PRAY CENTRAL
FLORIDA
Dear
Fellow Prayer Warrior, December, 2007
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ, and we would like to add, Merry Christmas! There are a
significant number of Christians and even Christian leaders who believe that
prayer does not move God to change situations but prayer changes our hearts. It
is true that prayer changes our hearts but that is not the end of the story.
When God places a burden of prayer on people’s hearts it is often also because
He wants to move in a situation or circumstance and He wants us to invite Him
to do so. This way we get the blessing of being involved in His work and He
gets the glory because He answered the prayers.
“Drop In Orlando Crime Rate Attributed To Prayer”
The above headline from the
cfnews13.com web site says it all. Here is part of the news story and the link
to the full story that ran December 11th.
“Orlando
police said the streets are safer, but there is no clear answer as to why. Some
said the answer is the police crackdown that is forcing the crime rate to drop,
but many others believe the answer is prayer. Orlando police said the crime
rate dropped drastically last month, and some religious leaders said God should
take the credit. After holding a 40-day prayer vigil, it just so happens that
same month was the slowest for killings in Orlando and Orange county.”
www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2007/12/10/prayer_attributed_to_drop_in_orlando_crime_rate.html
Florida Marriage Protection Amendment
There
is great news on this front as well. The proposed amendment to the Florida
state constitution which would define marriage as the union of one man and one
woman is now scheduled to be on the ballot in 2008. The required number of
petitions has been received, praise God, and thanks to all who helped collect
them. If you have any petitions out or have a drive planned,
please get them turned in because any additional petitions received will help
convince opponents of this amendment to abandon a possible legal challenge to
re-count the petitions. The official Petitions in PDF format can be
downloaded from the website www.Florida4Marriage.org. All
petitions now have to be mailed to P.O. Box 521339, Longwood, FL 32752. Do not
submit them directly to the Supervisor of Elections.
Ongoing
Prayer Themes - please include some of these when you pray for the city -
An increase in the manifestation of God’s supernatural
power – healings, signs, wonders
Wisdom and blessing for our president and other
national, state and local elected officials
God's redemptive purposes to be fulfilled in Central
Florida
Unity of the Body of Christ and purity in the Body and
in relationships between leaders
Pastors to pray together and lead their churches into
praying with other churches
Vision Orlando, Space Coast Prayer Network and Deland
pastors
The scourge of abortion to be removed from our city
Christians to tithe and give offerings so “the devourer”
will be rebuked in our city
Greater revelation of the
Apostolic and God’s government to increase in our city
Homeland security
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem
See page 2 for Current Prayer Events
An E-mail version of this
newsletter (with more stuff!) is also available - send me an E-mail to sign up.
See this newsletter on the web at www.christiansnet.com/praycf/praycf.htm.
George Kern, 405 East Jersey St., Orlando, FL 32806, 407-245-1132,
praycf@juno.com
PRAY CENTRAL
FLORIDA
Page 2 November,
2007
Please verify the event
details with the contact person or web site before attending.
For
additional Christian events see the Z88.3 events web site - http://zradio.org.
January 11 – 12 - Orlando
Consortium on AIDS and HIV - First Presbyterian Church of Orlando will host
the first Orlando Consortium on AIDS and HIV. Kay Warren, wife of Rick
Warren, will be the keynote speaker. Scott Todd, Executive Vice President
for Compassion International’s AIDS Project in Africa, will also be a featured
speaker. For info call First Presbyterian at 407-423-3441 x1451.
January 31 – February 1 – “The Call” School of Intercession - conference to help prepare our
hearts before the Lord for The Call Florida. Kissimmee. For info see their web
site www.thecall.com.
February 2nd – 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. - “The Call” with Lou Engle comes to
Central Florida at the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee. www.thecall.com.
Daily – various times
– Worship House of Prayer - get a
taste of IHOP without having to fly to Kansas City. Location: 120 W. McKey St., Ocoee. Web site
for info and schedule: www.worshiphouseofprayer.com,
or call 407.877.5970, ext. 201.
Weekdays –
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. – all day worship and prayer hosted by Love of Christ Ministries (Mack McCambridge). Location: Faith World church, Orlando. Call
407-292-0966 for info.
Tuesdays – 6:00 a.m. - Sanford
Ministerial Fellowship. Info:
Jeff Krall - 407-322-9222, jmkrall@bellsouth.net.
Tuesday and Friday
mornings – Full Gospel Businessmen’s
Fellowship.
Fellowship and bible study breakfasts and monthly evening meeting. Contact Joseph Shaia for info -
407/682-3216.
Tuesday
evenings - 6:00 p.m. – Community Healing & Prayer Service. All Saints Church, 338 East
Lyman Av. Winter Park.
Call 407-647-3413 for info. www.allsaintswp.com.
Tuesday evenings - 7:00 p.m. - Servants of the Most High and
Intercessory Prayer Network of Central Florida. Prayer and fellowship in the Longwood area. For info, call Maureen at 407-332-7286 or
e-mail IPNCF@ruii.org.
