Church Edge

Link to Kingswood University

2011-11-20T21:05:00.000-05:00

http://kingswood.edu/index.php

Kingswood University: New Name - Same Mission

2011-11-20T20:37:00.002-05:00

I'm excited to be part of this new chapter in a place that's meant so much to me and my family over the years. My parents met as students back in the 1950s while the college was still in Nova Scotia. I attended in the 1970s after the college had moved to Sussex, New Brunswick. Now, as we become Kingswood University, I'm blessed to have John and Josiah, my two older sons, attending. I really

RSA Animate - Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us

2010-05-28T14:18:00.000-04:00

Tim Guptill on Core Philosphy at Crosspoint ...

2010-04-13T08:25:00.005-04:00

Pastor Tim Guptill is doing a terrific job of leading Crosspoint (a Wesleyan church in Marysville, New Brunswick) to new levels of Great Commission effectiveness. I appreciated his recent blog posting and wanted to pass it along. Tim writes:"I’ve done a few interviews recently with students from Bethany Bible College for their courses. One student this week asked me for a few of my ‘

Classic Quote from Elton Trueblood

2010-04-10T09:34:00.003-04:00

"All of the early Christians were missionaries. They did not leave the evangelistic task either to professional evangelists or to pastors to whom they paid salaries, for these did not exist... The early Church did not have a missionary arm; it was a missionary movement."Elton Trueblood (1900-1994), The Incendiary Fellowship, New York: Harper, 1967, p. 11

Teamwork!

2009-11-25T09:48:00.001-05:00

In Canada, church clings to relevancy as congregations dwindle

2009-10-12T09:03:00.002-04:00

Excerpt from October 10, 2009 article in National Post by Mohammed Adam (Canwest News Service) Patryk Pigeon/Keystone Press OTTAWA -- For 41 years, the Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes church was like a second home to George Laplante. The Catholic church, which dates to 1873, was his spiritual foundation; the congregation, an extended family. Now, Mr. Laplante, 68, is facing a harsh truth.

Church: Love It, Don't Leave It

2009-10-11T15:50:00.001-04:00

Adam Lipscomb referred to this guest column in the Washington PostChurch: Love It, Don't Leave ItBy Kevin DeYoung and Ted KluckHere's what Bono, Oprah, and the guru speakers on PBS won't tell you: Jesus believed in organized religion and he founded an institution. Of course, Jesus had no patience for religious hacks and self-righteous wannabes, but he was still Jewish. And as Jew, he read the

LEADERSHIP: 10 TOUGH QUESTIONS TO ANSWER

2009-10-02T13:20:00.001-04:00

Here are 10 tough questions managers need to ask themselves, according to information technology executive Phil Gerbyshak on the Slacker Manager blog: * Why am I doing what I am doing? * Is my team still doing work that is valued? * How does my daily work contribute to the firm's bottom line? * How can I do more that is more meaningful to the business? * How can I do less of what

Newer churches baptize new believers at higher rate

2009-09-25T08:52:00.004-04:00

Will McRaney's research of Southern Baptist Convention baptism rates found the following:Years in Existence compared to # of Baptisms per 100 worship attenders0-2 years / 14.4 baptisms per 100 in worship3-15 years / 9.1 baptisms per 100 in worship16 or

Individual Salvation "Heresy"?

2009-07-09T18:05:00.000-04:00

Episcopal Bishop calls individual salvation 'heresy,' 'idolatry'Associated Press - 7/9/2009 5:35:00 AMvar addthis_pub = 'onenewsnow';ANAHEIM, CA - Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori says it's "heresy" to believe that an individual can be saved through a sinner's prayer of repentance. In her opening address to the church's General Conference in California, Jefferts Schori called

Nazarenes Approve "Real-Time" Budget Assessment

2009-06-15T16:08:00.002-04:00

According to the HolinessToday website, the Church of the Nazarene approved a new budget formula."The Budget FormulaThe Board of General Superintendents also voted in December 2008 to recommend a new World Evangelism Fund (WEF) allocation formula of 5.5 percent for the entire global Church of the Nazarene."This proposed global formula is based on current year income and no deductions. This is

Goal Setting: Andy Rowell's Pros and Cons

2009-06-03T10:35:00.002-04:00

I appreciated Andy Rowell's blog on the upsides and downsides of goal setting for ministers. What's your take on this? Are you a goal-setting fanatic or do you prefer freestyling?Why pastors should be both goal-setting fanatics and cynics I decided to post this again because today I came across a vigorous debate in the business world about "goal setting gone wild." The post below

Pastor Bill Kinnan & Linwood Wesleyan on the Edge!

