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/

Helping People @ The Cherry Street Mission's Life Revitalization Center

Today (06.21), I have the opportunity to do the devotion with EBC's Women of Hope.
We went to the Cherry Street Mission's Life Revitalization Center.
HERE is the handout for the devotional

I shared with the ladies that life without Jesus is the poorest life of all.
Here are parts of the devotional I shared with the ladies, followed by some pictures of the Life Revitalization Center.

From Helping Without Hurting In Church Benevolence.  To find out more about this book, click HERE

A material definition of poverty puts the materially non-poor in a position of superiority over the materially poor.

    Material Definition of Poverty
+  Feelings of Superiority of Materially Non-poor
+  Feelings of Inferiority of Materially Poor
    Harm to both Materially Poor and Non-poor

Galatians 4:1 – 7

I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, ² but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. ³ In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. ⁴ But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, ⁵ to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. ⁶ And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” ⁷ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

We were all profoundly broken people who deserved eternal punishment, but through Christ’s death and resurrection – and absolutely no merit of our own – we are now the adopted sons and daughters of our heavenly Father.

Poverty Alleviation: 
A process in which people, both the materially poor and the materially non-poor, are empowered to move closer to living in right relationship with God, self, others and the rest of creation.

Not all poverty is created equal:  Relief – Rehabilitation – Development

We need to remember there are different reasons for poverty.  We cannot and should not judge those in poverty as if we are superior to them.  


Here is another great reminder from the June 5th Fighter Verses 

Philippians 4:11 – 13
“Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.  I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. ¹³ I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”


Here are some picture from our Life Revitalization Center tour.  
To read more about the Life Revitalization Center go to www.cherrystreetmission.org/facilities/lrc

Craig Magrum, Cherry Volunteer Coordinator gave EBC's
Women of Hope a tour of their new Life Revitalization Center

This is where they are going to begin serving meals
on Friday.  What a beautiful new facility

I was very impressed with the fact that Cherry Street is using
their facility to partner with other organizations like
Connecting Kids with Meals.  These are coolers of lunches
going all over the city.

O.K. I am no Jim Jackson but I did take my picture at
center court of the gym he played on in high school.

I thought my father-in-law would like this picture.
He is a graduate of Macomber High School.

God Gave Us

Recent devotionals from New Morning Mercies and The Fighter Verses have been extremely encouraging.
Psalm 51:8
Philippians 4:11-13