Second Tuesday
– 7:00 p.m. – Team Resource –
fellowship of leaders of front-line ministries. Normally meets at Calvary
Assembly, free dinner provided. Michael.Radka@wellcare.com.
Second Tuesday
– 6:30 p.m. – Aglow – women’s
fellowship and prayer meeting for Apopka/Ocoee. Contact: Rhonda, 407-884-0238.
Thursday
Evenings – 7:30 p.m. Oviedo Healing
Rooms - Healing in the Name of
JESUS through the Power of GOD's Presence and Prayer. 145 W. Broadway Blvd., Oviedo. Call 407-529-7111 for
appointment (suggested but not necessary) www.OviedoHealingRoom.com.
Friday
evenings – 7:30 p.m. – International Concert of Prayer – prayer for
Orlando, USA & the world. At Greaterlife Church in
Oviedo, call Pastor Jeff Good for information at 407-365-5950.
First Saturday of month - Prayer
for Muslims - 10:00 a.m.-Noon, Orlando. Peter Shadid
- 240-6272.
Peter has a team reaching Muslims in
Kissimmee and can train people for outreach in Orlando.
Second
Saturday of month – 9:00 a.m. - KNEC (Kingdom Network Empowering
Communities) –Orlando. Contact: Bishop Helligar –
407-299-6677.
Second and Third
Saturdays – 5:00 a.m. City-wide Prayer
Meeting. Hampton
Inn at 7448 International Drive, Orlando. Sponsor: Pastor Mary Norman, 321-276-5352.
Third Saturday of month – Prayer
for the Persecuted Church. Longwood. Email
amystrang@aol.com.
Daily - Lighthouse Report (with Steve Douglass) – on the web at www.lighthousereport.com
Pray Central Florida – Praying for Central
Florida and encouraging the Church in Central Florida to pray
And
here is the extra stuff you don’t get with the snail mail version...
=================================
(1) Glenn Wagner’s new book “Fire in Your Bones”
(2) GEORGIANS PRAY FOR RAIN; GOD ANSWERS
(3) Stem Cell Vindication
(4) 'CHRISTIAN GROUPS IN BETHLEHEM TO DISAPPEAR'
(5) OBSESSION...THE MOVIE
(6) The Next Move of God: Church in Community
(7) 21 Common Mistakes Pastors Make
*NPPN -
NATIONAL PASTORS' PRAYER NETWORK - US
A
Ministry Network Of The Mission America Coalition
OUR
VISION-
Identify
And Encourage Pastors' Prayer Groups In Cities And
Communities
Across
America So That Pastors Lead Their
People Into Praying For And Sharing Christ With Everyone In Our
Nation.
Subscribe
to the NPPN: http://www.nppn.org/subscribe.htm
*************************************************************
(1) Glenn Wagner’s new book “Fire in Your Bones”
From:
Future Lead <futurelead@e-interchange.com>
To:
Praycf@juno.com
Date:
Wed, 05 Dec 2007 12:45:24 -0500
Subject: RE:FutureLead Letter
Click the
following link or paste into your browser to view your personal message...
http://www.e-interchange.com/review.cfm?ORID=24964&REFID=192828
Fire in Your Bones:
Incarnational Living Changes Everything
Apart from me you can do nothing.1
Some Bible verses have been debated for millennia and have
even triggered schisms within the church. However, it would be impossible to
misunderstand this clear teaching of Jesus in any translation. So why is it so
difficult to live out, both in our ministries and in our personal lives?
My ministry – and life – changed
forever when I fully grasped the concept of “incarnational
preaching.” Simply put, incarnational preaching means
we step out of the way, and God takes over. It is that distinct sense that more
is happening than just the delivery of words. Rather, God is choosing to
accompany the preaching with His special touch or, in the words of C.H.
Spurgeon, “The sacred anointing.”2 D. Martin Lloyd-Jones describes
this special touch as sensing “the smile of God.”3
Click here to read
the rest of this article...
www.futurelead.org/News_Resources/Article_Detail.cfm?articleID=34
*************************************************************
(2) GEORGIANS PRAY FOR RAIN; GOD ANSWERS
ifa@ifapray.org>
To: praycf@juno.com
Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2007 19:31:52 -0500 (EST)
Subject: Friday Watch Fire
GEORGIANS
PRAY FOR RAIN; GOD ANSWERS
Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue and hundreds of
citizens cried out to God for rain on the steps of the state Capitol Tuesday
"Father, forgive us and lead us to honor you as you honor us
with the showers of blessing," the governor prayed. "Thank you, Lord,
for the showers that come."
Georgians and their Governor, Sonny
Purdue, lifted up prayers for rain at the State Capital in Atlanta this past
Tuesday. Thankfully, the forecast changed in less than 24 hours and the rain
came Wednesday evening.
"This is hopefully the beginning of more," Perdue said. "One
rain won't refill the reservoirs. It is great affirmation of what we asked
for."