2009-06-02T11:58:00.001-04:00

Church Planting is What Linwood Does (article online at www.wesleyan.org)Jun. 1, 2009"Church planting is not something we've done. It's what we do."The words of Bill Kinnan, senior pastor at Linwood Wesleyan Church in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, are still true today, ten years after their first church plant.Celebrate Church was launched in 1999 and is now one of the fastest growing in The Wesleyan

Michigan leads the Nation ... in population decline

2009-05-27T11:06:00.003-04:00

Utah was the nation’s fastest-growing state between July 1, 2007, and July 1, 2008, as its population climbed 2.5 percent to 2.7 million, according to estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Arizona was the second fastest-growing state, increasing 2.3 percent between 2007 and 2008. Texas, North Carolina and Colorado completed the top five, each with a growth rate of 2.0 percent.

Isn't "50" just half-time?

2009-03-31T09:41:00.003-04:00

Well, it's started. Looks like some fun is ahead as I approach the magnificent milestone of the big "50." Half a century. Is this the middle of middle age?The first e-mail of what may be numerous and similarly humorous e-mails came through this morning from Chad McCallum. Thanks Chad!"Mark – thinking of you this morning as you approach the proverbial summit of your life… I have been

Trailing at the Half ...but Prevailing!

2009-03-23T10:06:00.008-04:00

Knowledge @ Wharton posted this insightful article (March 18, 2009) on comeback victories:"According to recent research by a pair of Wharton professors, teams that trail by a little at the half actually have a better chance of winning the game than the squad in the lead. Wharton marketing professor Jonah Berger and Devin Pope, a professor of operations and information management, found that

Church Delinquencies and Foreclosures

2009-03-16T10:50:00.003-04:00

Consequence of boom-years borrowing hits churchesRachel Zoll - Associated Press Religion Writer - 3/15/2009 4:35:00 AMvar addthis_pub = 'onenewsnow';Companies that specialize in church mortgages report that foreclosures and delinquencies for congregations are on the rise as the tough economic times start to make their impact at the offering plate.------------------------Metropolitan Baptist

A Defining Moment

2009-02-27T10:03:00.004-05:00

Mark Wilson, my blogging friend over at Revitalize Your Church, posted this article which echoes my previous post:RUPERT MURDOCH WARNS: NATIONS WILL BE REDEFINED, FUTURES ALTEREDTue Feb 24 2009 08:36:39 ETMedia baron Rupert Murdoch issued an urgent internal communication late Monday, warning his staff: "We are in the midst of a phase of history in which nations will be redefined and their futures

A Sense of Urgency...

2009-02-27T09:28:00.003-05:00

The West Michigan District Board of Administration met yesterday and part of our meeting was invested in working through Kotter's new book, A Sense of Urgency. No organization on the planet should have a great sense of urgency than the church, yet our denominational statistics reveal that 959 Wesleyan churches (56%) failed to grow by even one person in average attendance last year and 449

U.S. Navy Seal Creed

2009-02-05T10:53:00.004-05:00

The Apostle Paul (1st Corinthians 9:26-27) would have made a great SEAL for the Gospel!-------------------------------------------------The creed "In times of war or uncertainty there is a special breed of warrior ready to answer our Nation's call. A common man with uncommon desire to succeed. Forged by adversity, he stands alongside America's finest special operations forces to

I was fleeced by Madoff

2009-01-30T08:33:00.003-05:00

"...Over and over again, I've asked myself: Why didn't I secure the most basic of all things -- shelter itself? Why didn't I pay off my mortgage? And if I don't engage in blame, I see the answer clearly: because I believed in something else more -- I believed in accumulating. And when you believe in accumulating, you see what you don't have, not what you have. My relationship to money was no

Right but not Tight!

2009-01-23T10:48:00.004-05:00

The Wall Street Journal (January 22, 2009) posted an insightful article by Arthur Brooks"What is required of us now," President Barack Obama said in his inaugural address this week, "is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition on the part of every American that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world." It is a message that nonprofit organizations would like our nation to take to

A Century Ago...

