Interview - Pray Ntwk Archive - The Reimagine Network2024-03-28T19:06:24Zhttps://reimaginenetwork.ning.com/forum/topics1/feed/tag/InterviewCoaching Session: Foundation-Shifting Concepts for Apostolic Leadershttps://reimaginenetwork.ning.com/forum/topics1/coaching-session-foundation-shifting-concepts-for-apostolic-leade2023-10-17T21:19:08.000Z2023-10-17T21:19:08.000ZReimagine Curatorhttps://reimaginenetwork.ning.com/members/PrayerINC<div><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Foundation-Shifting Concepts for Apostolic Leadership</strong></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Phil Miglioratti Interviewed Dave Robinson, Author of </strong><strong><em>"Unwavering Resolve: a Guide for Apostolic Leadership"</em></strong></span></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em><span style="font-weight:400;">"This book is laid out as a guide book for apostolic leaders and their teams,</span></em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em><span style="font-weight:400;">designed to share a summary of the most important informationI’ve learned over the years for fruitful mission and effective leadership."</span></em></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>PHIL >>> Dave, please define "apostolic leaders" and why you have written this book for them.</strong></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12258958282,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12258958282?profile=RESIZE_584x" width="292" height="432" /></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">DAVE >>> An apostolic leader is a missionary leader, church planter or mission team leader; "one who is sent" by Jesus to break new ground for the Kingdom and advance the mission of Jesus on the frontiers of the harvest. They remind the Church of the missional gap - the gap between where gospel communities and churches are and where they do not exist - and do all they can to mobilize the church to mend that gap.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">When the Nicene Creed uses the phrase, “apostolic church,” it identifies that the role of the Church is to spread the Word of God universally across the world. That is what we are sent to do. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Aposotlic leaders start things where Christ is not known, or we help start movements of the gospel, disciple-making, and church planting where none exists. </span></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em>Church Movements, a ministry of Cru, is in partnership with the Church.</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em>Our mission is to increase the capacity and confidence of leaders</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em>to multiply faith communities, church-planters, and fruitful evangelists.</em></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>PHIL >>> Your mission combines several strategic components in a way that communicates a reimagined perspective on ministry. How important is it for leadership to rethink the systems and structures we have designed to conceive and communicate the Gospel of Jesus?</strong></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">DAVE >>> For years, our churches and specialized ministries have functioned like greenhouses. In the greenhouse you have similar routines, controlled environments to produce the same kind of product – good flowers! And that is a very good thing! But today’s reality can’t compare to a greenhouse. It’s more like an open field. In the open field you don’t have much control. But there are wildflowers thriving in the midst of uncontrollable circumstances (wind, rain, wildlife.) In the open field, the flower that takes over is the dandelion. Each dandelion scatters hundreds of seeds and takes over the field. We need millions of believers to be envisioned, equipped and empowered to become like “dandelions” – where the seeds are gospel conversations. We need new capacity and skill to communicate the gospel through meaningful conversations – in the open, chaotic fields of post-modern and city ministry. That way we can reach the hundreds of millions who don’t know the truth. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">All of this means that it is difficult to talk graciously and calmly as we claim that absolute truth exists in the Gospel of Jesus. We need to converse w/ understanding, patience & wisdom. There is a path forward. There are ways to appropriately engage others in significant gospel conversations, while navigating cultural resistance & dealing w/ these barriers.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">We know that most unchurched people have little desire to attend a church and generally look at us with skepticism or cynicism, but our deepest values – if perceived and experienced by the non-believer – can create pathways to know them and have respectful dialogue over the gospel. Our research shows that practically all people, along the spectrum of responses, have a positive view of Christian values and are open to engagement around purpose and community. If we became a source of hope amidst the brokenness of our communities, they’d see the values of Jesus Christ and be more open to His gospel.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Values, Purpose, and Community are the leading ethos/character of the two youngest generations in America, who represent the largest cohorts when you break population down by age. Millennials and GenZ also represent those who are farthest away from a Biblical worldview. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">As we think about the people in our city/audience today we must understand those farthest away from a biblical worldview. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">We’re finding that people raised in the greenhouse (mentioned earlier), like some plants, do not re-pot well when they move out into the city and into post-truth culture. Greenhouse creations are not surviving well outside the greenhouse.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">We’ve got to learn that it’s more about moments with people, not events in our greenhouse. It’s about US, not us-them. And not YOU join US. We join you on your spiritual journey. We must be like the dandelion. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">We long to see Christians mobilized – to put their faith into love-in-action realizing the voice of the gospel is important (Jn 10:16, 17:20-24 Rom 10:9-17). It’s about understanding people and showing them Jesus in an authentic way – openly, graciously, wisely. And caring for the needs of those in the city.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">It’s about Meaningful Conversations. Conversations Shape our Journeys. It’s about us. The art in any conversation is not in the greatness of ideas, but in finding connection. If we want to find common ground, we must first listen and understand (this regards the Imago Dei we share). Form connections regardless of differing views – freely, with respect we share our ideas, too. They, too, are formed in the Imago Dei - we share it.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">We have a problem to solve. Christianity is neither AUTHENTIC nor RELEVANT to those who don’t follow. Christians are talking to people about their own beliefs w/o understanding or caring what another believes. Sure, we do have truths that need to be embraced and believed! There’s so much at stake! But our truth will land BETTER if we appreciate their journey.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Every truth told (w/o listening, understanding) is like a brick in a growing wall. A sound barrier that prevents either side from hearing each other. We each think that it’s the other person’s responsibility to tear it down. If “telling” adds a brick, a conversation loosens one. The more conversations (in PCS lifestyle) we foster, the smaller the wall becomes. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Our ambition is to initiate a meaningful conversation with every human being on this planet. And be like the dandelion.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Why? Because more meaningful conversations increase opportunities for relationships and for significant spiritual, gospel conversations.</span></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em>"When thinking of the missional gap between us -</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em>His church and the Great Commission He left for us - what burdens us?"</em></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12260190665,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12260190665,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12260190665?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a>PHIL >>> Dave, tell us what burdens you...</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12259638690,original{{/staticFileLink}}"> </a></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">DAVE >>> The Missional Gap - </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Consider these startling statistics. There are 8 billion people on our planet with approximately 6,500 languages being spoken. According to WorldData.Info, “in the U.S. alone, over 300 different languages are spoken about 170 of which originated in the Americas.” There are 9,800 people groups in the world. It is estimated that 3.2 billion people live in the people groups considered “unreached” or “least reached.” (Global Frontiers Mission (GFM) puts it at 3.37 billion.) </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Consider these stats deeply. Jesus has commissioned us as His Church with the responsibility of carrying his gospel forward to the ends of the earth. These UPGs (Unreached People Groups) live in parts of the world where Jesus is mostly unknown and relatively few (compared with the number of Christian workers in “reached” areas) among the church are there making Him known. Of the 8 billion, 2 to 3 billion of them have never heard of Christ. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">How can we imagine the size of that global crowd who’ve never heard the gospel? </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Check this out. If you were to line up 2 billion people one meter apart from each other that would be a very long line. How long? Imagine you and me getting in a car and we began to drive from the first of those two billion to the very last. Imagine that - one very long line! If we were to drive ten hours a day at 50 miles per hour, guess how long would it take to get to the end of that line? Sadly…astonishingly, it would take us over seven years to just drive that line. We’d be zipping by people so fast we could not even see their faces or make eye contact. Seven+ years!</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">The Lostness of the USA</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">The USA ranks 5th with the most non-Christians in the world (refer to chart) This is largely unknown, and unacted upon. </span></p>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">China -1,280,848,731</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">India - 1,247,437,091</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">Indonesia - 227,045,412</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">Pakistan - 185,521,481</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">USA - 168,800,000</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">Bangladesh - 160,340,599</span></li>
