iAsk: Bogdan Kipko, Pastor and Lead Visionary at Intentional Christianity

Every Monday I will be posting new interviews with Christian leaders to find in-depth counsel on issues such as ministry, family, careers, politics, finance, and theology. Today's in-depth interview is with Pastor and Lead Visionary of Intentional Christianity Bogdan Kipko. Let's begin...

Paul: First if you can give a small summary of who you are, what you do and what is your greatest passion in life?  

Bogdan Kipko

Bogdan: Hi Paul, thank you so much for reaching out to me and being such an encouragement - I really appreciate it - we need more leaders like you in Christendom. Leaders that are more known for what they are for, rather than for what they are against.

I grew up in Christian home and towards my late teens, I was gripped by the gospel of Jesus and have never been the same since. I have failed miserably but Jesus saved me gloriously. I can't think of anything else I would ever want to do with my life than to preach the gospel and deliver the good news to a broken world. My goal is to help people uncover their gifts and unleash them for the glory of God and for the joy of others in their life. I want to see God's glory uncovered in the life story of every person that I meet. Someone asked me recently if I do anything exciting, besides preaching and speaking. I said that I can't think of anything more exciting than seeing dead people come alive. I love Jesus, I love my wife, I love my church and I love the people that God is constantly placing in my life.

I am currently the Lead Visionary at Intentional Christianity, a digital portal dedicated to spreading the supremacy of Jesus Christ to a world in need of radical redemption. This includes a social media think tank that is constantly producing gospel-centered content through blogging, books, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and most recently, podcasting. I am also one of the pastors at a local church where we have services in both English and Russian. In addition, I work closely with a Slavic church network overseeing over thirty churches and over two thousand young people.
In the near future, my goal is to develop a 24/7 online media channel which will stream Christ-centered content worldwide. We are also working closely with our local community in developing a non-profit organization which will house the homeless population in our county and provide them a restorative process that will ultimately crescendo in the individual integrating back into society, imaging exactly what they were created to image by their Creator God. So please pray that in all this that my team and I hope to accomplish, Jesus would be made much of and that God's gospel would be integrated into the fabric of every day life in the life of individuals that we will impact.

I am also passionate about navigating a movement in which predominately Slavic churches in America would in a healthy way transition to be more effective for the gospel by creating additional English venues so that communities who don't speak Russian would also be reached with the gospel. I want to see the church fulfill their calling in the United States and one of the ways that will happen is when the Slavic church will cease to be an isolationist community, bound by culture and tradition and would break out of the mold to evangelize and reach the lost people in their midst that speak a language other than one of the Slavic dialects. Out of the over thirty churches that are a part of the church network that we belong to, we are the less than five percent who have actually begun an English ministry in our midst and desire to model and display a ministry methodology for others to espouse and adopt as well, for the spread of the gospel and for the glory of Jesus.

Author Bogdan Kipko

Paul: 1.) Bogdan, I am excited to hear that you just wrote and published a book called, "Forward-How to get unstuck and become unstoppable". Share with me and our online community the story behind this book and why you wrote it?
Bogdan: The last ten years have been an absolute whirlwind for my wife and I. We both lost our beloved dads to cancer. I moved to a new state, started work at a new company, assimilated to a new church and started and finished my graduate degree in seminary. This was happening while I was working full time in the corporate world and in the church. We both went through peaks and valleys in every single sphere of our life. We experienced our fair share of difficulties and arguments as a brand new couple, learning to live together as a married couple. We went through a difficult time in ministry that nearly left us depleted and emptied, both physically and spiritually. There were many times when it seemed like we were completely stuck with no way out. But Jesus does not save you from every storm, because He wants to save you through the storm. So this book is basically what I have learned in the last ten years of my life. The anthem on repeat has been Ephesians 3:20-21 where Paul proclaims these epic words: “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.” This is basically a book going over the many mistakes that I have personally made and what happened when I actually believed that the gospel is real, Jesus is alive and God’s love and grace are absolutely reckless to the point of being a rampant scandal. In a very good way. For more info on the book, go to www.forwardbook.com.

