{"id":22966,"date":"2024-12-11T05:00:33","date_gmt":"2024-12-11T10:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/?post_type=resource&p=22966"},"modified":"2024-12-10T12:58:08","modified_gmt":"2024-12-10T17:58:08","slug":"tactical-patience-in-ministry-lessons-from-an-organ-and-a-saint","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/resource\/tactical-patience-in-ministry-lessons-from-an-organ-and-a-saint\/","title":{"rendered":"Tactical Patience in Ministry: Lessons from an Organ and a Saint"},"content":{"rendered":"

For years, the music ministry of our church was led by Mrs. Frances Jones\u2014a woman of grace, faith, and dedication. She taught children to play piano, tirelessly served the church, and played the organ through the church\u2019s golden years. With the gospel in mind, she had given up the role of music ministry director in the 1980s. To hand the leadership baton off to the next generation, she became the music minister\u2019s assistant. Music ministers came and went, but Mrs. Frances was the heart behind the music ministry. Even when the instruments were worn, and the sound system crackled, Mrs. Frances made it work without complaining or growing frustrated.<\/p>\n

Eventually, one of her pupils rallied the church to honor her with a new organ, sound system, and a baby grand piano. It was a beautiful testimony to her legacy and her love for the Lord. By the time I arrived in 2008, Mrs. Frances\u2019 age had caught up with her. She could not attend church, let alone play the organ like she once had. She passed away in 2012, and the organ she had cherished sat silent\u2014unused for nearly a decade.<\/p>\n

As space became tight, conversations arose about removing the organ. Some saw it as an obstacle to modernizing worship; others saw it as sacred, tied to memories of a beloved saint. I knew removing it prematurely would fracture trust in an already fragile congregation.<\/p>\n

So many things at the church needed to change. We needed better theology, improved small groups, and an intentional discipleship plan. The sanctuary\u2014and all the facilities\u2014needed renovation, and we desperately needed to learn to love our community again. We needed to repent of serving our personal preferences, years of division, and an aversion to sharing the gospel. Yes, we needed the space on the stage, but removing the organ would have been the death blow to any efforts at rebuilding unity between the generations that had been so divided. Wisdom prevailed, and we learned to work around it for the sake of unity.<\/p>\n

You can imagine my frustration when an evangelist\u2014unfamiliar with our church\u2019s story\u2014boldly criticized the organ as an idol and declared we should get rid of it. What he didn\u2019t understand was that the organ wasn\u2019t an idol; it reminded the seniors of a blessed saint they loved dearly. The next day, seniors of the church were calling, wanting to come and talk to me about why we shouldn\u2019t get rid of the organ. I assured them I wasn\u2019t interested in dying on that hill, and the evangelist had spoken out of turn. He would not be back.<\/p>\n

With time, God provided a solution. The family who had donated most of the funds for the organ years earlier kindly requested it back, offering to put it to good use while honoring Mrs. Frances\u2019 memory. The church gladly agreed. It was a quiet resolution that preserved unity and allowed us to focus on what truly mattered: returning to vitality as a congregation and engaging our community with the gospel.<\/p>\n

The lesson of tactical patience<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Episode 249<\/a> of the Replant Bootcamp<\/em> podcast, Tim Williams shares a key insight for ministry leaders: \u201cDon\u2019t microwave the brisket.\u201d<\/em> True change in a church takes time, wisdom, and what Tim calls \u201ctactical patience.\u201d Revitalization pastors face many \u201corgans\u201d in their ministry\u2014issues that require thoughtful navigation.<\/p>\n

Leaders must ask:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Are the changes we\u2019re making truly needed, or are they preferential?<\/strong>
    \nIt\u2019s easy to tackle surface-level issues to feel productive, but real transformation comes from addressing the heart of the church\u2014its theology, community, and discipleship.<\/li>\n
  2. Are we giving the church time to embrace change?<\/strong>
    \nLeading change requires relational equity. Moving too quickly risks losing influence and alienating the very people we\u2019re trying to serve.<\/li>\n
  3. Are we slowing down, listening, and trusting God\u2019s timing?<\/strong>
    \nPride rushes ahead, but humility allows leaders to pause, reflect, and strategize. Growth happens in the waiting\u2014when leaders preach, pray, love, and stay.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    A valuable resource for better understanding tactical patience in ministry is Who Stole My Church?<\/em><\/a> by Gordon MacDonald. In this book, MacDonald addresses the struggles of a fictional group of older church members who feel displaced by changes in church culture and practices. Through their journey, he provides insights into embracing change, fostering intergenerational understanding, and rediscovering the church\u2019s mission to adapt while remaining true to its purpose.<\/p>\n

    Another excellent resource is Who Moved My Pulpit?<\/em><\/a> by Thom Rainer. In this book, Rainer explores the challenges church leaders face when leading revitalization efforts amid resistance to change. He highlights the importance of pastoral leadership, the courage to confront adversity, and the necessity for churches to adapt in order to effectively fulfill their mission in a changing culture.<\/p>\n

    Final encouragement<\/strong><\/p>\n

    In Paul\u2019s letter to the church in Thessalonica, he says, \u201cAnd we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.\u201d (1 Thess. 5:14 ESV) Paul understood that shepherding must be done with patience. He didn\u2019t want the church torn apart by impulsive decisions not pertinent to the gospel\u2019s advancement. We should heed his wisdom and be wise when leading change.<\/p>\n

    Revitalizing a church isn\u2019t about quick fixes; it\u2019s about faithful shepherding rooted in patience, humility, and God\u2019s providence. As leaders, we must learn to discern when to wait, when to act, and how to shepherd our congregations through change with care and intentionality.<\/p>\n

