Connection Central

Looking for a vibrant small-group meeting? Here are 4 distinctives of a successful small-group on the road to redemptive community.

1. Questions and opportunities for group members to tell their stories before getting into Bible study. Many groups utilize “ice-breaker” type questions.

2. Interactive and more discovery-oriented Bible study. The discovery approach to Bible study is one of the expectations of small groups today.

3. Some level or variety of experiences. This can range from creating events as part of the meeting, utilizing the five senses, to engaging a video or movie clip with applicable follow-up questions and conversation.

4. If media is used, the group should focus on a screen for no more than 15 minutes. The longer a group turns away to watch a TV or monitor, the more good group dynamic is lost.

Christmas: Saved for a Purpose

Catholics in England during the period 1558 to 1829 were prohibited by law to practice their faith either in public or private. It was illegal to be Catholic until Parliament finally emancipated Catholics in England in 1829.

Legend has it "The Twelve Days of Christmas" was written in England as one of the "catechism songs" to help young Catholics learn the basics of their faith. In short, it was a coded-message, a memory aid. Since the song sounded like rhyming nonsense, young Catholics could sing the song without fear of imprisonment.

The song goes, "On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…"
The "true love" mentioned in the song doesn’t refer to an earthly suitor, but it refers to God Himself. The "me" who receives the presents refers to every baptized person. i.e. the Church.

1st Day: The partridge in a pear tree is Christ Jesus upon the Cross. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge because she would feign injury to decoy a predator away from her nestlings. She was even willing to die for them. The tree is the symbol of the fall of the human race through the sin of Adam and Eve. It is also the symbol of its redemption by Jesus Christ on the tree of the Cross.

2nd Day: The "two turtle doves" refers to the Old and New Testaments.

3rd Day: The "three French hens" stand for faith, hope and love—the three gifts of the Spirit that abide (1 Corinthians 13).

4th Day: The "four calling birds" refers to the four evangelists who wrote the Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—which sing the song of salvation through Jesus Christ.

5th Day: The "five golden rings" represents the first five books of the Bible, also called the Jewish Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.

6th Day: The "six geese a-laying" is the six days of creation.

7th Day: The "seven swans a-swimming" refers to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord.

8th Day: The "eight maids a milking " reminded children of the eight beatitudes listed in the Sermon on the Mount.

9th Day: The "nine ladies dancing" were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.

10th Day: The "ten lords a-leaping" represents the Ten Commandments

11th Day: The "eleven pipers piping" refers to the eleven faithful apostles.

12th Day: The ‘twelve drummers drumming" were the twelve points of belief expressed in the Apostles’ Creed: belief in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, that Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, made man, crucified, died and arose on the third day, that he sits at the right hand of the father and will come again, the resurrection of the dead and life everlasting.

So the next time you hear "The Twelve Days of Christmas" consider how this otherwise non-religious sounding song had its origins in keeping alive the teaching of the Catholic faith.
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adapted from email messages, from "How To Decode the Twelve Days of Christmas," by Hugh D. McKellar, U.S. Catholic, 12/1979, and from "‘12 Days of Christmas’ is no nonsense, but a serious riddle" by David Crowder El Paso Times, 12/19/1993. Also, Origin of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" An Underground Catechism by Fr. Hal Stockert 12/17/95

Ideas


"An idea is salvation by imagination."
~ Frank Lloyd Wright


"Human history is, in essence, a history of ideas."
~ H.G. Wells


"An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come."
~ Victor Hugo


"The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas."
~ Linus Pauling

By Justin Pinkerman

After the dismal showing of the Republican Party in the 2008 election cycle, critics both within and without the party blamed the poor performance on a lack of fresh ideas.

While it's debatable which party offers stronger ideas for the future, one thing is certain: people expect leaders to put forth powerful ideas before entrusting them with the authority to lead.

Ideas are vehicles that transport us from what is to what could be; leaders are drivers who seek out the best ideas and pilot them into the future. Of course, the salvation of ideas depends upon more than finding them. Only when we shape, stretch, and apply ideas to our lives do they bring us benefit. However, before an idea is implemented, it must be discovered, and the responsibility for hunting down the best ideas falls squarely on the shoulders of leaders. Let's examine three simple avenues by which leaders can take hold of transformative ideas.

THREE PRACTICAL TIPS FOR ATTAINING THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

1) Spend Time in Reflective Thought

While experiencing the emotions of a tense meeting or the motion of a fast-paced day, it can be difficult to think clearly. Leaders make a habit of withdrawing the reconsider events after they transpire. By doing so, they discover ideas and insights that would otherwise go undetected. In addition, reflective thinking enables a leader to rise above the details of the day and connect ideas to the big picture.

When surrounded by a chirping Blackberry, a buzzing landline, and a bustling office, reflective thinking is a near-impossibility. The search for ideas requires a leader to sequester himself or herself from time to time in order to think without distraction. Leaders must carve out the space for reflective thought by occasionally placing themselves off limits.

2) Tap into Your Social Network

Reflective thinking has merit, but not all ideas are generated in isolation. Important as quiet reflection may be, leaders benefit equally from strolling through the office to solicit the thoughts of colleagues and co-workers. The best thinkers I know have a penchant for asking penetrating questions. In doing so, they draw wisdom out of the repositories of experience and expertise around them.

Thought leaders invest their social capital to come up with innovative ideas. They form clubs or join associations to debate the pressing issues related to their field. They exchange ideas with fellow leaders and accumulate a wealth of knowledge. Some have even solved organizational dilemmas by open-sourcing, allowing experts anywhere (clients, suppliers, academics) to bring their knowledge to bear on a particular problem. Whatever the case, thought leaders initiate conversations with those in their networks to unearth new ideas.

3) Uncover the Lost Art of Leadership... Reading

Precious few leaders invest time to read books and extract ideas from them - to the detriment of the organizations they lead. Authors spend countless days fine-tuning their ideas into paragraphs and chapters before publishing them as a book. Yet, in a matter of a few hours, a leader can access and absorb those ideas. In turn, leaders can apply newfound ideas in their strategy, systems, and organizational dynamics to positively alter the course of their business.

If you doubt the power of a written idea, consider this intellectual progression: Ralph Waldo Emerson's philosophical writings on self-reliance informed and inspired a young man named Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau's application of self-reliance to social injustice prompted him to pen an essay entitled "Resistance to Civil Government". Halfway around the world, Ghandi read Thoreau's essay, and it motivated him to organize India's peaceful protest of Britain's imperial rule. Decades later, Martin Luther King, Jr. would draw encouragement and strength from the writings of Ghandi as he coordinated non-violent resistance to the oppressive systems of racism in America.

Summary

By putting his ideas on paper, Ralph Waldo Emerson initiated a chain reaction that sparked social revolutions on two separate continents! Ideas matter. Unfortunately, they don't fall into our laps. They must be extracted from our relationships and environments through intentionality of thought, interaction, and habit.

