by Clarence E. Stowers | Apr 29, 2015 | Accountability, Decisions, Empowerment, Encouragement, Self-Leadership, Success
Here’s something you don’t hear at most conferences and seminars: Behind every opportunity are obstacles.
In 1999, I was installed as pastor of the Mars Hill Baptist Church of Chicago. However, as is so often the case, this opportunity came disguised as a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. I succeeded my father, Dr. Clarence E. Stowers, Sr. as pastor. I inherited a traditional baptist church that had plateaued.
Based on almost every metric available, I knew I had to do something fast or else our attendance would decline. The optimistic side of me was determined to turn our church around. Therefore, in 2000, I attended the Purpose Driven Church Conference and worked hard to formulate and cast a new vision for the Mars Hill Baptist Church of Chicago.
I restructured our church, hired staff, and with fresh enthusiasm, we were off to a great start. I anticipated smooth sailing ahead. What I didn’t anticipate is that everyone wants change until it affects them personally. Why? Growth is uncomfortable and requires change.
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by Clarence E. Stowers | Apr 22, 2015 | Decisions, Empowerment, Encouragement, Motivation, Self-Leadership, Success, Vision
Let’s face it – winning is fun. I know some believe that “winning isn’t everything,” but why play the game if you’re not playing to win? That’s why I love Scripture, especially The Book of Hebrews.
Hebrews 11 is about winners. It’s God’s Hall of Fame. These were ordinary people who accomplished extra ordinary achievements. They weren’t perfect. They often failed. But they all reached their goals. One of my favorite winners listed in this book of winners is Moses.
In my humble opinion, Moses was one of the greatest men in the Old Testament. He received the Ten Commandments from God, wrote the first five books of the Bible, and led the children of Israel out of captivity and slavery into the land of Egypt. Why was God able to use Moses so effectively? He understood that being yourself is one of the secrets to living an effective life.
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by Clarence E. Stowers | Apr 8, 2015 | Encouragement
As I reflect on Easter Weekend at the Mars Hill Baptist Church of Chicago, I want to take a few moments to share what I’m learning as a leader.
I eat, drink, and sleep leadership and my leadership vision is seeing it work without me. God allowed me to see that happen Easter weekend. Since there are many moving pieces that make Mars Hill work, I won’t name names because I know I’ll leave someone out. Now that the dust has settled, I want to share the 4 proven ways to grow as a leader.
Be Confident – Confidence is the Engine That Jumpstarts Momentum
I tell our congregation, “Attempt great things for God and expect great things from God.” Our Worship & Fine Arts Ministry decided to begin our services with a play on the BIGGEST Sunday of the year. It was an absolute hit and the audience loved it. It takes confidence to take a risk and our team did it.
“Confidence in oneself is the cornerstone of successful leadership. Only those who believe in themselves have enough optimism to see the best in those around them. “Self-confidence breeds confidence in others,” according to noted author and pastor John Maxwell.
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by Clarence E. Stowers | Mar 30, 2015 | Christian, Christianity, Easter Weekend, Empowerment, Encouragement, Events, Mars Hill Baptist Church, Technology, video, Vision, Web/Tech, Worship
On Sunday, March 15, 2015, the Mars Hill Baptist Church of Chicago celebrated Friends’ Day.
We had our largest attendance this year. Every seat, including two overflows were filled to capacity. I believe God gave us a glimpse of how Easter 2015 will be. Therefore, we’re adding a Saturday service for our members so we can free up space for our guests attending Easter Sunday.
People Reaching People
At Mars Hill, our theme for 2015 is People Reaching People #PRP. That means we’re encouraged to stretch ourselves and do different things to reach people. We have to be open to new ideas, take some risks as we prepare for the overflow that God is sending us.
As pastor, I am asking our members to attend our Saturday Easter service (April 4th) at 5PM. It will be very similar to our Sunday services and CHILDCARE WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ALL. It’s casual so come as you are.
If you attend Saturday’s service and will attend Easter Sunday, we ask three things of you:
- Wear your Mars Hill T-shirt,
- Sit in the section for Mars Hill members, and if necessary,
- Be ready to give up your seat and go to the overflow or our cafe.
It’s all about reaching people this year so we have to be willing to make sacrifices.
If you are bringing guests on Easter Sunday and you need to sit with them, don’t wear a t-shirt because it is more important that our guests feel comfortable.
Easter Weekend Schedule:
Saturday, April 4, 2015
5PM – Live Worship Experience – Mars Hill Baptist Church of Chicago
5PM – **NEW Online Worship Experience** (Yep, it’s almost here)
Sunday, April 5, 2015
8AM – Live Worship Experience
8AM – **NEW Online Worship Experience**
10:30AM – Live Worship Experience
10:30AM – **NEW Online Worship Experience**
Remember, It’s all about People Reaching People #PRP.
by Clarence E. Stowers | Mar 24, 2015 | Christian, Christianity, Encouragement, Fasting, Goals, Self-Leadership, Spiritual Growth
Have you ever wondered what’s the real reason you’re not as far as you’d like to be spiritually?
We blame it on the enemy, our busy lives, our careers, children, even the church we attend. The real reason you’re not as far as you’d like to be spiritually isn’t because of the enemy, busyness, or the complexity of sermons; it’s because we’re distracted. Despite knowing that distractions hamper productivity, most people don’t realize how it affects their spiritual growth.
In the few minutes it takes to read this blog post, chances are you’ll pause to check your phone, answer a text, switch to your desktop to read an email, or glance at the Facebook or Twitter messages popping up in the corner of your screen. And pastors wonder why it is people are not growing spiritually. They’re distracted!
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by Clarence E. Stowers | Mar 17, 2015 | Christian, Christianity, Empowerment, Encouragement, Mars Hill Baptist Church, Motivation, Self-Leadership
I will never forget a couple who attended Mars Hill Baptist Church of Chicago for five years. They almost never missed a week. They would walk in, hear the message and the music, and walk back out.
Week after week, in and out. They never met anybody. They never established any friendships. They never got involved in ministry. They never joined. They never built a network of support.
After about five years, they went through one of those horrendous, gut wrenching, devastating crises, that shattered their world. The kind that knocks you against the wall and leaves you gasping for breath just trying to hold on.
The real tragedy was, there was nobody there to help them. They had never taken the time to get to know anyone. They had never built any relationships. They had never been there for anybody else in a crisis, and nobody was there for their crisis. That’s sad. Because it’s completely unnecessary.
They could have taken the time before the storm to establish a few key relationships that would have been there to strengthen them when they were going through tough times. So, what do you do when you’re going through one of those horrendous, gut wrenching, devastating crises that shatters your world? Drop your pride and accept help from others. (more…)
