Today's podcast is based on Karl Vater's blog post here from NewSmallChurch.com. We want to give Karl credit and encourage you to check out his website as there is a ton of encouragement there for you as a small church pastor/leader.
Me with my very good friends, twin bros Tim and Dave Mayo, on the front porch. It was their father, Dean Mayo, who had the vision to use this family property and home to encourage Christian workers and provide a place of renewal and fellowship for pastors. You'll need to listen to the podcast for these pictures to make sense!
It occurred to me (Jeff) that what was important in Karl's blog post, was the same thing that was crucial in making our pastor's retreat special and effective... relationships! Relationships are the glue that holds the church together. They are the active ingredient in any healthy and high quality local church. If people do not enjoy meaningful and significant relationships, then what size the church is doesn't matter at all.
Relationships are easy in the small church, there's not too many trappings to get in the way. No busy parking lots, crowded lobbies, or streams of people exiting the building after the service. In a smaller church, people can get to know others and be known by others. They can be missed when they're gone. They can also get to know the pastor, and even speak to him or to her every week. The very thing, smallness, that might bother you as a pastor, is the very thing that facilitates strong and healthy relationships, so go with it and use it to your advantage.
As a pastor/leader, build relationships on your staff or lay leadership team. Be intentional. In today's podcast, Jonny and I model for you, through our own interaction, what a good relationship looks like. It has taken us four years of intentionality and commitment, and a decision to really enjoy each other - for us to get to this level. We don't take each other too seriously, but we are very serious about serving God together. We have had a number of direct, blunt, and heart to heart talks since we started working on the same staff almost two years ago. Our previous friendship was helpful to our initially working together, but that soon ran out and we had to choose to be intentionally authentic with each other. The relationships that our church leaders model will affect the relationships your people experience with each other. We hope that you totally enjoy Episode 69! It was fun to create with each other and with Karl Vaters from NewSmallChurch.com. If you enjoy Karl on our podcast, you'll enjoy his book, The Grasshopper Myth, too! You can purchase it from the link to the right of this webpage, or by clicking on the picture below. Years ago I had a secret. A secret so shameful, that I could not tell anyone. At the time, it just wasn’t done. It was a secret that wasn’t spoken about at dinner parties, and a problem you were expected to solve on your own. I had carried the secret for years, and it was making me sick. DO YOU HAVE A SECRET?
Pastor, do you have a secret you wish you didn’t have? Is it one that you don’t want anyone else to ever discover? Are you getting tired of hiding this part of you, of masking over the pain and the shame? Is it a secret that only you and your husband or wife know about? Or, maybe, they don’t even know? Is your secret making you sick? One of the secret weapons against secrets is also one of the secret weapons against sin. That weapon is… the light of day! Your secret only has power because it’s a secret. As long as it’s a secret, it has control over you. Once you shine the light of day on it, it loses its power and hold on you. Once you tell your secret to another person, you share the burden of it, and it begins its descent into irrelevancy. God does not want us pastors to carry secrets. They lead to shame, guilt, lies, holding our cards close to our vest, etc. God doesn’t want us doing ministry alone, and he certainly doesn’t want us carrying our burdens, our secrets, alone. Maybe it’s time for you to come clean, to share your secret with a trusted friend or mentor. Maybe you need to share the burden of it with another, and to get help. When you tell your secret, it’s like a new car immediately after you drive it off the show room floor, it’s drops in value big time! A shared secret loses its teeth, and releases its bite on you. BACK TO MY SECRET... Back to that secret I had years ago. Dear God. I carried that thing around, with my wife’s help, for years. We sweat over it, prayed about it, tried our hardest to fix it, and did make some progress. In fact, we made a good deal of progress. But we bore it in silence, and in secret, hoping no one would find out. If they did, they would think less of us, perhaps consider us unworthy of ministry. When it was time for us to move to a new ministry, I decided I would open up and let our new church leaders know up front what my situation was. I was almost sick over it, no, I was sick over it! I wasn’t sure they would want me. I’ll never forget the call. It was a special call I made before I came to candidate. I was honest and open. I shared my secret. To my shock, and delight, it was a nonstarter. “Is that all you got?” they said. I was floored, and felt a ton of weight being lifted off my shoulders. “Has it been difficult?” they asked. “Yes” I said. “Then good, we