Resources 03/26/2004

National Pastors' Prayer Network

RESOURCES For Pastors, Prayer Leaders, City Reachers

03/26/2004

2004 Year of Prayer for Pastors
http://www.prayingpastor.com

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   I N   T H I S   U P D A T E     . . . . .    and for our prayers:

**    SPECIAL NOTICE
1.    A CONVERSATION STARTER FOR PPGs AND CIRs
    (Pastors' Prayer Groups)     (City Impact Roundtables)
2.    NATIONAL BLACK EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION
3.    SPECIAL REPORT TO THE NPPN
    DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM
4.    PREACHING RESOURCES WITH SUMMER OLYMPIC THEME
5.    BOOK NOTES FOR BUSY CHRISTIAN LEADERS
6.    THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST" - RESOURCES
7.    POINT & CLICK
8.    COOPERATION BEYOND DENOMINATIONAL BOUNDARIES
9.    CHRISTIAN ISP SERVICE
10.   FOLLOW PASTOR PHIL'S MINISTRY...

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**    SPECIAL NOTICE

   --->NPPNote: This is a one-of-a-kind, once-a-year (or more) gathering for the many men and women who mobilize prayer on a citywide basis (or community / region wide). House of Prayer or Healing rooms or National Day of Prayer or Pray Your CIty or Concerts of Prayer or Pastors' Prayer Groups/Networks. City Reaching Cats & Strats (catalysts and strategists). You city needs you to come to this consultation.

Citywide Prayer Leaders Consultation 2004
July 18-20,2004
Ventura, California

You can download and print a copy of the brochure for the Citywide Prayer Leaders Consultation by going to:<http://www.prayertransformation.com/>

You will see the link on the front page for the Consultation. Just click on the hot link and you will get the brochure in a pdf file. We do not have online registration, so we ask that you download the brochure and send that in with you registration.

We are looking forward to a great time connecting as city/regional prayer leaders from across the country.

What makes this different from other gatherings? This is simply the only place for those who are prayer leaders on a city or regional scale to come together to pray, connect, share and learn together. If you know of other prayer leaders who have a city or regional calling, please pass this information on to them.

We have also made arrangements so that if you want to make plans to fit this into a family vacation on the beach at Ventura (my wife and I are coming in early for a little R&R) you can get that same rate.

Hope to see you in Ventura in July

Your servant in Christ,
Steve Loopstra, Prayer Transformation Ministries
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1.    A CONVERSATION STARTER FOR PPGs AND CIRs
    (Pastors' Prayer Groups)     (City Impact Roundtables)

    --->NPPNote: The following is an excerpt of a newsletter I received recently from a Christian colleague. I leave his name off only because I do not want your response to these thoughts based on him or his personality. He is a man of integrity. The point of including these comments is to stimulate a discussion on unity, how to relate to one another in the midst of theological differences, and how to respond critically without being critical. Feedback is welcomed!
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As you might guess I receive a lot of correspondence, electronic and otherwise. Most of it is encouraging and edifying, both of which are quite undeserved. Sometimes I get a letter that is pointed and expresses profound concern... Sadly, like so many evangelical food fights, most who threw their angry barbs at me never bothered to study the facts or to read my words carefully. I urge readers to question me ... and every other print source you read. Because its in print doesnt make it right, even if the writers have the best of intentions. Profit from what is good, reject what is not, and keep reading. If your mind is not being changed here and there, then something is probably wrong. There is no virtue in reading to simply reinforce what you already know and believe.

I call myself an evangelical catholic when I am asked about my present ecclesiology and Christian practice toward the whole Christian Church. I retain solid Reformed convictions on essential points while retaining the beliefs of the early Reformers that we cant deal with the whole Church without including all those who confess the ancient faith and are baptized into the triune name. This conviction has been picked up by several and is often misrepresented. I regularly get mail telling me I have left the faith.

(Regarding the appearance of a controversial seminary professor at a future conference)... His views on covenant and justification were criticized by some, though most clearly not the majority, and the result was that he left the school in the 1970s. (He was neither fired nor disciplined but left for the sake of peace.) His hated views will be presented in our symposium and listeners can respond for       themselves. He will be challenged and discussed for certain. (It is worth noting that I invited several who openly detest (his) views and none would come to speak to him face-to-face though we offered to pay all expenses to do it. This all too common response demonstrates to my mind that it is easier to use a man as an opponent than to actually pray with him, treat him with respect, and listen and seek consensus and conclusion... I can tell you that not one of the conservative ... leaders who has criticized my own writing on these issues has ever come to me in Christian love to discuss where I am wrong. If I am wrong, would it not serve the purpose of Christ well if we first had the discussion in private to determine what we agreed on, disagreed on, and why?

