The HARVEST NEWS

Farewell Address

2010-12-07T21:19:00.003-06:00

To download a copy of Pastor Don Brock's farewell address delivered on Sunday morning, February 3, 2008, CLICK HERE.

"We love you all."

COGOP International Assembly 2008

2008-02-25T19:06:00.000-06:00

Today's Quote

2008-02-25T11:07:00.000-06:00

[From Randall Wallace]

"We must learn to regard people less in light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer." -Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Today's Quote

2008-02-24T07:51:00.000-06:00

"When did spiritual success come to mean anything less than transformed lives and focusing on the glory of Jesus Christ?"

Prayer Request - John Payne

2008-02-23T20:39:00.003-06:00

Please pray for John Payne who had surgery this week to remove about 7-8 inches of colon around the tumor.

John is Kathy Payne's husband and serves in the COGOP International Offices.

Prayer Request - Adrian Varlack

2008-02-22T11:14:00.002-06:00

Please be in prayer for Bishop Adrian Varlack, Sr. He has been sick for three weeks with swelling in his legs and fluid around his heart. Medication is not helping.

Please also pray for Janice and the family.

Today's Prayer

2008-02-22T11:01:00.001-06:00

Dear God, You have instructed me to not be anxious, worrisome, overly concerned for any thing ... but instead to bring everything to you in prayer and thanksgiving. If I do this, you have promised me that your peace, which passes all understanding, shall keep my heart and mind through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

I come to you now for myself and on behalf of my brothers and sisters in Christ, and for those who suffer so much due to anxiety and depression. I pray that you will fill us with your peace; that you will touch our minds and remind us that we do not need to worry. You are our God and maker. You will handle it for us. Worrying does no good. May we lean into you, talk with you, spend time in your Word and before the throne of grace.

May we fellowship with other Christians, those who will encourage us, even more so as the day approaches. Right now, this day, we give you our concerns and ask that you will work out all to our good and your glory.

Thank you, Father, for loving us and carrying our burdens. Thank you, Father, for providing our needs. Thank you, Father, for Jesus Christ our Savior and the hope He has given. For it is in His name I pray, amen.

Today's Prayer

2008-02-21T16:10:00.000-06:00

Dear God, Friends can be so much fun, so encouraging, so good; but friends can be discouraging and pull me down too. Please help me to be a friend that is there for others; a friend who is loving and kind, but who will speak words of truth and warning when necessary; a friend who uplifts and prays for others. And God, please give me friends who will be the same way with me. All people need love and support. Please fill that need in my life with Your presence and with the presence of good, biblical friends and loving family. Thank you so much. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Movie Night at the Harvest Center

2008-02-20T18:26:00.003-06:00

As we approach Easter 2008, all Christians would do well to reflect upon what their Lord and Savior has done for them. Christ endured the cross so that we might have a victorious life. His passion was for us to be restored to the Father.

His prayer in John chapter 17 was that we would all love one another as He loves us; thereby the world would know that we are truly His disciples.

Please join us at the Harvest Center on Wednesday night, February 27, at 6:30 PM for a special viewing of this awesome and humbling film depicting Christ’s victory over death, hell, and the grave - The Passion of the Christ.

The movie will be shown in the sanctuary on the big screen.

Today's Thought

2008-02-20T10:27:00.002-06:00

"Quarrel not at all. No man resolved to make the most of himself, can spare time for personal contention. Still less can he afford to take all the consequences, including the vitiating of his temper and the loss of self-control. Yield larger things to which you can show no more than equal right; and yield lesser ones, though clearly your own." - Abraham Lincoln

Today's Quote

2008-02-20T09:33:00.000-06:00

[From Randall Wallace]

"I understand that what I've been blessed to do is a part of God's plan. And as long as I please Him, then I'm pleased." -Denzel Washington

Teach Me To Pray

2008-02-20T09:29:00.002-06:00

[From Randall Wallace]

My Lord, I know not what I ought to ask of Thee.
Thou and Thou alone knowest my needs.
Thou lovest me more than I am able to love Thee.
O Father, grant unto me, Thy servant, all which I cannot ask.
For a cross I dare not ask, nor for consolation;
I dare only to stand in Thy presence.
My heart is open to Thee.
Thou seest my needs of which I myself am unaware.
Behold and lift me up!
In Thy presence I stand,
awed and silenced by Thy will and Thy judgments,
into which my mind cannot penetrate.
To Thee I offer myself as a sacrifice.
No other desire is mine but to fulfill Thy will.
Teach me how to pray.
Do Thyself pray within me.
Amen.

- St. Philaret of Moscow

Today's Prayer

2008-02-20T09:28:00.000-06:00

Dear God, Here I am, in awe of Your tremendous love and power. I too am persuaded that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any power, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate me from Your love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (based on Romans 8:38-39). My identity is not in my job, my profession, nor any other thing, but in You. I am convinced that no matter what happens, I am a precious human being in Your sight and Your love, grace, and mercy will always sustain me. Thank you so much. In Jesus' name, amen.

Protecting Our Kids From Gangs

2008-02-20T09:15:00.002-06:00

[From The John Tesh Blog by John Tesh]

This headline grabbed my heart: “U.S. gang membership may be higher than reported." The U.S. Department of Justice estimates more than 700,000 gang members nationwide.

Gangs are everywhere, according to the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit Court in Illinois. Since 911, there are over 31,000 gangs in the USA. They are thriving in all fifty states and gaining turf even in sleepy suburbia.

Apparently, you’re never too young or too old to join a gang. Youths join gangs as young as six and remain in the gangs even up to sixty years of age. Female gangs make up 5-10% of the total gang population.

How much of a problem is this to adults? In a 2005 survey of California adults, 75% said that their main concern was the ‘well being of children’ and their attraction to gangs. This worry far outranked their concerns about health care, the economy or even terrorism.

Burrel Lee Wilks III, former Chicago Street gang chief, now serving as a life coach posts the dangers of gangs:

"Gangs are seductive and deadly. They promise money, power and instant gratification. They create the illusion of family but in reality offer only dead-ends and hopelessness."

Don’t jump the gun and assume your kid’s already joined a gang. However, there are telltale signs you ought to be on the lookout for:

Has he started to dress differently, maybe cocking his hat to one side, or rolling up the cuff of a pant’s leg? As he gets more and more involved in the gang culture, he may wear gang colors: excessive amounts of clothing with two color combinations, such as blue and black, or gold and black.
Does he want a tattoo or his ear pierced? This may be a fashion statement, but this is a huge part of the gang world as well.
Is he using street ‘handles’ or nicknames instead of full names? All gangs have their own code words and their own unique language.
Is he obsessed with gangster-influenced music, videos and movies, wanting to imitate what he sees?
Do you find your child is keeping you in the dark? You don’t know where he is after school or who his friends are.
Does your child suddenly have large amounts of unexplained cash or suddenly show up with new, expensive possessions?
Do you see gang graffiti written on his books, clothing and even inside the brim of a baseball cap?

If you suspect your child or grandchild is in a gang or you just want to make sure he never joins a gang, here’s some helpful advice:

Communicate, communicate, communicate. Don’t fall into the trap thinking you cannot monitor your child due to his age.
Positive reinforcement. You need to tell your child you love him and believe in him. If he ever gets lost in his life, he’ll remember your words and always know there’s a way back home.
Practice a zero tolerance for gang language, clothing or gangster-looking friends in your home. Inform him of the dangers of the gang life: getting hurt or killed or arrested or sent to prison.
Plan to keep your kids away from gangs. Keep him involved in activities outside the home. Children that have a lot of unstructured time are prime candidates for gang recruitment.

The best advice is to turn up the awareness of your child’s life a few notches. Keep an eye on what he’s wearing, how he’s talking, who he is associating with and whether you see a general change in his attitude.

Today's Prayer

2008-02-19T08:09:00.000-06:00

Dear God, Sometimes I get really frustrated and even angry when I believe someone has wronged me, not lived up to their promises, or let me down. But, people are not perfect. I pray that I will be someone who is always dependable, ethical, and honest. I pray that You will help me to always do what is right, even when wronged. As the old saying goes, "two wrongs don't make a right." So when I'm tempted to react in the flesh, move in me through Your Holy Spirit that I will remember to stop, take a deep breath, and pray so that I may respond in a Christ-like manner. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Today's Quote

2008-02-19T08:01:00.000-06:00

[From Randall Wallace]

"Fasting confirms our utter dependence upon God by finding in Him a source of sustenance beyond food." -Dallas Willard

Today's Prayer

2008-02-18T11:17:00.000-06:00

Dear God, Thank you for having a purpose for my life and for telling me what Your expectations are through the Bible. I know You must be disappointed with me many times, when I fail to meet Your expectations of me. I can identify with that from a human standpoint. When I expect a close friend to be responsible and to do something that they do not do, or when they make wrong choices in life, I am very disappointed. Sometimes I feel frustrated or angry and other times heartbroken. Help me to be kind-hearted and long-suffering with them, like You are with me. Guide me to handle those disappointments with integrity; to remain quiet when I should and to speak up when I should. Please give me the thoughts, words, and actions You want me to have. And God, please forgive me for disappointing You. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Today's Quote

2008-02-18T11:16:00.001-06:00

"What is pure is corrupted much more quickly than what is corrupt is purified." --John Cassian (AD 360-435)

In Memory of Elmer Roden

2008-02-17T17:10:00.004-06:00

Today, we gave honor to a great man, a Christian man, a church man, in a memorial service for Elmer Roden. I have known this man practically all my life, and was his pastor for the past 11 years.

Elmer Roden was part of the foundation of the Harvest Center church almost since its beginning. He was an example of Christian love, acceptance, forbearance, and giving. His stories of the history of this community of faith always kept me spell-bound. I always said, I'd like to have another 200 members just like Elmer Roden. Any pastor would be glad to have the same. This church will never be the same without him.

I will miss him. I will always hold him is high esteem. "I'll see you on the other side, my friend."

Prosperity Gospel

2008-02-17T10:40:00.001-06:00

I can't help but like this sermon. Am I wrong?

