MondayMorningInsight

Benny, Benny, Benny…

2010-07-27T13:00:53+00:00

I'm sure that most of you have at least heard of the latest, greatest TV evangelist scandal. The National Enquirer is reporting that Benny Hinn and Paula White are having an affair. This is a charge that both TV evangelists firmly deny... kinda.

Here are a few thoughts.

1. I know, I know... it's the National Enquirer. But say that to John Edwards.

2. Benny's still married. His wife recently filed for divorce. Paula is divorced. Twice.

3. Both say that nothing inappropriate happened and that there is no immorality.

4. Both were spotted in Italy, hand-in-hand. The Enquirer supposedly has pictures of them entering a hotel room together.

5. Both Benny and Paula admit that they were in Italy at the same time recently, and that they were together, but 'were never alone and were in constant company of staff and other associates". The pictures, however, suggest differently.

6. Both Benny and Paula took different transportation to Rome; and were both there on separate ministry assignments... at the Vatican. (This sounds just a little fishy to me. What is the Vatican doing talking to either of these people for? Seriously?

7. Benny Hinn posted a response on his website that pretty much said that he does have some feelings for Paula White; but they have decided to 'cool' it, at least publically until the divorce is final. This statement has now been removed from Hinn's website. In fact, it was replaced with a video of Benny asking his supporters to help catch up on $2 million dollars worth of bills.

8. I think most people aren't really interested. I think church people want to stay as far away from this as possible. And I think unchurched just look at it and figure it's normal. I'm not in the Hinn/White circles, so I don't know what the response is there; but let's face it... both of these ministries (and their followers) are used to dealing with divorces, charges of financial misconduct (both ministries are being investigated for that), and misc. other charges over the years. It could be to them (personally), and their followers, just another day.

9. I'm glad that my wife confuses Benny Hinn and Benny Hill. That makes me smile.

Seriously though... I wish that things like this just didn't happen. But they do. In fact, there's not anything that will surprise me any more. Evangelical (I use that term loosely) scandals these days are so much more complicated. It used to be that a fall from grace just meant that you had an affair. Now, it's not a scandal unless you have a gay prostitute, you beat your spouse in a parking lot, or you get caught holding hands with another evangelist while your still married. It seems like everyone keeps setting the bar a little higher.

The bar of offense has been raised; but the bar of forgiveness has been lowered. Every one of the recent scandals I'm thinking about have the people involved immediately (or almost immediately) back in ministry. Some never left the ministry for a minute. Most have little or no accountability; or scrap their accountability structure when they fall. They find that there are always enough followers to keep them going. So, they start afresh.

Actually, it disgusts me.

Your thoughts?

Todd

Seriously. I Feel Strongly About This…

2010-07-26T11:12:24+00:00

Untitled Document

If you would, please allow me a couple minutes to take a trip down my personal memory lane...

If there is one thing that drives me as a leader, it is helping other leaders be more successful and see better results in their personal ministry. For me, this has taken different forms over the years...

As a worship leader for over fifteen years and an early internet geek, I was frustrated that there weren't any websites that had much to do with worship. My first online project was a website called minister-of-music.com (remember when we used to call worship leaders 'ministers of music'?!) Most people didn't know what a website was back in 1998. I'm not sure I did. But I did find out pretty instantly that helping and interacting with leaders was something that was not only fun, but personally gratifying.

For the next few years, I switched my focus to helping churches and leaders connect in staffing relationships. In 1999, ChurchStaffing.com was born, and I was able to see God really use the internet to strategically place hundreds (probably thousands) of leaders in local churches all across the country.

In 2003, MondayMorningInsight.com started as an email newsletter, then as a blog in 2004. MMI has introduced me to an unbelieveable number of incredibly talented and Spirit-filled people who are doing some incredible things for the Kingdom of God.

I did a little research and found out that I joined Twitter on April 2, 2007. I had no idea just a few years ago how much this platform would change the way that many of us in the church world communicate with each other.

And in 2008, I joined the staff of Leadership Network. It has been a perfect match for me, allowing me to use my skills to help multiply the impact of high caliber leaders.

All this is not to mention all the other things I've tried, services I've experimented with, and miserable failures along the way. The failures are too numerous to mention here.

Last year, I was part of another thing that I think has been a highlight of my church leadership career... it was a little experiment that we did at Leadership Network called The NINES. The idea was simple: we'd ask a ton of speakers to share for 9 minutes on 09/09/09 for what we thought would be the first ever, totally online conference for church leaders.

We asked about 85 people, hoping to get twenty or twenty-five people to speak. We ended up with nearly 80! Practically no-one said no! When all was said and done, over 20,000 church leaders watched on September 9th of last year. Thousands more have watched the archived videos.

But what was more exciting and 'game changing' for me was this: the number of people with a common life purpose all saying that the day at The NINES was really beneficial to their personal and professional ministry. Some communicated that there were some life-changing take-aways from the day. Others said it was like trying to drink from a firehose because there was so much great information that was shared.

