In case you missed it, here's the Southern New England Conference, United Church of Christ write-up about last month's speech from our Chief Relationship Officer Rev. Dr. Courtney Stange-Tregear.
Cornerstone Fund’s Post
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If you attend a memorial service as I will for my 1st grade teacher. You will seldom hear people listing the possessions that person obtained. But you will often listen to others describe the legacy that person left behind. Ms. Juanita Davis left her imprint on the lives of hundreds of students. Her permanent mark was engraved on the hearts, etched in the memory, and inscribed in the soul of every student she taught. God created us to make a lasting impact. To leave a mark and not just pass through life comfortably without making a difference but to leave a mark that the world can’t erase. One of the main ways we can do that is by leaving a legacy of caring and generosity. However, we do not inspire with our words; we inspire with our actions. One way to leave a mark is to not allow the pursuit of material possessions to take priority over your extending generosity and care to others. What we might consider to be unimportant things can mean a lot. We should also work to effect change in our world while leaving a mark. This mark isn't about seeking fame or having our own name remembered but having the Lord’s name remembered by those who were previously unaware of him. Either we make our mark for Him on the world, or the world makes its mark on us. There is no in-between. It is either black or white, hot, or cold. We are called to influence others for Christ. Whether it is at work, at home, or around the neighborhood, I have no doubt Ms. Davis did that for me and every first grader she taught. I’ve heard it said that the measure of a man is determined by the number of people he serves. So today, ask yourself, what kind of mark are you leaving? Live a life of generosity through your actions, words, and finances and see how God uses you to leave a mark on the future. Like Ms. Davis our legacy is not just about what we accomplish, but also how we touch the lives of others. The ripple effect she had on future generations is immeasurable. Her greatest work was making me feel like the smartest kid in the room. Now, that’s a legacy.
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Christ-Follower | Author of Nothing is a Waste! Series | CEO, WINN Impact Development Group | Empowering 50K to Leverage Their Past for Purpose, Profit & Health | Next: 3 Easy Ways to Lose Weight, Feel Great, Look Great!
Paul J. Batura shares a powerful message for us to leverage as we are stewards of the lives God has entrusted to us. Chuck Swindoll’s journey is a profound reminder that nothing is a waste—not our experiences, not our trials, and certainly not our seasons of life. Here is a man who, at an age when many are stepping back, stepped forward into a calling that has touched countless lives. This resonates deeply with the message of Retired to Inspire. It’s a testament to the fact that even in what some might call “the retirement years,” there is still so much left to give, to share, and to build. Pastor Swindoll’s story is one of leveraging the past to improve the future. His years of service, his Marine background, his dedication to the Word, and his leadership at Dallas Theological Seminary all built a foundation for him to step into something greater at 64 years old. We often think that the finish line is near, but Swindoll shows us that there is still more road ahead. It’s a reminder to us all—whether 30 or 90—that every moment, every experience is an opportunity to keep impacting the lives of others. This is the heart of my message to the men and women I work with: Your life’s purpose isn’t confined to a season. Retirement, as we often think of it, is an opportunity not to rest but to pivot. To turn the wisdom and lessons of your journey into a platform that can inspire, guide, and encourage others. Like Swindoll, we are never truly “done.” Instead of checking out, let’s check in—continuing to pursue impact and leaving a legacy that outlasts us. There is no end to what God can do through us when we’re willing to say “yes” in any season of life. #NothingIsWaste #RetiredToInspire #LeverageYourLife #KeepBuilding #Legacy
Pastor Chuck Swindoll, who will turn 90 on October 18th, announced last week that he’ll be stepping away from the pulpit of Stonebriar Community Church, a congregation he founded in 1998. If you do the math, you’ll realize that means Pastor Swindoll was 64 years old when he began his ministry to the Frisco, Texas congregation. At an age when most people are winding down their professional lives, Chuck Swindoll was only just beginning the last third of his active, outward facing ministry life. Pastor Swindoll has indeed epitomized and modeled “a long obedience in the same direction.” He was serving as a United States Marine on Okinawa when he felt the call to ministry. After graduating from seminary, he served churches in Texas, Massachusetts and California. In 1994, he was appointed president of Dallas Theological Seminary. All along, Swindoll was writing books and managing the distribution of his sermons across the radio airwaves. I had the privilege of visiting with Chuck Swindoll at a National Day of Prayer event at the White House back in the mid 2000s. While walking out of the executive mansion together, we discovered we were staying at the same hotel. It was a lovely May morning, and Pastor Swindoll invited me to walk with him. We wound up peppering each other with questions, and I found myself wishing the walk were longer. He was humble, curious, gracious and extremely generous. It took me no time at all to understand why the Lord was blessing his ministry. One of the many great lessons of Chuck Swindoll’s storied and faithful service has been his willingness to be used by God during a season when most others are pulling back. Instead of playing golf, Pastor Swindoll has been preaching the Gospel. Rather than doing crossword puzzles in an easy chair, he’s been crisscrossing the country sharing God’s Word. “These have been 26 of the greatest years of my life,” he reflected last week. “Thank you for the honor of being your pastor,” said the aging pastor. “I will carry each one of you in my heart as I move forward.” Well done, good and faithful servant, Pastor Chuck Swindoll. #Whatalife! 4:8 Media
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I Help Pastors Grow Their church Without Burning Out Their Leaders or Using Complicated Marketing
Is Your Church Mission Clear 7 Relevant to Who You Are Today? (Sample mission doc in the comments) Hey to all my new (and old because yall get offended) friends! Ever feel like your church's mission could use a little boost? Like, making sure it really hits home and gets everyone fired up? I just created something that can help. It's call the Mission Makeover. (sample in the comments) I'm Henry, and I've been helping churches get super clear about what they're all about. It's like giving your church's mission a fresh coat of paint and making sure it shines bright for everyone to see. Here's the deal: 1. Sign Up - Just a quick step to get us started. 2. Chat with Me for 45 Minutes - We'll talk about what your church is all about and dream up some big things together. 3. Get Your New Mission Blueprint - In just a week, you'll have a shiny new mission statement that's all ready to go. If you've been thinking, "Hmm, our church could really use a little clarity," then you're in the right spot. Loads of church leaders have already taken the plunge, and they're loving the clear direction they've got now. Wanna give it a shot? Click the link or drop me a message to get started. Let's make your church's mission something that really speaks to everyone. 🚀 #ChurchFamily #MissionRevamp #HeartToHeart #LetsChat #CommunityLove
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Classical Christian Education is worthy work.
Head of Upper School at Beacon Hill Classical Academy • Founder of the Beza Institute for Reformed Classical Education • Music Minister at Christ Church Carpinteria
I’ll be honest — Southern California often proves to be a difficult place to engage in the work of classical Christian education. So, what is one reason that I do it? 🤔 For those two little ones in my wife’s arms. I long for my children to have full access to the inheritance of the wealth of wisdom, knowledge, truth, goodness, and beauty that is found in the Christian classical tradition. I long for them to read the Great Books of Western Civilization with wise guides, to be steeped in a robustly Christian worldview, to learn how to think critically, to learn how to find joy in truly beautiful things, and to learn to boldly pursue truth. Whatever I can do to enable my kids - and the children of many faithful Christian families still found here in Southern CA - to have access to that inheritance, I will do. It’s worthy work! To all my Christian educators - wherever you may be - who are laboring for the sake of their children and the children of the church, your labor is not in vain. Keep plodding! (And look at my two cute kiddos! I’m so grateful!)
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Helping Church Leaders Grow Effective, Faithful, and Sustainable Churches through Discipleship
🌟 Getting to Know My Journey with Net Results Magazine 🌟 I got asked about my work with Net Results magazine this week and thought I'd share a little tidbit about that. For those who don't know, Net Results is the nation's oldest church growth and evangelism magazine, predating Outreach magazine by decades. We've been around since 1980 when Herb Miller began printing a short pamphlet on church growth issues. It quickly expanded and became one of the more popular Mainline Publications on church growth. 🏛️📈 Over the years, Net Results has had four publishers, and I took over in 2007. However, becoming the publisher wasn't my first foray into Net Results magazine. One of my first writing credits appeared there in the early 90s when I was the pastor at Loganville Christian Church. We won an evangelism award from Net Results magazine because of our sustained baptism rate. 🏆💧 One of the differences between Net Results magazine and other church growth publications is that it's always been written primarily by pastors who are in the deep weeds with the rest of us. 🌱 I think one of the primary features of the magazine is that all of the articles are written with a how-to slant so that other pastors and church leaders can read what is working in other contexts and learn different ideas about what might be able to work in their locale. 🛠️✨ This issue, the one that's coming out this week, was edited by our new editor, Kimberly Hubbard. It's her first foray into magazine editing, and the first issue that I haven't been the hands-on editor since 2007. Every issue has a theme, and this issue is all about preaching effectively. 🎙️📚 If you haven't checked out Net Results magazine, I want to encourage you to take a look. It's a valuable resource for pastors and church leaders looking to grow their congregations and make a bigger impact. You can find out more about it at http://netresults.org/. 🌐 Thank you for taking the time to get to know a bit more about my journey with Net Results. Your support means the world to me! 🙏 #effectivechurch #churchgrowth #pastors #church #NetResults #ministry #leadership
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🌟 Getting to Know My Journey with Net Results Magazine 🌟 I got asked about my work with Net Results magazine this week and thought I'd share a little tidbit about that. For those who don't know, Net Results is the nation's oldest church growth and evangelism magazine, predating Outreach magazine by decades. We've been around since 1980 when Herb Miller began printing a short pamphlet on church growth issues. It quickly expanded and became one of the more popular Mainline Publications on church growth. 🏛️📈 Over the years, Net Results has had four publishers, and I took over in 2007. However, becoming the publisher wasn't my first foray into Net Results magazine. One of my first writing credits appeared there in the early 90s when I was the pastor at Loganville Christian Church. We won an evangelism award from Net Results magazine because of our sustained baptism rate. 🏆💧 One of the differences between Net Results magazine and other church growth publications is that it's always been written primarily by pastors who are in the deep weeds with the rest of us. 🌱 I think one of the primary features of the magazine is that all of the articles are written with a how-to slant so that other pastors and church leaders can read what is working in other contexts and learn different ideas about what might be able to work in their locale. 🛠️✨ This issue, the one that's coming out this week, was edited by our new editor, Kimberly Hubbard. It's her first foray into magazine editing, and the first issue that I haven't been the hands-on editor since 2007. Every issue has a theme, and this issue is all about preaching effectively. 🎙️📚 If you haven't checked out Net Results magazine, I want to encourage you to take a look. It's a valuable resource for pastors and church leaders looking to grow their congregations and make a bigger impact. You can find out more about it at http://netresults.org/. 🌐 Thank you for taking the time to get to know a bit more about my journey with Net Results. Your support means the world to me! 🙏 #effectivechurch #churchgrowth #pastors #church #NetResults #ministry #leadership
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https://netresults.org
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Helping pastors magnify God's grace in Jesus by simplifying and focusing sermon prep with a 4-movement system that tethers every message to the cross with grace-motivated, Spirit-empowered application.
Today's PPGR example is based on Phil 1:21-26. P: People thrive when living with purpose. P: Without a clear purpose, we can flounder. G: Nothing demonstrates the power of purpose more than the cross of Jesus. R: Encountering the purpose of the cross has the power to realign our lives with new purpose, meaning, and direction. New PPGR examples post weekdays at 12:00 PM ET. Cross-Tethered Preaching is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit fellowship of pastors committed to magnifying the wonder, beauty, and transforming power of God's grace in Jesus by simplifying and focusing sermon prep with a four-movement system that explicitly tethers sermon exposition and application to the cross. Interested in more info? Want to learn how to create your own PPGR sermons? Visit crosstetheredpreaching(dot)com. We'd love to see you there. #preaching
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The Crucial Role of Mission Statements in Church Growth Many churches find their mission statements focused more on activities than on actual achievements. This focus can hinder growth and impact. Our latest blog post delves into why action-oriented mission statements might not be as effective and how realigning them towards disciple-making can catalyze true growth. A mission with clarity and purpose isn't just beneficial; it's essential. Read more at https://lnkd.in/etZ7EzMA. #effectivechurch #churchgrowth #pastors #DiscipleMaking #StrategicLeadership
Why Your Church Mission Statement Isn’t Effective
https://effectivechurch.com
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It is another exciting tour with the Men's Book Breakfast ~ The MBB under the stewardship of Lawrence Githinji. On 16th June 2024, Group T346 brothers CPA Moses Njogu, Ivan Ssenfuma , and Brian Machio delved into insightful arguments and concepts compiled by Dr. Tony Evans. We covered three chapters, but here are the key takeaways from chapters 2 & 3; Chapter 2: 💡 A man’s primary responsibility is to lead his family according to biblical principles. This should be characterized by love, service, and spiritual guidance. Understanding his duty to model Christ-like behavior can help him achieve this. 💡Following Christ's example of loving the church, a husband should love his wife sacrificially. This love should be selfless and unconditional, aiming to honor and support the wife. This move will foster a nurturing and respectful environment for both spouses, allowing them to thrive. There is no superiority; instead, it should emphasize mutual respect and partnership. Chapter 3: 💡A Kingdom Man’s impact goes beyond the confines of his home and into the broader community and society. His presence in the community should be marked by integrity, which forms the bedrock of trust and reliability, both critical for building strong and thriving communities. 💡A Kingdom Man should relentlessly seek opportunities to serve others while reflecting Christ’s love and humility. Overall, the influence of a Kingdom man in society is profound and transformative as they are founded on integrity, service, and leadership.
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Want to better understand the New Testament? Check out this micro course with Dr. Abson Joseph.
Course: A Brief Guide to the New Testament
kingswoodlearn.com
