Las finanzas y tu relación con Dios

En esta edición estamos compartiendo un artículo de Larry Burkett, una retadora reflexión, sobre Principios Bíblicos de prosperidad financiera. Sientense y que lo disfruten!
En realidad, tenemos sólo un propósito para todo lo que hacemos en el tiempo de esta vida –glorificar a Dios-.Si nuestra vida diaria no refleja ese servicio, no estamos sirviendo a Dios. 

Hay una gran cantidad de servicio falso de parte de muchos que profesan servir a Dios pero en la realidad lo que pretenden es que Dios les sirva a ellos. Es verdad que ellos dan, pero siempre esperan que se les pague. 
Ellos ayudarán al necesitado, pero es para que Dios no permita que ninguna tragedia le suceda a ellos. Esta lista se podría proseguir y, al hacerlo, sin duda algo se aplicaría a cada uno de nosotros. ¿por qué? Porque muy pocos, creo yo, entendemos la función que tienen las finanzas en nuestra vida espiritual.

Los principios financieros dados a través de toda la Palabra de Dios no están ahí para ver si nosotros somos lo suficientemente fuertes como para vivir conforme a ellos – fueron dados porque Dios sabe que son lo mejor para nosotros-.  Los principios de Dios acerca de las finanzas no son un conjunto de reglamentos arbitrarios mediante los cuales gobernamos. Estos representan la sabiduría de un Padre amante para aquellos que le oyen y confían en Él.

Nosotros hemos constituido una sociedad afluente basada en la arena movediza de una deuda futura. Todo lo que tenemos está en peligro de ser barrido por cualquier crisis financiera, aun relativamente pequeña. No será así con aquellos que observan y obedecen la sabiduría financiera de Dios; ésta edifica para que perdure, no para impresionar a otros.

¿Por qué Cristo enseñó acerca de las finanzas?
Muchos cristianos se sorprenden al descubrir que aproximadamente dos tercios de las parábolas que Cristo usó al enseñar tienen que ver específicamente con las finanzas. La razón para esto es muy simple: Él escogió un asunto con el cual casi todo el mundo está identificado.

Cristo nunca dijo que el dinero o las cosas materiales fueran problemas. Él sencillamente dijo que éstos eran síntomas de problemas reales. Él constantemente nos advirtió que guardáramos nuestros corazones de la avaricia, la codicia, el egoísmo y el orgullo, porque esas son las herramientas que usa Satanás para controlar y manipular este mundo. 

Cristo nos advirtió mucho más acerca del materialismo que ningún otro pecado: “Y les dijo: Estad atentos, y guardaos de toda forma de avaricia; porque aun cuando alguien tenga abundancia, su vida no consiste en sus bienes”. Lucas 12:15

Las mismas riquezas provistas por Dios para mejorar nuestras vidas y traer a otros a la salvación, Satanás las ha tomado y las ha desviado para su propio uso. Se piensa de los pobres como perdedores, menos espirituales que los triunfadores.

¿Es malo ser rico?
Rico es un término muy subjetivo, pero aquí es usado en relación con tener suficiente dinero para cubrir las necesidades razonables de uno y que todavía le queden algunos fondos. Es claro que la Palabra de Dios enseña que muchos de sus hijos caerán dentro de esta categoría; ellos no solamente serán capaces de cubrir sus necesidades, sino también tendrán los medios para ayudar a otros que tienen necesidades. 

El plan de Dios está claramente declarado en 2ª Corintios 6:14-15 “Que nuestra abundancia en el presente tiempo supla las necesidades de otros, para que también la abundancia de ellos supla nuestras necesidades”, una buena alternativa de bienestar social dentro de la iglesia.

Las finanzas, nuestro barómetro espiritual
Una de las señales más seguras de los principios mundanos en el cristianismo es el amor al dinero. Éste se manifiesta por el miedo al futuro. Este miedo domina la actitud de la mayoría de los creyentes en estos tiempos. 

El miedo de no tener bastante para el futuro hace que muchos cristianos roben a la obra de Dios de los mismos fondos que Él ha provisto. Pero el ejemplo del rico insensato, dado por el Señor en Lucas 12:16-20, debería ser una clara indicación de lo equilibrado según Dios es: “Cuando dudes...no acumules”.

