Books Make Great Christmas Gifts

As we approach the Christmas season, instead of buying our loved ones another trinket that will sit on a shelf unused, we should consider buying them Christian books that can change their lives. While bookstores are full of books by authors who have great marketing plans, perhaps we might consider books by lesser known authors who have shown their ability to connect biblical teaching with daily living. Not only do such books make great gifts, but because they are from lessor known authors, it is unlikely that our loved ones already have copies. Consider the books below while doing your Christmas shopping. They can be ordered in print form or digitally.

Teaming Up: Using Our Spiritual Gifts Effectively   Available in both print and Kindle versions.
Easy to read and full of practical examples for how to use our spiritual gifts to strengthen the church.

The Heavenly Mundane: Daily Devotions from Ordinary Experiences                            
Available in both print and Kindle editions
Daily devotional that shows how God often reveals Himself in the mundane things of life. Many of the stories are examples of God's mission work in New England.

Breaking Free from the Spirit of Offense 
Available in both print and Kindle editions
We are living in a time when it seems that everyone is offended by everything. Perhaps it is time to break free. This short book reveals how.

Malachi: Finding Hope in the Midst of Adiversity - Print Edition

Malachi: Finding Hope in the Midst of Adversity - Kindle Edition

Though many people think of Malachi as a book about judgment, this practical Bible study reveals the thread of hope that runs through it and how that thread of hope can change our lives.





Touching the Footprints of Jesus - Print Edition

Touching the Footprints of Jesus - Kindle Edition

This devotional guide is based on a trip the author took to the Holy Land. Each daily reading reveals another caveat for how an experience in the Holy Land can enhance one's walk with Christ.




Fun collection of puzzles and games that are great for children and for the young at heart.


Bible Brain Teasers: Fun Adventures Through the Bible - Print Edition

Bible Brain Teasers: Fun Adventures Through the Bible - Ebook Edition

Interview with Russell C. Lambert, author of Why Is My Church Dying?

Pastor Lambert and I met some years ago in an online group for pastors of small churches. We have dialogued often about the issues facing small churches across the nation. Since our initial meeting online, we have also been able to be together at some conferences for small churches and enjoy fellowship over a meal. I greatly admire his commitment to the small church. He is one of those pastors that could easily serve in a bigger church but has the passionate calling to do something for the Lord in places that others have neglected.

After years of service to small churches, Pastor Lambert reveals to us in his latest book, Why Is My Church Dying?, many truths he learned about small churches through his study of the Word and his practical experience. The book is easy to read, with short, but potent chapters. I particularly like the discussion questions at the end of each chapter that help the individual reader reflect deeper on what was read, but also make the book usable as a training tool for a leadership team in a small church.

Though the chapters may be short and easy to read, the truths presented will not always be easy to respond to. For example, in chapter 11 Pastor Lambert hits the reader with a convicting question, “Is your church dying with money in the bank?” We all know the answer to that, but we like to apply the answer to everyone else’s church, not our own. Pastor Lambert forces us to ask that question about our own church. Not all readers will like the answer, but it is something we need to wrestle with. Readers can expect hard hitting questions like that all through the book.

I was recently blessed to interview Pastor Lambert about his book and you can find that interview below:

TERRY: Russell, you have been a pastor for a long time. Your background clearly would allow you to lead a much larger church, but you have chosen to serve smaller congregations. Why have you made that choice?

RUSSELL: I made the choice to serve in smaller, rural churches back in 1992. I had run from the call to ministry for 13 years and when I surrendered and asked for forgiveness, I told the Lord if He could still use me that I would serve Him in out of the way places and congregations that no one else wanted to minister to. To honor that commitment the Lord has had to grow my faith by leaps and bounds.

TERRY: In addition to serving the local church, you have also impacted the larger church through your writings. Can you share with us 2-3 key things you hope people will gain from the materials you write?

RUSSELL: I hope that what I write will encourage church leaders to take on the challenges that are set before them instead of just ignoring them and hoping they will go away. I want people to think about what they are reading and hearing from God's Word; not so much in a theological sense, but in a heart-felt life changing application and then take action based on that.

TERRY: Your most recent book is entitled, “Why is My Church Dying?” That is a question many people are asking in our nation today. Can you give us a synopsis of the book and tell us why you choose to write this particular book?

