On the Links

• Stewardship Development Association
  You can find strong stewardship resources on this site, including books, tracts, dramas, and DVDs.
• Kingdom People
  Trevin Wax is an associate pastor and author in Tennessee. He regularly blogs on everything from book reviews to cultural and church issues.
• Congregational giving went up as recession worsened in early 2009
  Two-thirds of 1,500 churches questioned in a recent survey say that their giving either went up or stayed the same in the first half of 2009, as compared to 2008.
• Reject Apathy
  This online community from the team that brings you Relevant magazine centers around mobilizing and telling the stories of Christians making a positive difference in areas of creation care, poverty, unjust wars, and more. Besides inspiring and helpful articles, you’ll also find compelling blogs on each of these topics. 
• Aha! Process, Inc.
  This site offers training, resources, and information about reducing the barriers to success posed by economic class differences among people and groups. If your church is serving with the poor in your area, you’ll want to check it out.

Book Look

• Ignite
  Nelson Searcy (Baker Books, 2009)Looking for a biblically grounded plan for church growth? Ignite gives a step-by-step plan for creating church growth by utilizing a series of “Big Days” to mobilize your church for evangelism. This user-friendly guide will show you how to reach – and keep – modern-minded, unchurched people to create and sustain growth momentum.

Saddleback Sayings

• “Today, by the Spirit’s power, I’ll do the best I can with what I have out of love for Jesus. That’s my definition of success.”– Rick Warren

Bible Bytes

• “God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.’”
  
  – Job 37:5 (NIV)
• “The glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’”
  
  –Isaiah 40:5 (NIV)

Notes & Quotes

• “Prayer is not conquering God’s reluctance, but taking hold of God’s willingness.” – Phillip Brooks

• “Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer.” – John Bunyon

• “Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” – John Wayne

• “It is on our failures that we base a new and different and better success.” – Havelock Ellis

• “Prayer enlarges the heart until it is capable of containing God’s gift of himself.”  – Mother Teresa