One of the things that I appreciated about The NINES was the diversity of the speakers. There were speakers that everyone knew (they were the big names) and speakers that nobody had ever heard of (who were some of the highest rated). There were speakers from the United States and Europe. There were men and women. There were many different ethnicities represented.

We were able to take different current technologies and merge them together to create not just an online event but an online experience and community for thousands of church leaders. It was an exciting event.

That's why we decided to do it all again this year. And why we decided to try some new things to make this year's NINES experience even better.

For example, this year, YOU could be one of the speakers by submitting your own video. Or, you and your church can host a NINES viewing party for free!

Best of all, we're making The NINES experience available this year again for FREE! (There are a couple of paid options that I think you should take a look at as well that will enhance your experience).

The theme this year is "Game Changers". We have over 100 confirmed speakers that will share the big things that have literally changed their lives and their ministries over the years. I think you'll really enjoy the day, and find some interest insights that will help you moving forward in your ministry.

Of all the things that I've participated and helped lead over the years, I think The NINES has great potential in helping you as a leader. That's why I'm dead serious when I say that I think you should take a moment RIGHT NOW, and do the following:

1. Mark off your calendar for the entire day on September 9. If you have an assistant, have her mark the entire day as 'full' and you as 'unavailable'.

2. Register right now for The NINES, so we'll know you're coming! Don't worry... there's a free option.

3. Make it a learning day for your entire staff. If you are the head hauncho at your church, then I would encourage you to make this a staff learning day. Seriously... when can you have this kind of learning opportunity for your staff with no travel, no airfare, no hotel, and NO COST? If you're not the grand pooba at your church, suggest to him/her that having the staff participate in The NINES would be a great learning day that would pay off in many ways (use your imagination if you have to!)

4. Consider hosting a group site for The NINES. Seriously. What impact could a day like this have if you were to ask your pastor friends and leaders from churches in your city to attend at your facility? If you're all serious about reaching people for Jesus, then this seems like a great opportunity to further the mission of Christ in your community!

Over the next few days, we'll be announcing more and more of the people who will be sharing on The NINES this year (so far, we've announced Perry Noble, Francis Chan, Sam Chand, Eugene Cho, Alan Hirsch, Brad Lomenick, Jaeson Ma, Kem Meyer, Stacy Spencer, Ed Stetzer, Greg Surratt, Carlos Whittaker, Leonard Sweet and Rick Warren. You can subscribe to our RSS feed to get the latest, or follow our updates on Twitter here.

Please, take the time to register now.

Have a great week!

Todd Rhoades | MondayMorningInsight.com

This Week in Ministry

2010-07-26T10:21:09+00:00

Each week, I try to find the best 'stuff' out there that I think you should take a look at. I share this throughout the week on Twitter. I also encourage you to send me news items and stories that you think other leaders should know about. Here's this week's list:

Ten Reasons Why Churches Stall

7 Reasons Your Leaders are Quitting!

The world's deadliest four letter word

Our traditional religious formulas and beliefs too quickly limit God only to our self-centered imaginations

Five ways to know if you're really a Christian

"It’s disciples we’re after, not statistics"

5 Warning Signs of a Personality-Driven Church

Almost anyone can become a leader... but...

If you stop jumping to conclusions, you'll avoid a good amount of personal conflict

Are Southern Baptists facing an identity crisis?

The PCUSA joins boycott against Arizona

The GENIUS of AND

The NINES

Church Building Spree ala Huffington Post

If you have a 14 year old girl around your house, you're probably sick of this

Free Vuvuzela Concert

Check out the "Jesus Loves Strippers" ministry

Drive-Through Prayer

Rick Warren is expected to make a full recovery

Robert Schuller's daughter is OUTRAGED!

Doug Oldham dies at 79

Oral Roberts Presidential Compound sold for 1.5 million

Church has to cut staff after $210,000 goes missing

This may help your church staff meetings

Cross Point is looking for a Campus Pastor

How to scan your print documents to Google docs

Annoying Email Habits

Finally... add images and html to your Gmail signature

60% of evangelical pastors say they don't drink

5 of the world's 10 largest churches are in Seoul, which is home to the world's biggest Baptist, Methodist & Pres flocks

Survey says: 1 in 6 women caught up in internet pornography

Church sponsors "International Burn A Quran Day," on Sept. 11 this year

Inside Westboro Baptist

The Christian Shopping Channel

Finding Out Your Pastor is a Murderer

What should Christians do with Mel Gibson?

Not to be out done by Rick Warren, TX pastor has stomach pumped after eating poisonous leaves of rhubarb plant

Reading your Bible could bring you lots of mone

Feeling is not the admission price for worship. Jesus’ blood is

Ed Young, Jr., Rap Star

2010-07-07T17:25:42+00:00

Um... I'm not sure what to say about this one. But I'd love to hear your comments...

Tuesday is the New Monday…

2010-07-06T12:57:44+00:00

OK... since it's Tuesday after a holiday weekend, most of you (I hope) took yesterday off. Well, to get you back in work-mode, what's better than a refreshing reminder from Old Spice. Watch this. You might even want to drop by CVS on your morning break and pick up some Old Spice. I SO want to be this guy...

