Ministry Today

Dear Ministry Leader,

This is an invitation to be among the first to join the new Ministry21 Network. The name refers to ministry in the 21st century. It’s a relational network to bring you together with like-minded pastors and leaders from the Spirit-filled community to develop your own leadership skills, connect you with others, provide needed coaching, continuing education and wonderful resources.

Let me tell you more (If you would rather listen to a video, click here).

For years I’ve been a networker. I learned it from my mentors Jamie Buckingham and Jack Hayford. Frankly, it’s the way I’ve built my media company. Several times a year I meet with high, net-worth Christian businessmen in a small confidential setting for “iron sharpening iron.” I can’t tell you how valuable that’s been to me. So I understand the value of “networking.”

At the same time, younger leaders who want mentoring or at least a little bit of my time approach me regularly. I know how much I grew by being mentored by godly men and I’m happy to “give back.”

But there is only so much I can do. I’m not a pastor so there are some issues I don’t deal with. But I do have influence in the Spirit-filled community; I have a record of starting successful enterprises. I feel called to serve God and the church by helping to grow churches and pastors.

I’ve felt this call since I started Ministry Today (then Ministries) in 1983. It’s grown to a circulation of 22,000. Our goal is to make the magazine relevant to pastors and leaders like you, and serve the Spirit-filled community in a way no other publication can do. We also want to help them navigate all the uncertainty in the church and culture.

We've been encouraging and ministering to leaders in the pages of Ministry Today magazine for many years. I believe this new network will be "turning a corner" with a new face and a distinctly marked and deepened view of the magazine as we interact with leaders in the Spirit-filled community in a new way.

This network is relational, not apostolic. We want to serve the needs that leaders such as you have, not only for information and resources but to connect you with others who will help you grow and develop. As the network grows and changes to meet the needs of our members, we will define values and nourish those values by everyone involved.

But times have changed; magazines have changed. Now we must connect with a community. We want to connect with you; we want you to grow; we want to give you services you can get nowhere else, such as:

· You can attend any of four top-level “seminars” here in Orlando drawing on top speakers and tying to the four themes we'll focus on in the magazine. It will be an intimate setting with lots of interaction like the peer-level leadership meetings I’ve attended for years. Plus opportunities for relaxation and recreation and building one-on-one relationships. (If you can’t attend, we’ll make the seminar available for members only on our private website.)

· There will be monthly conference calls with “fathers” such as Pastor Jack Hayford, Francis Frangipane, Mark Chironna, Larry Stockstill or Dr. R. T. Kendall. For at least an hour you’ll dialogue and will have a way to ask questions. It’s mentoring by conference call and available only to members although we’ll also make it a podcast for those who miss it “live.”

· Each week there will be other conference calls or webinars that will tie into articles on practical issues you face on things as varied as music ministry, youth ministry, church growth, church finances, counseling, problem-solving, vision-casting etc. You’ll also hear from “contemporary leaders” such as mission strategists like Phil Smethurst and Fred Markert, or Rick Bezet, who pastors one of the fastest-growing churches in America.

· You'll learn about media relations, branding, writing techniques, and how to author a book from my staff and me. We’ll bring in other media experts like Phil Cooke on TV or Mary Hutchinson on direct mail.

· You’ll get the opportunity to connect with professional coaches and mentors. We're even working with an existing ministry to provide a “crisis hotline” for pastors. Are you in a turn-around situation? Do you risk getting fired? Did you go through a crash-and-burn experience in your personal life? You’ll find someone to talk to! Think how much that’s worth!

· You’ll receive four top-notch books a year on the issues each of our magazine focuses on. What a way to learn more and to build your library!

· As a member, you’ll receive a big discount on any book my company publishes. Plus, you’ll get discounts at seminars and conferences we co-sponsor.

· Other benefits are yet to be developed. As membership grows we will provide peer-level coaching for churches trying to break the a “60 barrier;” or the “200 barrier” or the “800 barrier.” We’ll also connect pastors of churches over 2,000. And you’ll receive coaching at various levels in your ministry. You may be mentored at one level and be a mentor to others who can learn from your experience!

· You’ll have access to excellent sermon materials. You can share your best sermons online with other members.

· You can connect with other members on a social networking site just for Ministry21. (Think of a small version of Linked-in for pastors!) We'll keep in touch via Facebook and Twitter.

· You will get an annual subscription to the new redesigned Charisma magazine to keep you up-to-date with what God is doing in the Spirit-filled community. That’s worth $20.

· And of course you’ll get an annual subscription to Ministry Today magazine worth $20. If you already receive either magazine, we’ll just extend your subscription!

· You’ll get special prices for “gift subscriptions” or the ability to buy “multiple copies” for church members.

· You'll receive a certificate of membership suitable for framing. If you join this year you'll be listed as a "charter member." If you're in the first 100 to join you'll be a "founding member."

We promise to keep the focus on substance, not fluff or pop-culture stuff. We don't want you to be coached or mentored by cotton-candy type of speakers--that is, people who may have name recognition but who have little track record of leading in ways that create solid people, not just excitable ones.

So tell me what you think.

Does this sound interesting to you? Would it be worth several hundred dollars for all this value? Would you believe it’s only $249 per year, but you can save $50 by joining now? The books and magazine subscriptions alone are worth almost that much. Much less the relationships and ideas you’d get are priceless.

One really good idea may be the most important of your life. Or relationships might help prevent a shipwreck down the line or be valuable to help you if you ever find yourself shipwrecked.

Leadership development. Connecting with others. Accountability. Coaching through whatever stage you’re in now. All with a goal of growing you; growing your church; helping you be successful in every area of life.

For a short time, we’re making an introductory offer of $199. It’s easy to pay.

· Visit and pay through our secure website https://secure.strangmagazines.com/~min21/index.php/component/banners/click/9

· Or you can pay by credit card over the phone by calling 800-749-6500 and ask for Nettie Parks. If she's not available anyone in that department can help.

· Or you can pay the old-fashioned way by making a check out to Strang Communications, and mailing it to 600 Rinehart Rd., Lake Mary, FL 32746

Let me know what you think of this new network. Click Here to visit our website or type www.ministry21network.com into your browser. I welcome your input.

All the best,

Steve Strang

P.S. Of course there's a money-back guarantee. So what’s the risk? And what may you gain in terms of connections and coaching by joining?

After you join, follow us at twitter.com/ministry21. And plan to attend our “launch” seminar June 21 and 22 in our Lake Mary, FL headquarters.

By the way feel free to forward this to anyone you think would want to join. If you have questions, you can call Nettie at 407-333-0600.

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