steve penny » Churches

Strength from above

Steve Penny — Tue, 03 May 2011 21:32:43 +0000

Recently one of my friends who is a key leader in the church asked me what he could do to help me in any way. I replied, just stay strong for God – if you stay strong we all do.
Since then I have pondered on my response and so here are some thoughts.
1. We don’t just draw strength from the Lord above – but from every leader who is above or ahead of us in life.
2. The inspiration of a simple leadership action can ripple through families, churches, cities and nations
3. The smallest action of a leader can be a huge action in the eyes of those following.
4. Your every action whether seen or unseen is felt by someone.
5. The inspiration of a leaders connection with a follower is priceless.
6. Don’t become so visionary you forget who the vision is for.
7. Always watch your leaders for courage – not criticism.
8. To all you great leaders out there – stay strong – others are running their race in your slipstream.

Pheasant with a limp

Steve Penny — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:16:04 +0000

Yesterday my driver nearly killed a couple of pheasant birds who believed the roadway was their domain. He did not even swerve to miss the birds explaining they are taught not to as it may cause an accident.
Today on our way to the conference we arrived at the same site only to see a pheasant limping along the side of the road.
I castigated the driver – accusing him of harming one of these beautiful birds.
Truth is – it couldn’t have been us as the drivers over here drive so slow we couldn’t have hit a dead bird – let alone a live one.
A yellow light over here means begin to stop whereas in Australia a yellow light means put the foot flat to the floor.
Our conference is now over and the rain is still falling.
We had an amazing time and God really showed up.
Well done to Clive and Jane Urquhart and the whole Kingdom Faith team.
I loved being with you all.
Now on to Hillsong London on Sunday – can’t wait. It is one of my favourite churches on the planet.

Poland Project

Steve Penny — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 23:03:08 +0000

I have walked to Mooloolaba again this morning. It is perfect weather and the ocean looks like a velvet rug littered with diamonds.
I am meeting Barry Wedrat who has a ministry called Activ8 Europe. We are doing final planning for our leaders conference in Poland. I am so looking forward to catching up with so many of the polish Pastors who for years have travelled to the UK to attend my S4 Leadership Seminars.
I like the Poles as they have a similar attitude to life as the Aussies.
Poland is also coming alive with many new leaders planting dynamic faith filled churches.
This is a project worth sowing into as Poland and the Aussie church have strong connections.
If you would like to invest in this Project please go to my website stevepenny.org to the projects page.
Then tonight I am speaking at the combined Kings – Metro – Calvary college retreat. I love speaking to developing leaders.
Well that’s my day planned – except for the long walk home. It always seems longer going home.

PITA CHIPS WITH SEA SALT

Steve Penny — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 04:19:21 +0000

On my travels recently I stayed in a Hotel as guest of the local church in which I was ministering. Usually the churches leave a basket of goodies for us to snack on over the stay. This particular basket was a health freaks delight. All kinds of unusual food I had never seen before including, “unsweetened and unsulfured pineapple rings,” the same “unsweetened and unsulphured mango slices” – to say nothing of the “antioxidant nut and berry mix.” The only thing I was game to try was the Pita Chips with Sea Salt. I may as well have eaten the mattress off the bed. I got to thinking that maybe my office had sent word ahead to the church so that they could work together to try and keep me healthy. Whoever was working on my behalf was definitely going above and beyond the call of duty.

It didn’t make any difference as room service opens a whole world of gourmet delights. All deep fried and delicious. NOW my point is this to all you do-gooders on the behalf of others. You cannot help a person until they are willing to help themselves. I have watched so many people lose sleep over wayward friends and associates, when the people in question are going full steam ahead in their own direction. Yes – we can be concerned and offer good advice, but to try to sabotage another person’s life under the guise of helping them, borders on control at best – and lunacy at worst. I want to be known as a supporter of people not a judge. A coach is a person who comes alongside someone when they are ready to begin training in ernest. To try to coach someone who will not even attend to the basics is a complete waste of time. My own golf coach in Australia gave me some warm up routines to do before I even attempt to swing a club on the practise range. I felt they were a waste of good time and energy, and unfortunately he saw me totally ignoring his professional advice. Feeling guilty I said to him that I must get another lesson – to which he replied – not until you listen and apply the last lesson. Stop trying to vicariously win in life for others. Be the best you can possibly be, and when they are ready they will ask for your assistance. That is the right time to get involved. Then they are ready to change. Until then – stop putting Pita Chips with Sea Salt in my basket and go back to real food that inspires a man to live life to the full.