</ul>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em>"Something has to change."</em></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>PHIL >>> Most pastors/leaders read that four-word sentence and think “new programs." How does an apolstolic leader think differently? And why does that produce a change in how the congregation/ministry leadership thinks differently toward a new and different future?</strong></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">DAVE >>> Culture reigns, not words, not processes, not systems, not strategies - not even great preaching. Culture is what you truly value, believe, and hold dear. It influences everything we do - how we learn, what we emphasize, how we spend our time - really, all of our normative behaviors. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Jean-Paul Sarte once said, “You are your life, and nothing else.” We can say we believe in something, but we really only believe that which activates us. Kingdom leaders need to pay attention to the culture they have created by their lived values, not their strategies, or sermons, or processes.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">We need a 3 + 1 focus in the Church: where we focus on the Lost, the Follower of Jesus - emphasizing being a believer is not the same as being a disciple of Jesus, where the Leader is mobilized to multiply his/her life. So we need to focus on 3 audiences and 1 overarching metric. 1) connect those far from God to Jesus (the Lost); 2) We help every follower of Jesus normalize sharing the Gospel and making disciples (helping them become CoJourners; journey partners); 3) We partner with pastors, missional leaders and church-planters (the Mobilizer) - all to increase capacity and confidence to… 4) +1 multiply faith communities (Multiply).</span></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em>"In gospel movements we value the spectrum of responses </em></span><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em>to the needs of others:</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em>“Giving a man a fish” (a charitable response);</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em>“Teaching a man how to fish” (a developmental response —committed to relationships and long-term solutions); and</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em>“Creating a fishing business” (a response that leads to empowerment, sustainability and high impact)."</em></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>PHIL >>> How could this perspective radically change our discipleship mind-set and our evangelism outreach?</strong></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">DAVE >>> There are the five fundamentals of a disciple-making culture:</span></p>
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<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">Move to those far from God - The first step in the disciple-making process is the same step that Jesus first took. He thought of us and came missionally. Jesus’ first disciples were invited into a relationship— “come and see” (John 1:39). For people to catch on—to know Jesus, live for Him and commit to His cause—the lost ones around us must see the Gospel incarnated consistently in the lives of others.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">A relationship of love and influence - To be lifted to the heights of living for the Lord and selflessly living to serve the cause of Christ, we must bring near to each individual a life-inspiring model of the Christian life. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">What is taught is modeled, who is taught is coached - Learning without dialogue or model was not Jesus’ method. The one teaching should be modeling what is taught. It is to be seen and heard from up close. Time must be spent out in the harvest fields, outside the walls of church – where people live, work, learn and play. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">Faith is challenged, and responsibility is entrusted - A disciple-maker knows the importance of taking faith steps, and so a leader prepares, challenges, and accompanies others in the mission. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">Engage broadly the Church, the Kingdom, the Community - As they are established in the faith, all believers need ongoing fellowship and accountability in community with the wider Body of Christ. </span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">May these disciple-making essentials saturate all relationships in the church. </span></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em>Four Kinds of Partnerships</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em>Type 1: Blessing</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em>Type 2: Conversation and Prayer</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em>Type 3: Cooperation/Resourcing</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em>Type 4: High-Level Collaboration </em></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>PHIL >>> Partnering is essential for every leader and every ministry: local church or serving organization, leadership team or small group, community, or city focus. What is the benefit of recognizing different ways to shape or design a partnership?</strong></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">DAVE >>> In John 17, Jesus prays his longest prayer and much of it centers on His longing for unity among those He sends to expand His Kingdom. Let’s find out how we might “put a smile on Jesus’ face by working together.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">So, let’s pray together, and get to know each other.</span></p>
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<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">What is the Lord doing in your ministry?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">Can I share what God is doing in mine?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">Is there anything we could do together?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">What are you dreaming God would do through you, that might be accelerated in partnering together?</span></li>
</ul>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em>"The responsibilities of an apostolic leader</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em>revolve around three aspects of life:</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em>a leader’s heart, the mission field, and the team."</em></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>PHIL >>> Help us reassess how to think about these critical areas:</strong></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">DAVE >>> Unwavering Resolve looks at Paul’s life and ministry to identify a job description for apostolic leaders - the ongoing responsibilities they are to pursue. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Those responsibilities fall into three categories - matters of the heart (a vertical relationship with God), the mission field (forward motion towards those who don’t yet know Jesus), and teams and teamwork (the horizontal connection to your fellow laborers). </span></p>
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<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">Matters of the Heart (Vertical): First and foremost, you are a follower of Jesus Christ. The most important thing in terms of your mission is your heart - walking humbly with Jesus, fully embracing His Word and walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. In this section we will focus on the heart of a spiritual leader. After all, your heart is the spring from which the ministry’s direction, team culture and mission fruitfulness are determined.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">The Mission Field (Forward): Apostolic leaders are pioneers - taking the gospel into missional frontiers. In this section we focus on your role in the life and leadership of the church - advancing Jesus’ mission - whether it be globally, regionally, or locally. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">Teams and Teamwork (Horizontal): Apostolic leaders lead with a trusted team—a team that demonstrates a high level of execution, spiritual dependence, is biblically-centered and is accountable to each other. Mission-focused teams are to experience strong community and friendship. A team can absorb an enormous number of missteps in the ebb and flow of ministry as long as the direction remains clear and compelling. In this section we face the challenge of maturing your team - which is to keep your youthful passion and entrepreneurial zeal without confusion, vagueness and disorder.</span></li>
</ul>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Overall, this guidebook will: </span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">improve your concentration on the mission by focusing on your job in apostolic ministry</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">inspire your personal development through principled reminders and story</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">keep the vision of advancing the mission of Jesus before you</span></li>
</ul>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">"I’d encourage you to use this as a field guide. Turn to this guide…</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">… for inspiration </span><span style="font-size:14pt;">… for reminders </span><span style="font-size:14pt;">… for reflection </span><span style="font-size:14pt;">… for encouragement"</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>PHIL >>> Give us one more insight to help us lead in our context with an engaging apostolic perspective.</strong></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">DAVE >>> I wrote the book… to encourage the church, its leaders, and its mission… and younger leaders - to discover - develop and deploy them.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">This book is laid out as a guidebook for missional leaders and their teams - anyone with a missional bent, including church-planters, mobilizers, and outreach leaders (denominational/network leaders, missionaries and local church mission teams).</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Missional leaders need ... encouragement to press on and stay focused.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Church leaders need ...to gain missional hope as they seek to multiply the church amidst a fractured, transitory culture & a growing population of the lost.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">I share a summary of the most important lessons I’ve learned over the years for fruitful mission and effective leadership. AND to remind the Church of the missional gap - between where gospel communities and churches are and where they do not exist. They can mobilize the church to mend that gap.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Be assured that this guide will hold relevance to broader audiences:</span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">Whenever the Word of God is shared, the Holy Spirit illuminates its meaning to give us understanding. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">The leadership principles and pastoral counsel given throughout this book will be helpful for every leader in the church. </span></li>
</ul>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em>"May I encourage you to pray—turning your thoughts and musings into prayers</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em>offered to God that express both your desire to follow His lead</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em>and your dependence on Him for healthy application?"</em></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>PHIL >>> Dave, please write a prayer we can offer to God, asking-seeking-knocking for the Spirit to guide us in resetting the functions of the Church and for unwavering resolve to pursue that challenge. </strong></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">DAVE >>> <em>“I speak the name of Jesus, Lion of Judah, the One who is majestic, who protects His church as they follow His commands, the Lion who leads and attacks with power. I speak His name over the harvest fields we enter. I agree with you that you have decided to bless your people and honor your promises bountifully as we obey you to go forward. I gladly submit to and use your authority to go, to cast out the enemy – to advance the Kingdom of Jesus over all darkness! You will fight, Warrior Lion! You will lead us to victory over the gates of hell!”</em></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">For more information, visit <a href="http://www.churchmovements.com/">www.churchmovements.com</a></span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">Book - <a href="https://crustore.org/product/unwavering-resolve/">https://crustore.org/product/unwavering-resolve/</a> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">Ebook - <a href="https://crustore.org/product/unwavering-resolve-e-book/">https://crustore.org/product/unwavering-resolve-e-book/</a> </span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"> </span> </p>
