Category: Leadership

Posted on

Influence

I met with a friend of mine on Friday afternoon. He wanted to share with me that he was having a conflict in a relationship because of differing beliefs. His friend has a different worldview of who God is and how we can relate to Him. She believes that everyone will eventually make it to heaven and that other religions pray to and worship the same God he does.

My friend was struggling with this and had tried to point her to Jesus and the Bible. He felt like he wasn’t getting anywhere though. I told him to not force it. God does the work of drawing people to Him. I told him to pray for her and give her some resources like a Bible that is easy to read and understand, a series from NewPointe Community Church called “Reality Check” and maybe a book like “A Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel.

The exciting thing to me is that his friend is listening and searching for truth. I believe when someone sincerely want to find truth, God draws them to Jesus, because Jesus is truth. I told my friend that he has influence with her and can be an encouragement or a stumbling block for her.

Sometimes we can come on too strong and try too hard to convince someone we are right. Instead we need to share truth in a loving way. Not judgemental or holier than thou. My friend really cares about this person and that is why he is so concerned about her understanding. If he can be patient and pray diligently for her, God will draw her in and open her eyes to the real truth.

So, who do you have influence with? Who are you praying for and reaching out to? If you don’t have anyone, start asking God to bring a person into your life that you can invest in. Make yourself available to be used by God. He may use you to draw someone closer to Him. Pray for open doors in your life and see what happens.

Posted on

How brightly is your light shining?

I read this Scripture today and it made me think about compassion:

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16.

People are not impressed by a churches attendance, staff, growth or buildings. Jesus says there is one force in this dark world that can shed light in a dark world. That force is the local church, the people.

What impresses or impacts people is feeding the hungry, helping the homeless, doing house repairs, helping someone move, visiting someone in the nursing home, helping people in financial trouble, reaching out to those that are hurting and blessing the life of someone else. That gets peoples attention.

The early church in Acts 2, attracted some of the most undesirable, helpless people. They eventually overpowered the world and are still growing today.

So, how brightly is your light shining? How brightly is our churches light shining? Are you involved in activities that will cause someone to say what a good God there is? Maybe your wattage is dim – 25 watts instead of 100 watts.

I am talking about acts of compassion. Many of us like to think we are compassionate, but thinking and doing are two different things. Here are three reasons to engage in acts of compassion:

1. When you let your light shine to others, it will change you.

Think about that. What causes authentic joy in most people? Is it having more money, eating chocolate, nice clothes? Think about this; if you would do something that is pleasurable for you personally like going shopping or tinkering in your workshop and then do something for someone else like rake your elderly neighbors yard or help build a ramp for a handicapped person, what brings more joy. For most people it when we help someone in need.

When people focus on others they are happy, when people focus on themselves they get depressed. I spoke with a guy last week and he shared that the most meaningful time in his life was when he went on a short-term mission trip with his church. That was when he felt most alive and full of joy.

2. You change the world one person at a time.

How can you touch the life of someone? It may be your neighbor, it may be a family you know is in need. There are a lot of people in this world that have next to nothing. Here is a challenge for you. Take one meal and eat only rice. As you eat the rice think about the many people that only have rice to eat every meal. Maybe you can donate food to one of the local food pantries. I am involved with the Greater Dover/NewPhila food pantry at the Dover Salvation Army. We are supplying food to people every Friday. There are food pantries in Uhrichsville, Newcomerstown and Millersburg. Everyone can start right now by doing acts of compassion for one person this week.

I remember some of the people we helped on our huricane Katrina relief trips. I saw the smiles on their faces and the tears in their eyes. That is helping one person at a time.

3. It does something to the heart of God, it blesses God!

Jesus said whatever you did for the least of these you did for me. God loves it when we give and show compassion to other people.

Have you turned any heads lately by simply giving without expecting anything in return. Many people start out with good intentions, but then get busy and preoccupied and forget about all those people out there. We can forget we are in the people saving business. God wants people that are willing to go into the life saving business. He wants churches that are outward focused and shining brightly in their communities and around the world.

I so glad I am part of a church that is reaching out and shining brightly. Every person that calls NewPointe their home church can make a difference in someones life. Think about how you can show compassion to those around you. Be watching for opportunities to help reach out to the world through NewPointe or your own church.

Posted on

Do you need a coach?

Lately I have been thinking a lot about the word Coach. I met with an Executive Coach to talk about my personal and professional growth; I have been meeting with a nutrition coach twice a week to stay accountable on my weight loss goals (I have lost over 8 pounds in two weeks); I am currently coaching about 18 small groups here at NewPointe Community Church. I also coach around 15 volunteer teams.