¿Qúe debemos hacer?
Sería negligencia de nuestra parte al concluir este estudio de las formas que las finanzas reflejan nuestra fe, si no señalamos algunos pasos sencillos para comenzar la aplicación de la sabiduría de Dios:

Primero:  Estudia los materiales disponibles acerca de los principios de Dios para administrar las finanzas. Puedes extraer todos los principios de la Biblia tú mismo, o realizar un estudio organizado para aumentar tus conocimientos con las ideas que otros han aplicado a estos principios.

Segundo: Aplica la disciplina piadosa a tu estilo de vida. La Palabra de Dios hace muy claro que el derroche y el desperdicio no son principios piadosos, sino mundanos. 
Cada familia cristiana debe examinar sus hábitos de gastos, y particularmente en las áreas donde hay derroche y rendir cuenta de su mayordomía a Dios.


Tercero:  Enseña a tus hijos los principios de Dios. El peso que los principios financieros del mundo ponen sobre tu familia hoy día es enorme. 
Más de la mitad de los matrimonios fracasarán por causa de las tensiones financieras innecesarias. Los padres cristianos nunca deben permitir que sus hijos abandonen el hogar sin equiparlos antes con el conocimiento fundamental de las finanzas que van a necesitar para sobrevivir en una sociedad materialmente loca.

Cuarto:  Enseña a tus vecinos. Hay en este momento varios cientos de parejas cristianas que regularmente enseñan los principios de Dios en cuanto a la finanzas y presupuestos básicos en hogares e iglesias. 

Millones están sufriendo y no saben adónde acudir para conseguir ayuda. Ellos responderán, no solamente al consejo financiero, sino también al mensje del evangelio que debe siempre acompañarlo.

Nace en Bogotá iglesia cristiana de melenudos y heavy metal

NOVEDADCerca de 50 personas de distintas edades se reúnen cada sábado a orar y escuchar la prédica del pastor de la comunidad "Pantokrator". Muchos de ellos tienen largas melenas, lucen tatuajes y 'piercings' y visten con ropa negra, botas militares y cinturones con taches. Febrero 2012Durante el servicio, los asistentes, que dicen no consumir alcohol, drogas ni fumar, alzan sus manos constantemente y se arrodillan bañados en lágrimas.Un transeúnte desprevenido pensaría que esos melenudos, llenos de piercings y vestidos de negro, se reúnen para celebrar un rito satánico.  Pero se equivocaría: se trata de todo lo contrario, de feligreses que acuden a la iglesia para ser bendecidos. 
Los asistentes al templo no son los creyentes típicos de una iglesia.
Muchos de ellos tienen largas melenas, lucen tatuajes ypiercings en diferentes partes de su cuerpo y visten con ropa negra, botas militares y cinturones con taches o clavos metálicos.

Esto no es un obstáculo para que alrededor de 50 hombres y mujeres de distintas edades se reúnan cada sábado en la noche a orar y escuchar la prédica del pastor de la comunidad "Pantokrator", una iglesia cristiana evangélica o protestante ubicada en Bosa, en el sur de Bogotá.

El servicio religioso se lleva a cabo en el segundo piso de una casa, arriba de un almacén que vende pinturas. Se inicia con una reflexión y minutos después el sonido estridente de la guitarra eléctrica, el bajo y la batería rompe el silencio de la habitación y estremece la cuadra entera.

Se entonan alabanzas a Dios a ritmo de heavy metal o rock pesado, música que sectores conservadores tildan de satánica y asocian con prácticas paganas.

"No somos una Iglesia metalera. Somos cristianos con un gusto musical" especial, fue lo primero que advirtió a The Associated Press el pastor Cristian González durante una entrevista en el preludio de la ceremonia.

Aludía a las "iglesias metaleras" populares en Estados Unidos, las cuales giran en torno a la música. En la iglesia de Bogotá, la razón de ser es Dios, no la música, señaló.

González, de 31 años, fundó la Iglesia en junio del 2003 como un espacio para "llegar a esos lugares que se pueden tener por satanizados, por ocultos", señaló el joven de figura robusta y sin ningún accesorio extravagante a la vista.

Se cree que la Iglesia es única en América Latina.

A "Pantokrator" no sólo asisten personas afectas al metal. Acuden, también, miembros de otras culturas urbanas y gente común, incluidos cinco niños pequeños que corretean por el salón de unos 70 metros cuadrados, de paredes blancas y decorado por cortinas negras y extrañas grafías.