RUSSELL: Most churches are troubled churches. If you do not believe that, just ask their pastors. Far too often, when pastors are offered solutions, they are one-size-fits-all answers which never truly address root problems. I knew the Bible would have the answers to the root problems of troubled churches if we would only ask the right questions. That is what I have tried to do in this book.

TERRY: Who do you hope will benefit the most from this book and why?

RUSSELL: I think that this book will be a benefit to anyone who is asking the question, "What is wrong with my church?" It will give them a place to start, and hopefully they will do it in concert with others in the congregation who are of like mind and opinion. Of course the danger in that is they might find out that they are part of the problem. This book is not for the faint of heart and is a serious self-evaluation that has enough in it too make us all uncomfortable. Sort of like being told the reason you have cancer is because you have been smoking all these years. But if we will read it with an open mind, it might just help us keep our church from dying.

TERRY: What is the main thing you would like people to walk away with after reading any of your writings, but especially this book?

RUSSELL: Solomon told us generations ago that "There is nothing new under the sun." I want my readers to realize that the struggles they and their congregation are facing are not unique in the history of the church. We must trust in God, have hope, and be willing to change; but not in the ways we might be thinking, but in conforming ourselves and our congregations to the Word of God, to be the church He wants us to be, even if that means serving in a small out of the way place that needs a vibrant and alive church.

Russell C. Lambert is the President of Life Passage Ministries and the pastor of Yachats Baptist Church, Yachats, Oregon. He has authored and/or contributed to four books. Before being called into ministry he served in law enforcement.

Author Interview with Linda Bonney Olin

As my regular readers know, from time to time I interview Christian authors on my blog who I believe have something unique to say to our culture. I met Linda Bonney Olin through an online writer's group I am part of. She has a unique approach to helping people understand what God is trying to say to them. I recently interviewed her and you will find that interview below.

Terry: Linda, in between raising two kids, working outside the home, and helping your husband run a farm, somehow you have found time to serve as a lay speaker in the United Methodist Church and write in a wide variety of genres. What drives you to write and speak?

Linda: I began simply to fill a need. I became certified as a lay speaker in 1997 in order to conduct

worship services when the pastor of my small rural church was away and also to present innovative programs for a bit of variety. I occasionally wrote skits and scripted conversations for my son and his puppet pal. While leading adult Sunday school classes and special programs for my congregation and other local churches, I developed Bible studies, longer dramas, and a little music.

A turning point came in 2007. I prayed my heart’s desire to write something that would have eternal impact, like the wonderful hymns of Charles Wesley and Fanny Crosby. I didn’t ask for fame or fortune, or even publication, but only for the Lord to speak through my writing to someone who needed to hear his message. He agreed, providing I would write according to the Holy Spirit’s daily leading and put his direction ahead of human counsel and my own bright ideas. Who wouldn’t jump at a partnership like that? I retired from my management job and trusted God to meet our financial needs, which was no small leap of faith with the uncertainties of farm income.

Admittedly, I haven’t always been 100% faithful to my end of the bargain, but the Lord graciously prods me back on track when I forget that bit about human counsel and bright ideas. Meanwhile, he has fulfilled his promises many times over, helping me produce hymns, devotions, inspirational poems, Bible studies, blog posts, and a little fiction for publication. A nonfiction how-to book about personal puppet ministry is completed too, waiting for the Holy Spirit to point me to the right publisher. He always guides me to the information I need to carry out his assignments. And I’ve had the pleasure of using that knowledge to help other authors with their book projects too.

Terry: One of the books you wrote is entitled Giving It Up for Lent. It comes as both a workbook and a leader’s guide. I was moved when I read it. Tell us about this particular book.

Linda: That project originated with a weekly supper and study series put on during Lent by several local churches. The idea was to refresh the old tradition of giving something up for Lent, by challenging participants to make significant sacrifices of time, talent, or treasure that would bring glory to God and benefit to others, instead of token “selfish sacrifices” like giving up candy to lose weight. As my church’s representative on the program committee, I wrote and presented the introductory discussion of sacrifices described in the Bible and added the dramatic comedy The Sacrifice Support Group to lighten up the topic a bit.

