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April 2016
Church Press Newsletter
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Welcome! Please come in. You Raise Me Up was written by and for Rolf Lovland and performed for the very first time at the funeral of Lovland's mother in the UK. Incredibly inspirational. Filled with intensity from God's Holy Spirit. Yes, praise be to the mighty Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gives comfort like no one else. View the video, listen to or sing the words of this stirring hymn. Then, pass it on to someone else. Click "forward this email" at the bottom.
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The Fable of the Fleas
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By Pastor Don Ginkel (good for your newsletter)
 It came to pass that two young fleas fell in love and, after a short courtship, married and settled down. They found a large, good natured and inactive dog for a home. Theirs was truly an ideal life. Food, shelter and heat were provided. There was a housing unit in every wrinkle. Life was sweet and easy.
But the patient old dog, sore and unappreciated, grew weak and weary. Unable to any longer support the hungry and rapidly multiplying non-productive population he finally staggered off into the woods and died.
Consternation reigned among the fleas. They held meetings protesting that the economic system had let them down. Had Senator Bernie Sanders been talking to them? Some even threatened to vote for the other party. There was talk of suing the old dog for lack of support. Others, bitter in spirit, trudged off into the cruel world and died by the roadside, trying to hitch a ride on another dog. None thought of shifting for themselves. None thought of where they were placing their trust, their hopes, their ultimate commitment (despite all the promises of the politicians).
Have you ever given much thought to where you have been placing your trust, your hope, and your commitment? Easter reminds us of the commitment of God and His fulfillment of it. Easter is celebrating God's victory over our enemies, sin, Satan, and death. Because Jesus lives we too live. While we live out our life Jesus calls us to a commitment. To understand the commitment of the Christian life we must read and study God's Word.
April is often times a battle ground between Winter and Spring. Early in the month the wind blows with a biting cold. However, toward the end of the month we begin to see the signs of Spring. We need God's grace and a close relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible is our spiritual food. So please - read God's Word each day and share it!
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| The Ten Rules |
- The female always makes the rules. The rules are subject to change at any time without prior notification.
- No male can possible know all the rules.
- If the female suspects the male knows all the rules, she must immediately change some or all of the rules.
- The female is never wrong. If the female is wrong it is because of a flagrant misunderstanding which was a direct result of something the male did or said wrong.
- If Rule 4b applies, the male must apologize immediately for causing the misunderstanding.
- The female can change her mind at any given point in time. The male must never change his mind without express written consent from the female.
- The female has every right to be angry or upset at any time.
- The male must remain calm at all times, unless the female wants him to be angry or upset.
- The female must under no circumstances let the male know whether or not she wants him to be angry or upset.
- Any attempt to alter these rules could result in severe bodily harm.
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Preaching Deep Sermons
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By J. Kent Edwards
 If your goal is to preach deeply, serve lean meat; don't try and communicate everything you know about your passage and its idea. That would be like me taking everything on my Thanksgiving kitchen counter, dumping it into a single pot, and calling it dinner.
The consequence of dumping everything into a single sermon is that you end up with a message that is at best unappetizing and at worst unpalatable. If you put too much in, you will end up creating a mess. Your sermon will be running in every direction and going nowhere. [read more]
(202 pages. #351 $19.99. To order click website or email us. This is the best sermon book on the market.)
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Renowned American Missionary David Brainerd
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Seven days before he died, on October 9, 1747, we have what follows. These are the last words he had the strength to write in his own hand:
Friday, October 2. My soul was this day sweetly set on God: I longed to be "with Him" that I might "behold His glory"; I felt sweetly disposed to commit all to Him, even my dearest friends, my dearest flock, and my absent brother, and all my concerns for time and eternity. Oh, that His Kingdom might come in the world; that they might love and glorify Him for what He is in Himself; and that the blessed Redeemer might "see of the travail of His soul, and be satisfied." Oh, "come Lord Jesus, come quickly!"
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You can afford a pastor's assistant!
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Use volunteers. Pastor - think about the many things you would like to do but do not have the time. Develop a list. Which items could you ask a lay Christian do for you with just a little bit of training?
One does not have to have seminary training to do research for a sermon text for next Sunday or to make meaningful visits on shut-ins or to develop a weekly or monthly newsletter that has info and zip or to visit guests from last Sunday's worship service and on and on.
The key is to develop the list and do the training. What are you waiting for?
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Stack of Stuff
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Avoid gossip
Avoid situations that tempt you to talk negatively about others. When talking about others, say nice things or nothing at all.
Ann Vosskamp:
"Love will always cost you grief. Love is always worth the price." Think about it again.
Listen...
to the birds sing in the dawn or dusk to praise God for Spring!
A great quote from Greg Laurie
"If a pastor possesses a burden for evangelism, the people will get that burden. But if there is a mist in the pulpit, there will be a fog in the pew." Hope there is no fog in your pews.
Delegation works for you
Years ago the famous evangelist D. L. Moody said, "I'd rather get ten men to do the job than to do the job of ten men." Delegation works!
