Chase Your Lion

Good News, Bad News, and a Bright Future

Heath Mullikin — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:00:09 +0000

I started this website in 2009 to inspire others to make their life count by discovering and pursuing their purpose, passion, and possibilities. Little did I know that in 2010 I would be challenged to follow my own mantra and “Chase My Lion” to a new place of ministry. It wasn’t expected. It wasn’t sought out. It was God’s plan for me and my family. So, after 13 years in youth ministry, I have begun a new journey as the Senior Pastor of Oakway Wesleyan Church in Westminster, SC. It was a quick turnaround and move, but God has blessed us every step along the way. The people of Denton Wesleyan have been wonderful and fully supportive of this move and I cannot thank them enough. I will give a full timeline and story later on, but that’s what’s going on in a nutshell and that’s the good news.

The bad news is that one of the main companies I have been using to promote resources on this site for has dropped the ball on several things and proven unreliable with their links. I apologize if, when clicking on any links or banner, you have found yourself on a “page or resource not found” page. There are dozens of posts on this blog featuring links to their site which no longer work. Over the next several weeks, I will be endeavoring to correct this and will be partnering with more reliable sources to provide the best resources at the best prices.

However, there are great things in store for Chase Your Lion dot com this fall. It’s not a relaunch, but a refocusing and redoubling of our efforts to be the #1 place for Christian Resources and Reviews on the net. More resources, more giveaways, and more stores! Thanks for your continued support.

Blogging Hiatus

Heath Mullikin — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:35:06 +0000

I’ve spent the last 4 weeks at youth camps and on vacation. Chase Your Lion will be up and full speed ahead in a few weeks as we head into the start of school and fall. Thanks for your continued support.

Interview with Greg and Heidi Edmonds, Missionaries to Haiti

Heath Mullikin — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 15:16:11 +0000

I met Greg Edmonds when we were both students at Southern Wesleyan University back in the mid-90′s. After graduation, we served together as youth pastors in the South Carolina District and worked together on numerous missions trip and youth camps. If you watch the Daily Dose of Heath, you’ll recall this story from youth camp where Greg was one of the masterminds. Needless to say, he is true brother in Christ and someone I have a deep love and respect for. When I heard he and his wife were taking the step to become career missionaries with Global Partners in Haiti, I knew God had great things in store for them. This calling came before the devastating earthquake that hit the nation in early 2010. I had the chance to sit down with them and discuss what God is doing in their lives.

To find out more about their mission to Haiti check out their website here.

To join their prayer and/or financial support team click here.

To join their Facebook group click here.

Similar Posts:

Rural Church Winners!

Heath Mullikin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 14:04:58 +0000

Last week, I announced a contest where I was giving away 4 copies of Shannon O’Dell’s book, Transforming Church in Rural America. The first two winners are both Wesleyan pastors. Josh Rhone pastors Mt. Union Wesleyan Church in Pennsylvania and blogs over at www.joshrhone.com. Tim Kirkpatrick serves as the Discipleship/Small Groups Pastor at Foster St. Wesleyan Church in Asheboro, NC. You can check out Tim’s blog here. I’ve got 2 more copies to give away so leave a comment on this post to tell me why this book would be beneficial to you and you could win a copy! The winners will be announced Friday!Similar Posts:

Transforming People and the Church and Win a Free Book!

Heath Mullikin — Wed, 26 May 2010 15:37:26 +0000

I just finished Shannon O’Dell’s book, Transforming Church in Rural America. There are two things I love about this book. First, he includes links to videos where you can actually see the churches and places he is talking about and secondly, he removes a lot of the excuses for why rural churches aren’t growing. It is a challenging and eye opening book about how God is using Brand New Church to reach beyond the borders of it’s town of under 100 people. I will be giving away 4 copies of this book. All you have to do is

1. Leave a comment on this post about why this book would benefit you.

2. Tweet the following: @chaseurlion is giving away 4 copies of @shannonodell book. Check out http://www.chaseyourlion.com to find out how to win!

I will draw 4 names from all of the entries on Monday, May 31. This is just a small token of my appreciation for the great book, the work done by rural pastors, and the loyal supporters of Chase Your Lion.

I also came across Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the Old Fashioned Way. This book from J.I. Packer and Gary Parrett challenges churches to return to the proven ways of teaching children and adults the foundations of the faith. Christianity Today has an article and excerpt here. It is on my summer reading list.