Paul: 2.) As a pastor, you see many people "stuck" in their spiritual walk and at times even unmovable. What encouragement and practical advice can you give to those who need a boost of spiritual motivation this holiday season?
Bogdan: Not only do I see people being stuck but I too fall into that same category very often. I am convinced that the most difficult thing for any follower of Jesus to believe is that Jesus is in love with them. Because every time we don’t believe that, we aggressively seek out other gods to satisfy our desires. But every time we drink from polluted vessels, we run back to Jesus to drink the living water which only He can provide. But I know exactly what you are saying. Sometimes, I am ready for the season to change, but the season is only interested in changing me. I believe that for God, who we are becoming is more important than what we are doing. Because our ultimate goal is to see Jesus face to face so that he would say to us well done good and faithful servant. But the scandalous part is that Jesus is not in love with a new and improved version of us. He loves the messed up, warts and blemishes version of us now. When we realize that this is the reality, our entire life perspective shifts. So the goal is for us to quit listening to ourselves and start speaking the gospel to ourselves. It doesn’t matter if you never stand behind a pulpit. No one speaks to you more than you do. So you are either preaching a false gospel of mediocrity and defeat or an authentic gospel of triumph and victory because on the cross, Jesus definitively declared: “It is finished.” So rest in that reality. God will get you through, what you are going through.

Paul: 3.) December is a time of year when many people begin to review their personal results of the current year. Everything from fitness, financial status, and educational achievements. Parallel to this there are those who find themselves looking to start new ministries, projects, careers, and dreams in the new year. In which category are you in this year and what events triggered it?
Bogdan: I have personally stopped making new year’s resolutions because I don’t believe they work. Not for me or for the majority of the people around me. If you want to resolve in doing something different start today. If you want to lose weight, drop the fries and burger and pick up some celery. If you want to wake up earlier, start going to sleep earlier. If you want more money in your account, then stop buying things you don’t need to impress people you don’t like with money you don’t even have. You don’t need to wait to do that until the new year. You can begin doing that today. If you want to start a new ministry, a new non-profit, a new book, a new blog, a new school or a new degree, start right now. Tomorrow is an illusionary world that we wrongly believe espouses all productivity. But then tomorrow comes and nothing changes. I go more into detail about what I just said above in this post: http://bit.ly/1fx9No2. And as for a new job - some of us don’t need a better job - we just need to do our current job, better. For me personally, I just launched my book so I am in between projects. I am super excited to getting back to creating new content, recording more podcasts with several very special guests, creating multiple new e-books and preaching like crazy every Sunday at my church and leading my small community group every week which is my most favorite part of my life.

Paul: 4.) Bogdan, both you and I enjoy using technology, social media, and connecting with friends and acquaintances online. Millennial's and even older online users have caught themselves spending hours on the computer, their iPhone, or even their WiFi tablets. Does technology play a significant role in ministry? As a follow up, should ministry leaders pursue efforts to engage online users across the various community channels available?
Bogdan: If a leader is not leading digitally, his leadership is limited to those who also ignore the digital world. That population is getting smaller and smaller and last time I checked, the clock was still going forward.
 I believe that social media is the new authority. History has never seen an age like ours. This is because social media has ushered in a new authority. It has radically changed the way we connect, communicate and spread ideas, forever. Social media has also changed the way authority and influence are allocated within our society. There are no longer gate-keepers that can prevent anyone from getting a message out. In the new authority order of social media, influence is fostered from connectivity, not control. It is no longer about how much you know but rather how generous you are with that knowledge. 
The focus has shifted from titles to tribes. This has been the case all along – social media was just able to harness this reality and make it a commodity – available to anyone. Which makes it both a phenomenal reality and a great responsibility. Before, people gathered around one particular charismatic personality. That person was able to keep a tight control on things that were going on within an organization. Social media has usurped from denominations the influence they once possessed. Because control is no longer delegated to one particular committee or organization.
 Before, people demanded to be heard because of a position they held. Today, people listen to those who have something to say, not just those who want to say something. If you want to influence this generation, you need to develop a relationship with them. Leaders who do not harness the power of social media are adhering to the old authority order.
The new authority ushered in by social media is exciting, progressive and perpetually changing. As a Christian, you are called to be a wise steward of the resources that have been given to you. This includes asking Jesus for wisdom while navigating through this new world of social media.

