Just Say Yes! Devotional: Unleashing People for Ministry
In Just Say Yes! Robert Schnase shows church leaders how to unleash people for fruitful ministry. He teaches leaders to spot their own nay-saying, and gives specific instructions for reversing the culture of ‘No’ that has become so prevalent in many churches. Step by step, Schnase shows readers—pastors, other church leaders, and congregants—how to make significant change in their attitude and actions, to become a permission-giving church.

This set of resources is the next step in the author’s effort to reshape church leaders across the mainline denomination. Just Say Yes! Becoming a Permission-Giving Church give church leaders what they need in order to begin implementing the principles in the original book. It starts with a group study experience for church leaders, facilitated by a senior leader (typically the pastor). The study can be done in as little as 3 hours or, if groups watch all the videos and do all the optional exercises and activities, up to 6 hours total. The sessions can be used as a single-day retreat or broken up into 3 or 6 separate sessions. They can be stand-alone sessions, or incorporated into meetings for staff and lay leaders.

The Leader Guide includes instructions and guidance for leaders in planning, hosting, debriefing and following up after the experience. Using this resource, plus the included customizable PowerPoint slides and the video Stories of Permission, a pastor or other key leader can effectively facilitate an extraordinary group experience resulting in transformation for the congregation.

The Participant Guide is a complete workbook and devotion guide for church leaders—staff and laity—who participate in the Permission-Giving group experience. These will typically be church councils, staff teams, committee chairs, ministry team leaders, and the like. The Guide includes prompts to reinforce the material shared in the videos and by the facilitator, questions for reflection and discussion, and specific action steps for becoming permission-giving leaders in the church. It includes plenty of room for writing and note taking during the group experience. It also includes a 30-day Devotional, which the participant can complete either during or after the group experience. The group experience includes 6 inspiring and compelling videos from real church settings. Several additional video clips are also available, for groups wanting to spend more time exploring ideas together.

A printed 4-Week Devotional is also available, and can be used by individual church members autonomously, or (ideally) used by every member as a personal study guide accompanying the 4-Week Sermon & Worship series. The material is flexible and accessible for all adult readers, and can be done in one sitting or spread throughout the week.

This study consists of a Leader Guide, Participant Guide, DVD, a Devotional Guide and free Customizable Downloadable Resources. The DVD has 8 video stories showing the Permission-Giving Church in action, 3 brief videos essays demonstrating the essentials of a permission-giving church and 1 video promo for inviting participation in the Just Say Yes! experience.



1123231880
Just Say Yes! Devotional: Unleashing People for Ministry
In Just Say Yes! Robert Schnase shows church leaders how to unleash people for fruitful ministry. He teaches leaders to spot their own nay-saying, and gives specific instructions for reversing the culture of ‘No’ that has become so prevalent in many churches. Step by step, Schnase shows readers—pastors, other church leaders, and congregants—how to make significant change in their attitude and actions, to become a permission-giving church.

This set of resources is the next step in the author’s effort to reshape church leaders across the mainline denomination. Just Say Yes! Becoming a Permission-Giving Church give church leaders what they need in order to begin implementing the principles in the original book. It starts with a group study experience for church leaders, facilitated by a senior leader (typically the pastor). The study can be done in as little as 3 hours or, if groups watch all the videos and do all the optional exercises and activities, up to 6 hours total. The sessions can be used as a single-day retreat or broken up into 3 or 6 separate sessions. They can be stand-alone sessions, or incorporated into meetings for staff and lay leaders.

The Leader Guide includes instructions and guidance for leaders in planning, hosting, debriefing and following up after the experience. Using this resource, plus the included customizable PowerPoint slides and the video Stories of Permission, a pastor or other key leader can effectively facilitate an extraordinary group experience resulting in transformation for the congregation.

The Participant Guide is a complete workbook and devotion guide for church leaders—staff and laity—who participate in the Permission-Giving group experience. These will typically be church councils, staff teams, committee chairs, ministry team leaders, and the like. The Guide includes prompts to reinforce the material shared in the videos and by the facilitator, questions for reflection and discussion, and specific action steps for becoming permission-giving leaders in the church. It includes plenty of room for writing and note taking during the group experience. It also includes a 30-day Devotional, which the participant can complete either during or after the group experience. The group experience includes 6 inspiring and compelling videos from real church settings. Several additional video clips are also available, for groups wanting to spend more time exploring ideas together.