COMPASSION

Steve Penny — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:44:35 +0000

The Dalai Lama has made a statement recently during his stay in Australia. He was quoted as saying that COMPASSION is the only way to solve the worlds great problems.

What amazing insight – yet adeptly ignored once again by the world and its leaders. As we go into another talkfest in Copenhagen – this time on climate change – the world continues to ignore the plight of ravaged humanity, and shuts its ears to the cry of the innocents as they are brutally oppressed.

The church must demonstrate compassion on a global scale.

Thank God for the massive work of the church already taking place in so many nations – as relief is given in so many wonderful ways. And yet the task is massive on so many fronts. Thank God also for a generation of young people who have turned aside to consider the plight of the poor and defenceless. The iheart film currently showing is a huge prophetic call to engage in an even greater and more effective way.

Climate change is a very real consideration when it comes to helping the poor as the dwindling water resources in many nations – or the opposite with floods and disasters in others – is exacerbating the problems we currently face.

Who would have thought that climate change would usher in a one world government.

Don’t be distracted from the cry of the innocents. Change your lifestyle to find a way to help change the life of one suffering person at a time.

How can we show compassion to the lost and broken – hurting and dying across the globe.

1. Get an awakened conscience for the hurting.

2. Give yourself to find a noble cause to support.

2. Start a compassion account and take an amount out of your weekly income.

3. Give to organisations and churches who can make a difference.

4. Pray and believe for God to hear and answer the cry of the innocents.

5. Go on a credible mission trip to a suffering community and see for yourself.

6. Say no to something – so others can say yes to the most basic requirements – like water.

God blesses those who stand at the right hand of the poor to protect and help them in their time of need.

ANSWERING THE CALL

Steve Penny — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 23:01:28 +0000

On Sunday 06 Dec 2009 we handed over the Kings Christian Church on the Sunshine Coast of Australia, to one of our “sons in the faith” to become Senior Pastor.

James and Sam Macpherson will take on the oversight of both Townsville and Buderim churches – under a bold initiative to allow an Apostolic network opportunity to develop.

James and Sam are just one of the amazing couples that have been raised up in and through Kings over the past decade and we know that they will usher in a new season of growth and blessing.

As for our future. I have resigned because I hear the call of God to the nations for the next season. I believe the church universal is rising up with evident strength and the opportunity for global influence has never been more real.

I want to join my hand and heart to those churches who are genuinely called to make a difference globally.

Marion and I are taking some time off until April next year – 2010 – and then I will be marching forward to help build the church across the nations.

I also want to give more time to producing resource for the Body of Christ and more details will be available after we have our sabbatical.

We are extremely grateful to all our church family and friends who have been amazingly supportive in releasing us into this new season with such love and honour.

Looking forward to the next decade of awesome blessing and influence. SJP

World Cup Soccer 2010

Steve Penny — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:52:04 +0000

I was in Rustenburg Sth Africa last week and saw the huge new stadium they have built for the upcoming world Cup of Soccer. It stands huge on the landscape of what is a fairly small regional city. Great fears are held for it’s sustainability after the great event.
The same is true for the church. We have become very good at big events and some churches even place their future on the next big event. Remember – the church is not an event. It is a family of faith doing the journey of life together. Sure enjoy the big event when it happens and make it awesome- but don’t forget in all the doing and bustle of the event that it is the relationships you forge and strengthen in the event that count for the future. Make Sundays about people. Make conferences about connections. Make church about the issues that affect peoples live. Just make up your mind that the people you now have in your family of faith are your best friends and so look forward to seeing them again and again.
I’m off to another huge event today – but in all my doing and preaching etc I will be looking to connect meaningfully with at least one new person who will enter my world for the rest if my life.
Build your world one day at a time an one new friend at a time.
Before you know it you will have a huge world and then big events won’t seem so disproportianate in your bigger world. SJP

THE NOON DAY GUN

Steve Penny — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:23:30 +0000

I am in Cape Town, South Africa at present, where they have an old tradition that still continues to this day. At midday an old cannon is fired, which is now fondly called the noon day gun. In the past it was fired to indicate to the local townspeople that a ship was entering the harbour with goods from Europe and the East. The entire town would scurry to the harbour jetties and congregate in anticipation of all the exotic and luxurious items that these ships would bring to the Cape shores.

