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Batterson: Vulnerability in Ministry
Orginally published on Monday, June 11, 2007 at 6:04 AM
by Todd Rhoades
Mark Batterson writes: "All of us love a good success story, but pastors need to share their failure stories too. But do it in a redemptive way. Success stories inspire us. But failure stories help us catch our psychological breath. When we hear how someone else has messed up, it helps us feel normal. When I speak at conferences, I often share about our failed church plant attempt before we came to DC. It is amazing how many people come up to me and thank for me sharing that story. When I share a "failure story" it is like people breath a sigh of relief..."
Mark shares (over at his Evotional.com blog) his top ten ways that he shows vulnerability in his messages. Here are the first five (you’ll have to go over to his blog for the last five!)
#1 People will only be as vulnerable as their leader!
The leader sets the vulnerability standard. They will only be as open and honest as you are.
#2 Embrace your imperfections!
Part of us wants to hide what’s wrong with us. But our imperfections are connection points! I’m always reminding NCCers that I’m a work in progress. And I have a little mantra I repeat as well: as soon as I’m omniscient I’ll let you know. I don’t have it all figured out. I don’t have it all together. And I never will. We each have to deal with our thorns in the flesh!
#3 The happiest and healthiest people laugh at themselves the most!
It might have been Plato who said, “Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.” That is so true. I think laughter is one of the purest forms of vulnerability.
#4 The greatest freedom is having nothing to prove!
#5 Cry in public.
Jesus wept. It’s the shortest verse in the New Testament. But I think it speaks volumes about Jesus! Real men cry. Last week I shared a story about an NCCer who shared about her experience with human trafficking. I couldn’t get through it without crying! And a guy came up to me afterwards and said, “You just gave every guy in this place permission to cry.” Crying is a little embarrassing. But it is a form of emotional vulnerability.
FOR DISCUSSION: How do you show your vulnerability? Have you ever gone too far in being vulnerable? What happened?
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Hi... I'm Todd Rhoades. I'm a Christ-follower, husband, father and I love to connect leaders with other leaders. Hopefully you'll find something here at MMI you like and will return often. If you want, you can find out more about me or follow my every step on Twitter.
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Monday, June 11, 2007 at 9:25 AM
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Monday, June 11, 2007 at 9:57 AM
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Monday, June 11, 2007 at 10:18 AM
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Monday, June 11, 2007 at 5:33 PM
Post Your Comments:Vulnerability? Weeping? Laughing? These are indeed strange bedfellows. Yet, powerful ones.
When I finish wiping the tears from my eyes this morning from what I’ve been reading and what happened yesterday...... I’ll respond......
I find it interesting that when someone who has been wildly successful speaks about showing our failures. I sderve a church of 275 and we have failures on a regular basis and we rarely have to take them out because they are normally out there for alll to see. I share failurtes and short falls at the time with those I call friends in ministry, and they share theirs with me. We think about them, analyize where the problem was.
What is also interesting is you never hear about failures at conferences or on pod casts or even in books. Those revelations may be more helpful than the things that worked well.
I think Number 1 is profoundly true. I’ve seen both sides—leaders who are vulnerable, and those who are not, and there really is a glorious freedom in following a leader who is vulnerable and authentic.
Yesterday I pushed the girls in my group the hardest I have as of yet.... Not just while we were in class but while we were at lunch at a local eatery. They had answered a long questionnaire. The directions were as follows: “Answer the following questions with your real answers. No Sunday School answers are allowed unless that is your answer. Remember - you are not being judged in regards to the answers you give. What you say can and will help others who are in your shoes or those ministering to others who are. Be honest.”
We were discussing some of the answers. One of the girls said to me that they would not be so vulernable with me if I weren’t with them. Drugs, sex, ................ and SPINACH??
All the sudden one says… “Ummm Camey? You have spinach in your teeth in a couple of places.” Then they each started showing me where exactly. We all busted a gut. I clearly cannot eat Southwestern Egg Rolls without that happening.
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