Faith that Flows from Grace Christopher Alam Christopher Alam was born a Muslim and received Jesus Christ in 1975. After enduring much persecution including spending almost an entire year in prison for preaching the Gospel, Christopher was threatened with execution. After this he escaped and went to Sweden as a refugee where he was granted […]
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2014-10-15 19:04:002014-10-15 19:04:00Faith that Flows from Grace Christopher Alam
Is Faith No Longer Needed? Marvin Yoder Marvin and his wife, Leah, are the founding pastors of LifePointe Church in Mattoon, Illinois. Marvin is a graduate of Rhema Bible Training Center and is also enrolled in the MDiv Program at Oral Roberts University. Marvin has a rich ministerial background, having pastored several churches, working in […]
Effective Nursing Home Ministry (Lord, You Want Me to Go Where?) Paul DeNeui Paul DeNeui graduated from Rhema Bible Training College in 1995. Paul and his wife Ann have been married for 40 years and have four children and four grandchildren. He traveled with a gospel group for 7 years, and was an associate pastor/music […]
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2014-10-15 19:03:582014-10-15 19:03:58Effective Nursing Home Ministry by Paul DeNeui
Equipped for the Last Days Rick Renner Rick Renner is a highly respected leader, teacher, and author within the Christian community, both in the U.S. and abroad. He works alongside his wife Denise to see the Gospel preached, leadership trained, and churches established throughout the former Soviet Union. Rick and Denise are the founders and […]
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2014-10-15 19:03:582014-10-15 19:03:58Equipped for the Last Days by Rick Renner
Your Story: Easter & Beyond Stephen Marshall Stephen Marshall is the Music & Media Minister at Mount Hope Church in Lansing, MI. He is married to Pam Thum. Stephen is an international recording artist, author and speaker. Founder of Live It To Lead It worship conferences and author of A Little Boy’s Prayer the Christmas […]
Several years ago an evangelist asked me: “Ron, how do I get 50,000 to 100,0000 people to attend our crusades?” His crusades were already quite successful, but he was interested in seeing the attendance increase in his international meetings in order to win a greater number of people to Jesus. Whether it’s in Latin America, Africa, or Asia we’ve found that people experience similar challenges, needs, desires and goals. Religious beliefs or cultures may differ from place to place, but as a whole, people worldwide are on a life-long quest for answers regarding their eternity. … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2014-10-15 19:03:572020-10-26 21:12:06Planning Effective Missionary Crusades and Events Ron Martin
Easter 2012 at Valley Family Church was one of our most unique services. We had it in our hearts to do a throw-back type of Easter outreach service where we reintroduced many of the traditions people have grown up with in church—in a fresh and anointed way. Southwest Michigan is a very religious region, largely made up of those who grew up in the Roman Catholics, Dutch Reformed and Christian Reformed traditions. … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2014-10-15 19:03:562020-10-26 14:53:01The Doxology Experience by Jeff and Beth Jones
One of the first things they teach you in “Restaurants 101” is not how you serve a table properly….ladies and older people first, serve from the left, pick-up from the right….or how to make a Caesar Salad… what they do teach you is how to prioritize and organize your work! This is done in order to effectively handle the fast-paced world of restaurant food and beverage…where guest come and go…. often all at the same time…all of whom are hungry! … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2014-10-15 19:03:532020-10-26 14:44:53Doing Sundays Right by John R. LaBruzzo CHA
Like so many pastors, God had given me vision that could impact many lives if only it could be fulfilled and come to pass. The value of a vision fulfilled is to see lives changed. Big plans and dreams in our hearts can easily be delayed due to the daily demands of ministry or the more pressing needs of the people we are currently serving. We as a church wanted to make an impact in the lives of orphans in Guatemala and help impact a nation’s leaders through a minister’s training school. … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2014-10-15 19:03:522020-10-25 23:06:19The House of Destiny Orphanage: The Dream that Teamwork Brought to Pass
God does not change—man does. Not only is change a part of everyone’s life, it is a necessary part. God never allowed any believer in the Bible to remain in one place for long. He kept each one moving for a great spiritual reason. After Elijah declared there would be no rain, God told him to move from the presence of King Ahab to the brook Cherith where he would be fed by ravens. When the brook dried up, he was told by God to go to Zerephath to be fed by a widow. … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2014-10-15 19:03:512020-10-25 22:55:02Dealing With Change By Pastor Bob Yandian
