Author Archives: Johnny Leckie

About Johnny Leckie

Christ Follower, Husband, Dad, Church Planting Pastor, Musician, Artist, and Blogger. Consumer of Coffee and Bacon.

Church Plants Are Churches.

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A “Church Planter” is, quite simply, someone who has responded to God’s call to plant, or start a Church.  And although one would think it is obvious, I think I need to also say that a “Church Plant” is actually a Church.  Not “almost a Church,” not a “wannabe” Church, not a “one day you might become a real Church,” Church – but a real, live Church.

And because a Church Plant is a Church, a Church Planter is a Pastor.

But aside from the newness of the church being led and gathered, there is no Biblical distinction* between a Pastor who is leading a new church and a Pastor who is leading an established church.  Both Pastors, in  the end, have the same basic responsibility to lead their churches to love God and People while fulfilling the Great Commission of reaching, baptizing and teaching.

Even the strategies of one can apply to the other.  The biggest difference between the two is that the church planter must be active in gathering the initial members of the church or launch team.  Aside from that, the differences (in substance, anyway) are that one is newer than the other and that one may meet in a temporary, mobile meeting space.

Once the church in Ephesus or Corinth or anywhere else in Scripture was established, it was then referred to as “the Church in” wherever – not “the Church Plant” in wherever.  I’m not trying to “split hairs,” here, I’m only trying to say that a new church has all of the DNA of an established church – it’s just newer.

It has nothing to do with how small or large it is.  I’m aware of established churches who have fewer people gathering on the weekend than some “church plants” had before they closed their “doors” and moved on.

The truth is, all churches, large or small, established or new, should be doing the kinds of things that most church plants are attempting to do: Honor God by joining Him in His mission of reaching people in their communities and world with the life changing message of  Jesus Christ.

So to everyone who supports a Church Planter, first of all, God bless you for understanding how important it is to start new churches.  But second, understand that you are supporting  a real Pastor and a real Church.

And if you are a Church Planter, see yourself as a Pastor  who is leading a real Church.  It’s not a club.  It’s not a cool new ministry fad (although it may be cool).  It’s not a stepping stone out of Youth Ministry.  It’s a Church.  And as the Church Planter, you are the Pastor.

That said, I do need to add that although Church Plants are real Churches and Church Planters are real Pastors, based on the best research across denominations and geographical areas, there are definitely some qualities and traits that need to be developed or sharpened if a church planter is going to do well over the long haul.  These initial skills related to getting started are slightly different than leading an established Church and Ed Stetzer discusses several of these issues that Church Planters face here.

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* Side note: I understand the apostolic role of the missionary church starter.  I’m referring here to the role of the pastor who is leading once the church has started, regardless of the person’s ultimate role or gifting.  Once the church has started having worship services (and possibly even before that) and that person is leading and teaching the congregation, they are serving in the role of pastor.

A Guide For Christians In Presidential Election Years

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It happens every time.  I love the freedom I enjoy in America to participate in the process of electing our President and other Governmental representatives but I hate what it usually brings out in people as we head toward the day when we cast our votes.

Too often during this time, Christians also get caught up in the slinging of mud and other childish behaviors that are part of the election year.  So as a “CSA,” or “Christian Service Announcement,” I offer the following guidelines and reminders.

1. Presidential elections never give Christians an excuse to behave in an unchristian way.  ”Politics” is not the area of life in which you are given a “pass” to ignore God’s principles and commands for how we are to treat other people.  If you are mean, judgmental and a hot head about a political opponent or topic, you’re still being mean, judgmental and a hot head.  It’s not “okay” to do, just because it’s about politics.

We honor and respect our governmental authorities but we ultimately serve a Higher King, anyway – so we all could probably calm down a bit.  Of course the issues are important, but so is how we address them:  We are followers of Christ, first and foremost.

2. People in other Political Parties are not your enemy.  The same people who, before the election season, you were praying for and trying to share the love of Christ with in your community are…well, the same people.

They may see things differently than you in all things political, but you should still love them as Christ loves them.  Stop thinking of them as “the bad guys.”

There are people with a different political perspective than you who are also followers of Jesus and who are most likely worshiping with you every weekend.

3. Ephesians 4:29, James 3:10 and a gazillion other verses of Scripture are not nullified in an election year.  Here they are, in case they don’t readily come to mind:

Ehesians 4:29  ”Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” ESV

James 3:10 “From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” – ESV

Need to defend the truth, you say?  Fine.  A debate on the issues is necessary, you say? Cool. Just stay respectful, courteous and calm as you do so.  How you speak is often as important as what you’re speaking.

Seriously, be careful how you communicate and defend the truth. There’s no need to bring dishonor to the name of Christ by the way you defend Him and certainly no need to do so when defending your political viewpoint.

