Play YOUR PART...

 YOUR PART IN THIS REVOLUTION

I look around in my world today and this scripture Eccl. 10:7 seems to play out so well. The world generally has been taken over by negativity. Check the media, we hardly have sane songs for our kids to listen to, cartoons have all of a sudden turned into a display of magic and murders, movies now can hardly be distinguished from soft porn both home and abroad. The political arena is overtaken by those who do not have their ears inclined to the heartbeat of the Father, little wonder they discuss the passage of ungodly bills. The business gurus of today hardly owe allegiance to God. How about educationally, have schools not become money making ventures other than life molding and soul enriching mediums they should be? Oh lest I forget, the first peer group- The family that should mold the child, the father comes home at 10:00pm, goes to bed immediately because he must be up at 4:00am again. The mother is no better; she works in a bank too. The kids are left to the care of the maids who even go as far as molesting them… I present to you, the 21^st century.

Yes it is so easy for us to sit in our comfort zone and fault the system, condemn the individuals and attack the methods. The question is what have you done to heal this menace?

A global revolution is about to take place. THIS IS NOT ABOUT THE CHURCH ALONE, BUT THE FATHER IS RAISING HIS OWN TO TAKE OVER THE AFFAIRS OF THIS NATION. In the media, fashion world, political arena, educational sector, religious sector, financial sector, businness world, NGOs and every aspect you can think of.

You are a part of this change, locate that aspect you have been wired to heal and start immediately. Together, I am assured our little drops of water will make a mighty ocean.

“UNTIL YOU DISCOVER YOUR REASON FOR EXISTENCE, YOUR LIFE HAS NOT REALLY STARTED.” Anonymous.

                                                                                                                                      CHEERS!!!!

Written by ILESANMI PRECIOUS. @Stpresh(twitter)

Looking upon His Will...

HIS Will: Our Part

Was in the middle of a discussion with a friend and she went on and on about her future, destiny and prophecies that have been spoken over her life. She seemed so assured yet she didn't have Christ. How could I explain she needed to partner greatly with God for these to come to pass?

Same goes for many of us, we feel great claiming God's promises but we pretend not to see the conditions attached to some of them.
Listen, God is faithful and will remain faithful regardless however that you're a benefactor is a choice to be made CONSCIOUSLY.

Phil 4:19 'And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus'(NKJV).You like that right? Read from vs. 15 and see what the people had sown to reap such promise.

Beloved are you in right standing for God's promises over your life? Elisha followed Elijah and got double portion of his anointing, Gehazi followed but got what? He could have gotten double of Elisha's and multiple of Elijah's but he chose otherwise...

Beloved God needs your conscious alignment and partnership to bring His thoughts for you to a reality and actuality

SELAH!!!!!!

Written by: Ilesanmi Precious.

You already know this... Have you Applied it?

JUNE 2013, ISSUE 2

	Dear Church Leader, Do you have someone in your family who is on your church staff? Is that working well? Whether family on staff is a dream come true or a true nightmare, this article will be practical and helpful to you! Blessings, FEATURE

