We All Speak

Watch A Good Movie Tonight

2011-11-11T20:38:00.001-05:00

Today

2011-09-02T12:35:00.001-04:00

Untitled

2011-06-28T13:23:00.001-04:00

I love the son's reaction. All sons should so look forward to seeing their dads.

4 Monday Morning Questions for every Pastor

2011-05-18T12:57:00.001-04:00

4 Monday Morning Questions for Every Pastor
Written by Ken Gosnell
www.lifeway.com

In ministry, Monday mornings are often the most difficult part of the week and of the job. Exhausted from preaching and teaching the weekend before and facing the monumental task of preparing new sermons and lessons for the coming week often lead the preacher feeling overwhelmed and under-appreciated. I have found the following questions help me to get through my Monday mornings and focus on the meat of ministry.

1. Am I fulfilling my call?

Every minister got into ministry because they felt called by God to preach the Gospel, build a church, or help people. Each week it is important to come back to that original calling and remind ourselves that the work that we do is important and essential.

2. Who in my church needs encouragement?

Interacting with people on Sunday allows us to hear the stories of what happened during the previous week. Pausing on Monday morning allows me to spend a few minutes thinking about who in my church needs encouragement and support. Then I can figure out how during the week I will reach out to encourage them. Encouragement might come from a letter I write, a phone call, or even a visit.

3. Who in my church needs to be challenged?

Part of the role of a minister is to bring out the best in the people of the church. Sometimes we do that through encouragement, and sometimes through challenge. Like a coach we need to see what people are capable of doing and ask them to step into new roles and responsibilities. If I don’t pause to think about how people might be challenged it is easy to not focus on how people can improve and develop.

4. How can I model for my church God’s love?

Jesus told us that the greatest commandment was to love God and the second was to love our neighbors. I believe that if he was speaking to preachers he would say love God and then love our members. On Monday I have to ask myself how I can show my members the love of God. This alone often changes my attitude and helps me to think about ways that I can serve my members rather than focus on how they didn’t serve me.

Having a preacher’s journal where I record my thoughts on Monday has been helpful and insightful throughout the years. I believe wholeheartedly that a few minutes of reflection on Monday can transform your everyday’s into special days for your church and for your ministry.

Ken Gosnell is the lead preacher at Restoration Point Christian Church, a church in the DC metro area (www.therestorationpoint.com) and you can reach Ken at kenspeaks@gmail.com

Related Articles:
3 Vital Ways to Encourage Your Church Family
5 Elements of the Call to Ministry
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Reader Comments:

Four good questions, but here are mine.
1. Have you forgiven yourself for not preaching the perfect sermon yesterday?
2. Have you forgiven those that reminded you of this?
3. Have you asked the Lord to help you glorify Him better this week?
4. Have you listened to your wife in the last 72 hours?
By: clarkd52 On: 5/16/2011 5:58:25 AM (Flag this post)

Ken, thank you for your helpful thoughts on Monday mornings in the pastor's study. The problem is that I feel the way I do on Monday mornings (after 36 years of fairly successful ministry) precisely because I constantly ask myself those questions. Do you have another set of questions for those of us who feel we have given our last ounce of energy to the greatest cause (and the greatest people) on earth?
By: Vanita54 On: 5/16/2011 10:45:19 AM (Flag this post)

Happy Mother's Day - Every Mom Counts

2011-05-08T09:18:00.001-04:00

Joe Gibbs - A Higher Calling

2011-05-03T15:20:00.001-04:00

I just finishing reading an article about Joe Gibbs in the December 2010 issue of NASCAR Illustrated. I admire and applaud how Joe Gibbs has made his work a calling from God.

One quote that stood out in the article was when Gibbs was talking about his failures in life, specifically his failure as a dad. The article stated: "I made a lot of mistakes with my kids, I was gone so much and I'm not wanting to do that with my grandkids. Every day I'm home, I'm trying to do something with them. You make mistakes in life. I told my boys,'I'm sorry for all the time I was gone." I told both of them, 'Don't do what I did. Make sure you stay close,'" Gibbs said.

This is the balance that all dads today in our new business reality are trying to deal with. I hope we all can listen to the man of the year and heed his advice of not being away from our kids.

New Study about Relationships

2011-03-09T15:39:00.001-05:00

Great Worship Video

2011-02-14T12:48:00.002-05:00

I love this Sermon Jam

2010-11-05T15:30:00.002-04:00

What Grace is All About - Sermon Jam from this past Sunday

2010-11-04T09:48:00.002-04:00

God Loves All of Us -

2010-11-03T11:28:00.000-04:00

5 Questions to Ask Your Kids Every Day!

2010-10-03T15:51:00.000-04:00

National Fatherhood Initiative asked me to write their Dad E-Mail this week. Having 3 children of ages 2 to 15 I thought this topic was very helpful. I hope you ask your kids these questions everyday.

Five Questions To Ask Your Kids Every Day

by: Ken Gosnell

Connecting with your kids doesn't have to be complicated. With just five questions a day you can build a stronger relationship with your kids.

1. What Is The Most Important Thing That Happened Today? This is a great way to get more than a yes or no answer when you ask about your child's life and day.

2. How Are You And Your Friends Getting Along? You'll get to know your child's social circle and may get a heads up on drama that could be brewing and may cause some later problems.

3. What Is Something I Should Know About You? This question is great for growing any relationship - and you're guaranteed to learn something surprising. Just be prepared to have an answer, too!

4. What Should We Celebrate Today? Make it a goal to have fun with your kids and bring joy into your family's life on a regular basis. It can be as simple as popsicles on the back porch, a good grade on a quiz, or your favorite show being on TV. Savor the little things together.

5. Do You Know That I Love You? You can never say this too much. Always tell your kids you love them - and for who they are, not just for what they do.

ESP - Equally Shared Parenting

2010-06-03T00:22:00.001-04:00

I just read this article: http://www.psychologies.co.uk/articles/equally-shared-parenting/ in this month's issue of Psychologies magazine. It is very interesting...

I must admit that I feel strongly that men should take up the role of father and man but that role should include equal shared parenting...

I would love to hear your comments on this

Dad Camp

2010-06-01T01:21:00.000-04:00

I watched the 'tnew show "Dad Camp" tonight. I think that shows the other side of why dads are important. The question I have to ask is: Why don't women think about the kind of dads they want for their kids before they sleep with or have relationships with some of these losers?

Telling Your Children Your Story

2010-05-26T11:37:00.000-04:00

This is a great post over at the http://www.thefatherfactor.blogspot.com/ about "Telling Your Children Your “Story”. They have a book giveaway for people who post about their favorite movie. Here is what is says:

"Have you ever thought about how you are going to tell your children about your life?

According to author and Generation Y expert Michael McQueen, the current generation of kids yearns to know all about their parents – the good and the bad. And one of the most important things a father can do is to leave a legacy for his children – a legacy they can learn and live from.

Enter Memento, a new book by McQueen that makes it manageable and fun to record your life in writing for your children.

Memento is filled with great questions that allow you to “go deep” and show your real self to your kids, so that when you pass on, they will have a treasure trove of stories to turn to for wisdom and guidance.

Chronicle Books, the publisher of Memento, has given us five copies of the book to give away to readers of The Father Factor. To make you “earn” your free copy, we are running a little contest.

Send us your response to this question from the book for a chance to win a copy of Memento. The five winners will be announced on Monday morning, so the deadline for entries is Sunday, May 30, at midnight!"

Remember – answer this as if your child is asking you: “What is your favorite movie and why?”

Go post and you may win a free book!

Lost - The Season Finale!

2010-05-22T11:59:00.001-04:00

I am a huge lost fan. CNN is showing how some people think the season will end.

I am preaching tomorrow at Restoration Point Christian Church are the topic: Jesus Understands My Lostness."

I am not going to tell how the season will end - but I will say how are lives will end if we end it lost....

11 Things God Does for Church Leaders - Mark Driscoll

2010-05-20T19:06:00.000-04:00

In a post on his Resurgence blog, Mars Hill preaching pastor Mark Driscoll reflected on the 2010 Catalyst West conference, saying that leaders can have real trouble finishing well in the ministry. He laments that he’s personally seen fellow church leaders “burn up, blow up, or give up”—i.e., the stress and work of the ministry can destroy a leader physically, spiritually and/or practically. He says, “We do great damage to ourselves, our family, and our church when we ignore the fact that ministry is not what we do for God. Rather, ministry is what God promises to do first FOR us, and then IN us before doing anything through us.”

In hopes of encouraging ministry leaders, Driscoll reminds readers of the biblical promises God offers to, in, and through ministry leadership:

Jesus is the senior pastor of the church. (1 Peter 5:4)
The Holy Spirit chooses leaders for the church. (Acts 20:28)
God gifts leaders of the church. (Ephesians 4:11–12)
God empowers leaders for the church. (1 Corinthians 15:10)
God encourages leaders in the church. (2 Corinthians 4:1)
The Holy Spirit speaks to leaders about the church. (Acts 13:2–3)
God gives wisdom to leaders over the church. (2 Timothy 2:7)
Jesus joins leaders as they discipline in the church. (Matthew 18:20)
God answers leaders’ prayers for the church. (James 5:14–15)
The Holy Spirit falls on Bible preaching in the church. (Acts 10:44)
The Holy Spirit says no to leaders of the church. (Acts 16:6)

From Mark Driscoll, The Resurgence blog

Dads Get PostPartum Depression Too

2010-05-19T16:44:00.006-04:00

CNN (www.cnn.com) just ran an article about dads and postpartum depression. You can read the entire article at: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/05/18/postpartum.dads/index.html?hpt=T2

This is very interesting. It shows that dads are connected to their babies even from the start. I would like to hear your stories - did you get depressed after your child was born?

Dad offers Child for Beer/Drugs

2010-05-18T16:18:00.000-04:00

A News report out today reports that a "Massachusetts man offered to trade his 3-month-old daughter to an employee at a gas station and convenience store in exchange for beer, or perhaps crack cocaine, police say.

Matthew Brace, 24, of Northampton allegedly made the offer on Monday in what Chicopee Police Chief John Ferraro Jr. called "a new low."

"It’s not a joke; this is very serious,” Ferraro said Tuesday, according to The Republican."

You can read the entire article here:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37208622/ns/us_news-weird_news/?Gt1=43001

I agree with the police officer - this is a new low! The sad fact is that a lot of dads trade their children for many things in life. I have known dads that trade their kids for:

1. More time at the office. Many dads neglect their kids because they are trying to hard to advance at work.

2. Focus on their hobbies. A lot of dads want to focus on their hobbies rather than on the responsibilty of being good dads

3. Poor Habits and addictions. Just like the dad in their story, all dads have poor habits that can eat away at the time that they should be spending with their kids.

The point - let's not trade away that which is most valuable for something that is useless.

31 Things I wish I would have known - Father's Thoughts to his daughter

2010-05-17T18:42:00.002-04:00

I read this blog post at MSN.com today and I found it quite interesting. I sent it to my teenager daughter and said:

"I know you are not 31 or even 21 but I thought you might find some of these interesting. Let's talk about this tonight when I get home. I love you!"

Here is the list...

1. If you're confused about whether a guy likes you or not, that's probably not good. Confusion in romance belongs only in romantic comedies because it suspends the plot, but suspense in real life sucks. So try not to analyze the events. The truth will reveal itself without you having to do anything.

2. Sometimes guys flirt with you or pay attention to you because it makes them feel good about themselves. (Hey, we do it, too.)

3. Even a guy who will admit that you're better looking than him should still be able to tell you you're beautiful. If he holds back in order to control the situation, or to keep you, or keep you down, he's got issues.

4. Don't help him ask you out by texting him something nice or polite. I'm glad you're more outgoing and thoughtful than he is, but he doesn't want the help.

5. Guys want to get busy more than anything. They'll say anything to close the deal.

6. It's shocking how much guys will talk about marriage. Until there's a ring on your finger, it will be better for you if you pretend you're deaf.

7. It's better not to lift a finger in the beginning.

8. In the early stages, giving him presents is too much. Generosity looks desperate to guys. You may be a great shopper and gift-wrapper; it may be his birthday and you may be wild about birthdays — even still, he'll think you're just wild about him. Too wild.

9. Guys just do not think like girls. I wish I'd had a brother. Real boys are nothing like the boys in movies.

10. They might take a decade to mature. Don't hope they'll grow up or be ready in the next six months.

11. Even if your family thinks there's going to be a marriage, don't let them spoil your guy. Yes, he's grateful you gave him your car when he moved out of NYC, but he would rather have had to work for it.

12. Learn to cook. Learn to cook well. I see now that it would have won me a lot of points. A LOT.

13. Just because he might be smarter than you or more talented at certain things doesn't mean he's your servant and won't mind doing all your homework/research/chores.

14. Guys get resentful, too.

15. You're special, unique, and important, but you're not a princess — no matter what Daddy says (although for the record, my dad calls me "Erin").

16. It's okay to say no. It's more than okay. It's always okay. If he stops calling (and many, many, many will), you're only weeding out the guys who aren't truly interested in you as a person. Time saved!

17. Playing it safe guarantees you'll have more time and energy to think about your grades or your work. Less drama in your life will always be better and healthier for you.

18. You deserve to be treated like a human being.

19. Your wants and needs are just as important as his, and if you don't express them because you think it will scare him away, then you're saying you don't count as much as he does.

20. Even sophisticated people with professional jobs can have tempers or hit you or use foul language. I've known men who dressed like diplomats but they were ugly human beings.

21. You can't force chemistry. If you like him as a friend, the attraction might grow, but if it doesn't, don't force it. And don't waste his time.

22. Ease up on the sauce. Alcohol clouds your judgment.

23. No boyfriend-girlfriend relationship starts with a 1 a.m. booty text.

24. When a guy has taken you to Applebee's five times and you say you want to treat him, he'll be psyched. But secretly he'll freak out if you take him to Ruth's Chris, even just the one teeny time. Don't try to match him one Ruth's Chris for five Applebee's. Take him out, but go to T.G.I. Friday's.

25. Women love attention. A guy needs to be pretty crazy about you in order for him to pay enough attention to make you happy long-term.

26. My mom always said, "Men don't think." I thought she meant, "They are mistaken in their thoughts." But they're just not thinking anything at all. About you. They're watching the game. That's why they haven't called.

27. There should be a medium ground between workaholism and his absolute devotion. "The knight departing for new adventures offends his lady, yet she has nothing but contempt for him if he remains at her feet" (Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 658).

28. Never underestimate the quality of "interesting." Men want someone interesting. They really do. Find some hobbies.

29. What are you hoping to gain by hooking up with this guy? If the answer is "him," that's a bad deal for you. "The woman gives herself, the man adds to himself by taking her" (de Beauvoir 659).

30. Expectations? They'll ruin every dating experience you have.

31. You will never understand men. Just try to understand yourself.

My Defining Moments in Ministry

2010-05-06T22:43:00.002-04:00

www.lifeway.com just published my latest article about ministry. I have recently been thinking about my "defining moments in ministry." Find below what I thought were my defining moments in ministry...

For those of us that have been in ministry for awhile, it can seem that one Sunday runs into the next and that every Sunday becomes like the Sunday before it. However, as I look back over the landscape of ministry I find that there are some defining moments that have shaped me as a Christian leader.

Is God Calling Me?

As you read these, think about your own defining moments and write about them in your journal. You may also wish to sign in and add one or more of your defining moments as comments to this article.

Defining Moment #1 - The Day that I Embraced my Calling.

Ministry leaders all receive a call from God to do the work that they do. I knew that I was called but after going through the bumps of ministry and thinking about giving up I finally embraced Romans 11:29, “since God’s gracious gifts and calling are irrevocable.” (HCSB)

Defining Moment #2 – The Day I Resigned My First Ministry.

This was the day that I became keenly aware that the Kingdom of God was bigger then my efforts or my abilities. This is the day that I realized that my work would have to be continued by someone else. This is the day that I fully understood what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:6 when he stated, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” (HCSB).

Defining Moment #3 – The Day I Preached My First Funeral.

It is easy for ministry to engulf our time energy, and our focus. The day I preached my first funeral was the day that I realized that all of my days would end. I realized that no matter how hard I tried that I would leave some things undone. I also realized in that defining moment that some of the struggles and trials that I faced on that day would someday prove to be insignificant.
Defining Moment #4 – The Day I Quit Comparing Myself to Others.

It is so tempting in ministry to compare ourselves to someone else and focus on where we lack on fall short. I believe that this is one of the most damaging points of ministry. God never calls us to be someone else or even like someone else. God is the God of individuality. In fact Jesus states in Luke 12:7 “Indeed, the hairs of your head are all counted. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows!" (HCSB). God knows me and created me just as I am. He does not want me to compare myself to someone else.

Defining Moment #5 – The Day I learned to Forgive Those Who Had Hurt Me.

One aspect that makes ministry tough is the fact that we see the same people over and over again. When we have a disagreement or a difference that pops up it is something that plays itself over a period of months or even years. One aspect of ministry that was never taught to me in seminary was how to forgive others. It is something that we preach about but not something that is easy to practice. I have come to believe that an essential part of ministry is to forgive others. The day that I realized that was the day my ministry changed.