Today's Quote

2008-02-16T22:26:00.003-06:00

[From Randall Wallace]

"Action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility." -Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Today's Prayer

2008-02-16T22:26:00.001-06:00

Dear Lord, Many are the wonderful works You have done. You have put a new song in my mouth and praise in my heart. You gave new life to my steps and peace in my soul. You have lifted me up and placed me upon solid ground. Thank you. May my life bless You and my Words exalt You, O Lord. In Jesus' name, amen.

Youth Crime in Collinsville - MS-13

2008-02-16T20:57:00.003-06:00

Seven Collinsville teenagers, some who police believe are affiliated with a local gang, face alcohol and drug charges after one traffic stop Friday night. Collinsville police stopped the teens while they were cruising the downtown area in Collinsville. The Friday night arrest happened around 10:30 a.m. on Main Street in Collinsville.

Collinsville Police Chief Gary Bowen said officer Jeremy Bell was patrolling the area and pulled the teenagers over for a routine traffic violation. Bell allegedly found alcohol and methamphetamine on several of the teenagers inside the car.

The DeKalb County Drug Task Force was called to assist in the traffic stop, Bowen said. A 16-year-old boy was arrested for unlawful possession of a controlled substance, and minor in possession of alcohol. Two 17-year-old boys and girl were both charged with minor in possession of alcohol as well as a 15-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy. A 16-year-old boy was charged with minor in possession of alcohol as well.

Bowen said all the teenagers were turned over to the parents except for one. “The boy who was charged with having the controlled substance was taken to the juvenile holding facility in Anniston,” Bowen said. He said that all the juveniles were referred to the DeKalb County Juvenile Court.

DeKalb County Drug Task Force Commander Darrell Collins said the teenagers are believed to have been involved gang activity. He said they had tattoos and clothing that prompted authorities to believe they were affiliated with the Ms-13 gang. Bowen said those arrests were just the beginning of a busy weekend in Collinsville.

“Over the weekend, our routine patrols in the downtown area actually lead to 12 arrests with 19 charges,” Bowen said. Saturday night four people were around 1 a.m. “We didn’t have any special reason for patrolling the area those nights, we were just doing routine patrol and this is why were able to stop several cars in that area where alcohol and drugs were being used,” Bowen said.

Also arrested were:

Terrence M. Kerley, 44 of Fort Payne, for driving under the influence.
Francisco Tomas, 20 of Collinsville, for second-degree unlawful possession of marijuana, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.
Kathy Stephens, 46 of Fort Payne for unlawful possession of marijuana, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, unlawful possession of prohibitive beverages.
Carlos Guzman, 18 of Collinsville, for unlawful possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, driving under the influence, unlawful possession of prohibitive beverages.
Raul Felix, 20 of Collinsville, for unlawful possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, unlawful possession of prohibitive beverages.

Funeral Arrangements - Elmer Roden

2008-02-16T12:41:00.005-06:00

The family will be receiving friends from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM this evening at the Collinsville Funeral Home (109 S. Valley Avenue, Collinsville, AL 35961, 256-524-2131).

The body will lie in state at the Harvest Center church tomorrow, Sunday, from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM.

The funeral will be at 2:00 PM tomorrow at the Harvest Center church (7824 Alabama Highway 68, Collinsville, Alabama, 35961).

Burial will follow in the Copeland Bridge Cemetery.

The Harvest Center church is providing a meal for the family at the Harvest Center following the grave-side service. Betty Wallace is coordinating.

Death Announcement - Elmer Roden

2008-02-16T09:33:00.002-06:00

Brother Elmer Roden went to be with the Lord last night. He was a long-time and faithful member of the Harvest Center church.

Arrangements will be announced as soon as we know them. We believe the family will be receiving friends tonight and the funeral tomorrow (at the church). The church will serve the family a meal following the funeral (Betty Wallace).

There will be no services at the Harvest Center tomorrow except for the funeral.

Fact or Fiction?

2008-02-12T15:50:00.000-06:00

Conspiracy theorists take note: The myths surrounding one of America's oldest and most enduring national symbols are about to be debunked ... if you believe the government, that is.

This is the back side of the Great Seal of the United States. Its symbols have long fueled speculation that the nation's founders used them to transmit secrets -- that Freemasons run the nation, or that 13 families hold power over America, for example. A new State Department exhibit is taking aim at such myths.

According to the government: Great Seal: Fact and Fiction?

Myth: The design signifies the U.S. is run by Freemasons or some sort of cult.

Fact: The seal uses several Masonic symbols, including the unfinished pyramid, but the symbols aren't exclusive to the Freemasons.

Myth: Repeated references to the number 13 -- including the steps in the pyramid -- represent the power of 13 American families.

Fact: Thirteen is used as a reference to the nation's original 13 colonies.

Myth: The Seal draws on Satanism or other rituals to promote a world run by a single government.

Fact: The words "Annuit Coeptis" ("Providence favors") and the eye of providence over the pyramid refer to twists of fate that helped bring about the birth of the United States.

Believe it?

Sex With a Minor is Illegal

2008-02-12T15:25:00.000-06:00

COLLINSVILLE, AL - A Dekalb county man has been arrested and charged with rape.

23 year-old Billy Joe Matthews of Collinsville was arrested last Thursday after he was spotted milling around the parking lot of Plainview School.

Police say Matthews had been in a sexual relationship with a 14 year-old student there.

He'e being held in the DeKalb County Jail, awaiting bond.

Another case of sexual relationships with minors or students.

Today's Thought

2008-02-12T10:46:00.000-06:00

What a beautiful, refreshing thing it would be to see most of God's people relaxing in Him!

"Anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work. just as God did from his." (Hebrews 4:10 NIV)

Today's Quote

2008-02-12T10:45:00.000-06:00

[From Randall Wallace]

"Some people succeed because they are destined to, but most people succeed because they are determined to." -Anonymous

Today's Prayer

2008-02-12T10:42:00.000-06:00

Dear God, You are great and greatly to be praised. Oh, how I wish that everyone would praise you and give you first priority in their lives. This world would be a better place ... and individual lives would be so much better, so much happier.

I am so burdened for those who or unemployed, underemployed, or not able to work. They try to exist on what little they have. Some of them receive help from charities and government programs; others scrape hear and there to earn a little; others have nothing. I pray that you will lift up these people. I pray that you will encourage them and guide them and show them the way. I pray that you will meet their EVERY need -- whether for deliverance from sin, sickness, or some shackle that holds them down -- for a job or career and financial needs -- for shelter -- for medical care -- for counseling -- for friendship -- whatever they truly need. For some there greatest need is to find a purpose and a feeling of worth. I pray that they will lift up their eyes to you, from whence comes their help and their salvation. Please have mercy and help them.

Please show me what I can do to help them and enable me to do so. Please intervene. And may you receive all the glory and praise for great things you will do and are doing. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.

Today's Quote

2008-02-10T21:49:00.000-06:00

[From Randall Wallace]

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." -Abraham Lincoln

Biblical Conflict Resolution

2008-02-09T23:01:00.001-06:00

[By Tobin Perry]

There's an unassuming, under-reported key to dealing with conflict in your church. It's easy to miss, hard to find, and incredibly elusive. Humility.

According to Ken Sande, founder of Peacemaker Ministries, humility is the Bible's starting point for dealing with conflict.

"Scripture says over and over that God opposes the proud and he exalts the humble," Sande said. "We see so many pastors that ignore that principle. Instead they dig their heels in and fight. They get defensive and proud."

That's a recipe for disaster, according Sande. It can not only lead to divisiveness within the church but to the end of a pastor's career.

Sande believes the skill of dealing with conflict in a biblical, Christ-honoring way is an essential skill for pastoral ministry and one that's often left out of the curriculum of most evangelical seminaries. For the past 25 years, the organization he started, Peacemakers, has stood in that gap, training pastors and lay leaders in conflict resolution. Sande, an attorney, has been using biblical peacemaking skills and training conciliators to diffuse conflict in churches around the world. His book, The Peacemaker, details a gospel-centered peacemaking approach.

Sande notes that there are more than 19,000 scarring church conflicts in the United States every year – that's an average of 50 a day. He adds that the seven most popular reasons for pastors exiting a ministry situation are all centered on conflict.

"In some ways believers are more prone to conflict than non-believers are," Sande said. "What happens is we spiritualize our conflict. We say, this isn't just my position, this is God's position. You're not just against me. You're against God."

Over the last 25 years, Sande and his team have learned that the best way to diffuse conflict in a church is to treat it as the cancer of the church that it is and eradicate it as soon as possible. If a pastor lets the conflict grow and spread, it'll slowly tear the church apart.

The best time to eradicate the conflict is before it happens. To do that, pastors must develop a culture of peace in their church.

"[Developing a culture of peace] is different from just pulling out some emergency tools when a crisis comes," Sande said. "That attitude just keeps the church going from one crisis to the next. What the pastor wants to do is to deal with the underlying presuppositions, habits, traditions, and expectations of people to create a culture that is geared to seeing conflict as an opportunity."
Building this kind of culture in the church will help teach church members to deal with conflict constructively and proactively before a full-scale conflict erupts, according to Sande. Without this culture of peace, churches will spend much of their time putting out fires by going from one conflict to another.

Peacemakers helps churches do that with a 40-Days-of-Purpose-like spiritual growth campaign called The Peacemaking Church. The campaign includes model sermons, small group curriculum, memory verses, and material to help a church build a peacemaking team in its congregation.

The curriculum focuses on basic teachings about God and conflict, including:

How God works in conflict
How to overlook minor disagreements
How and when to confront people
How to make a constructive confession
Other biblical peacemaking skills

Sande acknowledges that many churches embroiled in conflict may have to deal with immediate problems before developing a culture of peace. But he believes pastors can implement some of the needed peacemaking skills fairly quickly and start modeling good peacemaking skills to the congregation. Then Sande encourages pastors to begin searching for mature people in the congregation to partner with in the peacemaking process.

"That's tough to do," Sande said. "One of the most important elements of confession is humility. Pastors and leadership teams tend to circle the wagon during times like this. That just draws the battle lines more closely. Instead, a pastor needs to go to other people in a gracious and humble way, admit his wrongs, gently help them see how they are contributing [to the conflict], and point out ways they can work together. If he can win over a few of the strategic people, they can then marshal their constituencies and move the church in the right direction."

