Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire

God has used this book to have an incredible impact on me. The author writes from personal experience about his learned dependence upon God. This gives added weight to his words. His praise to God for how great He is, and how He has been the one to change lives was enough to bring me to the point of worship as I read. This story would be a blessing to anyone in ministry.
As I read through the book I was astounded as I read about the transforming power of God. As Cymbala writes he is very humble in his recounting of the events that have led to the work of God in the Brooklyn Tabernacle. I could really relate to his experience of “being in over his head” in ministry. His statements about how tools, strategies, and truth were not enough on their own. I found as I was reading his story, I was seeing that without crying out to God for Him to move and work, nothing substantial would happen spiritually. Chapter after chapter, Cymbala keeps coming back to the biblical truth that only Christ can build His Church, only the Father can draw people to Himself, and only God can bring about spiritual life-change.
There were times as I read that I was cautious, especially when he spoke about the place of sermons and biblical teaching. As I read I could see his point, that without the Spirit of God moving through those presentations of truth, nothing substantial would happen spiritually. Another thing that really caught my eye was his critique of church growth. On some issues he was absolutely right. On the other hand, I think that some church growth strategies (ministry strategies) are just ways to reach out to others in the hope that they will come to Christ. This means that church growth strategies (just like sermons and Bible studies) must be accompanied by the crying out of believers to God that He would move and change lives (without it, nothing).
In regard to the ways that I will personally use the information from this resource, where to start? I really believe that God is bringing me through a time much similar to Cymbala’s (and much like yours Dr. Bixby) where I am realizing that all the right answers, doctrines, and strategies are nothing if I/we are not crying out to God for Him to work. I have come to begin to see through this book (and lack of spiritual results, with much frustration) that I really need to fall upon God. Asking Him to move, to work, and to change my life and others. I have begun to truly pray with dependence upon God to work. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how this has impacted me personally.
In regard to how this will be used for the church I am in, it has already begun to be used. I had a “Life Action” journal speaking about revival on my shelf at home and began to read through it. It ran along the same lines as “Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire.” I talked with the group of people that come to prayer meeting and read through one of the articles together. So as a result of that meeting we as a group have begun to pray for revival in our lives, in our church, and in our community. We have asked God to start with us, to show up and change us. We are praying for people to be saved and for us to be a witness to them for Christ. I believe that God put me in your class, to read this book so that He could begin to move in me, this church, and this community. I have been pounding my head against a wall (your story hit home, much the way I was feeling) and God has let me know that what I was doing was incomplete. I have begun to pray and to encourage others to really humble themselves before God and cry out to Him for help. This resource has already changed our prayer meeting. It has also (along with your class) helped to give us a starting point for our upcoming “Friends & Family Banquet.” We are calling for prayer support for this outreach and for all of our future outreaches. Instead of just off-handedly asking people to pray for something, we are giving a list of things to pray for and passionately asking them to cry out to God for those people who are not believers who will be attending.
I really enjoyed this class. I think that you are a great guy, and I pray that God will continue to enable you to serve Him to the fullest. I have told my wife and father-in-law that I believe the group of guys that we had in this class was put together by God. I haven’t laughed so hard in awhile with the way that things have been going, it was like medicine for the soul. Thanks for being a big part of that.

Annual Outreach Planning Guide

When I first read the title of this resource on the syllabus I thought, “Well, that can’t be all that bad.” The reality is that I think that this is one of the best ministry planning resources I have seen. I think that it was much easier to understand and walk through than other “heavier-duty” books. I really liked the fact that the publishers included the c.d. to allow you to print “fresh” handouts, instead of copy machine handouts (small benefit, but still a benefit).
As I walked through the binder I was very happy with the organization of the material. It really followed a logical thought and planning process. I really was excited to see the steps that were included. The Where are we? step really got my excitement level up. I really feel that this will be beneficial for my church. The templates for community demographics to find out who really lives in our community will be very helpful. The examples were great and very helpful in giving me/others an idea of what the process could look like.
The vision step was very informative. It is so important to figure out where you could be with God’s help. This is a good reminder to think about a preferred future in your ministry context. It seems that most people don’t think about such a step, but instead just keep plugging along.
The mission step was one of the best explanations of what a mission statement is. I have read resources before where the author spends a chapter debating with himself about the difference between mission, vision, and purpose. This was very simple and straightforward. I was very impressed with how the whole resource meshed together. It really was very well thought out. I really appreciate this resource.
There are definitely uses that I will have for this resource. Since I think that it was so well laid out and uncomplicated I am very interested in using it to help implement an outreach strategy in our church. After working through a process like this in the past, (that was a bit more complicated) I am really optimistic about the potential of using this resource to clear up some possible confusion and gain greater unity of purpose.
I am hoping to sit down soon with ministry leaders in the church and begin to work through the prescribed process. I have to admit I am not sure about determining vision with a larger group of people. Obviously this is something that I need to be in prayer about. I know that there is wisdom in a multitude of counselors, and there is greater ownership when there is personal investment. There was one vision statement and mission statement (same statement with a few minor differences) that made me take notice and say, “that’s it ” I don’t know if that is what the other included leaders would say that it is.
I am going to be taking this next month or two to be praying for the leaders that will be involved in this process of determining an outreach strategy for the church. This is in the hope that God’s vision for the church that He has given me passion for will become the vision of the church as a whole.

