Lead The Way God Made You

God put YOU in a position of leadership in children's ministry for a purpose.This practical guide helps you discover your personal leadership style so you can maximize your strengths. As you and your ministry team take the reproducible self-assessment test in this book, you'll discover how to make your team more productive...more effective...and more fun! Feel more comfortable and confident in your leadership role, and make a lasting difference with your colleagues, volunteers, and parents. Perfect Leaders Need Not Apply. If you occasionally wonder what God was thinking when he put you in a children's ministry leadership role, welcome home.You're among friends.This book is for you--and your team. Get ready for some fun as you explore... - How God wired you to lead (hint: it may not be how you think), and - Why "Perfect Leaders" don't really exist (or get invited to parties). You'll find simple steps that let you build a successful, effective team that lasts: Photocopy the reproducible Leadership Style Assessment Survey included in the book. Take the quick self-assessment test inside and you'll discover how God made you to lead. Read the book. Then ask your ministry teammates to take the test. (Gift them with each with their own copy of this book!) Share your results and together you'll gain insights that will turbo-charge your ability to work--and lead--together!

Shares uplifting advice about the virtues of forgiveness, offering strategic and biblically based advice on how to achieve peace and personal fulfillment by letting go of past wrongs.

Preach a sermon? No problem. Choose a theologically-sound Sunday school curriculum? No trouble. Conduct annual performance reviews with your ministry staff? Not so simple. Managing People provides pastors with tips for inspiring and leading staff and volunteers, including: How to handle tough conversations, when and how to say no, and building and guiding staff and volunteers. After surveying hundreds of pastors, asking them what they wish they’d learned in seminary but didn’t, "practical stuff" was the overwhelming answer. Practical Stuff for Pastors is a series of how-to guides dedicated to topics like how to manage a team, keep a building running, defuse conflicts, and more. Full of tips, recommendations, and strategies to equip pastors for running a church on the days between Sundays, these handbooks are valuable tools pastors will reference again and again. Look for the other books in the series: Dealing with Conflict, Leading Change, and Taking Care of Business.

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32 NKJV). All the devotional writings that are written in this book were given to me from God to write for every person who needs to read them. I truly believe with all my heart that every single word that God gave me to write was given to me to help, inspire, direct, guide, lead, and strengthen people who are facing difficult situations and to serve a specific purpose in their life. In my devotional writings, I might say things that a lot of people don’t agree with, or I might say a lot of things that people don’t like. But the fact of the matter is that every single word I write is given to me by God, not because people want to hear it but because people need to hear it. The truth of God’s Word is undeniable in every way, and only the truth of God’s Word will set you free in the end. So those who want everything sugarcoated to their satisfaction and according to their standards will keep them in denying the truth. As most of you know, I don’t sugarcoat anything, and I don’t tell people what they want to hear. I tell people what they need to hear based on the words God has given me. Is it easy to tell people what they don’t want to hear? Of course not, but when God commands me to write the words he gives me, I must obey him regardless if people are going to like it or not. The truth and only the truth of God’s words will set you free in the end. The devotionals that I write are 70 percent scripture context, 30 percent practical context, and 100 percent inspired by God. They are easy to relate to because a lot people are often dealing with tough circumstances or going through difficult situations. It’s often difficult to interpret and understand the actual meaning of a particular Bible verse. Each devotional that I write includes a Bible verse and a prayer. The Bible verse directly correlates with the devotional so that people can relate to the Bible verse and understand it. The prayer also directly relates to the devotional so that people can say the prayer and ask God for help. I believe that Daily Guidance from God is a great tool that will help people better understand real-life issues they are facing and how God can help them. The devotional will help guide people in a positive and biblical way to seek God. The purpose of Daily Guidance from God is to allow his guidance and direction to help people through their difficult circumstances and situations and to lead them down the correct path. When you allow God to be the center of your life, amazing things will happen that you will not even be able to imagine. Everyone has good days and bad days, but if you look to God for guidance in every situation you face, he will help you and guide you to make the right choices and decisions. I invite you to use this devotional to start your day with the positive words from God. I promise that when you read this devotional when you wake up, every day of your life will be brighter and your attitude will be more positive. My writings each day include three parts: a Bible verse, a devotional, and a prayer. “Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart” (Proverbs 7:3 NKJV).