Ministry in the 21st Century can be difficult and exhausting. I am thankful for the days of ministry when I see lives transformed because of people developing a relationship with God. I am thankful for days when I see families transformed because they have learned about grace, love, and acceptance. But most of all I am thankful for the God who has revealed defining moments of my ministry that have shaped me as a minister and transformed the type of ministry I would perform.

My Top Ten Leadership Books

2010-03-04T14:34:00.003-05:00

I was just asked by a friend what are my favorite leadership books. Here is my top ten list:

10. The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done by Peter Drucker

Peter Drucker begins this book by pointing out that there is no science of how to improve executive effectiveness, nor any naturally-occurring effective executives. The redeeming point of this problem is that he argues that executive effectiveness can be learned.
The principles begin with a focus on time management. We can get greater quantities of every other resource we need, except time. Drucker reports that executives spend their time much differently than they think they do and much differently than they would like to. His solution is to begin by measuring how you spend your time, and compare it with an ideal allocation.

Next, Drucker argues that we should focus on what will make a difference rather than unimportant questions. Otherwise, we will fill our time with motion rather than proceeding towards results. Perhaps the best section in the book has to do with executive decision-making, when to make a decision, about what, and what principles to apply. If you only read this section, you would be well rewarded for studying this fine book.

http://www.amazon.com/Effective-Executive-Definitive-Harperbusiness-Essentials/dp/0060833459/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267731307&sr=8-1

9. The Leadership Challenge, 4th Edition (Paperback) by Kouzes and Ponser

An inspirational and practical handbook, this expanded revision of a bestselling manual originally published in 1987 offers sound advice to corporate leaders and entrepreneurs, to managers and employees and to aspiring leaders in retail, manufacturing, government, community, church and school settings. Drawing on interviews and a questionnaire survey of more than 3000 leaders, the authors identify five fundamental practices of exemplary leadership: challenge the status quo; inspire a shared vision; enable others to act; model the way forward by setting an example; tap individuals' inner drives by linking rewards and performance. Kouzes, chairman and CEO of TPG/Learning Systems, and Posner, managing partner of Santa Clara University's Executive Development Center in California, write insightful, down-to-earth, jargon-free prose. This new edition has been substantially updated to reflect the challenges of shrinking work forces, rising cynicism and expanded telecommunications. An appendix includes the author's Leadership Practices Inventory, a tool for assessing leadership behavior.

http://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Challenge-4th-James-Kouzes/dp/0787984922/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267731538&sr=1-1-spell

8. How To Win Friends and Influence People (Hardcover) by Dale Carnegie

This grandfather of all people-skills books was first published in 1937. It was an overnight hit, eventually selling 15 million copies. How to Win Friends and Influence People is just as useful today as it was when it was first published, because Dale Carnegie had an understanding of human nature that will never be outdated. Financial success, Carnegie believed, is due 15 percent to professional knowledge and 85 percent to "the ability to express ideas, to assume leadership, and to arouse enthusiasm among people." He teaches these skills through underlying principles of dealing with people so that they feel important and appreciated. He also emphasizes fundamental techniques for handling people without making them feel manipulated. Carnegie says you can make someone want to do what you want them to by seeing the situation from the other person's point of view and "arousing in the other person an eager want." You learn how to make people like you, win people over to your way of thinking, and change people without causing offense or arousing resentment. For instance, "let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers," and "talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person." Carnegie illustrates his points with anecdotes of historical figures, leaders of the business world, and everyday folks. --Joan Price

http://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/1439167346/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267731747&sr=1-1

7. Leadership Is an Art (Paperback) by Max DePree

Rather than offering a how-to manual on running a business, DePree, CEO of Herman Miller Inc., a manufacturer of office furniture, details, in deceptively simple but imaginative language, a humanitarian approach to leadership. The artful leader, he argues, should recognize human diversity and make full use of his or her employees' gifts. Further, he believes, a leader is responsible not just for the health of a company's financial assets, but for its ethics. Advocating management through persuasion, and the exercise of democratic participation rather than concentrated power, he favors covenantal relationships with employees that rest on shared purpose, dignity and choice. The author stresses the need for communication, but his only direct guidance concerns the need for job performance reviews and self-evaluation. Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

http://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Art-Max-Depree/dp/0385512465/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267731906&sr=1-20

6. Servant Leadership: A Journey into the Nature of Legitimate Power and Greatness 25th Anniversary Edition [Deluxe Edition] (Hardcover) by Robert Greenleaf

Twenty-five years ago Robert Greenleaf published these prophetic essays on what he coined servant leadership, a practical philosophy that replaces traditional autocratic leadership with a holistic, ethical approach. This highly influential book has been embraced by cutting edge management everywhere. Yet in these days of Enron and what VISA CEO Dee Hock calls our "era of massive institutional failure," Greenleaf's seminal work must reach the mainstream now more than ever. Servant Leadership helps leaders find their true power and moral authority to lead. It helps those served become healthier, wiser, freer, and more autonomous. This book encourages collaboration, trust, listening, and empowerment. It offers long-lasting change, not a temporary fix and extends beyond business for leaders of all types of groups.

http://www.amazon.com/Servant-Leadership-Legitimate-Greatness-Anniversary/dp/0809105543/ref=sr_1_23?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267731906&sr=1-23

5. On Becoming a Leader (Paperback) by Warren Bennis

Business consultant and University of Southern California professor of business administration, Bennis here deplores what he considers a dearth of leadership in the world. Although he provides solid, practical guidance in how to fill this vacuum, his philosophically and psychologically rich volume seeks primarily to define leadership--which, in his view, requires self-knowledge and clear personal goals. Leaders in widely diverse areas--represented by television producer Norman Lear, AIDS researcher Mathilde Krim, CEO John Sculley and feminist Gloria Steinem--all share, contends Bennis, the ability to unite people in a common purpose. The curiosity of leaders, their faith in an "inner voice" and success in seizing control of their lives distinguish them from mere managers. But while a leader may demonstrate talent, the author observes that its fulfillment depends largely on organizational response to the challenge.

http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Leader-Warren-Bennis/dp/0465014089/ref=sr_1_29?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267732190&sr=1-29

4. Jesus on Leadership (Paperback) by C. Gene Wilkes

This book is definitely read at your own risk because it may change your view of leadership. It is a corrective book for the 21st century paradigm. The author builds seven principles of leadership: #1: Humble Your Heart #2: First Be A Follower #3: Find Greatness In Service #4: Take Risks #5: Take Up The Towel #6: Share Responsibility & Authority #7: Build A Team

http://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Leadership-C-Gene-Wilkes/dp/0842318631/ref=sr_1_83?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267732397&sr=1-83

3. Developing the Leader Within You (Paperback) by John Maxwell

Few of us are natural-born leaders, according to John C. Maxwell, author of Developing the Leader Within You. Fortunately though, "the traits that are the raw material of leadership can be acquired," he promises. "Link them up with desire and nothing can keep you from becoming a leader. This book will supply the leadership principles. You must supply the desire." True to his words, Maxwell offers a detailed and inspiring primer on becoming a leader. Even the Table of Contents reads like a motivational poster.

Maxwell (The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader), who is the founder of INJOY, a Christian-based leadership program, debunks the myth that strong leaders must have big egos and spend all their time harnessing personal power. Instead, he elevates leadership to a spiritual act of service: "The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership." Maxwell relies on real-life anecdotes, short paragraphs, charts, and numerous lists to make his wisdom accessible. As a result, his writing often seems simplistic, with a self-help tone. Nonetheless, in teaching readers how to bring out the best in themselves as well as others, Maxwell offers a worthwhile life lesson that extends far beyond the workplace. --Gail Hudson

http://www.amazon.com/Developing-Leader-Within-John-Maxwell/dp/0785281126/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267732794&sr=1-7

2. Management of the Absurd Paradoxes in Leadership (Paperback) by Richard Farson

In organizations, as in life, human behavior is often irrational -- and problems do not easily lend themselves to the simplistic answers and gimmickry offered in the myriad business "self-help" books and management training programs available today. In Management of the Absurd, Richard Farson zeros in on the paradoxes of communication, the politics of management, and the dilemmas of change, exploring relationships within organizations and offering a unique perspective on the challenges managers face.

http://www.shearonforschools.com/Management%20of%20the%20Absurd%20Paradoxes%20in%20Leadership%20by%20Richard%20Farson/

1. The Top 10 Mistakes Leaders Make (Paperback) by Hans Finzel

Poor leadership habits spawn new generations of poor leaders. Or they create enough discomfort that the leader figures out how to do it right. That has been the experience of author Hans Finzel and many others. In this leadership classic Hans describes the ten most common leadership faux pas: • The top-down attitude• Dirty delegation• Putting paperwork before peoplework• Communication chaos• The absence of affirmation• Missing the culture clues• No room for mavericks• Success without successors• Dictatorship in decision-making• Failure to focus on the future. "Solid concepts. Great quotes. Good stories. Hans Finzel has combined sophisticated leadership theory with practical principles to teach us how to lead. Read this book today and become a better leader tomorrow." by Leith Anderson

http://www.amazon.com/Top-10-Mistakes-Leaders-Make/dp/8179926788/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1267733288&sr=1-2-fkmr0

Tiger Wood Press Conference - Life of Duplicity

2010-02-19T12:22:00.001-05:00

Tiger Woods has now spoken about his life of duplicity. He admitted in his press conference that he was living a life of excess because he thought that he deserving because of his accomplishments.

Tiger follows a long list of priviaged men that have lived lives of duplicity. They say one thing and then do another. Let us learn from the wounds of this tiger and live a life that is transparent and honest.

Inventor of the Frisbee Dies

2010-02-15T16:40:00.003-05:00

Frisbee Inventor Fred Morrison died this past week.

"FRED MORRISON, a pilot and carpenter credited with inventing that most ubiquitous of backyard toys, the frisbee, has died at his home in Monroe, Utah, aged 90.The inspiration for Morrison’s flying-saucer toy came when he and his girlfriend were entertaining themselves by tossing a popcorn-tin lid in the backyard.

The lid eventually became dented, and a cake pan from Morrison’s mother’s kitchen was substituted.One day when the couple were playing on the beach, a stranger offered them a quarter for the device. “That got the wheels turning,” Morrison told a reporter in 2007."

I must admit that I love the Frisbee. I have spent many hours as a kid playing with the little round toy. It has been said of Frisbee lovers that, "When we die, we don't go to purgatory. We just land up on the roof and lay there." Lawyer Kay McIff, who represented Morrison in a royalties case, said the American inventor died at his home in Monroe, Utah, on Tuesday February 9th, 2010.

"That simple little toy has permeated every continent in every country, as many homes have Frisbees as any other device ever invented," McIff, who is from Morrison's hometown, Richfield, Utah, said. "How would you get through your youth without learning to throw a Frisbee?"

Let me repeat that last phrase: "How would you get throguh your youth without learning to throw a Frisbee?" This reminds me of the words of David who in Psalm 71 declared...

"16 I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign LORD;I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone. 17 Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. 18 Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come. 19 Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things. Who, O God, is like you? 20 Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up."

You see God has done something better that each person in this world should know - He has given the marvelous gift of Salvation and restored our life. His power can touch us whether we are young or old. He renewal comes to us in our joy and in our sadness. His acts on our behalf make the old, young - to make the sick, well - to make the lost found. This is something we can praise God for and something we should proclaim from generation to generation.

Good For Dads to Go to Church!

2010-02-11T18:37:00.002-05:00

National Fatherhood Initiative just released a survey of how moms feel about dads. Terry comments on the findings at the above link.

The Point is that dads that go to church are better dads!

Dads in the Delivery Room

2009-10-26T12:10:00.001-04:00

I recently appeared on the Dr. Nancy Show to discuss the tpoic: Dads in the Delivery Room. I recently expereinced the birth of my son Kaiden and know how special those hours in the delivery room were. You can see the interview below:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Pastor Shot...Lived a Life of duplicity

2009-09-04T18:36:00.001-04:00

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/09/04/georgia.pastor.shot/index.html

Come to the River

2009-08-16T09:06:00.000-04:00

Refresh: Warning Signs

2009-07-29T23:16:00.000-04:00

I am preaching a series through the book of Ezekiel. This week's sermon in on Ezekiel 5 - Warning Signs. I am going to use this video to introduce the passage...

The Father Friendly Factor

2009-07-09T17:02:00.000-04:00

Are You Father-Friendly?

More and more men state that work-family balance issues prevent them from being a successful parent, and more and more women are saying that they want their husbands to be more available so that they can balance their work-family priorities, as well.

I was privileged to talk with several other experts on Kojo Nnamdi's NPR show last week - Work-Life Balance : A Male Perspective. As Generation Y men enter the workforce and become parents, they're placing more emphasis on their role as a father and are looking for companies who will do the same, even in tougher economic times.

With Father's Day just passed, it's a good time to analyze what are you doing for the fathers in your company. Many work-life programs offer parenting resources for both women and men, but with information and a style that is geared more for women. Maternity leave is a standard, but paternity leave is only starting to catch on.

Focusing on fathers will boost your bottom line - studies show that good fathers are better leaders - and it doesn't have to be expensive. Here are some ideas:
Include Men/Fathers In Marketing Collateral. If you're advertising a seminar/workshop or hosting a presentation, make sure the imagery includes men and fathers so that men feel welcome and at-ease.

Offer Literature Specifically for Fathers. Brochures/pamphlets with specific information for men on topics like balancing work and family, keeping children safe, and other parenting tips will get more traction among men.

Organize a Dads Group. Encourage men to meet over lunch and invite in guest speakers. This will give them a safe place to talk about fathering and support each other.
To see how father-friendly your company is, you can use a free diagnostic tool - the Father Friendly Check-Up. Offered by the National Fatherhood Initiative, it helps you pin-point strategies for becoming a more father-friendly organization.

Don't let your fathers get left in the dust during these tough economic times. With just a little ingenuity and resourcefulness, you can actively and effectively support the fathers in your company.

Reflect: How To Make Good Decisions

2009-05-14T16:45:00.003-04:00

I just read this article over at the "Church Leaders Intelligance Report." You can read the entire article at: http://trackit.outreach.com/read/archive?id=4786&e=kenspeaks%40gmail%2ecom&x=241b03b4

"Carl Spetzler, director of the Strategic Decision and Risk Management Program at Stanford University, develops decision-making strategies for managers and executives making choices about everything from acquisition targets to international strategy. He offers this definition of a "good" decision:

The right frame. Assurance that you're solving the right problem in the first place.

Clarity about what you want. You know whether you're trying to maximize value or to minimize damage.

Creative alternatives.

Gathering the right information, including information about uncertainty, which is essential if you want to choose the best alternative.

Reasoning, which includes what you know and what you don't.

A commitment to make it happen, since a decision is no stronger than its weakest link.

Refresh: National Day of Prayer

2009-05-07T11:28:00.002-04:00

Today, is the National Day of Prayer. I was interested in this recent report that came out about the prayer lives of preachers.

You can read the report at: http://trackit.outreach.com/read/archive?id=4757&e=kenspeaks%40gmail%2ecom&x=0433bce2

The report stated: "According to the survey, the average Protestant minister prays for 39 minutes a day, although 21% typically spend 15 minutes or less per day in prayer. Although younger ministers are less satisfied with their prayer lives, this does not appear to be due to spending significantly less time in prayer. Younger ministers average 35 minutes a day in prayer, compared to 41 minutes among pastors 45 to 59 years old, and 38 minutes among older pastors. The typical pastor spends 32% of his or her prayer time making requests, 20% in quiet time or listening to God, 18% giving thanks, 17% in praise, and 14% in confession."

What do you think - Why don't you think preachers pray more?

Redesign: Twittering in Church

2009-05-03T14:54:00.002-04:00

I just read this article at cnn. You can read the article at: http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1895463,00.html?cnn=yes

Obviously I like this idea as far as people processing sermon information and being able to communicate to others what they are learning and thinking.

However, I do have to wonder if we should start having a ban on twittering in certain services so that we can truly hear God speak...

Redesign - A New/Old Way of Doing Church

2009-05-03T08:51:00.002-04:00

I just reads this article about "house churches" at www.azcentral.com. This is an idea that I have been really thinking about over the last few months. I also just started reading Barna's book "Revolution" which is about the same idea. I kind of see this as a both and deal. We should have a time of all the church being together but we should ultilize the concept of the house church. what do you think.

Redesign: How to Lead Change in the Church

2009-04-08T08:11:00.004-04:00

This article was just posted over at the "Church Leaders Intelligence Report."

How to Lead Change In his classic text, Leading Change, John Kotter offers insights into the mechanics of change. In particular, he explores the following eight fundamental qualities of successful change leadership.

