bus was late and there’s something wrong with the wifi. As I write this I am at the end of a long multi-location road trip and my feelings are “I’ve pretty much had enough and the next time I have to stand in an immigration or check in line, the groan may be more on the audible end of the spectrum than quietly internal!”

If we consider this rollercoaster of feelings in the context of the way we feel about God, whether we feel valued or loved by him, it doesn’t take long to see that we’re going to have good days and bad days, high times and low times. That is the reality of our life. The question is, what do we do about it? How do we respond, especially in the low times?

One of the reasons for the trip is that the GBU (IFES in Chile) asked me to speak on Romans at their annual training camp, and I’m thankful to them because it gave me the incentive I needed to get stuck into some careful reading and thinking.

As I was preparing to explain Romans 6 I noticed that we have something greater than emotions. In the context of explaining the new life that we have because we are justified by faith in Christ and not by the law, Paul uses these words and phrases.

“Do you not know…?” (v3)

“We shall certainly be…” (v5)

“We know that…” (v6)

“We believe (trust) that…” (v8)

“We know that…” (v9)

“Do you not know…” (v16)

“you have become…” (v17)

The chapter is driven by a whole lot of facts, things that we know, things that we can be sure of.

I’d say that Paul’s main idea in the chapter is not that we know things, but that the things we know (ie: the work of Christ on the cross) are very important – but I think Paul’s appeal for us to be living as people who have new life comes not from something that comes and goes, nor is based on whether we feel warm or cold towards God, but of facts, of knowledge, of sure things.

We know we are loved by God, we know we are a new creation, we know we are not slaves to sin. Therefore, we can be confident of our relationship with God, despite the way we currently feel.

That is great news, especially when you’re in a trough rather than a peak.

So if you’re in a trough, be encouraged – your closeness to God is not proportional to your feelings. Fortunately, we can be much more secure than that. 

The world's most most liveable city is...

The results of the 2013 survey of the World's most liveable cities have just been released. Melbourne won, and three other Australian cities - Sydney, Adelaide and Perth all made it into the top 10.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/28/travel/melbourne-most-livable-city/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Whether you agree or not with the Economist Intelligence Unit's criteria and the associated accusations of "anglo-centricity" (ie: a liveable city means an English speaking city), I think most would agree with the general tone of the list. On a sunny spring day where would you rather be? Melbourne or Douala?

Of course we would rather be strolling around the waterfront on the harbour or Port Hacking or taking in the new blooms in the botanical gardens. Who doesn't enjoy the afternoon sunshine watching the AFL finals at "The G" or the distinctive smell of the freshly cut lawn of our suburban block.

All these things are great - and we miss them. But with their goodness and pleasure comes a trap.

The trap is, that living in one of the most liveable cities in the world can lull us into thinking, we've got it all. Heaven is here for us now. We're living in "God's country."

That has a lot of implications for us - including where we put our hope and what we think is important. But it also makes it difficult to leave.

Let's be frank - there are not many moments when I'm working here or driving around the city when I'm tempted to think "This is heaven on earth". Life here is harder than it is in Sydney. Not just because we are foreigners - it is harder for our local friends as well.

So if you're living in Sydney or Melbourne, leaving to go somewhere else for the sake of the gospel might well be harder - because the "differential" between the life you have and the life you will have is so great.

But here's the thing. Living a happy "liveable" life is not the main game.

Remember when Jesus was talking to his disciples about wealth and riches. He said

"I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food and the body more than clothing ... Do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom and these things will be added to you." (Luke 12:22-23, 29-31)

I wonder if Jesus was speaking to Aussies today he'd say don't be anxious about what you will eat or what you will put on or the liveability of your city?

But what are we to seek? The kingdom of God. And that includes people from all nations, tribes and tongues. And to reach them, we need to go to them. That means we need to give up our desire for liveability, and pursue the priorities of God.

For some, that means leaving a top 10 city?

You?

A (very important) difference I only just realised

The list I could write of things that are different about living here compared to living in Australia is very long and would range from the trivial but kindof interesting (there is a guy on each petrol bowser who we tip after he has filled us up) to the jealousy-inducing (I take our car to be fully serviced and it cost less than $150) to the ridiculous (items of stationery are really expensive here).

But in the last few days I've realised a very big, and important difference.

