The 4 C's

The 4 C's of building your dream team -

1. Character, 
2. Calling, 
3. Competency & 
4. Chemistry

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

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

 

 

When the odds are against you....

600lb vs 169lb MMA Mismatch - Watch More Funny Videos

I normally don't post sports videos on this blog. But then I ran across this video and thought about David and Goliath. My thoughts then went to the area of church start-ups and how this applies to those who are planting a church.

Planting a church is just plain tough! The odds are against us! By all natural signs, we should quit! I mean come on - it's time consuming, (and with little or no pay), then you carry the weight of  the ministry.  People are fighting with one another. People seem to major in the minor things :)

That is a lot to deal with on a regular basis. Here is the key though. God is with us! This is not something we do just for pay.... just for the experience.... just for our own whatever! We do this because He called us. That alone keeps us in the ministry. That alone is enough! 

As we see in this video: we can overcome large obstacles if we stay diligent! We can overcome anything the enemy throws at us! 

Zechariah 4:6 (The Message)

Then he said, “This is God’s Message to Zerubbabel: ‘You can’t force these things. They only come about through my Spirit,’ says God-of-the-Angel-Armies. ‘So, big mountain, who do you think you are? Next to Zerubbabel you’re nothing but a molehill. He’ll proceed to set the Cornerstone in place, accompanied by cheers: Yes! Yes! Do it!’” 

20 Questions to Assess Leadership Potential

1. Have you ever broken a bad habit? To lead others, you must master your appetites. 
2. Do you keep self-control when things to wrong? The leader who loses control under adversity forfeits respect and influence. A leader must be calm in crisis and resilient in disappointment. 
3. Do you think independently? A leader must use the best ideas of others to make decisions,. A leader cannot wait for others to make up his or her mind.
4. Can you handle criticism? Can you profit from it? The humble person can learn from petty criticism, even malicious criticism.
5. Can you turn disappointment into creative new opportunity?
6. Do you readily gain the cooperation of others and win their respect and confidence?
7. Can you exert discipline without making a power play? True leadership is an internal quality of the spirit and needs no show of external force. 
8. Are you a peacemaker? A leader must be able to reconcile with opponents and make peace where arguments have created hostility.
9. Do people trust you with difficult and delicate situations?
10. Can you induce people to do happily some legitimate thin that they would not normally wish to do?
11. Can you accept opposition to your viewpoint or decision without taking offense? Leaders always face opposition.
12. Can you make and keep friends? Your circle of loyal friends is an index of your leadership potential.
13. Do you depend on the praise of others to keep you going? Can you hold steady in the face of disapproval and even temporary loss of confidence?
14. Are you at ease in the presence of strangers? Do you get nervous in the presence of your superior?
15. Are the people who report to you generally at ease? A leader should be sympathetic and friendly.
16. Are you interested in people? All types? All races? No prejudice?
17. Are you tactful? Can you anticipate how your words will affect a person?
18. Is your will strong and steady? Leaders cannot vacillate or cannot drift with the wind.
19. Can you forgive? Or do you nurse resentments and harbor ill-feelings toward those who have injured you? 
20. Are you reasonably optimistic? Pessimism and leadership do not mix.

This list was derived from the website - Missional Challenge. To read the full article by Dave DeVries click HERE.

Mission Devoid of Discipleship = Failure

Every once in a while I find someone who writes or speaks the things that I'm thinking about. And to be honest I'm thinking and pondering these things and really wonder if I'm just being negative. I mean, who wants to be a glass half empty type person?

The word "missional" was something new and fresh a few years back. Many books and articles have been written about being missional both on a personal level as well as corporately. When a word is over-used, it tends to lose meaning and I find this true for the word "missional". Everyone and every church thinks they are "missional". Even their church programs are geared towards being "missional". The truth is... its just a word. Your programs are still just that...programs... sorry. Just sharing the truth in love :)

 Anyways, here is an article from Mike Breen which is entitled: Why The Missional Movement Will Fail. 

To read the article click here: Mike Breen / Verge

Jeff Vanderstelt - The Meaning of Missional

Jeff Vanderstelt // The Meaning of Missional from Newfrontiers USA on Vimeo.