<div dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Dave Robinson</strong></span><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><span style="color:#666666;">Executive Director I </span><span style="color:#666666;">Church Movements, Cru </span></span></div>
<div><span style="color:#666666;font-size:14pt;">Author of <em>Unwavering Resolve - a guide for apostolic leadership </em></span></div>
<div><span style="color:#666666;font-size:14pt;">and Co-Author of <em>The Outrageous Promise</em></span></div>
<div><span style="font-size:14pt;"><span style="color:#666666;">Teaching Elder I EPC </span>I New Life CityChurch </span></div>
<div><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em>make Jesus known - </em><em>multiply the Church - </em><em>serve the city</em></span></div>
<div dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><img class="CToWUd" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/mail-sig/AIorK4wZWOGK9G6pqw3lE2d7ig0uZZcH3mJv5YCNWBQAOpQ0oflwZPAOnQKs9UotsSvE-43SsJyS3nU" alt="AIorK4wZWOGK9G6pqw3lE2d7ig0uZZcH3mJv5YCNWBQAOpQ0oflwZPAOnQKs9UotsSvE-43SsJyS3nU" width="96" height="75" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><a href="http://churchmovements.com/" target="_blank"><img class="CToWUd" src="https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/zcN7lxzLQlw9ZAeYlHABLulNjUSSSwKNb2OstcHDADsyEFLw0KM5MLS5YjsxHnxPGpYvq9BmmDoHfd18PIdljqloCO1yryHvL2HxsgdgtUBu-jh7SUk6fSsfufmxsgQd0EohMV2gNcTnqhBxp2LW2aO_Rs1pb4XUwweUjhJwme0YMmUcQMJIW5X8cHwJlRk-icB-g-MFL57cmMUEHQ=s0-d-e1-ft#https://docs.google.com/uc?export=download&id=1zzmj_muY3ZRoLvrnt_Q5TIrkqbC8Mbv7&revid=0BwfQYWTArvrabE05ZlEwdjZBYWtMRHNXQjI1N050OGoyS1FZPQ" alt="uc?export=download&id=1zzmj_muY3ZRoLvrnt_Q5TIrkqbC8Mbv7&revid=0BwfQYWTArvrabE05ZlEwdjZBYWtMRHNXQjI1N050OGoyS1FZPQ" /></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/robinsondavem" target="_blank"><img class="CToWUd" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/SX_Rnq1fd8Ab1TsVpwsJmgItDTfku2ytSkYBeU3ZwcOwh1a1mk8UREShhQ5OTMI1BBn-N5fBJhiqLLIoTcqXXkovWLtnpVyMj9WJz3ot3bds7WM5v-2c-EaDMIt_HLAyIxkFpOfG2aZAY5dJS1XwQdTqtI3n2-pT28DFuUv6-dMtxLe3-j8FT5rwYVTYKmBeS0v_wgBceXeLTSz3Jg=s0-d-e1-ft#https://docs.google.com/uc?export=download&id=1a0MluNFuvDNST7VvwYHW55txD5mIwNIN&revid=0BwfQYWTArvraUTF2eHJ5bEd0d0NpQjFVZVBrNEFhNGhWTE5jPQ" alt="uc?export=download&id=1a0MluNFuvDNST7VvwYHW55txD5mIwNIN&revid=0BwfQYWTArvraUTF2eHJ5bEd0d0NpQjFVZVBrNEFhNGhWTE5jPQ" /></a> </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/dave.robinson.733" target="_blank"><img class="CToWUd" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/yMyQV4eN9VpKqzIrNbapat3Lxq40h-bRBDilNSv767tKW502TfhZT9SYKJ5cjeRnqk36K1enbaqaMYO0-kt79J86QxhQBEk-XGlDbwyerEcS2zC8mIfZLd5QidA3cl56J3nD44k_19UE9xYJ5FWHhjKwiuYBCbd1mC1hEm2uzVAppcEGH8Pw1bEcdvBMkKJcq9HJvBzE2bJcZGEZcQ=s0-d-e1-ft#https://docs.google.com/uc?export=download&id=1bk5tuxPXpG101HnZ4xlWOXm8lEWiL3oI&revid=0BwfQYWTArvraYnQ4cWlmWGxFNzhIZ3V3NFJTbnI5ZjFFVnNZPQ" alt="uc?export=download&id=1bk5tuxPXpG101HnZ4xlWOXm8lEWiL3oI&revid=0BwfQYWTArvraYnQ4cWlmWGxFNzhIZ3V3NFJTbnI5ZjFFVnNZPQ" /></a></div>
<p> </p></div>Phil Miglioratti: Keys To Lead The Church In Prayerhttps://reimaginenetwork.ning.com/forum/topics1/phil-miglioratti-keys-to-lead-the-church-in-prayer2023-08-23T15:31:09.000Z2023-08-23T15:31:09.000ZReimagine Curatorhttps://reimaginenetwork.ning.com/members/PrayerINC<div><p><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12207630478,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12207630478,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12207630478?profile=RESIZE_584x" width="510" /></a><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong><a href="https://www.strategicrenewal.com/phil-miglioratti-keys-to-lead-the-church-in-prayer/" target="_blank">√Phil Miglioratti: Keys To Lead The Church In Prayer</a></strong></span></p>
<div class="post-author"> </div>
<div class="content">
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Phil Miglioratti</strong> served in pastoral minstry for many years, leading the church to be a House of Prayer. He currently serves afounded and faciltateds <a href="http://Reimagine.Network" target="_blank">The National Pastors’ Prayer Network,</a> which resources and connects pastors with tools to become better champions for prayer in their churches. </span></p>
<h3><span style="font-size:14pt;">Interview Summary:</span></h3>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">What is the Sr. Pastor’s role in developing a culture of prayer, and why is it so important? (0:05)</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"> </span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">What advice would you offer to a pastor in becoming the key leader of prayer in his congregation? (1:48)</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"> </span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:14pt;">What are some key principles in leading corporate prayer gatherings? (2:58)</span></li>
</ul>
</div></div>The "Quote/Unquote" Interview Phil Miglioratti Interviewed Chuck Lawless, Author of "The Potential and Power of Prayer"https://reimaginenetwork.ning.com/forum/topics1/the-quote-unquote-interview-phil-miglioratti-interviewed-chuck-la2023-02-01T21:18:49.000Z2023-02-01T21:18:49.000ZReimagine Curatorhttps://reimaginenetwork.ning.com/members/PrayerINC<div><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em><strong>The "Quote/Unquote" Interview</strong></em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Phil Miglioratti Interviewed Chuck Lawless, Author of "The Potential and Power of Prayer"</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong><em>"How To Unleash The Praying Church"</em></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>PHIL @ The Reimagine.Nertwork>>>The subtitle of your book caught my attention. What could you foresee taking place if congregations large and small became vibrant praying churches?</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10952817875,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10952817875,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10952817875?profile=RESIZE_584x" width="319" height="478" /></a>CHUCK>>> We know that the early church had prayer in its DNA. We also know there are pockets of believers around the world where prayer is central to all they are and do. Meanwhile, too many churches today tend to operate in their own strength, turning to God only when they cannot fix problems or accomplish goals on their own. I honestly wonder what the church would be like if we prayed in such a way that the power of God shook our buildings, as in Acts 4:31. That was a unique moment in time, but God’s power is still available to praying people. The world would see something different if we were fervently praying churches.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><em>"Why No Power?"</em></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>PHIL>>> How important is it to analyze our real status as a praying church before we strategize with new ideas?</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;">CHUCK>>> Our churches are so accustomed to praying only superficially in most cases that I’m not sure we recognize our prayer deficiencies. Many of us do not have powerful prayer role models. Many churches tell people to pray, but don’t teach them how to pray through training and modeling. Prayer has become more ritual than routine for many believers. Somewhere, someone in our congregations must humbly admit that we have a long way to go in making prayer critical to all we do. While I would not want us to get so bogged down in analyzing our congregation’s prayer that we slow our praying in the meantime, we simply will not address these needs if we don’t recognize and admit them in the first place.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong><em>"Why Is It A Struggle To Pray, When Prayer Has So Much Potential?"</em></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>PHIL>>> How does our definition of prayer determine (even inhibit) our practice of prayer?</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;">CHUCK>>> I suspect we sometimes overcomplicate our definition of prayer because we don’t want to minimize this spiritual discipline (and, I fear, we professors are sometimes most guilty). In other cases, we speak the right language but have lost our wonder over the truth that God allows us to listen to Him through His Word and speak to Him through prayer. Neither approach is helpful if we want to strengthen prayer in our relationship with God. Prayer is a mystery in the sense that we are privileged to speak with our Creator, but it’s also as simple as talking to God. When we get back to this kind of ongoing conversation with Him, we will have taken steps in the right direction.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong><em>"Who Are The Prayer Role Models In Your Life?"</em></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>PHIL>>> Scripture not only affirms we must pray but it presents role models for how to pray. How can the stories of biblical persons help us reimagine real prayer?</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong> </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10952819900,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10952819900,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10952819900?profile=RESIZE_584x" width="365" height="538" /></a>CHUCK>>> There’s a reason Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. They had likely learned prayer as religious ritual (almost as if to say, “Pray this way, at this time”), but they saw something so different in Jesus. They saw not ritual, but relationship and results. They wanted to learn from Him something they had never quite seen in others. When we read in the scriptures of folks like Abraham, Moses, Hannah, David, Solomon, Jehoshaphat, Nehemiah, Daniel, and Paul praying, we recognize that (1) we don’t usually pray like they did, and (2) what praying we do doesn’t always seem as life-giving and natural as prayer did for these others. These stories convict and challenge us not only to pray more, but to pray more out of our personal walk with the Father.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong><em>"Prayer has become more about ritual than relationship."</em></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>PHIL>>> Living a biblical life is a spiritual battle. For individuals, families, even congregations. The apostle Paul admonishes us to "put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes...and pray in the Spirit with all kinds of prayer, always praying for others" (see Ephesians 6). How do we recognize then replace lifeless ritualistic praying?</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;">CHUCK>>> I have noted in a previous response that simply studying the prayers of God’s people in the Scriptures can help us recognize that our prayers have become more ritualistic than relational. At the same time, here are some ways I know when my prayer life is going in the wrong direction. </span></p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size:12pt;">First, I find myself praying in order to “check the box,” not just to commune with God. My conversational style of prayer weakens. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:12pt;">Second, my prayers become routine, general, almost forced even. I pray because I know I’m supposed to more than because I want to. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size:12pt;">Third, I have no sense of God’s responding to my prayers in any specific way; in fact, I might even forget to look for His answer when my prayers are only ritual. Fourth, I just know when my prayers lack the life I’ve previously experienced when I could not wait to meet with God. Ritualistic prayer leaves us wanting more than rejoicing.