The Equipping Mission of the Church by Brian Franks https://youtu.be/ToIhWmIT69w You may also be interested in the following Convention 2023 Artios Workshops: Enriching the Sabbath School Experience - click here Ansiedad y Depresión: ¿Qué Puedo Hacer? - click here Anxiety and Depression: What Can I Do? - click here
by Loren Gjesdal Leadership cannot take place in a vacuum. By definition, leadership requires at least 2 people (one to lead and one or more to be led), and almost always takes place within some organizational context, whether formal or informal. Imagine, for instance, a formal context of leadership. Imagine you were hired to an executive position at Apple, such as Director of New Product Development. What are some of the questions you might have? Who is on the team? What are our objectives? What are our resources, procedures and limitations? To fulfill your new role, you would need to know [...]
by Loren Gjesdal Are you a born leader? Most people will answer that question with a resounding, “No!” It seems that even those we hold up as leaders in the church, don’t consider themselves to be natural leaders. “George Barna conducted a survey of senior pastors from across various denominations. When asked if they believed they had the spiritual gift of leadership, only 6 percent responded yes.”¹ God, however, says all believers are to be leaders. “Christian leadership is Christlike influence.”² Isn’t that exactly what is meant by Paul’s instruction to be ambassadors for Christ? (2 Cor 5:20) How can the [...]
by Israel Steinmetz Visionary Leadership in a Global Crisis These are troubling times. As I’m writing, the World Health Organization is reporting over 16,000,000 global cases of COVID-19 and over 650,000 deaths. The Center for Disease Control reports that 4,000,000 of those cases and nearly 150,000 of those deaths are here in the United States. I know several people who’ve died from COVID-19 and I live in one of the counties where cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are spiking. A financial crisis is on the heals of the health pandemic, with volatile unemployment numbers, financial stimulus from a debt-ridden government, historic economic [...]
by Josiah Robles Prayer is protection. If Christian leaders neglect to come before God and humble themselves and their hearts before Him, they will not be able to resist the Devil and will quickly lose sight of God. If a leader does not have constant communion with the Father, they leave themselves vulnerable to attacks from the enemy. These attacks will quickly destroy and corrupt the leaders without them ever realizing, as they never went to God to be examined. Therefore, Christian leaders must pray the prayer of “The Prayer of Examen.” This is a prayer in which we, with God, [...]
by Jacquelyn Scott There are various ways that all of us, including our international brethren, can go about implementing plans of action to promote mental wellness among our congregations: Leadership Assessment, Care and Accountability 1. Every leader who desires to do so can take some form of self-assessment evaluation, such as the one found in The Emotionally Healthy Leader.[1] This would pave the way for each of them to determine if there are areas in their lives that could benefit from special attention. But before that, they should take the time and effort to seek God’s counsel, not just a few [...]
by Jacquelyn Scott People have been made to feel guilty about their illness. In talking to people at the various meetings and workshops that I have attended, I have heard that some people have left their church because of the way that they or a family member were treated after it was discovered that they had a mental or emotional disturbance. Also, people have been made to feel guilty about their illness in a way that would not be done if they had a physical ailment. Some have turned away from the church Some have turned away from the church because [...]
by Jacquelyn Scott Forming a network of support and accountability As we transition into the next decade, there is no time to waver between the world and the Kingdom. Those of us who have taken on the mantle of “Christian Leader” must be good stewards of the commission that has been bestowed upon us. The responsibility for being ambassadors of God’s Word is not to be taken lightly. None of us are perfect, but we must strive for perfection in carrying out the duties that have been given us. Having a sound mind is essential to assure that we do no [...]
by Jacquelyn Scott Mental Health and the Church: Save Our Slighted This is an urgent call to all leaders within the General Conference of the Church of God (Seventh Day). There is a segment of our brethren (in, and outside of our denomination) that is being underserved, and if we are to call ourselves Christians, we must make an immediate, unified effort to bring them back into the fold. Those of whom I speak are the ones who have left the church, not because of disagreements with policy or doctrine, but because of the way they were treated when they were [...]
by Lisa Harp Hinds Does the church have a mission to fulfill in this increasingly chaotic time? Can and should we make a difference in the world today? Yes, yes, and yes! Then what is the mission of the church? 4 purposes that make up the mission of the church: to worship God (John 4:23-24; Rom. 14:11; Rev. 7:10-12) to preach the gospel (Matt. 7:36-38; 24:14; 28:18-20; Mark 13:10; 16:15-16; 1 Cor. 9:14; 2 Tim. 4:2) to nurture believers (Acts 14:21-22; I Cor. 14:26; I Thess. 3:12; 4:9; 5:11-15; I Tim. 5:1-4; Titus 2:1-8) to serve humanity (Matt. 5:40-45; 7:11-13; 1 [...]
