Lesson 8 Nehemiah for church communicators
As I was reading through Nehemiah to get a picture of the whole story, I was struck by how many distractions Nehemiah had to face: ridicule that turned into vicious attacks; workers who wouldn't work, who were afraid and tired; dealing with poor people who had been unjustly treated; political schemes that stretched from Jerusalem to Babylon; corruption in ministry.
His situation reminded me of the reality of most church communicators today--that you do your job in the midst of many demands and distractions. Very few church communicators have the luxury of doing only church communications. Usually you are part of a multi-tasking church staff with answering the phone, dealing with emergencies, staff meetings and congregation crisis all being part of your daily job. In that we can take inspiration from Nehemiah because no matter what else he had to deal with, he never lost sight of his primary task: build the wall.
In church communications, the core motivation, inspiration, and reason for all I do and what I want to pass on to everyone who attends my seminars or reads my materials is that the primary task of our communications is to fully fulfill the Great Commission, to introduce people to Jesus as savior and to help them become mature disciples.
To fully fulfill the Great Commission is our true north. It is the measure by which we evaluate all our work.
There were many days that I'm sure Nehemiah was not able to concentrate totally on his task and days he felt little was accomplished. Yet, though side-tracked temporarily, he always returned to his goal.
For all of us, the challenge is similar. The phone rings, an emergency referral has to be made; a lonely person wanders by your office and you take time for a chat to comfort a hurting heart; a financial report needs to be finished--and you've still got the deadline to create an inspiring newsletter, both in print and online in the next few days.
I don't know why God doesn't protect us from these interruptions; why he doesn't allow us to do the work he called us to do without distractions. But he has decided to allow these things to enter our lives and like Nehemiah, if we keep our eyes on him, we can trust him to help us accomplish the tasks he's given us. Even more, if we keep our mind on our goal, he will use our communications to help people come to know him and become his mature disciples.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Do you know how your church communications works?
Lesson 7: Nehemiah for church communicators
Though Nehemiah risked his career on rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem and though the king himself had approved of the project and given him provisions to complete it, Nehemiah didn’t do anything until he had carefully and personally checked out the situation, as he records:
I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days I set out during the night with a few men. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.
By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work (Nehemiah 2: 11-16).
Two key lessons and challenges from this passage:
Though Nehemiah risked his career on rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem and though the king himself had approved of the project and given him provisions to complete it, Nehemiah didn’t do anything until he had carefully and personally checked out the situation, as he records:
I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days I set out during the night with a few men. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.
By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work (Nehemiah 2: 11-16).
Two key lessons and challenges from this passage:
- It is a leader’s responsibility to personally check out the reality of any challenging situation.
- In church communications, as a leader, you need to know exactly what your communications are or are not accomplishing. Do you really know?
For example, if you strongly believe in small groups and preach often from the pulpit on their importance, do you have any idea how people actually get signed up for them?
Is there a list in the bulletin? Does it have contact numbers, emails and complete location, date and time details for each one? Or does it have a totally non-productive phrase such as, “Call the church office for more information.” That phrase is sort of like all the garbage Nehemiah encountered as he surveyed the broken down walls of Jerusalem—nobody can get past it.
Or is the contact information on small groups on your website? If so, anonymously try to sign up or ask for information on small groups. Are you successful? How long does it take to get a response? Even if the website works well, how many people in your congregation have web access? Do you know? Or did you put the small group information on the website only because that is what some web expert advised you to do?
Web experts aside, no matter what the content, all church programs need more than one channel—print, web, newsletter, powerpoint, whatever, if they going to connect with all all the people who need them.
One more thing: before you make any changes or try new things, be sure you thoroughly know the condition of your current church communications—there may be a little bit or a whole lot of garbage that needs to be cleaned up.
Whenever you begin to accomplish any new task in church communication, expect opposition
Lesson 6 from Nehemiah for church communicators
No sooner did Nehemiah get permission to begin the great task of rebuilding than in the next few verses we are introduced to enemies who did not want him to accomplish his goals.
When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites (Neh. 2:10).
Whenever you begin to accomplish any new task in church communication, expect opposition.
This will always happen because effective church communication is essential to effective church growth and you have an enemy who does not want you to succeed. I often remind people in my seminars that whenever the U.S. has gone into any conflict one of the first targets destroyed is communications. The television, radio, any every other communication system is bombed because every general knows that without good communications, the enemy cannot be successful.