If a pastor tries these things and still finds himself embroiled in conflict, Sande acknowledges that there is a place for outside interventions in a church. Yet he does note that a pastor should at least try to learn and apply peacemaking skills in his particular situation before calling in outside help. If needed, pastors can find help in their denominations and at Peacemaker Ministries.

Sande hopes that pastors will take conflict seriously, learn to deal with it, and work on developing a long-lasting culture of peace in their churches. He believes the witness and future revival of the church is on the line.

"Peace and unity are so important that Jesus commands us to seek reconciliation with a brother even ahead of worship," Sande writes in The Peacemaker. To love and worship God properly, we must do everything in our power to be reconciled. "[Jesus] reminds us that our Christian witness depends greatly on our commitment to seek peace and reconciliation with others."

For more information about Peacemaker Ministries International, visit their website.

Today's Prayer

2008-02-09T22:21:00.000-06:00

Dear God, Thank you for being my Father and my greatest Friend. You listen when no one else does. You love me unconditionally. You correct me when I'm wrong, in whatever way you know I will respond. You comfort me when I grieve. You encourage me when I am discouraged. You lead me when I am confused. You carry me when I am weak. You are awesome!

Please help me to be that kind of friend to others. I pray that I will be sensitive to other people's feelings and life situations; that I will be a true friend who speaks the truth in love. I pray that I will be alert to signs that cry out for help. I pray that I will be available when needed. I pray that I will laugh with and have fun with my friends, rejoice with them as well as hold and comfort them when the time comes. May I be consistent in every season of life. May I share your love and shine the light of your word upon others. And may you be glorified.

In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Today's Quote

2008-02-09T22:20:00.000-06:00

[From Randall Wallace]

"Beware the barrenness of a busy life." -Socrates

Volunteers Sought to Help With Tornado Relief in Jackson County Alabama

2008-02-08T11:17:00.001-06:00

The Volunteer Center of Madison County has set up a volunteer reception center at Rosalie School in Jackson County to help coordinate people willing to help with tornado relief.

Several faith-based organizations are working to coordinate relief efforts at the site, which is open from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the school library.

Telephone hotlines for donations and volunteer needs are being erstablished. To volunteer, an online registration is set up at http://www.volunteerhsv.org/under Disaster for Jackson County, or contact the Volunteer Center at 256-539-7797.

Never Go To War Where There Are No Spoils

2008-02-08T09:43:00.000-06:00

[By Pastor Steven Furtick]

I’m sure you’ve heard that before, or something like it. The idea is that the intensity of your pursuit should never exceed the value of the corresponding reward. More simply, don’t waste time fighting battles that don’t matter in the overall scheme of things. But let’s get to a few practical applications of this advice.

I want to avoid defending myself to people who don’t care to understand me, and don’t have my best interest at heart. I’ll likely never change their opinion about me, and even if I do, what have I gained?
I’m learning to care less about being right all the time. All of us who are addicted to the drug of being right know to well how much emotional energy and mental bandwidth is expended in the process, and how short lived the high actually is.
I’m trying to prune more of the fruitless activity out of my life. I want to spend the bulk of my time doing things that enable me for my calling, fulfill my calling, and refresh me for my calling. I want to leave the other stuff alone. I’m sure you can think of many more implications of this idea.Bottom line: Make sure there’s a pot of gold at the end of any rainbow you’re currently chasing. If there isn’t, you’ve got better things to do.

Biblical reference: Matthew 7:6

Today's Thought

2008-02-08T09:17:00.000-06:00

If you have courage, you will influence people based on your convictions. If you lack courage, you will influence people based on your comfort zones. Courage will take you anywhere you believe God is leading you. Without courage, you will go where you are comfortable. [Wayne Schmidt]

Innovation in the Ministry

2008-02-08T09:10:00.000-06:00

[From Ophelia's Risk Management Blog by Ophelia Livingston]

Innovation in the church, is this possible? Can any church ministry have innovative ideas? Will it cause more problems than help? Without innovation what can happen to a church ministry? For one thing, without innovation, morale dwindles, it may cause an organization or small group to die a slow, painful death. With innovation, it will enable a ministry, organization or small group to refocus on the very reason it was create. Innovation is like a breath of fresh air, eliminating the stagnation of an crusted environment.

As a leader, you must ask yourself these painful questions:

How do I find the time to implement innovative ideas?
What if I fail, how will others perceive my failures?
Is it really worth the effort to innovate?

As a leader you should make innovation a requirement. It is a tool used to repackage or to re-engineer stale processes that no longer are effective. Effective leadership in any ministry helps create innovative organizations. New ideas should become the DNA or culture of an organization.

In other words, the big “I” should become a part of the character and personality of the organization. So the next question for leaders to consider is how do you develop a culture of innovation? There are six tips that a leader should follow.

Communication is key: involve staff membersa. Discus how you should meet the targeted audience.
Schedule a retreat for leadersa. Get away for 2 to 3 days to strategize the steps for innovation.
Provide training, seminars and workshops for staff members and volunteersa. Training is key to innovative success.
Develop strategic planning guide with board members. Create a vision: Where does the church need to be going? Create a mission: How is the church going to get there? Create goals: What steps need to take place to achieve success?
Attend conferences. Networking and sharing your ideas with others.
Talk to other leaders. Ask other leaders about the tools and practices they use to embed innovation into the culture of the organization.

Developing a new way of thinking requires patience, consistency and nurturing. The payoff may just win more souls to Christ. Now isn’t that what it is all about?

Today's Quote

2008-02-08T09:00:00.000-06:00

[From Randall Wallace]

"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend." -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today's Prayer

2008-02-08T08:56:00.000-06:00

Dear God, I am getting rid of my spiritual aches and pains. Please help me in this process as I seek to to submit fully to You, resist the devil, draw near to you, cleanse my hands, purify my heart, and repent of sin (James 4:7-9). I want to be humble before You, my God. My worth comes from You alone, not from what the world has to offer. All glory and honor to You, for You alone are worthy of praise. You alone can lift me up and give me abundant life and joy beyond comparison. Thank You, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Celebrate Recovery Leadership Seminar

2008-02-07T19:45:00.001-06:00

April 5th, 2008

Perimeter Church

DULUTH, GA

9500 Medlock Bridge Road

Duluth, GA 30097

http://www.perimeter.followers.net/

Our society is becoming more and more complex. Kids now have three sets of grandparents. Sexual addiction for men and women is growing at an exponential rate. Divorce is at an all time high - for Christians. This is our reality.

Our churches and communities are filled with people who are struggling with pain, shame, and addictions.

Sixteen years ago, Saddleback Church launched Celebrate Recovery with 43 people. It was designed as a program to help those struggling with hurts, habits, and hang-ups by showing them the loving power of Jesus Christ through a recovery process. Celebrate Recovery has helped more than 10,000 people at Saddleback, attracting over 70 percent of its members from outside the church. Eighty-five percent of the people who go through the program stay with the church and nearly half serve as church volunteers.

Whether you are just beginning a Celebrate Recovery ministry, are already active and growing, or are just interested in finding out more about what Celebrate Recovery is, please join us at a Celebrate Recovery Regional Seminar near you!

Legislators Back Churches Hosting Super Bowl Parties

2008-02-07T14:34:00.000-06:00

[By Nathan Black - Christian Post Reporter]

Following the Giants upset on Super Bowl Sunday, a top Republican official introduced a bill this week that would allow churches to show the big game on big screens.

Under the legislation by Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) of the Senate Judiciary Committee, religious organizations that want to show professional football games would be declared exempt, as reported by The Washington Post.

"The legislation simply provides churches with a limited yet justifiable exemption to allow them to bring their congregation together to watch the Super Bowl," said Specter on Monday. "In a time when our country is divided by war and anxious about a fluctuating economy, these types of events give people a reason to come together in the spirit of camaraderie."

The bill comes as several churches across the country canceled their annual Super Bowl fellowships this past Sunday in fear of lawsuits for copyright violations.The National Football League has warned churches that showing the Super Bowl game on TV screens larger than 55 inches and in a space more than 2,000 square feet violates the league's copyright. Only sports bars and other businesses that televise sports regularly are allowed mass viewing of the games.
While many church congregations are against the NFL policy, arguing they want to provide a family-friendly alternative to watching the game surrounded by alcohol, many chose to abide by the law and break up into smaller groups to view the big game in homes or cancel Super Bowl parties altogether.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league has no objection to churches hosting Super Bowl parties as long as they abide by the rules. He also noted that thousands of mass showings at churches would significantly reduce network TV ratings, and thus cut the ad revenue.

This past Sunday, the game drew the largest Super Bowl TV audience in history, according to Nielsen Media Research. The New York Giants 17-14 upset of the New England Patriots was watched by 97.5 million viewers, which breaks the 1996 record of 94.08 million.

McCarthy said the league is reviewing Specter's bill.

Other legislators are also planning similar moves to back churches. Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.), a former Redskins quarterback and evangelical Christian who has spoken at church Super Bowl parties, plans to introduce similar legislation by the end of the week, a Shuler spokesman said, according to The Washington Post.

Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) is also looking to come up with a solution and is talking with the NFL, he said.

"We just want to make sure that churches are not being unfairly discriminated against," said Broun spokesman Derek V. Baker. "We want them to be treated fairly."

True Love Waits Introduces Special New Testament

2008-02-07T14:26:00.001-06:00

The TLW New Testament is being released to coincide with Valentine's Day, a time in which a large number of True Love Waits' abstinence-until-marriage commitment ceremonies are held in churches and other places around the world.

Thanks to a major donation to LifeWay's A Defining Moment philanthropic campaign, 100,000 copies of the new TLW New Testament will be distributed for free throughout Africa in places where True Love Waits International has staff in place.

Another 30,000 copies will be sold in the U.S. to churches, youth groups and individuals for $1.95 each.

