Some lists of the qualities of church planters. Chuck Ridley from Texas A&M, J. Allen Thompson, Scott Thomas of Acts 29 and Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church. Scott Thomas writes:
The qualities of a successful basketball player are consistent. He or she can dribble, shoot, pass, play defense, rebound, play as a team, think, move quickly and work hard. They don’t have to do all of these at the same level but all of the qualities characterize a succesful player at the highest level.
Church planters similarily have qualities that determine their God-given capacity to plant a reproducing church.
7 athletes who squandered millions. This is sad.
Almost 80 percent of National Football League players are flirting with bankruptcy two years after they retire, according to Sports Illustrated. NBA players aren’t faring much better. 60 percent of former National Basketball Association players end up broke within five years of retirement. Athletes squander millions of dollars due to bad decisions, lavish spending and poor financial planning. Here is a list of athletes that have lost their fortunes through some of the biggest financial blunders of all time.
Ten books every preacher should read. One down. Nine to go. Anything on Al Mohler’s recommendation list should be considered.
- Christ-Centered Worship: Letting the Gospel Shape Our Practice, by Bryan Chapell (Baker Academic)
- The Case for Books: Past, Present, and Future, by Robert Darnton (Public Affairs)
- Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion, by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck (Moody Publishers) [on sale for 60% off—i.e., $6—at Amazon]
- Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of the American Church, by Michael Horton (Baker Books)
- The Trellis and the Vine: The Ministry Mind-Shift that Changes Everything, by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne (Matthias Media)
- Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families and Churches, by Russell D. Moore (Crossway)
- Ancient Word, Changing Worlds: The Doctrine of Scripture in a Modern Age, by Stephen J. Nichols and Eric T. Brandt (Crossway)
- Perspectives on Christian Worship: 5 Views, edited by J. Matthew Pinson (B&H Academic)
- Souls in Transition: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults, by Christian Smith with Patricia Snell (Oxford Univ. Press)
- The Young and the Digital: What Migration to Social-Network Sites, Games, and Anytime, Anywhere Media Means for Our Future, by S. Craig Watkins (Beacon Press)
Is it wrong that most pastors don’t want to work for small, poor churches? Interesting article titled Who Will Lead Smaller Churches?
Although there are more Protestant ministers than churches, many ministers don’t want to work for those congregations, especially smaller ones, according to a study by Duke University. The study was reported in a March 16, 2004, Associated Baptist Press report.