I’m Steve Lawes
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Demographic information is helpful in getting an overview of what is happening in your community.
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An outreach strategy is a specific set of tactics intended to ultimately attract new people to your church.
Meet Steve Lawes
Steve Lawes is a Certified Church Consultant. He has been the lead Pastor of Keys Vineyard Church in Big Pine Key since 1992. He has a Bachelors Degree in Bible and Theology from Berean University and Masters and PhD Degrees from Atlantic Coast Theological Seminary. He lead the Cuba Missions Team for Vineyard Missions from 1995-2005 and traveled to Cuba more than twenty times helping to plant churches and build up local leaders. He served as the South Florida Area Leader for the Association of Vineyard Churches for ten years. He also founded the Jesus Moment Bible Institute and Seminary in 2014 which has a student enrollment of over 2000. He has written three devotional books, Daily Psalt Intake, Daily Sage Intake and Daily Strength Training which are now out of print but are currently available as free e-books.
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Recent Posts from Church Consultant
The Process of Succession Planning
Succession planning is a topic that many organizations, including churches, often struggle with. The idea of handing over the reins of leadership, especially in a religious setting, can be emotionally charged and fraught with concerns about continuity, legacy, and the future direction of the congregation. This is where the invaluable guidance of a church consultant comes into play. For pastors considering or facing succession, a church consultant can provide clarity, objectivity, and strategic insights to ensure a smooth transition.
- Objective Perspective: One of the primary benefits of engaging a church consultant during the succession process is their ability to offer an objective, external viewpoint. Pastors, having invested heart and soul into their ministries, can sometimes find it difficult to see beyond their emotions and attachments. A consultant, being removed from the internal dynamics, can provide an unbiased assessment of the situation, highlighting areas of potential concern and offering recommendations for a seamless transition.
- Expertise and Experience: Church consultants often come with a wealth of experience, having assisted numerous congregations with similar challenges. Their exposure to different church cultures, leadership styles, and succession scenarios means they are well-equipped to offer proven strategies and solutions. They can share success stories and cautionary tales and provide a roadmap tailored to the specific needs and nuances of the congregation.
- Facilitating Difficult Conversations: Discussing succession can sometimes lead to sensitive conversations, especially if there’s resistance to change or differing opinions on the future direction of the church. A consultant can serve as a neutral mediator, helping to foster open communication, ensuring that all voices are heard, and guiding discussions in a constructive direction.
- Training and Development: An essential component of succession planning is ensuring the successor is adequately prepared. This may require training, mentorship, or development programs. A church consultant can assist in identifying areas where the successor might need support and recommend resources or training programs. They can also guide the sitting pastor on how best to mentor and prepare their successor, ensuring continuity in leadership and preserving the church’s values and vision.
- Assessing Organizational Readiness: Beyond just the leadership transition, there’s a broader question of whether the church community is prepared for the change. A consultant can conduct readiness assessments, gathering feedback from the congregation and church staff. This can help in identifying potential areas of resistance, understanding the congregation’s concerns, and developing strategies to address them.
- Building a Legacy: For many pastors, the thought of succession is intertwined with concerns about their legacy. A church consultant can help pastors articulate and define the legacy they wish to leave, ensuring that it aligns with the church’s mission and values. They can also guide pastors in communicating their vision and legacy to the congregation, reinforcing the continuity of the church’s mission even after the leadership transition.
- Strategic Planning: Succession is not just about changing faces; it’s about ensuring the church continues to thrive and grow. A consultant can help with strategic planning, setting a vision for the future, and identifying potential challenges and opportunities. This ensures that the succession is not just a reactive process but a proactive strategy to position the church for future success.
The succession process is one of the most critical phases in the life cycle of a church. While emotionally and organizationally challenging, it’s an opportunity to set the church on a path of continued growth, unity, and impact. Engaging a church consultant can demystify the process, provide essential tools and insights, and ensure that the transition honors the legacy of the outgoing pastor while empowering the successor for the journey ahead.
Steve Lawes is a Church Consultant and also provides coaching for pastors, churches, ministries and church planters.
Kingdom Revealed Part 5
We are in a series called Kingdom Revealed and we are taking a deep look into the first two chapters of Genesis. The last few weeks we have been talking about humans as imagers. In the weeks ahead we need to talk about trees, rivers(water), mountains, and gardens. This week, we are going to start talking about trees.
Genesis 2:4–9 (NIV)
4 This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, when the LORD God made the earth and the heavens. 5 Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, 6but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground. 7 Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 8 Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden was the tree of Life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Three things come out of the earth here—water, humans, and trees. Throughout the Bible, there are connections between all three and between people and trees and people and water and trees and water. Here is an example:
Psalm 1:1–3 (NIV)
1Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.
