We need to go back to relying on the real, proven Word of God to draw strength from it,

TD Jakes calls Christians back to Bible

by Lillian Kwon, Christian Post

Posted: Tuesday, May 20, 2008, 7:50 (BST)

It is never too late to turn back to the Word of God, according to renowned preacher Bishop TD Jakes.

Senior pastor of megachurch The Potter's House in Dallas, Jakes took thousands of Christians "back to the Bible" during a three-day conference over the weekend, urging believers to realise that now is the time to re-commit to Jesus Christ.

"It is because of the state of this world - natural disasters, personal failures, a sagging economy, injustices, and more - that we need to get back to the Bible," said Jakes, who was dubbed one of the country's 25 most influential evangelicals by Time magazine in 2005. "We need to go back to relying on the real, proven Word of God to draw strength from it, and to use it as our guide for day-to-day living.”

Jakes and other speakers at the weekend event conveyed a message that "now is the time for believers to hang on to God because that is the only way to survival", according to Ann Fields, media relations specialist at The Potter's House.

The messages were delivered at a time when many Christians are abandoning their faith. David Sanford, author of If God Disappears: 9 Faith Wreckers and What to Do About Them, says believers have lost faith in the Bible, the church and Christian beliefs, and now millions of Americans are exiting the church.

Jakes called on believers to return to the Bible.

“For thousands of years, the Bible has proven itself relevant. It is rich in instruction in how to live the peaceful, productive and righteous life that God designed for us. Yet, at times, even Christians have swayed from its teachings. Even we have been distracted by the headlines of this world," he said.

"But it’s never too late to turn back to the only thing that doesn’t change, to the only thing that is dependable and fixed, and that is the Word of God."

Jakes launched the Back to the Bible conference in 1983 in Montgomery, West Virginia, with some 80 people. The annual event began before the highly popular MegaFest, "Woman Thou Are Loosed" and "ManPower" conferences were introduced. Back to the Bible is considered the flagship event that has helped to define Jakes and his ministry.

DMin Lecturer : Gene Getz

Personalia on

DR. GENE A. GETZ

Adjunct Professor in Pastoral Ministries

Dallas Theological Seminary

Dallas, Texas

Pastor Emeritus, Fellowship Bible Church North (now Chase Oaks Church)

President, Center for Church Renewal

Host and Teacher, Renewal Radio

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Diploma (1952), Moody Bible Institute; B.A. (1954), Rocky Mountain College; M.A. (1958), Wheaton College; Ph.D. (1968), New York University; graduate study at Northern Illinois University; Honorary Doctorate (1999), Institut Theologique de Nimes, Uchaud, France.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Radio ministry, Montana Gospel Crusade (1952-54); Youth Director, Church of the Air, Billings, Montana (1952-54); Director of Youth Camp, Clydehurst Christian Ranch (1954); Assistant Pastor, Cass Community Church, Hinsdale, Illinois (1954); Director of Christian Education, Lisle Bible Church, Lisle, Illinois (1955-57); Instructor in Christian Education (1955-68), Director of Evening School (1963-68), Moody Bible Institute; Visiting Professor, Word of Life Summer Institute of Camping, Schroon Lake, New York (1964--); Associate Professor of Christian Education, Dallas Theological Seminary (1968-74); Adjunct Professor in Pastoral Ministries, Dallas Theological Seminary (1974--); Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Center for Church Based Training (1999--); presently Pastor Emeritus, Fellowship Bible Church North (now Chase Oaks Church); President, Center for Church Renewal.

PUBLICATIONS

REGAL BOOKS ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Measure of a Church

Measure of a Family

Measure of a Man

Measure of a Woman

Partners for Life

CHARIOT-VICTOR BOOKS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

God's Plan for Building a Good Reputation

Serving One Another

Building Up One Another

Loving One Another

Encouraging One Another

Praying for One Another

SERENDIPITY HOUSE--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overcoming Adversity – Insights into the Life of Joseph

Shoulder to Shoulder – Insights into the Life of the Apostles

Unwavering Tenacity – Insights into the Life of Elijah

Fearless Leadership – Insights into the Life of Joshua

Weighing Anchor – Insights into the Life of Samuel

Forever Touched – Significant Women in Jesus’ Life

MOODY PUBLISHING --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Filling the Holes in Our Souls