	ARTICLE "Is Hiring Family Members a Good Idea? " By Dan Reiland Do you have family members on your team? Are you happy about how that's working, or do you feel you've made a mistake? This is a common topic in church staffing and is often loaded with a "back story" that is worthy of a screenplay and might even make a good reality TV show. Without knowing your full story it's dangerous to give general guidance and principles, but I will offer my best thoughts from years of experience. Here's a quick case study. A church averaging 550 in attendance takes a sudden and sharp decline in giving. In more than six months the giving trend has not turned around. The board requires the pastor to layoff at least two staff members in order to help make budget. The staff member who is struggling the most is the part time director of the nursery. She is a wonderful person but has difficulty recruiting volunteers and keeping them encouraged. The awkward thing is that this person is the pastor's wife, and it is known that they need the extra income. What would you do? Back to the question. Is it smart to hire a relative? My answer is yes, IF the person is really good at what they do. But you are wise to go slow. Don't be quick to hire a family member because you know and trust them. That's good, but trust me on this, it is MUCH MORE difficult to FIRE a family member than to hire one. I can tell you many current stories of churches that have family on staff and it's a nightmare. One pastor has his aging parents on staff leading global missions. They are sweet people, and basically just lead a few sightseeing tours. It's a mess and he won't make the hard call. Another pastor hired his wife to be the executive pastor and the staff can't stand her. Two top staff quit, but no one will speak up because everyone is afraid of her, apparently including the pastor. Another pastor hired his son to be the minister to students. The youth group has "grown" from 80 students down to about 35. Dad won't make the tough call. Of course it doesn't always go badly. There are many success stories! You may have one of those good stories at your church. We have family on staff at 12Stone® Church, and they all do a great job. But we make those family hires sparingly, very slowly, and with much thought and prayer. We also waited until the church was nearly 5,000 in attendance before we allowed any staff hiring other than temporary part time project help. Now past 13,000 in average attendance, it's not quite as critical of an issue because the larger the church the more able you are to absorb any question or criticism about family on staff, as long as you don't allow any favoritism. There are several things you can do to help lower any impression of nepotism as well as safeguard against the potential realities of nepotism. Here's a quick list: 1. Don't hire family as your first choice. Under the right circumstances a family hire can be good, but it should not be your initial preference. It is more common that the risks outweigh the rewards when you hire a relative. Just because it's easy, and you may have high trust with the family member, doesn't mean they are the right person, let alone the best person for the job. 2. If you do hire family, they better be really good. You may consider this discrimination, but I recommend that if you hire a family member that they must actually be more qualified than any other candidate. Not just equal or good, but the best by far. This helps eliminate any notion of nepotism. When people see that the employee's contribution is outstanding, questions of favoritism decrease, and gratitude for good hiring wisdom increases. 3. If you are the pastor, don't hire your spouse in the finance department. I know you would not hire someone you don't trust. In fact, one of the top reasons pastors hire family is because they do trust them, but no one is above temptation. When you hire a family member into any position that involves the church checkbook, accounting, or finance in general, it is highly likely that you are raising concerns. Candidly, it's usually a bad idea. You may be the exception, but be careful. 4. Don't make a family member a direct report. Intermingling marriage pressures, staff pressures, leadership pressures and ministry in general is not a good idea. It's impossible to be completely unbiased in these situations. I have seen it work, but I can count the success stories on one hand from hundreds of failed attempts. It starts out with a great dream and vision of a partnership made in heaven and often turns into a nightmare. When it doesn't work, no one knows how to get out of it. It's like a staff divorce and that's a mess, so it's allowed to continue and the church suffers for it. 5. Never hire family for reasons of benevolence. Love, grace, generosity and kindness are all wonderful virtues, but terrible reasons to hire someone. You may have a family member who needs extra money, or just needs a little help until they can get back on their feet, or maybe they just really want to work at the church. That's a terrible reason to hire someone and will nearly always backfire and hurt you and the church in the long run. 6. It's not a good idea to hire a spouse of a board member. I've considered hiring the spouse of a board member at 12Stone to be part of the ministry staff, but we haven't done it. Our board spouses are sharp, gifted and talented, but again, that doesn't make it a good idea to hire them. It will often cloud decision-making, and especially when it comes to budget issues and decisions about ministry design. Not to mention legal issues related to conflict of interest. 7. Don't pay family members higher than other staff members. This may seem obvious, but I need to at least give a quick mention that it's not wise to pay relatives higher than other employees. Pay family members just exactly the same as you would any other person on staff and only if they are doing a good job. This is another reason it's not wise to have a family member as a direct report, because it's nearly impossible to conduct an impartial performance review. 8. Have the tough conversation up front. You will serve your team and your church well if you will have the difficult conversation before you make the hire, even if it's awkward. Set up an informal meeting over coffee with the person you are considering hiring and with their spouse if they are married. This is the time to get everything on the table from crystal clear expectations to the fact that you will fire them if it doesn't work out. Then ask, "Can you handle that?" Nothing fully prepares a family member for being "let go," but they will remember that conversation and it will help minimize the hurt, and therefore help in the healing process. 9. If it's your first family member, seek the board's blessing. It's important to have your church board philosophically aligned with you on the topic of hiring family. I would never hire family if the board did not approve of the idea in general. There is room for difference of opinions and differing levels of enthusiasm, but it's essential that there is overall alignment. You might be thinking, wow Dan, you are really down on hiring family. No, that's not it. We do have a few family members on staff at 12Stone. I just know that it's more common for a family on staff not to work well, than for you to have a great experience. I'm writing in hopes that you will be careful. Go slow. Be wise, and make good decisions. And then we can all thank God for the family members who do become great staff members. Pass along to a friend! FacebookTwitterLinkedIn ABOUT DAN   Dr. Dan Reiland serves as Executive Pastor at 12Stone Church in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He previously partnered with John Maxwell for 20 years, first as Executive Pastor at Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego, then as Vice President of Leadership and Church Development at INJOY. He and Dr. Maxwell still enjoy partnering on a number of church related projects together. Dan is best known as a leader with a pastor's heart, but is often described as one of the nations most innovative church thinkers. His passion is developing leaders for the local church so that the Great Commission is advanced. As a communicator, Dan has a down-to-earth style that combines humor and strategic thinking. Each year he "coaches" many pastors and speaks to several thousand people, impacting lives and strengthening the local church. Dan and his wife Patti live in Dacula, Georgia with their two children Mackenzie and John-Peter.

