christian leaders premier 2014

Power SUMMER 2014

www.christianleadershamptonroads.com

In the name of Jesus…

TO BREAK EVERY CHAIN

Editor

JOHN HOPSON

To Our Readers

Well, another year has begun, with many new opportunities. Prayerfully, it will be a year many of us can reflect back upon with fond memories, especially the moments that allow us to grow mentally, physically and spiritually. And hopefully, it will be a year we encountered more joys than setbacks. Either way, it is important to know that regardless of the directions our lives will take this year, we never face it alone.I have been truly blessed to have the opportunity to express my thoughts and opinions in Christian Leaders HR magazine. So, as I pondered the many messages I could leave with you this new years season, I came across this one, which I believe really sets the reason for the new year. Please enjoy the spirit lead direction of Christian Leaders Magazine. Hence, our gift to you – GLORY!

A Tandem BikeUnknown Author

At first I saw Christ as someone who was out there, sort of like a president. I recognize His face when I saw it, but really did not know him. But later on, when I met Christ, it seemed as though life was rather like a bike….. a tandem bike….and I noticed that Christ was in the back, helping me pedal. I don’t know when it was that he suggested that we change places, but life has not been the same since.When I was in control, I knew the way. It was rather boring, put predictable. It was the shortest distance between two points. But, when He took the lead, He took delightful long cuts -- up mountains and through rocky places at breakneck speed – it was all I could do to hang on! Even though it looked like madness, He’d said, “Pedal!” I worried, became anxious and asked, “Where are you taking me?” He laughed and didn’t answer, and I started to learn trust. I forgot about my boring life and entered into the adventure. And, when I’d say, “I’m scared,” He’d lean back and touch my hand.He took me to people with the gifts I needed – gifts of healing, acceptance and joy. They gave me gifts to take on my journey with my Lord. And, we are off again. He said “Give the gifts away; they are extra baggage, too much weight.” So I did … to the people we met…and I found in giving I received, and still our burden was light. I did not trust him…at first… in control of my life. I thought He’d wreck it. But, He knows bike secrets. He knows how to make it bend to take sharp corners. He knows how to jump to clear high rocks. He knows how to fly to shorten scary passages. I am learning to shut up and pedal in the strangest places, and I’m beginning to enjoy the view and cool breeze on my face with my delightful, constant companion, Jesus Christ. And, when I’m sure I just can’t do anymore, he smiles and says ”Pedal.”

Until the next issue, please stay in prayer. Remember to be thankful for your family, friends and special gifts; be kind to yourself and continue to maintain an attitude of gratitude. And, from all of us here at Christian Leaders HR – may you have a loving and blessed New Year!

Thank You and Good Reading!

Premier Issue 2014

Founder & Publisher

Bernard S. Harrison, Jr.

Editor

John Hopson

Photography

Kenneth Christian

Graphic Design

Tara B. Haynes

Marketing

Janie ParsonJames ParsonCarl Waldon

Distribution

John Blassingame

Editorial Board

Renyatta BanksNatasha Pearce

Jayne Thurber-SmithRev. Dr. Peggy Morris-Turner

Dave Wiedis

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Contents Premier Issue 2014

Features

8 Washington Pro Bowl Running Alfred Morris

20 How Technology Is Infl uencing Families and Church

22 Ministry to Kids with Special Needs

24 10 Rules to Avoid Ministry Burnout

26 Pastor Tommy Church meets Community at Upward Church

28 From the Publisher262626

Christian Leaders Magazine | Premier Issue 2014 - 3

Contents Premier Issue 2014

Features

8 Washington Pro Bowl Running Alfred Morris

20 How Technology Is Infl uencing Families and Church

22 Ministry to Kids with Special Needs

24 10 Rules to Avoid Ministry Burnout

26 Pastor Tommy Church meets Community at Upward Church

28 From the Publisher262626

Evangelization, Spirit & Song gives Catholic leaders a new way to reach the youth and young adults in the Church.

“’What is the question that keeps you up at night?’ � at’s what we asked hundreds of music ministers from all over the country,” said Spirit & Song General Manager, Robert Feduccia. � eir answer was always the same, ‘How do I reach the youth and young adults in my par-ish?’ � ey’re all looking for a way to help young people build personal connections to the Litur-gy -- to our Faith. Our answer is the new Spirit & Song.”

A true re� ection of modern Catholic worship, the repertoire ofSpirit & Song draws from tra-ditional hymns like “All Creatures of Our God and King” arranged for contemporary ensem-bles, enduring titles from the 1970s and 80s like “Here I Am, Lord” and songs from both today’s best, contemporary Catholic and Evangelical songwriters like, “Your Grace Is Enough.”

“Regardless of the source, each song is theolog-ically sound -- vetted by a committee of Liturgi-cal experts to ensure their authentic adherence to the ancient Catholic faith,” explained Rick Modlin, Manager of Music Development. “We created a resource that spans the entire breadth of Catholic worship with music for Liturgy of the Hours; songs for seasons from Advent and Christmas to Holy Week, Easter and Ordinary time, plus selections for rites, rituals, solemni-ties and other special occasions in the Catholic faith.”

� e new hymnal also showcases Mass settings -- approved by the Bishop’s Committee on Di-vine Worship -- with language from theRoman Missal, � ird Edition. Five total Masses are made up of two revised settings of familiar fa-vorites, Mass of a Joyful Heart andMass of St. Timothy, and three new settings including the debut of Mass of the Desert, composed by con-temporary Catholic music legend Tom Booth.

While traditional resources including accom-

paniments for Keyboard, Guitar and Solo In-struments plus the full 18-CD library (arranged by liturgical use) will all be available soon, per-haps the most exciting new piece to the Spirit & Song hymnal is the groundbreaking All-Inclu-sive Digital Edition. Rolling out October 25th, 2013, musicians will be able to purchase an all-access music reproduction license that includes accompaniments, assembly editions, chords over text editions, MP3s and more.

Catholic � lmmaker gets to make movie about Clemente, his boyhood idol

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- When he was a young boy, Richard Rossi insisted that his dad get general-admission tickets behind right � eld at old Forbes Field in Pittsburgh so he could be as close as possible to his boyhood idol, Rob-erto Clemente.

� e Hall of Fame out� elder’s passion for base-ball, and Rossi’s passion for Clemente, contin-ued as the Pirates moved to � ree Rivers Sta-dium, where Pittsburgh won the World Series in 1971.

But on Dec. 31, 1972, fans everywhere were thunderstruck to learn that Clemente, who was collecting relief supplies for Nicaraguan earth-quake victims, was killed when the overloaded plane carrying the supplies plunged into the Atlantic Ocean.

Rossi was no di� erent.

“I just cried for days and days and days. I was devastated,” he told in a telephone interview.

Clemente, even in death, remained young Ros-si’s hero.

“At St. Athanasius Grade School in Pittsburgh, the nuns would give us writing assignments, and every story I wrote was on Roberto Clem-ente,” he said.

Rossi’s admiration of Clemente never dimin-ished, and he spent time over the last � ve years making a movie about his life, “Baseball’s Last Hero: 21 Clemente Stories.” Numerologists will appreciate the fact that there are 21 letters in the Baseball Hall of Famer’s full name -- Rob-erto Clemente Walker -- and that 21 was the jersey number he wore during his career with the Pirates.

Hispanics have long pushed for Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig to retire the number 21 from use by all teams, just as he had in 1997 for the numeral 42 worn by Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers, who was the � rst African-American in 60 years to play in the majors.

Rossi is a bit ambivalent about retiring the number: yes, because it would honor Clem-ente. But perhaps no, because “he gave an ex-ample of living out his faith and living out the Gospel,” he said.

� e � lm examines 21 episodes that took place in Clemente’s life during his big-league career.

Rossi said he had gotten pressure to delete the scene from the movie for being “too preachy and too Catholic.” As it turns out, he added, it’s “one of the most popular things in the � lm.”

� e movie has had screenings in Pittsburgh, where Clemente played for 18 years, as well as Chicago and New York. Rossi is working on staging screenings in San Francisco and Hol-lywood as well as a big rollout to coincide with the availability of the movie on Amazon.com.