Today it continues to be fired every midday, but now nobody takes any notice – except the occasional tourist who is frightened silly, if standing near when it is fired.

It got me thinking about the church. I wonder how many churches are firing their best cannons every Sunday – but no-one is listening. People no longer run to the local church because it is Sunday morning. Times have changed. People have changed. The ships no longer come and dock at the local church with all the finest things that people need.

To be honest some churches are now like quaint old cannons – being fired every Sunday. Maybe it is time to find out what this generation needs and instead of waiting for some spiritual ship to come in – that never arrives – or if it does it still comes with the finest from decades past that no longer appeals – maybe change how you do church to meet the needs of the people now crowding the old jetties having a latte and some fine food, or shopping at some trendy market.

We must find out what their needs are today, and present our faith in a way that causes them to gather, anticipating something that appeals and meets their needs.

Church should still be the most exciting event of a person’s week. If you are going to fire your cannon this weekend – make sure the ship has docked, and it is laden with stuff that people need and want in their lives today. The last thing I would ever want to be – is a blast from the past. SJP

REAPING OR RECYCLING

Steve Penny — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:18:53 +0000

I have noticed a strange pattern in many peoples lives.

Instead of committing to being reapers of new things in life, they often continually recycle the same old things.

Sometimes they will paint it a new colour and make it appear to be new, or they will change the menu a little and kid themselves that all is new.

Sometimes they change church, or work, so they don’t have to face the challenge of growing in a larger world.

The great thrill of life and growth and increase, is the thrill of harvesting new crops.

Life is full of seasons, and they do change, but that is all part of God’s plan, to get us to the next harvest season.

It is through harvests that we increase and expand.

It is through harvests that we have enough to be a blessing to others.

The other seasons are very important in our lives, but they should always bring us to the harvesting of new crops of blessing and increase.

I have noticed that people who refuse to reach out to others and to new challenges, often do so to simply maintain their status quo.

The worst way to live life is from the lounge chair of comfort and convenience. Your body was never meant to sit is a lounge position for long periods of time.

Neither is your spiritual man.

We are created for action, advancement and growth, and our strength always increases best under the tension of stress and stretching.

A life of comfort and convenience always leads to disillusionment, and then begins the cycle of looking for people and places and churches where our status quo will not be challenged.

I am amazed at how many people get off the bus because it has a destination to take you somewhere, and the road is a bit bumpy.

My advice is to stay on the bus as long as it is going somewhere, and make up your mind to enjoy the ride.

Help others to get on the bus and sacrifice together to see new harvests of increase and blessing, from which many others can be blessed.

Stop recycling old worn out things and get on the frontline again. You know that is where you enjoyed life the most.

Tired, weary from the battle, challenged and stretched, yet supercharged and focused from the intensity of reaping new things.

Come on, get back to what you do best – living by faith – and believing God for greater things yet to come. SJP

Conference Keys

Steve Penny — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:50:23 +0000

This week is the ACC Qld state conference. Talking to one of our regional Pastors about attending conference and he declared he was all conferenced out. Funny I responded as I don’t see you at too many conferences.
To which he the replied, conferences are not really my thing.
To which I replied – you are an idiot.
Let me tell you why conferences are important.
A. God instituted them as part of Israels religious calender.
B. Jesus used them often in His earthly ministry.
C. Holy Spirit fell upon the early church during a conference.
D. They are an opportunity to intensify your pursuit of God.
E. They are a great opportunity to network with our extended family of faith.
F. They are a great time for team building away from the daily grind.
G. Time to receive now word of God from key leaders.
H. Great time to be personally lifted to next level of faith.
I. Always good to see how larger churches and leaders do things.
F. It is also an important time to show team strength together.
G. Most of all it is a great time to find one leader who may be struggling and spend time lifting them up.
H. Time to also receive direction and understanding of what God is doing in a state or nation.
Make sure you attend your next conference opportunity full of expectation and faith.