Transforming Church in Rural America: Breaking All the Rurals

Small church buildings dotting the countryside are home to ministries that often struggle with limited attendance, no money, and little expectation that change can revitalize their future. In Transforming Church in Rural America, Pastor Shannon O’Dell shares a powerful vision of relevance, possibility, and excellence for these small churches, or for any ministry that is stuck in a “rural state of mind.” The book reveals:

how to generate growth through transformed lives
ways to create active evangelism in your community
no-cost solutions for staffing challenges, enhancing the worship experience, and inspiring volunteers

Focusing on vision, attitude, leadership, and innovation, you can learn the practical strategies and biblical guidance that helped to grow a church of 31 into a multi-campus church of several thousand, with a national and global outreach. Discover effective structure and ways to cast God-given vision so others can follow and make an impact. Experience the blueprint for transforming into effective, dynamic, and thriving churches- no matter where the location or how small it may be.

Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the Old-Fashioned Way

Historically, the church’s ministry of grounding new believers in the essentials of the faith has been known as catechesis–systematic instruction in faith foundations, including what we believe, how we pray and worship, and how we conduct our lives.

For most evangelicals today, however, this very idea is an alien concept. Packer and Parrett, concerned for the state of the church, seek to inspire a much needed evangelical course correction. This new book makes the case for a recovery of significant catechesis as a nonnegotiable practice, urging evangelical churches to undertake this biblical ministry for the sake of their spiritual health and vitality.

Similar Posts:

Carlos Whittaker’s Ragamuffin Soul

Heath Mullikin — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:25:27 +0000

I’ve been following Carlos Whittaker on his blog(Ragamuffin Soul) and on twitter since I started Chase Your Lion dot com. His humor and depth have been a breath of fresh air at times. His transparency is something I greatly admire in his writing. I just downloaded his album this morning and it’s been an uplifting experience so far. So check out his new album and his podcast.

Ragamuffin Soul

By Carlos Whitaker

Singer, songwriter, and worship leader Carlos Whitaker began his career in music at an early age, honing his tenor voice in the choir of the Los Angeles Southern Baptist church where his father preached. Small spots in the choir soon led to compositions on the guitar and Carlos leading the church in worship. Now a worship leader for Andy Stanley’s Buckhead Church in Atlanta, Whitaker offers his genre-smashing debut, Ragamuffin Soul. Musically, the album is a melting pot of styles where soul meets hip-hop, funk, and worship, in the midst of an engaging set of glowing original songs.

Download the album at

Get the Ragamuffin Soul Podcast at Similar Posts:

Review of “Ageless Faith”

Heath Mullikin — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 13:21:06 +0000

I received a review copy of “Ageless Faith”, one of Wesleyan Publishing House’s March releases. The authors are father and son, Dr. Keith and David Drury. This book is “A Conversation Between Generations About Church” and covers topics such as women in leadership, denominational leadership, race, conversion, worship, alcohol, and ordained ministry. This is the most conversational book I have ever read as father and son go back and forth. It’s easy to picture them across from each other in a diner enjoying coffee and apple pie together. One of my favorite lines in the book deals with worship when Keith asks,”Why do many younger folk want it so dark in the sanctuary?” There are some tense moments as these men try to bridge the generational gap in the church. Whatever generation you represent, it’s important to hear where the other is coming from. It’s a father-son conversation that doesn’t take itself too seriously while also getting to the heart of many serious matters. It presents the thoughts of ideas of two generations while letting you clearly see the deep love that both have for Christ and the Church. It’s sometimes funny, sometimes enraging, but always engaging. They included lots of group discussion questions so that the conversation can be continued. I’ve read many of Dr. Drury’s book’s before and look forward to reading some more of David’s work in the future. This work is one I think they can both “hang their hat on.” It’s a great read for any individual or small group.

Other Books by Keith Drury

Similar Posts:

Mentoring Ups and Downs

Heath Mullikin — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 18:09:10 +0000

Over the years, I have had the privilege of mentoring and being mentored by many great people in ministry. 10 years of ministry on a college campus kept a steady flow of ministry students involved in our church’s youth ministry. I’ve enjoyed many lunches with some great men and women and watched lots of them be used in amazing ways by God. Mentoring is all about investing your time, energy, and knowledge into someone else. I believe we all need to have a mentor and be mentoring at least one person at every phase in life. You need someone who is more experienced than you pouring into your life while you do the same for someone else.

Mentoring is often difficult. While most appreciate the time others don’t seem to heed any advice that is given. Others fail to even show up and make an effort to be a part of the process that they requested. Here’s my question: at one point do you start investing your time elsewhere and in someone else who will benefit more from the mentoring relationship? Is there a point where, as a mentor, you can say,”This dude doesn’t get it” and gracefully move onto something else? I’m not talking about doing this out of the blue, but after several “warnings” and admonishments about their behavior, attitude, etc. If it’s someone you’ve been promoting for a position then can you say,”hey, I’m not comfortable giving people your name and resume anymore because of the lack of maturity and character I have seen in you.” At some point, it will fall back on you if you’ve given your blessing and recommendation to someone who is not demonstrating the gifts, calling, and character of someone in ministry.

