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I ran across a newspaper article on the author of Eat, Pray, Love. I was intrigued by the title of this book and had to see what the article was about since I haven’t read the book. Amazon describes the book as “One woman’s search for everything across Italy, India, and Indonesia.” That wasn’t what I was expecting to be the content of the book, but it inspired me to think of how we, as Christ-followers, should follow the words of the title.

But maybe we don’t even need to use all 3 words, or in that order. I suggest maybe we use Pray, Love, Eat. If we start with prayer for others, add in love for them, then share a meal with them, then we can build a relationship possibly lasting a lifetime. Just as Jesus did.

Or maybe we just use the words Pray, Like, Eat. If we start with prayer for others and then share a meal or maybe only coffee with them, then the Like may turn to Love as it grows and blossoms later, as the relationship builds.

Tags: Educational, Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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With an Earth-friendly emphasis, why not have an Earth-friendly Green Bible?

Tags: Educational, Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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I love the motto for Lanier office products. Everything we do and say on the outside comes from what’s inside. It’s what’s inside that makes us who we are on the outside. This concept is applied to many aspects of life: personal, business, church.

Jesus looked at our hearts. What’s inside our hearts mattered the most to Him. What’s inside our hearts comes out for everyone to see and hear and experience.

May the love of Jesus be in our hearts and shine brightly outside for all to experience.

Tags: Educational, Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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I recently wrote a blog post from a thought from AquaChurch 2.0 on being a risk-taker and realizing that we must get out of the boat.

Yesterday I received an email from cmconnect with the following thought:

Hole Diggers and Risk Takers
by Roger Fields

“Some play it safe and dig holes; some take risks and try to make a difference. The salient point from Jesus’ parable of the talents is that those who play it safe do so because they believe God is a “hard man.”

Then he who had received the one talent came and said, “Lord, I KNEW YOU TO BE A HARD MAN, (Matt 25:24 NKJV)

Risk takers know that God is a good Father who looks for ways to bless His people. Hole diggers expect God to berate them.  I believe most children’s pastors are risk takers who know God is on their side. This web site gives us a way to hang out with other risk takers.”

I look further at Matthew 25:24 and read that verse, it says: “Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.” (NKJV)

This verse challenges us to be risk-takers and go where we have not been and do things that we have not done. Life is hard. Things are hard. But how will we know we can be successful in risky tasks or even succeed at all if we don’t get out of the boat and go for it? Don’t dig a hole and bury your risky adventures. Throw them out in the water in front like an anchor and pull yourself forward.

Tags: Books, Educational, Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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Here’s an excellent thought from AquaChurch 2.0: (page 306)…

The first four years are absolutely as critical to spiritual and moral devleopment as they are to social and intellectual development. A child’s spirituality begins before it is born. Churches that help parents understand and address a child’s “learning windows” from the womb onward will lead the way. If working parents can expect nursery-care centers to stimulate their child’s intellectual development from day one through a variety of stimuli, why are our churches lagging behind in offering children sounds, images, and touches to stimulate their spiritual imaginations as well?

I currently teach preschoolers ages 3-5 in an early childhood center that recently opened only 3 months ago. Parents and their children are visiting and touring everyday to investigate the school. They’re interested in our programs, our routines, our activities, and our curriculum. They’re looking for those activities that stimulate children’s intellectual development and encourage them to explore activities and learning centers.

The preschool and children’s ministries in our churches need to offer activities and curricula to stimulate children’s spiritual development as well as the spiritual development of parents. After all, education (including Christian education) begins in the home.

Our family center buildings with rock-climbing walls, water parks, and bowling alleys are great ways to open the doors for children and their families, but our churches need to provide them with spiritual nourishment as well. We need to provide stimulating sounds, images, and touches with lessons straight from the Bible.

Tags: AquaChurch 2.0, Books, Educational, Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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The days of Mr. Rogers educational television show are numbered. According to this article, the children’s show will soon be taken off the air.

And what a shame! I grew up watching Mr. Rogers. It’s a fantastic educational show for children in which they learn academics and morals. With low ratings and no support, the show will soon be removed from program schedules. It’s not a 21st Century show in this Google world.

Tags: Educational, Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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In AquaChurch 2.0, Len Sweet gives us lessons called “All I Ever Needed to Know I learned from Noah” (page 242).

1. Be prepared. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the Ark.

2. Stay fit. When you’re 600 years old, someone might ask you to do something REALLY BIG.

3. Don’t listen to critics. Do what has to be done.

4. Build on high ground.

5. For safety’s sake, travel in pairs.

6. Two heads are better than one.

7. Speed isn’t always an advantage. The cheetahs were on board, but so were the snails.

8. If you can’t fight or flee, float.

9. Take care of your animals as if they are the last ones on earth.

10. Don’t forget that we’re all in the same boat.

11. When the doo-doo gets deep, don’t complain. SHOVEL.

12. Stay below deck during the storm.

13. Remember: The ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic was built by professionals.

14. If you have to start over, have a friend by your side.

15. Woodpeckers on the INSIDE are often a bigger threat than the storm outside.

16. Don’t miss the boat.

17. No matter how bleak it looks, there’s always a rainbow on the other side.

Tags: AquaChurch 2.0, Books, Educational, Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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I’m continuing my reading of Len Sweet’s AquaChurch 2.0.

We need to live life on the edge; live on the edge as Jesus did. “The action is on the edge, not the center” (page 170). When we move away from the edge, we are moving away from Jesus. He is on the edges, in the margins, and beyond the boxes.

We should live on the edge, take adventures, have experiences, get out of the comfort zones, challenge our minds, do things that may be uncomfortable for us because things are different, unusual, and out-of-the-ordinary. Living on the edge shows great faith in Jesus as well … like the scene in “Indiana Jones” where he walks to the edge, there seems to be no way across, he takes one step that looks like it is in mid-air but a bridge pops up and stretches all the way for him to walk across.

Faith is walking to the edge and taking one more step. Are you living and walking on the edge where the action is?

Tags: AquaChurch 2.0, Books, Educational, Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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In AquaChurch 2.0, Len Sweet tells of a sign over the door of a church (page 131). Excellent advice for anyone, in any situation, in any stage of life, in any career …

Enter at your own risk.

God is doing a new thing.

Take risks.

Retrieve life by risking it, Jesus said.

Besides, that very plank that you used to get on board can also become the very thing that saves you from drowning after a shipwreck.

Tags: AquaChurch 2.0, Books, Educational, Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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Big things can come in small packages. Big ministries can come from small churches. Len Sweet reminds us, in AquaChurch 2.0, that small companies are changing and re-creating the global economy and many of those companies have less than 24 employees (page 121). This fact should make the small-membership church reconsider its futures.

These small churches matter and can make a difference in God’s Kingdom, though they sometimes need encouragement and support from larger churches. When the majority of a denomination consists of churches with 100 members or less, shouldn’t we hear from those church leaders instead of the mega-church leaders who pastor 15,000 people?

Those small church leaders aren’t going to stand out in the crowd because of their low numbers. Our denominational leaders need to get out there and find them, talk to them, support them, encourage them, help them. There are so many small churches; our leaders don’t have to go far to find one, probably just around the corner from their mega-church building. They can send a small group of committed Christ-followers to that small church to help with ministry projects. Yes, we help churches with ministry projects on mission trips but those trips are usually to another state. Why can’t we help fellow churches and Christ-followers in our own communities where we live?

Let’s stop competing with one another and start reaching out to those who need Jesus.

Tags: AquaChurch 2.0, Books, Educational, Ministry by Brenna Phillips
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