4 Systems Every Church Needs

Comment from Me: "I find this interesting but something they don't mention is the need for spiritual growth in a person. In his article it seems as though he's emphasizing more numbers than souls... the information he provides is nonetheless helpful if my church was in the rut of folks not knowing where our church was."

By Artie Davis

You may or may not be a systems person. You may lead a large or very small church. Regardless the context, systems need to be in place or success will always elude you.

Every church needs to ask and answer these questions in the context of a measurable system they have put in place . . .

1. Attraction

When are we attracting people to the Kingdom?

If we never attract people to us, they will never experience the Jesus in us. So we need a system that allows those on the outside to see what we have on the inside. When do we do that intentionally?

• Sunday morning? How?
• Missional communities? How?
• Personally? How?
• Outreach? How?

2. Assimilation

How are we keeping those God sends us?

We are very poor stewards of the Kingdom, if God brings us people and we don’t do everything possible to keep them. If a new person is introduced to our church, then what?

• Once someone gets to know us or the church what is the next place? Where?
• Do we know how many we have seeking? How do we record it, Where?
• What is our definition of the person who is “committed”?

3. Action

What are we challenging people to do?

We must have a system that takes people from their first steps to equipping them to be productive missionaries in a lost world. If the church doesn’t train them, then Who?

• What do we consider our “roads to outreach”?
• Is a lifestyle of living out our mission expected?
• How do we record new additions? Who contributed to that action?

4. Activation

Where are we sending people?

Once a follower is fully trained, they should be like their teacher, i.e., Jesus. Jesus went from town to town, from person to place demonstrating and communicating the Kingdom. When our people are trained, what opportunities do we provide or encourage them to engage in. Where?

• How are our groups working toward our mission?
• Where do we encourage individuals to make contact with those outside the Kingdom?
• How do we measure how effective our strategy is in accomplishing our mission

Can you add any to the list?

This content is from: http://www.churchplants.com/articles/3298-4-systems-every-church-needs.html 

Does My Wife Need Her Own Call? Part 1

By Dionne Carpenter

You are [Sarah’s] daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear. ~ I Peter 3:6 

READING: I Peter 3:1-6 

Church planting is so demanding you need to be called to it. But is it enough for just the husband to hear that call? Or must your wife hear her own call? 

No, she doesn’t. A married couple is one flesh and God honors that unity. God won’t genuinely call one without implicitly calling the other. However, your wife’s attitude is one of the most crucial benchmarks and hurdles that will prove whether or not your call is from God. If your call is genuine, she’ll be able to wholeheartedly embrace your call as her own – maybe not immediately – but at least after a season of prayer and reflection. At some point, she may even hear God’s call herself. 

She’s the most important team member you need to win over if you hope for long-term success.

Oftentimes, a man genuinely called to the pioneer work of church planting has married a shy, reserved wife. To her, the very thought of such a crazy life may seem quite daunting; never something she would have chosen on her own. Yet God is wise in uniting such men and women together in marriage. If you will allow your shy wife freedom to find her own ministry within the church planting endeavor, she will bring a much needed balance to your church plant. Quiet wives often spot things – overlooked people, overlooked details, and your own overlooked fatigue – and can bring blessed help behind the scenes. God will bless her willingness to step out in faith as Sarah’s daughter. 

Dear Father, Please bless our marriage and help us to honor and support one another as loving co-laborers. Amen.

--

Does My Wife Need Her Own Call? #2

By Dionne Carpenter

Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that               meets at their house. ~ I Corinthians 16:19 

READING:  Romans 6:3, 4 

Even if your wife has received a personalized call to church planting, how that translates into ministry may vary widely. Here’s my story as example. I gave birth to our first child shortly before we launched our first church. I assumed I should follow Priscilla’s example to take a very active role within our new church and be busier than our busiest volunteer. 

It took me awhile to realize that although we usually needed more workers than we had, and even though, like Priscilla, I had plenty of ministry experience, my top priority needed to be to provide a stable home for Jim and our new baby. Many others could teach Sunday school or hand out flyers. But nobody else was in my unique position to support and love Jim, to give him a hot meal, a warm bed and a sympathetic ear.

In time I became comfortable with my unique support role, and evaluated every potential new commitment within the church in light of its impact on my ability to take good care of Jim and our children.

I also learned to periodically reassess my commitments in light of the changing needs of our growing family. When our sons were toddlers, they consumed most of my time, but after they went to school, it freed up time that I could in good conscience spend doing more overt ministry.

I still admire Priscilla, but now see that her biggest contribution was to provide a safe haven within which ministry could blossom. 

Dear Father, Please make our home and our marriage an ongoing source of blessing. Amen.

This interesting perspective is from: http://www.churchplants.com/daily-devotions/3111-does-my-wife-need-her-own-call-devotional-peter-church-planting-dionne-carpenter.html 

Do You Know Your Leadership Strengths and Weaknesses?

"I've never met an effective leader who wasn't aware of his talents and working to sharpen them."

-- Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Wesley Clark, in The New York Times Magazine

Without an awareness of your strengths, it's almost impossible for you to lead effectively. We all lead in very different ways, based on our talents and our limitations. Serious problems occur when we think we need to be exactly like the leaders we admire. Doing so takes us out of our natural element and practically eliminates our chances of success. If you look at great historical leaders such as Winston Churchill or Mahatma Gandhi, you might notice more differences than similarities -- and it is the differences that defined them and led to their success. Churchill's bold and commanding leadership succeeded in mobilizing a war-ravaged nation. It is unlikely he would have had as much success if he had tried to emulate Gandhi's calm and quiet approach. Yet Gandhi's leadership, during India's struggle for independence, was much more effective because he did not try to emulate the domineering leaders of the past. Both men knew their strengths and used them wisely... follow this link to read more: http://gmj.gallup.com/content/112729/Finding-Your-Leadership-Strengths.aspx#1

C.H. Spurgeon on Mercy

Meditate a little on this mercy of the Lord. It is tendermercy. With gentle, loving touch, he healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. He is as gracious in the manner of his mercy as in the matter of it. It is greatmercy. There is nothing little in God; his mercy is like himself—it is infinite. You cannot measure it. His mercy is so great that it forgives great sins to great sinners, after great lengths of time, and then gives great favours and great privileges, and raises us up to great enjoyments in the great heaven of the great God. It is undeserved mercy, as indeed all true mercy must be, for deserved mercy is only a misnomer for justice. There was no right on the sinner’s part to the kind consideration of the Most High; had the rebel been doomed at once to eternal fire he would have richly merited the doom, and if delivered from wrath, sovereign love alone has found a cause, for there was none in the sinner himself. It is rich mercy. Some things are great, but have little efficacy in them, but this mercy is a cordial to your drooping spirits; a golden ointment to your bleeding wounds; a heavenly bandage to your broken bones; a royal chariot for your weary feet; a bosom of love for your trembling heart. It is manifold mercy. As Bunyan says, “All the flowers in God’s garden are double.” There is no single mercy. You may think you have but one mercy, but you shall find it to be a whole cluster of mercies. It is abounding mercy. Millions have received it, yet far from its being exhausted; it is as fresh, as full, and as free as ever. It is unfailing mercy. It will never leave thee. If mercy be thy friend, mercy will be with thee in temptation to keep thee from yielding; with thee in trouble to prevent thee from sinking; with thee living to be the light and life of thy countenance; and with thee dying to be the joy of thy soul when earthly comfort is ebbing fast.

This devotional is found in C.H. Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening

Prayer of St Patrick - Strength and Power in Christ

St.Patrick…He said daily….

I am risen with Christ. Through Him I live Today.

I am bound to Him.
* there where He is ” there I am too
* that which He is ” that I am too
* that which He does ” that I do too
* that which He says ” that I say too
* that which is subject to Him ” is also subject to me
* that which is obedient to Him ” is also obedient to me

I live by the power of His resurrection…
* I live from His fullness
* I live from all His blessings
* I live from His righteousness

That which served Him ” that serves me too
* that which followed Him ” that follows me too
* that which loved Him ” that loves me too
* that which hated Him ” that hates me too
* that which took Him in ” that takes me in too
* that which He needed, that I need too
* that which He did not need ” that I do not need too
* that which comforted Him ” that comforts me too
* through that which He went ” I go too
* the road He walked ” that road I walk too
* that which held Him ” holds me too
* that which helped Him ” helps me too
* that which protected Him ” protects me too
* that which led Him ” leads me too
* that which gave Him strength ” gives me strength too
* that which saved Him ” saves me too
* that which kept Him from sin ” keeps me from sin too
* that which kept Him healthy ” keeps me healthy too
* that which stood by His side ” stands by my side too
* that which He did not fear ” I do not fear too
* that, through which He drove out demons “through that I drive them out too
* that which made Him strong ” makes me strong too
* that which was over Him ” is over me too
* that which made Him boundless ” makes me boundless too
* that which helped Him accomplish His mission ” helps me accomplish mine too
* that which held Him above, always ” holds me above, always too

Jesus Christ
* He is before me, and behind me
* He is under me, and over me
* He is with me, and in me
* He is on my right and on my left
* He is with me, when I wake up in the morning
* He is with me, when the day is hard and difficult
* He is with me, when things don’t work out
* He thinks for me
* He speaks to me
* He sees me

I live to day by the power of the heavens
By the power of the Holy Spirit…

Copied From: http://101pray.blogspot.com/ 

*** Please note, I agree with most the author is saying here but I haven't searched it thoroughly for "un-biblical" ideas. Take it and use it for what it's worth. Also check out the blog: 101pray.blogspot.com.

Does God Care About Football? The Cultural Impact of Tim Tebow

Does God Care About Football? The Cultural Impact of Tim Tebow

This guy can play!!! Check it out!!! Amazing..

	Jon Schmidt - All Of Me .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine