Ron Edmondson » Church

Five Minute Challenge: Persecuted Church

Ron Edmondson — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:00:14 +0000

This week I’m at Moody Founder’s Week. It’s a Bible conference put on by Moody Bible Institute that I’ve come to for several years, especially since my son Nate is a student here. One of the underlying themes this year has the persecution of Christians around the world. I’ve read recently that Christians are under more persecution today than any time in church history.

Then, my friend Tami Heim tweeted that she was praying for the Christians of Uzbekistan. I’ll be honest, I don’t know that I ever prayed for anyone in Uzbekistan. Then I followed the link she provided and realized it’s part of an initiative called the Five Minute Challenge. I signed up. You can too. In fact, I think you should.

HERE is a list of the 50 most-watched countries for church persecution.

Watch this video and then go HERE.

Do you ever pray for persecuted Christians?

3 Ways To Remove The Pain From Preparing A Weekly Sermon

Ron Edmondson — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:00:33 +0000

This is a guest post by my friend Casey Graham. Casey is one of the most innovative church leaders I know. He is passionate about Kingdom building and helping those who desire to Kingdom build. I haven’t seen any project of Casey’s yet I can’t support.

Here’s a word from Casey about a new project to help pastors:

After talking to hundreds of preachers, we’ve found most preachers love preaching, but the grind of preparation can often become a pain. Here are three things we’ve seen.

Here are 3 Ways To Remove The Pain From Preparing A Weekly Sermon:

1. Great preaching comes from a great preparation system. Perry Noble doesn’t prepare in a vacuum. He has a team at NewSpring Church that helps him prepare. Perry will talk about how this works at the PreachBetterSermons.com FREE online event on March 15th.

2. A Preparation day is better than feeling like you have to prepare all the time. Andy Stanley sets aside every Wednesday to prepare messages, and his team helps him keep this time guarded. While Andy is gifted, his commitment to preparation helps make his messages memorable. Andy will talk about the structure of his preparation day on the Preach Better Sermons online event.

3. Developing a sermon planning system takes the pain out of preparation. There are things you can do on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual basis that will dramatically improve your preparation time and help you deliver better messages. Helping you put something like this into place will be a part of the free online event.

Make a commitment to be a better preacher. Sign up for the free online conference. Here are the details.

Date: March 15, 2012
Time: 1pm – 4pm EST
Speakers: Andy Stanley, Perry Noble, Louie Giglio, Dr. Charles Stanley, Vanable Moody, Jeff Foxworthy. The event is being hosted by Jeff Henderson.
Registration: Free sign up at preachbettersermons.com

Are you there? I am. Thanks Casey!

5 Steps to Discern if God is Changing a Ministry Assignment

Ron Edmondson — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:50:45 +0000

How do you know when God is stirring your heart for a change in ministry assignment?

I work with pastors every week who are asking this question. I previously posted my answer to this question, but after several conversations recently I thought it was time for a revision to strengthen some of the points based on what I’m currently learning and observing. This can be one of the most grueling decisions a Christian leader makes. Because most of us feel we are in positions God has called us to do, it is often more difficult to leave one called position for another called position.

Several times in my ministry, first as a layperson and since then in vocational ministry, God has called me to leave one ministry and begin another. It can be a scary place to face the unknown, yet know that God is up to something new in your life. In sharing my experience, I am hoping it can help others process through what God may be doing in their life. Please realize that God uses unequaled experiences in each of our lives, but at the same time there are some common patterns I think each of us may experience, while the details remain unique.

Here are 5 steps I have experienced as God has led me to something new:

Wonderful sweet success – Each time the door of a new opportunity opened it began opening (looking back) when things were going well in my current ministry.

Inner struggle – I usually have not been able to understand what God is up to, but there is something in me (and usually in my wife at the same time) where I know God is doing something new. It could be a growing dissatisfaction, consistent unexplained frustrations, or just an uneasiness where I am currently. While I do not know what it is, and often not even if it involves a change in my place of ministry, I know God is working something new in my heart.

Closeness to Christ – Brennan Manning calls it a Dangerous love of Christ. During the times leading up to a change of ministry assignment I will be growing in my relationship with Christ, usually in new depths of trust and abandonment. Again, looking back I can see this clearly, but at the time I usually am just enjoying the closeness to Christ not expecting anything.

Opportunity presents itself – An opportunity seems to come from nowhere. In some seasons there has been multiple opportunities at the same time. Reflecting back, I can see this is the pattern that has occurred each time. It is only after these first three experiences that God brings a new opportunity my way. This is probably because my spirit must be totally aligned with His Spirit in order for me to trust the new work He calls me to, because I have yet to feel completely “ready” for the next step in my journey with Christ. New steps of obedience always involve a leap of faith on my part. I’m always stretched in my trust beyond where I’ve been previously, but this process prepares me to be ready to say “Yes Lord…Here am I…send me.”

I surrendered to God’s call – After I receive confirmation in my spirit, review the journey God has had us on, and Cheryl and I agree where God is leading, I have yet to refuse the next assignment. That does not mean it is easy for us to leave our current ministry, but it has always been most rewarding to know we are in the center of God’s will for our life.

A special word to the spouse: Cheryl has never been “ready” to leave friends in our current ministry, but she has always lined with me in knowing God was calling us to a new work in our life. Cheryl has always had the same Spirit’s leading that I am having, often before me. God has never allowed us to be confused with differing messages. That’s part of our confirmation.

Discerning a change in ministry assignment can be a difficult task, especially when you are comfortable where you are currently. Perhaps my experiences can help.

Have you shared these experiences? What other experiences have you had that have led you to step out by faith into a new adventure with Christ?

Depending on your circumstances, you may want to read my post “When a Leader Gets Too Comfortable” or “10 Scenarios to Know It’s Time to Quit“.

SPECIAL NOTE to the people of Grace Community Church: I didn’t write this post for me. I use this blog to minister to other pastors and ministers and that is who I am addressing with this post. As of now, I am where I am supposed to be at Grace. It is important to always remember, however, that I do not work for Grace Community Church. I work for a person and His name is Jesus Christ. I keep thanking Him daily for allowing me to be a part of the work He is doing at Grace for such a time as this.

Residency in Ministry at Grace Community Church

Ron Edmondson — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:45:43 +0000

Grace Community Church has been looking for a way to raise up and develop future leaders. We wanted something that gave people real hands-on ministry experience and also helped them grow theologically . We believe in seminary education, but we also see the value in practical experience.

We are excited to introduce our Residency in Ministry Program

Similar to a medical residency, we view this as a post-college “residency” where those in the program will be doing real ministry alongside pastors who are a little further down the road. They’ll be entrusted not with making copies (though, as we all know, that is a small slice of ministry, too) but with life-changing ministry. They’ll be viewed as full-on staff members, and held to the expectations of the rest of our staff team.

In addition to doing the work of ministry, one major benefit of the program is that seminary tuition will be included. Clarksville is 45 minutes from the new Nashville campus of Southern Seminary. We’ve already had staff members who have worked full-time at Grace and attended classes concurrently. We believe that this is a great way to learn and do ministry: in the classroom and in the “lab.”

We’re receiving applications now, looking to have residents in place by August, 2012.

If you’re interested, just click HERE and start the application process. If you know someone who would fit the bill, send this info along. If you have any questions, we’ve tried to answer the most frequently asked HERE.

We’re excited about this program and are convinced it will be a great benefit to a number of young leaders.

If you were at the right stage in life, would this program entice you?

One Measure of Effective Friendship

Ron Edmondson — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:00:08 +0000

How effective are the friendships in your life?

One measure of an effective friendship, in my opinion, is that the people in your life are becoming more like Jesus, partly because of their friendship with you.

“Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17 Do you have friendships that sharpen your relationship with Christ?

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Follow me, as I follow the example of Christ“. Could you say that to your friends? Could they say that to you?

Here’s one measure of an effective friendship: At the end of a year together as friends, could either of you say your life is more like Christ than before the year began, because of that friendship?

I know. Hard question, right? The encouragement in this post is to:

Consider your friendships closely
Examine the purpose of those friendships
Bring some intentionality into your friendships
Together, encourage each other to be more like Christ

Let’s make better friendships.

You could do a Bible study together
You could change the focus of your conversations
You could hold each other accountable
You could pray for and with one another

Do you have friendships in your life that help you in your walk with Christ?

Why I love Grace Community Church

Ron Edmondson — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 18:20:52 +0000

Grace Community Church is an amazing gathering of people. I’ve been in church all my life and never known people who were more compassionate and caring about the people around them. Do we have problems? Of course. Are we perfect? Not by a long shot. We serve a perfect God, but we are made up of thousands of imperfect people, so we make plenty of mistakes.

Yesterday our church supplied Christmas for a couple hundred children and their families. Toys, clothes and food… Amazing. The stories are still coming in but I thought I’d share a couple I received. I changed the names for anonymity.

Here are two examples of why I love Grace:

Dear Ron,

Thank you for making Grace a place that helps us to remember those in the community that could really use help… Brenda and I just provided for two kids this morning through the Church’s program and I can’t tell you how great of an experience it was for us. Grace is such an amazing place for growth in so many ways, thanks for all you do.

Dear Ron,

Bob and I had two young girls, and a small group had this family’s two older kids. When the mother came, there were two bikes waiting for her and three large trash bags FULL of gifts. She was overjoyed and had tears and plenty of hugs to share with us. She was so appreciative and couldn’t thank us all enough. As we loaded up her car with all the goodies, she handed me two bags of clothing her daughters had grown out of and asked me to find someone at our church who could use them. That’s when the water works started! :0)

What an awesome lesson in humbleness and love. Thank you for helping us do this. I know they will have an awesome Christmas, but the impact of those short minutes will certainly stay with me for years to come!

Thank you for being people who live out your faith. I’m a blessed pastor! I love being known as a church who loves our community…regardless of their place or position in life.

7 Ways Satan Tries to Destroy a Church

Ron Edmondson — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:10:29 +0000

Be serious! Be alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. 1 Peter 5:8

I’m not a pastor who is constantly looking for Satan behind everything that goes wrong. I concentrate my attention on Jesus and encouraging others to follow Jesus and not to focus on the defeated one. Yet, I’m fully aware that Satan loves to destroy…or attempt to destroy…a church. Obviously Satan is a limited being and God’s church is secure. The gates of hell shall never overcome what God started, but Satan certainly loves to disrupt what God’s church is doing.

Here are 7 way Satan tries to destroy a church:

Church conflict – Satan loves business meetings that get out of hand or when two church members have disagreements outside of church. He loves when church members argue about trivial things, such as colors of the carpet or big things, such as whether to add another service. Doesn’t matter to him. Show him a good argument potential and he’s willing to stir the fire.

Burnout – Satan loves to burn out a church volunteer, staff member, or pastor. If he can make them feel they are no longer needed, their work is not appreciated, or that they no longer have anything to offer…he feels he’s winning part of the battle.

Rumors – Satan is the stirrer of dissension. He likes to plant little seeds of a juicy story, about someone in the church or community…sometimes even the pastor or staff…and watch them quickly spread through a church congregation or community. The version, of course, usually grows to a larger portion than reality. Satan likes that too.

Busyness – Satan loves to distract church goers with a plethora of activity that produces little results in Kingdom-building.

Lies – Satan attempts to interject what he calls a “half-truth”; just a hint of false doctrine and then watch it disrupt or divide a body. Of course, we all know that half-truth is really just a cleaned up version of a bold face lie, but Satan is clever enough to disguise a lie in a way where false teachers gain entry and do damage before being discovered.

Scandal – Satan loves a good, juicy, gossipy news headline in the local paper. If it will split, divide or destroy a church body…even better. If it will destroy someone’s Kingdom calling or work…he’ll take that too.

Marriage and family disruptions – Satan loves to destroy any relationship, but he also goes after key leader’s marriages; even the pastor’s marriage. He likes to encourage prodigal children. He wants to cause families to fight within the church and fight with the church. Satan knows if he can destroy a home, he has a better chance of destroying a church.

Thankfully, there is good news:

You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

What other ways have you seen Satan try to destroy a church?

7 Words Why You Need Social Media as a Pastor Today

Ron Edmondson — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:00:06 +0000

You

want

to

reach

people

for

Christ

That’s all there is to it. Of course, you want more explanation if you’ve questioned it so far. Let me just say this: If you want to reach people, you have to go where people are…

Any questions?