Establish a sense of urgency. Wise leaders realize people have an aversion to change. Unless prodded to make adjustments, most people won't budge from business as usual. Since leaders are likely the first ones to sense the need for change, they must convey a sense of urgency by convincingly identifying the threats of staying the same.
Gather a guiding coalition. Before making the case for change to the entire organization, a leader should persuade fellow influencers of its necessity. In every company, a small group of stakeholders lay claim to a majority of the influence. Unless a change agent rallies these key decision-makers to his side, he will have difficulty garnering enough momentum to shift the organization.
Create vision. Before launching a movement for change, it's essential to formulate a compelling vision to support it. The vision should clearly spell out the rationale for making a change, and it should paint a picture of the preferred future that will arise as a result. The vision should be refined and simplified until it can be shared in five minutes or less.
Communicate vision. Human emotions tend to be drawn toward the discomfort and inconveniences of change. For this reason, it's critical to make every effort to communicate the value of change. Leaders too readily fear repeating themselves when they should be more afraid of their people misinterpreting the vision or losing sight of it.
Empower others to act on the vision.First and foremost, build margin for change. People's responsibilities continue in addition to their involvement in major change initiatives. Give them space to internalize the change and readjust their focus. Changing is a difficult endeavor. Be sure ample resources, meetings, and man-hours are being devoted to make it happen.
Plan for and create short-term wins. Often the scale of a needed change can be overwhelming. Whittle it down into bite-sized bits, and be sure to celebrate every milestone accomplished. Build upon small, short-term victories to infuse the team with momentum so they can carry out the full extent of the desired changes.
Consolidate improvements to extend change. At first, changes are fragile. They need nourishment and protection in order to take root in the organization. Be vigilant of hard-fought changes, and recognize that many of them will take years to be fully ingrained in the organization.
Institutionalize new approaches. The best leaders know change is not a once-in-a-while proposition. The process of change is ongoing. When leaders manage change effectively, they gain respect and earn the right to craft a culture where change is a regular, even welcome, aspect of the organization.

Adapted from "How to Lead Change," by John Kotter, Leadership Wired, Issue 1, 9/08

Reflect: You Are Going to Die the Way You Live...

2009-04-07T23:34:00.003-04:00

There is a great article over at CNN entitled: You Are Going to Die the Way You Live." This is a great title and I think would make a good sermon series....

What do you think would be the best sermons for this series?

The article speaks about the fact that death is just a part of life and how a person has lived will also be a big factor in how the person will end their life.

As I reflect on this concept I hope that I have lived...

1. As a good husband that loved his wife as a soulmate and as a friend.

2. As a great dad who was involved, responsible, and committed

3. As a faithful servant of God whom God will be able to say "Well done good and faithful servant."

4. As a preacher of the Bible who always proclaimed the Word of God with boldness and conviction.

5. As a continual learner who always tried to improve himself and the situations around him.

6. As a hard worker who never forgot that his father modeled for him how to work hard in the coal refining factories of the midwest.

7. As person that was always optomistic and looked for the best in others.

If this is how I lived, then I know that I will die with peace and love

Redesign: Mormons Leading the Way

2009-04-02T13:24:00.005-04:00

The Arizona Republic has an interesting article today about how illegal immigrants are dividing the church. The article points out how aggressive Mormons have been at reaching immigrants and that some don't consider whether those immigrants are illegal or not. You can read the article at the link above or at: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/04/02/20090402ldslatinos0402.html

I think this issue will be one of major issues facing the church for the next 50 years. I wrote an article for churches on how to be more immigrant friendly. You can read the article at: http://www.christianstandard.com/articledisplay.asp?id=319

What do you think?

Should churches ask immigrants they reach if they are legal or not?

Refresh: Know the Signs of Burnout

2009-04-02T08:28:00.002-04:00

I just read this great article over at the Christian Leadership Alliance about Burnout. I found it helpful and thought you would as well.

Both staff and volunteers at a church can be susceptible to burnout, even when they have a deep passion or calling for their work. It is vitally important that a pastor know the signs of burnout and remain vigilant about preventing it in those who regularly serve in the church.

Burnout is defined as a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion caused by long-term exposure to a demanding situation. Burnout is the cumulative result of stress. A person may be more prone to burnout if he/she:

Identifies so strongly with work that they lack a reasonable balance between work and their personal life

Tries to be everything to everyone

Holds a monotonous job

Works in the helping professions, such as health care, counseling, teaching, law enforcement or the church.

Ask these questions to see if a partner in your ministry is experiencing signs of burnout:

Do they find themselves being more cynical, critical and sarcastic at work?

Have they lost the ability to experience joy?

Do they drag themselves to work and have trouble getting started once they arrive?
Have they become more irritable and less patient with co-workers, work partners or visitors?

Do they feel that they face insurmountable barriers to their ministry?

Do they seem to lack the energy to be consistently productive?

Do they no longer feel satisfaction from achievements?

Do they have a hard time laughing at themselves?

Are they tired of people asking if they're OK?

Do they feel disillusioned about their service or position?

Are they self-medicating—using food, drugs or alcohol—to feel better or to simply not feel?
Have their sleep habits or appetite changed?

Are they troubled by headaches, neck pain or lower back pain?

Burnout can be overcome, but first we must understand its cause. Burnout can result from:

Lack of control. Perhaps a servant is unable to influence decisions that affect their ministry, such as the hours they work or the assignments they get. Perhaps they're unable to control the amount of work that comes in.

Unclear job expectations. Examples include uncertainty over what degree of authority they have and not having the necessary resources to do their work.

Dysfunctional workplace dynamics. Examples are serving with a bully, being undermined by ministry partners or having a leader who micromanages their work.
Mismatch in values. If their values differ from those of the organization or the way it handles grievances, it will wear on them.

Poor job fit. Working in a ministry that poorly aligns with their interests and skills is certain to become more and more stressful over time.

Extremes of activity. When a ministry is always monotonous or chaotic, they'll need constant energy to remain focused. Over time, this energy drain can lead to burnout.

As a pastor, maintain an awareness of situations that might produce burnout in yourself, your staff or those who serve. Do not allow the symptoms of burnout to go ignored. Like stress, burnout can have significant health consequences including fatigue, insomnia and weight gain or loss. It has the potential to put some people at increased risk of depression, anxiety and other emotional difficulties. Working in an environment that negatively affects your physical and mental health can affect your personal life and, left untreated, it can spoil a Christian's heart for ministry, the church or even God. Make it a priority to eliminate the risk of burnout from your church's ministry.

Christian Leadership Alliance, 8/11/08

Blogging Again

2009-03-21T11:23:00.006-04:00

All - I enjoy blogging but I have a little blog burnout over the last year. I am starting up the blog again to my on line friends and for the friends in my area. I hope to post about the church, life, and other important issues facing Christians in this world. The blog will be devided into the following post:

Reflect: Those concepts that I am preaching about or spending time thinking about. I would ask that you think about them as well and help me to think further than I ever could on my own.

Rejoice: Those things that I find encouraging and what I want to share with my friends

Refresh: Thoughts around how to stay connected to God and live in proper flow

Restore: Posts about my church: Restoration Point Christian Church

Redesign: Comments on how the church and life should be redesigned to be more like God would desire.

Be Part of My Fatherhood Fifty

2008-11-13T20:43:00.002-05:00

As many of you know a couple of years ago I joined an organization entitled the National Fatherhood Initiative (http://www.fatherhood.org/). Growing up with a good dad I always recognized the importance of a good dad, but having heard the stories of both good and bad dads over the past couple of years I have been deeply touched about the importance of helping dads become involved, responsible and committed in the lives of their children and families. I don't normally ask others to become involved with all that God reveals to me or that I become interested in, but I have felt an extra need in this area.

The body of research that forms the basis for the National Fatherhood Initiative's (NFI's) important work is overwhelming. Currently, one out of every three children in the U.S. is growing up in a home without their biological father. This number rises to 2 out of 3 in African-American communities. Studies consistently show that kids who grow up without fathers in the home, on average, do worse across every economic, psychological, social, and educational measurement.

Kids from father absent homes are:

Five times more likely to live in poverty

Three times more likely to fail in school

Two times more likely to abuse drugs

Two times more likely to become involved in crime

Two times more likely to be abused and neglected

Three times more likely to commit suicide

In addition to these staggering statistics, we recently released a study titled, "The One Hundred Billion Dollar Man: The Annual Public Costs of Father Absence." This study was carried out by independent researchers who found that the issue of father absence is costing the federal government $100 billion a year in the form of support for single-mother households and child support enforcement.

Clearly, the issue of father absence has far reaching and damaging consequences for our nation's children and for our society as a whole. Since 1994, NFI has taken an innovative approach to addressing the problem of father absence. I am now reaching out to you as my personal friends because God has given me the vision of rasing up 49 other individuals that are committed to this father cause.

I am asking you to join me to form a group that I am going to call the "fatherhood fifty." All I am asking you to do is to say 50 prayers over 50 days concerning NFI, fatherhood, your children and the children that go to bed everynight without a father. Additionally, I am asking that you make a one time gift of $50.00 to the National Fatherhood Initiative. Please join me in this important cause.

You can join me by 1. Sending me an e-mail committing to be one of the fatherhood 50. 2. Send a check made out to NFI to me at 101 Lake Forest Blvd Gaithersburg MD 20877 and 3. Starting November 13th pray for NFI and for your children every day for the rest of the year (50 Days). Thanks again and I look forward to accomplishing great things with your help. Ken

You can follow the fatherhood fifty at: http://www.fatherhoodfifty.blogspot.com/

Fall Festival - Whittier Lake Park

2008-11-01T21:15:00.000-04:00

What We Believe...

2008-10-07T15:58:00.001-04:00

I was recently asked what the church that I teaches at beleives. Here are some of the core values that we teach...

As an independent, non-denominational church, Catoctin Christian Church believes:

... that Jesus Christ is the one and only Son of God, who died for our sins and arose from the dead.(1 Corinthians 15: 1-8 & John 3:16)
... that the Bible is the inspired word of God - a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.(2 Timothy 3:16 & Psalm 119:105)
... that every person has worth as a creation of God, but that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.(Romans 3:23)
... that forgiveness of sins and the promise of eternal life are available to those who trust Christ as Savior and Lord.(John 3:16)
... that those accepting Christ should repent of sin, confess their faith, and be baptized into Him.(Romans 10:9 & Acts 2:38)
... that the Church is the body of Christ on earth, empowered by the Holy Spirit and exists to evangelize the lost and edify the saved.(Ephesians 4:1-16)
... that Jesus Christ will one day return to earth and reign forever as King of kings and Lord of lords.(1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Life Lessons from Nicodemus:

2008-09-17T21:52:00.000-04:00

John 3:1-21

1. We all Need a Fresh Start.

Note verse 3. “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born again.”
Key Question to Ask: Where in my life do I need a fresh start?

2. Fresh Starts Start with Spirit and Water.

· V.5 “Very truly I tell you , no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.”
Water—Is a reference to baptism and is a symbol of the washing away of the past.
Spirit—The Holy Spirit is what gives us strength to move down different paths.

3. Fresh Starts can last a lifetime and even for an eternity.

· Verse 14—”Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
The key to a successful start and a good life is to put Christ first in all that we do.
Key Question: Why is it so tough to put God first in all that we do as we live?

4. Fresh Starts means picking the right direction.

Note verse 19 and the contrast between light and darkness.
In this passage we also learn about truth—what does verse 21 say about the truth?

New Small Group Study - How to Get Started

2008-09-05T21:03:00.000-04:00

I recently started a new small group at my home. This small group will be discussing how to get started. This past week we discussed how to get started right...By using the Bible

The Bible is the account of God's action in the world and his purpose with all creation. The writing of the Bible took place over sixteen centuries and is the work of over forty human authors. It is a quite amazing collection of 66 books with very different styles all containing the message God desired us to have.

It provides many stories about the lives of good and bad people, about battles and journeys, about the life of Jesus along with letters written to groups of Christians that met in homes. It comes to us in narratives and dialogues, in proverbs and parables, in songs and allegories, in history and prophecy.

The accounts in the Bible were not generally written down as they occurred. Rather they were told over and over again and handed down through the years before someone finally wrote them down. Yet the same themes may be found throughout the book.
So along with the diversity there is also a remarkable unity. So what is the Bible? Well, in addition to all the above, the Bible is this:

It is a Guide for living life to the fullest. It gives us a road map for the perilous journey of life. Or to put it another way, on our voyage through life's ocean, we find our anchor right here.

It is a storehouse of wonderful stories for children and grownups. Remember Noah and the ark? Joseph's coat of many colors? Daniel in the lion's den? Jonah and the fish? The parables of Jesus? In these stories we recognize the triumphs and failures of ordinary people - and we may even see ourselves!

It is a refuge in trouble. People in pain, in suffering, in prison, in mourning, tell how they turned to the Bible and found strength there in their desperate hours.

It is a treasury of knowledge as to who we are. We are not meaningless robots, but we are magnificent creatures of a God who loves us and gives us a purpose and a destiny.

It is a sourcebook for everyday living. We find standards for our conduct, guidelines for knowing right from wrong, principles to help us in a confused society where so often "anything goes."

24 Hour Prayer Session – April 5th and 6th

2008-04-05T15:11:00.003-04:00

Every year at my church we set aside 24 hours that we will pray together over the needs of our church and church members. Today is start of the 24 hour prayer retreat. I ask people in our church to pray for 30 minutes and I suggest an outline from them to follow. Below you will find the outline. I would ask, that you stumble upon this that maybe God is asking you to pray for our church as well. I would love to hear how your prayers went and what specifically you prayer for.

Prayer Outline (suggested)

Start with a Prayer of Praise: (5 minutes)

It is essential when we come before God to recognize who He is and what He has done. As we get our hearts and minds in the right spirit with God come before Him with joy and appreciation of the way that He has loved you and has cared for your needs. Spend this time singing the two worship songs of "Shout to the Lord" and "Open the Eyes of My Heart." If you can't sing, then read the words and pray them to God.
Pray for the Lost and for Visitors who will attend Catoctin Christian Church this year. (10 Minutes)

Jesus had the mission to "seek and save the lost." God is concerned that His church be mission minded. Pray the Scriptures through the Prayer for Newcomers. Allow God to bring to mind two or three specific people that you know that need God in their life. Pray specifically to God for these individuals and their needs.
Spend some time of your prayer with a time of Silence. (5 minutes)

Let God speak to you… Clear your mind of any thoughts and let His Holy Spirit direct you. Let the Spirit speak into your life and into your situations as He sees fit. Listen to the promptings of the Lord and what God is asking you to do.
Pour out your hurts and Wounds to God who can heal you. Pray a prayer of forgiveness to those who have hurt you. (5 Minutes)

Scripture reminds us that sometimes are prayers are not effective because we have put a roadblock in our relationship with God by allowing the hurts of others hinder our relationship with God. Spend the next few minutes just pouring out your thoughts and feelings to God and asking Him to help you forgive anyone that has hurt you.
End Your Pray Praying for the needs of your church as God brings them to your mind. (5 minutes)

Some suggested needs might be:
1. A cause that will impact our community
2. The new restart so that we can start in a way that pleases God.
3. pray for diversity and for a variety of visitors to attend our church
4. Pray for the youth and their decision to be committed to follow Christ.

Glen Olson - A Once in a Lifetime Type of Man

2008-04-03T14:27:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, I preached the funeral for Glen Olson. Glen was a member of my church and was greatly loved. Below you find an article about Glen that was written in his local paper over a year ago. The article speaks to the strength, passion, and positive attitude that Glen displayed thoughout his life. He was the type of man that made you a better man from just being around him -

________________________________________________________________

TOWSON — NINETY-TWO-YEAR-old Glen Olsen walked up to the board at the standing long jump during the Maryland Senior Olympics on Thursday morning at Towson University’s Johnny Unitas Stadium, bent his legs three times to warm up and asked several questions as he got ready to jump.

THE FREDERICK MAN, who became blind three years ago after a bout with Shingles, took his first jump and went a little more than two feet. He fell forward as he came down. His daughter, Peggy Renn, helped him up, but he was fine.

"How did I do," he asked? He was told they had to measure the distance first. He took two more jumps, the longest being three feet.

Olsen, who lives in Crestwood Village in Frederick, has been coming to the state Senior Olympics almost every year since 1988. Even blindness has not prevented him from taking part in the event, although it has limited his activities to four events -- the softball throw, the Frisbee throw, the football throw and the standing jump. In the past, he took part in everything from pool shooting, to the javelin to bowling. He stayed the whole day.

This year, he was be there a little more than an hour. His daughters Peggy Renn and Cathie Olsen, his son Lief Olsen and his granddaughter Inga Olsen were on hand. Inga, one of seven grandchildren (he has six great-grand grandchildren) took pictures. Olsen was the only participant in his age group and was probably the oldest -- certainly one of the oldest -- to take part in the event. "He's always been into stuff like this, he really enjoys it," Renn said. "It keeps him active, it gives him something to look forward to doing. He's been talking about this for months."

