Author Archive for Tim Turner

Assimilating Your Philosophy in Your Teachers

By Tim Turner · Comments (0)
Tuesday, October 19th, 2021

When a new leader comes to town, there are normally three different camps of people with whom you are dealing. One – the pioneers (30%) who are the quickest to jump on board, two – the stragglers (60%) who are curious but wait to see what you are really up to, and three – the stumps (10%) who will never really believe in you or take on your DNA of ministry.

Leadership can a lonely position because you cannot cater to any three of those groups, lest you lose the other two. Despite those frustrations, one must move forward with vision, cast it, and keep casting it with abandon. Below are a few ways to keep moving forward with your vision and philosophy without leaving strewn bodies everywhere while accomplishing it.

  1. Find the top five (5) people with leadership responsibilities (i.e. SS Director, staff member, division director, teacher) and cultivate relationships with them and between them. This act will begin to build not only a professional relationship with them, but also blossom friendships. Trust will begin to be formed in just weeks.
  2. Next, begin to cast vision and philosophy with the ministry group as a whole. It has been said that people don’t really understand what you are trying to convey until you have said the same thing seven times. I tend to believe it might be more than that. This action would be at a regularly schedule teacher meeting, or a quarterly training. Be consistent in your meeting times, present a strong agenda, purpose, and action items. If the group understands your vison, some of the “stragglers” will begin to fall in love with your leadership style and walk alongside you. Over the next six months begin investing in those that you see coming to grips with your vision.
  3. Ask your senior pastor to periodically come to your leadership meetings (SS, Small Groups, Discipleship Cohort) and support your vision and philosophy through key points of which you have already presented. This action is not a trick to get them on your side, but rather a foundation of strength though shared philosophy. At this point, more “stragglers” will come to grips with the reality of your ministry mindset.
  4. The next step with which to be consistent over time is your confidence in the forward progress of your ministry. After a year, re-evaluate where you are, meet back with the original five key leaders, tweak what is working, and scrap or change what is not. This move reinforces your philosophy because one size usually does not fit all.
  5. After that first year, you have either won the trust in ministry towards the rest of the “stragglers” and “stumps” or not. Now that you have been there for a significant period and time permits, begin meeting personally with those who still show resistance to your leadership style and philosophy. Don’t fight battles that you cannot win because that energy can never be regained. Then if they still won’t budge and come on board with you – be kind, love them as a brother or sister in Christ, then as my mentor said, “just mow around the stump.” You cannot stop just because of the few are never going to change.

Dr. Tim Turner,

Director of Evangelism and Discipleship

West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists

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Categories : Sunday School

Prayer as a catalyst for a focus on serving others

By Tim Turner · Comments (0)
Monday, April 20th, 2020

Think back to when you first met Jesus. Would it not have been easy to selfishly grab hold of only what salvation had to offer you? Security. Eternal bliss. Future promises. Walking with God. But what about focus on others? What? One could easily be caught up in the things that God has in store for their life or family, but what about the people of whom God has placed around them? Prayer should actually lead to that type of discipleship mindset. When one humbly comes before Holy God, the main focus cannot be self only. Initially, yes, the heart is drawn to God, but will eventually bend thoughts toward others’ needs – completely outside of oneself.

Consider the passage in Mark 10:37 when James and John asked Jesus, “Allow us to sit at your right and your left in glory.” — asking for a place at the table of glory! We tend to think, “How could they ask such a selfish question?”. In reality, all Christians are capable of such selfish behavior because of a Genesis 3 world. Outside of Christ, no one would be able to live unselfishly. Jesus replied, “On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you will be slave to all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (CSB)

Then one should ask, if that is true, where is that biblical principle expressed with prayer. Two strong examples come to mind. First, we find Jesus in the upper room with the Twelve. Jesus knows exactly what is about to unfold, yet He prays a prayer over them instead of himself. In John 17:11-16, “Holy Father, protect them . . . that they may be one . . . joy completed in them . . . so that they may be sanctified by the truth”. (CSB)This narrative is an amazing example of selfless servanthood. Through Jesus’ intimate prayers, He called upon the Father to minister to these men who would become future pastors, leaders, and martyrs.

Secondly, the greatest example is found in Mark 14:36, “Abba, Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not what I will but what you will.” (CSB)It could be quite easy for a believer to simply wash over these verses and go on to another activity in their life. Jesus not only placed the Twelve at the top of His priority list, but the entire world of sinners. He died to show that servanthood was more important than glorification.

What does it take for a believer to come to the realization that serving others trumps glorification? Answer: Prayer that leads to humility. When one prays, unworthiness rises to the top. That unworthiness subsequently points to others and challenges one not to serve themselves. Therefore, the goal is to resist selfishness through vibrant prayer that leads to true servanthood.