En una esquina del recinto, una vitrina con golosinas, empanadas y una botella de gaseosa es testigo silencioso del momento más heavy o pesado del culto: algunos de los participantes hacen a un lado las sillas blancas de plástico y se lanzan desaforadamente al centro del salón para saltar y chocarse entre ellos.

A esto se le conoce como "pogo", un baile practicado por algunas culturas urbanas como los punk, los hardcore y, por supuesto, los metaleros, en el que usualmente la gente sale lastimada.

Sin embargo, González niega que esto suceda en su iglesia. "Ninguna persona sale herida porque la idea no es agredir al otro".

Precisamente, prácticas como estas son objeto de crítica por parte de altos jerarcas de diferentes iglesias.

"Ahí hay una exageración (en iglesias como Pantokrator) con la que difícilmente se puede comulgar" o estar de acuerdo, sostuvo en diálogo telefónico monseñor Fabián Marulanda, uno de los líderes más respetados de la Iglesia Cristiana Católica en Colombia.

"Nosotros en la Iglesia (católica) hemos querido que la liturgia sea muy digna; que las expresiones no sean desbordadas. La liturgia misma exige esa seriedad y esa sobriedad", agregó el prelado.

Representantes de la iglesia cristiana evangélica, por su parte, no ponen en duda la experiencia de Dios que puedan tener los asistentes, en su mayoría jóvenes, a este tipo de servicios religiosos, pero dicen que los mensajes transmitidos pueden ser confusos y poco ajustados a la escritura bíblica.

Muchas veces "el mensaje del Evangelio es diluido precisamente a través de prácticas y clichés de la nueva ola cristiana", detalló a la AP el pastor Daniel Lancheros, guía de la comunidad "Cristo Rey", una iglesia protestante tradicional con sede en Bogotá.

En su opinión "si las personas acuden (a iglesias como Pantokrator) sólo por su tendencia musical, eso es lo peligroso de estos movimientos".

Al ser consultado sobre el papel que dentro de "Pantokrator" juega la cultura metal, González aclaró que "el rock no es nuestra base fundamental, nuestra base fundamental de vida se llama Cristo Jesús".

Con el pastor concuerda Ana María Cabrera, de 21 años, feligresa y guitarrista, quien asegura que "en esta iglesia he aprendido a conocer a ese amigo fiel que no te suelta la mano; a ese Dios cercano. Eso es lo que más vale, independientemente de la pinta y de la música".

"Este lugar está lleno de alegría, no de oscuridad", afirma la joven de figura estilizada y sensual, maquillada delicadamente por uno de sus compañeros de culto.

Durante el servicio, de unas dos horas, los asistentes, que dicen no consumir alcohol, drogas ni fumar, alzan sus manos constantemente y se arrodillan bañados en lágrimas.

Termina el culto. De momento González sólo atina a referir que si Jesucristo viviera hoy, "no sería ni guerrillero ni metalero".

"Si Jesús estuviera presente aceptaría a todo el mundo sin hacer distinción y sin menospreciar a ninguna persona", concluye.
AP

Gospel Marketing in prayer movements

Do you want to observe a Gospel Marketing plan in action? These videos shows how to develop a Marketing strategy for a prayer initiative in Argentina. Is called 40 Days of fasting and prayer.


