We had a great Re-Encounter… it was powerful, impacting and intense.
I spent Monday and Tuesday recovering (six sessions + two services on Sunday) and today just got back in the swing of things… I will get back to posting tomorrow.
Lot’s to write about…
I’m writing this from our retreat centre for the Re-Encounter Retreat we are having this weekend. I’m so excited about what God is going to do! We have 43 participants – many of whom are going to be part of our next generation of servant-leaders at CWL.
Please keep us in prayer. I should be doing a follow up post next week.
I usually don’t post ‘human interest stories’ but I came accross a really touching (and humorous) one today about a 68 year old man who took up body building so he and his wife, who is confined to a wheel chair, could continue to travel. As we prepare to celebrate Father’s Day this definitely reminds me of the qualities of a great man.
Phil Cooke passed on a link today for free media pre-production software: Celtx. I have not had a chance to go through it but I passed it on to some of our ‘arts’ guys and I’m getting really good feedback.
I’ve started reading a couple new blogs (well actually, things have been so busy I’m really behind in all the blogs I read) – one is by the Joel Comiskey Group. Headed by Joel Comiskey they really focus on the training and development of small group ministry for churches.
Recently they had a really good post regarding the discipleship/development of leaders. The author Steve Cordle shared regarding his conversation with Jimmy Siebert who pastors Antioch Community Church in Waco, Texas. He was impressed by the quality of their leaders and asked how they did it. Jimmy shared with him three questions that asks them on a regular basis (I’ve included his insights as well):
1) How is your devotional life?
We all know this is essential not only for leadership, but life! But when was the last time someone looked you in the eye and asked you how your time with Jesus was going? When was the last time you asked the question of a leader you work with?
Thus is not a yes/no questions, but what’s happening. “Share with me something the Lord said recently…” When the person has been meeting with Jesus regularly, their answer will encourage and bless you! When they haven’t, you have a chance to encourage them in this direction.
2) Who are you discipling?
This question sets the expectation that everyone should be discipling someone else. It may be that the person has never thought about doing so. Then you have the chance to encourage them to pray for God to show them who they can come along side of, and how to go about setting up that relationship.
3) Who are you seeking to lead to Christ and how is it going?
Repeatedly asking this question keeps the evangelistic temperature of the church growing. It’s also a great way to be blessed when you hear them share their efforts!
I love these three questions – they hit 3 main areas that are so key to growth and development.
My brother gave a great teaching at CWL yesterday regarding practical tips on sharing the story of Jesus with others – it was just outstanding.
At the end of the message he shared a quote from Charles Spurgeon (I think he got it from the Daily Spurgeon Quote from www.livingwaters.com) -
“Do something for Jesus. Show Him a proof of your love, and the best proof you can give is your own personal holiness and personal effort to gather His redeemed. Brother, sister, do something for Jesus. Do not talk about it: do it. Words are leaves; actions are fruits. Do something for Jesus; do something for Jesus today! Ere the sun goes down think of some one action which may tend to the conversion of some one person and do it with your might; let the object of the effort be your child, your servant, your brother, your friend-but do make the effort today. Having done it today, do it tomorrow, and every day, and doing it one way, do it another way; and doing it one state of heart, do it in another. Let your joy enchant, let your sorrow arouse, let your hope attract; let your changeful moods help you to attack sinners from different quarters, as your varying circumstances bring you into contact with differing persons. Be always awake. Turn yourself about like a gun on a swivel to reach persons who are found in any direction, so that some may fall wounded by the gospels power. By all means save some: God grant it may be so.”
Joel Comiskey blogged recently about a church that has 185,000 cell groups… wow, I love hearing amazing stories of what God is doing. I’m going to be researching this church a little more.
I’ve had some great discipleship meetings with guys this week – and one of the common themes that has come up has been the importance of 100% accountability if you really want to grow and deal with things in your life. True accountability if foreign to our cultural mindset in many ways but you cannot have true discipleship without it!
The tendency for all of us is to keep difficult issues to ourselves and ‘just pray, repent and deal with it’ but the problem is that doesn’t work (there may be some instances where it does but that is the exception, not the norm). As well, when we don’t share everything but one some things we still are not being accountable.
100% Accountability = 100% Freedom
If you are trying to deal with some stuff by yourself today, get it out into the light with a trusted spiritual leader/mentor.
On Monday, a team from CWL had the opportunity to attend an OBFF Growth Day at Bramalea Christian Fellowship in north Brampton – we had a real good time (OBFF is the fellowship of churches that we are a part of). I really love the team that is bringing servant-leadership to the group – they really have a heart for the Kingdom of God and our nation.
There were two teaching sessions – one by Dr. Karl Francis and the other by Pastor Rick Ciaramitaro that were both packed with great stuff. There really was so much but I wanted to post a couple highlights:
Yesterday in service at CWL we kicked of a month-long focus on ‘telling the story’ about Jesus. I’m really excited about what is going to happen in my life, and in our church over the next four weeks. I invited our church to join me in several different initiatives over that time.
I wanted to post the basic info of what we are doing here, as well as our devotional board:
Hey Family -
As promised – here is a brief overview of the commitment we have entered into together:
The Heart: is to ask God to do heart work in each one of us regarding ’sharing the story of Jesus’ and that both individually and as a church we would grow in our passion, prayer and personal plan.
The commitment for the month of June (currently June 28th) is:
Our focus over this time is to grow, and then in July we are going to have several outreach initiatives. In all this we are going to believe God that 100 people will make commitments to Jesus by the end of July (services, small groups, work, school etc.).
