MIM Ezine, April 27, 2009

-- Running A.M.O.K. Creative Arts Ministry:Don't Leave Him/Them Hanging, by DC Weiss.

-- BOOK REVIEW: Leading Women Who Wound: Strategies for an Effective Ministry, by Sue Edwards and Kelly Mathews, reviewed by Teena Stewart.

Looking for something, but not sure where to find it? DreamBuilders Ministry in Motion has produced a 50-page Resource Guide that just might have what you need. And it's FREE! You need adobe acrobat reader (also free) to read the document. Check it out at: http://www.ministryinmotion.net/christian_ministry_resource_guid.html

Anyone who has ever looked for a new ministry position knows how stressful it can be. My clergy husband has gone through the pastoral search process on several occasions. This experience, as well as my own service in church ministry where I’ve seen how churches conduct their search processes, has taught me some important things about ministry job searches.

Many churches today use the Internet when seeking and responding to applicants. Those that don’t are probably not current with the times. Keep that in mind when you conduct your job search. Don’t assume that the positions that are open are just the ones posted in advertisements. Sometimes you can learn about a position before it becomes available. Call around to churches in the area where you wish to secure a position to see if they have available positions.

One crucial detail many ministry job applicants overlook is the cover letter that accompanies their resume. Once a ministry position is made known, a church may receive hundreds of responses. If you want to be noticed you’ll need to distinguish yourself.

Your cover letter is just as important as your resume. If you are responding via email, your email serves as your cover letter. Keep it short and be sure to have someone proof your letter and resume before you send them. If possible, include an attention grabbing detail that will make your query stand out from others. This can be anything from a brief inspirational or leadership quote, a clever tag line below your signature summing up your ministry philosophy, or even mention of ministry related book that has influenced your ministry. You might also consider beginning your letter by mentioning something recent and significant that has happened at that church to which you are applying (a sermon series, campaign, outreach event) that shows you are in the know regarding what the church is doing.

Some people don’t want to spend the money for a professionally crafted resume. I find this odd since this one piece of paper can have such an impact on whether a church chooses to interview you or not. The cost should be considered an investment in your future. Churchstaffing.com (http://www.churchstaffing.com/Store/Store.aspx) is an excellent place to both search for ministry positions and to find resume services.

If you have your own ministry-related website, blog or Face book url you might want to include this in an Extra-curricular Highlights section of your resume if it seems relevant to your position or will help you stand out from the crowd. Despite efforts to be fair, potential employers unfortunately do make judgments against people based on their ages. If you are older, including details such as these make you seem more technologically current and savvy. If you are really young, include details (but please don’t fabricate them) that make you seem more seasoned and competent.

I have a DVR so I may be a little behind, but I finally watched the series finale of one of my favorite shows, ABC Family’s “Kyle XY.” I’m not sure why this show impacted me the way it did. Maybe it’s because the main character is an innocent in a world full of the guilty, a guy who always seeks to do good. Kyle XY is an exceptional teen with superhero-like powers who—at least until the last few episodes—always uses his powers for good. It was a great show and I will miss it.

I greatly anticipated the series finale, eager to have my questions answered. The show is long over and I am still waiting. They left me hanging with an ending was so abrupt it is clear the producers intended another season. Unfortunately they pulled the plug after the show wrapped up for the season. I am more than a little aggravated with ABC Family today. I hate to be left hanging.

That being said, how often do we as Christ followers do the same thing? We share our faith talking about how Jesus died for our sins as the culmination of the story. As great as the story is, it’s only half the story. Don’t worry. I am not going to criticize our Catholic brothers and sisters (anyone who has a problem with me saying that really needs to read John 17 again) for displaying Jesus on the cross. Sometimes I think we Protestants need to picture Jesus on the cross more often to remind us of the price he paid. Jesus on the cross is not the end of the story so don’t leave him hanging there. The price he paid on the cross is the most amazing gift of love ever, but we do our listeners a huge disservice if we leave out the best part. He rose again and because He did, so will all who place their trust in Him.