A printed 4-Week Devotional is also available, and can be used by individual church members autonomously, or (ideally) used by every member as a personal study guide accompanying the 4-Week Sermon & Worship series. The material is flexible and accessible for all adult readers, and can be done in one sitting or spread throughout the week.

This study consists of a Leader Guide, Participant Guide, DVD, a Devotional Guide and free Customizable Downloadable Resources. The DVD has 8 video stories showing the Permission-Giving Church in action, 3 brief videos essays demonstrating the essentials of a permission-giving church and 1 video promo for inviting participation in the Just Say Yes! experience.



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Just Say Yes! Devotional: Unleashing People for Ministry

Just Say Yes! Devotional: Unleashing People for Ministry

Just Say Yes! Devotional: Unleashing People for Ministry

Just Say Yes! Devotional: Unleashing People for Ministry

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Overview

In Just Say Yes! Robert Schnase shows church leaders how to unleash people for fruitful ministry. He teaches leaders to spot their own nay-saying, and gives specific instructions for reversing the culture of ‘No’ that has become so prevalent in many churches. Step by step, Schnase shows readers—pastors, other church leaders, and congregants—how to make significant change in their attitude and actions, to become a permission-giving church.

This set of resources is the next step in the author’s effort to reshape church leaders across the mainline denomination. Just Say Yes! Becoming a Permission-Giving Church give church leaders what they need in order to begin implementing the principles in the original book. It starts with a group study experience for church leaders, facilitated by a senior leader (typically the pastor). The study can be done in as little as 3 hours or, if groups watch all the videos and do all the optional exercises and activities, up to 6 hours total. The sessions can be used as a single-day retreat or broken up into 3 or 6 separate sessions. They can be stand-alone sessions, or incorporated into meetings for staff and lay leaders.

The Leader Guide includes instructions and guidance for leaders in planning, hosting, debriefing and following up after the experience. Using this resource, plus the included customizable PowerPoint slides and the video Stories of Permission, a pastor or other key leader can effectively facilitate an extraordinary group experience resulting in transformation for the congregation.

The Participant Guide is a complete workbook and devotion guide for church leaders—staff and laity—who participate in the Permission-Giving group experience. These will typically be church councils, staff teams, committee chairs, ministry team leaders, and the like. The Guide includes prompts to reinforce the material shared in the videos and by the facilitator, questions for reflection and discussion, and specific action steps for becoming permission-giving leaders in the church. It includes plenty of room for writing and note taking during the group experience. It also includes a 30-day Devotional, which the participant can complete either during or after the group experience. The group experience includes 6 inspiring and compelling videos from real church settings. Several additional video clips are also available, for groups wanting to spend more time exploring ideas together.

A printed 4-Week Devotional is also available, and can be used by individual church members autonomously, or (ideally) used by every member as a personal study guide accompanying the 4-Week Sermon & Worship series. The material is flexible and accessible for all adult readers, and can be done in one sitting or spread throughout the week.

This study consists of a Leader Guide, Participant Guide, DVD, a Devotional Guide and free Customizable Downloadable Resources. The DVD has 8 video stories showing the Permission-Giving Church in action, 3 brief videos essays demonstrating the essentials of a permission-giving church and 1 video promo for inviting participation in the Just Say Yes! experience.




Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781501825804
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Publication date: 05/17/2016
Series: Just Say Yes! Series
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
File size: 331 KB

About the Author

Robert Schnase is bishop of the Rio Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church. Schnase is the author of Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, a best-selling book on congregational ministry that has ignited a common interest among churches and their leaders around its themes of radical hospitality, passionate worship, intentional faith development, risk-taking mission and service, and extravagant generosity. Five Practices has reached a global community with translations in Korean, Spanish, Russian, Hungarian, and German. Robert is also the author of Cultivating Fruitfulness, The Balancing Act, Five Practices of Fruitful Living, Ambition in Ministry, and Testing and Reclaiming Your Call to Ministry.

