The Power of Momentum What is momentum? Why is it important? How do you get it? Once you have it, how do you sustain it? Hear Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschel uncover the secrets to building momentum. Whether for yourself, your staff, your church, or your business, expect fresh insights on creating systems, environments, and [...]
Archive for the ‘conference’ Category
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Jim Cymbala – “Led by Word and Spirit”
Posted by csjudd on May 26th, 2010
“Led by Word and Spirit” – Jim talks from Jeremiah about the critical need for leaders to be led by the Spirit and the Word in ministry.
Tags: Ergun Caner – “Your Scars Tell Your Story”
Posted by csjudd on May 26th, 2010
“Your Scars Tell Your Story” – Ergun spoke from Galatians, chapter 6 on the challenges of ministry and the scars that often come with it. He encouraged leaders to rest in their calling, while God uses those seasons to produce growth.
Phil Cooke – “Digital Mission Field”
Posted by csjudd on May 26th, 2010
“Digital Mission Field” – How is your church known in the digital world? How is your church perceived by culture? Phil unpacks these ideas in more in his breakout session at Innovate.
Brian Bloye – “Dry-Brook Seasons”
Posted by csjudd on May 26th, 2010
“Dry-Brook Seasons” – Brian shares the story of Elijah, and how a leader can find strength even in the midst of trials
Jack Graham – “Spiritual Balance”
Posted by csjudd on May 26th, 2010
“Spiritual Balance” – Jack reminds us to be not just preachers but pastors as he teaches on the importance of shepherding our flocks.
Ed Stetzer – “Refueled by Evangelism”
Posted by csjudd on May 26th, 2010
“Refueled by Evangelism” – Ed spoke from 2 Timothy 4:5 and made clear that the way to be refueled is to be activity involved in proclaiming the gospel and empowering the people in our churches to do the same.
Mark Batterson – “Live Dangerously”
Posted by csjudd on May 26th, 2010
“Live Dangerously” – Mark poses the challenging question to church leaders, do churches do to people what zoos do to animals? Are we making people safe when Jesus died to make us dangerous?
Chuck Swindoll – “The Role of Leaders”
Posted by csjudd on May 26th, 2010
“The Role of Leaders” – Chuck teaches from 2 Corinthians about the role of leaders as stewards, servants, “under rowers” and “cooks”.
Jonathan Falwell – “The Power of One”
Posted by csjudd on May 18th, 2010
“The Power of One” – Jonathan talks about the pressures on leaders to measure up to external standards of success, and the solution found in shepherding one person at a time.
Free “Killing Coackroaches” Event with Tony Morgan
Posted by mattw on September 1st, 2009
Thursday, Sept.10 Thomas Road Baptist Church Based on the content from his recently released book, ministry strategist and author Tony Morgan TonyMorganLive.com will both challenge and encourage us to take a fresh look at our leadership and ministry approach. This workshop will feature two interactive sessions. The first will be on leadership development, particularly as [...]
InnovateChurch Conference – May 18-19, 2010
Posted by mattw on July 26th, 2009
Mark your calenders and make plans to join us for InnovateChurch Conference 2010! Date: MAY 18-19, 2010 Place: LYNCHBURG, VA
InnovateChurch Conference Session 11 Overview
Posted by mattw on May 27th, 2009
by Mark Smith The day’s final speaker for the day and for the conference was Lance Witt of Replenish Ministries, who has been a pastor for more than 20 years. Witt says that when he stepped down from a leadership role at Saddleback Church in 2006, he did so with a “conflicted soul.” “I was [...]
InnovateChurch Conference Session 10 Overview
Posted by mattw on May 26th, 2009
by Mark Smith Chris Hodges, senior pastor of Church of the Highlands, and Billy Hornsby’s son in law, was our third speaker of the day, addressing “internal motivations” for making ministry work. Church of the Highlands began on February 4, 2001, with 350 people attending services at a local school. Hodges and his team began [...]
InnovateChurch Conference Session 9 Overview
Posted by mattw on May 25th, 2009
by Mark Smith Billy Hornsby, who heads the Association for Related Churches (ARC), spoke next on how pastors can refocus their attention on regaining their zeal for ministry, and subsequently gain a zeal for church planting. Hornsby started ARC in of 2000 after 30 years of missions work, planting churches and observing successful and unsuccessful [...]
InnovateChurch Conference Session 8 Overview
Posted by mattw on May 24th, 2009
by Mark Smith Greg Surratt, senior pastor of Seacoast Church in Mount Pleasant, S.C., kicked off the day’s program. Seacoast was one of the pioneering churches in the recent phenomena of multi-site congregations. Surratt said that when the city zoning commission ruled a few years ago that the church would not be permitted to build [...]
