The 4 Questions series launched with a two part interview with Pastor Norm Funk from Westside Church in Vancouver. You can read that interview here. We continue today with part one of a similar two part conversation with Pastor Grant Fishbook.

Grant is the Teaching Pastor at Christ the King Community Church in Bellingham, WA.  Grant was the “Senior Pastor” of CTK Bellingham and its local campus network, for more than a decade.  Recently, he gave away 2/3rds of his job to “get healthy personally” and to “maximize his personal calling of developing young leaders”. Grant and his wife Laurel have two college-aged
kids.

1. What are some of the biggest challenges you are facing right now in your
Pastoral ministry?

The greatest challenge is always contextualization.  Our culture (church, society, local, state, national, media) is changing constantly and staying on the front edge is a constant challenge.  Being “relevant” simply means you are catching up with what currently is – that doesn’t work!  We need to be setting culture not reacting to it.  As we understand our culture, we can get out in front and respond instantaneously when trends change.  Being on the front edge allows us to see the changes coming.

2. What are some of the secrets you’ve learned to being healthy in leadership?

Our church leadership team has been on a three-year journey to establish a high level of church health.  At our attendance apex, I came to the startling realization that we were unhealthy.  It’s amazing what behaviors you excuse when all the charts are up and to the right.  The first step in getting healthy was being honest about my own spiritual health. Transparency is an often-misconstrued value. When we tell the truth about our own spiritual health, people follow suit. Several other secrets (I hesitate to call them that as they are basic common sense) are healthy boundaries (the ability to say no) and maximization.

My wife is a great boundaries person and helped me realized that saying “no” may hurt someone’s feelings but it won’t harm their soul.  The bigger the organization, the more gracious declines you have to say in order to stay healthy.  Maximization happens when you realize that your absence allows others to shine.  The church has seen too many train wrecks that came from leaders who didn’t want others to succeed and chose to only maximize themselves.

3. What do daily and weekly devotions look like for you & what are you reading right now?

When I run, I hear from God.  When I run, I take a passage with me to meditate on and pray it through.  I love being outside so connecting with God happens best for me when nature and the Bible combine for a soul-rich environment.

Right now I am reading my Bible (because I need it).  “Half Time” by Bob Buford because that is my season of life.  “Leading with Love” by Alexander Strauch because that is the theme of our Elder Team.  “Speed of Trust” by Stephen Covey because it’s a great read for our Management Team and it’s the central issue of building a great team.

4. What would be two pieces of leadership advice for pastors or marketplace leaders?

1. Never underestimate the power of humility.  God says he will oppose those who refuse to be humble.  Embracing humility allows you to succeed when your team succeeds.

2. Finding people of like-minded vision and passion is more than half the job. Synergy allows any leader to no longer have to create all the energy to drive the vision and exchange that for simply directing the energy that drives the vision.  Finding people who can match your vision and passion is paramount for the success of the organization.