4. You do not have a license to spread rumors during an election year.  View political rumors on Facebook, Twitter and other sites as you would the headlines in the Supermarket checkout line.  Always check the source of the story and do not draw wild conclusions based on a random statement you heard was made in a speech to the Lion’s Club or a Barbecue somewhere.

There’s this little thing addressed in Scripture that’s like a million termites in the wall.  It’s called, “gossip,” and it’s a pain.  It’s also wrong and can cause great harm.

“My grandmother and her dog would be dead if [insert candidate's name here] had his way!  He[or she] hates America!” is the kind of line that most likely has very little, if any truth in it.  Don’t pass it along to someone else.

Chew on these verses, instead:

Proverbs 16:28 “A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends.” – NLT

Proverbs 18:8 “Rumors are dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart.” – NLT

Proverbs 26:20 “Fire goes out without wood, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops.” – NLT

That last one might need to soak in for a minute.  But here’s one more:

Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” – ESV

Again, we should be very thankful for the freedoms we enjoy in America to participate in the process.  Let’s commit to doing so in a God honoring way – wherever and “whenever” we are.

1 Way To Know That You Are Growing Spiritually

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If you are growing spiritually, you may certainly be reading the Bible, praying, “going to church” and other spiritual disciplines, but frankly, you can do all of those things and still be a jerk not be growing spiritually.  These things are all vitally important for spiritual growth, but they are not necessarily indicators of spiritual growth.

So what is an indicator?  What results in a heart that is strong, blameless and holy?

“12 And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. 13 May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen.” 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 NLT (Emphasis added my me)

One way to know that you’re growing spiritually is when you see that the Lord is making your heart grow and overflow with love for the people in your church and for people everywhere.

Let me also put it this way:  Whatever you are “full of,” you’ll overflow “with.”

If you’re full of arrogance, bitterness, anger or yourself, that’s what you will ultimately overflow with.  When we are truly growing spiritually, we begin to overflow with love for others.  This is because God Himself is overflowing with love for people and spiritual growth is about becoming more like Him.

God wants our lives to be full of Him, and He is love.  ”Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8 ESV)

Loving people does not mean loving and approving of the sin that they do.  It means loving them in spite of it.  It involves seeing them through God’s lens –  to their potential as people created in the image of God.

So if you are “filled with the Spirit,” you will also be full of love.  And if you are genuinely full of the knowledge of God and His word, you will also be full of love – Not sappy love, but strong love.  If you’re full of something else, you’re not doing it right. :)

So what’s a way to know if you’re growing spiritually?  It depends.  What are you full of?

Side note:  If you hate the idea of ending a sentence with a preposition, which I do all over this post,  ”that’s just the sort of nonsense up with which I will not put.” :)

We Serve At The Pleasure Of The King

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If you are a Christian leader,  you serve at the pleasure of the King.  Not to get ahead, not to be honored, not to be famous, not to have power, not to plaster your face and name on everything you do.*  You are under the authority of the King, and you serve at His pleasure.

This is the essence of Jesus’ prayer, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  (Matthew 6:10)

It’s also the understanding of  the Roman officer who came to Jesus requesting healing for his servant in Matthew 8:8-9:

8 But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.
9 For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me.  And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” – ESV

Humility in leadership helps us to avoid the foolish mistakes that arise from arrogance.  It’s the attitude behind James 4:6 and many other verses of Scripture: ”God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”  If you are leading on behalf of Christ, you definitely don’t want Him to be against you as you go.

Christian Leaders must have humility if they are to truly be effective.  They must understand that they are under authority and represent the King.  Sometimes that means serving in a place of honor, as a paid, full time Pastor or Staff Member.  Sometimes that means serving in a place that does not have the same visibility or recognition.  Sometimes it means picking up and moving across the country.

Humility is not a word that means “weakness” or “lack of confidence” or “low self-esteem.” It is a word that conveys the idea that we understand that we are under the authority of One who is greater than us.  We go at His pleasure; we serve at His pleasure; we do whatever He calls us to do.  Our responsibility is to see His will done rather than our will done on earth as it is in heaven.

I had a Professor in Seminary who told us about his first, official, paid position in ministry.  He had just graduated with a Master’s degree, and was excited to start serving on a Church staff.  The Monday of his first week at the Church, he was given his first assignment:  Clean up the vomit of a kid who had thrown up in the Church van the night before.

Welcome to ministry.  If our King grabs a towel and tells us, “This is how to lead,” then we join Him and start washing feet.  If a task is given to us by the King, no matter how menial or grandiose, it is an honorable thing for us to be doing. The honor is in the fact that we are doing something on behalf of and in the name of the One who is worthy of all honor.

Humility is a “Backpack Essential” for Christian Leaders.  We are not the King. We serve at the pleasure of the King.

* (I’m not talking about your name and face on promotional materials or websites.  I’m talking about an ongoing need for recognition.)

