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March 2005 Table of Contents
Special Feature
Excerpts from The Ultimate Idea Book 2
By Phil Barfoot
37. Take A Sabbatical!
I recently celebrated my tenth anniversary at our church. There was no sabbatical policy in place, yet I was the first of several ministers in the upcoming years to have a tenth anniversary (with the Pastor being next behind me!). So, it was determined that our church would grant a one month paid sabbatical. I am now at the tail end of mine as I write this and can say it is a wonderful thing for your church to allow you time off for a consecutive month (in addition to your regular vacation) to renew, rest, and more than anything, be away from the day-to-day grind of your job. Every week I have enjoyed worshiping (and not leading) in a different house of worship. Christmas planning has been much more relaxed and enjoyable not having to think about church responsibilities. At a recent Metro Conference I attended, "Sabbaticals" was one of the session topics. Some are given after five years, some are seven and most like mine, ten. Whatever your church policy is, or if you help to develop one, look forward to yours as a gift from the church to renew your focus and refresh your spirit. It will be a month you won't forget.
-Tom Tillman/First Baptist Church/Conroe, TX
62. Fall In Love With Jesus!
After completing a major Worship Center building program, I was burned out and ready to quit. While at a conference, I remember hearing a well-known Pastor speak about personal renewal and living beyond the mediocrity of everyday ministry. I saw a passion in him that I was missing. I was hungry for God to do something valuable with my life—more than what I was seeing. I committed to get to know God in a fresh new way, so that He could have His way in me. Through daily Bible study and prayer, I began to fall in love with Jesus in a way I had never known. He waited on me until I was ready to go deeper with Him. I began with Genesis 1:1 and slowly studied through the entire Bible. I asked Him to teach me great and mighty things which I did not know – and He honored my prayer, and began to build my life anew on those simple, life changing principles. The best changes in my ministry and my family have come from that single decision several years ago. Constant, daily devotion – when I feel like it and when I don't – is not only the key to spiritual growth personally, but also corporately. My leadership changed and suddenly, our people saw a passion in me that they wanted, and followed me to it.
-Christopher R. Norris/West Acres Baptist Church/Evans, GA
72. God Uses Our Winters
Most of us go through cycles of spiritual dryness, when God seems far away. Our prayers seem empty, our souls barren, and our worship lifeless. Actually, some of our deepest spiritual growth may occur during these spiritual winters. My neighbor buys raw timber from all over the world for a large lumber company. "We buy lots of trees from Brazil," he told me, "but we can't use that lumber to build houses. Brazilian lumber can be used only for non load-bearing construction, such as fences." Why? Brazil has no winter to slow the growth of the trees, which allows the wood fibers to strengthen and harden. The best lumber comes from trees that have grown strong through the stress of cold weather. Even stronger are the trees along the edge of the forest that have withstood the full force of the wind to become even more resilient. God uses the spiritual winters of our lives to strengthen us for service in his Kingdom.
-Terry D. Taylor/First Baptist Church/Dothan, AL
30. Be Sure You Are Called!
Sooner or later, the only reason you will remain in the ministry period is your original calling from the Lord. It is your foundation. That calling must be renewed every morning in your time with the Lord. I am amazed that seminaries do not begin first with new students on this simple topic - Have you received a specific calling from God to become a minister? There will come a time that you will agree with the Apostle Paul - "This one thing I do!" It will be your daily drive whether you have just begun your journey as a minister or if you're in your 40th year. It will keep you from wasting time comparing yourself to other ministers and their ministries. If God has specifically called you, He has also uniquely gifted you to minister right where you are. Settle that one issue now. If God has called you, it will be a calling for life. There will be no retirement, just transitions to new fields of ministry. I have been a Music Minister for the past 44 years. There is no more exciting time in the history of worship leading than right now. There are more resources available right now - more styles of selections for worship. I encourage you to adopt Caleb's attitude in Joshua 14:10. "Here I am this day, eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day!" God gave you that mountain when He called you young in life. Every day reclaim it in God's strength!
-Paul G. Paschall/North Pointe Baptist Church/Hurst, TX
104. Three-Month Sabbatical
In 1993, our church gave us a three-month sabbatical, celebrating 10 years of ministry, with the intent that we use that time to enrich our spiritual lives and ministry. They continued to pay our salary, as well as taking an offering to offset the cost of the trip, which was about $8,000. My wife and I chose to take a trip, along with our 2 young sons, around the United States. We visited as many church worship services as we could…at least 3 each weekend, and midweek if that opportunity presented itself. We chose a cross section of well-known, successful ministries from various denominations. We didn't usually make appointments, just visited to see what God was doing around the country. We came home with great ideas for worship services, but also for how to welcome visitors, ways to emphasize missions, effective ideas for nurseries, parking, signage, etc. This venture turned out to be a pivotal time in the ministry that God has called us to and formed a new bond and closer relationship within our little family as we spent 24/7 together for 3 months. Our passion for the Lord and His body, the church, was reignited. We were afforded the chance to step back, regroup, and then start fresh when we returned. The benefits to our family, our church and ultimately God's work through us, far outweighed the cost in time and expense.
-Bill Allison/Silverdale Baptist Church/Bremerton, WA
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