    Space might have been limited because of the organ, but its removal was not necessary for the church to minister to the community. The organ wasn\u2019t keeping the church from loving one another, their community, or Jesus. The organ serves me today as a reminder that unity matters far more than preferences.<\/p>\n

    If you\u2019re navigating change in your church, remember: \u201cDon\u2019t microwave the brisket.\u201d Focus on the gospel, shepherd all your people, and, most importantly, trust God.<\/p>\n

    For more insights on tactical patience, listen to Episode 249<\/a> of the Replant Bootcamp<\/em> podcast.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    For years, the music ministry of our church was led by Mrs. Frances Jones\u2014a woman of …<\/p>\n

    Tactical Patience in Ministry: Lessons from an Organ and a Saint<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":22968,"template":"","meta":{"_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"tags":[],"channels":[],"topics":[53],"languages":[],"class_list":["post-22966","resource","type-resource","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","resource_type-article","topics-replanting"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTactical Patience in Ministry: Lessons from an Organ and a Saint - Church Replanting<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/resource\/tactical-patience-in-ministry-lessons-from-an-organ-and-a-saint\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tactical Patience in Ministry: Lessons from an Organ and a Saint\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"For years, the music ministry of our church was led by Mrs. Frances Jones\u2014a woman of … Tactical Patience in Ministry: Lessons from an Organ and a Saint Read More »\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/resource\/tactical-patience-in-ministry-lessons-from-an-organ-and-a-saint\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Church Replanting\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-12-10T17:58:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/12\/an_old_piano-3840x2560-1-768x512-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"768\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"512\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/resource\/tactical-patience-in-ministry-lessons-from-an-organ-and-a-saint\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/resource\/tactical-patience-in-ministry-lessons-from-an-organ-and-a-saint\/\",\"name\":\"Tactical Patience in Ministry: Lessons from an Organ and a Saint - Church Replanting\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/resource\/tactical-patience-in-ministry-lessons-from-an-organ-and-a-saint\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/resource\/tactical-patience-in-ministry-lessons-from-an-organ-and-a-saint\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/12\/an_old_piano-3840x2560-1-768x512-1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-12-11T10:00:33+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-12-10T17:58:08+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/resource\/tactical-patience-in-ministry-lessons-from-an-organ-and-a-saint\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/resource\/tactical-patience-in-ministry-lessons-from-an-organ-and-a-saint\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/resource\/tactical-patience-in-ministry-lessons-from-an-organ-and-a-saint\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/12\/an_old_piano-3840x2560-1-768x512-1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/12\/an_old_piano-3840x2560-1-768x512-1.jpg\",\"width\":768,\"height\":512},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/resource\/tactical-patience-in-ministry-lessons-from-an-organ-and-a-saint\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Tactical Patience in Ministry: Lessons from an Organ and a Saint\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/\",\"name\":\"Church Replanting\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Church Replanting\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/01\/NAMB-Logo_Full_White.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/01\/NAMB-Logo_Full_White.png\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":523,\"caption\":\"Church Replanting\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Tactical Patience in Ministry: Lessons from an Organ and a Saint - Church Replanting","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/resource\/tactical-patience-in-ministry-lessons-from-an-organ-and-a-saint\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Tactical Patience in Ministry: Lessons from an Organ and a Saint","og_description":"For years, the music ministry of our church was led by Mrs. Frances Jones\u2014a woman of … Tactical Patience in Ministry: Lessons from an Organ and a Saint Read More »","og_url":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/resource\/tactical-patience-in-ministry-lessons-from-an-organ-and-a-saint\/","og_site_name":"Church Replanting","article_modified_time":"2024-12-10T17:58:08+00:00","og_image":[{"width":768,"height":512,"url":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/12\/an_old_piano-3840x2560-1-768x512-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/resource\/tactical-patience-in-ministry-lessons-from-an-organ-and-a-saint\/","url":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/resource\/tactical-patience-in-ministry-lessons-from-an-organ-and-a-saint\/","name":"Tactical Patience in Ministry: Lessons from an Organ and a Saint - Church Replanting","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/resource\/tactical-patience-in-ministry-lessons-from-an-organ-and-a-saint\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/resource\/tactical-patience-in-ministry-lessons-from-an-organ-and-a-saint\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/12\/an_old_piano-3840x2560-1-768x512-1.jpg","datePublished":"2024-12-11T10:00:33+00:00","dateModified":"2024-12-10T17:58:08+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/resource\/tactical-patience-in-ministry-lessons-from-an-organ-and-a-saint\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/resource\/tactical-patience-in-ministry-lessons-from-an-organ-and-a-saint\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/resource\/tactical-patience-in-ministry-lessons-from-an-organ-and-a-saint\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/12\/an_old_piano-3840x2560-1-768x512-1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/12\/an_old_piano-3840x2560-1-768x512-1.jpg","width":768,"height":512},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/resource\/tactical-patience-in-ministry-lessons-from-an-organ-and-a-saint\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Tactical Patience in Ministry: Lessons from an Organ and a Saint"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/","name":"Church Replanting","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/#organization","name":"Church Replanting","url":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/01\/NAMB-Logo_Full_White.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2024\/01\/NAMB-Logo_Full_White.png","width":2560,"height":523,"caption":"Church Replanting"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource\/22966"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/resource"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22968"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22966"},{"taxonomy":"channels","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/channels?post=22966"},{"taxonomy":"topics","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topics?post=22966"},{"taxonomy":"languages","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.namb.net\/church-replanting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/languages?post=22966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}