In the words of author Bill Taylor, "The only sustainable form of business leadership is thought leadership." Products have limited shelf life, competitive advantages can be copied, and the technology of today will be obsolete tomorrow. Ideas, on the other hand, will always be in demand, and "leader" will always be the name given to the person who finds and applies them.

By :Kay Warren

"Mom, Jaime's in labor!" My son's voice was full of excitement and fear as he told me our daughter-in-law's water had just broke and they were at the hospital. I tried to sound reassuring, but at 34 and a half weeks, I knew there could be real problems. Before heading to the hospital, I phoned a pediatric nurse and shared the details. My friend's words were far from positive: "My best advice is to prepare for a very sick baby. That way, if everything is fine, you will be thrilled. If it's not, you won't be caught unaware."

At the hospital, the situation changed by the moment. The baby was in a breech position, so a C-section was scheduled for later that evening. But as Jaime progressed into active labor, the time of the surgery was moved up. From there, things moved downhill—rapidly. My daughter-in-law has a blood clotting disorder, and the anesthesiologist informed her there would be a blood transfusion ready in the operating room in case they could not control her bleeding.

It suddenly became clear that the baby was in danger. His heart rate started dropping. The nurse's quiet but urgent voice calling for the doctor to come to the room—"Stat!"—set off alarm bells in our hearts. Our tiny doctor flew down the hall, stopping outside of Jaime's room so as not to cause panic. Seconds later, they wheeled Jaime through the corridors at a speed I didn't think was possible for a clunky gurney.

Josh could not bear to see his wife with a breathing tube down her throat. Dressed in paper garb, he sat outside the delivery room sobbing. I positioned myself outside the operating suite, peering at Josh through a tiny glass window. I had never felt so helpless in my life. My son was crying inconsolably. I couldn't comfort him. I couldn't protect Jaime, and I couldn't deliver my grandson whole and healthy into this world. All I could do was wait and pray.

After that stomach-wrenching wait, we heard a tiny cry. Josh grinned and gave us a thumbs-up. Jaime's mom and I held each other, crying, laughing, praising and thanking God for a safe delivery for Cole Trabue Warren and for protecting Jaime. We didn't know it then, but our fears turned out to be justified. Cole was not breathing when he was born. It took highly skilled medical personnel to coax him from death to life. A nurse in the delivery room told us that we needed to remind Cole every day that he is a "miracle." I felt relieved. For reasons completely unknown to me, God performed a miracle for both Cole and Jaime. For that, I will be eternally grateful.

But I couldn't stop my thoughts from wandering to the sub-par delivery rooms I have been in around the world. While my family was given an undeserved miracle, thousands of women in the same situation in Rwanda, Cambodia, Ukraine, or India would likely have died an agonizing death alongside their stillborn child. That's only if they actually make it to a hospital; many thousands more labor at home, trying futilely to deliver a baby in distress. Sometimes these women and babies both die; sometimes the mother survives but the difficult labor leaves a hole in her bladder or rectum called a fistula, causing her to leak urine or feces for the rest of her life. What makes the difference between moms and babies who survive and those who don't?

Access to quality health care, pure and simple. My family has access to the best health care—my sisters around the world do not. Blood clotting disorders, premature labor, breech babies, low Apgar scores at birth, all medically challenging situations in the best hospitals, become tragedies for women and babies with little or no access to health care.

Health-care access isn't initially as riveting a cause as rescuing children from the sex trade or finding a vaccine for HIV. But when someone you love needs medical help fast, your perspective changes. Suddenly, your world is reduced to one objective: Help her survive. Let him live. Americans are used to hospitals minutes away, doctors and nurses on duty, lifesaving procedures, and the latest technology and medication available. When you live in a developing country, all bets are off.

When will this unconscionable disparity touch our hearts? When will it begin to dawn on us that the widening gap between the haves and the have-nots is a subject worthy of our passion? When will North American Christians decide that what they consider essential for their families is essential for all?

Our miracle baby is nearly a month old. Another miracle baby was born 2,000 years ago—a different situation, certainly. But the baby born in the manger grew up and showed us how much he values children, each one a precious miracle deserving a chance to live.

The turkey and dressing has been eaten and the Christmas lights are shining. What a glorious time of year it is. As we look to 2009 we can look with expectancy knowing that God is going to do great things at Word Alive, and you, the small group leaders, have a major role to play. It is in a small group where disciples are made and laughter is embraced. As you watch this video remember this great promise found in Nehemiah 8:10.
"Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Hey Leader! Don't miss this inspiring night with one of our dear friends and partners in the work of the Lord in India. Pastor Barnabas is a 35 year veteran of the gospel. He oversees over 100 churches, nearly 100 orphans, operates a Christian school for children of poverty, a bible college, and training center for women. Come hear a word of encouragement and a testimony of a true overcomer! Wednesday, November 5, 7:00 p.m. in the main sanctuary of Word Alive.

Thanks for a great 24 hour prayer service last Friday. We can certainly feel the effects of this act of obedience and faith. Chuck Pierce brought a strong prophetic word to our congregation, affirming and confirming the plans the Lord has for us all. As the Connection nears completion in February, the anticipation is really building. God is positioning us for the outpouring and harvest He has announced.

Our LIFE Track completed it’s first “lap” with 40 people completing the cycle and signing up to join “Team Freedom”. Ushers, truck drivers, administrative and financial professionals, children’s teachers, and more have signed up to be part of the TEAM. Thank you for your continued sacrifice and service to the Lord. Be sure to invite all newcomers to the LIFE Track 101 Newcomer’s Reception that will go this Sunday (November 2) at 6:00 p.m. Consider bringing someone. I think you would really benefit from observing the new LIFE Track format.

Thanks again for hosting and leading the LIFE Groups for the Fall 2008 season. Begin to consider your group for the Spring 2009 Season. And don’t forget to make plans to attend our LIFE Group Leader Fall 2008 Season appreciation dinner to be held Sunday evening, December 7th at TOMAHall.

This Friday night (October 31) -

We will be hosting our annual fall community outreach in the form of a genuine carnival fair. All the rides will be at no charge to the community. We believe the children and the parents will appreciate this gift and begin to see the Kingdom of God and the place of provision, pardon, and protection – and sometimes just a great party! Come help serve our community a tast and see the God is GOOD!

Why the Best Leaders Are the Best Leaders
By Dr. John C. Maxwell

From 1996 to 2007, manager Joe Torre led the New York Yankees to the playoffs every year - winning an astounding 17 series in the post-season. Over those same 12 years, the Los Angeles Dodgers did not win a single playoff series. This past season, Torre departed New York to coach the Dodgers. The result? The Dodgers won their first post-season series in 20 years, while the Yankees missed the playoffs altogether.

Ask Yankees and Dodgers fans, and they will tell you that Joe Torre's leadership matters. However, they may not be able to tell you exactly why Joe Torre is an excellent leader. What's true of the fans in New York and Los Angeles is true for many of us. We experience the effects of leadership without understanding the cause.

