Megan Denton

Harvesters Ministries is currently planting churches globally at a rate of 100 per day. In this video, discover the method of multiplication church planting through evangelism, discipleship and pastoral training. https://lnkd.in/emQ5vwYC

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Selecting a Pastor Search Team (PST) Selecting a PST is a crucial task for any Baptist church following the termination, resignation, or retirement of a pastor. While such transitions are inevitable, they should ideally be infrequent. Regularly assembling a PST may indicate underlying health issues within the church. This process should adhere to the church's governing documents. Here, I offer suggestions for selecting a PST, with a focus on strengthening the church’s biblical foundation and unity during this pivotal time. The pastor search process provides a valuable opportunity to engage the congregation and reinforce three foundational Baptist beliefs. First, the teaching of the Priesthood of Believers emphasizes that every believer has direct access to God through the finished work of Jesus Christ, without the need for a human intermediary (1 Peter 2:9). This underscores the importance of each member's input in the search process. Second, the biblical qualifications for a pastor, outlined in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, should be mirrored in the members of the search team. Attributes such as being “above reproach, self-controlled, hospitable,” and “having a good reputation” are essential for those on the team. Third, we must remember the sovereignty of God in guiding His church. The ideal members for the PST are those who exemplify the Fruit of the Spirit, maintain confidentiality, and have a deep understanding of Christian doctrine; the pastor search team is usually not a place for a new Christian. These individuals should represent the diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds within the church, ensuring the search reflects the true nature of the congregation. Including a variety of ages, backgrounds, and perspectives can provide a well-rounded view of the church to potential candidates. While it is customary to receive nominations from the congregation, church leadership should have a thorough vetting process to assemble a representative and effective team. Practical considerations should also be addressed before forming the search team. The team should not be too large; groups of five to nine members are common, with two alternates. The chairperson should be comfortable addressing the congregation. It is essential to include members who understand the church’s history, culture, practices, and ministries. Having someone with human resources or business experience can be advantageous. Utilizing an outside consultant from the Association or State Convention to train and guide the committee often leads to a more effective search process. Many team members may lack experience in searching for a new pastor, making the guidance of a trusted consultant invaluable. A consultant often helps the pastor search team deal with challenging situations which arise during a search.

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The past 21 weeks have been an exciting blend of stepping out in faith and navigating a steep learning curve. It’s been a great joy to work alongside Scott J. Muchow in co-founding Libre Retreats. Taking on the role of Executive Director on August 1 was both an answer to prayer and a leap of faith. It’s given me the chance to extend to others the same comfort God gave me during my own burnout, after 21 years of pastoral ministry. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4) I would’ve never imagined the kind of growth we’ve experienced in just 21 weeks. Our Pastor Collective has grown by 850%, and our Respite Property Portfolio has increased by an astonishing 3,400%. These numbers confirm that our redemptive response to the pastoral crisis is desperately needed and deeply appreciated. If you’re looking to support a redemptive startup making a real impact, consider joining us. We don’t have a massive network of patrons yet, and all our growth so far has happened through word of mouth. Your support—prayer, partnership, or financial—would mean the world to us. https://bit.ly/libre_give

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Who was the Rebbe? What’s his connection to me? Didn’t the Rebbe pass away- why do we talk about him as if he’s alive? Today marked his 30th Yartziet (anniversary of passing) And I’d like to try and explain by way of a modern-day parable. There’s an app that’s popular with teenagers these days. It’s called BeReal and, in its own words, Its purpose is to “share your real life photo with your friends.” I know what you must be thinking. It’s what I thought, too. You’re wondering- Why do we need an app for that?! How many of those can there be? Why do we need another one?! You’ve heard of the big ones; Facebook, SnapChat, Instagram… Millions of people use them to (over-)share all aspects of their daily life. In truth, though, most people aren’t sharing their real lives. Filters, props and staging make people look better than life; They’re actually showing fake versions of themselves. And the followers looking at the photos and Watching the videos think that these friends and Influencers are living the dream. They then become uncomfortable and sad; A picture of how life is meant to be is painted And people starting wishing theirs was like that, too. But it’s not real life. It’s a distortion of reality. If you’d peel off the added layers of added light and if you’d Be able to see all the added effects you’d see the real person behind the lens And you’d be surprised to see how different they really looked. This isn’t only true with how we share ourselves with others. Often, it’s how we view ourselves, too. Our true self is the Soul- a holy and perfect G-dly being. Each one special in its own way with distinct, unique abilities. And the soul wants to express itself; it truly wants to shine. But when the soul comes down to this world It gets put into an “app” – the Body- And the two of them, together, have to navigate the challenges of life. Real life can be similar to how it is on Instagram- The Body acts as a filter and The Soul can’t be itself. But sometimes we’re lucky; we remember that we’re G-d’s child. We believe in our potential- the difference we can make. We can bring meaning and holiness to ourselves and to those around us. While it’s not always easy to remove the filter of life we have help. There’s a person who made it his mission to help us uninstall the “old app” … and switch to living life through “BeReal” instead! That person was the Rebbe- Who saw each of us on the Soul-level. He wasn’t intimidated by the body or by the challenges we face in life. He recognized the greatness of each and every soul, Saw the unique abilities each of us has And believed that each could be successful in our mission in life. And every interaction of his was focused on this idea- He gave constant encouragement, and to some he even demanded: You are great. You have it in you… You can do it! (continued in comments)

