If a Man Wants YOU! (For the Ladies)

Posted on December 22, 2011 by revjohnhill

As a pastor but mostly as a father of a teenage daughter, I was impressed by the following list and I hope all ladies both young and old will read and heed!!  God bless, John

If a Man Wants You

By: Salma Rumman

  • If a man wants you, nothing can keep him away.

  • If he doesn’t want you, nothing can make him stay.

  • Stop making excuses for a man and his behavior.

  • Allow your intuition (or spirit) to save you from heartache.

  • Stop trying to change yourselves for a relationship that’s not meant to be.

  • Slower is better.

  • Never live your life for a man before you find what makes you truly happy.

  • If a relationship ends because the man was not treating you as you deserve then heck no, you can’t “be friends.”

  • A friend wouldn’t mistreat a friend.

  • Don’t settle. If you feel like he is stringing you along, then he probably is.

  • Don’t stay because you think “it will get better.” You’ll be mad at yourself a year later for staying when things are not better.

  • The only person you can control in a relationship is you.

  • Avoid men who’ve got a bunch of children by a bunch of different women. He didn’t marry them when he got them pregnant, Why would he treat you any differently?

  • Always have your own set of friends separate from his.

  • Maintain boundaries in how a guy treats you.

  • If something bothers you, speak up.

  • Never let a man know everything. He will use it against you later.

  • You cannot change a man’s behavior. Change comes from within.

  • Don’t EVER make him feel he is more important than you are…even if he has  more education or in a better job. Do not make him into a quasi-god.  He is a man, nothing more nothing less.

  • Never let a man define who you are.

  • Never borrow someone else’s man.

  • Oh Lord!  If he cheated with you, he’ll cheat on you.

  • A man will only treat you the way you allow him to treat you.

  • All men are not dogs.

  • You should not be the one doing all the bending…compromise is a two-way street.

  • You need time to heal between relationships…There is nothing cute about baggage. Deal with your issues before pursuing a new relationship.

  • You should never look for someone to complete you. A relationship consists of two whole individuals. Look for someone complimentary, not supplementary.

  • Dating is fun; even if he doesn’t turn out to be Mr. Right.

  • Make him miss you sometimes. When a man always know where you are, and you’re always readily available to him—he takes it for granted.

  • Don’t fully commit to a man who doesn’t give you everything that you need.

  • Keep him in your radar but get to know others.

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Categories: Common Everyday Stuff, Friends, John Personal | Tags: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The New Traditional Church

Posted on December 21, 2011 by revjohnhill

Wow, this is a very thought provoking article by Tony Morgan.  I hope you will take a moment to read.

The New Traditional Church | TonyMorganLive.com.

Categories: Church, Faith Journey, Leadership | Leave a comment

Wake Up Call

Posted on December 21, 2011 by revjohnhill

Wow, what a week this has been.  Saturday, our family traveled to Wetumpka for the Barnes Family Christmas.  While we were there, I became very uncomfortable with a pain in my chest.  As a frequent sufferer of heartburn, I dismissed it as that.  However on the way home, the discomfort grew and was very different from the pain I normally experience with heartburn.  We got home, checked my blood pressure and it was out of sight.  Jill made the decision then that I was going to the hospital.  We went to Brookwood ER and they immediately began running test but after several hours, all came back normal.  I decided to go home.

Sunday, I didn’t preach and stayed home, however, the pain stayed with me. Sunday evening I called a friend who is a nurse and she sent me back to Brookwood and before I knew it, I was admitted.  Monday morning I had an ateriogram performed and they injected dye into my heart.  Well to make a long story short, I’ve got some minor blockage.  The doctor described it as a pipe that has rust patches in it.

Nothing further needs to be done medically except I have to take an aspiran/day and control my cholesterol.  I also have to have a dramatic life style change in the diet and exercise departments.  This is going to be difficult for me, but this is the way the doctor put it…”Right now, you have very little risk in the way of blockage.  However, in 15 years it will be causing you MAJOR problems.”  In 15 years, I will be 59 years old, but my children will be 17 and 18 years old. That will be a time when they are experiencing a great deal of change in their own life and as a father, I want to be there to help them instead of them worrying about me.