Written by Dr. Tim Turner, Dir.of Evangelism & Discipleship, WV Convention of Southern Baptists

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Categories : Sunday School
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Be Available to Your One

By Tim Turner · Comments (0)
Sunday, August 11th, 2019

With new emphasis on evangelism in the SBC, it is exciting to hear stories of salvation through multiplication in the state of West Virginia!

Between the “3 Circles” evangelism tool and the intentionality of the “Who’s Your One” evangelistic initiative, churches have been inundated with an effective one-two evangelism punch. All are called, and anyone can share Christ with some basic training, encouragement, and the Holy Spirit’s leading.

But, I have discovered that many do not share Christ because of one thing. They don’t know how to start the conversation. That reality is exactly why the SBC has placed resources in the hands of pastors and their congregations.

HOW DO I START THE CONVERSATION?

The answer is intentionality. Many Christians may consider themselves extroverted, but to spontaneously share the Gospel with a stranger would be completely out of the question.

The other side of that same coin is an openness to relational vulnerability. We live in a culture that is more connected through social media that ever before, yet no one really knows each other.

In a recent blog post, Dr. Eric Geiger shared that iGens, those born in 1996 or later, read less, are less happy, have fewer social skills, and possess less community than any other generation before them. The job, therefore, of the church is more important now than ever because the urgency of evangelism has down shifted over the last 20 years.

In 2009, a book by Kai Mark titled “Pre-Discipleship” was mostly overlooked, but recently this term is making a comeback in discussions within Christian circles. What does pre-discipleship entail? It is basically allowing yourself to be available to your one through intentionality.

Through relationships, one can present the Word long before that person is saved, but our culture has become overwhelmed with calendars and the cost of time is at its highest premium.

Regardless, a disciple of Jesus must think strategically. The balance of eternity for countless millions is at stake. How important is that one on your prayer list, your mind, and your heart?

Availability is key, so consider these questions.

DOES YOUR ONE …

  • Know you care about them at all
  • See you outside of church, school, or work
  • Understand your theology about world view, suffering, or hardships
  • Sense that they could call you for any reason
  • Trust you to keep your lips sealed about their fears and struggles
  • Hear how Jesus has changed your life outside of your evangelist mode
  • Know what the Gospel is even though they have yet to confess Jesus as Lord

Your answers are a litmus test of your availability. Jesus cared for more than just one person and made himself available for all. Mark 2:15 says, “While he was reclining at the table in Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who were following him.”

Let’s follow Christ’s example and become more available to our one.

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Categories : Outreach/Evangelism

Not in a Vacuum: Disciplemaking Happens in Relationship

By Tim Turner · Comments (0)
Wednesday, August 8th, 2018

When I was in elementary and middle school, the one thing that I cherished most was friendships. I had no idea the importance of them, but desired to have a “best friend” whatever the season. Looking back, some of those friendships are still intact, especially the ones that continued in high school and college. As a young man, I did not realize the depth of influence many of them would have on me, but have now come to see the big picture of healthy relationships.

Disciple-making is all about one thing – relationship. One cannot become what Christ intends him/her to be without others who dig deep into the heart of others. Consider the Old Testament for a moment. Adam needed Eve, Noah needed his family, Abraham needed Sarah, Moses needed Aaron, Elijah needed Elisha, David needed Jonathan, and they all needed Jehovah. John Donne, an English poet, is well known for the words, “No man is an island, entire of itself, every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.”

It is no different in the New Testament, for one cannot grow in a vacuum. Vacuum means “a state of isolation from outside influences”. Therefore, if one is interested in steady growth throughout life, they must be willing to follow the pattern of Christ — the champion of relationships. As a young man he was in perfect relationship with the Father and others, “. . . And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:52) Though God in the flesh, Jesus learned from others in the temple in order to fully understand the purpose for his existence.
When he called the Twelve, it was an intentional call to relationship, “Follow me. So leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him.” (Luke 5:27b-28) The call was not a temporary act of selfishness, or popularity, but one of permanency. Intentional growth was not to operate in a silo; but rather, to work diligently in the field with others. In some cases, Jesus taught them intimately as with Peter, James, and John, bringing them aside for instruction (Matt. 17:1; Mark 5:37; Luke 8:51, 9:28). There is no substitute for mentoring, but mentoring requires desire, time, and commitment from both parties to eventually experience fruit.

Lastly, Jesus taught larger groups as with the Twelve (Luke 9:1), the seventy-two (Luke 10:1), and had compassion for the masses (Matt. 9:36). Jesus always kept his heart open to share what the Father would have him convey at that moment. Unfortunately, many gifted teachers/leaders have “silo” moments and long for the quiet of solitude. There are times in life for that response, but the normal posture for a teacher is relationship. Without them, one fails in their calling, denies the truth of how Jesus gifted them, and misses out on opportunities of spiritual growth both for themselves and the benefit to others.

Resist to exist in a vacuum, less you miss out on the next Disciple-making moment!

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Categories : Disciplemaking, Sunday School
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