When the truth of love and relational unity is compromised, on the altar of vigorous theological opinion, the result is that a lost world does not see or hear our message as it should. Christs kingdom suffers violence. I bring grief to my Lords heart.

But how do we destroy the Church by such theology? We present a caricature of the faith. We       exaggerate some truths (e.g., election, predestination, atonement, mode of baptism, the millennium, etc.) and push to the background other truths (e.g., the trinity, the real humanity of Jesus, love for all who profess his name in baptism and communion with his Church [true biblical ecumenism], concern for social justice and racism, the continual mistreatment of women in many churches, prayer with one another for his kingdom to come on earth, etc.).

What I am calling for, day in and day out, is real reformation. I want to see the Spirit of God renew the Church by Word and Spirit. I desire to see all the churches under the authority of the gospel and openly following Christ as revealed in Holy Scripture. I happen to believe a real reformation will impact the entire ChurchCatholic, Orthodox and Protestant. (There are believers and unbelievers in every visible church communion on earth!) I read the theology of other traditions because I want to learn and submit myself to the whole Church. More importantly I love my brothers and sisters in these other (non-Protestant) traditions. I talk to them regularly. I pray with them. I learn a great deal from them. I embrace them in Jesus as those who share in the eternal life that God gives by grace alone. I have stopped being the judge of who is and is not in the body of Christ. (The judgment Christ calls us to make is in terms of local church fellowship anyway, not deciding who the elect are and are not.) As I read the New Testament, a person who confesses faith in Jesus as Lord should be received by me, weak or strong. I do not see a denominational tag that settles this easily.

The kind of conservative Reformed theology I embraced for about twenty years placed an unusual emphasis upon Gods holiness (often for good reason really). It stressed the need to keep a good conscience before God and man and to preach searching messages that troubled hearers and made many quite uncomfortable. Again, there is a proper place for this kind of ministry. But love is the mark of the Christian, not passion for holiness or separation from error. In my world there was little room for mercy. I was often ready to do battle for my convictions. I failed to see that peacemakers were blessed by God. I am embarrassed to say this but I was involved in sin in ways I was proud of at the time. I now find myself weeping over many of my attitudes and actions during that twenty year period.

I repent for my part in this picture. If I have wronged you in any way please forgive me. If you tell me how I have specifically wronged you I will apologize specifically and make right what I have made wrong by humble contrition and genuine restitution. (Sadly, I have written to some in recent years, asking their forgiveness for something specific. The result was to have them ignore my plea and then attack me in public.) I want Christ to manifest his presence in my life so much that I am willing to do whatever I need to do to seek Gods mercy and grace on my life. I hope you desire the same.
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2.    NATIONAL BLACK EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION

You are invited to attend the 40th Celebration of NBEA
June 2 5, 2004 / Los Angeles, CA

THEME: NEW HORIZONS FOR BLACK EVANGELICALS
Celebrating & Reclaiming A Christ-Centered Black Heritage

Hotel Sheraton Gateway Hotel
310-642-1111.
6101 W. Century Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90045
$69 Cost per Room plus 14.04% Tax
$175 Pre-Registration before May 2, 2004
$275 Per Married Couple
$115 Per Student
Special Program for children ages 4 - 12

You may register now with a $50.00 deposit, which will hold your reservation. Does not include Hotel. You must make your own Hotel reservation directly with Hotel.

Contact Information

Rev. Austin Williams Los Angeles
    (310) 672-9370
Dr. Joseph Curtiss Los Angeles
    (323) 758-1213
Dr. Ruth Bentley - Chicago, IL
    (312) 733-1516
Rev. Aaron Hamlin Portland, Oregon
    (503) 288-8550

E-Mail: NBEAChicago@aol.com or NBEAEXEC@aol.com
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3.    SPECIAL REPORT TO THE NPPN
    DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM
Jack Hayford and Hundreds of National Leaders call for an Annual Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem

New York City
Jerusalem Prayer Banquet May 20, 2004
Kairos Leadership Summit - May 19 & 20, 2004