It really comes down to this, what do I love the most:

  • My family or eating everything I desire.
  • My family or sitting on the couch.
  • My family or myself

It’s my choice and I’m choosing my family.

Please hold me accountable.  Please ask me how I’m doing. Please remind me of the choice that I’m making because this is going to be very difficult.  It’s worth it but like anything worth having in this life, it’s going to take effort.

I would like to thank all the people at Brookwood Hospital who put up with this not so patient patient.  Thanks for all the prayers from my church family and all others who prayed.  Thanks for my family who helped out with all the children and my wife for staying by my side.  I love you all.

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Categories: Family, Friends, John Personal, Lessons I've Learned as a Dad | Tags: , , , , , , | 5 Comments

6 HUGE Mistakes a Pastor Can Make

Posted on December 15, 2011 by revjohnhill

I’m now coming up on my 10th year in ministry and I’ve discovered some mistakes (some I’ve made and some I’ve seen) which can greatly limit a pastors ministry.  Here is what I have found:

  • Mistake 1.  Micro-managing your staff/volunteers.  If there is a need to micro-manage because the job may not get done correctly, then why are they in that position to begin with.  However, most micro-managing is the result of a Pastor’s own lack of self-confidence.  Pastor’s must get over themselves and get out-of-the-way of others.
  • Mistake 2.  Not Empowering staff nor congregation to do ministry.  Many pastors are not handing over the reigns of ministry to the laity.  When you don’t empower others for ministry, the ministry is limited/held back according to what YOU can accomplish.  When others are empowered, the ministry will grow exponentially.  A large role of the pastor is to train others and empower them to do ministry.  I tell me congregation that when someone is sick and in the hospital, I hope I’m the last one to arrive because everyone else has beaten me to the hospital.
  • Mistake 3.  It’s All About Me!  I call this the “Glory Hog” and they want all the glory to themselves.  ”Did you see what Pastor_______ is doing at XYZ Church!”  is what they strive to hear.  Ministry is not for our glory but for the glory of God.
  • Mistake 4.  It’s Gotta Be My Way:  A true recipe for failure.  You’re only a leader if people are following you.  This is not a dictatorship and yes there are times when a pastor needs to hold his/her ground especially when there is a doctrine, theological, or moral issue.  BUT some compromise is more often the case.
  • Mistake 5.  Not Maintaining Confidentiality :  Un-ethical/damaging/heartless and DUMB.  The only time confidentiality should be broken is in the case of abuse or fear for someones life.
  • Mistake 6.  Not Setting Goals and Informing Congregation: If a church does not know where it is going and the direction it will be taking to arrive at its destination, how will it know when it arrives?  These goals cannot be the personal secret of the pastor.  Sharing these goals can/should motivate the congregation to achieve the goals IF they are in line with the vision of the church.
Categories: Church, Faith Journey, John's Rant (opinion), Leadership | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

6 Ways to be a “Good” Husband

Posted on December 14, 2011 by revjohnhill

My Beautiful Bride

I have never met anyone like my wife, Jill.  Next to my relationship with Jesus, she is the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life.  I love her with all my heart and I want nothing but the best for her.  Wanting nothing but the best for her has made me look at myself and ask “How can I be a better husband?”  Here are some things I do…