So what is up with coaching and why is it important in our lives? I have come to realize that I need other people to hold me accountable, encourage me, motivate me and push me to my full potential. On my own I tend to get off track and out of focus. I can easily lose track of the vision for my life, marriage, ministry, health and work. I can do OK and get by, but I can get easily distracted. If you have set up some goals for your life, I highly recommend finding a coach to help you achieve those goals. That can be a little different for everyone. For some people that may mean going out and hiring someone like a fitness trainer or executive coach. Or it may mean finding an accountability partner that will ask you tough questions on how you are doing. Others may need to find more of a mentor to learn from and give them advice.

When I think about a good coach, there are some qualities that stand out. You may think about sports when I say coach, but this applies to our everyday lives as well. So here are some thoughts on a good coach:

A good coach chooses players well. If you are leading people in any way, you are coaching them. A good coach sees the potential in people and can draw out that potential.

A good coach constantly communicates the game plan. They tell people what they expect of them. Give them an opportunity to perform, and be a part of the plan. They let them know how they are getting along, so they can learn and improve and then rewards them for doing a good job.

A good coach takes the time to huddle. Meeting with people on a regular basis is vital in any coaching relationship. I meet with my nutrition coach two times a week. It keeps my goals in front of me and keeps me accountable to do the hard work. Regular huddles improves focus, give you an opportunity to listen, and to make changes as needed.

A good coach knows what his players prefer. People value appreciation for a job well done. People also like the feeling that they are “in” on things. They also want to know that someone cares about them.

A good coach excels in problem solving. I look to my coaches to help me solve problems. I also try to help solve problems for the people I coach. Often times the people I meet with come up with their own solution, but they just needed someone to talk to and think through the problem.

A good coach provides the support needed for success. What I mean by that is you get everyone involved, give plenty of affirmation, simplify as much as possible and create momentum. Often this is done by sharing stories of success.

A good coach commands the respect of the players. The key here is trustworthiness. Building a trust relationship is vital. They let people know they care about them.

A good coach does not treat everyone the same. Sometimes a coach has to be firm and tough. Other times you need to be patient and kind. People all respond to different kinds of motivation and attention. They know their people well enough to understand how to motivate and encourage them.

A good coach continues to win. Good coaches focus on the basics and keep things simple. They focus on skills that will help the team be successful. To win you need to be willing to change and adapt and constantly recast the vision to your team.

Finally a good coach understands the levels of the players. Some players need direction, some need coaching, some need support and other can be delegated to. Knowing the team is vital.

Maybe you need to go find a coach like I did. Maybe you need to be a coach like I am. Maybe you need help in your marriage, your work, your ministry, your health, your relationships. Finding a good coach can really jump start you on your way to improving quickly. Maybe you need to be a coach to others, by sharing your wisdom and knowledge. In any case, coaching is important. If you want to go to the next level you need someone to coach you. Even Tiger Woods has a coach that he meets with on a regular basis. If Tiger needs to be coached then I need to be coached as well.

Posted on

Back from Eight Days of Hope




I just got back from Bay St. Louis Mississippi. Eight Days of Hope had their 5th Katrina relief event there. All I can say is Wow! What an amazing organization, the passion and commitment are incredible. I was very impressed with the leadership of EDOH. They have learned a lot over the past 2 years and have made an amazing impact in the communities they have worked.

About 1,100 people were a part of this outreach. People from 43 different states. There were 16 people from NewPointe that made the trip. I traveled and worked with Doug Miller (left) and Mike Miller (right) (no relation).

We left last Thursday night and drove 16 hours straight (we stopped 5 times). We got there Friday morning around 10:00. We checked in and they asked if we wanted to go work right away. There was an 80 year old lady that needed some some small jobs done. She had just moved back into her home from her FEMA trailer. We worked at her place for about 5 hours and then went back and got settled in.

Our first official work day was Saturday December 29th. We got to pick out our job on Friday night, so we hit the ground running on Saturday morning. Mike, Doug and I hooked up with Lowel Rice and his wife Shirley. Lowel had built three home and was retired. Another retired couple Pete and Pat also joined us to round out our team of seven.

Our job was for a single lady, Ms. Leonardine Curry. She had been living in a tiny FEMA trailer for over two years, just her and her dog. We had to install wood Pergo flooring in every room, hang all the interior doors and one exterior door, and put down all the finish trim. We ended up doing a bunch of other small jobs for her as well.

At the end of the four days we had everything done and she was ready to move in. All she had to do was get the gas turned on and have a final inspection. She was very grateful and gave most of us a hug. We all gathered around and prayed for her and her new home.