After the long jump, Olsen went to the softball throw. He went up to the line and someone handed him a softball. "Is that the best one? I want the best one," Olsen said. Cathie Olsen walked about 10 yards in front of him to make sure he threw the ball in the right direction. Although he is blind, he can see shapes. "Is anyone behind me," he said as he wound up and threw the softball about 11 yards. He threw two more times, 13 and 15 yards.
"I used to be able to throw it (a total of) 118 yards," he said.

Next, it was on to the Frisbee toss. Olsen tried to figure out the best way to throw. He finally made three tosses, two of eight yards and one of seven. Then, it was time for the football throw. Lief Olsen took special interest in this throw, reminding his father to take two steps back and then walk up two steps as he threw the football. "You've done better in practice," his son said as his first throw went nine yards. "Sort of take a hop like you did in practice." The next two throws went 10 yards and 11 yards. "The football throw is the hardest," Glen Olsen said. "The softball is the easiest. I know how to handle the small ball better."

The whole competition took a little less than an hour. Asked if he would come back, Glen Olsen said, "God willing." EVEN THOUGH HE is 92, Olsen is very alert and had no trouble remembering details. He had a cane besides him while he was interviewed, but said he didn't need it. He was exercising with five-pound weights, something he does several times a day for 20 minutes to half an hour. "I still have the muscles I had when I worked in the coal mines," he said with a smile. "I can lick my weight in wildcats."

Olsen is from Fordham, Pa., near Punxsutawney (which Olsen described as near the place that is famous for that groundhog). He grew up in that area, but didn't play high school sports.
"In high school, I was only 5-foot-5 inches," said Olsen, who turned 92 on Aug. 2. "All the big guys played football and basketball. I went out for them, but they wouldn't throw me the ball. I was too far from the basket." He and his bother took up tennis. "We only had one court in town and no one used it," he said. "It was all covered with dirt. My brother and I said, 'Let's go fix it up so we can play some tennis.'" They became very good at the sport.

After graduating from high school Olsen went to work in the coal mines. "I worked in a room that was 4-feet high and I would shovel coal on my knees," he said. "I got paid 71 cents to dig a ton of coal. They never paid you in cash. You went to the company store and the guy recorded everything in a book. Most of the time you weren't able to pay your debt."

In the late 1950s, Olsen moved to Frederick. He has been here since, working as a real estate salesman. In the late 1980s, he met John Ey, who got him involved in the Senior Olympics.
"It started with John Ey. I didn't know they had Senior Olympics until I met John Ey," Olsen said. "He said why don't I get involved in Senior Olympics. I said, 'What are they.'" The two began practicing together and entered his first Senior Olympics in 1988, winning a silver and a bronze medal. (His first event was the mile walk.) Olsen has won 49 gold, 32 silver and 22 bronze medals since then. In 2001, he won 10 gold and the year before he won 12 medals overall.

He has participated almost every year, missing the event in 2003 because of Shingles and missed last year because his family had the wrong date. If there was an event, Olsen would take part in it. "My favorite sport was tennis, but I also liked the javelin," he said. "But they eliminated it. I did well in horseshoes. I would win that every year. I would get there in the morning and stay until about 4 p.m. He said running events were his worst. "There are a lot of people faster than me," Olsen said. "I wasn't sold on running." He had to cut back after losing his eyesight, but didn't want to stop.

He's also recruited others to take part. "I talked one of the ladies here into going to the Olympics," he said. "She was 72 and would walk around the village fast. I coaxed her into going and she set a record in the mile walk." Initially, he and Ey went together. When Ey died a few years ago, Olsen's family members went with him. Lately, though, it's just been him and his family. His children are all for it. "We're glad he got involved, something like this is good for him," Peggy Renn said. "I want to do it as long as I can participate," Olsen said. "I'd go through all the events if I had my sight."

A Pastor's Heart - New Series at Lifeway

2008-03-15T14:34:00.000-04:00

http://www.lifeway.com/ is running a new 5 part article series that I wrote entitled: A Pastor's Heart. The series is designed to help pastor's stay in touch with their people even in the midst of a difficult and busy schedule. This first article "A Pastor at Heart, Stay Connected to Your People" really outlines just a few simple principles that any preacher or church leader can follow. The principles that I list in the article are:

Send postcards and notes of appreciation. I have found that sending a small note to a person to let them know that I appreciate something that they specifically did means a great deal to them.

Pray for the specific needs of your congregation weekly. One of the most important tasks that I can participate in for my church family is to take their requests, needs, and praises to God. Schedule a specific time each week to pray over the needs of your church family.

Create an e-mail file for each of your members and send e-mails regularly.E-mail allows you as a minister to connect quickly and frequently to your members.

Create an open door policy for your members. Welcome visits from your members.

Take congregation surveys. A survey allows the pastor to know how the members really feel about the church and its ministry.

Start a Pastor’s blog. You can find out more about blogging at my article entitled: How to Begin Your Own Pastor's Blog.

You can read the entire article at: http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0,1703,A%3D167206%26M%3D200827,00.html?

Devotional Thought - Listening For Directions

2008-02-19T16:29:00.003-05:00

Today I read an inspiring story about how a blind Iraq war vet was learning to ski. The story was about a man by the name of Ivan Castro who was a former Army Ranger. Castro is now blind because of a mortar explosion that happened just five feet from him. The blast pulverized Castro's left eye and after surgery failed to save his right eye, he became blind. Castro said after he became blind, "You know when you're blinded, you don't know what life is. You don't know what's out there."

Now two years later with the help of his instructor at Sun Valley Adaptive Sports Program he is now able to ski down a mountain. The goal of this program is to give "courage and hope so that can take back those skills to improve thier relationships." They have to listen to the instuctor who is behind them to guide them down the rocky and dangerous slope. The key the particpants say is to concentrate on what the instuctor's are telling them.

Jesus said to his followers in John 10:27, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me."

Today we have been wounded by the mortar of life. The sins of others and our own stupid mistakes. These poor choices have often left us blind and not knowing what life is all about. Jesus does not want us to stay blinded, but rather He is the voice that is calling to us. He is calling to guide us and direct us down the slippery and dangerous slope of life. If we will hear His voice and listen to His direction then we will find success and the courage we need to move forward.

What is Jesus saying to you today? How is He trying to direct you?

Devotional Thought: Where are You Walking

2008-02-15T16:42:00.002-05:00

The Power of one man is significant. One man, Brad Blauser, vowed to make a difference in Iraq. When he came to Iraq as a cilivan contractor and saw the destruction and depression of so many Iraq families he helped organize the distribution of wheelchairs that had been donated and paid for by a charity - Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids. A recent news story states that "He first came to Iraq in 2004 as a civilian contractor. Struck by the abject chaos surrounding him and seeing helpless children scooting along the ground, he pledged to find a way to help." He now provides these wheelchairs to families that provide hope and a new beginning.

The news story went on to relate that "Iraqi parents will go to any lengths to improve the quality of their children's lives. Blauser points to one of his favorite photographs, of a father carrying his son in his arms, an endless desert road behind him. He had carried his son more than 6 miles to get a wheelchair. In August 2006 we had a distribution in northern Iraq, Blauser remembered. "We watched him [the father] come forward, and people rushed to take the boy from his arms. And he said, 'No, I've been carrying this child all my life. I can carry him the last 100 yards to receive his wheelchair.' "

This man walked 6 miles to find help for his son. I can just imagine the pain and agony of this father. He has never gotten to see his child run and play like the rest of the boys in his neighborhood. Every where this child has gone has been because either his father or someone in his family had carried him there. Six miles seem like a long way to walk, but not for this father - he would have walked any length to provide for his child.

You know the Bible says that Jesus "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a human being, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death - even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:6-8).

The point is that God doesn't ask us to walk anywhere to be with Him. The fact is that He sent His Son to this earth so that we could be healed. He went to great lengths to make sure that we knew His love and How He cares about us.

Sermon Discussion: Good Things Can Come Happen From Places We Don't Expect

2007-12-17T10:22:00.001-05:00

Sermon: "Good Things Can Happen From Places We Don't Expect".

I have been reading the birth of Jesus stories lately, for obvious reasons. I have been looking at the birth in relation to the prophecies of the Old Testament Prophets. One prophecy that really got me thinking was the fact that Jesus was to be born in Bethleham.

You read the story and the porphecy at: Matthew 2:1-6 and Micah 5:1-4. What really struck me was the fact that God would have the Savior of the world born in a place that no one expected.

The more I thought about, I came to the conclusion that we all have unexpectations and but in reality God can bring good things from places that we don't expect.

So tell me - when has God done something for you in an expected place?

Christmas Eve Service

2007-12-16T20:29:00.001-05:00

Church Life: I am getting really excited about our Christmas Eve Service. This year we are using an old church building next to the facility that we rent to host "An Old Fashion" Christmas. The old building reminds me of the traditions of old that we should keep and creates a warm family environment where we will be able to worship together as a family.

If you can, you might want to drop in at 7:00 or 8:30pm to one of the services on December 24th. We are located at 7819 Rocky Springs Road in Frederick MD. You can click on the link to find directions.

I would like to hear from you what you are looking forward to most this Christmas...

My 36th Birthday

2007-12-15T21:40:00.000-05:00

Today I celebrated my 36th birthday. I have always thought birthdays were interesting. I mean, do we really feel that we are so important that we must celebrate the day we were brought into the world. I know, it is really about the people around us celebrating their love for us and how special they think we are, but still....

Well, on this day I couldn't help but to think about my second birth. Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:3 "Very Truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born again."

I still remember that day. I was 12 and it was in early August. The event happened at an earlier morning service of my church. I went forward and confess my sins (the sins of a 12 year old) and I was immersed in water. I still remember how much I loved Christ and how much I wanted to give him my life. After coming up out of the water I remember feeling so clean and pure. I can still remember.

Now that is something worth celebrating....

Here is a question to consider: When have you felt the most clean and pure in your life?

VOWS Small Group - January 4th

2007-12-12T14:58:00.001-05:00

Events: As many of you know, I have been using a program that I wrote called "VOWS" for couples that I married. I have recently undated the material so that it can be used for married couples.

Currently, I am hosting a series of events for couples to walk through the four components of the "VOWS" series.

"VOWS" stands for the four components of a successful marriage. Those four components are:

V - Voice: As couples we must learn how to communicate with each other and also how to validate the other person's feelings and ideas

O - Openness: It is essential for the couple to be open and honest with each other about their feelings, their beliefs, and their lives.

W - Wholeness: In life we get hurt and we carry those hurts into our relationships. It is important to know how to heal and how to forgive others when they hurt us.

S - Spirituality: Real success in relationships come from trusting and looking for a source of power greater than ourselves. This core idea helps you to know how to have a viberant relationship with the creator of marriage.

If you would like to know more about this small group or "VOWS" please contact me via e-mail at: kenspeaks@gmail.com

I would like to hear from you: Why don't you think people really take serious their word anymore? or What "Vows" have you made in your life?

Blog 2.0 Redesign

2007-12-01T20:50:00.000-05:00

Lately, I have been thinking about what I want my blog to be in 2008. Please find my latest thoughts and feel free to commuicate:

Devotional Thoughts: Thoughts that I think about from the latest news events and how they are impacting my spiritual growth in Christ.

Sermon Discussions: Spiritual insights that I communicate to my church and ideas for sermon series. I would like to make my sermons more of a particpation among a group of people rather than just what I think about in private. I will also start posting on Monday's my sermon in an audio file so that people can hear and comment whether you attend my church or not.

Key Themes: I find that my life and ministry have key themes: Themes like work-life balance; leadership; spiritual ideas; and fatherhood. I would like to post on these themes that also might be important to you as well.

Church Life and Events: Since this blog is a part of Catoctin Christian Church, I would like to update people on what is happening at my church and allow people an inside look at how this "new church" is growing and developing.

Raw Thoughts and Comments about the World: I think it is important that I share the truth of what I believe.

I would like to know what you enjoy the most about redsigning your life?

In Honor of Thanksgiving - Quotes

2007-11-20T16:12:00.001-05:00

"Anything that is given can be at once taken away. We have to learn never to expect anything, and when it comes it's no more than a gift on loan." ~John McGahern

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." ~John F. Kennedy

"Each day comes bearing its gifts. Untie the ribbons." ~Ann Ruth Schabader

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things." ~Robert Brault

"Go outside, to the fields, enjoy nature and the sunshine, go out and try to recapture happiness in yourself and in God." ~Anne Frank

"God, if I can't see the joy in life, help me look again." ~Melody Beattie

"God's gifts put man's best dreams to shame." ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." ~Melody Beattie

"Happiness is inward and not outward; and so it does not depend on what we have, but on what we are." ~Henry Van Dyke

"Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have." ~Hyman Judah Schactel

"How many of us go through our days parched and empty, thirsting after happiness, when we're really standing knee-deep in the river of abundance?" ~Sarah Ban Breathnach

"I have lived to thank God that all my prayers have not been answered." ~Jean Ingslow

"I thank You God for most this amazing day; for the leaping greenly spirits of trees and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything which is natural which is infinite which is yes." ~e.e. cummings

"I try hard to hold fast to the truth that a full and thankful heart cannot entertain great conceits. When brimming with gratitude, one's heartbeat must surely result in outgoing love, the finest emotion that we can ever know." ~Bill Wilson

"Some people walk in the rain. Others just get wet." ~Roger Miller

Refocus: Church Prays for Britney Spears - What a Joke!

2007-10-30T15:45:00.001-04:00

Refocus: This past week I came across this interesting article...

Church Prays for Britney Spears:

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The congregation of Southland Christian Church is being asked to send letters of love and support to troubled pop star Britney Spears, described by the pastor as having made "devastating life choices."

"Take a few minutes and write a note to Britney Spears," pastor John Weece said in a sermon and in a blog on the church Web site. "No preaching. No criticizing. Just love. As a church, let's love Britney the way Jesus loves her."

Weece said the idea came as he watched repeated reports of Spears' reported problems with drugs and alcohol and the loss of custody of her children.

"If she were your next-door neighbor in the same situation without the money and success, wouldn't you care about her problems? Wouldn't you pray for her and offer her support and encouragement?" he asked members of the church.

You can read the rest of the article at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071027/ap_en_mu/people_britney_spears

Now, I will say that I understand that this preacher is trying to get his church to think outside the box and for that I am thankful. However, I have to be honest and say that I think this is one of the worst media stunts ever pulled by a church. That preacher doesn't care about Britney - all he really cares about is getting publicity for his church. The message that he is presenting is true, but rather that pray and write Britney he should be telling his church to pray and write their neighbors.

The sad fact of the matter is that he is using Britney just like so many other people in our culture have used her in the past. He is using her for his own self promotion and that is just plain wrong.

One of My Favorite Songs

2007-10-24T14:30:00.001-04:00

New Sermon Series: Top Ten Spiritual Things to Do Before You Die

2007-10-23T20:03:00.001-04:00

Reflect: I am in the process of creating my sermon series and outlines for 2008. One series that I am going to preach is the "Top Ten Spiritual Things to Do Before You Die." I was really inspired by the book of "1,000 Places to See before you Die" and I think it would be interesting to think about what we should be doing before our life comes to an end. I would love to hear from others about my list or things that should be on the list. My first thoughts would include:

Read the entire Bible
Go on a missionary trip
Take a Risk for Christ
Feed a homeless person
Go to the Holy Land and walk where Jesus walked
Spend a day fasting and praying
Lead someone to a relationship with Christ
Memorize a long passage of Scripture
Teach a sunday school class for children
Give your whole heart to God

Willie Williams - A Man Condemned for a Crime He Did Not Commit

2007-10-22T14:04:00.001-04:00

Rejoice: This is interesting story and testimony of a man that was put in prison for ovewr 20 years for a crime that he did not commit. He talks in this story about the change that came into his life from his relationship with God and from reading the Bible.

#/video/us/2007/10/22/intv.williams.innocent.cnn?iref=mpvideosview

Redesign: Welcome to America

2007-10-21T12:34:00.001-04:00

Today DiscoverAmerica - the first ever "Official Travel and Tourism Website of the United States" will reveal a new 7 minute promotion but together by Disney studio's.

DicoverAmerica.com will feature information on U.S. states, territories, and destinations, attractions, booking tools, a travel agent directory, official entry information and an easy to use and interactive United States map. It is amazing how American and it's governement still recognizes the need to reach out to people to come to America - could the Church learn something from this?

You can see the video at: http://usatoday.feedroom.com/index.jsp?fr_story=70dcc173d165b625435e655924023fe67d07de30

Reflect: Joe Torre Says No

2007-10-19T12:22:00.000-04:00

The sports world was shocked yesterday when news reports conveyed that Joe Torre, the manager of the NY Yankees turned down a one year offer worth $5 million dollars.

Joe has managed the Yankees for the past 12 years and during that 12 year span won 4 World Series Championships. This most recent offer would have a pay cut compared to the $7 million a year he was making previously.

Now it is hard for us to image saying "No" to 5 million dollars a year. Yet, this is a lesson to be gleaned here. There are some things that we should say "No" to.

In Luke 4 we see Jesus talking with Satan in the Wilderness. Verse 5 though 8 reveals an interesting discussion:

"The Devil led him to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, "I will give you all authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours." Jesus answered, "It is writte: "worship the Lord your God and serve him only."

