Rick Allen has been a nationally appointed U.S. missionary since 2001 and currently serves in the Center for Leadership and the AG Trust Development Team. His assignment for the Center for Leadership focuses on local church leadership development and strategic missional involvement. Rick functions as the National Coordinator for the Church Transformation Network.

The Church Transformation Network is leading the effort to equip local, small membership congregations to discover and pursue God’s vision for health and vitality. Through key journey points which include being a fully Spirit Empowered church, focus on Biblically Based values, creating a Transformative Leadership team to equip believers for growth and Spirit Directive Strategic plan for ministry to every individual regardless of their place in life; the Church Transformation Network is dedicated to assist today’s churches for tomorrow’s future.

Session Topics:

Monday: Acts 2 Overview
Tuesday 1: Dealing with the first of the BIG 3 for Church Health & Growth - WORSHIP
Tuesday 2: Dealing with the second of the Big 3 for Church Health and Growth - CHILDREN'S MINISTRIES
Tuesday Night: Message about the changing atmosphere for spiritual health and growth
Wednesday 1: Dealing with the third of the Big 3 for Church Health and Growth - GUEST ASSIMILATION
Wednesday Final: Inspirational Message

A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales. The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small. The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible. The little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah". The teacher asked, "What if Jonah went to hell?"
The little girl replied, "Then you ask him".

A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work. As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.
The girl replied, "I'm drawing God." The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like." Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, "They will in a minute."


A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to "honour" thy Father and thy Mother, she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?" Without missing a beat one little boy (the oldest of a family) answered, "Thou shall not kill."


One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head.
She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, "Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?"
Her mother replied, "Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white."
The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, "Momma, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?"


The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture.
"Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer, she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, He's a doctor.'
A small voice at the back of the room rang out, "And there's the teacher, she's dead."


A teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of the blood. Trying to make the matter clearer, she said, "Now, class, if I stood on my head, the blood, as you know, would run into it, and I would turn red in the face."
"Yes," the class said.
"Then why is it that while I am standing upright in the ordinary position the blood doesn't run into my feet?"
A little fellow shouted, "Cause your feet ain't empty."


The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray: "Take only ONE . God is watching."
Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies.
A child had written a note, "Take all you want. God is watching the apples."

It is only the fact that He DIED so that we might LIVE that makes it GOOD FRIDAY. That is not a product of culture, it is living biblical truth. Good Friday is the one holiday the world could not hi-jack. No bunnies, no cartoons here. This is love and commitment in action and forces me back to the real question. . .

IS WHAT I AM LIVING FOR WORTH WHAT HE DIED FOR?

Rom 5:6-7: For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Congratulations!!

The Monster that Ate Your Call

A Coaching Check-up for Mission-Driven Leaders

by Tony Stoltzfus

With our current emphasis on visionary leadership, we tend to assume that God will evaluate our legacy based on how well we accomplish our mission. That's not actually the case. As a leader, you will be judged on how you steward your personal life first, and second on how you steward the people God has placed in your charge. In other words, if you accomplish your organizational mission but use up a lot of people in the process, you have failed as a leader. Too often, especially in ministry circles, leaders get caught up in doing the task of their call and forget what the task was supposed to be for---to impact people for Jesus and to make their lives better.

So what does that look like in practical terms? How do you know if your vision has become the monster that ate your calling?

Read Complete Article

Brian Stacy wrote a great book on leadership. He starts with three sayings that inspired his title:

Guest Blog

by Evangelist Todd Leininger

I am so excited to have an opportunity to share a leading God has laid on my heart as He led us to be an Evangelist almost 18 months ago. I am passionate about the church and it being involved in the Fathers Business. Luke 5:31 Jesus made the statement, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Luke 19:10 says, “for the Son of Man has come to seek and save that which was lost.” For too long the church has not been involved in the harvest field; we have waited for the harvest field to come to us. So as God has led me I believe he has led me to a 4 step plan to help churches become harvesters.

