Church Leadership and Ministry Evaluation Paper Essay

For this paper, I interviewed the pastor of Grace Life Baptist Church in Ruby Michigan, USA. Would you say that your congregation (or the people within your particular department or area of ministry) is â€Å"Living Out the Mind of Christ† (i.e. Unity, Humility, Selflessness) as they interact, serve, and minister to/with each other? How specifically do you as a ministry leader teach, cultivate, and maintain â€Å"The Mind of Christ† in your area of ministry? â€Å"At Grace Life we strive to be like Christ in every decision that is made.† Grace Life has had its difficulties; they started Grace Life from a church that split due to differing beliefs. Since the beginning of Grace Life they have strived to be the picture of Christ. As a body of believers, they have come to recognize that humility and selflessness should be at the core of all believers. â€Å"I put a strong emphasis on unity in our church, and I believe that through teaching about the humility and sel flessness of Christ we will learn to be more inclined to have a mind of Christ.† Would you consider yourself a â€Å"Wounded Healer?† Also, would you please share an example where you have ministered to a person who is/was â€Å"wounded† in the same manner that you once were? (cf. II Corinthians 1:3-5) Being a â€Å"Wounded Healer† is something that all pastors like to believe that they are, however, being a â€Å"Wounded Healer† is much more than most pastors would admit that it is. Healing the wounded is not just showing them Christ; you have to disciple them as well. The pastor of Grace Life used to be in the Army and served with hundreds of lost people. Because of seeing so much in his time in the Army, he had lost his faith. His major wound came when his friend that he served with died in combat. It took him many years to realize that God was still in control and everything happened for a reason. He then started to witness to his friends that had gone through the same thing. How specifically does the Holy Spirit help guide you as you lead/serve in your ministry? Also, can you give a specif ic example of how you were able to clearly recognize that the Holy Spirit was helping/guiding you in dealing with a particular situation and/or decision while in your ministry? What advice would you give me that, if I obeyed, would assure me that I would be  able to be guided by the Holy Spirit in my life and/or ministry? The pastor at Grace Life has made it clear that he believes that the Holy Spirit guides us in every aspect in our lives; the only thing we have to do to get this guidance is to ask for it. Specifically the Holy Spirit guides his words while preaching. The pastor at Grace Life was also the pastor at the church that split leading to the start of Grace Life, the Holy Spirit led him to start a new church and that decision has proved to be one that was given to him by the Holy Spirit. The advice he gave me was simple, follow Christ’s example, always lean on Him, and look to Him when you do not know what to do. Do you have a personal philosophy (i.e. an agreed upon plan of action/policy/understood protocol) of how/when/where you confront sin in the lives of 1) co-ministers/co-leaders in your ministry, and 2) people to whom you minister? If so, what is it? How did you come to this philosophy? If not, do you see a need for such a philosophy? Why or Why not? â€Å"I follow the example set my Christ. Go to that person, and if they won’t listen, take 2-3 witnesses with me, if they still won’t listen it becomes a matter to be decided by the church.† The Bible makes it 100% clear what we as Christians are to do in these situations. Can I perform a little ministry quiz on you? â€Å"Sure† Can you recall for me what you specifically did (i.e. tasks performed, people you talked to, the number of hours of service) on any individual day in your ministry approximately six weeks ago? â€Å"Six weeks ago we were dealing with the sound system, it wasn’t working correctly and I remember somewhere between 6 and 8 hours spend on tracing wires back to there source.† Can you recall any time in the past that you were either so moved by hearing a sermon, reading a bible verse, hearing a testimony of a someone’s salvation that made such an impact upon your life that you still have a vivid recollection of the event today? How long ago did that spiritual event take place? â€Å"Probably around 6 months ago or so, I was reading in Psalms, and came across a verse in chapter 51 ‘Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.’ This verse became one of my favorite v erses because of its powerful phrasing. It has become one of the verses that comes into my head on a daily basis, and I thank God for that!† Could you briefly describe  for me how your daily â€Å"Quiet time with God† or your â€Å"Communion time with God† or â€Å"Your Devotion time with God† usually goes? â€Å"Well, I usually start my day with prayer and my Bible reading. I take time in the morning before my family wakes up, and the distractions of life come into play. God and I time is my favorite time of the day, and when I take the proper amount of time in prayer and reading my day seems to be much smoother and I don’t feel as rushed.† As a minister, are you ever tempted to become competitive with either a fellow minister or a neighboring ministry or covet the â€Å"success† or resources of other ministers and/or ministries? How do you overcome this temptation in your life if/when it ever comes up in your heart? What advice would you give me to make sure I remain content with what God specifically has for me in my own life and/or ministry? â€Å"Being a pastor of a church that God has blessed abundantly has always been a temptation for me to brag about how great I am doing; but it is never me that has the success. It becomes very easy to look at other pastors ministries and compare them to mine. These temptations are only overcome by realizing that God has allowed this church to be successful, it has nothing to do with my abilities. God has given me everything that I need to be a success in Him. It is far too easy to become proud of something that seems to have come from our hands, however, if we acknowledge the fact that God is the one that it came from, it is much easier to stay humble.† Provide a summary of your interview. What stood out to you the most from this interview? The pastor was clearly filled with the Holy Spirit. He had a clear heart for God, and the way he talked about Christ made it clear that he has a strong relationship with God. He has a distinct passion for Christ that can only be seen while talking to him. What did you learn that will help you develop your own philosophy of ministry? I learned that starting the day out with a good amount of time spent with God in prayer and reading His word is crucial to growing closer to Him, and living out my life the way that He would have me to live it. What did you learn about leadership that you feel is important when ministering to others? I learned there is a proper way to deal with sin inside the body of Christ, and that as a leader in a church this knowledge is important because it is specifically addressed in the word of God.