I think this was a very real temptation for Jesus. I think it is a very real temptation for us. We want it all and we want it all now! We are so quick to say "yes" to so many things in life and the truth of the matter is that most of what we say "yes" to only takes us further away from our relationship with Jesus. Let us learn from Joe Torre and learn from Jesus that their really are some things in life that are worth saying "no" to, and maybe that alone is worth more than 5 million dollars.

Refocus

2007-10-15T15:32:00.001-04:00

Refocus: I recently found this video and thought it was pretty tremendous. It shows the importance of having the right focus. Specifically, having a focus on making our relationships right when we can.

Refocus: The Impact of a Moment

2007-10-10T12:12:00.001-04:00

I recently heard about an accident that happened to a classmate of mine from Undergrad. His name is Allen and he has been doing outstanding work as a Campus Minister.

In August he was in a motocycle accident and his family has been updating those concerned about his status at the following blog: http://www.ridgecc.com/message.php?messageID=10066

Allen's story reminds me the important of the moment. We never know when our lives are going to change - sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. I hope that Allen's story inspires you to grad this moment and cherish what God has given you!

Blog 2.0: A New Way of Blogging

2007-10-05T15:17:00.001-04:00

During my blogging break I have been thinking hard about what I would like my blog to be. Please find the dream and vision for the "Church 2.0 Blog."

I want a community space where people of all faiths can interact and communicate about spiritual ideas and principles.
I want a to communicate the deepest truths about what I am thinking, how I am finding my own spirituality and what thoughts have shaped my life.
I want a place of encouragement, support, and humor.
I want a place that opportunities can be given for others to particpate and for the best thinkers to really think about what the emerging church will look like.
I want a place where WE ALL SPEAK, but also a place where we allow God and Christ to speak to us in our daily lives.

Blog 2.0

2007-10-01T16:36:00.000-04:00

I'm back from my blogging break.

I have taken several months to think about why I blog and what I want to blog about. Over the next few days I will revealing my thoughts and I welcome yours.

Rejoice - In honor of Father's Day

2007-06-15T17:41:00.001-04:00

Rejoice - Learning how to share my personal testimony

After reading the below essay from Wall Street Journal, which is very very good, read the blog entry from the author’s blog (http://www.tonywoodlief.com/) that I have pasted below. It is, to me, a wonderful thing to read as we head into this Father’s Day weekend

Boys to Men
Raising three sons has helped me appreciate the masculine virtues.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/taste/?id=110010215

Growing Pains
Eli woke up crying last night, growing pains in his legs. I remember those pains, and my mother giving me two chalky St. Joseph's aspirin, the ones with orange flavoring. There's something about being cared for by your parent in the middle of the night that almost makes the hurt worth it. So I gave him medicine, and rubbed his legs, and told him a story that my grandmother used to tell me at bedtime, about a little mountain boy who liked to chop wood, but who got careless (this being a grandmother's story, and perhaps more to the point, one of my grandmother's stories) and chopped into his own foot, nearly taking off a toe. But, through hard work and determination, he not only recovered from his injury, he entered the wood-chopping contest in the state fair and won first place, despite being the smallest competitor.

"Does he have muscles like me?" Eli asked, yawning, the pain disappearing in a cherry Tylenol haze.

"Yes. Big muscles for a little fellow."

"Did you ever chop wood?"

"Yes." I showed him a scar from cutting wood. He showed me a recent ouch. I curled up next to him on his bed, and we whispered to each other about little boy things, until his eyelids began to flutter. I put my face down on his pillow, and breathed in his smells of soap and toothpaste and the slobber dried into his beloved blankey. I thought about how one day too soon for me, and not soon enough for him, this will be over. He will lie on a bed with his own child and tell him about the little woodcutting boy, and I will be Grandpa, who visits sometimes and barks at the television news and always has chewing gum or candy to share.

I remember holding Eli once, or perhaps it was Caleb, or Isaac, or maybe this realization has happened with each of them, and the Wife coming up and helping me hold and hug him. I remember the smile on his face, eyes closed, a look of bliss. "I have no knowledge of what this must be like," I told my wife. Neither does she. We have never been held by a mother and father at the same time, both loving us and loving each other. It is an alien gift that we give our children, yet we sense its power in the peacefulness that comes over them.

The only thing better than feeling that embrace, I imagine, is giving it to my children, and knowing that they will never hold their own children and marvel, without experience, at what that feeling must be like.

This is part of the discovery, as I've written about our family, here and in the pamphlet (and have you ordered your copy yet?) and in pages that perhaps one day someone will read — that it is possible to build a foundation on razed ground. Perhaps it even makes us more careful, knowing how easily a home can crumble. Each brick matters very much to us. We have a generational vision, not only of how far we can get our children along a path free of neuroses and fear and insecurity, but how far they in turn will take their children. I think you have to have that vision as a parent — am I laying the foundation for my children and their children to live full, meaningful lives, or am I just feeding them the seed corn, set as I am on my own comfort and temporary success?

These are the things I thought about as Eli drifted off to sleep. They wonder sometimes, I think, why I watch them, why I search their faces. That's one thing I'll be happy for them never to know, that endless question: Am I getting it right?

Refocus - Domain Names that I Would Own

2007-06-08T07:09:00.001-04:00

Refocus - How can we maintain the mission of reaching the loss

The June issue of Business 2.0 has in it an interesting article about a man named Kevin Ham. The article states that he is one of the most powerful people in the internet world and a man that has built a $300 million empire. He has done it by owning domain names. The article is very interesting.

It made me start thinking about the domain names that I would own if I could. Here is the list:

10. http://www.acrazyguywholovesthelord.com/ - maybe a little long, but it communicates the message of my testimony.

9. http://www.ministerswhoknowhowtobalanceworkandfamily.org/ - There is a real movement out there about work and family balance and I beleive that ministers need to know how to do that better than others so that they can lead the people in their church on how to do it.

8. http://www.ilovemywife.com/ - I have actually developed a private blog between me and my wife where I can go and post on different things happening in our life. I gave the blog to her a couple of years ago and she just loves it.

7. http://www.theemergingchurch.org/ - I love this name and I think there needs to be a place where people can go and find out about the emerging church.

6. http://www.guyswholovefootballbutwholovethelordalittlemore.com/ - Again, it is all about the title.

5. http://www.bloggersforechurch.org/ - This would be a place to create an on line community for church. A real place for real people.

4. http://www.kensaltcoaching.com/ - I used to own this site when I was coaching full time. The name still reminds me that I am to be salt and light in this world.

3. http://www.echurch.com/ - See number 5. This would be a church for on line people but not just ones that blogs.

2. http://www.getaspirituallife.com/ - Second Life is a movement on the internet. Recently a guy came out with http://www.getafirstlife.com/. I think I would continue in his tradition.

1. http://www.church2.0.com/ - This name can never exist because of the extra dot, but church 2.0 is on us and people need to know what it is and how they can become part of the movement.

Reflect - The Path of Focus

2007-06-01T07:35:00.001-04:00

Reflect - Learning the truths that will change my life.

I just started a new sermon series over a http://www.sermonnote.blogspot.com/. The past week's sermon was on focus and you can listen in.

Redesign - How to Get Dad's More Involved in Your Church

2007-05-21T06:56:00.001-04:00

Redesign - What areas of our church can we change to be more effective.

http://www.lifeway.com/ is currently running my latest article entitled: How to get dad's more involved in your church. You can read the entire article at: http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0,1703,A=165493&M=200827,00.html?emid=22

The emerging church is trying to reach many different populations. We make an effort to go after "Seekers," "Post-moderns," and "gen xers" but where is the church that is going after "fathers?" I believe deeply that they are a population that can be reached and when we do will make a great impact in our communties.

Recall - You never know when you will find your calling

2007-05-15T07:43:00.001-04:00

Recall: What do I need to know about my purpose and calling...

In March I was out in Las Vegas and I found myself in Peter Lik's art gallery. My wife and I actually found Peter Lik a couple years ago when we were in Austrialia. His story is quite interesting and his art is amazing.

This is one of my favorites. It is entitled "beached". Here is part of Peter's story...

Peter Lik is the world’s most innovative and prolific landscape photographers.His passion and dedication to his craft are unsurpassed, and Peter is recognized as the leaders in his field.He was born in Melbourne Australia and is the only son of Czech immigrant parents. Completely self taught, Peter’s talent for photography was evident from an early age. He first picked up a camera at the age of eight, and has retained a spirit and enthusiasm for his work that is equaled only by his unbounded energy and deep affinity for the land. It was while travelling in Alaska in 1994 that Peter’s fascination with photography took a dramatic turn. Previously only working with 35mm cameras, he discovered the encompassing view of the panoramic camera and he was converted. It opened up a whole new world of creative possibilities and took him to another level in his photography.

I truly believe that many of us are on the edge of finding our calling. The question is: what is God calling us to pick up?

Redesign - A Wedding at a Funeral Home

2007-04-28T10:18:00.001-04:00

Redesign - What areas of our church can we change to be more effective.

This is interesting article on how the funeral home business is redesigning in the light of recent changes in the culture.

A Wedding at a Funeral Home?

As profit margins shrink across the industry, funeral directors are acting more like event planners, adding snazzy reception centers and selling nontraditional services
by Kerry Miller

Ripping the wooden pews, stained glass, and towering cross out of the chapel was only phase one. When Mark Musgrove and his brother, Jeff, took over the family's Eugene (Ore.) funeral home in the mid-1990s, they knew a radical break with the past was crucial to Musgrove Family Mortuary's survival. Families were requesting fewer traditional funerals and more no-frills cremations—which meant the chapel their father had built back in the 1960s was standing empty half the time.
By converting the chapel into a multipurpose "family center," with a catering kitchen in the back where the flower room used to be and a 12-foot screen for multimedia presentations, the Musgroves aimed to meet the needs of those seeking nontraditional funerals. "When all we had were pews, and families wanted something different, our facility wasn't an option," says Mark, 50, a former president of the National Funeral Directors Assn.(NFDA). "Now we can accommodate secular families, Jewish families, Muslim families…."
Pre-renovation, the chapel's entryway, with its mauve carpeting and wallpapered walls, "looked like, well, a funeral home," says Mark. He put in slate flooring, a seven-foot fountain, and a big comfy couch, painting the walls in the golden hues that decorators call "Tuscan" and Musgrove calls "Starbucks colors." To the cemetery, he added a "scattering garden" complete with gazebo and a waterfall.

Full-Service Station

All across the country, funeral homes—some 89% of them owned by individuals, families, or private companies, according to a 2001 survey by the NFDA—are adding similar reception halls. And most of that change has come within the past three or four years.

For Mark, the foray into catering is just one part of what he hopes is a transition to a truly full-service facility. "We would like to help families wherever they have their receptions," Mark says—even if it's in the family's backyard.
In the future he would also like to help facilitate travel arrangements for out-of-town guests, perhaps working out partnerships with local hotels and a travel agent. Another possibility: partnering with a law firm to assist families with estate planning and wills.

If all that sounds suspiciously like event planning, Mark says those functions have always been a major piece of what funeral directors do. But those services are also where funeral directors are finding the greatest opportunities for growth.
With the nationwide cremation rate rising fast—it's expected to top 50% by 2025—many funeral homes have seen revenues drop. (The average funeral with in-ground burial costs upwards of $7,000, according to the NFDA, while a direct cremation can cost one-fifth as much.) And since the Federal Trade Commission's Funeral Rule took effect in 1984, profit margins have continued to shrink as well.

Cheap Caskets
Before the Funeral Rule, funerals were typically sold as package deals. Everything from embalming to limousines was bundled into the cost of the casket, along with a healthy mark-up of 500% or more.

Now funeral directors are required to provide an itemized price list from which consumers have the right to choose only the goods and services desired—or to buy certain goods, like caskets, from a third-party vendor (see BusinessWeek.com, 4/8/02, "Facing the Financial Side of Funerals").

In recent years pressures have only continued to mount, with more low-cost caskets on the market from China and from independent retailers like Costco (see BusinessWeek.com, 8/18/04, "Costco: Coffins in Aisle 0"). That has helped drive the industry towards service and convenience, which are harder to put a price tag on.
Glenn Gould of MKJ Marketing, which specializes in the death-care industry, says the move is a no-brainer. "Contrary to what most people think, there's not a lot of money in handling the deceased," Gould says. "The business of a funeral home is to have events. If you take out the events, it's just not that profitable."
Flowing Bubbly

On-site reception halls and specialized services also ride the wave of two trends that baby boomers are suckers for: convenience and personalization. So while a family might be unwilling to drop a few thousand on a lavish cookie-cutter funeral, many are willing to spend as much or more on a customized "celebration" of a loved one's life, complete with extras like a video memorial, a prime-rib dinner, even a champagne fountain.

Once in the realm of champagne fountains, it's perhaps no surprise that in recent years many funeral homes have also started renting out their spaces for other events—including weddings.
Miller is a reporter with BusinessWeek.com in New York.

Rejoice - Scientist Shares His Personal Faith

2007-04-04T16:44:00.001-04:00

Rejoice - Learning how to share my personal testimony

I personally am inspired at how Dr. Collins is sharing his faith.

By Dr. Francis Collins - Special to CNN

Editor's note: Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., is the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute. His most recent book is "The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief."

ROCKVILLE, Maryland (CNN) -- I am a scientist and a believer, and I find no conflict between those world views.

As the director of the Human Genome Project, I have led a consortium of scientists to read out the 3.1 billion letters of the human genome, our own DNA instruction book. As a believer, I see DNA, the information molecule of all living things, as God's language, and the elegance and complexity of our own bodies and the rest of nature as a reflection of God's plan.

I did not always embrace these perspectives. As a graduate student in physical chemistry in the 1970s, I was an atheist, finding no reason to postulate the existence of any truths outside of mathematics, physics and chemistry. But then I went to medical school, and encountered life and death issues at the bedsides of my patients. Challenged by one of those patients, who asked "What do you believe, doctor?", I began searching for answers.

I had to admit that the science I loved so much was powerless to answer questions such as "What is the meaning of life?" "Why am I here?" "Why does mathematics work, anyway?" "If the universe had a beginning, who created it?" "Why are the physical constants in the universe so finely tuned to allow the possibility of complex life forms?" "Why do humans have a moral sense?" "What happens after we die?" (Watch Francis Collins discuss how he came to believe in God )

I had always assumed that faith was based on purely emotional and irrational arguments, and was astounded to discover, initially in the writings of the Oxford scholar C.S. Lewis and subsequently from many other sources, that one could build a very strong case for the plausibility of the existence of God on purely rational grounds. My earlier atheist's assertion that "I know there is no God" emerged as the least defensible. As the British writer G.K. Chesterton famously remarked, "Atheism is the most daring of all dogmas, for it is the assertion of a universal negative."

But reason alone cannot prove the existence of God. Faith is reason plus revelation, and the revelation part requires one to think with the spirit as well as with the mind. You have to hear the music, not just read the notes on the page. Ultimately, a leap of faith is required.
For me, that leap came in my 27th year, after a search to learn more about God's character led me to the person of Jesus Christ. Here was a person with remarkably strong historical evidence of his life, who made astounding statements about loving your neighbor, and whose claims about being God's son seemed to demand a decision about whether he was deluded or the real thing. After resisting for nearly two years, I found it impossible to go on living in such a state of uncertainty, and I became a follower of Jesus.

So, some have asked, doesn't your brain explode? Can you both pursue an understanding of how life works using the tools of genetics and molecular biology, and worship a creator God? Aren't evolution and faith in God incompatible? Can a scientist believe in miracles like the resurrection?
Actually, I find no conflict here, and neither apparently do the 40 percent of working scientists who claim to be believers. Yes, evolution by descent from a common ancestor is clearly true. If there was any lingering doubt about the evidence from the fossil record, the study of DNA provides the strongest possible proof of our relatedness to all other living things.

But why couldn't this be God's plan for creation? True, this is incompatible with an ultra-literal interpretation of Genesis, but long before Darwin, there were many thoughtful interpreters like St. Augustine, who found it impossible to be exactly sure what the meaning of that amazing creation story was supposed to be. So attaching oneself to such literal interpretations in the face of compelling scientific evidence pointing to the ancient age of Earth and the relatedness of living things by evolution seems neither wise nor necessary for the believer.

I have found there is a wonderful harmony in the complementary truths of science and faith. The God of the Bible is also the God of the genome. God can be found in the cathedral or in the laboratory. By investigating God's majestic and awesome creation, science can actually be a means of worship.

Redesign - The Five Levels of Excellence

2007-03-28T17:50:00.001-04:00

Redesign - How to make your church better.

I found this great article over at Fortune. You can read the entire article at: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/10/30/8391727/index.htm

The article speaks about the five levels of excellence.

The Five levels are:

Unconscious Incompetence - You're bad and don't even know it. Bliss for you but no one else.
Conscious Incompetence - You're still consistently terrible, but a highly motivated learner.
Conscious Competence - With enough mental effort you can achieve good results - some of the time
Unconscious Excellence - Your perfermance is automatice, unthinking, and consistently good.
Conscious Excellence - You can get into the zone when needed, yet also explain and modulate the inner process.

