Only God
Visit our website for more information!
Visit our website for more information!
I want to start by promising to blog more. I guess if you only blog every six months it isn't really a blog. So if you can forgive me for my blog failures.
I want to thank all the pastors and leaders who made the dinner such a great experience. HB London shared from his heart about the stuff going on in Colorado Springs with Ted Haggard. His words were well received. Guarding our hearts as leaders has to be one of our first priorities. If I don't guard my heart, who will?
I am excited about beginning the journey with ONLYCHURCHES.COM. There is a network developing of churches who simply want to focus on Jesus, His life, His death, His resurrection and His mission to seek and save lost people. With unity and prayer, God's voice can and I believe will be a little bit louder in Clark County.
I am trying to identify Senior pastors who would be willing to host weekly gatherings in their specific communities. Camas, Battle Ground, Portland, etc. Places where pastors can be encouraged, develop friendships, and pray for the Northwest. These relationships will become strategic for me, and I will meet monthly with those regional leaders, to do the same.
Jesus said it, I just believe it and the gates of hell won't prevail against it. Pretty much settles it.
ONLY GOD CHURCHES, let the revolution begin.
John
John is officially, totally, without a doubt cancer free! The doctors just called and there is no cancer in his lymph nodes or in the portion they removed from his leg. John is so thankful for your prayers and your support. Stay tuned as we get ready to celebrate together this weekend!
Only God
Missy
Stay up to date by signing up for our weekly newsletter. Go to www.livinghopechurch.com and on the bottom left is an email newsletter box. Type in your email address and you'll automatically receive our updates.
John spent today with further tests and thus far, everything looks positive going into next Thursdays surgery. Please continue to keep John and his family in your prayers. Pray that the lymphnodes they remove next week will prove to be negative.
We look forward to seeing everyone this weekend!
Join us for 24 hour prayer for the Bishop Family. Visit our website at www.livinghopechurch.com , click on the banner at the top of the page and choose a time that you are able to pray for John, his family and our church at Easter. We need an army of prayer warriors right now. Will you join in?
"Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:19)
Prayer Warrior:
Father, I give You the glory. May You receive praise from generation to generation forever, because You are the One Who works among us so powerfully that You are able to do more than we can ask or even imagine.
- adapted from Ephesians 3:14-21
Pastors: I just want to apologize for not getting technology guides up for you. I'm posting the letter that I am sending out to our members so that you are aware of what's happening here at Living Hope. Please know that we are praying for each of your churches as we get closer to Easter. I believe the difficulties are coming because of the satellite locations launching in nine days, the unity being developed among churches in Clark County and only nine days until Easter. Call us if we can help any of your churches at all!
As I sit and think about what God did yesterday at our Leaders Gathering, I am in awe of all that God can do when 150 pastors and church leaders get together and worship God. First of all, it was cool to get together and talk about the power of leveraging technology to reach our culture for Christ. Secondly, never underestimate the power of the God's Spirit through broken hearts. I can't get the pastor out of my mind, who we gathered around and prayed for. I just keep thinking, when one church hurts, we all hurt. When one pastor is alone, in a sense, we are all alone. Pray for this brother in Christ who needs to know what he does matters. Pray!
Missy (my assistant) will get technology stuff on this blog soon. We are working on putting together some exciting plans to help churches get websites set up. Also, we are going to do a workshop to help with blogging and podcasting. Look for these things in the near future (after Easter). First things first.
Pastors and Leaders, what you do matters. Never quit. Keep your eyes on Christ, the author and perfector of your faith.
Stay purple!
John
As I write this blog I am preparing to do a staff training for a church. As I have talked to leaders and pastors here, I keep thinking of how much leadership makes the difference in any organization, especially the local church. To lead takes a tremendous amount of energy and courage.
Romans 12:8 says, "If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously." One translation says "Lead with all diligence." I think Paul says take it seriously, because we have a tendency to get lazy with this gift. Leaders possess the ability to motivate, challenge, encourage and be a catalyst for perhaps hundreds or thousands of people to not "do" church, but rather "be" the church.
I think great leaders lead and are led. Leaders that make a difference understand the need to take risks. Good leaders sometimes fail, but they recognize failing is different than being a failure. They focus on learning and being better. I have watched the best leaders and they always lead by example, serving with consistency and integrity. Leaders who make a difference are team players. They believe that with a team they collectively can accomplish more than they could by themselves. Leaders who make a difference learn to receive constructive feedback. This is one of the hardest jobs of a leader, to be willing to change to the point they will listen and respond to feedback.
Leaders also are led. They are led by God first. When I make a decision that affects other people, I always make sure I am listening to what God has. Sometimes it means waiting until I am sure God is leading me, sometimes it is an on the spot decision that I just know is right. I hope we as leaders will always listen to and be led by the One whose name we bear. It would be easy to leave out the God factor, but that day is the beginning of the end of a leaders effectiveness for God's Kingdom. After all, it is His church, His glory and His plan.