The Right “Gift Set”

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Quick Note: I wrestled with writing this post because I know that there are some of you out there who may disagree with my thoughts on this.  But I decided to put it out there anyway, because I know that there are also some of you who need the extra nudge to respond with courage to  what God may be calling you to do. – Johnny

Do you have the right “gift set” to do something God has called you to do?

Maybe you do.  …But maybe you don’t.

Just ask Moses (Exodus 4:10-13). Or Gideon (Judges 6:11-15).

I know people who had the right qualifications, background, talents, personality profile and history of success who failed in their new venture -  to the surprise and disappointment of the evaluators and supporters who comissioned them.

And in surprising contrast, I also know of people who were very successful in their new venture, even though they did not fit the generally accepted understanding of the perfect profile of someone best suited for the task – also to the surprise of those who evaluated them beforehand.

Once again, I actually know these people.  No theory, here – I could name names. …Real people.

Why is that, I wonder?  Is it because screenings and pre-appointment interviews and personality tests are of no value?  No.  Properly understood and executed, those things have great value.

But I believe that when it comes to ministry, it is because of the following:

  • The right gift set, talents, background and personality are ultimately ineffective without calling, commitment and passion.
  • The “wrong” gift set(?), talents, background and personality are an effective starting point when accompanied by calling, commitment and passion.

The “right gift set” is the one you have when God calls you to do something.  If He has called you, He will supply the rest.

Even the business world, who generally does not figure God into the equation, has over the last decade begun to see “personality tests” as inaccurate predictors of future behavior, because of their inherent weaknesses:  They assume personality traits are permanent and they ignore situational factors that influence behavior. (Great, short article from Inc. Magazine about this here - written by Dr. Steven Berglas, Ph.D)

So stop boxing yourself in because of your past and current perception of personality.

Is God calling you to do something?  Then explore it. Get insight. Get perspective and advice. Do some introspective navel-gazing.  Confirm that calling. Get training if necessary. Prepare as needed.

But then, get busy and do it.

Allow God to provide the gifts, talents and abilities that you do not currently have but will need to complete the task.

“But Lord,” Gideon replied, “how can I rescue Israel? My clan is the weakest in the whole tribe of Manasseh, and I am the least in my entire family!” The LORD said to him, “I will be with you. And you will destroy the Midianites as if you were fighting against one man.” Judges 6:15-16

Respond to God’s call with commitment and passion.

But here’s a “head’s up for you:  if you’re only counting on your own strength, talents, background, personality and whatever to make it happen, you’re in trouble before you begin.

A “Mean Time” Snapshot

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Some of you may have been wondering what I’ve been up to during the “mean time” that we have been in for a while, now.  Here’s a snapshot of the latest:

1. Tons of Transcription, Notes, Summaries and Data Entry for “AideData,” an Information and E-Commerce Solutions company located in The Colony, Texas.  Dull as dirt, but helps pay the bills, so I’m thankful. :)

2. Some Design Work for a Youth Ministry.  Two samples are below.  The first was for a Retreat with the theme of “Freedom,” and the second was for a Series for High Schoolers.  (The icons were personalized for the group).

3.  Administering the SAT. Again, dull as dirt, but helps pay the bills. :)  Bonus:  During the test I had an idea for an adventure novel for the YA market called, “Test Day Blue.”  Adding it to the Idea journal, for now…

4. Video Work for The Crossing, an awesome church near Anchorage, Alaska.  Below is a simple opener for a Sermon Series called “Family Matters.”  I put together the video, but the series design is by Jennifer Nottingham.


* Incidentally, if you’d like for me to do some design or video work along these lines, drop me a line at:

5. Serving as one of the Group Leaders for The Student Event at Keystone Church.  My group (along with another Leader) will consist of 7th Grade Boys.  Not sure what I was thinking, but it should be fun! :P

6. A New Ministry I’m working on that is in the developmental stage.  I’ll tell you more as it all comes together…and even if it doesn’t. :D

Your church is looking for a Pastor?  View my Resume’ here.

Watering Up The Gospel

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Recently, I heard of a pastor saying, “Trying to make the Gospel relevant is like trying to make water wet.”

I agree with that statement and I know where he’s coming from, but I would add something to it.  I would say that the Gospel is always relevant, but our communication of it is not always relevant.

You can communicate something that is relevant in an irrelevant way.

Drinking water is relevant.  Lame, rambling directions to the fountain or long scientific explanations of H20 are not necessarily so…

A Plan For When The Plans Change (Part 2)

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Based on my message, “Crash: When the Plans Change,” (Acts 27:1-28:10) here’s part two of the playbook for navigating into what’s next:

(Read Part 1 Here.)

6. Develop strong relationships. [Acts 27:1, 3, 6; 42-43] Invest in family, neighbors, friends and community. There’s never a bad time to do this.