What helps get you going after a long holiday weekend?

Todd

Greg Laurie: “We’re Just No Good at Evangelism”

2010-07-06T12:49:33+00:00

According to Greg Laurie, "If there's one thing that Christians and non-Christians have in common, it's this: we're both uptight about evangelism."

Here are some quotes from Laurie from a recent article at The Christian Post:

"Far too often we don't know how to cross over [to our culture]. Far too many Christians today are unnecessarily offensive, hopelessly lame, and generally inept at communicating... We're just no good at evangelism."

"We have something even more significant than a cure for cancer. We have the cure to sin, and guilt and the cure for hell and the hope for heaven...How much more urgently do we need to get this message out?

"How can I be passive about sharing my faith? How can I say I'm too busy to do that?"

"It's fine to try to be cool, it's fine to try to relate ... but the ultimate thing we need to tell them is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, loved them so much that He died on a cross for their sins and rose again from the dead and if they will turn from their sins and put their faith in Him, they can be forgiven. This is called the Gospel."

Do you agree? Are we just 'no good at evangelism"? If so, why is that?

You can read more here...

Todd

PCUSA Membership Down Membership Down Half Since 1965

2010-07-06T12:40:05+00:00

The PCUSA's membership is down over half since 1965. Over half. From 4.25 million to 2.07 million. The clerk for the denomination says: "What continues to sadden me is that the overwhelming majority of the loss in membership is in the category of 'other,' which means these are brothers and sisters in Christ who did not die or transfer to another congregation, but probably quietly slipped out the back door."

Some interesting facts from an article at the Courier-Journal.com:

The median age of Presbyterians is 61.

Membership went from 2,140,165 in 2008 to 2,077,138 in 2009.

The PCUSA recently cut 44 positions from their payroll.

40 churches have left the denomination in the past 2 years.

Presbyterians now number less than 1% of the U. S. population.

You can read more here.

Why do you think the PCUSA membership is down so dramatically? Can it be saved? Should it be saved?

Love to hear your thoughts.

Todd

Don’t Like the Vuvuzela? It’s the Church’s Fault!

2010-07-06T12:31:12+00:00

You know that annoying horn, the vuvuzela, from World Cup Soccer fame? Well, word is, that it was really the invention of the church. That's right, the Nazareth Baptist Church of KwaZula-Natal says it is the confirmed originator of the plastic instrument. In fact, it is threatening to take other manufacterers to court to make them stop making the horn.

Great quote from the church about the competition: "They must stop placing orders with these Mickey Mouse companies who are opportunists." According to their spokesman, church members who make the horn have lost income, and the church has threatened sponsors such as Coca-Cola with boycotts should they continue to use it in their marketing.

Also interesting, the company that makes the horns also makes an earplug kit for soccer fans irritated by noise. Genius.

Not so genius: everything else about this story. You can read more here...

Your thoughts?

Todd

If You’re Waiting for Validation Today, You’re Wasting Your Time…

2010-06-28T12:10:56+00:00

Do you do what you do for people's recognition? Is it important for you to have people tell you you're doing a good job? Are you waiting for someone to say 'good job'? Seth Godin says stop wasting your time.

Seth writes:

If you're waiting for a boss or an editor or a colleage to tell you that you do good work, you're handing over too much power to someone who doesn't care nearly as much as you do.

We spend a lot of time organizing and then waiting for the system to pick us, approve of us and give us permission to do our work.

If you have a book to write, write it. If you want to record an album, record it. No need to wait for someone in a cubicle halfway across the country to decide if you're worthy.

Let's face it... we all love to be loved. We all love to be told we're doing a good job. But Seth makes a good point. Most people don't care as much about your job as you do. And most people won't come up to you and give you a lot of pats on the back.

But we do, as Seth suggests, organize much of what we do hoping for someone to notice.

That's funny, at least in our profession.

Because the person we are doing it for does notice.

Most of us got in this 'business' not to please others, but to please God.

And He notices.

So... if you're waiting around today for your pastor, your supervisor, a church member, or anyone else to tell you that you do a good job, you're really wasting your time. Get on with your work. Do your best. And know that the real Person you're trying to impress is watching. And noticing. And smiling.

Todd

Should You Worry, Pray, or Plan?

2010-06-28T12:06:50+00:00

Mark Beeson answers this question with a few thoughts you might find interesting and helpful as you plan your week today...

Worry hurts you. Prayer inspires you. Planning prepares you.

Worry is natural. Prayer is supernatural. Planning intertwines the natural (the world as it is) with the supernatural (the world as it could be and should be).

Worry drains you. Prayer fills you. Planning fulfills you.

Worry isolates you. Prayer connects you. Planning integrates you.

Worry shrinks your vision. Prayer expands your vision. Planning enables your vision to come true.

Marks has a couple of other interesting thoughts on Worry, Prayer, and Planning here.

So... what will it be for you today? Worry? Prayer? Planning?

Take a moment to share your thoughts below...

Have a great day!

Todd