PRAY CENTRAL
FLORIDA
Dear
Fellow Prayer Warrior, January, 2008
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ. It was 5:30 in the afternoon on Monday December 31st
and I was going to check out “TheCall” being broadcast
over the internet on www.god.tv. I was
planning to check it out for a few minutes while I got ready to go running and
then watch some more while I ate dinner. I had rented a DVD to watch after
dinner and then I was going to get back to “TheCall”.
The next thing I knew it was 8:30 and the presence of the Lord lifted enough
for me to call my oldest son on the phone and tell him to start watching it. It
is now 11:30 … no running, no dinner, no DVD, but I have been renewed and
re-focused. I have also prayed more than I have in far too long a time. I am
telling you this long story because “TheCall” is
coming to Kissimmee on February 2nd and I want you to understand
that this is not some conference but a truly unique and powerful time of
worship and prayer. I encourage you to watch some of the past Calls in the
Video on Demand section of God TV. Catch the vision for it, register for
Kissimmee (for free) and invite others. Please see below for more information.
If you have been blessed by Steve Hawthorn’s insightful
and motivating daily prayer guide for “Seek God For The
City” in past years you will be pleased to know that he has another one out
this year. Seek God For The City 2008 is February 6th – March 16th
and the prayer guide can be ordered from their web site - www.waymakers.org.
Primary Elections January 29th
There
are major differences between candidates in both parties and Florida is early
enough to be an influential state. Shouldn’t we who pray for transformation and
Godliness in our government also vote for it? Let’s pray for (and ourselves be)
informed and committed voters, weighing the candidates according to biblical
values and principles.
“TheCall” with Lou Engle comes
to Central Florida
“TheCall”
is coming to the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee on February 2nd from 10 a.m.
to 10 p.m. The following is from their web site - www.thecall.com. “TheCall
is not an event. TheCall is a movement emphasizing
prayer, worship and fasting for Spiritual breakthrough. It is a nameless and
faceless movement joining the generations. Therefore, it will not be marketed
as a convention of celebrities. The primary participants are young people. The
musicians on stage are to be worshippers, not entertainers. The board of
directors will not receive financial compensation, speakers and leaders come at
their own expense. People should prayerfully consider fasting on the day that TheCall gathering is in their city, region or nation; no
food will be provided. TheCall is a grassroots
movement. It is a cross-cultural and cross-denominational gathering. TheCall espouses these definitive values: worship, unity,
prayer, fasting, follow-up, transformation, repentance, reconciliation,
impartation, equipping, revival and a holy revolution.”
While
there are many young people at TheCall it is truly a
multi-generational event. The fact that you are going to spend 12 hours sitting
and standing in a tiny space on a crowded field with no food tends to weed out
most of the older generations but if you love being in God’s presence that will
more than make up for the physical discomfort. There is also a “School of
Intercession” the two days prior to TheCall, see
their web site for details - www.thecall.com.
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 – Praying for Central Florida and encouraging the Church in
Central Florida to pray
PRAY CENTRAL
FLORIDA
Page 2 January,
2008
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. For info call 407-423-3441 x1451. www.fpco.org/HIVAIDS.
January 31 – February 1 – “TheCall” School of Intercession - conference
to help prepare our hearts before the Lord for TheCall
Florida. Kissimmee. For info see their web site www.thecall.com.
February 2nd – 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. - “TheCall” with
Lou Engle comes to Central Florida at the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee. www.thecall.com.
February 6th -10th - Pentecost Walk comes to Florida. http://pentecostwalk.org.
February 6th – March 16th – Seek God For The
City 2008 – Daily prayer guide. www.waymakers.org.
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.
Saturday mornings – Aftercare Network Meeting. Networking ex-inmates
and Aftercare Providers. Call Chaplain Fleeks
at 407-529-7500.
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.
And
here is the extra stuff you don’t get with the snail mail version...