He will not modify His purposes to suit our unbelief. What madness to suppose that He will imitate us, and seeing that we make light of His faithfulness, make light of it Himself. Let God be true and every man a liar. God once declared His purpose of bringing a deluge upon the earth. Men would not believe the terrific word. The whole human race combined to rear up a wall of unbelief under the protection of which they thought themselves safe. … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2014-10-15 19:03:482020-10-22 23:13:08An Excerpt from Daily Meditations George Brown
One of the outreaches for FCOC is a pregnancy resource Center. They were finding teenage pregnancy on the rise in their community with little or no help for the young mothers to make a sound decision for herself and the life of her unborn. Peggy has always had a passion for teenage pregnant moms, the unborn, and has a drive to make “Iowa the safest Place for the Unborn.” … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2014-10-15 19:03:472020-10-22 23:06:34The Cradle of Hope: Helping Women through Crisis Pregnancy by Peggy Knudsen
One of the ways the enemy tries to stop a church is through crushing disappointment. A few years ago our church experienced one. Our church is in Southern California. Our goal was to move into a new building. We launched a three year stewardship campaign, signed a lease on a vacant building with plans to buy it in the future, and spent over a year obtaining a zoning variance and conditional use permit from our city. We paid for an environmental impact study, and paid for two traffic impact studies. Engineers had to be paid to determine if we had the proper drainage off of the parking lot. … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2014-10-15 19:03:472020-10-22 23:03:11Recovering from Crushing Disappointment by Ray Almaguer
You’ve probably experienced it many times. You spend weeks or months praying, thinking, and strategizing about the next great idea. Then you communicate the plan to your staff, core volunteers, and congregation. Then all the work goes into bringing the idea into a reality. However, when it’s over the results are not what you expected. I can feel your pain. You ask yourself questions like, “Where are the laborers?” and “What were they thinking?” … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2014-10-15 19:03:462020-10-22 22:58:59Are We There Yet? Musings from a Corporate Marketer by Don Burns
Recent church history gives us an abundance of examples of men and women of God, anointed for ministry, who may or may not have been the greatest paradigm of Christian living. Some of the most anointed ministers lost their ministries, reputation, family, and influence because of a lack of personal, or ministerial, ethics. While many who stumbled were able to recover themselves and finish their course with joy, others simply ship-wrecked their purpose and calling. … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2014-10-15 19:03:452020-10-22 22:51:27Consistency by David Beebe
Whether you are a senior pastor, youth pastor, or ministry leader it is essential for you to connect with those who serve with you. At Rock Family Church we are intentional about building and developing quality relationships on our leadership teams. I have found the closer knit we are as a staff the more productive we are. Acts 2:42 gives us some practical insight. … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2014-10-15 19:03:442020-10-22 22:47:44Connecting with your Staff by Pastor Dean Hawk
I, this day, consecrate my entire life to glorify my Heavenly Father by my obedience to the principles of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. All my effort from now on will be directed in an effort to demonstrate the righteousness of God in whatsoever I may be engaged. All the things earthly that I possess shall not be considered my own, but belonging to my Heavenly Father, and shall be held in trust by me to be used and directed by the wisdom of the Spirit of God, as the law of love of men as Christ loved them may dictate. … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2014-10-15 19:03:442020-10-22 22:43:03My Consecration as a Christian by John G. Lake
Over the past few years, ministers and church members have become the targets of misguided and even unscrupulous investment promoters. Never have so many ministers and church members been involved in bad investments: savings accounts wiped out, children’s college funds dissipated, and retirement funds wasted. Ministers have even sold their homes to invest the equity in questionable investments. … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2014-10-15 19:03:432020-10-22 22:15:01Watch Out for “Christian Con Men” by James E. Guinn, CPA
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2014-10-15 19:03:432020-10-22 00:24:13Condemnation vs. Conviction by Gerald Brooks
The Internet can be both a useful tool and a destructive force for a church. On one hand, the Internet allows churches to market inexpensively to potential churchgoers and to quickly and efficiently relay news and information to members and supporters. On the other hand, the Internet can bring lewd and inappropriate content into the church with a push of a button; allow for the immediate circulation of rumors and outright lies about the organization and its leadership … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2014-10-15 19:03:422020-10-22 00:18:54Computer Use Guidelines Your Staff Must Know by Attorney Dan Beirute