</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong><em>"Praying Leaders Are Best At Casting A Vision For Prayer."</em></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>PHIL>>> Agree/Disagree ... Prayer ministry needs a leader, someone to coordinate, provide training and resources. But for the ministry to flourish congregation-wide, the pastor must cast the vision and lead by example.</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;">CHUCK>>> I absolutely agree. On one hand, I have <em>never </em>seen a strongly praying church that is not led by a strongly praying pastor. When the congregation, though, recognizes the power of their pastor’s prayer, some of them will want what the pastor has. Their pastor may, in fact, be the first role model of prayer they’ve ever seen—and they long for more in their own lives. At the same time, a pastor who is not passionate about and committed to prayer isn’t likely to teach much about it. Only sporadically will the church hear about prayer with any intentionality, and seldom will the church have any strategy in place to equip believers to pray. In fact—to be honest—some of the most frustrated folks I’ve seen are prayer warriors trying to lead the way to prayer in a church where their pastor doesn’t share the same passion.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong><em>"Getting Started: Praying Together"</em></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>PHIL>>> What does it take to begin praying together in a way that is not merely taking turns reciting requests? How do we replace listing with listening? Responding to the leading of the Spirit?</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;">CHUCK>>> My first suggestion is that we leaders worry less about getting the entire church on board with strong praying. That’s a good goal, but we’ll continually fret if we can rejoice only when <em>everyone </em>is a prayer warrior. Instead, let’s focus on a few people, model prayer for them, pray with them, and help them pray—not unlike what Jesus did when He took Peter, John, and James to the Mt. of Transfiguration to pray (Luke 9:28). While we’re taking that step, though, we also need to learn to do our devotions dialogically. That is, praying the Scriptures and responding verbally to what God shows us as we read the Bible will slow us down and focus our hearts on listening more. I am convinced that a “growing” prayer life doesn’t last long if it's separated from growing times in the Word. Finally, it’s just good to meditate silently on the Word at times. We can turn our hearts to God without speaking aloud—and just listening would do most of us some good.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>PHIL>>> One more thing we should think about...</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong> </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;">CHUCK>>> I go back to something I mentioned only briefly in a previous response. One of our problems is that we <em>tell </em>believers they need to pray, but we don’t <em>teach </em>them how to do it. The almost inevitable result then is that we get frustrated with them because they don’t respond to our telling. Teaching and modeling are essential if we want our church members to pray passionately and effectively.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>PHIL>>> Chuck, please give us a prayer we can pray with you the Lord can use to unleash us as a praying church.</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong> </strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;">CHUCK>>>. “Father, make me first a praying leader. Let my prayers be evidence of a relationship with You. Grant me favor with a few believers who might join me in praying. Then, God, teach us to pray both individually and corporately. Amen.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size:12pt;"> </span></p>
<h1><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>"The Potential and Power of Prayer: </strong><strong><em>How To Unleash The Praying Church"</em></strong></span></h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.tyndale.com/p/the-potential-and-power-of-prayer/9781496462008" target="_blank">Tyndale Publishers</a></li>
<li><a href="https://files.tyndale.com/thpdata/firstchapters/978-1-4964-6200-8.pdf?_ga=2.89412763.1652519727.1674064789-66c39e76-762f-45c9-a6a2-1cad03d0a7ab" target="_blank">Excerpt</a></li>
</ul></div>Interview ~ "Pray For Me" - A Guide/Campaign for Children's Prayer Championshttps://reimaginenetwork.ning.com/forum/topics1/interview-pray-for-me-a-children-s-prayer-champion-guide-campaign2016-03-18T03:47:37.000Z2016-03-18T03:47:37.000ZPhil Migliorattihttps://reimaginenetwork.ning.com/members/PhilMiglioratti<div><p><span><strong><span>Pray.Network</span></strong><span>'s Phil Miglioratti interviewed</span><span> Tony Souder, author of <em>"<a href="http://prayformecampaign.com/" target="_blank"><span>Pray for Me</span></a></em>: A Prayer Champion's Guide to Essential Prayer for Children." and Brian Crowe of <a href="http://awana.org/" target="_blank"><span>Awana</span></a>: "Reach Kids, Equip Leaders. Change the World.'</span></span></p>
<p><span> <img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311444566?profile=original" width="171"/></span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span><b>Pray.Network ~</b> Tony, please introduce us to "Pray for Me: A Prayer Champion's Guide to Essential Prayer for Children."</span></p>
<p><span>Tony Souder ~</span></p>
<p><span> <b>The birth of <em>"Pray for Me"</em> > </b></span></p>
<p><span> •Simply put, the <em>Pray for Me Campaign</em> was born out of our response to the reality that 40-50% of teens from good families and good youth groups are drifting from God and the church after they graduate. One of the primary factors for those young people who stay connected to the church and flourish in their faith is that they have multiple adult believers who are investing in their lives. Because of these realities we began relentlessly asking the question: How can we get more adults connected with more teenagers more naturally than ever before? The Pray for Me Campaign is our answer to that question.</span></p>
<p><span> <b>The vision > </b></span></p>
<p><span> •The vision of the Pray for Me Campaign is for every child and teenager connected to the church to have a growing team of adults who are determined to see them flourish in faith and life by praying for them to know and treasure all of the greatness of God as seen in the beauty of Jesus Christ.</span></p>
<p><span> <b>The book > </b></span></p>
<p><span> •The Prayer Guide is designed to help adults to pray Scripture over children and teens through the lens of 7 Essential Biblical categories. The Prayer Guide equips Prayer Champions to stay the course in praying about essential things that affect students’ relationships with God and how they are transformed into the image of Christ.</span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><span><b>Pray.Network</b> <b>~</b> Explain the reason for a multi-generational strategy.</span></p>
<p><span>Tony ~ The <em>Pray for Me Campaign</em> has at its core a desire to build healthy relationships between children and youth with every generation in the church. The principle is the same for both children’s and youth ministries but the application is a little different. In youth ministry, students are equipped to invite three adults from three different generations to be their Prayer Champions for a school year. In children’s ministry, families with children in fifth grade and below invite three adults from three different generations to be Prayer Champions for their children.</span></p>
<p><span>The reason for our multi-generational approach is fairly simple and straightforward. We believe there is sweetness to following Jesus at every age and stage of life and we wanted to create a natural way for children and youth to experience this first hand by having Prayer Champions from every adult generation.</span></p>
<p><span> <img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311444783?profile=original" width="269"/> </span></p>
<p><span><b>Pray.Network</b> <b>~</b> What are "The 7 Essentials" and why are they critical guides to those who commit to pray?</span></p>
<p><span>Tony ~ The 7 Essentials are Biblical aspects of life that are crucial to anyone to engage with for their growth as a follower of Christ. In the Prayer Guide they are critical areas of focus in helping a young person flourish in faith and life. The first two, wisdom and favor, come from Luke 2:52: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” If it was essential for God’s Son to grow in wisdom in favor, then there is no question that these two are essential for the next generation. The other five are from 1 Timothy 4:12: “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” Here Paul is giving Timothy the essential categories that he needs to pay attention to in order to set an appropriate example for all believers. These categories remain essential for us today.</span></p>
<p><span>One way to look at the 7 Essentials is to see that favor is the foundation for all the other Essentials. Favor is what God does in, through and for us every day. There is no aspect of our lives that is not touched or sustained by gracious favor of God. The next four Essentials are what I call the Core Four. These are the qualities God is forming inside of us by his gracious favor and they are wisdom, love, faith and purity. The last two Essentials are what I call the public relations pair or the PR pair for short, because it is through our speech and conduct that we go public with what is on the inside of us. Of course we can fake who we are in our speech and conduct but it is only a matter of time before what is really inside comes out.</span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><span><b>Pray.Network ~</b> Brian, explain your ministry role and how you have incorporated <em>Pray for M</em>e.</span></p>
<p><span>Brian Crowe ~ About 3 years ago, my wife and I became prayer champions for 3 youth at our home church. We were only a few days into praying for the youth at our church when we realized that we need to be praying these awesome prayers for our grandchildren who live 300 miles from us in North Carolina. As we progressed though the prayer guide, God was doing a work in our hearts as well. I found out the Tony lives in Chattanooga, Tn., which is only 20 minutes away, so I called him and we had breakfast together and since that time have become best of friends. On many pastor and church visits I talk to them about <em>Pray For Me</em> and what it means to me personally.</span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><span><strong>Pray.Network ~ </strong> How can Pray for Me be adopted into a congregation or children's ministry?</span></p>
<p><span>Tony (congregation) ~ </span></p>
<p><span> The <em>Pray for Me Campaign</em> is an excellent tool for connecting the generations in your church, praying essential things for the next generation, and equipping adults as Prayer Champions. It can be adopted into a church congregation via youth ministry, children’s ministry, or both. Churches host a <em>Pray for Me Campaign</em> launch event where students and families of children in fifth grade and below invite three adults from three generations to be their Prayer Champions for a school year. Prayer Champions pray using the Prayer Guide, and this cycle is repeated each school year. This gives students a vast web of intergenerational relationships that root them in the church and help them flourish in faith and life.</span></p>
<p><span>Brian (children's ministry) ~</span></p>
<p><span> I see so much potential. To have the adults praying the 7 Essentials for the Awana kids, Sunday School etc would be life changing for the Prayer Champions, parents and children.</span></p>
<p><span> In my wife’s Sparks group, we had Awana Leaders praying the 7 Essentials for the children that were in their Awana Sparks group.</span></p>
<p><span> I did a workshop in South Carolina on <em>Pray for Me</em> and at the end of the class, a Pastor said “This gives me hope for my church I did not have”</span></p>
