I have been in revival at the Cliff Haven Church in Sheffield, Alabama with Pastor Brian Sutton this last week. What a great church and what a mighty move of God. To God be the glory.
http://www.cliffhaven.blogspot.com/
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Monday, June 23, 2008
Internet Applications For Pastors And Others
There are many Internet applications out there that are making life easier for pastors and others.Here is a list of examples:
1. Gmail - I’ve been using Gmail for years for my all email. I was glad to have kissed Outlook goodbye and will never go back. I love the search-ability and use of labels. Also you can't beat the spam filter. and am now using it for all work email. Try Gmail Labs for fun beta options.
2. Google Calendar - I love the integration with Gmail and the ability to share my calendar with others.
3. Switchboard - Often times I need to find a phone number, and it's published, then I'll find it with ease with Switchboard.
4. Google Documents - Most documents are simple and therefore Google Docs is a great option. Also, it provides a great opportunity for sharing and colaboration. Plus with Google Docs, it is easier to find a document when I am looking for it.
5. Blogger - It’s how I share daily insights about ministry, leadership and life from my blog.
6. Twitter - This is a new app for me, but it has really begun to grow on me. It’s how I plan to share mini-insights throughout my day.
7. eBible - I love being able to read, search and study the Bible online.
8. Backpack - I am using Backpack mostly for the reminders. And with the Firefox extention, it has become an easy way to make important reminders throughout my day.
9. Jott - Jott converts voice into text. Jott is awesome. I can call a number and capture a thought while in the car, I can add an appointments to my Google Calendar, or update my Twitter. This has been an invaluable tool.
10. Xdrive - Provides free online storage when I’m looking to back up important files.
11. YouSendIt - It’s a great tool for sending big files to other people.
12. Scribd - This has been a helpful tool that allows me to post documents to my blog. It not only allows them to be "viewed" but downloaded as well.
13. Evernote - This program has come a long way over the past couple of years, and I love it. Evernote lets me capture and store stuff, mostly stuff from the web. With Evernote I can easily file sermon illustrations and important ministry ideas.
14. Mint.com - I’ve started using this application for tracking personal finances. Easy to use and it delivers great reports.
15. PageOnce - I call this my dashboard of life. It takes all of my information that I may track on websites, and pulls it all together for an "at-a-glance" online dashboard.
16. Google Analytics - I use it to track stats for my blog.
17. Woopra - This site is amazing. I use it to periodically monitor live traffic on my blog. Also it has a desktop client that allows me to access my information very easily.
18. Google Reader - Using a "reader" is the only way to read blogs. In my opinion, Google Reader is the best.
19. TimeBridge - This program, linked with my Google Calendar, lets me schedule appointments with one or many people without having to be burdened with the back and fourth of "email tag". This has been a BIG time saver for me.
20. Pandora - This is a site that you can use to create your own Internet radio station that plays your favorite genre of music.
21. LetterMeLater - Not yet ready to send an email. Then send it later. You can have your email timed to go out when you want them. Plus they are integrated with Gmail. I won't be surprised if Gmail eventually integrates this option in their program.
22. Pinger - Send a voice mail out to a group of people. I love the ease of use and when people get a voice mail, it often gets more noticed than an email. I have used this program to send out quick reminders and information to the church, all done with one simple call.
23. FeedBurner - This is the service I use to track subscribers to my blog.
24. Facebook - I love how easy it is now to keep up with old friends. It has also been an effective communication tool toward young people who now consider email as passe'.
25. Doodle - This simple little program has been a real time saver. You set up an online poll, send the link out, and the program does the rest. It has helped to coordinate membership interviews when we are trying to find people's best date and time in their schedule.
[From Ministry Best Practices by Bill Reichart]
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Assemblies of God International Fellowship Supports Kenneth Copeland's Lack of Cooperation in Investigation
A group of Pentecostal ministers and churches have thrown their backing behind televangelist Kenneth Copeland and his refusal to cooperate with a Senate probe into his ministry's spending.Assemblies of God International Fellowship released a statement in their latest newsletter saying the current investigation, led by Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), into the financial records of six prominent ministries "seems to be crossing a legal boundary."