"As the Baptist Bible society, we are very excited about partnering with True Love Waits in producing this New Testament, which not only will help young people keep their commitments to remain abstinent until marriage, but also will provide spiritual guidance for a variety of challenges they face each day," said Phill Burgess, executive director of Holman Bible Outreach.
"Having a New Testament available to compliment our abstinence message in Africa, a place that has been ravaged by AIDS, gives us an added dimension," noted Jimmy Hester, cofounder of True Love Waits. "For some young people in Africa, this may be the only New Testament they ever receive and may be the only opportunity to engage God's Word."

Hester said he expects youth groups to buy the TLW New Testament not only for individual and group use, but also for outreach to their friends. In some cases, he envisions U.S. students sending New Testaments to students in Africa.

True Love Waits International will be very cautious in making sure the TLW commitment is for no gain than the blessing of being obedient to God, with the New Testaments used in follow up, according to Sharon Pumpelly, lead consultant for True Love Waits International.

"In areas where we have had New Testaments donated to us, we have seen a great number of youths make commitments to Christ in the follow up of their abstinence commitment," she said.
"A New Testament may be given during counseling following a TLW presentation, based on the need of that moment," Pumpelly continued. "We also are talking about encouraging young people who are in follow-up groups to memorize scripture and then receive a New Testament."

True Love Waits®, a biblically based initiative, is one of several approaches to challenging young people to make a commitment to sexual abstinence until marriage. More than one hundred organizations and thousands of churches have adopted the use of True Love Waits throughout the world. The first True Love Waits national celebration took place in July 1994, when more than 210,000 covenant cards were displayed on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Today, an estimated 2.5 to 3 million youth have signed commitment cards pledging sexual purity until their wedding day, and that number continues to grow worldwide. For more information, visit www.lifeway.com/tlw.

Holman Bible Outreach is an entity of Nashville-based LifeWay Christian Resources and provides discounted or free Bibles and Scripture portions for evangelism, mission projects and training. For more information, visit www.HolmanBibleOutreach.org.
For more information or to purchase a TLW New Testament, call (866) 627-7796 or visit www.BaptistBibleSociety.com.

Ed Stetzer 2007 SBC Annual Meeting

2008-02-07T14:21:00.001-06:00

What do you think?

Today's Quote

2008-02-06T22:42:00.000-06:00

[From Randall Wallace]

"A life of faith … enables us to see God in everything and it holds the mind in a state of readiness for whatever may be His will." -Francois Fenelon

Lent Began Today

2008-02-06T22:17:00.000-06:00

As thousands of Catholics line up to receive the sign of the cross in ashes today to mark the start of Lent, Protestants are joining the tradition to observe Easter more meaningfully.

The 40-day season of Lent – a period of fasting and prayer that precedes Easter – began today.

Easter is huge in evangelical churches. What preceeds Easter is Lent. Easter must have preparation.

"There is a trend ... toward more sacramental forms and it is not surprising to see the recovery of imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday," said the Rev. Daniel K. Dunlap, vice president of Houston Graduate School of Theology and a liturgy expert, according to the Houston Chronicle.

The Rev. Jeremy Rutledge, pastor of Covenant Baptist Church in Houston, said he will administer ashes at a service Wednesday night, as reported by the local Chronicle.

I find value in Lenten disciplines such as fasting, which many do to identify with Christ's sacrifice.

Fasting is a great way to focus and to enter more deeply into prayer.

Observing Lent will make Easter much more meaningful. Prepare yourself spiritually to re-experience the crucifixion and resurrection.

This year's Lent begins Feb. 6, the earliest since 1913 when Lent started on Feb. 5. Easter falls on March 23.

What spiritual disciplines will you religiously observe during Lent this year?

Update - Clement Clayton

2008-02-06T21:57:00.000-06:00

Please pray for Clement. He is worse. Last Saturday he was feeling better. And now, he is back in CCU.

Yesterday he developed a fever and was out of his mind again from infection. The infectious disease doctor put him on a new antibiotic.

Today he is swelling, his kidneys are not functioning and he is having trouble breathing. He has only said a few words today.

Please pray for him and the family.

Prayer Request - Chris Tanner

2008-02-06T17:27:00.000-06:00

Please pray for the Browntown community in DeKalb County, Alabama where the Browntown Church of God of Prophecy is located. Pastor Butch Tanner reports that the community was hit by a devastating tornado last night/this morning.

One of Pastor Tanner's acquaintance’s daughter-in-law and granddaughter were sucked from their home by the tornado. They have been airlifted to Huntsville with very serious injuries. The full extent of the damage is unknown at this time but there are many injuries and some deaths in Jackson County. (The Browntown church is located on the DeKalb.Jackson County line.)

Please pray for the Arnold family and others. There are so many that have completely lost their homes. The tornado was on the ground for over a mile.

Prayer Request - Sue King & Family

2008-02-06T17:01:00.000-06:00

Sue (Pettit) King's niece, Joy, was killed this morning by a tornado in Kentucky. Sue and Joel King live in Mentone and attend the Mentone Church of God of Prophecy.

Residents in five Southern states tried to salvage what they could today from homes reduced to piles of debris, a day after the deadliest cluster of tornadoes in nearly a decade tore through the region, snapping trees and crumpling homes. At least 50 people were dead.

Rescue crews, some with the help of the National Guard, went door-to-door looking for more victims. Dozens of twisters were reported as the storms swept through Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama.

Seavia Dixon, whose Atkins, Ark., home was shattered, stood Wednesday morning in her yard, holding muddy baby pictures of her son, who is now a 20-year-old soldier in Iraq. Only a concrete slab was left from the home.

The family's brand new white pickup truck was upside-down, about 150 yards from where it was parked before the storm. Another pickup truck the family owned sat crumpled about 50 feet from the slab.

"You know, it's just material things," Dixon said, her voice breaking. "We can replace them. We were just lucky to survive."

Twenty-six people were killed in Tennessee, 13 killed in Arkansas, seven killed in Kentucky and four killed in Alabama, emergency officials said. Among the victims were Arkansas parents who died with their 11-year-old daughter in Atkins when they stayed behind to calm their horses. The community, one of the hardest hit, is a town of about 3,000 approximately 60 miles northwest of Little Rock.

Shannon Barnes, his mother and her husband waited out the storm in the basement of the woman's house near the St. Vincent community, not far from Atkins. After not hearing anything, Barnes went upstairs and found the tornado bearing down on the house.

"It wasn't like they say. They say it sounds like a freight train," Barnes said Wednesday as he collected his clothes and other belongings. "It was silent. A bunch of wind."

Ray Story tried to get his 70-year-old uncle, Bill Clark, to a hospital after the storms leveled his mobile home in Macon County, about 60 miles northeast of Nashville. Clark died as Story and his wife tried to navigate debris-strewn roads in their pickup truck, they said.

"He never had a chance," Story's wife, Nova, said. "I looked him right in the eye and he died right there in front of me."

President Bush said he called the governors of Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee and assured them the administration was ready to help and to deal with any emergency requests. "Loss of life, loss of property _ prayers can help and so can the government," Bush said. "I do want the people in those states to know the American people are standing with them."

The system moved eastward to Alabama on Wednesday, bringing heavy rain and gusty wind, causing several injuries in counties northwest of Birmingham. The National Weather Service posted tornado watches for parts of southern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and western Georgia, but the storms appeared to weaken as they approached the coast. Weather service experts also investigated damage in Indiana to see if it was caused by tornadoes.

An apparent tornado damaged eight homes in Walker County, Ala., and a pregnant woman suffered a broken arm when a trailer home was tossed by the wind, said county emergency management director Johnny Burnette. "I was there before daylight and it looked like a war zone," he said.

Northeast of Nashville, a spectacular fire erupted at a natural gas pumping station. The station took a direct hit from the storm, but no deaths connected to the fire were reported.

About 200 yards from the edge of the plant, Bonnie and Frank Brawner picked through the rubble of their home for photographs and other personal items. The storm sheared off the second story of the home. "We had a beautiful neighborhood, now it's hell," said Bonnie Brawner, 80.

More than 20 students were stuck behind wreckage and jammed doors, mostly for short periods, in battered dormitories at Union University in Jackson, Tenn. Tornadoes had hit the campus in the past, and students knew the drill when they heard sirens, said Union University President David S. Dockery. "When the sirens went off the entire process went into place quickly," Dockery said. Students "were ushered into rooms, into the bathrooms, interior spaces." He said about 50 students were taken to a hospital and nine stayed through the night. But all would be fine, he said. The students "demonstrated who they are and I'm so proud of them."

In Memphis, high wind collapsed the roof of a Sears store at a mall. Debris that included bricks and air conditioning units was scattered on the parking lot, where about two dozen vehicles were damaged.

In Kentucky's Allen County, officials have requested funding for a siren at the fire station, but don't have one yet. Even if they did, officials wondered if it would have helped."It came in quick," Judge-Executive Bobby Young said. "Probably, warning devices wouldn't have helped any."

Mart Green - Tomlinson College Student

2008-02-06T16:44:00.000-06:00

Mart Green, rescuer of Oral Roberts University, who built his fortune on picture frames and Christian books, was a Tomlinson College student.

[By Justin Juozapavicius - ASSOCIATED PRESS]

OKLAHOMA CITY – As a kid, Mart Green made 7 cents for every picture frame he glued together for his father's arts and crafts business. But before he went out and bought baseball cards with his money, the 9-year-old gave 10 percent to charity. “That was just culture for me,” Green says. “It wasn't even something you debated or thought about. It was just natural.”

Green is 46 and he is still giving. This time though, it's $70 million of his family's fortune to rescue Oral Roberts University, the evangelical Christian school engulfed in a spending scandal and burdened with tens of millions of dollars in debt. In return for the donation, Green becomes chairman of the university's new board of trustees, and hopes to restore the public's trust in the 5,700-student institution.

The wealth comes in part from Hobby Lobby, the company Green's father, David, founded in his living room with a $600 loan and built into a $1.8 billion craft supply giant with nearly 400 stores in the U.S. The money also comes from Mardel, the Christian bookstore and office supply chain that Mart Green started when he was 19.

Green announced the donation in November, five days after televangelist Richard Roberts stepped down as president amid accusations he misspent school funds to live in luxury.

