The PF Women Team at our Annual Team Retreat ~ 2018 Today on Seth Godin's blog, he said: It's tempting to decide to make a profit first, then invest in training, people, facilities, promotion, customer service and most of all, doing important work. In general, though, it goes the other way. Yes, it does. If you are waiting to make a profit before you do these things, in my experience you're not going to make a profit. So many organizations, ministries and churches are struggling with financial issues. I know your pain. As anyone who follows our story knows, our ministry was in a ton of debt four years ago when I came on as director. Since that time, we've gotten out of debt and turned a profit every year. God has done amazing things through out team, for which we give Him the glory! I find that what Seth is saying here is absolutely true, with one disclaimer. For Christian leaders, spiritual disciplines must always be first. Before we started i...
The past few days have been good for me.
I have been away in Orlando at district women's ministries reps meetings all day Thursday, and following that a "Leading Ladies retreat." This particular retreat was at the Omni Champions Gate and was just for senior pastor's wives only and it was so refreshing. I just soaked in the worship -- the leader was Rebecca McGinnis - had never met her before and I was so impressed with her sensitivity. The teaching was great and I especially took in everything as Darlene Betzer (one of my heroes) spoke as well as another speaker, one I had never heard before - Margaret Register. Wow. She's the author of the book No Place for Plastic Saints, and her specialty is transparency. She's a woman who just tells amazing stories about the ministry and makes you laugh, cry and change somewhere in there as it all gets blended together. I just love people who keep it real. I appreciate this quote from her book, and one of her messages to us over the weekend:
"Being in the ministry is like having a baby. Sometimes it's so painful and you can't explain it to anybody who hasn't been through it, and even if you did there would be nothing that could be done about it."
Yes, we can pray. We can believe, and we do. By that statement, she didn't mean that God's power is not available to us, but what she simply means is that pain happens. We are not just going to escape it entirely. Some things we do have to go through. There are a lot of wonderful aspects of ministry - namely CHANGED LIVES. There is nothing, nothing, nothing like being on the front row of someone's life and being instrumental in that. But as anyone knows who has pastored a church for more than five minutes, you sure will have your days of ups and down and if not for the call...
I'm so thankful for my friends who need no explanation because they live the same lifestyle. That is why ministers getting together is so wonderful -- there's nothing to explain. We all "get it." It's a clarification free weekend. Camaraderie, fellowship, kindred spirits, soul sisters, sans clarification -- it was all happenin'... at the Omni this weekend.
I have been away in Orlando at district women's ministries reps meetings all day Thursday, and following that a "Leading Ladies retreat." This particular retreat was at the Omni Champions Gate and was just for senior pastor's wives only and it was so refreshing. I just soaked in the worship -- the leader was Rebecca McGinnis - had never met her before and I was so impressed with her sensitivity. The teaching was great and I especially took in everything as Darlene Betzer (one of my heroes) spoke as well as another speaker, one I had never heard before - Margaret Register. Wow. She's the author of the book No Place for Plastic Saints, and her specialty is transparency. She's a woman who just tells amazing stories about the ministry and makes you laugh, cry and change somewhere in there as it all gets blended together. I just love people who keep it real. I appreciate this quote from her book, and one of her messages to us over the weekend:
"Being in the ministry is like having a baby. Sometimes it's so painful and you can't explain it to anybody who hasn't been through it, and even if you did there would be nothing that could be done about it."
Yes, we can pray. We can believe, and we do. By that statement, she didn't mean that God's power is not available to us, but what she simply means is that pain happens. We are not just going to escape it entirely. Some things we do have to go through. There are a lot of wonderful aspects of ministry - namely CHANGED LIVES. There is nothing, nothing, nothing like being on the front row of someone's life and being instrumental in that. But as anyone knows who has pastored a church for more than five minutes, you sure will have your days of ups and down and if not for the call...
I'm so thankful for my friends who need no explanation because they live the same lifestyle. That is why ministers getting together is so wonderful -- there's nothing to explain. We all "get it." It's a clarification free weekend. Camaraderie, fellowship, kindred spirits, soul sisters, sans clarification -- it was all happenin'... at the Omni this weekend.

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