  1. Tell her you love her and how much she means to you.  It’s amazing to me how many wives say their husband never tells them he loves them. Our wives need to hear us say that we love them and not only during those intimate moments.  When is the last time you called your wife in the middle of the day with nothing to say except, I love you.  Leave her love notes, send her flowers, tell her she is beautiful.
  2. Pray for you wife and with her.  Praying specifically for your wife and thanking God for her puts your wife in a special place in your heart.  It’s really hard to stay angry with someone you’re constantly praying for.  Also, pray with your wife.  The man is the spiritual leader in the home.  It’s the man’s responsibility to lead the spiritual formation of the family and it starts with prayer.
  3. Discover your wife’s love language.  Read the book, “The Five Love Languages“!  A love language is how one feels the most love.  I’m someone who feels love when someone does something for me.  When we first married I would mow the lawn and manicure it, then go in the house with my chest poked out and tell her to look at it.  I was trying to impress her.  She would look at it and say, “Good Job”  Or I would wash, wax, and clean out her car only to get a simple thank you.  After a marriage retreat, I found out that it was not the way to show Jill I love her.  Her love language is touch.  Spending time on the couch, holding her hand while watching TV is what she sees as love.   You won’t know how to show her your love if you don’t know what she needs.
  4. Learn More About Her.  People are constantly changing and no matter how long you’ve been married there are always new things to learn about her.  Do you know what kind of gum she prefers?  What’s her favorite color?  What are her dreams?
  5. Constantly look for ways you can be a better husband.  This may sound simple, but it is so important.  Always be growing as a husband.  It’s like being a Christian, seeking perfection in a broken world and trying to be more like Christ every day.
  6. Date your wife.  It’s so easy to fall into a “life” routine of going to work, coming home, changing babies, doing the dishes and going to bed.  A husband has to be intentional about asking his wife out on a date.  No kids, open the car door for her, bring her flowers, go someplace romantic over night. Get in the habit of this and ideally do it once a week.  If this is not possible, at least do it routinely.  It will strengthen your marriage.
Categories: Common Everyday Stuff, Family, Jill, John's Rant (opinion) | Leave a comment

7 Ways Satan Attacks the Church

Posted on December 14, 2011 by revjohnhill

“Satan certainly loves to disrupt what God’s church is doing,” says Ron Edmondson.

via 7 Ways Satan Attacks the Church.

Categories: Church, Church At Chelsea Park, Faith Journey, Leadership | Leave a comment

Losing Weight

Posted on December 13, 2011 by revjohnhill

Taken Prior to September

Most everyone knows that I struggle with my weight.  I’m not much different from all other 44-year-old men.  I love food.  I love all kinds of food, junk food, good food, buffets, casseroles, and desserts.  I love it all.  When I was younger, I could eat a great deal because I was very active.  Now at this point in my life, I struggle to find time to exercise and when I do have time, I’m not motivated to exercise.  So, the pounds have been added.

I went to the doctor in September and the first thing they do is put me on the scale…210!  I’ve got a closet full of clothes I can’t wear and each day, I lose the ability to wear something else.  Pretty soon, I’m going to be walking around naked!

The next thing they did was to take my blood pressure. I don’t recall the number, but I remember the look on my nurses face.  It wasn’t good.  When the Dr. finally came in, we talked for a long time and he told me the risk of what I was doing to myself.  Heart attack, stroke, death…I know this.  I’m a pastor, I’ve seen it happen in my congregants but I’ve refused to see it in myself.

Sadly, I hadn’t found the motivation that outweighed my enjoyment of food.  I’ve tried Weight Watchers and although it’s a great program, it has never meant more to me than the next Chinese buffet.  However,  It was this day that I found the right motivation.  I was asked, “John, do you love your children?”  Yes, I answered.  “Do you want to see them grow up?”  Of course!  “If you don’t lose weight, you’re not going to be there for them.  You’re not going to see ball games, beauty pageants, school plays, graduations, marriages, nor grandchildren.  You’re not going to be there to give advice, to love, to hold and to tell them how proud you are of them.”

That’s all I needed.  Just the proper motivation.  I want to be here for my kids and THAT outweighs my love for food.  So, now when I want to go to Dairy Cream, I think about that birthday party that I will not be present for if I eat this Blizzard.

Since September, I’ve gone from 210 to 189.5.  This morning, I was able to wear a belt and cinch it to the 4th hole!  This is the same belt that I could not wear in September.  It’s a struggle every day!  Sometimes, I don’t make it and I enjoy a treat.  BUT, my new motivation looks me in the eye and tells me they love me “Thissssss MUUUCCCCHHHHH”.  That’s all it takes.

