|
SHEPHERD'S
CANYON RETREAT
is a program of
Fellowship Ministries
committed to the
emotional, spiritual,
and physical
healing of clergy
and other church
workers who have
exhausted their
best and seek
renewal. Please
go to their
website:
$9,652,530,642,224.14
This is the
outstanding public
debt as of
August 30, 2008
at 1:33 a.m.
Estimated
population of U.S.
is 304,632,928.
So each
citizen's share of
this debt is
$31,685.77.
Are you
concerned?
Tell Congress
and the
White House!
For latest
figures go
online to the
THE INTERNATIONAL
BIBLE SOCIETY
has great prices
on Bibles for
church use and
to give out to
the public. Go
online:
Ask for their
2008 Fall Resource
Catalog.
IDEA FOR ELDERS
Most Boards of
Elders meet a
least monthly.
after a brief
devotion by pastor
(1) have each elder visit one
non-attender.
Then (2) report
back to sharewhat happened
and (3) pray for all
who were visited.
This procedure has
many, many
benefits. Try it at
your next meeting.
Do it at least
every other month.
DO YOU EVER
HAVE A WEAK
FAITH IN THE
LORD JESUS?
Any doubts? Here's
a sermon for
you from Pastor
Don. It's full of
good news from
Genesis 19:1-26
and is titled:
Give a copy of
it to a friend who
would also be
encouraged.
LESS THAN
50 CENTS
The Qur'an and the
Bible A Comparison by
Rev. Rick Richter
(LCMS) is not
only a great
Bible study
as it compares
the Qur'an and
the Bible, but
the 26 units of
questions make
it a bargain -
$12.95 which
comes to less
than 50 cents a
a copy for
yourself now.
SOME HUMOR
If you are forgetful
or know someone
who is, this brief
video is for
you (need
windows media
player). It's
entitled,
IDEA: IN PLACE
...of a Scripture
reading for the
worship service
have five girls
and five boys
each recite
one of the Ten
Commandments
by memory
with the
meaning. Kids
love it and so
do the adults!
Print text out
in the bulletin.
YOU MIGHT BE
A PREACHER
...if you dreamt
that you secretly
wanted the
worship team to
drench you with
Gatorade after
you've preached
a very
good sermon.
WE HAVE 8
BIBLE STUDIES
...written by a
woman (Dee
Brestin) and
especially for
women. Go to
Bible Studies
on the website
for details.
IF YOU TEACH
the study course, I Have Good
News
For You, be
sure you have
the very extensive
Leader's Guide.
It has a wealth of
material, verse by
verse commentary,
numerous
illustrations, and
great ideas for
starting and ending
the course
successfully. Go to
| |
|
Excuses,
Excuses, Excuses!
by Don
Ginkel
Accounts of traffic accidents as the driver explained his
particular accident to the officer:
-
"This guy was all over the place. I had to swerve a
number of times before I hit him."
-
"A pedestrian hit me and went under my car."
-
"I was on my way to the doctor's with rear end trouble
when my universal joint gave way causing me to have an
accident."
-
"To avoid hitting the bumper of the car in front, I
struck the pedestrian."
-
My car was legally parked as it backed into the other
vehicle."
-
________________________________________ |
|
|
 Building the Kingdom
Without an Architect
When we built our house, we had to engage an
architect. The architect knows the strategic plan to tell the
builder how to complete a work that is safe, efficient,
and lasting.
Remember the biblical concept of building on a rock
- not on sand? It may sound strange, but many churches are
building the Kingdom of God on sand. Why? They are not using a
special architect!
Focus on
these issues: [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.
_________________________________________
|
|
|
 Stack of
Stuff Imagine yourself debt free
We highly recommend a special study course to you
dealing with family finances. It's an indepth 13
week program, and it's called Dave Ramsey's
Financial Peace University. This
course is for YOU if...
- Your credit cards ARE your emergency fund.
- You're intrigued by the word "plasectomy."
- You want to know what God says about money.
- You have to sell your house to put your kids
through college.
There is a special 2 hour DVD which explains the
program to potential students. A complete kit for your
church is $149.00. Multiple kits for students are
$95.00. You can go to their website, We also
recommend your speaking to a gentleman named Bruce
Coleman, 1-877-378-2667, extension 143. He'll be very
helpful.