So many organizations focus on the need for grant funding to support their agency, but they don’t stop and think about the time, skills, and effort necessary to develop and manage grants. There is a cost to getting a grant. To avoid staff burnout, you need to have the right individuals on the grants team to ensure grants are managed accurately. Take a listen to today’s episode about right sizing your grants team. Join the conversation today: https://bit.ly/4e1BNCV

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Continuing to think about what needs greater place in catechetical formation today, as well as a renewal of Catholic culture: 1. Divinization; 2. Sacramentality; 3. The “real” of the sacraments; 4. The communal nature of the Church, grace, faith, and the human person, and this especially regarding the sacramental life as essential for human life. #Catholic #Catechesis #Ministry #Theology

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Stop! Break it Down! Beat the Biggest Hurdle to Transition and Delegation New Blog Post: The future of the Church requires regularly transitioning ministry from one generation to the next... (click below to read on)

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My new blog post, "What if? (Part Two). https://lnkd.in/g7DsC-dh #enneagramblog #enneagramandtransformation #enneagram #enneagram4 #enneagram5 #enneagram6 #essence #whatif #transmuto #transmutokc

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1/4/25 Prv 4:10-12, 16, 19 teach how not to stumble or cause others to do so. By listening to wise counsel and taking hold of instruction, we won’t fall, but by doing evil we seek to make someone else stumble. James also taught that as believers we are to keep the whole law and not stumble in one point, and not to stumble with our tongues. In this way, we show love and are perfect (whole) in who we are and what we do (Jas 2:10, 8; 3:2). As we go through this new year, may we seek to walk as the Lord desires so we do not trip.

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In the world of Catholic Marriage and Family Ministries, one thing we don’t talk about enough, is real-world parenting challenges. We’re good at “liturgical living” and even “domestic church” to some extent. But the Church has not given enough attention to the struggles of parents raising children in the age of the smartphone or how quickly it opens our homes and our hearts to harmful content (and people) found online. We’re a “slow tech” family. Our boys didn’t get phones until middle school, and even then, they had no apps or web browsers (Shoutout to Pinwheel Kids' & Teens' Phone and Bark for their awesome kid friendly devices and software). They don’t use Chromebooks or computers other than what’s needed for schoolwork. They don’t have social media. Our television is rarely on, except for weekend movie nights. We’re also a “free range” family, and let our kids be around the neighborhood without us. They are encouraged to try new things, go places without us, and speak for themselves at restaurants, the doctor’s office, and everywhere else in the world. Jonathon Haidt’s new book, The Anxious Generation, takes a deep dive into the research that supports this kind of lifestyle for our kids. I think there are many more parents who are, or would like to be, more aligned to the philosophies I mention above, and are described in Haidt’s new book. But it’s scary to be that kind of parent. I totally get it! Dr. Becky (of whom I am also a fan) interviews Haidt in this podcast episode and I absolutely love their conversation about parenting this way AND the encouragement Dr. Becky gives to parents who want to do this well, but battle with their own anxiety and fear around giving kids more independence. If you’re a parent, regardless of your religious practices, I want to encourage any of you who are thinking and wondering what parenting this generation of Digital Natives needs to look like, to listen to this one. If you’re a lay minister or Catholic educator, this is a must. We as Church need to continually seek a more understanding of the cultural and social landscape we’re living in if we want to serve parents and families in a way that’s meaningful. This topic is intimately connected to our beliefs about the dignity of the human person. https://lnkd.in/gu6gPNhp

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How are you involved in church planting? Today’s focus: church planting. This is the church planting advisory that includes next generation leaders as well as seasoned leaders.