Rossi, now 50, added, “I think the little boy in me wanted to make this � lm.”

As for his old Clemente stories of his school days, “my mother might have them packed away. She’s a pack rat,” Rossi said. “� e last time I was there I saw a bunch of papers. I saw a note to Jesus in them that I had written.”

Some Are Disappointed and Others Are Excited as Historic Black Churches in Atlanta Accept Buyouts From Falcons for New Stadium; Last Church Services Will Be Emotional

Historic black churches in downtown Atlanta accept buyouts from the NFL team and city. Some members grieve and others are excited about new ministries and facilities -- and some do both.

� e decision to sell its property to the Atlanta Falcons didn’t come smoothly or quickly for the members of Friendship Baptist Church. And actually leaving its home of 134 years isn’t expected to come any easier.

“� e last service will be an extremely emotional event, and we are talking now about how we prepare ourselves for that moment,” said Lloyd Hawk, chairman of trustees at Friendship.

� e time for that is yet to be announced, but it became a certainty on Sunday when “an over-whelming majority” of members voted to sell to the NFL team for $19.5 million.

Friendship and the neighboring Mount Ver-non Baptist Church are on land where city and team o� cials envision a new football stadium by 2017.

Negotiations took about nine months and were di� cult at times. In June, the congregation rejected an o� er of $13.5 million, � e Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Friendship countered with a demand of nearly $25 million, which brought back an o� er of $15.5 million from city and team negotiators.

� e o� er of nearly $20 million � nally convinced church members there would be enough mon-ey to purchase property nearby with the ability to add a family life center and expand minis-tries, Hawk told ABPnews.

“It has not been a smooth or direct journey to this point,” he said.

‘It felt like a funeral’

� ose who’ve experienced leaving historic, sa-cred structure for newer digs testify that the hardest part may be yet to come for Friendship and Mount Vernon’s ministers and members.

“At times it felt like a funeral,” said Mark New-ton, senior pastor at First Baptist Church in San Marcos, Texas.

� e church -- then 147 years old and at its downtown location since 1928 -- sold to a de-veloper and worshiped in a school for three years before moving into new facilities in 2007.

But in the countdown to departure from the historic structure, it was common to see and hear people grieving as they recalled their own and their children’s baptisms there, weddings and funerals and having to say goodbye to fa-vorite old Sunday school rooms.

“I had one woman say, ‘I’m just not leaving,’” Newton recalled. “I said you have to: where you’re standing is going to be bulldozed.

Pastors’ Task Force Created to Address the Decline In Baptisms Among

Southern Baptist Churches

� e North American Mission Board is conven-ing a national Pastors’ Task Force on Evangelis-tic Impact & Declining Baptisms to address the continued decrease in baptisms among South-ern Baptist churches. � e group’s � rst meeting was Sept. 18 in Nashville.

� e 2012 Annual Church Pro� le reported a drop of 5.52 percent in the number of baptisms in Southern Baptist churches, con� rming a two-decade downward trend. � e most recent accounting marked the � rst time since 1948

that baptisms dropped below 315,000.

From 1950-2011 Southern Baptists baptized an average of 379,711 people annually. Only twice during that time did the numbers dip more than 10 percent below that average. But in 2012 the decline was 13 percent o� the aver-age -- the worst drop in 62 years.

“Southern Baptists leaders are concerned,” said Al Gilbert, NAMB’s vice president of evange-lism. “Our baptismal trends are all headed in the wrong direction. With a burden to pene-trate lostness in North America, we must pray and think through what we can and should do to turn around this decline.”

Gilbert is facilitating the group’s sessions along with LifeWay Research President Ed Stetzer. In addition to the � rst meeting in Nashville, the task force will meet multiple times via confer-ence calls and face-to-face meetings, with the goal of completing its work by May 2014.

Prior to the meeting Los Angeles pastor Benny Wong said one way churches will see increased baptisms is to narrow their concentration.

“We need to focus again on the most impor-tant mandate for the church today, which is the Great Commission,” Wong said. “We need to observe the past to understand some issues, but the real need is to concentrate on the most important areas. In the past 20 years we have had some struggles as a church, but as we focus on the primary things, the so-called problems are not as important.

A New Way to Reach Youth and Young Adults: Spirit & Song Hymnal

Established contemporary Catholic music leader -- OCP (Oregon Catholic Press), re-leased its newest hymnal for Catholic worship: Spirit & Song. Based on research and borne from Blessed Pope John Paul II’s call to a New

6 - Christian Leaders Magazine | Premier Issue 2014

Worship Leader Profi le

Written by Natasha Pearce

River Oak Church’s Worship Pastor David Glenn loves to sing, and his voice is always up for it. Weekly rehearsal with his band is held on

Tuesday night, then Sunday rehearsal starts at 7:00 am and he doesn’t phone it in. He sings each of his four or � ve songs with full force and expression, just as he will again at 8:00 am service, then at the 9:30 service and once more for those who come at 11:00 am. By the time he closes out the morning at 12:15 pm his voice still sounds strong enough to sing another dozen songs.

Glenn takes his job seriously and makes sure he’s ready to do it to the best of his ability. You can usually hear him warming up with a song or two as he walks down the church hall-way before Wednesday night’s Bible Study praise time, as well as on Sunday mornings.

“I’ve never missed a Sunday when I’ve been scheduled to lead worship,” he says. “If I feel I’m coming down with something, I make sure I rest up Friday and Saturday and eat lots of feel-better food like oranges and chicken soup. � en I just sing it through on Sunday morning and collapse a� erwards.”

Sometimes the music at River Oak is lively, sometimes reverential, but always worship-ful. Glenn isn’t just the opening act to Pastor Heath’s message; he also has a message to share.

“I come from Atlanta, where gone are the days that a worship pastor uses other peo-ple’s songs,” he comments. “Just like if a pastor preached someone else’s sermon:

it may be a great message, but it’s not his. � ere are many creative types who feel God has given them songs to sing. God says, ‘Sing to the Lord a new song.’ It’s very important to me as an artist to be in tune with what God’s sharing with me, to be able to creatively write and sing that.”

To this end Glenn o� en sings songs such as “Great King” and “You Reign,” from his en-tirely original debut disc Relentless released this past summer. He also wrote choruses including “Glorify Your Name” and “Bread of Life” which are sung in congregations across the country. Before coming to Ches-apeake, the singer/songwriter spent more than ten years in the metro Atlanta area building contemporary worship programs from the ground up for several churches.

“I wasn’t looking for a new church,” he says. “My wife Destinee and I were at a church in Atlanta when a family here in Chesapeake found me online, and asked if I would be willing to do a bene� t concert to raise mon-ey for an adoption here. I said ‘Sure,’ brought my band up and it went well. A� er that, (River Oak Board Member) Don Cox said, ‘We don’t have a worship pastor, can you stay and lead Sunday morning?’ So I did. A� erwards Don asked if I would be willing to relocate. I replied that my wife and I were � ne where we were. Two months later Pastor Heath � ew to Atlanta to see my work there.”

Pastor Heath Burris told Glenn that his wor-ship service was exactly what he envisioned for River Oak. Glenn felt God’s a� rma-tion in the invitation and made the move.

“� ere were maybe 900 people in the church when we moved here the beginning of 2012,” Glenn recalls. “� ey held two morning ser-vices that were kind of traditional. I asked Heath if it was okay to change things up and he said, ‘It’s a clean slate, do what you need to do.’ It’s been a blessing to present worship in a culturally-relative way. Heath and I are very much in agreement with each other. Chem-istry between the lead pastor and worship leader is key. We truly support each other.”

River Oak now welcomes more than 2,000 people to their three Sunday morning services.

“We’re growing so fast, there are plans for a new expansion on the building,” Glenn says. “God is blessing. � is is where our daughter Michaela Grace is going to grow up, and we’re going to continue to invest in the lives of our people here.”

Glenn points to a copy on his desk of Outreach Magazine’s 2013 issue of the Top 100 Growing Churches in America.

“We’re number 31,” he smiles.

To God be the glory.

A Modern-Day Psalmist

Relentless is available on iTunes and Glenn’s website, www.davidglenn.com. You can follow him on Twitter, @degeezy.

Jayne � urber-Smith is an award-winning freelance writer for various publications including Faith & Friends, Sports Spectrum magazine and Chicken Soup for the Soul; she has also been a sportswriter for cbn.com

“I’ve never missed a Sunday when I’ve been scheduled to lead worship,”

By Jayne � urber-Smith

Photos by: Pat Cahill and Peter Doyle

There was a lot of talk over the success of the rookie quarterbacks who debuted in the 2012 NFL season, so much so that the leading rookie rusher was o� en overlooked. � at would be Alfred Morris, and that’s

okay with him. He doesn’t care about the accolades or the accoutrements of fame. He was happy to � y under the media radar, just playing a game he loves.

Alfred’s life is a tale of what happens when you’re grateful for what you have, instead of always wanting something more. Amid a sea of Escalades and

BMWs, for his entire � rst season he rolled into Wash-ington Redskins Park in “� e Bentley,” a 1991 Mazda 626 he bought for $2 from his pastor while he was in college. His e� orts to not be too showy paradoxically led to an article in USA Today titled “Alfred Morris Drives a $1,300 Car” and a feature on ESPN, during which he fondly referred to � e Bent-ley’s dents as dimples.

Mazda execs know a mar-keting opportunity when they see it and they seized the day last summer. Four months and 275 man hours later, � e Bentley was back and better than ever. Master technicians at several Mazda

dealerships donated their time, manpower and money to bring it back to near-1991 factory specs with a few modern upgrades. Alfred was very appreciative but he had been perfectly happy with his old car.

Special Report

“� e old Bentley was pretty reliable,” he smiles. “It only broke down on me twice – once because I overheated it! I grew up in Florida so when it got cold here in DC I forgot to keep the anti-freeze up, and the radiator cracked on me. � e second time the fan broke. � at’s it. Mazda gave me a loaner when they took my car to � x it up but I had withdrawals without it.”

Alfred loves his Bentley but he really loves football. He can still remember playing football in the yard as a boy with his six brothers and various cous-ins in Pensacola Florida, dreaming of one day playing in the NFL.

“Football is always fun,” he comments. “I’ve been playing organized football since I was 5 years old. I’m thankful to be in the NFL and don’t take it for granted. Every day I wake up and get to do what I love.”

Not resting on his laurels, Alfred’s also willing to do what it takes to stay in the NFL.

“Everyone on this level is good and there’s always someone waiting to re-place you,” he says. “It’s important to stay ahead of the game and make sure you own your place and what you’re doing, You have to do your best or

you’re not going to have a job. We don’t just show up and play on Sunday. During the week, we put in twelve-hour days running drills, watching � lm, working out.”

Alfred knows that hard work, dedication and sacri� ces pay o� .

“So many people I grew up with were talented,” he re-members, “but it takes more than that to make it pro and make your dreams come true. It means going the extra mile and doing whatever it takes. Football was my dream and it wasn’t easy but I thank God I’m here.”

He thanks God o� en during TV interviews. Alfred had grown up in church but outside the church didn’t always live like it. However, he hit a rough patch during his jun-ior year at Florida Atlantic University and God was able to get his complete attention. A few days before a big game, he had too much going on at once and was feel-ing overwhelmed by it all. � e pressures of football, aca-demics, relationships and being away from his family all built up until he couldn’t hold it up any more by himself.

“� ings had piled up on me, and I hit rock bottom,” he remembers. “I was broken down, and I called out to the Lord and told Him I couldn’t do this life on my own

EVERYTHINGAttitude


anymore. I gave it all to Him that day and jumped in with both feet.

Albert had learned the truth of Matthew 6:24: “no man can serve two masters.”

“I had tried to straddle the fence between God’s way and the world’s way,” he says. “God had to break me in order to � x me, and make me the man He’s called me to be. Now I wish I had gotten to that point sooner but I’m thankful for His perfect timing.”

Blessed with a Christian mom who still motivates him with Bible verses, Alfred has been able to stand strong in a sport where many athletes fall victim to their own fame in too many ways.

“God is my foundation and focus,” he insists. “You won’t see the temptations and distractions if you look to Him. I see temptations as an opportunity to build my faith and show God I’m all for Him. � e way I look at it, this world is full of temporary satisfactions but when you have God you have the missing piece of the puzzle we all search for. Why would I sacri� ce what I have with Him? It’s not worth it.”

Somehow in the chaos of celebrity, Alfred Morris has discovered the balance of being heavenly-minded but truly down to earth.

“God is my foundation and focus”

is

Photos by: Washington Red

Special Feature Technology Issue

Since seven is a nice biblical sort of number, here are the best seven apps

that Pastors should be using.

1. Evernote.Never forget anything, ever. Evernote’s slogan is “Remember everything,” and that’s pretty much what Evernote does. Since I became a user three years ago, I have shredded virtually my entire paper existence and relied on the cloud power of the searchable, mo-bile, and expansive database that is Evernote.

Many Pastors use Evernote for storing sermon illus-trations. Evernote makes the task simple. � ere is no shortage of cloud-based so� ware’s to keep your docu-ments, store your thoughts, scan your � les, and main-tain everything you want to remember. But Evernote is di� erent by virtue of its sheer organization, incred-ible power, and mobile ubiquity.

Evernote’s app is second to none for keeping all your information exactly where and when you need it. Fur-thermore, if you’re into preaching from your mobile

device, Evernote makes that easy with their new Pres-entation Mode for notes. Imagine — always having your entire sermon library right on your mobile! Not only will you never forget anything, but you’ll also never forget to bring your sermon notes with you when you preach.

2. LogosIf you’re a user of the powerful Bible so� ware, Logos, then you’re probably plugged into their mobile ver-sion, too. Logos Bible So� ware is the world’s largest Bible research system. � e so� ware saves incredible amounts of time by compiling enormous amounts of research into a single place.

� e mobile version of Logos obviously lacks all the robust features that are available on the desktop, but it’s still mighty for its size. On your mobile device, you can access any of the resources that are available in your library.

� e great thing about Logos is that you can do high-level research while you’re on the go. From complex

Greek word studies to light reading on your latest topic of interest, Logos puts it all at your � ngertips. Pastors as readers and students have incredible opportunity in this powerful app.

� e app is free, and comes with plenty of resources to get you started. If you’re a Logos user with an existing purchased library, you get even more stu� !

3. ESV.While I value the capabilities of Logos, I don’t use it for my primary Bible app. � e reason for this is be-cause it’s a bit sluggish, and takes a few extra taps to get where I want to go with a Scripture reference.

For most of my Bible reading, or for looking up refer-ences, I use the ESV Bible app. It’s lightweight, fast, and has a clean and simple interface. � e process of � nding references is a lot more intuitive than most Bible programs I’ve used. Plus, it works perfectly for pulpit reading.

4. YouVersion.� e YouVersion is one of the most versatile Bible reading apps available. YouVersion is free, and comes with any translation you could want. I like YouVer-sion, because it has tons of Bible reading plans to choose from. Not only can you choose or create a plan, but the app also helps you stick to your plan with regular reminders, emails, and even alarms if you want!

Like most Bible programs, YouVersion allows you to make notes, add bookmarks, and explore a variety of translations. Unlike other Bible programs, YouVersion has a full � edged social component, audio recordings of selected versions, and kid’s reading programs and videos for even more content.

5. Kindle.As a Pastor, you’re a reader, at least you want to be/should be/can be/will be. Kindle helps you do it. As the most widespread reading platform, you don’t have to own an actual Kindle device to read books on

Kindle. You just need a smartphone.

Since books are cheaper, more portable, easier to read, and way easier to carry around in their electronic for-mat, some Pastors are taking down their bookshelves and stocking up on Amazon credit. While you may not be into pawning o� your commentaries just yet, you can still pro� t from using Kindle books.

� e Kindle app is easy to use for both Android and iOS devices. Plus, you’ve got access to your entire li-brary as long as you have a fully-charged smartphone with you.

