Superman!!??

Superman!!?? I think not!  Ministry in this culture has taken a real toll on me in the past 30 years.  Oh please, I'm not the victim by any means.  I recognize mistakes I've made along the way and the ever changing attitudes, healthy and unhealthy in many churches.  Edward Bratcher wrote a book several years ago called The Walk on Water Syndrome.  He addresses some of the pitfalls in ministry.  He postulates two problems. 1.  People can put pastors on pedestals to only be let down when that "human" fails to walk on water, and 2.  Pastor's sometimes start to believe all the hype and get themselves in deep water and discover they cannot walk on water.  It's a frustrating venture to say the least.

There have been and are today some great ministers and preachers of God who are doing a fabulous job of reaching a lost and dying world.  God has richly blessed them.  I am, however, concerned about a new phenomenon of the "celebrity" pastor.  It is very real in the area I live.

I'm reminded of Matthew 20:21

"What is it you want?" he asked. She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom"

Wow, I suppose this has always been an issue for a long time when we cast our own will and desires into what we think ministry should be and including God in our plans as an afterthought.

I'm no hero by any means - I have learned my lesson.  I have been pastor to several congregations, both large and small.  All I want to do now is just serve Him everyday in whatever way HE wants to use me.

Oh, by the way -- concerning the above scripture verse...this mother wanted her sons to be equal to Jesus...Is that what a generation of "celebrity" pastors are doing?  Pastor friends of mine...come down from the left side and the right side and sit with me at the FEET of Jesus and let's learn of Him together.

Blessings,

Charlie W.

From the Pulpit to the Fryer: Becoming a Better Person

The mission statement for Zaxby's is one that carries over to more than the back of house and front of house, and as such it bears a closer look for me today.

"Consistently Create Encore Experiences That Enrich Lives One Person At A Time"

Every once in a while we get to participate in the BIG events in life.  You know those things that make a huge difference in one swoop. Oh, they don't come often, and for some of us, those BIG events just elude us completely.  "ENCORE" is a huge undertaking if we really grasp its full meaning.  We are asked to create this enormous task and do it consistently?

In over 30 years of ministry, I have always been overwhelmed with the responsibility of trying to enrich lives, create life altering experiences for people, and make a real difference.  It is and has been an exhausting task to say the least.

Today, I share a few nuggets with you that not only will enrich others, but we will also experience that "Encore Experience" if we put them into practice daily.

• It's the small events we create that make the real difference. (A sincere, encouraging word for example. Or maybe just being there for someone is all that is needed).
• Help the person who comes to do your job next. (It's the do unto others...teaching. Leave everything better than you found it).
• Swallow your pride! We're all on the same side.
• Attitude, Attitude, Attitude! It's contagious! (Both good and bad)

"Encore," what does that mean?  To me it means the best possible everything for the sole purpose of making lives better.  When we reach out to help others (to create encore experiences) a funny thing happens without realizing it.  Our lives are enriched, because we dared to make a difference.

Blessings,

Charlie W. 

From the Pulpit to the Fryer: Work with All Your Might!!

I continue my journey in ministry recognizing, of course, ministry is not limited to the pulpit of my church.  As a reminder to my few readers, I am a bivocational pastor who works at Zaxby’s.  Needless to say, there are many real life opportunities to do ministry while there 40 or more hours per week. 

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.  Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV)

I continue to learn much at Zaxby’s and really want to succeed.  The job, for me, is very physically demanding.  Sometimes it can take up to a day and a half for me to recover from a full shift in the kitchen.  I have truly learned to depend on God for strength on those tough days and continue to work at it with all my heart.

Honestly, there are times I feel so very inadequate doing something I have never done before. Especially, when there are those at work who remind me constantly of all the things I need to do better or “Charlie, you’re making progress but it will take you a few years to get to where you need to be.” It is very disheartening to say the least.  Then I am reminded of Paul’s word to the Colossians – “work for the Lord…  Do my best…Not for human praise…but for the Lord.”