Categories: John Personal | Tags: , , , | 1 Comment

What Is It? The Wesley Quadrilateral…

Posted on December 9, 2011 by revjohnhill
English:

Image via Wikipedia

The Wesley quadrilateral is a method of exploring and understanding God. John Wesley adopted and adapted three of these position from the Church of England (Scripture, Reason, and Tradition), and he added Experience to form the quadrilateral.

Scripture

John Wesley believed as I do, that Scripture must be primary among the other sources.  Wesley believed that the Scriptures were the infallible word of God, and to him this meant that the Bible will not fail in life, faith, and practice.  I believe that Scripture provides all things necessary that one is to know for salvation, and that it is the primary source and authority for our faith.  Nothing can override the primacy of God that is revealed in Scriptures, thus the Bible is used to judge all other positions.

While Wesley believed in the infalliblilty of Scriptures, that does not mean that we as United Methodist believe in the inerrancy of the Bible.  As one is reading Scriptures, he/she must keep in mind that the writers were influenced by their culture and traditions.  As we read Scripture, we must look beyond the cultural differences and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in the discernment of what God is communicating to us. We must also be careful not to isolate passages but to base our doctrine and beliefs on Scripture as a whole.  Taking individual passages out of context has led to doctrines such as predestination and women being subservient to men.  Throughout Scripture it is found that God’s grace is available to all and not just a select few.

Tradition

Tradition is those beliefs, practices, and customs that the Church has passed down over the centuries.  We don’t have to “re-invent the wheel” of Christianity.  Tradition affirms and places value in past works through which God’s work and action is seen.   It is through the traditions that we have the hymns, creeds, and liturgy that add to the value of our faith.

I found through my experiences with contemporary worship that people who have not been to church in years oftentimes will feel a strong attachment to an old hymn.  It might connect them to their childhood, a memory, or some sort of familiarity they have with God.  We may sing it in a different way or use different instruments, but the words and meaning transcend the ages and continue to minister.

Tradition is and should be held in high regard by the Church, but it should never contradict or supercede Scripture.  It also should never hold us back from growing closer to God.  I once heard the seven deadliest words to a church are, “We’ve never done it that way before.”  Yet, these words are implied/said when using a different type of musical instrument is rejected.  Those words are said when new ways of reaching people are discarded because “it’s never been done that way.” God uses people each and every day, and God will use people in the future to create new traditions that will continue sharing the love and grace of Jesus Christ with the world.

Reason

Reason is the means by which Scripture and Tradition can be examined and understood by a thoughtful person.   It is through reason that we ask good questions and seek to gain the understanding of God’s will for our lives.  My United Methodist Theology and Doctrine professor in seminary described reason in this way: “God gave you a brain and wants you to use it.  It is through reason that we can study and interpret the Scriptures, we can ask and search for answers to questions of faith, and we can discern where God is calling us.”

Experience

John Wesley added Experience to the Anglican trilogy of Scripture, Tradition, and Reason.  The experiences we have in our everyday lives interact with our reading of Scripture.  We read Scripture through the lens of our own personal life experiences.  If one is in the midst of a struggle or oppression, he/she will read the Scripture through the lens of someone in need of freedom and release.  I have seen this through a woman who was living in an abusive marital situation.  She would cling to the hope of freedom found in her Bible about how God delivers His people from oppression.  Her life experiences played a large role in her reading of Scripture and understanding of God.  Our personal experiences allow us to find and apply Scriptural truths in our real-life situations.

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5 Signs Your Church Underperforms

Posted on December 8, 2011 by revjohnhill

Great article by Mark Howell

Mark Howell serves as Community Life Pastor at Parkview Christian Church in Orland Park, IL. He founded SmallGroupResources.net, offering consulting and coaching services to help churches across North America launch, build and sustain healthy small group ministries. He spent four years on the consulting staff at Lifetogether and often contributes to ministry periodicals such as the Pastor’s Ministry Toolbox and ChurchCentral.com.