6. FacebookNeed to stay connected with your congregation? � e way to do is is through social media, and there’s no better way to stay social than through Facebook. Having Facebook on your phone allows you to stay more connected to people throughout the day.

Many people use Facebook as their de facto email, IM client, and appointment keeper. If you’re not connect-ed by Facebook to these people, you’re in their social periphery. It helps to maintain a solid connection to all people, and it helps to meet them on their turf — whether that turf is virtual or physical.

If you’re into Pastoral stalking (in a good way, of course), you can even set up Facebook to send you alerts whenever certain individuals update their sta-tus.

7. FlipboardIf you’ve ever wanted to keep up with blogs, news networks, and even social media in one place, you’ve found it. Flipboard is a clean, simple, beautiful way to catch up on all the news and updates that are im-portant to you. � e ever-growing and always-active Pastoral blogging community loves Flipboard. With all the must-read information in the Christian blogo-sphere, Flipboard helps to condense it all in a read-able way and a portable format

APPS For PastorsToday’s Pastors are mobile-carrying, app-using, tech-savvy people. Technology gives us tools to make the best use of our time and resources. As a result, Pastors can be more e� ective in their daily tasks. Here are some of the best apps for Pastors today. All of them are available for both Android and iPhone users

Advertorial

Life has a way of getting down to some basics. Here is one of many. Can a student have academic success without character development? � e answer to this would have to be a resound-ing yes. How can this be the case? If a student is rewarded for his grades, then scholarships, family a� rmation, peer value, po-tential higher income lifetime earnings a� orded, better lifestyle, and many other external rewards are o� ered. � ese awards say yes . . .you are a success.

However, academic success can’t replace character focused aca-demic EXCELLENCE. Success is a measure with an outside gu-rantor. Excellence is an inward measure de� ned by the character of the student. Success gives all that is asked and required and o� en times more. Excellence begins with what is expected but then determines that character dictates more from me. Charac-ter says no person or system can compensate me for who I am, nor what I produce. Character says, there is one greater than me and it is for this One that I execute excellence in character and academics. It is for this One I pursue excellence, not for those that see me nor the rewards of success.

If we teach students to pursue outward rewards, they are driven by others. � is is devaluing a student. What we are saying is the student doesn’t have what it requires to give value to his ability so we create a false system of rewards. And it is this system of rewards that he/she will value and live out of for the remainder of their lives and pass on to their children.

Never Become Bigger � an � e Cause (NBTC) initiative says, “let character drive student motivation, then students will learn, earn, and return to their communities to in� uence local and global government, business, family, community of faith, enter-tainment, media, and education.

Elwood Coach Williams, for which this initiative was named, has served youth and community of Hampton Roads and Elizabeth City, NC for over 40 years with innovative and character focused outcomes. He’s partnered with Ronald At-

kinson of Urban Stock House, an award winning photog-rapher, multi-media producer and media strategist. With a combined 75 years of working with youth/families, serv-ing communities, and practicing their faith in the mar-ketplace, they have formulated a strategy akin to Lewis Hine’s. Coach is recipient of the coveted Lewis Hine award along with 200 additional community awards.

Lewis Hine was a photographer in the 1930s. He used his teacher/photographer skill set to reveal the child slavery during the 1930s. With his photography exposing these atrocities, the creation of the child labor laws we know to-day came into existence. He exposed child slavery. Today Coach and Atkinson desire to expose character develop-ment as a key focus to academic excellence.

� ey are using a social entrepreneur model as their con-duit to mobilize the community of faith and broader com-munity to strategically focus on creating an environment where dream releasers, students, are stimulated and men-tored on urban campuses from elementary through col-lege age.

Q. What is a Social Entrepreneur?

[ social entrepreneur] Unlike traditional business entre-preneurs, social entrepreneurs seek to embrace social val-ue and cause focus while producing pro� ts. And unlike the majority of non-pro� t organizations, their work is tar-geted not only towards immediate, small-scale e� ects, but

sweeping, long-term change. � ey not only want to feed a man a � sh for a day. Or, teach a man to � sh, so he can eat for a lifetime, but nurture “OTHERS” in the thinking of a man. When this occurs, the man is motivated to learn how the � shing industry WORKS (becomes educated), so he can then feed a CITY.

Q. How would you describe NBTC’s mission?

� is character focused school-based initiative is designed to create an environment on urban campuses that empow-ers character and academic excellence. � ese outcomes are realized through theCAUSE Network, a collaborative ef-fort which uses a social entrepreneur model to improve the quality of life in local and global communities.

Q. What are the outcomes NBTC hope to achieve?

� is initiative will create a positive attitude on campuses. � is atmosphere will be conducive to encourage students, faculty, and sta� to: release dreams, live drug free, estab-lish character formation, create a lifestyle of purity, restore academic excellence, encourage and value patriotism and citizenship, reward responsibility, and empower social en-trepreneurship. � ese are some of the many character ele-ments the initiative will produce on and o� campus.

Q. How does NBTC achieve these outcomes?

We have 7 deliverables to e� ect Campus Impact

- Photo Exhibits (campus and community)

- Photography Workshops

- School Assemblies

- Character-Based curriculum (on and o� campus)

- Post High School Scholarships

- Busisness/Faith Based Campus Sponsors

- Individual, family, business, community groups,

enrollment in theCAUSE Network

Q. What is theCAUSE Network?

theCAUSE Network is the collaborative use of assets tar-geted to resource this initiative. � orough donations, in kind services philanthropic gi� s and enrolling in our 4G cell phone network, we are a� orded a broad base of stake-holders that insure long term positive outcomes.

Q. How does your 4G network help?

� rough Solavei, our 4G network provider using the T-Mo-bile Platform, we receive funding for all those that enroll through our e� orts. Subscribers get the bene� t of winning three ways:

1) they get great discount on cell service beginning at 39.00 a month for unlimited text, data and minutes, no contract, no phone locking, and if you so desire, you can get it for FREE!

2) We get a percentage of subscribers’ monthly bill towards our initiative.

3) We then can help others fund their passion and cause. Win-Win-Win.

Today go to theCAUSE website www.cause1st.com/theCAUSE and enroll and become a Dream Releaser. “Let your unlimited minutes release unlimited dreams.” You may also make � nancial contributions to Canaan Productions, Inc., for your tax exempt gi� to this 501(c)3 organization. Contributions can be mailed to P.O. Box 64356, Virginia Beach, VA 23467.

For more information please contact at 757.343.4017 or email: [email protected]

A Dog’s LifeBy: Ronnie McBrayer

hen my wife and I carried our newborn through the sliding glass doors of the maternity unit, we were not given an instructional manual. No type

of handbook accompanied the second or third child either. Like all parents, we were directed to the exit sign clutch-ing our new wrapped in blue bundle, with little more than a slap on the rear end, like a coach sending in his second string substitutions.

We were those kids with plenty of eagerness to play the game, but not a lot of knowledge about the playbook. We simply were not prepared for or coached up on every possi-ble situation that would arise in our family-building career.

Case in point: Our three boys were playing football in the backyard this past winter when one called to me with words I could have never anticipated. Casually, as if he were making a weather observation, he said, “Dad…the

dog is on the roof.” I exploded onto the upper deck to discover that my son was

alarmingly correct.

Our new little Jack Russell – Toby, had inexplicably crawled beneath the deck railing and was 15 feet across a pitched metal roof, two stories o� the ground. I was hor-ri� ed, My dear wife was worse, deranged with panic, and wanted

to crawl over the rail to rescue the pulp. I understood that if this disaster

were not averted, I did not have enough pastoral skill, fatherly wisdom, Valium or

hard liquor to assuage the su� ering.

So, with the boys in place below, ready to exercise their burgeoning football skills, my hand � rmly holding

my wife by belt loops at the railing, and aiming every prayer at heaven I could muster, I gently called, “Toby….come here, boy.” He loped over to me as if it were a day at the dog park.

But as crazy as this story is, here is the craziest thing of all; While entire family mobilized to protect and save this pre-cious little dog, Toby was completely, totally, and blissfully unaware of our e� orts. Hands were shaking. Tears were forming. Railings were used scaled. Catch nets were being weaved. Meanwhile, he was sni� ng leaves, enjoying the view and inspecting the strange metal � oor beneath his feet.