The play depicts a mixed bag of church characters. In Act One (which ended the first weekly session of the series), they are challenged by their pastor to make those God-serving Lenten sacrifices. Knowing how tough it will be to stick to their sacrificial plans, they form a mutual support group. In Act Two (presented in the final session) they meet to discuss their sacrifice experiences; they all resolve to make their sacrifices an ongoing part of their lives. The play is very simple to put on. In fact, at the original Lenten program I drafted "actors" and handed out scripts during supper; we performed it as Readers Theatre with no rehearsal at all.

The series went over so well that it begged to be shared. I published the drama script of The Sacrifice Support Group as a standalone book and later published Giving It Up for Lent as the full study package.

Terry: Who do you hope will benefit the most from this book and why?

Linda: The obvious answer is church groups who want a fun, potentially life-changing study. More than that, though, the study encourages Christians to adopt spiritual disciplines that glorify God, which is the biggest thing, and do good for our families and communities. The lasting benefit can be enormous, depending on the choices readers make.

Terry: Can you share with us 2-3 key things you hope people will gain from the materials you write?

 

Linda: First, I hope and believe that God will use my work to touch people in ways that have eternal significance. In accordance with my covenant, I leave it up to God what form that significance will take and who will be the target. He might bring a reader to salvation through his revelation of Jesus Christ in my work. He might simply deliver much-needed comfort or a kick in the pants, or anything in between. Some people use my writing in ways I never expected. Non-singers, for instance, meditate on the lyrics and Bible verses in my first book, Songs for the Lord, in their personal devotions, even without the music. Isn’t that cool?

Second, sometimes my dramas touch upon matters that are disputed between Christians of different faith traditions. I hope readers will approach those—and all my work, really—with an attitude of goodwill so they can receive the deeper faith and understanding the Lord has in store for them. For example, not every church observes the season of Lent the way I'm accustomed to. But every Christian can benefit from considering the discipline of sacrifice, whether during the weeks leading up to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross or any other time. So Giving It Up for Lent has value for everyone, and I hope the folks who don’t recognize Lent won’t bypass the book for that reason.

Third, I pray that those who sing my hymns and perform my dramas will be blessed as richly as I have been by the intimate presence of my Holy GhostWriter through "my" words.

Terry: If you could offer one piece of advice to other aspiring Christian writers, what would it be?

Linda: Only one? Ha! I have a whole list!

1. Follow the Lord’s plan for your writing, just as you do for any other aspect of your life. He knows your unique voice and the audience who needs to hear it.
2. As the Bible often says, “Fear not!” Do not be intimidated by what other people say “real” writers do, like writing a minimum number of hours every day. And don’t worry that your crummy first efforts will displease God. Do you think he’d prefer you to waste his gifts and ignore his invitation to bless readers on his behalf? Of course not. So pray, sit your behind in the chair, and let the words flow onto paper or keyboard.
3. Then study the craft of writing, so you can give the Lord and the world a quality product. Unless God’s plan for you included a quill pen that miraculously moves across the paper by itself, be willing to revise and refine your writing and have it edited and proofread.
4. Join a local writers group where you can read your work to knowledgeable readers. Resolve to cheerfully endure the pain of unfavorable comments (we all get them and they can hurt). Listen to the reader’s point of view, instead of trying to talk her around to your way of thinking. Later, after the adrenaline drains off, consider how her input might make your work stronger. Besides giving me honest critiques and valuable suggestions, my local writers group is a posse of kindred spirits who encourage me when things aren’t going well and rejoice with me in times of victory.
5. Attend a Christian writers conference. I’ve attended Montrose Christian Writers Conference almost every year since 2007, the last time as a faculty member. The knowledge, the peer support group, and the industry contacts I’ve acquired there are priceless.
6. If you are itching to write a 300-page tome, fine; but consider cutting your teeth on smaller bites. There are lots of opportunities for short pieces in the Christian market, especially if you are willing to contribute your work for ministry instead of money. Writing short devotions, poems, and hymn texts in between spells of work on a book has helped me develop writing skill, given me the satisfaction of some completed projects, and built my publishing credits in magazines, devotionals, and anthologies.
7. When rejection letters roll in (I could start an impressive origami collection with mine), do not fall prey to discouragement. Revise the piece, have it edited and proofread if you previously neglected that step, find another publisher whose profile your work fits, make sure you are following the publisher’s writers guidelines, and resubmit. Pray and persevere.

Books and blogs offer a ton more of useful advice for Christian writers.