Bogdan Preaching

Paul: 5.) Looking into 2014, world leaders, politicians, religious leaders, business men keep echoing a mixed review of opinions. Some say to fear the American dollar crashing, others predicting heavy spiritual and moral declines, and yet others say to prepare for Armageddon. What has the Lord been speaking to your heart concerning this upcoming year? Should the body of Christ be preaching fear, hope,or both?
Bogdan: The body of Christ should continue to preach Christ. In season and out of season.When it is popular and when it is considered intolerant. If I please God, it does not matter whom I displease. I can’t serve two masters. Simultaneous allegiance is impossible. Contrary to some opinions, the church is not dying but it is sick. So what we need is less criticizing and more evangelizing. More unity and less uniformity. More diversity and less division. I am not much of a conspiracy theorist and I am a pastor, not a politician - so all I care about is delivering the gospel with clarity and conviction and then watching God show up and do His thing as per usual. I am not worried about currency decline because God has all the money in the world. I am not worried about moral or spiritual decline because it always existed since we live in a post Genesis three world. I believe that the church is the hope of the world and Jesus is the One who will build His church and not allow the gates of Hell to prevail over it ever.

Paul: 6.) Christmas is right around the corner. How will you be celebrating it this year?
Bogdan: We have a few big community events planned at my church which I am really excited about. Upwards of three hundred people from our community will come out and enjoy our official Christmas celebration service as we talk about and glorify Jesus. In addition, I most likely will be spending time with my wife and my church family, preferably next to a cozy fire with my favorite mug full of gourmet coffee. Super excited to move forward into 2014.

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iAsk: Robert Walter- Training Director for LeaderSource

Every Monday I will be posting new interviews with Christian leaders to find in-depth counsel on issues such as ministry, family, careers, politics, finance, and theology.

Robert Walter

My first interview is with training director from LeaderSource, Robert Walter, who lives in Chesapeake, Virginia. Earlier this year I ministered together with Robert at Bold Venture Northeast Regional Men's Discipleship Conference held in Philadelphia, PA. My hope is many who read this interview and the ones to follow will gain new insights, inspiration, and be challenged to become disciple-makers. Here are ten questions I asked Robert....

PAUL: First if you can give a small summary of who you are, what you do and what is your greatest passion in life? 

Robert: Paul,I appreciate what you are doing here and pray God’s blessings on it and you!

Who am I? I have had different job descriptions and titles but the most important one comes from Jesus – he calls me friend.  Along the way, I’m amazed at all he’s let me in on. I worked many years in the petroleum business until God called me into full time ministry. At that point, I became a pastor and as of the last 10 years, I’ve been involved in a ministry for training pastors and other church leaders. I feel like I’m in my sweet spot because I get to do what I do best – teaching, coaching, counseling. Seeing lives change is a real thrill.

Leaders from various countries praying for the
North Korean Church in Hong Kong.

PAUL: 1. You just recently returned from a trip to Hong Kong, China where you met with Christian leaders from 20 different countries. Tell me about your experience there. What were the results of your meeting? 

ROBERT: Leaders can easily get isolated. Our Leader Development Consultation was a time of being connected, encouraged and being equipped.

There were several great outcomes. One was a renewed sense that even though we come from different nations, we are one family. We know that in our minds but it is far better to experience it.

One example was the commitment Chinese church leaders made to bless Christians in North Korea. This followed a report from North Korea about the amazing endurance of North Korean Christians in the face of the most humiliating persecution. There was a time of powerful intercession for our brothers and sisters in North Korea as we wept with them. Several strategic partnerships have now been established and the Chinese have pledged to get more involved.

Another great outcome was that leaders left with a much more holistic and comprehensive view of how to develop the next generation of leaders.  They have a new paradigm for discipleship and very practical ideas of how to reach nations and raise up leaders.

Several leaders (from the left) Robert Walter, Dr. Jessy Thomas (New India Bible Seminary faculty member), Dr. Jaison Thomas (New India Bible Seminary Director), Elie Haddad (Arab Baptist Theological Seminary President), Raj Chevelraj (LeaderSource India Director)

PAUL: 2. What is the number one challenge facing Christian leaders in the world today?

ROBERT: I don’t know the number one challenge but I will tell you that modernization brings many temptations that have undermined scores of leaders in the undeveloped (majority) world.

With the internet comes a connection to lots of great resources but also a connection to internet pornography. And it’s no longer a problem just for men; many women also report a struggle with this issue.

Another challenge is materialism. You can’t serve God and money. We see many leaders falling out because of the lure of material success as capitalism sweeps their nation.

PAUL: 3. As the training director of , LeaderSource, a Christian leadership organization and a pastor, what was something you saw in Christian leaders in Asia that you have seldom seen elsewhere?

ROBERT: I serve with a guy named, Malcolm Webber, who does a fantastic job leading our organization called LeaderSource.