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You may want to argue with me (and if you do, please use the comment section), but there are 5 easy-to-spot signs that your church is actually designed to underperform at connection.  What I mean by that is that whether your church is growing or not (doesn’t matter), there are several key factors that predetermine whether people are able to connect.  And very importantly, it’s been conclusively determined that people want to belong before they want to believe.

So what are the signs?  How can you tell if your church is actually designed to underperform at connection?  Here’s what I’ve found.

Top 5 Signs Your Church Is Designed to Underperform at Connection:

Your senior pastor is a reluctant champion of group life.

Churches where the senior pastor only infrequently talks about the importance of being connected are rarely, if ever, easy environments for connection to happen.  Without encouragement from the most visible person in the organization, it is just too easy to remain disconnected.  Trouble is life change most frequently happens where there is dialogue.  Life change most frequently happens where people are known.

Stories about the power of group life are rarely told.

If you want unconnected people to take a baby step and test-drive a group, there is nothing more compelling than a satisfied customer.  While we’re on the subject, stories told by satisfied customers (as opposed to stories about satisfied customers) are much more compelling.  It’s the reason marketers love testimonials.

Your church has no clear understanding of what a win is.

To borrow the phrase from the 7 Practices of Effective Ministry, if it’s not clear to everyone that the goal is to be connected in a group where you can be known, challenged, loved, held accountable, forgiven, encouraged, etc., it will only happen for those people who instinctively gravitate toward community.  (You know who those people are.  They create groups and group life opportunities even without your help).  Everyone else will remain anonymous at their own peril…because they don’t know any better.

Your church thinks programs instead of steps.

Again, to borrow from the 7 Practices of Effective Ministry, there need to be easy steps that lead to connection.  If the hardest step for many people today is to walk into your auditorium for the first time, the next hardest step is to leave the auditorium to join a group in a stranger’s living room!  The steps that are created also need to be obvious.  They can’t be hard to find (like when you have a buffet-style ministry and only one of the menu items leads to group life).  Finally, the steps you create need to be strategic; they need to lead in the right direction without wasted time wandering.

You spend too much time propping up existing groups and not enough time forming new groups.

Although counterintuitive to many, matchmaking (helping unconnected people find a spot in an existing group) is rarely productive.  The easiest time for the largest number of unconnected people to put their toe in the water is when new groups are formed.

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Greatest Guitarist??? You Vote

Posted on December 8, 2011 by revjohnhill
Categories: John Personal | 1 Comment

Who’s Your Choice for Heisman?

Posted on December 7, 2011 by revjohnhill
Categories: Common Everyday Stuff, John Personal | Leave a comment

Dissension in the Church

Posted on December 6, 2011 by revjohnhill

 ”Do everything without grumbling or arguing,  so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.” Philippians 2:14-16 NIV

I’ve been around a great many churches in my life and career.  I have found that so many people have been hurt in the church.  In most of these it seems that someone said something, did something, didn’t say something or didn’t do something and this hurt someone else.  The person who is hurt will usually do one of the following:

  • Leave the church
  • Allow their hurt to seep out to others in the congregation

What this does is creates dissension within the walls of the church.  This is very dangerous and is the playground for Satan.  The prince of darkness loves it when Christians begin to quarrel with one another because it takes their focus and the focus of the church and places it on something besides the Great Commission. Thus the warning from Paul to the Philippians, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing.”

Is this really possible?  A church without some sort of dissension seems like the exception to the rule.  However, IT IS POSSIBLE.  How do we get to that point?  Well, Jesus gave us a plan to deal with problems in the church.

“If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you’ve made a friend. If he won’t listen, take one or two others along so that the presence of witnesses will keep things honest, and try again. If he still won’t listen, tell the church. If he won’t listen to the church, you’ll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God’s forgiving love.” Matthew 18:15-17 The Message

A three-point plan to prevent dissension/arguments/hurt feelings within the church.

  1. Go and tell the person who hurt you or your upset with.
  2. IF he doesn’t listen, take one or two others along and try again.
  3. IF he still won’t listen, tell the church.