When using Getting Closer To
God
with your junior confirmands, we encourage a
first quarter review using worksheet questions from the
first five lessons plus any additional questions you may
wish to ask (do the same at the conclusion of the
second, third, and fourth quarters). Not only will
this help drive home the truths of each of the lessons -
it will permit discussion of any points that are not
understood. This review session can be informal,
including pizza or chips and pop during the review. The
young people will "love you for this." It's also fun to
turn the review into a contest such as the boys against
the girls to see which team gets the highest score.
Consider inviting parents to attend class sessions and
the reviews. (Pastor Brady Finnern, LCMS, at St.
John Lutheran Church, North Prairie, WI, is just one of
many pastors doing the above.) It's also a good
idea to have students write a minimum 100 resume of the
sermon each week.
"Sometimes the best thing
that can happen for the health of a church is for the right people to leave. By the right people, I don't necessarily mean bad or ungodly people. Though to be honest, this is sometimes the case. Rather, I mean those people who, for whatever reason, will never be a part of the church moving forward.
"I strongly believe that you should let them go.
But, be prepared. These people don't generally leave
quietly or respectfully. I'll never forget the very
public words one disgruntled lady directed my way as she
was leaving for the last time: 'You have the face of an
angel, but the heart of a thief.'
"Ouch.
When people leave this way, they seldom are content
to leave alone. Just remember: The negative splash won't
last long, but the health and peace that follows will
have a long-term postive impact." - Brad
Powell, senior pastor of North Ridge Church,
Plymouth, MI
Medley
of Hymns
Here is an excellent medley of verses from
8 different hymns sung responsively all in the same key
including, "Praise Him, Praise Him, All Ye Little
Children," "I Come to the Garden Alone," "All Hail the
Pow'r of Jesus' Name," and 5 more.
A very timely Bible study
Government and politicians are not held in high
esteem today. We have a six-lesson reproducible Bible
study that's just what we need. It's titled,
Government - A Godly
Perspective. Lessons:
1. Government established by God
2. America designed to be Godly
3. The Christian and civil disobedience
4. The Christian's role in government
5. Church and state, agenda or fact?
6. Overview of today's government.
Order #259. Only $27.95. You may reproduce this
study as many times and for as long as you wish. Just
email us
or go to our website.
THE 2009 AALC NATIONAL YOUTH
CONFERENCE will be held at the YMCA of the
Rockies in Estes Park, CO, July 20-24,2009. The program
includes Bill Yonker, Bible study leader Scotty Yount,
crowd-breaker-I-can't-believe-I'm-doing-this singing -
Swen and Dean, the Worship B led by Brad Longstreth,
media and drama Lampost Theatre Co., and a yet to be
revealed Christian band for a concert on Thursday night.
So tell your youth about the conference and plan some
fund raising activities to help them pay their way. For
more info contact email
Pastor Roger Twito or call him at
319-404-4215. |
________________________ | |
|
Principles for Senior Adults
Ministry
by David McClamma, associate pastor of adult
ministries, First Baptist Church of the Mall in Lakeland, FL
(Outreach August 2007, page 112)
Find a caring leader.
"What makes Hope for the Heart work so well is the
leadership, heart and passion of Pastor Wells. Find someone
who has a caring spirit for those who are living alone, a
leader who will be intentional about each senior receiving a
personal touch."
Meet felt needs: "It's been said that
people don't care how much you know until they know how much
you care. Before sharing the Gospel, make sure to show
seniors God's love with tangible actions. They need a
sense of belonging, acceptance, a renewed purpose for
life. Fill those needs first."
Emphasize service. "The most exciting
thing is seeing many senior adults who live alone and have
not been involved in service for a period of time,
finding hope again in getting out and interacting
with and serving others. Each week, FBC has 473
seniors who volunteer and serve in various capacities,
and many are from Hope for the Heart. In our church's
Compassion House ministry, which provides food and clothing to
those in need in our community, we have 73 senior adults
serving three days a week. This truly brings meaning and
purpose to their lives."
___________________________________ |
|
 How To Be A Good
Giver
and Love
It
a stewardship program by Pastor
Don
When Jesus said, "Store up for yourselves treasures in
heaven" (Matthew 6:20), He wanted us to become aware
of an amazing secret, namely, how good giving brings glory to
God and joy to the giver. How
To Be A Good Giver...
