The Inside Track e-Newsletter for May 2008

May 2008

Picture of Deana Nail Something IS Going to Die

Psychologists and counselors typically define the depth and darkness of despair in one solitary word: loss. Deana Nail shares from her own experience that when we walk through the depth of darkness—the loss of a loved one or a relationship, the loss of a home, the loss of health, the loss of a job or ministry, the loss of financial security, the loss of a dream—something inside of us IS going to die. That inner death will either be our faith, where we give up on God, or our self-reliance, where we give in to God.

She has just emerged from the midst of that struggle. You don't want to miss the insights God gave her during that time. Read more.

“I just want to say 'Congrats' and especially 'Thank you!!!' I love The Inside Track and Tuesday’s Tip. Keep building the kingdom!”

— Linda Sjerven,
Manchester, MO

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You lead others, but are you leading yourself well? Deana Nail and Steve Argue have invaluable tips for all those who face the demands of discipleship.

Photo of Steve Argue Exhaustion

The fact that you’re taking the time to read this article right now may mean that you’re in a good place at this point in your ministry year. You’re rested, energized, encouraged, in the zone, not stressed, and all caught up. For the mere mortals reading this, Steve Argue offers tips on the four things that can bring us to exhaustion in ministry, and what we can do about it. Read more.

Photo of Krista Petty Love Development

Leadership development is an important element of any organization, including the church. But Krista Petty believes that love development is more important than leadership development because if we aren’t careful, we can program love right out of our externally focused ministries. Sounds absurd, but it happens. What is love development, and how do we go about it? Read more.

CHILDREN'S MINISTRY LEADERS	LEADERSHIP	EQUIPPING MINISTRY LEADERS
Blocks of Pine and Coping Saws Larry Shallenberger and his Cub Scout son just spent a lot of time preparing for and participating in a pinewood derby. There they were challenged by a perfectly carved PT Cruiser. What did the Cruiser teach him about ministry? Read more.	Your Part in Removing Problems As you evaluate your ministry and your volunteers, you’ll find opportunities to improve, to define problems, and then to do something to improve. Marlene Wilson says when problems happen, there are three important questions to ask. Read more.	Equipping With the Goal in Mind Church leaders periodically need a checkup to measure the progress of equipping in their churchwide culture. Don Simmons provides some questions to ask to determine where you are, and tips on where to go from there. Read more.

CONSULTANT'S CORNER	ASSOCIATION UPDATES	FROM THE EDITOR
Should Equipping Be Centralized? They are proposing taking that function out of children's ministry and centralizing all the volunteer recruiting and placement functions. Any general thoughts on centralization vs. decentralization of the volunteer function? Read more.	Association Updates We've given you a new way to become part of the Church Volunteer Central community by rating resources as you use them. Also, it's now easier to keep all your background check screenings up to date. Read more.	Disconnected From Reality One of the challenges we face in helping churches is the perception pastors sometimes have of their church. The first step in a 12-step program is admitting you have a problem. Sometimes that's the hardest step. Read more.

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