I’m talking mainly about college age students/graduates. Obviously, with younger students and pre-teens, mentoring is a bit different, but just as vital. Author Don Miller started The Mentoring Project several years ago to deal with the crisis of children growing up fatherless in our country. They are a great organization with some cool resources and a mission that we all can believe in.

I would love to know what you think and hear your mentoring stories. Grace and Peace.

Donald Miller books

Finding a Mentor, Being a Mentor: Sharing Our Lives as Women of God

Experience the joy of sharing life experiences with your sister in Christ! Whether you’d like to pass on God-given lessons to a younger woman or learn from an older friend, these selections from Otto’s Between Women of God and The Gentle Art of Mentoring will help you nourish relationships that produce abundant spiritual fruit. Paperback.

Mentoring: How to Find a Mentor and How to Become One

Whether you’re looking for a mentor to guide you to reach your best or if you want to have a profound influence upon future generations, this book provides comprehensive information for every facet of mentoring. Seven major areas of life-family and marriage, financial, personal growth, physical, professional, social, spiritual-are targeted for steady growth and balance!

Mentor Like Jesus

For years, businessman Regi Campbell has been mentoring small groups of young men. It was only recently that he realized his method of mentoring was the same Jesus used. By spending more time with fewer people, Campbell saw a greater impact. Mentor Like Jesus is Campbell’s revelation of what he now calls “Next Generation Mentoring.” In this book you’ll learn how to become a mentor and teacher by walking in the footsteps of One who has had lasting and dramatic impact on our world.

51 Creative Ideas for Marriage Mentors: Connecting Couples to Build Better Marriages

Whether you are a veteran marriage mentor or just beginning, the Parrott’s give you dozens of new ideas for enriching what you do with your mentorees. This book is an “idea box” of activities and innovative ways to deepen relationships between mentoring couples.

Augustine As Mentor: A Model for Preparing Spiritual Leaders

Augustine as Mentor is a study concerned with mentoring spiritual leaders and pastors who minister to others on a daily basis. St. Augustine had many disciples and fellow colleagues with whom he interacted in the capacity of spiritual advisor. Smither explores Augustine’s model of leadership and brings it into the twenty first century for modern leaders to follow. Paperback.

The Mentor Leader

Once a star player in the NFL, Dungy went on to become an award-winning coach. Drawing on his life and career, he shares mentoring secrets to help you become the leader God wants you to be. Discover how to develop key leadership traits, positively influence your team with words and actions, maximize group performance, and more. 256 pages, hardcover from Tyndale.

The Making of a Mentor: Nine Essential Characteristics of Influential Christian Leaders

Jesus ministered to many but focused on a few. He knew that by concentrating on this faithful few he would leave behind a legacy of people whose influence would continue to multiply until he returned. This book is written to stimulate you toward the same passionate desire to change people who will then change other people who will then change even more people. It will show you how to live and speak truth into the lives of others in a way that will transform them forever.

Seize this opportunity to learn what our Master has to teach us about mentoring!

Similar Posts:

One Day Without Shoes Sponsored by Toms Shoes

Heath Mullikin — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 14:17:13 +0000

Back in the early days of this site I told you about Toms Shoes. This is a great company that gives away a pair of shoes to a needy child for every pair that they sell. To bring awareness to their cause, they are sponsoring “One Day Without Shoes” today, April 8th. This is one of the first companies I signed up to promote as an affiliate through Commission Junction and I have been running their ads ever since. Here’s a quick promo video.

Here’s Brittney the intern and I joining the cause with her pair of Toms Shoes between us.

We could learn a lot from Blake Mycoskie, the founder of Toms Shoes. Here’s a guy who had a passion, saw a need, and starting a company and movement to fill that need. It took courage and risk to do all of this. Here’s what you can do today:

1. Go barefoot.

2. Ask yourself if you’re where you’re supposed to be, doing what you’re supposed to be do, and living the life you were created to live. What risks have you been called to take? What are you waiting for?

3. Discover the answers to those questions and go after it like you’re life depended on it.

4. Click on the banner below to see the great selection of Toms Shoes and support the cause.

Similar Posts:

National Day of Unplugging and Working Smarter

Heath Mullikin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:13:00 +0000

From sunset to sunset on March 19-20 has been declared the National Day of Unplugging. I found the Sabbath Manifesto which was a welcome site considering my recent posts on the subject. You should check out their site and really think about what it means to unplug. I will be participating in a lock-in Friday night so I will be up and unplugged all night long. When I get home Saturday I will be shutting my phone off and catching some shut eye. Along this same theme of work and rest, I found a great series of post from Michael Hyatt, the CEO of Thomas Nelson publishing.

It’s amazing how our productivity affects our ability to unplug and get away. It comes down to something as simple as deciding what’s important and what’s not. If you’re out of work right now, Tim Kirkpatrick has a great post today about finding a job in this difficult economy.

Happy Unplugging!Similar Posts: