Join me and Rick Bezet, pastor of the fastest-growing church in America, for the next Ministry21 Network coaching call. The call will be held today, July 20 at 4 p.m. EST.

E-mail Bob Cruz at bob.cruz@strang.com by noon on July 20 to reserve your spot and receive your call-in instructions.

Thank you,

Steve Strang
Executive editor and publisher of Ministry Today

Where There Is Life, Things Grow
| By Billy Hornsby

The Association of Related Churches (ARC) started in 2001 with two church plants. Each one was named the fastest-growing church in America. In 2008, Church of the Highlands, Birmingham, Ala., pastored by Chris Hodges, was named the No. 1, fastest-growing church by Outreach magazine. Then in 2009, pastor Rick Bezet's New Life Church in Little Rock, Ark., earned that distinction.

There are now 200 new church plants in ARC since its conception. Each one is a life-giving local expression of the person of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Cell Church Movement back in the 1990s was very significant to the church around the world. It accomplished two major things for the church. The movement developed leaders who learned how to gather people, lead a meeting, prepare a message and raise up other leaders. Secondly, it refocused the local church on evangelism.

QUOTE: "When Jesus was on Earth he said, 'Guys, I'm leaving, I'm putting you in charge.' He said feed the hungry. It's not a suggestion. … Bless His heart, if Jesus walked into Denver, where would He go? Who would He hang out with? He would come to Sox Place, He would go where the hurting people are." —Doyle Robinson, an Assemblies of God minister who founded a homeless shelter in downtown Denver that has come to be known as “Sox Place.” Robinson ministers to the large homeless youth population in Denver, providing meals, computer access and lots of socks at his humble downtown location. [cnn.com, 7/8/10]

QUOTE: “My response to her was I am a Christian, and as a Christian I too can be offended, and I am offended if I cannot pray in the name of Jesus.” —Ron Baity, the pastor of Berean Baptist Church in Forsyth County, N.C., who was told that he could not use the name of Jesus in his opening prayer for the North Carolina House of Representatives because it may offend some in attendance. Baity was invited to give the opening prayer at the House session but had to submit it in writing first. Upon review, he was told he needed to drop the phrase “In the name of Jesus.” For many years the house has requested, but not required, pastors to deliver nonsectarian prayers. Because of Baity’s complaint, it is considering banning all prayers before sessions. [journalnow.com, 7/9/10]

Christian households are keeping their debt levels under control and placing an emphasis on giving, in spite of the fact that most of them saw stagnant or declining income level, according to a recent survey.

The survey, conducted by Maximum Generosity and Christianity Today International, found that 44 percent of Christian households saw their income stay the same and 33 saw their income go down in the last 12 months. Despite this, most of those households did not see an increase in debt levels.

Some 70 percent of respondents pay off their credit cards in full every month, and only 35 percent said they have car payments.