7. Share the truth. (Acts 27:30-32)  Share Christ with neighbors and others in your community – there is no “break” from this. The mission is for all Christ followers, not just for church planters!

8. Stay connected to God. (Acts 27:35) Spend daily time in prayer and Scripture, keeping the ‘God lines’ clear.  This is often the first thing to drop to the bottom of the priority list when things go awry. Flip that order around.

9.  Meet your needs. (Acts 27:33-36) Get lots of mental and physical rest, eat right, build financial resources, pay bills, and spend focused time with your spouse and kids. Take time for evaluating and planning.  This is not unspiritual, but sometimes, it is actually the most spiritual thing you can do in the moment. (See 1 Kings 19:1-8)

10. Meet the needs of others. (Acts 28:7-10) Keep volunteering, looking to meet needs in your neighborhood, community and circle of friends. For me,  doing this confirms in me the authenticity of the serving, because I truly have no strings attached…

When in doubt, love God and love people. Work on becoming and learning. Plans and “next steps” will generally follow and flow through that.

A Plan For When The Plans Change

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Taking a cue from my message, “Crash: When the Plans Change,” (Acts 27:1-28:10) here’s a playbook for navigating into what’s next:

1.  Remember that plans change, but vision remains the same. (Acts 27:9-11)(Thanks, Andy Stanley and Visioneering)

2. Understand that sometimes the plan is out of our control. (Acts 27:11) Unanticipated events, choices of others, and circumstances sometimes take the wheel for a period of time. When this happens, it is now “big picture” time.  Step back, take a deep breath, and try to get the perspective of a bigger view.

3. Acknowledge that the vision for your life is sometimes realized in a different way than you originally thought. There’s nothing that takes God by surprise or that He hasn’t planned for – even our mistakes.

4. Realize that hope and stability can be found in instability. (Acts 27:21-25) Uncertainty provides a powerful and unique opportunity for courage and faith to be strengthened.

5. Strive to obey God more than your plans. (Acts 27:30-28:10) Take you eyes off of your goals for a minute and place them more intensely onto God and His guiding.  “Seek the Kingdom of God* above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. ”So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (Matthew 6:33 NLT)

Read Part 2 here.

Side Note: * See & hear my friend and pastor, Brandon Thomas delve into “Plan B:  When Life Doesn’t Go According To Plan” (Inspired by Pete Wilson‘s book of the same name).


In The Meantime

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During this ministry interlude,  I’m doing odd jobs and whatever I can scrounge up while seeking where God wants us to be next.  (See my résumé here.)

Sometimes living in the “meantime” can be a “mean time” financially.  Here are a few things I’ve got cooking that you can pray for us about or participate with us in during the “mean” meantime. :)

1. One Mad Christmas – Leona and I created this dramatic musical production a number of years ago about people who thought that more money would solve all of their problems. There’s certainly a touch of irony in the fact that as churches license the musical, it helps provide income for us during this time. Great reminders in this musical, though, of what’s really most important in this life.

If you know of a church that is searching for a dramatic musical for this year’s Christmas production or dinner theater, please send them our way: One Mad Christmas.  You can download the preview files here: Preview Files (includes the whole script:  One Mad Christmas Running Script )

2. Ministry – We are actively involved in Keystone Church in Keller, Texas as members, but I am available to serve in a number of ways while waiting for our next ministry assignment.  Obviously, this is the area of my calling and where I believe I can do the most good.

* Preaching – It would be an honor to speak at your church if you have a need.  My background and theology are Southern Baptist, but I’m open to speaking wherever I’m invited.

Examples:

“Clash: Hope For Hard Hearts“ || “Fleeting Glances: Affair Proofing Your Marriage“

“Crash: When The Plans Change“ || “Relationship Connection Breakers“

* Short Term Staff Member – Sometimes churches can’t afford to bring on an additional staff member for a whole year, but might be able to bring someone in for a month or two to start new ministries, strengthen existing ones or fill in as a short term interim.  If that’s you, I’d love to talk to you about how we can make that happen!

* Basic Design & Media – I can provide simple media creation (designs/videos) for churches w/ few financial resources.  My resources are limited also, so I can relate.

Examples:

“The Crossing – TV spot“ (Video)

Designs & Series Branding:

* Miscellaneous – I can assist with outreach strategies, lead worship, lead seminars, retreats, and more

3. Any Job that’s available. – The truth is, I’m willing to work in any capacity to provide for my family during this time.  Hourly wages, one time projects, you name it – I’m open to it.

Thanks for praying for us during the “mean time” of the meantime.  If you know of an opportunity that could be helpful for us or if you could pass this along, my family and I would appreciate it very much.

Contact me at JohnnyLeckie@gmail.com

Now.  How can I pray for you?

By the way:  God is good!  In good times and in bad. Blessed be the Name of the Lord! :)