Dr. Jack Hayford, one of Americas most respected pastors, along with Rev. Robert Stearns, Rev. Ted Haggard, Dr. Paul Cedar, Dr. Corkie Haan, Dr. Don Finto, Rev. Jane Hansen, Rev. Dick Eastman, Rev. Pat Robertson, Rev. Robert. O. Bakke, Rev. Kay Arthur, Rev. Phil Miglioratti, Rev. Bill McCartney, plus hundreds of other church leaders, are calling upon all men and women of prayer throughout the world to assemble in New York City for an urgent convocation to affirm and sign a proclamation establishing a National Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem, to be held annually the first Sunday of October near the season of Yom Kippur. An amazing cross section of leaders and ministries from all different denominations are endorsing this call to fulfill the Psalm 122:6 biblical mandate, and have committed their congregations to pray for the Peace of Jerusalem and all of its inhabitants on October 3, 2004

In a recent trip to Israel, the day after another bus bombing in Jerusalem (2/28), Dr. Hayford, Rev Ted Haggard, and Rev. Robert Stearns were able to share about this prayer initiative with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Also on this trip, God miraculously opened doors for Rev. Robert Stearns, Dr. Corkie Haan, and Rodlyn Park to meet with Benjamin Netanyahu, Minister Ehud Olmert, (The Vice Prime Minister), Minister Natan Sharansky (Minister of Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs), Dr. Rannan Gissin (a Sr. Advisor to the Prime Minister), The Chairman of the Christian Allies Caucus of the Knesset, The Chief Rabbi of Israel, Archbishop Pietro Sambi - the Vaticans Nuncio to Israel, The General Procurator of the Latin Patriarch (Palestinian), plus seven members of the Knesset. The response of each leader to The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem was one of both enthusiasm and gratitude. Even though the charter signing of the Call to Prayer to the American Church has yet to take place, the movement has already been endorsed by church leadership in 12 nations and is expected to be observed internationally in the very near future.

The Signing Event, which begins with The Jerusalem Prayer Banquet on Thursday evening, May 20 at the Hilton Hotel Manhattan, is open to the public. Also of interest to pastors and leaders is The Kairos Leadership Summit, May 19 & 20 in Manhattan, with Dr. Hayford and Robert Stearns. Knowing that many leaders will be coming into NYC for the Banquet, these two men have decided to merge their notable gifts with others, to pour into those leaders who continually pour out. (Register by calling 1-800-519-4647or e-mail office@eagleswings.to)

Individuals interested in learning more about The Day of Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem, are invited to contact 1.800.519.4647, or visit www.prayforthepeaceofjerusalem.com and request an information packet. You can also Email us at: office@eagleswings.to
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4.    PREACHING RESOURCES WITH SUMMER OLYMPIC THEME
>From: David Mains <info@teamsundays.org>

A pastor friend plans his preaching a year in advance. Because of this he had no interest in preaching on anything related to the movie The Passion of the Christ. Then he saw the film!

I'm all for planning ahead. It's part of my routine, too. My advantage is that I don't have to prepare a preaching schedule for every Sunday--just special ones I know everyone's going to be talking about. That's why some months back I started working on a Go for the Gold series. I knew the Summer Olympics in Athens would be another major topic of conversation.

The games are scheduled for August 13-29, which prompts me to suggest that you start preaching on this topic sometime in July. A really strong six-week series Mainstay has produced is now available. The Pastor's Manual on CD-ROM is only $69.00. Other items were prepared including weekly bulletin inserts and some terrific videos. Call 1-800-224-2735 for more information.

Have a good week, David R. Mains

SUNDAY SOUNDBYTES and other Sunday solutions may also be found on
our web site, http://sundaysolutions.com
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5.    BOOK NOTES FOR BUSY CHRISTIAN LEADERS
>From: "David Mays" <davidmays@acmc.org>
>At: http://www.davidmays.org

Below are brief samples of Book Notes by David Mays

THE FIVE DYSFUNCTIONS OF A TEAM
A Leadership Fable
Patrick Lencioni, Jossey-Bass, 2002, 229 pp.

A new CEO inherits a talented but dysfunctional executive team in this
easy-to-read fable. The story is built around five dysfunctions that build
upon one another to inhibit teamwork-oriented toward results. All you need is the pyramid illustration with explanation. But the story adds "body" to the concepts.

Teamwork is a major competitive advantage because it is both powerful and rare. But teams are inherently dysfunctional because they consist of
people. (Intro)

BASIC CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP
Biblical Models of Church, Gospel and Ministry
John Stott, InterVarsity Press, 2002, 120 pp.