That is, there are a huge number of people who live in Mexico who are taking steps to go and live somewhere else - and by that I mean, in another country. Most often, in the United States, but there are other places considered as well - Canada, France, Germany.

Just in the last two days I have spoken to three different people who are about to move, are waiting for their papers so they can move, or are going to move anyway whether they get their papers or not. Interestingly, these three people are from quite different "levels" of society. Two of them you would say have "respectable" and secure jobs.

But as I've thought about other people I have met over the last couple of years, the list of those wanting and planning to leave rapidly grows.

And so I got thinking about these people. Are there generalisations that can be drawn about them as a group?

Some of them have children, others don't. Some have close family members who they will leave behind, others don't. Some have a clear place and job to go to, others will go somewhere and work it out when they get there. Some speak the language of the country they hope to go to, others don't. Some have a relative already in the place they want to go, some will arrive on their own. Some of them have personally experienced a threat to their security, others not.

And so - no, it is very hard to say "the people who want to leave are like ..."

Except in one way. When you get into conversation with people who want to leave Mexico and move north (or somewhere else) there is one word that always comes up in conversation. Opportunity.

They see that moving to the US or beyond will bring new opportunities. In education, training, wealth, security, travel, status - it is all about opportunity.

This is a huge difference to life in Australia. Think about your circle of friends, or your church, or your neighbourhood in Australia. How many people do you know who want to move to another country so they have more opportunity? Virtually none I'd imagine. People move to Australia because of opportunity, not away from it.

I have to admit that realising this has made me sad. It is sad to know so many people want to leave their country because they think (and I suspect in many cases they are right) that another country will give them more opportunities.

It is also a challenge for us here, because those who are leaders in churches are not immune from this desire for opportunities on the other side of the border. Whether they get lucky and are awarded a scholarship to study in the US or find a position in a church there, the reality is that just as some countries suffer a "brain drain" as their best and brightest go overseas to study and research and work, there are countries in Latin America that are, and will continue to suffer a "ministry drain", as those who are busy serving in their local churches head north.

In the face of this challenge, there are two immediate responses.

1. We need to do what we can to train people in their context, without requiring them to leave (and therefore opening the door for the option to never return). The work I am doing here with MOCLAM is critical with that.

2. We need to do what we can to be training up the next generation of ministry workers, because even without planting new churches and ministries, there is a reasonable chance they will be needed in their local church just because of the people who are waiting for a greencard.

The best leader of a church service I have ever met

Last Sunday I had the privilege of being part of a church service that was led by my friend, who is (IMHO) the best leaders of church services I have ever met. Here’s 10 reasons why.

1. Everything he says oozes the gospel.

Whether he is saying a few words of welcome, directing us to the notices for the week or interviewing a visitor, everything he says oozes the gospel. The vocabulary and themes of grace, forgiveness, joy and peace are everywhere.

2. He is friendly

You can’t help but like this guy. He makes you think that he is glad you are there. And before or after church when you speak to him you realise he actually thinks that.

3. He is structured, and the structure is instructive

The way he leads church indicates that he has thought about what he is doing, and has structured all the elements to achieve various ends. Each element teaches us something, but in fact the way in which the elements are ordered teaches us as well. For example, we confess and hear the gospel message of forgiveness before we celebrate the Lord’s supper together. Very 1 Corinthians 11.

4. There is lots of Bible.

Not only do we read big chunks of the Bible in preparation for the sermon, but also as part of the general flow of church. We are welcomed with words from scripture, encouraged, rebuked and prayers use the language of scripture. This is clearly a consequence of his Anglican and BCP heritage, and relates closely to point 3.

5. He is informal, but not casual.

When he leads, we are made to feel like we are doing this together and we are all “normal”, but not in a way which makes us think what we are doing is unimportant.  There is something special about the gathering we are participating in. We are meeting with God and with each other. And yet there is nothing “priestly” or “different level” to who he is. When we are meeting together he points us to our heavenly father, rather than “the big guy upstairs who we can call mate.”

6. He is welcoming and values everyone being there.

A consequence of point 2. He welcomes some people by name, says “it is good to see you” – things like that. He has a great knack for names.

7. What he does up front matches what he says and who he is.

The man has a lots of words to say, and his words ooze the gospel, but so do his actions and personality. From his body language to the way he treats others, everything he says is reinforced by what he does.

