Ken Blanchard, the number-one author on the subject of leadership, will serve as the moderator of this special two-day webcast. There is absolutely no cost to watch this great leadership conference. Additionally, there will be resource materials that you will be able to download at no cost. You can view a short video preview of the webcast at www.forumwebcast.com.

Southeastern University is “dedicated to the proposition that servant leaders are world changers.” It is that desire to train and develop servant leaders that has led to this unique opportunity. Southeastern University is making this outstanding leadership conference available as a service to those who were unable to attend the 2010 Forum in person.

This will be an excellent opportunity for training and encouragement in servant leadership. I want to encourage you to take advantage of this unique opportunity. There is no cost to take part in this two-day event; however, you must register at the Forum webcast site linked above. Once you register, you will receive additional details regarding this great event.

A group of leading politicians once called on evangelist D.L. Moody and implored him to run for Congress.

“I have got a higher service than that,” was his response.

The group left confounded. Some thought he could have eventually made a run at the presidency.

But it was not Moody’s calling. Instead he went down in history as one of our nation’s foremost soul-winners. Moody did not eschew politics because it was wrong; it simply was not his calling. Some are indeed called by God to this difficult arena.

And a challenging calling it is.

Athanasius, the great fourth-century champion of the faith, used as his rallying cry “Contra mundum” — “Against the world.” And 2 Corinthians 6:17 gives this direction to the church: “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you” (NKJV).

This separation is not intended to be complete detachment. “You are the salt of the earth,” Jesus said (Matthew 5:13). He wants us to reject the ways of the world that contradict Christian faith, but we are to remain a positive factor in the culture.

We are privileged to have godly men and women in Washington, D.C. — and they need our prayer support. But we must also pray for our other leaders — those who have made no Christian profession. It’s biblical. (See 1 Timothy 2:1,2.)

As much as Christians in political office might accomplish, this fact remains: The church has never made a major impact on the morality of communities or nations without revival.

More activism? OK, but more prayer too! More Christians in office? Yes, but more solid Christian witness!

“Nothing would turn the nation back to God so surely and so quickly,” said Samuel Chadwick, “as a Church that prayed and prevailed.”

[There are hundreds of brief devotionals like this archived here.]

Tags: revival

It was my first opportunity to be at such an event and I was pleased I had made the decision to attend. Though I have been familiar with the ministry for many years, including when I pastored in two university towns, I has never received such a large-scale picture of the size and significance of this ministry.

I was impressed by the number of workers and the number of campuses, as well as by the history, organization and clear-cut missional direction of the ministry.

But most of all, I was impressed by the people. I met many of the attending campus missionaries and I found them to be full of passion for their calling. I also found an abundance of the factor that Pentecostal Evangel readers want most to read about—compelling personal stories. It seems every one of these leaders has an intriguing testimony.

The conference itself addressed four key issues: cross-cultural sensitivity as it relates to Muslim students and other non-Christian religious worldviews; how to communicate the gospel truth to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students on campus; how Christians can broaden their reach and engage ethnic minorities on campus; and how personal evangelism looks on today’s diverse campuses.

“This type of training is vital for our campus leaders,” says Chi Alpha National Director Dennis Gaylor. “Understanding the differences of students is the first step in reaching them for Christ on today’s university campuses.”

Rick Richardson, director of the masters in evangelism and leadership degree at Wheaton College, served as featured speaker at the conference. Richardson who also is an associate evangelist with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, has authored books including Experiencing Healing and Evangelism Outside the Box.

He spoke in four dynamic plenary sessions. In “Rethinking the Postmodern Path to Faith,” he described five thresholds a postmodern cycles through on his or her path to faith: (1) Trusting a Christian; (2) Wondering about Jesus; (3) Opening up to change; (4) Seeking after God; (5) Entering the Kingdom.

“Beyond the thresholds,” he says, is “living in the Kingdom.”

Richardson summarized the five stages this way:

1. From distrust to trust;
2. From complacent to curious;
3. From closed to change to open to change;
4. From meandering to seeking;
5. From seeking to following.

Global Initiative: Reaching Muslim Peoples International Director Mark Hausfeld spoke about the need to reach the nearly 100,000 Muslim students on U.S. campuses.

Brady Bobbink, a 35-year veteran campus missionary at Western Washington University, presented thorough and helpful information on understanding and ministering to homosexuals on campus.

The conference appeared to be transforming for the campus missionaries who attended. I know it was for me.

For more information on Chi Alpha, visit their website, www.chialpha.com.

Tags: Chi Alpha, ministry

Steve Humann paced the sidelines like a caged tiger, barking at players and referees. As head coach of the Southern Oregon State College men’s basketball team, Steve was intense and aggressive. And he was successful.