In the first four days of work over 100 projects were completed. There was another 50-75 to complete and four new houses that needed to be finished. Originally they wanted to build seven new homes but three did not have enough pre-work done to get started.

I really enjoyed getting to know the people I worked with and the families we met. The people are so grateful for the volunteers that come to do work. For many people they cannot afford to pay someone to do the work, so it sits there until they can save a little money. Many of these folks also have been taken advantage of by dishonest contractors.

I ran to Lowes about 6-7 times to pick up supplies and materials and met some nice folks there as well. This area is slowly coming back.

One of the highlights of the trip for me was Steve Wingfield. Steve is an evangelist from Virginia and I have known him for almost 10 years. He spoke to all the volunteers on New Years Eve. What a great message! He really challenged and encouraged all of us to not be “normal”, but abnormal. What normal person takes a vacation to go work on homes in Mississippi? He said that the people that we are trying to reach, those that are not saved, view Christians as boring, judgmental and hypocritical. He also shared some amazing stories of how God has been working in Long Beach MS, which is the area he has been working with the past two years. God is truly Good and Amazing.

This trip helped to increase the fire inside of me. I want to make a difference in this world with the time I have left. I want to bring the Eight Days of Hope attitude to this community and our church. I want more people to be so in love with Jesus that they do abnormal things. I want our church to show compassion to the hurting people in our community. I want to be Jesus with skin on. I hope many of you will join me.

Eight Days of Hope will be doing another trip later this year back to MS. They also will start doing shorter 4-5 day projects throughout the country. Probably two per year. The next one is scheduled for April or May in northern Mississippi.

Here are some more pictures from my experience. Enjoy!














Posted on

Goat ’07

This past Sunday Bubba Joe was back on the big stage. He crashed the announcements with a goat. Bubba Joe misunderstood the Go ’07 Christmas Edition. He thought we said Goat ’07 Christmas Edition. He borrowed my neighbor’s goat Oatmeal. She did very well on stage. My wife Vikki was the Goat trainer and handler.

Anyway, Go ’07 went well. We sponsored approximately 115 children from Ohio and Iraq and sponsored approximately 52 families locally. My small group took on a family from Dover and today we delivered our gift to the family. I am looking forward to staying in touch with, and praying for this family. They have six children from 19 years old to 18 months old.

Great job NewPointe! let’s keep it going throughout 2008. Together we can make a difference in the lives of the people around us. Reaching out and helping people in need reflects God’s love and compassion for people. Take the time to show acts of kindness to those around you. Take the time to notice the needs of the people in your neighborhood, school, church and community.

Posted on

Go ’07 Christmas Edition

I am so excited about the Go ’07 Christmas Edition we are doing at NewPointe. I have been talking to families in need and it has made me realize how many people are in very difficult situations. We worked through Job & Family services in Tuscarawas County and through many of the local school districts to find families and individuals that are in need. We also have over 100 children from Ohio and Iraq and Jordan that we are providing monthly financial support of $20.00.

That is over 100 children and over 100 families that NewPointe Community Church is going to touch and impact. That is exciting to me, because it helps us to be an outward focused church and not inward. The church is called to change the world and if we are only inward focused we forget about all the hurting and lost people in this world.

These small acts of kindness will show people the love that Jesus talked about in the Bible. It will show them that someone cares.

We are encouraging small groups, families and individuals from NewPointe to adopt a family or a child. If they take a family they make contact with the family and help meet some of their needs. Some of those needs might be Christmas gifts for the children, clothes, school supplies, shoes, coats, gas cards, household items and supplies and even groceries. We also are encouraging them to pray for this family throughout the year and contact them periodically to encourage them.

If a small group or family takes on a child, they will send a monthly check to help meet the needs of that child. We are working with the Christian Children’s Home of Ohio and Impact Ministries to help these children. We have approximately 50 children in Ohio that are either up for adoption or in the foster care system. We also have nearly 100 children from Iraq & Jordan that need assistance. Impact ministries is partially supported by NewPointe and the money will be distributed through the local churches in those countries.

Again, I want to be an outward focused church that is making a difference in our communities and around the world. This is a small step in that direction. GO ’07

Posted on

Customer Service

I just had a great customer service experience and wanted to share it. I am on a short trip with some friends in Columbia South Carolina. We had great day of golf (My team won the 18 hole challenge) and ended the day at a Japanese Steak house. That was fun and the food was great, but the story is about our hotel. We are staying at the Hyatt Place. When we walked in there was a pleasant smell and everything looked clean and inviting. When we got back from our meal I sat down to have a Cafe Mocha and read my FAST Co. Magazine. Greg was very helpful and friendly. He remembered my name and made a great Cafe Mocha. We had a pleasant conversation and I met another very nice employee, Jen.