"Politicians enact laws to separate Church and State which many think to be unconstitutional and then try to intrude into Church affairs while denying the Church discussion of State (political) affairs. This sounds like a one way street in favor of the State," the group said.
Grassley launched an investigation last November, requesting financial records and answers to questions regarding organizational and personal finances from ministries led by Joyce Meyer, Kenneth Copeland, Paula and Randy White, Creflo Dollar, Eddie Long and Benny Hinn. Each has millions of followers and collects tens of millions of dollars in donations a year.
The senate probe was prompted by media reports and ministry watchdogs that alleged opulent spending and possible abuse of their nonprofit status.
Copeland submitted limited responses to the Grassley office and recently launched a Web site, http://www.believersstandunited.com/, questioning and protesting the senator's investigation.
The televangelist, who has said his ministry fully complies with all laws, believes the inquiry is a violation of religious freedom, an invasion of privacy and a threat to the separation of Church and State. He also raised suspicion over Grassley’s targeting of only Pentecostal churches that preach the “prosperity gospel” – a teaching that God wants his followers to be rich both spiritually and materially.
A Grassley spokeswoman told The Christian Post that it's unusual for a tax-exempt group to take such action against an investigation. She noted that Grassley has looked at tax-exempt policy issues involving a variety of entities, including the Red Cross, the Nature Conservancy, the Smithsonian, non-profit hospitals and universities.
But some, including Assemblies of God International Fellowship, are backing Copeland and his questioning.
The fellowship believes that the IRS, created by the State, should be conducting an investigation, not the Senate.
"It seems that Rev. Copeland is right in ignoring the Senate’s investigation of Church affairs but pledging to fully cooperate with any investigation by the IRS," the group stated.
In response, the Grassley spokeswoman stated, "Senator Grassley points out that the legislative branch writes the laws, and the executive branch enforces the laws. His responsibility as a leader (chairman and now ranking member) of the Senate committee with exclusive jurisdiction over tax policy is to evaluate the effectiveness of that policy.
"He looks at whether the law is weak in certain areas and allows people to exploit, say, tax-exempt groups for personal gain," she continued. "He leaves the enforcement of existing tax law to the IRS, the executive branch agency with that responsibility."
As of Friday, Joyce Meyer and Benny Hinn are the only two ministries that have submitted full responses for the Senate probe. Randy and Paula White have submitted partial responses, Eddie Long and Copeland have submitted "very limited responses," according to the spokeswoman, and Creflo Dollar has submitted no requested information.
[By Lillian Kwon, Christian Post Reporter]
Fireworks Expected in Cleveland, Tennessee
"Let Freedom Ring" is the theme for the 11th annual Mount Olive Freedom Celebration on June 29 at the Tri-State Exhibition Center.The celebration will feature a number of gospel acts including the Freedom Celebration Festival Choir, which is made up of area church choirs. Some 120 voices will be included.
There will be musical entertainment, shows, kiddy rides and of course -- fireworks.
The fireworks show, which will be synchronized to music, is being sponsored by Larry Hill Ford of Cleveland.
The fireworks show will be the only one in Cleveland this year, according to organizers.
Pioneer Credit Co. is sponsoring the stage area where Gina Bean, 4 by Him, Just Us and the 2x2 Quartet will perform. Also on the Pioneer stage, the Freedom Celebration Festival Choir will gather. The choir is made up of members from the Graysville Church of God, Peerless Road Church of God of Prophecy, and Mount Olive Ministries Choir. Dr. Mark Bailey, minister of music at Mount Olive Ministries and Lee professor, will coordinate the choir.
Steve Hartline and Bridgett Baggett will emcee the event.
Santek Industries is sponsoring more than 16 air toys, including a 60-foot slide and splash for the kids. A petting zoo and pony rides will also be available for the family friendly event. Presentations by the Endunamo Strength Team and the Mount Olives Children's Ministries will held on the Santek stage.
There is no admission to the event which is open to the public. Fireworks are scheduled to begin around 9:30 p.m. on June 29.