Up until then, Green had no connection to the school and hadn't met either Roberts or his father, Oral. Green, an evangelical Christian and member of the Assemblies of God, says he decided to step in for the sake of the alumni, faculty and students.

"When Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart had their situations, a lot of people suffered,” Green says, referring to the two TV evangelists caught in sex scandals. “When the Catholic priests had their situation, a lot of people suffered. If ORU goes down it affects all the Christian colleges.”

One of his first tasks will be finding a new president for the university, which is saddled with about $45 million in debt and more than $60 million in deferred maintenance costs.

Green's involvement sounds like a huge financial gamble – not unlike the time his father decided to close Hobby Lobby stores on Sundays for religious reasons and forgo millions in sales.

“We were always taught that 90 is greater than 100,” Green says. “We believe if you give God his 10 percent, that he can do more with the 90 percent than the 100 percent that you keep.”

Green is the kid who never finished college – he dropped out of now-defunct Tomlinson College [COGOP] in Cleveland, Tenn., to go into business – but now finds himself the chairman of one. He is a fast talker who friends say still gets butterflies in his stomach when he speaks in public.

He did not set foot in a movie theater until 2001, when he saw Jim Carrey's “The Majestic,” about the magic of an old movie theater. He now owns a movie company, which has produced films about missionaries in Ecuador and AIDS in Africa.

“This is a man who has a new dream every Thursday,” says Rob Hoskins, president and chief executive of Book of Hope International, a Florida-based organization that distributes Scripture around the world.

Forbes magazine lists David Green's net worth at $1.8 billion, making him one of the 400 richest Americans. Because of the gift to Oral Roberts University, the Green family ranked 27th out of 50 on the Chronicle of Philanthropy's list of Americans who gave the most in 2007.

Mart Green parries questions about how many millions of dollars his family has given to charity over the years.

Green's pastor, Rodney Fouts, says that in some cases, the Greens have asked that their names not be attached to gifts. “When you read in the papers about a big gift, you draw assumptions about people,” Fouts says. “But he's very down to earth, very humble.”

Green lives comfortably but not lavishly in a 4,500-square-foot home in an Oklahoma City suburb with his wife and four children. He has driven three Acuras over the past 18 years and says his greatest extravagance was the Hummer he bought his wife for Christmas four years ago.

He goes on an extended fast each year, the longest lasting for 40 days, and reads from Scripture every morning.

“I feel like some day, when this life is over, it'll be just me and God,” he says. “It won't be my mom, it won't be my dad, it won't be the cynics that are out there. It'll just be me accountable for my life, and I want to live a life that I can say I did the best I could.”

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20080205-1102-billionairebenefactor.html

Fresh Oil New Wine Conference

2008-02-06T09:54:00.000-06:00

The Fresh Oil New Wine Conference this year with my good friend Ron Phillips will be March 3 - 6, 2008. The theme is "Celebrating a Decade of Refreshing." Yvonne and I will be there. The special guests are listed below. The public is invited.

God is sending a fresh new sound out to his children. This is a sound that will reverberate beyond the borders of the church to a desperate generation. At FONW at Abba’s House, we will tune our hearts to the fresh new sound of heaven. What does the voice of God sound like? How does He speak? What is He saying? How we long for God to display the simplicity, diversity, complexity, and glory of His sound. Prophetically, the word to Abba’s House for 2008 has come clearly, “Because of the price paid and faithfulness of leadership, God is going to accelerate the move of the power of God in 2008. He is sending a call to awaken the nation for the purpose of battle. The sleeping giant is awakening. God will deal a death blow to the forces of darkness. He is calling this nation to praise and worship. Our preferences in music have become our doctrine. Wake up to the new move of God. Be open to the new move. The sound is going out to the nation, calling out for the body of Christ to preach the Gospel. So gather the leadership. God is restoring moral character. God is taking back His church. God is gathering the anointing of the ordinary people and moving them into the place they need to be used. Blow the trumpet, hear the destiny of God and respond. God is releasing a new song in 2008, a song of battle and a song of birth. God is birthing a new song in Abba’s House. Everyone has a song to sing. God will give the song when we need it. You may be called to sing that song at the most difficult time of your life. This song comes from the heart, in good times and in bad times. Everyone has a song to sing.” (Delivered prophetically by J. Todd Zeiger at Abba’s House, January 8, 2008.)

The theme of this conference was set by the Lord at the end of 2007, before this prophetic word was released by Dr. Zeiger just days ago. God is drawing leaders, restoring moral character, and taking back His church. Come be a part of this move of God, 10 years of outpouring, healing, deliverance, and now, a fresh, new sound from heaven.

This year’s speakers, each unique and driven by God, will release a fresh new sound during the conference. Ray Hughes, a veteran of ministry and much sought after teacher, will be making his first appearance at FONW. He has given twenty-five years to extensive research into the biblical foundations of praise and the ways God used, and continues to use, the power of sound and praise to demonstrate His love and faithfulness to His people. Ray Hughes’ landmark teachings unfolding the Tabernacle of David and the biblical principles of how God works through the praises of His people have become the foundation of curriculums in Bible schools and churches around the world. Dr. Phillips is delighted to bring back to FONW Tommy Bates, Perry Stone and John Kilpatrick. Click here to read more about our speakers. Each man of God will deliver his own unique sound from the Lord. Come expecting, come listening and be prepared for the Holy Spirit to turn up your spiritual volume.

Update - Mason Vest

2008-02-06T09:42:00.000-06:00

Mason has been released from the hospital following surgery, and is on his way home. Thank you for your prayers.

Today's Prayer

2008-02-05T19:48:00.001-06:00

"Hear my cry, O God: Attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to you. When my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been a shelter for me; a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of your wings" (Psalm 61:1-4). Please calm my soul and be my shelter always. I praise you and worship You, Almighty God and loving Father. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You for who you are and all you have done and all You will do, from moment to moment and age to age. You are worthy of honor and praise and glory. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Synergize Conference In Atlanta Attracts 2,100 - Focused On Soul Winning

2008-02-05T19:40:00.000-06:00

More than 2,100 Christian leaders from around the world descended upon Atlanta last week for a three-day conference to help empower church leaders to reach the next billion people for Christ.

The Second Billion Network’s semi-annual Synergize! Conference drew attendees from every state and almost 50 countries on Jan. 29-31. The Atlanta conference featured dozens of sessions led by top Christian and business leaders and highlighted a wide variety of methods and best practices used by pastors from around the world.

“Our 2,100 delegates not only heard from conference leaders about new and creative ways to engage their culture and grow and reproduce their churches, but they were also able to network with delegates from other cultures, countries and denominations and find out how some of those best practices worked,” said Dr. James Davis, founder and president of The Second Billion Network and co-host of the Synergize! Conference.

A highlight of the gathering was a talk by Pastor Sunday Adelaja, founder and pastor of the largest church in Europe, God’s Embassy Church in Kiev, Ukraine. The church has 30,000 members with a total membership, including all satellite locations in Ukraine, of 100,000.
Adelaja shared his insights into bringing the church into the seven spheres of influence – spiritual/social, government/politics, business/economy, education, media, culture/entertainment, and sports.

“If we infiltrate all these spheres of influence and their hundreds of subdivisions, we will have brought the kingdom lifestyle to a whole nation,” Adelaja said.

Another highlight was Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A, who shared how he succeeded in the business world with his Christian values.

Other conference speakers included Orlando Magic’s senior vice president Pat Williams, Malaysia’s Pastor Prince Guneratnam, and India’s Pastor David Mohan.

“What’s amazing about this vision of reaching the next billion people is that it compels us all to work together,” said Leonard Sweet, a noted American Christian leader, theologian and author.
“Synergize: Bringing the Best to the Rest” conferences will be held around the world in the next 14 months, according to the Second Billion Network.

The Second Billion Network is an international church growth and church planting collaboration of pastors, leaders and denominations whose goal is to begin to double the size of the Church through five million new churches plants throughout the world and to bring to Christ the next billion people.

The network seeks out ministry partners, enlists leaders, shares resources, and provides leadership training to network churches and pastors to achieve the goal of a billion new Christians in the next 15 years.

Pastors Only - Free Teleconference

2008-02-05T16:13:00.000-06:00

[Dr. H. E. Cardin]

February 12, title - The Case for Apologetics - Lee Strobel & Mark Mittelberg
February 20, title - John 3:16 this Easter - Max Lucado

If you are interested, go to the links below.

The Case for Apologetics teleconference on February 12 at 1pm Pacific (2pm Mountain, 3pm Central, 4pm Eastern). The Case for ApologeticsSpecial Guests: Lee Strobel & Mark Mittelberg. Two thousand years ago, the apostle Peter challenged Christians to, “Always be prepared to give an answer…” Today, we’re faced with an onslaught of atheist-centered books and movies, challenges to the historical Jesus and endless questions about the resurrection and divinity of Jesus. From classroom lectures to workplace interactions and internet discussions, our faith in under attack – and most of our church members don’t know how to respond. Is Christian apologetics the answer? How can you use update apologetic approaches to prepare your congregation as well as reach the unchurched? Join leading teachers and authors, Lee Strobel and Mark Mittelberg, and Outreach host, Jennifer Dion for an engaging discussion on the importance and effective use of apologetics. Sign up NOW for the FREE* "Case for Apologetics " Teleconference

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=S2z8GsIAYeAsxtKVup6P6A%3d%3d

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=_2bYEyzsWPeaJi9ySJVl8VMw_3d_3d

Inmates - Committed Tithers

2008-02-05T12:58:00.000-06:00

Recently the Assemblies of God (AG) honored 160 men currently serving prison sentences at the Soledad, Calif., Correctional Training Facility for giving $1,000 toward a well-digging project in Africa. The mostly Christian inmates, with sentences ranging from soon-coming releases to life in prison, only earn between $27 and $36 for one month’s wage. Yet after they viewed a four-minute video about the Africa Oasis Project, in which the AG is building water wells in African areas where women and children have to walk 10 miles to obtain water, the men immediately gave a cumulative gift of $1,000. Despite the prisoners’ meager wages, many have been tithing for the last five years, the AG news service reported. “I've taught them how Scripture says to bring all the tithe into the storehouse," said Judge Lindsey, a chaplain working at the facility. “Little is much when God is in it. Here are men with small salaries, yet they are committed givers." In the past, prisoners have given $1,300 to victims of the 2004 tsunami in Asia, $1,000 to Convoy of Hope for Hurricane Katrina aid in 2005, and have donated $1,200 a year to sponsor three underprivileged children in Third World countries. The prisoners’ tithes have also helped purchase library materials, equipment and ongoing lunches for ministry volunteers.

