In many churches, visitors will attend church for the first time this week having the opportunity to make a decision on a number of things. Although they will not ask these questions, these questions will be the basis of their reason for visiting the church. …read more
So many Pastors live week-to-week, month to month and year to year just waiting to see where they’ll be in regards to church growth. In talking to many Pastor’s they truly have a desire to see numerical growth in their churches but just sit back and see how it all turns out without putting together a plan. How many would you like to increase by? …read more
Several years ago I taught a series to our church entitled “The Power of Vision.” I went into great detail about the importance of having a clear and concise vision for every aspect of life and committing it to writing. I explained that after your vision has been written, there would be times that you would need to do a vision revision. …read more
Arkaios, a Greek word meaning “beginning point”, is to be a place that seeks to serve and glorify Christ by renewing, refreshing and restoring the body, mind and spirit of those currently serving in full or part- time ministry anywhere around the world. For more information, contact Jeff or Mary Lee Meter at the phone number listed above. …read more
Valid Expenses for a Church or Ministry Mark Helland, CPA Mark Helland, CPA is a partner with the public accounting firm of Elliott, Dozier and Helland, PC (www.edhcpa.com) which is […]
Before pastoring, Mark traveled to several foreign countries, where he saw the hand of God move mightily. Besides pastoring the congregation, he has a heart to train up leaders in the Body of Christ. Mark is known for his sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. The Lord regularly gives him songs, hymns and spiritual songs that always bless and encourage the people. …read more
Your enemy loves to work in a shroud of secrecy. He likes to keep his tactics hidden. And people who use these “secret note strategies” are operating in an occult activity without realizing it. They are infantile in their faith and don’t know any better. Some think they are doing God a favor, without realizing the nature of the spirit that is actually motivating them. …read more
Two years ago we met Alfie Fabe of Mitchells Plain. He is an apostolic father to many in several nations. In the twenty minutes of our first meeting, one thing he said that struck a cord in my heart was, “There are two kinds of ministry: professional and relational.” Since then, I have contemplated this much and discussed it with Alfie and others. I have had a passion to be the latter, having been the former for many years. …read more
It took some time to see the congregation grab hold of the vision that God had given me. The church started before my wife and I had come there, and after we arrived it began to grow because of many committed people. Our Sunday morning services grew between 400-500 people, driving from an hour radius. …read more
The more we understand what sin is all about and how it works, the better equipped we are to break free from its control. Actually, people usually don’t like to talk about sin, and yet, understanding how it works gives us the advantage and the power to get free from it. Turning on the lights always chases away the darkness. …read more
Over the course of my career in working directly with pastors on their tax and personal finances I have seen a few “myths” that repeatedly come up in conversation and in practice. While I have seen other myths/misunderstandings of U.S. tax law in practice, the frequency of encountering the five “myths” listed below has led me proclaim these to be my personal “top five”. …read more
In this world, one thing is certain: there will be tough times. No one is immune to the pressures, problems and challenges of life. Relationship struggles, financial challenges, health concerns, and family problems are part of living in this world. …read more
It is an honor to be talking to you. I have gleaned much from Rev. Tony Cooke and the resources on this site. So it is a pleasure to help be a supply any way we can be. I suppose anyone in ministry could take something away from this article, but it is particularly designed for pastors taking over existing works. …read more
This article is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is shared with the understanding that neither the author nor Tony Cooke Ministries is engaged in rendering legal, accounting, psychological, medical or other professional services. …read more
Missionary Wanda Casper, Shares How “In Search of Timothy” Video Seminar Strengthens Pastors and Church Leaders in the Philippines Since November of 1983, Wanda Casper has been "preaching, teaching and […]
Health savings accounts (“HSA’s”) are available to taxpayers who are enrolled in a high deductible health plan. In effect, the health savings account works in tandem with your health insurance plan but provides a separate savings component. Annual amounts established by the IRS can be contributed to the health savings account with an “above the line” tax deduction being available for the contribution. …read more
Certain words have, in addition to merely waltzing across the stage of time, actually propelled the script of history. In particular, the interplay between two meaning-dense words can create something like a grammatical nuclear reaction; the waves of which touch every level of human existence. …read more
Questions with common themes tend to come up from time to time in the day-to-day operations of churches and ministries. I thought it would be helpful for my tax and accounting article this month to focus on some frequently asked questions that can be tricky to navigate correctly. …read more
Last year when Pastors Jack and Marilyn Yurus moved their congregation, Hudson Valley Family Church, from rented rooms at a local college to assist a nearby community church, Pastor Jack knew it was ordained by God. Fixing up the church building took a tremendous amount of heavy cleaning, repairing, building, painting and patience. …read more
This article is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is shared with the understanding that neither the author nor Tony Cooke Ministries is engaged in rendering legal, accounting, psychological, medical or other professional services. Laws and regulations are continually changing, and can vary according to location and time. No representation is made that the information herein is applicable for all locations and times. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. …read more
Synthetic vs. Authentic Leadership Dr. Dave Williams, D.Min, D.D. Dave Williams served as pastor of Mount Hope Church in Lansing, Michigan, for more than thirty years. In that time, Dave […]
A national survey in 2001 of more than 2,500 Christian religious leaders conducted by Duke Divinity School showed that 76 percent of Christian clergy were either overweight or obese, 15 percentage points higher than for the general U.S. population. And other research has shown that clergy across all faiths are succumbing to higher rates of obesity, hypertension, diabetes and other ailments than their congregants. …read more
Supernatural Adventures in God Jeanne Cook Rev. Dennis and Jeanne Cook, have been missionaries in the Darien jungle of Panama, Central America since 1981. Their four grown children, Christopher, Jennifer, […]
Succession Planning – It’s a Cultural Thing! Don Burns Don Burns’ experience in sales and marketing spans decades and industries. Throughout his career, he has generated growth through numerous leadership […]
Stop Complaining Pastor Steve Roll Steve Roll is a gifted pastor, counselor, author, consultant and motivator with over thirty years of ministry experience. His ministry specializes in restoration and renewal […]