In this article, I hope to make plain why the best leaders are the best leaders. In a nutshell, remarkable leaders give their best to their people, and get the best from their people. Let's look at how this happens.

The Best Leaders Give Their Best to Their People By...
1) GROWING
People naturally follow leaders they respect as being more advanced than they are. For this reason, personal growth is directly proportional to influence. If you desire to gain followers, then pay the price of getting better.
To give people your best, you have to elevate your leadership capacity. Consider the metaphor of walking up a narrow staircase - you can only go as fast as the person in front of you. When leaders stop growing, they quit climbing and impede the progress of everyone following them. However, when leaders grow, they ascend the stairs and create space for those behind them to climb higher.
Personal growth involves challenging yourself, and pushing beyond the realm of comfort. When is the last time you did something for the first time? How long has it been since you felt in over your head?

2) SERVING
"Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile."~ Albert Einstein
Serving others is an attitude issue. Unfortunately, many leaders operate under a king-of-the-hill mentality. They attempt to pull down anyone above them in order to secure the top spot for themselves. In doing so, they clutch at power, grapple for control of company resources, and strive to dominate others. Seeing relationships as win-lose propositions, they ultimately burn bridges and isolate themselves.
The best leaders take an entirely different approach. Rather than dragging down anyone who threatens their position, they extend a hand to lift the performance of teammates and coworkers. They function with a mindset of abundance as opposed to an attitude of scarcity, and they wield their influence to prop others up rather than to elevate themselves. Over time, they are honored for the contributions they have made to the lives around them.
All leaders serve. Sadly, some serve only themselves. Serving is a motives issue, and the crux of the matter boils down to a simple question: "Who?" Does a politician serve the public or his pocketbook? Does a CEO serve to benefit her shareholders or to support her lifestyle? The best leaders set a tone by serving and prove they are deserving of being out in front.

3) MODELING
Growing leaders have something to share; serving leaders have something to give; modeling leaders have something to show. As V.J. Featherstone said, "Leaders tell, but never teach, until they practice what they preach." The best leaders embody their values. Their passion exudes from every pore and demands respect.


The Best Leaders Get the Best from Their People By...

1) LISTENING
The smartest leaders realize the limitations of their wisdom, and they listen to their people in order to capture invaluable insights. However, leaders don't just listen to gain knowledge; they also listen to give their people permission: permission to challenge the process, permission to test assumptions; and permission to take risks. Nothing turns off an up-and-coming leader like the deaf ear of a superior. The best leaders don't simply listen to incoming ideas; they proactively draw them out of their people. They listen actively, not passively.

2) RELATING
Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand. To touch a heart, a leader has to be open to disclosing his or her identity by sharing personal stories and owning up to professional weaknesses. Mysterious or aloof leaders may be successful decision-makers, but they won't get the heartfelt loyalty that comes from authentic relationships.
As simple as it sounds, making a person feel known correlates powerfully to their job satisfaction. In fact, Patrick Lencioni lists anonymity as one of the top indicators of a miserable job. Leaders dignify their people by studying their interests, learning about their families, and finding out their hobbies. Conscious of the power of connection, the best leaders refuse to be barricaded inside of an office, and they take responsibility for relating with others on a regular basis.

3) TEACHING
Gifted teachers have a way of making students out of disinterested bystanders. The best leaders have an infectious thirst for knowledge, and they take pride in cultivating knowledge of their craft and awareness of their industry. A leader's teaching ability depends upon ongoing personal growth. As Howard Hendricks said, "If you stop growing today, you stop teaching tomorrow."

4) DEVELOPING
The best leaders understand the differences between training people for tasks and developing people to be better leaders.
Training Developing
Focus is on the job Focus is on the person
Adds value to specific things Adds value to everything
Helpful for a short time Helpful for a lifetime
Changes a performance Change the performer

The best leaders view their people as appreciable assets and prioritize investing in the talent on their teams.

5) MOTIVATING
After one of my presentations, an audience member approached me who was visibly indignant about my speech. "Why is motivation last on the list?" he demanded. "Well," I replied, "because if you listen, relate, teach, and develop your people, then they will be motivated!"
Sustained motivation comes by creating the right environment for your people and by doing the right things consistently to nurture them. Consider a flower. It cannot grow in the Arctic; it requires a climate conducive to growth. Yet, even in the right environment, the flower must be planted in hospitable soil, exposed to sunlight, watered, and freed of weeds.


REVIEW
The Best Leaders Give Their Best to Their People by...1. Growing 2. Serving 3. Modeling
The Best Leaders Get the Best From Their People by...1. Listening 2. Relating 3. Teaching 4. Developing 5. Motivating

"The secret to getting ahead is getting started."~ Mark Twain

"One today is worth two tomorrows."~ Ben Franklin

"If you can't feed 1,000 people, then feed one."~ Mother Teresa

"Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and power and magic in it."~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

In my day, we didn't have self-esteem, we had self-respect, and no more of it than we had earned. Jane Haddam

Where did we ever get the crazy idea that in order to make children do better, first we have to make them feel worse? Think of the last time you felt humiliated or treated unfairly. Did you feel like cooperating or doing better? Jane Nelson

Whatever games are played with us, we must play no games with ourselves. Ralph Waldo Emerson

That you may retain your self-respect, it is better to displease the people by doing what you know is right, than to temporarily please them by doing what you know is wrong. William J. H. Boetcker

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others. Marianne Williamson

I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence. Frederick Douglass

PRAYER News - Day of Atonement Prayer this Wednesday!

This Wednesday our weekly prayer meeting will focus on the Day of Atonement. Join us at 6:00 p.m. inthe sanctuary for worship and proclamations regarding the power and promises relating to the Day of Atonement.

As you will recall, last week marked the beginning of the new year on the Jewish calender (Rosh Hoshanah). We believe this is a year of fruitfulness as we begin the year 5769. Remember that the number 9 signifies fruitfulness!

Come prepared to declare the promises of God and appropriate the power of the Lord Jesus' blood for you and your family.

EQUIPPING News

Wednesday nights equipping seminars are under way. Nan Mudiam is teaching the book of James while Bill Byrd is teaching on the model prayer, equipping us all to pray effectively as Jesus taught.

The message this weekend on the "I" Am of L.I.F.E. was so great. Kent used a model of the Tabernacle of Moses (thanks Don and crew) to illustrate the revelation of Jesus as the Way, Truth, and Life. I hope lots of folks watch the television broadcast of that sermon. It will change the spiritual atmosphere and dynamic of our region. Speaking of our region, check this out.

The developments with the Gadsden campus are remarkable. Kent will be sharing more, but he just let us all know that the old Gadsden High School campus has been made available as a headquarters for Word Alive-Gadsden. Though we prayed and fought for a two-hour slot in the new Gadsden City high Scholl, the Lord had a better seat waiting for us. The old campus is large, diverse, equipped, abandoned, and nearly free! All this in the perfect location for a real apostolic church plan!