A gentleman once wrote Marilyn vos Savant with a question about life. Ms. vos Savant is listed in the Guiness Book of World Records Hall of Fame for highest IQ, and has a regular column in Parade. This particular inquirer said his life was "more exhausting than he ever imagined" and wanted to know, "Is this normal?" Marilyn told him his life was indeed normal and then gave the following analogy about life. She said, "Much of the time, life is like going through the airport steering a loaded luggage cart with one bad wheel. Sometimes you just feel ridiculous, sometimes you actually look ridiculous, and sometimes all you can do is just try to push it in generally the right direction." (Parade, Oct. 12, 1997, p. 8)

So…What now?  I will march in the other room, get my shower, shave, put my Zaxby’s uniform on with my manager badge..go to work, smile…knowing I have an opportunity to honor my Lord by “working at it with all my might.”

You too, get up… stop pouting, and moping about your job…go show people Jesus in you…

Blessings,

Charlie W.

From the Pulpit to the Fryer: Fail to plan, plan to fail and all that jazz

The third “C” to success is Coordination – I learned at a very young age the importance of planning and getting organized to be successful in just about everything.  I remember the life-changing statement we all have heard throughout, well, almost forever.  “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”  This has been the drumbeat in church administration since I can remember.  My denomination came up with “the church council” consisting of church department heads and pastor to plan calendars and committees, deacons, and the combination of both to plan direction and future for ministry, etc…back in the 70’s and 80’s.  Maybe it’s just me, but I never could get it to work effectively, and plans seemed to derail half the time. 

Of course, it’s a given, as you have guessed, I have relearned the concept of planning and coordination in my job at Zaxby’s.  I am a manager now, and it is especially important to be able to coordinate a plan that will produce the best results on the shift.  Sounds good, huh? Looks great on paper, huh?  I have seen and experienced writing down the lineup for a shift, placing the best possible people on stations, people that in normal circumstances are exceptional at their jobs, go haywire. Why? Was it because there was no plan in place? Maybe. Was it because the best people were not in the right places? Maybe.

There is one factor in this idea of planning and coordination to be successful. THAT IS FLEXIBILITY! 

 I learned that in over 30 years of ministry and now I’m reminded of it again that most days are not normal and people are ever changing and growing.  Coordination is not a static thing. It is dynamic (ever changing and moving). 

So!  Now what? How do we coordinate and plan?  Start out with a plan, and be prepared to adjust the plan along the way. Most importantly, and this is critical!  Involve people in the plan and help them to own it too.  All three "C"s must be in play at this juncture.  Communicate your plan, Encourage Cooperation and remember encouragement goes a long way!!

Besides, in the long run, God’s plan is ultimately the only great plan for our lives!

Trust Him today!

Charlie W.

From the Pulpit to the Fryer: "Together" is Not a Bad Word

We do indeed love our committees.  Years ago, I listened to arguments by committee members for over two hours to determine how much money the church should spend on flowers for funerals.  There was a motion to increase the amount by $10.00 early on in the meeting.  Needless to say the meeting was “mind numbing” with no real results other than hard feelings.  It’s no wonder people say and believe a committee of one gets more accomplished.  Hind sight is 20/20 and I have learned much through the years as I grew and matured in Christ. The basic problem in that particular meeting was there was no real mission statement to guide the actions of the committee to work together toward the same goal.  It was a meeting of several different opinions and trying to accommodate everyone’s preferences.

The second part to the “three Cs to success” is Cooperation.  Cooperation is critical to the work I do at Zaxby’s.  I am fortunate to work with some great people from different walks of life.  They all bring their own personality and experiences to the mix.  Do we all get along all the time? No.  Do we all agree on everything all the time? No. Does everyone like everyone at work? I would like to think so, but probably not.  So, what is it that brings about cooperation? I believe it is the continuous drum beat of the “ENCORE” culture within the Zaxby’s store. It is not something that is taught, but lived out daily. The mission statement for Zaxby’s is “Consistently Create ENCORE Experiences that Enrich Lives, One Person at a Time. 

At first glance, we assume the statement is totally directed to taking care of our customers, but that is only part of it.  There are so many opportunities to enrich lives of those we work with every day!  How does this work?  For me, it is consistently being an example to show others how it is done.  It is simple math 1+1=2; 2+2=4; 4+4=8, etc…We can teach others by being consistent ourselves.  Cooperation is working together toward the same goal – ENCORE Experiences that Enrich Lives…

It all connects for me in ministry, because is this not the way we share faith in Christ? BY EXAMPLE!