2009-01-20T08:43:00.004-05:00

...from the minutes of the 1908 Annual Meeting of the Michigan Conference of The Wesleyan Methodist Church (p.25):“Whereas: There seems immediately upon us as churches, in common with the universal decline in spiritual life apparent on hand, a dearth of interest, a lack of divine energy, inspiration, and burning desire for the salvation of sinners, and, “Whereas: The enemy of all righteousness

Innovation3 Live Web Interviews with Ministry Leaders

2009-01-05T10:40:00.004-05:00

http://www.innovation3gathering.com/live/That's the link to a series of live 15-minute video web shows with some great leaders. It's all part of the promotion for Leadership Network's Innovation3 (Innovation Cubed) event that will be held later this month in Dallas. Here's the deal... for the next three weeks, they've lined up some great ministry minds (who will also be speaking at Innovation3)

Fewer New Zealanders going to church

2008-11-25T09:40:00.004-05:00

According to the census, more than half of New Zealanders consider themselves Christians. So why are so many churches struggling?The Church is still a cornerstone for the faithful but it appears that for increasing numbers of Pakeha New Zealanders it's a relic from the past with regular church-going having fallen by half since the 1960s.Massey University's Associate Professor Peter Lineham

Church Stolen!

2008-11-17T08:46:00.002-05:00

BBC News reports: A 200-year-old church building has disappeared from a village in central Russia, officials from the Russian Orthodox Church say. The building had stood near the village of Komarovo since 1809. It was intact in July but some time in early October thieves made off with it brick by brick, they said. Local prosecutors had been informed and an investigation was under way, a spokesman

Sign of things to come?

2008-11-12T14:14:00.004-05:00

A self-proclaimed gay anarchist group stormed into Mount Hope Church in Lansing,MI. The Eaton County Sheriff’s office was called in and is investigating. Reports say that protesters were outside the church beating on buckets and using megaphones to shout “Jesus is a homo” as church-goers went in for morning services. According to those reports, half of the protesting group was

Happy Pastors...

2008-11-10T16:29:00.003-05:00

Where Do America's Happiest People Work? by Kristina Cowan, PayScale.com Career isn't the only factor in determining someone's overall happiness, but it's certainly a major contributor. So, what kind of jobs do the happiest people in the U.S. have? And, what about these jobs contributes to overall happiness in life? A University of Chicago study, "Job Satisfaction in the

Wesley on Discerning God’s Will

2008-10-27T17:16:00.003-04:00

“Perhaps some may ask, "Ought we not then to inquire what is the will of God in all things? And ought not His will to be the rule of our practice?" Unquestionably it ought. But how is a sober Christian to make this inquiry? To know what is the will of God? Not by waiting for supernatural dreams; not by expecting God to reveal it in visions; not by looking for any particular impressions or sudden

OWU President Warns of Loss of Intellectual and Religious Freedom

2008-10-20T13:47:00.005-04:00

Bartlesville, Oklahoma-- Oklahoma Wesleyan University President, Dr. Everett Piper, is speaking out about Presidential candidate Barack Obama’s statements regarding staffing practices for faith-based organizations.“I am very concerned” says Piper. “Senator Obama’s statements that appear on his campaign’s web page, as well as, those spoken at the Saddleback Civil Forum and his July 1 speech in

Casting My 1st Presidential Vote...

2008-10-08T13:36:00.005-04:00

Marriage: Wedge Issue or Prelude to Disaster? by Bishop Harry R. Jackson Jr.The last few weeks have been filled with political drama. The economic bailout, discussions about Sarah Palin, and the vice presidential debate have kept millions of Americans occupied with their own debates about America’s future. While all this excitement is taking place nationally, there is a quiet tragedy brewing

Instauration?

2008-09-19T12:39:00.003-04:00

This is from a friend (David Scott) of my friend (Damian Williams) and I'm glad to pass it along to more friends:A New Word for a New BlogFebruary 20, 2008 by innovatechurchI collect words. New words are hard to come by—especially ones that carry significant new ideas. Even rarer are words that already have history. One of my favorite discoveries is the word “instauration.”def.: Instauration (

School's Back in Session...

2008-09-02T10:12:00.003-04:00

"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." —William Arthur Ward

140 New Churches Planted in Florida in 2007 by SBC

2008-08-18T14:48:00.002-04:00

ATLANTA, Ga. (NAMB) - The Florida Baptist Convention was recently honored by the North American Mission Board’s church planting group for being No. 1 in the commitment to expand the Kingdom of God by planting 140 new churches in 2007, an achievement that led the Southern Baptist Convention in new church starts. Accepting the church planting award for the Florida convention were Emanuel Roque,

"Failure is not an option. Failure is essential!"