Terry: Where can people find your books and learn more about you and your work?

Linda: Everyone is invited to my Faith Songs web site at LindaBonneyOlin.com. Besides the book pages, check out all my resources for ministry, music, writing, and more. In the Audio section, you can hear the melodies of the songs in Transformed: 5 Resurrection Dramas and Songs for the Lord.

Or you can go directly to my Author Page onAmazon. 

And I’m active on Facebook—the only Linda Bonney Olin there. Stop in and say hi.

Terry, thanks very much for inviting me to your blog. I’ve enjoyed your books, and I’m impressed with the frank but respectful conversations you have here.

Terry: Linda, it was great to have you with us on the blog today. I also want my regular readers to know that Linda loves to interact with others about her ideas and writings. So if something she said in this interview sparks an idea, feel free to post it in a comment below and she will do her best to interact with you.

How To Write A Lot

The other day I was chatting with my co-elders at the church we serve together. One of them asked me how I could write so many books because it takes him a long time to write just a simple blog post. I have thought about his question for a few days and it occurs to me that I am simply following some advice that David Jeremiah offered some years ago. I was in a pastors’ conference and one of the pastors asked David Jeremiah that same question. He responded that much of what he wrote first originated in one of his sermon series or Bible studies. When he finished a Bible study or sermon series that he thought had been particularly effective, he would take a little extra time to refine it. He would then use an editor to help him polish it up and a book was born.

I thought that was good advice, so I started doing it too. Though my stuff is nowhere near the quality of David Jeremiah’s, I do think the Lord has given me insight on certain topics. All six of my books have started as a training seminar, Bible study or sermon series. Even my book of children’s puzzles came from a year-long Bible study I led for children. I figure that if I put all that work into creating outlines and notes for those presentations, then I can take a little more time and refine those notes into paragraphs and chapters. It does take extra time and pushes my thinking deeper than it would otherwise, but I see that as a good investment of my time and thinking. Far more people have read my books and my blog than have ever attended one of my training seminars or listened to one of my sermons. My writing extends my ministry many fold.

I think this style of writing is a good idea for most Bible teachers and preachers. Why work so hard on a sermon series and then just put it in a file two months later for it to sit unused. Take the time to develop it some more, especially if the Lord has given you a particular interest in some topic or issue. Take the quality of your thinking to a deeper level. Turn outlines in paragraphs and paragraphs into chapters. Then share what God has shown you with the world. Do not expect to make a lot of money or become famous. After all, there are only so many David Jeremiah’s in the world. But your ministry can be expanded through writing and God can use it to build His Kingdom. Write brothers and sisters, write!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Terry W. Dorsett is a church planter in New England. He is a happy husband, proud father, giggling grandfather, thankful cancer survivor, and the author of numerous books aimed at helping small churches become healthier and individual Christians grow in their faith. You can find his books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Dr.-TerryDorsett

Books for a Great Cause!

I am proud of all three of my kids, each of whom have entered adulthood without self-destructing on the landmines that hurt so many young people. As a proud parent, I want to help each of my children fulfill their dreams. Let me tell you about one of those dreams. One of my sons, Jonas, is about to embark on a four month trip to Thailand. He will engage in faith-based community development projects through a special program with the Christian college he attends. He is looking forward to the adventure and to sharing his faith in a way that fits his personality and abilities. To help make all this possible, I am donating ALL the proceeds of ALL of my books during the month of July to help supplement the cost of his trip. You can find the whole list of books at this link:
http://www.amazon.com/Dr.-Terry-W.-Dorsett/e/B00405U4NY/

I am also running a 99 CENT special until July 21 on the Kindle versions of three of those books. You can get all three e-books for what would normally be the price of one. The three books are described below, with a link to each book to make it easy to find.

Teaming Up: Learning to Use Our Spiritual Gifts Effectively
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JGU6WTI
This book helps readers learn how to use their spiritual gifts in conjunction with other people in the body of Christ so churches can function more effectively. Great for either individual or group study.

Malachi: Finding Hope in the Midst of Adversity
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ASDEOGU
This book helps readers take a fresh look at the Old Testament book of Malachi. A book that is often seen in a negative light actually has a powerful thread of hope running through it. Great for either individual or group study.