<p><span> In one church, I saw over 25 groups of parents and their children surrounded by their Prayer Champion praying of them. </span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><span><b>Pray.Network ~</b> Any additional comments?</span></p>
<p><span>Tony ~ Everything that is needed to launch the <em>Pray for Me Campaign</em> is on our website <a href="http://www.prayformecampaign.com">www.prayformecampaign.com</a></span></p>
<p><span>Brian ~ The <em>Pray for Me Campaign</em> can be easily adapted to be used for Awana and other children's ministries.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span><b>Pray.Network ~</b> Tony and Brian, please write a prayer leaders can pray with you toward the mobilizing the people of God to pray for the children in our congregations and ministries.</span></p>
<p><span>Tony & Brian ></span></p>
<p><span> •Father, you are great and glorious in all you are and do. Thank you for your love for children and your desire for them to be free to come and be blessed and embraced by you. I pray that you would raise up adults in churches everywhere who are stirred with a relentless passion to help the little ones in their midst to see and savor the sweetness of knowing Jesus personally. Cause each of us as your followers to be moved with compassion and to become tenacious in how we pray and work on behalf of the children and youth in our world. Create in us a courage that empowers us to overcome the obstacles to praying fervently and deeply for this generation of children and youth. May you unleash a tsunami of supplication through your people for this generation so that they would love, treasure and adore Jesus above all else. For your glory! In Jesus’ name, amen.</span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><strong><span><a href="http://prayformecampaign.com/" target="_blank">Pray For Me Campaign</a></span></strong></p>
<p></p>
<p><strong><span><a href="http://awana.org/" target="_blank">Awana</a></span></strong></p></div>Pray! Network Interview with the author of Threshold: Transformational Prayerhttps://reimaginenetwork.ning.com/forum/topics1/pray-network-interview-with-the-author-of-threshold-transformatio2014-01-10T15:39:08.000Z2014-01-10T15:39:08.000ZReimagine Curatorhttps://reimaginenetwork.ning.com/members/PrayerINC<div><p><b><i>Paul, you serve as Prayer Pastor of Central Christian Church in metro Phoenix.</i></b></p>
<p><b><i>How is a Prayer Pastor different from a Prayer Coordinator or Director? And what is it about the vision of CCC that so highly values prayer?</i></b></p>
<p></p>
<p><b><i><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311441316?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311441316?profile=original" width="120" class="align-full"/></a></i></b></p>
<p></p>
<p>There is very little difference between a Prayer Pastor and a Prayer Director/Coordinator really, except that I have the privilege of leading prayer full-time. This slight difference I hope will be encouraging for all who read the book, because anyone can lead prayer who has the right heart and is willing to invest the time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Years ago our elders decided to put Central Christian Church’s core values into writing. They worked on them for months and finally landed on five. They were ready to publish these values when one of the elders noticed, “Hey, we don’t have anything in here about prayer.” To their credit, they decided then and there to make prayer one of our core values. They expressed the value this way: “Prayer. As a community of believers, we seek God’s guidance and direction through prayer in all that we do as a church an in all aspects of our daily lives.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I am most proud of our elders not for deciding to have a core value on prayer, but for realizing that simply having a core value, by itself, does not necessarily translate into a strong church of prayer. They were prepared for the work it was going to take to make this value become real. Don’t get me wrong, Prayer was already going on, but they believed there was room for improvement.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>What I love about this church most is its honesty. They knew prayer was important, and they were willing to make the investments of time and study that were necessary. They even hired me to help bring this core value to life. Instead of merely glancing in the direction of prayer, they took serious steps to encourage growth in this area of the church.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>What prompted you to write <i>Threshold</i>? And is this a book for prayer leaders only?</b></p>
<p><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311441232?profile=original" width="160" class="align-full"/></p>
<p>I have had a great burden for the American church. We have all but lost prayer. The average American prays 32 seconds a day. The smallest meetings in any church are the prayer meetings. So, I wrote this book as an offering to God. It was my hope that the book might prompt two things:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>1) To inspire people to pray. Americans want to pray, but some feel uncomfortable with it. My role has been to walk with them through the process of learning to pray. I think of Rick, who is very bright. We became friends, and I invited him to join me in the prayer room. He had all kinds of excuses at first, but finally, he joined me. It took some time, but today he leads prayer on one of our campuses. When asked, he often answers something like this, “I never dreamed that I would enjoy prayer as much as I do, and I know there are lots of other people out there who need a book like this to help them get more comfortable with prayer.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>2) Since I am one of the few prayer pastors in America, I get calls and e-mails asking me to help a church or prayer leader with something about which we have learned the hard way in prayer ministry. Questions like, <br/> • How do I start a prayer ministry? <br/> • How can I establish service intercession at our church? <br/> • How do you handle spiritual warfare issues? or, <br/> • What should I do about praying for special events? <br/> After answering these questions over and over, it became apparent that writing a manual might be helpful.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So, to answer your question directly, the book is for both individuals and prayer leaders. I would say the book is one third inspiration and two thirds how-to and methodology.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>What does the subtitle, <i>Transformational Prayer; Transformational Prayer Leadership</i>, tell us about the vision and message of your book?</b></p>
<p> </p>
<p>I am one of those people you can’t tell anything to. So, when I graduated from Bible College, I decided to do some experimentation to see if prayer really worked. For 30 days, I did not pray about anything. Then, for the next 30 days, I covered everything in my ministry with pre-operational prayer. I was testing the difference between prayer- backed ministry and life, and personality-backed ministry and life. What I determined in that experiment is that prayer-backed ministry and life is 10 times more effective than personality-backed ministry and life. I realize that this is subjective, but it started me down the road of recording my prayers. And for five full years, I recorded all my major prayers and watched God move. It was astounding. At the end of the five years, I had hundreds of answered prayer that no one knew anything about except God and me. I saw his orchestration in my life, and He was actually moving in my life. Recording my prayers gave me a chance to say “Thank You” for the things He was doing, and it gave me incredible confidence when I approached difficult situations.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once I learned the power of prayer, it transformed my life. Prayer became more than grace before meals and a quick note before bed. I got serious about meeting with God and inviting Him into my life and circumstances.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It is my hope that the book will help people grasp more of a transformational approach to prayer and then go on to lead others into transformational praying. Transformation doesn’t come because I have some great edge on God’s idea called prayer; it comes when we take it seriously and watch what God intended for prayer to be all along—something that makes a difference, something that is transformational.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Talk about:</b></p>
<ul>
<li><b>The role of prayer leaders to do more than produce events but to build teams and reproduce praying leaders</b></li>
</ul>
<p>I see my role as a prayer pastor as fourfold:</p>
<p>1) <b>To inspire people to want to pray or get better at prayer</b>. We do this through great stories, prayer conferences, schools of prayer, personal contact, exposure to great books, a quality prayer newsletter, and all other means we can think of.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>2) <b>To provide easy access for people to experiment with prayer</b>. Too often, the church makes it too hard and has too many scary expectations for people, so they give up and don’t even try to learn to pray, mistakenly thinking they can never get it. At Central, we look for easy access points where people can do prayer and enjoy it. I think of our Easter Prayer Effort. We are a large church on five campuses. We pray at every campus and during every service every weekend. But on Easter, we invite people who want to try intercessory prayer to come join us. Last year, we had 18 Easter services to cover. This allows people who are growing and desire to be a prayer leader to lead a prayer service. It also allows many who would not normally come to the prayer rooms to respond to the call to pray for those who are attending at Easter. Some of those who come to the one-time event get excited about prayer, and they continue to grow in prayer, often joining intercessory prayer throughout the year or participating in the prayer ministry somewhere else.</p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p>3) <b>To build teams who pray strategically and effectively.</b> Two of those teams, for instance, are the Web Prayer Team and the UpTeam. The Web team prays specifically for the needs of the church members, and the UpTeam prays for the personal and ministry needs of our pastors and global field workers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>4) <b>To provide a place where God can grow prayer leaders for His kingdom</b>. We hope to send prayer leaders we have trained all over the world as God calls them to take what they have learned about prayer with them to other churches and ministries for His kingdom’s sake.</p>
<ul>
<li><b>The “Prayer DNA Carrier"</b></li>
</ul>
<p>This is the person who has the vision for prayer in your church and the ability to connect others to the vision. I am not the best pray-er at our church by far. But I do have strong leadership abilities in prayer that others seem to catch and build into their lives. The DNA Carrier provides vision to the people of the church and interacts with the leadership of the church in a positive way. This person refuses to give up when prayer is overlooked or not taught as he or she believes it should be. This person continually believes God for good things.</p>
<ul>
<li><b>Fresh approaches and methods of praying</b></li>
</ul>
<p>In the book, we have shared some effective ways we’ve learned to pray to leverage special events and gain momentum.</p>
<p>We have included a chapter on Multisite Prayer. To my knowledge there is nothing else written on this subject.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There is a very practical section on praying in your life group that people are responding to very well.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There is also a list of fresh approaches to prayer; like praying the pictures of Jesus, that people have received very well.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The chapter on building a people of prayer will be helpful to anyone looking to lead a prayer ministry or even just leading people in any arena.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The ideas and insights are not written just so they look good in a book. They are tried and tested in battle. Not only are they tested, but I have endeavored to record them in such a way that they are completely reproducible in your setting.</p>