Enjoy this week's blog and continue to run the race of faith!

“We come to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly.” - Sam Keen, from To Love and Be Loved

“If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” - Mother Teresa

The slow economy seems to be helping lottery sales. Of the 42 state lotteries in existence, 29 of them reported increased sales this fiscal year. At least 22 of those state lotteries have had record sales this year. - The New York Times (September 12, 2008)

“The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” - Theodore Roosevelt

“Pressure is nothing more than the shadow of great opportunity.” - Michael Johnson

A human baby is the strangest and most wonderful creature this world can offer. No other mammal emerges so helpless from the womb, utterly unable to cope with the opportunity and adversity of nature. Yet no other creature holds such limitless possibility. - Andy Crouch, Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling (IVP Books, 2008)

When you are absolutely convinced how much God loves you, it will drive out every fear you have. - Wayne Jacobsen, He Loves Me! Learning to Live in the Father’s Affections (Windblown Media, 2007)

Fatigue makes cowards of us all. - Vince Lombardi

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Americans spent $7.5 billion at family clothing stores in August of 2007 making the back-to-school shopping season the second most important shopping season of the year. Only the November-to-December holiday season had larger sales. - Source: U.S. Census Bureau

People have short memories. It doesn’t take long in ministry to realize this. One day you’re leading someone to Christ, the next day they’ve left for the new church down the street. One day someone says they loved the sermon, the next day they can’t remember what it was about. Short memories are nothing new.

The Israelites had a short memory when it came to Moses. Just three days after the Red Sea miracle – at the very first sign of trouble – they started doubting his leadership. We think we’ve got it rough. God used Moses to split a sea, and the Israelites forgot him. If that happened to Moses, it can happen to us.

But it doesn’t just happen in ministry, does it? We live in a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world. Children forget what their parents have done for them. Bosses forget what their employees have done for them. Spouses take each other for granted.

I read an article one time about a chief accountant for a millionaire. He was paid very well, but he committed suicide. His suicide note said: “I’m committing suicide because in 30 years I’ve never had one word of encouragement. I’m fed up.”
What do you do when you feel taken for granted? Moses gives us a great example to follow.
1. Don’t curse it. When Moses heard the Israelites grumble, it would have been natural to respond back in anger. Most of us would have done that. But Moses didn’t. Revenge just wasn’t an option. When people don’t appreciate you, choose not to strike back. Leave your frustration in God’s hands. When you let God settle the score, you are well represented. Romans 12:14 says, “Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse” (NASB). Instead of cursing those who forget you, speak positively about them.
2. Don’t rehearse it. Every time you review the hurt you feel when you’ve been taken for granted, it gets bigger. If somebody you’ve served selflessly criticizes you, it hurts. No doubt about it. But if you’re not careful, it’ll blow out of proportion in no time.
Notice that Moses never went back over the pain. He focused on the future. Rehearsing pain is a dangerous habit in ministry because soon you’re addicted to it. I’ve met some very bitter pastors who allowed experiences of their past to color their perception until they thought everybody was against them. You can’t allow that to happen.
3. Don’t nurse it. Don’t allow yourself to have a pity party. It’s OK to be angry. Anger is a legitimate response to hurt. But holding on to anger becomes sin. Ephesians 4:26-27 says, “Don’t get so angry that you sin. Don’t go to bed angry, and don’t give the devil a chance” (CEV). If you are a leader, you can expect to be misunderstood. It’s a fact of leadership. If you choose not to take the disappointment personally, you’ll avoid becoming cynical.

So, what should you do when you feel forgotten and taken for granted? First, share your pain with God. Often we go to the wrong people with our pain. We go to the people who’ve mistreated us and remind them of their oversight. Instead of doing that, take your pain to God. He can take whatever you dish out to him.

Second, expect God to reverse your disappointment. God is the master of reversing hurts. Remember the story of Joseph in the Old Testament? Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. Then in Genesis 50, 20 years later, he said, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Joseph had every reason to be cynical. His own family had sold him out. But he wasn’t cynical.

Moses had a similar experience. The people had been whining and complaining because they didn’t have water – and when they did get water, it was bitter. But where did God lead them after that? He led them to a land of abundant water. He reversed the situation.
Friend, I don’t know how you’ve been taken for granted in ministry. But I do know one thing.

God has not forgotten you. He’s seen every act of service. He’s watched every time you’ve faithfully prepared a message. He has walked into the room of the dying person with you. He’s listened as you’ve prayed for the direction of your church. He’s seen your acts of service. Others may take you for granted. But God doesn’t. Never forget that.

I showered and shaved. I adjusted my tie. I got there and sat in a pew just in time, bowing my head in prayer.

As I closed my eyes I saw the shoe of the man next to me touching my own. I sighed.

With plenty of room on either side I thought, “Why must our soles touch?” It bothered me, his shoe touching mine, but it didn’t bother him much.

A prayer began: “Our Father”, I thought, “This man with the shoes, has no pride. They’re dusty, worn, and scratched. Even worse, there are holes on the side!”

“Thank You for blessings,” the prayer went on. The shoe man said a quiet “Amen.” I tried to focus on the prayer, but my thoughts were on his shoes again.

Aren’t we supposed to look our best when walking through that door? “Well, this certainly isn’t it,” I thought, glancing toward the floor.

Then the prayer was ended and the songs of praise began. The shoe man was certainly loud, sounding proud as he sang.

His voice lifted the rafters. His hands were raised high. The Lord could surely hear the shoe man’s voice from the sky.

It was time for the offering and what I threw in was steep. I watched as the shoe man reached into his pockets so deep.

I saw what was pulled out - what the shoe man put in. Then I heard a soft “clink”, as when silver hits tin.

The sermon really bored me- to tears, and that’s no lie. It was the same for the shoe man, for tears fell from his eyes.

At the end of the service, as is the custom here, We must greet new visitors, and show them all good cheer.

But I felt moved somehow and wanted to meet the shoe man.. So after the closing prayer I reached over and shook his hand.

He was old and his skin was dark and his hair was truly a mess. But I thanked him for coming - for being our guest.

He said, “My name’s Charlie. I’m glad to meet you, my friend.” There were tears in his eyes, but he had a large, wide grin.

“Let me explain,” he said, wiping tears from his eyes. “I’ve been coming here for months and you’re the first to say, “Hi!””

I know that my appearance is not like all the rest. But I really do try to always look my best.

I always clean and polish my shoes before my very long walk. But by the time I get here they’re dirty and dusty, like chalk.

My heart filled with pain and I swallowed to hide my tears. He continued to apologize for daring to sit so near.

He said, “When I get here I know I must look a sight. But I thought if I could touch you then maybe our souls might unite.”

I was silent for a moment knowing whatever was said would pale in comparison. I spoke from my heart, not my head.

“Oh, you’ve touched me,” I said, “and taught me, in part, that the best of any man is that is found in his heart.”