Does Your Church Value Your Family?

Ron Edmondson — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 17:00:44 +0000

Ben Reed is community groups pastor at Grace Community Church where I serve. Ben is an excellent leader; truly becoming one of the sharpest minds on small groups in the country. If he’s not on your radar he should be. You can learn from him and he loves helping other churches. Recently Ben had a family situation that took him out of the office. Our email and text exchanges through that time prompted this guest post.

Here is a guest post from Ben Reed:

As a church, we say that we value the family. Now I can personally vouch that we do.

I know that older generations accuse my generation of not working hard. But if you spend much time around me, you’ll realize that I don’t fit that mold. (and, in fact, I’d submit that my generation isn’t lazy…we just work differently)

I really enjoy hard work. And when I have to be out of the office for an extended amount of time, it drives me nuts. Not because I’m being pressured from other team members or not living up to perceived expectations. It’s simply because I love what I do, and I love working hard at it.

When Family Calls

So when I had to be out of the office for 10 days, it was tough. I felt torn: I wanted to be at the office, but I desperately didn’t. See, my wife’s grandfather was rushed to ICU, then transported to hospice care, and I was at his side with my wife’s family for the better part of 10 days. And I wanted to be there, at his side, the entire 10 days.

But I texted Ron, saying this:
I hate being out of the office so long. It is not my style. Sorry I’ve been so absent the last week and a half. I know it’s ‘excusable’ but I also know me being out isn’t ideal.

His response:
It’s ok Ben. It’s one of our values as a church. Family first.

I tell people all of the time that we are a church that truly values family. By the way we’re structured (very simply), we get the chance to tell people, “Gather with us on Sunday, join a small group, and the rest of the week invest in your family!”

But this time, I got to experience this. I was given the freedom to be present with my family when I needed to be present with my family. And I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that my church staff supported me being absent.

We put our money where our mouth is.

When push comes to shove, we value family. Even if that means that things have to slow down. Even if that means that a team member is absent. Even if that means a team member’s voice isn’t present at the table.

We know that if our team members don’t do a good job at home, they can’t do a good job leading their ministries (1 Timothy 3:4). And intellectually, I get that. I’ve even said that to people.

But it was an entirely different matter when I needed to apply that to myself.

My church values my family. Which makes me even more proud to serve her.

Does your church value your family?

Helping Church Leaders Fund Their Vision

Ron Edmondson — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:03:41 +0000

You may have seen the news recently that Joe Sangl has acquired the stewardship company Injoy Stewardship Solutions (ISS) – the company founded by Dr. John C. Maxwell. For the past five years, Joe has focused on helping equip people to become personally financially free through his I Was Broke. Now I’m Not. ministry. Joe is a great friend and I’m excited to support him in his new venture. I believe in his heart and ability to help the church. He is a Kingdom-builder.

Joe and his team is passionate about helping church leaders fund their vision and equipping church attenders to win with their money God’s way. Recently, the Injoy team released a free e-report titled “5 Mistakes That Will Kill Your Church Fund Raising.”

Here is an excerpt from that free report:

#1 – Making It All About The Money

THE ISSUE

One big mistake that many churches make when raising money is to make it all about the money. Something has gone terribly wrong if the entire conversation becomes all about how much money is going to be raised and the topic consumes the vast majority of the conversation amongst church leadership and members. When this happens, people are more likely to feel manipulated and guilted into giving. This violates II Corinthians 9:7 (NIV) – “Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

THE SOLUTION

Focus on the major initiative as a spiritual journey. Whenever God has called people to take huge steps of faith, it always resulted in spiritual growth when people actually took those steps. Imagine the spiritual growth that Joshua and the Israelites experienced as they crossed the Jordan River in the middle of flood season, and they walked across on dry land!

Instead of focusing just on the amount of money that needs to be raised for this next step, focus people on what this next step will allow your church to accomplish and the life change that will result from their faithful, generous, and sacrificial giving.

Obtain the entire e-report by filling out the form below. It literally takes five minutes to read it, and it could substantially impact the next major phase of ministry that your church embarks on.

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