One thing I notice is how dedicated Asian leaders are to learning and to ministry. In the US, people complain if I speak longer than 45 minutes; there they complain if you can’t teach for at least four hours.

But their dedication comes with a price. Many of these leaders work 7 days a week and rarely take a break. They often neglect their own families. It can happen in the West too but it is a far greater problem there.

PAUL: 4. Why have you invested so much time, energy, and resources in training leaders around the world?

ROBERT: Evangelism gets all the press but lack of healthy leaders is the bottleneck. Jesus pointed this out to the disciples when he told them the harvest is great but the workers are few.  He directed them to focus their prayers not on getting more souls but on getting more shepherds.

One leader from Papua New Guinea told us this crazy story. He actually told his evangelists to STOP sharing the Gospel. Here is what was happening. The evangelists go into a village to pray for the sick and miracles start to break out. As a result the whole village often comes to faith.  But the problem is that there aren’t enough pastors to care for these new believers where so many remain superficial believers or fall away. So this leader from Papua New Guinea finally told his evangelists to STOP sharing the Gospel and focus instead on discipleship. He desperately wants someone to help him train pastors.

Jesus did ministry but where would the church be if he had not also trained the next generation of those who would do ministry and plant churches. That’s why we equip experienced Christian leaders to train emerging Christian leaders.

PAUL: 5. There has been in the last decade a plethora of books, DVDs, and training manuals written and produced on Christian leadership yet we still have moral failures, financial scandals, and disgraced leaders leaving the ministry. What do you see as the weak point Christian ministers and leaders should be addressing?

ROBERT: The problem is not just that we are focusing on the wrong issues, we are also using the wrong methods. Our goal in training tends to emphasize competencies. But we need to be developing more than just competencies (Biblical knowledge and ministry skills). We also need to help leaders grow in their relationship with Jesus, grow in their family and team relationships, and grow in their character.

This is all easier said than done. To actually accomplish this goal we can’t rely on teaching alone – no matter how good it is. People learn in relationships; they learn through experiences. Jesus was a brilliant teacher, of course, but his genius is not just his content, it’s in setting up a context for learning that is rich in relationships, experiences and the work of the Spirit.

We tend to think the answer is in the curriculum, but books and lectures don’t make leaders. Leaders grow in the crucible of life in connection with other godly men and women. 

PAUL: 6. Share with me some examples of Christian women in key leadership roles that have affected the expansion of the Great Commission in the body of Christ from your personal encounters? ...and as a follow up... women have been marginalized some even outright forbidden in holding roles of leadership in the church around the world, what would change this view in Christian men to see the value of godly and leadership gifted women?
 
ROBERT: We’ve had the privilege of working with some mighty women of God. One I’m thinking of has planted thousands of churches but still hesitates among her peers to exert her authority.

PAUL: 7.  What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time?

ROBERT: I’d say 1) dedicate yourself to growing in intimacy and dependency on Christ – apart from him we can’t do anything of lasting value.  And 2) build your support team – safe people who can pray for you, encourage you, coach you, challenge you and cheer you on. Finally, 3) realize you don’t have to be perfect. God chooses the weak to shame the strong and the foolish to shame the wise. This isn’t an excuse for lackluster performance but it is a reassurance that God delights to use everyone of us.

PAUL: 8. Can you share with me one or two leadership failures that you have personally gone through, how it affected you internally, and what would your advice be for someone in a similar position?

ROBERT: My advice (above) comes from lessons I should have learned from the Word but instead had to learn from my own mistakes.

In my early years of full time ministry, I experienced a lot of success. Unfortunately, that led me to depend more on my own experience and education.  I got by until there was a time of great testing and things started to fall apart. It was then that I realized my big mistake: I was so busy doing things for Jesus that I didn’t have time to spend with Jesus. I had become a hollow man.  And you can’t give what you don’t have.

Long story short…I reconnected with Jesus on a mountain in New Mexico and that led to deep repentance. Then he had to rebuild me before he could rebuild the church. But he is faithful even when we are not.

PAUL: 9. Can you name a person who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Maybe someone who has been a mentor to you? Why and how did this person impact your life? 

ROBERT: There is more than one but let me mention a person who was a lifeline to me during a long season of testing in my ministry. I had a spiritual mother named Betty. She believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. She prayed for me every day, exhorted and encouraged me. Meeting with her each week was often the highlight of my week. She is with the Lord now and I miss her.

PAUL: 10. What are a few resources you would recommend to someone looking to gain insight into becoming a better leader?