A tragic rejection
It is amazing how God's atoning work through the death of Jesus upon the cross is rejected and even scorned by many pastors and church people today. What should be regarded as the key point of their beliefs and teaching is looked upon as spiritual garbage. Tragic. And more tragic still - countless millions are willing to eat the garbage. Jesus says, "Many false prophets will appear [in the Last Days] and deceive many people" (Matthew 24:11).
Blue Attendance Pads
For April only we're offering our blue pads, portrait, 50 sheets to a pad, at a 50% discount. #506 $1.50 regular price. Discount $.75. To order click email or call 303-980-8863.
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Seven Ways Churches Should Die with Dignity
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By Thom Ranier
 Death is not a popular topic. It's more encouraging to talk about birth, life, and growth. But I want us to deal with the reality of dying churches in this article. And I hope we can move to a positive approach about these churches.
There are approximately 350,000 Protestant churches in the U.S. Many pundits estimate the number of closings to be abut one percent, or 3,500 churches a year. I estimate the number to be closer to two percent, or 7,000 churches a year. Let's split the difference and say more than 5,000 churches die a year. That's 14 churches that die every day. And the number is likely to increase. So what can we offer the leaders of dying churches? How can we help them help their churches die with dignity? I have seven suggestions. [read more]
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Busyness
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Compared to people in other industrialized nations, Americans work longer hours, take fewer vacation days, and retire later in life.
Busyness, once seen as the curse of the disadvantaged, has become equated with status and importance. Our work increasingly defines who we are. But busyness is not a Christian virtue. - Joel Koester, Christianity Today, p. 54, March 2016.
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Trump, Evangelicals, and the Road Ahead
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By David F. Watson
In 1934, at the age of 28, Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote a letter to a friend about an upcoming conference that would involve members of churches from several countries and denominations. He wrote,
We must make it clear - fearful as it is - that the time is very near when we shall have to decide between National Socialism and Christianity. It may be fearfully hard and difficult for us all, but we must get right to the root of things, with open Christian speaking and no diplomacy. And in prayer together we will find a way.
This was before the Holocaust began, before WWII began. But Bonhoeffer saw that one could not embrace the Christian faith and embrace the political tide of his nation that was so enamored with the Nazi party. The two simply were not compatible. On April 9th, 1945, he was executed for his part in the German resistance to the Nazi regime.
The necessity of such a distinction - between the values of our faith and the values embodied in large segments of the wider culture - is once again becoming apparent. It is alarming to see so many people in the United States embracing Donald Trump in his bid to become President of the United States. No, Trump is not Hitler, but he nevertheless embodies values that should cause serious concern among Christians. [read more] Note: Please read the rest of this article no matter what your political persuasion. It's an excellent an article.
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Mother's Day Outreach May 8th
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 Now is the time to make plans for a Mother's Day Outreach for May 8th. This is a day filled with possibility for outreach to your community. Plan a Mother - Daughter Tea in the fellowship hall. Slip an attractively wrapped tea bag in each invitation. Be sure that every woman in your congregation is invited.
Ask each woman to invite two non-member moms to the tea. Ladies without a daughter can "adopt one" for this special occasion (usually held on Saturday). Be sure that everyone is invited to the special worship service on Mother's Day. Have a special children's talk on Mother's Day. At the service give a carnation to every woman at the worship service.
A note from Pastor Don:
One Mother's Day early in my ministry I preached what I thought was a powerful message for mothers. After the service one of the ladies asked if I noticed that one lady, 'Mary,' left the service half way through the sermon and was found crying in the lobby. Her heart's desire was to have a child, and there was none. Ever since I like to hold up all women in the worship service, each woman gets a carnation, and each woman is uplifted and applauded by the Word of God.
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Right Place, Right Time
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By Greg Laurie, Outreach, March/April 2016, p. 138
I feel very strongly that if a person says they want to commit their lives to Christ, it should be acted on immediately. I was at lunch the other day in our favorite seafood restaurant. There was a server there that usually waits on us, and we joked a bit and placed our order. She came back to us with a serious look on her face and said, "I have to ask you a serious question."
I responded, "Go ahead." She said, "When are your service times at your church?" We told her and then she said, "I want to come to your church this Sunday and rededicate my life to the Lord." I think my response surprised her. "No," I said. "You need to commit yourself to the Lord right here, right now!" She hesitated. "Here?" she asked. Smiling, I said, "Right here, right now." She agreed and I led her in a prayer of recommitment.
It seemed only fitting in a restaurant that specializes in serving fresh fish that we not let this one get away as we went "fishing for men." After we prayed, she said, "I feel so much better!" I responded, "Now come to church this Sunday as a newly committed Christian. I'll see you there!"
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Ten Comments from Happy Church Guests
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By Thom Reiner
My team recently asked guests to attend a worship service on the same day to get their immediate impressions of the church. Among those who had a positive experience, we heard a pattern of recurring themes. Here are the top ten responses in order of frequency. Each item is followed by a direct quote from a guest. [read more]
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ETERNITY NOT LONG ENOUGH
Eternity will not be long enough to thank
Jesus for dying on the cross for me.
Eternity will not be long enough to thank some friend
who introduced me to my best Friend, Jesus.
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