Since we have been talking about being imagers and the royal priesthood recently, let’s continue in Genesis and work from the royal priesthood into our discussion about trees.
Genesis 2:15 (NIV)
15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
The description of the role of humanity in the garden is to “work it and take care of it” and is used in other places to describe the role of the priests and Levites working in and around the temple.
Numbers 18:7 (NIV)
7 But only you and your sons may serve(shamar) as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service(abad) of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.”
Adam (human) was a model of the priesthood in the cosmic temple called Eden. In taking care of the cosmic temple, Adam was called to “work and take care of it” and was given the divine command.
Genesis 2:16–17 (NIV)
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
Notice that God’s divine command begins with a generous invitation to enjoy the bounty of the garden. God wants you to enjoy Him and creation. That is His heart. It doesn’t start with what you can’t do.
Genesis 2:16 (NIV)
16And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;
Then, in the second part of the divine command, there is a prohibition.
Genesis 2:17 (NIV)
17but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
The prohibition serves the purpose of safeguarding the divine intent that humanity enjoy God’s own life in the garden.
Next week, we will be looking at the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This week at Keys Vineyard Church, we will also be looking at the connections between humans and trees, so make plans to join us in person or online.
Steve Lawes is a Church Consultant and also provides coaching for pastors, churches, ministries and church planters.
Kingdom Revealed Part 4
We have discussed being imagers for the last two weeks as we dig into our Kingdom Revealed series of Genesis Chapters 1 and 2. From time to time, we will move a little forward in the bigger story to make some connections, and we will do that now as we finish the circle of being an imager.
Genesis 1:27-28
27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
As we have looked at being created in His image, we talked about being an imager. Another way to say it is that we are a royal priesthood. This is what the Apostle Peter was saying in 1 Peter Chapter 2:
1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
The royal part is our vocation. God wants us to partner with Him to steward the creation, to make the planet like Eden.
The priesthood part is us reflecting the image of God to one another and the world. Here is the same concept in the Old Testament:
Exodus 19:5-6a (NIV)
5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’
Unfortunately, at the fall, we stopped being the imagers we were called and created to be.
Romans 1:20-23 (NIV)
20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.
Since the fall, the problem is that instead of worshipping and imaging God, we have worshipped and imaged or reflected bits and pieces of the creation, which is idolatry. And when we worship something other than God, something happens to your image bearingness, your humanness. You start becoming less than the human you were created to be and live in a subhuman way. And the way that you realize this is that you do things that are less than fully human. That’s how sin happens. It is not just keeping or breaking specific rules. It’s worshipping one or more of these forces, and it keeps us from being fully human. Idolatry and sin go together. We swap the glory of God for something far less.
Fortunately for us, Jesus has come, and in Him, we are renewed imagers—more on this and a fantastic poem from the Apostle Paul this weekend at Keys Vineyard Church. We hope to have you with us in person or online.
Steve Lawes is a Church Consultant and also provides coaching for pastors, churches, ministries and church planters.
Testimonials
“Steve and his team at Keys Vineyard Church have built a church that has done an inspiring job reaching their community. Steve is a treasure trove of experience and has continued to prioritize learning and growth throughout his more than 30 years of ministry in a way few pastors have. You’ll get a lot out of connecting with him!”
“I watched first hand as Steve experienced the devastation of hurricane Irma in his town of Big Pine Key, Florida. The town was destroyed, the church building rendered unusable and the staff impacted personally. I watched a leader rise to the need of his community and minister in a situation that not very many could. He has a powerful voice of experience and wisdom earned the hard way.”
“Steve Lawes is a valuable coach/ mentor. I’ve watched Steve over the last thirty years build a substantial outward focused church with disciples who do what Jesus did. He has inspired leaders of churches with simple/tested ideas to develop leaders and grow churches.
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“Steve Lawes is an outstanding coach. He is authentic, creative, and personable. He has more cutting edge ideas than any pastor I know in regard to evangelism and meeting the needs of people in his community.”
Interested in Becoming a Church Consultant?
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One of the greatest questions Jesus asked was “Do You Want to Get Well?”
I t would seem that the answer was obvious. But getting well for the man who had been not well for a very long time meant that he would have to do something different. It is not easy to change, but it always starts with a first step.
Take that first step now by sceduling your no obligation, free thirty (30) minute Zoom meeting with us today. You have nothing to lose and it may be your first step to a new and healthy way of doing and being the church.
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