The rest, I thought, this shoe man will never know. Like just how thankful I really am that his dirty old shoe touched my soul.

This week is the launch week of FALL SEASON 2008 for LIFE Groups here at Word Alive. Thanks to you, fifty-six LIFE Groups launched this new Fall Season. That means 56 great places for people to connect. That’s 56 places to find purpose, meaning, focus, fellowship, and friendship. Here’s a great big thank you from all of us to all of you! Have a great and prosperous season.

For those who missed the Fall Season group leading, begin thinking about a LIFE Group for the Spring Season that will serve your passion and bring LIFE to others. You can start bouncing around your ideas now. Email me at bill@wordalive.org with your thoughts for the future.

This week Kent started a series on laws of life. What a great revelation to know that there is a higher law that frees us all from the ever-present law of sin and death. The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ has certainly released us to soar above the gravitational pull of sin. I encourage you to encourage your groups this week with testimonies of being lifted above on wings of eagles. Recount the times you have mounted up to escape this laws of the world and enter into the higher law of heaven.

Here are 12 simple guidelines that will help you succeed in this fall season 2008

• Make Calendar with dates, times & locations. Use the attendance sheet provided.
  
• Draw people to you. Invite the people you meet, at church, at work…
  wherever you have opportunity.
  
• Manage your groups. Check on the people who are absent. Keep track of the people who join you.
  
• Stick to your promotion.
  
• Don’t be afraid of food. If you can, have a hospitality committee in your group.
  
• Be sensitive to time. We suggest an official ending time for your meeting where people can feel at liberty to leave. We also suggest having a final time thirty minutes after that.
  
• Be vigilant to manage your group in discussions so that everyone has an equal opportunity to participate.
  
• Numbers are not important! It is only important that people connect and that leaders be identifies and encourages for the next season.
  
• Groups should end the week of Nov 24th.
  Please plan to attend our Christmas Party/Debrief Dec 6th.
  Report and relate to Your LIFE Group Coaches
  
  Nanette Mudiam and Nancy Mitchell – Prophetic and Prayer Groups
  Bill Byrd and Cecil Kessler – Hobbies and Sports Groups
  Steve Waters and Huck Fincher – Ministry and Missions Groups
  Mark Harris and Chris Mahy – Books and Bible Studies
  Danny Schneck and Keith Mitchell – Fellowship, Food, and Fun Groups

Turning a church “with” small groups into a church “of” small groups
by Lance Witt

Becoming a church of small groups is a popular topic in some church circles these days. But what exactly does that mean? I define it three ways.

First, a church of small groups can’t accomplish its mission without groups. Groups are so central to your church’s vision that you couldn’t accomplish it without them. It’s not just a complimentary part of your vision; it’s essential.

Second, small groups are seen as a primary delivery system of the church mission. When the church looks at what God wants to do through it in the community, a church of small groups asks, “How can we do it through small groups?”

Third, small groups are in the DNA of your church’s philosophy of ministry. Your church must have a biblical conviction that groups – and building community – are important.
So how do you do it? How do you go from where you are right now to a church of small groups?

Let me give you nine steps in this journey.

Develop your own clarity and conviction about small groups. As the pastor, you need to come to a time when God convicts you that your church needs to move toward this. I had a time like that. I was a senior pastor of a growing church. Yet there was a gnawing sense that something was wrong. We weren’t doing a good job of developing leaders. We weren’t doing a good job of really reaching our community. I personally wasn’t living in community. I knew I couldn’t live like that forever. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my ministry just keeping the machinery of the church going.So for the next year I started really looking at what God was doing around the world. I read everything I could get my hands on. I discovered two things. First, everywhere God was at work prayer was part of the fabric of how they did church. Second, God convicted me that small groups were how these churches “did church.” It wasn’t a program. It was how they did church. That became a biblical conviction for me. I’d encourage you to spend some time in God’s Word really wrestling with what the Bible says about community. You’ll need that biblical conviction if you’re going to make this transition.


Realize this is messy and will take time. To move from a church that is just intrigued with small groups to a church that has small groups at its core will take time. It’s a very long and messy process. In fact, as you make this transition, you’ll have to spend a lot of the leadership capital and relational credibility you’ve amassed in your church. If you’re new to the church and haven’t earned this capital, you might want to wait. It’s not that anyone will disagree with you about the importance of community. But you’ll have to mess with how people do church to do this. So move slowly. You’ll also have to show savvy leadership, knowing who to influence and how to influence them. You can’t do that quickly.


Build a consensus within the church. You have to manage the change process in your church. Most churches (although this is a vast generalization) have three different leadership components. The systems and structures of the church are often led by either the senior pastor or an elder group. The strategy and philosophy of how ministry gets done in a church is often owned by the staff. The more tactical details of ministry are typically set by lay leaders. You’ll have to build a consensus among all three of these groups if you’re going to transition to a church of small groups. You’ve got to get them to buy in. As you try to build consensus, try to do these two things.


Identify the formal and informal leaders of the church. Then spend some time with those leaders discussing your vision. Maybe look into having an all-day retreat to do so.
Know the difference between alignment and attunement. You can force organizational alignment. You can tell people that you’re going to do small groups in your church. Attunement, on the other hand, is all about the heart. You want to create both organizational alignment and buy-in from the heart level. Getting buy-in is harder, takes much longer, and is far messier. It’s also the only way to make lasting change.

Build small groups within your own context. Distinguish between the wine and the wineskin. Remember when Jesus changed the water to wine in John 2? What was more important, the wine or the wineskin? The wine, of course. I missed this early in my journey with small groups. The wine is helping people develop true community. The wineskin is how you do small groups. It will look different from church to church. You need to understand your own context. Don’t just pick up someone else’s formula for small groups. Look at your own context first. Adopt a model but adapt it to your congregation.


Cast a vision. Somebody has to be the megaphone that inspires people to be a part of small groups. It would be great if this was the senior pastor. If it’s not, you’ll always be climbing uphill. But someone has to do it. Someone has to pain the picture of what it looks like to be in true community. Someone has to tell the story of what God is doing through groups in your church.


Develop a vocabulary in your church for small groups. When God first moved me and the church I served toward small groups, one of the first things we did was script out answers to some of the questions we expected to get on small groups. This ended up being great. It meant we were all saying the same thing. You need to make sure everyone on your team is saying the same thing about groups in your church. Try to use the same wording if possible.


Create space for groups in your church’s schedule – and on the campus – for groups. Most of the events in our churches compete with small groups, not compliment them. We did this for awhile at Saddleback. We had 12- and 13-week on-campus discipleship classes. Truthfully, though, our people were not going to come to these classes and small groups. If we wanted to get people into small groups, we had to do things differently. So we shortened the classes and encouraged groups to attend the classes together. Sometimes we used the on-campus groups to jump-start small groups on the topic. Take a look at what’s on your schedule and make sure you don’t have other programs dragging people away from small groups.We also realized that our campus needed to be a catalyst not a container. We didn’t mind using a room on campus to help get groups going, but we wouldn’t let them continue on campus for a long time. At Saddleback, we didn’t have a choice. We didn’t have enough room to have all the groups on campus, but it’s a good idea to move them anyway. Otherwise group leaders see the room you’ve given them as their room – and they don’t believe they can meet God without it.


