by Katie Sawade Hall | Aug 18, 2020 | Pastors and Leaders Newsletter
Long before I was a pastor, my experience with church ministry was that of a volunteer. Growing up in the FMC as a pastor’s kid, I helped with a little bit of everything–from teaching CLC and singing in choirs, to painting on church workdays. My first pastoral...
by Dr. Gay Zambrano and Dan Zambrano | Jul 8, 2020 | Pastors and Leaders Newsletter
It was a Thursday, late afternoon, as my wife and I finally settled in behind the “news desk” – really just an eight-foot long folding table covered with a checkered tablecloth – while the senior pastor adjusted the zoom feature and double-checked the audio on the...
by Mark Adams | Jul 8, 2020 | Pastors and Leaders Newsletter
Another exhausting day at work is nearly over. I text my long-suffering wife as I navigate through an exhaust-choked rush hour toward another late dinner. Late because I stop at the hospital on the way home to pray with and encourage the Smiths as they watch their son...
by Jenny Switkes | Jul 8, 2020 | Pastors and Leaders Newsletter
(1)After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. (2)There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, (3) and because he was a...
by Kaye Kolde | Jun 15, 2020 | Pastors and Leaders Newsletter
Just as I laid my head on the pillow early on a Saturday night, I heard the text notification sound loudly on my phone. I was annoyed with myself because I had forgotten to move my phone and charger back to my office or turn off the sound. I know the best practice for...
by Mike Henry | Jun 15, 2020 | Pastors and Leaders Newsletter
The Holy Spirit is as dunamis today as he was on the Day of Pentecost. On that day the disciples became apostles. They turned from fear to boldness. Their faith and doctrine were enhanced and empowered by the presence of the Holy Spirit. All of a sudden, everything...
by Michael Simmons | Jun 15, 2020 | Pastors and Leaders Newsletter
Emotions as Guides Our emotions serve as guides to our inner landscape, leading us toward paths of connection and intimacy. However, many of us are taught early in life to view our emotions as mere distractions to our spiritual/relational journey – rather than...
by Alan Chandler | May 15, 2020 | Pastors and Leaders Newsletter
Authentic Christlikeness: Jesus calls us to it. The Holy Spirit provides the power to achieve it. We desperately need it – today more than ever. So why is it so elusive? I invite you to consider the faith religion substitution. Faith and religion. The two are not...
by Jon Swanson | May 15, 2020 | Pastors and Leaders Newsletter
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10 (NIV) What a powerful statement. Jesus was solidly focused on his purpose. When the crowd of so called “respectable” people began to talk, well let’s call it what...
by Pastor George Ford | May 15, 2020 | Pastors and Leaders Newsletter
In my years of pastoring a local church, two topics usually always came up every time we had a pastors’ gathering, they were: people and money. “How’s your attendance?” and “What’s the shape of your budget?” It seemed to me, that these were battle fronts for my fellow...