=================================
(1) 21 Days of Fasting for TheCall
January 13 - February 2
(2) CHRISTIAN CHAMBER: Pres. Primary Hob Nob & Networking 1.17.08
(3) 1-17 conf
call: Reconciliation and Transformation in Cityreaching
(4) Casa de Davi worship conference January 18th and 19th
(5) [HopeChest] Christian Classics Ethereal Library online
(6) Nebraska Pastor Prays, God Answers
(7) Exercising Authority – Alice Smith
(8) NPPN - The Pastor As
Coach
(9) American-Israeli Relations
*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) 21 Days of Fasting for TheCall
January 13 - February 2
From: WHOP Missions Base
<newsletter@worshiphouseofprayer.com>
To: praycf@juno.com
Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 11:45:33 -0500
(EST)
Subject: January Events &
Training
A
PreCall fast has been called by Lou Engle for January
2 - February 2. Lou is asking Floridians to continue fasting until
Presidents' Day on February 18 with the focus of praying for the
president. WHOP is joining in from January 13 - February with a 21 Day
Fast. See details below.
21 Days of Fasting for TheCall
January 13 - February 2
The Worship House of Prayer is calling a fast from January
13 - February 2, 2008 to focus on Florida and TheCall.
Special Call watches are scheduled at the following times:
Sunday........Jan 13, 20, & 27 -
6-AM
plus 10 minutes in the
morning service will be set aside to pray as well
Monday........Jan 14, 21, & 28 - 10-12 noon & 6-PM
Wednesday..Jan 16, 23, 30 - 6-AM, 10-12noon, & 6-PM
Friday..........Jan 18 & 25 - 10-12
noon, 6-PM, 10-12 midnight
Saturday......Jan 19 & 26 - 8-PM
Location: WHOP Prayer Room 122 W Mckey
St Ocoee, FL 34761
Do you need training about how to fast and pray? Kim Johnson, watch leader and
prayer apprenticeship teacher, has a "Fasting and Prayer eNewsletter" available daily via email to encourage
you during your fast from now until February 2nd. Each newsletter
includes a prayer focus, tips of Daniel fasting, recipes, relevant prophetic
words and teachings.
E-mail kim.johnson101[at]verizon[dot]net with "fast and pray" in the subject line to sign
up today.
[Editors note: replace “[at]” with “@” and “[dot]” with “.”]
**********************************************************
(2) CHRISTIAN CHAMBER: Pres. Primary Hob Nob & Networking 1.17.08
From: Central Florida Christian Chamber of Commerce <christianchambr@aol.com>
To: praycf@juno.com
Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 11:31:01 -0500 (EST)
Subject: RSVP CHRISTIAN CHAMBER: Pres. Primary Hob Nob & Networking 1.17.08
Central Florida Christian Chamber of Commerce
Serving Orange, Seminole, and Osceola Counties
THURSDAY, JANUARY 17,
2008
11:30AM - 1:30PM
Sheraton Orlando Downtown
60 S. Ivanhoe Blvd., Orlando
Right off I-4 and the Ivanhoe Blvd. exit.
(Formerly the Radisson)
$20 members & first-timers
$30 nonmembers
$5 parking in
hotel parking garage
Pay at the door
RSVP requested to 407-290-1943
or RSVP via this
email
Ranked in the
2007 Edition of the Orlando Business Journal's
"Book of Lists"
as one of the top 25
chambers in Central Florida!
Florida Presidential Primary Hob Nob
& Networking Luncheon!
Greetings!
You are
cordially invited to attend a chamber networking luncheon for the purposes
of networking within the Christian community, professional development, and
civic activism.
AVERAGE IN
ATTENDANCE IS 100+
Nonmembers
and "first-timers" are always welcome!
Because We
Care About Our Community,
Lori C. Slough
Cofounder
& Executive Director
SPECIAL
GUEST:
Mr. Webster
Barnaby
National
Write Your Congressman
* All
candidates running for elected office serving Orange, Seminole, and Osceola
counties districts are invited to appear, including incumbents.
* All
candidates, or elected officials in attendance will be
given 2-3 minutes each to address chamber constituents.
Make sure to bring plenty of
business cards for networking.
Feel free to forward this invitation to
friends and associates.
For MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION,
please contact our office, or visit us on the web at www.cfchristianchamber.com
************************************************************
(3) 1-17 conf
call: Reconciliation and Transformation in Cityreaching
From: "Carolyn O'Brien"
Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 12:04:21 -0600
Subject: 1-17 conf call: Reconciliation and Transformation in Cityreaching
Many believe that without reconciliation
and forgiveness there will be no sustained city/community transformation! Join
us for our monthly City Reaching Conference Call on Thursday, January 17 when
we will interview Michael Lienau, who has produced a very provocative film
"Yokes and Chains...a journey to forgiveness and freedom". With
just a few weeks before the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, this discussion with Michael Lienau should be a challenging and engaging national
conversation on how and why reconciliation and forgiveness is one of the keys
to city/community transformation.