Toby doesn’t understand this, but he doesn’t have to; he simply lives a dog’s life in the loving arms of those who al-ways look out for him. Sometimes I perceive God working the same way. I always sense him hanging in the air around us; ethereal, intangible, but very real just the same.

Occasionally, I glimpse him lurking within and brooding over the circumstances of life, sometimes gently calling, but most of the time just ready to catch us when we fall; or to save us from ourselves when we’ve crawled too far out on the ledge.

We are like a teenager who � ghts their parent at every turn, kicking against every boundary, but deep inside we know that our Father loves us no matter what—even when we don’t understand – and we are grateful to have someone on our side.

Yes, I believe there is a all-giving, unseen, hovering God in the universe that we cannot always understand, see, or otherwise tangibly perceive, But we know he is there. His enveloping love for us is very real, and yes, it is very good.

W

A Dog’s Life

had inexplicably crawled beneath the deck railing and was 15 feet across a pitched metal roof, two

Who would have ever have thought that you could create a ministry for God by using something as simple as a nail? � at is just what one man decided to do. A� er his church purchased 30 acres of land, Iron Nature owner, William Jones, created artistic works of art using buckets of nails that were prayed over by more than 400 members of the Lebanon Area Evangelical Free Church as part of a project to help build a strong community that would be a part of their min-istry. As a former high school shop teacher, Jones used his metalwork training to build a cross as a way to commemorate the building project.

“I asked the Lord what He would have me do with these nails”, says Jones, “It was through that time of prayer that He gave me a really neat idea which was to build a cross that was made from the nails.” By using his creative talents, he was able to build a thriving and successful business that would not only sell representational pieces but would also serve as a ministry to spread the mes-sage of God. When looking at the crosses from a distance, one would only see the large sized artwork of welded nails that make up the piece, yet as viewers move in closer they are greeted with the real spiritual message that is displayed on every piece made.

“� e words that are put onto the cross are representative of things that are free gi� s when you come to know Jesus Christ and you welcome Him into your heart”, Bill says, “� e meaning of the cross is that you can take it or leave it. If you don’t want it then from a distance you do not recognize it but as you come closer there is more to be found at the cross with Jesus.”

While IronNature has been in business for 10 years, Bill continues to remain humble even as his success continues to grow. In his eyes he sees himself simply as a vessel for the Lord; one of God’s servants doing His will by spreading the word to each and every person he comes across. It is for that reason that he has been blessed to reach the hearts of many and hear inspirational stories from people who have dedicated their lives to God.

One in particular was that of a young man named Jason whose testimony still causes Jones to tear up occasionally when he speaks of him. At a youth event held in Lebanon, PA, he came in contact with the young teenager who quickly fell in love with his work so much that he kept coming back to see him sev-eral times a day during the four day event. A� er feeling a close connection to the teenager, Jones felt a strong pull on his heart to send him a small cross with a note expressing his gratitude along with a closing message that read,

A welder creates a successful business and ministry using nails

Coming to the Cross

“With everything that you do, always put the cross � rst.” It wasn’t until years later that Jones found out through Jason’s father how much his small gi� helped change the young man’s life.

On the day the cross was to arrive at his house, Jason was struggling with an addiction to drugs and was ready to take his own life. Five minutes before he decided to commit suicide, his plan was interrupted by the small gi� that Bill had sent him. Upon reading his words of inspiration and seeing the spiritual message displayed on the cross, he dedicated his life to the Lord and decided to seek the help he desperately needed.

Today he is living a happy and healthy life with his wife and family and still strong with his walk with Christ.

When it comes to the future of IronNature, Bill is con� dent that God will continue to expand his business and allow him to spread the His word to reach the lives of the many people who have not had the opportunity to see his beautiful work.


For more information about IronNature visit

www.ironnature.com or contact them at

(717) 838-5470

Who would have ever have thought that you could create a ministry for God by using something as simple as a nail? � at is just what one man decided to do. A� er his church purchased 30 acres of land, Iron Nature owner, William Jones, created artistic works of art using buckets of nails that were prayed over by more than 400 members of the Lebanon Area Evangelical Free Church as part of a project to help build a strong community that would be a part of their min-istry. As a former high school shop teacher, Jones used his metalwork training to build a cross as a way to commemorate the building project.

“I asked the Lord what He would have me do with these nails”, says Jones, “It was through that time of prayer that He gave me a really neat idea which was to build a cross that was made from the nails.” By using his creative talents, he was able to build a thriving and successful business that would not only sell representational pieces but would also serve as a ministry to spread the mes-sage of God. When looking at the crosses from a distance, one would only see the large sized artwork of welded nails that make up the piece, yet as viewers move in closer they are greeted with the real spiritual message that is displayed on every piece made.

“� e words that are put onto the cross are representative of things that are free gi� s when you come to know Jesus Christ and you welcome Him into your heart”, Bill says, “� e meaning of the cross is that you can take it or leave it. If you don’t want it then from a distance you do not recognize it but as you come closer there is more to be found at the cross with Jesus.”

While IronNature has been in business for 10 years, Bill continues to remain humble even as his success continues to grow. In his eyes he sees himself simply as a vessel for the Lord; one of God’s servants doing His will by spreading the word to each and every person he comes across. It is for that reason that he has been blessed to reach the hearts of many and hear inspirational stories from people who have dedicated their lives to God.

One in particular was that of a young man named Jason whose testimony still causes Jones to tear up occasionally when he speaks of him. At a youth event held in Lebanon, PA, he came in contact with the young teenager who quickly fell in love with his work so much that he kept coming back to see him sev-eral times a day during the four day event. A� er feeling a close connection to the teenager, Jones felt a strong pull on his heart to send him a small cross with a note expressing his gratitude along with a closing message that read,

A welder creates a successful business and ministry using nails

Coming to the Cross

“With everything that you do, always put the cross � rst.” It wasn’t until years later that Jones found out through Jason’s father how much his small gi� helped change the young man’s life.

On the day the cross was to arrive at his house, Jason was struggling with an addiction to drugs and was ready to take his own life. Five minutes before he decided to commit suicide, his plan was interrupted by the small gi� that Bill had sent him. Upon reading his words of inspiration and seeing the spiritual message displayed on the cross, he dedicated his life to the Lord and decided to seek the help he desperately needed.

Today he is living a happy and healthy life with his wife and family and still strong with his walk with Christ.

When it comes to the future of IronNature, Bill is con� dent that God will continue to expand his business and allow him to spread the His word to reach the lives of the many people who have not had the opportunity to see his beautiful work.


For more information about IronNature visit

www.ironnature.com or contact them at

(717) 838-5470

Annual Art Show & Sale Benefitting The Dwelling Place

Listen!There are homeless

children in Hampton Roads

November 11th, 6-8 pm • Harbor Club, Downtown Norfolk The average age of a person in a shelter is 9 years old. The mission of

THE DWELLING PLACE is to providea safe and secure shelter for families in crisis and assist them in becoming self sufficient.

Sponsored by


How Technology Is In� uencing Church and Families.


More and more, Churches are embracing the use of iPads, smart phones in service.

� e glow in the auditorium at Willow Creek, and at churches across the north eastern seaboard, this New Year Eve service will come in part from smartphones and tablets as congregants become increasingly comfortable with using their electronic devices in the sanctuary.

“In the service, when they say to pull out Bibles, I pull that phone out,” Ted Allen Miller, 49, said of using his Android smartphone at Willow Creek. “I’m over that stigma at this point.”

Sometimes, he will look up other Bible verses and search the Internet for context during the service.

“It’s my own challenge, and my own heart feels that God is call-ing me here to worship and learn and to be yielded,” he said. “ What I’m doing, would it make him proud to be looking stu� up because I’m interested in more?”

At Trinity United Church of Christ on the South Side, the Rev. Otis Moss III will also be lit by the glow of an iPad on Sunday. He plans on preaching from his Apple device, as he does most weeks, during the church’s four Easter services.

