An Awesome Oasis… And an Awesome Wife!

Angie and I arrived in Bentonville today just in time to pick our daughter up from school. We were tired from the week, yet SO refreshed! We’ve been to seven or eight Oases and this was, by far, the best yet! An oasis is defined as “a fertile place in a barren land.” More on that in a second…

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Pastor’s Oasis - Day 2 Take-Aways from Dr. Ronnie Floyd

Day two of the Pastor’s Oasis has been pretty great already and it’s not quite over - we have a nice banquet ahead of us tonight. This morning, Dr. Ronnie Floyd addressed Pastors while Maggie Chandler addressed the wives. He talked us through the major points of his book, Ten Things Every Minister Ought to Know.

All ten principles are very practical and applicable, but the thoughts that stuck with me the most were…

• The power of one hour - spend one hour reading, praying, and journaling. Do it faithfully in the first hour of every day.
• As your staff makes decisions, ask these four questions:
  1. What is best for the church?
  2. What is best for the office of the Pastor?
  3. What is best for the particular ministry in question?
  4. What is best for the staff member at the center of the decision?
• Along those same lines, it’s absolutely imperative that the Pastor have full hiring and firing authority.
• Think bigger. None of us are ever thinking big enough because we always think in terms of what we can accomplish given all physical realities.

You can read Dr. Floyd’s blog at www.ronniefloyd.com.
I’m challenged to increase my prayer time, journal more faithfully, and dream BIG things for God’s kingdom!

A Lesson from Ronnie Floyd at Pastor’s Oasis

I wasn’t sure what to expect this morning when Ronnie Floyd was scheduled to speak at Pastor’s Oasis here in Branson. I’ve seen Dr. Floyd on television and hear his name around Northwest Arkansas regularly. He’s a very interesting guy in a setting such as this - extremely honest and straightforward… and helpful!

Every time you hear someone speak or teach, you should have some “take-aways.” These are the brief statements we could write on a legal pad that we want to integrate into our lives. Most of what Dr. Floyd shared are not new, but they are renewed in my heart…

• Your family is more important than ministry success - don’t sacrifice your family on the altar of success in ministry - no church is worth it.
• At the same time, love the church and the ministry God has given you, and be positive about it around your kids. You wouldn’t be here (at Pastor’s Oasis) if it weren’t for your your ministry.
• Don’t argue in front of your kids.
• Have prayer together as a couple every day - it’s a time when you become vulnerable and therefore closer.
• Work really hard, but have some time when work is off limits.
• Football is important. Well, it’s very important to Ronnie Floyd.

I’m so thankful to be here in this awesome place. Every time we’ve come, God has ministered to us, and He is this year already. We’re lakeside in beautiful weather and a nice room with plenty of free time to date each other between the great sessions. I couldn’t ask for a better “oasis.”