To participate
on this one-hour call beginning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time
(10 Central, 9 Mountain, 8 Pacific, etc.) reply to this email requesting the
dial-in number.
For more
information on this topic, check these websites.
Www.yokesandchains.com
Www.globalnetproductions.com
Www.everyoneprepared.org
Carolyn O’Brien for Mission America
City/Community Ministries
www.cityreaching.com
************************************************************
(4) Casa de Davi worship conference January 18th and 19th
To: praycf@juno.com
Date: 29 Dec 2007 11:04:10 -0600
Subject: Casa de Davi
One More Drink Worship Conference
Preferred Seating is half full!!! Hurry and
register to save your preferred seating!
We are currently pre registering for the One More Drink Worship Conference with Casa de Davi. This free, love-offering event, will take place on January 18th (7:00 p.m.) and 19th (6:00 p.m.) at the Lyman High School Auditorium (Orlando, FL) when we share in a one of a kind anointed worship. For more information, please go to www.thebridgeorlando.com where you can pre-register. The doors will open one hour before the conference starts. Children are welcome but are the responsibility of the parent. Please also pre-register any child that will be utilizing a seat. There will be no childcare provided.
We have preferred seating space available to approximately the first 300 registered attendees and we are half way there! Don’t miss your chance to have preferred seating space available for you and your family, pre-register today at www.thebridgeorlando.com . Invite your family and friends. This is like no other worship conference that you’ve attended! Davi will be sharing his personal testimony about being healed of Down’s Syndrome. Mike and Davi will be leading us in worship. Come and join us! Click here to see a video invite from Mike and Davi http://www.kingdomlinking.com/?c=users_video&s=more&id=685
Questions? Call 1-407-804-1190
*********************************************************
(5) [HopeChest] Christian Classics Ethereal Library online
From: "Virginia Knowles at Hope Chest"
Date: Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:14:54 -0500
Subject: [HopeChest] Christian Classics Ethereal Library online
Dear Hope Chest friends,
I wanted to let you know that you can access a vast collection of classic Christian books online at the Christian Classic Ethereal Library operated by Calvin College. You can read online or, in some cases, download PDF books, Palm e-books, or MP3 audio files. Short author profiles are also provided. Some of the authors include Andrew Murray, Charles Spurgeon, Hudson Taylor, Thomas a Kempis, William Law, Josephus, St. Augustine, Brother Lawrence, Madame Jeanne Guyon, John Wesley, George Whitefield, R.A. Torrey, Leo Tolstoy, J.C. Ryle, Blaise Pascal, John Owen, Charles Finney, Francois Fenelon, Henry Drummond, Daniel Defoe, John Calvin, G.K. Chesterton, Fyodor Dostoevski, E.M. Bounds, John Bunyan, and Abraham Kuyper. This is such a treasury of resources for your devotional life, as well as for literary, theological and historical studies.
Check it out at www.ccel.org
Blessings,
Virginia Knowles
*********************************************************************
(6) Nebraska Pastor Prays, God Answers
[Thanks Joy!]
"At 1:30 the Lord had me call my
wife again, and say ‘Honey, I am troubled for you and Ben, and am praying for
you both…'"
EDITOR'S NOTE:We at Breaking Christian News, join with
many people around the world, praying for comfort for those who lost friends
and family members in the Omaha mall shooting this week, and healing for those
who were wounded. We also pray for the family of this troubled 19-year-old,
whose anguish claimed eight lives, as well as his own. In the midst of this
tragedy, however, there are undoubtedly stories of survival and heroism—one of
those has been made known to us, and we have decided to share that with our
readers, to the glory of God. –Aimee Herd, BCN.
Aimee Herd (December 7, 2007)
(Omaha, Nebraska)—This week, Joe Smith,
a resident and pastor, living in Omaha, Nebraska, learned firsthand, the value
of listening to the promptings of God's Holy Spirit. (Photo: AP)
Because of his prayers for the protection
of his wife and son—which he felt specifically led to pray over them on two
separate occasions, just a little while before the mall shooting this
week—Joe's loved ones narrowly avoided being part of the tragedy, when
19-year-old Robert Hawkins opened fire, in the crowded Omaha mall.