Herzog and de Meuron-Caixa Forum

Forum Madrid implements a new concept in social and cultural centres, offering a comprehensive and innovative programme that enhances the integrating capacity of culture and its importance for people’s communication and well-being. Part of that being the combination of old and new form. The visibility of the Tate Modern(a power station turned into a museum) led the director of the Caixa Foundation, Luis Monreal, to commission Herzog & de Meuron for the renovation that emerges as a live space opening its doors to the public.The la Caixa Foundacion wanted the CaixaForum Madrid to be a living centre that opens its doors on the Paseo del Prado to place itself at the service of citizens. Within the la Caixa’s cultural initiatives, the CaixaForums provide permanent building venues where some of their cultural activities such as exhibitions of ancient, modern and contemporary art, music and poetry festivals, multimedia art, debates on contemporary issues, social seminars, educ ational and family-oriented workshops may be housed, as well as their ongoing and, typically, permanent exhibits.Knowledge is promoted and personal growth enhanced for citizens of all ages. Though the building’s exterior performs sculpturally, the programmatic desire is to be an experiential system. Along with the cultural operation and importance to the program, the experience of the space is carried through in how it affects the senses. Each program perfoms differently, playing with materials, shapes, and lights. Pleated and welded steel continues from the lobby ceiling and wraps up through the entrance staircase that leads the people into the building through the pattern and re? ection.The lobby walls are made of concrete, but the lights mimic the pattern of the staircase pulling one in and enlarging the space. The foyer and auditorium are covered by a deploye type expanded sheet metal mesh, creating an undulating, dynamic structure. Being underground, this opens the space and lifts the feeling of con? nement. The ? oors of the foyer and auditorium are laid with American oak making an inviting environment. The art gallery ? oors are a continuous white terrazzo paving, made from powdered marble, cement, resin and ? bres lighting the space and making it continous, making visitors more drawn in.The main stairs are a continous ruled surface that invites occupiers through. The lower ? oor of the new expansion acts as a transition that is labyrinthe-like in the material movement and change that pulls one up into the upper ? oor. The upper ? oor consists of the irregular, perforated cast iron panels that coincidewith the glass surfaces create a sort of release from the rest of the building, allowing views across the roofscapes of Madrid. CaixaForum Main Gallery- 4 CaixaForum- 3 Smaller exhibition halls – 6 Chidren’s workshop- 5 8 CaixaForum Madrid 06 05

Shanty Towns essays

Shanty Towns essays Shanty towns are a huge problem all around the world. The persistent poverty, rapid industrialisation and the burden of urban shanty towns general massive social and economic impact. The many problems include - Prostitution, Social Injustice, Death by preventable diseases, Infant mortality and Child labour. One of the worst examples is Sao Paulo in Brazil. Migrants who move in every year amount to about half a million people who live in the poverty stricken areas and temporary accommodation. Approximately 40% of Brazilians live in these sort of areas and most have a lack of or a limited supply of water and other basic essentials. Houses are made of any available materials some have two rooms, one for living, one sleeping. There would be about six children and no running water, sewage pipes, gas, electricity and others. Disease is also a huge problem, 15-18 million children are effected by high levels of lead in their blood and AIDS is a huge killer in shanty town areas. Six hundred million urban residents in third world countries many India and Africa live in dwellings "of such poor quality and with such inadequate provisions of water, sanitation and drainage that their lives and health are under continuous threat." The graph below shows levels of pollution in Brazil and shows that these levels are above normal and safe levels. Another of the problems is unemployment. Most are self employed and use cheap or recycled materials. Many are unskilled and are no use to society as there are no educational services for the shanty town dwellers. Women and children work as street peddlers or to work in services e.g. shoe cleaners, selling clothes. Much of the work is labour intensive with use of few tools for those who can't afford them. Many people have access to piped water however it is not uncommon for up to 45 families to share one tap or well. The Brazilian government estimates that app ...

