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"I often went fishing up in Maine during
the summer. Personally, I am very fond of strawberries and cream,
but I have found that for some strange reason, fish prefer worms. So
when I went fishing, I didn't think about what I wanted. I thought
about what they wanted. I didn't bait the hook with strawberries and
cream. Rather, I dangled a worm or grasshopper in front of the fish
and said: 'Wouldn't you like to have that?' Why not use the same
common sense when fishing for people?" - by Dale Carnegie,
How to Win Friends and Influence
People
FASTEST
GROWING
Jehovah's Witnesses reported a
2.25 percent increase in membership in 2007. The Mormon church grew
by 1.56 percent. Why the gains?
GREATEST
LOSSES
The Episcopal Church dropped
4.15% in members. Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) lost 2.36% in 1007.
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America experienced a 1.82% loss
in 2007. Why the losses?
DEADLY
SINS
After 1,500
years the Vatican has added to the seven deadly sins with these:
polluting, genetic engineering, drug dealing, being obscenely rich,
abortion, pedophilia and causing social injustice.
But what is really deadly?Any sin. "For the
wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).
The Good News? "Jesus Christ is the atoning
sacrifice for our sins" (1 John 2:2b).
SOCRATES:
"By all means, marry. If you get a good
wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a
philosopher."
COMMUNICATING
"Visualizing has as much to do with words as it does with
pictures, and there is one word in the English language that
automically triggers the process of visualization by the mere
mention, simply because it has 300 million unique, individual,
personal manifestations to match the 300 million Americans. That
word: imagine. Whether it's the car
of your dreams or the candidate of your choice, the word
imagine is perhaps the single most
powerful communication tool because it allows individuals to picture
whatever personal vision is in their hearts and minds." - by Dr.
Frank Luntz, p. 21, Words That Work
MAJOR DEPRESSION
strikes 17 percent of Americans and government figures show
about 30,000 people a year commit suicide according to
USATODAY.
Pray for them. Help them trace back to the cause. If depression
is persistent, get professional help. Do what you can to encourage
the individual. "The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves
those who are crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:18).
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by Don
Ginkel
Most of us have lost a loved one who died in the Lord.
If you haven't, you will sometime soon. Perhaps you had the
opportunity to talk and pray together before death came as I
did with my mom and dad. Others of us were not given the
opportunity to bid farewell. Either way, farewell was not fun.
I want to share with you from God's own infallible Word that
- "Farewell Is Not
Forever."
We read in Genesis 25:8, "Then Abraham breathed
his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of
years; and he was
gathered to his people." When Abraham died he
immediately went to heaven and had a joyous reunion with his
people. Henry Alfred writes -
Ten thousand
times ten thousand, in sparkling raiment
bright,
The armies of the ransomed saints throng
up the steeps of light,
'Tis finished, all is finished, their
fight with death and sin,
Fling wide the golden gates, and let the
victors in.
Yes,
let the victors in. And let those of us who remain here
rejoice because of the exalted position of our departed loved
ones. Let's examine two major points of Bible truth about
them. (Feel free to
adopt or adapt this message) [Complete
Article]
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 Short-Term Mission
Tripsby Kent
Hunter
Community Church, two blocks over from yours, is
sending yet another team to Guatemala. Some in your
congregation are on the edge of jealousy, wishing that your
church did that too. Others are quite critical: Why go all the
way to Guatemala when the mission field exists right here in
our own town?
It's true, the mission field does exist in your own
town. It also exists in Guatemala. Most churches that send a
mission team to a far-away field continue to do so year after
year. The process includes a growing number of
people.
Why is it that Barbara, who complains when her hot
shower at home turns lukewarm--yet, on a mission trip, goes
three days without a shower, sleeps on a floor, lives with
bugs, and eats strange food-can't wait to go back next year? What is
that? [Complete
Article]
Dr. Kent Hunter (LCMS) is
nationally known as the Church Doctor. You can contact him at
(800) 626-8515, or visit his website at
www.churchdoctor.org.
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 Stack of
Stuff
Make plans now for a
Mother's Day Outreach for May 11th. This is a
day filled with possibilities for outreach to your community.
Plan a Mother - Daughter Tea in the fellowship hall. Slip an
attractively wrapped tea bag in each invitation. Be sure that
every woman in your congregation is invited. Ask each of them
to invite two non-member moms to the tea. Ladies without a
daughter can "adopt one" for this special occasion. Be sure
that ALL LADIES are invited to the special worship
service on Mother's Day. The message should be timely and have
application for all ladies, not just moms. At this service
give a carnation to every woman at the
service. Contact the appropriate people today to put
this Mother's Day Outreach into operation.
No Christian can even carry a Bible
on a street in Saudi Arabia.
LARGE PRINT BULLETINS - are
available from the ushers. Please speak to them to receive one
of these bulletins for today's service. (Place this
note in your bulletins frequently)
We hope you read the article above
entitled "Short-Term Mission Trips." Here is one of
the most important ministries your church can promote.
Dr. Hunter suggests two groups that plan and carry out such
trips: Faith Life Ministries, 12000 Leeward Walk Circle,
Alpharetta, GA 30005; 770-619-9939; email: BarryVoss@comcast.net; website: www.faithlifeministries.net. and (2)
Missions International, P.O. Box 681299, Franklin, TN
37068-1299; 615-599-5499; dwight@missions.com. Pastor Ginkel suggests
these two: The Sending Place, PO Box 730, Elk Grove, CA 95759;
877-373-6346; thesendingplace@hotmail.com. (2) Bibles For
The World; http://www.bftw.org/index.cfm?PAGE_ID=54.