[By Greg Kaylor, Cleveland Daily Banner Editorial Assistant]
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Young Baptist Preachers Chart Different Courses
[By Eric Gorski - AP Religion Writer]J.D. Greear persuaded his church to drop the word "Baptist" from its name, sell its historic building in Durham, N.C., and move into a local high school. Greear preaches in an untucked collared shirt, sportcoat and jeans. He generally avoids politics but signed a statement urging action on global warming.
Eric Hankins preaches in a suit and tie at First Baptist Church in Oxford, Miss., where hymns like "Brethren, We Have Met to Worship" are the norm. Change for Hankins means adopting a new discipleship curriculum. He questions whether humans cause climate change.
Both men are Southern Baptist pastors in their 30's and lead growing congregations. Both are theologically conservative and engaged in their denomination.
Yet their different approaches are part of an ongoing debate about the future of the 16.2 million-member Southern Baptist Convention: Is there room for both the guy in the suit and the guy in the jeans? Should pastors shun politics or hand out voters' guides? Is saving the environment an issue to champion or a dangerous detour?
The nation's largest Protestant denomination is at a crossroads. After five decades of growth, membership fell last year and baptisms are dropping at an even faster clip. A growing number of Baptists see the apparent lack of relevancy, and they blame not secular America and liberals but themselves for the problem.
The Rev. Johnny Hunt of Woodstock, Ga., elected as the SBC's new president last week, already has pledged to bring younger leaders to the table. A member of the SBC's conservative establishment, the 55-year-old Hunt has been a mentor to the next generation through a pastors' school he founded in 1994.
"If we think the only ones leading are like us, then we're pretty narrow," Hunt said. "We've tried to push them into our mold instead of letting them use their own creativity."
Greear was 28 in 2002 when he became senior pastor of Homestead Heights Baptist Church, a sleepy congregation with a weekly attendance of 390 in Durham, N.C.
The building was too old, too small and in a bad location. So Greear persuaded the church to sell the building, relocate to a high school and reinvent itself as The Summit Church.
"We did not shed an ounce of Baptist identity," said Greear, whose weekly attendance is now 2,400. "The key is doing these things without compromising what you believe God's message is."
Greear rejects the dominant evangelical church form of the last 25 years: fill-in-the-blank sermon outlines and programs designed for spiritual seekers and baby boomers.
Summit Church members threw a wedding shower for a family that lost its home in a fire and volunteered to renovate a local elementary school.
"We like our community to say, 'We may not believe in everything the Summit Church believes, but thank God they're here because otherwise they'd have to raise our taxes,'" Greear said.
Greear describes his style as "humble orthodoxy." He wants to counter the image of the Southern Baptist preacher as the "angry guy with coifed hair and an out-of-style suit who likes to pick at things."
That doesn't mean watering down traditional beliefs. Greear preaches on sexual purity and believes every word in the Bible is true. But it also means going in some new directions.
Greear said he tries to avoid political stances. Earlier this year, however, he joined other Southern Baptists in signing a statement calling the denomination "too timid" on environmental issues. Global warming is a dire threat that demands action instead of more arguing about man's role causing it, it said.
Juanita Bynum's Divorce Is Final
Televangelist Juanita Bynum and husband Thomas W. Weeks ended their marriage in divorce court Friday, several months after an altercation in a hotel parking lot landed Weeks in jail on charges he choked and beat his wife.The couple exchanged few words and barely glanced each other’s way during a hearing that ended their six-year marriage. Bynum signed a settlement agreement last week offered by Weeks, and the proceeding before a judge in suburban Atlanta lasted less than an hour.
Bynum filed for divorce in September, a month after the quarrel in the parking lot of an Atlanta hotel. Weeks ultimately pleaded guilty to assaulting her and is serving three years’ probation.
A 14-page document said neither party will receive alimony and Bynum will pay $40,000 of Weeks’ legal fees. The decision also restored Juanita Bynum’s maiden name as her legal one, though she never used Weeks’ last name while they were married.
Bynum left the courthouse smiling.
"I said from the beginning of this situation that this, too, shall pass, and it just did," she said.
Weeks also appeared in high spirits.