I think these levels are important for churches to think about as we become church 2.0

Rejoice - How to Share my personal testimony

2007-03-15T17:38:00.001-04:00

Rejoice - Learning how to share my personal testimony

The September/October 2006 issue of "Success" magaizine has an interview with Neil Rackham pertaining to sales. He gives these 10 important facts about selling.

Generate Trust -
Don't Talk to Much
Ask Questions -
Reasons Don't Always Persuade
Be Persistent
Help People Answer Their Own Questions
Focus on the Person, not the product
Prepare
Keep Learning
Be Creative

You can read the entire article at: http://www.successmagazine.com/article.php?article_id=47

I think these are excellent points to keep in mind as we talk with others about our personal testimonies.

Rejoice - Affirmations we need to tell ourselves

2007-03-05T17:27:00.001-05:00

Rejoice - Learning to share my personal testimony

The September/October issue of "Success" magaize highlighted the life of Og Mandino. He is most known for his popluar book "The Greatest Salesman in the World." The story highlights the affirmations that were written in his book. Those affirmations were:

Today I begin a new life
I will greet this day with love in my heart
I will persist until I succeed.
I am nature's greatest miracle
I will live this day as if it is my last
Today I will master my emotions
I will laugh at the world
Today I will multiply my value a hundrefold
I will act now
I will pray for guidance

I think these are important to remembered and important to convey to the people in our churches.

Redesign - Moving Ahead by Making Mistakes

2007-03-01T17:17:00.001-05:00

Redesign - What areas of our church can we change to be more effective.

In the January 22 issue of Fortune magaizne they are running an interview with James Dyson who the founder and chairman of Dyson. Dyson has created and designed a new type of vaccum cleaner.

The article points out a couple of very important points:

He went through 5,127 prototypes before he designed the vaccum the way that he wanted it to be.
He states that an engineer's life is 99% failure.
He states that "when something fails, something is very difficult to use - that's the starting point.

I think there are many lessons to be learned here for Church 2.0 - The church might have to go through many prototypes before the church emerges as the one that Jesus created and the one that will overcome the world.

Here - back to creating....

Refocus - 2007 Christian Bloggers Survey

2007-02-26T10:01:00.001-05:00

Redesign:

I found the following report very interesting...

2007 Christian Bloggers Survey Results Announced
By Cory Miller February 21, 2007 Topics: 2007 Christian Blogger Survey

I’m delighted to FINALLY release the results of the 2007 Christian Bloggers Survey that I helped do in partnership with Rick Warren’s Ministry Toolbox and with the generous help of Element Fusion’s Icebrrg online forms website today.

Here are some snapshots of the survey:

Total Number of Blogs In Survey: 367 blogs
Most Popular Blogging Platform: Blogger with 184; WordPress was next with 77
Length of Blogging Tenure: 122 blogging for one to six months; followed close by 121 who have been blogging one to two years
Frequency of Posting: 175 indicated “one to 10 times a month”
Gender: 309 were males
Age: 136 are between 31 to 40 years old
Ministry role: 128 respondents were “senior pastors”

READ MY FULL REPORT ON PASTORS.COM HERE.

Redesign - A Different Way To Receive Feedback

2007-02-20T10:36:00.002-05:00

Redesign:

I just read a great post on the Monday Morning Insigh Blog about texting to the preacher while he is preaching so he can get feedback. This is definitly Church 2.0. Check out the entire article at:

http://mondaymorninginsight.com/index.php/site/comments/text_meets_text_preaching_with_real_time_feedback/

Text Meets Text: Preaching with Real Time Feedback

I had an amazing experience last week while preaching the North Central University (http://www.northcentral.edu/) chapel with about 800 millennials in the house. At the beginning of the talk, I announced my cell number and asked them to text me while I was speaking with comments on the presentation. I learned this technique from my friend Sam Farina (http://www.samfarina.com/) and have attempted it only one time previously, and that with an older crowd of about 50 people in a local church.

Redesign - A New Kind of Passion

2007-02-16T09:46:00.001-05:00

Redesign -

This is a part of an article that is running in TIME this week. You can read the entire article at: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1590444-1,00.html

"...Wood is the CEO of Asheville Pregnancy Support Services in Asheville, North Carolina, one of the thousands of crisis pregnancy centers in the U.S. that are working to end abortion. Hers is the new face of an old movement: kind, calm, nonjudgmental, a special-forces soldier in the abortion wars who is fighting her battles one conscience at a time. Her center helps women navigate the social-service bureaucracy, sign up for Medicaid and begin prenatal care. She helps pregnant girls find emergency housing if their parents threaten to throw them out. Free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds are just the latest service.

"They've been fed these lies, that it's just a bunch of cells that's not worth anything," Wilson says. "But those limbs are moving. That heart is beating. You don't have to say anything ..." She brings out a black velvet box that looks as if it holds a strand of pearls. Inside are four tiny rubber fetuses, the smallest like a kidney bean with limbs, the biggest about the size of a thumb. This is what your baby looks like, she tells clients; this is about how much it weighs right now. "When we do the ultrasound, we ask the girl how she's feeling," Wilson explains. "I ask what she would like to put on the picture for her baby book. One girl put ANGEL. Some put the name they've picked out for the baby." She points to the translucent image on the screen. "One put LITTLE MIRACLE!!!!"

Redesign - What is our focus?

2007-02-13T10:11:00.001-05:00

Redesign - What areas of our church can we change to be more effective.

I just read an interesting blog post by scott aughtmon over at Pathway Church. He speaks about church 2.0 and how our focus needs to be different. I copied a part of his post below, but you can read his entire post at:

http://pathwaypaloalto.blogspot.com/2007/02/church-20-series-incarnational-living.html

"4 Sundays ago, at the start of this series I told you the story of how as a youth pastor I began thinking in news ways about “church” – what it really was and what it could be.I’m not going to do a quick review of the last 3 Sundays, here at the beginning, like I normally would, because we just reviewed everything by going over that “Pathway 2.0 In A Nutshell” paper. Instead I want to get right into these last ideas about our new direction.
Jay Abraham, one of the top paid marketing consultants in the country, in his book “Getting Everything You Can Out Of All You’ve Got” said something about the human mind that I want you to hear. He said…

“An amazing thing, the human brain. Capable of understanding incredibly complex and intricate concepts. Yet at times unable to recognize the obvious and simple.
“Some true examples:“Ice cream was invented in 2000 B.C. Yet it was thirty-nine hundred years later before someone figured out the ice cream cone.

“Meat was on the planet before humans. Bread was baked in 2600 B.C. Nevertheless, it took forty-three hundred years for somebody to put the two together and create the sandwich.
“And the modern flush toilet was invented in 1775, but it wasn’t until 1857 that somebody thought of toilet paper.

“Once these obvious connections have been made, they seem so obvious. So evident. We can’t believe we didn’t see them sooner.

“An endless number of these unmade connections exist to this day, especially in the business world. You are surrounded by simple, obvious solutions that can dramatically increase your income, power, influence and success. The problems is you just don’t see them.”
What I’m about to tell you today is a new way to reach people for God. I want to talk to you about a new simple way to see ministry. Once you see it it will be obvious and you won’t believe you didn’t see it or do this before.

Think for a second about what Jesus did for us. He became one of us, lived with us, then died and rose again from the dead for us. That’s the method he used to reach us. He made himself known and showed His love to us. Jesus modeled incarnation as a way of ministering to the world. He showed us the power of going to a group of people and loving and serving them as one of them.

He also revealed this as the method we should use when he gave the disciples this command in Matt. 28, “Go into all the world…”

But Jesus isn’t the only one to reveal this method! Paul says this in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23… 19Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

This is the way the Bible reveals to us to reach people! It tells us these simple instructions: Go to people in a way they can understand. Serve them. Love them. Tell them the truth. That’s it! This is the incarnational way to reach people.

But for some reason many churches focus on the opposite way to reach people: Make them come to you. Make them become like you and learn your lingo. Get them to serve the church. Get them to love the church. If they can do all that they’ll learn how to be saved!
This is the attractional way to reach people. Do you see how opposite these two ways are

Redesign: Break Away From Old Ideas

2007-02-03T08:13:00.001-05:00

Redesign - What areas of our church can we change to be more effective.

I have been a supporter of Brian Tracy for a number of years. He does a great job of teaching on sales and management. I recently ran across this article about how to break away from old ideas and thought that it greatly applies to church 2.0. Enjoy

Break Away From Old IdeasBy: Brian Tracy

Highly creative people tend to have fluid, flexible, adaptive minds. Here are three statements that creative people can make easily and which you learn by regular practice.

Admit It When You Are Wrong - The first is simply, "I was wrong." Many people are so concerned with being right that all their mental energy is consumed by stonewalling, bluffing, blaming and denying. If you’re wrong, admit it and get on to the solution or the next step. Face Up to Mistakes

Second, non-creative people think that it is a sign of weakness to say, "I made a mistake." On the contrary, it is actually a sign of mental maturity, personal strength and individual character. Remember, everybody makes mistakes every single day.

Be Flexible With New Information - The third statement that creative people use easily is, "I changed my mind." It is amazing how many uncomfortable situations people get into and stay in because they are unwilling or afraid to admit that they've changed their minds.

Be Willing to Cut Your LossesIf you get new information or if you find that you feel differently about a previous decision, accept that you have changed your mind and don't let anyone or anything back you into a corner. If a decision does not serve your best interests as you see them now, have the ego-strength and the courage to "cut your losses," to change your mind and then get on to better things.

Action Exercises: Here are two ways you can break out of narrow thinking patterns and become more creative.

First, be willing to admit that you are not perfect, you make mistakes, you are wrong on a regular basis. This is a mark of intelligence and courage.

Second, with new information, be willing to change your mind. Most of what you know about your business today will change completely in the coming years so be the first to recognize it.

Becoming a Person of Influence at Work

2007-01-17T10:32:00.001-05:00

Rejoice - Where Can I share my Personal Testimony to Impact Others.

Fortune Magaizine is highlighting the Faith at Work Movement in an article entitled "Finding God at Work." You can read the entire article at: http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/16/news/companies/faithfriendly_companies.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2007011707

I think this is an important movement for Church 2.0.

What do you think about sharing your faith at work?

Rejoice - Your Personal Story of Overcoming

2007-01-16T10:16:00.001-05:00

Rejoice - Where can I share my testimony to impact the lives of others

I found this article very powerful pertainign to personal testimony. The article speaks to overcoming the fanasty world in our relationships.

You can read the entire article at: http://www.christianitytoday.com/mp/2006/004/8.52.html

The steps that she calls for are very practical and yet I believe that they will bring transformation if practiced.

Redesign - Exit Interviews - Why blacks are leaving evangelical ministries.

2007-01-16T10:11:00.000-05:00

Redesign - What areas of our church can we change to be more effective.

I just read this great article over at Christianity Today. It really speaks to redesgining your church to have more of a multi-cultural bent.

You read the entire article at: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/february/4.104.html
The key question for 2007 in Church 2.0 is - what steps are you doing to reach across cultural barriers?

Refocus - Men and Drums the key to church Growth.

2007-01-08T16:25:00.001-05:00

Refocus - How can we maintain the mission of reaching the lost.

Churches with rising attendance numbers have a lot in common with one another - a lot more than denomination, location, or even theological approach. According to a new study, success stories often involve men, drums, a joyful environment, and a concerted effort not to be too "reverent."

That’s the conclusion of a December report from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, a nonprofit research group at Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Conn. While most US churches continue to be predominantly of one race and to count more women than men in their pews, the HIRR survey of almost 900 congregations found growth is most likely when:

• A church is multiracial.
• Men make up at least 60 percent of regular participants.
• Leaders describe worship as “slightly to not at all” reverent.
• Drums or percussion are always used in worship.

Such innovations make churches exciting places to be, says report author Kirk Hadaway. It also explains why atypical churches, which are prone to innovate, often lead the pack in growth, he adds.

“If it’s not uplifting, interesting, provoking ... it’s perfectly acceptable in American society to not go [to church] anymore,” says Mr. Hadaway, director of research for the Episcopal Church USA. “Churches that are providing a more uplifting worship experience and community are those that are growing. And those that do it well are not typical anymore.”

For many congregations, learning to grow is a matter of survival. Six mainline denominations, all of which have been losing members for 40 years, saw worship attendance figures drop by as much as 12 percent between 1999 and 2004, according to a November report from the Presbyterian Church (USA). The United Methodist Church (UMC) lost about 34,000 weekly worshipers, or 1 percent, from 2004 to 2005.

“We have a sense of mission to reach new people with the Gospel and to minister to people’s needs - that’s why we exist - and we realize that we’re failing in our mission,” says John Southwick, director of research for the General Board of Global Ministries for the UMC. “We need to turn the ship around, and that means to start growing again.”

For stagnant or declining congregations, Hadaway says, the new findings, based on data collected in 2005, offer hope because churches can usually cultivate at least a few attributes correlated with growth. But, church experts caution, this prescription for growth won’t work if a congregation doesn’t also lay the necessary groundwork.

“You cannot simply introduce tactics in worship design and hope to increase the number of males or become more cross-cultural,” says Thomas Bandy, president of Easum, Bandy & Associates, a Texas-based church-growth consultancy. “It requires a certain kind of leader” to build consensus and trustworthy spiritual authority, or else other changes in congregational life become mere superficialities.

What’s more, according to Bandy and Hadaway, changing a congregation’s attributes often creates stress and conflict, which HIRR found to be the No. 1 factor when attendance takes a dive.

But perhaps the bigger danger in racing to emulate growing churches is losing sight of more primary priorities, according to theologian Philip Kenneson.

“I don’t think there are any bonuses just for getting people in the door,” says Mr. Kenneson, an associate professor at Milligan College in Tennessee and co-author of “Selling Out the Church: The Dangers of Church Marketing.” “I want my children to be formed by a community of believers [that shape] a certain kind of people. It’s not enough to just be there being counted.”
Still, atypical congregations of many stripes are counting their blessings as new worshipers beef up the flock’s ranks. On the liberal side, gay-friendly Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto recently hosted the largest Christmas Eve service in Canada with nearly 2,500 attendees. With more than 30 ethnic groups represented in the pews, the congregation expects to keep building its average weekly attendance from 580 today to about 875 within the next three years.

More-conservative congregations are also benefiting from ethnic diversity and joyful environs. Granger Community Church, a drum-loving congregation near South Bend, Ind., has seen weekly attendance grow from about 2,000 in 2000 to 5,700 in 2006. First Baptist Church of Wheaton, Md., has boosted average weekly attendance over the past four years from 190 to about 225, an 18 percent gain. Bringing minority faces up front to lead songs and prayer has helped make the church 50 percent nonwhite, according to Larry White, minister of spiritual formation. Another plus: Professional musicians, including a drummer, have helped increase the ranks of young adults.

“The universal language of rock ‘n’ roll sets the stage for people of many different backgrounds to be comfortable in our setting,” Mr. White says. Although electric guitars have turned off some older members, White says, most have been willing to tolerate it as an important drawing card for younger newcomers.

In some cases, old-fashioned pastoral care still wins attendees. When newcomers visit Assembly of God Brazilian Church, a growing Pentecostal congregation in Abington, Mass., lay evangelist Fausto de Rocha follows up with a home visit. There, he prays with them. If they don’t speak English, he makes calls to set up phone and cable television service. The church also offers language classes and helps newcomers find jobs.

“These are immigrants far away from their home and the love they knew there,” Mr. de Rocha says. But they tend to relax, he says, around top- notch singers, horns, and drums at Sunday services.

SOURCE: The Christian Science Monitor article by G. Jeffrey MacDonald

Rejoice - Leading the Way to Confession

2007-01-03T15:53:00.001-05:00

Rejoice - Where can I share my testimony to impact the lives of others

The January 8th issue of BuisnessWeek has an article entitled "Now go out and Lead." The article is an except of the the new book, "What Got You Here Won't Get You There" by Marshall Goldsmith. In the book he identifies 20 habits that rub people the wrong way and he teaches the readers how to break those habits. He says, "I've learned that changing one or two interpersonal habits can have a make-or-break impact on someone's ability to lead, and to get ahead."

The article focuses on two habits, 1. Clinging to the past and 2. Refusing to express regret. I found the second habit to be most enlighting. He states, "Expressing regret, or apologizing, is a cleasnsing ritual, like confession at church. You say, "I's sorry" and feel better...refusing to apologize causes much ill will in the workplace, and at home, as any other interpersonal flaw." Later he says, "The irony, of course, it that apologizing turns adversaries into allies, even servants."

Part of communicating our testimonies is living the apologetic life. We must confess and tell others where and when we have hurt them. This confession is an essential part of the new church. It is living a healthier life, but it is also living a more open and honest life for others to see so that we can be fully known.

Redesign - Top 10 Religion Stories of 2006

2007-01-02T10:18:00.001-05:00

Redesign - What areas of our church can we change to be more effective.