Perry Noble – “The Heart of the Older Brother”
Posted by csjudd on May 24th, 2009
In this session Perry puts a twist on the story of the Prodigal Son you may have never thought of. Examining three questions relevant to the spiritual maturity of your ministry. Be ready to be challenged to rethink the way you look at the church and how you “do ministry”. Making no apologies, Perry discusses some of the obstacles ministries face, as a result of the heart attitudes in our churches and church leadership. Hold on tight. This one is quite a ride!
InnovateChurch Conference Session 5 Overview
Posted by mattw on May 22nd, 2009
By: Mark Smith Tuesday morning’s second speaker was Ed Stetzer, author, church planter and director of Lifeway Research and Lifeway’s missiologist in residence, who stated at the onset: “I want to call us to live Gospel-centered, repentance-filled lives.” Stetzer focused on what he said was an unlikely topic for a conference for pastors and church [...]
InnovateChurch Conference Session 4 Overview
Posted by mattw on May 21st, 2009
by: Mark Smith LYNCHBURG, Virginia – Francis Chan, teaching pastor at Simi Valley’s Cornerstone Church and author of Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God, served as Tuesday morning’s first speaker at Thomas Road Baptist Church’s InnovateChurch conference by encouraging pastors to ensure that they and their staffs are “living out the Word of God [...]
InnovateChurch Conference Session 2 Overview
Posted by mattw on May 20th, 2009
contributor: Mark Smith Kerry Shook, senior pastor of Houston’s Fellowship of The Woodlands, one of the fastest-growing churches in America, and author of One Month to Live: Thirty Days to a No-Regrets Life, was the day’s second speaker. Shook’s book, which was released in February 2008, encourages readers to face their imagined mortality in order [...]
InnovateChurch Conference Day 1 / Session 1 Overview
Posted by mattw on May 19th, 2009
post by Mark Smith LYNCHBURG, Virginia – Eric Geiger, executive pastor of Christ Fellowship Miami and author of the bestselling book “Simple Church,” kicked off this year’s InnovateChurch conference at the historic Thomas Road Baptist Church (TRBC), where Jonathan Falwell is pastor and host of the conference. Geiger began by examining Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz’s [...]
Innovate Church Partners with Next Networks to go Beyond the Conference
Posted by mattw on May 11th, 2009
Where do you go AFTER the conference? What do you do with all the challenging content, information, and inspiration you receive? We’d like to suggest NEXT NETWORKS. We’re partnering with Ron Sylvia and Ed Stetzer of NEXT NETWORKS to offer you a coaching experience. On TUESDAY of the Innovate Church Conference Ron and Ed will [...]
A Healing Church.
Posted by mattw on February 6th, 2009
contributor: Jamie George [LU] lead pastor, The Journey Church, Frankin TN. Jamie was a student pastor for many years, and then God led him to plant a different kind of church in Franklin. He shares the challenges of that process… Being a church planter was great. I mean not having an assistant for the first [...]
2009 Conference Speaker Spotlight: Perry Noble
Posted by mattw on January 31st, 2009
Perry Noble is the founding and senior pastor of NewSpring Church (www.NewSpring.cc) in South Carolina. In eight years, the church is averaging over 8,000 people during the weekend services and will be launching 2 additional campuses this year to reach even more people. Perry is a very gifted communicator and teacher and his biblical wisdom [...]
Growing!
Posted by mattw on January 26th, 2009
contributor: Jonathan Falwell, lead pastor, TRBC I’ve spent a great deal of time this week focusing on church planting. I know that church planting is on most pastor’s minds right now and if it’s not, that pastor probably needs to get alone with God for a while. But, in the midst of meetings, phone calls [...]
2009 Conference Speaker Spotlight: Kerry Shook
Posted by mattw on January 6th, 2009
Kerry Shook is one of today’s most gifted communicators offering a clear, contemporary and creative teaching style. He is the senior pastor of Fellowship of The Woodlands, one of the fastest-growing churches in America. Kerry and his wife, Chris, founded Fellowship of The Woodlands in 1993; and since then, the church has grown to 16,380 [...]
Friday Feed: The Most Difficult Truth
Posted by mattw on January 2nd, 2009
contributor: Dr.H.L. Willmington, dean, Willmington School of the Bible Here we refer to the doctrine of the Trinity. It has been said that one may well lose his mind trying to understand it, but lose his soul for rejecting it! I. What are some false views in regard to the Trinity? A. The error of [...]