It is easy to cooperate with someone who is cooperative!

“Together” is not a bad word!

God is good all the time!

Charlie W.

From the Pulpit to the Fryer: HEARD

I have had so many experiences and have learned so much since March 31^st that it is difficult to know where to begin. 

Like many pastors and colleagues in ministry, I was privileged to further my education and complete college and seminary many years ago.  God has allowed me to pastor some wonderful churches, but through the years I had to relearn many things over and over again.  Early on in training to do my job at Zaxby’s, the General Manager shared with me three C’s to success: Communication, Cooperation, and Coordination.  Actually, there’s a sermon outline in there somewhere.  I’ll investigate that later…

This article will address the practice of communication.   There’s a practice in the kitchen at Zaxby’s that works really well when everyone is on board.  It is the practice of saying “heard.”  Here’s how it works: There are various stations where one person is assigned for a shift to complete a specific job. 

Example – George’s job for the day is to salt the pickles and he is on the “pickle station” and Susie is preparing the plates to be served to customers. A customer orders two dozen salted pickles.  Susie calls for the pickles and George says “HEARD.”  (Note: Zaxby’s at present does not serve salted pickles and there is no pickle station).

Since George heard what another has asked for and communicated that he heard the request, now he must act to fill the request. He then salts two dozen pickles and places that on the preparation table for Susie to fill the order. 

REQUEST IS MADE (communication)
REQUEST IS HEARD (communication)
REQUEST IS ACKNOWLEDGED (communication)
REQUEST IS ACTED ON (communication fulfilled)

If you are thinking at this point, this sure is silly, or you already know this stuff, you are probably right. However, I do have a point to make in this article.  Many people are crying out and making requests in our churches, our communities, and in our world.  Can we not say “HEARD” and either fill that need or point people to where their need can be met? 

Application: I have relearned how to really listen in the past several months!  HEARD!!

GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!

Charlie W.

Note: I will be cautious in these articles as to not inadvertently give away any trade secrets so I will make up fictitious stations, etc… (It’s not as though I’m entrusted with the secret recipe or anything that affects the national chicken industry – I just have a very strong respect and support the Zaxby’s brand). 

From the Pulpit to the Fryer: Introduction

It’s been almost ten months since I stepped away from fulltime ministry as a Southern Baptist pastor of more than thirty years. The following articles, beginning with this one as a way of introduction, is intended to encourage and challenge all of us who accepted and pursued that “calling” from God whether it be recent, many years ago, or maybe you are at the very beginning of your journey in ministry.  In any case, my focus is to honor God by sharing how He has stirred in my life a deeper sense of “calling” to ministry that goes beyond and reaches farther than the modern day pulpit. Calm down, and take a deep breath!  I am not saying there is no power or effectiveness in today’s pulpit ministry.  There are many spirit led preachers who faithfully proclaim God’s word from the pulpit every Sunday.  The preaching ministry brings the message of salvation to the masses every week. I, too, still preach from a pulpit every Sunday as a bi-vocational pastor.  Remember, I am writing to share with you how God has moved in my life to transition from where I was to where I am now.

In March, 2014 I began a new career in the food industry. I became a brand new 52 year old employee of Zaxby’s.  When I began there, I was terribly overweight and out of shape.  Needless to say, my first few months there were very painful.  But I just knew in my heart that was where God placed me.  I still remember the day I learned how to cook chicken fingers, and the franchise owner called me the “poultry preacher.”  We still get a few laughs when the title finds its way into conversation today. 

Through the years there have been powerful, life changing testimonies by those in ministry who have come from “the world” to the “pulpit.”  Those wonderful preachers who have had a past of sin that would make a sailor blush and now proclaim the Word of God from the pulpits of great churches.  However, God has moved me from the pulpit to the fryer!  How strange!  Did God fire me?  Absolutely not! I believe He promoted me to a time of renewal and much needed change in me and my family.  His tool for change for this “burned out,” “washed up,” “heart broken,” “out of shape,” “dying preacher”? Zaxby’s! 

Stay tuned for my next articles as I share those nuggets of wisdom in my training as I have moved “FROM THE PULPIT TO THE FRYER!”

GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME,

Charlie W.