Women and Prophetic Ministry

cindy-jacobs-prophesy
In 1955 a little 4-year-old girl crept up into her mother's lap. "Mama," she said, "I want a baby sister."
The young mother smiled, amused by the child's request. "Sweetheart," she chuckled, "we're not having any more children. You're the last one."
But the 4-year-old was insistent. She just knew Mama was going to have a baby girl. And as it turned out, she was right!
I was that 4-year-old child, and the next year my baby sister, Lucy, was born. That was 57 years ago, and at that time I had no idea that the "knowing" I sensed about Lucy's birth was a "prophetic word." Nor did I realize that my prophesying the birth of my sister was part of the fulfillment of Bible prophecy.
On the day of Pentecost, Peter quoted from the Old Testament book of Joel: "And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters shall prophesy. ... And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy" (Acts 2:17-18).
Peter said that because of the infilling of the Holy Spirit, both sons and daughters—men and women—will prophesy. The gift of prophecy is not for men only. Women can be prophets too.
Prophetic Women in History
The truth is, women have been prophets throughout Bible history. The Holy Spirit was quite intentional about the people He included in Scripture, and He gives us many examples of women operating in the prophetic gifts in both the Old and New Testaments.
It's true that no female prophet wrote a book of the Bible. Nevertheless, Scripture records that prophetic women have always been used in great and significant ways for the Lord.
One Old Testament prophet was Huldah, a woman who was consulted during Josiah's reign when the lost book of the Law was discovered (see 2 Kin. 22:14). A contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah, Huldah apparently was quite influential and known for her wisdom and ability to hear God.
Deborah, another Old Testament prophet, had a governmental anointing (see Judg. 4-5). And according to Isaiah 8:3, the prophet Isaiah was married to a woman who was a prophet.
The New Testament also mentions women prophets. One of those was Anna, the old widow who spent most of her time fasting and praying in the temple.
When Mary and Joseph brought their baby to the temple to present him to the Lord, Anna knew supernaturally that this child was the long-awaited Messiah. Luke 2:38 says that Anna "gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem" (NIV).
Other women prophets in the New Testament include the daughters of Philip the evangelist. Acts 21:8-9 says that all four of Philip's daughters prophesied.
Many women in our own day have become widely recognized for their prophetic gifts. Violet Kitely of Shiloh Christian Fellowship in Oakland, California, is a seasoned prophet who has operated in her gift for many decades. The same is true of Gwen Shaw, the founder of End-Time Handmaidens.
Other modern-day prophets include Barbara Wentroble, Barbara Yoder, Stacey Campbell, Jill Austin, Beth Alves and Jane Hamon. These women have prophesied in the United States and around the world. While their ministries are quite diverse, each one has stepped forward to answer the Holy Spirit's call in Acts 2:17: "Your daughters shall prophesy" (NKJV).
Prophecy 101
What does it mean to prophesy? A woman prophesies when she is prompted by God to deliver a message to a particular individual (personal prophecy) or a group (corporate prophecy). The message comes to her by the revelatory activity of the Holy Spirit.
When prophesy happens in prayer, it's called "prophetic intercession." God moves upon the heart of a woman while she is interceding, prompting her to pray prayers about things that are far beyond her natural knowledge.
Let me give you an example of prophetic intercession. A woman I'll call Susan was asked by an elder of her church to pray for their congregation because certain people were causing problems and stirring up dissension.
Not knowing any of the specifics, Susan began to pray in a general way. Suddenly this sentence fell out of her mouth: "And Lord, those 80-year-old ladies who are gossiping and causing problems need to be touched by You and convicted of what they are doing to the church."
The elder was astonished. Susan had prayed specifically for what he knew was the root of the problem. Without realizing it, Susan had entered into prophetic intercession.
The Training Ground of Prayer
For Susan and many other women, intercession is the training ground for the prophetic gifts. Often it is the way a woman first begins to receive what she later comes to recognize as prophetic words.
A woman who has a prophetic gift tends to pray differently than other people. She may begin by praying a simple prayer of petition. Then, all of a sudden, the tonality of her voice changes. A ring of authority comes. It is as though she has shifted gears in the Spirit as the power of the Holy Spirit energizes the words of her prayer.
When her intercession hits the mark time and time again, she begins to develop confidence that she is actually hearing from God. Eventually she may begin to step forward to share what she is sensing from God at other times.
The fact is, very few people who stand in front of others and give prophetic words on a regular basis start out in such a public way. Most begin by praying for people and having those people exclaim, "How did you know to pray like that? What you prayed fits my need exactly!"
That's how it happened for me. When I first began prophesying, I had no idea that what I was doing was prophetic. People at my church just kept asking me to pray for them, and I did.
After a while I began to notice that the things I prayed proved to be accurate, and my prayers were often fulfilled in dramatic ways. I realized that God was giving me supernatural knowledge—I was hearing the voice of God! Since then, I've come to recognize and trust His voice all the more.