Friday Feed: These Four But Many More [pt.3]
Posted by mattw on December 26th, 2008
contributor: Dr.H.L. Willmington, dean, Willmington School of the Bible Four foundational facts about our Creator: In part one and two of this series we examined the first two. Now we explain the third and fourth. I. What is involved in the statement that God is One? God is not only a Spirit, he is not [...]
The Road To Bethlehem.
Posted by mattw on December 23rd, 2008
contributor: Matt Willmington, family ministry pastor, TRBC The road to Bethlehem from Nazareth is about 60 miles. The road to Bethlehem from heaven was a million miles of God’s love and sacrifice. Scripture gives us the travelogue of God’s journey to redeem His creatures. “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and [...]
Friday Feed: These Four But Many More [pt.2]
Posted by mattw on December 19th, 2008
contributor: Dr.H.L. Willmington, dean, Willmington School of the Bible The “four but many more” used here refers to God’s attributes, which can be defined as any fact He has revealed concerning Himself. In part one we listed the four foundational attributes, namely, (1) God is spirit, (2) God is a person, (3) God is one, [...]
2009 Conference Speaker Spotlight: Mark DeYmaz
Posted by mattw on December 16th, 2008
Mark DeYmaz is the founding pastor and directional leader of the Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas (mosaicchurch.net), a multi-ethnic and economically diverse church in Little Rock where significant percentages of Black and White Americans, together with men and women from more than 30 nations walk, work and worship God together as one. A recognized leader [...]
Friday Feed: These Four But Many More.
Posted by mattw on December 12th, 2008
contributor: Dr.H.L. Willmington, dean, Willmington School of the Bible Question: Just how would you go about describing yourself? God does this by revealing to us some of His divine attributes. I. What is meant by the phrase, “Divine attribute?” Reduced to its simplest definition, an attribute of God is whatever God has in any way [...]
2009 Conference Speaker Spotlight: Francis Chan
Posted by mattw on December 9th, 2008
Francis is the pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, where he has been serving for the past 14 years. He is also the Chancellor and Founder of Eternity Bible College and serves on the board of directors for Children’s Hunger Fund and World Impact. Francis spends much of his time speaking to high school [...]
Friday Feed: What’s In A Name?
Posted by mattw on December 5th, 2008
contributor: Dr.H.L. Willmington, dean, Willmington School of the Bible One of the most well-known passages in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet can be found in the second scene of the second act. As the story opens, Juliet is lamenting the fact that her parents (the Capulets) intensely dislike the parents of her lover, Romeo (the Montagues). [...]
We Just Can’t Help Ourselves
Posted by mattw on November 24th, 2008
contributor: Chris Rhodenhizer [LU'96], Lead Pastor, Image Church, Dumfries VA Jesus once said this… For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. [Matthew 6:21, ESV] Jesus also said you cannot serve two masters; you cannot serve both God and money. He didn’t say you should not, or it’s hard to. No — [...]
7 books: Small Church Ministry
Posted by mattw on November 19th, 2008
contributor: George Cannon, pastor, Curwensville Christian Church, Curwensville PA The Art of Pastoring: Ministry Without All The Answers, David Hansen – InterVarsity Press, 1994 Shepherding the Small Church: A Leadership Guide for the Majority of Today’s Churches, Glenn Daman – Kregel, 2002. How to thrive as a Small-Church Pastor: A Guide to Spiritual and Emotional [...]
Books: Men, Management
Posted by mattw on November 17th, 2008
contributor: Scott Mawdesley, [LU '96] Married Community Groups Director, North Point Community Church, Alpharetta GA The Masculine Journey by Robert Hicks: Although this book is out of print, I was able to buy it used and am so glad that I did! This is by far the best book I have ever read on the [...]
Friday Feed: The Case for God.
Posted by mattw on November 14th, 2008
contributor: Dr.H.L. Willmington, dean, Willmington School of the Bible Throughout the centuries certain extra-biblical arguments have been advanced to confirm the existence of a supreme being. Here are some of these arguments: A. The universal belief argument—The universal belief argument says that all mankind has some idea of a supreme being. This argument has often [...]
Friday Feed: God, More Gods, Many Gods.
Posted by mattw on November 7th, 2008
contributor: Dr.H.L. Willmington, dean, Willmington School of the Bible Some 3,000 years ago a famous mid-Eastern king wrote these words: “Of the making of books there is no end.” Today, thirty centuries later, we could correctly rephrase that ancient statement to read: “Of the making of gods there is no end.” Daniel Webster once said, [...]
Accountability and the Small Church Pastor.