Church communicators are involved in spiritual warfare for the eternal souls of the people touched by their churches. As such, we can expect opposition. That opposition is more than just cranky folks who don’t like the new layout of the bulletin:
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Eph. 6:12).
In light of this situation of opposition, it’s interesting to note what Nehemiah did initially in response. Though his approach varied as time went on, (and I’ll be commenting on those changes) his initial response set a positive pattern in that initially he didn’t retaliate or even respond. He noted that there was opposition, but he did not allow that to deter him from his plans.
In his approach, I’m reminded of some biblical examples of what to do in times of trouble. Though there are many times to take action and many encouragements to pray and trust in the Word, one theme, one command that applies here, is simply to stand:
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then . . .(Eph. 6:13.14).
He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow march down against them. . . . . You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you’ ” (2 Chron. 20:15-17).
All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved (Mark 13:13).
Application suggestions:
No sooner did Nehemiah get permission to begin the great task of rebuilding than in the next few verses we are introduced to enemies who did not want him to accomplish his goals.
When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites (Neh. 2:10).
Whenever you begin to accomplish any new task in church communication, expect opposition.
This will always happen because effective church communication is essential to effective church growth and you have an enemy who does not want you to succeed. I often remind people in my seminars that whenever the U.S. has gone into any conflict one of the first targets destroyed is communications. The television, radio, any every other communication system is bombed because every general knows that without good communications, the enemy cannot be successful.
Church communicators are involved in spiritual warfare for the eternal souls of the people touched by their churches. As such, we can expect opposition. That opposition is more than just cranky folks who don’t like the new layout of the bulletin:
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Eph. 6:12).
In light of this situation of opposition, it’s interesting to note what Nehemiah did initially in response. Though his approach varied as time went on, (and I’ll be commenting on those changes) his initial response set a positive pattern in that initially he didn’t retaliate or even respond. He noted that there was opposition, but he did not allow that to deter him from his plans.
In his approach, I’m reminded of some biblical examples of what to do in times of trouble. Though there are many times to take action and many encouragements to pray and trust in the Word, one theme, one command that applies here, is simply to stand:
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then . . .(Eph. 6:13.14).
He said: "Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. Tomorrow march down against them. . . . . You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you’ ” (2 Chron. 20:15-17).
All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved (Mark 13:13).
Application suggestions:
- Initially some of the most difficult battles you will face as you attempt to do effective church communications will be inner spiritual battles.
- The enemy of your soul and the souls of the people whose lives and eternities can be changed by what you will create through your church communications, like the enemies Nehemiah faced, become “very much distressed that someone had come to promote the welfare of [your people].”
- Acknowledge that opposition is there, but do not let it move you. Stand firm in the promises of God and press ahead.
- Remember Satan is the accuser of the brethren and there will always be a voice in your head that tells you that you aren’t good enough, that taunts, “Who do you think you are to try to change the world through that website or blog or bulletin?” or that says, “And you think that postcard will get anybody to come? You can’t be serious that that email will accomplish anything?”
- Tell that voice to shut up. Consciously shift your mind away from your inadequacies and fears to the promises of God for strength, help, and wisdom.
- Be aware that the opposition will not go away. You will need to stand firm as long as you serve as a church communicator.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Communication strategy frees captives
A daring rescue of captives in the jungles of Columbia took place this week and as the details have been revealed, one comment I heard on NPR provides a useful challenge for church communications.
NPR commented on the critical part communication made in the rescue when it was revealed that the government was able to disrupt and confuse the communication of the rebel group so that the rescue could be made.
What a great analogy and challenge for us as church communicators—to disrupt the communications of the enemy so captives can be freed.
In our world today, the enemy of our souls holds the hearts and minds of people captive to all sorts of useless and soul-killing bondage and most of it promoted through the communications people daily receive. We have the message of freedom in Jesus, but are we getting it out there so that souls can be freed?
To do that won’t happen by accident. The government forces carefully studied the communication of their enemy and then strategically replaced them with their messages that resulted in freedom. Some practical inspiration for church communicators follows:
NPR commented on the critical part communication made in the rescue when it was revealed that the government was able to disrupt and confuse the communication of the rebel group so that the rescue could be made.
What a great analogy and challenge for us as church communicators—to disrupt the communications of the enemy so captives can be freed.
