True Confessions September 29, 2009

The sermon series at our church right now is Confession. I have really gotten alot out of each week and the main thing that keeps convicting me is how much I agree with God about my sin. You see, to confess means to say the same thing about or to agree. That is stepping all over my toes because so many times I return to my sin because it does something for me or because I like it, in other words I don’t truly agree with God about it or I would be disgusted and avoid it.

My favorite analogy about this concept has to do with something that I really hate-onions. I don’t like them at all and so therefore I avoid them at all costs. I don’t buy them, order them in my food or keep them handy in my fridge. It’s my prayer that God will help me to feel the same way about my sin as He does and to avoid it at all costs (like I do onions).

When I can agree with God about the sin in my life then I can experience true confession and begin to live life in freedom.

WOW…something noteworthy September 16, 2009

well it took something really noteworthy to get me back on this blog. I have actually been very busy with some projects and writing on the blog we have set up for the book which is www.inourshoesthestudy.wordpress.com or maybe that is backwards but you can find it there.

Anyway, the thing that has gotten me back onto this blog is two-fold. One, my daughter kelsey has written for a blog that I’m impressed with and you can find that blog entry at http://josiahroad.com/blog/entry/key-chain-servant/…she went with me when i was speaking at a church in Kentucky this past weekend and the ladies just loved her. They also bought some keychains so she is much closer to getting that orphanage built in Haiti!

The second motivation for me is all that God is doing in some other areas of my life. Jennifer and I have gotten some invitations to come and share in relation to the Bible Study that came out this year and we are so excited about that. Tomorrow, Thursday Sept 17, we are doing a radio interview with Marnie Swedberg on blogtalk radio, so please pray for us and listen in if you want to:) you can find it online at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/MarniesFriends/2009/09/17/Marnies-Friends and it is live at 3 eastern time….

Kelsey with me at KY event

table with plates and KEYCHAINS!

Top 10 list of Ministry Ideas in Tough Economy February 24, 2009

In these tough economic times many churches and ministries are tempted to scale back on planning events so that it won’t put any added burden on women who are struggling to make ends meet. The problem is that this is exactly the time when we need to gather for fellowship and encouragement. Here is a “Top 10″ list that can help women’s leaders plan more effective events that are perfect for this tough economy.
1. Use your own members: Organize an event that uses your own members as the leaders. You can find different women who have specialities and have them lead small groups or you may have someone who would be able to teach a large group time. Look around and see who has a story to tell that others can relate to and go from there. You may want to gather several women and hold a panel discussion on a specific topic. be creative and allow God to direct you to the right women.
2. Reinvent the covered dish: Most often the cost of an event is largely tied up in the food. Keep costs down by either asking everyone to bring a dish to share or enlist a team of women to organize the different dishes you want to offer and let them designate who brings what. You could decide on a theme and plan the food around that.
3. Network with Other Churches: Find some other churches in your area and share or trade Bible Study materials with them. Your church could buy one study and theirs a different one then after you finish, trade studies.
4. Plan 1 night events: Schedule your next event on an evening so that your costs can stay low. You even start a little later so that everyone has dinner before arriving then offer a dessert fellowship after the program.
5. Serve Others: Remember that if the economic crisis has hit you hard then it has devastated many others. Organize your women to focus on helping others. Service projects are a great way to build strong bonds and show people the love of Jesus in a practical way. The bonus is that your struggles tend to diminish in the face of what others may be dealing with.
6. Start a Support Group: Offer the opportunity for women who have lost their jobs or who’s husbands have lost their jobs to gather for support and encouragement. Let your community know it is available and you may be surprised at the outreach it can become.
7. Get Out of the Church: Take your Bible Studies out of the church and hold them in different homes in the community so that people don’t have to spend much time or money on gas to be involved.
8. Decorate for Less: Womens’ events always have the issue of decorating. Go old school and use things you already have at the church or enlist different women to hostess each table and make decorating her table part of her duties.
9. Simplicity and Relevance: Don’t ignore the issues that people are dealing with but rather plan a event to specifically address them. Make it a brown bag night or just very simple in all details. Offer topics such as how to dress, dine, decorate on a budget. Consider inviting a financial specialist to speak on practical advice in troubling times.
10. See the big Picture: Plan your events to coincide with other large gatherings like just after church or when the youth or children are already doing something. Take the stress off of women who are worried about being all things to all people and who feel guilty for taking time out for themselves.
These are just a few ideas. Whatever you decide to do, don’t give up on ministry. Women need encouragement and support more now than ever before.
Rachel Lovingood is an author and speaker who also serves as a Women’s Ministry Trainer for Lifeway Christian Resources. She is married to a minister, has three kids and wrote “In Our Shoes”, a Bible Study for ministers’ wives which just released in February 2009. You can find out more details about Rachel’s ministry and speaking schedule at http://www.rachellovingood.com or her blog at http://inourshoesthestudy.wordpress.com/

Beth Moore is coming to Nashville February 17, 2009

I am so excited and I hope you know that Beth Moore is holding a Living Proof Live here in Nashville for Minsters’ Wives only. It is in March and I just know it will be such a powerful time of teaching and encouraging.

She did one like this a couple of years ago and it was awesome. If you are in ministry you should definitely do all you can to be there. Just go to lifeway.com/women and you can find it under events for ministers’ wives.
Hope to see you there!!!!

Great time at the Forum November 14, 2008

I had the privilege of spending several days this week at the Women’s Ministry Natl Leadership Forum down at Lifeway and it was awesome. I absolutely love seeing women from all over the country who have a passion to serve the Lord and to reach and teach women how to know Him and love Him better.

Chris Adams and her team do such a great job with the whole thing. One aspect that I totally enjoy is getting to see people that I have met over the years from various churches and states..it’s like a really fun family reunion of sorts..(without weird aunt Myrtle who always says something embarrassing)..its really just a bunch of women who love Jesus and its great…

I also had a wonderful time meeting with other ministers wives who were there and we had a breakout session together…what an encouragement to have some time with other ladies who are walking in the same shoes as I am…

I talked to several people who are also on facebook and i thought it might be fun to have a group so we can all keep in touch …if you are on facebook, or if not sign up, you can go to my page and join the Forum Friends group so we can all continue to chat and encourage one another:)