Self Respect

Martin Luther King, Jr. Knew Himself


A man named Charles Handy of Europe seems to have a great way of talking about the real important things of life. The way Handy put it in his book, The Hungry Spirit , was this:

“I spent the early part of my life trying hard to be someone else. At school I wanted to be a great athlete, at university an admired socialite, afterwards a businessman and, later, the head of a great institution. It did not take me long to discover that I was not destined to be successful in any of these guises, but that did not prevent me from trying, and being perpetually disappointed with myself. The problem was that in trying to be someone else I neglected to concentrate on the person I could be. … I was, in retrospect, hiding from myself, a slave to the system rather than its master.”





I have been teaching a class called, "How to be me in my Family Tree" and it garners a lot of interest. How can we embrace who we are and allow God to bring out of that what we do?

By refusing to acknowledge and embrace ourselves fully we struggle to emulate someone else and end up being nobody. The most important thing we can do as Christian leaders is help people face themselves and find joy rather than depression in the discovery.

Who have you failed to be as you grew toward yourself?

Training Pastors and Leaders

Have you heard about the failure of churches in the Willow Creek Association to disciple or care for their most committed members? The research was carried out by the Willow Creek Association and contained in their book, REVEAL.

Bill Hybels, the marketing genius of Willow Creek, told the attendees of the failures during the annual Leadership Conference in August. It has caused a lot of blogging and discussion and even some back stepping by some of the Willow leaders.

I thought the research and the book was a courageous attempt to see what kind of results they were getting from all their hard work and talk about leadership. Well, it was pretty disappointing to them.

It seemd to show that members of the Willow Association Churches were dissatisfied at two key points.

1. After coming to Christ and enrolling in a church when they "hit a rough spot or two" and the churches failed to help them.

2. After staying deeply involved in the church as learners and doers for several years the churches failed to disciple them.

The result? 25% said they were ready to switch churches in the coming year.

HOPE for Cincinnati has support for struggling leaders. Pastors cannot do it alone. Help is on the way!

Hope for Cincinnati Training for Leaders 2008

Gary Sweeten and Ron Peake

We have a great lineup of fellowship and equipping coming in 2008 for men and women leaders who face so many ministry challenges. Of all the careers available to humanity the call of God to bring the good news in all its glory to those lost in present, future and eternal pain is the biggest challenge.

From Burn Out to Blazing Bright
How to Be Agents of Change While Retaining our Joy

For the last decade Ron and Gary have focused their main ministry efforts on the training and support of Pastors, Missionaries and Lay Leaders. We have traveled far and wide to Coach, Consult and Counsel godly men and women who have hit the wall, been burned to a crisp by overwork and a loss of first love with little motivation to go on.

In 2008 Hope for Cincinnati will focus on Prevention, Personal Growth and Peer Support for God’s Servants.

Prayer, Worship and Liberating Insights

February 21
May 15
August 21
November 20

Kenwood Baptist Church
Kenwood Road (South of Reagan)
8:30-10:30 Coffee & Mutual Care

Hearing God Speak

It won't be long before we have a gathering for Seasoned Believers who want to learn to talk to and listen to the Lord. When we followed up the October 13 time at Winton Woods with a small questionnaire, it became clear that a lot of people want to return to their first love and learn better how to "Abide in Christ and hear His still, small voice."

Well, put aside the date of March 15. It will definitely be a day of teaching, sharing, journal writing and listening. Our training sessions follow a DREAMS acrostic to make sure we have a time that is balanced, fun, insightful and experiential.

D=Didactic meaning talks and reading. (But brief)
R=Reflection or thinking and discussing what you are learning.
E=Experiential that practice what we preach and touch and see God at work
A=Accountability that keeps us focused on the most important learning's
M=Modeling that allows us to watch others practice God at work
S=Supernatural, encountering God's Spirit personally

On March 15 we will have a half day of DREAMS!