2008-08-14T16:11:00.007-04:00

Rev. David LeRoy's most recent update from his ministry as Atlantic District Superintendent included this though-provoking quote: “In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped, to deal with a world that no longer exists.” – Eric Hoffer Perhaps you've read about the "Technology Life Cycle"

Freakanomics on "Good to Great" companies

2008-07-29T09:31:00.004-04:00

There are no easy answers, no silver bullet, no magic formula. What worked yesterday may be ineffective tomorrrow. What got you here may not take you there. ___________________________ (Fill in the blank with your favorite cliché.)Bottom line, don't get complacent if you want to stay on the leading edge! The authors of the Freaknomics blog (@ NYTimes online) present evidence from the

Make something good happen today...

2008-07-23T18:47:00.005-04:00

"I like things to happen; and if they don't happen, I like to make them happen." -Winston Churchill"Life is action and passion."- Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr."If everything's under control, you're going too slow." - Mario Andretti"I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act." -G. K. Chesterton"Do not wait; the time will

E-Bay auction for out-of-the-box pastor....

2008-07-18T15:31:00.005-04:00

Here's is the description you'll find on E-Bay:"You are looking at/bidding on a very contemporary out of the box Pastor. As you can tell by the pictures He preaches and teaches in a very unorthodox manner. He does it without compromising the true written word of God. He and his family has chosen to go this route of putting themselves on the market in hopes to find a church that is

Drill bits or holes?

2008-07-14T11:48:00.007-04:00

"People don't want a quarter-inch drill, they want a quarter-inch hole." -- Dr. Theodore Levitt, Harvard Business School Professor emeritusDr. Keith Drury, IWU's leadership guru, made the same point years ago in Strategetics training for youth leaders. Leaders aren't about selling programs, we are about helping our organizations find solutions!

Teach them to long...

2008-07-09T13:42:00.004-04:00

“If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery (The Wisdom of the Sands)

The really great ...

2008-06-25T08:37:00.002-04:00

"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great" -- Mark Twain-----------------------------------All of us need people in our lives like that. People who believe that we can be better, fly higher, accomplish more, than even we might dare to believe. Their willingness to express confidence

Congratulations!

2008-06-23T15:56:00.002-04:00

ORLANDO, Florida -- Dr. Jo Anne Lyon wrote a new chapter in the history of The Wesleyan Church on Monday, June 9, 2008, when she was elected by the denomination as its first-ever woman General Superintendent. Dr. Lyon, the Founder and CEO of World Hope International (WHI), was elected on the second ballot at the 11th General Conference of the denomination. World Hope is the compassionate

Grace for those on the edge!

2008-06-12T14:51:00.003-04:00

“We are more sinful and flawed than we ever dared believe ... and we are more accepted and loved than we ever dared hope.” - Dr. Tim Keller, church planter, Redeemer Church, New York City

Difficult Decisions

2008-06-02T14:10:00.005-04:00

“The worst problem of the 21st century is that many people want positions of leadership, but they don't want to make difficult decisions.” —Carlos Ghosn, President & CEO of Renault/Nissan, in an interview to Veja on the difficult decisions he had to make in order to save Nissan from bankruptcy

Keith Drury's take on Dr. Jo Anne Lyon for GS

2008-06-02T08:11:00.007-04:00

"Why NOT elect JoAnne Lyon GS?I’ve heard some of the reasons NOT to elect JoAnne Lyon to the highest elected office in The Wesleyan Church at our General Conference this June. Here are the three biggest ones and how I see the rationale. ;-)1. She thinks globally. JoAnne Lyon is always thinking about the whole world. If she takes the highest job in our church, she might make us all think more

Craig Groeschel's Leadership Tips

2008-05-02T15:54:00.000-04:00

Outreach magazine online (Jan/Feb 2008) published these 40 tips from Craig Groeschel (lifechurch.tv) that are on point for pastors under (and over) 40: Yesterday I turned 40 years old. This week, I’ll share 40 things I wish someone would have told me when I was 20. (They probably did, but I wasn’t paying attention.) Life is short. Make every day count for God’s glory. Don’t take

Precision: "the quality of demanding exactness"

2008-04-30T17:09:00.003-04:00

Master the Art of PrecisionBy Dan Coughlin In the midst of the media frenzy over our current economic condition, it recently dawned on me that those who are experts will no doubt survive any recession. People who become experts in their fields have harnessed the power of precision. And this is available to everyone, including executives, employees, and entrepreneurs alike. Achieving precision is

