Hey Gang,

We all know Christianity is a team sport, so why do most pastors, missionaries, and leaders feel lonely? I must tell you that I have felt lonely more times than I can count.  There are many reasons for this and we must face them as leaders and be prepared for them.

1. Loneliness comes when the decision rests on your shoulders.  We can all get great counsel and we should.  But in the end the senior leader must bear the responsibility. The Scriptures are clear that the leaders bear more accountability. This knowledge can create a feeling of loneliness. This is a great reason for TEAM LEADERSHIP!

2. Sometimes you can feel drawn into times of silence and solitude for prayer.  This is seen so many times in the Life of our Lord. If it is good enough for Jesus it is good enough for us.

3. Some leaders go deep inside themselves and isolate themselves for serious contemplation and query.

4. There are times the enemy will attack us and make us feel lonely.  The M.O. of the “Lion” (The Devil) is to isolate the prey and attack. The enemy will cause us to “feel” like we are all alone so he can move in for the kill. Some leaders will pull away from trusted advisors and friends when they do not need to. Without being alert, the enemy will pull us away and destroy us.

One thing the leader must be prepared for is our constant companion and that is PAIN. On Monday I will deal with this topic. Let me leave you with a few questions: Do you feel alone? Is it necessary? Do you have trusted advisers that will walk with you no matter what? This is an area I am very blessed in today, but it has not always been that way. It is sad how many ministers feel like they do ministry all alone.

Yours to count on!

Pastor

Hey Gang,

I’ve got to tell you I am so excited about the Lord Jesus and what He is up to.  Several of the staff at Faith Promise have asked me what I got while I was at the conference. (First, I know they did not read my blog last week. Not smart.) I was impacted by so much, but what moved me the most was the fired up students and young adults at Hillsong Church.  It rocked me to the core.  So, what am I going to do about it? Great question!

1. I am going to be a better leader. I have watched the young adult population grow and for that I am grateful. I know I want to see young adults by the thousands committed to the church the Lord is building. This will require me to be better and filled to the max by the Holy Spirit.

2. I must change my attitude about young adults.  I thought I had, to be honest with you.  I think I let down on our young people and lowered the bar.  Not now –  I am looking for young adults to buy in and pour their passion for Jesus into His church and I want to help them develop a heart for the house.

3. I am going to open up more leadership for them.  I have watched denominations begin to die because they did not make room for the next generation.  I am going to make room.  On the stage, ushers, greeters, singers, dramas, and everywhere you look you will see them.  As a matter of fact, I have already met with our middle school Pastor, Matt Grimes, to get his help and he was fired up.

4. I am asking the Lord to move in revival and draw them in by the thousands. Most of the disciples were young adults when Jesus called them to come and follow Him.

5. I will be more pointed in my leadership. I usually want people to do what I ask because they want to.  Not anymore.  As the Senior Pastor I will be a little more forceful and make sure everyone on the staff lines up with the vision.  We all need to grow and this is my area right now.

Pray with me that we do not lose the next generation.  As leaders in the Kingdom of God it is our responsibility to bring them along and raise them up.  Look around –  there are not many young adults in most churches.  We are not going to be most churches.  It is time for some serious leadership for Jesus.

Love ya,

Pastor

Hey Gang,

All last week I sent blogs from Australia while at a conference.  I think I should have a degree in going to conferences. I have been to more than I could ever count.  Without question, I can say God has used them to do a lot of work in my life.  So, how do you get the most out of the event?

1. Go to all the sessions.

2. Plan to go to the break-out sessions that will help you the most.

3. Take copious notes.  This  helps you stay engaged.

4. Keep a separate sheet to write down ideas you get in the sessions.  It may not be what is taught, but other ideas spurred by what is said.

5. Review your notes at the end of each day.

6. Pick just a few things you need to work on or change.

7. File your notes in the proper places so you can use them in the future.

8. Try to catch the spirit of the conference.

I would encourage you to go to conferences or other learning experiences.  You should put them into your personal growth plan.  It is easy to get into a rut, conferences may be what you need to get pushed out of your comfort zone.  I had a great time and in this last conference was challenged in my leadership and in my faith.  I am sure God expects us to be on a continual growth curve and to accomplish this you have to plan and be involved. I came back excited and looking forward to getting back to work.

What are you planning to do to grow to the next level?

See you at the peak of your potential?

Pastor

This post was written by Josh Whitehead (joshwhitehead.net), Executive Pastor at Faith Promise Church.

Each year at FPC, our Senior Leadership Team sets church goals. It has been a part of our culture since the beginning of the church. Pastor asks each of us to pray daily for our ministry and for each of the goals. We’re often asked, “Where are we at in reaching the church goals?” Here’s a mid-year update:

*  3500 in Attendance – We are currently averaging 3079 in total attendance for this year. The fall will play a huge part in reaching this goal as we re-open Satellite I to accommodate those coming to FPC.

* 50% in Small Groups – Groups ministry continues to create new opportunities for connecting with others in relationships. We continue to see 50% of adults attending small group.