Below is Joe's account, in his own
words, of what happened on Wednesday, just minutes before unsuspecting holiday
shoppers were gunned-down….
"[Wednesday], my wife called me at
12:00 [noon], and said, ‘Let's meet for lunch at the Westroads Mall.' [I thought], ‘Great, I love that teriyaki
chicken from Sarku restaurant.' The 3 of us met, my
wife Gayle, my son Benjamin, and I.
"We finished lunch at around 12:45
or so, and I had to get back to work. Before I left the mall, I pulled my wife
and son to me and said, ‘I am led to pray for you both before I leave.' We
prayed, (I pleaded the blood of Jesus over them) and I left.
"At 1:30 the Lord had me call my
wife again, and say, ‘Honey, I am troubled for you and Ben, and am praying for
you both, but I am deeply troubled in my spirit for you both….' She was going
[to go] into Von Maur, to the girls department (on
the 3rd floor of Von Maur, where just minutes later
there would be a massacre), to shop for our 10 year old daughter, [but] she
decided to leave the mall.
"At 1:35 or so, she and Benjamin
walked out the door (from the Von Maur side of the
mall), and got in the car and left. At 1:42 the shooting started!
"My God is SO FAITHFUL!
"All last night, the Lord kept
speaking to me and reminding me of Matthew 4:4 (Man does NOT live by bread
alone, but by EVERY word out of the mouth of God)..
"He showed me how when we hear His
voice, we LIVE!.. We are deeply saddened by this event
and for the victims' families and all, but I praise the Lord that I still have
a wife and son!"
After having a day to think about the
trauma she narrowly missed, Gayle, Joe's wife, put down her thoughts on the
couple's ministry website. Here are a couple excerpts….
"At about 1:30, Joe called my cell
and asked what we were doing, I said, 'Still shopping,' and he said 'Gayle, I
am really praying for you guys, I'm not sure what is up, or if it maybe has to
do with the President being in town, but God has me really praying for you
guys.' I said, 'Great, keep it up,' not sensing any danger, any urgency, just
totally enjoying my time with Ben and the joy of the season. At 1:35, I left
the Younkers store heading into the mall, and glanced at my watch thinking I
had time to still hit Von Maur's girl section.
"It was at that moment that the
thought came to me that 'you do not have time to do that, you need to go to the
bank and get Jaymie from school.' I turned to Ben and
said, 'We have got to go, we will have to do Von Maur another day, we are just out of time.' We walked
straight to the exit through the food court and stopped by the doors. I knelt
down and struggled with Ben's gloves and hat and all, he could not seem to get
his fingers into his gloves properly and I felt stressed that we weren't out
the doors yet. So I told him to leave them on and I would straighten them in
the car. We loaded up and pulled out, driving directly by the Von Maur store, at what must have been about 1:42, which is
exactly when the shooting started…"
To read Gayle's full, inspiring account,
follow the link provided.
The more you get to know the Lord, and
get into His Word (the Bible), the greater becomes your perception of His voice
(usually not an audible voice, though sometimes it is), in your heart and mind.
As we hear the promptings of the Holy
Spirit, to pray for those around us, or specific situations, let's not dismiss
it, but let's begin to heed what God might be saying to us. You never know when
it could directly affect those you hold dear, or even some you may never
meet—this side of Heaven!
Source: Pastor Joe and Gayle Smith-Prophetic Ministries.com
************************************************************
(7) Exercising Authority – Alice Smith
Insight from Eddie and Alice
For
our wonderful PrayerNet Newsletter family.
Have a blessed week!
Exercising Authority
By Alice Smith
First thing let me mention--today is my birthday. Yeah, getting older isn't
always so much fun, but it's better than the other option!! I am 57 years old
today.
I have always been a warrior. When I was a teenager, my friends nicknamed me Bulldog. Just as a bulldog will grab and hold the pants leg of its victim, I will take a prayer issue and hang on to it until I see something happen. However, untrained and undisciplined warriors can be a danger to themselves and to others--as I was during my earlier years.