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JUNE 2013, ISSUE 2

	Dear Church Leader,I love it when God has a better idea. As leaders we all must make plans, but when God speaks and interrupts us in order to change those plans, hang on because things can get flat out amazing! Blessings, FEATURE

	ARTICLE "When God Turns a Celebration into a Invitation" By Dan Reiland We had been dreaming about the 25th Anniversary of 12Stone® Church for a long time. We didn't engage in detailed planning until less than a year ago, but we imagined what might both honor Christ, and inspire the congregation. The early ideas centered on a huge "Thanksgiving to God" event in the form of a really big and fun celebration. Hey, that sounds good, right?! Absolutely! But as God began to crystalize the idea for this event in Kevin Myers heart and mind, (senior pastor) it became evident that the celebration was about to change in its expression. Now let me be clear on this, it was still a blast! Tim Hawkins did about 25 minutes before the official start and he is easily one the most hilarious comedians I've ever listened to! But God had something bigger in mind. Thanking God is always appropriate. The worship was incredible and pointing to the past and celebrating changed lives was awesome. There was a breathtaking moment when the arena lights were shut down. The people were instructed quietly by huge video screens to turn on the little light they had been given at the door, if they had been saved since attending 12Stone. The room lighted up as if thousands of stars were illuminating the sky. The Gwinnett Arena blazed glory to God by celebrating salvation in its fullness! I will never forget those moments. But there is one thing that can trump even that – pointing to the future and casting new and fresh vision for more lives to be changed! We did indeed celebrate but there was also an invitation to embrace that evening not as a finish line, but as a starting line for what God wants to do through 12Stone in the future. In part, this article is simply sharing an encouraging story with you. I think every once in awhile it's good to stop and just tell a story of God's amazing kindness. But it also may inspire you to pray, ask God, and take advantage of something special you have coming up that He may choose to change. This causes you to alter the direction of your leadership in that moment. This doesn't happen often, but when it does, you don't want to miss God's voice. PK (Pastor Kevin) shared the vision he received so many years ago, of God pointing ahead to this time in his ministry. Though he didn't fully understand it then, his faithful followership of God's plan allowed us all to see the mighty hand of the Lord in a powerful way. It made God seem even bigger; if that's possible at least within the scope of our finite human understanding. God has such big plans and He knows them so far in advance. He connects so many things and so many people over so many years. We are so small and God is so big. Of the many things we are doing today, and things you are doing today, we have no idea how God may use them in years to come. And on occasion, like this one on May 17, 2013 when we as a congregation got so see how God's hand has orchestrated something so deeply within His purpose and that He has plans for even more, it truly touches everyone at a heart level and inspires us to trust God even further. The invitation came in three parts as the vision for the future was shared. Each person was challenged to embrace the roles of Mighty Warrior, Good Samaritan, and Transformational Leader. There is a direct connect with our focus for years to the Lost, Least and Leaders. Allow me to share briefly about each one. 1. Mighty Warrior The focus here is to reach the lost. Using the Gideon story of the spiritual warrior within each of us, we are to rise up ready for battle, reaching those who are far from God. Prayer is central to this effort. Much of our battle is in the spiritual realm, and in some ways, all of the battle is in prayer. But at some point the battle takes on human form and we are called to make it personal. For 12Stone that involves launching more campuses, not to become a bigger church, but to reach more people for Jesus! Candidly it's not difficult to get fired-up about that! 2. Good Samaritan The emphasis on this second point is to meet the needs of the least. One of the really cool endeavors we celebrated was the privilege of digging 100 fresh water wells with mechanical pumps in Mozambique. That was truly life changing for thousands of people. Not only did it provide fresh water to combat disease, but instead of walking for hours every day to get dirty water, the people in the villages now have time for basic agriculture and education. There are dozens of endeavors that we could share, and you could share some of the cool things you are doing as well. The important point of the vision is that we are all called to become like the Good Samaritan. We are not just to walk by, but to take action. 3. Transformational leader. The focus on this last point is developing leaders. No church can realize all that God has in mind without raising up more leaders. The mission is too big, and next to the favor and power of God, everything rises and falls on leadership. It begins, of course, with developing our volunteer leaders. Without a strong home base, we have little to offer others beyond the walls of 12Stone. We are fired-up about our next gen emphasis, especially our Residency. The 12Stone Residency is a two-year, post college, ministry and leadership training process for sharp next gen leaders. So cool! We also get to coach pastors, do international leadership training and offer biblical training in conjunction with Wesley Seminary and Indiana Wesleyan University! We are grateful for all that God has called us to do. Thank you for reading a little about what God is up to at 12Stone Church. My prayer is that you are encouraged and maybe even inspired for all that God can do in and through your church! Pass along to a friend! FacebookTwitterLinkedIn ABOUT DAN   Dr. Dan Reiland serves as Executive Pastor at 12Stone Church in Lawrenceville, Georgia. He previously partnered with John Maxwell for 20 years, first as Executive Pastor at Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego, then as Vice President of Leadership and Church Development at INJOY. He and Dr. Maxwell still enjoy partnering on a number of church related projects together. Dan is best known as a leader with a pastor's heart, but is often described as one of the nations most innovative church thinkers. His passion is developing leaders for the local church so that the Great Commission is advanced. As a communicator, Dan has a down-to-earth style that combines humor and strategic thinking. Each year he "coaches" many pastors and speaks to several thousand people, impacting lives and strengthening the local church. Dan and his wife Patti live in Dacula, Georgia with their two children Mackenzie and John-Peter.