Develop a coaching infrastructure. There’s a big correlation between support and sustainability. Early on at Saddleback we did a great job of getting most of the people in our congregation involved in groups, but we didn’t do so well in supporting those groups. This happened with many churches that did 40 Days of Purpose. They had a huge spike in the number of small groups through the campaign, but then that number dropped off dramatically afterwards. Why? Generally, there was no infrastructure. If you’re trying to teach the congregation that small groups are where you go when trouble floats into your life, and then you strand the leaders after they get started, you’re sending mixed messages.You don’t have to do this with staff either. You can build this coaching infrastructure with volunteers as well.


Dedicate more resources to group growth and group resources. If you believe in small groups and believe they are integral to the fulfilling the mission of your church, your budget should reflect that. In most churches, the weekend service costs far more money than their groups do. That won’t happen in a church of small groups.
It can be a long journey from being a church with small groups to a church of small groups. But true biblical community is worth the work. These nine steps can help you get there.

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” - Plutarch

“If you plan to build a tall house of virtues, you must first lay deep foundations of humility.” - Augustine

“Love is blind – marriage is the eye-opener.” - Pauline Thomason

According to the Census Bureau, 60 percent of single adults 18 and over in America have never been married. Another 25 percent are divorced. Fifteen percent are widowed. - (Source: U.S. Census Bureau)

“Many promising reconciliations have broken down because, while both parties came prepared to forgive, neither party came prepared to be forgiven.” - Charles Williams

Quotes on Change

"Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."~ John F. Kennedy

"Every generation needs a new revolution."~ Thomas Jefferson

"The most successful businessman is the man who holds onto the old just as long as it is good, and grabs the new just as soon as it is better."~ Robert P. Vanderpoel

"If you want to make enemies, try to change something."~ Woodrow Wilson

"Neither a wise man nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him." ~ Dwight D. Eisenhower

Turn your mistakes into opportunities by Mary Southerland

I am sure you have heard the story of Ivory soap, the "soap that floats." Years ago, this soap was just another brand among many until a factory foreman made a mistake. He left a fresh batch of soap in the cooking vat and went to lunch. When he was late getting back and the soap had overcooked, the foreman frantically examined the burned soap. It seemed to clean the same. The only difference he could see was in the weight. The burned soap was lighter.

He could either report the mistake and risk being fired, or he could make the best of it and ship the soap out as if nothing had happened. He shipped it out. The results surprised everyone. Instead of complaints, the company was deluged with orders for this new "floating soap" and the foreman was promoted.
God works the same way, taking our mistakes and sins and bringing good out of them. Paul said it well in Romans 8:28 (HCSB), "We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to his purpose." If we let him, God will use the pain of our sin and the results of our mistakes as the foundation upon which he can build a new life and a more effective ministry.
God works through our mistakes, knowing there is strength in pain that can be gained no other way. God does not eliminate mistakes, but he does step into the midst of the mistakes we bring to him. At our invitation, God's very presence fills those mistakes with power and fresh hope, redeeming them for new truth and insight.
God is not committed to our comfort, but he is committed to our character – to making us more like Jesus. He will use every part of our life to make that happen. God does not waste a single experience, and there are no "scraps" of life to be thrown away! He even uses our mistakes for good.
God uses mistakes to direct us. Some of my biggest mistakes have yielded the most powerful lessons in my life, pointing me in a new direction or revealing an area that needed change. As the writer of Proverbs 20 explains, "Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways."
God uses mistakes to inspect us. People are like tea bags. If you want to know what is really inside, just drop them into hot water! How we respond to mistakes, problems, and sin tests the strength and reality of our faith. James 1:2-3 (NLT) says, "Whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow."
God uses mistakes to correct us. Some lessons simply cannot be learned in the light; they are wrapped in the darkness of pain and defeat. I remember when our daughter, Danna, was a toddler and had a fascination for electric outlets. I repeatedly pointed to each outlet in our home and firmly said, "No! No!" It was not until she stuck an object into one of those outlets, burning her little finger, that she learned the lesson and changed her behavior. We would be wise to choose the attitude of the psalmist, "It was good that I had to suffer in order to learn your laws. The teachings [that come] from your mouth are worth more to me than thousands in gold or silver" (Psalm 119:71-72 GNT).
God uses mistakes to protect us. A problem can be a blessing in disguise if it prevents us from being harmed by something more serious. Several years ago, a family friend was fired for refusing to do something unethical that his boss had asked him to do. His unemployment was a problem and seemed like a huge mistake – but it saved him from being convicted and sent to prison a year later when his former management's illegal actions were eventually discovered. Genesis 50:20 in the Message paraphrase says, "You planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good."
God uses mistakes to perfect us. When responded to correctly, mistakes and problems are character builders. In Romans 5:3-4 (NLT), the apostle Paul says, "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation."
God is at work in us – even in our mistakes, and even when we do not recognize him or understand his process.
Take a closer look at your mistakes. Have they become an albatross around your neck, constantly reminding you of your failure and inadequacy in ministry? Do past mistakes keep you from stepping out in faith today? It's time to examine each failure through a new God-given perspective for the valuable nuggets of truth and the treasures that the darkness holds.

Welcome to this week's blog spot. Included this week are a little thank you note for our Leaders, a little humor, some quotes worth reading, and a very good articles giving some tips for worship leading in a small group (I may not totally agree with every point, but this is some very good info). Just look to the menu to the left to move around tothe different posts. Thanks!

God Bless You as you prepare to begin the Fall Season 2008 - love you all!

The following article is located at:
http://legacy.pastors.com/article.asp?printerfriendly=1&ArtID=11334



I lead worship at Saddleback Church, and I also lead worship for my small group. Leading worship for my small group is one of my favorite times of the week. But it's an entirely different experience than leading worship before a big group. Here are a few tips to help you and your small group worship more effectively through music.

Lead with a clean heart. You can't do something spiritual without being connected to God. You can't have a clean heart if you have sin in your life.

Plug into the power source. It's not about having to have the right song; it's about having the right connection with God.

Keep it simple. This is especially important in small groups, but it's important in all worship settings. It's a corporate worship experience, so it's important to be so simple that everyone can participate.

Be sensitive to the Sprit's leading. Watch the people you're leading. I'll watch at times and notice that people need a word of encouragement, so I'll share a word of encouragement at that time. But remember, the Spirit won't lead you to go over your scheduled time so that other parts get shorted.

Tune your instrument. Sometimes people just play louder instead of tuning the instrument. That's distracting.

Prepare before leading. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as you prepare, not just when you lead. I find that God leads throughout my preparation time.