* 400 New Servants- VolLink has been a tremendous help in connecting people to ministry this year. Through May, we have seen 195 people begin serving in a ministry.

* 13 Mission Trips – There have been trips to all different parts of the world. Through July, teams have visited Costa Rica 3 times, New Zealand, Thailand, England, South Africa and Houston. There are other trips planned throughout the end of the year.

* 200 Baptisms – 109 people have followed Christ in Baptism this year. In 2008, FPC was 4^thin baptisms in the state of Tennessee. God is awesome!

* Compassion Ministry – Susan Troop is organizing the Kid’s Hope ministry to begin mentoring at Beaumont Elementary School. We are also pursuing hiring a Pastor of Missions to oversee all compassion ministries, local and global.

* 15.5% Budget Increase – to date we have fulfilled 10.5% of our 15.5% increase. God continues to do financial miracles at FPC and I expect that we will finish the year funding the entire budget!

* The Journey Campaign: 4.7 million pledged – We’ve received $1.11 million to date with $2.89 million left to begin construction. Continue to pray for The Journey!

* 2 New Worship Services – Saturday at 7pm and Sunday at 8:30am have helped us make seats available for guests at both the 10 & 11:45am services. This will become even more critical as we enter the fall.

We are absolutely spoiled at FPC to see God move in such amazing ways! Each of you plays a significant part in our ministry impacting people’s lives for Christ. Continue to reach out to your family and friends. Invite them to FPC so that they can experience the true living God and grow in their relationship with Him!

Hey Guys,

I thank you for your prayers –  this has been a  fantastic week in Jesus. I haven’t been this fired up in a while and I am grateful for the Lord’s goodness and grace.  I am preparing for the last night and my mind is reeling.  There is so much I could share. I have already started to rewrite my notes and remember all the great thoughts I heard and could write down. One of the many thoughts that blew me away came from Louie Giglio, Pastor of Passion City Church in Atlanta.  He is the founder of “Passion,” a great world-wide college movement for Jesus.

He said we were to have “Passion.” He used the definition he found when he started the ministry: “What you are willing to endure to accomplish the goal.”  WOW, that is a different take on how most of us see it. I think of passion as zeal, fire, and heart for something. That is a great definition and ministry mind-expander.  I always wondered why they called Christ’s last week here and the cross passion week. It is what HE was willing to endure to achieve the goal – our salvation. 

What are we willing to endure to make His name famous?  We live in a day of Christian celebrities, headliner ministries, and P.R. campaigns that go worldwide.  Our job is to make Him famous! We are supposed to be willing to endure anything to make it happen, even DEATH.  Mind-blowing.  That is a global vision “i” can buy into, how about you?

Together, let’s make Him more famous.  He said, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men to me.”  Let’s lift the one that was lifted up on our cross.  What a week of REVIVAL.  I hope it helped you.  I can’t wait until next week at FPC.

I love you,

Pastor

Hey Gang,

The third day of the conference is over and I am so excited.  I am filled with faith and vision for  the future.  One of the questions that was asked today was: “What do you see with your eyes of faith and what do you hear with your ears of faith?”  This challenged me to the core of who I am. My faith is speaking loudly and I look for miracles in the future. That is a miracle in itself. As most of you know, I am a very positive person. I try never to let circumstances affect my attitude, but let my faith determine my attitude.

What most of you do not know is that I have spent the last eight months setting up a leadership ministry that was a dream come true.  After hundreds of hours and more money that I care to think about, it did not happen.  Proverbs says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” I know this to be true.  The whole deal took me off my game.  I am back!  We all experience setbacks but the winners get up and keep going. I have heard it said, “You are only as strong as what it takes to stop you.”  Jesus let nothing stop Him from buying our forgiveness and I will keep going for His glory and fame.

It is amazing what twelve-hour days filled with worship and great teaching will do to light your faith and fire.  How is your faith? What do you see and hear from your eyes and ears of  faith? I hope you see and hear it is going to be great!  God is going to move. You can make a difference.

Remember we have an enemy and we live in a cursed world.  In the midst of the mess we must walk by faith and make Jesus famous.

Just another thought.

Love Ya,

Pastor

Hey Gang,

Well, we just finished our first full day at the conference.  We were there for over twelve hours and it was great.  Worship is just mind-blowing with 22,ooo radical Jesus-lovers in one room.  We heard several great messages and hours of exciting worship. What was my take away from the day?

I guess it would be that here in Aussie-land everyone says, “no worries.” That is how they approach life except when it comes to Jesus and His Kingdom; then it is full out.  I love it. Today was a day of  faith that never fails.  We all have been given a measure of faith and we have the faith we need to face all that comes into our lives.  These are people of deep abiding faith. They are trusting God to rock the world with them and their church.  It is exciting to be a part of a group with vision and faith to see the vision happen.

