Imagining Wisconsin Anew - Vital Congregations

Our new Bishop, Hee-Soo Jung is casting a vision for growing vital congregations and beginning new ministries all across the state.

He invites all our churches to join in and reach new levels of participation and vitality.

It will take the willingness to risk new ideas and new steps and not settle for life in the church as usual or as the same.

Here is a short video about Revitalizing our Churches for the sake of sharing the Gospel of Christ for the transformation of the world.



I have designed an online course to help revitalize our churches. It is available on Udem.com and is called "Energizing Church Leadership and Administration."

You can go check it out by clicking this link.  https://www.udemy.com/a-course-in-church-revitalization

Laughing is Good Medicine

Laughter is known and proven to be good for your health. "Medical researchers haver determined that laughter has a profound and instantaneous effect on virtually every important organ in the human body. Best of all, laughter reduces tension as it relaxes you." -Bruce & Stan God In The Small Stuff for the Graduate. Page 185

You can't go wrong when you laugh.

Click Here for some ways to help you laugh more.

Have a good laugh today.

Blessings.

Rev. Bill McBride

Self_Improvement

I bet you have read tons of information on self-improvement.  How are you doing on making yourself into a better person? Perhaps you do not realize that it was God who first thought up personal development and this idea of self-improvement.

Philippians 3:13-15 in the Bible talks about improving our lives - 13 "My friends, I don’t feel that I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead. 14 I run toward the goal, so that I can win the prize of being called to heaven. This is the prize that God offers because of what Christ Jesus has done. 15 All of us who are mature should think in this same way. And if any of you think differently, God will make it clear to you."

How To Improve Yourself

1. Understand that self-improvement doesn't happen automatically. This truth may reveal why there is so much written and created to motivate us to improve.

2. Self-Improvements requires constant, systematic, and disciplined self-development.

3. Adopt a practice for self-improvement.
     a. Find the same time, as little as five minutes each day, preferably in the same spot to do some thinking, praying and reading about self-improvement.
    b. It takes 21 consecutive days of practicing a new habit to get it to become a part of your life. So, give your self-improvement project the necessary time to make it a deep part of your life.
    c. Find a friend to improve with.
    d. Never try to change anyone else. Working on yourself is more than enough. Besides, no one can change another person but themselves.

4. Since self-improvement is such a popular topic, find something new each day to read about the topic.

Blessings to you.

Rev. Bill McBride

THINGS GOD WANTS

Have you considered that God has a To-Do list for you? Yes God does. We are investigating this spring, God's To Do List for our lives in our spring message series; "Things God Wants".

Each week we will take a look at the things God has on His to-do list for us.

April 28^th –    At 8am worship "God Wants You to Arrange Your Priorities"  - At 10:30am worship YOUTH SUNDAY – youth group providing worship. (Youth Group art show at 9:45am in the lobby.

May 5^th    – “God Wants You to Improve Yourself.”

May 12^th – “God Wants You to Laugh.”

May 19^th – “God Wants You to Embrace Adversity.”

May 26^th – “God Wants You to Seize the Day.”  (Summer worship begins; Hearth Room worship at 8am & Sanctuary worship at 9:30am)

APRIL 28TH - "God Wants You to Arrange Your Priorities".

• What you think about when you have nothing to do reveals what is important to you.
• You know something becomes meaningful when it goes from your head to your heart to your hands.
• The way you deal with life each day depends on what you bring to life each day.

Thanks for reading. Leave your comments below.

Reverend William R. McBride, Pastor

What Is Right?

You know what? It is really easy to complain about everything isn't it? We carry our tendency to complain right into the church family don't we? Does this kind of behavior help anything or build up anything? Not at all.

What I'd like to challenge you with this week is to work really hard at lifting up the good things about your Church family and being a part of what is RIGHT about your church.

I find a lot that is right about my church. Here are some.

• Inclusive
• Diverse
• Down to earth
• Caring
• Welcoming
• Energetic
• Loving

What can you find in your Church that is "right?" And what can you do this week to keep it right?

Blessings to you this week.

Reverend Bill McBride

The Church as Your Extended Family

Think about the Church as your extended family. The place with people of faith for whom loving, forgiving, caring and sharing are utmost ideals and actions.

What do you like and appreciate the most about your Church?
Loving acceptance
Gentle teaching and guidance
Honest and open communication
Others who eagerly lift you burdens and help you with your challenges.

If this describes your Church family then be thankful and dedicate yourself this week to continuing these behaviors.

If this is not your church, then make a commitment to model these active and energetic steps in your church. Give an energetic witness by what you say and how you act as to the work and role of your Church family in your neighborhood.


God bless you this week as you help your church family be the best it can be in your community.

Reverrend William R. McBride

How To Build Your Church

we continue our series on the Church/church by looking at two ways to really build up your church

PRAYER IS ONE OF THE WAYS - Do you pray for your church every day? Do you pray for your pastor every day? Do you pray for yourself and what you will do this week to be a part of the building up of your Church? Please pray.

Prayer Intro from DanStevers.com on Vimeo.
www.danstevers.com

LOVE IS THE SECOND WAY. Do you seek to show others your love? Even when it is hard to love someone, do you make up your mind that you will try to love them anyway? Do you show your love in your church with your spiritual family? Love, really love this week. This is how you build up your Church. Please Love.