Seeker Small Groups
Garry Poole has provided an incredible resource in this book. He has given the church an instruction manual on how to reach out to those who are curious about spiritual issues. I have been burdened with how to do an investigative Bible study in my neighborhood and did not quite know how to go about it. God obviously is in control because He has brought this resource to help me do just that.
After reading what Poole wrote in this book I would have a hard time believing that anyone would not be incredibly motivated to attempt to launch a seeker small group. He speaks from an incredible wealth of personal experience in leading seeker small groups and training people to lead the same. There were some very important principles that he shared that would be beneficial to anyone. The tips that Poole gave in regard to interacting with people about spiritual issues was incredible. In this book he gives you instruction on basic skills of building relationships with others that are far from God, how to love them, and how to gently guide them toward faith in Jesus Christ.
I also appreciated how the author included ideas of how to conduct the first meeting of a seeker small group. Since for most people this is a new idea, it was very helpful to have a picture painted of how to conduct an effective first meeting. Poole admits that he has learned this strategies over the years and that is helpful to hear. This really puts you at ease to realize that it is a process that you can be involved in and you don’t have to do it perfect the very first time. The admission that it is not really about how much you know, but about the love that you show towards those in your group will be very reassuring to people launching a group. The tips on how to invite others, and how to lead meetings was excellent. Poole has a real ability when it comes to explaining things in a simple and non-threatening way. His inclusion of the chapter on how to encourage greater evangelistic effectiveness in believer small groups was also very beneficial. This is something that is much needed also. It only makes sense that if your believers are not encouraged to be building relationships with non-believers there will not be as many candidates for seeker small groups.
In relation to how I will implement this personally I have great excitement and anticipation. As I mentioned earlier I have really been desiring to know how to do something like this in my neighborhood. I even watched a video that Dr. Austin had on leading an investigative Bible study (which was helpful, but not exactly what I was looking for). This book has really gotten my creative juices flowing about the potential of this kind of seeker small group here where I am. I am already thinking about people that I could invite. I really agree with Poole’s suggestion of having an apprentice, which I have not quite figured out yet who that will be for me. In praying about this, I have decided to keep this somewhat of a “side-venture” when it comes to church ministry. I am hoping that (with God’s help) this will go well and that there are some people who come to know Christ, and I am able to disciple them so that they are “strong” enough to come to into the church and not flee. After this time I would like to try to make it more a part of the church’s ministry of outreach to the community.

Just Walk Across the Room
This book is absolutely incredible. Whenever Hybels writes something, if I have not read it, I plan to do so. This book is no exception. Hybels’ passion for the church and evangelism are nothing short of contagious (not a deliberate pun – in regard to Willow’s curriculum). As the author shares his wealth of personal experience, building bridges with people who are non-believers you gain an even deeper insight into the authenticity with which he speaks. He really does this stuff. He really walks across the room as the Spirit prompts him. So often it seems that we allow fear to quench the Holy Spirit’s direction to walk across the room to speak with someone. This is a call to follow the leading of the Spirit.
Hybels has a very down-to-earth way of writing. Though he is a pastor I think that just about anyone can sit down to read one of his books and gain a wealth of insight in how to live life passionately for God. He writes a great piece of encouragement to Christians to be friendly, authentic, and available to people who do not have a relationship with God through Christ. His repeated statements and inferences to the fact that people are precious to God are very well-stated. He casts an incredible vision for people reading the book to become more sensitive to what God is doing in this world and more accustomed to the fact that God wants to use them to do His work.
He gives biblical examples of Jesus and how He reached out to people who were around Him. Hybels points out how Jesus left heaven to come to earth to purchase the souls of people, and reunite them with God. He also gives incredible real life examples of how he has followed the leading of God to speak with different people. At times the examples deal with on-going relationships with people, loving them, and leading them to Christ. Other examples deal with one-time situations where Hybels says what God opens the doors for him to say, and nothing more. It is as though the author gives you permission to go no further than God allows. This is a comforting idea for some, I am sure.
When it comes to how I will implement this wealth of information on my own life, I would have to say, where do I start? After coming across this resource at the beginning of this year, God began to really open my eyes to the opportunities He was bringing right in front of my eyes. I had opportunities to lead people to Christ, and pray with people to be restored to fellowship with Christ (this all occurred during Personal Evangelism class). I began to be more sensitive to what God was saying to me as I carried out my daily life. I also began to feel less like a failure when the opportunities did not lead to a profession of faith, or a complete presentation of the gospel. God revealed to me through this resource the need to trust Him more, and play the part He has called me to play in each situation.
When it comes to how I will use this in church, I have already purchased the video curriculum for small groups. I have begun to view it with my deacons. In the very first meeting this past Sunday when I asked the guys what they thought the head deacon said, “We have got to show this to other people ” He saw the need and the results of God’s people walking across rooms to build relationships with people. This “small group” of deacons seems to be very excited about finishing the rest of the sessions and applying it to their lives. After I finish with the deacons I am going to begin working through the church with groups of 5-10 people viewing the sessions and pray for God’s hand to be involved in the process. I am hoping that with God’s help by the end of this the church will be much more sensitive and willing to be used by God to become a part of people’s lives for the purpose of seeing them come to Christ.