“You don’t have to fear the technology. We can embrace it,” he said. “� ere was a time in the church when the Gutenberg Bible was introduced. � ere was a severe concern among ministers

who were afraid the printed page would be such a distraction if you put it in the hands of people in worship. � ere was a fear that noises from the pages would distract from the service. …

“Technology is not the message. It’s only the method to enhance the delivery of the message.”

Some Sundays, Moss, 41, might even check his Twitter stream from the sanctuary and do a little virtual jesting with his con-gregation.

“� ey don’t know I’m checking Twitter,” he said. “I’ll tweet back and say, ‘Are you tweeting in services?’”

� ough he doesn’t hesitate to call out people whose thumbs are moving so quickly it’s clear they’re texting instead of paying at-tention, Moss says there have been instances when he has told people to engage in social media during the service.

One Sunday last year, Trinity joined churches across the coun-try for “Hoodie Sunday,” an awareness e� ort linked to the kill-ing of unarmed teen Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla., by a neighborhood watch volunteer. “It was,” he said, “one of the most amazing social networking demonstrations.”

Alan Webber, a principal analyst at Altimeter Group, a technol-ogy advisory � rm, attributes the presence of mobile devices in churches to their increasing use in all aspects of life, as well as the prevalence of smartphones across all income levels.

“It’s a lot easier to carry my iPad,” said Webber, 45, who lives in Hampton, Va., “than it is to carry four Bibles.”

He added, however, that whether mobile devices are used in sanctuaries “is really dependent upon the church and the type of congregation. In an older, more traditional church, you’re less likely to see it. In a newer, more evangelical, what I would call postmodern church; you’re much more likely to see it.”

Even where the devices are welcome, their use o� en is subject to some boundaries.

Eric Zapchenk, 38, of Virginia beach, did not hesitate to pull out his smart-phone to look up verses for the past three years during his small group Bi-ble study.

“It was like, ‘Eric’s constantly on his phone,’” he said. “But I didn’t feel that I needed to have a physical Bible with me. … It mattered what the words were.”

As the church’s media arts team leader, he stores music, lyrics and everything that needs to be projected on-screen in

his Dropbox account so he can review it before services begin.

� e past two years, 2,000 churches nationwide have begun con-necting their congregants through WeGather.com, a website and mobile application that allows churches to form groups, network and collect tithes online.

Joe Jablonski, 41, of Roscoe Village, said he started making the We Gather so� ware when his wife, who was running the moms group at Saint Clement Church in Lincoln Park, asked him to � gure out a way to link the mothers together.

“As Internet usage is becoming more mainstream, that’s when churches realized they need to start having more than a simple website with Mass times,” Jablonski said. “� ey really need to start having a community where people can communicate and people can engage.”

For people like Zapchenk, who hesitate to bring out their de-vices during church services, they say all they would need is a nudge from the pulpit.

“If they said, ‘We’re an iPad-friendly environment,’ I would absolutely bring my iPad out,” Zapchenk said. “If the church embraced it, I shouldn’t care what other people are thinking. It’s a tool to get closer to God on a weekly basis.”

� e digital age is a� ecting more than how American churches communicate. It is also shaping parent-child relationships in striking new ways.

� e Barna Group recently completed a study about the in� u-ence of technology in families, releasing the � ndings in a new report, � e Family & Technology Report.

� e innovative study included nationwide interviews among parents and 11- to -17 year olds.

Highlights from the study included the following � ndings.

Parents are just as dependent on technology as are teens and tweens.

Most people assume that teenagers are driving the technology gap in families. Yet the research points out that the gap is

much smaller than most image. In reality, parents are using technol-ogy and media to nearly the same degree as their 11 to 17 year olds.

• Parents are more likely than their tween and teen off spring to re-port regular use of cell phones and desktop computers. � ey are just as likely as their tweens to use laptop computers and tablet like devises.

• Parents watch just as much television and movies, use the internet for as many minutes per day, and spend more time on the telephone and emailing than their teens and tween.

• Th e technology and media-related task that young people do more o� en than their parents are listening to music, texting, and playing video games. Evening these categories, most parents are surprisingly active.

Like other national studies have shown, parents are spending nearly the same amount of time per day as tweens and teens. � e gap was even smaller among families with parents who are in their thirty and early forties. In other words, younger parents are even more tech-nology and media dependent than older parents. All of this points to the fact that the digital world has in� uenced all members of the family, not just teens.

More houses of worship in America are looking less homogenous and more representative of the national melting pot. However, one population group remains grossly underrepresented in America’s congregations. Individuals with special needs. � e number of Americans with dis-

abilities, impairments or limitations is equivalent to the combined populations of Florida and California. Today, almost one in � ve Americans is a person with special needs.

Minister To Kids With Special Needs: Overcoming � e Challenges

TRUSTING IN GOD’S PROVISION

God has a plan for each child. And that plan o� en reach-es beyond our understanding. Since God is in control of these wonderfully created children, so too does God con-trol the ministries that touch their lives. While churches with special needs programming are required to pull from their general budget, additional resources usually come from outside and unexpected sources. � e stories are o� en similar: the ministry is begun on faith and with no special � nancial provision. As the program is launched, a family touched by the ministry or an anonymous church mem-ber steps forward with a designated gi� . Individual from the congregation with ties to foundation may emerge and available grants come to light, in addition, some churches participate in community outreach in a way that quali� es them for outside grants.

LEADING THE WAY

Pastoral and sta� support (or lack thereof) is o� en the greatest determinant for success of a special needs min-istry. Louise Tucker Jones, co-author of Extraordinary Kids(Focus on the family) and Special Needs, Special Min-istry, says that “behind the most e� ective special needs pro-grams you will � nd a church sta� pastionately cheering on the ministry.” Sta� and congregation members attitudes are largely shaped by senior leaders emphasis on the spe-cial needs population. Whether or not a church has a sta� designate, or advocate, for the special needs ministry is cru-cial. When the sta� and congregation o� er support and encouragement , there is always a broader support for the ministry. Each Church Leader noted that his or her minis-try experiences a surge in congregational interest the week a� er it receives any amount of Sunday worship spotlight.

ENGAGING SECULAR PROFESSIONALS

At this point in time, the best training and education for creating a welcoming environment for the special needs community lies outside religious circles. Rather than wait for colleges and seminaries to catch up and pro-vide training, a northern Virginia faith-based church has engaged secular specialist in its local area includ-ing special education teachers, intervention specialist, pediatric occupational and physical therapist, and li-aisons from various government sponsored programs. � e bottom line is to equip ministry teams to convey Jesus message in a way people with special needs best understand.

BEST PRACTICES FOR SPECIAL NEEDS MINISTRIES

• Pray for the ministry and individual participants.

• Train volunteer buddies in special needs care and vocabulary.

• Create a buddy rotation of regular volunteers for each child.

• Maintain updated information sheets or questionnaires on each child

• Have parents update the questionnaires yearly

• Host a buddies/ parents meeting with each new ministry participant

• Require ministry volunteers to sign a con� dentiality statement

• Create emergency plan for children.

• Create special parking spaces and or off er free valet services.

• Encourage interaction between a family of typical children and those with special needs.

• Utilize Music! Many individuals with special needs have profound appreciation for music


More houses of worship in America are looking less homogenous and more representative of the na-tional melting pot. However, one population group remains grossly underrepresented in America’s congregations. Individuals with special needs. � e number of Americans with disabilities, impair-ments or limitations is equivalent to the combined populations of Florida and California. Today, almost one in � ve Americans is a person with special needs.

Twenty-� ve years ago, I knew I was burned out when I carelessly walked in front of a city bus and stupidly tried to defensively block it with

a karate move. I had been working in a large Phila-delphia law � rm, and the relentless pressure and demands of practicing law had gradually depleted my energy and judgment (who walks in front of a bus and tries to block it?). � e near miss with the bus, whose driver’s quick re� exes saved me from tragedy, convinced me that I was beyond burned out, needed a break, and had to make wiser choic-es in my life.

