PASTORS! KNOW YOUR FAITH STEPS

THE STAGES OF FAITH

I was reading an article by Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church recently and felt it timely to share some foundational truths about the process of building the ministry within (the life of the minister) and the ministry without (the life of the church).

As a Pastor and Church Leader faith is the basis of all that we do hold dear. We preach by faith, teach by faith, make decisions by faith and are led by faith. It is the process or path of faith the unknowingly builds leadership character in all of us that lead.   

Rick Warren talked about the "Six Phases/Stages of Faith” which we must all encounter and understand to know where we are in ministry. As I lead other pastors quite often the overwhelming question is “where am I?”, or “Am I making the right choices for ministry and life?”. Psalms 37:23 teaches us that “the steps of a righteous person are order or ordained by the Lord”. The questions that asked are answered by “it is what God has ordained?”

STAGE 1: A dream
God speaks to us by vision and dreams. It is always the end result of what He is doing and the way that He keeps expectation in our lives at optimum.

STAGE 2: A decision
Once the vision is received leaders must make a decision. The greatest of revelations remain untapped unless connected to decisiveness and faith. Make the step!

STAGE 3: A delay
The season of waiting is always the hardest phase of any vision. There is the call, the wait and then the fulfillment. The faith of waiting is better accompanied with being of good courage.

STAGE 4: A difficulty
The difficulties are indications that achievement and effectiveness is really happening. Doubt is the tool of the adversary to discourage that fact. This is not an indication that your dreams are not coming true. It is an indication that the adversary knows it!

STAGE 5: A dead end!
When things get from bad to worse this is the final indication you are in the completion lap.  Emotionally when you feel like giving up is spiritually when you are ready to move to the next level. You are on the edge of finalizing your walk of faith.

STAGE 6: A deliverance
Without rhyme or reason the plans and vision that you have been believing God for simply align and fall into place. This is time for your miracle!

Stay the course of faith and God will bring to pass what He has designed for you, your ministry and your church!

COVENANT PASTORS' COUNCIL (CPC)

PNEUMA FELLOWSHIP OF COVENANT CHURCHES, INC.,

COVENANT PASTORS COUNCIL (CPC)

Through the ministry of the Covenant Pastors Council, Pneuma’s Overseer consults with affiliate pastors/ministry leaders in the area of Christian Leadership regarding the victories and challenges of pastoral issues. The CPC is strategic in that it keeps the Fellowship focused on its divine purpose and mandate which is directing and empowering churches and loving God, loving God's people, doing God's will and leading others to God through Christ.

It is also to assist Covenant Pastors in the leadership role of:

·         Planning

·         Organizing

·         Initiating

·         Promoting

·         Coordinating

·         Reviewing strategies and opportunities related to church growth, evangelism, economic empower, strategic planning and vision advancement

Pneuma is a teaching Fellowship committed to directing, guiding and empowering Kingdom pastors and churches.

WRITE THE VISION FOR 2013

WRITE THE VISION

Blessings Pneuma Covenant Pastors!

Beginning in October of each year, my practice is to reflect on the ministry year that we are in to basically answer the question, what is bearing fruit and what is not? Change is inevitable and ministry must adjust to ensure we are meeting the challenges. Adjusting, restructuring and realigning is all part of vision achievement. Writing the vision of what God is speaking into our spirits for the advancement of the churches that we are assigned to clarifies the plan for the Pastor and for the Pastoral/Leadership Team.

As Pastors we constantly pray to walk in God’s direction. Without the ability to understand and interpret the direction of God in our own ministries and in the vision that God has placed in our hands we will undoubtedly be hindered in fully completing the total will of God for our lives. I want to encourage you like never before that our personal relationship with God is so essential to the relationship that is sensed in our churches. The relationship is inextricably tied to our consistent and in depth prayer life, skillful knowledge of the Word of God, the increased ability to interpret the voice of the spirit and hear the counsel of God. We are ever increasingly challenged to understand the will of God and also develop the strategies to accomplish His will. The Apostle Paul wrote “Be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17). All of us battle with understanding His will and how, as Pastors, do we translate that will into the language that our teams and churches can understand, interpret for themselves and engage and accomplish.

