R A Torrey on The Power of Prayer

"We are too busy to pray, so we are too busy to have power. We have a great deal of activity, but we accomplish little; many services, but few conversions; much machinery, but few results. The power of God is lacking in our lives and in our work. We have not because we ask not."

-R. A. Torrey, "How To Obtain Fullness of Power," 1897.

Shared Article: There Arose Another Generation After Them That Did Not Know The Lord

Ever since the early 1980’s due to the influence of church leaders such as Norman Vincent Peale, Robert Schuller, Rick Warren, Bill Hybels, and Joel Osteen, the evangelical church has been sold the idea that "bigger is better." Under this rubric, the way to get the church to grow is to make it comfortable or palatable to the unsaved. Such a philosophy "works" in that it can fill massive stadiums with adoring fans. While I am not per se against God-ordained church growth (Matt 16:18; Acts 2:47; 1 Cor. 3:6), what is lost under this seeker friendly philosophy is basic doctrine and Bible teaching since such activities are deemed as offensive to the unsaved. What does not appeal to the unregenerate seeker is quickly discarded. Thus, the church ceases to be the pillar of truth that God called her to be (1 Tim. 3:15). As the seeker movement rolled on throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s some hungering for a deeper spiritual experience became disillusioned with it and adopted something even worse in its place called the Emerging Church. This ministry style places personal experiences and ancient medieval liturgical practices over the proclamation and study of objective biblical truth. Indeed, this emerging spirituality would contend that even the ability to arrive at such objective truth is an impossibility. Both philosophies have produced a generation of church goers who know very little about the very Bible that they claim they believe in.
(Andy Woods, Pastor of Sugar Land Bible Church, Sugar Land, TX)

http://www.bibleprophecyblog.com/2012/11/there-arose-another-generation-after.html

A Rant on Church Planting Conference

Found an advertisement for a big, and I mean, apparently a BIG conference on church planting. Over 100 speakers and workshops over 3 days. Topics include planting and growing a church through:

Recruiting, Funding, Casting a Vision, Generosity, Stewardship, Discipleship, Relationships, Score Cards (?), How to Plant an "Urban" Church, Effective Evangelism, Spiritual Leadership, Discipleship, Neighborhoods, Kingdom Movement Instead of Institution, Maximizing Leadership, Excellence, Being Multi-Ethnic, Being Holistic (?), Being Culturally Appropriate, Leadership (AGAIN?) Culture, Passionate Spirituality and Creativity (?), Modeling for Leadership (AGAIN?), Create Ownership, Getting the Bible into Water-Cooler Conversations, Avoiding Stress, Project Management, Recruiting, Teaching for Life Change, Personal Leadership (THERE IT IS AGAIN!), Financial Resources, Build A Better Worship Experience, Launch Larger, Get the Public's Attention, Financial Resources (ALSO AGAIN?), Relationships, Reproducing Leaders (Honestly, Lord help me, this is getting ridiculous), Getting Apprentices, Creating Artists (?), Planting in a Urban City, Discipleship, Missional Communities, Missional Paradigm Shifts (?), Multiplying Leaders (oh good grief), Future Travelers (?), Being Multi-Site, Being Multi-Ethnic, Being Small Town, Being Urban, Being Spanish, Things to Do Before, Things to Do After, New Ministries, Team Leadership (AGAIN?!?), Vision Casting, Women in Leadership (of course!), Communication, Leading your Family, Leading Through Crisis, Leading Ourselves (I think I'm going to be sick), Counseling, and of course, one more on Finances.

Not a single, solitary lesson/track/workshop/session on PRAYER.

I fear our church planting movement phenomenon is in SERIOUS trouble.

Prayer Stand Support Contribution

Contribution Options

Supporter $5.00 USD Encourager $10.00 USD Proponent $15.00 USD Exhorter $20.00 USD Challenger $30.00 USD

In an effort to reach the community of Albany, New York, as part of our church planting plan, we are hoping to use the Prayer Stand as a tool to spark conversation. The Prayer Stand will be useful in making contact with people who may be going through difficult times and would be open to someone praying for them, encouraging them or counseling. This will help us also to identify which parts of town God is working in, and who He is speaking to. Our goal is to use this to help people and increase the base of our church plant numerically.
The Prayer Stand is endorsed by people who frequently witness or answer questions of skeptics or seekers in a multitude of locations, from University campuses to public parks, downtown streets and outdoor fairs. It provides a non-threatening opportunity for people to discuss spiritual matters that are currently on their hearts.
The cost of this wonderful tool is approximately $500, plus approximately $50 for shipping. Our goal is to raise $550 as soon as possible so we can immediately put this tool into action
We are asking for your help in TWO ways.
First, and MOST IMPORTANT- please PRAY for us. Please pray for guidance, wisdom, and boldness to reach out to those who are hurting and many who feel they are without hope.
Second- please consider donating to help us purchase this tool. There are 5 different contribution options above you can choose to make a donation through Paypal: Supporter, Encourager, Proponent, Exhorter and Challenger.
*Please note that we are not yet set up as a non-profit status, so your donations are unfortunately not tax-deductible. Also, Paypal charges a small fee for this service. For example, for a $5.00 donation, you would be charged $5.00, and we would receive $4.35.
In turn, we look forward to keeping you up to date in our outreach and opportunities to minister to others, as well as other updates about the planting of Albany's newest church.
Thank you for your PRAYERFUL support!

http://prayerstand.com/