“When they arrived in Jerusalem, Barnabas and Paul were welcomed by the whole church, including the apostles and elders. They reported everything God had done through them. But then some of the believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and insisted, “The Gentile converts must be circumcised and required to follow the law of Moses.” So the apostles and elders met together to resolve this issue. At the meeting, after a long discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as follows: “Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News and believe. God knows people’s hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith. So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believerswith a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 15:4-11 NLT)
Companies hire consultants to train their leaders how to conduct successful planning meetings. Churches bring in outside guest speakers to instruct their leadership on how to hold effective meetings. Collective minds in the upper echelon of several corporations strategize, leaning on their own understanding, on how to orchestrate a meeting with the masses, referred to as employees. I need to let you in on a little secret: “There is no need for “How To” meeting training. Just refer to the word of God. For instance, learn a few things from the Jerusalem Council where a debate occurred regarding Gentiles being accepted as Christians and circumcision being required. You can study the verses above, but I suggest you take the time to read Acts 15 in its entirety.
It’s that time of the year where churches have church-wide meetings, leadership councils in our houses of worship meet to discuss the upcoming year, and individual auxiliaries in the church discuss their targeted focus for the new year. A lot may be done virtually this year, but even if that’s the case, the following list will cancel your need for “How To” Meeting Training” and catapult the workers in your church to a higher level of proficiency, minus attitudes, arguments, and aggravation. Cooperation and consensus decision making will prevail. Can I share a few lessons from Acts 15 with you? Thank you for saying, “Absolutely!” Here they are! (1) Don’t let your personal past experience close your mind to new things or new ways that are presented. (2) Show integrity; speak up even when what you have to say is unpopular. (3) Resist falling back on tradition as your single guide and depend upon the truth of God. Remember, His ways are not like our ways. (4) Don’t play the seniority card. Listen to late comers! They may have a more unbiased view worth hearing. (5) Know that the meeting takes place at the meeting. It does not take place in the parking lot, over cell phone lines, or in the confines of our homes. (6) Work towards a goal that will benefit God’s Kingdom. (7) If it is not your way, that’s okay. If everything is aligned with God’s word and a consensus is reached it will be alright. In such cases there are no losers or winners. Remember, the focus is on cooperation and not competition. (8) Be silent listeners when others are talking, as you will see demonstrated in verse 12 of Acts 15 if you read on. And by being silent, I don’t mean just not saying anything while you are pre-planning your next point of contention. Listen with an open mind and remove all barriers that will block communication at your meeting. (9) As you will find in verse 20 of Acts 15, you need to be ready to compromise. (10) Just as some Jews would try to sabotage the agreement reached at the Jerusalem Council, it will happen in your church. Now don’t think every comment after the meeting is an effort of a saboteur. That will cause disunion, division, and disunity. Instead, press on with your work; function according to the agreement that was reached by referring to God’s word for guidance, and get the work done that will benefit the kingdom. (11) Seek to bring about harmony. (12) When speaking at the meetings, borrow from Eric Berne’s theory about the Parent, Adult, Child parts of a personality that everyone has, regardless of age. Avoid crossed lines of communication by just speaking facts, Adult part to Adult part, with the right tone, pitch, volume, and body language.
Well if you indeed needed “How To” meeting training, I guess I just provided it to you free! No honorarium required! No love offering has to be taken! No fee is applicable. It’s free! Read it again! Try it with love! Be blessed!
“This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.” (John 15:12 KJV)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King