Finishing Well
Yesterday I had the amazing opportunity to speak at a retirement celebration for my friend and colleague, Pastor Tom Tyndall.
When we started the church seven years ago Tom was the third staff member I hired. I knew how important it was to have someone with his experience and wisdom by my side. Every Sunday morning for the past seven years I’ve spoken at Cross Point Tom has met me in my office to pray over me. I couldn’t help but cry all the way through the prayer yesterday knowing it was the end of an era.
It’s been a true joy to serve with him over the years and I wanted to share with you guys what he’s taught me along the way. I think this will be extremely helpful, especially for all you young pastors who read this blog.
- SERVE WELL
Wherever God sends you and whatever he gives you, serve well. When I hired Tom he had just finished, two years prior, a tenure as the senior pastor of a very influential, large church in our community. From day one he helped set up chairs, pick up trash and was willing to work out of a closet that served as his office. I never heard him complain one time. He just served well wherever God led him.
-BE FLEXIBLE
The longer you do ministry the more you think you’ve figured out the “right way” to do it. Tom was in full time ministry for 40 years. Can you imagine how tempting it would have been for him serving in a church plant to want to say, “That’s not the way I did it!” Do you know how many times that guy had to bite his tongue while serving by my side? While Tom would have never budged on his theology he learned a long time ago to be flexible when it came to methodology. He stayed focused on the main vision.
-LOYALTY MATTERS
In 7 years I never heard Tom Tyndall say one negative word about another staff member. Not another pastor, not an assistant, not the janitor. Not one word.
In the early days of Cross Point we fought a lot of hard battles. He sat through some very difficult meetings with me. The kind of meetings where things were said that put me in a position where I wanted to walk away from it all. Time and time again Tom would come into my office after those meetings and say, “Pete, get your head up. Don’t listen to that stuff. You’re a good pastor and a great leader.” I can honestly say I don’t know if I would have made it through those early days without his support and encouragement.
- LOVE EXTRAVAGANTLY
1 Corinthians 13 says “These three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love”
Tom reminded me in many ways that…
Great sermons will get you pats on the back.
Savvy leadership skills will win you admiration from your colleagues.
Hard work will catch peoples eyes as you separate from the pack.
But if you don’t love you’re nothing more than a noisy gong, or a clanging cymbal. If you don’t love the people God has placed in your life nothing else really matters.
Thank you Tom for your 40 years of service to the Kingdom. Few leaders can truly echo the words of Paul and say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” By the grace of God you escaped the bombshells of Satan which I’m sure were fired at you with great regularity in an attempt to wreck you, your family and your ministry. Well done, good and faithful servant.
I love you friend. You’ve helped shape my ministry and I’ll be forever grateful.
Wow, we all need men(tors) like that in our life and ministry.
Between your post and Donald Miller’s today I think I need to love more.
I”ll go read his.
Have to say, this was one of the most memorable retirement parties I’ve ever attended. Well deserved and sooooo heartfelt! Pete, you weren’t the only one fighting tears! Tom has been a tremendous inspiration to all of us over the years. Don’t be a stranger, Tom! We’ll miss you!
I love this! Love hearing about people who finish well.
I had a good friend who served at the last church I was at until he passed away at age 83. He is sorely missed by me – I miss the encouragement, the optimism, and most of all the prayers of my dear friend.
Thanks for posting this which has reminded me of my dear friend today.
We’ll all miss Tom. He was an inspirational person to be around. It was great to just observe the way he was with people in the lobby of the church. His smile when his wife would enter the room…He led by example for so many volunteers.
Totally agree Fred.
SERVE WELL…I learned more about intiative from watching Tom Tyndal “serve” at Cross Point, than I did from 5 years of training in the Marine Corps. Unfortunately, we are a “that’s not my job” generation. My prayer is that we all remember that Jesus washed the “nasty” feet of his friends…
So true of our generation Jody. We have a lot to learn don’t we?
Great post…great wisdom!
Great post! I especially relate to the part “Loyalty Matters”. Loyalty is a much needed, but oft overlooked, aspect of ministry and staff relations. Thanks for sharing. God bless. I added this post to http://delicious.com/tomjamieson
What a great tribute to a really great man.
Really great post! It makes me wish I’d been at Cross Point longer to be able to witness Tom in action! Is he completely retired or will we be seeing him around still?
He’s out for a couple months but then you will continue to see him around in different capacities. Kids and grandkids come first for him these days though.
Awesome!!
Pete, What a blessing for you to have the opportunity to stand on the shoulders of a godly leader like Tom Tyndall. Your words about him and the mark he has left on your ministry are an inspiration to all – both those who are young and in need of such a mentor and those more seasoned who would hope to mentor as Tom did. Bravo!
