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Today’s Buzz: You!
Remember in school when you'd have a substitute teacher? Well today, I'm calling in sick, and I'm designating YOU the substitute teacher. OK... here's the deal... it's another travel day today... San Diego to Detroit takes literally all day (when you consider that you leave SD at 8:30 a.m. and arrive in Detroit at 4:00 p.m.) Then add on another couple hours from the airport home, and you have a full day. So, here's the deal... I need you to provide some great content for MMI today... what have you found recently that is interesting? What would you like to talk about or discuss? What questions do you have about ministry? Let's hear about it. I know many of you are lurkers (that means you read MMI all the time, but never post a comment). Take a moment to introduce yourself. I'd love to hear from you. (I'm trusting everyone to be nice and gentle). And we promise not to make fun of you (like we used to do with all our substitute teachers in high school).
So… what’s on your radar today?
And speaking of radar; where are you today and what is your main schedule item today?
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This post has been viewed 529 times and was added on November 06, 2007 by Todd Rhoades. Filed under: Miscellaneous Personal Items from Todd Share this post with a friend right now! View reactions to this post at other blogs... You can really help us out by subscribing to our free RSS feed with your favorite feed reader, or here at Bloglines. Also, you can add us to your favorites at Technorati.
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I'm Todd Rhoades... the MMI guy. I'm also on the team at Leadership Network (although that doesn't mean that they endorse everything I write here). In my past life, I was the founder and developer of a website named ChurchStaffing.com.
MondayMorningInsight.com | PO Box 446 | Bryan, OH 43506 |
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Posted by Derek
Tuesday, November 06, 2007 at 4:34 PM
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Posted by Peter Hamm
Tuesday, November 06, 2007 at 4:46 PM
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Posted by Matt Branaugh
Tuesday, November 06, 2007 at 5:16 PM
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Posted by Pastor Chris
Tuesday, November 06, 2007 at 6:20 PM
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Wednesday, November 07, 2007 at 1:01 AM
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Posted by Camey
Wednesday, November 07, 2007 at 8:11 AM
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Wednesday, November 07, 2007 at 9:54 AM
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Posted by Mike Cooke
Wednesday, November 07, 2007 at 10:52 PM
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Posted by Leonard
Thursday, November 08, 2007 at 12:09 AM
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Posted by Mike Cooke
Thursday, November 08, 2007 at 9:57 PM
Post Your Comments:In the News...
I figured I would through this out, since Todd has called in sick today…
Senate Investigation on Televangelists
The top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee said Tuesday he has launched an investigation into alleged financial wrongdoing involving six well-known televangelists.
Including:
Randy and Paula White of Without Walls International Church and Paula White Ministries of Tampa, Fla.;
-- Benny Hinn of World Healing Center Church Inc. and Benny Hinn Ministries of Grapevine, Texas;
-- David and Joyce Meyer of Joyce Meyer Ministries of Fenton, Mo.;
-- Kenneth and Gloria Copeland of Kenneth Copeland Ministries of Newark, Texas;
-- Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church and Bishop Eddie Long Ministries of Lithonia, Ga.;
-- Creflo and Taffi Dollar of World Changers Church International and Creflo Dollar Ministries of College Park, Ga.
Source: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8SOCFRO3.htm
Anybody want to rehash financial accountability in the church?
Derek
Derek,
Here’s a question. Are those people you mention in the church or the entertainment biz? I think some of them are definitely in the latter of the two.
Randy--I can totally relate to your post. And I don’t know how many times, at the end of the day as I ready for bed, I reflect on the day and ask, “What did I get done today?”
Thanks for the encouragement that comes from knowing others deal with this--and we’re all eager to find a better way.
Matt
Todd writes: What have you found recently that is interesting? What would you like to talk about or discuss?
I’d like to see more about the unChristian book and the impact that those survey results might have on the church. It’s good research . . . . but is anything going to change? What difference will it make for mainlines that are dying on the vine?
That is what I wonder about this week.
Pastor Chris</br>
EvangelismCoach.org
Here are the subjects my pastor husband and myself rehash…
Reaching our community which is predominantly God-less and even anti-Christian. Do we go for riper fields? What happens to those who we’ve invested our life into? How do we leave them behind? Or do we stick it out? Side-note: recently heard a speaker talk about her visit to Bangledesh. The statistics of how many Christians are in Bangledesh are the same as where we live!
I’ve said many times that I feel like we are serving in a foreign country and that we are living where America as a whole is heading.
So, this will eventually be an issue we will all face.