Biblical Theology of Material Possessions

Real Prosperity

Elders and Leaders: God’s Plan for Leading the Church

The Measure of a Healthy Church

CENTER FOR CHURCH RENEWAL -------------------------------------------------------------------

Sharpening the Focus of the Church

BROADMAN & HOLMAN ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Walk

"Men of Character" Series

Abraham: Holding Fast to the Will of God

David: Seeking God Faithfully

Elijah: Remaining Steadfast Through Uncertainty

Jacob: Following God Without Looking Back

Joseph: Overcoming Obstacles Through Faithfulness

Joshua: Living as a Consistent Role Model

Nehemiah: Becoming a Disciplined Leader

Daniel: Standing Firm for God

Moses: Freeing Yourself to Know God

Samuel: A Lifetime Serving God

The Apostles: Becoming Unified Through Adversity

Paul: Living for the Call of Christ

WORD PUBLISHING ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Effective Church Growth Strategies

BACK TO THE BIBLE --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Interacting With God in Ephesians 1-3

Interacting With God in Ephesians 4-6

David: Anchoring Your Heart Close to God

1 Thessalonians: Moving Forward in a Backward World

HOWARD PUBLISHING------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rich in Every Way

VIDEO SERIES------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Doing Church in the Twenty-first Century

Measure of a Man

Measure of Spiritual Maturity

Dynamics of a Successful Marriage

PULPIT MINISTRY

Frequent speaker at church renewal seminars and Christian education conferences. In November of 1972, Dr. Getz, along with several families, launched Fellowship Bible Church in Dallas (now Chase Oaks Church). Since that time the work has grown to include 17 churches in the Dallas Metroplex and a number of Fellowship churches in other parts of the country. The basic principles forming the foundation for this new ministry are spelled out in Dr. Getz's book, Sharpening the Focus of the Church.

DMIN : ELDERS AND LEADERS

Dr. Gene A. Getz
June 10-13, 2008

OBJECTIVE

To understand God’s principles for leadership in the local church and to discuss how to implement these principles in various cultural situations.

COURSE OUTLINE

FOUNDATIONAL PERSPECTIVES

· Considering a basic research design for understanding God’s plan for the local church as it is unfolded in the New Testament.

· Looking at biblical criteria for measuring success in the local church.

· Reviewing vital biblical functions for producing a mature church.

ELDERS AND LEADERS: God’s Plan for Leading the Church

· Learning to “principlize”

· Unfolding the biblical story

· Crystallizing observations on the biblical story

· Formulating and applying supracultural principles

SUPPLEMENTAL LECTURES

· A biblical perspective on apostles, prophets and teachers

· A biblical perspective on all spiritual gifts

ASSIGNMENTS

PRECOURSE

Read carefully The Measure of a Healthy Church by Gene A. Getz (Moody Publishers). As you do, prepare a report on your own local church, using the questions listed at the end of each chapter entitled, “Thinking and Growing Together.” Ideally, it would be best to prepare this project by interacting with several mature believers in your church. However, this may not be possible because of time limitations. Consequently, you can complete this assignment personally.

When possible, verify the answers to each question with one or more specific illustrations.

This paper is due at the beginning of the course sessions.

Suggested length: 10 pages double-spaced.

Note: The purpose of this assignment is to lay a broader biblical foundation for studying the subject of “Elders and Leaders.”

IN-COURSE

There will be no specific assignments during the four days in class other than to interact with the lectures.

POST-COURSE

Elders and Leaders

Carefully work through Elders and Leaders: God’s Plan for Leading the Church with a small group of current or prospective leaders in your local church.

Design your own format for this assignment, including your written report on the process. However, at the beginning of the report, describe your format and then use the following questions to prepare this report:

1. Considering each member of your group, what were their most significant new insights?

2. In what sections of the book did you have the most intense discussions and why?

3. What were some of the conclusions in the book that were questionable to members of your group and why? (Give biblical reasons for any disagreements.)

Suggested length: 10 pages double-spaced

Biblical Eldership

Carefully read Alexander Strauch’s book entitled Biblical Eldership (Louis and Roth). Compare Strauch’s research and conclusions with Getz’s research approach and conclusions in Elders and Leaders: God’s Plan for Leading the Church. Answer five basic questions:

1. How does Strauch’s research paradigm differ from Getz’s?

2. How do Strauch’s observations and principles differ from Getz’s?

3. What are the major strengths in both works?

4. What are the major weaknesses in both works?

5. How would you improve on both studies?

Suggested length: 10 pages double-spaced

The Measure of a Man

A PERSONAL ASSIGNMENT FOR MEN

The following assignment can be done both before and after the class sessions. Carefully work through the latest edition of The Measure of a Man (Regal Books) by Gene A. Getz. If married, do this assignment with your spouse. If you’re not married, work through the material with a close and trusted friend.