<ul>
<li><b>What is most important for prayer leaders to understand and transmit regarding spiritual warfare</b><b>?</b></li>
</ul>
<p>We want our leaders to understand that spiritual warfare is very real, and yet not begin to see a demon under every bush. God has given us the tools to deal with evil, but many of us have never used those tools and are therefore uncomfortable with them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I think learning a balanced biblical approach to spiritual warfare is critical. We teach how to understand Satan’s tactics, which when grasped, is most liberating. Our work here is not exhaustive by any means but we include some very solid resources on this subject for those who want to study further.</p>
<ul>
<li><b>Can you profile the qualities/skills/passions you'd look for in a prayer leader? (Is the most notable praying person in the church always the best choice for this role?)</b></li>
</ul>
<p>*Leadership and the ability to transfer vision to others</p>
<p>*An honest attempt at a clean life (Nothing blocks prayer or the prayer ministry like sin in the camp)</p>
<p>*A <i>growing</i> commitment and dependence upon God.</p>
<p>*The ability to work with church leadership well</p>
<ul>
<li><b>What is your perspective on Prayer Evangelism?</b></li>
</ul>
<p>My experience is that God does not use me to convert people off the street. But He does call me to pray for people who are lost, and we have seen many of those come to faith. When God prepares a heart by prayer for conversion, He prepares everything needed for that conversion. Prayer has been my best evangelistic tool by far.</p>
<p><b> </b></p>
<p><b>Share a coaching tip with the Pray! Network community.</b></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Reel in the men. Women will pray more naturally, but men are more likely to need encouragement, inviting, and training to feel comfortable with prayer. If men attend a prayer meeting and it is run by women or even attended mostly by women, the men will move on to something else. Recruiting and training men to take leadership roles in prayer ministry is vital to the success of the ministry.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Paul, please write a prayer we can pray along with you about the call to be transformational prayer leaders.</b></p>
<p> </p>
<p>God, You know that the American church has all but lost prayer these days. Our prayer meetings are the smallest meetings in the church. Lord, please forgive us for looking for methods and gimmicks instead of seeking You. Please have mercy on us, and give us a heart for prayer again. Raise up leaders who understand the value of prayer and will lead our churches back to prayer. Lord, give us transformation.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><i>Threshold: Transformational Prayer, Transformational Prayer Leadership</i> can be purchased</strong> on Amazon or Kindle. You can also order the book on either format <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=books#/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Threshold+Transformational+Prayer+Transforamational+Prayer+Leadership&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3AThreshold+Transformational+Prayer+Transforamational+Prayer+Leadership" target="_blank">here >>></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=books#/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Threshold+Transformational+Prayer+Transforamational+Prayer+Leadership&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3AThreshold+Transformational+Prayer+Transforamational+Prayer+Leadership"> </a></p></div>Interview Archives: National Pastors' Prayer Networkhttps://reimaginenetwork.ning.com/forum/topics1/interview-archives-national-pastors-prayer-network2020-06-09T16:37:07.000Z2020-06-09T16:37:07.000ZReimagine Curatorhttps://reimaginenetwork.ning.com/members/PrayerINC<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}5768868658,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}5768868658,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="5768868658?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="450" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://reimaginenetwork.ning.com/forum/topics1/inner-view-77-your-journey-to-a-prayerful-life?edited=1">Inner~View #77</a></p>
<p>Your Journey to a Prayerful Life</p>
<p>Phil Miglioratti interviewed Barb Schutt, author of Your Journey to a Prayer Life</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="https://reimaginenetwork.ning.com/forum/topics1/inner-view-76-deep-church-a-third-way-beyond-emerging-and-traditi?edited=1" target="_blank">Inner~View #76</a></p>
<p>A Third Way Beyond Emerging and Traditional</p>
<p>Phil Miglioratti interviewed Jim Belcher, author of Deep Church: A Third Way Beyond Emerging and Traditional</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/Innerview075.htm">Inner~View #75</a> <a href="http://www.lifeway.com/e1/shop/?id=005182426">Compelled by Love to Pray, Care & Share</a></p>
<p>Phil Miglioratti, IBSA Prayer Consultant, interviewed Philip Nation, co-author of <a href="http://www.lifeway.com/e1/shop/?id=005182426">Compelled By Love</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/Innerview074.htm">Inner~View #74</a></p>
<p>Reaching Your City, Part Two </p>
<p>Phil Miglioratti of the National Pastors' Prayer Network interviewed Francis Frangipane, a pioneering pastor in citywide unity.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/Innerview073.htm">Inner~View #73</a></p>
<p>Pastors Reaching Their City Francis Frangipane interviewed Phil Miglioratti <a href="http://frangipane.org/cgi-bin/gx.cgi/AppLogic+FTContentServer?pagename=FaithHighway/Globals/DisplayTextMessage&PROJECTPATH=10000/1000/728&sermonid=textsermon_1245390502246&customerTypeLabel=Weekly&sermontitle=Version%20en%20Espa%F1ol%20Aqu%ED%20a%20l">(En Español)</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://ia311009.us.archive.org/3/items/PhoneInnerviewWwarrenDuffyAug132009/DuffyConcallAug132009_vbr.mp3">Inner~View #72 </a></p>
<p>Phil Interviews Warren Duffy: Rock & Roll Radio Pioneer, Beach Boys PR Director, Christian Talk Show Host</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="https://reimaginenetwork.ning.com/group/national-pastors-prayer-network/pages/reimagine-corporate-small-group-prayer?edited=1">Inner~View #71</a></p>
<p>Practical Insights on Changing Corporate Prayer (for the better!)</p>
<p>Phil Miglioratti interviewed Andrew Wheeler Co-Director of the prayer ministry at Willow Creek's regional campus in McHenry County, Illinois </p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/Innerview%20070.wav">Inner~View #70 </a> </p>
<p>National Prayer Leader Discusses the Sad State of Prayer in the Church (Phone Inner~View WAV File)</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/Innerview069.htm">Inner~View #69</a> </p>
<p>Mittelberg on the Prayer-Care-Share Adventure</p>
<p>Phil Miglioratti interviewed Mark Mittelberg, co-author (with Lee Strobel) of The Unexpected Adventure</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/Innerview068.htm">Inner~View #68 </a></p>
<p><a href="http://docmarkelliott.com/">Confessions of an Insignificant Pastor</a></p>
<p>Phil Miglioratti of Praying Pastor interviewed Mark Elliott, author of “<em><u>Confessions of an Insignificant Pastor: What Pastors Wish They Could Tell You</u></em>.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/Innerview067.htm">Inner~View #67 </a> Connecting People & Community</p>
<p>Phil Miglioratti interviewed Stan Dobbs of<a href="http://caresteam.org/"> Apartment Life</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/Innerview066.htm">Inner~View #66 </a></p>
<p>Transforming Power of a Personal Prayer Retreat Come Away with Me. Pray! Magazine's Guide to Prayer Retreats by <a href="http://www.navpress.com/author/A10642/Cynthia-Hyle-Bezek">Cynthia Hyle Bezek</a></p>
<p>Phil Miglioratti interviewed Cynthia Hyle Bezek editor of Pray! Online ...</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/Innerview065.htm">Inner~View #65</a> </p>
<p>Seasoned Leader on How to Make Prayer the Heartbeat of Your Church</p>
<p>Prayer Leader's Phil Miglioratti interviewed Doug Small on the release of Prayer: The Heartbeat of the Church.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/Innerview064.htm">Inner~View #64</a> </p>
<p>Teaching People to Pray As They Pray</p>
<p>Interview with John Franklin, national prayer leader and author</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/Innerview063.htm">Inner~View #63 </a></p>
<p>Children X Prayer = Discipleship</p>
<p>Phil Miglioratti interviewed Debbie Salter Goodwin, author of The Praying Parent and Raising Kids To Extraordinary Faith.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/Innerview062.htm">Inner~View #62</a> </p>
<p>Training Nationals to Reach Their World</p>
<p>Recent interview with Jorge Romero of <em>Titus International:</em> <em>Training Nationals to Reach Their World. </em>Interview by Phil Miglioratti</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/Innerview061.htm">Inner~View #61 </a> Strategic Approaches on National Day of Prayer</p>
<p>Phil Miglioratti interviewed John Bornschein, Senior Director for the <a href="http://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/">National Day of Prayer Task Force</a> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/Innerview060.htm">I</a><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/Innerview060.htm">nner~View #60 </a> </p>
<p>1,000,000 Praying Pastors?</p>
<p>Phil Miglioratti interviewed Dean Gambill, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Praying Pastors Project </p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/Innerview059.htm">Inner~View #59</a></p>
<p>Practical & Personal Insights on Solemn Assemblies</p>
<p>Phil Miglioratti interviewed Pastor Keeney Dickenson</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/Innerview058.htm">Inner~View #58</a> </p>
<p>Rethink the Gospel <br /> Phil Miglioratti interviewed<a href="http://www.toddhunter.org/"> Todd Hunter</a>, author of<a href="http://www.ivpress.com/cgi-ivpress/book.pl/code=3315"> Christianity Beyond Belief</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/Innerview057.htm">Inner~View #57</a> </p>
<p>Urban-Suburban Partnerships </p>
<p>Phil Miglioratti interviewed two of the authors of Linking Arms, Linking Lives:<br /> How Urban-Suburban Partnerships Can Transform Communities</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/innerview056.htm">Inner~View #56</a> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.ivpress.com/cgi-ivpress/book.pl/code=3448">The Impact of Influence on Transformation</a></p>
<p> Phil Miglioratti interviewed MaryKate Morse, author of Making Room for Leadership: Power, Space and Influence</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/innerview055.htm">Inner~View #55</a> </p>
<p>Honest Talk About Honest Prayer</p>
<p>Pastor interviewed Peter Lundell, author of <em>Prayer Power: 30 Days to a Stronger Connection with God </em>(Revell, January 2009)</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/innerview054.htm">Inner~View #54 </a></p>
<p>Kids … Untapped Prayer Power</p>
<p>Phil Miglioratti interviewed Kathleen Trock of Pebbles and Stones --</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/innerview053.htm">Inner~View #53 </a> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.prayerbookstore.com/">Wisdom for Spiritual Warfare from a Spiritual Warrior</a></p>
<p>Phil Miglioratti interviewed Eddie Smith, author of Making Sense of Spiritual Warfare.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/innerview052.htm">Inner~View #52 </a> </p>
