CGP General Overser Howard Awarded "Alumnus of the Year" Award by Church of God Theological Seminary

My Alma Mata, the Church of God Theological Seminary, has announced a very deserving Alumnus of the Year Award for 2008, Bishop Randall Howard, General Overseer of the Church of God of Prophecy. Although I knew of this ahead of time, now that it has been released, I am delighted to add my congratulations.

The ceremony took place Saturday, May 31, 2008 during the seminary's annual commencement ceremony.

Dr. Steve Land, Seminary President, said, "Bishop Howard is a man who is an example of a person who has prayed his head down into his heart."

Bishop Howard gave personal honor to many of the instructors who contributed to his education at the Seminary. He went on to share, "when I think of the alumni of the Theological Seminary all around the world, I have met them in Europe, I have met them in Asia, Indonesia, Latin America - it is a prestigious body of men and women who are out on the field doing miraculous things for God and for the Gospel. And so to arrive at this podium today is humbling and I feel undeserving. I think of Jesus' words in the Gospel of John, 'Man can receive nothing except it be given him from Heaven.' Surely in someway I represent that great body of ministry leaders that are flowing out of this Seminary that are doing a glorious work for the kingdom of God and for the Body of Christ."

Bishop Howard continued to say, "I do declare in testimony today that it was the Holy Spirit in these faculties, in this institution, and in the cause of this institution, that has helped to bring transformation to my life. I commend and recommend this Seminary with highest regards. Your passion to lift and center the banner of Pentecost has know placed ... this institution on the cutting edge of Heaven's activity today. The Spirit is falling from Heaven on every corner of the earth."

Dr. Dennis McGuire, General Overseer of the Church of God, various faculty and board members of the Church of God Theological Seminary, ministry leaders and support personnel from the Church of God of Prophecy International Offices and members of the Howard family, were in attendance.

http://www.cogts.edu/

Pastor T. D. Jakes Congratulates Presidential Candidates

In a commentary published on http://www.cnn.com/, Pastor T.D. Jakes, of the Dallas church Potter's House, said he got goose bumps as he watched Senator Obama's (D-Illinois) victory speech Tuesday night with his son.

Jakes went on to congratulate Obama on what he calls an historic accomplishment and a victory for democracy. However, Pastor Jakes did not mention Obama's support for abortion, or his support for record-breaking tax hikes.

Instead, Jakes lauded Obama's victory as not only a victory for African Americans, but also a victory for democracy – one that proves the country provides possibilities for all people. Pastor Jakes also congratulated Senator Hillary Clinton (D-New York) for "proving that femininity is not a liability."

Jakes said in his commentary that it was his hope and prayer that the country does not sink back into political pettiness as the presidential campaign continues.

Confused About Church growth?

The Wrong Question: How do I get my church to grow? Your job is not to force growth. When you think growth is your responsibility, you will inevitably make bad decisions.

The Right Question: What is keeping my church from growing? Healthy organisms grow. If you feel stagnation setting in, understand that there are barriers inhibiting your growth and put a plan in place to remove them.

Once you have started asking the right question, remember:

God Wants Your Church To Grow - Your church is an essential part of God’s redemptive plan. Of course He wants it to grow. Just take a look at 2 Peter 3:9. Growth signals repentance and life change.

You Want Your Church To Grow - Sometimes thinking about the next phase of growth can scare us into inactivity. Don’t get discouraged or let doubt set in. God never gives you a vision without supplying what you need to fulfill it.

When you are asking the right question, and you know in your core that both you and God want your church to go to the next level, you will be on your way to meaningful, Kingdom-building growth.

[Nelson Searcy]

Free Movie Pre-Screening for Pastors

Pastors and spouses are invited to attend a PRIVATE, FREE pre-screening of a new movie, FIREPROOF.

You may also forward this information to any pastors or ministry leaders you know so they and their wives may attend a free screening near them. This is part of the FIREPROOF SUMMER TOUR - FOR MINISTRY LEADERS ONLY. There are over 140 private pre-screenings across the nation leading up to the national theatrical release in theaters on September 26.

Pastors and ministry leaders are invited to see the entire movie, enjoy it on a date with their spouses, realize the potential ministry impact, and feel free to promote it within their ministries.

God is already moving though this movie, FIREPROOF. Marriages and families are being blessed all over the world for Christ. It will be a blessing to you and your ministry.

CLICK HERE TO SEE WHERE A FREE SCREENING IS BEING HELD NEAR YOU:
http://screenitfirst.com/fireproof/events/invites

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TRAILER:
http://www.fireproofthemovie.com/

CLICK HERE FOR A GREAT MARRIAGE ENRICHMENT WEBSITE:

http://fireproofmymarriage.com/

Today's Leadership Tip

Have people on your staff bring their own reports to the staff meeting instead of sitting at a table and giving out assignments. This will teach them how to think for themselves and lead ... and it will take much needed pressure off the Pastor!

[Brian Cutshall]

Church and Politics

Have we got to the place where sermons must be politically correct? Are pastors placed under the same scrutiny as political candidates?

Barack Obama said Saturday he has resigned his 20-year membership in the Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago "with some sadness" in the aftermath of inflammatory remarks by his longtime pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and more recent fiery remarks at the church by a visiting priest.

"This is not a decision I come to lightly ... and it is one I make with some sadness," Obama said at a news conference after campaign officials released a letter of resignation he sent to the church on Friday."I'm not denouncing the church and I'm not interested in people who want me to denounce the church," he said, adding that the new pastor at Trinity and "the church have been suffering from the attention my campaign has focused on them."

Obama said he and his wife have been discussing the issue since Wright's appearance at the National Press Club in Washington last month, which reignited the furor over remarks Wright had made in various sermons at the church.

"I suspect we'll find another church home for our family," Obama said."It's clear that now that I'm a candidate for president, every time something is said in the church by anyone associated with Trinity, including guest pastors, the remarks will imputed to me even if they totally conflict with my long-held views, statements and principles," he said. "I have no idea how it will impact my presidential campaign but I know it was the right thing to do for me and my family," he said."

Trinity released a statement Saturday night saying: "Though we are saddened by the news, we understand that it is a personal decision. We will continue to lift them in prayer and wish them the best as former members of our Trinity community."

Earlier this month, John McCain rejected endorsements from two pastors, saying there is no place for their incendiary criticisms of other faiths. McCain spurned the months-old endorsement of Texas pastor John Hagee after an audio recording surfaced in which Pastor Hagee supposedly said that God sent Adolf Hitler to help Jews reach the promised land. McCain called the comment "crazy and unacceptable."

John McCain also repudiated the support of Pastor Rod Parsley, an Ohio pastor who criticized Islam and called the religion inherently violent.

Is it wrong to say that Islam is at war with Christianity? Is it wrong to say that God's divine plan sometimes includes allowing wicked men to impact history? Or, is the media starting to plant an expectation in the minds of America that pastors must be politically correct or their congregations should leave?

Leadership Development

Have you read any articles on this Blog and thought, "I sure would like to discuss that further?" Well, now you can.

Invite the Synergy teaching ministry to your church or area for a workshop, leadership training intensive, or retreat on "Church Health," "Church Growth," or "Church Planting."

Write today. We will work with you.

DGBrock@aol.com

Assuming a New Leadership Role

Over the past 30 years, I have stepped into a number of new leadership roles. Experience has taught me that whether starting a team/project from scratch or taking over an existing team or operation, the primary challenge will not be the accomplishing the task at hand, but it will be equipping the people on the team to maximize their talent.

Ten Lessons I Have Learned:

1. Don’t criticize the previous leader
2. Don’t try to change anything right away
3. Ask more questions than you give answers
4. Give each person a clean slate to prove their worth (no matter what you’ve been told about them)
5. Value the experience of those you lead
6. Provide clear feedback as early and as often as possible
7. Be a student of the people you lead
8. Don’t let your title define your worth to the team
9. Serve more than you speak
10. Realize that leadership is a gift not an entitlement

Hiring Church Staff

After some 30 years of ministry, I can honestly say there were a lot of things I would do differently, especially in hiring a church staff member. Many I have served with can attest to that.