It’s suggested that you and your spouse or friend each read a chapter separately and then discuss the questions listed at the end of each chapter under the caption—“Thinking and Growing Together.”

Using feedback from your spouse or friend, write out at least one goal you would like to achieve in your life as a result of the specific quality described in each chapter.

Suggested length: 10 pages double-spaced

Note: This is a confidential assignment and will be read only by the class instructor.

The Measure of a Woman

A PERSONAL ASSIGNMENT FOR WOMEN

Carefully work through the latest edition of The Measure of a Woman (Regal Books) by Gene and Elaine Getz and follow the same procedures as listed above.

Suggested length: 10 pages double-spaced

Primal Leadership

Carefully review and evaluate Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee (Harvard Business School Press).

Answer the following questions:

1. What is the basic thesis of this book?

2. What areas in this book would you question theologically?

3. What do Christian leaders need to learn from this book that we often overlook?

Suggested length: 10 pages double-spaced

Note: with the exception of the personal assignment for men and the personal assignment for women, all of these post-course assignments should be done after the in-course experience.

SUGGESTED FOLLOW-UP PROJECTS

Elders and Leaders Field Guide

A curriculum has been developed for the Elders and Leaders study based on a number of “issues” faced by current Governance Boards. This material is designed to be intensely interactive based on a “six-step wisdom process”:

Step 1: grasp the issue

Step 2: study the Scriptures

Step 3: consult other sources

Step 4: form a response

Step 5: discuss the issues

Step 6: take action to obey

For more information, contact:

James Roberts

Center for Church Based Training (CCBT)

1700 Gateway Blvd.

Richardson, TX 75080

1-888-422-2896 (toll free)

www.ccbt.org

THE MEASURE OF A MAN VIDEO STUDY

Grace Products has developed an interactive video series (Part 1, Part 2) now on DVD, that covers each quality listed by Paul in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 and developed in The Measure of a Man by Gene A. Getz. Each video segment includes a life story to illustrate each quality of maturity, two brief expository presentations by Gene, followed by questions for interaction and response.

For more information, contact:

Grace Products

1771 International Parkway

#111

Richardson, TX 75081

1-800-527-4014 (toll free)

www.gracevideos.com

God doesn’t require evangelists to wear three-piece suits or to have impressive theological degrees. He uses nobodies.

A Holy Ghost Outbreak in Florida

Charismatics are flocking to the sleepy town of Lakeland, Fla. to attend evangelist Todd Bentley’s unconventional revival services.

Todd Bentley is not exactly your grandmother’s evangelist, but that didn’t stop grandmothers from lining up to get prayer from the 32-year-old preacher last week when he opened his 14th straight night of revival meetings in Lakeland, Fla. People of all ages—including plenty of retirees with bad backs and partial deafness—crammed into the 700-seat Ignited Church to watch Bentley pray for the sick and to hear testimonies from the healed.

“If you need a miracle in your body, stand up!” Bentley shouted, waving his tattooed arms over the crowd. “There is healing in the atmosphere! Sometimes people feel fire or heat. It’s Jesus!”

The audience was pumped. Many had been coming to the meetings since April 2, when a four-day conference began and then zoomed into overdrive. Others had just arrived in Lakeland from out of state after hearing reports of the revival on the Internet. The night I attended, host pastor Steve Strader said more than 90,000 people had watched the meetings online.

“Tumors are going to be pulled out of people’s bodies tonight,” Bentley announced with a grin. “It’s gonna pop tonight!”

The scene inside this church, a former Scotty’s home-supply warehouse, was beyond unconventional. Teenagers with spiked hair worshiped God side by side with soccer moms and scruffy, pony-tailed bikers. After an hour of singing they cheered Bentley as he took the stage looking like a roadie for a grunge band.

Heavy-set with a beard and shaved head, the Canada-born preacher is rough around the edges. He wore jeans and a black T-shirt that said “Legend Killers” on the back. The metal studs in his ears and left eyebrow glistened in the stage lights. His tattoos covered both arms and most of his neck.

By his own admission, Bentley is a walking miracle. He should have died 15 years ago—but his life was spared when a burly stranger carrying a large white Bible knocked on his door and delivered what Bentley calls “the fieriest hell-and-damnation sermon I’ve ever heard.”

