RECOVERY FOR CHURCH LEADERS

Dick Hardy, pastoral leadership consultant, writes:
One of the major personal issues for leaders and people in churches is that of pornography. Many church leaders have fallen as a result of pornography addictive behaviour. These same leaders feel isolated and privately cry out for help.

With the advancements in technology, access to porn and other inappropriate material is virtually at everyone’s fingertips. The frequency with which I hear of another individual giving in to this type of activity is rapidly increasing. So how can a church leader who is striving to fulfil God’s purpose remain pure and free from this increasingly accessible material?

Safeguards
Whether you currently struggle with this area of your life, or if you want to put the safeguards in place now to protect for the future, there’s no better time than the present. Two of the resources I recommend for you, your family, and your church are:

1. Covenant Eyes internet protection for both mobile devices and computers. I have Covenant Eyes on all of my devices and highly recommend it for you.

I like Covenant Eyes because it’s easy to use, and its age-based filtering is a nice feature. The great thing is it’s built with the whole family in mind. There’s no need to try to figure out who in your family accessed which website. When each person in your family has a unique username, his or her Internet activity will show up on a separate report as long as they sign in on a computer, smart phone, or tablet with Covenant Eyes installed.

2. X3Pure has also created ways to win in the battle of porn. X3Pure has workshops for men, women, couples and parents. I have often recommended these workshops and have seen positive results from people who’ve gone through the various courses.

One of the biggest benefits of X3Pure is the ability to tap into one or more of these workshops in the privacy of your own home. Since this is one of the most intimate aspects of a person’s life, it’s nice to have a feature like this that you can go through on your time and in the comfort of your home. And it’s very affordable for what you receive.

Enjoy the victory
As church leaders, we know the battle cannot be won alone. Prayer, support, and accountability to others all contribute to winning over this struggle. I also believe putting safeguards in place with these resources will help you and others continue to live a victorious life.

We’re glad to have established affiliate relationships with both Covenant Eyes and X3Pure. I can attest to the value of both of these recovery and protection services, and I highly recommend them for you, your family, and your church.

Don’t let another year go by without putting the safeguards in place to help you be the leader God has designed you to be. I believe 2015 can be a year of victory for pastors, church leaders, and families everywhere, and I trust these resources will help you make that a reality.

I’m believing with you for great days ahead! I recommend you share these links with your entire church. Everyone needs protection.

Ed. Note: The above recommendations by Dick Hardy are paid programs. For free programs, we suggest checking https://www.opendns.com

 

Recommended – Dick Hardy’s Right Turns – Link: dhardy@thehardygroup.org.

________________________________________________________________________________________________ NOTE: Great leadership articles are available from many internet sources but we don’t have the resources/personnel to reset them there.  The following are some chosen extracts from good writers  that caught our attention – we recommend evaluating the original material. See the recommended list at the end of this category.
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FIVE STEPS TO BE A BETTER LISTENER

Ron Edmondson – http://www.ronedmondson.com/ – asks: ‘Do you want to improve the relationships of your life?’

The process of getting better at listening begins when you value the relationship enough to truly want to listen. Whether in business, ministry, marriage or friendships -improve in this one area -and every relationship of your life will improve. How, you ask? I’ll tell you how. Become a better listener

1. Genuinely want to hear
2. Don’t try to respond until they are finished
3. Slow down
4. Focus on the voice
5. Ask questions

Here’s to better listening. I don’t know about you, but I could stand to improve in this area.

Ron Edmondson, Immanuel Baptist Church, is a pastor and church leader passionate about planting churches, helping established churches thrive, and assisting pastors and those in ministry think through leadership, strategy and life. Recommended link: http://www.mustardseedministry.com
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WHY ARE PENTECOSTALS GROWING IN NUMBER?

Ed Stetzer writes:
There are parts of the globe where the greatest church growth is happening through the Pentecostal movement. One of the most asked questions is, ‘In a world where the church seems to be declining in many areas, how they are bucking the trend?’

There is never one reason why a movement succeeds. But some factors rise to the surface. Pentecostals will say they are growing because the Spirit is moving in a powerful way. I get that, and actually would affirm that as part of the reason, but from a sociological perspective, other things are happening and worth exploring.

1. Pentecostals value their shared experience
2. Pentecostals want to share their values
3. Worth sharing the Spirit-filled experience
4. What does this mean for the rest of us?
5. Odd distinctives

Pentecostals are trying to reach the lost and grow the kingdom. Their distinctives apparently aren’t hindering their growth – their distinctives are propelling growth globally.

Dr Ed Stetzer founded and pastors Grace Church, Hendersonville, Tenn. Executive Director of LifeWay Research Division, he is a prolific author, well-known conference and seminar leader. Link: http://www.EdStetzer.com
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RECOMMENDED LEADERSHIP LINKS
• Breaking Christian News http://www.breakingchristiannews.com/
• Christianity Today http://christianitytoday.com
• Church Leaders Update http://www.churchleaders.com
• Dan Black On Leadership http://www.danblackonleadership.com
• Ed Stetzer http://www.EdStetzer.com
• Faith & Leadership http://www.faithandleadership.com
• Hardy Group http://www.thehardygroup.org
• Leadership Journal Newsletter http://www.christianitytoday.com
• NACBA MultiBrief http://www.multibriefs.com/briefs/nacba
• My Christian Daily http://www.mychristiandaily.com/
• Ron Edmondson www.mustardseedministry.com