by Rick Warren PART TWO: WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU GO THROUGH DARK VALLEYS? Last month we looked at the nature of valleys. This month we are going to look at God's antidote for dark valleys. In Psalm 23:4 David said, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, the comfort me" (NKJV). 1. REFUSE TO BE DISCOURAGED "I will fear no evil." I've always thought Christians should be the ones wearing all of the "No fear" T-shirts. I will fear no evil; I fear nothing. That's what David says as a Christian, who puts his faith in God. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. It says, [ Read full article] Ten Ways to Keep the Passion in Your Small Ministry - Part 2
by Steve Gladen
Last month I looked at five ways to keep the passion alive in your small group ministry. This month, I will discuss five more ways to keep your fire burning! 6. Stay in the race. Ministry is a marathon not a sprint. As I am approaching my 30th year in ministry, time and time again I see passion as what keeps me in the race. You will always have ups and downs. 1 Corinthians 9:24 says, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." Make sure your small group encourages your passion for ministry, not weighs it down. Who you surround yourself with is critical to lasting the race.
by Steve Gladen One of the best ways to bring health to your small groups is to bring balance to your small groups. One way to do that is to focus on fun ways to bring the biblical purposes into your meetings. Pass these suggestions along to your Small Group Leaders! Fellowship - Sometimes it is difficult to get everyone in the small group to share. This is a fun way of making sure that happens. Cut straws into different lengths. Hold them in your hand so they look about the same length. Then have group members draw straws. As the person with the shortest straw to respond to the sharing question first. [ Read full article]
By Lance Witt
I was forty seven years old and, for the first time in twenty five years, I was not a pastor in a local church. I was in uncharted territory. The local church was not just a place where my wife and I did ministry, it was a place where we did life. More than I realized, my identity had become wrapped around the position of "pastor". I had just resigned my role as an Executive Pastor and Teaching Pastor at Saddleback Church. Stepping down from my position at Saddleback was by far the hardest ministry decision I had ever made. There are a lot of opportunities and perks that come with being in a place like Saddleback. It had been an amazing ride, but it became clear that it was time for me to step aside.
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