In our world today, the enemy of our souls holds the hearts and minds of people captive to all sorts of useless and soul-killing bondage and most of it promoted through the communications people daily receive. We have the message of freedom in Jesus, but are we getting it out there so that souls can be freed?
To do that won’t happen by accident. The government forces carefully studied the communication of their enemy and then strategically replaced them with their messages that resulted in freedom. Some practical inspiration for church communicators follows:
- In a world filled with websites for every imaginable media outlet, feedback and comments are solicited. Take the opportunity to comment from a Christian viewpoint.
- Before you comment from a Christian viewpoint, be sure you know what you are talking about. Whenever you attempt to speak for the kingdom of God, be certain you have your facts straight. One essential component of quoting correctly is that if you are going to use the Bible as a proof text, be sure you quote it in context. Don’t pull verses out of context and throw them out as a proof to support your viewpoint. Study the verse, in context, in history, in interpretation. Read the entire chapter and book it is in and commentaries on it to be sure you are quoting and using the verse with integrity. People to whom you speak may not be familiar with the passage, but most people have an innate sense of when someone is distorting a quote for private purposes.
- When quoting the Bible, I have often found that it helps to acknowledge that the people reading or listening to you probably do not view it as the Word of God. In a secular context, I will acknowledge that upfront by saying something like, “I’m not asking you to take this statement as words from God, for the basis of our discussion, think of the Bible as the historical text that reveals what Christians believe about this topic.” God’s word is true and powerful, whether your audience believes that or not.
- Always present your comments with “gentleness and respect.” Remember you are to be a witness, not the prosecuting attorney.
If you are a consistent, gentle, clear communicator of the truth of the Christian message, in time the Lord may use your words, spoken and written, in print and on the web, to free captives held by false messages of a world passing away.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Have a prayed through plan in place and take responsibility for it
Lesson 5 from Nehemiah for church communicators
In spite of his fear, Nehemiah expressed his concern for the situation of the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity. To no doubt his great relief, the king did not rebuke him or ignore him, he asked him what he wanted and Nehemiah replied:
"The king said to me, 'What is it you want?'
Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, 'If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it' (Neh. 2,:4,5)."
Lessons from this passage:
1. Nehemiah was prepared with an answer and as the following verses show, it was a detailed plan on what he planned to do about it. This is incredibly significant because:
2. Anyone can point out problems. The ability to see what's wrong may just be the result of a bad attitude or a critical spirit. Nehemiah didn't stop at just seeing the problem, as the previous chapter showed, he took the problem to the Lord and spent time praying, fasting and as this passage shows, planning what needed to be done.
3. Nehemiah took personal responsibility to accomplish the daunting task of rebuilding. Nothing is worse for a leader than to have people who point out problems (again, not difficult to do) and then expect someone else to fix them.
A good application guideline for anyone in church communications, either in leadership or doing the work--don't bring up a problem until you also have an idea for the solution and are prepared to do the work to make the needed improvements.
4. Accepting responsibility doesn't mean you have to do all the work alone. Nehemiah needed help to do it and the passage goes on to show that he asked the king for supplies and support. The response:
"And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests (Neh. 28)."
5. Nehemiah acknowledged that the reason for the positive response from the king was not his brilliant insight or planning, but the favor of God. No matter what the response when proposing a new vision, we must always remember we are doing our communication work, not to be the most cutting edge or impressive visually, but to do all we can do so people can see Jesus, come to know him as savior, and grow to maturity as disciples. Those are the goals that win the favor of God and that, if our plans are pleasing to him, give us favor before people.
In spite of his fear, Nehemiah expressed his concern for the situation of the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity. To no doubt his great relief, the king did not rebuke him or ignore him, he asked him what he wanted and Nehemiah replied:
"The king said to me, 'What is it you want?'
Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, 'If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it' (Neh. 2,:4,5)."
Lessons from this passage:
1. Nehemiah was prepared with an answer and as the following verses show, it was a detailed plan on what he planned to do about it. This is incredibly significant because:
2. Anyone can point out problems. The ability to see what's wrong may just be the result of a bad attitude or a critical spirit. Nehemiah didn't stop at just seeing the problem, as the previous chapter showed, he took the problem to the Lord and spent time praying, fasting and as this passage shows, planning what needed to be done.
3. Nehemiah took personal responsibility to accomplish the daunting task of rebuilding. Nothing is worse for a leader than to have people who point out problems (again, not difficult to do) and then expect someone else to fix them.