Power Through Prayer
E.M. Bounds as evidenced in his book truly believed in the necessity of prayer in one’s relationship with God. His diagnosis of the church needing people of prayer was very convicting. His statement that, “The church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better people” was a very powerful declaration (p. 13). The best part about what Bounds laid out as a call to fervent prayer was the passion with which he spoke about the subject. It was obvious that he had discovered that very need for authentic, passionate communication with God in his own life. As I read it became very clear to me that for a Christ follower to be walking with God and to be used by God would necessitate consistent communion with God (sounds like common sense).
The thought that a Christ follower could only be properly effective for God would be that he was in communion with Him (through prayer), therefore being controlled by the Holy Spirit and receiving enablement for ministry. The reminder that this effectiveness is not attained through learning and training alone. Bounds makes it clear that orthodoxy (as he puts it) is not sufficient by itself, it must be accompanied by the ministry of the Holy Spirit through that individual (which is possible through a healthy prayer life).
The author truly exposed an issue that I must deal with in my own life. He mentioned that true prayer takes time, and not a small amount of it. So often I hit the ground running in the morning. I pray during the time I feel I can spare, and start my day. The thing that the Holy Spirit really made clear to me was that this kind of practice does not allow me to truly accomplish more, in fact I may accomplish less. The reason for this is that I may not be adequately prepared spiritually and do not have the enablement, wisdom, discernment, etc… that I may have received from an adequate amount of time spent communing with God in prayer. God revealed to me that instead of thinking that prayer should be curtailed so that I can accomplish more, prayer should be given its proper emphasis so that what I do accomplish is more likely to be under the blessing and enablement of God.
It seems so obvious to me what I personally can implement in my own life. God brought this book into my life at the time that I most need it. Ministry and family health issues have really brought me to a point of fatigue. After reading this book I went up to the attic and laid down on my back and just cried out to God. I asked forgiveness for my lack of dependence upon Him, and my need for help. This time of God was like medicine to my soul. After that flat on my back moment, I have tried to deliberately take time to commune with God in prayer. Bounds is right, it takes time to quiet your soul before God and commune with Him. I have found it has been what I need, and what I have been missing.
In terms of application for my church the implications are similar to my own. I know that many people are missing out on the same thing that I was missing out on. Recently I heard a man say that for pastors “church is your life”, for church people, “it isn’t.” So if out of absolute necessity I am spending even a minimal amount of time with God to survive, a lot of them are not even spending the minimal amount of time. It is not necessarily something on their radar screen. If I thought that I didn’t have enough time to spend significant time communing with God in prayer, most likely they are spending even less because of busyness. I have shared with people my flat on my back attic experience to encourage them about the need to spend an adequate amount of time communicating with God. Also, during our prayer service we have begun to take the majority of our time and commune with God in prayer. We have been praying specifically for spiritual revival in our lives, church, and community.

I just finished reading this book for a seminary class that I am taking.  The book was excellent.  There were a couple of statements that I did not feel completely comfortable with, but other than that it was very helpful.  I was reminded of the absolute importance of prayer in my walk with God.  Bounds really brings out the results of a healthy prayer life, and he brings out the results of an un-healthy prayer life.  I am thankful for the experience. 

My wife has been reading this book and had me read the final chapter of the book, and it was extremely valuable insight.  Here is a statement in that final chapter:

“God calls me to have the right attitude and do the right thing no matter whether I feel slighted, cheated, or overlooked.”