Posted by mattw on November 5th, 2008
contributor: George Cannon, pastor, Curwensville Christian Church, Curwensville PA Temptations in ministry are just as real for a small/rural church pastor as they are for a pastor in a major metropolitan area. This requires that a pastor be proactive in guarding the purity of his life, marriage and ministry. A pastor needs to acquire an [...]
innovatechurch conference 2009
Posted by mattw on November 2nd, 2008
We’re excited about the line-up for innovatechurch conference, May 18-20, 2009: Kerry Shook, founder pastor, Fellowship of the Woodlands Eric Geiger, executive pastor, Christ Fellowship, Miami, co-author of “Simple Church” Jack Graham, pastor, Prestonwood Baptist Church Mark DeYmaz, founder pastor, Mosaic Church of Central Arkansas Francis Chan, pastor, Cornerstone Church of Simi Valley Ed Stetzer, [...]
Friday feed: Are you there?
Posted by mattw on October 31st, 2008
contributor: Dr.H.L. Willmington, dean, Willmington School of the Bible On April 12, 1961, Russian premier Nikita Khrushchev held a special press conference to announce that a Russian astronaut, 27-year old Yuri Gagarin, had just successfully orbited the earth three times in a space craft (Vostok 1), thus becoming the first human in outer space. Khrushchev [...]
To The Ends Of The Earth.
Posted by mattw on October 28th, 2008
contributor: Jonathan Falwell, pastor, TRBC I just completed a sermon series at Thomas Road Baptist Church entitled, “Inside/Out: Love God, Love People.” This series focused on Matthew 22:37-39 where Jesus was asked about the most important commandment. Jesus replied to “love God with all of your heart, soul and mind…this is the first and greatest [...]
Friday feed: What the brights believe.
Posted by mattw on October 24th, 2008
contributor: Dr.H.L. Willmington, dean, Willmington School of the Bible The years 2005-2007 may well be remembered as the Age of the Angry Atheists, for during this short span over one million copies of their books have been sold, indeed, some appearing on the New York Times Best Seller List. These books and their authors include: [...]
Building my theology: Plumbline
Posted by mattw on October 17th, 2008
The great thing about truth is that if you don’t like what you are hearing here, today, you can change channels and find a thousand different sources of truth. Sad, but “true”. Truth is being traded and sold in countless varieties. People have become truth-seekers, but they don’t seem to ever be truth-finders. Maybe because [...]
Building my theology: Word
Posted by mattw on October 15th, 2008
It may seem ridiculous to have to say, but I need to build my beliefs on the word of God. Today, people take their beliefs from some very unreliable sources. They form their entire life philosophies around advertising statements, movie stories, friends opinions, books by self-help authors. Many people admit they just live their life [...]
Building my theology: Body
Posted by mattw on October 13th, 2008
I am an introvert, which explains a lot. I am an only child – which explains a whole lot more! I enjoy cycling alone, running alone, driving alone, eating alone. Pretty sad, huh? Actually, it’s not because I enjoy the company of myself. Rather, I enjoy God’s company, and I enjoy thinking. But. In the [...]
Building my theology: Spirit
Posted by mattw on October 10th, 2008
I can’t build a house. I can’t even finish off my basement! O.k., I could try, but it would be a mess, I’d damage the house, my pride, my marriage, and my finances. My neighbors have finished their basements, some by doing it themselves, some by hiring a contractor to oversee the work. If I [...]
Building my theology: Rock
Posted by mattw on October 8th, 2008
To begin, a house must have a foundation, a set place to be built. You can’t waver on where the house will set, because once it goes up it stays put. Except in certain parts of this county, where they’ll throw an old house on top of a flatbed truck and move it down the [...]
Building my theology.
Posted by mattw on October 6th, 2008
I’ve never built a house, but I watched them being built all through my last neighborhood. For the three years I lived in the subdivision, there was a non-stop caravan of work vans, delivery trucks, and construction machinery swarming from job site to job site. How did they know where to go? What needed to [...]
I’m a pastor… pray for me! [cont.]
Posted by mattw on October 3rd, 2008
contributor: Bob Miller So many of us don’t pray because we don’t know if it’s needed . . . we don’t know what to pray . . . and we don’t know how to pray. Do you remember what teacher’s used to say each of us needed to learn? The three “R’s” . . . [...]
I’m a pastor… pray for me!
Posted by mattw on October 1st, 2008
Pastors need prayer – but it may be the last thing a pastor feels comfortable asking from our congregation. It seems like we should be praying for them, not selfishly asking prayer from them. But that’s a trap of Satan. We need prayer because we are Christ-followers just like those we lead. And we are [...]
7 books: old testament study.