want a pastor who has been through the ringer and knows what it’s like. We want a pastor who has crashed and knows what it means to get up and keep going. We’re on your side, we’re in this together.” After we hung up, I sat there in my van, staring at my cell phone, weeping. This is what grace is. I finally experienced it. Grace. Love. Acceptance. Jesus. This is the body of Christ. What was my secret, you ask? I’ll never tell! LOL. You see, you don’t have to tell everybody your secret for your burden to be lifted. You just have to tell the right person or persons. Paul said, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” James said, “confess your sins one to another, that you may be healed.” If I told you, you would say, “oh yeah, that” and move on to the next thing. No big deal. But it was huge to me, because I had no one to help me carry it. What secret are you carrying? Can I scream it? Here I go – FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE, BARE YOUR BURDEN! TELL SOMEONE! SHARE YOUR SECRET! And watch it lose its power, and feel the weight lifted off your shoulders. Then understand what Jesus meant about finding “rest for your soul.” OUR GIFT TO YOU This Wednesday, on the 200churches Podcast, episode 64, we talk with John Lynch about our pastoral health. We talk to him about what it’s like to be honest with someone else, nothing hidden. If you have secrets that are making you sick, don’t miss this episode. We love you Pastor, and we want to bring hope and encouragement to you this week. So, today, this one’s for you! For all the men and women out there pastoring small churches – we love you! You bear the burdens of others, carry the water for the ministry, and often go un-thanked and unnoticed. So from Jeff and Jonny today – THANK YOU! Hey, we noticed. We’re two of you! We know. It’s a new week. If you need Wednesday’s episode – we offer it to you as our gift of encouragement and support. Happy Monday. Now, go get ‘em!
Watch this video first - it's short, and it's John talking about two roads, from the book, The Cure. It will give you a glimpse into John's personality and caring nature - then you'll hear him on today's Episode 61 of the 200churches Podcast!
May we introduce to you, for the first of what we hope will be many appearances on the 200churches Podcast, John Lynch! John is from Phoenix, AZ where he is one of the pastors at Open Door Fellowship Church. John has been there for thirty years. John, along with his friends Bill Thrall and Bruce McNicol, have written the book, The Cure - What if God isn't who you think he is, and neither are you
TODAY'S PODCAST EPISODE
This book, The Cure, has made a significant impact on many people in our church, and we were able to hoodwink John into joining us live in the opulent and luxurious 200churches Podcast Studio to record this episode for you! John was speaking in the area, and we sent a car, and spirited him away in the dark of night to join us in the studio. One of our church members, Steve Mason, who read the book, and whose life was changed by it, drove out and picked John up. Steve has been a HUGE blessing to our church, as we have seen the transformation Jesus has made in his life, and as we have been blessed by his love for us. The truth is, Steve’s wife Pam has also been changed by the message of the Cure, that God’s grace is so much stronger than our efforts – and Pam made two mouth watering pies that we consumed upon completion of the recording. Consumed like wild, ravenous wolves! Steve, John Lynch, Jonny, and I basically had a party in the 200churches Studio, and recorded some of it for you! We had a blast! John is one of Steve’s heroes, and one of our heroes now too, and it was so enjoyable to just sit and have fellowship together that only happens because Jesus loves us and makes us brothers.
Today’s podcast is only the tip of the iceberg. We will have another episode, much longer, next month, where John expands on the message of The Cure. In the coming months we will have John back, as well as Bill Thrall, to encourage all of us as pastors of small churches in our personal walk with Jesus.
In today’s episode John introduces and explains the foundational message of the book – replete with his Scottish accent and Irish brogue, mixed wonderfully with the voice of a drunken pirate! You’ll just have to hear it. Below are two short videos by Bill Thrall and Bruce McNicol, as well as links to the TrueFaced website and The Cure book. We do get a kickback if you buy the book – and that would be the joy of knowing your heart will be changed and you just may never understand your relationship with God the same again – really! Next week – Small Church Pastor Coach Dave Jacobs! Our topic with Dave is one of the small church pastor’s toughest struggles – Fighting Fear. That’s next week on Episode 62.
Here is Bill Thrall sharing what we think is a phenomenal perspective on the Gospel and the Christian life. Bill will join us in the future on the podcast.
Today, on episode 60 of the 200churches Podcast, we talk again with our friend Karl "The Shark" Vaters about his mission statement at NewSmallChurch.com, which is, Encouraging, Connecting, And Equipping Innovative Small Church Leaders. This is the third of his 12 Essentials blog posts, which he tells new visitors to his blog to read first.