John Stott is one of the respected Christian elder statesmen in the world.
Over the past 35 years he has observed the church and its leaders in many countries. His conclusion is serious, and I quote it here at length. This follows an exegesis of the opening chapters of I Corinthians, which
describes the proper relationship between the Gospel, the Church, and its leaders.

It is my firm conviction that there is too much autocracy in the leaders
of the Christian community, in defiance of the teaching of Jesus and his
apostles, and not enough love and gentleness. Too many behave as if they believed not in the priesthood of all believers but in the papacy of all
pastors.

Our model of leadership is often shaped more by culture than by Christ.

To lead is to go ahead, to show the way and to inspire other people to follow.

The demand for power and the insistence on wisdom are still the basic
idolatries of our fallen world. (quoting Gordon Fee, p. 41)

TEAMWORK & TEAMPLAY
A Guide to Cooperative, Challenge and Adventure Activities that Build
Confidence, Cooperation, Teamwork, Creativity, Trust, Decision Making,
Conflict Resolution, Resource Management, Communication, Effective Feedback and Problem Solving Skills
Jim Cain & Barry Jolliff, Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1998, 419 pp.

According to Scott Bostick, this huge 8 by 11 paperback is the most
authoritative and comprehensive guide book on challenge and adventure
education. Sections cover a review of adventure programming literature, how to plan an adventure activity, preparing for the activity, complete
instructions for a series of activities using equipment you can easily
purchase or build, building the equipment needed, techniques for processing the experiences, and enormous lists of literature and resources.

The majority of the book is given to challenge and adventure activities,
mostly outdoors. Activity photos are filled with ropes and PVC tubing as
well as wooden planks, and many other miscellaneous materials. ("To a
challenge education programmer, PVC tubing is worth its weight in gold!" p. 128) But indoor activities, including icebreakers and mental puzzles, are also included. They are sorted by categories.

LEADERSHIP IS AN ART
Max DePree, Doubleday, 1989, 136 pp.

From today's perspective this is an older management book, the first of
three that DePree has written. Herman Miller has long been known as an
outstanding company. DePrees father, the founder, built the company on a solid Christian philosophy of valuing people and DePree also genuinely cares about people.   This is not a sound bite book. It's more like a personal journal, which makes you ponder. DePree has an unusual ability for a CEO, to see things from the workers perspective. This is not a superficial, technique-oriented philosophy but a person-oriented philosophy that places high value on congruence between work and life.

Leadership is liberating people to do what is required of them in the most effective and humane way possible. Leadership is more tribal than scientific, more a weaving of relationships than an amassing of
Information. (1,3)

Leaders must understand the diversity of gifts among employees and connect that great variety of gifts to the work and service of the organization. The art of leadership lies in polishing and liberating and enabling those gifts. (7,8)

The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to
say thank you. In between the two, the leader must become a servant and a Debtor. (9)

Leaders don't inflict pain; they bear pain. (9)

The signs of outstanding leadership appear primarily among the
followers. Are the followers reaching their potential? Are they learning?
Serving? Do they achieve the required results? Do they change with grace? Manage conflict? (10)

SET APART
Calling a Worldly Church to a Godly Life
R. Kent Hughes, Crossway Books, 2003, 164 pp.

Kent Hughes, senior pastor of College Church in Wheaton, says the church is called to Godliness and to reach the world. The church must be distinct from the world to reach the world. But today's church is ensnared in materialism, hedonism, violence, sexual misconduct, pluralism, and divorce. Hughes calls the church to say no to worldliness and an immense eyes to Christ and all that he gives.

A worldly church cannot and will not reach the world. We must set
ourselves apart to God if we hope to reach the world. In a word, the only
hope for us and the lost world is a holy church. (17)

THE JOY OF FOLLOWING JESUS
(Originally published as Shoe-Leather Commitment)
J. Oswald Sanders, Chicago, Moody Press, 1990

Sanders, a former director of OMF, carried on an international preaching
ministry well into his 90s. Spiritual Leadership is one of his best-known
books. This book is an excellent personal study guide in regard to the
Standards the underlying principles that are to be incorporated into the
lifestyle of the disciple.(9)

The message Jesus proclaimed was a call to faith with obedience. He doesn't want us to simply believe His teachingsHe wants us to live them. (back cover)

The first condition of discipleship is an unrivaled love for Christ.

Discipleship is a whole time job and a whole life job.