Keep songs between A and D. Try to make sure there are no notes lower than an A or higher than D. Go higher or lower than those notes, and it's tough for people to stay with you.

Try starting the song with the chorus. It's usually the most familiar part of the song. This will help everyone get started with a part they know.

Line up your songs by key. Go a little higher with each song. That'll build momentum for your group.

Mix up the tempo and the feel. People get bored with the same tempo song after song. Many songs can be played at different tempos, so depending on what you need you may pick it up or slow it down.

Provide lyric books or a group songbook. I like using a group songbook because you can plan your songs. You can give your group members the seven or eight songs you're going to be using and they can use them for devotional times as well. You'll want to check and make sure that's legal with your song copyrighting system.

Use the IMPACT worship flow formula.

Inspire Movement with a song you can clap your hands to.
Praise God with a song that's about him, but is not as intimate as other songs.
Adore God with a song sung to him.
Commit with a song dedicating yourself to God.
Tie it together.


Sing songs people know. Sometimes we pick songs for thematic reasons, but group members don't know the songs. Stick with songs other people know. The point is for people to know what you're singing. You should use new songs from time to time just to keep things fresh, but they should be songs that are easy to learn.

Don't play a song for more than five minutes. People get bored quickly.

Eliminate the dead time between songs. Know what you're doing so you don't have a long time in between songs. Think through your transitions particularly. This isn't about performance; it's about communication.

Singers follow melody not chords. Make sure you aren't playing your guitar too loud. Many people don't realize how loud they are playing. Remember that people are following the words more than the chords.

Ask the group for song suggestions. That works a lot better than just playing your favorites. It should be about connecting people in the group to God, not your own preferences.

Pray with the group before you play. It's really important that we realize this isn't a performance. It's a time for worship. Prayer will start you off in the right mindset.

When you sing to God, close your eyes. Don't look at the group. Depending upon the lyrics, you can put yourself in some awkward situations when you are singing love songs to God but looking at someone else.

Remember, you're representing Christ to the small group. If you're rude during the group meeting, it will be tough to convince the group to worship later.

Don't get lost in the worship. I think it's great to get lost in private worship, but not when you're leading worship. You've got to remember that you're leading others.

Be prepared spiritually and relationally. Make sure your relationships with God and others in the group are right.

“Adventure, with all its requisite danger and wilderness, is a deeply spiritual longing written into the soul of man.” - John Eldredge, Wild at Heart: Discovering the Secret of a Man’s Soul (Thomas Nelson, 2001)

“Open your hearts to the love God instills … God loves you tenderly. What he gives you is not to be kept under lock and key, but to be shared.” - Mother Teresa

“None of us is as smart as all of us.” - Ken Blanchard

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” - Bill Gates

“God gave us memories that we might have roses in December.” - J.M. Barrie

Little Carol came into the kitchen where her mother was making dinner.
Her birthday was coming up and she thought this was a good time to tell her
mother what she wanted. 'Mom, I want a bike for my birthday.'
Now, Little Carol was a bit of a troublemaker. She had gotten into
trouble at school and at home. Carol's mother asked her if she thought she deserved to get a bike for her birthday. Little Carol, of course, thought she did.

Carol's mother, being a Christian woman, wanted her to reflect on her
behavior over the last year, and write a letter to God and tell him why she
deserved a bike for her birthday. Little Carol stomped up the steps to her room and sat down to write God a letter.

LETTER 1:
Dear God:
I have been a very good girl this year and I would like a bike for
my birthday I want a red one.

Your friend,
Carol

Carol knew this wasn't true. She had not been a very good girl this
year, so she tore up the letter and started over.



LETTER 2:
Dear God:
This is your friend Carol. I have been a pretty good girl this year,
and I would like a red bike for my birthday.
Thank you,
Carol

Carol knew this wasn't true either. She tore up the letter and started
again.



LETTER 3:
Dear God:

I know I haven't been a good girl this year. I am very sorry. I will
be a good girl if you just send me a red bike for my birthday.
Thank you,
Carol

Carol knew, even if it was true, this letter was not going to get her a
bike. By now, she was very upset. She went downstairs and told her mother shewanted to go to church. Carol's mother thought her plan had worked
because Carol looked very sad.

'Just be home in time for dinner,' her mother said.

Carol walked down the street to the church and up to the altar. She
looked around to see if anyone was there. She picked up a statue of the Virgin
Mary, slipped it under her jacket and ran out of the church, down the street,
into her house, and up to her room. She shut the door and sat down and wrote her letter to God.



LETTER 4:
I GOT YOUR MAMA.
IF YOU WANT TO SEE HER AGAIN, SEND THE BIKE.

Signed,
YOU KNOW WHO

Dear Ministry Leadership Team

Thanks so much for responding to our call for the "FALL SEASON 2008" leaders.

We have a wonderful variety of small group that will be meeting during the 10 week season.

For those of you who were not able to lead a group this season, thanks for prayerfully considering the opportunity. I am so excited that we can take each season to lead, attend, or rest - and all of these are good options. I hope you will be thinking and praying about a LIFE group that expresses your passion for the Spring 2009 Season.

This weekend I will teach on "SEASONS of LIFE" and the book detailing the LIFE Group opportunities for the Fall Season will be distributed.

If you had planned to lead a group or would still like to do one and are not in the book, we will be printing a bulletin insert next week for any additional groups that missed the publication. Please let Heather know as soon as possible.

Thanks again and God bless you all!

Video * Gamers * Comic Book Club * Book Club
Hunters * Fisherman * Archery
Paintball Golf Basketball
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Tennis Hockey Equestrian
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Soccer Softball
Girls Softball Movies Music Lovers
Musicians Painting Photography
Poetry Digital Arts Graphic Design
Film Making Motorcycles ATV
Dirt Bikes Harleys Street Bikes
Boating Skiing Knee boarding
Arts & Crafts Interior Design Furniture Design/Building
Fashion Forum Fashion Design Sewing
Cross Stitching Quilting Scrap Booking
Knitting Gardening Remote Control Planes
R.C. Cars Fitness Weight Lifting
Car Enthusiast Weight Loss Animal Lovers
Cyclist Runners Group E-group
Carpenters Missions Travelers
Hiking Repelling Rock Climbing
Sky Diving Hang gliding Flying
Skateboarding Swimming Scuba
Snorkeling Snow Skiing Snowboarding
Kayaking Canoeing White Water
Roller Coaster Enthusiast Web Design Shopping
Martial Arts Wrestling Boxing
Song Writing Creative Writing Pottery
Sculpting Carving
Models (cars, planes, boats) Scale Trains
Puzzles Board Games Role Playing Games
Culinary Enthusiast Computer Programmers
Computer Builders IT/Network Game Design
Politics Finance Real Estate
Land Acquisition Business Leadership
CCN Facilitator Construction Builders
Architect Mechanics Healthy Living
Mathletes Astronomy Wildlife
Strategic Planning Apologetics Billiards
Poker Coffee Drinkers
Parenting Moms of Preschoolers
Care Groups Divorce Widows
Widowers Education Comedy
Robotics Inventors Upholstery
Collectables Signature Items Debating
Bingo American Idol Group Bunko
Indian Artifacts Friendship Makers Taxidermy
You-tubing Concert goers