In our churches today, there is way too much skipping of the first step.  As pastor, when someone comes to me with a complaint against another congregation member or a staff member, the first thing I ask is, “Have you talked to that person?”  Most often the question is no.

The main reason people get hurt and leave the church is a lack of communication.  Skipping step number 1.  Jesus made this one number 1 and I believe he was a pretty smart man.  If we’re Christian, why do we just jump over the first step when most disagreements can be solved at this point? Let me assure you that anonymous letters, talking with other congregation members or just holding it in and staying hurt or mad will NOT help the situation.

Please, allow me to encourage you to open up that line of communication with everyone in the church.  If you have an issue with something a fellow member, staff or if the pastor has said, not said, done, or not done something, please go to that person with your concerns.  If he/she does not listen, then go Step 2, then if it is not resolved go to Step 3

It seems that someone is always upset with the pastor. It’s okay because the way to avoid that is to try to make everyone happy.  When pastors try to make everyone happy, they lose focus of their true calling from God.  I had one of my pastor mentors tell me, “Don’t spend time worrying about the complaints that have come from someone on behalf of the person who is complaining.  If they won’t talk to you one on one, you’re not going to be able to make changes to their satisfaction and it takes your focus off the important stuff.”

Open up your communication and there WILL BE less dissension in our churches and can you then imagine what God can accomplish for the Kingdom!

Categories: Church, Church At Chelsea Park, Faith Journey, John's Rant (opinion) | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

7 Things the Pastor DOES NOT Need to Know

Posted on November 29, 2011 by revjohnhill

Written by Ron Edmonson http://www.ronedmondson.com/

In every position of leadership I have ever held, there were people who felt the need to “inform” the leader.

When I served in an elected office, people told me things I wouldn’t have otherwise known without the position. Sometimes I needed to know…sometimes I didn’t.

When I was a business owner, there was always at least one employee who made sure I knew the inside scoop of the company talk. Sometimes I needed to know…sometimes I didn’t.

As a pastor, I’ve learned there are plenty of people willing to tell me things I would never hear if I wasn’t the pastor. Sometimes I need to know…sometimes I don’t.

I usually never know if it’s something I should know or not until they tell me. If someone has a legitimate problem with a ministry area, I want to know about it, for example. There are some things, however, that I never feel the need to know.

Here are a few examples:

  • Gossip about another person…
  • Prayer requests given with a motive of gossip…
  • Rumors spread without substantiation…
  • Extremely intimate details about a person’s private life…
  • Problems happening in another church…
  • Secrets one doesn’t have permission to tell…
  • Details your spouse isn’t ready for me to hear…

You might be surprised to hear what people try to tell me…because I’m a pastor. Now there are extreme times when abuse or neglect is suspected or occurring to an individual and I may need to hear, but most of the time those are not the intent with the list above. Chances are that if it’s wrong to share with others, it’s wrong to share it with me.

Please understand, I’m not suggesting I don’t care about the struggles of people’s lives, but there is never an excuse to spread gossip or rumors that cause more harm than good to a person or situation. Even though I’m the pastor, there are some things I simply have no need to know.

Pastors, what’s the strangest thing you’ve been told…that you really didn’t need to know?

What else would you add to my list?

Categories: Church | Leave a comment

5 Christmas Planning Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

Posted on November 29, 2011 by revjohnhill

How can churches maximize Christmas.  Let’s face it, there are many who only go to church on Christmas and Easter.  Here is a great article about how to avoid planning mistakes.  Good for everyone to read.

5 Christmas Planning Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them).

Categories: Church, Leadership | Leave a comment

15 Signs Your Church Is in Trouble

Posted on November 28, 2011 by revjohnhill

Here is a great article which gives some great points.  All churches need to keep these in mind as they reach for their goals.  Also, a church doesn’t need to have all 15 to be in trouble.  One or two could give you an idea.  Click on the link below for the article.