Worship, Websites, Conflict Affect Growth in Congregations

2008-04-25T09:57:00.000-04:00

View “FACTs on Growth” online as a pdf document HARTFORD, CT (December 11, 2006) – Contemporary worship, geographic location, a website and the absence of conflict are key factors in why some congregations in America are growing, according to the latest national survey of U.S. faith communities. The survey, sponsored by the Cooperative Congregational Studies Partnership, found that wanting to

Great Leaders Value Good Timing

2008-04-17T13:14:00.004-04:00

Reggie McNeal has this to say about that:"Timing is very significant in spiritual leadership. Indeed, timing played a major role in shaping Jesus' ministry and death. Not only would Jesus not go to the cross for the wrong reasons. He didn't go until it was the right time ("Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father" [John 13:1; NIV])."Great leaders

New General Superintendent Stresses Vigorous Church Planting

2008-04-15T08:50:00.003-04:00

George O. Wood, who now heads one of the nation’s largest Pentecostal groups (1.6 million members in the US and 57 million adherents worldwide), is a by-product of church planting.Generations of Wood's family are believers largely because a 24-year-old minister felt a burden to a plant a church in Jeanette, Pa., nearly 100 years ago.Back then, however, there weren't any resources or financial

Barna's Update on Giving Patterns

2008-04-14T10:19:00.003-04:00

(Ventura, CA) While theologians debate whether or not the practice of tithing - donating ten percent (or more) of one's income to churches and charitable groups - is a biblical responsibility of Christians, Americans have pretty much made up their minds on the subject. Their views are discernible through their behavior. The giving patterns of Americans are described in new research released by

Ancient-Future Facilities?

2008-04-14T08:06:00.003-04:00

Source: Baptist Press New research showed that people who don't go to church may be turned off by a recent trend toward more utilitarian church buildings. By a nearly 2-to-1 ratio over any other option, unchurched Americans prefer churches that look more like a medieval cathedral than what most think of as a more contemporary church building. When given an assortment of four photos of

How to Boost Attendance on a Tight Budget

2008-04-11T09:15:00.001-04:00

Charles Arn's advice:Growth in worship attendance falls into one of two categories: Increasing attendance among those who already attend.Increasing the number of people who attend for the first time. For those already attending: Renew membership vows. Every four years, ask members to recommit, in a public ceremony, to the vows they made when joining the church. Set personal attendance

What Can Obama Teach You About Communicating?

2008-04-10T08:19:00.005-04:00

How to Inspire People Like ObamaBy Carmine GalloPublic speaking skills are critical to the success of every leader. Over the past several years, I have been interviewing, observing, and writing about business, academic, and political leaders who have the abilityto influence their audience – leaders who fire up the rest of us. Whatever your political leanings, Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is one

Compassionate Conservatives

2008-03-28T15:43:00.002-04:00

Bleeding Hearts but Tight FistsBy George F. WillThursday, March 27, 2008 (washingtonpost.com)Residents of Austin, home of Texas's government and flagship university, have very refined social consciences, if they do say so themselves, and they do say so, speaking via bumper stickers. Don R. Willett, a justice of the state Supreme Court, has commuted behind bumpers proclaiming "Better a Bleeding

A leader's character and need for control...

2008-03-28T09:07:00.003-04:00

"The leader's character is what makes the difference between advancing or de-centering the morale, competence, and commitment of an organization. The truth about confession is that it doesn't lead to people's weakness and disrespect; instead, it transforms the leader's character and earns her greater respect and power. This is the strange paradox of leading: to the degree you attempt to hide or

N.T. Wright on the Resurrection

2008-03-27T10:04:00.002-04:00

At the National Pastors Conference in San Diego, PreachingToday.com's Brian Lowery got to interview N. T. Wright about his latest book—Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church—and how it relates to preaching. Since we are all in the midst of the Easter journey, his words are timely, challenging, and above all else, hopeful. Preaching

West Michigan passes 30,000 in Easter weekend attendance!