Improvising Your Approach to Improvement by Dr. John C. Maxwell

Our well-being and happiness are tied to the notion that our lives can improve. We hope for a better future for our company, our kids, and ourselves. We dream of a tomorrow that's better and brighter than today.
Here are a few improvements many of us desire to see:
We hope to lose weight and improve our fitness
We hope to earn more money and improve our financial standing
We hope to argue less with our spouse and improve our marriage
Over the next year, if we knew our health would deteriorate, our economic situation would worsen, and our closest relationships would unravel, then we'd be depressed. In fact, even if we knew our lives would stay the same, most of us would feel unsatisfied. We're always looking to improve the quality of our lives - it's human nature.
Unfortunately, many of us never go beyond hoping for improvements to actually making them. In this lesson, I'd like to share some insights to help you improvise your approach to improvement.
Develop Habits
The secret of your success is determined by your daily agenda. Leaders who make successful improvements share a common denominator: they form habits of daily action that those who fail to improve never develop. As my friend Andy Stanley says, "Your direction determines your destination." The steps you make each day, for good or ill, eventually chart the path of your life.
Consider the analogy of saving for retirement. Financial advisers counsel us to invest for retirement early in our careers and consistently throughout life. If we do, we can quit working at 65 with a sizeable nest egg. However, if we neglect funding our 401(k) each month, then we end up with nothing. We may still "hope" to win the lottery and secure our financial future, but we've lost the ability to control our fate.
Befriend Discipline
We live in the ultimate quick-fix culture. Everyone wants to be thin, but few people eat healthy and exercise. Everyone wants financial stability, but many refuse to be bothered by a budget. Rather than trouble ourselves with discipline, we opt for diet fads or speculate in the stock market. When we don't see long-term improvements, we discard one fad in favor of another.
In life, there are two kinds of pain: the pain of self-discipline and the pain of regret. The pain of self-discipline involves sacrifice, sweat, and delayed gratification. Thankfully, the reward of improvement softens the pain of self-discipline and makes it worthwhile. The pain of regret begins as a missed opportunity and ends up as squandered talent and an unfulfilled life. Once the pain of regret sets in, there's nothing you can do other than wonder, "What if?"
Admit Mistakes
When trying to improve, we not only risk failure, we guarantee it. The good news is that mistakes generally teach us far more than success. There's no sense pretending we're perfect. Even the best of the best have moments of weakness. That's why it's important to be honest when we fall short, learn from the mistake, and move forward with the knowledge gained.
Measure Progress
You cannot manage what you cannot measure. Identify the areas in which improvement is essential to your success and find a way to track your progress. Keeping score holds you accountable and gives you a clear indicator of whether or not you're actually improving.
Change Continually
Continual change is essential for improvement. One of the great paradoxes of success is that the skills and qualities that get you to the top are seldom the ones that keep you there. The quest to improve forces us to abandon assumptions, embrace innovation, and seek new relationships. If we're complacent for too long, we'll fall behind the learning curve. Once this happens, it's a steep, uphill climb to get back to the top.
The desire for improvement has a degree of discontent in it. Personal growth requires apparently contradictory mindsets: humility to realize you have room to grow but also confidence that improvement is possible.
SUMMARY
Tips for Attaining Improvement
Develop Habits
Befriend Discipline
Admit Mistakes
Measure Progress
Change Continually
LEADERSHIP@LARGE

Enjoy these Bulletin Bloopers from around the nation:

The sermon this morning: "Jesus Walks on the Water." The sermon tonight: "Searching for Jesus."
Ladies, don't forget the rummage sale. It's a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.
Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community.
Smile at someone who is hard to love.
Say "Hell" to someone who doesn't care much about you.
Don't let worry kill you off - let the Church help.
Miss Charlene Mason sang "I will not pass this way again," giving obvious pleasureto the congregation.
For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs.
Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.
The Rector will preach his farewell message, after which the choir will sing:"Break Forth Into Joy."
Irving Benson and Jessie Carter were married on O! ctober 24 in the church.So ends a friendship that began in their school days.
At the evening service tonight, the sermon topic will be "What Is Hell?"Come early and listen to our choir practice.
Eight new choir robes are currently needed due to the addition of several new membersand to the deterioration of some older ones.
Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles and other items to be recycled.Proceeds will be used to cripple children.
Please place your donation in the envelope along with the deceased person youwant remembered.
The church will host an evening of fine dining, super entertainment and gracious hostility.
Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 PM - prayer and medication to follow.
The ladies of the Church have cast off clothing of every kind.They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon.
This evening at 7 PM there will be a hymn singing in the park across from the Church.Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin.
Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10 AM. All ladies are invited to lunch in the Fellowship Hall after the B.S. is done.
The pastor would appreciate it if the ladies of the congregation would lend him theirelectric girdles for the pancake breakfast next Sunday.
Low Self Esteem Support Group will meet Thursday at 7 PM.! Please use the back door.
The eighth-graders will be presenting Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Church basementFriday at 7 PM. The congregation is invited to attend this tragedy.
Weight Watchers will meet at 7 PM at the First Presbyterian Church.Please use the large double door at the side entrance.
The Associate Minister unveiled the church's new tithing campaignslogan last Sunday : "I Upped My Pledge - Up Yours"

Minister’s Summit Coming UP August 18 at 7:00 pm

The first Fall Minister’s Summit is scheduled for one week from today, Monday August 18 at 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary. This will be an important hour of vision casting for the coming fall season.
If you need child care, please communicate with Heather Varvell at HVARVELL@wordalive.org or call the Kidz Alive offices.

We will be focusing on a Fall Season of Small Group Ministry beginning the week of September 21 and continuing through Thanksgiving. That’s 10 weeks of emphasis that allows you to focus your LIFE group ministry of a topic or activity of interest that allows new folks to connect and provides a clean start point and end point for that ministry season.
We are coming to realize that LIFE groups, LIFE Expressions, and LIFE Lines need the opportunity to focus, invite, begin and end. This helps leaders pace themselves, keeps things fresh, allows for interest based groups, and allows for a good sense of beginning, middle, and ending.

THE CHALLENGE- Over the next few weeks, consider how you would like to revive and/or extend your LIFE Group for a 10 week focused study, activity, or outreach open to newcomers and old-comers alike. Please take the lid off and go after something you will really enjoy. It may be cycling, golfing, hospital visitation, studying a book of the Bible, making a craft, taking a trip, reading a novel and discussing it, cooking, eating out, shopping… just something that you can use as a connection point for ministry. –

Remember… “I couldn’t just turn and walk away from a vision like that!!” Your ministry call is a life line of God’s flow of grace and power to you.