ConvergeUSA Blog

Second Chance Church Celebrates Five Years!

Second Chance Church meets in the old Second Chance Saloon in Peoria, IL offering the second chance of hope through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Free Evangelism Webinar Today @ 12noon CST

Do you want to raise the evangelistic temperature of your church?

Gary Rohrmayer, in partnership with Chris Walker of www.evangelismcoach.org, will be conducting three 60 minutes webinars to help you as a pastor increase the passion for evangelism throughout your church.

• September 29 @ 12 noon CST - How pastors can increase the number of spiritual conversations in their life.
• October 20 @ 12 noon CST - How pastors can better equip their church to reach their sphere of influence.
• November 23 @ 12 noon CST - How pastors can sow seeds of awareness throughout their community.

I have coached many pastors in how to increase the number of spiritual conversations; with a few insights and some accountability they have seen dramatic results.

In this first webinar you can expect to learn:

• How to uncover a person of peace in your sphere of influence.
• How to become a better networker in your community and have fun doing it.
• How not to waste your time in fruitless conversations

Sign up Today!

Wednesday, September 29th @ 12 noon-CST

Registration is FREE but required

Cool Baptism Video - Genesis Church in Petoskey, Michigan

On July 11th 2010 4 people from Genesis Church in Petoskey Michigan publicly displayed their faith in Jesus Christ by getting baptised in little traverse bay. It was an awesome day of celebration and one that we commemorated by this video.  Genesis is led by Norm Byers who is also the Michigan Regional Church Planting Director for Converge MidAmercia

Spiritual Warfare: Sickness and Disabilities by Gary Rohrmayer

This week we continue to answer the following question: How does God’s enemy come after His people and His leaders for the sole purpose of distracting, disrupting and derailing them from being involved in God's great mission?

As we survey Pauline literature we will discover fourteen tactical strategies that the enemy will use to come after God's people along with specific antidotes in addressing that problem.  See the introduction to this series to receive an overview of this subject.

7. Sickness & Disabilities

Text: II Corinthians 12:7 - To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

Problem: “Satan can use a physical sickness or disability to prey upon a believer and instill doubts about God and His enabling grace. But God can also use these things to prevent abuse of power and pride in a leader’s life.” J. Robert Clinton

Antidote: “Don’t let sickness rob you of your trust in God. Seek His enabling grace (whether or not He chooses to heal you).” J. Robert Clinton

Reflective Questions:

• Are you experiencing any physical limitations or prolonged pain in your life at this time?
• Is anyone in your church experiencing any physical limitations or prolonged pain at this time?
• If so, how would you describe the level of discouragement you are facing? 1 (minimal discouragement) to 10 (extreme discouragement)
• Have you experienced any intense doubts of God's love, power and grace in your life and ministry?
• Can you see any good from what you are experiencing at this time? (Romans 8:28)

Prayer: Father in Heaven, grant us the discernment to see behind the illnesses we endure; to face them as discouraging attacks from the enemy by standing strong in the Lord (Ephesians 6:10) or to see the loving discipline of God in them to promote holiness in Your church (Hebrews 12:7-11).   Father, save us from doubting Your love, power and presence in our lives and teach us to run towards You and embrace the grace of God in a humble dependence.  In the strong name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Next Week: Lies, Half Truths & Unreliable Perspectives

To view the entire series of posts on Spiritual Warfare

Free Church Planting Webinars by Gary Rohrmayer

In a desire to get critical training materials into the hands of church planters earlier in the process, I have provided in partnership with CoachNet.org a one hour, free, webinar through each stage of the FirstSteps Church Planting Process. Each webinar will bring some of the key missional principles found in the FirstSteps to Planting a Missional Church manual.

We will go through the Six Stages for Planting a Missional Church.

1. FirstSteps - part 1: Overview
2. FirstSteps - part 2: Relating with God and Others
3. FirstSteps - part 3: Networking and Gathering
4. FirstSteps - part 4: Building a Launch Team
5. FirstSteps - part 5: Designing Services and Ministries
6. FirstSteps - part 6: Preaching in a New Church
7. FirstSteps - part 7: Launching your Public Worship Service
8. FirstSteps - part 8: Establishing New Community of Faith

To keep informed on upcoming webinars 

Looking for a Live FirstSteps Training Event Near You

More information on The FirstSteps Network

Spiritual Warfare: Unchecked Anger by Gary Rohrmayer

This week we continue to answer the following question: How does God’s enemy come after His people and His leaders for the sole purpose of distracting, disrupting and derailing them from being involved in God's great mission?

As we survey Pauline literature we will discover fourteen tactical strategies that the enemy will use to come after God's people along with specific antidotes in addressing that problem.  See the introduction to this series to receive an overview of this subject.

6. Unchecked Anger

Text: Ephesians 4:25-27 - Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. "In your anger do not sin"^: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.

Problem: “Satan can use anger in a life to gain inroads into a life and eventually control that life through the anger.” J. Robert Clinton

Antidote: “Get help if anger controls you. This may require inner healing. Also recognize the benefits of anger.”  J. Robert Clinton

Reflective Questions:

1. What are the triggers of anger that easily beset you?

• Hurts or Offends?
• Fear or Worry?
• Frustrations or Misunderstandings?

2. What does James say that man’s anger produces? (James 1:20)

3. What are the ways you naturally express anger?

• Do you silently stuff those feelings?
• Do you explosively express those feelings?

4. What can the church do to better protect itself from the grip of the enemy around this issue?

5. List the qualifications of elders and deacon that speak to the issue of emotional maturity in I Timothy 3:1-11; Titus 1:5-9

6. When is righteous anger warranted and how should it be expressed?

Prayer: Father in Heaven, grant us wisdom to understand the triggers of anger that so easily beset our souls; that distract Your mission and hinder Your church.  Teach us how to appropriately express our anger that leads to emotional health and relational intimacy.  Father, help us to be humble enough to seek help when we are under the grip of the enemy and stuck in our anger.  Teach us to keep short accounts and to speak the truth in love.  Keep our hearts soft in your grace and not hard with anger.  Father, grant us the grace to get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Father, give us the power to be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave us.  In the precious name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, Amen.

Next week: Sickness and Disabilities

To view the entire series of posts on Spiritual Warfare