The fact that our Lord has not yet returned is a clear indication that the
task committed to the church, to make disciples of all nations. has yet to
be completed.
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6.    THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST" - RESOURCES
>From: "Glenn Barth < glenn@cityreaching.com>

Matching Passion Study Guides: To complement the FREE Passion-related sermon series (www.sermoncentral.com <http://www.sermoncentral.com)> and the Passion-related evangelistic booklets, Outreach, Inc. is also making available two different Passion evangelistic small group study guides: The Passion of the Christ--True or False? and Experience the Passion of the Christ. To learn more, please visit: www.outreach.com <http://www.outreach.com> . Please forward this to pastors hosting Passion outreaches in your city.

John Piper has just released a new book, The Passion of Jesus Christ. He wrote this book for unbelievers and shares 50 Biblical reasons or purposes for the death of Christ. The 7 page introduction, "The Christ, the Crucifixion, and the Concentration Camps" is very compelling. Desiring God Ministries wants you to give away copies of this book. They are making cases (108 copies) of this book available for a suggested donation of $130 on the condition that you, your church, or your organization give them away. Their tel. # 1-888-346-4700. Visit their web site at www.passion-book.com <http://www.passion-book.com>

>From: "Lee Raney" <lee@christian.com>

Christian.com is asking Christians to get involved with the spiritual impact of The Passion of the Christ by participating in the Discuss the Passion discussion forums on Christian.com. When millions of people see this movie, their hearts will be stirred and many will go on-line asking questions. A number of websites, as well as up to 1 million tracts being distributed nationwide, will help bring people to the Discuss the Passion forums.

1. Go to Christian.com <http://www.christian.com/> , click on Discuss the Passion and go to any of the forums listed.
2. To get a feel for the forums, browse through the forums and topics listed by clicking on each one. Be sure to read the Registration instructions.
3. Click on Register at the top of the screen and join the discussions.
4. Keep visiting regularly from now through Easter to discuss the movie with Christians and seekers, respond to questions about Jesus and Christianity, and be available for people searching for answers!
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7.    POINT & CLICK

   Register / Revise / Research A Pastors' Prayer Group:
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   Share A Resource
Email us a 1-3 paragraph explanation of the resources you have that equip or inspire pastors into a deeper, more powerful prayer experience... especially resources that relate to pastors praying with other pastors to reach their community with the gospel.

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    (To Unsubscribe - See Bottom of This Message) _______________________________________________>>>

8.    COOPERATION BEYOND DENOMINATIONAL BOUNDARIES
>From: "webmaster@strang.com" <webmaster@strang.com>
>At: <http://www.ministriestoday.com/>

More than 50 leaders of the charismatic/Pentecostal community convened in Orlando for the first-ever Ministries Today Symposium, moderated by Jack Hayford, the magazine's senior editorial adviser. High-profile leaders such as Ted Haggard, Reinhard Bonnke, Myles Munroe, C. Peter Wagner, Rod Parsley and Joyce Meyer convened to discuss the topic of ministry ethics. The unified convictions of those present were distilled in a series of affirmations called "The Orlando Statement." An abridged report of the Symposium and the complete text of "The Orlando Statement" is available at http://www.ministriestoday.com/specialreport.html. For a complete report on the event, be sure to see the March/April issue of Ministries Today.

Cooperation vs. Competition    A survey by the Ellison Research Group recently discovered that 86 percent of all Protestant pastors agreed with the statement, "There should be more cooperation among different Protestant denominations." Even stronger was the feeling that "There should be more cooperation among individual churches of different Protestant denominations." For more information on the survey, visit: http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/pastors/1241273.html.

"Within 10 years, I don't know if there will be a distinction between the charismatic and non-charismatic communities."
   Ted Haggard in March/April Ministries Today

To post your comments, click here <http://forums.strang.com/viewforum.php?f=4>
Copyright 2004 Strang Communications, All Rights Reserved
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9.    CHRISTIAN ISP SERVICE

    http://crosswayisp.net/
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10.    FOLLOW PASTOR PHIL'S MINISTRY...

Track Activity ...
    http://www.nppn.org/Schedule.htm

Pray Strategically ...
    http://www.nppn.org/PrayerInc/Home%20Page%20PrayerInc.htm

Support Financially ...
    http://www.nppn.org/Support%20Page.htm
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___Unless clearly identified as "Personal To _____" or "Confidential" all information and comments sent to phil@nppn.org will be considered for use in a future NPPN Update.
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