- REMEMBER WHAT GOD HAS
GIVEN YOU
- REALIZE YOUR
PARTNERSHIP WITH HIM
- REJOICE AS YOU BRING
YOUR GIFTS
- RECOGNIZE YOUR
PROPORTIONATE GIFT
- RESPOND WITH FIRST
FRUIT GIVING
- RE-ENFORCE IT BY
MAKING A PROMISE
- RECEIVE THE
REWARDS
This is a Biblical view on giving that every Christian
can understand. It offers a positive and joyful approach to
giving rather than a guilt trip.
The 14-page "Good Giver Folder" has 31 stewardship verses
with contemporary illustrations. It can be used in different
venues:
- Every Member Visit
- Cottage Meetings
- Congregational Dinner
- Pulpit
The "Good Giver Stewardship Kit" contains a "Stewardship
Planner," the 14-page "Good Giver Folder," a "Commitment
Card," and the "My Gifts To The Lord" envelope. Order the
"Kit" today on our website
or email us at info@churchpress.com.
__________________________________ |
|
 What Adults
Say
The reason I like Kingdom Quest and Kids Church
is..."
"I am seeing changes in kids. There is total interest and
they are bringing their friends. They are becoming disciples."
- Bobbi, Cuyhahoga Falls, OH
"I hear the kids starting to speak more about Jesus in
their lives." - Ruthie, Kansas City, MO
"It's fun. Now I have volunteers coming out of the
woodwork." - Michelle, Blaine, MN
"What I like is that kids don't know what to expect from
Sunday to Sunday. There's always a surprise." - Sue,
Dickinson, SD
Kingdom Quest is for
Sunday School and Kids Church for worship. Either
program can be used for Wednesday evenings. Like to know more?
Call us at 888-772-8878 and ask for a free CD which has sample
lessons for both programs and a DVD. We invite you to call us
now or email
us.
__________________________ |
|
Large
Screens & Movie
Clips
from The Barna Group
Two-thirds of Protestant churches (65%) now have a large
screen projection system in their church that they use for
services and other events.
The presence of a large-screen system is related to the
church's size and theology. The smaller a church is, the less
likely it is to use such tools. Among churches that average
less than 100 adults each week, only half (53%) have such
systems. The proportion balloons to 76% among churches that
attract an average of 100 to 250 adults, and nearly nine out
of ten churches (88%) that draw more than 250 adults each
week.
Theologically liberal churches and small congregations
were the least likely to use the screen to display such
materials. |
|
_______________________________ |
For your
worship bulletins before the next adult
class
- HALF A MILLION PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN THIS COURSE
WORLD-WIDE
- IT'S FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW CHRIST AND FOR
THOSE WHO WOULD KNOW HIM BETTER
The next class will begin in a
few weeks. It will meet early on Sunday evenings (you may
want to give the date and time) in the Fellowship Hall.
It's a ten week Bible study which covers all the basic
teachings of the New Testament. Folks who are interested in
joining our congregation are especially encouraged to attend.
People from various church backgrounds are usually in
attendance which promotes good discussion and excellent
questions.
Students are made to feel comfortable knowing they can
ask questions without any embarrassment. The sessions are
informal, which makes for a better learning situation. A good
dose of humor is used. CD's and DVD's are available when a
students must miss, which means that one can easily keep up
with the class. This course helps us know what this Church and
pastor teach and believe. So many times people join a church
without this knowledge.
At the close of the course those who wish may want to
join our congregation. This is a nice approach. You can attend
just the first lesson or all of them. Why not give it a try?
We are sure you will discover that this Bible study is unlike
any you've ever attended. There is a sign-up sheet on the
bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall. (It's also very
productive to insert flyers on this study in the
bulletins prior to the class. Pastor should
encourage worshipers to give their flyer to a friend or
neighbor) |
|
_______________________________ |
Praise the Lord
for Kenya!
by Judie Brown
God's children, our
brothers and sisters in Christ, are such precious
people. This is my fifth mission experience and I am
humbled every single time by the way God uses us plain,
sinful servants to accomplish His work.
We
sang with the ELCK choir on Sunday. I will never forget
how the faces of the entire congregation lit up when we
sang in Luo and Grace, from our team, sang the solo
lead. Luo is the tribal language. A few white
people speak Swahili, none speak Luo. Their appreciation
and gratitude were as much a blessing to us as our
singing was to them (This awesome event was repeated
going through security at the airport in Nairobi). God
truly knows how to use his children to reach
everyone. [Complete
Article]
The Sending Place
can be reached by phone, toll free, at (877)
3SENDING or (917) 685-2331 or email. For
more information go to our website at: theSendingPlace.com
| | |
| |
