Archive for Leadership
Door Ajar
Posted by: | CommentsWhenever my door ajar light comes one. It’s almost like a competition in my family. Whoever can determine which door was left open will become supreme master over all things. And of course if you are the person who left the door open, it’s a terrible shame 
Anybody else have this competition?
Yesterday I shared how I once ignored the dashboard warning light: door ajar. It led to a terrible situation that could have been avoided.
I am convinced that the reason so many of us are not seeing God’s blessings, favor, healing, and increase in our lives is because we have left the door ajar.
We have the left door of past regrets, failed relationships, negative emotions open. And so we are driving down the breakdown lane of life. We are hobbling around WITH A MINDSET THAT GOD NEVER INTENDED US TO HAVE.
We have left the door open to what our past boyfriends and girlfriends have said about us. We have left the door open to what our failed marriage says about us, what our failures at work say about us.
We have left the door to shame, guilt, and fear open; and now we walk around seeing ourselves as failures. We see ourselves as worthless. We see ourselves as never getting ahead. We feel empty and ashamed.
IN DATING, HOW YOU SEE YOURSELF, WILL DETERMINE WHO YOU END UP SEEING.
If you see yourself as guilty, as a failure, as a loser, as never getting ahead, believing that God will never bless you, then you will walk right into that. Almost like a magnet in a junkyard you draw those things in. What you meditate on is what you move into. You won’t go after God’s best, you will end up settling for less than God’s best because you don’t believe God loves you enough to bless you in this way.
Stay faithful. Your miracle is coming. Your time is next. God wants to do more than you could ever think or imagine. Don’t bail before the breakthrough!
What you do for Christ MATTERS!
Posted by: | CommentsLast Sunday was an amazing day at the Dialogue Church because of stories like these. I love the heart of our people, I love how Jesus has increased our desire to lead unchurched people to become hardcore followers of Jesus Christ. Check out this story from last Sunday, posted by one of our faithful attendees:
“Last sunday, i got to see something very exciting.. Something that made me feel so good inside, brought tears to my eyes. I was sitting in service, listening to you (Pastor) .. you were talking about the connection cards.. and the first box on it. 
you were doing the prayer for those who were inviting jesus into their life.. I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw a man. He grabbed a pen out of our cups, and he looked at you, took a deep breath, and filled in that first box. He held onto that card like it was hope. I smiled.. It is truly amazing to see what God is doing with and through the dialogue church and its people. Thank you guys for doing what you do. Lets change one life at a time ♥ See you sunday.”
That is why we do what we do. Your ministry matters. Are you serving Christ in the local church? For more info on how to serve at theDC.tv visit www.TheDC.tv/volunteer.
Pray for Oct.16th, Pt.1
Posted by: | CommentsThis Sunday, Oct.16th we have a big day at The Dialogue Church. A big day is when we concentrate all of our outreach efforts on inviting as many unchurched people from our community to attend our church and meet Jesus. It’s a day when we want to break attendance barriers in order to cast vision and build momentum for the next season of growth.
We understand though that nothing great for God can happen apart from his holy Spirit working in the hearts of people, but we want to partner with God as best as possible.
So, for the next few days I want to challenge all those at theDC.tv to pray for God to do GREATER in and through us, we want to see greater numbers of people accepting Christ as their Forgiver and leader, greater numbers being baptized, more people connecting in life groups, more people serving, giving, and inviting their friends to this place so they can meet Jesus too.
Let’s pray that God will use us to speak words of faith, hope, & love over New England and the nations!
Let’s pray that God will use us to encourage local churches all over New England to believe God for greater!
Let’s pray that God will use us to bring our friends, family, coworkers, & neighbors to faith in Jesus as their Forgiver and leader.
Values that MATTER!!
Posted by: | CommentsBefore we launched the Dialogue Church I thought I knew what our values would be. But you can’t really just predict your values or say what you want your values to be. Values are something that get revealed over time as you are tested. Real values are what are leftover after you have been abandoned, beaten, abused, ridiculed, mistreated and YOU ARE STILL STANDING FOR THESE THINGS! Values are what you are willing to fight for and die for, not just think are cute and cool ideas.
Here is one value that I know we won’t turn our backs on: HONOR.
We want to honor up, when we honor up we honor all the way up to the Lord Jesus Christ. We want to honor God, God’s Word, God’s man (the Pastor), leaders, guests, and with our finances! Honor is something you give. Sniff out dishonor in this church: gossip, criticism in the wrong direction, division, rebellion, sin, selfishness, apathy toward the vision, lack of energy around the mission. Don’t let anyone talk trash about your pastor, his family, or his staff team. Don’t let anyone think its ok to give God less than their best!
Here is another value: EXCELLENCE
Excellence matters. Because what we do matters. What we do represents the Lord Jesus Christ and for all of eternity what we do for Christ will last. Let’s make it count. Excellence honors God and attracts the unchurched! Excellence in the little things will lead to excellence in the bigger things. If you are faithful with a little, you will be given more to manage and use for God’s purposes! Everything matters, do it will excellence. All that you do, do to the glory of God, do to the best of your ability and keep improving! Excellence is doing the best you can with what you have. Be excellent! And require excellence from those on your team; it is the best way to honor them!
Here is another: EVANGELISM
I don’t really care that this word seems to be old hat or old school. The definition is “leading unchurched people to become hardcore followers of Jesus Christ.” We won’t ever get away from reaching out to the unchurched. We will never get so mature that we don’t need to focus on the one lost sheep (Luke 15). We will never stop trying new approaches or different ways of communicating the gospel to those who are far from God. Oh yeah, and we won’t ever stop ticking off the people who just want church to be “ALL ABOUT ME.” We will do whatever it takes to reach as many people as we can with the good news of Jesus Christ!
How about this one: THE GOSPEL
The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. I realize this is a belief, but its also a value. We won’t ever get so deep that we don’t talk about the gospel every single weekend. We won’t ever get so big that we don’t bring it back to the gospel every single weekend. We won’t ever get so New in our methodology that we don’t celebrate the old old story. We won’t ever get to polished that we don’t talk about the old rugged cross every single weekend. It’s all about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Period!
One more: PREACHING
Since the time Jesus came walking on the earth, to now, the church has evolved but one thing that has remained is the simplicity of preaching. Speaking the word of God into people’s lives. There is nothing more catalytic to making life changing decisions than clear biblical preaching. Preaching is biblical teaching + spiritual leadership. You need both to be an effective preacher. Preaching is about proclaiming God’s Word, not my personal opinions. “Thy word not my word, changes lives.” We are called to declare the gospel not decorate it. I don’t know exactly why this is, but God has chosen to use the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. God has chosen to use the simplicity of preaching to make known His Word and to change lives! Elevate the man of God in order to elevate the Word of God!