"It feels like a new day," he said outside court, adding he still has a "special love" for Bynum.
Bynum and Weeks married in a lavish ceremony in 2002. They have written books and lectured together on love and relationships.
Bynum leads a ministry that also includes a gospel record label and seminar tours. She has sold thousands of motivational books, CDs and DVDs related to empowerment and relationships.
Weeks, known to his followers as Bishop Weeks, co-wrote "Teach Me How to Love: The Beginnings" with Bynum.
[Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved.]
How To Determine If a Leader Is Truly of God
Humility: True Greatness by CJ Mahaney is one of the best books I have ever read. If you have not read it yet, you should.Isaiah 66:2 provides Mahaney with a biblical foundation for writing this book. I offer a list of quotes that I hope get your attention enough so that you will read this book.
- Humility gets God’s attention.
- Humility is honestly assessing ourselves in light of God’s holiness and our sinfulness.
- Pride seems to have a strange and sure way of ignoring logic altogether.
- Pride is when sinful human beings aspire to the status and position of God and refuse to acknowledge their dependence upon Him.
- You and I hate nothing to the degree God hates pride.
- And in true humility, our own service to others is always both an effect of His unique sacrifice and the evidence of it.
- The cross never flatters us.
- Sin doesn’t wake up tired.
- Too many Christians are more readily aware of the absence of God than they are of the presence of God, and they are more aware of sin than they are of grace.
- It is possible to admire humility while remaining proud ourselves.
Two more things I love about this book. The first is the way CJ Mahaney includes some very challenging and inspiring statements from the likes of John Owens, John Calvin, Charles Spurgeon, John Stott, DA Carson, RC Sproul and others. Secondly, this book isn’t just theory and theology. It also includes very practical ways to begin and end each day so that we can walk toward true greatness which is only found in humility.
[From What Leadership Demands by Shane]
Today's Quote
"One of the great mistakes is to judge policies and programs by their intentions rather than their results" ~ Milton Friedman
Pastor and Politics
Every election year thousands of pastors receive threatening letters claiming their churches will lose their tax-exempt status if they engage in any political activity. Don’t believe the hype. Read the truth on what you can and can’t do from the pulpit.READ MORE
Today's Prayer
Dear God, Today I come to You, bringing prayers for my neighbors before Your throne. I don't know what each and every one is going through right now, but I know that each has their own hurts, challenges, problems, needs. I know that some are grieving, whether over an errant child, a lost job, the death of a loved one or something else; some are lonely; some are lost and need the Savior; some are ill and need healing and comfort; the needs go on. Please help me to know what to do to be a good neighbor to them. Give me opportunities to reach out and share Your love. I pray that the Holy Spirit will minister to each one and meet their spiritual needs. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
How To Recruit Volunteers - Free Book
[From Ministry Best Practices by Bill Reichart]Do you want to recruit more volunteers for your church or ministry?
Agile ministry has just put out a new FREE eBook to address that issue. Here is some more information about the eBook from Agile:
No matter where you may be in your leadership, recruiting volunteers can be one of the most difficult tasks you will encounter. Even if you are able to teach a room full of kids, design a website, or manage hundreds of youth, recruiting may not come easy.
This FREE, easy-to-read electronic book (”eBook”) provides a simple approach to recruiting more volunteers for your church ministry. Whether you are a new leader or have been leading for years, there is something new and fresh to learn about recruiting volunteers. A simple process to volunteer recruiting.
This book is designed to open your eyes to new ways of thinking about recruiting. It will provide some ideas, inspiration, and a 5-step process that will help you to improve your ability to recruit new volunteers for your town.
Click here to get your FREE copy of this ebook now!
Volunteer Recruiting Step 1: Prepare
Before you can recruit new volunteers, you need to prepare the way through your actions, attitude, requirements, and prayer. Learn how to create job descriptions, put time limits into your team structure, and develop a contagious attitude that will help you recruit more effectively.
Volunteer Recruiting Step 2: Find
Finding new volunteers is often the largest source of frustration for team leaders. In this step, we’ll find fresh ways of thinking for more effective volunteer recruiting. You’ll learn how to recruit by focusing on passion and relationships, becoming others-focused, finding connectors within your church, and recruiting through structure and one-time service opportunities.