Perdue was also joined by Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle in appealing to the heavens for
rain. "This isn't the first day he's been on his knees in prayer for
rain," Cagle said of Perdue. "This is not a ceremony. It's an action
of calling the entire state to pray."
"We've come together here simply for one reason and one reason only: To
very reverently and respectfully pray up a storm," Perdue said when he
approached the podium after worship had quieted down. "It's time to appeal
to Him who can and will make a difference," Perdue said. Lawmakers and
ministers joined the governor for the morning prayer
vigil.
However, the Georgian governor is not the first governor to hold a call for
public prayer during the drought stripping the Southeast. Alabama Governor Bob
Riley issued a proclamation declaring a week in July as "Days of Prayer
for Rain" to "humbly ask for His blessings and to hold us steady in
times of difficulty."(CBN News, Christianity Today)
WATCH VIDEO OF PRAYER
INTERCESSORS FOR
AMERICA
P O Box 915 Purcellville, VA
20134
Fax 540-751-0984 ifa@ifapray.org
web: http://www.ifapray.org
**********************************************************
(3) Stem Cell Vindication
BUSH ADMINISTRATION | 110TH CONGRESS | SUPREME COURT
Stem Cell
Vindication
(Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post,
11/30/07) Rarely has a president -- so vilified for a moral stance -- been so
thoroughly vindicated. Why? Precisely because he took a moral
stance. Precisely because President Bush was made
"a little bit uncomfortable" by the implications of embryonic
experimentation. Precisely because he therefore decided that some moral
line had to be drawn.
History will look at Bush's 2001 speech and be surprised how balanced and
measured it was, how much respect it gave to the other side. Read it. Here was
a presidential policy pronouncement that so finely and fairly drew out the case
for both sides that until the final few minutes of his speech, you had no idea
where the policy would end up.
[Now, we will benefit] from astonishing good fortune that nature requires only
four injected genes to turn an ordinary adult skin cell into a stem cell that
can become bone or brain or heart or liver.
The moral disquiet that George Bush forced the country to
confront -- helped lead him and others to find some ethically neutral way to
produce stem cells. Providence then saw to it that the technique be so
elegant and beautiful that scientific reasons alone will now incline even the
most willful researchers to leave the human embryo alone. Read more at the IFA website.
Predictably, a number of scientists and
politicians have insisted that funding for destructive stem cell research
"must go on." The war against human embryos is not over (FRC)
Thank God for scientists who, while they once supported unethical stem cell
research, have switched to ethical research as a result of these amazing new
studies! May their numbers continue to grow, and may the number of those
determined to follow the way of death rapidly diminish. May the American people
and free peoples around the world arise to say NO! to
research that destroys human life! (Dt 5:17;21:8; Pr 24:10-12; Mt 5:21ff)
INTERCESSORS FOR
AMERICA
P O Box 915 Purcellville, VA
20134
Fax 540-751-0984 ifa@ifapray.org
web: http://www.ifapray.org
************************************************************
(4) 'CHRISTIAN GROUPS IN BETHLEHEM TO DISAPPEAR'
INTERNATIONAL
HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER: 'CHRISTIAN GROUPS IN BETHLEHEM TO DISAPPEAR'
"Christian
leaders are being forced to abandon their followers to the forces of radical
Islam"
This is something for world Christians to reflect
upon during this holy season, as eyes again turn to Bethlehem. Arab disrespect for
Jewish rights is the lot of Christians here as well.
The ever-dwindling Christian communities
living in Palestinian-run territories in the West Bank and Gaza are likely to
dissipate completely within the next 15 years as a result of increasing Muslim persecution
and maltreatment.
"The systematic persecution of Christian Arabs living in Palestinian areas
is being met with nearly total silence by the international community, human
rights activists, the media and NGOs," said Justus Reid Weiner, an international
human rights lawyer in an address at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
He cited Muslim harassment and persecution as the main cause of the "acute
human rights crisis" facing Christian Arabs, and predicted that unless
governments or institutions step in to remedy the situation - such as with job
opportunities - there will be no more Christian communities living in the
Palestinians territories within 15 years, with only a few Western Christians
and top clergymen left in the area.