In the 1980s, I began to research the history of the city in which we live. It
soon became clear to me the nature of the spiritual darkness we were facing. My
heart burned in prayer for Houston, America's fourth largest city. With the
tenacity of a bulldog I sought the Lord, intent on finding out what territorial
spirits held our city in their grip. Daily I begged the Lord for insight.
One winter morning during prayer, I felt the Lord speak to me about my city's
spiritual condition. I sensed that He was telling me the names of the demonic
princes that are the "puppet masters" assigned to carry out Satan's
bidding. They rule in the affairs of men through wicked and deceived leaders.
Arrogantly (although I didn't realize it at the time), I began to bark at the
principalities that hindered our city. From my prayer closet I zealously
attacked them in fervent warfare.
"In
the name of Jesus, you spirit of _______, I command you to get out of Houston.
We don't want you here. I stand against your every scheme to steal, kill and
destroy."
After several weeks of ranting and raving against these workers of darkness,
their counterattack came against me like a nuclear blast. I came within 10
hours of dying from peritonitis of the spleen and liver. That's not all. Eddie
and I had six major surgeries in 14 months, and three of them weren't covered
by insurance. Our savings were depleted and we were on the brink of losing our
home. With a growing family, a new baby, and a young church that had just lost
its first pastor, I was in a terrible place. To the demons' delight, the church
was struggling, our family was struggling, and I was struggling.
"And it came to pass," found 446 times in the Bible, is one of my
favorite portions of Scripture! Thankfully, painful times do pass, and
eventually the dust settled around us. I had believed that all of this
persecution from the powers of darkness had come because I was such a godly
person. Boy, was I wrong!
One morning, I was praying about all that we had experienced. The Lord spoke so
clearly to my heart that I can almost hear the echo of His voice to this day.
He said to me, "Alice, I told you the names of the spirits over Houston,
but you never asked Me what you were to do with the
revelation." I could hardly believe it! Now I know--diagnosis doesn't necessarily mean assignment!
Knowing what is wrong, and being told to correct it, are two completely
different issues.
Has Christ given us authority to deal with the enemy? Absolutely, He has! But
the authority given to us is ambassadorial, not carte blanche. We are not
called to be spiritual Rambos--an army of one. We are
called to be disciplined warriors who explicitly follow the orders of our
Commander-in-Chief and the Lord of Hosts--the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord's
timing and assignment to the battle are critical. To engage the enemy without
His direction is presumptuous at best. With the best of intentions, but with
arrogance and pride, I found myself fighting for my life in a battle I had
picked on my own. I repented to the Lord and then to Eddie. It was a costly
lesson but one I will never forget.
My preacher husband often says, "We have two teachers in life: mentors and
mistakes. We choose whether we will learn from our mistakes or from our
mentors." I trust I am your mentor today. Please take this issue to heart
and learn from this bulldog!
------------------------------------
By "prayer coach", Alice Smith. Learn more about personal
freedom by purchasing her book, Delivering
the Captives by clicking in the title above, or visit:
[http://www.prayerbookstore.com/] www.PrayerBookstore.com
*************************************************************
(8) NPPN - The Pastor As
Coach
Inner~Vew #35: The Pastor As Coach
NPPN interviewed Bill Zipp, Professional Coach
===>Click headline to access website. . .
.
NPPN ~ Bill, you served as a pastor for 18 years
before becoming a professional coach. Why has coaching become so popular in
recent business literature?
Bill Zipp ~ I think because it produces permanent
change. Both the business world and the church world have become frustrated
with endless seminars and sermons that get people all fired up but leave them
no different a mere few weeks later. Coaching, because of its intensity and its
focus on getting things done, actually works.
NPPN ~ How is the role and responsibilities of pastoring a congregation similar to those of a coach?
Bill ~ A pastor is called, according to Ephesians
4:11, 12, to be an equipper of leaders. This is not a calling to be the one
doing the work of ministry, but to be the one motivating and mobilizing others
to do the work of ministry. That is exactly what a coach does. In fact,
best-selling author Bill Hull suggested 20 years ago before the current
coaching boom in The Disciple-Making Pastor that for our modern-day culture the
word coach is a better word for what a pastor does than the more agrarian image
of a shepherd.
NPPN ~ What are 4 or 5 key coaching principles that
have direct application to pastoring?