On this episode, we really talk about all things small church pastor, with an edge toward encouraging pastors of small churches to stand tall, and understand the impact that is theirs as they pastor their church - NO MATTER THE SIZE! In small churches all across the country people are coming to faith in Jesus, having been loved by his Body. I have two quick stories for you, the first one about me...
[These stories are not included in this podcast episode, you'll have to listen to that for yourself - it's a good one - but these stories are intended to remind you of the importance of small church ministry, one of the things we do in this episode.] When I was 8 years old, my neighbor lady was in cahoots with a couple in our neighborhood to make an impact for Jesus. The ladies started a Ladies Bible Study, and in the summer they had a kid's club in one of their homes one afternoon a week. My neighbor, Mrs. Bennet, invited me to come. I said no the first two weeks, until I heard about a tire swing, cookies, and red Kool-Aid. That's when I decided I might be able to go! To make a long story short, I heard the Gospel that summer of 1971, and believed in God, and the message of Christ. That small church is still stumbling along, with about 150 people. It has had some ups and many downs over the decades. But I was reached there before the church was even formed, and I have been a pastor for 27 years. I have four kids who love Jesus and who have and will have families of their own that serve the LORD. That small, tiny group of adults, that fit into a living room, changed my life forever. Think your church can do the same? I think so! Story #2 - Several weeks ago I caught two little boys, an 8 year old and a 7 year old, cousins, wandering our lobby. They said they were just "looking around". I told them they could not play in the church when no one was there. They said they weren't playing, just "looking around." I told them that when kids their age "look around" an empty church, it counts as "playing". LOL As I spoke with them, I was very, very aware that how I related to them could well determine their future relationships with God. They recently moved into an apartment across the street. I invited them to our Wednesday night Kid's Program which would happen in less than an hour. They came, and have been coming for the past five weeks. It occurred to me that ten years ago, when I arrived at my church, I met a little 8 year old boy in our neighborhood. Now, ten years later, Luis is graduating from high school. I, and our church, have been a big part of his life. He loves the Lord, and has not fallen to the temptations that lure teenagers today. After I met those boys, I thought maybe God is giving me two more for the next ten years? Perhaps God will use us so that their lives will be changed?? That's what our church, and YOUR small church are all about - CHANGING LIVES as we introduce people of all ages to Jesus! We hope you enjoy this episode and are encouraged to bring it strong and stand tall at your 200church this week! FIND KARL VATERS >>> You can find Karl on Twitter @KarlVaters. You can buy his book, The Grasshopper Myth here on Amazon. You can find him on his blog at NewSmallChurch.com Monday, Monday. Oh boy. How are we doing Pastors? Back in the ‘60s, the Mamas and the Papas cut a 45 record with the title: Monday, Monday. Ironically, here are some of the lyrics: Every other day, every other day Every other day of the week is fine, yeah. But whenever Monday comes - but whenever Monday comes You can find me crying all of the time. You really should listen to it here while you read the rest of this post!
Some pastors find themselves depleted and drained on a Monday. I think they are the pastors who are more introverted by nature. If you’re introverted, or lean that way, the weekend just drains you. You have to be around people all day on Sunday, likely on Sunday evening – and by Monday, Monday, you’re just out of gas. You need to be alone and recharge. Other pastors find themselves energized on Mondays. They’re the more extroverted type. They feed off the power of people and relationships and crowds – even small crowds. They have six days until the next Sunday, lots of time to prepare, and they are riding a high from all of the social interaction of Sunday. This category, the extroverts, would be me and Jonny. In fact, we like being around people all the time. We don’t like being alone. Solitude is draining to us. On Saturdays we are tired. We can’t wait until Sunday morning and evening, when we are going to be with the masses, again, even the small masses. No matter which you are, sometimes Monday finds us “crying all of the time.” We replay defeats in our mind from the day before – the critical church leader, the disruptive student, the ungrateful, complaining parent, the person who didn’t show up for the third Sunday in a row, the piece of technology that did not work as planned, you name it, you fill in the blank. These days, these Mondays, these are the times when we remind ourselves of two things: 1. Who we are serving. 2. Why we signed up for ministry. 3. That we wanted a life of significance. 4. And that even Moses and Jesus experienced follower problems! Okay, so I can’t count. I got inspired. Will you allow me to focus you a bit? 1. You and I are serving Jesus, the KING of all the universe, who called us to make disciples of all ethnicities, and share his GOSPEL OF GRACE with real lost, and real found people every day. Both the believers and the unbelievers need that grace, because Jesus bought it for us, and gave it to us to pass out with reckless abandon! 2. We signed up for this gig because we felt God tugging, yeah, yanking on our heart – to step forward and say, “here I am Lord, send me!” We enlisted because God asked us to, and well, since he asked, we couldn’t refuse. 3. We wanted our lives to be significant! We didn’t want to do ANYTHING ELSE! We could have. We could have gotten a degree in so many different vocational areas, but we chose ministry because we care about people, just like Jesus did, and we wanted to give 100%, our full time effort, to nurturing peoples’ faith. 4. Yes, even Moses and Jesus did not have a 100% retention rate. Why, Moses saw whole crowds of people swallowed up into fiery holes in the earth! Kind of wish you could… I mean, never mind. Anyway, Jesus saw crowds walk away from him and his message, and He was God! Don’t feel bad if people reject you, react to you, or simply walk away from you. You’re in good company. Oh, Monday, Monday – ya gotta love this day! C’mon, listen to it one more time, especially if you’re over 50, just for old time’s sake – then get up and get to work. You work for the KING, and you’ve got significant stuff to do. Your ministry matters so much in God’s Kingdom as he builds his church and uses you.