I don’t know if it’s just me, but I’ve noticed that I don’t even realize many of the lessons I learn from these kinds of people until something changes. That’s when, like you here, I reflect on it and finally realize how much I’ve learned from these people.
I think it’s because they so often lead by example, which means I learn through osmosis instead of lecture (not that lectures in particular are bad).
-Marshall Jones Jr.
What a blessing to have such a mentor in your life. You are “fortunate” indeed. I have had influential people to impact me over the years, but no one I could say was a mentor. I now think, at this point in the journey, I need to seek to have that kind of influence for the sake of this current generation.
Pete,
Thank you for sharing this post about Tom. What a great example and great challenge. Challenges me to be that for someone, but also encourages me to love and appreciate the mentors and other spiritual guides God has put in my life.
Thanks.
Matt Beres
thanks, pete. you’ve painted a beautiful picture of titus 2.
A most unique man. An inspiration to me and all he came in contact with.
My mom and dad would have been delightfully stunned by your kind words. Thank you and holy hugs back atcha. Tom
This was a beautiful tribute to Pastor Tom. I hated that we couldn’t make it to the good-bye shindig, but I can attest to his humility and his dedication. On the morning of Shawn’s open-heart surgery, I think Tom may have arrived before us…and we were hauling the patient. Tom is a treasure. Irreplaceable. Thanks for showing him so much love here on your blog today.
Pete – wonderful how you honour your friend Tom with this post.
Well done. Ian
Tom,
You are so genuine. You have a servant’s heart and I thank you for touching our lives in such a positive way.
I pray that you and Betty continue to influence those in your path. And, I pray that you enjoy some quiet time together.
We need more people like Tom in this world…he is the one who made me realize that sandals look just fine with dress slacks!
In Him,
Nate
You had to go there.
nate… you seriously are one of the funniest people i think i know. so glad you pop in here to give us a regular dose of humor! miss you guys!!
Humor is my drug.
We miss you all very much. Life is crazy up here right now with puppy and baby…we are nuts!!!!
Thanks for the great post, he is definitely loved in our home!
We have been blessed…
This was so beautiful and profound, Pete. It choked me up a little, thinking about the power of legacy and how important it is that we live well and love well at all times. I pray I live my life in a way that people can say that about me and mean it.
I have had only a couple brief interactions with Tom. The first was a few weeks ago when I was directing and he was leading communion. I was so struck by the way even the tone of his voice carried his heart as he spoke about the invitation to the Lord’s supper.
The other was this past Sunday, after the 11:30 service. We stood in the lobby and he began telling me about how he imagined he was going to have to start using Twitter more now since he’s not going to be around the office to see you all as much anymore and how he’s looking forward to using more social media. Loved that.
God bless Tom and his family in their journey and God bless you and Cross Point for loving and honoring him well.
I had the opportunity to witness Tom in action through Mens Fraternity last year. This was during a very difficult time in my life and this was usually the highlight of my week. I realized very quickly that Tom was a true man of God and I took heed of evvery word he said. Just goes to prove that Gator fans can be Godly men too! Take care Tom. God Bless You.
Tom touched my life as well, even if only briefly. He always spoke to me on those rare occasions I’ve gotten to visit Cross Point. He shared with me on my first visit that Pete was a “deep thinker”. We found out we’ve read some of the same books and are both fans of Nouwen.
Last year he agreed to spend a few minutes with me as I was just beginning the Give Worship Project. I was touched that he agreed to sit down and listen to my story and to encourage me along the road. He is a sweet, sweet man.
Tears through your perfectly chosen words for Tom. I will truely miss him in the capactiy of pastor. There’s been a couple times over the past years that I still don’t know how he found me at the hospital when I wasn’t actually in Nathan’s room. Tom’s the best!!!
what a beautiful post about a wonderful man. I will miss seeing his smiling face at church. He and Betty are such a perfect example of a long, loving marriage.
He’s always been there with an encouraging word for me and I know of so many people who’s lives he has touched at Cross Point.
I will miss him but I’m so glad he has this time to spend with family.
awesome advice ! he sounds like an amazing encourager
I have been at Crosspoint for almost 3 years and have always loved to see Tom there. The main reason is that he reminds me of my dad, who is also in the ministry, but also because he always has a friendly smile and greeting. Your words about him are inspiring and make me want to strive after those same attributes and “finish well.” Don’t you love people who believe in and encourage you even when it seems like everyone else is against you? You never forget those people and those moments. Tom, thank you for your service to Crosspoint. As others have said, thanks for displaying what a good marriage looks like. You have made an impact on many and you will be missed!