Touching the Footprints of Jesus
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ASDB7LA
This book is a month long daily devotional guide that takes readers on a journey of the Holy Land. Based on a trip my wife and I took to the Holy Land, readers will see how the scriptures relate to the geographic and historic places that Christians and Jews have valued for centuries. All the pictures in this book were taken by my wife.

I have another book about to come out. That book is entitled "The Heavenly Mundane: Daily Devotions from Ordinary Experiences." All the proceeds from that book for the rest of 2014 will also support this trip. Watch my blog, Facebook page and twitter account for upcoming announcements about that book.

Feel free to hit share this post with others so that as many as possible can hear about how they can help.

God Uses My Blog In Unexpected Ways

I posted to this blog for the first time on January 7, 2009. I wanted to help small churches be more effective in sharing Christ with all ages, but especially with the next generation. To my surprise, since that cold January day so many years ago, 152,042 people have visited my blog. Building a readership was slow, but now, depending on the month, 3,000 to 4,000 people visit my blog. I trust that as people read one of the 729 blog posts on 65 different topics, the original goal is being accomplished.

When I started my blog, I was serving as a bivocational pastor in Vermont. My second job was to direct the work of my denomination in the state. I assumed that the only people who would read it would be the small circle of friends I had in Vermont. Therefore, I was surprised when I recently analyzed some statistics on my blog to learn how people found it. As suspected, very few people found it because of me. In fact, only about 5% of visitors to my site were searching for my name. Good thing my goal was not to become famous, because that did not happen.

The vast majority of people who discovered my blog, did so though a Google search for one of the topics I write about. Though my blog posts are often about how small churches can be healthy and about the importance of reaching the next generation, those are not the topics that normally drive people to my site. God has a way of keeping us humble, even when over 152,000 people drop by to say hello! What did people read about on my site? I just did a complete analysis of my blog traffic and here is what I learned.

Without question, the number one search that draws people to my site is when they search for the key words “changing churches.” I wrote a post some time ago (read it here) about that topic. I have followed up on it a couple of times with related posts, but it is not a topic that I discuss frequently. Yet my limited posts on that subject have drawn a huge interest. A lot of people are considering changing from one church to another and my posts have apparently helped them think through that process.

The second key word combination that drives people to my site is anything with a combination of “Apollos” and “Jesus.” Though I do talk about Jesus a lot on my site, Apollos has only made a couple of posts. However, when people put those two words together, Google apparently thinks I have something worthwhile to say because my posts on the topic come up near the top of the search.

The third key word combination that drives a lot of traffic to my site is “types of sermons” and “how to deliver a sermon.” I have written extensively on these topics, especially as it relates to bivocational pastors and lay preachers. Since I write often about these topics, it is not surprising that the rather large volume of posts on those issues draws readers to my blog. I pray that my thoughts on the subject have been a blessing to many.

Finally, my various posts on the importance of baptism have drawn a lot of readers as well. As a Baptist, this issue is important to me. I thought my views were pretty mainstream but have been surprised when some of my posts on baptism produced controversial comments from those who hold to different views than I do on the subject. One particular post, on how baptism relates to church membership has drawn a large number of readers. On more than one occasion someone has quoted something I have written about baptism on other sites and I learned about it only after the fact when friends found it and sent me a link. Though I never thought of myself as an expert on baptism, apparently Google thinks I know more about it than I really do. It is interesting how God chooses to use us in ministry.

What is the point of this post? First, God's ways are not always our ways. Though I started a blog to accomplish a fairly narrow purpose, God has chosen to use it in other ways as well. Second, it is surprising what people are interested in reading. Though they do not always read the posts I want them to, I rejoice that anything they read on the blog helps others understand the Lord better and serve Him more effectively. Third, it is important to keep writing because the Lord has touched far more people through my writing than through my preaching. I have preached in churches as small as 6 and as big as 2,000, but if all the attendees were added together, it would be no where close to 150,000 people. Therefore, I am thankful that God has given me the gift of writing so that I can impact more people for the Lord. If you have a burden to write, I want to encourage you to pursue that calling. It may take awhile to build a readership, but just keep writing. God will use it in unexpected ways.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Terry W. Dorsett is a church planter in New England. He is a happy husband, proud father, giggling grandfather, thankful cancer survivor, and the author of numerous books aimed at helping small churches become healthier and individual Christians grow in their faith. You can find his books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Dr.-TerryDorsett

Love the Wounded

Last year I became friends with Lynn Dove, a Christian author in Canada. She has written a three book fictional series to help Christian young people who are being bullied. At the time we connected, I was trying to help several teens in our youth group that had been bullied. I purchased some copies of her books to give to those young people. I highly recommend the books to parents, teachers and church youth workers who are looking for ways to encourage young people experiencing bullying.