It’s somewhat of an occupational good-natured ribbing. Pastors complain about dysfunctional boards and dysfunctional boards complain about pastors. Wait, did we say that right?? Oh yeah, we mean… boards complain about dysfunctional pastors! There, that’s better.
Today’s podcast is to help and encourage pastors who have dysfunctional boards. Even as we write this, we realize that we must also importune Dave Jacobs to do an episode with us where we help and encourage board members who have dysfunctional pastors – yeah, that topic! We really enjoyed producing episode 58! We talk about what a 200church is, especially for those new to the 200churches Podcast, and there are A LOT of you! And, welcome! We talk with Dave Jacobs about how to handle a dysfunctional board, then we spend about eight minutes debriefing from that conversation, and share our hearts with you pastors who find yourself saying, “Yes, that’s me! I have a dysfunctional board!” This might be the help you need! Click here for Dave's Six Church Board Training Modules!
In this podcast episode, we ask Dave three major questions, which he answers with alacrity and precision:
1. How would you define a dysfunctional board? 2. What is the purpose of a functional, healthy board? 3. What can I do if I have a dysfunctional board? This week we spent a few hours with nine other pastors in our denomination here in Iowa. We were reminded again that our challenges and joys are shared in common among most of us pastors. For example, did you know that some people think that if other people “like” something on Facebook, that it means they approve of and agree with everything about that “something” they liked!? Yes! It’s true! They really think that, so be careful what you like, you, uh… yeah, you just might get it! Whatever. Anyway, apparently this social media conundrum sometimes causes friction between members who are upset when another member “likes” Budweiser or something… As we talked with our pastor friends, we realized we all struggle with board members at least once in a while. We found out that we all could use a little more money in our budgets – you know, the filthy lucre. We wish we could drum up a few more volunteers than we have. We also hope that we don’t get gifted another plot of land that has a grain elevator – because the town will demand that we dismantle and remove it at our own expense. (did you know it costs about $15K to take down a large grain elevator??) (In Iowa anyway…) So, our heart for the mission of 200churches is bigger than ever – Pastors need encouragement! Old pastors and young pastors, tall pastors and short pastors, fat pastors and skinny pastors, male pastors and female pastors, handsome and beautiful pastors and – well, you get the idea! We all need encouragement, advice, a little training, a few reminders, and a healthy shot of inspiration! We want 200churches.com and the 200churches Podcast to give that to you. We also want 200churches to be the place where you find affirmation and gratitude for your work as a pastor, a shepherd of God’s sheep. We want it to be a place of understanding, and connection – where what you hear you can identify with, and in saying “yeah – me too!” you can realize you’re not alone. If you receive anything good from 200churches, and the people and ministries we partner with, then share us on the social media of your choice! You’re smart, you know how to do it. Let other pastors know so that they can receive the same benefit and encouragement. Enjoy episode 58! But don’t worry, there’s more on the way. Every Wednesday…
What a great conversation we had with Karl "The Shark" Vaters today - and you get to listen to it on this, episode 57, of the 200churches Podcast! The message of this episode is that your church IS big enough - it really IS!! And as God allows us to reach more and more people in our communities, our church will always be big enough. As I type out this blog post, I am listening to the final cut of the podcast, and laughing. Karl is a riot, and we have a blast with him!