As we seek to use our gifts to tell the greatest story ever told, it all comes back to the resurrection. Without the resurrection we are foolish people who worship a dead man and that leaves our “audience” with more questions than answers. If we leave Him hanging, we leave them hanging. It’s great to share the sacrifice, but don’t forget the glory. Jesus is risen and He lives! Don’t leave them hanging.

DC (David) Weiss is pastor of New Creation Fellowship in Reading, PA and has been a professional in the graphic communications/visual arts field for over 20 years. A few years ago, he felt led by the Spirit to combine his love for art and ministry and A.M.O.K. Arts Ministry Outreach for the Kingdom was Born. A.M.O.K. is a ministry dedicated to helping people of all creative disciplines and ability levels to use their God given gifts to serve the Lord in preaching, teaching and reaching. More information on A.M.O.K. including free and low cost resources for preaching teaching and reaching can be found http://www.amokarts.com.

It’s the beginning of the year. I’ve grossly over-eaten during the holidays and now I’m a fat disgusting slob. There. I’ve laid it all on the table. And it’s the only thing that’s still on the table, since I’ve pretty much wolfed down everything else.

Perhaps you find yourself in the same predicament. But how, you wonder, did we ever get this way? Is it that we were gluttonous pigs, unable to control our appetites during the holidays? Some small-minded individuals may think so, but I suggest that the reason lies in our generous natures. Could it be that we didn’t want to hurt the feelings of those who made those treats for us? Or, could it be that we were courageously sparing other family members the trauma of weight-gain? I say good for us! The world needs more people just like us.

But before I go any further, let me encourage you by stating that the problem isn’t anywhere near as bad as you think. Let’s say that before the holidays, you weighed in at a comfy 250 pounds. On January 1, you weighed about 280, so now you think you gained 30 pounds, right? Not even close.

Have you considered the fact that bathroom scales wear out? Your scale contains teeny little springs that weaken over time so that, over the years, your scale registers you weighing more than you actually do. I estimate that your scale adds about five pounds to your weight every year. You multiply that number by the 10 or so years you’ve owned your scale and that’s 50 pounds of ghost weight that you need to deduct from your total weight.

Now, let’s take a look at that holiday weight gain again. Before the holidays, you were 250 pounds. After the holidays you weighed 280 for a net gain of 30 pounds. But wait. Now deduct 50 pounds for the 10 years of scale wear and tear, and you have a net loss of 20 pounds!

For those not satisfied with this indisputable logic, the question then becomes, what are you going to do about all that weight gain?

I suggest you try a balanced diet. Let’s say you have a lunch consisting of a turkey sandwich, a yogurt cup, an apple, and a candy bar. See how unbalanced that meal is? Now, let’s add two more candy bars to that meal. There you go. Now your meal is all balanced out. You have three healthy things that you’ll have to somehow force down your throat and three fun things that you’ll really enjoy eating.

You could also try exercising. The other day I heard a fitness guru suggest that I treat myself with a half hour of exercise, instead of gorging on Chips Ahoy. How about some advice I could really use? If I was the kind of person who thought that exercise was a treat, I wouldn’t be overweight, now would I?

I’ve heard people say you need a lot of willpower to lose weight. I used to have lots of willpower but my appetite hijacked it, so now my willpower is applied toward the objective of getting more dessert.

This whole topic is relatively new to me. For years I was that guy who couldn’t gain weight if he tried, but now I find that I really have to behave myself, lest my waistline expand like the federal deficit.

It’s a humbling thing, because I am discovering that this is yet one more area of my life that I really stink at managing. Like just about everyone else on the planet, I would like to think of myself as self-sufficient and capable of handling anything that comes my way, but deep down, I know that it’s not true.

Yet once again I realize that the smartest thing I can do is bow my head and ask the Lord to guide me through the complexities of something as silly as learning to manage my diet. So, don’t look for the next fad diet or exercise plan from me because I’m still trying to figure it all out.

By the way, is it just me, or does anyone else feel like getting a snack right about now?

Blah, Blah, Blog

Got a bee in your bonnet? Need help in a ministry area? Found a great resource or website? Got a goofy video or link to share. Want to share about your ministry or book? Email us at

Book Review – Leading Women Who Wound: Strategies for an Effective Ministry

Sue Edwards and Kelly Mathews, 2009, Moody Publishers, 187 pages, ISBN #9780802481535

Many books have been written on conflict but few have been penned on conflict among women. Sue Edwards, assistant professor of Christian education at Dallas Theological Seminary and Kelley Mathews, a freelance writer and copy editor have teamed up to show us how best to handle conflict between women in ministry.

As much as we would like to think that those serving within the church walls will behave as mature Christians, evidence says differently. Conflict arises for a variety of reasons: personality differences, misunderstandings, jealously, and even mental illness.

The authors warn us not to handle conflict involving a woman that same as we would with men. There is a marked difference in how opposite sexes handle conflict which is developed at an early age. Men tend to be more confrontational but recover much more quickly from hurts and disagreements, even moving on to become friends in many cases.

Women on the other hand are taught to hide their disagreements and pretend all is well, all the while taking things very personally. They can carry grudges for long periods. These same coping methods carry over into adulthood so that when women who disagree often can’t quickly resolve the issues. The mistake many men in ministry make when handling conflict resolution is assuming that the incident has been resolved and that the women have moved on, when in actuality trouble is bubbling underneath the surface.

The book uses scripture to map out how we are to deal with conflict in an orderly fashion and cites a variety of sources that insight on women in conflict. Both authors recount some of their own personal experiences involving conflict with other women and what they learned from those encounters as well as sharing scenarios involving other women.

The inherit warning repeated throughout the book is to be prepared because no matter how Christ-like we are, or how good a job we are doing, we may be blind-sided by another professing Christian who may not handle disagreements well. Knowing how best to handle varying situations can help resolve conflict more quickly with less detrimental results.

Though women in ministry are this book’s target audience, the writers devote a chapter to the male ministry leaders providing tips on how best to bring women together so that issues are resolved in as healthy a manner as possible. This is a great resource for leaders in ministry, particularly women in leadership positions.

Site Build It -- There are many different hosting plans for those wanting Christian websites but few work with you to drive traffic to your site. SBI differs from these because it is an all-in-one do-it-yourself website program that doesn’t require html knowledge. Includes domain registration, hosting, keyword research tools, search engine optimization, ezine mailing, and non-interactive blog option. The system guarantees success in getting good ranking with search engines thereby assuring you of more traffic. This website system is used by DreamBuilders Ministry in Motion. Site Build It Quick Tour

Be sure to visit Ministry in Motion's Bookshop. Every resource is developed from hands-on church experience. Help members discover their spiritual gifts, how to connect them in ministry and more. Visit MIM's Bookshop.

Just $10 per classified listing. For more information on advertising visit our advertising page.

Ministry in Motion is looking for columnists & writers in the following areas: women's ministry, men's ministry, single's ministry, youth ministry, worship ministry, small group/bible study ministry, and general ministry. We are also open to general church ministry related freelance articles. If you have an idea for a column or would like to share ministry insight or even short ministry tips, we'd love to hear from you. Present payment is promotion only -- no pay but great exposure for you, your ministry, book, or website. Please read our writer's guidelines here.

One of the needs we have perceived at Ministry in Motion is a service to help connect qualified ministers and church workers to ministry related and church staff positions. If you are presently in job search mode, or if you have a ministry position you are looking to fill, be sure to check out this site by clicking here.

DBMIM April 27, 2009

Blah, Blah, Blog