Category: Evangelism
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Spread the Gospel like Stubble Clover…
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So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. – 1 Corinthians 3:7-8 ESV I was part of a lot of years…
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Windmills
In my workshop at the 2018 RHMA conference, one of the examples I gave for the need to network for ministry in your community is a windmill field. These things seem to be everywhere that it’s flat for more than 50 acres in the Midwest. If you drive across I-74 in Illinois, it looks that…
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Read the Instructions
Matthew 7:15-20 15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear…
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Dry bones in Rural America
Ezekiel 37:13-14 3 He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord GOD, You know.” 4 Again He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.’ 5 “Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, ‘Behold,…
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A Fish Story
It all starts with a young coal miner named John Kuhnert. He had a young family at home, and not a lot of resources to put food on the table to feed the young growing family. John and his brothers discovered that they could get quite a lot of meat by going fishing in the…
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The Purpose of Youth Ministry…
Yesterday, I attended my mom’s church in Southern Illinois. The Pastor gave a message based on John 4, the woman at the well. One of the statements that the pastor made summed up the passage well, but also encapsulated what we should be modeling as youth workers: “Jesus knew everything the woman had done, everything…
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What does a Rural Ministry Specialist do?
In my work with National Network of Youth Ministries, I get asked this question a lot. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to share about my work with NNYM at Nyesville Full Gospel Church. The presentation gives a great overview of the work I do in Illinois, Indiana and West Kentucky to encourage…
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Help Wanted…
Today’s teenagers are struggling with issues that I never would have dreamed of as a teen. Many of them also lack the home support system that most of us enjoyed growing up. Where are they getting their influence? Every town has several churches with youth workers that desire to reach today’s teenagers, but it looks…
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You’re Tracking The Wrong Metrics in Rural Ministry…
I know, I used a buzzword. Whether you are in Church Growth, Business, Marketing, SEO, or Fantasy Sports, the word “Metrics” carrries a heavy connotation. Its one of measuring and evaluting everything for the sake of making things better. In a lot of rural churches, this would be a large change. Many have “done what…
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One?
Youthworker, I’m going to ask a single question that I was never asked at the last church where I served, or the church before that, or even the one before that. However, it is vitally important to your ministry. Its a difficult question that should be asked after every event, every game night, even every…
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Scripture Matters
Apparently, Rob Bell is back to some old tricks. Bell, the former pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church and now a host of a show on Oprah’s television network, recently appeared on a show hosted by Oprah Winfrey herself. In his appearance to promote his new book on love, Bell, a proponent of same-sex marriage,…