Value 6-Servant-hearted leadership

Below is a re-post blog from our dear friends at PLANT NIJMEGEN outlining the key values our network of churches (Relational Mission) holds dear. We recently sent a wonderful couple called Ben and Mikka Parker to be part of the core team that is pioneering the church plant. Ben served as an elder at Redeemer, and Mikka was on staff. They helped plant Redeemer in 2015 and are going again. Head to the PLANT NIJMEGEN website to find out more.

As we pursue our mission to plant churches, it is absolutely vital to clarify on which foundations we seek to build these churches.  We identify 3 main leadership values. We seek to build churches with

1. Elders in each local church
2. Ephesians 4 ministries
3. Servant-hearted leadership.

Elders in each local church because this is the structure for leadership we see in the New Testament churches, Ephesians 4 ministries because they are God-given gifts within the church to bring itself to maturity and Servant-hearted because this is the culture of leadership Jesus modelled to us.

In this blog post we will look at what it means to be a church with Servant-hearted leadership.

There are lots of passages in the Bible about qualifications for leaders including things like being sober-minded, hospitable and gentle (1 Timothy 3:1-7). These are great qualities for everyone to pursue with the help of the Holy Spirit. Leading other people starts with, leading ourselves well. Luckily these qualifications aren’t a list to mark ourselves against, but they give us something to aspire to with lots of grace and the acknowledgement that none of us is perfect, trusting God to make us more like Jesus if we allow him.

Jesus is our great example in everything, but particularly in leadership. He had equal status with God yet didn’t cling to the advantages of that status. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a servant. (Philippians 2:6-7) Jesus was as senior and high up as you can get, the most privileged and powerful one yet he humbled himself, to serve and lay his life down for us. 

One of the clearest images we have of this from the Bible is Jesus washing his disciples’ feet (John 13:1-20). One of the disciples called Simon Peter, thinks foot-washing is beneath Jesus and he refuses until Jesus says “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Then he changes his tune and wants to be completely washed all over! Jesus explains this is his example to us and we should do as he does - washing one another’s feet; a humble job that requires you to kneel, to be in close proximity with people, with their dirt and smells, a task that no one else wants to do.

As a church plant we want to take this picture and all it encapsulates to remind us of how we are to serve one another - from the youngest to the oldest, from those who are first encountering the church community to those who regularly give their time, energy and effort in a particular role; the goal is not to be served but to serve. Practically we don’t see ourselves as too important to spend time with the kids, but are happy to offer to muck in with washing up or taking the bins out. Especially for people in visible leadership roles (eg. on a stage) it’s just as important that we’re servant-hearted in the unseen, because first and foremost we serve our God, an audience of one.  

For Christians, this works not just in the church but in every area of our lives from family life to school, University, the workplace, hockey club and everywhere in between - we seek not to be served but to serve. This is a proactive thing, in particular roles and in everyday life and conversation. How can we show the people around us something of who Jesus is by choosing to lay down our preferences and serve them? It is so countercultural to choose to serve rather than choose to push our own agenda of what we want! We follow Jesus’ example and want to lead by example - to demonstrate this same character and servant-heart consistently in all the different circles we move in is powerful.

There’s a promise at the end of the verses about Jesus washing his disciples’ feet - ‘If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.’ (John 13:17) We want that, not just that God would bless us individually, in our families or as a church but that he would bless the city of Nijmegen through us and beyond, all across the Netherlands and Europe. As we seek to see 20 churches planted in each European nation, may each of them be filled with servant-hearted leaders from the youngest to the oldest, in public and in private, in set roles and in everyday life.

Mikka Parker
Part of the Plant Nijmegen team

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Value 5- Ephesians 4 ministries

Below is a re-post blog from our dear friends at PLANT NIJMEGEN outlining the key values our network of churches (Relational Mission) holds dear. We recently sent a wonderful couple called Ben and Mikka Parker to be part of the core team that is pioneering the church plant. Ben served as an elder at Redeemer, and Mikka was on staff. They helped plant Redeemer in 2015 and are going again. Head to the PLANT NIJMEGEN website to find out more.

