Ten Ways to Life or Death

By: Jeff Patton #1—EQUIP—Ephesians 4:11-12 is quite clear.  The role of the pastor is to equip the saints.  So equip, equip, equip.  Stop doing all the ministry.  Empower the people to live in the fullness of the Holy Spirit by using their gifts, stretching their faith and witness God’s power in their midst’s. #2—Do something to […]

So You Want to Plant a Church?

So you’re thinking about planting a church are you? It seems as if church planting is one of the fads of the day. Well here are some things you might consider before attempting to plant a church. First, are you more in love with God than with planting a church? If not, don’t do it. […]

National Park

The last twenty years of North American culture has been moving from what I call a National Park world to a world that can only be described as a Jungle. Consider the following comparisons: National Park •       Are neatly laid out •       Predictable and slow to change •       Warn you about dangers animals •       Provide […]

Conversion, How It Happens

My conversion took place some 52 years ago and occurred over a relatively short period of time – about six months. It began with my dating a girl that demanded I attend church with her. Then I connected with the pastor because we both played golf, and the rest is history. I would characterize my […]

Volunteer Removal – Part 2

There’s a lot written about how to fire up volunteers, but not a lot written about how to fire them when they’ve not quite lived up to their commitments. Of course the best way to ensure the ministry gets done is to place the right people in the right positions in the first place. But […]