Burnout is a real problem, and for pastors, it is a real threat to you, your family, your ministry, and your church. According to one study on why pas-tors leave the ministry, moral failure is only the second most common reason pastors leave the ministry. � e � rst is burnout.

When burnout runs its course, pastors o� en re-port that they have no initiative or drive, little energy, don’t want to visit with people, and just want to be le� alone. Other symptoms include de-pression, anxiety, irritability, and disillusionment with people, loss of con� dence, a feeling of being mistreated, and feelings of detachment. Of course,

with the intense and unrelenting demands of min-istry, there is a spiral e� ect: Burnout causes inef-� ciency, ine� ciency creates increasing demands, demands create pressure and concomitant guilt for not achieving desired goals, added pressure and guilt causes stress, stress causes a depletion of en-ergy and drive, which in turn causes ine� ciency.

Sound familiar? Want to get o� that vicious mer-ry-go-round? Here are 10 life-saving suggestions:

1“Take heed to yourself ” in accordance with Paul’s exhortation to Timothy (1 Tim. 4:16).

Paul was � rst concerned with Timothy the person before he was concerned for Timothy the pastor. Many pastors are reluctant to take an honest look at their own lives. Paul understood the wounds, discouragement, and fears that besieged Timothy and a� icts many pastors. Accordingly, pastors should heed Paul’s wise command to pay careful attention to yourself. � is includes remembering your calling and the redemptive story of God’s hand in your life, taking an honest assessment of your strengths and weaknesses, and wisely provid-ing care for yourself and your family.

2 Cultivate dependence on God for the strength and power needed in your ministry. Remem-

Ten Rules to Avoid Ministry

By Dave Wiedis

ber, your ministry is not yours – it is God’s. He has called you, and He must accomplish His work in you. � erefore, stop trying to control what you can’t control and manage what you have no busi-ness managing. � is includes managing other’s opinions of you and their reactions to you.

3 Lower your expectations (and those of your congregation). Learn to say no and to delegate

by asking others to employ their gi� s. Biblically speaking, being a pastor is not a one-man show. Have you turned it into one?

4 Learn to balance your life and pace yourself. Ministry is not a sprint; it is a marathon. Take

the long view and realize that sometimes slowing down will make you more e� ective. Create mar-gins of time so that you are not always rushed. Take frequent breaks. Give yourself permission to take a nap and to rest.

5Create time away to get refreshed. When I coach pastors, they o� en look at me incredu-

lously when I tell them to include time spent in solitude, recreation, and refreshment as part of their working hours. Why? Because your “job” re-quires you to be spiritually � t, and you can’t be in good spiritual condition by always being on the go. Jesus o� en “withdrew to a quiet place” and ef-fectively said “no” to ministry opportunities. You should do no less. A practical way to actually im-plement this suggestion is to regularly schedule your times of refreshment on your calendar and treat them as “real” appointments. If you are asked for a meeting at that time, your honest response will be, “I have an appointment.” Protecting these “appointments” is not being sel� sh, it is exercising good stewardship, will increase your e� ectiveness, and will protect you from burnout.

6 Cultivate interests that are not directly related to your work as a pastor. It is refreshing

to engage in activities where you are not the one in charge, the one in the know, and the one who must make it happen! Sports, gardening, � shing,

carpentry, reading, biking, camping, hang gliding, kayaking, bird watching, and stamp collecting are just some activities that o� er healthy distractions from ministry that will refresh you. An added bo-nus will be the metaphors and illustrations that will later aid you in sermon prep and counseling.

7 Develop a sense of humor so that you can laugh at yourself and di� cult situations. Laughter is

an antidote to cynicism and sarcasm.

8 Pay careful attention to your diet, exercise, and sleep patterns. Don’t underestimate the impor-

tance of staying physically healthy and daily exer-cise. Endorphins are God’s natural high achieved by sweat and hard work!

9 Seek intimate fellowship with pastors and others with whom you can share your burdens.

A common theme I see in counseling pastors is their sense of isolation and loneliness. � ere are likely many other pastors in your city or town who endure similar struggles. Seek them out and culti-vate deep relationships with them. Share your suc-cesses, challenges, and struggles. Don’t buy into the lie that you “have to keep up appearances” and “protect your turf.” Protecting your reputation is o� en used as an excuse to stay entrenched in iso-lation. By developing peer relationships, you give God an opportunity to create friendships, allianc-es, and ministry opportunities that may surprise you.

Get help if you need it. I know that you are used to being the one in control, doing the counseling, being there for those who are hurting, and keeping everyone else all together. I also know that some pastors don’t believe in being too “in-trospective” and see counseling as something that “other people” need. � ose who are in the help-ing profession are most at risk for burnout. Rec-ognizing that you’re getting burned out shouldn’t require anything as dramatic as almost getting hit by a bus.

10

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It was my pleasure to be blessed enough to ask Pastor Tommy a few questions about himself, the church and its involvement in the community.

Renyatta Banks: Pastor Tommy can you please share with us some background information about you and what lead you to Upward Church- Norfolk as the Campus Pastor?

Pastor Tommy: My name is � omas Seigle, Jr, but every-one just calls me Pastor Tommy. I am a Hampton Roads native born in Portsmouth to a military family. I lived in the area until I joined the Navy as a Gunner’s Mate. I ac-cepted Christ at the age of six and was called to ministry at thirteen. At that age, I went the wrong direction, like so many do. I lived in the world. I almost drank myself to death and � nally hit a rock bottom where I cried out to Jesus, and he saved me. I remember sitting in church one Sunday morning as the pastor told the story of the Prodigal Son. I sat there and cried like a child while the point of the story where the Prodigal Son cried out, “I’m home,” I did too. My life radically changed from that mo-ment forward. I began serving in my church, and one

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a family. � at family can change their neighborhood, which changes a city, which can change the world. It is not just about making a decision for Christ; it is about changing lives through Jesus.

Renyatta Banks: What are the locations of Upward Church-es?

Pastor Tommy: Upward currently has campuses in Norfolk and Newport News, Virginia, Hartwell, Georgia, and Pensacola, Florida. Our next campus will be opened in Williamsburg, Virginia this March.

Renyatta Banks: Is there any upcoming community events that you would like to share with our readers?

Pastor Tommy: We provide a monthly soup ministry for the homeless which includes handing out clothes and blan-kets. Our community group system requires each group to conduct an outreach. Past outreaches have included Relay for Life, coat drives, Operation Christmas Child, and neighborhood cleanups.

All upcoming events for all Upward campuses can be found at our website; www.upwardchurch.org

Renyatta Banks: Pastor Tommy do you have any � nal thoughts that you would like to share with our readings regarding Upward Church in the community?

Pastor Tommy: I believe it is important for a church to be involved in the community since we are called to love God and our neighbors. At Upward we do not want you to do life alone. � e easiest way to show people you care is to care. When you mobilize your congregation, the members grow spiritually. I also believe that if you serve as a follower, you can live as a leader. Members enter into healthy relation-ships through outreach and grow in their walk with Christ. � e community itself bene� ts from the work being done, but I think that the people living in that community are the true winners. � ey � nd a church home and family in which they feel loved and cared for. � at is, a� er all, the greatest commandment.

the campus pastor ever since. Laura and I were married in July 2013, and we are expecting our � rst child this July. I am presently a full-time husband, full-time campus pastor, and full-time college student.

Renyatta Banks: Can you please share with us some information regarding Upward Church-Norfolk? Pastor Tommy: Sure

Renyatta Banks: What is the mission statement of Upward Church-Norfolk?

Pastor Tommy: To reach as many people for Jesus as fast as possible.

Renyatta Banks: What does Upward Church believe?

Pastor Tommy: At Upward, we believe that we are all bro-ken people whom God is putting back together. We believe that the Bible alone is the authoritative Word of God. We believe in the Trinity; there is one God, eternally existent in three persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We also believe that Jesus Christ is God the son. Other be-liefs we hold are in Virgin Birth, Redemption, Regenera-tion, and Salvation. In a nutshell, we believe that God is big enough. No matter what you have done, God can save you. His son Jesus was enough, is enough, and will be enough to overcome your obstacles and this world.

