Blog - Page 52 of 64 - Retreat-in-a-Bag 52

On Being a Servant of God – A Book Review

Posted by Debby on December 17, 2010

On Being a Servant of God is a book written by Warren Wiersbe. Mr. Wiersbe has been in the ministry for over 30 years, and he writes this book as a means of sharing “what I wish I had known.” It consists of 30 short “armchair chats,” where he shares his perspective on issues we all face serving God–tough situations, tough people, the desire to run away, being misunderstood, being unappreciated. This book is not directed only to pastors and those in full-time ministry, but to anyone who serves in the church. Most will relate to the issues discussed in this gem of a book.

Wiersbe defines ministry as taking place when divine resources meet human needs through loving channels to the glory of God. He discusses these four elements in ministry–divine resources, human needs, loving channels and the glory of God. He reminds us that the love we need for ministry is something that only God can provide. He says that our “Christian service is supposed to make us grow and it will if we’re in the right place with the right attitude. He suggests that God allows problem people in our lives so that we will have the opportunity to develop spiritual maturity. He says that our Christian service “is supposed to make us grow and it will if we’re in the right place with the right attitude.”

Wiersbe touches on sensitive issues like knowing when and how to close a ministry and move on, being misunderstood and under-appreciated, how to learn from our failures and families in the ministry. He discusses the joys of Christian service, standing against the enemy’s tactics, loyalty and humility in the ministry, dealing with discouragement and disappointment, dealing with those bad days in the ministry, dealing with enemies and unjust accusations, and money issues and stewardship in the ministry. The subject of disagreements among servants in the church was one of the most applicable of his “chats” as he discussed what we can compromise (our right to be right all the time) and what we can’t compromise (fundamental doctrine).

What may seem like a mishmash of miscellaneous topics relating to ministry actually comes across as wise fatherly advice, backed up by scripture, shared by one who has had years of experience in the ministry. I would highly recommend this book to those who are serving within their church.

Posted in: Book Reviews

Leave a Comment (0) →

Journey’s End

Posted by Debby on December 15, 2010

Our women’s retreat 2010 took place about a month ago. All of the months of planning and preparation culminated in a wonderful weekend of teaching and fellowship. It is now going to take a while to catch up on posts…those last two weeks before the retreat were busy, and now the holidays are upon us. Our retreat this year was a special one for Calvary Chapel Plano, as this is our twenty-fifth year (our “silver anniversary”) of doing an annual women’s retreat. We even had several women in attendance who had been to every one of those 25 retreats.

This year’s retreat theme, “Every Good and Perfect Gift,” was taken from James 1:17. Our main graphic was a gift, wrapped with a silver ribbon. Our decorations consisted of many beautifully wrapped gifts. Even our quiet time revolved around the “gift” theme.

Over the next two months, we will be reviewing the last minute details of planning and preparation for this retreat, as well as sharing lessons that we learned.

Posted in: Journey to Retreat 2010

Leave a Comment (0) →

Why Include a Skit at your Retreat?

Posted by Debby on November 18, 2010

Skits We are big fans of including a skit during every event we can, especially during retreats. The best skits are funny and entertaining while at the same time being meaningful and applicational. Skits can add a dimension to your retreat where learning is taking place–yet under the guise of entertainment. Skits should highlight the essence of the retreat’s theme. While skits provide a break from the serious, they can still be an integral part of the message that is being conveyed throughout the retreat.

Additionally, people learn differently. All women do not learn best through the hearing of teachings (auditory). Some women learn better by reading (visual learners). And others learn better when they actively participate. One of the things I learned as a learning disabilities teacher was that the best way to ensure learning was to combine the learning styles–a multisensory approach. We use times of quiet reading, listening to the Word being taught and watching and participating in a skit to ensure that we are reaching as many of our ladies as possible.

Check out our downloadable skits!

Posted in: Retreat and Event Planning, Skits

Leave a Comment (0) →

The Most Important Thing in Producing a Skit

Posted by Debby on November 18, 2010

What is the most important thing in producing a skit? Is it good actors? Is it elaborate props? Is it extraordinary sound and lighting system? None of the above. The most important thing is making sure that every word can be heard by the audience.

Once you have a script, and women (no matter how inexperienced) who are willing to act, the one key issue is that the skit can be heard by those attending the retreat. A good script is one where we don’t want the women to miss a single word. This is a huge issue, especially when you may be performing in a room that is long and narrow, or has high ceilings–all of which can make being heard a challenge. Additionally, your sound equipment may be limited or non-existent. Add to that that you are probably working with inexperienced, nervous actresses.

Just from our experience over the years, we want to offer a few tips:

If you have access to one or more microphones, the ladies must practice with the microphones and how they will be used and shared between them in the midst of the staging.. It is not natural to most, and it is easy to get caught up in the moment and forget to talk into the microphone.
If you have to share one microphone, it can still work! We’ve done it! But your actresses need to practice handing the microphone to the right person. Your audience wants to hear, and they will be patient as you make this effort to ensure every word is heard.
If there are no microphones, ladies need to project their voices. While it may affect the expression that can be heard in the voices, it is more important that the words be heard;
A key issue is for each actress to FACE THE AUDIENCE when she is saying her lines! And that is not natural. It is natural to face and speak toward the person you are talking to. But your actresses need to practice projecting toward the audience, especially if no amplification is available.
Have a person in the back checking sound; if room has especially poor acoustics, ask audience to move forward during the skit.

Posted in: Lessons Learned, Skits

Leave a Comment (0) →

Opportunities in a Smaller Church

Posted by Debby on November 18, 2010

It is easy to see the benefits of serving in a large church. Although I think every church, no matter its size, has a small percentage of people who do the bulk of the work, it seems that a larger church would have more people with whom to share the burdens and duties. Often, a larger church will have a budget and extra resources available. At the very least, with more people, there is a better chance that there are resourceful and skilled people in the church who can advise and provide aid.

But if you are in a smaller church, there are some wonderful opportunities that may not be an open door in the larger church. In terms of women’s ministry, as a small church, we needed everyone to help when we put on an event. That meant that women were often asked to step up to the plate and serve in areas where she may not have chosen. A lot of stretching went on as women were called upon to do things outside of their comfort zone. It might have been in planning, decorating, supervising, participating in a skit, cooking and serving, greeting and hospitality, opportunities to speak in front of a group (even if it was only making announcements), crafts, event planning, organization… The list goes on and on. And as we all served, it seemed that ladies naturally gravitated toward those areas where God had gifted them. I saw women begin to discover their spiritual gifts and use them within the body.

Posted in: Lessons Learned

Leave a Comment (0) →

Page 52 of 64 «...20 30 40 50 515253 54...»