2008-03-26T14:13:00.006-04:00

Easter 2008 - Worship Attendance totals 30,027! 161 Albion - Caring Community Church - Steve Shafe 116 Allegan - Allegan Wesleyan Church - Marc Kelley 475 Allendale - Allendale Wesleyan Church - Jim Maness 3556 Battle Creek - First Wesleyan Church - Philip Griffin 133 Battle Creek - Garrison Hills Wesleyan Church - Rick Weesner

Baptist Pastor Released in Azerbaijan

2008-03-25T10:48:00.002-04:00

There's good news coming out of Azerbaijan concerning imprisoned Baptist Pastor Zuer Balaev. Slavic Gospel Association's Joel Griffith says, "He has indeed been released on an amnesty by the president of Azerbaijan. And it was in conjunction with a holiday. The government will traditionally do amnesty sometimes on holidays. So Zuer Balaev was one of several prisoners in Azerbaijan who was

The Thrill of Creative Effort

2008-02-21T07:57:00.005-05:00

"Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort." -- Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945) 32nd president of the United StatesMake it new.Make it better.Make it bigger.Make it last.

Absolutely Certain ...About Fewer Things

2008-01-23T13:47:00.004-05:00

"When I was young I was sure of everything; in a few years, having been mistaken a thousand times, I was not half so sure of most things as I was before; at present, I am hardly sure of anything but what God has revealed to me." -- attributed to John Wesley

Dr. Jo Anne Lyon, nominee for General Superintendent..

2008-01-23T11:24:00.000-05:00

"It is my desire that we may see how evangelism and social action go hand-in-hand in bringing the Kingdom of God here on earth."- Dr. Jo Anne Lyon sharing her vision in her annual report as then Director of Public Morals and Social Concerns for the 1986 West Michigan District Conference (p.65), a decade before she founded World Hope International."The world needs dreamers and the world needs

Defining Holiness...

2008-01-01T13:01:00.000-05:00

"We have put so much emphasis on avoiding evil that we have become virtually blind to the endless opportunities for doing good.We have defined holiness through what we separate ourselves from rather than what we give ourselves to. I am convinced the great tragedy is not the sins that we commit, but the life we fail to live...There is a subtle danger of hiding apathy behind piety. Getting rid of

God Intrudes!

2007-12-21T11:49:00.001-05:00

Rev. David LeRoy, Atlantic District Superintendent, included this great quote in his recent e-mail update: “Despite our efforts to keep him out, God intrudes. The life of Jesus is bracketed by two impossibilities: a virgin’s womb and an empty tomb. Jesus entered our world through a door marked ‘No Entrance’ and left through a door marked ‘No Exit.’” -- Peter Larson

Statistical Shell Game

2007-12-20T07:57:00.000-05:00

"Statistical Shell Game" - The numbers we report are a matter of gospel integrity. A Christianity Today editorial | posted 8/16/2007 08:51AM Rarely do media report about the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) without mentioning its 16 million members. That's a problem SBC president Frank Page wants to correct. "I never talk about 16 million. That is ridiculous," Page said. "I teasingly say

Planting 1 for 10!

2007-12-19T09:43:00.000-05:00

Dr. Ademola Ishola, General Secretary for the Nigerian Baptist Convention, leads a network of approximately 10,000 churches representing almost 9 million people. He reports that they are planting nearly 3 churches every day, averaging about 1,000 new church plants each year. 1 church plant for every 10 existing churches in their network. How are we doing?

John Donne's Prayer

2007-12-18T07:59:00.000-05:00

John Donne, the seventeenth century Anglican poet, offers one of his sonnets as a bold prayer for God’s discipline in his life:“Batter my heart, three-personed God, for youAs yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;That I may rise, and stand, o’erthrow me, and bendYour force to break, blow, burn, and make me new.”

Charles Spurgeon on keeping your edge...

2007-12-04T10:40:00.000-05:00

“If you want your people, as well as yourself, to be soul winners, keep up prayer meetings all you can. Let it be such a prayer meeting that there is not the like of it within 7000 miles. Keep up the prayer meeting, whatever else fails. Somehow we must keep up the prayer meetings, for they are very secret source of power with God and with men.” “It is no use talking about the “higher

Craig Groeschel on Ministry "Fatigue Creep"

2007-11-24T10:47:00.000-05:00

Craig Groeschel gets it. LifeChurch.tv understands "church edge." They might even define it. But living on the edge can take a toll on leaders. Here's Craig's recent posting about fatigue in ministry: Fatigue CreepI’ve recently endured one of those “grueling seasons” of ministry. If you’ve been in ministry for long, you know what I’m talking about. Some seasons are relatively easy. Others are

Here's what a top-rated coach asks CEOs

2007-11-16T14:29:00.000-05:00

Graham Alexander has been an executive coach for more than 25 years coaching hundreds of CEOs. Graham has pinpointed 10 crucial questions that leaders must ask themselves if they are to achieve and, most importantly, maintain their success:1. What's life all about for you?2. Who are you, and who do others say you are?3. What's the point for you and your people?4. What would happen if you did