Lynn's latest book, Love the Wounded, is the final and dramatic conclusion to her brilliant Wounded Trilogy  series that has followed the lives of teenagers Jake, Leigh, Mike, Dylan and Tim as they come to terms with a series of tragedies and events that have made each of them question why God allows “bad things to happen to good people.”

About the book:

Leigh does not know who to choose...her heart tells her she will always love Jake, but he has changed so much since the death of their friend, Ronnie, and with his mother going through breast cancer; he has totally closed himself off from her emotionally. Now she is dating Dylan and try as she might to accept him for who he is, she can't stop thinking about Jake! Dylan has never gotten over the loss of his father and little sister, killed by a drunk driver when he was just a young boy.

After a horrific accident that has put both Tim and his little brother, Evan in the hospital, everyone knows that not only is he being bullied at school; he cuts himself to cope with it all. But meeting Cassidy has given him the courage to stand up to the bullies and at the same time give her what she so desperately needs...a life-giving bone marrow transplant. Jake's mother keeps telling him that "God works all things out for good" but with all the things going on in his life and with his friends, he's just not sure anymore. It is only after Mike is paralyzed in a car accident that Jake was partially responsible for that all the families and friends will be brought back together, not by coincidence, but by God's design and then Jake will finally believe that God truly does "Love the Wounded".

What others are saying about the book:

"A life of working with youth has inspired Lynn Dove, a Cochrane mother to turn her experiences into a book trilogy...(the Wounded Trilogy) series that parallels the struggles of students...(and) covers the angst of some of the real serious issues that teenagers face today, particularly with bullying and gossip. " -Rocky View Weekly-

“I couldn’t put the book down…(A) dramatic ending to a wonderful series about five teenagers and their families who are struggling through life,…Lynn Dove has created a cast of teenage characters we grow to love over this three book series,…It is a wonderful, good, clean book with twists and turns about issues on a young adult level that they will enjoy reading.”  - Readers Favorite–

“A personal story of honest truth – offer(s) an uplifting spiritual message” – Cochrane Times –

About the Author:

Lynn Dove is a wife, mother, grandmother, teacher and writer. Winner of a Canadian Christian Writing Award in 2011, Lynn Dove's debut novel, Shoot the Wounded, written for teens and young adults was a finalist in the 2010 Readers Favorite Book Awards. Heal the Wounded, released in 2010, the second book in this series won the Bronze Medal in the 2011 Readers Favorite Book Awards in the Young Adult - Coming of Age category. Love the Wounded is the final book in the "Wounded Trilogy."

Book Review: "More Than Cake: 52 Meditations to Feed Your Teams"

Joe Miller is a college professor, church planter and devoted family man. In his book "More than Cake: 52 Meditations to Feed Your Teams" he writes out of a passion for helping other church planters and pastors avoid some of the challenges he has faced in ministry.

One issue many leaders must deal with is our human tendency to not like certain kinds of people. Joe challenges his readers to consider if , "Maybe, like Jonah, there are people in our own lives whom we hate, and so we just don't bother to share Jesus." This is unacceptable to God and if we hope to start effective churches, we must learn to love even those we hate. When the entire leadership team learns to love those they hate, churches can really begin to impact their communities.

According to Joe, one of the reasons we struggle to love others as we should is because "Christians have hurts, they have fears, they have struggles, and yes, they have sin too." To illustrate how challenging sin is to deal with, Joe tells this story:

Have you ever tried to sweep up leaves when the wind was blowing in all directions? Just when I got one area clean, another gust would come and bring in more leaves. As people walked by they would laugh and say, "Give it up. Don't you know a lost cause when you see it?" The answer, of course, is simple. Wait for the wind to stop, then clean up the leaves. The problem with life; however, is that sin is part of our nature and will not stop creating disasters. But there is hope for those who fear the wind and leaves.

