Zipline
The Quickest Way to Stay Informed
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Storyline: Want to Get Away?
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Cayucos Community Church has created
The Haven, a ministry to bring rest and refreshment to vocational servants of God, and is available to
EFCA pastoral families. The Haven is a fully furnished quaint beach cottage with
2 bedroom, 1 bath and full kitchen one block from the beach in Cayucos, CA. One bedroom has a queen bed, the other a daybed with trundle.
The only charge will be a non-refundable $100 reservation/cleaning fee which must be submitted to confirm your reservation. Visit the
CCC website for further details.
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Something to Talk About: Armor that Does Not Fit
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In this month's Something to Talk About,
Don’t Wear Armor that Does Not Fit
, Bob Osborne uses the story of Saul's attempt to get David to wear Saul's armor to battle Goliath as the imagery that comes to mind when he is asked to recommend a system or structure for a church to use.
"I’m reluctant to recommend one [system] because
a church’s systems and structures must fit that church
– if they don’t, they won’t facilitate good results; rather, they will prove to be problematic."
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Christian Investors Financial Resource Churches
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Christian Investors Financial (CIF) is a catalyst for the Kingdom of God. They help EFCA and like-minded churches maximize their potential by providing
loans for churches
looking to expand,
investments for good
, and
campaigns & consulting for your next capital campaign.
www.ChristianInvestors.org
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800.995.8574
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EFCA Archives Provide a Look at Our History
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The Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA) and Trinity International University (TIU) have joined together to provide a
digital collection of EFCA history. The collection contains published and unpublished manuscripts, photographs, and periodicals relevant to the EFCA. More than 1,000 Beacon magazine issues, around 70 historical books and nearly all EFCA Yearbooks since the 1930's are included. Users can browse, search, download, and share them from any computer or tablet.
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The Kobayashi Maru of Sunday Sermons
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Using imagery from Star Trek in which StarFleet Academy cadets are faced with a no-win scenario called the Kobayashi Maru, Dan Reiland suggests that in a church in which there are generational, cultural, ethnic, theological, life stage and maturity differences, it can seem to those who preach to be a no-win situation just as complex. Dan suggests that
the challenge to go deep enough for your congregation is the Kobayashi Maru of Sunday Sermons. Because of this, Dan offers
four ways to beat the Kobayashi Maru without cheating.
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A Warning to Those Who Work with Words
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Most of us who serve in ministry roles, whether paid, elected or volunteer, are people who work with words. It is not just that we are people of the Word; we are people who traffic in words. Tim Challies provides a sober reminder that while the use of words is a great strength, it can also be used in ways that turn them into great weaknesses. "
There are inevitably times in life where those who work with words have to interact with those who do not...They have to debate crucial decisions. They have to arrive at shared vision and direction. And
sometimes, in such situations,
the masters of words have the ability to get their way simply because of their mastery... And so they get their way, even when it’s not the best way.
"
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Chuck Lawless shares candidly about his failure to discuss salary and benefits with his leaders. Among his insights are such things as "
I no longer assume that godliness = an insufficient income;
" and "
My sacrificial thinking could have easily become the expectation for future pastors;
" and "
All of us assumed that I as the senior pastor would earn more than others;
thus, everyone’s salary was based off mine. My willing sacrifice became a forced sacrifice for others."
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"
Great coaches (and mentors) ask great questions. The questions are often unique and focused on the individual. But good coaches also have favorite 'go to' questions that are helpful every time... I write those two words on a napkin, over a cup of coffee, slide it across the table and say something like:
'How would you describe the level of fruit and joy in your life?'
It always produces a fantastic conversation, because every time one or the other (fruit or joy) is not quite up to par."
Dan Reiland
goes on to explain the power of those two words for life and ministry.
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"What do people mean when they say, 'I am not afraid of God because I know He is good?' Have they never been to a dentist?" — C.S. Lewis in
A Grief Observed
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