Immediately after his conversion at age 17, Bentley began spending four to 12 hours a day in prayer and Bible reading. It wasn’t long before he was preaching to huge crowds.

A high school dropout, Bentley has conducted healing crusades in dozens of nations including Ecuador, India and Tanzania. His staff says crippled people have left their wheelchairs behind numerous times.

But his methods are far from polished. When he prayed for people in Lakeland, he usually began by laying his hand on their heads and then yelling, “Bam!”

Often the people fell backward to the floor. After one elderly woman fell, Bentley told the audience: “She doesn’t know why she fell down.” The woman then laughed and said to him in the microphone: “Because you pushed me!” He prayed for her three more times that night, and she said she could hear better.

“I’m feeling the presence of God so strong in here!” he shouted. More people ran to the stage, dodging teens who had swooned on the floor. A teenage girl walked up to Bentley on the platform and said a lump on her neck had just dissolved. During the past three weeks people have testified of being healed from heart conditions, skin rashes and back problems, and many said scars disappeared.

Bentley says he refuses to give this outbreak of Pentecostal revival a name, but some have already dubbed it the “Florida Healing Outpouring.” Strader, the former pastor of Carpenter’s Home Church in Lakeland, said a New Zealand preacher prophesied in March that Bentley would be used “like a boomerang” to trigger a national revival that would start in Florida.

Many charismatics are wondering if the protracted meetings will become a phenomenon similar to what happened in Rodney Howard-Browne’s meetings in Lakeland in 1993, at the Toronto Airport Vineyard Church in Canada in 1994 and at Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola in 1995.

It’s too early to tell if this outbreak is the next Toronto Blessing—which lasted for several years and spread revivalist fervor to dozens of nations. If the crowds in Lakeland keep growing, Strader will have to move the meetings to a larger venue since his building and parking lot are already at full capacity.

Those who can’t visit Lakeland should be encouraged to know that God doesn’t require evangelists to wear three-piece suits or to have impressive theological degrees. He uses nobodies. If anything is obvious from the Lakeland revival, it is that God wants to anoint and empower ordinary people—even those who dropped out of school or got messed up in drugs—to take His radical love to a world that is desperate to see the raw power of God.

J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma. You can learn more about Todd Bentley’s revival services in Lakeland at the Ignited Church Web site, ignitedchurch.com. Last weekend Bentley announced that he has canceled his bookings in April so he can keep the momentum going, at least through early May. Starting Thursday, Apr. 24, the meetings are being moved to Auburndale Life Church in Auburndale, Fla., about 10 miles from Lakeland.