According to Joe, the way to overcome our sin is to understand that "genuine faith knows that God will never fail, but I might. The risk in following God is not that He will ever let me down, but that He may ask me to let go." Most of us are not willing to let go so God can be in charge. If we cannot let God be in charge, it will be hard for us to ever control our sin. If leadership teams cannot get a grip on their own sinfulness, how will the rest of the people in the church learn to deal with sin?

Joe also talks about how "far too many people who are sitting on the sidelines, waiting for the perfect time, the perfect plan and the perfect promise of success before they will get out and follow after Jesus." The best time to serve the Lord is right now. There will seldom be a perfect set of circumstances, so we must just work with what and who we have and trust God to do something big with it.

We must make sure we keep Jesus in the center of all we do. Joe observes, "I see lots of people who are passionate about politics and reform and compassion, but where is Jesus? I apply the same question to my own vision for creating an arts center in my community. What, if anything, in my actions will lead people to salvation in Jesus Christ?" This is a challenging question. After all, we can only consider servant evangelism effective if we actually do some evangelism while we are serving.

Joe challenges his readers with 52 of these team building meditations. At the end of each "meditation" is a list of 4 questions the leadership team is to discuss. They include:

1. MEANING: What meaning does this devotional have for you?
2. CONNECTION: As you think on this meaning, what passage of Scripture has special significance? Why?
3. CALL TO ACTION: What message does this devotional have for your team?
4. FINISH TOGETHER!: After you meet with your team, write the ending to each sentence:
a. "Based on the challenge of this devotional, my role in the team..."
b. "Based on the challenge of this devotional, my vision for the team..."

This book is easy to read. It challenges the reader to think about how our human nature interacts with our leadership efforts and how we can shape those efforts so we can be more effective leaders.

Another Interview with Terry Dorsett - Guest Post by Lynn Dove

By Lynn Dove on July 16, 2012

Last week we talked to author, Dr. Terry W. Dorsett about his book “Developing Leadership Teams in the Bivocational Church”. Today we focus on his other book, “Mission Possible: Reaching the Next Generation through the Small Church”.

Welcome back, Terry! What is this book about?

I was blessed to grow up in fairly large churches that were well funded. As a result of that, we always had a professionally trained staff member who oversaw youth programs. That kept my siblings and I interested in church and is probably one reason all four of us have worked for churches, or other faith based organizations, at various points in our careers. When I moved to Vermont it quickly became apparent that the churches were too small to have staff members running those kinds of programs. Sadly, many young people left the church as a result. My wife and I, along with a small core of other parents, decided to do something about it. We built a strong youth ministry in Central Vermont based on volunteers. We currently have 180 young people enrolled in it, with no paid staff members. This book basically shares how small churches with limited budgets can have effective ministries to people under 30. It is based on our own experiences, and on extensive research about what is working in other places.

Again share a little bit about where you live and how that impacts your writing.

I live in the small state of Vermont. From a pure beauty standpoint, it is a wonderful place to live. The mountains and valleys and lakes and streams and small towns and village greens are just a fabulous setting for life in general. It is a great place to raise a family. However, from a spiritual perspective, it can be a challenge to be an evangelical Christian in Vermont. Vermont is the least religious state in the United States and has the highest proportion of people who claim “none” on various surveys about religion. This impacts my writing because though am a conservative Christian, almost all of the young people that I work with in youth ministry have a different world view. Many are agnostics. Few easily accept Christian ideas and concepts at face value. When I began to write this book, I wanted to show people who share my world view how they could build bridges to communicate with those who have other world views. It was very challenging, but I think this book does it well.

What was the motivation behind the book?

I often serve as a guest speaker in small churches. I became burdened for how “old” the congregations looked in most small churches. I knew from my own experience that small churches could reach young people. But since people always tell me that our church is “special” I wondered if any small church could do it. Occasionally I would find a small church with a lot of young people, so I began to ask a lot of questions. I found certain common elements in small churches that had young people and those that did not. I took those ideas, matched with my own experience, and mixed in a lot of research of what was happening in other places across North America, and the book emerged.

What do you hope this book accomplishes?

Many small churches have become so discouraged about the lack of young people that they have given up trying. My number one hope is that my book will reverse that trend. I want small churches to know they CAN reach young people and they can do it well.

Who is this book written for?

This book is written for any person who is a member of a small church with less than 200 attendees on Sunday morning, which includes most churches across North America. If you care about your children or grandchildren, and they are not in church, read this book. You can help your church do this!

Is there anything else you want your readers to know about you that would give us a glimpse into your personality and passions?

Though I appreciate people of all ages, I think the greatest hope for revival in North America lies in the next generation. Because so many of them are post-Christian, when they discover faith in Christ, it is fresh and new to them. That infuses them with an energy that is infectious and greatly needed in most churches. My wife and I have dedicated much of our energy the last two decades in reaching the next generation and we long to see a great revival sweep that generation.

You can order the book at:

Mission Possible: Reaching the Next Generation through the Small Church

Author Interview with Lynn Dove

Most of my blog readers know that I have written five books. As an author, I get to interact with a lot of other writers and am blessed by my interactions with them. Some time ago I became acquainted with Lynn Dove, a Canadian writer, and have been impressed with her passion for helping kids who have been bullied. Since she has a new book that has just come out on this subject, I wanted to interview her and share her story with my readers.

Lynn Dove is a graduate of the University of Calgary, where she earned her Bachelor of Education degree in 1981, she has spent the last thirty years teaching children in the private and public school settings.  In 2007, she earned a Masters of Religious Education degree from the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary, in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada.   

Lynn’s blogs Journey Thoughtsand Word Salt have well over 10K in followers and readers.  Journey Thoughts won a 2011 Canadian Christian Writing Award (the equivalent of winning a Christy Award in Canada).  Lynn’s writing has also been showcased in a few compilation books the latest being in Mother of Pearl: Luminous Lessons and Iridescent Faith featuring essays from Robin Jones Gunn, Tricia Goyer and Suzanne Woods Fisher just to name a few.  Lynn’s article “Cool Grandma” can be found on p. 56. 

How do you describe yourself, Lynn?

I am a Christ-follower, a wife, a mom, a grandmother, a teacher and a writer (in that order).  I wear so many different “hats” that I find prioritizing them tends to focus me better.  I have been married to my best friend, Charles for over 33 years and we have three wonderful children: daughter, Laurelle (husband, Matt) grandbaby, Jaxon, and we have two live-at-home teenagers, Brett and Carmen.   I have been a teacher most of my adult life, and I still substitute from time to time at the private Christian school my youngest daughter attends.  I love volunteering and working closely with the youth in our church.  I love to blog, camp and read.

Tell us a little bit about your “Wounded Trilogy”?

Shoot the Wounded, the first book of the Wounded Trilogy, is written for youth and young adults. It addresses how lies and gossip destroy a person's spirit and speaks to the heart of relevant themes such as bullying, teen pregnancy and family violence.  The story points the characters, and ultimately the reader, to hope in Jesus Christ.  STW was a finalist in the 2010 Readers Favorite Book Awards.

Heal the Wounded, is the sequel to STW and the second book of the Wounded Trilogy.  HTW won a Bronze Medal in the 2011 Readers Favorite Book Awards in the Young Adult- Coming of Age category.  HTW delves even deeper into the real world of teenagers trying to live out their faith in the midst of upset and struggle.   Heal the Wounded, continues to follow the characters, Jake, Leigh, Mike (Jake's best friend), and Tim (Ronnie's brother) each of them dealing with the aftermath of their friend’s death in the first book. Jake is especially dealing with a variety of disappointments (“Job” experiences I call them) that cause him to question why God allows bad things to happen to good people. A new character is introduced into the story, Cassidy, a young cancer patient whose unquenchable spirit and faith impacts Jake, Leigh, Mike and Tim in a way that allows them all to experience God's grace and the power of His healing in each one of their lives.

Love the Wounded is the final and dramatic conclusion to the Wounded Trilogy series that has followed the lives of teenagers Jake, Leigh, Mike, Dylan and Tim as they come to terms with a series of tragedies and events that have made each of them question why God allows “bad things to happen to good people”.  Released May 30, 2012, the book has already received a five star review from Readers Favorite.     

My books deal with a variety of social issues: family violence, bullying, teen pregnancy, gossip and are listed as resources on the largest anti-bullying website in the world: www.bullying.org

Lynn’s books are available on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, on Lynn’s website.

Readers may also connect with Lynn on Twitter, Facebook,  on her blogs: “Journey Thoughts”, “Word Salt” and on her website: www.shootthewounded.org