And what about demonic influences? We strongly feel a sense of oppression where we serve. How do we break Satan’s spiritual strong-holds in a community ripe with new age thought and the Dali Lama?
Community- how important is it in the body of Christ? Another issue in our ministry is that this is what we seem to have and it’s an unusual feel, something I’ve never or rarely had in over 25 years of ministry. What can we do with this to grow the church? And how many churches in America are seeking to develop it in their own ministries? If not, why not? Is so, why? and How?
Church Planting Issues… many subjects I’d like to bring up.
Balancing family and ministry. We are consumed with ministry. So far our kids are good with it and as obsessed as we are, which is at least a positive.
One pastor we heard speak, who pastors a large church in GA, when asked what he does for a day off, went on to share enthusiastically that his day off was every Friday. And that was when he and his wife and kids went and did hospital visitations. My husband and I looked at each other and inwardly groaned. Another living example of balance in action! We strongly desire balance, but how does one achieve it? What are some very practical things that we need to do, not just the nebulous “You should you know!”
Currently our youth ministry is on fire for Christ. They literally hang out at church just in case something is going to happen.
So husband is going with it and running a high school and junior high ministry, while senior pastoring, and I’m the worship leader/ women’s ministry director/ part time administrative staff and producer of all written and published materials.
What to do?
Okay, there’s just a few!
Good morning everyone! (or Good whatever where you may be physically)
And how is everyone doing today (Wednesday)?
Where are you at today? This moment?
Jan,
Wow. Sounds like you and your husband definitely have alot on your minds/hearts. My husband and I will pray for you and your husband. You raised some questions that we wrestle with as well. 1) Go/stay 2) Church planting 3) Family & Ministry… Yet on the family and ministry issue… Our family is seeking to be counter-culture in how we live life in many ways. For us, going to the hospital to visit others is something our children are quite comfortable with and natural at doing. We use it as talking points about walking thru life with others and not just having a casual friendship with them on Sundays or wherever else we might see them. We help tie it in with God/Jesus. How He wants to walk with us each day. I know I’m probably singing to the choir.. I really don’t mean to be… Just hoping to be of encouragement to you or someone who reads this. It is important to rest and relax and renew oneself and their family. We do have to be intentional about it. I think this is one area though where we as Christ-followers can get “a day off” mixed up with what the world says consists of a day off. Just my own opinion though.. and something we deal with ourselves.
It is great to hear of other youth ministries on fire for Christ! I do believe they are really the ones who God is using to wake more adults up. I know most of the teens in our church are amazing. They run circles around me. And I cannot help but get fired up just watching them.. it always makes me want to be a better Christ-follower.
Hope you have a great day Jan!
Thanks for the nice comments and prayers Camey. That means a lot.
I have no problem with taking the kids along in ministry, we do that a lot.
But to say that that is our set aside from ministry day off with the kids is a bit of a stretch!
It’s fascinating to read the comments posted on this particular blog. I’m trying to get my bearings on this men and church thing. I have never been in a church that “preached at men about their failures nor am I familiar with the concept of telling a man that if you’ll come to my church, we will honor your maleness. I guess there must be compelling evidence from a reputable polling organization which attests to the fact that “men think church is for women and children” although I have never once heard that sentiment from any man I have ever talked to about checking out our church. Reading books, developing fraternities and changing decor may all be effective in this quest many pastors have struck out on to get men to come to church. But instead of inviting men to a new and improved macho friendly male sensitive church what about screwing up our own courage and going where these “men who don’t go to church” are? Instead of planning and preparing for men to come to us, why not go to them? I’m not convinced the problem is in men or even in the church. I think the problem is with me as a pastor. I think the problem is much like Reggie McNeal’s revelation in The Present Future, we lack the understanding and vocabulary, we wouldn’t know what to say if we did go to them. We’ve become so infatuated with the notion of building the crowd that we’ve lost the ability to engage the person.
Mike I do no think you are not wrong in your thoughts (like it matters what I think) but I do think your thoughts are incomplete.
Stats bear out that the overwhelming number of volunteers in the church are women. Women outnumber men in the church by 20%, 25% of the married women who attend the church do so without their husbands.
Guilty as charged Leonard, my thoughts are incomplete. I’m not trying to side step the issue,. I’m aware of the miserable statistics, I’ve seen the results in several churches I have ministered in. But in my current church plant, we have decided to take a different approach. We are tackling the issue personally, one on one by going where these absentee men are and attempting to build genuine relationships with them. We try our best not to impose our predetermined agendas on them by sticking to a single goal - just be their friend.
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