Typically God doesn't give me a lengthy prophecy while I'm in prayer. Rather, a name or some other piece of information will come to me. Then, as I open my mouth to pray, I trust God to fill it with the words of intercession that He wants.
Sometimes this kind of praying involves a progressive revelation of the Lord's will. For example, I was interceding one day and kept hearing a particular man's name. I heard no other words, yet I felt great alarm for this man—whoever he was.
"Father, protect him. Encourage him," I prayed. "Don't let him do something he shouldn't do."
The next day I received a request to pray for a well-known traveling evangelist who was suffering great discouragement. His name was the one that had come to me the day before!
From that point on I was able to pray for this man with even greater knowledge. I believe the Lord may have averted a suicide attempt through the prayers of intercessors during this critical period in the evangelist's life.
No Formula
Although it's true that many women are trained in the prophetic gifts through intercession, hearing the voice of God and responding to His prophetic call can't be reduced to a formula. For one thing, not all prophetic calls are alike.
We are unique in the gifts and abilities God has given us. As a result, God's methods for stirring up our spiritual gifts will differ from woman to woman.
The important thing is that we learn to be sensitive to God's voice and respond to His prompting when it comes. This sensitivity is often easier for women than it is for men, since women tend to be naturally more sensitive. Our innate ability to "tune in" opens our hearts to hear the voice of God in many different ways.
Sometimes what we call "women's intuition" is really the gift of prophecy at work. For example, Shirley Dobson, wife of Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, had a "prophetic intuition" one day that caused her to stop what she was doing and immediately begin praying for the protection of her daughter, Danae.
She had no reason to believe that Danae was in any danger. But later that evening she understood why God had prompted her to pray with such urgency.
At about the time Shirley began praying, Danae was driving through a rainstorm on a mountain road. All of a sudden the car began skidding on the wet gravel, and Danae lost control. The car rolled and landed upside down in the middle of the road.
Thankfully, Danae escaped with only an injury to her left hand. According to the police, the outcome could have been much worse. If the car had skidded another 30 feet, it would have reached a part of the road that had no guardrail and plunged down a 500-foot embankment.
Learning to Prophesy
I believe God wants to raise up an army of women who, like Shirley Dobson, are sensitive to His voice. He wants to use us mightily in our families, our churches, our cities and even our nations to pray and speak His prophetic word into all kinds of circumstances.
How can you become part of that army? Start by eagerly desiring the spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. Allow God to stretch you in your prayer times, and trust Him to give you supernatural prayers that go beyond your natural knowledge.
Believe that God will teach you what you need to know so that you can begin to hear Him and share His word with others. It may sound strange, but we do need to learn to prophesy. By that I mean we must learn to become skilled at effectively sharing what God seems to be saying in a way that is in order and in His timing and that brings edification to all concerned.
Years ago, as my prophetic gift was beginning to emerge, I had a propensity for sticking my foot in my mouth (and in other people's mouths, too, for that matter). Among my problems were harshness, bad timing in sharing prophecies and pride over the fact that I was the one hearing from God.
Of course, God wasn't going to let me go on that way forever. When I finally cried out for help, He began sending people along my path to teach me and mentor me.
Now I like to return the favor. I often mentor young prophetic believers by taking them with me when I travel and asking them to pray with me.
"Cindy," they invariably exclaim, "I knew what you were going to pray before it came out of your mouth!" They're so excited to discover that the same Holy Spirit praying through me is also praying through them.
Here Am I, Send Me
I remember the night long ago when God made my prophetic calling crystal clear to me. He reminded me of the prophecy that Peter quoted in Acts 2: "Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy...And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit" (vv. 17-18).
Then I sensed Him saying, "Cindy, if that prophecy is going to be fulfilled, I need some maidservants, and I have chosen you."
I got down on my knees. "Here am I, Lord. Send me," I responded.
Since that time, the road has not been easy. Much of my training has been difficult—even painful. And I am still learning.
Perhaps you are just starting off in the prophetic ministry, and you are wondering how you will ever make it. How will you possibly learn everything you need to know?
I believe I can boldly assure you that God will give you someone who can come alongside you to mentor you. Or, if you live in a place where there are no mentors, He will find another way to train you.
After all, it's God's desire and plan for His daughters to prophesy. If God has given you a prophetic gift, be faithful to develop it and use it for His glory. If you persevere, He will see that you receive all the training you need.
Cindy Jacobs is co-founder with her husband, Mike, of Generals of Intercession, an organization that builds prayer ministries throughout the world. Portions of this article were adapted from her book, The Voice of God. Published by Regal. Used by permission
This article was originally published on  SpiritLed Woman E-Magazine dot com