I have a passion and a vision to come to churches to help them in these 4 areas. First, we need to impassion the church to be on fire for God so God is active in their lives and we have an active relationship to testify about. Secondly, we must learn to pray for the lost. To go out and prayer walk our communities, to pray directly for lost people in our lives. Thirdly we need to restructure our evangelism mode by being available to share Christ as God opens the doors. We cant follow Him if we are leading. So we follow Him to show us lives we can be involved in by befriending people, by planting seeds, by watering and as God harvests the soul maybe we will get to be there too. So I want to help teach on this new approach to evangelism. Finally, the fourth step is to help church provide outreaches that meet communities in their world.

I dream of partnering with churches over time to make a difference in their communities by instilling these 4 principles. It would be a dream over a 1 – 2 year period working with a church by coming at minimum 4 times to develop each area of these four steps.

God is about lost people – in the day we live in – the Church must be about lost people. I would love to help your church develop a plan and a passion.

We also have a passion for sharing in your churches anyway we can help you and anyway we can assist you. If we can do banquets, training seminars, children, youth, Sunday am services, revival meetings, teachings, etc. , please let us know. I have a passion to share about the legacy that can be changed by your choices. I love to preach on the Holy Spirit. But most of all I love to pray and ask God to give me His word to each church for that day. Call us and let us come help you. Come let us see what God wants to do I your community.

Serving Christ for the Lost

Evangelist Todd and Goldie Leininger

Randy Hedlun did most of his growing up right here in South Dakota. After graduating from High School in Rapid City, he attended Evangel University - graduating in 1976 with a BA in Biblical Studies.

Randy served in several several other capacities before we met. I first connected with him while he was pastoring in Gregory, SD. We served on the presbytery together under David Nelson and became great friends.

It was during that time that the Lord directed him to move to Springfield, MO to complete a master's degree at AGTS. Following graduation from AGTS, he was offered a position with Global University as an editor and course writer. And during that time, he enrolled in a doctoral program at the University of South Africa.

Randy just completed the Doctor of Theology degree in April 2009. During the time he was working on this degree, Global invited him to serve as the Dean of one of its four schools, Berean School of the Bible, which is its adult continuing education level school.

During all this time, he continues to hold credentials with the South Dakota Assemblies of God. We're very proud of him and his accomplishments!

By the way - - his doctoral dissertation title was The Social Function of Glossolalia in Acts with Special Attention to the Ephesian Disciples Pericope (Acts 18:24-19:7).

Don't you just love smart people?!!

Featuring H.B. London

H. B. London, Jr. is Vice President of Church and Clergy Outreach for Focus on the Family, a Colorado Springs-based ministry whose primary reason for existence is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That objective is accomplished by a commitment to nurture and defend families worldwide.

Focus on the Family's founding president, Dr. James C. Dobson, believes that pastors and their families must remain strong if we are to successfully resist the downward moral trends which threaten the very foundation of our nation and has asked H.B. to represent Focus on the Family in supporting clergy families worldwide.

As first cousins who grew up more or less as brothers, it is a dream come true for them to have an opportunity to serve God in a joined ministry. Rev. London's ministry continues to be people-centered -- "When you find a need, you fill it." He operates by the slogan, "God loves you as though you were the only one in all the world to love -- and that makes you a very important person." H.B. and his wife, Beverley, have two married sons and four grandchildren.

Retreat Info

Location: Best Western Ramkota, Pierre, SD
Date: September 28-30
Time: Begins Monday at 6:30 PM with a general session
Ends Wednesday around Noon

Lodging

All events take place at the Pierre Ramkota
Ramkota - - $78/night - - 605.224.6877 - limited rooms available
Comfort Inn - - $86.39 - - 605.224.0377
Governors Inn - - $85 - - 605.224.4200
Days Inn - - $73.99 - - 605.224.0411
Super 8 - - $58 - - 605.224.1617