Simply praying for Godly direction and doing what we believe God says is only part of the puzzle. For this to be true we have to be completely open to God’s voice and unhindered or distracted by life, other responsibilities and our own doubts about the vision we are in. For us to be effective we must also commit to acting completely, honestly and faithfully to what it is we hear God say. Walking in a Godly direction requires practical and faithful goal setting and vision.

Statements like “plan your work and work your plan..or in our case plan your vision and work your vision” are consistently true. The success of our ministries are contingent on successfully and effectively planning the work of ministry based upon successful biblical principles and patterns. Many in scripture demonstrated a plan and method (goals) for accomplishing the work God had revealed.

Read the following scriptures:

(Phil 3:14 KJV) I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in

Christ Jesus.

(Deu 1:23 NKJV) "The plan pleased me well; so I took twelve of your men, one

man from each tribe.

(Luke 4:16 KJV) And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and,

as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood

up for to read.

 (1 Cor 9:24 KJV) Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one

receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

This all speaks to planning, assessment and understanding what it is God is calling us to do.

Practical Steps for Writing Vision and Spiritual Goals

If goals are not written down, they will remain spiritually unavailable to the natural world..so pray and write them down!

1. Take your written vision, break it down into it’s various parts and ask God

what goals need to be implemented in the upcoming year 2013

2. List your short-term goals – those requiring six months or

less and your long-term goals – those requiring more than six months to

complete. Ask the Lord for a plan to complete each. What is it that you are

going to do to make these goals a reality? Your goals will form the basis for

prayer related to your ministry and gives those associated with your

understanding of how to pray.

3. Make a daily To Do List. A simple To Do list is to take a note card and list those

things related to your goals that you need to do today. List them by order of

importance working from the top to the bottom.

4. Reevaluate your goals regularly. Your goals are something that can be

incorporated into you daily prayer. Make it a point to take a few minutes each

week to look at your listed goals and make adjustments as needed.

Blessings as you continue to grow ministry!

PJ Edmund

Overseer, Pneuma Fellowship

CHURCH PLANTING (The Evangelist)

PNEUMA FELLOWSHIP

Coaching Consult #1 – CHURCH PLANTING (The Evangelist)

The Planter is Essential

            Ephesians 4 teaches that God gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be shepherds and teachers.  We always call those who lead churches “pastors” these days, including those who plant new churches.  But in truth a good church planter is more of an evangelist.  Here is a description. Evangelistic leadership communicates the gospel message in a way that people respond by having greater faith in themselves and their purpose. Evangelistic leadership inspires people to greater commitments of following and discipleship.  The Evangelistic leadership recruits others for a cause. In a leader, he or she senses the urgency of the moment and engages what needs to be changed now for what must happen in the future. Often, the Evangelistic leader comfortable around believers and non-believers alike – each seen as they can be. As the owner of the message, the Evangelist leader will make great sacrifices to achieve a genuine response. He or she is a communicator / recruiter, taking the organizations message to the outside, and convincing them of it. Evangelistic leadership markets and promotes an idea or vision to gain loyalty allegiance to the cause. The Evangelistic leader impacts the community through expansion. The Evangelist leader influences others by calling for greater personal response and sacrifice to a greater cause and purpose.

Someone planting a church needs a good handle on the good news of the Kingdom of God, and the ability to share/preach/counsel from Scripture, but most of all they must be this “evangelist” kind of person who gathers others.  They need to be someone people like being with and want to follow.  This doesn’t mean they have to be psychotically trying to instantly convert everyone they meet; after all, more and more people in our culture come to Christ now as a process.  But they need to have that effect on people that people want to hear what they have to say.