15 Signs Your Church Is in Trouble.

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Better or Bitter

Posted on November 27, 2011 by revjohnhill

Quote of the Day:

“Every hurt will MAKE you or BREAK you based on your response.Stepping stone or stumbling block? Better or bitter? You choose.”  Rick Warren

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Focusing our Efforts

Posted on November 26, 2011 by revjohnhill
Derek Jeter

Image by Keith Allison via Flickr

Over the last several months, the leadership at Union has been asking the following question:  “What do we do well?”  This is a very important question as we are making the next steps in our growth.  But what exactly does this mean?  It means”

  • We are going to determine what we do well.  What is it we are good at?
  • We do we not do well? What are we not good at?
  • We’re going to stop doing the things we don’t do well and
  • We’re going to focus our energy, time, money, efforts, resources on what we already do well and try to take these to the next level of good.

John Maxwell says “Don’t focus on the things your not good at!  Why, because you aren’t any good at them.”

Derrick Jeter is one of the best hitters all time in baseball.  Guess what?  Jeter doesn’t spend any time in the bullpen working on his pitching.  Why?  It’s not what he is good at.  He could spend hours and hours trying to be a good pitcher but never achieve even “good” major league pitching status.  If he were to spend all that time trying to become a pitcher, it would take it’s toll on what he is really good at…hitting.

So many churches today are trying to become good at what they are not good at and they are doing it while sacrificing the ministries they do well.  Instead, churches should be focusing on the ministries they are already good at and taking them to the next level.

Maxwell suggest that we have been taught the following:  Someone who gets an A in math and a C in English should study English more.  Maxwell instead teaches that the student should concentrate and become better in math.  That person has a “Math Mind.”

I’ve also been told if on a scale of 1-10, a person will never be able to increase their skill more than three points.  So, if you are a 6 skill level, you can reach a 9.  However, if you are a 3 skill level in an area, you will never increase more than a 6.

What does all this mean for churches?

  • It could mean cutting out ministries that have been going on for years, but are not productive and are being sustained because we have been doing them for years.
  • It means finding out what your strengths are and weaknesses are.  (these by the way, can be very difficult answers to face.)
  • Taking a look at the churches talents and using them to their fullest potential.
  • It will mean growth.  Both spiritually and physically.
  • It will mean less division because the churches will know what their vision.  (Where there is no VISION, there will be DIVISION)
Related articles
Categories: Church At Chelsea Park, John's Rant (opinion) | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

This May Step on Some Toes!!

Posted on November 25, 2011 by revjohnhill

GREAT ARTICLE I read on Christian Post.com

My Wife Had a Bad Experience at Chick-fil-A!

Fri, Nov. 25, 2011 Posted: 09:09 AM EDT

I love Chick-Fil-A! (AND love Tim Hawkins song about it)

We eat there at least two or three times a week (not kidding…we’ve actually pushed that number up to 6-7 a few times.)

The food is ALWAYS good, they get the order right nearly every time and their customer service is second to none. It is always clean and no matter how long the line seems to be people are always served as quickly and efficiently as possible.

So, imagine my surprise when my wife came home the other day and, as we were catching each other up on the things that had taken place while we had been apart all morning and afternoon she told me about a bad experience she had at Chick-Fil-A.

I was immediately frustrated! (Any husband would be!) AND…before I knew it I had literally told myself in my mind, “Well, if that’s the way things are going to be then I guess we just won’t be going to Chick-Fil-A anymore, they’ve lost my business.”

TIME OUT!!! How stupid was THAT thought? Seriously, let’s review…
■#1 – They ALWAYS deliver great food!
■#2 – They ALWAYS have friendly people!
■#3 – They ALWAYS have a clean environment!
■#4 – What my wife had experienced was not in line with what normally happens.

(AND…I want to be completely fair to Lucretia, she was NOT saying she would not go back, nor was she angry…she was just telling me about her day and I am the one who became irrational!) :-)

I lost my mind! I was literally going to allow one bad experience with one employee ruin a reputation of excellence that had been consistent for years! (AND…no one knows what was going on in that employees life…she could have had one of the worst days of her life and was trying her best to just hold it together until she could clock out!)