Tens of thousands of Christian Arabs have left the Palestinian territories for
a better life in the West. The Palestinian Christian population has dipped to
1.5 percent of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, down from at least 15% a half
century ago, according to some estimates. (Jerusalem Post, 12/4/07)
INTERCESSORS FOR
AMERICA
P O Box 915 Purcellville, VA
20134
Fax 540-751-0984 ifa@ifapray.org
web: http://www.ifapray.org
************************************************************
(5) OBSESSION...THE MOVIE
From:
Bill Keller <prayermanager@liveprayer.com>
To:
praycf@juno.com
Subject:
Daily Devotional
OBSESSION...THE
MOVIE!!! On Friday, September 7th, I
shared with you a
prophetic word about how Islam very well could be God's
instrument of
judgment on the United States just like Babylon was used to
punish the
children of Israel. If
you do not understand what the radical Islamists
intend to do, or your friends or family refuse to believe
you, you must see
this movie. Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West. It
will show
what they are doing and what they intend to do. It will show you the hate
that they have. If
you think Islam is a religion of peace, you must see the
truth. I believe
this is one of the most important movies ever created
since it is a clear wake-up call to a sleeping nation! Check it out at
http://www.obsessionthemovie.com
http://www.liveprayer.com/signup.cfm
*********************************************************
(6) The Next Move of God: Church in Community
From: apostlesroundtable group <noreply@googlegroups.com>
To: apostlesroundtable digest subscribers
<apostlesroundtable@googlegroups.com>
Date:
Wed, 25 Jul 2007 01:10:58 +0000
TOPIC:
The Next Move of God: Church in Community
http://groups.google.com/group/apostlesroundtable/browse_thread/thread/eb
9410f6f22f4ab9?hl=en
== 1 of 1
==
Date:
Sun, Jul 22 2007 12:31 am
From: ap
The Next
Move of God: Church in Community
by Joseph Mattera
www.josephgmattera.com
-------
In 1999
the Spirit of God began to emphasis the recognition of the
marketplace as part of the kingdom of God, and since then many
began
to recognize the biblical mandate to disciple whole
nations according
to the dominion mandate of Genesis 1:28 and Matthew
28:19.
Now I
believe it is time that we go from talking about taking cities
to actually doing it in a practical way. The following
article is
based on what I have been doing through Resurrection Church
in my
particular community. I am not dealing in this article with what
we
have been doing in the body of Christ in our city, but
what we are
doing for our community.
This
article was triggered by a conference advertisement apostolic
leader Ed Delph sent me regarding
a "Church @ Community" conference he
is doing that aptly describes our congregation's
practices. This
concept smashes the separatist mentality of much of the
Fundamentalist
Evangelical
Church that began since the end of the Civil War, and has
the potential to radically recontextualize
church praxis without
compromising church biblical orthodoxy.
The
following characteristics outline the "Church in Community"
revolution that is going to sweep the globe.
(Note:
The titles of the first seven points (only the point titles)
were taken from Ed Delph's
"Church @ Community" conference
advertisement.)
I. It
Transitions the Body of Christ from Being Church-centric to
Community-centric
1. The
body of Christ is finally going to move away from escapist
theology, in which community involvement was replaced with an
obsession with the rapture and the world to come.
2. The
body of Christ is finally sowing the incredible gifts of the
congregations for the good of the community instead of just having
Holy
Ghost parties within the confines of a physical building.
II. It
Releases the Saints to Serve God by Serving Their Community
III. It
Is Giving Churches Favor With God and Man
1. I
truly believe the main reason why community boards and elected
officials try to use zoning laws to stop churches from having
more
land is because they see the church as an irrelevant, tax
revenue
sucking leech that contributes nothing to the life of the
community.
A. The
church was originally granted tax exempt status because it was
so involved in the social life of communities that it
was saving
communities an enormous amount of money through the redeeming
nature
of its work with individuals and neighborhoods. Thus,
when the church
only emphasizes the next world and the rapture, judgment
comes upon it
in the form of tax exemption revocation, which
corresponds to our
irrelevance.
B. In the
present, our church is dealing with some contextual zoning
limitations regarding our plans to construct a new edifice for
our
congregation but a strange thing is happening: Contrary to the
numerous war stories we hear around the country, the elected
officials
and community leaders involved in the zoning in my
community are
almost at competition with each other in their attempts to
help us
avoid zoning limitations.
IV. The
Church's Main Cause Becomes the Community
1. Jesus
told the church to affect Jerusalem before going to Judea and
Samaria
(Acts 1:8).
2. Much
of the body of Christ spends millions of dollars every year
with mission trips while neglecting their own local
community. Many of
them do this to cover their lack of community impact.
3. Many
will send a person to Africa to minister but ignore the
African-American families in their proximity.
4. The
body of Christ can utilize their congregants to serve according
to their natural and spiritual gifts, thus giving their
communities
their expertise in economics, the environment, and various
community
issues too numerous to mention in this article.
V.
Churches That Equip People for Life, Not Just Church Life
When our
burden is for the community, we then train our church in a
practical manner and not just a mystical manner regarding
spiritual
things.
VI.
Churches that Enhance Kingdom Influence by Working With
Community
Spheres
of Influence
When the
church learns how to recognize, celebrate, and serve the
various jurisdictions of society, then God can bless us with
influence. If you want influence with the local police, serve
them. If
you want influence in local community government, then
make yourself
available to them, etc.
VII. Today's
Influencers in the Church Become Tomorrow's Influencers
in the Community
1. When
the church understands this paradigm, then it will recognize
those in the church called to minister primarily in the
marketplace.
These
folks should be honored in the church as ministers in the same
way we may honor the deaconate in the church. God calls
the civil
authorities in Romans 12:4 His servants ("deacon" in
Greek means
servant).
2. This
paradigm will give the church membership motivation to be
trained as leaders because it will take the utilization of
every gift
possible to meet all the vast needs of a community.
