Archive for October, 2011
Five Resources You Need To Check Out October 7, 2011
(AND…no one paid for any advertisements in this post. I endorse things that I use, in other words…I am smokin’ what I’m selling! Except I am not selling anything…oh well, here we go…)
#1 – Books!!!
- RUN, do not walk, and buy Dave Ramsey’s newest book on Leadership! I’m 1/3 of the way through it and it is one of the TOP THREE books I’ve ever read on the subject of leadership!
- Pastor Robert Morris wrote a book on the subject of the Holy Spirit that is AWESOME…so thankful for this resource, I honestly believe it will take your walk with God to the next level!!!
- John Eldredge’s new book, “Beautiful Outlaw” is the best book he’s ever written…get it as soon as it comes out! (Release date is October 12)
- Tony Morgan has a FREE E book that you can download RIGHT NOW…love the way Tony writes and his passion for leadership and the church!
#2 – Sermons – Craig Groeschel recently preached a series on the book of Nehemiah that was absolutely amazing, some of his best preaching EVER!!! Here is their website…or you can go to itunes and download the podcast. Trust me…listening to this and applying what you hear WILL change YOUR LIFE and the world around you!
#3 – Andy Stanley’s messages on the current condition of our country and the economy were absolutely amazing!!! The series was called “Recovery Road” and you can view those messages here! Warning…they are some of the most challenging things you will ever listen to!!!
#4 – Reawaken is going to absolutely change lives!!! I honestly believe that one of the KEY INGREDIENTS to a healthy church is a healthy senior pastor!!!
#5 – Unleash is quickly closing in on have 1,000 people registered…it’s going to fill up by December 31, better sign up soon!!!
Four Types Of Staff Members October 6, 2011
#1 – “Can Do”
This is the person that if you tell them you want to land a 747 on the stage of your church they immediately begin to brainstorm as to how it can be done. They have a fire and passion and really do believe that NOTHING is impossible with God.
However, they ARE realistic! I have several members on the team I serve with that will say, “I love that idea Perry, now, let me tell you what it will take in order for that to happen,” and then they proceed to tell me the things that I may not be aware of in regards to the implementation of the vision. They aren’t saying we can’t do it…they just want me to know all that it is going to take.
I LOVE THIS…I love it when staff are realistic…every leader should.
#2 – “Can’t Do”
Many times these people like to refer to themselves as “the devils advocate,” they are always finding reasons things can’t get done and seem to bring a negative tone to every meeting they are in. I have said it before, I will say it again…the devil does not need a freakin advocate, he is doing fine all by himself. The person that is always saying that something can’t be done is USUALLY saying so because if the vision that is being cast is put into play then it will cause either a greater amount of work for them…OR require them to leave their comfort zone.
These people drain the crap out of you and are not an asset to your team!
#3 – “Won’t Do”
These are the people on staff that are more obsessed with their gifting than their calling…and so if they are asked to do something that isn’t in line with their perceived gift then they refuse to do it. (Which in case their “gift” has now became their idol!)
If a staff member (including the senior pastor) isn’t willing to do whatever it takes to make the vision happen then that team will NEVER accomplish all that it could accomplish. If someone on staff makes it a common practice to declare what they will not do in regards to executing the vision of the church then they are not pursuing Jesus (who washed feet in John 13) and need to be confronted in love and challenged that our gifting does make us unique…but we all have the same calling, to do whatever it takes to reach as many people as possible who are far from God.
#4 – “Didn’t Know I Could Do”
The disciples had no idea they could do what they wound up doing until a leader came along (Jesus) who was constantly challenging them to go beyond themselves and attempt the “impossible.”
John Mark had no idea of what he was capable of until Barnabas believed in him.
Timothy was just a guy in the church until the Apostle Paul spotted greatness in him and asked him to assist him in his ministry.
And there are people in our churches and on our staff that are able to do way more than they are currently doing…they just are unaware of it because a leader has never dared to believe in them nor challenged them to leave their comfort zone.
It is a powerful thing when the people believe in their leader…it is even a more powerful thing when a leader believes in the people he has been given stewardship over.
A HUGE “Thank You” To Every Pastor Out There! October 5, 2011
October is pastors appreciation month and I wanted to take this opportunity today to say “THANK YOU” to every pastor. Seriously, I don’t care what denomination you belong to, what the size of your church is or what your preferences are in regards to a worship style…
THANK YOU…for…
The times you have woke up at night and could not go back to sleep because you were so burdened for the people in your church…and so for the next several hours you prayed for those whom God has entrusted to your care and they were not even aware of it.
The times of intense spiritual warfare that you have endured. You have experienced things that you don’t talk about a lot…but I know about the attacks on you and your family, the nightmares, the intense feelings of inadequacy…and yet you have persevered through them because you know that the ONE who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
The conversations that you have had with people that no one will know about, the ones that took place behind the scenes, out of the eye of the public. You took the time to talk to that one person and did it because you care and not because you felt like you would be rewarded for it. It made a difference.
For the sacrifices that you have made that no one will ever know about. You have sacrificed time, personal preferences, money, sleep and your own reputation…you have paid a price that most people will never see this side of eternity, and the Lord IS USING your faithfulness to make a difference.
For the times you wanted to quit but didn’t. We’ve all wanted to quit (usually on Monday’s!) But Jesus pressed into you and you pressed on because, at the end of the day, you are consumed with Jesus and HIS GOSPEL…and you could not even fathom doing anything else.
For the times you have wept over the condition of people in your church and over people far from God. For allowing what breaks God’s heart to break yours.