<p>Phil Miglioratti interviewed Kent Humphreys, author of Shepherding Horses: Understanding God's Pan for Transforming Leaders</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/innerview051.htm">Inner~View #51 </a> </p>
<p>Phil Miglioratti interviewed Zach Eswine for Praying Pastor, author of <a href="http://www.bakerpublishinggroup.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=0477683E4046471488BD7BAC8DCFB004&nm=&type=PubCom&mod=PubComProductCatalog&mid=BF1316AF9E334B7BA1C33CB61CF48A4E&tier=3&id=318E8D9285454A089EC91E898C66D575">Prayer. The Antidote to "Unmeditated" Sermons</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/innerview050.htm">Inner~View #50 </a> </p>
<p>Phil Miglioratti interviewed Debbie Przybylski, author of Intercessor Arise: Personal Prayer that Changes the World</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/innerview049.htm">Inner~View #49</a> </p>
<p>Praying Pastor ~ interviewed Daniel Henderson ... “Daniel how did you become involved with Peter Lord, the original designer of this resource?”<br /> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/InnerView048.htm">Inner~View #48</a> </p>
<p>Phil Miglioratti interviewed Mary Ann Bridgwater, author of <em>Prayers for the Faithful:</em>c<em>Fervent Daily Prayer & Meditations for Christians Serving Around the World</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/InnerView047.htm">Inner~View #47</a> </p>
<p>A Praying Pastor Leads His Church Deep Into Prayer </p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/InnerView046.htm">Inner~View #46</a> </p>
<p>Phil Miglioratti interviewed Liberty Professor, Dr. David Earley, author of a new book on prayer </p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/InnerView045.htm">Inner~View #45</a> </p>
<p>Sharing the Gospel; from Four Laws to Five Thresholds – “I Once Was Lost: What Postmodern Skeptics Taught Us About Their Path to Jesus” by <a href="http://www.ivpress.com/cgi-ivpress/author.pl/author_id=1029">Don Everts</a> and <a href="http://www.ivpress.com/cgi-ivpress/author.pl/author_id=1412">Doug Schaupp</a> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/InnerView044.htm">Inner~View #044</a> </p>
<p>A national perspective from a national prayer coordinator</p>
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<p> </p>
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<p> </p>
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<p> </p>
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<p> </p>
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<p> </p>
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<p> </p>
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<p> </p>
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<p> </p>
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<p>NPPN interviewed Jacky Minard</p>
<p> </p>
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<p>Phil Miglioratti of the Church Prayer Leaders Network interviewed David Mains on topics ranging from a new series he has authored on prayer to issues on modern revival in our land...</p>
<p> </p>
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<p> </p>
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<p> </p>
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<p> </p>
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<p>LC2C Interviewed John Barcanic, President, Barcanic Coaching and Training</p>
<p> </p>
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<p> </p>
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<p>Prayer Leader interviewed Mike King, author or Presence-Centered Youth Ministry....Guiding Students into Radical Prayer </p>
<p> </p>
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<p>Prayer Leader Interviewed Steve Loopstra on a "Developing a Culture of Prayer"</p>
<p><br /> <a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/InnerView025.htm">Inner~View #025</a> </p>
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<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/InnerView024.htm">Inner~View #024</a> </p>
<p>Prayer Leader interviewed Carolyn Fuqua, Prayer Ministry Coordinator @ Biltmore Baptist Church</p>
<p> </p>
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<p>NPPN interviewed Jim Tomberlin</p>
<p> </p>
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<p>NPPN interviewed Bob Griffin....Rockford Renewal Ministries...</p>
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<p> </p>
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<p> </p>
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<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/InnerView019.htm">Inner-View #019</a> </p>
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<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/InnerView017.htm">Inner-View #017</a> </p>
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<p> </p>
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<p> </p>
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<p> </p>
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<p> </p>
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<p> </p>
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<p> </p>
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<p> </p>
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<p>NPPN Facilitator Phil Miglioratti interviewed on the January 16, 2003 Mission America Coalition Cities & Communities Conference Call.</p>
<p> </p>
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<p>Mell Winger, National Director of Church Relations</p>
<p> </p>
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<p> </p>
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<p>Jack Dennison Reaching You r City For Christ</p>
<p><br /> <a href="http://nppn.org/InnerViews/InnerView001.htm">Inner -View # 001</a> </p>
<p>Pastor Phil Miglioratti NPPN Facilitator</p>
<p> </p></div>Lynn Cory, author of "The Incarnational Church" is interviewed by Phil Miglioratti https://reimaginenetwork.ning.com/forum/topics1/interview-with-lynn-cory-author-of-the-incarnational-church2017-06-07T23:51:27.000Z2017-06-07T23:51:27.000ZPhil Migliorattihttps://reimaginenetwork.ning.com/members/PhilMiglioratti<div><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em><strong>Lynn Cory, author of <a href="https://neighborhoodinitiative.com/">"The Incarnational Church"</a> is interviewed by Phil Miglioratti </strong></em></span></p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311445033?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311445033?profile=original" width="160" alt="2311445033?profile=original" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Phil ~ Tell us 3-4 things about your ministry life that will help us understand your passion to author this book.</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Lynn</strong> ~ My ministry life, as you term it, began well over forty years ago, when I was called to serve as the college pastor of a rapidly growing church in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles. And even though our ministry enjoyed every conceivable success from a worldly standpoint, I couldn’t help but feel that something was lacking or not quite right. I couldn’t put my finger on the problem, so I began to read every book took a simple job in a warehouse. My hunger to find what was lacking in my former experience led me to start a church in our home. There was something in that experience that seemed right . . . more in line with what I believed the New Testament to be saying. We grew steadily, eventually exceeding 60 adults and 25 children, but with a fulltime job, a wife and three young children, I just couldn’t meet all the demands. After four years leading the house church, our family became involved with the local Vineyard. The experience was more informal and fit well for our family. After a time, I joined the pastoral team, but something began to stir in me again . . . something that said the Lord has more in mind for His people. I wish I could be like everyone else and just go with the flow of church today, but the Lord has written evangelism into my DNA and a need to be in community with those outside the Church. <em>The Incarnational Church</em> conveys what I believe is necessary for the Church to be in step with what the Lord desires for His people in this particular season of history.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Phil ~ How does your new book differ from your previous book, "<em>Neighborhood Initiative and the Love of God</em>?"</strong></p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311445444?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311445444?profile=original" width="237" alt="2311445444?profile=original" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Lynn</strong> ~ <em>Neighborhood Initiative</em> focused primarily on the individual believer and how one can live incarnationally in one’s own neighborhood. It gives helpful tools and stories to show how those in the Church can begin to connect with their actual neighbors and how believers can join with the Father in what He doing in the lives of those who surround us. In this new book, however, the focus is on the Whole Church in every city becoming collectively incarnational. By that I mean . . . the corporate body of Christ working together as one to replicate the life and ministry of Jesus in the cities and neighborhoods where He has placed us. While the first book was written with every believer in mind, <em>The Incarnational Church</em> is a sequel aimed more at pastors and leaders.</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Phil ~ What does the subtitle, "Catching Jesus' Radical Approach for Advancing His Kingdom" tell us about your perspective of the incarnational life?</strong></p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311445542?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311445542?profile=original" width="189" alt="2311445542?profile=original" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Lynn</strong> ~ The American church, for the most part, utilizes an operating system known as the attractional model. Very succinctly, I characterize the attractional church model in this way: We want people to come to our church. We are always looking for another way to attract people to our buildings, to hear our pastor, to participate in our programs. As so defined, the success of our church is marked by increased attendance and participation. Jesus’ ministry approach, on the other hand, was quite different. In contrast to the American church, our Lord utilized an incarnational model during His three years of ministry. That is to say, Jesus didn’t ask people to come to Him. He went to the people. He became “God with us” . . . God living life in our midst. As Dallas Willard so wisely pointed out, “One of the things we often miss is that His mission in the world is incarnational. It comes through people. Incarnation is not just a theological doctrine. It’s a doctrine about how we live. And if we are going to bring Christ to our world, our cities, our neighbors, then we do it in our own person, skin on skin contact, face to face, relationships to others where we manifest a love that is beyond human possibilities and yet is within human actuality, because God makes it so.” As I observe what God is doing in the Church today in America, I believe with all my heart that the Lord is taking His Church back to its first love, back to the things it did at first, back to the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. But in order for this to become reality, church leadership must catch this radical move of God and join Him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Phil ~ You serve as coordinator for the Neighboring affinity sphere for the LOVE2020 movement.</strong> How can those involved in neighboring partner with you to:</p>
<p> </p>
<ol>
<li>Mobilize Jesus-followers into an Incarnational, prayer-care-share lifestyle?</li>