In our previous posts we’ve been looking at 3 doctrinal values. In the current 3 posts we will be looking at 3 leadership values. We seek to build churches with:

1. Elders in each local church
2. Ephesians 4 ministries 
3. Servant-hearted leadership. 

Elders in each local church because this is the structure for leadership we see in the New Testament churches, Ephesians 4 ministries because they are God-given gifts within the church to bring itself to maturity and Servant-hearted because this is the culture of leadership Jesus modelled to us.

In this blog post we will look at what it means for a church to partner with Ephesian 4 ministries.

At Relational Mission it’s our vision to plant 20 churches in each of the 50 nations of Europe. How will such a bold vision be accomplished? By raising up men and women who wholeheartedly make themselves available to pursue God’s mission. In order to do so God has given gifts to the church. Ephesians 4:11-12 says: “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”

The gifts God gives are people; apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers. When all of these ministries are working together it’s like a hand with 5 fingers offering a firm grasp for men and women to be pulled up and reach their full potential in God. How do these gifts work together? Let me paint you a simple picture…

Imagine aid is sent to a people group on an island. After the aid team arrives on the beach, it’s the apostles that bring the people together to work out their mission. The prophets are sent ahead to climb up into the trees and mark the destiny ahead. It’s the apostles that start to set out the route by which to get there. They bring direction and bring people together to lead them along the way. As they embark on their journey, it’s the evangelists that run ahead and keep an eye on the side of the road to pick up any locals that need help. It’s the shepherds that care for the team and those added. As they continue on their journey it’s the teachers that urge the people to stay on course and equip them on their journey to understand this new land. When all of these play their parts well, the mission will be accomplished.

Apostleship is the first gift mentioned, as it’s the gift that helps the other giftings to work together. Apostles mobilise people to live like ‘sent ones’. Not as platform speakers but as fathers among the churches. Being sent without a clear destination is pointless. Therefore, there is an important synergy between apostles and prophets.  Prophets help to set aim. They might not know how to get there, but they point us in the right direction. As the mission is advanced evangelist help and mobilise God’s people to reach those who have not yet heard the gospel. As new people are brought in, shepherds help the church to bring care for one-another. Finally, it’s the role of theteachers to equip everyone for the journey ahead and stay on course. 

A team on mission without apostles will fragment; a team without prophets will lack direction; a team without evangelists will be fruitless; a team without shepherds will mean people get hurt and a team without teachers will be ill equipped. It’s when all these gifts work well together that the mission will flourish. 

Mike Betts, Maurice Nightingale and Stef Liston - 3 RM apostles working together

Being part of a family of churches means so much more than having a logo on your website and visiting a few conferences. As a starting church plant, it has been a thrill to work in team together. We were invited by the Relational Mission apostolic team to take part in our collective mission of planting 20 churches in the Netherlands in the next 30 years – a desire God had already birthed in our hearts. Together we sought God through prayer with prophets to help us discern where to start. First a region emerged; Gelderland, then a specific city; Nijmegen. Currently I am handing over the leadership of the eldership team in Life Church Peterborough to a gifted young leader that has been wonderfully ‘given away’ by another church in our family of churches. We have received some incredibly generous gifts and are building a support base with people who want to invest and take part in this mission too. We are receiving teaching from experienced planters and care from those supporting us. In the meantime, we have already seen some great people joining us who are eager to help reach the people in Nijmegen.

A Relational Mission Conference

Ephesians 4 is not an abstract philosophy of ministry. It’s real people who are part of a real family on an ambitious mission together. See relationalmission.org for more about Relational Mission. It’s our desire to see apostolic families of churches being multiplied by raising up spiritual sons and daughters through these Ephesians 4 giftings in each nation of Europe. In the Netherlands, this means raising up Dutch-speaking apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers.
Let’s bring on the team!

Wouter Vertegaal

Team leader at Plant Nijmegen

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RM Value 4 - Elders in each local church

Below is a re-post blog from our dear friends at PLANT NIJMEGEN outlining the key values our network of churches (Relational Mission) holds dear. We recently sent a wonderful couple called Ben and Mikka Parker to be part of the core team that is pioneering the church plant. Ben served as an elder at Redeemer, and Mikka was on staff. They helped plant Redeemer in 2015 and are going again. Head to the PLANT NIJMEGEN website to find out more.

In our previous posts we’ve been looking at 3 doctrinal values. In the coming 3 posts we will be looking at 3 leadership values. We seek to build churches with:

1. Elders in each local church
2. Ephesians 4 ministries 
3. Servant-hearted leadership. 

Elders in each local church because this is the structure for leadership we see in the New Testament churches, Ephesians 4 ministries because they are God-given gifts within the church to bring itself to maturity and Servant-hearted because this is the culture of leadership Jesus modelled to us.

In this blog post we will look at what it means for a church to be led by elders.

Good leaders are a gift. Businesses, schools, sports teams, governments and churches can flourish when good leaders lead well. Leadership brings energy, clarity, direction and helps to unleash creativity to pursue a combined mission. Jesus left his disciples with a clear mission; to reach the nations and make disciples. And he appointed its first leaders; the Apostles, to help and guide his people into this mission. When the mission started to expand into new regions, Apostles in their turn appoint leaders in each of the local churches. These leaders in the New Testament are called elders. They are also at times called overseers or shepherds (Acts 20). These names are used interchangeably and describe different aspects of the role and character of elders. Elders don’t lead exclusively, they are responsible for raising up and releasing many other leaders in the church so it can grow and build itself up.

The term elder describes their maturity and character. Elders are to be mature, faithful, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach and a good leader of their own families (1 Tim 3, Titus 1). The term overseer describes the role of an elder. It is a term that was used for a city official who was responsible for the affairs of the city. Elders are responsible for overseeing the affairs of the church. They do not so alone or exclusively but they bring structure and guidance so everyone can play their part. The term shepherd describes the way elders lead. The job of a shepherd was not glamorous. It meant long days in close proximity with their sheep protecting and guiding them. Elders without character are dangerous. Overseers without deep care for people are cold. Shepherds who bring care but no direction are ineffective. But mature, capable, caring leaders bring fruitfulness.

In the bible the church is never described as an organisation instead the image of a family is used. Therefore, its leadership is structured like a family, not a business. Elders are fathers to the church in the way they lead and care. Therefore the role of elderhip in the bible is always fulfilled by men. Eldership is a specific calling by God for some men to represent the fatherly care of God the father himself to his church. Under their care everyone will find a place to play a part regardless of their age, sex or ethnicity. 

Elders are always mentioned in plural in the bible. They are to function like a team and never operate in isolation. Elders shepherd, teach, lead (by example), equip and release others to lead. They are accountable to God, apostles (more about this in future posts), each other and the church and work together with deacons who bring practical oversight in areas of church life to help elders oversee the affairs of the church well. We are called to follow their leadership by active, intelligent and generous participation and invite them to speak into our lives whilst we pray for them with care.

Sadly, there are plenty of examples of leaders in the world that have not functioned well. Often either leadership is dominant or absent. The church is no exception to this. Due to bad experiences it’s easy to approach leadership with suspicion and quick criticism. As a church planting team, we are fully aware that both leaders and followers are still people and not perfect. Yet we are wholeheartedly committed to lead and follow in a way that honours God. It’s for that reason we seek to lead humbly whilst being accountable to our apostolic team, each other and the church community. It’s in the godly care and leadership from elders and the generous submission of the church that we have a unique opportunity to display something of the beautiful relationship between God and his people through Jesus. Jesus did not come to be the boss, but win the hearts of his people by laying down his life for his people. Shepherds after God's own heart do so too. It’s our desire to see Nijmegen filled with people who are able to lead in every area life in the same way.

A church can survive without a building and coffee. Yet no church will function well without leadership. Therefore, It’s our mission to raise up elders who are able to release many others to lead in the area of gifting God has given them. Some elders we will need to lead the church as it gets started, some elders to prepare for future growth and many elders to give away to plant healthy fruitful churches all across the Netherlands and the rest of Europe.

Wouter Vertegaal

Team leader at Plant Nijmegen

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RM Value 3 - Spirit Empowered

Below is a re-post blog from our dear friends at PLANT NIJMEGEN outlining the key values our network of churches (Relational Mission) holds dear. We recently sent a wonderful couple called Ben and Mikka Parker to be part of the core team that is pioneering the church plant. Ben served as an elder at Redeemer, and Mikka was on staff. They helped plant Redeemer in 2015 and are going again. Head to the PLANT NIJMEGEN website to find out more.

