Prayer: Breaking the Status Quo

I have just uploaded the sermon that I preached at Hopewell Church of God (Cleveland, TN) on Sunday, October 11th entitled, "Prayer: Breaking the Status Quo." Listen Here

If the link does not work, you may need to download and install QuickTime on your computer (free).

Fall 2009

Fall is a wonderful time here with the Turpin Tribe in East Tennessee.

It is at this point that I typically come to the end of my busy travel season, and the teaching part of my ministry at the seminary picks up speed.

This is also a time for planning our adventures for the coming year. Several local church "Prayer Ministry" seminars are in the works, and I really hope to complete two books related to prayer and the Spirit-enabled life in 2010.

Aside from all of that, I appreciate all of the normal stuff just like anyone else: autumn leaves in these East Tennessee mountains, brisk morning air (yet to come), and more time with the family.

Life is good.

Summer 2009 Training Schedule

The summer training schedule for the 2009-2010 Pastoral Covenant Group project has begun. I will be serving as a trainer at the following training events:

June 15-17, 2009

Southeast Facilitator Training Retreat

July 13-15, 2009

Mid-USA Facilitator Training Retreat

July 27-29, 2009

Florida Facilitator Training Retreat

August 11-13, 2009

Mid-West Facilitator Training Retreat

August 19-21, 2009

West Virginia Facilitator Training Retreat

August 24-26, 2009

Southwest Hispanic Facilitator Training Retreat

Your commitment to cover this ministry in prayer is greatly appreciated.

Good Reading: Andrew Murray's With Christ in the School of Prayer

It's an old classic, but when it comes to the subject of prayer, this book remains relevant for our generation. I'm talking about Andrew Murray's With Christ in the School of Prayer.

Every student in my Developing Congregational Prayer Ministries course is required to read this text, and I highly recommend it to all. The chapters are short, making it very readable during personal devotional time.

This text can by purchased on our bookstore page, and because it is in the public domain, it is also available as a free pdf download through Google books.

If this book has made an impact on your life, please post your own reflections using the "Comments" link below.

March Consultation and Seminar Schedule

Two major events have been scheduled for March 2009:

1. State Coordinators Consultation. State Coordinators for the Pastoral Covenant Group initiative have been invited to join us March 4-6 in Atlanta, Georgia for a project consultation.


2. Prayer Ministries Seminar (Phase 2). I will be conducting a Prayer Ministries Seminar on March 21-22 at the Davis Creek Church of God in Charleston, West Virginia. Here is an added blessing: Unlike most of my training trips, Kerry and three of our children will be joining me for this one!

I would appreciate the prayers of our ministry partners for both of these events.

February Consultations

In the remaining days of February, I will be involved with the rest of our team in conducting consultations with Pastoral Covenant Group faciliators from West Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, North Georgia and Alabama.

Our work will involve providing further training in facilitation skills, assessment of the project process, and personal affirmation for all project leaders in the field.

My consultation schedule:

West Virginia Consultation
Thursday, February 12th

Florida Consultation
Tuesday, February 17th

Southeastern Consultation
Thursday, February 19th

We cherish your prayers as we continue to minister with and to over 900 pastors in twenty states and regions. To God be the glory.

It's All About Jesus

Our ministry is first and foremost ministry unto the Lord.

"Minister to Jesus? How can I minister to Jesus?" you may respond. "He is in need of nothing from me."

True. He is the all-sufficient One. True. He needs nothing. But it is also true that He desires everything from me. From you. From us all.

It's all about Jesus.

2008-2009 Pastoral Covenant Groups Launch

This fall 126 Pastoral Covenant Groups from 20 states and regions are launching another one-year process of pastoral development and renewal. An estimated 1000 Church of God pastors will be participating.

A number of groups have already conducted their covenant-making retreats. One participating pastor stated to his group, "I didn't trust you guys before, but now I do. I trust everyone of you."

Another pastor left revival services at this own church just to be at his group's retreat, stating,

"I need this! You don't get this at Campmeeting or Prayer Conference where we sit down and talk about ministry at a deeper level."

Draw Near and the Center for Pentecostal Leadership and Care invite you to pray throughout this coming year for the sustaining of this Pastoral Covenant Group initiative.

Training Southwest Hispanic Pastors

From September 28th through October 2nd I will be on the road (and in the air) training facilitators for Pastoral Covenant Groups in the Southwest Hispanic region (California). Dr. Milton Carter will be joining me in the work. Both of us would greatly appreciate your prayers.

Training DelMarVa-DC Pastoral Facilitators

A Facilitator Training Retreat will be conducted September 15-17 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania for pastoral facilitators serving in the DelMarVa-DC region. Dr. Randy Turpin and Dr. Milton Carter will function as trainers for this event.

This fall these trained facilitators will launch their own Pastoral Covenant Groups with a covenant-making retreat. Over the next year DelMarVa's groups will work together for the purpose of cultivating and sustaining pastoral excellence.

For more information on this Pastoral Covenant Group initiative, see www.pentecostalleadership.org.

August and September Training Schedule

New students are on their way to the Church of God Theological Seminary; Pastoral Covenant Group facilitators are being trained in twenty-two states and regions; and Covenant Making Retreats are already being scheduled for pastors across America.

All of these happenings add up to a very busy time here at the seminary's Center for Pentecostal Leadership and Care. We are gearing up for the following training events:

August 21, 2008
New Student Orientation Retreat
Cohutta, Georgia

August 25-27, 2008
Eastern North Carolina Facilitator Training Retreat
Salter Path, North Carolina

September 8-10, 2008
West Virginia Facilitator Training Retreat
Fayetteville, West Virginia

As always, we cherish your prayers as we continue to serve the renewal and development needs of Christian leaders.

July Training Schedule

In the month of July (2008), our team is scheduled to train Pastoral Covenant Group facilitators in several states and regions:

July 14-16, 2008
Mid-America Facilitator Training Retreat
West Harrison, Indiana
(Facilitators from Indiana, Northern Ohio, and Southern Ohio)

July 21-23, 2008
Florida Facilitator Training Retreat
Clearwater Beach, Florida

We cherish your prayers for our ongoing ministry toward pastoral development and renewal.

Focus and Clarity

1 Peter 4:7 says, "The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray."

Here Peter elevates the indispensable role of prayer as we approach the end of the age.

Pray-ers, let us always keep the end in view. Our ultimate destination should motivate every aspect of our lives. We cannot afford to become absent-minded regarding the eternal implications of our life-mission.

We have been given the Spirit of a sound disciplined mind (2 Timothy 1:7), and we have been enabled by the Spirit to be self-controlled (Galatians 5:23). May we by faith access these resources of the Spirit so that we will in fact be clear-minded and self-controlled.

May we keep in step with the slightest promptings of the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). In doing so we will have the focus and clarity required of twenty-first century prayer warriors.

Pray-ers, This Is Essential

Jim Cymbala on "The House of Prayer"

I would like to share with you a powerful message delivered by Jim Cymbala calling the church to embrace its identity as a "House of Prayer."