Comments for MinTools Blog http://mintools.com/blog equipping believers for ministry Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:36:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 Comment on What To Do About a Mid-Week Children’s Program by MinTools http://mintools.com/blog/mid-week-childrens-program.htm/comment-page-1#comment-2626 MinTools Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:36:08 +0000 http://mintools.com/blog/?p=1595#comment-2626 Thanks for adding your input, Kelvin. How right you are that Elizabeth is not alone in these ministry struggles. Hearing from others is therefore so helpful. We can learn from each other. I appreciate your emphasis on reaching out "not out of desperation but with determination to build life-changing partnerships." That approach makes such a difference for everyone involved. Thanks for adding your input, Kelvin. How right you are that Elizabeth is not alone in these ministry struggles. Hearing from others is therefore so helpful. We can learn from each other. I appreciate your emphasis on reaching out “not out of desperation but with determination to build life-changing partnerships.” That approach makes such a difference for everyone involved.

]]> Comment on What To Do About a Mid-Week Children’s Program by Kelvin http://mintools.com/blog/mid-week-childrens-program.htm/comment-page-1#comment-2625 Kelvin Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:19:26 +0000 http://mintools.com/blog/?p=1595#comment-2625 Hello! Great discussion, and please note: that you are not alone. Many of our peers struggles with one or more of these situations in their ministry. So, in addition to the great suggestions you received already, please reach out within the wall of your church, not out of desperation but with determination to build life-changing partnerships with: * The Senior Leadership: create open communication so that they are aware of the status of the ministry. We need their prayers and we need their involvement so that they can communicate to the congregation the importance of serving in the children ministry. [AVOID being a Superhero - its the quickest way to disappointment and failure] * The Parent: parents must get involve with the work of the children's ministry. Pray as to how God want you to accomplish this task. Search the internet for strategies, but build parents into what you have been called to do * The Teens: there are teens that would love to help as well; just make sure that they want to serve and that the have clear guidance on how they ought to serve. Encourage them along the way and share how much you appreciate them; they will eventually rise up to the challenge. Blessings. Hello! Great discussion, and please note: that you are not alone. Many of our peers struggles with one or more of these situations in their ministry. So, in addition to the great suggestions you received already, please reach out within the wall of your church, not out of desperation but with determination to build life-changing partnerships with:

* The Senior Leadership: create open communication so that they are aware of the status of the ministry. We need their prayers and we need their involvement so that they can communicate to the congregation the importance of serving in the children ministry. [AVOID being a Superhero - its the quickest way to disappointment and failure]

* The Parent: parents must get involve with the work of the children’s ministry. Pray as to how God want you to accomplish this task. Search the internet for strategies, but build parents into what you have been called to do

* The Teens: there are teens that would love to help as well; just make sure that they want to serve and that the have clear guidance on how they ought to serve. Encourage them along the way and share how much you appreciate them; they will eventually rise up to the challenge.

Blessings.

]]> Comment on Spiritual Growth Levels: Ministering to Spiritual Adolescents by MinTools http://mintools.com/blog/spiritual-adolescents.htm/comment-page-1#comment-2624 MinTools Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:36:12 +0000 http://mintools.com/blog/?p=8155#comment-2624 You are welcome. I see where you are coming from about using the Romans 7 passage as it did come from the Apostle Paul's experience. If he stayed there, I think it would definitely be a problem to use his testimony. But, he found the source of victory for such a dilemma as found in the final verses of the chapter: "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God -- through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin." I am sure Paul applied the instruction he gave to others about what to do with that sin nature: <blockquote>"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature ... But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these ... put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator ..." (Col. 3:5-14) "Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." (Rom. 13:14) "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want." (Gal. 5:16-17)</blockquote> Paul admits he hadn't arrived but he pressed on (Phil. 3:7-16). He wasn't stuck in the experience of Romans 7:1-23. He moved on to Romans 7:25, finding the victory in Christ Jesus. It would have been hypocritical for him to write the above instructions if he hadn't applied the solution to his own life. Would he still struggle with his sin nature? Definitely. He was human. But, he knew what to do about it and I am confident he regularly rose above that struggle rather than stay stuck in it. As communicated in the post, those I am calling spiritual adolescents haven't yet learned the deliverance from that persistent struggle. They haven't yet learned to forget the past and press on. They haven't yet learned to consistently walk in the Spirit wherein would come the ability to rise above the pull of the sin nature. They are stuck in this kind of struggle and will stay there until they learn to consistently apply Paul's instructions about what to do with the sin nature. You are welcome. I see where you are coming from about using the Romans 7 passage as it did come from the Apostle Paul’s experience. If he stayed there, I think it would definitely be a problem to use his testimony. But, he found the source of victory for such a dilemma as found in the final verses of the chapter: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.”