A good application guideline for anyone in church communications, either in leadership or doing the work--don't bring up a problem until you also have an idea for the solution and are prepared to do the work to make the needed improvements.
4. Accepting responsibility doesn't mean you have to do all the work alone. Nehemiah needed help to do it and the passage goes on to show that he asked the king for supplies and support. The response:
"And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests (Neh. 28)."
5. Nehemiah acknowledged that the reason for the positive response from the king was not his brilliant insight or planning, but the favor of God. No matter what the response when proposing a new vision, we must always remember we are doing our communication work, not to be the most cutting edge or impressive visually, but to do all we can do so people can see Jesus, come to know him as savior, and grow to maturity as disciples. Those are the goals that win the favor of God and that, if our plans are pleasing to him, give us favor before people.
It's OK to be afraid, but don't allow fear to silence your vision
Lesson 4 from Nehemiah for church communicators
Fear can be crippling. You might have a vision for what your communications could do to change your church. You might have a vision of a new website, one that is up-to-date and one that in depth answers the questions of seekers and members; you might want to start a mobile phone daily devotional; you might want to totally redo the bulletin so it clearly explains your liturgical service; you might want to recruit and train a team of communication volunteers. Or maybe you simply want to figure out how to use the computer software you've been given without a mental meltdown each time you open it.
Whatever your vision and dream in church communications, don't be surprised if you experience fear as you contemplate making your dream reality. Also to accomplish the next step in your communication ministry often takes the permission and support of church leadership who may not appear to have church communications as a priority in their view of the church. Maybe you have been told "no" in the past and it's scary to even think about bringing up a costly or controversial topic.
Nehemiah experienced that fear when the king asked him what was going on because he looked so sad and the Bible records Nehemiah's response:
"I was very much afraid (Neh. 2:2)."
Lessons we learn from Nehemiah's admission of fear:
1. He was afraid; he was very afraid. Fear is a natural response to a scary situation. Sometimes if you aren't afraid when you approach making changes or suggesting a new ministry, you aren't paying attention to reality.
2. But it is never OK to let our fear keep us from pressing ahead. Nehemiah told the king that he was sad because of the situation in Jerusalem. Fear can keep us from bringing up problems we see because we are afraid of a reaction from those in charge.
We always must make certain that we express concerns "with gentleness and respect," but simply because we are afraid of a reaction is never a reason not to express valid concerns.
Because Nehemiah expressed his concern in spite of his fear, the king replied:
"What is it you want (Neh. 2:4)?
The example of how to respond in a fearful situation is in Nehemiah's answer and we'll look at that in the next lesson.
Fear can be crippling. You might have a vision for what your communications could do to change your church. You might have a vision of a new website, one that is up-to-date and one that in depth answers the questions of seekers and members; you might want to start a mobile phone daily devotional; you might want to totally redo the bulletin so it clearly explains your liturgical service; you might want to recruit and train a team of communication volunteers. Or maybe you simply want to figure out how to use the computer software you've been given without a mental meltdown each time you open it.
Whatever your vision and dream in church communications, don't be surprised if you experience fear as you contemplate making your dream reality. Also to accomplish the next step in your communication ministry often takes the permission and support of church leadership who may not appear to have church communications as a priority in their view of the church. Maybe you have been told "no" in the past and it's scary to even think about bringing up a costly or controversial topic.
Nehemiah experienced that fear when the king asked him what was going on because he looked so sad and the Bible records Nehemiah's response:
"I was very much afraid (Neh. 2:2)."
Lessons we learn from Nehemiah's admission of fear:
1. He was afraid; he was very afraid. Fear is a natural response to a scary situation. Sometimes if you aren't afraid when you approach making changes or suggesting a new ministry, you aren't paying attention to reality.
2. But it is never OK to let our fear keep us from pressing ahead. Nehemiah told the king that he was sad because of the situation in Jerusalem. Fear can keep us from bringing up problems we see because we are afraid of a reaction from those in charge.
We always must make certain that we express concerns "with gentleness and respect," but simply because we are afraid of a reaction is never a reason not to express valid concerns.
Because Nehemiah expressed his concern in spite of his fear, the king replied:
"What is it you want (Neh. 2:4)?
