Leadership
Network Thanks Its Resource Partners Who Made Camp Improv
Possible
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Each
resource partner represents expertise in a critical operating
area for churches. Here are two of our fantastic partners: |
| ECCU |
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building, church lending, strategic ministry |
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mindset, cash management, eternal value - are these
compatible?They are if you work with Evangelical Christian
Credit Union. ECCU partners exclusively with evangelical
churches, missionaries, and Christian schools to increase
their effectiveness through biblically-based financial
services. Partner with a financial team that will
come alongside your ministry and help you realize
the God-given vision for your church in your community.
Contact David
Van Winkle to review your church's financial needs
or visit ECCU's website.
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| Strategic
Dimensions |
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A Rubik's cube -- is that how your church building process
feels? Each decision impacts the other decisions. How
can you be sure of your strategic, architectural, and
financial decisions before you commit to them? Strategic
Dimensions has recently developed consultant-assisted
software that will track growth, facilities, and finances
and help churches see how their facility decisions will
impact their ministry in the long-term. Learn more about
Strategic Dimensions and how they can help you by going
to their website
or contacting Cathy
Hutchison.
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We have a lot for you this month in Explorer. Call it
a double issue full of interesting resources and inspiration.
The first section contains the introduction to our Economic
Outlook report based on our 2003 survey of churches
in this area. Secondly, there is a notice about a special
book offer to use in your ministry around the Super
Bowl season. Finally, there is another reflective article
from contributor, Russ Bredholt, Jr., that reflects
on some of his own journey this year. |
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Leadership Network takes regular surveys on a variety
of issues to help its clients plan for the future.
In the late summer of 2003, we conducted our second
Economic Outlook Survey. We asked general questions
about the current financial situation of the churches
as well as questions about their outlook for the future.
There are limitations to this data. The survey was a
voluntary survey and conducted with two different groups
of Leadership Network clients. The first group was 100
representative large churches in the US and Canada that
we asked to complete a salary survey and answer questions
about their finances. The second group responded to
the survey based on an article in our Explorer publication.
These churches were not qualified by size, but in most
instances, they had weekly weekend worship attendance
of over 1,000.
The data is not a scientific, randomized sample. These
were merely opinions expressed by the leader completing
the survey.
Since Leadership Network tends to work with churches
that are vital, healthy and innovative, the churches
surveyed tended to be more optimistic about the future
than "average" churches.
With these caveats, here is a summary
of the survey data.
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Ten
years ago, Bob Buford, chairman of the board of Leadership
Network, wrote a book called Halftime. He had no
way of knowing that its message would resonate with such
a large cross section of society. God has used his simple
book to challenge hundreds of thousands of readers in
a meaningful way.
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For
this cause, we are pleased to share that a national
ministry is distributing a special edition of Halftime
in association with Super Bowl 2004. This project
is designed to help you and your ministry reach
others with this life-changing message at an incredibly
reasonable price.
For the 2004 Super Bowl, you could give someone
Bob Buford's book for just $1.00. Click on the link
below and order Halftime online. The books
will be delivered to you before January 15th, allowing
time for you to distribute them before Super Bowl
Sunday, February 1, 2004. |
Over the years, we at Leadership Network have developed
a part of our program to serve people like you who have
a desire to serve individuals who find themselves in "Halftime."
We do this in a number of ways:
- Introducing
Halftime -- A two-hour local leader/pastor lead
event
- Halftime
Summits -- A more in-depth exposure to halftime
issues combined with the most effective follow-up
experiences for your setting.
- Leadership
Communities -- Provide the environment for church
staff and lay leaders to learn with peers in a collaborative
process of inquiry.
For additional information about each of these options
go to http://www.halftime.org/church/
There are men and women in your church who are waiting
to be challenged, real people who need to give of themselves
in a meaningful way. You need their help. . . they need
to serve. |
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by
Russ Bredholt, Jr.
"Don't just make a difference in the world. Make the
world different." Len Sweet
As we reflect on 2003, it is important as Christians
to take inventory of our lives and ask this question:
"What have we done to make this a different world?"
This past year, I had the privilege of intersecting
with two ministries that are literally worlds apart
but share something. Both have made this a different
world.
The first ministry was that of the late Mother Teresa.
My admiration for her life and ministry to humankind
runs deep. Her story is simple but profound. While riding
a train one day, this native Albanian received what
she would later refer to as a, "call within a call."
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