This was by far the best experience I have had at a hotel. Everything from the room to the coffee was first class and pleasant. I am even Blogging from their computer.

It reminds me that first impressions really do make a big difference. I am much more likely to pick a Hyatt Place Hotel in the future. We need to be aware of how people are viewing our business, or in my case church. Are we paying attention to the little things like smell and eye appeal. Are we making people feel welcomed and comfortable. Our win on Sunday morning at NewPointe Community Church is to get people to come back. We believe that if they come back they will be introduced to Jesus Christ and be changed forever.

First impressions really do matter. Every smile, friendly hand shake and helpful act of service contributes to making a great first impression. The same goes for the second, third and fourth impressions. All those little things contribute to the experience and make it memorable in a positive or negative way. Thanks Hyatt place!

Posted on

Helping Hands Project

This past Saturday our Helping Hands ministry worked on Rosemary Haugh’s garage in Dover. The Helping Hands ministry is a group of volunteers that reaches out to the church and community through home improvement projects. This ministry takes on work projects for people in our church and community. Together we can make a difference by showing the love of Jesus Christ.

So far this year we have completed 7 projects with approximately 54 volunteers. We have three more projects pending. As this ministry grows more people will be impacted up close. After returning from several trips to the Gulf Coast for disaster relief, I felt we needed to continue that spirit of helping people in need locally.

It is a great feeling to see 18 men come together to serve and help on a project like this. A huge thank you goes out to Keim Lumber for allowing us the use of their Boom truck. Marvin Yoder operated the Boom and did a great job. Dave Marzilli brought his Bob Cat and Frank Myers let us use his dump truck. Other guys brought their own tools and we all worked together to get it done.

A special thanks goes out to Bob Barbee who has been the point person on most of these projects. He is using his gifts and talents to help people with home improvements. Butch Price has also been very involved. Thanks a bunch guys!

Here are some pictures from Saturday!





Posted on

Life Change

The reason NewPointe Church exits is to lead people every where into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. That is a big vision. In a nut shell we exist for life change, to be the catalyst for people all over the world to grow closer to Jesus Christ.

Yesterday I had the privilege of hearing six different people share their life change stories with me. All six are going to be baptized in October. I sat down with them and listened to them share what God has done and is doing in their lives.

Nothing charges me up more than hearing people talk passionately about their relationship with Jesus. Tears came to their eyes as they talked about how God drew them to himself and how they were able to overcome sin and difficult circumstances because of God’s strength and courage.

These six people have experienced a change. They have experienced God and they don’t want to go back to the old way of life. I can’t wait for their stories to be played on the big screens for everyone to hear. They are going public with their faith. Way to go Angela, Amy, Steve, Jillian, Jason and Christen!

Each one was nervous and unsure about be video taped, but they knew this was a step God wanted them to take. Often times if we can face a fear and do what God calls us to there is a spiritual breakthrough in our lives. For these six people they will never be the same. They are standing tall for Jesus Christ and following Him.

What is holding you back from following Jesus with all your heart, soul and mind? What is your next step in your walk with Him? For some it is baptism, for others maybe getting in a small group, for some it may be leading a small group or serving in an area of ministry. For others it may be taking on a leadership role in ministry or going on a mission trip. For others it may mean getting help for your marriage and reconciling your relationships. For some people it may mean being a better steward of your money. For someone it may be giving a large chunk of your resources to God’s work. I don’t know what your next step is, but God is calling you to it.

Step out in faith and begin living fully for God!

Posted on

Trip to Haiti

A good friend of mine, Kevin Kate recently went on a mission trip to Haiti. Kevin is in my men’s group and has a real heart for missions and outreach. I know he had been praying for an opportunity to GO and make a difference. Here is what he did:

Kevin was part of a team that fixed a water well that had caved in. They went to Terre Blanche in Haiti. The well will serve a school of a bout 600 students, the local trade school, local church and the clinic which will serve 1000 people when the medical team from the U.S. goes there. The local population can also use the well. The local people had to travel a great distance to get water and this is a huge blessing to that entire community. On average the well will provide clean fresh drinking water for nearly 2,000 Haitian people each day.

Kevin had some great stories about how God provided what needed to make this project happen. When people like Kevin take a risk and GO out into the world, God does amazing things. I know there are more people like Kevin that God has been calling to take a risk and jump into something bigger than themselves. Start praying today that God will give you direction and then Courage to go and do it. It may be in Haiti or Egypt or maybe in Mississippi or Dover or Millersburg. You can make a difference just like Kevin did.

Way to go Kevin!