The example of how to respond in a fearful situation is in Nehemiah's answer and we'll look at that in the next lesson.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
What to do before anything else in church communications, part two
Lesson 3 from Nehemiah for church communicators
Nehemiah didn't stop with fasting, confessing, and praying. He went on to remind God that even though he and his people were sinners, they were sinners who belonged to a great God who had great and glorious plans for his people. He acknowledged that God had led them out of captivity and he finished his prayer by asking that God grant him favor as he spoke to the king:
"Neh. 1: 10....'They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. 11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.'"
Some of the lessons we can learn from him:
What enabled Nehemiah to go beyond the negatives was the recognition that it was not because of Nehemiah that changes could be made. It was because of the promises and power of God.
This balance between our work and relying on God is a challenging balance and each one of us has to find it in our own heart and mind. We are responsible to get up off our faces and work and often to work incredibly hard. But we can't do that relying on our own strength for either our work or our results. To keep that balance in mind, pray and acknowledge in your heart and mind continuously that it is always "not by might or by power, but by His spirit" that we accomplish any church communications work of value.
Then get specific and ask for the help with the people you need to make your church communications effective.
Nehemiah didn't stop with fasting, confessing, and praying. He went on to remind God that even though he and his people were sinners, they were sinners who belonged to a great God who had great and glorious plans for his people. He acknowledged that God had led them out of captivity and he finished his prayer by asking that God grant him favor as he spoke to the king:
"Neh. 1: 10....'They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. 11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.'"
Some of the lessons we can learn from him:
- There is a time to repent and there is a time to quit groveling and get to work.
- It is OK to remind God of his promises to you and to his church.
- We often have to ask powerful people for help and we need God's help to prepare the way for us.
What enabled Nehemiah to go beyond the negatives was the recognition that it was not because of Nehemiah that changes could be made. It was because of the promises and power of God.
This balance between our work and relying on God is a challenging balance and each one of us has to find it in our own heart and mind. We are responsible to get up off our faces and work and often to work incredibly hard. But we can't do that relying on our own strength for either our work or our results. To keep that balance in mind, pray and acknowledge in your heart and mind continuously that it is always "not by might or by power, but by His spirit" that we accomplish any church communications work of value.
Then get specific and ask for the help with the people you need to make your church communications effective.
What to do before anything else in church communications, part one
Lesson 2 from Nehemiah for church communicators
Nehemiah allowed his heart to be broken over the distress of the people and the city of Jerusalem. He knew their situation had, in some ways, a rather simple solution: rebuild the walls. It was a technical, practical, manageable solution.
So what did he do? Did he draw up plans, detail a work schedule, put together a budget before going to the king? Those were logical things to do and necessary somewhere in the process, but that is not what Nehemiah did first.
First he prayed. Even more noteworthy is that he did not begin his prayers be praying for success; he began his prayer by fasting, confessing his sins, confessing the corporate sins of his people, and asking for forgiveness:
"Neh.1: 4 For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 5 Then I said: 'O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses."
Before he did anything else, before rushing forward with his plans, Nehemiah humbled himself before God and by confessing his sins, made himself a clean vessel for God to use.
His example is a challenge to all of us.
When was the last time you fasted and prayed over your church communications? There is something about fasting that forces us to say "no" to ourselves and that discipline alone is great preparation for church communications work. The ability to say "no" to what we want done, when and how we want it done, is a great skill for successful church communications work.
Take some time to try it. Maybe not even a whole day, maybe even just half a day. After a few years of not doing it, (I get horrific migraines and doctors say I'm not supposed to fast) once again I have made it my practice to fast part or all of Mondays. I find this somehow humbles my heart and refocuses my energies to serve God as I start the week.
Fasting and penitential prayer is not all Nehemiah did as he began his work for God, but it is a challenging example for all of us as we work in church communications.
Nehemiah allowed his heart to be broken over the distress of the people and the city of Jerusalem. He knew their situation had, in some ways, a rather simple solution: rebuild the walls. It was a technical, practical, manageable solution.
So what did he do? Did he draw up plans, detail a work schedule, put together a budget before going to the king? Those were logical things to do and necessary somewhere in the process, but that is not what Nehemiah did first.
First he prayed. Even more noteworthy is that he did not begin his prayers be praying for success; he began his prayer by fasting, confessing his sins, confessing the corporate sins of his people, and asking for forgiveness:
"Neh.1: 4 For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 5 Then I said: 'O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses."
