Is it right, wrong, or different?
Whether it’s song selection or incorporating different elements of the service we all have our opinions. There’s a certain way that God has taught us about Him through our experiences, backgrounds, gender, culture, etc. And all of this can cause us to ask:
Is it right, wrong, or different?
I would say there are a couple of things to bear in mind when you’re serving at a multicultural Church, and specifically when you’re working on a team.
1. Is the opinion or idea that’s being brought up an opinion/preference or is it out of line with God’s Word?
2 Timothy 3:16 teaches us that: All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.
I always want to lean on using Scripture as a guide for whether an idea is right, wrong, or different. For example, when we were first introducing the song “Give me Jesus” there were a lot of strong opinions about how we should do the song. Should we sing it together or should someone sing it as a solo? Should we vote as a team or was it my decision to make?
Long story short I ended up accompanying one of our worship team members as he sang it solo.
2. Who’s the leader and are you submitting to their authority?
Hebrews 13:17 says: Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.
One of our worship team members and I have had many good talks about spiritual authority and what it means to be in submission. It’s been helpful that as we both grow in this understanding that there’s been more mutual respect for one another. I wouldn’t say that our relationship has been perfect, but it’s certainly moved forward. And this has helped my work at the church be more of a joy than sorrow.
Questions for you
How do you handle different opinions and preferences on your team? Or, if you’re a worship team member, how do you give your opinion while submitting to your leader?
Blog post by Peter Kihyun Park
© 2012 – 2011, Peter Park. All rights reserved.
The Danger of Criticism
Meditate on Romans 14
As I dig into this passage of Scripture I am particularly struck by Romans 14:1, which says:
Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong.
As you and I lead our teams and ministries I think a lot about how God can lead us in creating a safe environment for people to share their hearts, opinions, and thoughts. The rest of Romans 14 talks about people’s interpretation of the Scriptures concerning what day someone thinks is more holy, what foods are good to eat or not, etc.
It’s important for us as leaders to help facilitate that sharing time, like in prayer, so that people can share who they are.
Now, does that mean there isn’t space for correction using the Scripture? Of course there’s room for that, but how we do that is equally important as creating a safe environment.
When I’m teaching through the Word in practice I am very mindful in focusing on the Scriptures as our main guide and filter. When it seems like there is something really off I try to avoid having that heated discussion in front of the whole group. I make time to talk to that person on the phone or through email.
Does that mean there aren’t appropriate times to correct someone in front of a group? Well, as you and I develop as leaders I believe our discernment in those situations will increase, especially as we dig into the Word, pray, and seek the advice of wise leaders, like your pastor.
Do you feel like your small group, worship team, or ministry team is a safe place for you to share your heart? Why or why not?
Blog post by Peter Kihyun Park
© 2012 – 2011, Peter Park. All rights reserved.
Honor your leaders – Part 2
Yesterday, in Honor your leaders – Part 1, we read through 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 to see the Biblical reason for honoring our leaders. And I wanted to emphasize that this week because we all at some point get frustrated with our leaders, don’t we? I know I do.
In the pursuit to becoming a multicultural Church I’ve come across lots of great ideas. And I’ve conveyed a lot of those ideas to my pastor at my last church and my current one.
Was I able to implement all those ideas? NO!
Have I try to fight tooth and nail, at times, to get those ideas implemented? Yes.
Was that the right thing to do? NO!
We have to remember that leadership is not easy, in fact at times it get be really difficult, so we need to remember to do a few things. God has put our leaders in place for a reason. We are to serve them.
Are they always right? Not necessarily, but they are certainly held accountable for those decisions by God. That’s why we need to pray for our leaders, especially as they lead us through the process of answering the call on the Church to become a multicultural one.
They need wisdom, they need encouragement, they need people who are willing to listen to their direction because God has put them there.
So, I have to ask…
- Do you recognize the spiritual authority that the people in your church have?
- In what ways have you made their vocation more difficult?
- In what ways can you honor them?
Blog post by Peter Kihyun Park
© 2011, Peter Park. All rights reserved.