For the days when you have dared to dream big and have refused to give up on the vision you know the Lord has placed inside of you.
For the times you have been criticized and slandered against by people who have never even met you and are clueless in regards to your heart for the Lord. They have misquoted you, taken you out of context and tried to destroy you with their word twisting and hate filled inaccuracies. And yet you have persevered, you have resisted the urge to fight with them, keeping your eyes on Jesus and refusing to come down off of the wall.
For ALL that you do! Seriously…you matter! YOU MATTER so much to God that He not only saved you but called you into ministry, He entrusted you with a gift, a calling and a message…and He is with you, He will NEVER leave you or forsake you. You can trust Him and He didn’t call you to flame out or burn out but rather to IMPACT this world through the preaching of His Son Jesus Christ.
You may feel overworked, overwhelmed and under appreciated…but I am here to say as a fellow pastor…THANK YOU! I don’t care if you have 15 people in your church or 150,000…what you do MATTERS! THANK YOU…I consider it an honor to be on the same team with you and it is my prayer that all of us will keep our eyes on Jesus and press forward as we have been given a job to do!
I love you guys! THANK YOU! YOU MATTER! Now let’s get out there and CHANGE THE WORLD!!!
A Letter From Pastor P To NewSpring Church October 4, 2011
Howdy NewSpring Church…EIGHT things I would love to share with you today…
#1 – Celebrating the 118 people that surrendered their lives to Jesus this past Sunday at NewSpring Church. THAT NEVER GETS OLD! So thankful that Clayton King honored Jesus and preached His Word on Sunday! We can NEVER allow that to become normal…seriously, 118 people literally came from DEATH to LIFE…we’ve got to CELEBRATE THAT! (See Ephesians 2:1-10 for a description of what happened to them…and you if you have ever surrendered your life to Christ!)
#2 – Clayton will be back this Sunday…and I am asking our church to STEP UP and BRING PEOPLE who do not know Christ. Seriously, do whatever it takes to get them to church, let’s go after them with the passion and urgency we see in Mark 2:1-12!!! What in the world could happen if ALL OF US literally read Romans 10:14-17 every day this week and, as we did so, responded immediately to the Holy Spirit as HE brings people to mind that we need to bring to church (and He will…see II Peter 3:9!) Seriously NewSpring Church…I am asking EVERYONE to step up to that challenge!
#3 – Here is the baptism video recap from last Sunday if you haven’t got to see it yet…OR if you just want to watch it again!!! :-)
#4 – The trip to Europe has been amazing! To say that the Lord has stretched me and took me further beyond my comfort zone than I’ve EVER been would be an understatement. We began in Estonia (here is a video of our time there in case you didn’t get to see it!) It was amazing to see our friend Jakob and all that the Lord is doing through him and 3D Church! I believe the average age of their leadership team is around 19-20 years old…and what they are accomplishing is unbelievable. I was informed that the largest church in Estonia baptized around 40 people last year…and 3D Church has already baptized around 34 this year!!!
We had around 120 or so leaders show up for a time of leadership training…and then that night we did an evangelism event. They were praying that they would have 200 people…and over 240 people showed up and 25 gave their lives to Jesus!!! It was the largest event they had ever had and the most salvations they had ever seen. AND…it was one of the most overwhelming experiences I’ve ever had. I can’t wait to tell you more about it. (AND…Jakob and some of his crew are coming back to Unleash again this year!)
#5 – After Estonia we flew “Easy Jet” to London! (I have never been so thankful that a plane landed in my life!) AND the crew at Freedom Church absolutely blew us away with their kindness and hospitality! We were able to spend some time with their leaders on Saturday night and on a scale from 1-10 the passion level was about a 128!!! The next day we had a church service in Hereford and saw five people give their lives to Jesus…it was absolutely amazing!!! After the service we went to an English Pub in the middle of nowhere that was around 500 years old for lunch. I thought that Frodo and Bilbo were going to walk in at any time!!!
That night we went to Cardiff and I was able to preach at the campus that Jesus has allowed us to partner with Freedom Church in planting. They literally just began six months ago with around SIX people! (PLEASE read that again!) Their largest crowd up until Sunday was around 100 people…and this past Sunday night they had 278 people at church and at least three of them gave their lives to Christ!!! It was a night that I will never forget as the Lord taught me some POWERFUL things.
#6 – Thank you to everyone who has ever given a dime to NewSpring Church!!! Seriously…the crew I was with and I were able to see firsthand what Jesus has led our church to invest in. When it comes to missions our church has sort of taken a different approach. We don’t necessarily give to a denomination but rather support local churches in areas where the Lord allows us to meet and parter with like minded pastors in church leaders. (We are currently partnered with a church in Estonia, a church in the UK, a church is Israel and the 410 Bridge in Kenya!) AND…through the grace of God HE is allowing us to make a difference. I have had dozens and dozens of conversations while in Europe with people who have told me they watch our service online EVERY WEEK! And the church leaders expressed their thankfulness over and over again to us for answering the call and partnering with them. I really do hope I can bring some missions teams over here someday to see this firsthand…it has CHANGED me!!!
#7 – Thank you for your prayers while we have traveled and ministered…trust me, we could not have had a successful trip like this without the prayer support of our church!
#8 – I MISS LUCRETIA AND CHARISSE!!! I can’t WAIT to see my girls!!! AND…Lucretia’s birthday is THIS COMING SUNDAY! She will be…uh…29 years old!!! :-)
I LOVE MY CHURCH!