Top 10 Religion Stories of 2006
Members of the Religion Newswriters Association -- who cover religion for the mainstream media -- voted on their choices for the top religion stories of 2006. Here are the results:

1. Muslims in a number of countries react violently to publication of Muhammad cartoons in Denmark and other European nations. Scores of both Christians and Muslims are killed in riots in Nigeria. This story will lead the way to many more stories on Muslims and how Muslims will impact Christianity as we know it. Churches that have turned a blind eye to the movement of Muslims will find themselves behind in 2007.

2. Pope Benedict XVI angers Muslims by including in a speech a centuries-old quote linking Islam and violence. He apologizes and later smooths the waters on a trip to Turkey. Earlier, he begins to downsize the curia and emphasizes God's love in his first encyclical. See Above. This signified a movement of Muslims into the Mainstream.

3. The Episcopal Church riles conservatives when the General Convention elects a presiding bishop who supported the consecration of a U.S. gay bishop, which conservatives oppose as unbiblical. Seven Episcopal dioceses refuse to recognize the leadership of Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, who is also the first woman elected to the top post. Later, the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin becomes the first diocese to adopt measures that set the stage for it to secede from the denomination. Another move into the mainstream is that of open gay people in spiritual leadership postions. This will further divide the Christian community.

4. Charismatic leader Ted Haggard resigns as president of the National Association of Evangelicals and is dismissed as pastor of the huge New Life Church in Colorado Springs after allegations surface of gay sex and methamphetamine use. This happens about every decade or so - great leaders fall. Let this serve as a reminder that we each need to work on our spiritual side so that we are not the one that will fall next.

5. Candidates backed by the Religious Right suffer a series of defeats in the fall elections, with many voters citing morality as one of the strongest motivators in the way they cast their ballot. This story showed a significant move of the liberals to move more to the center. The Religious Right lost because the people that they were running against looked a lot like them and in for all practical purposes were the same. There is a good lesson here for the church. We cannot win people when we look like every other organization out there.

6. Religious voices grow louder for peace in Iraq, but by year's end experts fear the spread of sectarian tensions throughout the Middle East Conflicts between Sunni and Shiite Muslims increase, and the Israeli incursion in Lebanon aimed at curbing attacks by Hezbollah touches off major strife within Lebanon. Christian churches also reconsider efforts to pressure Israel on the Palestinian question. It is always a dangerous game when the spiritual gets involved in the political.

7. The schoolhouse shooting deaths of five Amish girls in Bart Township, PA, draw international attention on the Amish community's ethic of forgiveness after some Amish attend the killer's funeral. The point: Even isolated communities cannot stay isolated from the evils of sins.

8. (tie) The release of the film The Da Vinci Code adds to the previous buzz about Dan Brown's novel. Religious critics, who say the book portrays traditional Christianity as a fraud, are divided over whether to boycott the film or hold discussion groups. Controversial plot lines include Jesus marrying Mary Magdalene and conceiving a child. This is the fight of gnostism the same fight that the disciples fought in their day and age. Let us be prepared to hold high the truth of Jesus and who He is.

8. (tie) Same sex marriage bans pass in seven of eight states that hold referendums on the issue during mid-term elections; Arizona becomes the first state in which voters defeat a same-sex marriage ban. Meanwhile, the New Jersey Supreme Court rules that same-sex couples are entitled to the same benefits as married couples. See number 3.

10. President Bush casts his first veto to defeat a bill calling for expanded stem-cell research, to the delight of religious conservatives and the disappointment of more liberal ones. The issue is later credited with playing a deciding role in the key Missouri Senate race. Meanwhile, progress is reported in efforts to create stem-cell lines without destroying embryos. Another key issue that the church will need to learn how to speak and what to say to reach an emerging culture.

Redesign: Barna Lists the 12 Most Religious Significant Findings

2006-12-21T10:14:00.001-05:00

Redesign - What areas of our church can we change to be more effective.

Noteworthy Outcomes
Barna selected the following dozen outcomes as the most significant findings of 2006.

1. Although large majorities of the public claim to be “deeply spiritual” and say that their religious faith is “very important” in their life, only 15% of those who regularly attend a Christian church ranked their relationship with God as the top priority in their life. As alarming as that finding was, its significance was magnified by research showing that on average pastors believe that 70% of the adults in their congregation consider their relationship with God to be their highest priority in life.
For related information, see the January 10th Barna Update click here

2. Three out of every four teenagers have engaged in at least one type of psychic or witchcraft-related activity. Among the most common of those endeavors are using a Ouija board, reading books about witchcraft or Wicca, playing games involving sorcery or witchcraft, having a “professional” do a palm reading or having their fortune told. Conversely, during the past year fewer than three out of every ten churched teenagers had received any teaching from their church about elements of the supernatural.
For related information, see the January 23rd Barna Update click here

3. The notion of personal holiness has slipped out of the consciousness of the vast majority of Christians. While just 21% of adults consider themselves to be holy, by their own admission large numbers have no idea what “holiness” means and only one out of every three (35%) believe that God expects people to become holy.
For related information, see the Februrary 20th Barna Update click here

4. The growing movement of Christian Revolutionaries in the U.S. distinguished themselves from an already-select group of people – born again Christians – through their deeds, beliefs and self-views. Revolutionaries demonstrated substantially higher levels of community service, financial contributions, daily Bible study, personal quiet times each day, family Bible studies, daily worship experiences, engagement in spiritual mentoring, and evangelistic efforts. They also had a series of beliefs that were much more likely than those of typical born again adults to coincide with biblical teachings. Their self-perceptions were also dramatically different than that of other born again adults.
For related information, see the March 6th Barna Update click here

5. Involvement in a house church is rapidly growing, although the transition is occurring with some trepidation: four out of every five house church participants maintain some connection to a conventional church as well.
For related information, see the June 19th Barna Update click here

6. Evaluating spiritual maturity remains an elusive process for clergy as well as individuals. Across the nation, the only measure of spiritual health used by at least half of all pastors was the extent of volunteer activity or ministry involvement. Adults were no more consistent in their self-examination of their spirituality.
For related information, see the January 10th Barna Update click here

7. Most Americans have a period of time during their teen years when they are actively engaged in a church youth group. However, Barna’s tracking of young people showed that most of them had disengaged from organized religion during their twenties.
For related information, see the September 11th Barna Update click here

8. A comparison of people’s faith before and after the September 11 terrorist attack showed that five years after the momentous day, none of the 19 faith measures studied had undergone statistically significant change. Those measures covered aspects such as religious behaviors, beliefs, spiritual commitment and self-identity.
For related information, see the August 28th Barna Update click here

9. Seven out of ten parents claim they are effective at developing the spiritual maturity of their children, but the Barna survey among 8-to-12-year-olds discovered that only one-third of them say a church has made “a positive difference” in their life; one-third contend that prayer is very important in their life; most of them would rather be popular than to do what is morally right. In fact, “tweeners” (those ages 8 to 12) deem their family to be vitally important in their life, but just 57% said they look forward to spending time with their family and only one out of every three say it is easy for them to talk to their parents about things that matter to them.
For related information, see the September 30th Barna Update click here

10. Relatively few people – just one out of every six – believe that spiritual maturity is meant to be developed within the context of a local church or within the context of a community of faith.
For related information, see the April 18th Barna Update click here

11. Five of the highest-profile Christian leaders – Rick Warren, Joel Osteen, James Dobson, Tim LaHaye and T.D. Jakes – were unknown to a majority of the population. Most of those leaders were also unknown to most born again Christians.
For related information, see the November 27th Barna Update click here

12. The faith contours of America continue to shift substantially over the course of time. The proportion of adults who are born again has risen dramatically in the past quarter century, from 31% to 45%. During the past two decades, every spiritual behavior has fluctuated significantly, with recent upsurge in Bible reading, church attendance, and small group involvement.
For related information, see the March 27th Barna Update click here

Refocus: Church 2.0 Redefining our Mission

2006-12-21T09:55:00.001-05:00

Refocus - How can we maintain the mission of reaching the lost

Brother Maynard has a great post over at his Subversive Influence Blog. You can find his post at: http://www.subversiveinfluence.com/wordpress/?p=982

The most important shift that Brother Maynard speaks about is the movement to going to church to being the church. He states: "Probably the single biggest feature of Church 2.0 is destined to be the phenomenon of individual members actually being the church rather than simply attending all the performances of church. I’m not meaning to merely criticize the inherited church with this observation… what I see is an extension of the inherited church and a flattening of the org chart to become more of a Church 2.0 structure and modus operandi."

There is no doubt that the "emerging church" or "church 2.0" is designed around a more interactive approach. People are looking for their giftedness and the ability to find meaning. See my post about "Generation Passion" at: http://weallspeak.blogspot.com/2006/12/recall-generation-passion.html.

As I communicated to Brother Maynard we now need to rise up vocal leaders, preachers, and teachers to communicate this shift to the church. We need to communicate exactly what is church 2.0

Reflect - What Kind of Leader Am I?

2006-12-08T15:33:00.000-05:00

Reflect - Learning the truths that will change my life.

I just finished reading John Maxwell's book "The 360 Degree Leader." The book in tupical Maxwelling style uses phrases and ideas that the reader can grasp and resonate with. Maxwell has done well at promoted a new kind of leadership. A leadership that innovative companies like Best Buy,
Wal-Mart, Yahoo, and Google could buy into.

In the first section of the book Maxwell debunkes myths that often held by people reaching leadership levels. The important fact is not to allow the position to make us, but rather for us to make the position of leadership. Maxwell then turns his attention in challenges leaders face. I think this section is extremely important for pastors and others in challeneging positions to read. One challenege that I think would strike a deep chord with the bi-vocational pastor is the "Multi-Hat Challenge." Maxwell points out that this challenge is often true for mid-level managers.

Finally Maxwell looks at the art of leading where he examines how to lead up, across and down. Maxwell does not teach new truths but rather remind the readers of central truths such as: "lead yourself exceptionally well", "do you own job well first", and "be willing to do what others won't" and "Be better tomorrow than you are today."

One Maxwell thought stood clear above the rest: "Successful leaders make the right move at the right moment with the right motive."

The truth of the matter is that even if we could pick up half of what Maxwell suggests then we could at least do a 180 and our lives, our works, homes and blogs would be much better.

Redesign: Best Buys Best Practices

2006-12-07T11:19:00.000-05:00

Redesign - What areas of our church can we change to be more effective.

BusinessWeek's feature article in the December 11th issue is receiving quite the press. The article talks about Best Buy's innovative new approach to work hours and productivity. The experiment called, "ROWE" which stands for "Results-only work environments" judge people not on the hours they work but rather on what they produce. This concept will redesign the workplace.

Over the last few years there has been a movement in business to alter work hours to help with work-life balance. The balance has always been a concern about the bottom line. In business the bottom line is still the bottom line. The bottom line at Best Buy is to produce a more work friendly environment while creating a higher profit margin. The truth is that this new work environment is producing. What happened when Best Buy allowed staff to work whenever and wherever they want: Average rise in ROWE worker productivity since 2005 - +35%!

The interesting thing about this radical redesign policy. Currently Best Buys leads the way in market share. They could easliy sit on their accomplishments and allow Circut City to come up with innovation and new policies. Best Buy is on the top and they are concerned about saying on top.

What can the emerging church learn about redesign from this movement? Let me suggest two important concepts:

1. Churches should be more concerned about how people are growing in their faith and not just concerned if people show up. In the article Jody Thompson the programs co-founder states: "For years I been focused on the wrong currency, I was always looking to see if people were here. I should have been looking at what they were getting done."

I think the emerging church should no longer look at the number of people that attend but rather what great things people are doing at their faith. In other words we should not count numbers but rather count activities.

2. Churches really must learn a flexible schedule as well. I think for the church to only meet on Sundays at 10:00 am will eventually lead more and more people to leave and look for spirituality elsewhere. Churches must redesign their services to meet at different times that fit into the busy schedules of todays busy people.

Recall - Generation Passion

2006-12-06T17:14:00.001-05:00

Recall: What do I need to know about my purpose and calling...

Government Executive in their December 2006 issue is runnign an article entitled: "Generation Passion." The article was about the shift in attitudes of the younger generation now entering the workforce.

I have spoken and written on this now for a number of years. The article states: "This generation places much more value on finding "meaningful" work than did past generations...partly because so many young adults grew up with workaholic parents, they want to make sure that their jobs provide an emotional reward as well as financial." says Alexandra Robbins, author of The Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids (Hyperion, 2006).

Interesting. Did you catch the word.."meaningful" - this generation wants more than any other to find their calling. Could the church be struggling with the same issues. Can younger generation Christians be leaving the church or not connecting because they simply cannot find their passion?

One other statement in this article stands out: "If managers do what they can to give workers what they want, whether its working from home or bringing their dogs to work, then they're more likely to keep them..."

Maybe we should take note. The emerging church ought to be the lead place to help all people of every generation find their passion or thier calling.

New Blog Format:

2006-11-28T15:31:00.000-05:00

I have been taking a blogging break. I have been thinking about my church and my life and of course my blog. I want to go ahead and update my new blog posts and design for the new year. My theme for the year will be: RETHINK CHURCH. I really want to challenege all emerging church leaders to rethink the way that we do church and our spiritual lives. To that end I will be blogging about:

1. Redesign - What areas of our church can we change to be more effective.

2. Rejoice - Where can I share my testimony to impact the lives of others

3. Refocus - How can we maintain the mission of reaching the lost

4. Reflect - Learning and owning the truths that will change my life.

5. Recall - What do I need to know about my purpose and calling.

Ted Haggard's letter to New Life Church

2006-11-09T15:09:00.000-05:00

I wanted to post the letter that Ted Haggard wrote to his church as he moved away from ministry. I think the letter is very transparent and it reminds all of us about the importance of confession. Preachers are not perfect people, but rather they are people with real stuggles. I do believe that they should be held to a higher standard and I do beleive that there are actions and issues that should remove them from a time from their pulpits. But I don't believe that eternal removal should be practiced in all cases.

The other stricking aspect of this letter is how the other preachers are watching out for him and are going to walk with him through the process. I wish that this was true of all preachers everywhere. However, the fact of the matter is that most preachers when they fall have no where to turn and no one to turn to.

The following letter from Ted Haggard, former senior pastor of New Life Church, was read to the congregation this morning at the 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. services. To my New Life Church family:

I am so sorry. I am sorry for the disappointment, the betrayal, and the hurt. I am sorry for the horrible example I have set for you. I have an overwhelming, all-consuming sadness in my heart for the pain that you and I and my family have experienced over the past few days.

I am so sorry for the circumstances that have caused shame and embarrassment to all of you. I asked that this note be read to you this morning so I could clarify my heart's condition to you.

The last four days have been so difficult for me, my family and all of you, and I have further confused the situation with some of the things I've said during interviews with reporters who would catch me coming or going from my home. But I alone am responsible for the confusion caused by my inconsistent statements.

The fact is, I am guilty of sexual immorality, and I take responsibility for the entire problem. I am a deceiver and a liar. There is a part of my life that is so repulsive and dark that I've been warring against it all of my adult life.

For extended periods of time, I would enjoy victory and rejoice in freedom. Then, from time to time, the dirt that I thought was gone would resurface, and I would find myself thinking thoughts and experiencing desires that were contrary to everything I believe and teach. Through the years, I've sought assistance in a variety of ways, with none of them proving to be effective in me.

Then, because of pride, I began deceiving those I love the most because I didn't want to hurt or disappoint them. The public person I was wasn't a lie; it was just incomplete. When I stopped communicating about my problems, the darkness increased and finally dominated me. As a result, I did things that were contrary to everything I believe.

The accusations that have been leveled against me are not all true, but enough of them are true that I have been appropriately and lovingly removed from ministry. Our church's overseers have required me to submit to the oversight of Dr. James Dobson, Pastor Jack Hayford, and Pastor Tommy Barnett. Those men will perform a thorough analysis of my mental, spiritual, emotional, and physical life. They will guide me through a program with the goal of healing and restoration for my life, my marriage, and my family.

I created this entire situation. The things that I did opened the door for additional allegations . But I am responsible; I alone need to be disciplined and corrected. An example must be set. It is important that you know how much I love and appreciate my wife, Gayle. What I did should never reflect in a negative way on her relationship with me. She has been and continues to be incredible. The problem is not with her, my children or any of you. It was created 100 percent by me.

I have been permanently removed from the office of Senior Pastor of New Life Church. Until a new senior pastor is chosen, our Associate Senior Pastor Ross Parsley will assume all of the the responsibilities of the office. On the day he accepted this new role, he and his wife, Aimee, had a new baby boy. A new life in the midst of this circumstance - I consider the confluence of events to be prophetic. Please commit to join with Pastor Ross and the others in church leadership to make their service to you easy and without burden. They are fine leaders. You are blessed.

I appreciate your loving and forgiving nature, and I humbly ask you to do a few things.

1.) Please stay faithful to God through service and giving.