Time Out

2008-02-05T11:02:00.000-06:00

Take time for yourself. In the hectic pace of life, it can be easy to take care of everyone and everything else and forget about taking care of you! Make an appointment with yourself for at least one hour. Time alone gives you the opportunity to reconnect with your mind, body and spirit.

Prayer Request - Lucille Crowe

2008-02-05T10:20:00.000-06:00

Please pray for Lucille Crowe who was hospitalized over the weekend with heart problems. She is home now. Please pray for her healing.

Financial Tips - Good Stewardship

2008-02-05T10:09:00.000-06:00

We're all in the market for the best financial advice to make our lives a lot easier. I hope you'll find something useful to make your money matters less stressful.

While we’re simplifying and getting more focused (and destressing),we’d better get serious about financial focus. Personal finances are a great example of how quickly things can get out of control when we lose focus — but by the same token, re-focusing in this area can reap quick and substantial rewards! Consider these bits of intelligence for your wallet:

STOP clipping coupons from your paper and magazines. Coupon clippers often end up spending much more on items they would never buy without a coupon. Why don’t staples like milk, eggs, and bread ever have coupons? Because we always need them. There’s rarely a coupon for something we actually need. That would defeat the purpose of a coupon, which is to lure us into buying something we wouldn’t buy otherwise. So don’t fall for clever marketers who are eager to introduce you to their products—often-overpriced goods—with coupons.
WRITE it down! Always have a shopping list when you go to the market . . . and stick to it! Studies show you will save money on every trip, if you stick to your list—or at least try to stick to 80 percent of your list.
TRY an energy audit on your home. Many gas and electric companies in the US provide this audit for free or a small charge. Even hiring an energy-auditing pro at a one-time cost of a few hundred dollars can save you thousands of dollars in the long run.
AUDIT your phone bills every three months. Make sure that you’ve really made those calls, plus see areas where you might want to improve. If you have free cell minutes, it might be better to make a call with your cell rather than your landline.
BANK on the fact that you will save at least $100 a year, if your bank has free checking accounts. Compare different banks in your area and open a free checking account that requires no minimum balance. Then ask for a list of the fees associated with the account so you don’t get talked into an account with hidden costs.

[John Tesh]

Improving Relationships

2008-02-05T09:59:00.000-06:00

As you connect with yourself, you build a stronger foundation on which to connect with others. Answer these five key questions to better connect with yourself, and you'll find yourself on the path to revolutionizing your relationships with others:

Why am I here? Discovering your life's purpose establishes the answer to the all-important question in your life - why are you here? When you understand how your life is meant to impact others, all aspects of life become clearer. Decisions, including relationship decisions, become easier to make. Knowing your purpose is a key to knowing yourself. And knowing yourself is a key to connecting positively with others.
What have I failed to accept about myself? When you fail to accept yourself as you are, you invite relationship problems. Often people hide who they are from the world because they have not accepted themselves - flaws, mistakes, failures and all. We all have issues and things we wished had happened differently over the years. The key is to learn from life's experiences, accept what is and become better one day at a time. Once you accept that you are a work in progress and stop striving to appear perfect to the rest of the world, it frees you to be you. And others feel comfortable being themselves around you. When that happens, you connect in your relationships on a meaningful level.
Do I have conflicting intentions? If you find yourself saying that you desire a better relationship, but your actions say the opposite, then you have conflicting intentions. If you want to experience real change and transformation, be willing to make a real change in your actions.
What am I avoiding? Fear, if you allow it, can keep you from having the abundance of joy, success and love that you were meant to enjoy. By knowing exactly what you are avoiding in your life, you can better understand the reactions, emotions and behavior that keep you from taking positive steps forward. Avoiding issues does not make them go away. Don't allow fear to minimize your potential to enrich your life and your relationships. Identify what you are avoiding, and begin taking action to face your fears and overcome them.
What's missing in my life? Too often, people rely on the people in their lives to fill the void of the things that are missing - from a parent living vicariously through their child to a person who seeks their identity in the status of their spouse or family. You will never be fulfilled by seeking internal needs through external sources. Ask yourself, "What's missing in my life?" Then search within for your solution. By connecting with yourself, and with God, the missing pieces can be recovered.

Please Vote Today

2008-02-05T09:52:00.000-06:00

Today, Alabama voters will help pick our next commander in chief. It is an important responsibility that you shoulder with insight, thoughtfulness and respect, and I want to encourage you to vote today, February 5th.

All that is required for evil to prevail, is for good people to do nothing. It is your Christian duty to vote your Christian principles.

Prayer Request - Mason Vest

2008-02-05T08:02:00.000-06:00

Yvonne and I are at Children's Hospital in Birmingham with Donna and Dave and their children. Mason is having surgery this morning. The last time he was put to sleep, he stopped breathing.

Please pray for Mason's surgery and recovery.

Class Cancelled

2008-02-04T17:27:00.001-06:00

Bible School class tomorrow night at the Harvest Center has been cancelled. Classes will resume next week.

Today's Prayer

2008-02-04T10:56:00.000-06:00

Dear God, Your Word and acts of the past demonstrate to me Your desires to reflect Your nature and power through every individual -- including me! I know that's because those who reflect Your glory affect the world. I pray that in all situations I face, I will be obedient and dependent upon You and give You all the praise and glory, so that You will demonstrate Your power that all people may know of Your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of Your Kingdom. I'd like to be able to say, with the Apostle Paul, "My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power" (1 Cor. 2:4-5). Thank you, Lord. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Many Churches Cancel Super Bowl Parties

2008-02-02T10:45:00.000-06:00

The biggest game of the year will be on television screens across the country this weekend as the undefeated New England Patriots take on the New York Giants. But the much-anticipated football game won't likely be showing on screens inside the churches this year.

After the National Football League gave warning last year to an Indianapolis church not to hold a Super Bowl viewing party, churches across the country are canceling their annual Super Bowl fellowships in fear of getting flagged for copyright violations.

North River Community Church in Pembroke, Mass., had scheduled a big gathering this Sunday with the big game on a giant video screen in the congregation's worship center. But the church's pastor, the Rev. Paul Atwater, called it off after he looked over the NFL's policies and news reports of churches that were threatened with legal action for planning similar showings last year, according to The Daily News Tribune.

“Even though we think this is a stupid law, we are going to abide by it," Atwater said, as reported by the local Tribune.

NFL policy and copyright law ban mass out-of-home viewing except at sports bars and other businesses that televise sports as part of their everyday operations. It also prohibits charging admission to watch the game.

"We have absolutely no objection to churches and others hosting Super Bowl parties,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said. “We’ve never stopped a church from doing anything like this, as long as they aren’t trying to attract 400 or 500 people.”

Thousands of mass showings at churches would significantly reduce network TV ratings, and thus cut the ad revenue, McCarthy noted. Super Bowl XLII is expected to break the 1996 record when 94.1 million people watched the Dallas Cowboys beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Churches are allowed to screen the Super Bowl as long as the space is not more than 2,000 square feet and the TV screen no bigger than 55 inches.

McCarthy insisted the NFL doesn't single out churches when it comes to protecting their Super Bowl trademark. The league has also warned hotels, theaters and other venues.

But after last year's episode with the Indianapolis church – Fall Creek Baptist – Christians complained that their effort to provide a family-friendly alternative to watching the big game in bars and places where alcohol is served was blocked.

John Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute, wants to take the NFL to court but said he can't find a church willing to take on the league, according to Baptist Press.

"They want to restrict it to a 55-inch screen, which in a big church you'd need binoculars to see," Whitehead said. "It's designed to prevent churches and groups like that from doing this. If churches en masse wanted to do this, they could get the law changed."

Fall Creek Baptist's John Newland said the church didn't go ahead with a lawsuit last year because a legal case would distract them from their ministry.

"To me, the NFL isn't worth it," Newland said, as reported by Baptist Press.

Like many other churches this year, Fall Creek Baptist will be encouraging smaller viewing parties in people's homes.

The New England Patriots and the New York Giants will battle it out on Sunday at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

Today's Quote

2008-02-02T10:41:00.000-06:00

[From Randall Wallace]

"Faith expects from God what is beyond all expectation." -Andrew Murray

Today's Prayer

2008-02-02T10:39:00.000-06:00

Dear Lord, Today I want to pray and lift up all the backsliding Christians in the world. Reach down and through their circumstances, other people, and Your Holy Spirit, prick their hearts and stir their consciences that they would be drawn back to You. May You receive their praise as they see Your hand at work through their repentance and receive glory and honor through their repentance and renewed lives. May Your will be done. If there be any way You want to use me to touch the life of a discouraged or out of touch Christian, then please use me to impact a life for good. Give me the words and the way and the unction to know who and what. In Jesus name, amen.

President Bush Says "Faith Can Help Addicts Overcome"

2008-02-02T10:30:00.000-06:00

[By Alexander Sheffrin - Christian Post Contributor]

President Bush this week met with former prisoners at a center dedicated to helping individuals overcome addictions and reminded the audience that he understood their problems, and that faith helped him overcome the impossible.

“Addiction is hard to overcome. As you might remember, I drank too much at one time in my life," Bush told the crowd at the Jericho Episcopal Community Services of Maryland, recalling how he struggled with alcohol until he was 40 and found God.

The visit, which occurred on the seventh anniversary of Bush’s faith-based initiative program, was meant to highlight the importance of his support for government funding for religious organizations and their important role in aiding their communities.

"I understand faith-based programs. I understand that sometimes you can find the inspiration from a higher power to solve an addiction problem," Bush said.

The president’s faith-based initiative program has given church-run organizations like Jericho hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal grants every year.