Coach pastors

Leading a ministry in any capacity can be an incredible challenge. As pastors, we face staffing issues, theological/philosophical/methodological differences, budget constraints, leadership shifts/gaps, vision clouding, etc. Many of us may even struggle to keep the balance of family and ministry. We have a high calling and face a very daunting task with little support and encouragement.

61% of pastors today say they have no one to talk with about their personal lives and ministry. I can honestly say that in the first 10 years of ministry confidants were very difficult to find. It only takes one person to break your confidence and you'll think twice about "sharing your life". If that's concerning to you, take a look at the shocking statistics of pastors throughout North America in our article "Leadership Under Fire" (PDF). Out of the 365,000 pastors in the US, 55,000 are in transition every year. That's 150-200 pastors a day dealing with change in a very real way! Why is this happening? Should we be alarmed? Isn't that just the way ministry is? Isn't that what you signed up for? What's the big deal? We'll if your a pastor...it's definitely a big deal. Try moving your family around a few times in 12 years. I know from personal experience the joy, stress, anxiety and excitement of moving away from one ministry and moving into another. From one city to another, one state to another and even one denomination to another. Transitions are very vulnerable times for pastors, their spouses and their families. 
Feeling alone during a life changing transition is not uncommon and can be overwhelming. So making these transitions as smooth and infrequent as possible will not only save your ministry it may save your marriage and family.
My personal journey into coaching began as I actively sought the answers about ministry life that seminary, denominations, elders, other pastors and even my close friends in the ministry could never really answer. I was longing for serious growth and change. No more numbers, programs or different ways to "do" church. I wanted to know how to tap into what God was stirring in me. So in 2001, I hired a personal coach to help me create a personal growth plan that involved every aspect of my life and keep me on target. Sounds very simplistic, but for me it was what I had been searching for the last 11 years of ministry.
In late 2001, as I continued to pastor full time, I rearranged the next three years of my life to train within two different Coach Certification programs and pursue a MA in Leadership Coaching (the first of it's kind in the US). With the popularity of the "coaching" term, a degree simply says I've studied it and mastered the subject beyond a simple certification. In conjunction with that, I spent hours of practicing coaching and converting all my pastoral counseling appointments into "coaching sessions". I've always had a knack for what some call "counseling" and I can honestly say that my previous training in pastoral counseling did not adequately prepare me for ministry. However, the new coaching skills I began to implement brought about lasting change especially for those who were serious about taking responsibility.
In 2002 our new ministry was launched (this site and a few others are a result of those efforts). I began coaching several pastors and Christian leaders outside the sphere of the local church in places like Canada, London, South America and all over the US. Within a short time I found myself meeting a quietly desperate need amongst my peers in ministry. Some simply needed to clarify their call and revisit their passion for ministry. Others needed to simplify their lives and refocus their efforts on building their foundational ministry...their family. Still others came with the residue of past hurt...battle scars that seemed to be tripping them up and keeping them from embracing their God-given destiny. I've even coached pastors struggling to motivate their staff, cast vision, understand their own design and leadership style.
We even created a ministry to help financially support ministry leaders, pastors, missionaries and church planters who can not afford the cost of coaching fees. We've tried to eliminate every obstacle imaginable that would prevent pastors and ministry leaders from receiving the coaching benefits equal or greater than any major corporation executive. Perhaps the greatest barrier is the attitude I've run into with some pastors: "I don't need this, I'm fine and the ministry is fine, besides it's a scam. Sounds just like something we did in 19__." Healthy skepticisim is fine and encouraged...definately check us out. However we can't do much for those who won't even kick the tires. So, we go with the individuals God brings us.
And God's not done...you might be reading this site thinking about how you or someone you know could benefit from coaching...let me give you a little heads up: No one needs coaching but everyone can benefit from coaching. I'm not going to tell you what you need, you have enough people in your life telling you that. What I will do is walk with you for a while and use these wonderful skills and my gifts to bring about clarity, movement, awareness, responsibility and motivation. All packed within an environment for growth that we call "coaching".
Leading a ministry in any capacity can be an incredible challenge. As pastors, we face staffing issues, theological/philosophical/methodological differences, budget constraints, leadership shifts/gaps, vision clouding, etc. Many of us may even struggle to keep the balance of family and ministry. We have a high calling and face a very daunting task with little support and encouragement.
As a coach, I can help you refocus, meet a challenging ministry goal, reconnect with your passion for ministry, navigate a transition or bring balance to your life. A coach is like a personal trainer for anything you want to work on: a confidant, partner, and supporter who pushes you to grow faster and be your best. And a coach who works from a biblical values system and understands the leadership challenges you face makes a great partner.
"Leaders take responsibility." Now it's up to you. You know where to find us!