The Pastor's Coach is written by Dr. Dan Reiland and is available via e-mail on a free subscription basis. You can subscribe by clicking here. Please do not reply to this e-mail. We are not able to respond to e-mails received as a reply to this e-mail. Questions about document transmission or editorial comments should be directed to info@johnmaxwell.com. You can Update Preferences here or unsubscribe.  •  Forward this e-mail to a friend/colleague Content from The Pastor's Coach newsletter may be used, but must be accompanied by the following credit line in it's entirety: "This article is used by permission from Dr. Dan Reiland's free monthly e-newsletter, "The Pastor's Coach," available at www.INJOY.com." This information cannot be used for resale in any manner. Copyright 2013,  2170 Satellite Blvd, Suite 195 Duluth, GA 30097

And The Son Stood...

AND THE SON OF GOD STOOD

Not too much was said of Stephen in the scripture, neither was there much in the mind of the disciples who chose the seven, other than to serve tables (Acts 6:1-3).

However, only this faithful one saw the son of man STANDING at the right hand of God (Acts 7:54). Jesus stood to receive this beloved and perhaps to defend him as we see him later begging Jesus not to deal with the people according to their sins(vs. 60).Remember who else made a similar statement? JESUS Himself did on the cross.

What was in Stephen that made the difference? Why did he have such a heart? What made his face shine like an angel (Acts 6:15)? What made his wisdom irresistible? What made the Father stand for him?
It was recorded of Stephen that he was a man FULL OF FAITH and THE HOLYSPIRIT (Acts 6:5; 7:55).These two cannot be over emphasized in this RACE we run. You needn't be a pastor, remember Stephen a man called to simply serve tables did great wonders and signs.

The Holy Spirit has been given to us by the Father, while some have failed to receive Him; some who have received Him have failed to fully utilize Him. In Acts 19:2, it says 'have ye RECEIVED the holy ghost since you believed?' Note, not have you been given but have you 'received' Him? The Holy spirit is a GIFT from the father received only by FAITH...

POWER POINT
You can receive and re activate the Holy Spirit and His operations in your life. Simply BELIEVE and Access it.

RECOMMENDATION
The HOLYSPIRIT by Kenneth .E. Hagin.

Cheers!!! 

NOTE: This article was written by ILESANMI Precious.