India: Global Partnerships

While we were in India, we had the privilege of visiting some groups and organizations we’ve partnered with. We got to spend time with Jack Magruder from Granger Community Church, and their partner in India, Life Mission International. With the help of the One Prayer initiative, hundreds of churches have been planted there and tens of thousands of evangelistic contacts have been made.

It was a great reminder of the importance of churches and ministries working together to accomplish more than we could on our own. If we were truly united, I believe the Great Commission could be fulfilled within our lifetime. The Church has the resources and the connectivity to make that happen if we were all pulling together.

This is why we’re excited about the 3rd year of One Prayer coming up in June. If your church hasn’t signed up, we’d love to have you on board! You can learn more and register at http://oneprayer.com.

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One Prayer 2010 Teaching Theme

I’m in India today, as part of a global trip with some of our team. Talking to church leaders far from home gets me even more excited about what can happen when we work together…like during One Prayer.

Many of you have expressed interest in the teaching theme for this year, and I’m excited to let you know it’s official…

The One Prayer 2010 teaching theme is: Unstoppable.

When the Church unites, it’s unstoppable… unstoppable grace, 
unstoppable compassion, 
unstoppable evangelism, 
unstoppable love, 
unstoppable generosity
, unstoppable truth
, unstoppable hope…

Now is a great time to gather your creative team and see where God leads you on this topic. One Prayer is a unique opportunity to share teaching and resources on a global scale, and you make that possible with the messages you contribute.

To help with your planning, the deadline for submitting messages will be in early May. Looking forward to many great messages this year!

And while you’re thinking of One Prayer, don’t forget to register your church if you haven’t already!

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One Prayer 2010

This June, you’re invited to take part in the third year of a global event: One Prayer 2010. Once again, churches around the world will be teaming up to share resources, serve their communities, and give to a meaningful cause.

When we launched One Prayer in 2008, we had no idea what to expect. What we planned was four churches sharing teaching messages for a month. Very quickly, God took that seed of an idea and grew it to 1,800 churches around the globe, partnering in many ways, including an initiative that planted more than 1,600 churches over two years. Those churches call themselves “One Prayer Churches” and are making a lasting difference in areas of the world where it’s extremely difficult to spread the Gospel.

We’d love to have your church take part in One Prayer this June. Details are still developing, but you can register at www.oneprayer.com today. It’s an incredible opportunity to stand in unity with other churches and share the message of Jesus with the world.

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One Prayer Interview - Toby Slough

Toby pastors Cross Timbers Community Church in Argyle, TX. He writes…

1. What is the biggest leadership lesson you’ve learned over the past year?
That culture change takes time and I must be patient and celebrate the small wins along the way.

2. What is God showing you personally?
He is showing me that many times the most important ministry I do is the ministry that no one sees.  He is leading me in the discipline of secret serving, giving and praying.

3. What is the top ministry challenge you’re currently facing?
Building a heart for service in our CT family  and developing a discipleship plan or track are the two things that keep me up at night.  We are also looking at opening new campuses in the next 12 months, and the challenge of moving from three campuses to four, five and six is stretching us.

4. What do you do for fun?
I play golf very poorly, but I play a lot.  It’s the one thing I do outside of ministry where I can really forget everything else going on and just focus on trying to hit the ball. 

5. What books are you reading?

• A Testament of Devotion by Thomas R Kelley
• Axiom by Bill Hybels
• Servolution by Dino Rizzo
• The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns

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One Prayer Interview - Tom Dillingham

Tom is a good friend of mine. He served on staff at LifeChurch for many years as our Tulsa Campus Pastor. Then God called him to start his own church. It was our honor to help Tom start Common Ground Church.

1. The biggest leadership lesson that I have learned in the past year:
I have learned that I can’t lead people the way that I want to be led.  This has been a really difficult lesson for me.  I just expect everyone to think the way that I think and to act the way that I act and they just don’t do it.  I love it when people leave me alone and let me build and create things.  I will turn people loose and expect them to do that and many times it goes no where.  I have learned that I have to walk and LEAD many people to the place that they need to be.  Most are not wired like I am and that is a good thing.

2. What is God showing me personally?
How big He is and how little I am.  I think that if I work really hard that I can make it happen.  I can make the church grow.  I can make people do the right thing.  The truth is I do need to work hard, but that alone will never make it happen.  I need God!!!  I need His help.  Many times when I think that I just knocked it out of the park with a sermon no one responds.  When I think that I really stunk it up, God moves and changes lives.