One of the frequent questions we are asked from pastors and church administrators is how the church should record a love gift to an individual. It is not unusual for a church bookkeeper to call our office and relay a scenario similar to the following: “A guest speaker came to our church, and after the service, the pastor took him out and bought him a new suit. Can we record this as a benevolent gift?” … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2014-10-15 19:03:412020-10-22 00:16:19Church Benevolence Policy by Richard D. Locke
In the course of my work as a CPA, I perform financial statement audits and reviews for dozens of churches and ministries on an annual basis. Some of the churches that I work with are debt free, but most require some sort of outside financing for building programs, improvements and other equipment purchases. One thing that all of these churches with outside financing have in common is an ever-more difficult environment with their lenders. … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2014-10-15 19:03:412020-10-22 00:10:22Churches, Banks and Loans by Mark Helland
Few things will motivate an organization to take action more than having a court order it to pay someone $1.6 million for lack of security and emergency plans. An interesting lawsuit was just settled in Maryland and it would be wise for all churches to view this very closely because, even though it wasn’t a church named in the lawsuit, it very well could have been. … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2014-10-15 19:03:402020-10-21 23:58:01Church Security: The Costs of Security Negligence By Jeff Hawkins
There has never been a time where the forces against the church are so strong or so well organized as now. We live in a world that is rapidly moving away from the knowledge of God. In America for example, the generation growing up now has less basic understanding of spiritual matters than any prior generation. With statistics showing that more people are being born again and discipled … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2014-10-15 19:03:392020-10-21 23:43:08Strategic Church Planting by Pastor Douglas Crumbley
I had been praying about ways to get the people of our church activated in the growth and development of the church and to stir a fire in them for evangelism. When I presented this to my staff at a weekly staff meeting, we came up with the idea of a Pack The House Sunday we titled, “April 29 are you ready.” We committed finances to the campaign and bought a couple of billboards and several hundred small political-type signs you see in people’s yards and on the highways right-of-way. … read more
https://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.png00Tony Cookehttps://tonycooke.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/TCMLogo2022-300x138.pngTony Cooke2014-10-15 19:03:382020-10-21 23:36:26How One Church Impacted Its Community by Pastor John White
Faith that Flows from Grace Christopher Alam
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeFaith that Flows from Grace Christopher Alam Christopher Alam was born a Muslim and received Jesus Christ in 1975. After enduring much persecution including spending almost an entire year in prison for preaching the Gospel, Christopher was threatened with execution. After this he escaped and went to Sweden as a refugee where he was granted […]
Is Faith No Longer Needed? by Marvin Yoder
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeIs Faith No Longer Needed? Marvin Yoder Marvin and his wife, Leah, are the founding pastors of LifePointe Church in Mattoon, Illinois. Marvin is a graduate of Rhema Bible Training Center and is also enrolled in the MDiv Program at Oral Roberts University. Marvin has a rich ministerial background, having pastored several churches, working in […]
Effective Nursing Home Ministry by Paul DeNeui
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeEffective Nursing Home Ministry (Lord, You Want Me to Go Where?) Paul DeNeui Paul DeNeui graduated from Rhema Bible Training College in 1995. Paul and his wife Ann have been married for 40 years and have four children and four grandchildren. He traveled with a gospel group for 7 years, and was an associate pastor/music […]
Equipped for the Last Days by Rick Renner
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeEquipped for the Last Days Rick Renner Rick Renner is a highly respected leader, teacher, and author within the Christian community, both in the U.S. and abroad. He works alongside his wife Denise to see the Gospel preached, leadership trained, and churches established throughout the former Soviet Union. Rick and Denise are the founders and […]
Your Story: Easter & Beyond by Stephen Marshall
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeYour Story: Easter & Beyond Stephen Marshall Stephen Marshall is the Music & Media Minister at Mount Hope Church in Lansing, MI. He is married to Pam Thum. Stephen is an international recording artist, author and speaker. Founder of Live It To Lead It worship conferences and author of A Little Boy’s Prayer the Christmas […]
Planning Effective Missionary Crusades and Events Ron Martin