Read an Excerpt

Just Say Yes! Devotional

Unleashing People for Ministry


By Robert Schnase, Angela Olsen

Abingdon Press

Copyright © 2016 Abingdon Press
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-5018-2580-4



CHAPTER 1

Week 1

Just Say Yes to the Holy Spirit


Scripture Focus

Brothers and sisters, I don't want you to be ignorant about spiritual gifts. You know that when you were Gentiles you were often misled by false gods that can't even speak. So I want to make it clear to you that no one says, "Jesus is cursed!" when speaking by God's Spirit, and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. There are different spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; and there are different ministries and the same Lord; and there are different activities but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good. A word of wisdom is given by the Spirit to one person, a word of knowledge to another according to the same Spirit, faith to still another by the same Spirit, gifts of healing to another in the one Spirit, performance of miracles to another, prophecy to another, the ability to tell spirits apart to another, different kinds of tongues to another, and the interpretation of the tongues to another. All these things are produced by the one and same Spirit who gives what he wants to each person.

Christ is just like the human body — a body is a unit and has many parts; and all the parts of the body are one body, even though there are many. (1 Cor 12:1-12)


Insights from Just Say Yes!

* * *

Missional Assumption: Everyone Has Gifts for Ministry

"From the earliest scriptures, Christian leaders have discerned that everyone who belongs to Christ and seeks to follow Christ is gifted by the Holy Spirit to contribute to the ministry of Christ. Just as everyone is part of the body of Christ with distinct functions to perform as the parts of a body — eye, mouth, ears — each serving a different purpose, so also everyone has spiritual gifts that the mission of Christ needs for strengthening the church and its witness....

All who belong to Christ are encouraged to discover their gifts and to cultivate them for building up the church. Christ expects us to use our gifts." (55–56)

* * *

Questions to Ponder

• When was a time you experienced the power and presence of the Holy Spirit? Did you know Jesus said Yes to you first and gave you power through the Holy Spirit to respond with a Yes (1 Cor 12:3)?

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• Schnase offers a list of gifts highlighted in the New Testament: "administration, apostleship, compassion, discernment, encouragement, evangelism, exhortation, faith, giving, healing, helping, tongues, interpretation of tongues, knowledge, leadership, miracles, prophecy, servanthood, shepherding, teaching, and wisdom" (56). If you have taken a spiritual gift inventory, which gifts do you have and how are you using them now? If you have not taken an inventory, which gifts do you think God has given you? Is it hard for you to believe the gifts God has given you are crucial for the work of Christ?

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• What does it mean to you when you read 1 Corinthians 12:7: "A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good"?

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Prayer

Empowering spirit, please help me to continually call Jesus Lord of my life. Help me to understand and embrace the gifts you have given me. Strengthen me to fulfill my role in your work here on earth. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

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Weekly Challenge

Take some time this week to explore what gifts God has given you. Even if you have already completed a spiritual gifts inventory in the past do an assessment again this week. An online option can be found at http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/spiritual-gifts-online-assessment, or you can ask the staff at church for options. After you receive your results, take some time in self-reflection and prayer to explore how to use these gifts faithfully.

CHAPTER 2

Week 2

Just Say Yes to Your Calling


Scripture Focus

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me. All who want to save their lives will lose them. But all who lose their lives because of me will find them." (Matt 16:24-25)

Whoever wants to be first among you will be your slave — just as the Human One didn't come to be served but rather to serve and to give his life to liberate many people." (Matt 20:27-28)


Insights from Just Say Yes!

* * *

Missional Assumption: God Calls Everyone to Service and Ministry

"God's call causes us to go places we might not choose to go if left to our own preferences. It's not that we literally hear a Hollywood-like voice from God booming out loud in clearly resonant tones. Rather, our relationship with Christ, our prayer life, our participation in worship, or our study of scripture stimulates an inner urge or strong impulse. God awakens us to a particular sense of responsibility to act. We become aware of an unmet need even as we become aware of particular gifts, passions, and experiences we ourselves can offer to address the need on behalf of Christ....

The real you, your true self, is discovered in letting Christ lead you into serving others with compassion." (57–58, 59)

* * *

Questions to Ponder

• What does it mean to say No to yourself and Yes to following Jesus Christ? Is letting go of selfish tendencies and focusing on others a scary or freeing idea for your life?

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• Do you feel a call from God on your life or have you understood a "calling" as only for clergy? How does it impact your life to know every follower of Jesus Christ has a "calling"?

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• There are thousands of self-help books on the market, but scripture and Just Say Yes! say finding your true self happens in serving others. Does this resonate with your experience or challenge your understanding of the real you? When you served others what went through your mind and how did you feel?

