The PF Women Team at our Annual Team Retreat ~ 2018 Today on Seth Godin's blog, he said: It's tempting to decide to make a profit first, then invest in training, people, facilities, promotion, customer service and most of all, doing important work. In general, though, it goes the other way. Yes, it does. If you are waiting to make a profit before you do these things, in my experience you're not going to make a profit. So many organizations, ministries and churches are struggling with financial issues. I know your pain. As anyone who follows our story knows, our ministry was in a ton of debt four years ago when I came on as director. Since that time, we've gotten out of debt and turned a profit every year. God has done amazing things through out team, for which we give Him the glory! I find that what Seth is saying here is absolutely true, with one disclaimer. For Christian leaders, spiritual disciplines must always be first. Before we started i...
I read a great post by Pastor Gary Lamb, about people hearing what they want to hear. This is so good, all of you who are in ministry HAVE to read it. Seriously. I am telling you, those of you who pastor a church are going to want to wave hankies when you read this, so just get one in your hand and get prepared.
I experience this too all the time, whether at my church or ministering elsewhere. And I think for us Pentecostals, it occurs even more, though I'm not going to give up on being Pentecostal over it or anything...lol.
It happens all the time to Lar and I. What about the rest of you in ministry...do you have a lot of moments where you wonder how in the world people got what they did out of what you just said?
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For instance, my husband was speaking on faith and he said that if you ask God for a Candy Apple Red Corvette, you must have enough faith to believe He'll give you just that.
Well, a couple at the church heard something very different - they told us that we were very materialistic and that we shouldnt be asking the church to buy us a Candy Apple Red Corvette and they were not going to be a part of it - duh!!!
It was a great read, thanks.
One time I was preaching and said that in all my years of ministry I have rarely if ever heard a complaint from a new convert. I said, "new converts are so full of Jesus - they are so excited - so on fire - so happy - they just don't complain."
Next thing I know, a lady is passing around the church, "Pastor Deanna doesn't like old people. She said it right from the pulpit!"
WHAT??!! First I never said I liked/didn't like anyone. It was never about that. Second, "new convert" doesn't mean young. Just because someone is accepting Christ as Savior doesn't mean they are necessarily young in age, just young in the Lord.
As you might guess the person saying that was an older person in the church who had issue with me and was just looking for anything to bash me with and that was her latest thing she perceived as an opportunity. *sigh*
There are so many of these incidences I could share...it's pathetic how many times people turn things around to suit their own purposes. Many people have too much time on their hands...
as I often say, "those who are busy rowing the boat have no time to rock it." :-)