I’ve always been a firm believer in learning from my mistakes.

Here are some of the things I have learned:

1. Don’t base the new job description entirely on the last person who held the position.

When filling an existing position, don’t just pull the past job description from when the last person was hired. Take the time to evaluate the direction and missional changes that have occurred in your church since the position was last hired. Now is the time to make changes to current job positions and roles. Don’t miss this opportunity to fine-tune the position before re-hiring.

2. Get as much input on your new job description as possible from as many people as possible.

If you’re hiring a youth pastor, for example, talk to teens and parents of teens. The more input, the better. It’s important that you hire according to your church’s needs, and the best way to find the church’s needs is to ask. There is nothing worse than hiring someone only to find out soon thereafter that they are not a fit for your church.

3. Pre-screen your candidates early so that you can spend more time with the people you are really interested in hiring.

Do this through advertising certain job requirements (experience, style, denominational background, desired education, etc.) upfront. Then make the first cut by weeding out the people who don’t meet all of their published criteria. This allows you to concentrate on candidates that really interest you.

4. Ask better questions during the interview.

Don’t just come to the interview; come prepared. Ask questions that you’ve thought about beforehand. Ask more questions about the candidate’s passions, experience, and relationships to really find out what kind of an employee they might be.

5. Give "what if" scenarios and/or small assignments.

“What would you do if …” type questions really help you get a grip on how a potential employee might respond on the job. Give them some common conflict scenarios (maybe even some real life one’s from your church’s past) and ask them how they would handle the problem. If you’re hiring a worship leader, you could ask them to put together a sample worship order that they would share with you. You’ll find out a ton of information by giving small assignments and asking "what if" questions.

6. Spend more time with your candidates in "non-church" settings.

Spend some additional time in non-church settings. Going out to eat; playing a game of golf; spending some downtime with the candidate and their spouse are all important ways to get to know not only the candidate’s skills, but also their personality.

7. Consider bringing in someone from outside your church to be on your search committee for a fresh "outsiders" perspective.

This one might be a little controversial in some churches, but why not consider bringing one outsider into your interview process? Select a well-respected Christian leader who is not a member of your church to sit in on the hiring process. They can offer you some unbiased input from a totally different perspective.

8. Be even more diligent in checking references.

It is imperative to check references … EVERY TIME. Even though you may think you know the candidate personally, you might be surprised by the number of negative references you receive when you contacted people. You should go beyond the two to three references the candidate gives you. However you tackle checking out references, it’s important to be diligent and exhaustive in this area.

9. Make the chain of command crystal clear, both internally and externally.

Who will the employee answer to? What is the chain of command? Who has the right to ultimately hire and fire? Who decides the pay increases? All these are important to communicate and work out prior to the hire. Both the employee and the people of the church need to know who is ultimately responsible to whom.

10. Take special care when communicating the job description to the congregation.

When announcing your new staff person to your congregation, be clear what this person’s responsibilities are, and what they are not. Be open about the areas this new staff person will work in. And be clear about the things that the person will not be in charge over. Communication is key.

Implement these ten tips into your next job search and see how much more smoothly it goes!

[Based on research by Todd Rhoades]

Today's Prayer

Dear God,

It's true ... I may be the only "Bible" someone ever reads. Please help me be a living testament that is worth reading. Please work through me and help me be a light and a shelter for my non-believing friends, neighbors, coworkers. I am sitting here today, yielded to your will, and asking you to use me open the eyes of someone who has been blind his or her whole life. What an incredible blessing it would be to know I am the instrument you used to bring a person into the Kingdom of God.

Lord I want to hide your Word in my heart so that the Holy Spirit can bring it to remembrance at all the right times, that the words that come forth from my mouth would honor you and point other people to you.

May you be lifted high and exalted, praised, and worshiped above all. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Then the eyes of those who see will no longer be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen (Isaiah 32:3).

Adrian Varlack Elected President of the Historical Society of Church of God Movements

[Click on image to enlarge it.]

Thursday (May 29, 2008) was the Seventh Annual Meeting for the Historical Society of Church of God Movements. We met at the Museum Center at Five Points in Cleveland, TN. There were 20 individuals present, representing five denominations, four archival repositories, a university, a community historical society, and several local churches. The theme for this year’s meeting was “The Development of Early Church of God Ecclesiology” and focused on the leadership roles of R.G. Spurling, founder, and A.J. Tomlinson, first general overseer.

Reverend Michael Padgett, the Society president and pastor of a Church of God Mountain Assembly congregation in Kentucky, moderated the meeting. Dr. Harold Hunter, (Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary) and director of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church Archives and Research Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, presented a paper in response to a paper written by Dr. Dale Coulter, (DPhil, Oxford University) and associate professor of historical theology at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Dr. Coulter’s paper, “The Development of Ecclesiology in the Church of God (Cleveland, TN): A Forgotten Contribution?”, was published in Pneuma: Journal for the Society of Pentecostal Studies (29.1, 2007, p. 59-85).

Participants in this year’s annual meeting represented the Church of God (Cleveland), the Church of God of Prophecy, the Church of God Mountain Assembly, Zion Assembly Church of God, and the United Methodist Church. The historian for Cleveland/Bradley County, Tennessee, and Bible professors at Lee University were present as well.

New officers for the Society include Executive Secretary and Treasurer – Marie Spurling Crook (Zion Assembly COG), President – Adrian Varlack, Sr. (COGOP), First Vice President – Jerald Daffe (COG), and Second Vice President – Louis Morgan (COG).

The Society's mission and purpose are "to promote the study, interpretation and interpretation of the history and heritage of Church of God movements in their variety of expressions. It shall also seek to produce, and encourage the production of historical materials (written, audio-visual, Internet), to encourage the preservation of documents, records and photographs related to the movements, and to promote occasions for the movements to remember, appreciate and celebrate their history and heritage."

"Membership in the Historical Society of Church of God Movements is open to all persons who wish to learn more about the history and heritage of the movements, contribute to our historical understanding, or support the work of the Society."

The Society meets each year on the first Thursday after Memorial Day. The location for next year’s meeting will be announced soon.

Eight Laws of Spiritual Growth

#1 - Spiritual Growth is Incarnational

Spiritual growth is Christ in you…being a Christian is not trying to be like Christ…it is Christ living through you! (Galatians 2:20)
Spiritual growth is both mystical and practical. I Corinthians 3:6…in spiritual growth we have a part and God has a part! Philippians 2:12-13

We are to work out our salvation while God works in our salvation!

#2 - Spiritual Growth Is Intentional

You have to choose to grow! We grow by making commitments. You are as close to God as you choose to be…stop blaming others (husband, wife, friends…)

Get people to make commitment … not move to it. Once people make the commitment then they grow through it.

Jesus first asked people to follow Him … that’s it! It was three years later He asked people to take up their cross. The level of commitment deepened with time.

We need to be a balanced church that challenges people to both “come and see” and “come and die!” This is a process.

Everyone will NOT BE at the same level of commitment.

To the non believer Jesus said “come and see,” to the believer Jesus said “go and tell!”

Once again … commitment MUST be asked for!!! The heat must constantly be turned up!

Providing message notes helps people to remember the message – we forget around 95% of what we hear withing 72 hours. The problem many times is not a matter of dedication but rather retention!

Why use outline and handouts? #1, It increases attention. #2, It increases retention. #3, It increases participation. #4, You can cover more material in less time. #5, You can view the message for years to come. #6, It is the basis for small group discussions. #7, You can use multiple translations. #8, Unbelievers don’t bring Bibles – they don’t have Bibles … and even if they did they would not know where to find the passage!

#3 - Spiritual Growth Is Incremental

It happens in steps, not overnight. I Corinthians 3:18! A baby has to learn to breathe, to eat, to walk, to talk … what is true physically is true spiritually.

You’ve got to know Christ before you can love Him. You’ve got to love Him before you can serve Him. You have to serve Him before you can share Him…

#4 - Spiritual Growth Is Personal

Reality is we grow according to how we are shaped. II Corinthians 5:13

#5 - Spiritual Growth Is Habitual

We grow by developing good habits.

How do we develop habits? #1 - Give homework at the end of a message. (It’s not just about belief–it’s about behavior). #2 - Challenge people to journal. #3 - Provide a daily e-mail devotional/podcast.

#6 - Spiritual Growth Is Relational

A huge myth is that you can become spiritually mature on your own. We can only grow in community. American have gotten so into isolation that we don’t believe this.

If you are not in community then there are at least 58 commands in the Bible that you can’t do. You learn to love by being around unlovely people.

Knowledge makes us feel important … but love IS what is important. Hebrews 10:25

Three tools for relational growth - small groups, spiritual coaches, retreats!

#7 - Spiritual Growth Is Multi-Dimensional

Real maturity is so much more about knowing … it is about doing.

To be a Pharisee … you had to memorize the Torah! And these are the people that Jesus went off on! They KNEW but didn’t do!

We’ve got to be about public charity and personal purity!

#8 - Spiritual Growth Is Seasonal

There are times of growth and times of consolidation! In the fall and winter it may not look like you are growing … but you are actually putting down roots!

Just as sure as winter comes … so does spring and summer. NOTHING is on all of the time. No church can be in a continual state of growth.

Don’t worry about the speed & size of your church … worry about the growth of your people.

We grow in spurts! Pastors can’t push their people all of the time

Growth seasons are done around Saddleback during campaigns. “I love my church campaign, I want to grow campaign, etc.”

[Rick Warren]

Today's Quote

"Praying is more important than preaching. My family is more important than the church." - Jenstezen Franklin

Many Pastors Are Without Health Insurance

Many pastors in America are left to figure out their own health coverage with little or no help from their church or denomination, found a survey released this week.

“Thousands of pastors and churches are among the millions of Americans without health insurance,” said Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, based on responses to the May Evangelical Leaders Survey.

The monthly survey asks the NAE board of directors questions based on relevant issues in society. The NAE board of directors includes the CEO’s of 60 church denominations, and representatives of a broad array of evangelical organizations including missions, universities, publishers and churches. In the latest survey, the majority of respondents expressed that they had little or no help from their national denominations when it comes to securing health insurance.

Many pastors replied that they either received health insurance benefits through their spouse’s employer, a second job, or go without insurance.

“Well over 80 percent of our pastors get health insurance outside the life of the church,” reported one unnamed denominational CEO, according to NAE.

He said that about 10 percent of the pastors in his denomination receive coverage from Medicare or Medicaid.

However, he noted that his denomination did previously offer a health insurance plan, but stopped because younger and healthier ministers could obtain cheaper individual coverage than the national denominational plan that included coverage for older and more difficult to insure pastors.

"We have tried two or three times to provide health insurance, but we have not been able to make it work,” admitted the head of a Pentecostal denomination, in the NAE survey.

Alternative health plan options listed by respondents included high deductible catastrophic coverage, self-insurance, health savings accounts, or coverage through non-insurance Christian organizations that receive monthly contributions that are available to those with large hospital and doctor’s bills.

“This is a large and growing problem for American pastors and churches,” explained Anderson. “So many churches are small and too many pastors are uninsured. There is no room in limited budgets for premiums or no way to get adequate insurance at any price. As clergy age with the rest of America’s population we may see a growing list of pastors entering retirement with bankrupting medical bills.”

The NAE said statistical analysis of responses to the open-ended question was difficult because of the many options pastors and churches are pursuing to get health insurance.

[By Jennifer Riley, Christian Post Reporter]

June 7 is Gay Day at the Magic Kingdom

Before you load up your family and head to Walt Disney World in Orlando, you might want to keep in mind that June 7 is the day when thousands of homosexuals, lesbians and transgenders will converge on the Magic Kingdom to demonstrate their passions in front of a captive audience of tens of thousands of children and unsuspecting parents. June 7 is "Gay Day" at Disney.

This annual event upsets many people, not just Christians. It is offensive to many because Gays openly demonstrate their same-sex affection. Most of them hang out on Main Street and the restaurants in order to be seen.

Just thought you might want to know before you get there.