8. The values the participation of others.

He is not a control freak or a “I need to do it all” sort of guy. He welcomes others to preach, read, lead in prayer, give announcements etc and visibly and audibly appreciates their contribution.

9. He is unapologetic

He tells us what why we are here, what we are going to do and what we might like to do in response – and is unapologetic about it. There is no sense of “I know this might make you feel awkward and so I’m going to tone it down a bit”. No, it is all clear (while considering 2,5 and 6.)

10. He is instructive

He wants us to learn from what he does, and so he should. He is not just leading us through the service, he is teaching us how to respond to what we are hearing. As the service leader, he has realised that he has an important teaching role, and he has taken on that role with great consideration and care.

I hope you have a service leader like this. If not – feel free to pass this on!

Classes cancelled tomorrow

This semester I've been teaching a discipleship class at a seminary here in Monterrey. It has been fantastic - the dozen students are great, enthusiastic, asking good questions, learning - it is a joy to be teaching them.

But tomorrow night, classes are cancelled.

You see, Monterrey has two football teams in the Mexican League, and the home stadium of one of them (Los Rayados) is 2 blocks from the seminary. Tomorrow night is "El clasico", the local derby between Los Rayados and Los Tigres. And that means just one thing.

Enthusiastic chaos!

At the same time I'd normally be teaching, 50,000+ people with trumpets, flags, banners, drums and general happiness will be trying to park their cars and walk to the stadium, past my classroom. 500 transit police are being deployed into the area to try and keep things relatively under control - but it won't work!

(For Australian readers, think trying to teach a class out the front of Flinders Street station on Grand Final afternoon, or outside Olympic Park station on State of Origin night - with bands!)

Not an ideal learning environment.

So - class is off tomorrow.

Will I be watching the game?

No - it is only on Pay TV and we don't have it. But, some of our neighbours do, and I know which house supports which team, so I can keep score by listening to the cheers.

Vamos los rayados!

(By the way, "Bimbo" is the local bread company and sponsors quite a few of the teams. The players are not making a statement about their manlihood!)

The challenge of success in a bi-vocational setting

There are many things that are different about ministry in Latin America, but a conversation I had recently gave me an insight into one difference and resulting challenge that hadn't even crossed my mind.

Many, if not the majority of the pastors I am working alongside here are bi-vocational. As well as pastoring a church they have a "day job" to pay the bills. Most commonly this is the result of a combination of factors - economic, cultural, family expectations etc.

Being bi-vocational has all sorts of implications. Greatest of all is that you generally don't have much time on your hands. You are busy doing your "day job" and then in your other hours you are frantically trying to do the best you can for your church, prepare your sermon for Sunday, visit those who need visiting etc. I think most of us would be aware, or even be able to sympathise to some extent, with the pressures of wearing different hats.

But there is one aspect of "bi-vocationality" that hadn't even crossed my mind - and that is the way you think about success.

In "day job world", success can often be measured in quite concrete indicators like sales figures, investment performance, exam results, efficiency improvement, production targets being exceeded, waiting times reduced, customer satisfaction, number of enrolments etc.

But in ministry, how do we measure success? Should we even consider it as a appropriate category to be measured?
Perhaps categories like "faithfulness" and "love" and "patience" might be better indicators of success and performance, not sales figures or attendance numbers, but how do we measure those things? And if we are to measure them, can the very act of measuring and analysing them create an unhelpful rod for our own backs?

For bi-vocational pastors, the tension of working in "two worlds", and the difficulty that comes from stepping from one world to the other is enormous. Measuring the "success" of their ministry can be one of those areas where it is so easy to unconsciously transfer the thinking of one sphere of life into another, with the result that often the pastor can easily feel dis-heartened because they are not seeing the "performance" that they see in the other workplace.

Of course, such feedback can motivate and energise the pastor to try new things, to motivate his people to work hard on a gospel project or some personal milestones. But it can also mean that perhaps less gospel-centred thinking can creep in as well as a way of "boosting the numbers." Latin America is full of examples of churches that have tried to increase their "success" in ways which focus on the world and what itching ears want to hear, rather than on faithful, loving and patient gospel proclamation.

I am grateful for the insights which my bi-vocational brothers have shared with me and for their willingness to serve in such difficult contexts. We need to continue to pray for them and support them as they carry on this difficult task.