Jean Cushman, executive director of Episcopal Community Services, commented on the success of the program. "It was the first large grant this organization had ever applied for,” Cushman said.

"It would have been harder for us to get it” without Bush’s faith-based initiative program, he added.

Though critics have opposed Bush’s faith-based initiative programs, arguing that federal funding for church-run organizations violates the constitutional separation between church and state, Bush was undeterred Monday during his State of the Union address when he urged Congress to continue the programs, providing a "level playing field" for all faith-based programs to receive grants.

According to the Rockefeller Institute, the number of faith-based programs that received federal funding increased from 665 in 2002 to 762 in 2004.

"Our government should not fear the influence of faith on our society," Bush told his Jericho audience.

“First is to recognize that there is a higher power. It helped me in my life. It helped me quit drinking," he said.

Most Americans Want a Biblical Leader as President

2008-02-02T10:20:00.000-06:00

[By Jennifer Riley - Christian Post Reporter]

The majority of Americans want a president who mirrors biblical ideals of leadership, revealed a new poll out Thursday.

About six in 10 Americans likely to vote say they would be more likely to vote for a presidential candidate who speaks publicly about following the example of admirable leaders from the Bible and who uses the Bible for guidance in both public and personal matters, found a nationwide Zogby Poll conducted for the American Bible Society.

According to the survey, more than three-quarters (78 percent) of respondents – 86 percent of women and 68 percent of men – view candidates citing Scripture when explaining political positions as positive.

Also, most Americans voters want a candidate who has a servant-leader attitude. Respondents are more likely to support a candidate who sees the office as a privilege to serve others, with a responsibility to God.

Out of the polled respondents aged 18-29, 84 percent said a candidate’s servant-leader attitude would impact their vote. Interestingly, only 62 percent of older respondents, 50-64 years old, said it would influence their decision.

In addition to Biblical leadership qualities, many likely voters are affected by the simple question of whether the candidate believes in God.

Nearly half of likely voters indicated that they would not vote for a presidential candidate who did not believe in God, while 20 percent said they would vote for such a candidate. Another 20 percent said this factor would not affect their vote

But by far, truthfulness and integrity – characteristics often emphasized in the Bible – topped the list of qualities respondents feel are most important in a leader.

The poll was conducted Jan. 25-27 on 1,008 adult respondents from throughout the United States. Nearly all respondents (95 percent) said they have some interaction with the Bible, ranging from well aware to exploring the contents of the Bible. Close to a quarter of participants said they were born-again Christians.

A Christian Web site, www.iVoteValues.org, affiliated with the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family, is helping Christians register to vote and with what to consider in choosing a candidate.

The Web site is offering a Voter Impact Toolkit that includes sermon helps, matching PowerPont presentation, Voter Resource Guide, voter registration forms, poster, and other resources to equip pastors and churches to vote their values. The pro-family Christian organizations behind the website encourage Christians to consider biblical values when voting, and pray for the election of godly leaders.

Death Announcement - Tommy Chad Tarvin

2008-02-02T10:12:00.000-06:00

Tommy Chad Tarvin, 27, of Crossville, died Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2008, at his home.

Services were Friday, Feb. 1, at 11 a.m. at W.T. Wilson Funeral Chapel in Rainsville with the Revs. Kenneth Goggans and Wayne Tarvin officiating. Burial followed at the Skirum Methodist Church Cemetery.

Survivors include a daughter, Zoe Alyssa Tarvin, of Crossville; parents, Eddie and Linda Tarvin, of Crossville; sister, Chai Tarvin, of Boaz; brothers, Chase Tarvin and Chris Tarvin, both of Crossville; stepbrother, Daniel Colquitt, of Geraldine; special friend and brother-in-law, Tim Peacock, of Boaz; and grandparents, Tommy and Ivateen Rucks, of Geraldine, and the Rev. Wayne and Martha Tarvin, of Crossville.

Vandelism At Crossville School - Evil Abounds

2008-02-02T10:05:00.000-06:00

Chances are if you're a teacher at Crossville school, your vehicle is going to need a new paint job.

Using a key or some other hard object, someone vandalized about a dozen vehicles in the parking lot of Crossville Elementary School between 12:30pm and 1:30pm on Tuesday.

But these weren't just any old vehicles, these belonged to teachers and staff.

"It's just real upsetting, disappointing," said vandalism victim Teresa Matthews.

Teresa Matthews, a first grade teacher at Crossville, says her car has about a $2400 in damage.
Her car received the brunt of the damage. The vandals swirled their way all around her car.

"I was upset because I've only had my car a car a couple of years. It's brand new. You know I work real hard for my money. Then it made me want to cry too because I still owe two more years on it," said Matthews.

Assistant Principal Ed Burke says there were no witnesses, and no surveillance cameras in the area where the crimes happened.

"We're fairly confident it was a student, probably a high school student coming by in the parking lot there where the teacher's cars are," said Burke.

A reward has been offered and leads are coming in. Right now Burke says they're questioning 5 or 6 students.

Teresa Matthews just wants to know why someone would destroy property that doesn't belong to them.

"I don't understand. We haven't done anything to them," said Matthews.

Prayer Request - Lacey Coffey

2008-02-02T02:03:00.000-06:00

Please pray for Lacey Coffey's healing. She came home today with almost 102 fever with body aches.

Update - Clement Clayton

2008-02-01T17:33:00.000-06:00

Clement has a staff infection in the wound area where he had surgery last Monday. He is in worse shape than he has been in a long time. He is talking out of his head again. He is crying out with pain.

Please pray for him and his family.

Youth Concert Trip Cancelled

2008-02-01T16:42:00.001-06:00

The youth concert trip for tomorrow has been cancelled.

(Amber Rose)

Today's Quote

2008-02-01T16:38:00.000-06:00

[From Randall Wallace]

As the deer panteth for the water,
So my soul longeth after you.
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship you.
-lyrics from "As the Deer"

Today's Prayer

2008-02-01T14:38:00.000-06:00

Enjoy Life

2008-02-01T14:29:00.000-06:00

Read books that you enjoy
Play with simple things
Look for affection when you need it
Get serious once in a while
Be happy, above all, regardless what your challenges may be
Live simply
Love generously
Care deeply
Speak kindly

Death Announcement - Rayburn McNair

2008-01-31T21:47:00.000-06:00

Rayburn McNair, Martha Waldrop's brother, has passed away. Please remember the family in your prayers.

We will post the arrangements as soon as we know them.

Super Bowl Party Cancelled

2008-01-30T19:23:00.000-06:00

The Super Bowl Party at the Harvest Center has been cancelled.

Today's Prayer

2008-01-30T15:33:00.001-06:00

Dear Lord, please help me become a "5-Star" Christian. I want to follow the example Jesus gave to serve others with excellence. Please help me have the right attitude toward the people in my life and to show genuine concern for others. May you be glorified in all I think, say, and do. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Worship at Calvary Church Tonight

2008-01-30T15:29:00.000-06:00

The Harvest Center is worshipping at Calvary Church on highway 11 south in Collinsville tonight at 6:30 PM.

A Church Full of Hypocrites?

2008-01-30T10:06:00.000-06:00

A recent U.S. survey of adults who don’t attend church, not even on holidays, found that 72 percent thought the church "is full of hypocrites," but that 78 percent would "be willing to listen" to someone who wanted to share their beliefs about Christianity. At the same time, 72 percent of respondents also said they believe God exists.

The survey results were published last week by LifeWay Research, the research arm of the Southern Baptist Convention. The organization surveyed 1,402 "unchurched" adults last spring and summer. The margin of error is 2.5 percentage points.

The survey defines unchurched as those who had not attended a religious service in a church, synagogue or mosque at any time in the past six months.

More than 1 in 5 Americans say they never go to church, the General Social Survey found in 2006. The survey is conducted every two years by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.

Other researchers have found similar negative opinions about church.

Researchers at Barna Group, a Christian survey organization, have found that young adults in particular are rejecting the institution — and Christianity in general — because it is perceived to be anti-gay, too political and hypocritical.

The implications, the researchers from both studies said, are seen when churches try to evangelize to and reach the unchurched. But the research also speaks to the way churches have communicated their messages, said Jerry Wilkins, director of the Tuscaloosa Baptist Association, the local Southern Baptist organization.

"We’re just still struggling," Wilkins said. "I think the answer for this dilemma is for the church to better communicate that we are a hospital for sick people. We need to be helping [non Christians] understand what the church is. My feeling is we’ve done a poor job communicating that church is not for people who have arrived, but for people who are on a journey."

The Barna findings were the basis for the book "unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity … and Why it Matters," released in October 2007.

"There are a lot of different factors for it," said David Kinnaman, president of The Barna Group and one of the authors of "unChristian."

"The reasons people come to negative conclusions about Christianity, churches or Christians is as diverse as the people you ask. But I think the media-saturated, fault-finding, skeptical society we live in is part of it. You see the mistakes of prominent [Christian] leaders broadcast and printed on pages, and that solidifies people’s perspectives about Christians as hypocrites or living hypocritical lifestyles."

The recent headline-making stories of disgraced church leaders accused of lying, cheating and philandering have had their impact, but Kinnaman said people’s personal relationships also influence their perception of church, such as the neighbor who is heavily involved in his church, but also heavily involved with a mistress.

More here...

Charity Baroni Voted Off

2008-01-30T09:57:00.000-06:00

Davod Baroni's daughter, Charity, was voted off Dance War on ABC Monday night.

Oh well. It happens. Not everybody likes everyone.