Volunteer Recruiting Step 3: Interview
Don’t skip the interview step! This step is essential to make sure both the candidate and the leader are comfortable to work together. You’ll discover how to conduct a simple, relaxing interview as well as when to include gift and personality tests.
Volunteer Recruiting Step 4: Integrate
The volunteer’s first impression is what will shape their view of your team for weeks and months to come. Your first priority is to get them trained and integrated into the team. Find out how to pick the right person to train your new volunteers, how to conduct a follow-up interview, and how to deal with volunteers that just aren’t a good fit.
Volunteer Recruiting Step 5: Retain
Recruiting doesn’t end with training. Recruiting is an ongoing process that requires you to learn how to retain your volunteers after you find them. Find ways to reward your volunteers and how to deal with letting go of volunteers when the time comes. Learn how to create example job descriptions, training materials, and more!
This free book also includes a 5-step action plan for applying this simple volunteer recruiting process. View examples of job descriptions, create simple training materials to help your new volunteers, and create a recruiting plan to guide you through your recruiting process.
Click here to get your FREE copy of this ebook now!
Church Volunteer Training
Does your church volunteer training really hit the mark?Here is an excerpt from Group Volunteers - Tuesday's Tip to answer that question:
1. Make sure your volunteers know your ministry's overall mission. Never assume your leaders know your goals if you haven't told them (or told them recently) what they are. People who don't know how they fit into the big picture quickly lose their enthusiasm. Also, always tie your training in to a specific ministry goal.
2. Leave time at the end of each training session to make sure they understand what you taught. Encourage, prod, and beg them to ask questions about what they're learning. Never end a training time without asking them to repeat, somehow, what they've learned. Group activities can help reinforce spoken teaching.
3. Tell your volunteers where they can get more information on a training topic. Refer your leaders to printed and video resources that can give more in-depth information on a particular topic. Church Volunteer Central members can point their people to thousands of free resources on our site, including online training.
4. Don't assume your volunteers "got it" the first time. Don't be afraid to hit a crucial training topic more than once. For example, if you train your adult leaders on building relationships with teenagers, hit the same topic at your next meeting with a lab experience. Invite youth group members to the meeting and have your leaders use them as guinea pigs to try out their new skills.
5. Give volunteers a booklet of important training tips. It's important for your adult leaders to have an ongoing reminder of what they learn in training meetings.
[Adapted from Group magazine, the world's most-read youth ministry resource. See www.youthministry.com for more information. This post is from Group Volunteers: Tuesday's Tip. These tips can go directly into your inbox, and you can click here to go to their site to receive them.]
How Pastors Can Use Facebook
[By Leadership Network]We found this free e-book that gives a bunch of great tips of how pastors and other ministry leaders can use Facebook to multiply ministry. You can download the e-book here (PDF). Topics covered in the e-book include:
- How to make the most of your profile information
- Tips for Networking with People in Facebook
- All about groups, messages, poking, etc
- Meet prospects for your church
- Learn more about the members in your church
- Testimonies from Pastors who use FaceBook
Chris Forbes of MinistryMarketingCoach.com put this easy-to-read e-book together, some of its content comes from his series of blog posts last September, several highlights I'll mention:
Ministry Shift
As we continue to move from the Gutenberg world to the Google world, Dr. Albert of the Anglican Church, India, points toward seven strategic shifts for pastors in particular and ministers in general to ponder:- Shift 1: A Power Shift from Self to God
- Shift 2: A Priority Shift from inreach to outreach
- Shift 3: A Program Shift from events to relationships
- Shift 4: A People Shift from ministers to equippers
- Shift 5: A Provision Shift from consumers to contributors
- Shift 6: A Perspective Shift from a church mentality to a Kingdom mentality
- Shift 7: A Process Shift from the older to the younger
When you and your organization are able to make these shifts in the years ahead we can be sure the baton will not drop on the ground of time. Let us capitalize on global and local opportunities before they are lost forever!
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