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Ministry Encouragement Podcast Episode #055 7-17-13
Rev. Jim W. Hollis, Host and Executive Director of Proactive Ministries – www.proactive-ministries.org
Email for Jim: jim@ministryencouragementpodcast.com / Ministry Offices (Atlanta, GA, USA) (770) 803-9988
Hello to each you who are joining in our Podcast this week. I deeply appreciate your taking time to listen in and share in our community of faith that we are building around this ministry podcast. We are reaching more each week and are now finding the JOY of more Global Reach across the Christian Faith and Christian communities around the globe. Thanks be to God for this expansion and the opportunity to have new friends join in and participate!
Today I will be talking about a few “characters” that often get us into serious trouble when it comes to decisions, organizations, follow through and serving Christ in ministry in general. These five are named:
Everybody and Anybody
Moreover, these two special identities actually have some “relatives” of sorts, who can aid them in getting us into very deep and hard to overcome problems that can be related to both personal discipleship and corporate ministries. These psuedo-relatives are:
Somebody, Nobody and Everything
Giving center-stage to these characters in your Leadership thinking, meetings and decisions – and you will discover what births and grows apathy, anger, frustration, pointlessness, majoring on minutia, minimizing accountability and maximizing comfort in local churches. How can churches full of good people with the best of intentions experience ZERO growth, outreach and decline for years or even generations? Just let these “characters” lead!
Do we find ourselves today, when it comes to our own local church and leadership:
- Tired of waiting for people to visit us
- Frustrated by how few changed lives spiritually we see in our week to week church experience
- Aggravated that we are allowing MINOR things to crowd out MAJOR priorities of God, like evangelism
- Worn out with being consistently resisted and headed-off-at-the-meeting by naysayers
If so, listen in and see what can change this from being the sad, sad norm. There is hope and a new day possible for each of our lives and congregations. Do we believe it? Are we willing to step out on faith, risk ourselves for the cause of all causes?
Thanks so much for listening to another Episode of The Ministry Encouragement Podcast. Your sharing this with your fellow Christ-followers can truly make a difference in your life and theirs. Perhaps you need something to bring to your Sunday School class or Small Group? Why not make a CD or DVD of this Podcast and share it with them OR simply play it from your smartphone or other device for your class or group to discuss? It won’t be boring and may bring some wake up calls.
Until next time, may the Lord bless you and keep you, may the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. And as always I love hearing from you. How do these “characters” we have talked about today cause pain, struggle and suffering in your own life or the life of your church? Let me know. How have you overcome them and not given in to granting them more mention than they deserve?
And as always, if you would like to call or email me to set up a phone time where we can discuss together your church, your ministry, your spiritual growth or your calling from God – please do so. I am always blessed to receive communications from those of you who are seeking to grow spiritually.
In Christ,
Jim
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