Tag: Ministry

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Revolutionary Change

106Sunday we complete week 5 of our Rediscover Church series at New Passion. This week we discussed how we value creating Revolutionary Change through our Local and Global Influence.

We focused on 3 main questions after looking at 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

#1 What am I Becoming? – Paul said he became all things to all people. We looked at the story of Dorothy from Entertaining Angels and how she chose to live poor in order to reach the poor, the homeless, the prostitutes, and the drug addicts. Her effort to create Revolutionary Change required that she bring herself on the level of the people she reached out to versus elevating herself above them.

#2 What is my Motive? Paul said he made every effort to reach out to those who were different than him and to become like them for one reason…to lead them to a loving relationship with Christ. His goal was not to become famous or to build his own following, his motive was to lead people to Christ.

#3 What am I Changing? Paul and Dorothy alike saw people embrace their vision of Revolutionary Change and they too took action. Change can only happen if we decide to start influencing the change.

I was reminded of the trip I took with a former church after Katrina hit Biloxi, Mississippi. It started with a simple idea of taking water down to the victims, within a few hours we were on the road with water and a few groceries in hand to do what we could, our desire to be involved led into 4 total trips, three to Biloxi and one to Texas. I’ve posted video of our first trip and our second trip. The video from trip #1 is 18 minutes long. We used it as a part of the following Sunday’s message to show the need in the area, the second trip is the relief trip we took our church on. We were literally larger than the Red Cross relief effort in the same area. The point is this, what may start as a small idea or a small effort, God can use for Revolutionary Change in the life of those you are  investing in and influencing for Christ.

Katrina Relief Trip #1 from Nick Carnes on Vimeo.

Katrina Relief Trip #2 from Nick Carnes on Vimeo.

Join the Conversation…How are you participating in creating Revolutionary Change? What are your dreams to see Revolutionary Change happen in our world?

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Its Bigger Than Me

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I was driving home Sunday night from guest preaching at a church out in the country. Since I was all by myself, I decided to come back by way of Grovetown, the city where we are planting New Passion. Anytime I get a chance, I love to drive through there and to think about our plans, to dream up new ideas, and to ask God what it is  that He’s specifically thinking.

Sunday night I felt prompted to take a few new turns in the city as I was driving through.  Ever since I first drove to Grovetown and prayed about launching a church there, I’ve had specific neighborhoods that I’ve kept my eyes on and I’ve watched them over the last couple of years grow tremendously with new people and new families. As I turned down these new roads Sunday, I could not believe my eyes. Its the same feeling I get every time I take this kind of drive in Grovetown.

I was blown away! I could not believe all of the new homes being built in the crevices of this city. Ever since I stepped out to launch New Passion, I’ve understood and known that this whole thing is BIGGER than me. However, every time I go to the city, I drive away feeling overwhelmed and with a greater & sobering feeling that this thing REALLY is Bigger than me!

I wish I could put into words the potential that lies in neighborhoods 0-2 miles from where we will be meeting. Soldiers, Couples, Children, Teenagers, College Students, and Single people…they are all there! People who need Jesus in one way or another in their life. The potential is not people to grow a church, the potential is people who need to be introduced to Jesus. Our churches external reach has huge potential within the community with all of the new residents moving in, but our potential on a local level for our external reach increases dramatically when considering that most of the existing neighborhoods are 0-2 miles from where we will be having services as well. Believe me, the 8 main churches within the main city are not even touching the existing residence with the Gospel, there is no way they can reach all of the new growth alone, especially if they are not going to add services or change the way they currently meet. Don’t get me wrong. A churches reach does not always show in their attendance, but I believe attendance says a lot about the health of the church. 8 churches in the main city of Grovetown are reaching on average 235 households! (Avg. 29 households per church) New Passion is all about the Kingdom. Our goal is not to come into Grovetown and uproot the existing churches or try to overshadow them. Our goal is to add more people to the Kingdom. Consider us the spiritual reinforcements if you would like.

I wish I could get everyone to see the potential like I see it. I wish I could convince Christians who are simply sitting in a chair at some church or out of church doing nothing or not being used to strap their work shoes on and come help us launch new passion. I wish I could get selfish people to be selfless and to reach out of their comfort zone to see lives changed. I believe the world can be changed from Grovetown, GA. I believe a generation can be transformed from Grovetown, GA. I believe God wants to do something amazing with New Passion. I believe it takes people to reach people.

I’ll just be honest here…When I see the potential for what God can use us for in Grovetown and then I see where he is placing us. I want to run BEG everyone I know to partner with us and make this thing happen. But then I remember…that wouldn’t be smart! This thing is bigger than me and I want God to build it with the team he has planned. So, if you will, continue to pray that God will build this amazing team.

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Live Blogging PDYM the Conference Session 6

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Live Blogging Session 6

Doug Fields: Discipleship

  • 1. Discipleship cannot be reduced to programs and people
  • Discipleship can be viewed as 50% Relational 50% Educational
  • If student’s faith is married to a program or a person, when they are gone, their faith is gone
  • 2. An “On Your Own” Discipleship philosophy is a top down philosophy
  • A Discipleship Strategy is the HABITS
  • H = Hangout with God
  • A = Accountability with Another Believer
  • B = Bible Memorization
  • I = Involvement in the Church Body
  • T = Tithing Commitment
  • S = Study Scripture
  • 3. Expectations without experimentation= Frustration
  • Its better to teach people to fish versus giving them a fish
  • 4. Discipleship Never Ends
  • The PDYM model focuses on Discipleship as a Process versus a Program
  • Connecting students to an adult leader makes the difference
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Live Blogging PDYM the Conference Session 5

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Live Blogging Session 5

Doug Fields: Fellowship

  • 1. Smaller is better when focusing on Fellowship (building relationships)
  • Christ had a group of 12 but invested in 3
  • Figure out how to make “Large” Feel “Small”
  • 2. Volunteer leaders are better than paid leaders.
  • Paid leaders’ main focus should be to develop other volunteer youth workers, the volunteers job is to love on kids.
  • 3. Shepherds are Better than Chaperons
  • 4. Better is Better – Tweak, Twist, Don’t Settle
  • Messy people need a small group
  • “If you build a place where Students can share their hurts and pain, they will come” – Megan Hutchinson
  • “Hurt and abandonment in teenagers in pandemic in our world today and in our youth groups–every single teen hurts.” Megan Hutchinson
  • “Pain is always top down” – Hutchinson
  • If the church doesn’t do anything to help the hurting, who will?
  • There is more than one way to do small groups
  • Small Group leaders need to be set up for success
  • Empower small group leaders to be their kids’ youth pastor
  • Small Groups rise and fall based on their leader
  • Small Groups are the Bridge to the next steps (Discipleship – Ministry)
  • The bottom line is to cultivate relational capital – Ben Taylor