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Nile
Street Notes
Anna Church of
Christ 104 Nile Street,
Anna, Illinois 62906 833-5815 |
Website: www.annachurchofchrist.com
Vol 24. Issue
22 May
30, 2010
The Five “Must
Needs” in Congregational Leadership
As the leadership speaker and guru John Maxwell says,
“Everything rises and falls on leadership.” While John Maxwell usually says
this to a business crowd, the concept also applies to a congregation.
Ministers
can bring an influx of motivation and desire for a better work, but the
leadership is the sustaining catalyst and structure of a growing congregation.
The leadership is powerful in its perception and more powerful in its
influence. Below is a list of “Five Must Needs in Congregational Leadership.”
5 – Every Congregation Needs
Knowledgeable Leaders
The
leadership of any congregation not only needs to know the text of God’s word,
but they need to know the members. God has provided us with the words of
everlasting life and also a fellowship the world does not understand. As
our fellowship grows closer, the shepherds (elders) need to know their sheep.
Physical shepherds know the sheep they care for each day. They know the food
they eat and the water they drink. Shouldn’t spiritual shepherds (elders) know
their sheep?
4 – Every Congregation Needs Leading
Leaders
Congregations
do not need “bill-paying” leaders who pay the bills and maintain a
congregation. Congregations need leaders to step up and be the shepherds
(elders) and servants (deacons) they have been appointed to be. There is a
powerful difference between leading a congregation and maintaining a
congregation.
Sheep
(church members) need to be lead by their shepherds (elders). The role of a
shepherd is not an easy role in the Lord’s church. It takes hard work to
oversee those who are mature in the
faith and those new in the faith.
As
a physical shepherd leads the sheep through the valleys and to the mountain
tops, the spiritual shepherds (elders) should lead their congregation through
the spiritual valleys and mountain tops.
3 – Every Congregation Needs Seeking
Leaders
How
many members miss on Sunday morning whom the elders never go see? If a sheep
was missing from the flock, the shepherds should leave the present and find the
absent. (Remember the parable of the lost sheep –(Luke 15.3-7)
Personally, I would love to see a congregation where the elders notice people
absent from the assembled worship of the church and they immediately leave and
go seek those lost sheep out. If we cannot save our own flock, are we sure we
will be able to save others?
2 – Every Congregation Needs
Prepared Leaders
Troubles
and turmoil will come to every congregation. The majority, if not all, of the
problems a congregation experiences do not arise overnight. Clear signs of
problems and conflicts are usually seen several weeks, months and years before
the problems rear their ugly head. Shepherds need to see these problems before
they rear their head and deal with the situation before the problems get any
worse. Remember Paul’s words to the
Ephesians elders? (Acts
20.18-35) Specifically verse 29 –“I know after my departure fierce
wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock…” Paul urges the
elders to be prepared ford the problems to come.
1 – Every Congregation Needs Loving
Leaders
Without
love, leading is worthless. Yes, you can lead a congregation without loving
them, but the results will not be one of spiritual greatness. In fact, leading
without love will not sustain a congregation seeking to serve the Lord.
Paul himself says that if he had all things but did not have love, he is
nothing. (1
Corinthians 13.2-3).
Loving
the members enables the leaders to bring the needs of the saints higher and
serve them as Christ served others. A loving leadership will love the sheep
enough to save their souls!
- Chris Gallagher
SERMON TOPICS
A.M. – “Remember What the Cross Brings” – Part 1
(Eph. 2:13-17)
P.M. – “The Sheep
and The Shepherd”
(Psalm 23)
Those For
Whom We Are Praying:
Kathleen Ritchey
Jerry Ward
Bonnie Mangum
Bill Whitnel – Passed away last Thursday night.
Charles Dillow – Cancer has returned.
Virginia McIntyre
Jerry Toler –
battling prostate cancer.
Haley Inman –
Ann’s granddaughter. Remember Ann in your prayers as well.
Wardell’s brother, Carroll, is undergoing
treatment for prostate cancer.
Nellie
Childers - Mellie's sister.
Quotable Quote: “Injustice is relatively easy to bear;
what stings is justice.” -- H.L. Mencken
Wisdom From Proverbs: “The
righteous is more excellent than his neighbour:
but the way of the wicked seduceth them.” (Prov. 12:26).
Welcome! If you're visiting with us, we extend you a
special welcome and invite you to come back at every opportunity. If our
worship seems unusual to you, please let us know what you find different. We
endeavor to worship “in Spirit and in truth” (Jn. 4:24) and do only what
scripture authorizes (Col. 3:17, Deut. 4:2; Rev. 22:18-19).
NEWS & UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
* Please remember to mute or turn off cell
phones.
* Change collection cans
for Schults-Lewis Children’s Home are on the shelf in
the back of the auditorium.
* Please
continue to drop any Bible questions in the Question & Answer box in the
foyer.
* Campbell Soup has not
discontinued support for the homosexual agenda. Please continue boycotting
them.
* Tomorrow is Memorial
Day. Please remember those who have died in our nation's service.
* Next Sunday is Potluck
Sunday followed by our quarterly men’s business meeting.
* Gospel Meeting at the Mounds church of Christ
June 13-16 w/Robert Holt.
* The new teaching assignment lists are in
the foyer.
* Hearing assistance available
upon request.
BIBLE QUESTION/ANSWER:
Last week’s
answer: The mouth (Rom. 10:10).
New question: God smote the inhabitants of Ashdod with
what?
Sentence Sermon: “Where one has been ruined by adversity, 10,000 have been ruined
by prosperity.”
Birthdays &Anniversaries
None this week.
A.M
Sermon: Remember What The Cross Brings,
Part 1 – Notes/Study Sheet
(Eph. 2:13-17)
1. Redemption – to buy back or set free. * Humanity in bondage to sin (Rom.
5:12).
* Rom. 3:23 –
* I Jn. 1:8 –
* Jesus not subject to sin (Heb. 4:15). His
death the only way of redemption (I Pet. 1:17-19).
* Man doesn’t deserve redemption. It comes by
God’s grace (Eph. 1:7; Rom. 3:24).
* Man accesses grace through obedience (Rom.
6:17-18).
* Continuing in bondage to sin leads to
eternal death (Mt. 25:41; Rev. 21:8).
* Freedom from sin leads to eternal life (Mt.
25:34).
2. Love.
* God loves man and sent His Son to die for
us (Jn. 3:14-17).
* Jn. 15:13 –
* Rom. 5:7-8.
3. Hope.
* Rich young ruler (Mk. 10:25-27). With God,
all is possible.
* I Cor. 15:16-19 –
* Rom. 15:13 - Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and
peace in believing, that ye may
abound
in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
* I Peter 1:13, 20-21 –
4. Forgiveness.
* Col. 1:14 – Forgiveness of sins through
Christ’s blood.
* Luke 23:34 – From the Cross, Jesus said,
“Father, _____________them, for they know
not
______________________________________________.
* Acts 13:38 – Paul at Antioch –
* We can access forgiveness! The Gospel is
the power unto salvation (Rom. 1:16).
* Hear the Word (Rom. 10:17), believe it (Jn.
8:24), repent (Luke 13:3), confess faith (Rom.
10:9), & be baptized (I Pet. 3:21). Why wait? (Acts 22:16).
* At what point, specifically, are sins
forgiven? Acts 2:38 –
* Nothing special about water, but it’s where
God says we’ll contact the blood of Jesus (Rom. 6:3-
4;
Col. 2:11-13).
* What if the Christian sins? Does he/she
need to be re-baptized? No (I Jn. 1:7-9).
Why wait
any longer? Consider what the Cross brings and become heir to its blessings.
R.W.
McAlister 5/30/10 a.m.