Our methods might need to change as we grow and as our world changes

Have you named your replacement

An interview with Naomi Dowdy

Most ministry leaders don't think about the dreaded word "successor" until it is too late. They act as if they will live forever. Or they stay in control of their church or organization until they are so old that it's too late to train their replacements. Naomi Dowdy, a veteran church planter who has worked in Asia for decades, decided to buck this trend. She selected her successor, Dominic Yeo, several years ago, trained him and then set him in place in 2005. Yeo's installation at the 5,500-member Trinity Christian Centre in Singapore was an impressive demonstration of the way church leadership is supposed to work—and it gave Dowdy an opportunity to share her secrets with leaders all over the world. Ministry Today asked Dowdy to download her secrets to us. We think you'll benefit from her refreshingly practical wisdom. Ministry Today: Why do you think most pastors don't consider it a priority to find a successor? Dowdy: One reason is tradition. Tradition says that a pastor stays with the church until "retirement"—meaning when he or she is too old or too sick to continue. Another reason is the old-fashioned attitude that says, "I want to die preaching in the pulpit." In the old days, ministry was considered to be about preaching and was not defined by other expressions. So we had this idea that if you really wanted to be successful you would never stop ministering. A third reason is poor planning. Many pastors have not planned for another expression of their ministry beyond the church they pastor now. Many of them cannot picture themselves sitting around doing nothing in their older years. They have energy, and they want to be productive in some way in their later years. To complicate things, most churches either cannot or have not helped their pastors with financial planning. How will older ministers pay their bills? Ministry Today: You recently handed over the leadership of your church to Dominic Yeo. When did you first come to realize that you needed a replacement, and how did you identify him? Dowdy: The realization came long before there was someone available and ready. I took steps to prepare. I had to basically grow my own leaders. This required me to break from a traditional approach to doing church. There were not many Bible school graduates to select from. I knew I needed to begin to develop men and women who could work in every area of ministry. I needed those with pastoral skills, leadership skills and preaching skills. Mostly I was looking for spiritual sons and daughters who had the DNA of the church. During the 1990s, when I would have our various pastoral planning retreats, I would lead our pastors into open discussions about their spiritual gifts. We talked about what gifts they thought they had versus what gifts others felt they had. We discussed their perception of themselves and how it matched the perception of other team members. We asked many questions: Were they able to see, from among their peers, who had the gift of apostle, prophet, pastor, evangelist or teacher? Could they recognize and accept that there were some leaders who had a greater anointing to lead the whole team? Would they be willing to accept and follow their leadership? This was not a democratic process that involved voting; it was a time of dialogue. I could see which leaders were emerging, but it was necessary for the person to be accepted by their peers when the time would come for transition. This was all part of a long process to prepare both the person and the staff for new leadership. Of course, they did not know that I was doing this. Without a lot of detail I would give my leadership team the opportunity to prove themselves in various ministry situations. In other words, I tested them. This gave them experience, exposure, time for evaluation and an opportunity to gain confidence. Ministry Today: Obviously your congregation had come to love you over a long period of time. How did you help them adjust to the idea of a new leader? Dowdy: I knew it was necessary to develop new leaders from within the church. The congregation had to begin to love these growing leaders, so I had to create ways for the church to experience their power and anointing. I would tell the people how great our pastors were so that I could build confidence in them. I would also put them in charge of the affairs in the church while I was overseas on ministry trips. These things were planned with a purpose. Ministry Today: Did you and Dominic have any different views on major issues? Does a pastor's replacement have to think just like he or she does, or is there room for the new leader to have a new style? Dowdy: Dominic and I did have some different views in the beginning. However, we worked through those early in our relationship, before I was sure he would become my successor. There were no major differences on methodology or vision, because he was a part of the process in developing and fine-tuning our church's core values. For this reason I know the vision of our church will not change. Our methods might need to change as we grow and as our world changes. I told him that he must always pray, hear from God and then review our methods in order to stay on the cutting edge. Ministry Today: Now that you are traveling a lot, what function do you play in the church, and how is the congregation responding to you in your new role? Dowdy: I have always traveled in ministry outside my church. We are more than just a local church. We have a global vision, thus we are involved in working with churches in many nations. Most of our pastors are involved in ministry beyond our church and outside Singapore. That is who we are. However, in the earlier years of my pastorale, I did greatly reduce my travel in order to concentrate on our local church and to develop a strong leadership base. As our leaders grew, I increased my travel to other nations. Officially my role and title in the church is that of resident apostle. I do not involve myself in the daily operations of the church—rather, I am a mentor to our leadership team. I continue to work with our new senior pastor as we mentor the next generation. I am involved in our overseas endeavors, and I work to expand our outreach and strengthen the churches we relate to. I'm also involved in many areas of ministry, but I don't lead unless I am asked to. The church and the leadership at Trinity Christian Centre continue to love and honor me, but I don't place obligations on them. I also have the responsibility as the resident apostle to "step in" if the senior pastor falls into sin. In such a scenario I would have to judge the matter and determine the course of action needed to deal with him, and also to lead and guide the church through troubled times. The church has responded well to my transition, and they are flowing with Pastor Dominic and the leadership team. The church is growing, miracles are happening, and our new building is progressing on schedule. The church has also responded well to my new role. The major complaint is that I am gone too much, and they want me to reduce my travel so I can stay in Singapore more. It is great to know they love me! Ministry Today: What is the worst thing that can happen to a church if the pastor just continues to remain in the pulpit and never trains a replacement? Dowdy: There are a couple of "worst" things. The pastor can overstay his effectiveness. This can result in the church becoming stagnant and drifting into maintenance mode. In this condition the church will probably lose members and become a shadow of its former self. This would mean that a new pastor coming in must pick up a church that is on decline and try to reverse the situation, losing years of impact. The other "worst" thing that happens is when a pastor without a replacement suddenly dies or just gives the church a short notice that he is resigning. This pushes the responsibility and burden of finding a replacement in a short time onto a group of elders or a church board.

Indonesian Boy Preacher

God is able to do great things, despite our unbelief.

God is able to use different people to serve Him, even if we do not believe He can.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSlKKHoBXf4


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