So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. – Ephesians 4:11-12

Several years ago, in early 2013 when Rebekah and I knew God was calling us into something new (only we did not yet know where), I was thinking about the call process for new pastors and wondered if search teams ever look at a preacher’s garden – the one at their home – before thinking about extending an invitation.

It was tongue-in-cheek but not really, because I believe every garden tells its own story and is probably more than a little relevant when it comes to the kind of person you want leading a congregation.

Do we want leaders whose gardens are devoid of life… or who are happy with artificial flowers that look good from a distance… or who rely on flash-in-the-pan displays that appear bright and beautiful but have to be replaced every couple of months? Or do we value leaders who labor deep into the soil, who cultivate over time and who plant trees for tomorrow they may never see grow to maturity?

Like the eight Japanese Maple trees we nurtured for a decade in Wake Forest… but it will still be another five years before they are the kind of features we envisioned when we first planted them.

Our complex landscape in Pensacola, the lush tropical paradise in Brandon and our heavily wooded property in Wake Forest that had a “secret garden” in the back all comment on healthy vision and a similar approach to ministry.

It’s not just planting flowers it’s a broad sense of vision. Not a chemically enhanced lawn but landscaping and planning for the seasons and knowing when it’s the right time to simply water and let God grant the increase. It’s about spending a huge amount of time on our knees – planting… and weeding… and encouraging… and pruning… and propagating… and amending the soil… and waiting on God.

Leading is about investing in a community, and consciously falling in love, and encouraging, and creativity, and committing for the long term, and joy, and not being afraid to fail, and huge amounts of wear and tear on the knees.

The current garden:

This house, the one that we have been involved with for a whole year now, is pretty much the same age as Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church. It appears on the oldest map we have, surveyed in 1882; and on that map the property, believe it or not, is labeled “Howard.”

And we are gardening like it is ministry. We have chosen to love this house and the “garden” and now we are creating something that is going to take several years before the growth begins to match our vision.

And that’s okay, because – like the church – it is the journey that matters. And may the road rise to meet you on yours – DEREK