Synergize Conference Yesterday (Tuesday)

2008-01-30T09:41:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was a great day at the Synergize Pastors Conference! The speakers were:

[TUESDAY AFTERNOON 1:00 - 5:00 - MATURITY IN THE MARKETPLACE}

Grace for Every Race - Randy Pope - Perimeter Church: Atlanta, Georgia
Turning Obstacles into Opportunities - Pastor Bob Rodgers - Evangel World Prayer Center: Louisville, Kentucky
Becoming All To Fulfill The Call - Pastor Bob Roberts - Northwood Church: Keller, Texas
Compassion that Changes - Pastor Isaac Wheigar - Wesleyan Church: Monrovia, Liberia
Extreme Wisdom for Exceptional Living - Pastor David C. Cooper - Mount Paran Church: Atlanta, Georgia
Making Sure You Hit The Target - Dr. Wess Stafford - President, Compassion International

[TUESDAY EVENING 6:30 - 9:00 - MOTIVATION IN MINISTRY]

How to Build a Church Debt-Free - Pastor Billy Joe Daugherty - Victory Christian Center: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Refusing to Leave the World the Way I Found It - Pastor Johnny Hunt - First Baptist Woodstock: Woodstock, Georgia
Advancing the Kingdom - Pastor Bill Winston - Living Word Christian Center: Chicago, Illinois
The Great Omission - Dr. Ed Young, Sr. - Second Baptist Church: Houston, Texas

Synergize Pastors Conference

2008-01-30T09:02:00.000-06:00

Yvonne and I are attending the Synergize Pastor's Conference at Mount Paran Church of God in Atlanta, Georgia. Pastors and church leaders from around the world of a faiths are attending.

We are here with a number of fellow Church of God pastors, and Church of God of Prophecy pastors. Additionally, the COGOP General Overseer, North America Presbyter, and a number of state overseers are here.

The conference concludes Thursday at 9:00 PM.

Vote For David Baroni's Daughter Tonight

2008-01-28T17:41:00.000-06:00

Watch and vote for David Baroni's daughter, Charity, on Bruno's Team on Dance War tonight on ABC.

Prayer Request - Frankie Todd's Mother

2008-01-28T17:12:00.000-06:00

Frankie Todd's mother has been hospitalized in Boaz. Please pray for her healing.

A Move Back To Church Discipline

2008-01-28T11:40:00.000-06:00

To what extent should a pastor or church allow members or attenders to cause discord? What does the Bible say about this? Will any church ever be effective in fulfilling the Great Commission without unity? If a church member does not agree with the mission and vision of a church, what should they do? If a church member disrespects a church leader, what should happen? (Please leave your comments below. Click "comments.")

[From the Wall Street Journal:]

On a quiet Sunday morning in June, as worshippers settled into the pews at Allen Baptist Church in southwestern Michigan, Pastor Jason Burrick grabbed his cellphone and dialed 911. When a dispatcher answered, the preacher said a former congregant was in the sanctuary. "And we need to, um, have her out A.S.A.P." Half an hour later, 71-year-old Karolyn Caskey, a church member for nearly 50 years who had taught Sunday school and regularly donated 10% of her pension, was led out by a state trooper and a county sheriff's officer. One held her purse and Bible. The other put her in handcuffs. (You can listen to the 911 call here)

The charge was trespassing, but Mrs. Caskey’s real offense, in her pastor’s view, was spiritual. Several months earlier, when she had questioned his authority, he’d charged her with spreading “a spirit of cancer and discord” and expelled her from the congregation. “I've been shunned,” she says.

Her story reflects a growing movement among some conservative Protestant pastors to bring back church discipline, an ancient practice in which suspected sinners are privately confronted and then publicly castigated and excommunicated if they refuse to repent. While many Christians find such practices outdated, pastors in large and small churches across the country are expelling members for offenses ranging from adultery and theft to gossiping, skipping service and criticizing church leaders.

The revival is part of a broader movement to restore churches to their traditional role as moral enforcers, Christian leaders say. Some say that contemporary churches have grown soft on sinners, citing the rise of suburban megachurches where pastors preach self-affirming messages rather than focusing on sin and redemption. Others point to a passage in the gospel of Matthew that says unrepentant sinners must be shunned.

Watermark Community Church, a nondenominational church in Dallas that draws 4,000 people to services, requires members to sign a form stating they will submit to the “care and correction” of church elders. Last week, the pastor of a 6,000-member megachurch in Nashville, Tenn., threatened to expel 74 members for gossiping and causing disharmony unless they repented.

First Baptist Church of Muscle Shoals, Ala., a 1,000-member congregation, expels five to seven members a year for “blatant, undeniable patterns of willful sin,” which have included adultery, drunkenness and refusal to honor church elders. About 400 people have left the church over the years for what they view as an overly harsh persecution of sinners, Pastor Jeff Noblit says.
The process can be messy, says Al Jackson, pastor of Lakeview Baptist Church in Auburn, Ala., which began disciplining members in the 1990s.

Scholars estimate that 10% to 15% of Protestant evangelical churches practice church discipline — about 14,000 to 21,000 U.S. congregations in total. Increasingly, clashes within churches are spilling into communities, splitting congregations and occasionally landing church leaders in court after congregants, who believed they were confessing in private.

In the past decade, more than two dozen lawsuits related to church discipline have been filed as congregants sue pastors for defamation, negligent counseling and emotional injury, according to the Religion Case Reporter, a legal-research database. Peggy Penley, a Fort Worth, Texas, woman whose pastor revealed her extramarital affair to the congregation after she confessed it in confidence, waged a six-year battle against the pastor, charging him with negligence. Last summer, the Texas Supreme Court dismissed her suit, ruling that the pastor was exercising his religious beliefs by publicizing the affair.

Courts have often refused to hear such cases on the grounds that churches are protected by the constitutional right to free religious exercise, but some have sided with alleged sinners. In 2003, a woman and her husband won a defamation suit against the Iowa Methodist conference and its superintendent after he publicly accused her of “spreading the spirit of Satan” because she gossiped about her pastor. A district court rejected the case, but the Iowa Supreme Court upheld the woman’s appeal on the grounds that the letter labeling her a sinner was circulated beyond the church.

Advocates of shunning say it rarely leads to the public disclosure of a member’s sin. “We’re not the FBI; we’re not sniffing around people’s homes trying to find out some secret sin,” says Don Singleton, pastor of Ridgeview Baptist Church in Talladega, Ala., who says the 50-member church has disciplined six members in his 2½ years as pastor. “Ninety-nine percent of these cases never go that far.”

[What do you think? What does the Bible say? Is the Bible our ultimate rule?]

Prayer Request - Harding Simpson

2008-01-28T11:30:00.000-06:00

Brother Simpson has been hospitalized at Fort Payne Regional. Please pray for Brother Simpson and the entire family.

Prayer Request - Ralph Thomas

2008-01-28T11:29:00.000-06:00

Brother Thomas has been hospitalized at Fort Payne Regional. Please pray for his healing.

Bible School Tuesday Night at the Harvest Center

2008-01-28T11:20:00.001-06:00

Bible School

Thuesday

(Every Tuesday)

7:00 PM to 8:30 PM

"Seven Laws of the Learner"

Credits given. Can be applied toward a Teacher Certificate, Leadership Certificate, Advance Leadership Certificate, or ministerial credentials.

Monday, January 28, 2008

2008-01-28T11:09:00.000-06:00

Thank God for another wonderful day yesterday at the Harvest Center. We had many visitors and first-time guests. The Praise & Worship team were divinely anointed. God was in the house. Many were in the altar.

Last night, the Living Waters church in Gadsden blessed us. Wow, their singing and drama was outstanding. Pastor George Wyrosdick blessed us with an evangelistic challenge. It was a great night of fellowship with our Brothers and Sisters.

Today, Yvonne and I are scheduled to visit with a number of families.

We are departing in the morning for the Synergize Pastors Conference at Mount Peran Church in Atlanta. The COGOP General Overseer and IO staff will be there along with State Overseer L. V. Jones and most of the North America overseers, and many of the pastors from Alabama and around the country. (http://www.synergize.tv/)

We will return Thursday and try to get caught up here.

The REVOLUTION Continues!

2008-01-28T11:03:00.000-06:00

Another soul was baptized in water yesterday at the Harvest Center - Levi Maness.

Congratulations Levi!

(Pictures will follow.)

Today's Thought

2008-01-28T10:59:00.000-06:00

God still desires ro impact our generation with remarkable families of faith - that includes you and your family.

"Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve ... But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." (Joshua 24:15 NKJV)

Today's Quote

2008-01-28T10:58:00.000-06:00

[From Randall Wallace]

"After all it is those who have a deep and real inner life who are best able to deal with the irritating details of outer life." -Evelyn Underhill

Today's Prayer

2008-01-28T10:53:00.000-06:00

Oh Dear Lord, Thank you for your promises! Thank you for opening your arms and welcoming me to come to you, to find rest in you, to find freedom in you, to have abundant life in you. I cry out to you now for those who are heavy on my heart, for those who are going through the fire and those who are going through the valleys; for those who face difficulties and those who have come through trials and are triumphant because of you. I pray for your grace and mercy, your peace and love, your hand upon their lives. I pray for miracles and ministries. I pray that all who are weary will cry out to you and trust you. And I thank you so much for all that you have done and all that you will do. May your works and miracles in our lives be witness to the world that you are God. May you be glorified and souls be saved. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.

International Assembly Announcement 2010

2008-01-27T03:55:00.000-06:00

[From Bishop E. C. McKinley]

The 2010 International Assembly of the COGOP is scheduled for July 27 - August 1 in Greensboro, NC.

Efforts are being made to move out of the southeast beyond 2010.

Prayer Request - Lauren McGee

2008-01-25T11:17:00.000-06:00

Please pray for Lauren McGee, a 6th grader at Valley Head, a friend of Donna Vest, who has been transported to T. C. Thompson Hospital in Chattanooga with seizures.

Today's Quote

2008-01-25T08:16:00.000-06:00

[From Randall Wallace]

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."

Today's Prayer

2008-01-25T08:10:00.000-06:00

Dear God, Your Word tells me to cast my cares upon you. Oh how I want to do that, to bring all my cares to you and leave them at your feet. I do not want to be a worrier, but one whose faith is strong to trust you. I want to bring those burdens and concerns to you, and not keep picking them up and worrying about them. May this year be one of spiritual breakthrough in my life and in the lives of those I love. May our lives be filled with joy and peace through your Spirit. May you be the center and the heart of our homes. May we be more Christlike and less like the world in our everyday lives. Help us and have mercy upon us, dear God. Please forgive us of our sins and guide our steps. In Jesus' name, amen.