The Jezebel Spirit...

Church planting is a tough calling. The last thing you need is drama and division. Here are a couple articles on the Jezebel Spirit which I believe
is rampant in western churches. It's important to recognize this spirit within our local assemblies... and get it out.

 Introduction to the Jezebel Spirit 

The Dormant Jezebel Spirit

The Nature of our Enemy

Quotes to Ponder

Serving opens people’s hearts to God and therefore is part of worship. If people aren’t serving, they aren’t truly worshiping and growing in their faith.

All things are still "Possible" even after your mistakes...

"Discipline is the price we pay for long-term Change and Change is the price we pay for ALL progress.

Merely doing what is required will not take us to the next level

 

Multi Site Considerations.....

I wanted to share an article from Ed Stetzer regarding multi-site church plants. It seems that ed had the same concerns as I do. After reading it, I surprisingly have a different view of them... if they are done intentionally and with the right heart motive. Here is the complete article:

EVOLUTION OF THE MULTISITE CHURCH

7 Tips to Re-energize Your Weak Team

7 Tips to Re-energize Your Weak Team  

By Ron Edmondson

Great Article for church planters that have a team that's getting tired! Highly recommended! 

Here is the link to the full article.

CHURCH PLANT ARTICLE

 

 

8 Steps to Grow Your Church

Here is a short but sweet article by Rick Warren. I have listed the bullet points. If you would like to read the entire article, please visit ARTICLE by Rick Warren

1) Decide you really, really want to grow – Believe it or not, the primary barrier to church growth is desire. Do you really want to grow? If the answer is yes, then you must commit to this goal and be willing to accept changes.

2) Your role as pastor must change – Once you decide you want to grow, you’ll need to analyze your role as pastor. You must be willing to change from minister to leader.

3) Mobilize members for ministry – Be willing to give up some leadership and entrust ministry to the people in the pews.

4) Begin having multiple services – If you’re not already doing so, I encourage you to seriously start planning for it. By offering people a choice of services, you’re effectively putting another hook in the water.

5) Multiply your staff – In order to grow past that 200 barrier, you must begin moving to multiple staff. You must begin to specialize the staff under your leadership.

6) Plan big days – The best way I know to break through barriers is to break a few all at one time. Plan a big day — an event — and your numbers go up. Yes, they go back down afterwards, but not as far as they were before the event. Keep doing this and you grow. Big holidays are an obvious time to concentrate on events — Easter, Christmas. Plan outreaches to the community.

7) Have multiple cells – Groups of 8-12 people. Cells become tools for caring for the body.

8) Expand your facility – Many churches build too small, too fast. What I’m saying is you need to plan for growth and project out what your needs will be.

May God bless you and anoint you as you begin to implement these changes

Celebrate the wins....

Church planting is tough. That being said... celebrate every win! Here is a video of our church plant's Easter service 2013. We celebrate 2 baby dedications and 10 people getting baptized. Thank you Jesus!

Great Articles for Church Planters

7 Crucial Insights for Church Planters

By Ron Edmondson

4 Fields

By Nathan and Kari Shank

Helpful Resources!

YouVersion is a GREAT App.  It is a FREE App.  They have TONS of reading plans.You can set reminders to do the reading. You can share it on social networks if you want to encourage others.

• iPhone
• iPad
• Android

Bible Study Tools has lots of great reading plans.  They have a Book Order, Chronological, Chronological New Testament, Psalms, and more.  This is a great site in general.  Check it out at Biblestudytools.com

BibleGateway will send you an email with the reading that you choose.  Check that out here.

Printable

• 52 Week Reading Plan – A plan for 52 weeks of reading.
• 5x5x5 Bible Reading Plan – Read through the New Testament in a year, reading Monday to Friday. Weekends are set aside for reflection and other reading. Especially beneficial if you’re new to a daily discipline of Bible reading.
• Chronological Bible Reading Plan - Read through the Bible in the order the events occurred chronologically.
• Historical Bible Reading Plan – The Old Testament readings are similar to Israel’s Hebrew Bible, and the New Testament readings are an attempt to follow the order in which the books were authored.

2 Enemies Every Leader Must Confront

Here is a short but great article from churchplants.com  By Michael Robison

Here is the link to the entire article: http://www.churchplants.com/articles/3474-2-enemies-every-leader-must-confront.html

Currently reading - Wiki-Church by Steve Murrell

Just wanted to share my current reading list. As you know, I'm a believer that "all leaders should be readers".

I typically have a few books going at any one time. Here is one that I highly recommend.Wiki Church by Steve Murrell.

 Just a sample nugget on making disciples:  Jesus told His followers that He would build His church, and then He told them to go and make disciples. It’s that simple. We make disciples, and He builds the church.

Ok... here's another: If you measure the wrong things, you can be at peace, thinking that all is well in your church, when things can be far from healthy.