Leaders are also willing to be led by people they lead. Again, if we really want God's best, we have to recognize that God will speak and lead me through capable and gifted leaders. Again, my responsibility is to get all the best information and make the right decision in any given situation. I count on the leaders of Living Hope to lead me. Respect is obviously important in leading people who are leading you, and it is important to bring the best information to a leader that is available to him or her. Once information is given and advice is offered, then a leader has to assess the information and make the best decision possible in the given situation. It is hypercritical that unity is preserved and when opinions are offered, in the end, a leader needs to be supported. Often times I make a decision that isn't what others wanted, but I have always felt respected and supported, which gives me the necessary encouragement I need to continue to "lead with all diligence."
This month, I am excited about our Leaders Gathering. It has been two months since we last met, where we talked about volunteers. I really want to spend time talking about this leadership gift. I want to talk about team building, communication and other aspects of effective leadership. If you are in a leadership position, I know this will be time well spent.
Join us January 19th. 9:00 - 11:30 AM. Let us serve you breakfast and let's together talk about this necessary gift. We will learn from God and each other.
Tell us leadership stories. Either on the comments of this blog or at info@livinghopechurch.com.
Lead and be led
John
Hey there
I am writing these comments on my laptop in Maui. With my family (some sleeping, some just hanging out, all of us together under one roof). I am thinking about Christmas this year and how thousands in this county will attend church at one of your churches. We have such precious opportunities that God gives us to tell folks about His plan of redemption. Think about how high the stakes are. Think about what could happen if we 'perfectly' listened to God, and courageously responded to whatever it is He asks us to do. What would happen during this Christmas? What would happen (as a result) in homes? What would happen in our churches as people begin to fill every seat, invite their friends, believe, invest in and support the local church. Imagine with me what could happen in our little county. We are just one body, but we are one. We can't do everything, but I am convinced we can do something.
As I was typing this my littlest daughter Hannah came up, kissed me on the cheek, thanked me for being her daddy and thanked me for us being here and said good night. Friends that is the Kingdom of God in my reality. Here's what I mean. We are only called to be faithful in this moment to do the right thing, say the right thing and believe the right thing. The rest is up to God.
What if this season, each of us lived in the stark and sometimes messy reality of the moment we are in right now. God is so much bigger than whatever it is you are worrying about. It is a sin to worry, so stop. Trust Him. Believe in yourself. Jesus does! Believe that God wants to do amazing things in the church He has entrusted to your care, for this season. Once you allow that belief to resonate in your heart, it will become your reality, and you can't not invest every ounce of energy to see the dream become reality. This is the only Christmas we have. You are the only dad your kids have. You are the only husband, the only friend and the only one God has called to do unthinkable things for His glory and purposes this Christmas. Live in the gift of now. Believe Him and give everything you have to see one person come to Christ this Christmas. What better gift could we give back to the One who GAVE everything to us?
I am praying for you. I look forward to our leaders gathering in January. I want us to focus on leadership, developing leaders, building trust in teams, among some other things God is showing me.
In the end....This is the only Christmas you have. Instead of being leaders who are focused on what's next, what if we became leaders who were more focused on "what's NOW." When we begin to think more about what's now, less about what's next. We find God stronger than ever, because I find myself weaker and more surrendered than ever.
This Christmas, let's all give everything as if you believed the dream for our lives, our churches and for the Kingdom of God.
Have an amazing Jesus-saturated Christmas.
Your friend and co-laborer for the baby who grew up to die for each of us.
John
One of the most difficult tasks as a leader has been to maintain a thriving volunteer ministry. It seems with our culture screaming "its all about me, serve me, help me or give to me" it has become increasingly difficult to create a "culture" of volunteerism, for the right reasons. I am so grateful for all that God has done, is doing and will do in regards to helping us develop a volunteer ministry that helps engage people and encourages those who serve.
I am so excited for the upcoming leaders gathering. It will be the last gathering until january and so we are pulling out all stops to celebrate volunteers. Think about it for a moment. Without the volunteers in our churches there would be no ministry. There would be no or little greeting. The church wouldn't be the same, to say the least.
IF you have time, try to make it to our leaders gathering next Thursday the 17th. We will serve you breakfast, we will worship together. Hopefully we can learn from each other ways to make the Bride of Christ what God intended for it to be.
Thank you my friends and colleagues for all you do. We pray for so many churches in the county each week. I find myself more concerned about what God is doing in our community and city than what He is up to at Living Hope.
Thanks for your encouragement. Wayne, your words meant alot.
Guard your hearts!
John