How a Coaching process works


Feeling alone during a life changing transition is not uncommon and can be overwhelming. 
So making these transitions as smooth and infrequent as possible will not only save you 
ministry it may save your marriage and family. This article is an interesting review from the web: purposefilledlife (dot) com

"61% of pastors today say they have no one to talk with about their personal lives and ministry. I can honestly say that in the first 10 years of ministry confidants were very difficult to find. It only takes one person to break your confidence and you'll think twice about "sharing your life". If that's concerning to you, take a look at the shocking statistics of pastors throughout North America in our article "Leadership Under Fire" (PDF). Out of the 365,000 pastors in the US, 55,000 are in transition every year. That's 150-200 pastors a day dealing with change in a very real way! Why is this happening? Should we be alarmed? Isn't that just the way ministry is? Isn't that what you signed up for? What's the big deal? We'll if your a pastor...it's definitely a big deal. Try moving your family around a few times in 12 years. I know from personal experience the joy, stress, anxiety and excitement of moving away from one ministry and moving into another. From one city to another, one state to another and even one denomination to another. Transitions are very vulnerable times for pastors, their spouses and their families. Feeling alone during a life changing transition is not uncommon and can be overwhelming. So making these transitions as smooth and infrequent as possible will not only save your ministry it may save your marriage and family."
Continue the article in the next post or see more: http://www.purposefilledlife.com/coach-pastors.html

iPastor – Apps for ministry



iPastor – Recording the need


Bowers Technologies’ latest app, iPastor could be considered to an ad-hoc notepad for those in the ministry. It is a contact do-all which helps track needs, target ministry objectives, and divide responsibilities between staff. In short, it helps ministry workers succinctly organise their objectives and goals for better care. 
iPastor Bowers Technologies, Inc., iPastor – $4.99

Efesios 4:11-12 (NVI)
Él mismo constituyó a unos, apóstoles; a otros, profetas; a otros, evangelistas; y a otros, pastores y maestros, a fin de capacitar al *pueblo de Dios para la obra de servicio, para edificar el cuerpo de Cristo.

Marketing The Gospel - Is It A Contradiction In Terms?

"If any man comes after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and for the gospel will find it." (Mark 8:34)

'Marketing the Gospel' - is it a contradiction in terms? The concept sounds sort of self-defeating, like trying to get the church to run a protection racket or to set up a brothel as a form of Christian outreach. And at a glance, our Gospel text would suggest that, if there is such a thing as Gospel marketing, Jesus obviously didn't know how to do it.

And yet, strictly speaking, we preachers are always doing marketing. Whenever we present a 'product' of any kind, we are marketing it, and that's as true of our presentation of the Gospel as it is of any other product. It's just a question of whether it's good marketing or bad marketing.

What I mean is that you can never present anything in a neutral way. The way you dress, the way you speak, the way you present yourself to others, always shapes the way your message is perceived. If you preach the gospel in a way that is fiery and aggressive, that is going to affect the way your message is perceived by your audience. If you wear clerical robes that are colourful and symbolic, that is going to effect the way people hear you. If you try to remove yourself from the process completely by simply reading pieces of Scripture in a monotonous tone, that too is going to shape what your listeners hear.

There is no neutral ground. Every time you present anything by way of dialogue, written article or sermon, you package it in some way or other, and so you market it. Admittedly, some preachers package the gospel in such a way that the message seems to be more about the preacher than about Christ, but that just means that they are marketing their message badly (or marketing the wrong message). Either way, we can't escape marketing. What we need is marketing that is appropriate for servants of the Lord Jesus. And there's the rub.



The problem with most marketing, as I see it, is that it is judged solely in terms of its results. If lots of people buy your product as a result of your marketing, it is good marketing. Conversely, if only a few people buy it, you have marketed poorly. This is obviously is not sufficient for the Gospel marketer.

While it is tempting to assume that the sermon that leaves a goodly number of parishioners in tears is a good one, it may just be the result of clever emotional manipulation on the part of the preacher. Conversely, we may be quick to judge the sermon that has parishioners storming out during the service as a bad one, but isn't that exactly the sort of response the Lord Jesus regularly received?