2.) Please forgive me. I am so embarrassed and ashamed. I caused this and I have no excuse. I am a sinner. I have fallen. I desperately need to be forgiven and healed.

3.) Please forgive my accuser. He is revealing the deception and sensuality that was in my life. Those sins, and others, need to be dealt with harshly. So, forgive him and, actually, thank God for him. I am trusting that his action will make me, my wife and family, and ultimately all of you, stronger. He didn't violate you; I did.

4.) Please stay faithful to each other. Perform your functions well. Encourage each other and rejoice in God's faithfulness. Our church body is a beautiful body, and like every family, our strength is tested and proven in the midst of adversity. Because of the negative publicity I've created with my foolishness, we can now demonstrate to the world how our sick and wounded can be healed, and how even disappointed and betrayed church bodies can prosper and rejoice.

Gayle and I need to be gone for a while. We will never return to a leadership role at New Life Church. In our hearts, we will always be members of this body. We love you as our family. I know this situation will put you to the test. I'm sorry I've created the test, but please rise to this challenge and demonstate the incredible grace that is available to all of us.

Ted Haggard

Letters to God - What would your letter say?

2006-11-03T10:44:00.000-05:00

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - Some of the letters are comical (a man asking God to let him win the lottery, twice), others are heartbreaking (a distraught teen asking forgiveness for an abortion, an unwed mother pleading with God to make the baby's father marry her). The letters — about 300 in all, sent to a New Jersey minister — ended up dumped in the ocean, most of them unopened

The minister died two years ago at 79. How the letters, some dating to 1973, wound up bobbing in the surf is a mystery.
"There are hundreds of lives here, a lot of struggle, washed up on the beach," said Bill Lacovara, a Ventnor insurance adjuster who was fishing last month with his son when he spotted a flowered plastic shopping bag and waded out to retrieve it. "This is just a hint of what really happens. How many letters like this all over the world aren't being opened or answered?"
Many of the letters were addressed to the Rev. Grady Cooper, though many more simply said "Altar." According to the text of several of them, they were intended to be placed on a church's altar and prayed over by the minister, the congregation or both.
Some were neatly written in script on white-lined paper, others in a feverish scrawl on tattered scraps of parchment or note cards. Many were crinkled from being in the water and then dried out after Lacovara fished them out of the sea.
A dog-eared business card inside one of the letters identified Cooper as associate pastor of the Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Jersey City. A woman who answered the phone at the church office confirmed Cooper once was a minister there, and had died nearly two years ago. The current pastor did not return several calls from The Associated Press over the past few days.
Other documents in the bag, including bank statements and canceled checks, also listed Cooper's name and an address for him in Jersey City. A death certificate issued in 2004 for a Grady Cooper lists the same address as those on the bank documents and some of the letters.
His wife, Frances, whose name also showed up on some of the letters at the same address, died in 2000, according to Hudson County records.
No one answered the door last week at the address where Cooper once lived, and a neighbor said he did not recall anyone by that name. Attempts to locate Cooper's relatives were unsuccessful.
Lacovara speculated that someone cleaning out Cooper's home found the letters and threw them on the beach in Atlantic City, about 100 miles from Jersey City.
"I guess rather than just throw them in the garbage, maybe they thought they'd set them out to sea to bless these people," he said. "So they made a trip to Atlantic City, maybe went to a casino, and put the letters in the water."
The letters, wrapped in several smaller brown paper bags inside the larger plastic bag, did not appear to have been in the water too long, Lacovara said, though about half were too badly damaged to be legible.
He opened a few with his son, Rocky, on the beach. The first few were humorous.
"I'm still praying to hit the lottery twice: first the $50,000," one man wrote. "Than after some changes have taken place let me hit the millionaire."
Another asked God to make a certain someone "leave me alone and stay off my back," while still another asks God to calm a woman who "call the Internal Revenue on me."
One woman complained that her husband always talks about sex, and another writer anonymously dropped a dime to God on someone cheating on his wife, complete with dates, times and locations.
But those, Lacovara soon found, were the exception.
Many more were written by anguished spouses, children or widows, pouring out their hearts to God, asking for help with relatives who were using drugs, gambling or cheating on them. One man wrote from prison, saying he was innocent and wanted to be back home with his family. A woman wrote that her boyfriend was now closing the door to her daughter's bedroom each night when it used to stay open, and wondered why.
A teenager poured out her heart on yellow-lined paper in the curlicue pencil handwriting of a schoolgirl, begging God to forgive her and asking for a second chance.
"Lord, I know that I have had an abortion and I killed one of your angels," she wrote. "There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about the mistake I made."
One unwed mother wrote that her baby was due in four weeks, and asked God to make the father fall in love with her and marry her so the child would have a father.
Lacovara said he is sad that most of the writers never had their letters read. But he hopes to change that soon: He is putting the collection up for sale on eBay.

Episcopal 'U2-charist' uses songs in service

2006-10-26T13:57:00.000-04:00

By Gary Stern, USA TODAY

When Anglican Archbishop Thomas Cranmer compiled the Book of Common Prayer during the 16th century, he wanted to make the prayers accessible, so he wrote in English, not Latin, and made sure it was distributed to every church.

About 450 years later, there is another attempt to make prayers more accessible — by an Irish bard who wears wrap-around shades instead of a clerical collar.
It may not qualify as a mini-Reformation, but a Communion service driven by the music of singer Bono and his U2 bandmates is catching on at Episcopal churches across the country.
The U2 Eucharist is not some kind of youth service held in the church basement but is a traditional Episcopal liturgy that uses U2's best-selling songs as hymns.

"It makes you, like, warm inside," says Bridgette Roberts, 15, who is a Roman Catholic and attended a recent U2 Eucharist at All Saints' Episcopal Church in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. "Usually at church, you love Jesus and everything. But this way you can express how you feel."
Says her friend, Natalie Williams, 17: "I love Bono, and you can rock out to the music. But in church, you hear it in a different way. It's like new."

The Rev. Paige Blair, an Episcopal priest in York Harbor, Maine, came up with the idea and held the first service at her church on July 31, 2005, displaying U2's lyrics on a screen by the altar. Since then, she informally has consulted with about 150 churches that have had U2 Eucharists, or plan to, in 15 states and seven countries.

Interest in the service is spreading by word of mouth alone, although Blair's church is starting what it calls a "U2-charist team" to take the liturgy on the road.
Much of U2's songbook is explicitly Christian and perfectly suitable for a worship service, even if some people might need time to get used to the idea, Blair says.

"Bach and Handel were the popular music of their day, and they had trouble getting played in church. The Methodist hymn writers once wrote contemporary music. Are we worshiping Bono? Absolutely not. No more so than we worship Martin Luther when we sing A Mighty Fortress Is Our God."

Churches increasingly have borrowed the beats and melodies of popular music — rock, country, rap — since the 1960s, just as blues and R&B once influenced gospel music arrangements. Today, an entire Christian music industry borrows from everything in pop music except sex-obsessed lyrics.

U2 somehow seems to live in rock music's hedonistic world — without being of it.
"A lot of contemporary Christian music has such locked-down, straightforward meaning that you can't play with it," says Lutheran Rev. Christian Scharen, director of the Faith as a Way of Life Project at Yale Divinity School and author of a new book, One Step Closer: Why U2 Matters to Those Seeking God.

"U2 is good at the art, using language like a poet would, like the classic hymn language. Listen to their lesser-known song Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car, which is about grace. We mess up, but God is merciful. That's playful."
The U2 Eucharist can vary from church to church, but a key part is an offering for Bono's campaign to eradicate extreme poverty and global AIDS.

"It's a big reason that this has taken off as a movement," Blair says. "It's what Bono and the band are passionate about."

A spokesman said U2 is rehearsing and unavailable for comment.
Permissions haven't been an issue; churches that use U2's music for a one-time, non-commercial service do not need permission, says the band's record label, Universal Music Group.

At the service in Briarcliff Manor, the opening hymn was U2's Pride (In the Name of Love). About 110 people filled the tiny church, most of whom were not parishioners. They warbled tentatively at first, as images of Rosa Parks, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and others appeared on a large screen, but many were singing out before long. As worshipers approached the communion rail, Bono's recorded voice sang "Let it go/ Surrender/ Dislocate" from the song Bad.

"Tonight is a call to action," said the Rev. Timothy Schenck, the church's rector. "It's about living out our faith in the world, something, I'm embarrassed to admit, that Bono does better than many professional Christians."

The Christian themes in U2's music have been widely recognized since their 1981 album, October. But from the start, some have not been comfortable with Bono's regular criticisms of church leadership or his unwillingness to identify with any Christian tradition.

"Bono has said repeatedly that Christianity without an element of social justice is empty," said a 2003 editorial in Christianity Today. "We agree. But a Christian's pleading for social justice without worshiping God regularly within the community of the church is little more than activism for its own sake."

Still, there has been little criticism of the U2 Eucharist, even from traditionalists within the deeply divided denomination.

"The U2 Eucharist is simply another form of music used to celebrate the Lord's supper and bring people into the presence of God through worship," says the Rev. Canon Daryl Fenton of the Anglican Communion Network.

Stern reports for the Journal News in Westchester, N.Y.

Preacher Burnout From Preaching....

2006-10-25T09:53:00.001-04:00

Do churches encourage clergy burnout?

In the new book Clergy Burnout (Fortress), Fred Lehr writes, "What congregation brags that their clergyperson always uses all his vacation and continuing education time? How many lay people think this is just wonderful and the sign of an effective ministry? What congregation offers a membership to the local gym as a standard perk to encourage their pastor to practice good exercise patterns? None that I know.

"Clergy who are dependent on pats on the back in ministry will be on duty 24/7. They will go to extremes to keep everyone happy and never stir up any controversy, however appropriate that controversy may be. They will sacrifice time for self and family and do so without one single complaint. That's the way the system is structured these days. That's the norm. . . . It is a disease infused throughout the system. Good health and proper boundaries are rare." (Click here to learn more about the book Clergy Burnout.)

Beleif Suggested - Boomers and Business

2006-10-18T17:20:00.000-04:00

Beliefs Suggested -

Saw this article and I thought about Boomers starting new churches - more to come on this...

Launch a business after 50
7 tips to help you start the right company, without risking your financial security.

By Anne Fisher, Fortune senior writer
October 12 2006: 1:59 PM EDT

(Fortune) -- Dear Annie: A friend sent me your September 6 column on the 50 Best Companies for People Over 50, which is interesting, but at age 58 - after 36 years on the big-company treadmill - I'm getting ready to retire, and I'd much rather start my own business than go to work for someone else. The trouble is, I don't know what kind of company to start. My corporate background is in marketing, but my real passions are gardening and landscaping, and I do have decades of (successful but unpaid) experience at that. Would it be crazy to start a landscaping business? Any suggestions on how to decide? -Garden Guru

Dear GG: With decades of successful experience (paid or not), you're not crazy to want to build a business on it - and your sign-off might even make a good name for your new company. Jeff Williams, a startup consultant who has helped more than 4,000 clients launch their own enterprises, is president of BizStarters (www.bizstarters.com), which provides coaching and training to people over 50 who want to strike out on their own. He offers these 7 tips for anyone who is wondering what kind of company to start. See if they resonate with you.

Are you ready to start your own business? Being your own boss may sound great, but not everyone has what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur. Do you?1. If I have to, I'm willing to lower my standard of living for a while - take fewer (or no) vacations and cut back on nonessentials like eating out - while trying to get my business off the ground. True False
Look for an industry that will truly engage you. Sounds as if you've already done this. "It's especially important for burnt-out corporate refugees," Williams notes. You don't want to sink your sweat and savings into a startup only to find yourself on another treadmill.

Understand the income potential and whether it matches your needs, and how much you are comfortable investing. Take a hard-nosed look at startup costs, your local competition, and your willingness to risk your savings. Take into account the fact that it takes most new businesses at least three years to break even - if they last that long. Says Williams, "Later in life is not the time to shoot craps and risk your financial security." It's worth sitting down with a reputable accountant who has worked with lots of startups and who can help you determine how much of a gamble you're willing and able to take.

Match the physical demands of your chosen business to your energy level. "A business that requires putting in long hours every day, or hard physical labor, may not suit those 50 and older," Williams says. Hmmm. Landscaping can be physically hard work, of course, but if you can handle it (at least until you start earning enough to hire help), then go for it.

If day-to-day variety is important to you, rule out businesses that involve doing the very same thing for each customer. The idea here is to find something that will keep you passionately interested. (Luckily for you, every garden, not to mention each landscaping customer's budget, is different.)

Do you love or hate technology? "While most businesses require some computer use, consider the extent to which you'll need to use other technologies - like wireless gadgets, the Internet, and various [types of] software - to help you manage your business," Williams suggests. "If you hate technology and would rather not bother with it, can you afford to hire technical help?"

If you find you're drawn to a franchise opportunity, make sure you determine the total expected investment for the first two years. "Be aware that, with a franchise, you will always have a business partner - the franchisor - who takes part of your income," says Williams. Proceed with caution when considering a franchise: Talk with others who have bought outlets from the same company; make sure you understand everything the franchisor will expect from you (including how disputes, if any, will be resolved); and hire an attorney who specializes in franchising to explain the franchise agreement to you in detail.

The eagerness of the over-50 crowd to be their own bosses has spawned a mini-industry of coaches who, like Williams, specialize in advising would-be entrepreneurs. You might, for example, check out a terrific book, Too Young to Retire: An Off-the-Road Map to the Rest of Your Life ($13, Plume), by husband-and-wife team Marika and Howard Stone. Both the book and the Stones' website, www.2young2retire.com, are packed with practical advice and real-life tales of people who are making a living by living their dreams. Good luck!

Beliefs Suggested - Male Fertility

2006-10-16T16:22:00.000-04:00

Please find below an article that I just found today. I found this very interesting. I think the church should be aware of this coming wave....

Male fertility drops with age, study shows
Men may have to consider fatherhood earlier, as new research shows male infertility is a growing problem.
A study by the Fertility Society of Australia, due to be released later this month, shows more than a third of IVF treatments are for men aged over 40.
But only 2 per cent of the men surveyed realised that fertility declines markedly with age.
Professor Michael Capman, who heads women's and children's health at the University of New South Wales, says men may have to reconsider plans to delay fatherhood past their early 30s.
"Numbers don't decline that much, but the actual quality of what's inside the individual sperm starts to decline in the late 30s, going through into the 40s and 50s," he said.
"So the chances of producing fertility even in an older man are reduced."

Beliefs Suggested - Bi-Vocational Ministry

2006-10-16T16:17:00.000-04:00

http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0%2C1703%2CA%3D156868&M%3D200684%2C00.html?emid=277

Just read the following article at www.lifeway.com. They have a web page and articles specifically targeted to Bivocational ministers. This is very helpful.

Dear Pastor,
As a bivocational it is vital that you learn how to delegate.
Del-e-gate: to entrust to another, to appoint as one’s representative, to assign responsibility or authority.

Pastor, you know you need to delegate when:
You don’t take time off or go on vacation
You feel overwhelmed and overworked
You aren’t meeting deadlines
You feel your family is being neglected
You are not finding the time to take care of yourself
You are not having any fun.

Why is “delegation” a dirty word to some pastors?
They want all the glory for themselves
They want it done their way
They feel they don’t have time to delegate
They don’t trust their members
They haven’t developed a team
They need to be needed.

How do I delegate?
Decide what to delegate (some things should not be delegated)
Find a F.A.T. person (faithful, available, and teachable) with the right gift-mix
Explain the mission, share the goal, articulate the values, and set the deadline
Define the desired results, but don’t prescribe the method of work
Offer support, encouragement, and training
Follow-up and hold people accountable for measurable results.
Benefits of Delegation
You will have more time for more important matters
Your church members will grow as Christians
Your church will have a bigger ministry
You will be happier and more relaxed
Your family will have you around more, and longer!
Blessings,
Mitch Martin

Be sure to visit the Southern Baptist Bivocational Ministers Association website along with other Sate Bivocational Ministry Websites:
Arkansas, Louisiana, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas

Make plans now to join me at the Mid-Continent Bivocational Celebration, March 23-24 2007, Third Baptist Church, Marion, Illinois with special guest speakers Charles Lowry and Henry Blackaby. This will be a great event, and I hope to see you there!"
Download the 2007 Mid-Continent Bivocation Conference Brochure
Free Training Articles for Bivocational MinistersRay Gilder is the Bivocational Ministries Specialist at the Tennesee Baptist Convention and is also a bivocational pastor. He has graciously shared the training he does for bivocational pastors in the following free articles:
Related Articles:
5 Elements of the Call to Ministry
7 Keys for the Life-Long Learner
The Demands and Benefits of the Bivocational Minister
6 Basic Aspects of the Pastor as Shepherd
5 Key Factors for Maintaining Integrity as a Minister
7 Tips for Staying Physically, Emotionally, and Spiritually Fresh
6 Sermon Preparation Steps for Bivocationals
How to Recruit and Lead Volunteers
How to Build a Long-Lasting Ministry
Focus on the Basic Functions of the Church