Judging by the popularity of do-it-yourself and self-help materials on the market today, society seems to be on an endless quest for purpose and satisfaction. Wanting to be the best versions of ourselves is a noble yet time- and resource- consuming pursuit. People have often said, “If only I had an owner’s manual for life . . .” We do: The Holy Bible. But who has the time to weed through that sizable book for the answers to life’s questions? Lead the Way: Following the Words and Examples of Jesus in Leading the Charge Toward Positive Cultural Change hopes to simplify the process for you. A 366-day study devotional and discipleship tool, LTW focuses on the teachings of Jesus to help the modern-day Christian navigate the myriad choice-points we all face daily. Each day, LTW hones in on a particular character trait, attitude, or expected response Jesus is highlighting in the day’s red-lettered text or larger passage. With that in mind, LTW then provides historical, political, cultural, and religious information pertaining to the day’s scripture: the setting, the audience, the response. From there, the reader is offered current-day examples and illustrations of how Jesus’ words and teachings apply to us today. The final two sections of each day’s study are where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. This is where learning moves from the head to the heart, and then from the heart to the hands and feet. Stepping In offers suggestions for further reflection through thought-provoking questions, prayer prompts, or scriptures to meditate on. Stepping Out provides ideas for how to put faith into tangible action. As followers of Jesus, we are commanded to take to heart the message of our Savior’s teachings and continue the movement he gave his life to promote. Lead the way that others may follow!

Too much attention is paid to leadership techniques and far too little to the kind of heart and mind from which the best leadership emanates. The path to truly influential leadership is found in the discipline of practices hidden from the public eye that deeply inform our public leadership. Our convictions, our call, our understanding of ourselves and heart commitments are where it all begins. Character, courage, wisdom, integrity, humility, spiritual depth, endurance, perseverance, kindness, and vision all come from a place deep inside our hearts and souls—the hidden interior and recesses of our lives, whose channels lead to deep veins of God’s work and molding.

Epilepsy comes from the Greeks. It is a word that means to possess, seize, or hold. Epilepsy is described as short-lived burst of uncontrolled energy in the brain. Epilepsy is a neurologic disorder that affects the brain.Help bring epilepsy out of the world of darkness.Be part of the epilepsy awareness.Epilepsy is one of those disabilities that doesn't get the proper attention.Adults and children living with epilepsy deserve to be treated fairly and with resp

As Bishop T. D. Jake's excellent book "Woman, Thou Are Loose!" emancipates women, so "Woman, God Made You a Queen for Life" elevates women to queenhood. This book was born from a series of messages that Pastor Ricks' taught in 2006. It is based on Genesis chapters one and two. Two remarkable themes throughout the book are: one, the bilateral essence of women and its implications, and two, the dual purpose for the umbilical cord. It is not only for women but also for men. Men will find it helpful in gaining a better understanding of the women in their lives. Many will identify with the candid testimonies. They will make some laugh, some cry, some feel guilty, and some may become angry. My prayer is for each reader to find help and healing, to acquire new skills, in order to be an over comer in God's kingdom. May you glorify God for whatever is accomplished through this book. AMEN! _________________ Pastor Eric F. Ricks is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1972, Minister Ricks started the Deliverance Evangelistic Church of Burlington, New Jersey, (known as Faith Deliverance Worship Center, Inc.). To date, he has been pastoring for 38 years. He has been happily married to his queen, Minister Vernell Ricks since 1962. One of his life's declarations is Proverbs 3:5-7, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil." _________________