This episode is based on Karl's blogpost titled by the same name - Your Church IS Big Enough at his website, which you should visit and subscribe to: www.NewSmallChurch.com.
Karl makes the distinction between being satisfied and being content. Are we satisfied with how big our churches are? I'm not. I'm not satisfied because there are still people in my community on the outside looking in. They are not a part of the Kingdom, and they are separated from Christ. So, I will never be satisfied, we must keep reaching people as the Spirit and the Savior use us in their lives. But, I am content with my church, because today, my church is big enough.
Whenever we talk about the value of a 200church, a small church, I am always sensitive that we don't mistakenly come across as being critical of large churches and mega churches. Again, to be clear, we LOVE large churches and we LOVE mega churches. The truth is, we simply LOVE churches - they are the Bride of Christ, His Body. But our passion at 200churches.com is to encourage pastors of small churches so that they don't view themselves as less, simply because they have fewer people. Our mission is to elevate, affirm, and appreciate the pastors, the men and women, who lead our small congregations. So enjoy this episode - it was a really fun one to produce! Finally, before we give you the links to Karl Vaters' stuff... we want to encourage you to share the podcast with every small church pastor you know. So many men and women are out there serving in small churches who are lonely, discouraged, and feeling like failures. Our prayer is that this podcast will lift their spirits, lighten their load, and let them laugh! So whether it's through Facebook, Twitter, or even Pinterest - spread it around! Karl Vaters is the pastor of Cornerstone Christian Fellowship in Fountain Valley, California. He's the author of the recently published The Grasshopper Myth and founder of NewSmallChurch.com, a site dedicated to encouraging, connecting and equipping innovative small church pastors. Karl is a rabid defender of small churches and has a passion for resourcing the often-overlooked pastors of those churches. You can follow Karl on Twitter: @KarlVaters. Have you ever written a blog post, and started with the Title? Yeah, me too. Today. I started with the Title, for the purpose of attracting attention. Did you really think that I had those five secrets?? LOL! Of course I don’t! I do have a couple secrets, but there’s no guarantee… still want to hear them? Read on… In case you still haven’t gotten it – the Title is a joke. It’s a ruse, a fraud, an apparition, a bait 'n switch! There are no five secrets and there are no guarantees. No one could really give them to you. They don’t exist, unless of course you wanted to pay people to come to your church. But again, here are some secrets I could share with you…
Well, those five things may or may not be secrets, but they are thoughts for you as you start this week. You know, we say it all the time, but do you really understand how important and valuable you are to the Kingdom of God, as you pastor your small church? Your 200church? Can you comprehend the import of God calling YOU to serve and love at your church? It's huge! You are very valuable. So go for it! LOVE those people, TRAIN them to serve, RELEASE them to love and give in the name of Jesus. TRUST in Jesus to lead and grow your church to its Kingdom potential, whatever that is. Enjoy the grace, light, joy, and love of Jesus this week. Karl “The Shark” Vaters is with us on Wednesday, as we talk about the topic – Your Church IS Big Enough. We can’t wait to be with you on Wednesday for Episode 58 of the 200churches Podcast! This week we have tackled the topic of the pastor's soul care. And, this week, I (Jeff) have experienced the proverbial "death by a thousand paper cuts" in regards to my ministry soul. More than a dozen comments and conversations that, by themselves, would be fairly benign, have all landed in this week, and bundled together have dragged my soul down and caused my ministry enthusiasm and passion to wane. I realized this was happening today, and I consciously determined I should figure out what to do about it. How could I restore my soul to a place of energy and passion in my pursuit of shepherding the flock - loving, leading, and teaching the people in my church? I realized tonight that I used 5 ways to nurture my pastoral soul:
1. I talked about it. This morning I had a significant conversation with my wife. After that, but just prior to Jonny and I having our final major prep session for our Sunday message, I shared my thoughts with him. It worked. My thoughts did disentangle themselves as they passed through my lips. My wife and my associate helped me to make sense of them as well. I was not crazy alone, I had two others join me! 2. I prayed about it. Talking to God allowed me to have some perspective on those "thousand paper cuts." Prayer reminds me who I am serving, who I am loving, who is helping and empowering me in ministry, and that I really should never rely on my own abilities or strengths - but his. 3. I disconnected those dozen comments/conversations. When all clumped together, they seem formidable and ugly, like a pack of wild dogs intent on taking me down. But when I mentally disconnect them, separate them, and put them into perspective, they lose their power. It's not as bad as I thought it was. His comment was hardly so caustic, her email not as biting. 