3. This
paradigm has a double-edged sword since it enables the church
to simultaneously affect both the local congregation and
the community
in its discipleship process.
VIII.
Common Grace Issues Become Common Ground for the Church to
Connect
with Key Community Leaders and Initiatives
One of
the most important theological awakenings pastors can have is
when they realizes that they can work with leaders in
various levels
of authority in society (including the unsaved) without
compromising
their faith because of the fact that God extends His common
grace to
all involved in the stewardship of a community.
IX. The
Senior Pastor Becomes a Chaplain/Statesman to a Whole
Community
Instead of Just to Their Flock
X. The
Church Becomes a "City on a Hill" and the "Light of the
World"
1. This
kind of church employs a holistic approach to ministry that
includes educational and social ministry out of their church building,
not just worship and soul-winning sermons.
2. This
kind of church takes advantage of the social structures and
outreaches already present in a community and releases servant
leaders
into those structures to bless and transform from within.
XI.
Soul-Winning Reflects the Daniel/Joseph Model
1.
Instead of employing only one strategy, e.g. preaching on the
street, this kind of church reflects what Daniel did when he
gained
favor and built a platform to evangelize a nation by
serving a pagan
king in a pagan system with wisdom, faithfulness, and
prophetic
insight.
2. The
typical "Christian Right" methodology of merely emphasizing
politics and moral issues will never work in most urban areas
of the
Northeast
United States. The Daniel model is the only one that works
in a post-Christian or humanistic environment.
XII. The
Church Penetrates and Transforms Culture Before It Emphasizes
Politics
1. One of
the biggest mistakes the Evangelical Church has made is to
only target moral issues and political elections without a
multi-
generational plan to transform culture.
2.
Culture trumps politics and ideology. While we are winning an
election we are losing our children because they are
inculcated by the
MTV world and secular humanistic college professors.
XIII. The
Church Views the Community (or City) as a Gift to the
Church,
Not Only Vice Versa
1. The
church will begin to recognize that even as individuals and
congregations have specific redemptive gifts for humanity, so
communities and cities (and nations) are also endowed by God's
common
grace with a redemptive gift to be a blessing to all its
inhabitants,
including the church.
2.
Instead of the isolationism of the twentieth century, the twenty-
first century church is going to learn how to both appreciate
and
capitalize on all the resources presently available in their
cities
for the purpose of serving, leading, and transforming all
systems to
reflect God's purposes.
3. The
twenty-first century church will love the city (community) even
as God commanded Israel to love a pagan city some 2,700
years ago in
Jeremiah
29:7.
The
Resurrection Church Model for "Church in Community"
The
following is what our local church has done in the Sunset Park
community of Brooklyn, New York. This does not include the
various
citywide initiatives we spearheaded though City Covenant
Coalition,
the apostolic network I oversee.
1.
Children of the City
My wife
founded Children of the City, a separate non-profit 501c3 that
holistically reaches out to more than 1,000 children between the
ages
of 3-16.
Among the
programs for our community are:
·
"Create Success" after school and summer school tutoring.
·
"Heal New York," a counseling ministry for children and families
after 9/11.
·
"Parenting Solutions," teaching parents skills for raising children
and various other programs.
· A
guardianship program so parents in the church can work with
parents of at-risk children in our program to have legal
guardianship
of their children until the parents are emotionally
ready to take them
back.
2. New
York Police Department
NYPD
outreach which includes adopting our local police station. We
have a prayer task force for the officers and commanding
officer; give
the officers Christian apologetic books; minister to
their personal
needs and meet regularly with all of the commanding
officers of the
local precinct regarding community issues.
· After
9/11 I served as a community crisis manager that met with the
precinct commander once a month with other key community
leaders so we
could adequately prepare for a terrorist attack in our
region.
· After
9/11 I worked with the borough chief to organize a means so
all the police officers in the precincts in the borough
of Brooklyn
would have access to counseling in New York City churches.
· Our
church building was used several times to mediate issues between
the NYPD and our local community. I also functioned as
one of the
mediators.
3. Clergy
Crisis Responder Facilitation
After
9/11 I worked with the Office of Emergency Management and the
NYPD (through
Detective David Hartman) to help recruit about 50-75
clergy to be trained and certified to have access to Ground
Zero and
any other places of crisis in our city to minister and
offer
counseling.
4.
Elected Officials and Community Leaders
I meet
regularly with and on occasion advise and minister to numerous
elected officials and community leaders.
5.
Community Board Membership
I serve
on our local Brooklyn community board along with a few other
folks either in our congregation or who relate to me in
some capacity.
While
serving on the community board I found numerous people
volunteering their time to steward their community regarding
economics, the environment, education, affordable housing and
real
estate development, zoning laws, garbage removal, highway
and roadside
development, etc. These people are more responsible and love
their
community more than those in the church who don't even bother
to show
up for town hall meetings and other important events
related to the
stewardship of the community.
6.