Even if I work and make it happen, what has really happened anyway.  Probably nothing with lasting results.  When I trust Him and recognize that He is God.  Then I see lasting results.

3. Top ministry Challenge.
Our top ministry challenge right now is a building.  We have been portable for 3 years and are really looking and taking steps toward getting a 7 day a week facility.  My challenge comes from raising money for the building.  Asking do we really need a building.  And dealing with everyone’s opinion of every building that we look at.

4. What do I do for fun?
I love my family so I hang out with them a ton.  I also love coaching their little league baseball teams.  I love coaching them more when they win than when they lose.

5. What books am I currently reading?

• Fresh Wind Fresh Fire
• It for the 4th time
• Perspectives on the Doctrine of God

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One Prayer Interview - Wayne Cordeiro

Today we’ll hear from Wayne Cordeiro. He pastors New Hope Church in Oahu, HI. He said…

1. What is the biggest leadership lesson you’ve learned over the past year?
One of the many leadership lessons I have learned over the years is how to harness and dispense energy.  I know that I have just so much energy in me, and I must use it for catalytic endeavors that will further the Kingdom.  I can no longer operate past my fatigue levels (which I used to do often) because the decisions I make during those times are not good.

2. What is God showing you personally?
Personally, God is renewing to me afresh that He is able to do many great things. I don’t provide the power. He does. I just provide the “yes.”  I provide the willingness to take the risk. I provide the receptivity.  I provide the faith to believe that changes that reform can happen, many can get saved, and that we can change the world.

3. What is the top ministry challenge you’re currently facing?
One of the greatest challenges is to know when a new leader is ready to lead.  There is a transition time where I hold things lightly, but not so far away that if it is dropped, I cannot catch it.  Too many let things fall through the cracks because a pastor has not checked on the novice’s ability to follow through.  I want to be a good shepherd in the “transition time” as the new leader is developing. One of the worst things for the Church in general is the underdeveloped leader.  They start leading while still insecure, they don’t deal with things they should have, they don’t build teams, and they become custodial managers rather than visionary leaders.

4. What do you do for fun?
When I ride my Harley Davidson, I am free!

5. What books are you reading?

• I just finished Francis Chan’s book, Crazy Love.
• I am now almost done with Mark Levin’s book, Liberty and Tyranny.

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One Prayer Pastor: Perry Noble

We’re underway with our One Prayer initiative to unite the church… big C. Recently I interviewed some of my friends partnering with us this year.

This week I’ll share their thoughts with you. We’ll start off with Perry Noble. He’s the pastor of New Spring Church in Anderson, SC. Here’s what he had to say…

1. What is the biggest leadership lesson you’ve learned over the past year?
Leadership is as easy as listening to God!  Actually, I first said this back in 2007…but I seem to be in a state where I am constantly relearning this.  As I continually journey through Scripture I am discovering that great leaders were desperate for the voice of God…and when He spoke, they obeyed!

2. What is God showing you personally?
That a move of God cannot necessarily be planned out…but it MUST be prepared for.  In Acts 1 the disciples didn’t plan Acts 2…but they did prepare for it!

3. What is the top ministry challenge you’re currently facing?
Pacing myself…we began NewSpring Church 10 years ago and I’ve basically had one speed!  Now I am trying to shift gears…and it has been one of the greatest challenges I’ve ever faced.

4. What do you do for fun?
Uh…not a lot…which STINKS!  I am trying to discover things that would be fun and enjoyable.  I know that is a weird answer…but it’s true!  I am open to suggestions.  (I do not want to hunt!!!  Getting out of a perfectly warm bed, venturing out into the cold, pouring deer “pee pee” on me and then sitting in a tree stand is NOT my idea of fun!)

5. What books are you reading?

• How the Mighty Fall by Jim Collins
• Leading on Empty by Wayne Corderio
• Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson
• The Brethren by Jon Grisham.

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More One Prayer Experiences at Church Online

One Prayer begins this weekend and over 1,600 churches around the globe are taking part. So many incredible communicators contributed messages once again this year (more than a year’s worth of weekend teaching) that it was difficult to choose which ones we’d use at LifeChurch.tv. At Church Online, we’re taking advantage of our additional experiences during the week so we can feature 15 extra messages throughout One Prayer. During the weekend, we’ll use the message that will be seen throughout all of our campuses. But then during the week, we’ll be serving up a handful of additional messages only at Church Online. You’re welcome to join us for any of those experiences! Get the full details (including the first week’s schedule) at the Church Online blog.

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