As we pursue our mission to plant churches, it is absolutely vital to clarify on which foundations we seek to build these churches. We identify 3 maindoctrinal values. We seek to build churches that are

1. Word based
2. Grace filled
3. Spirit empowered.

Word based because we want to build upon the blueprints of scripture.
Grace filled as this is how God relates to us and we are called to relate to one another.
Spirit empowered as we believe that Jesus builds his church through the work of the Holy Spirit.

In this blog post we will look at what it means to be a Spirit empowered church.

We believe that Jesus builds his church through the work of the Holy Spirit. It is God’s desire to empower us for Christian life and witness and we count on him to move in power both in our meetings as a church, and in our daily lives as his disciples.

As part of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) we see the Holy Spirit actively present throughout the entirety of the bible. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit played a specific role in empowering certain individuals (such as Judges, Kings, Prophets) to be used greatly by God and guide his people; but one of them, the prophet Joel, prophesied with expectancy that there would be a time coming when God would pour out his Spirit on all people (Joel 2:28-29). Jesus reiterated this prophecy and told his disciples that he would soon fill them with his Holy Spirit (John 14:26).

On the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), we see that promise fulfilled. A group of believers are all filled with the Spirit together at one time: They felt a rushing wind, some began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them, and they were empowered to spread the good news of the Kingdom of God. We continue to see believers being filled with the Spirit and empowered with heavenly boldness throughout the New Testament. Not only does the Holy Spirit live in and mark us as believers, but he also empowers us to be his witness to every nation on earth (Acts 1:8). 

Baptism in the Spirit in the New Testament usually happens at the start of a believers journey after prayer and the laying on of hands. However, the apostle Paul urged the church in Ephesus, and we believe this still applies today, “Do not get drunk on wine… Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” In the original translation, the verb “to fill” is in the present tense, so in essence Paul is saying, “Be (continually) full of the Spirit”! We see this as an ongoing action, not just a one-and-done event when first submitting to Christ.

As Jesus’ followers, we are a people of the Spirit! We believe, and even expect, that the Holy Spirit will work among us and that all the gifts in Scripture are available to build and empower the church today. We believe that being filled with the Holy Spirit is available to each believer who seeks to receive him and that the Spirit alone keeps a church flourishing and full of power and life.

God speaks in general ways through the world around us showing us his existence, and specifically through his word so we may know him, and also by his Spirit speaking into specific areas of our lives and changing our hearts to be aligned with his. The Holy Spirit makes the Word living and active and brings conviction to our hearts, through words of wisdom from others, impressions, dreams or miracles. It is crucial that the Word and Spirit go hand-in-hand, and we test and interpret when the Spirit speaks to us, to ensure what we’re hearing is in line with what the bible teaches. Furthermore, we believe that the manifestation of the Spirit is given to the body of believers as we hear God together and build each other up (1 Cor. 14:26).

On a personal level, we see the fruit of those who live by the Spirit results in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:23). We believe that the church is more than just a Sunday meeting; we are sent to be a blessing to our local communities and to every corner of the world. The Holy Spirit empowers us to be Christ’s witness and example of his goodness in our lives, which is shown in the way that we treat people with the fruit of his Spirit (kindness, gentleness, etc). We aim to be a people who are overflowing with these traits of the Spirit and who are wholeheartedly sharing the good news of the Gospel in our spheres of influence. Through the Spirit, we get to enjoy the delight of the Triune God and share that with others.

We want to be a church empowered by and fully relying on the Holy Spirit because we see that Jesus equips his church through the power of his Spirit. There are different kinds of gifts, i.e; faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, words of knowledge, discernment of spirits, tongues and interpretation, and the Spirit distributes them as He determines (1 Cor. 12:4-11). We eagerly desire the spiritual gifts, taking the book of Acts as a vision of what church life can be rather than a record of what it once was. As a church plant team, for example, we have each received (many!) prophetic words from God, that have encouraged us to take this step of faith, and we continue to desire His direction and expect Him to lead us as we bless the city of Nijmegen and all of The Netherlands. We believe that the local church should enjoy the presence, power, fruit and gifts of God’s Spirit and we continue to earnestly desire it!