Inspirational Leadership

2007-11-15T08:45:00.000-05:00

The Seven Secrets of Inspiring LeadersBy Carmine GalloAmerican business professionals are uninspired. Only 10% of employees look forward to going to work and most point to a lack of leadership as the reason why, according to a recent Martitz Research poll. But it doesn’t have to be that way. All business leaders have the power to inspire, motivate, and positively influence the people in their

One Good Reason "Not" to be a Hindu

2007-11-13T16:44:00.001-05:00

Man in India marries dog as atonement Tue Nov 13, 7:34 AM ET A man in southern India married a female dog in a traditional Hindu ceremony as an attempt to atone for stoning two other dogs to death — an act he believes cursed him — a newspaper reported Tuesday. P. Selvakumar married the

Church Sells Building, Commits $1.55 Million to Church Planting

2007-11-12T15:33:00.000-05:00

SAN JOSE, CA (November 12, 2007) - New Life Covenant Church, one of the oldest congregations in the Evangelical Covenant Church, will donate $1.55 million toward church planting efforts in the Pacific Southwest Conference.The church’s plan was announced this week, following the sale of the congregation’s longtime home at 790 Coe Avenue. It marked another step in the revitalization of this

Over the edge?

2007-11-07T16:48:00.000-05:00

If you're really doing ministry on the edge, you're constantly running the risk of going too far. I have a great group of friends, heroes really, who are planting churches in West Michigan. One of them took a huge risk this week...and even he acknowledges that he went over the edge. But here's hoping and praying that he won't stop believing and trying and risking in the cause the counts!-----

Disturb Us, O Lord

2007-11-01T16:00:00.000-04:00

Sir Francis Drake was a 16th century adventurer and, for much of his life, a "legal" pirate. He set sail in 1577 from Portsmouth, England aboard the "Golden Hind" with a commission to interrupt the Spanish gold routes along the west coast of South America. Drake explored at least as far north as the non-Spanish parts of California, claiming it as "New Albion" [New England] before returning to

Churches planting churches!

2007-10-17T10:16:00.000-04:00

Last month, Pastor David Sobrepena, the founding pastor of Word of Hope in Manila, Philippines announced that they had planted another 15 new churches. In less than 20 years, Word of Hope has grown to more than 18,000 worshippers and its skilled teams have planted more than 1000 churches.Here's more from their website:"On August 21, 1988, a group of 17 dedicated servants of God led by Rev. David

AoG General Superintendent Focuses on Church Planting

2007-10-17T09:08:00.000-04:00

New Pentecostal Head Stresses Vigorous Church Planting - George O. Wood, who now heads one of the nation’s largest Pentecostal groups, is a by-product of church planting. Sat, Oct. 13, 2007 Posted: 11:27:36 AM EST George O. Wood, who now heads one of the nation’s largest Pentecostal groups, is a by-product of church planting.Generations of Wood's family are believers largely because a 24-

Business Prof has Ideas for Improving Worship

2007-10-15T09:02:00.000-04:00

A Dozen Ways to Improve Your Worship Service -Michael Zigarelli For more than three decades I’ve been collecting data in churches, at least informally. I’ve attended churches of all kinds over the course of my life—Mainline, Evangelical, Pentecostal, Roman Catholic, you name it. Beyond that, through my current position, I’ve had the privilege of talking with

"Transformation" by Bob Roberts

2007-10-09T07:57:00.001-04:00

I'll do a longer report for my DBA on this outstanding book, but I just finished reading it a few days ago and can't wait to recommend it. The book is called Transformation: How Glocal Churches Transform Lives and the World. It tells the story of one local church pastor's journey through brokenness to the blessing of exponential ministry.Back in 1985, Bob Roberts Jr. planted Northwood Church in

Birth Day in West Michigan!

2007-10-08T17:30:00.000-04:00

The most exciting place in a hospital is the delivery room! Sunday, October 7, 2007, marked the birth of two new Wesleyan churches in the West Michigan District! Pastor Jim Bowen and his launch team welcomed 95 people to the first worship service of Belding – Encounter. Yesterday was also the birthday for Caledonia – Journey Church. Pastor Jon Allen and his launch team welcomed 158

GIGA-Churches?