Education
We are
actively involved in putting together a major school for grades
K-8 for the community. This will be a huge blessing for all.
7. Sowing
Our Church into the Community
We have a
history of encouraging our congregation to help with local
elections, community boards, elected officials, and community
based
outreaches, and to help either serve or facilitate various
community
events.
Some
Cautions Regarding the "Church in Community" Model
I. The
Pastor and Sent-Out Community Leaders Must Be Theologically
Grounded
When
Christians begin to get involved in a community, they will be
exposed to all sorts of belief systems, power, money, and
political
corruption. If a person is not rooted and grounded in the Word
then
they may either get confused or compromise to accommodate.
II. The
Church Must Be Grounded in the Cultural Mandate (or Dominion
Mandate)
of Genesis 1:28
If the
church doesn't emphasize the lordship of Christ over all, then
all service in the community collapses down to humanism.
III. The
Church Must Never Stop Emphasizing Saving Grace Methodologies
of Discipleship and Soul-Winning
In spite
of the vast needs and opportunities of ministering to a
community, the church should never stop preaching the Gospel,
saving
the lost, healing the sick, and producing full-time
ecclesial
ministers.
IV. The
Church Must Understand Saving Grace/Common Grace Distinctions
1. The
church in the early 1900's fell into a social gospel in which
the preaching of the cross was gradually supplanted by
just doing good
works.
2. The
fundamentalist approach reacted to the social gospel and
eschewed common grace methodologies because their
hyper-dispensational
end-time eschatology taught that it was a waste to
"arrange the chairs
on the Titanic."
V. The Church
Must Never Surrender Leadership of Its Programs to
Unbelievers
As the
church begins to integrate itself and its programs into the
community with various partnerships, the temptation will be to
allow
those with money, power, influence, or smarts to control
their
governing boards and leadership committees. This is why many or
most
of the Christian organizations that started off
preaching the Gospel
stop doing so in the second or third generation of their
existence.
The
unsaved eventually get on the governing board and commandeer the
organization away from its Christian foundations.
VI. The
Church Congregants Must Learn the Balance between Community
and Congregational Ministry
The
tendency of pastors when they learn a new truth is to go to
extremes. In this regard, pastors must make sure they don't
only
emphasis the community to the neglect of their local church's
internal
needs.
************************************************************
(7) 21 Common Mistakes Pastors Make
Date:
Sun, Nov 11 2007 10:44 pm
From:
Apostles Roundtable
21 Common
Mistakes Pastors Make
by Joseph G. Mattera
www.josephgmattera.com
----------------
As a
pastor for over 23 years, I have learned much through the School
of Hard Knocks. My goal with this article is to identify
some of the
most common mistakes made by pastors and leaders so others
would not
replicate them.
21 Common
Mistakes Pastors Make:
I. They
try to disciple their congregation solely from their pulpit
messages
1. I
learned a long time ago that often no more than half the
congregation is paying attention and attempting to retain all that
you
teach.
2. One of
the ways I compensate for this is to make sure everyone
writes notes while I teach; only 10% of what is preached is
remembered
the next day by those in the congregation who don't take
notes.
3.
Approximately one-third of the congregation is missing on any given
Sunday. Thus, discipleship is greatly limited. One way to
compensate
is for the pastor to regularly teach a series of
messages that build
upon one another with a quick review of the previous
lesson, thus
allowing those who missed the previous week to stay in the
flow and be
taught.
4. As
important as congregational preaching is, the most effective way
to disciple and train believers is by teaching them in
small groups
and in informal mentoring as Paul instructed Timothy in 2
Timothy 2:2.
(Every
Monday night I have a small group of about 10-12 men that I
pray with, teach, and share my heart with. Also, I often
take a few
people with me when I travel and minister so we can spend
time
together, which gives them time to learn my ways, not just
hear me
preach on Sunday.
II. They
think vision trumps the culture of the church
1.
Leaders think that presenting a mission statement to the
congregation is enough to create momentum and move the church
towards
its goals.
2. Before
a new vision can be implemented the culture of the church
has to change. For example, if a church is going to adopt
a cell
church strategy, their old program based culture (mindsets,
habits,
ways) will first have to be changed through one-on-one
meetings with
key people, months of prayer, strategy, implementation,
and most
importantly, having all the key leaders and members of the church
or
organization successfully implementing cell groups as their main
focus
(in regards to winning souls, training leaders, and
actualizing the
mission) before they attempt to get the rest of the
congregation to
walk in it.
III. They
invest most of their time nurturing people instead of
developing leaders
The main
difference between pastors and apostolic leaders is that
pastors spend all their time visiting and nurturing all the
sheep
while apostolic leaders focus 80% of their time with the
20% of the
congregation who will produce 80% of the ministry.
IV. They
place people in ministry based on gifting instead of
integrity and character
1. The
foundation of our life is our character, not our gifting. Thus,
if we place people in a ministry function before the
foundation of
their character is deep enough, we are posturing our church
to be a
personality and gift-driven entity that doesn't have what it
takes to
enjoy its current rate of success beyond 3-5 years.
2. The
general rule of thumb is that a person will be able to walk in
their purpose when their gifting and anointing to minister
is
commensurate with integrity and godliness.
V. They
fail to communicate adequately with their spouse and key
leaders before making big decisions
This sets
the senior leader up for marital problems and/or disconnect
or division among the key leadership of the
organization. I have seen
this happen more than once through the years; I have made
important
announcements and as I was making them I viewed the astonished look
on
my wife's face! The point is this: Even if you have a
great idea, the
pastor should always give their spouse and leadership time
to "buy in"
to all major decisions before they are announced.
VI. They
spend more time in administration than in study and prayer
1. Most
pastors I know are functioning as glorified deacons who focus
more on marketing and administration than before God in
the secret
place.
2. God
has called for pastors to be "kings and priests," not just
serve as kings! The priestly function allows the kingly
function to
hit the mark in regards to decisions and impact.
3. Acts
6:2-4 clearly teaches that the senior leader's primary
function is prayer and the ministry of the Word. Those who
focus on
this, as well as developing leaders and delegating
administration to
their disciples, will flourish most in regards to their
primary
purpose.
VII. They
fail to put up boundaries to protect their family life
1. Many
pastors' wives blame the ministry for 80% of their marital
problems. I know of many pastors who allow congregants to call
their
homes, interrupt family time or dinner time, allowing
visits at all
hours of the night, thinking this is what God expects of
them. This is
probably the single biggest reason why children of preachers
hate the
ministry and would never even think of imitating their
parent's faith
and works.
2. This
is one reason why I counsel pastors to have an office OUTSIDE
of their home--to keep set office hours and separate
church work from
their family time in regards to affection and focus.
3.
Without setting proper boundaries, the pastor will inevitably
sacrifice their family on the altar of ministry, alienating
both
spouse and children.
VIII.
They feel threatened by other gifted and strong leaders instead
of harnessing them
1.
Insecure leaders limit the ministry capacity of strong emerging
leaders instead of harnessing and releasing them to their
destiny.
2. Having a large church does not necessarily mean a church is
successfully developing and releasing emerging leaders to their
destiny.
3.
Insecure pastors and leaders will always have cycles of divisions
in their churches because they frustrate those with
mantles of
leadership on their lives by not making room for their gifts.
The
results of unfairly capping potential leaders is either
splitting
congregations or organizations, starting a new church or entity
prematurely, or having these leaders attending other churches
looking
for greener pastures. Churches with a history of church
splits and
divisions may have an insecure senior pastor who needs to
become
emotionally whole before the church can release mature sons and
daughters into the harvest field.
IX. They
try to have success without a successor
1. Some
pastors I know are well into their 60's and still don't know
who their successor will be!
2. I am currently
48 years old and already have a number of options in
regards to potential successors.
3. Often,
the spouse of the pastor takes over after the senior leader
passes away, thus thrusting a person who is likely uncalled
and
unqualified into an executive leadership position. Other leaders
just
put one of their children in as the new leader even
though there is
clear consensus among the primary leaders that this person
is not yet
ready or even called.
4. The
moment we step into any ministry we should begin to work
ourselves out of a job by training others to do the work of the
ministry (Ephesians 4:11-12). One rule of thumb for senior
leaders is
to delegate everything others can do almost as good as
them, while
only focusing on things no one else is qualified to do.
X. They
fail to understand the three components of vision: hindsight,
insight, and foresight
1. A
leader cannot successfully take their organization into the
future if they don't learn from the past and accurately
interpret the
present.
XI. They
fail to affirm those working for and with them
1. 90% of
all the feedback human beings receive regarding themselves
is negative.
2. This
issue is so important even Jesus didn't go forth to minister
until He received affirmation from His Father (Luke 3:22).
3. Senior
leaders should regularly affirm those who faithfully serve
in their organization. Affirmation releases people to
their destiny
like nothing else!
4. Often
times, pastors replace fatherly affirmation and affection
with the laying on of hands. But the laying on of hands is
only
supposed to be the culminating seal of a long-term process of
nurture,
love, and relationship building that is the foundation of
properly
releasing ministers and workers to their destiny.
XII. They
never adequately develop accountable peer
relationships
among other ministers
1. Every
leader needs three levels of relationships:
i. Spiritual children
ii.
Brothers and sisters (peer relationships)
iii.
Spiritual parents (every pastor needs a pastor)
2. Not having
accountable level two and three relationships leaves a
leader vulnerable to their own sinful tendencies which can
shipwreck
everything they have ever worked for!
3. A
pastor who doesn't have an overseeing pastor or bishop is already
in error!
XIII.
They fail to bring their children along as part of their
ministry team
Merely
placing our children in Sunday school one hour per week is not
as good as having them as part of your ministry. Have
them come along
with you on mission trips, hospital visitations, prayer
meetings, and
releasing them to minister with you in the church--children's
choir,
evangelistic teams, getting them involved in skits and other
evangelistic activities allows your children to have ownership of
the
ministry instead of making them feel like they are merely
being
dragged along against their will. Then as soon as they are
old enough
(when they have a choice) they will leave both the church and
the
ministry!
XIV. They
attempt to develop faithful members instead of sons and
daughters
1. The
greatest title I have by far in our church is the title "dad."
2. A
church or ministry will only be effective to the extent it has
developed the army of God out of the family of God! Having a
lot of
laborers without a spirit of sonship
results in merely having a house
of slaves or servants.
3. Sons
will always be more loyal than servants because sons are
assured of their father's love, their placement and role in
the house,
and their share of the inheritance.
XV. They
go by the latest Christian contemporary fads instead of
building on proven biblical principles
1. I have
some minister friends who change the vision of their church
every few years based on the latest renewal movements or
strategies
featured on the covers of Christian magazines.
2.
Although we can learn much from what God is doing with other
churches in other parts of the world, we need to know our core
values
and purpose, and build everything else around this. When
a church
changes its vision too often then the senior leader loses
credibility
and the congregation senses instability.
XVI. They
fail to be transparent with their inner circle and
congregation
Senior
leaders who share with their inner circle their internal and
personal struggles pave the way for more transparency and
trust among
their core leadership. To a certain extent, even sharing
personal
challenges from the pulpit can actually encourage folks in the
congregation because they feel more of a sense of trust and
connection
with the leader; they also feel encouraged knowing that
they are not
the only ones struggling in their Christian life and
faith.
XVII.
They fail to enforce the principles of Matthew 18:15-18
1. In our
church we have made walking in the light a staple and core
value.
2. I have
found that communication between leadership eradicates 98%
of all potential problems and cuts off Satan's game of
deception and
accusation.
3. For
years, I made it a requirement for those serving with me in
leadership to receive Communion together and promise to walk in
the
principles of Matthew 18:15-18. Those failing to make this vow
were
asked to step down until they were willing to comply. I
refuse to work
with people who can't promise that they will come directly
to me or my
wife or with another team member in cases of offense. The
reason for
this is because experience tells me that offense is
inevitable among
those who work the closest together. Those not walking in
the light
are a train wreck waiting to happen!
XVIII.
They fail to get their congregation to have ownership of the
vision and develop proprietors instead of employees
1.
Employees check in at 9 a.m. and clock out at 5 p.m., even if there
is an emergency and more work is needed. In contrast, a
proprietor
clocks in early and leaves only when the work is done; even
if it is 5
p.m., if
a pipe breaks in the basement of their business, they will
stay until midnight to make sure it is fixed, long after
employees
have left for the day.
2. All
effective organizations successfully transfer ownership of the
vision to their adherents.
XIX. They
preach individual blessing and destiny instead of the
biblical model of corporate blessing
1. The
typical preaching in America is about individual destiny
instead of corporate purpose. This is so in spite of the fact
that 95%
of the Bible was written to either the nation of Israel
or the body of
Christ.
2. A
person can't "write their own ticket" with God if they are not
flowing with the corporate destiny of their local church. Our
historical faith teaches us that it is never just us and God, or
just
an individual and their Bible. Second Peter 1:20 teaches
that
Scripture
is never about one's own private interpretation. For
example, our fingers need a hand which needs and arm which is
connected to a shoulder, etc. in order to function properly!
3. All
biblical prophecies are corporate; there is no such thing as
individual prophecies because all biblical examples were either
to the
nation of Israel, to the church, or were for an individual
regarding
their ministry to Israel or the body of Christ.
XX. They
build one-generational instead of multi-generational works
1. God
revealed Himself to Moses as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob,
and has called us to think strategically for at least three
generations in everything that we do.
2. Most
leaders act as though God is just the God of Abraham since
they plan concentrically around only their present
lifetime. I tell
leaders all the time that if they reach their highest purpose
and
potential while they are alive, they have failed miserably
because
Scripture
teaches that those who follow our footsteps should do
greater works than us (John 14:12; Psalm 78:1-4).
XXI. They
glibly say "God spoke to them" and lose credibility when it
doesn't happen
1. I tell
our leaders never to say "Thus saith the
Lord" when they
either attempt to prophesy or speak out what they feel God
has spoken
regarding their church or organization.
2. If you
say the "the Lord said" then you already preclude judging
the word because who can judge God? We should always say
"I believe
the Lord is saying" because everyone's faith and
prophecy is always
subjective and should be scrutinized by the counsel of core
leadership. I have seen many pastors and leaders glibly say the
Lord
has spoken to them and then not long afterwards the Lord
told them
something else (after the word didn't come to pass!). I have
especially seen this when a leader says that God promised them a
building for the church, etc. When a leader speaks out like
this, they
begin to lose credibility with their congregation; then the
next time
they speak no one will listen!
TOPIC: 21
Common Mistakes Pastors Make
http://groups.google.com/group/apostlesroundtable/browse_thread/thread/bd
014467d7178c21?hl=en
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