</ol>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Lynn</strong> ~ Years ago, I was introduced to a message given by Dr. Francis Schaeffer entitled, “The Lord’s Work in the Lord’s Way.” I was deeply impacted by what he presented. At the heart of his message, Schaeffer stressed the importance of quietly and humbly waiting in prayer for the Holy Spirit to do His work through His people. In his opinion, the greatest threat to Christianity is when those in Christian ministry attempt to do the Lord’s work in their own strength. It is with this same conviction that I believe that lack of prayer turns our efforts into works of the flesh. In an effort to help Jesus-followers partner with the Lord in what He is doing in their neighborhoods, I developed the following:</p>
<p> </p>
<p> <u>PRAYER</u></p>
<ul>
<li>Pray for your neighbors by name, considering their physical and spiritual needs, concerns, and health. Ask the Lord to show you what He is doing in your neighborhood. While you are walking and praying, engage any neighbors you may meet along the way.</li>
<li>Wait on God. Your Father is already at work in your neighborhood. Wait for Him to invite you into what He is doing. This is a waiting with great anticipation.</li>
<li>Watch to see what the Father is doing. As you are praying, He may reveal things through something He puts on your heart or speak to you as you talk to a neighbor or as you see a need.</li>
<li>Join your Father as He invites you into what He is doing in your neighborhood.</li>
</ul>
<p><u>CARE</u></p>
<p>Care flows from a heart that is filled with compassion for those in your neighborhood.</p>
<p>Here’s where you start:</p>
<ul>
<li>Co-laboring with God. Once the Lord invites you into what He is doing, recognize that this is His doing and that He will give you the grace to care for those in your neighborhood.</li>
<li>Initiate conversation. The needs of neighbors are manifold. All you need to do is take some time to talk with your neighbors, and before long they will fill you in on the needs of others who live on your block as well as their own.</li>
<li>Listen. Learn to ask good questions and then listen. Resist trying to interject things to say while they are talking. It shuts down the flow of things coming from their heart. Offer to pray for them if it seems appropriate.</li>
<li>Meet the Need. When a neighbor’s need becomes apparent, meet the need. They will never listen to our words until they know we really care.</li>
<li>You can’t do everything. Keep in mind that every need in your neighborhood is not your responsibility…remember, you want to be about your Father’s business.</li>
<li>You may need a partner. Enlist others in your neighborhood to help you with larger tasks.</li>
</ul>
<p><u>SHARE</u></p>
<p>If you look at the accounts of Jesus sharing about Himself and the Gospel of the kingdom, you will never see Him do it the same way twice. When God opens a door for the Gospel, allow the Holy Spirit to speak through you as you share your story and then His story. We see the apostle Paul using this approach in the book of Acts. Become effective in sharing the Gospel in this manner with your neighbors. If they are responsive, stay with them. If they listen to you and what they have heard, stay with that person, as Jesus said. You have found a person of peace. Devote time to the relationship and help them in their new walk with the Lord.</p>
<p> </p>
<ol>
<li>Invite churches into cooperative/collaborative movement to love their community/city for and with and to Christ?</li>
</ol>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Lynn</strong> ~ I have found the most effective way to establish a neighboring movement of pastors and leaders in a community is to identify a leader(s) who has been called of God to lead a city movement. He needs to be a kingdom-minded person with a passion for this good work. In the early history of Christianity, James was called to lead the church in the city of Jerusalem. In the same way, a city leader of today is one who will take up a leadership role and cast the neighboring vision before other church leaders. He will draw pastors and leaders together to pray for this neighboring vision. In time, a team of leaders will emerge that will organize, train, and move the church of that city forward into cooperative neighboring ministry. </p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Phil ~ Lynn, I just now noticed <em>The Incarnational Church</em> has 30 bite-sized chapters</strong> that could easily be accessed as daily readings. If someone were to approach the book in that way, what question would you suggest they ask before they begin reading and what simple prayer should they express when that daily reading is complete?</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Lynn</strong> ~ This would be a wonderful approach to reading <em>The Incarnational Church</em>. But whatever the approach, I believe it incumbent upon the reader to ask, “What would it take to see the whole church in our city move forward to live out the collective life of Jesus in our city and neighborhoods?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As for a prayer, I suggest something along the following lines: “Father, I pray that the church in our city would become one so that those in our city will know that You sent Your Son, the Lord Jesus. I ask that the leaders and pastors in our city would be of one purpose…loving our actual neighbors as ourselves. I pray that we would join You in Your easy yoke to accomplish this work, for without You, we can do nothing. I ask it in Your wonderful name, the Lord Jesus Christ.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Phil ~ Tell us about Section 3: Stories About the Lord’s Incarnational Work in Cities...</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Lynn</strong> ~ When I first started working with pastors and leaders in the neighboring movement, I thought there was only one way to approach neighboring in a city. How I quickly learned that the Holy Spirit is in no way restricted to any single approach! As I have learned through my years of working with pastors and leaders in the neighboring movement, approaches and methods change from one city to the next. In one city, God will work through a group of leaders to do it one way, while in another city He will use an entirely different approach.</p>
<p>By offering these various stories, it is my hope that we can in some small way convey the wide variety of approaches in which the Lord has worked to bring about His unique work in a neighborhood, with churches, and through city movements. The stories help to stimulate ideas and make it easier for others to see how God is at work in different communities.</p>
<p> </p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311445771?profile=original"><img class="align-full align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2311445771?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="285" alt="2311445771?profile=RESIZE_320x320" /></a> </p>
<p><strong>Phil ~ Please comment on:</strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><u>Prayer</u>:</p>
<p><strong>Lynn ~</strong> Since my early days, books like <em>True Evangelism</em> by Lewis Sperry Chafer and John Pollock’s biography of Billy Graham helped convince me that prayer is absolutely central to evangelism. Though the primary focus of my book is not prayer, I have included two chapters on the subject because I believe it is so important. If pastors and leaders are not willing to pray for our cities, both corporately and privately, why would we ever expect to witness a move of God? </p>
<p> </p>
<p><u>Relationship</u>:</p>
<p><strong>Lynn ~</strong>One of my favorite quotes from <em>The Incarnational Church</em> is from former U.S. Senate chaplain Richard Halverson. His assessment of the church is as follows: “The church began as a fellowship of men and women centered on Jesus Christ. It went to Greece and became a philosophy. It then went to Rome and became an institution. It then went to Europe and became a culture. When it came to America, it became an enterprise.” We moved from being a fellowship of believers centered on Christ with deep relationship with one another and moved toward advancing our organizations…people have become a means to advancing our agenda and our popularity. I desire to see the Church move back to pure and simple devotion to Christ and to fulfill the new commandment the Lord gave us . . . to love one another as He has loved us and to love our neighbor as ourselves.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"<em><u>Kairos</u></em>":</p>
<p><strong>Lynn ~</strong> The word <em>kairos</em>…opportunity…is central to both books, as well as the ministry of Neighborhood Initiative. We live in a world governed by <em>chronos</em> . . . time. But until we understand what Paul was trying to communicate in Ephesians 5:15 and 16, (<strong><sup>“</sup></strong>Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every <em>kairos</em>, because the days are evil.”) we will be unable to effectively co-labor with the Lord. In my latter years, the Lord has revealed to me how important the <em>kairos</em> life is to evangelism. It is life in the easy yoke with Jesus . . . not trying to make anything happen, but joining my Father in the work He is already doing. I call it “living the <em>kairos</em> life.” I further develop this important concept in <em>The Incarnational Church</em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><u>Love</u>:</p>
<p><strong>Lynn ~</strong> Loving God and loving our neighbor is at the heart of the neighboring movement. I have come to the conclusion that you can’t love God without loving your neighbor and in many respects, you love God <u>by</u> loving your neighbor. Jesus said, “When you have done it to the least of these you have done it unto me.” Or as the Apostle John stated, “For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they <u>have</u> seen, cannot love God, whom they have <u>not</u> seen.” I believe the Lord is challenging His Church today to show this kind of love to those right outside our doors (unbeliever and believer).</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Phil ~ Anything else we should know about neighboring?</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Lynn</strong> ~ I mention the following in the introduction of the book: “When I first moved into Neighborhood Initiative I didn’t realize that “reformation” was what the Lord had in mind. Think about it. If we begin to love our actual neighbors then we will probably encounter people from other congregations who just happen to live in our neighborhoods. Are we going to avoid them, or are we going to invite them to join us in loving our neighbors</p>
<p class="p1">as ourselves?” I believe through the neighboring movement, God is calling us to love those from other churches right where we live. I firmly believe that this is what Jesus is up to in this particular season of Church history. He is answering His own prayer by making us one; the whole Church ministering in every neighborhood in every city.</p>
<p class="p1"> </p>
<p class="p1"> </p>
<p><strong>Phil ~ Lynn, please write a prayer that invites us into the love-by-neighboring movement, as participants and mobilizers ...</strong></p>
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<p><strong>Lynn</strong> ~ Father, You are working uniquely in our day to bring about a great move of Your Spirit as You once did through the Jesus Movement. Today, You are pouring out your Spirit on those in the neighboring movement. You are gathering pastors and leaders from around our country to pray and enlist your people to love those right outside our doors. Father, it is a beautiful work that You are doing. There is no one person or place that we can pinpoint where it started, but as Your Spirit has spoken to individuals in Your Church, a fire has started…a fire that can’t be contained…a fire that is picking up steam and is beginning to burn in the hearts of Your people. I give You all the glory for what You are doing in our day. I pray that Your Spirit will speak to more and more to pastors and leaders about what You are doing; that they will catch what You are doing and join with You. I pray that every city in America will have only one church and work together as one so that world will know that You sent Your Son. I love You, Father, and I pray this in Your Son’s wonderful name.</p>
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