Beverly Meijers
Part of the Plant Nijmegen team

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RM Value 2 - Grace Filled

Below is a re-post blog from our dear friends at PLANT NIJMEGEN outlining the key values our network of churches (Relational Mission) holds dear. We recently sent a wonderful couple called Ben and Mikka Parker to be part of the core team that is pioneering the church plant. Ben served as an elder at Redeemer, and Mikka was on staff. They helped plant Redeemer in 2015 and are going again. Head to the PLANT NIJMEGEN website to find out more.

As we pursue our mission to plant churches, it is absolutely vital to clarify on which foundations we seek to build these churches. We identify 3 main doctrinal values. We seek to build churches that are

1. Word based
2. Grace filled
3. Spirit empowered.

Word based because we want to build upon the blueprints of scripture.
Grace filled as this is how God relates to us and we are called to relate to one another.
Spirit empowered as we believe that Jesus builds his church through the work of the Holy Spirit.

In this blog post we will look at what it means to be a grace filled church.

The story of the bible starts off with unimaginable potential. In the garden of Eden human beings are created in the image of God and for an intimate relationship with God. Yet soon tragedy strikes as Adam and Eve seek to put themselves at the centre of creation. This is how sin, sickness and death came into the world. The first part of the bible tells us the story of how ever since that tragic day God's people have been trying to make their way back to God, to restore the broken parts. In his kindness God gave them His law showing them how life ought to be lived in order to relate to a good and perfect God. But however hard they try, they all fall short. The law is like a perfect husband who is always right and constantly points the finger. It becomes quickly clear that however hard we try we are not perfect and one way or another we always fail. 

Although unable to find their own way back to God, God never gave up on his people. Right from the start he promised to send a rescuer. This rescuer would not be some sort of valiant warrior. No, this would be God himself coming down to rescue his people. This is the miracle that lays at the heart of the Christian faith; it's called grace. The undeserved favour of God. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life [John 3:16].

Jesus was the only human being who fulfilled the law by living a perfect life. Yet he offered to take upon himself the sin and failures of everyone. The bible teaches us that the wages of sin is death [Romans 6:23]. Jesus being God used his divine life to pay the debt that is outstanding to God on all our lives by dying in our place. We needed the law to show us our need and lead us to Jesus. But the moment we accept Jesus, through his death we die to the law too. Our relationship with the law stops. Mr. Law is no longer our husband, instead we become the bride of Jesus who is like a husband who gives joy, life and peace.

The gospel means that we are more flawed than we would ever like to admit, yet at the same time we are more loved than we could ever imagine! It's when we experience this beautiful, kind love of God that our hearts begin to change. We no longer want to live for ourselves, but start to respond to God's love with a love that seeks His will in return. We no longer waste time with ‘dead works’, trying to tick all the right boxes to earn his favour, but instead start to seek his will out of love. Doing ‘good works’ that are full of faith, expectation, hope, the power of God and are motivated by love.

When the church operates in this way it becomes beautiful and attractive. When He saved us it’s like Jesus gave us a beautiful, white garment, we are free and forgiven. Nothing we do can add or take away the grace. Now He’s giving us a needle and golden thread to embroider on it the things He gives us to do, out of joy and love for Him! Showing the world around us, that this grace is freely available for anyone, no matter your background.

Being a grace filled church, means that our times together overflow with a celebration of God’s love for us. And out of this deep, found joy, good works start to bubble up as a natural response. Our relationship with those around us starts to change radically. Rather than seeking our own interests, we start to love others like we have been loved.

This works through in every layer of church life. From the way we are able to engage in authentic community; to the way we welcome those who don’t yet know God; to the way we treat those who are different to us; to our care for the poor and needy; to our ability to forgive those who wrong us; to accept and love those who find it hard to stay on the right path; to servant-hearted leadership that seeks to lay down our lives for others like Jesus did for us. 

It’s by grace that God saved us, it’s through His grace that we continue to follow Him in every day, even amidst failure and it’s through grace that one day we will be welcomed to make our home with God forever in perfect intimacy once again.

Simone Vertegaal

Part of the Plant Nijmegen team