4. I remembered why I was in ministry in the first place. God called me. He wired me for this. He promised to always walk with me through ministry. He pulled me out of an unlikely upbringing, and set my path on serving others, loving God, and giving my life for the Gospel. Sometimes you just have to live the "good news" in the form of patience, long-suffering, humility, and even just being willing to be dumped on now and then. God called me to love people and share truth. Oh yeah, that is why I'm in ministry. It's good to just remind yourself once in a while... 5. This may sound old-fashioned, but I consciously counted my blessings. I have so much to be thankful for, and when I focus on those things more than my "thousand paper cuts" of critical comments and conversations, my attitude changes and my soul is refreshed. In fact, I have EVERYTHING to live for, give thanks for, and get moving for. The question for me is - what am I going to focus on, some critical comments and conversations, or the really important stuff of life? So those are the five things I did to nurture my ministry soul back to vibrancy today. I talked about it, prayed about it, tried to put things in perspective, reminded myself of God's calling on my life, and specifically counted my blessings. How are YOU doing Pastor? Jonny and I hope you are doing well. We hope that you are being reminded again this week that your pastoral SOUL is so important - it's YOU. It's who you are on the inside. It's that beautiful person that God made you to be, to care for his wonderful, precious sheep that he's herded over to your pen for protection and provision. Your soul is the reservoir, the repository, of your ministry energy, pastoral care giving, and preaching/teaching content. Feed it, nurture it, and prioritize it. Take time to sit in wonder of God. Allow him to love you and enthuse you with his grace and power. May your soul bask in the sunlight of the Spirit, and be filled to overflowing with the love and heart of Jesus. Pastor - for this weekend, leave all your talents, gifts, and abilities at home. Go and preach and teach in the power of the Holy Spirit, the heart of Jesus, and the love of the Father. See what God is going to do through you in the lives of your congregation. No matter the size of your church - YOU and YOUR PEOPLE matter huge in the Kingdom of God!
Again, welcome to 2014 and the second year of the 200churches Podcast. Can we say it?? We've learned so much from sharing this podcast with you! We have grown in our appreciation and understanding of what it means to be pastors of a 200church.
We had no idea the people we would get to know - YOU! You all have enriched our lives and grown us as pastors, friends, and leaders. We hope to continue building you up as pastors and shepherds of small churches, pastors who are often forgotten and undervalued as you serve in smaller ministries loving and shepherding God's people. In today's Episode 52, we share with you three lessons we are learning as we enter the new year. These three lessons are basic, so basic that we often overlook or forget them. If you lean into these lessons with us, your leadership in your 200church will grow and your church's health will improve. We are going to give you the outline to this episode, and then provide you the links to the resources we reference at the bottom of this post. TODAY'S EPISODE OUTLINE: We are focusing on three lessons to lean into as we start 2014. They are - 1. Getting over our fear of failure. Most people are unwilling to experience the number of failures necessary for success. If we do not try, we will never fail, and for some of us, that's our strategy for success - to never fail. Unfortunately, if we never try, and never fail, we will also never succeed. Is your church small because it has simply reached its Kingdom potential, or, is your church small because you're afraid to fail. Just a thought... -Moses failed -Peter failed -from a human perspective, even Jesus' projects failed - Judas betrayed him, the disciples forsook him, and he was killed on a cross. Perhaps we need a different perspective on failure. Sometimes a failure can accomplish God's will - you think? 2. Prayer. We need God. Our dependence on God is revealed through our time of prayer and communion with Him. How are you doing spending time with your Father, your Savior, and your Comforter? 3. FOCUS on the people you have. This point is, as they say, worth the admission price! You just have to hear what we say about this... LINKS: Two great books about handling failure: Failing Forward by John C Maxwell **Phenomenal Kindle price of $2.99 at the time of this post!! Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Lo... Learn! by John C. Maxwell Pictures of the books at the bottom of this post are also links to purchase them on Amazon - we are not affiliates and get no kick-back. They are simply GREAT books! Please give us your input: Please email either Jeff or Jonny and share with them a topic you think would be good for us to discuss. Also, feel free to share a person you think we should have on as a guest. Our goal is to provide guests and content that encourage and equip you as small church pastors. We have some exciting guests lined up in the coming months. Jeff and Jonny have a little friendly competition going as for who will receive the most emails. You can email either one of them with your suggestions, their email links are below: jeff@200churches.com jonny@200churches.com :) |
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