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeSeveral years ago an evangelist asked me: “Ron, how do I get 50,000 to 100,0000 people to attend our crusades?” His crusades were already quite successful, but he was interested in seeing the attendance increase in his international meetings in order to win a greater number of people to Jesus. Whether it’s in Latin America, Africa, or Asia we’ve found that people experience similar challenges, needs, desires and goals. Religious beliefs or cultures may differ from place to place, but as a whole, people worldwide are on a life-long quest for answers regarding their eternity. … read more
The Doxology Experience by Jeff and Beth Jones
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeEaster 2012 at Valley Family Church was one of our most unique services. We had it in our hearts to do a throw-back type of Easter outreach service where we reintroduced many of the traditions people have grown up with in church—in a fresh and anointed way. Southwest Michigan is a very religious region, largely made up of those who grew up in the Roman Catholics, Dutch Reformed and Christian Reformed traditions. … read more
Doing Sundays Right by John R. LaBruzzo CHA
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeOne of the first things they teach you in “Restaurants 101” is not how you serve a table properly….ladies and older people first, serve from the left, pick-up from the right….or how to make a Caesar Salad… what they do teach you is how to prioritize and organize your work! This is done in order to effectively handle the fast-paced world of restaurant food and beverage…where guest come and go…. often all at the same time…all of whom are hungry! … read more
The House of Destiny Orphanage: The Dream that Teamwork Brought to Pass
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeLike so many pastors, God had given me vision that could impact many lives if only it could be fulfilled and come to pass. The value of a vision fulfilled is to see lives changed. Big plans and dreams in our hearts can easily be delayed due to the daily demands of ministry or the more pressing needs of the people we are currently serving. We as a church wanted to make an impact in the lives of orphans in Guatemala and help impact a nation’s leaders through a minister’s training school. … read more
Dealing With Change By Pastor Bob Yandian
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeGod does not change—man does. Not only is change a part of everyone’s life, it is a necessary part. God never allowed any believer in the Bible to remain in one place for long. He kept each one moving for a great spiritual reason. After Elijah declared there would be no rain, God told him to move from the presence of King Ahab to the brook Cherith where he would be fed by ravens. When the brook dried up, he was told by God to go to Zerephath to be fed by a widow. … read more
An Excerpt from Daily Meditations George Brown
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeHe will not modify His purposes to suit our unbelief. What madness to suppose that He will imitate us, and seeing that we make light of His faithfulness, make light of it Himself. Let God be true and every man a liar. God once declared His purpose of bringing a deluge upon the earth. Men would not believe the terrific word. The whole human race combined to rear up a wall of unbelief under the protection of which they thought themselves safe. … read more
The Cradle of Hope: Helping Women through Crisis Pregnancy by Peggy Knudsen
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeOne of the outreaches for FCOC is a pregnancy resource Center. They were finding teenage pregnancy on the rise in their community with little or no help for the young mothers to make a sound decision for herself and the life of her unborn. Peggy has always had a passion for teenage pregnant moms, the unborn, and has a drive to make “Iowa the safest Place for the Unborn.” … read more
Recovering from Crushing Disappointment by Ray Almaguer
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeOne of the ways the enemy tries to stop a church is through crushing disappointment. A few years ago our church experienced one. Our church is in Southern California. Our goal was to move into a new building. We launched a three year stewardship campaign, signed a lease on a vacant building with plans to buy it in the future, and spent over a year obtaining a zoning variance and conditional use permit from our city. We paid for an environmental impact study, and paid for two traffic impact studies. Engineers had to be paid to determine if we had the proper drainage off of the parking lot. … read more
Are We There Yet? Musings from a Corporate Marketer by Don Burns
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeYou’ve probably experienced it many times. You spend weeks or months praying, thinking, and strategizing about the next great idea. Then you communicate the plan to your staff, core volunteers, and congregation. Then all the work goes into bringing the idea into a reality. However, when it’s over the results are not what you expected. I can feel your pain. You ask yourself questions like, “Where are the laborers?” and “What were they thinking?” … read more
Consistency by David Beebe
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeRecent church history gives us an abundance of examples of men and women of God, anointed for ministry, who may or may not have been the greatest paradigm of Christian living. Some of the most anointed ministers lost their ministries, reputation, family, and influence because of a lack of personal, or ministerial, ethics. While many who stumbled were able to recover themselves and finish their course with joy, others simply ship-wrecked their purpose and calling. … read more