ROBERT: There are lots of good resources out there. But a book or a course is nothing compared to a spiritual father or another Christian leader who you can meet with face to face. All the same, we do have some good resources on our website. You can check it out at www.leadersource.org

Twitter: @PaulMuzichuk

Consequences In Dealing With Sexual Sin Publicly

The Bible is the infallible Word from God and it is written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Every word, every phrase, every command, and every promise is God's pure truth for our lives. One verse that keeps slipping the minds of many men is found in Numbers 32:23, "But if ye will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out." In our age of hyper-grace and distant personal accountability we have discovered the true meaning of this verse with the epidemic tsunami of moral failures one after another from mega-church preachers to local 50 member congregations not only here in America but around the world. As a warning and guard to recheck your personal lives here are 6 consequences of dealing with sexual sin publicly.

1.) Major Depressive Disorder Occurs. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, major depressive disorder is characterized by a combination of symptoms that interfere with a person's ability to work, sleep, study, eat, and enjoy once-pleasurable activities. If God has called you to minister in a public way, either its in front of a Bible study group or in front of a large conference as a speaker, take heed to knowing that any form of joy will be eradicated from your life if sexual sin is exposed publicly by not dealing with it privately. 

2.) Ruptured Relationships Privately & Publicly. When a life lived and portrayed is exposed to be false as in sexual sin then family, friends, peers, co-laborers, and public acquaintances flee from the vile smell of sin's result which is death. No one wants to be in a relationship with a hypocrite. Search your hearts to ask the Lord to remove any roots of hidden sins. 

3.) We Become Arsonists to our Credibility. I know many have heard about fires being started by criminals called arsonists. They set buildings, stores, cars, and houses on fire for the sole purpose of bringing destruction to the owner or those living in it. Not dealing with sexual sin before the Lord will result in your own hands setting spiritual, emotional, physical, and psychological "fire" to everything you had built to that time. Be accountable to mentors in your life. 

4.) Lifetime of Regret. We can be restored, forgiven, and given new chances to rebuilt our reputation and relationships but the lingering thought of the damage done is difficult to erase from a heart. Many times marriages result in divorce, ordination revoked, ministry taken away, and even financial payments needed to be made for restitution. The Lord wants our hearts and he must be the King of our lives. Save yourself future pain and live clean before the Lord. 

5.) We Flame Persecution on Christians. Yes, that's right. Christians have enough persecution to deal with in the world and dealing with sexual sin publicly flames the burden of even more persecution on Christians. How many pastors, youth leaders, counselors, lay leaders, Sunday school teachers have given the body of Christ extra weight to carry? Every time a moral failure occurs every Christian must continue to take time away from building the kingdom to defending the faith because the mockery of "Christian Leaders" has been blasted on every media channel that exists today. Just STOP it! Your private pleasure is not worth millions of faithful believers to take time to stop building the kingdom. 

6.) Children, Teens, Young Adults Subconsciously Model Your Behavior. It's one thing to say I didn't mean to hurt someone or I never wanted this to happen but it's another to realize that a generation of young people will subconsciously think it is okay to do the same. If we are fighting for purity, abstinence, and sex for marriage then you will not only destroy your own life but the lives of thousands of others. Deep down someone thinks that pastor or that leader got caught but I will not get caught. Enough is enough. Zip your pants up for the sake of future generations. Inspire the next generation to live holy because it starts with you.

Here are links to recent examples of the consequences of dealing with sexual sin publicly: 

 Orlando, FL: Pastor Sam Hinn steps down as Senior Pastor from Gathering Place Worship Center

Virginia Beach, VA: Youth Pastor sentenced for sex abuse 

Chicago, IL: Ex-mega church pastor gets 12 years in sex scandal 

Louisville, Kentucky: Pastor Accused Of Covering Up “Biggest Evangelical Sex Scandal Of All Time”

3 Calls To Action:

1.) Stay Accountable. Find mentors to talk about struggles and don't hide from your weaknesses. 

2.) Intentionally Ask for Resources. Too often we have big heads and small hearts. We think we know everything there is to know about all subjects especially about the ones we struggle with. Be intentional in seeking resources and the Lord will order your steps. 

3.) Be Mature in Friendships. Its easy to find friends who adore you and want to hear the next greatest thing from you. Find friends who will be a Barnabas in your life. He will encourage but also reprove when needed. Be balanced in picking friendships. You want to grow not sink. 

Twitter: @PaulMuzichuk