This past Friday, Good Friday as it is called, a very important person in my life went to be with the Lord. Ray was in his late 40s (maybe early 50s) when Lori and I started in full-time ministry in 1984. He and his wife, Helen, were extremely gracious, kind, and generous to us as we…
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I recently came across the following safety tips I thought would be helpful for RMD churches. I realize there may be a few more weeks (or maybe months 😊) of Rocky Mountain winter, but you never know when wildfires, lighting, or a water emergency might strike. These tips are provided by our insurance company, Brotherhood Mutual. Click on each…
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“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.” (2 Chronicles 16:9) Since God in His essence is Spirit (note John 4:24) and is…
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Recapturing the Heart of Jesus is the theme of our 2024 District Conference, to be held at First Alliance Church in Billings, MT, April 8-10. The RMD family will gather for prayer, ministry from the Word, and the biennial business matters of the district. While the meetings are required for all official workers, I believe you will…
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If you’re over the age of 40, perhaps the first thing that pops into your head when you see this is “Cowboys”. Where have all the cowboys gone? You wouldn’t be alone. The song by the same name was released in 1997 by Paula Cole and went to number eight on the Billboard Hot 100…
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There are various ways to approach creating ministry strategy. Here is one approach that has been helpful to me over the years: Goals, Content, and Environments. Goals Before embarking on a trip, you need to know the destination, and the same is true when developing strategy. Therefore, the first step is to look ahead to…
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2024. Doesn’t saying that just sound unusual? For some, there may be dread associated with this coming year — you guessed it — another political season! The U.S. Presidential election will be Tuesday, November 5th — and the two weeks following as one friend of mine said recently! My guess is we’re going to experience a lot of spin! Things…
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Eighty years ago this New Year’s Eve, Henry Deutschendorf Jr was born in Roswell, NM. His dad, Henry Deutshcndorf Sr, was a military man so young Henry lived in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arizona California, and Texas before Henry Jr. grew up and moved to Colorado. Young Henry began using his middle name and changed his…
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If you have ever been through a Church Planter Boot Camp or Prepare to Plant Training you know that part of that training focuses on the mission of the church and how to implement that mission. Among the important components that are discussed, three are of particular importance: Mission: why the church exists. Strategies: how the…
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Year-end giving can have a big impact on annual budgets. Between the joyous spirit of the holiday season and the December 31st deadline for tax-deductible contributions, this time of year is the most popular time for giving to the church. I have heard it said that churches may receive an average of 30% of their annual donations in…
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