Tag Archives: guest

Guest Teaser – If Jim Planted a Church Today

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I saw this yesterday on Cass Midgley’s Facebook profile. Cass’s friend Jim is a church planter whose perspective on church planting and spiritual development has changed over the years.

Cass has given me permission to reprint a portion of his article. Check it out below:

If Jim Were Planting A Church Today

Setting the Stage

I have planted two churches. One has developed into a very healthy attractional church, the other a cutting edge missional church. I worked much harder than I needed to and focused much of my energy attempting to achieve the wrong things. I would trade anyone anytime to be able to plant a church today in comparison with 30 years ago. Now I have other things to do but I want to help others who are interested in this work have more fun, achieve better (and more interesting) goals and survive the psycho- spiritual battlefield one encounters in this work.

30 things I would do differently

  1. Have a career in an unrelated field – like music, teaching, marketing or my own business
  2. Realize that if money were removed from ministry most pastors would quit.
  3. Accept some money from my spiritual community out of principle.
  4. Gather people around serving others instead of knowing more.
  5. Be happy with leading 5-10 people and knowing them personally.
  6. Serve my spiritual community by making connections for them in our local community.
  7. Introduce people to Jesus in the context of serving others.

If these intrigue you, stop by Cass Midgley’s Facebook profile to find the other 23 things Jim would do differently.

Ruminator Ramblings – Press In

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I received the following in an email from Rodney, my friend, elder, teacher, and author of Ruminator Ramblings. He was kind enough to let me post it. Read what he wrote and then check out Ruminator Ramblings.

THE WORD ON PROVISION

“Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life…what you shall eat or what you shall drink…and about your body…what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither SOW or REAP nor gather into barns, and YET your heavenly Father KEEPS FEEDING THEM. Are you not worth more than they? And which of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure [cubit] to his stature or to the span of his life? And why should you be anxious about clothes? Consider the lilies of the field and learn thoroughly how they grow; they neither TOIL or SPIN; yet…I tell you, even Solomon in all his magnificence (excellence, dignity and grace ) was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and green and tomorrow is tossed int o the furnace…will He not MUCH MORE surely clothe you, O YOU MEN OF LITTLE FAITH? Therefore…DO NOT WORRY (sow/reap, toil/spin), saying, what are we going to have to eat…or what are we going to have to drink…or what are we going to have to wear? For the Gentiles [heathens] wish for and crave and diligently seek (sow/reap, toil/spin) after all these things…and your heavenly Father WELL KNOWS THAT YOU NEED THEM ALL. But SEEK for (aim at and strive after) first of all HIS KINGDOM…and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS [his way of doing things and being right]…and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. SO…do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow…for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:25-34 The Amplified Bible)

PERSISTENT PRAYER

Keep on asking and it will be given you…keep on seeking and your will find…keep on knocking (reverently) and the door will be opened. For every one who keeps on asking receives…and he who keeps on seeking finds…and to him who keeps on knocking it will be opened. Or what man is there of you…if his son asks him for a loaf of bread, will hand him a stone. Or if he asks for a fish…will hand him a serpent…or if he asks for a fish…will hand him a serpent? If you then…evil as you are…know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much MORE iwll your Father Who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give good and advantages things to those who KEEP ON ASKING HIM.” (Matthew 7:7-11 The Amplified Bible)

A=Ask
S=Seek
K=Knock

P=PRAY
U=UNTIL
S=SOMETHING
H=HAPPENS

RECOMMENDED READING:

  1. Prayer Is Invading The Impossible by Jack Hayford.
  2. E. M. Bounds on Prayer by E. M. Bounds
  3. Shaping History Through Prayer and Fasting by Derek Prince
  4. Living Prayer by Robert Benson
  5. The Power of Prayer and the Prayer of Power by R.A. Torrey
  6. Praying In The Spirit by Robert W. Graves
  7. With Christ In The School Of Prayer by Andrew Murray
  8. Intercessory Prayer (How God Can Use Your Prayers to Move Heaven and Earth)
  9. The Book of Common Prayer
  10. My Prayer For You by Pat Robertson

NOTE: Affiliate links added to recommended reading

Mooin’ and Chewin’ The Word Of God
www.ruminatorramblings-rodney.blogspot.com

Ruminator Ramblings Press In