2007-10-05T08:28:00.000-04:00

That's the word from this article @ The Christian PostWith the number of megachurches in America growing at an increasingly rapid rate, the largest of them all now have a new label: "gigachurches."Topping this year's largest churches in the country is Lakewood Church in Houston, with an attendance of 47,000, according to Outreach Magazine's annual 100 list of America's largest and

Lessons from Disney

2007-09-24T08:15:00.001-04:00

Devin Hudson is planting "Grace Point Church" on the northside of Las Vegas. I have his blog saved under "My Favorites" and came across this recent posting that caught my attention:Lessons from Disney Regardless of where I am, my wheels are usually turning as to how my present experience relates to ministry. It is difficult for me to get out of that

I think Seth Godin's insight matters for pastors!

2007-09-19T11:27:00.000-04:00

Two kinds of 'don't know' (posted by marketing guru, Seth Godin) I don't know French. I can't play the piano. I have no clue how to catch a bony spinefish. This is the first kind of don't know. Stuff you don't know because you haven't been taught it yet. Books are awfully good at solving this problem, so are good teachers. The second kind of 'don't know' is often confused with the first type,

Joel Gorveatte... pastors in new assignments

2007-09-17T10:14:00.000-04:00

Joel Gorveatte, my brother and the new senior leader at Tuscaloosa - First Wesleyan, is an amazing pastor and gifted writer. I always enjoy his blog and thought this posting would be helpful to other pastors in new ministry assignments:-------------------One of my recent prayers has been this: "Lord, I want to be teachable." Walking into this new situation, it is tempting to assume that you have

Movitating Your People to Invite

2007-09-14T09:51:00.000-04:00

Buildingchurchleaders.com is another good site for pastors. Here's recent posting from Pastor Dave Ferguson: Ask the Experts Discussion: Dave Ferguson How do you motivate your congregation to bring friends and family each week? Since the vision statement of Community Christian Church is "helping people find their way back to God," we spend a lot of time dreaming, discussing, and talking

AoG planning 1000 new churches in 2 years!

2007-09-13T09:55:00.000-04:00

(August 30, 2007)U.S. Missions Executive Director Alton Garrison (right) introduces MX9 church pastors at the U.S. Missions Luncheon Friday. The Assemblies of God Executive Presbytery, U.S. Missions and the ReachAmerica Coalition are embarking on an aggressive church planting initiative with the goal of starting at least 1,000 new churches within the next two years.National officials outlined

What does success look like in ministry?

2007-09-11T15:05:00.000-04:00

One of the occupational challenges of working in denominational administration is wrestling with statistics or trying to finding meaningful metrics for ministry. (Do alliterations get on your nerves?)Nickels and noses are easy. You may have to find more sophisticated means of capturing attendance and offering data as your church grows, but every church needs some handle on these basic indicators

The Lion Chaser's Manifesto

2007-08-17T22:46:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm enjoying some time off with my family but for those out there who are still blogging or even slogging through the dog days of summer, here's a quick take from Mark Batterson, pastor of National Community Church (Washington, DC). He was at Granger Community Church recently on his summer speaking tour and closed his session with the following "Lion Chaser's Manifesto":Quit living as if

Mark Wilson on Pastoring in a Small Town

2007-08-08T13:16:00.001-04:00

Rev. Mark O. Wilson is an amazing pastor and equally gifted writer. If you haven't already bookmarked his blog, check out Revitalize Your Church.Mark is a gift to The Wesleyan Church and a good friend for more than a decade. You'll enjoy his perspective on life and local church ministry. Here's one of his recent postings:Seven Advantages of Pastoring in a Small Town

Cambodia Bound

2007-07-19T13:07:00.001-04:00

Just a quick note before I board the plane for Tokyo. I'm accompanying Dr. Wayne Schmidt and members of their missions team on a site visit to the Wesleyan Bible college in Cambodia. From Cambodia, Pastor Wayne and I will travel on to Auckland, New Zealand. I'll be returning on August 5 after our team invests in training an NZ Wesleyan team in their first church planter assessment center. So...

3211 speeches on 1 subject before success!

2007-07-16T11:19:00.000-04:00

Steve Moore, president of EFMA and Wesleyan minister, recounted the following story to illustrate perseverance:"With memories of the Holocaust still fresh at the end of World War II, the UN passed the Genocide Convention in 1948. It was a pledge that the evil of destroying a national, racial or religious group would never be repeated in history. The U.S. Senate failed to endorse the treaty. In

Artifact Supports Accuracy of Scripture

2007-07-13T10:00:00.000-04:00

H.B. London's "The Pastor's Weekly Briefing" contained this short article: