Meet Joe Average This Easter

Is Joe average? Well… not quite.

Join with us this Easter Sunday April 12, 10:30am at the CORDOVA Theater in downtown Pullman (135 N. Grand Ave)for a special presentation of JOE AVERAGE: A fresh look at God’s creation.

 

Twelve Great Ministry Resources for 2009

Here are a few of the sites I have come to enjoy and even depend on in ministry through the last few years:

1. www.e-sword.net  Do you want to build a world class Christian library in just a few minutes for FREE? This is the site for you.

2. www.harvestime.org This site provides comprehensive Bible College cirriculum in seven languages on pdf files for FREE.

3. www.livingwaters.com Probably the best evangelism training site available today. Many FREE resources as well as low cost outreach training and materials.

4. www.sermonindex.net  Over 16,000 sermon audios from the last one hundred years. Hours and hours of instruction and inspiration.

5. www.newchurchreport.com Compilation site of the latest articles from across Christian cyberspace. Currently under new management.

6. www.biblicalspirituality.org Lots of articles and resources both FREE and low cost about spiritual disciplines.

7. www.biblegateway.com Premier site for dozens of versions of the Bible online.

8. www.oneyearbibleonline.com read the Bible in one year from the version of your choice for FREE. New feature lets you start on any day of the year.

9. www.ccel.org Christian Classic Ethereal Library. Hundreds of Christian books available FREE online.

10. www.cpforum.net and www.mentoringleaders.com  two of the most dynamic Church leaders today.

11. www.davidwa.org  David Watson is arguably the most successful church planter alive today. His site is full of provocative articles and video about soul-winning, disciplemaking, church planting, and missions.

12. www.raycomfortfood.blogspot.com Thius blog entitled “Atheist Central” is a no holds barred discussion of faith with agnostics and atheists.

BONUS SITE: www.pandora.com Register at this site and build your own praise and worship radio station.

 

Seven Steps for Following the Great Commision

I found this article from www.buildingchurchleaders.com over at the www.newchurchreport.com. I like the concise and practical way it points us toward the harvest.

Seven steps closer to reaching the world

In doing the work of global outreach, my church matters. Your church matters. The church down the road matters. Every local church can—and must—play a role if we intend to carry out the Great Commission. Consider these simple ways to increase your church’s commitment to global outreach:

1. Ask God to give you a heart for the world. I have seen entire churches burdened about the Great Commission after God moved first in the life of only one church member. Passionate, mission-minded church members are difficult to ignore!
2. Teach about missions. Train children, youth, and adults about the significance of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20). Use every opportunity to show why every follower of Christ should be concerned about missions.
3. Promote, promote, and promote again any missions offering that your church supports. Challenge your members to give sacrificially. For example, encourage them to give to missions at least a tithe of what they spend on Christmas gifts this year.
4. Invite stateside missionaries to speak to the church. Nothing speaks to churches quite like a “real live” missionary does, and the time set aside for a missionary speaker is time well spent. Contact any missions agency to find the names of missionaries now on stateside assignment.
5. Challenge church members to pray daily for missionaries. Provide a list of names and needs, being careful to protect missionaries who serve in sensitive areas.
6. Sponsor a short-term mission trip for your church members. Teaching about missions is a starting point, but actually experiencing missions can be life-changing. Set a goal to send at least 10 percent of your church’s active attendees on a mission trip this year. Be sure to commission your members as missionaries as you send them out.
7. Pray corporately that God will call some of your church’s members to be career missionaries. Perhaps he will use some of your members to take the gospel where it has never been.