Bill ~ Here they are, in this order: Asking Questions,
Active Listening, Action Planning, Providing Accountability, and Giving
Affirmation. In short, coaching is NOT giving people a weekly pep talk! It is
interacting with them as Christ did with his disciples with great, open-ended
questions that get people to think on their own and solve their own problems.
The coaching process helps people land on specific steps of action they fully
own and follow through to completion. As they do, coaching holds them
accountable for achieving those actions and provides generous amounts of
positive praise along the way.If we believe, truly
believe, in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and if we believe, truly
believe, in the priesthood of every believer, then we will honor those beliefs
as we facilitate people to grow, not force them to grow. At the end of the day,
I believe this approach results in permanent change.
NPPN ~ Agree or disagree: Pastors should not only
employ coaching in their leadership style but they should also train church
leaders in coaching techniques.
Bill ~ Agree, if what you mean by "train" is
model. What we do not need is another evangelical flavor of the month to pass
through our pews. I think a pastor should start learning coaching skills and
use them so others observe them in real time. Coaching is better "caught
then taught." A good place to start is a book by Tony Stoltzfus
called Leadership Coaching. Tony works exclusively with pastors and Christian
leaders and his book is a thoroughly evangelical treatment of the discipline of
coaching. I have also written a book called The Business Coaching Toolkit.
Please don't be put off by the word "business," I have had many
ministry leaders use the content of this book to help them better lead others.
NPPN ~ What do you see as they major obstacles most
pastors face when it comes to integrating coaching principles into their
ministry.
Bill ~ Most pastors have only been trained in
one-directional, declarative means of communication. That is, most pastors are
only comfortable communicating truth through preaching and teaching. These are
very important tasks, but a pastor must be more than a talking head if the
church is going to be vibrant and strong. Especially in the training of
leaders, more interactive, two-way communication is needed, and few pastors
know how to do this. Fortunately, it is teachable, especially for those who are
serious about becoming equipping, disciple-making pastors.
NPPN ~ So ... if you were pastoring today, share with
us 3 or 4 practical ideas of how you would implement a coaching approach to
congregational pastoring..
Bill ~ The first thing that comes to mind is
leadership development. The main thesis of Bill Hull's book, The
Disciple-Making Pastor, is that a pastor should spend more time with the strong
than with the weak so that the strong (not just the pastor) can minister to the
weak. Doing this means making leadership development one of a pastor's highest
priorities. Leaders are best developed in a collaborative, coaching context,
like Jesus did. Remember the words of Mark 3:14? "He appointed
twelve—designating them apostles—that they might be with him and that he might
send them out to preach." In other words "being with" Jesus is
what empowered these men to preach, not being in a classroom. A second idea
involves learning how to teach the Word in more of an interactive style. This
did not come easy to me at first, again, because all I knew as a pastor was
one-directional, declarative methodology. But as I learned how to teach in
small group settings, creating meaningful discussion and dialogue, I
consistently heard comments like, "We enjoy your preaching, but we really
like it when you have workshops where we're able to interact with you. We learn
so much more!" This is perfect for a Sunday evening service, a mid-week
service, a Saturday morning workshop, or a seminar series. Finally, I think
every pastor needs to seriously think about being coached themselves. Sadly,
most ministry education ends when seminary ends and pastors are on their own for
the rest of their life. This is not a good thing! I believe the lack of
lifetime learning opportunities has contributed to
much of our recent pastoral fallout. A good coach will help a pastor grow
"as iron sharpens iron" and can restore vigor and vitality to
ministry, not to mention integrity. I have been fortunate over the years, among
the many executives and business owners I have coached, to always have a pastor
or two working with me as well.
NPPN ~ Can you explain how a pastor would approach prayer differently from the
coaching model?
Bill ~ Sermons on prayer are notorious for making people feel guilty for not
praying more, but never actually getting people to pray more. Like humility,
when can you ever be humble ENOUGH? So too the average person in the pew,
convinced they can never pray ENOUGH, give up praying entirely. Jesus just
prayed. When his disciples had watched him pray, and saw the amazing results
that happened when he did pray, they finally asked, "Teach us to
pray." Here's a classic coaching moment, modeling something to such a
degree that a person actually asks you to teach them how to do it. That's what
we must do with prayer!