Now I know that we are taught to 'know the tree by the fruits', which means that good outcomes should indicate good marketing, but I'd suggest that we need to look for those fruits further down the track. Teary parishioners and large amounts of cash in the offertory are not necessarily the good fruits we need to look for. Changed lives that go the distance - now that's fruit. Think again of the message of the Lord Jesus Himself. Over time, it turned human history upside-down, but in the short-term, the only obvious result was that He got Himself killed.

Let me cut to the chase here. The missing criterion by which good marketing ought to be judged is... truth! This is the ingredient that differentiates the marketing of Jesus and the Apostles from so many of their modern-day representatives.

Telling the truth, and marketing in a way that is true to the message - that's what puts the Gospel into Gospel marketing.

Good Gospel marketing functions to make the Gospel clear, not necessarily attractive. It means communicating to people in a language that they can understand, but without importing the values that they are comfortable with.

Does this mean that we should disregard results as a means of judging our success? Undoubtedly the answer is 'yes' - at least in the short term. We must focus on faithfulness rather than results, and leave the long-term results up to God.

Does this mean that we should disregard all the obvious marketing mechanisms that appeal to the basic human appetites for sex, youth and beauty? Well, first and foremost we need to be true to the Gospel.

For the Christian faith does celebrate the 'abundant life', but it's an abundant life that includes sacrifice, suffering and death, and these are difficult concepts to 'sell'. And we do celebrate beauty, but if you can't see the beauty in offering a cup of cold water to someone who is thirsty, well ... you're not ready to market the Gospel.


7 Ways Your Web Hosting Company Can Help Your Church Go Green

The OurChurch.Com case study:

While the environmental movement is most often identified with the political left, care for God’s creation has become a mainstream issue important to many Christians.  According to Catalyst  Leadership Digital Magazine:
“90% of evangelicals (as well as 62% of mainline Protestants and 52% of Catholics) would like to see fellow Christians take a more active role in caring for creation in a biblical way.”
“45% of evangelicals report making environmentally conscious life-style changes in the past year.”
With that in mind there are a number of ways your web hosting company can help your organization take better care of God’s creation.

1) Send an eNewsletter If your organization prints and mails a paper newsletter, consider switching to an electronic newsletter.  This will save lots of paper and ink.  If you mail your newsletters, it will save lots of postage as well.  If you think some people will resist an eNewsletter, give people the option to continue receiving the paper version.   Even if some people still opt for the paper version, you’ll still cut your paper use by half.

2) Print teasers, post stories If you do print a weekly bulletin, program, or newsletter and believe it’s absolutely essential to continue it, you could reduce your printing needs by only putting essential information or teasers in the print form and referring people to your website for more information or the rest of the story.

3) Set-up an eStore
If you are a local retailer, setting up ecommerce on your website not only makes good business sense, but it can help the environment as well.  It saves people a trip to your store, which cuts down on auto pollutants.

4) Opt for electronic invoices If you receive paper invoices for web services, see if your host gives you the option for invoicing by email or automated billing.  OurChurch.com has led the way on this as we’ve been doing electronic invoices exclusively since our inception 12 years ago.

5) Chose SEO over direct mail If you do any direct mail marketing, have you ever considered how much paper waste that generates?  And with postage and printing rates rising and response rates falling, direct mail doesn’t yield the return it used to.  Doing search engine optimization (SEO) for your website so it rankings in the top 10 for your targeted keywords, can bring better results and is 100% environmentally friendly.

6) Get a new website instead of a Yellow Pages ad An estimated 540 million phone books weighing on average 3.62 points are printed every year.  That’s nearly 1 million tons of paper.  It takes 24 million trees and 380 million gallons of oil to produce all those phone books.  What’s worse is that most people hardly ever use them anymore.  Most people search online instead of searching the Yellow Pages.  If you have purchased ads in the Yellow Pages in the past, consider investing that money in a new website, which requires no trees or oil to produce and will probably give you a better return on your investment.

7) Choose a green hosting company When looking for a web hosting company usually things like cost, disk space, and customer service ratings are a top the list of criteria, but have you considered how green your web host is?  Some web hosting companies use renewable energy.  Others allow their staff to work telecommute.  In fact, we estimate that OurChurch.Com prevents about 50,000 pounds of CO2 emissions each year by allowing our staff to work from home offices.

The great thing about theses options is that most of them will not only help save the environment but they’ll also help save you money.
What are you thoughts on these green options?  Got any other ways your website or web hosting company can help you go green?