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Are you struggling to secure funding for your upcoming projects or needs? Don't wait until the last minute - involve your Program staff early on to ensure a successful and timely grant proposal. Read on for tips to coordinate Grants with program launches, and ensure you have necessary staff bios/resumes, so you have that competitive edge in your grant applications. https://lnkd.in/eZMNG9n7 #nonprofitgrants #fundingopportunities #programmanagement

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It’s common that I run into senior church leaders who are confused as to why they flip through young staffers so often. They view it as immaturity, poor work ethic, and/or a lack of dedication to their calling. In some cases, they are right. Immaturity, etc… (and straight-up narcissism) are certainly out there, frankly at levels I’ve never seen in my life.   In other cases, perhaps most, things are simpler and common to 20-somethings, regardless of the profession.  Here are three reasons I see for the departures: FINANCES: Many of the young staffers start their jobs straight out of school - for comparatively low pay. A yearly standard-of-living increase keeps them at the same practical level indefinitely.  Problem is, what was an OK salary when they were single 20-somethings looks much less appealing ten years later, with two kids and a mortgage… LACK OF GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES: Unlike many secular companies, churches often don’t have a “ladder” to climb. A worship pastor hired at age 22 will likely be a worship pastor at 32 (and 42, if they last that long). Without growth opportunities of some sort - increased responsibility and authority, conferences, skill training, continuing ed, coaching, etc… - it’s very hard not to stagnate - and FEEL stagnated. MISMATCH or BOREDOM: People in their 20s often flip jobs because they are still figuring out what they want to do. Or - they may have tried something and simply not liked it. So, what to do? I know churches aren’t made of money, but design a reasonable pay structure tied to the continuing growth of the young staffer. Cost of living PLUS at 2 years, 5 years, etc… and a sabbatical at 7 is a possible model. Provide ongoing opportunities for growth. And realize that some individuals are still figuring things out. Don’t mistake me, you need to have high expectations. But expectations go both ways, and realistic ones - for everyone involved - will virtually always yield better (and happier) results). #creativeworshipideas

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HayDay Services is bringing you a series of “how-to” articles related to successful grant development. Part 3: Needs Statement Whether you are writing a one-page Letter of Intent (LOI) or a 150-page federal proposal, every grant funder wants to know the need/problem they are helping to “fix.” I cannot say this enough: if you have no need, you have no need for grant funding. Needs statement, problem statement, needs assessment, statement of need – no matter what you call it, this section of a grant proposal is often read first by grant rewires. It typically carries a heavy percentage of the total scoring process, too. Clearly, it’s an important element of the story you are presenting throughout the entire proposal. When drafting a needs statement, it is vital to focus on the needs of the people (or animals, environment, or thing) you serve. If you are a police department, your needs statement will not detail a lack of officers, police cars, and other equipment. Instead, you will focus on issues like rising crime, increased DUI-related accidents and injuries, prolonged response times to 911 calls, and the like. Yes, you may need additional staff, vehicles, or equipment to help reduce crime and response times, but those details will be outlined in your program description. Your needs statement is not a lack of people or things. Instead, it is a story of the hurdles or challenges faced by those you serve. A compelling needs statement will detail the pressing needs of your community and explain to the reviewer the urgency for implementing a solution now. The level of details provided will vary from proposal to proposal, depending on how much space the funder allows (character, word, or page limitations vary). Consider the following when drafting your needs statement. Continue reading here: https://bit.ly/4e326sh

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I unfollow a lot of heathen this time of year. The lukewarm wallow with the heathen https://lnkd.in/gV3WPf9E Luke 6:39 And he spake a parable unto them, "Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?" Rev 3:15 "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot."  Rev 3:16 "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." Learn the truth about Xmas that your preacher might not love you enough to share. https://lnkd.in/gEXiUUBK Sharing from https://lnkd.in/gVKR3hkH Tis the season for even otherwise "Saints" to go a whoring led by knowing compromisers wanting those extra donations and attendance. https://lnkd.in/encaMBY Hey, what's wrong with a little whoring with the world here and there, eh? 2 Corinthians 10:12 ¶ For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Tis the season for even "Oneness", so called "holiness" churches to celebrate a Roman Catholic mass that has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with Jesus Christ other than to defy His Word in a plethora of ways. There is, however, one "Christmas" style celebration is mentioned in the Bible, though, did you know that? (other than the tree worship stuff, I mean). Revelation 11:7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.  8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.  9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. Revelation 11:10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. Related scriptures: Exodus 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; Exodus 34:14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: Deuteronomy 4:24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. Bro. Steve Winter DD https://lnkd.in/dXzpQKu Video at https://lnkd.in/gV3WPf9E

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