I am sure Paul applied the instruction he gave to others about what to do with that sin nature:

“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature … But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these … put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator …” (Col. 3:5-14)

“Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” (Rom. 13:14)

“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” (Gal. 5:16-17)

Paul admits he hadn’t arrived but he pressed on (Phil. 3:7-16). He wasn’t stuck in the experience of Romans 7:1-23. He moved on to Romans 7:25, finding the victory in Christ Jesus. It would have been hypocritical for him to write the above instructions if he hadn’t applied the solution to his own life. Would he still struggle with his sin nature? Definitely. He was human. But, he knew what to do about it and I am confident he regularly rose above that struggle rather than stay stuck in it.

As communicated in the post, those I am calling spiritual adolescents haven’t yet learned the deliverance from that persistent struggle. They haven’t yet learned to forget the past and press on. They haven’t yet learned to consistently walk in the Spirit wherein would come the ability to rise above the pull of the sin nature. They are stuck in this kind of struggle and will stay there until they learn to consistently apply Paul’s instructions about what to do with the sin nature.

]]> Comment on Spiritual Growth Levels: Ministering to Spiritual Adolescents by Richard Paasch http://mintools.com/blog/spiritual-adolescents.htm/comment-page-1#comment-2623 Richard Paasch Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:48:54 +0000 http://mintools.com/blog/?p=8155#comment-2623 You have some great materials. Thanks for sharing. I am not certain that I agree with your assessment of "spiritual adolescents." You use the Apostle Paul's testimony and I believe that he was anything other than a spiritual adolescent. You have some great materials. Thanks for sharing. I am not certain that I agree with your assessment of “spiritual adolescents.” You use the Apostle Paul’s testimony and I believe that he was anything other than a spiritual adolescent.

]]> Comment on Young People’s Perception of the Bible by MinTools http://mintools.com/blog/young-people-bible.htm/comment-page-1#comment-2621 MinTools Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:33:46 +0000 http://mintools.com/blog/?p=2055#comment-2621 I am glad the post got you thinking, Yona. Sometimes we don't think about the affects of what we do, or don't do, on the young people in our churches. May God help you, and all of us, to apply what we learn. I am glad the post got you thinking, Yona. Sometimes we don’t think about the affects of what we do, or don’t do, on the young people in our churches. May God help you, and all of us, to apply what we learn.

]]> Comment on Young People’s Perception of the Bible by Yona Phiri http://mintools.com/blog/young-people-bible.htm/comment-page-1#comment-2620 Yona Phiri Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:18:29 +0000 http://mintools.com/blog/?p=2055#comment-2620 This is an astounding revelation that is notable after you mentioning it. I am a youth leader in my local church. Your information is invaluable to me though I haven't utilised it to the fullest. This is an astounding revelation that is notable after you mentioning it. I am a youth leader in my local church. Your information is invaluable to me though I haven’t utilised it to the fullest.

]]> Comment on Spiritual Growth Levels: Ministering to Spiritual Children by Kevin Brownlee http://mintools.com/blog/spiritual-children.htm/comment-page-1#comment-2618 Kevin Brownlee Sat, 04 Feb 2012 21:27:56 +0000 http://mintools.com/blog/?p=8136#comment-2618 Thank you. This is great information! Kevin Brownlee <a href="http://www.kevinbrownlee.com" rel="nofollow">Sound Christian Schooling</a> Thank you. This is great information!

Kevin Brownlee
Sound Christian Schooling

]]>