Renyatta Banks: Number of “members” the Upward Church-Norfolk

Pastor Tommy: 500 to 600 people typically attend Sunday services at Upward Norfolk. Our base membership which is multi-cultural is approximately 700 to 800. We are 80% military, so there is quite a bit of rotation as well.

Renyatta Banks: What are the future plans for the Church?

Pastor Tommy: As a church, we have a plan to reach the lost. Upward currently has four locations and a � � h cam-pus opening in March 2014. We are constantly looking for ways to expand our reach to the lost for God. � e Norfolk campus speci� cally has a vision to reach out to the local community and minister to the military. We currently or-ganize outreaches in our local neighborhoods. Future pro-jects will include cleaning up local streets and parks. I per-sonally believe that if you change a person, you can change

day the pastor asked me to do the announcements. Not too long a� er, I felt God’s calling on my heart. Unfortu-nately, pastor le� for seminary, and I had to start looking for a new church. It is de� nitely di� cult trying to � nd the “right” church home. I visited several local churches, but they were just not the right � t for me. My friend Laura, who is now my wife, asked me to visit a church called Harvest Church Central (Harvest changed its name to Upward at Easter 2012). I immediately felt at home in this church community, greeted with warm smiles and friend-ly handshakes. I met Lead Pastor Craig Walker that day and knew that I had found my new church home. I im-mediately started serving; this is the best way I know how to plug in with a group or community. A short time later, I joined the church sta� and helped launch our former Chesapeake site. A� er Chesapeake closed, we launched a church in Newport News, and I managed the construc-tion of that new site. Pastor Craig then asked me to be the campus pastor when Newport News opened. We started with twelve people and grew to approximately ninety-� ve people within � ve short months. In the summer of 2012, I was asked to transfer to our main site where I have been

Church meets Community at

Special Feature Pastor’s Story

Church meets Community

Written by: Renyatta Banks

On any given Sunday in Norfolk, Virginia you will be amazed by the music, message and the people. You are met with smiling faces and the smell of good co� ee and Danish. Upward Church

is a contemporary church full of life. � is is where I had the pleasure of meeting Pastor Tommy.

Avoid � e Dull Axe Syndrome

Ecclesiates 10:10 (NLT) states, “Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade. � at’s the value of wisdom; it helps you succeed.” By diving into this issue of Christian Leaders HR’s. you’ve taken a great step toward sharpening your edge in ministry. You’ve gained great in-sight and spiritual nuggets of wisdom from the pages to help you succeed in ministry.

Sharpen Small Groups

Another great place to sharpen the blade in ministry is out-side the church. You will � nd some creative and challeng-ing ideas to consider in the coming issues. In a future story next month writer Doug Putman points out a small nug-get, stating the value of working outside the church in small groups. He believes that small groups tend to grow closer together and become more energized in purpose.

If you’re looking to express your ideas for ministry outreach, were looking for you! If you’re looking for more ideas to take your church to the next level, were looking for you!

If you’re just looking for ways to maintain the sharp edge, again we are looking for you!

We believe that Christian Leaders HR’s magazine is a must read for all churches needing practical tools to help unleash their members to do good works that God planned in ad-vance.

May God keep you sharp in ministry!

Bernard S. Harrison, Jr.Bernard S. Harrison, Jr.

Publisher’s PenGET SHARP!

My favorite birthday gi� ever was a Chicago Cutlery knife set. � anks to the sharpening steel point I’ve been able to keep my kitchen blades sharp for almost 15 years. Whenever it requires too much pressure to cut into chickens or cucumbers I simply pull out the sharpening tool and scrape the blade across that edge several times. By repeating the process every few month’s I’ve been able to maintain a sharp edge. I’ve used the knives to their maximum impact on the meats and vegetables in my kitchen that needed to be chopped down to size. Do you have any gi� s that are just as sharp today as they were when you received them?

� at I may publish with the voice of � anksgiving and tell of all thy wondrous works. --Psalm 26:7


For the purpose of the title for this article, resolution is de� ned as to re-solve, determine, steadfast, decide,

� rm decision, or perseverance. Each New Year at midnight as the ball drops, the ten-derness of a kiss passes from one to an-other, the high-pitched ringing of crystal glasses can be heard, or a shout of halle-lujah and a dance like David are signs of celebrating the passing of the old and the coming of a new year, a new beginning. Many people box themselves into a corner by limiting their options making annual resolutions that at the time they have full intentions of keeping; however, we know that many good intentions o� en go un-ful� lled. Why not make a resolution con-cerning Christ. He is calling for us to raise our standards of honesty and integrity to-wards Him. Remember to count the cost because only what you do for God will last.

He is exposing those dark places where people thought they were safe with their double-minded ways. We have to stop blaming others for our shortcomings and take responsibility for ourselves. If God has called you to be a prophets, bishop, apostle, teacher, preacher, or evangelist, He called you for the perfecting of the saints, work of the ministry, and edifying the body of Christ. Ep. 4:11&12. � is is for His glory. He has set you aside to be accountable to Him and not compared to the carnal men of this world. Be not conformed to this world but be trans-formed by the renewing of your mind. Rom. 12:2. Good shepherd, that word ap-plies to you also; Sheep cannot lead sheep.

� e shepherd is anointed to be leader. Some are chosen to lead while others are called to support the gospel; however, all are called and chosen by God. � ere

is nothing ordinary about the anointing of God nor is there anything ordinary about the one who carries that anoint-ing. Be cautious, not confuse the gi� /tal-ent for the anointing. satan was a great talker, trickster, and the father of lies. If he thought enough to try to fool Jesus then who are we without the anointing of the Holy Spirit to teach, guide, and protect us.

It is not for the sheep to judge the shep-herd but be accountable for his own ac-tions. God said that we perish for lack of knowledge. Seek Christ for yourself. Obe-dience is better than sacri� ce. If God has instructed you to do or say something then your reward is in obeying His word. Focus on the cloud by day and � re at night. He is still in charge. If the Lord tells you to move on then move, but if He instructs you to stay, then remain vigilant until He directs you otherwise. He will lead you over the bumpy road and around the crooked path to a pasture of peace and tranquility.

A man is a fool who continues to do the same thing yielding the same results year a� er year. It is a New Year, a time for a new beginning to try something di� erent. Go deeper in the Holy Spirit.

Open your spiritual eyes and ears so that you will no longer be ignorant to the tricks of the devil operating in man to control you and lead you away from kingdom living. Our Father has called us to live holy. � at means we have to die to our sel� sh wants and live a life of honesty and integrity as best we can. In the scriptures Apostle Paul said that his mind was wiling but his � esh was weak. � at is why we have to turn to the Lord for strength and wisdom. He gives us every tool that we need to be successful.

Rev. Dr. Peggy Morris-Turner

New Year ResolutionsLet us consider living by the spirit, which is life, and not our self-satisfying sin-ful nature, which is death. � e Lord has given us the fruit of the spirit as an exam-ple to live by. � ere He rewards us with wisdom in His word. Why not choose one of these fruits to live by for the year. Let this be your resolution. Resign your-self to live by the spirit and choose life.

� e fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, pa-tience, joy, kindness, peace, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Gal. 5:22-23. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead you to the fruit that you need. Search for the scriptures that are parallel the fruit you have chosen, and then watch your garden grow. Last year peace was the cen-terpiece of my focus. � ere were times when many issues in life became chal-lenging, but I never lost focus of who the peacemaker was. � is peace I leave with you, MY PEACE I give to you not like the world. Let not your heart be troubled nor let it be afraid. John 14:27. � is year I will add to my fruit bowl the fruit of patience.

Resolutions were not intended to be empty promises made on a whim of an emotional high. It is a way of giving your word to yourself. Isn’t it worth telling the truth to you? If you fall down, get back up and continue to move forward. � e word of God is here to build us up and cause us to realize that we are heirs and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. Rom 8:17 when we keep our resolution to Christ He gets the glory by the way we honor Him, and we get to be better individu-als. We are from a royal priesthood. We are sons and daughters of the King. Have a safe and successful New Year be happy!

Stay focused, stays connected and remain faithful to the one who � rst loved you.

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