Whoosh! How to Stop Deadlines Whizzing Past

Whoosh! How to Stop Deadlines Whizzing Past Whoosh! How to Stop Deadlines Whizzing Past Nobody likes a deadline. If nothing else, it has the word â€Å"dead† in it, which is rarely comforting. More pressingly, trying to work to a deadline can be very stressful. Some people, like author Douglas Adams, cope with this stress by ignoring deadlines entirely: â€Å"I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.† Unfortunately, this isn’t an option for your average college student, as missing a deadline will mean losing out on marks. This could, in turn, affect your overall grade, so you need to turn in your assignments on time whenever possible. But how can you make sure you do this? We have a few suggestions†¦ 1. Start Early! This might sound obvious, but the most common mistake people make when working to deadlines is to (wrongly) assume they have more time than they really do. Next thing you know, your works due and you’re forced to rush the writing process. You can avoid this stress (and the poor quality work that usually results) simply by not leaving your paper until the last minute. On which note†¦ 2. Have a Plan To make sure you have enough time to finish your paper, you should formulate a plan before you start writing. This includes the time you’ll need to research your paper, write it up, and make any revisions required before submitting the final version. At the very least, you should try to sketch an outline of your argument so you know what you need to do for each section of your paper, as well as how your argument hangs together as a whole. This will make it much easier to overcome any problems you encounter while working. 3. Break Tasks Down into Manageable Chunks A well-written paper is rarely finished in one session, so if you’re working on a longer essay you might want to work on it in smaller chunks. This will make it seem less daunting, in addition to letting you schedule work more effectively. And as long as you start early enough (see above), even writing a paragraph or two a day should get you over the finish line in time. 4. Prioritize Your Work If you do have a deadline approaching, you need to prioritize. This simply involves knowing which tasks are most important and being willing to set other things aside until they’re done. For example, although you might have been invited to a party on Wednesday night, you should probably prioritize work if you’ve got a deadline on Thursday. Sorry to be a buzzkill about it. 5. Conquer Procrastination The final hurdle every student (and everyone else) must overcome when working to a deadline is the urge to procrastinate. Time management is a big part of this, but it’s also important to create an environment free from distractions and to allow yourself regular breaks to avoid fatigue.

Impact of Drug Legalization in Colorado Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Impact of Drug Legalization in Colorado - Essay Example My college students were my close friends introduced me to marijuana and other hard drugs use. The legalization of marijuana use took many lives of people and the young schooling people never continued with their education. The paper seeks to discuss the impacts of marijuana legalization in the state of Colorado, United States of America. In the year 2000, marijuana was legalized for medical use and later in the year 2012 it was allowed by the state government to be used for recreational purposes. After legalization, according to Rocky Mountain High Intensity, Drug Trafficking Area (RMHIDTA) (2013) the traffic accidents involving drivers testing positive from the use of marijuana increased by 14 percent and the youth aged between 12 and 17 using marijuana was 7 percent as compared to the national percentage of marijuana users of 10 percent. The adolescent aged youths who were then schooling used marijuana excessively and never understood the purpose of using it. Some dropped out of school; some developed mental illnesses while some became drug traffickers. Now to begin my story, I was brought up in a middle-class family a local city in Colorado, America. I went to school in a state recognized school. Near our home, people planted marijuana illegally before, but after it was legalized they planted it in plantations. I used to buy huge and many rolls of marijuana and went to sell to my fellow students at a school. At school, everybody was using it students and teachers alike. We formed a group of several students and our core principle was supplying marijuana and other hard drugs to students at a school. Some of my friends dropped out of school while some developed mental illnesses and their lives were ruined. Local and international drug traffickers recruited us to operate the illegal business in and outside the country. This is where my life took another course. It was too late for me to realize the mistake I had done.

A banana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A banana - Essay Example Bananas come from the â€Å"genus Musa of the family Musaceae† (â€Å"banana†), and the seedless, edible ones come from the â€Å"species M. acuminata Colla or the hybrid M. X paradisiaca L.† (Morton 30). The different species of banana provide a clue to the fruit’s geographical origins, which is usually found in countries with tropical climates like Brazil, India, and Indonesia. Having various hybrids, meanwhile, further expands the fruit’s varieties and ensures continuous cultivation and propagation. Bananas are classified into major groups, such as Sucrier and Gros Michel, the Cavendish subgroup, and other cultivars (Morton 35). Mostly found in Colombia, the Philippines, and Burma, bananas from the Sucrier group are small in size, mostly sweet, and covered in thin skin (Morton 35). Due to their size and taste, bananas from this group are readily consumable and incorporated in dessert recipes. The Gros Michel group produces bananas that are larger from the ones in Sucrier group, yellow in color, and usually found in South America, Central Africa, and the Caribbean (Morton 36). The Cavendish subgroup, meanwhile, includes the Giant Cavendish, Dwarf Cavendish, and Bungulan (Morton 37). Medium-sized, thin-skinned, and delicate, the Dwarf Cavendish is usually found in China, East Africa, and South Africa. The Giant Cavendish is larger than Dwarf Cavendish, and closely resembles the Gros Michel (Morton 37). Riping unevenly during winter and prone to storage spoilage, Bungulan is mostl y used for cooking in Jamaica (Morton 38). Banana uses for food are as diverse as its varieties and hybrids. Eaten raw, a banana is peeled, sliced, or mixed with other fruits. Bursts of sweetness and undertones of tanginess are released from biting the soft, starchy flesh of a banana. Broiled or baked ripe bananas can be served with peanuts and brown sugar (Morton 41). When added in dessert recipes, a banana’s flavor and mushy

Management accounting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

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