Serve Humbly and Relationally

Aug 13

3 min read

Hey Pastors and Ministry Leaders,

The other day I was listening to a podcast, and the person being interviewed made an observation that has stayed with me. He talked about how, as he’s gotten older, he’s become increasingly more aware of how much he doesn’t know. At the same time, he’s become more aware of how much grace he’s received, which has made him want to extend more grace to others.

I found that refreshing. Maybe because I’m discovering much the same thing.

After more than 35 years in ministry, there are certainly things I know today that I didn’t know when I started. But strangely, I’m also much more aware of how much I don’t know. I’m less certain about some things I once thought were simple, more willing to listen, and hopefully a little slower to assume that my way of seeing something is the only way to see it.

And perhaps even more importantly, the longer I walk with Jesus, the more aware I become of the incredible grace He has shown me. And because of that I should show more grace to those around me.

As promised, we’ve come to the final two commitments that are shaping the culture we desire to cultivate within the Northwest Baptist Convention:

Remain Curious and Adaptable.

Serve Humbly and Relationally.

At first glance, those may not seem like they belong together, but I think they do. Both require humility.

Remaining curious means being willing to admit that I don’t know everything. It means asking questions, listening to others, learning from people who see things differently than I do, and being willing to change how I do something when there is a better way.

Adaptability doesn’t mean changing what we believe. God’s Word doesn’t change, and neither does the Gospel. But the communities we’re trying to reach are changing. The challenges facing our churches are changing. The ways people communicate, build relationships, and engage with the world around them are changing.

We can remain deeply rooted in unchanging truth while being willing to rethink our methods.

When I read the Gospels, I’m continually amazed by Jesus. He listened. He observed. He asked questions. He met people where they were. Yet the One who had every right to be served consistently chose to serve.

That’s where our final commitment comes in.

Serve humbly and relationally.

Jesus never treated people as interruptions to His ministry. People were His ministry. Whether He was walking with His disciples, stopping for the blind, eating with sinners, welcoming children, or kneeling to wash His disciples’ feet, He consistently demonstrated that Kingdom leadership is deeply relational and fundamentally humble.

That’s the kind of culture I hope continues to grow among us. A culture where we don’t have to pretend we have all the answers. Where we’re curious enough to keep learning, secure enough to adapt, humble enough to serve, and gracious enough to walk patiently with one another.

Because the longer I do this, the more convinced I become that I don’t have all the answers.

But I also become more convinced of the grace of God.

And if I’ve received that much grace, I want to be someone who gives it freely to others.

Thank you for faithfully serving where God has placed you. Lisa and I count it a privilege to serve alongside you as a family of churches on mission together.

by Faith,