Connecting with your Staff by Pastor Dean Hawk
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeWhether you are a senior pastor, youth pastor, or ministry leader it is essential for you to connect with those who serve with you. At Rock Family Church we are intentional about building and developing quality relationships on our leadership teams. I have found the closer knit we are as a staff the more productive we are. Acts 2:42 gives us some practical insight. … read more
My Consecration as a Christian by John G. Lake
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeI, this day, consecrate my entire life to glorify my Heavenly Father by my obedience to the principles of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. All my effort from now on will be directed in an effort to demonstrate the righteousness of God in whatsoever I may be engaged. All the things earthly that I possess shall not be considered my own, but belonging to my Heavenly Father, and shall be held in trust by me to be used and directed by the wisdom of the Spirit of God, as the law of love of men as Christ loved them may dictate. … read more
Watch Out for “Christian Con Men” by James E. Guinn, CPA
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeOver the past few years, ministers and church members have become the targets of misguided and even unscrupulous investment promoters. Never have so many ministers and church members been involved in bad investments: savings accounts wiped out, children’s college funds dissipated, and retirement funds wasted. Ministers have even sold their homes to invest the equity in questionable investments. … read more
Condemnation vs. Conviction by Gerald Brooks
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeIn life there are two Bible words everyone eventually deals with: condemnation and conviction. … read more
Computer Use Guidelines Your Staff Must Know by Attorney Dan Beirute
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeThe Internet can be both a useful tool and a destructive force for a church. On one hand, the Internet allows churches to market inexpensively to potential churchgoers and to quickly and efficiently relay news and information to members and supporters. On the other hand, the Internet can bring lewd and inappropriate content into the church with a push of a button; allow for the immediate circulation of rumors and outright lies about the organization and its leadership … read more
Church Benevolence Policy by Richard D. Locke
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeOne of the frequent questions we are asked from pastors and church administrators is how the church should record a love gift to an individual. It is not unusual for a church bookkeeper to call our office and relay a scenario similar to the following: “A guest speaker came to our church, and after the service, the pastor took him out and bought him a new suit. Can we record this as a benevolent gift?” … read more
Churches, Banks and Loans by Mark Helland
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeIn the course of my work as a CPA, I perform financial statement audits and reviews for dozens of churches and ministries on an annual basis. Some of the churches that I work with are debt free, but most require some sort of outside financing for building programs, improvements and other equipment purchases. One thing that all of these churches with outside financing have in common is an ever-more difficult environment with their lenders. … read more
Church Security: The Costs of Security Negligence By Jeff Hawkins
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeFew things will motivate an organization to take action more than having a court order it to pay someone $1.6 million for lack of security and emergency plans. An interesting lawsuit was just settled in Maryland and it would be wise for all churches to view this very closely because, even though it wasn’t a church named in the lawsuit, it very well could have been. … read more
Strategic Church Planting by Pastor Douglas Crumbley
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeThere has never been a time where the forces against the church are so strong or so well organized as now. We live in a world that is rapidly moving away from the knowledge of God. In America for example, the generation growing up now has less basic understanding of spiritual matters than any prior generation. With statistics showing that more people are being born again and discipled … read more
How One Church Impacted Its Community by Pastor John White
/in Articles by Others /by Tony CookeI had been praying about ways to get the people of our church activated in the growth and development of the church and to stir a fire in them for evangelism. When I presented this to my staff at a weekly staff meeting, we came up with the idea of a Pack The House Sunday we titled, “April 29 are you ready.” We committed finances to the campaign and bought a couple of billboards and several hundred small political-type signs you see in people’s yards and on the highways right-of-way. … read more