Steve broke into coaching at a young age and quickly worked his way through the ranks at several schools. During 6 years of coaching at Cornell University, he developed relationships with many of the top names in sports. At 37, Steve was on top of the world.

But that was about to change.

During practice one day, Steve unexpectedly lost consciousness. More blackouts followed, and Steve was diagnosed with a life-threatening mass on his brain stem. Surgery was scheduled.

At first, Steve’s wife Joyce was told the 7-hour surgery had been a success. But events turned tragic and there were complications. Steve was comatose. He was given a 50-50 chance of survival.

Joyce, a Catholic charismatic, prayed through days of excruciating uncertainty. She knew Steve had never really received Christ as Lord. There was more at stake than his life.

Christmas came and went for Joyce and her three daughters. When she thought, I can’t do this, God reassured her that Steve was in His hands. Three weeks after the surgery, Steve came out of the coma. He had lost functional use of everything except his left arm, and his speech had become slurred. Life had changed.
Years passed and Steve made little progress. When even that ceased, Joyce was advised to put him in a nursing home. She wouldn’t. In desperation, she prayed, “Lord, I need something more.” That was when the Lord directed her to an Assemblies of God church where “the presence of God was so strong I knew that’s where I should be,” she says. The people of the church reached out to Joyce—and then to Steve. The day came when he told Joyce, “I think I want to start going to your church.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, struggling to restrain her joy. When she walked out of his room, she pumped her fist in the air and said, “Yes.”

Shortly after Steve first wheeled into the sanctuary of Ashland Christian Center, he received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. His life was again drastically changed. Today, at services, Steve can be found in his wheelchair at the front of the sanctuary—praising God and inspiring those who worship with him. Joyce too has been an inspiration—an example of persistent devotion through years of hard times.

Steve has made some progress and has even returned to a degree of coaching. But his disabilities remain. Bitterness would be understandable for this former high-powered sports personality. What is his attitude? He’s thankful. And he has faith that he can be healed—but he lets others do the praying for him. He prefers to invest his prayers in others. “It’s OK if I’m not healed,” he says; “I will still love the Lord. I’d rather be in this chair and know where I’m going for eternity than to be out bip-boppin’ around and going straight to hell.”

God has opened many doors for Steve to share his testimony. He and Joyce have touched the lives of believers and unbelievers. He no longer paces the sidelines, pushing college athletes to victory on the court. Now he touches lives in a far more powerful way—leading them to victory in Jesus.

Originally published 7/13/1997

Tags: sports, disabilities, basketball

Peace isn’t always beyond understanding (Phil. 4:7). Yes, God can give you unexpected peace in the midst of the most difficult circumstances. But living a life of peace is very understandable. The Bible tells us how to do it.

Think about Jesus. Keep your mind focused on Him. The more He dominates your thought life, the more your spirit will be dominated by peace.

One might think it is difficult to keep focused on Jesus while doing other things, but this is no more than learning to do everything you do with a sense of God’s presence. Sometimes the thoughts will be more active—reflecting specifically on the goodness of God or His attributes. Other times, as you must concentrate on other things, a sense of His presence can certainly be maintained. Picture Jesus alongside you in everything you do. (Of course, doing that may mean you have to stop doing some of the things you do.)

It’s a simple formula. Keeping your mind on Jesus will keep your spirit settled, in good times or bad.

Tags: Christian Living, peace, Jesus, thought life

Publishing’s new paradigm: Christian organizations, media companies and readers confront the digital revolution

Christians have embraced printed books and periodicals ever since Gutenberg first printed Bibles five centuries ago.

In the 20th century, Christian book and periodical publishers flooded the North American marketplace. But in the early 21st century, the market is changing. Many Christian publishers are struggling to adapt to a digital revolution pioneered by Internet companies such as Google, social media technologies led by Facebook and Twitter, and consumers who are overwhelmed by information.

In recent years, book publishers have been releasing fewer titles, and many popular Christian magazines have ceased publishing paper copies, including Discipleship Journal, CCM, Brio, Christian History, Today’s Christian Woman, Pray!, New Man and SpiritLed Woman.

Publishers hope new business models will arise, but so far “digital publishing” isn’t paying the bills. Right now publishers are discovering what record companies have realized in the past five years - digital downloads aren’t making up for lost income.

“Normal is gone, and now publishers are trying to figure out the new normal,” says Mick Silva, an editor for WaterBrook Multnomah. “Christian publishing has become the land where total chaos is the new norm.”

Andy Butcher, editor of Christian Retailing magazine, says publishers face many challenges as Christian book sales are down. Butcher says the bad economy has played its part. But most publishing insiders acknowledge that the high tide of Christian publishing has passed. Publishers are cutting back on the number of titles they release, and many retailers have closed their doors.