Try this praise song for
April by Dawn Rogers and Eric Wyse:
Wonderful, merciful Savior, precious Redeemer and
Friend:
Who would have thought that a Lamb could rescue the souls
of men? Oh, You rescue the souls of men.
You are the One that we praise, You are the One we
adore.
You give healing and grace our hearts always hunger
for,
Oh, our hearts always hunger for.
The Church Invitation continues to
be the most productive means to bring guests to your church.
Try this - for four consecutive Sundays place two church
business cards in each bulletin. Have pastor encourage
everyone to invite two people that week to worship and give
them a card. We can promise that this effort will produce
results.
We highly recommend three books for great
reading. Check them out at your library:
World War IV (cold war is WW
III), the long struggle against Islamofascism by Norman
Podhoretz. Accurate accounts on what led up to this war, what
we are fighting against, and why we have to win. Every
American should read this.
Christ The Lord by Anne Rice, a
novel on Christ's last winter before His baptism in the Jordan
and concluding with the miracle at Cana. Well done!
Dead Heat by Joel Rosenberg.
It's an explosive thriller amid the drama of the 2008
presidential campaign. Once you start reading it, you'll have
great difficulty putting this book down. Read it and you'll
see!
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 Plan Now to Avoid the Summer
Slump
What is the operational policy in your
congregation in regard to the summer slump? Are you
content with that policy?
More and more congregations are discovering the summer
slump can be eliminated by (a) continuing the full schedule
throughout the summer, (b) perhaps adding an extra worship
experience early Sunday morning or on Saturday evening, (c)
scheduling a music group (not a soloist or duet!) for every
service, (d) expecting the pastor to be in the pulpit in all
but one or two Sundays during the summer, (e) planning a
special program or event for each Sunday during the summer,
(f) offering a choice of Sunday school classes every week, (g)
scheduling one attractive event during the week for every week
(one church schedules a Thursday evening ice cream social
every week during the summer called "Sundaes on Thursday"),
(h) in various other ways expanding the program rather than
cutting back on it, and (i) undergirding all of this with an
effective advertising program. - by Lyle Schaller, p.
72, 44 Ways to Increase Church Attendance
(click the book to order one today)
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Reunion
Time
How many times have you witnessed reunion time at an
airport? Loved ones whom we have not seen for a long, long
time are greeted with tears and hugs and laughter. "How are
you?" "You look so good." "I've missed you."
That is the opening paragraph to Lesson 4 of the best
selling Bible study by Pastor Don titled, The Many Wonders
of Heaven. There are 8 lessons. They concentrate on the
questions and answers, and they emphasize the wonders of
your future home. Here are the Lesson titles:
- The Wonder of Entrance
- The Wonder of God
- The Wonder of the Saints
- The Wonder of God's Family
- The Wonder of Reward
- The Wonder of Activity
- The Wonder of the City
- The Wonder of Anticipation
Click the picture for more details. We like what St.
Paul wrote: "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be
enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which God
has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the
saints" (Ephesians 1:18).
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Do You Have A "Belayer"?
by Bob
Tasler
Sir
Edmund Hillary died recently, the first man known to have
conquered Mt. Everest. Though I've never quite understood the
spirit that moves men and women to climb mountains, I respect
what they do. I've always felt there are enough mountains
(mental, financial, emotional) to climb each day we get out of
bed without adding the physical demands of moving one's body
into the rarified air of 15,000, 20,000 or 25,000
feet.
Yet one must respect
the men and women who tackle mountain peaks. They have to take
serious precautions as they scale such rugged terrain. When
people climb with others they utilize a safety feature call
the "belayer." In climbing, a "belayer" is a cleat, a pin or
other fixed object, even a person, who controls the amount of
the rope fed out to a climber. If a climber loses his balance
or falls, the belayer holds him securely until he can regain
his footing and continue his ascent or descent. To "belay" is
to anchor, hold securely, or keep safe. [Complete
Article] |
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School-Age Children on
Mothers
What did mom need to know about dad before she
married him?
- His last name.
- She had to know his background. LIke is he a crook?
Does he get drunk on beer? Does he make at least $800 a
year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to
chores.
Who's the boss at your house?
- Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because
dads such a goofball.
- Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees stuff
under the bed.
- I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more
to do than dad.
Is anything about your mom perfect?
- Her teeth are perfect, but she bought them from the
dentist.
- Her casserole recipes. But we hate them.
- Just her children.
Why did God give you your mother and not some other
mom?
- We're related.
- God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's
moms like me.
What would it take to make your mom
perfect?
- On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think
some kind of plastice surgery.
- Diet. You know, her hair. I'd dye-it, may
blue.
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Mother's Day Children's Talk
with "Clout"
Have children come to the front and sit in a
circle. Repeat after you (break it into short phrases):
"Fourth Commandment, Exodus 20:12, Honor your father
and mother." What is today? Mother's Day! Then ask if
they ever felt that their moms didn't always understand them.
They will all say, "Yes." Did their moms ever holler at them?
They will say, "Yes." Then: "So sometimes your mom will get
quite mad at you, right?" They will all agree. "This is
not good." Then ask their mothers to come forward and
stand behind their child.
Say that since
their mothers were not always nice to them, maybe it
would be good if each mom would move to the left two
children and stand behind that child. The mothers do that.
Then say that after church that child will go to his/hers
new mother's home for the rest of the day. You will not
believe the look of consternation on their little faces. Then
quickly have the mothers move back to their child with a word
to love their moms and to thank them for everything they do
every day. Might ask how they can show more kindness and love
toward their mom.
Close with a
prayer in the first person. Pray a few words and have the
children pray those words aloud. Before they leave, encourage
the moms to teach their little ones what this means as they go
home and give reminders during the week. (It is always
good to ask the children as many questions as
possible)
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