Thankful for Opportunities, Resources, Relationships, Personal Spiritual Growth and Ministry Development

I have been very blessed to have served here at Emmanuel.
Through EBC, God has provided me with conferences, books, speaking opportunities and the other pastors on staff to help me grow personally and develop a philosophy of ministry.
In preparing for my ministry transition I have been thinking through these great resources and opportunities and have been putting together a ministry transition notebook over the last several months.
This has provided time to reflect on and flesh out some ministry philosophy points.


This ministry transition notebook contains sections on UPWARD, EKIDZ, Kids in Church, Bible Teaching Hour, Child Teen Protection Policy, Communication, Soul Care, web-based ministries, prayer, contacts and
some general ministry principles.

While most of it is specific to ministry areas I oversaw, I wanted to share in this post, some of the general ministry principles I have learned and tried to apply during my time here at EBC.
There are two main reasons I wanted to share this

1. Sharing these things is a thank you for your investment in me.  Many of you at EBC have been such a help in my development as a pastor.  Financial gifts have provided for books and conferences that have helped me grow.  Time gifts such as serving in ministries or meeting at various times and places have provided encouragement and insights.  
2. Sharing these things is an update on our ministry.  We want you to know what we have learned and are planning to take from EBC and share with others in our ministry.  As I have mentioned before, we are prayerfully looking forward to taking what we have learned here to another church. 

I am excited to take these and other principles to wherever God has serving next.  Below are the principles and HERE are the journal pages, which I have been and probably will continue updating.

• Parents are the primary disciple-makers in their child's life

• Disciples make disciples who make disciples - hwww.youtube.com/watch?v=jRq1n1c5YUs

• What is taught in every group is vitally important for the spiritual health of the members and for the church as a whole - hthomrainer.com/?s=unaligned+small+groups

• Many people in the church don't need more options to "get information."  They need training on and opportunities to "apply information."  At the same time, information/truth is not bad and does not need to be eliminated.
• Related to children and parents:  www.timothypauljones.com/making-time-for-what-matters/

• Kids need to be seen as "potential" or "actual" members of the body of Christ - the church - not attenders of a ministry or means to reach parents.
• www.timothypauljones.com/family-ministry-do-you-see-who-your-children-really-are/