Forging a healthy culture that glorifies God and empowers you to thrive in sustainable and effective ministry
"Lord, You are my joy!"
Word of the Season
REFLECT
re·flect /rəˈflek(t)/ verb: think deeply or carefully about
Attached are 3 reflections for you to use as 2023 draws to a close. In remembering and reflecting you are encouraged to
Celebrate all God has done and where you have partnered with Him!
Rest in His love and look back with His perspective so that you move forward and work from that rest.
Throw off all that hinders… live in the freedom that is yours in Jesus… and build up the body to the glory of Jesus.
Follow and walk with Him more closely!
Remember: What a word! God instructs His people to remember at least 352 times in the Bible.
Looking back over the past year to remember, review, and reflect is a helpful practice for moving forward in the new year. It is good for us to take time and truly celebrate all God has done and what we have been a part of by His invitation!
We take time to become aware of where we started depending on or striving in our own strength so we can realign with and rest in His.
We learn from where we struggled and the challenges we faced.
We release everything to Him and remember who He is and what He says- the truth.
Use any or all of the following reflections to help you look back over your year. Schedule time(s) to be with the Lord for intentional reflecting and remembering. It is often helpful to go on a walk if possible. Take a few deep breaths to become still as you begin the reflection.
His name is Wonderful Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. He is our Creator, Redeemer, Father, Lord, Healer, Comforter, and so much more. He longs for us to truly know Him and relate to Him in these ways. May you rest and delight in His love this season. May these reflections serve to strengthen your connection with Him and others.
Featured Article
Spiritual Rhythms for Ministry Life
| by Dr. Nairy Ohanian, revised Sept 2015
Faithful pilgrims are constantly pulled, pushed, and tested in their daily spiritual journey. The Message refreshingly translates Matthew 11:28-30 as:
“Are you tired? Worn Out? Burned out on religion, come to me. Get away with me & you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me- watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
What inviting words! To live so freely and lightly seems too good to be true. Can the demands of ministry life yield such a life? The verse says…walk with me and work with me.
Intimacy and rest are initially hard work but eventually they become more natural pursuits. Spiritual renewal and resiliency are often achieved through practicing spiritual disciplines or rhythms over time.
Ministry workers frequently have extra challenges wearing down their spiritual endurance: busyness, isolation, limited spiritual resources, constant spiritual warfare, expectations, pressures of performance, etc. These factors can easily become serious threats in weakening the strength of servants and leaders. Regularly it seems that ministry takes first priority and self-care a lower priority. Spiritual disciplines often translate to rule or regulation; but the early church saw them as intentional practices to help in the desire for more of God. Thus a simple definition could be…that which fosters More of God!
Highlighted Resource
Global Trellis: Write Interesting Newsletters Course
Write Interesting Newsletters is a self-paced course for people who need to communicate with prayer and financial supporters. You know that communicating with supporters is vital to sustain your ministry with prayer, finance, and advocates, but maybe you feel stuck or like a broken record when it comes to writing to supporters. Instead of thinking about writing, put fingers to the keyboard and keep your supporters praying for, financially supporting, and connected to you and your ministry. You will have lifetime access to the course upon purchase. Enrollment closes on June 16th. Get the course today and feel the newsletter burden start to lift.
Books We Are Reading
Gentle and Lowly | Dane C. Ortlund
The back of the book
Pastor Dane Ortlund Explores Jesus’s Heart to Reveal His Tender Love for Sinners and Suffers
Christians know that God loves them, but can easily feel that he is perpetually disappointed and frustrated, maybe even close to giving up on them. As a result, they focus a lot―and rightly so―on what Jesus has done to appease God’s wrath for sin. But how does Jesus Christ actually feel about his people amid all their sins and failures?
This book draws us to Matthew 11, where Jesus describes himself as “gentle and lowly in heart,” longing for his people to find rest in him. The gospel flows from God’s deepest heart for his people, a heart of tender love for the sinful and suffering.
These chapters take us into the depths of Christ’s very heart for sinners, diving deep into Bible passages that speak of who Christ is and encouraging readers with the affections of Christ for his people. His longing heart for sinners comforts and sustains readers in their up-and-down lives.
Draws on Writings from the Puritans: Including Thomas Goodwin, Richard Sibbes, John Bunyan, John Owen, and others
Provides a Unique Perspective: Confronts readers’ typical thoughts on God’s heart
Scripture-Based: Explores passages throughout the whole Bible to get a full picture of God’s heart for sinners