Before you agree with me too quickly…I think there are people who have done the same thing to the church!

It has become quite popular, even in some “Christian” circles, to bash the church for all of the dumb things that she has done.

I have met people since being in ministry for over 20 years that have the same attitude with the church that I almost had with Chick-Fil-A! They will attend, serve, be devoted to a local church for months or even years…and then, all of a sudden…
■Someone didn’t call them when they were out for two weeks.
■Someone said something hurtful to or about them.
■They didn’t like what the preacher said.
■They didn’t like what the youth group was doing.

I could go on and on…but you get the point. There are times when people will allow one thing in the church to trump the decades of ministry and impact that have taken place through that body of believers, and that’s a bit insane.
■Yes, if you stay in a church long enough I promise you that you will see hypocrisy.
■Someone will say something to you or about you that will hurt you.
■Decisions will be made that you do not like.
■There are going to be sermons that make you mad.

When that happens the enemy is going to try his best to convince you to just walk away…because he knows that the first step away from God is usually getting people to step away from the people of God.

Yes, the church, EVERY church, has made some unwise decisions and, in the process have hurt or disappointed people along the way…but let’s know throw the baby out with the bathwater…
■She’s STILL being built by Jesus–that makes her important!
■She’s STILL reaching out to the broken, the forgotten and the poor.
■She’s STILL making a difference that’s going to be seen for eternity.
■She’s STILL GOD’S PLAN for reaching the world.
■She’s STILL necessary for believers! (If church is not necessary then why did Jesus say He would build it, died for it, will one day redeem it and spends so much time in the NT talking to it and about it?”

No, the church is NOT perfect…but neither are you (or me!) So, when we’re tempted to walk away because of the one thing that seems to hurt us or trip us up we should simply ask, “is this consistant with this churches character?”

Stay in a church long enough and you will have a bad experience…but let that push you closer to Jesus as you recognize that HE uses imperfect people in His plan, which means sometimes they get it wrong, and then beg the Lord to teach both them and yourself how to best deal with the situation…because, she’s STILL the church and STILL His bride.

Now…anyone want to go to Chick-Fil-A with me? :-)

Perry Noble is the founding and senior pastor of NewSpring Church which has campuses in Anderson, Columbia, Florence, and Greenville, South Carolina. At ten years old, the church averages over 10,000 people across all campuses. You can find Perry online at perrynoble.com or on twitter @perrynoble.

Perry Noble
Christian Post Guest Columnist

Categories: Church, Church At Chelsea Park, Common Everyday Stuff | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

Stop Working on Your Weaknesses

Posted on November 25, 2011 by revjohnhill

This video really focuses on the reasoning for most of the recent changes at Union.  Please take 2 minutes to watch this video.

Perhaps a better question is, “What are you really good at?”

via John Maxwell: Stop Working on Your Weaknesses.

Categories: Church At Chelsea Park | Tags: | Leave a comment

What I’m Thankful For

Posted on November 24, 2011 by revjohnhill

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Today is Thanksgiving and I’m on a diet.  What this means is that I have to refocus my attention away from the wonderful buffet laid out before me and give some thought to the true meaning of Thanksgiving.  Here is a list of the 5 things I’m thankful for…

  • Jesus.  I can remember my life without my faith in Christ.  It was bad, lonely and empty.  This is so much better
  • Jill:  Next to Jesus, the greatest thing that has ever happened to me is my wife. My relationship with her has made me a better man.  I love her with all my heart and I thank God for her every day.
  • Erica, Jackson, Noah, Sophie, and Graden:  I love being a father and I love being a dad even more.  I’m thankful when I come through the door and I hear Dada!
  • Mom:  Her guidance, lessons and love have brought me this far in life.  I’ve also realized how much like her I really am.  That’s a good thing.
  • My In-Laws:  I love having brothers and sisters.  I was an only child and so having this extended family is something that I’m pretty thankful for.  Tim, you are the dad I never had.  Hilda, you’re the only one in the world who worries about my family more than me!!  I love all of you and thanks.
Categories: John Personal | Leave a comment

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