Posted by mattw on September 27th, 2008
contributor: Dr. Harold Willmington, dean, Willmington School of the Bible topic: Old Testament Study Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament, Warren W. Wiersbe, Victor Books, Wheaton, IL, 1993 The Bible Knowledge Commentary—Old Testament, John Walvoord, Roy Zuck, Victor Press, 1985 Survey of Old Testament Introduction, Gleason Archer, Moody Press, Chicago, 1994 The Old Testament [...]
7 books: prayer.
Posted by mattw on September 20th, 2008
topic: PRAYER contributor: Daniel Henderson, President – Strategic Renewal Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala – Zondervan Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions by Arthur G. Bennett (Editor) – Banner of Truth Trust Giving Ourselves to Prayer: An Acts 6:4 Primer for Ministry – Compiled by Dan Crawford – PrayerShop [...]
The true identity of teenagers.
Posted by mattw on September 17th, 2008
contributor: Steve Vandegriff [LU '78], Executive Director, Liberty Center for Youth Ministries An issue that is on the forefront right now among teenagers is role playing. Whether it is a handheld game, Wii, or online gaming , role playing has taken off with teenagers. There has even been a surge in paintball games. Why? Teenagers [...]
Innovating the small church – pt.3
Posted by mattw on September 12th, 2008
contributor: George Cannon, pastor, Curwensville Christian Church, Curwensville PA The process of innovation in a small/rural church is hard work. As you and I begin the process of innovation, there are still two crucial areas that require study. As with the study of the church and the local culture, there also needs to be an [...]
Innovating the small church – pt.2
Posted by mattw on September 10th, 2008
contributor: George Cannon, pastor, Curwensville Christian Church, Curwensville PA continued… Innovation is possible for a small/rural church. But it is going to take hard work. There are no simple fixes for the process. As you and I begin the process of innovating a small/rural church, we need to know what we are working with and [...]
Innovating the small church – pt.1
Posted by mattw on September 8th, 2008
contributor: George Cannon, pastor, Curwensville Christian Church, Curwensville PA Every pastor desires to have a church that is effective in reaching their community with the gospel. Because of that God-given desire there is a tendency to look for the magic formula to innovate the small/rural church. This tendency drives small church pastors to buy the [...]
Back to school.
Posted by mattw on August 29th, 2008
contributor: Dave Wheeler, associate director, Liberty Center for Church Planting One of my favorite questions to ask people at conferences is whether or not they like to fish. A usual response is for about 40 percent of the hands to go up immediately. After a brief moment, I always ask another probing question: “How many [...]
Book reviews – innovation and leadership
Posted by mattw on August 27th, 2008
Leaders are readers. From time to time we’ll post review on books that are resources in our quest to grow our leadership. Books stretch us – we may not always agree with all the author’s ideas, but a wise leader knows how to eat the meat and spit out the bones! Our first reviewer is [...]
Innovation and the small church pastor.
Posted by mattw on August 25th, 2008
The average church in America is under 100 in attendance. Many times the books, conference sessions and blogs on church leadership focus on larger churches. I’ve asked George Cannon, a pastor with a great shepherding heart for smaller churches, to give us some thoughts on innovation: contributor: George Cannon, pastor, Curwensville Christian Church, Curwensville PA [...]
7 books: discipling.
Posted by mattw on August 23rd, 2008
topic: LEADING A DISCIPLING CHURCH contributor: ROD DEMPSEY, discipleship pastor, Thomas Road Baptist Church Purpose Driven Church- Rick Warren- Zondervan John Wesley’s Class Meeting- Michael Henderson- Evangel Publishing House The Disciple Making Church- Bill Hull Simple Church- Thom Rainer- B & H Publishing Natural Church Development- Christian A. Schwartz- Church Smart Resources Innovate Church- Jonathan [...]
7 books: theology.
Posted by mattw on August 16th, 2008
At the heart of the innovatechurch team is the desire to support you, the leader, in your ministry. We want to be a resource feed, a partner to encourage your growth. Each Saturday I plan on posting “7 books”, lists of the most important books on different topics, gathered from leaders, experts, and scholars here [...]
Contextualize…and contend.
Posted by mattw on August 14th, 2008
Wow. What an incredible conference. We planned and prayed, and God showed up in a big way to take us to the next level. The worship, the panels, the teaching, the fellowship and interaction, everything dovetailed to inspire us in our ministries. It was great meeting new friends, and reconnecting with many older friends. But [...]
innovatechurch.
Posted by mattw on August 7th, 2008
in – no – vate: to change or alter by introducing something new; to remodel; to revolutionize. church: And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way… His intent was that [...]