One other thought is about the thousands of young adults and youth that are here worshipping and volunteering their time to serve the Lord. Hillsong is packed with radical young adults.  The American church could learn a lesson as we are losing a generation of youth and young adults. I, for one, am greatly impacted and I believe God is going to use Faith Promise to reach tens of thousands of youth and young adults.  I know it is the will of God, HE is just looking for some people that will pay the price. Are we those people?

Well, just a couple of thoughts from the day down under. Please pray for me as I seek the Lord for His presence and a fresh anointing. He is moving and I want to be right in the middle. “Those that hunger and thirst for rightousnes shall be filled.”

Love Ya,

Pastor

Hey Gang,

Well, we just left the first session Tuesday night and I for one was blown away – 22,000 radical Jesus-followers in massive worship and praise!  Each year the conference plans for months for the opening number and first session. They did an awesome job.  From laser lights to a huge cross hanging from the ceiling, it was great.  The worship was loud and it was powerful.  It looked like every person in the room was participating in praise.

The sermon was given by an American from Oklahoma, Craig Groeschel.  Thousands stood during the invitation asking the Lord for more of  His Spirit and more of IT!  I stood with the rest of the radicals wanting more of the Lord to move through us.  At the end of the day it is all about Jesus and His power working through us.  Are you as red hot as you have ever been? Don’t loose IT. I want to walk under an open heaven and experience the fire of God.

I am asking the Lord to add a “double portion” to the anointing He has given me to this point. I am searching the Scripture to see how we can see God add IT!  This week I am seeking God for His presence and power to flow through me to set the captives free and to make His praise glorious. Pray for me that I taste a new fire from heaven here in the “Down Under, Mate.”

What would your life and ministry look like if God added to you a “double portion” that Elisha asked for? I think it would mean revival. One last thought – when the invitation was over, no one had left or moved out of their seats. The band cranked up for another worship song and still no one left.  It was about God and His presence. How I long to see that in church – packed before the service starts with electricity in the air and worship even after it was over. Only God! Let His Spirit move in us.

Just a thought and we are just getting started.

Pastor

Hey Gang,

As most of you know, I’m 14 hours ahead of you. No, I haven’t learned to time travel! Michele and I are in Australia for a conference at Hillsong. I thought for my blog this week I would share some sights and insights we get while were here. (Still rocking from all God did on the 4th at FPC!)  Sunday we all went to church at Hillsong two days before the conference was to start.  It is 3:30 in the morning here and I can’t sleep.  My mind is reeling and rocking at 1000 MPH.  I was blown away at church  Sunday!

We went to the 9:00 service and was shocked as people got there 45 minutes early to get a good seat up front.  AMAZING!  The atmosphere was electric and filled with the Holy Spirit and anticipation of what God would do and how He would show up. This, in a land with very few churches. It is a powerful move of God. God was there;  the service was strong and many were saved.

The Sunday night service was even better.  People got there an hour early to ensure a good seat as the overflow would also be filled.  The church was packed with young adults and youth.  As the worship started they packed the front of the stage, ten rows deep to praise the living Lord. WOW!  (You should have seen Justin in midst of the worship!)  Again strong and many saved.  The Pastor, Brian Huston, was to share the amount of the offering the week before. It was an end of year “Heart for the House” offering. The place was electric as the congregation awaited the amount. Over $6,000,000. This was a special offering over and above for building and more space. That is God, when young adults are fired up about giving sacrificially.

Yep, I’m impressed and hungry for more of God.  Tune in all week as I share what God is doing “Down Under, Mate.”

Love ya – allow God to tamper with your dream world and vision!

Pastor

Hey Gang,

This blog today is to give God glory and to celebrate His infinite power.  This past Saturday we had a 4th of July celebration at Faith Promise. It was amazing. We had 5000 in attendance and over 100 came forward to give their hearts to Jesus as Lord.  Praise His Name!  God is still all-powerful, and He proves it often. This blog is to bless the Lord who is so good to us.

I am a poor celebrator! I know that sounds strange but it is true.  After every mountain or miracle the Lord does I am ready to move quickly on for the next.  God deserves worship, praise and celebration. So, I am! I give Him all the praise and glory for only He can save and draw that many people to Himself on one of the biggest travel weekends of the year.

Last week I wrote a post on leadership and the need for it in the church in America today.  This weekend was not only a praise to the Lord for the lives He touched, but also for the great leadership He is building at Faith Promise.  Before you think I am bragging, I’m on the other side of the globe and was nowhere near the celebration.  The staff at FPC is amazing.  I had “no worries, mate” with Josh Whitehead our Ex. Pastor in charge. We also had staff like Jody Kenyon and many others who did a stellar job for the Lord.  There were 100’s of volunteers that helped make it happen in the blistering heat.  Praise the Lord for the team and the body He is building at FPC.

Yep, let’s brag on God and on all He is up to. He is soooo good.

This last year we were named as one of the top 100 fastest growing Churches in America.  Thank you God for your favor and the bringing church you are building at FPC.  What a ride!

Love you guys. Let’s praise Him together!

Pastor

P.S.  Without question, Ken Freeman did a great job with the gospel. He is a great evangelist. Thanks, Ken.