CBA, a trade association representing many Christian retailers, claims that mega-retailers such as Walmart, Target and online seller Amazon.com have engaged in “illegal, predatory pricing.” The association has asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate.

“As the larger publishers reduce their title counts, they concentrate more on their established brands and names, which makes it harder for new names to emerge,” Butcher says. “At the same time, with the digital developments there are more opportunities for self-publishing, with some publishers offering these kinds of options as a sideline.”

WaterBrook Multnomah Editor Mick Silva says companies have become risk-averse. That means fewer big advances or marketing campaigns for the next big author, and instead more repackaged or reissued bestsellers from yesteryear.

“Publishers, retailers and parent companies are taking losses, so they’re backing off making bets,” Silva says. “Now we need to figure out the new normal, and conservatism is the default setting until that comes along.”

Doug Trouten, executive director of the Evangelical Press Association, thinks trends in Christian publishing are mirroring developments in the mainstream world.

“In the general market we’ve seen a long-term move away from magazines that target a very broad audience, and we’ve seen that in the Christian field as well,” says Trouten, who is based in Minneapolis. “On the other hand, we’re seeing the continued growth of specialized titles for Christian motorcycle enthusiasts, Christian nurses and Christian military officers.”

Christian publishers are looking into digital or online publishing, but so far the income doesn’t add up.

“Even without printing and postage costs, it still costs money to generate quality content for a Web site,” Trouten says. “When print advertising dollars turn into online advertising dimes, publishers find themselves struggling to pay the bills.”

Trouten understands why some nonprofit organizations and denominations have canceled print magazines, but he is concerned about unintended consequences.

“They figure they can lose the press bill and the mailing bill, but they don’t stop to think that they’re also going to lose a lot of their audience,” Trouten says. “Readers spend more time with a printed publication than they do with a Web site they have to remember to visit. There’s a level of engagement that just isn’t there in the online environment, which is designed to entice you to click one thing after another.”

Despite this challenging market environment, the Pentecostal Evangel continues to print on average more than 160,000 copies a week in its 97th year of publication.

And Gospel Publishing House remains a leading supplier of church resources.

“We’re researching and learning to adjust to the market trends,” says Sol Arledge, GPH general manager. “Our long history of serving and the dedication of employees is going to lead us into this new digital world.”

What about blogs? Trouten estimates there are more than 100 million blogs available online. “But a lot of this is fairly pointless stuff about something cute the cat did or what somebody is planning to cook for supper,” he says. “Still, there are also some real gems out there, including sites that are of special interest to Christians.”

The growing popularity of tablet-sized computing devices such as the iPad (which went on sale in April) and Amazon’s Kindle create another publishing avenue. These portable devices allow people to read books and magazines, and they generate revenue for publishers and authors. Trouten says some Christian publishers are examining the “micropayment” systems such devices utilize.

“Each user pays a few cents to read an article,” he says. “With a large enough audience, that could pay the bills. Somebody has described Google’s business model as ‘a billion dollars, a nickel at a time.’ Christian publishers may have to adopt that philosophy.”

Meanwhile, people are still buying books, and some genres are bucking the downward trends.

“Amish fiction is succeeding,” Silva says. “Supernatural romances similar to the popular Twilight series, stories with angels or historical and/or biblical heroines, stories of people rising above their meager circumstances are providing people with escapist reads. In nonfiction, it’s almost exclusively big names and previously successful authors.”

Christian Retailing’s Butcher says the charismatic/Pentecostal category remains strong.

“What was once considered divisive has been mainstreamed,” he says. “Even churches that would not categorize themselves as charismatic or Pentecostal embrace elements of these movements, including worship resources. Charismatic books have gone from being a ’special interest’ to a major part of the mainstream ‘Christian living’ category.”

—Steve Rabey for Pentecostal Evangel

Tags: publications, Christian publications, Assemblies of God, publishing

Tags: assemblies of God, chapel

It has been a quiet Sunday as we are cherishing each moment with Dad. He still has his sense of humor and we continue to pray and trust God for His Divine touch. We are thankful for strength for each day, and for all of the churches that lifted up the name of James K. Bridges today!

Let us keep praying for a miracle. Leave personal notes and get regular updates here: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jameskbridges

The Assemblies of God family is asked to join together in lifting
him and his family up in ongoing prayer.

Currently, Brother Bridges — as he’s known throughout the Assemblies
of God — is in the Baylor Hospital in Dallas. Physicians are working
to get his white blood cell count down to a level where they can
begin chemotherapy treatments.

Brother Bridges was a huge blessing to me in the years we were both at AG HQ. I’m praying for a miracle for this man of God.