Before he did anything else, before rushing forward with his plans, Nehemiah humbled himself before God and by confessing his sins, made himself a clean vessel for God to use.
His example is a challenge to all of us.
When was the last time you fasted and prayed over your church communications? There is something about fasting that forces us to say "no" to ourselves and that discipline alone is great preparation for church communications work. The ability to say "no" to what we want done, when and how we want it done, is a great skill for successful church communications work.
Take some time to try it. Maybe not even a whole day, maybe even just half a day. After a few years of not doing it, (I get horrific migraines and doctors say I'm not supposed to fast) once again I have made it my practice to fast part or all of Mondays. I find this somehow humbles my heart and refocuses my energies to serve God as I start the week.
Fasting and penitential prayer is not all Nehemiah did as he began his work for God, but it is a challenging example for all of us as we work in church communications.
One person can change the direction of your church communications
Lesson 1 from Nehemiah for church communicators
Out of the 66 books of the Bible, 39 of them are the names of people.
Ordinary people no different than you or me with one difference--they allowed an extraordinary God to use them for his purposes. As you consider the communications needs of your church, you might be tempted to think there is nothing you can do, but God can use you in the same way he used the people of the Bible to change the course of your church, your church communications, and your community in extraordinary ways.
As an inspiration, let's look at Nehemiah. He was an official in the palace in Babylon, with no doubt a comfortable life. That changed when he heard about the situation of his fellow Jews back at Jerusalem, when the word came that they were, "in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire (Neh. 1:3)."
Most likely a lot of people heard that report. Many in Babylon and the thousands living in Jerusalem knew there was a huge problem. But one man let it break his heart and he took that heartbreak to God and did something about it.
My heart is broken over the state of communications in many churches today, where lots of time and money is spent creating things that might be technologically perfect, but that are not communicating the gospel and the basics of growing in the faith. That they are not accomplishing what they should be is evident with the number of churches closing, declining church attendance, and the lack of Biblical knowledge and lifestyle among professed Christians.
The evidence that church communication is broken is all around us, so what can we do about it? Through my ministry and this blog I hope to help build you up to be a more effective church communicator. I am committed to doing that. But my ministry aside, I want to take this example of Nehemiah as a challenge and encouragement to you.
Nehemiah was just one person, but God used him to change the course of a nation. As you look at the communication situation of your church, you may think you are only one person and you can't do much--but you can! Not because of any skill or creativity or wisdom in you, though you should develop all your skills and gifts to use in God's service, but ultimately because you serve an extraordinary God who can do extraordinary things through you.
I'm reading through Nehemiah in my devotions and I'll continue to share lessons that might be useful to church communicators.
Out of the 66 books of the Bible, 39 of them are the names of people.
Ordinary people no different than you or me with one difference--they allowed an extraordinary God to use them for his purposes. As you consider the communications needs of your church, you might be tempted to think there is nothing you can do, but God can use you in the same way he used the people of the Bible to change the course of your church, your church communications, and your community in extraordinary ways.
As an inspiration, let's look at Nehemiah. He was an official in the palace in Babylon, with no doubt a comfortable life. That changed when he heard about the situation of his fellow Jews back at Jerusalem, when the word came that they were, "in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire (Neh. 1:3)."
Most likely a lot of people heard that report. Many in Babylon and the thousands living in Jerusalem knew there was a huge problem. But one man let it break his heart and he took that heartbreak to God and did something about it.
My heart is broken over the state of communications in many churches today, where lots of time and money is spent creating things that might be technologically perfect, but that are not communicating the gospel and the basics of growing in the faith. That they are not accomplishing what they should be is evident with the number of churches closing, declining church attendance, and the lack of Biblical knowledge and lifestyle among professed Christians.
The evidence that church communication is broken is all around us, so what can we do about it? Through my ministry and this blog I hope to help build you up to be a more effective church communicator. I am committed to doing that. But my ministry aside, I want to take this example of Nehemiah as a challenge and encouragement to you.
Nehemiah was just one person, but God used him to change the course of a nation. As you look at the communication situation of your church, you may think you are only one person and you can't do much--but you can! Not because of any skill or creativity or wisdom in you, though you should develop all your skills and gifts to use in God's service, but ultimately because you serve an extraordinary God who can do extraordinary things through you.
I'm reading through Nehemiah in my devotions and I'll continue to share lessons that might be useful to church communicators.
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