NPPN ~ Bill, please write a prayer for pastors who need to incorporate coaching
into their life and minstry.
Bill ~ Lord, teach us how to lead with our ears and
not just with our mouths. Teach us how to mobilize your church from being
consumers of spiritual products and services to being active participants in
your kingdom. Keep us from replacing the powerful, inner work of your Holy
Spirit to change lives with mere human charisma and teach us how to facilitate
real, permanent life change. Teach us, dear Lord, how to make disciples as your
Son did while he was on this earth and may we, too,
turn the world upside down!
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(9) American-Israeli Relations
Sent: 11/24/2007 12:39:28 P.M. Eastern Standard Time
Subj: [MessianicTorah]
American-Israeli Relations
American-Israeli Relations
By R. Baruch Meir Clein
I
recently came across some information regarding American-Israeli relations that
I thought was worth sharing. I am not exactly sure what it all means, but I
have learned enough in my life to know that there is no such thing as
coincidences.
The following is just a sampling…with the real kicker at the end.
October 30, 1991:
President Bush (1st one) opened the Madrid Conference, the intended purpose of
which was to strip Israel of its land in exchange for "peace" with
the Palestinian Arabs.
ON THAT VERY DAY, an extremely rare storm formed on the coast of Nova Scotia, a
storm later named "The Perfect Storm" (which the book and movie were
about), and record-setting waves pounded the New England coast – causing heavy
damage to the President's home in Kennebunkport, Maine.
August 23, 1992:
The Madrid Conference moved to Washington, D.C. with the same agenda of
attempting to wrest land from a sovereign country. That, of course, would
create a state of homelessness for thousands of Jews.
ON THAT VERY DAY, Hurricane Andrews produced an estimated $30 billion in
damage, leaving 180,000 Floridians homeless. It was the worst natural disaster
to ever hit America – at least up to that time.
January 16, 1994:
President Clinton meets with the Syrian President in order to develop a
strategy that would force Israel to give up the Golan Heights.
LESS THAN 24 HOURS LATER, a powerful 6.9 earthquake rocks
southern California, leaving countless Americans homeless.
March 1, 1997:
Arafat begins a one-month tour of America and President Clinton publicly
rebukes Israel for not surrendering land for peace.
ON THAT VERY DAY, that Arafat lands in America,
powerful tornadoes devastate huge sections of the country while ripping across
Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Days later, as Arafat is
still touring, storms hit the Dakotas, causing the worst flooding of the
century.
Weeks of storms rage throughout the Midwest until Arafat completes his tour.
The day he leaves the U.S., the storms "suddenly" begin to settle
down, and end within a few days.
January 21, 1998:
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu meets with Clinton and is coldly received as
President Clinton and Secretary of State Madeline Albright refuse to lunch with
him.
ON THAT VERY DAY, just hours later, the Monica Lewinski scandal erupts and will
consume the major portion of Clinton's time for the remainder of his tenure.
Others include…
The World Trade Center Bombing of 1993, on the day
that Secretary Albright leaves on a trip to visit 8 Arab/Muslim countries to
develop a strategy against Israel.
The Northridge Earthquake in 1994, on the day that President Clinton and Syrian
President Assad demand that Israel turn the Golan
Heights over to Syria.
Ravaging tornadoes hit the Mid-West on the day in 2002 that Bush negotiates
Arafat's release from Israeli capture.
Hurricane Lili hitting the U.S. the same time in 2002
that Bush refuses to move the American Embassy to Jerusalem and refuses to
recognize Jerusalem as the Capital.
But here, ladies and gents, is the kicker.
August of 2005 was the month when Sharon expelled the Jews of Gaza from their
homes. Just about 10,000 Jews were made homeless, in accordance with the demands
of the American President and his Secretary of State. The operation was being
concluded on August 29.
ON THAT VERY DAY, America was hit by THE WORST natural disaster to have ever
occurred in America. Hurricane Katrina hit the New Orleans area and just about
500,000 people were made homeless.
10,000 Jews out of a population of 6 million is a percentage of .00167.
500,000 Americans out of a population of 300 million is a percentage of .00167.
Like I said, I don't believe in coincidences. All I can say is that the next
time this government comes down hard on our brethren over there, we all might
want to duck for cover.
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this ministry, please visit http://www.messianskaforeningen.se/en/en.htm
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