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Prayer

Compassionate God, help me clearly hear your call on my life. Awaken in me an understanding of how to use my gifts, talents, and passions faithfully. Help me find my true self through serving others. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.


Weekly Challenge

As described in Just Say Yes!, create a graph (see example on the next page) with your gifts, talents, and passions on the bottom, and then write down unmet needs or places of suffering in the world that tug at your heart on the left side (58). The place where these two sides intersect is an excellent place to start answering your God-given calling. Have you heard of a ministry or organization that might be working to meet the needs you listed and could use your gifts? If so, contact them to inquire about helping. If not, start prayerfully considering championing an effort related to your calling.

CHAPTER 3

Week 3

Just Say Yes to Growth


Scripture Focus

He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. His purpose was to equip God's people for the work of serving and building up the body of Christ until we all reach the unity of faith and knowledge of God's Son. God's goal is for us to become mature adults — to be fully grown, measured by the standard of the fullness of Christ. As a result, we aren't supposed to be infants any longer who can be tossed and blown around by every wind that comes from teaching with deceitful scheming and the tricks people play to deliberately mislead others. Instead, by speaking the truth with love, let's grow in every way into Christ, who is the head. The whole body grows from him, as it is joined and held together by all the supporting ligaments. The body makes itself grow in that it builds itself up with love as each one does its part. (Eph 4:11-16)


Insights from Just Say Yes!

* * *

Missional Assumption: The Ministries of the Church Should Foster Spiritual Growth and Discipleship

"Disciple is derived from discipulus and discere, words that mean learner and follower. A disciple of Jesus Christ is someone who desires to follow Christ, who believes his teachings and tries to act accordingly" (59). The goal is to move people on the path of sanctification, increasing in love of God and neighbor. "These disciples are not crippled by obvious sinful patterns, are devoted in personal prayer life and community worship, are attentive to the needs and injustices of the world and offer themselves generously to help, are attentive to God and demonstrate significant growth in the fruit of the spirit — gentleness, kindness, patience." (60)

* * *

Questions to Ponder

• In order to faithfully use your gifts, you must stay intimately connected with God. What ways are you practicing being a disciple of Jesus Christ, a learner, and follower? Are you consistently participating in the means of grace that help disciples grow: praying, worshipping, participating in the sacraments, participating in small group Bible study, and serving others?

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• What are characteristics of a mature disciple? Can you name some areas of maturity in your life and other areas you want God to strengthen this year?

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• This week's scripture focus illustrates being joined together and held by supporting ligaments (Eph 4:16). How are you staying connected to Jesus Christ through the supporting ministries of the church? Are you experiencing the upbuilding of love and accountability to grow in love? If so, how can you invite more people into that experience? If not, are there ways you can intentionally choose to connect with other Christ followers?

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Prayer

God of growth, thank you for the gifts you have given me for the common good. Allow me to see areas of my life where I need to grow and mature in order to fully use those gifts. Help me stay intimately connected to your body so I can continually grow in "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Gal 5:22-23). In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.


Weekly Challenge

Through these weeks of devotion, you are developing an understanding of your gifts, your passion, and your calling. A crucial piece of growing as a disciple is being in covenant with other believers. These groups can offer encouragement, build you up in love, and challenge you to keep your motives Christ-centered. If you are already in a group, explore some possible studies to help develop your calling to serve others. If you are not currently in a group, prayerfully seek out an opportunity. Please ask your church staff for short-term studies, ministry events, and other learning opportunities that will help strengthen your ability to use your spiritual gifts and answer your call to ministry.


These excellent group studies are available at Cokesbury.com or your favorite bookseller:

Just Say Yes! Study by Robert Schnase with Angela Olsen (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2016).

Five Marks of a Methodist Study by Magrey DeVega and Steve Harper (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2016).

Covenant Bible Study (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2014).


(Continues...)

Excerpted from Just Say Yes! Devotional by Robert Schnase, Angela Olsen. Copyright © 2016 Abingdon Press. Excerpted by permission of Abingdon Press.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Table of Contents

Contents

Introduction,
Week 1: Just Say Yes to the Holy Spirit,
Week 2: Just Say Yes to Your Calling,
Week 3: Just Say Yes to Growth,
Week 4: Just Say Yes to Encouragement,

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