The Full R-Rated Interview

George O. Wood Interviews Jonathan. Click on the picture below to view the full interview.

George O. Wood Interviews Jonathan — PROMO

Click here to view on YouTube.
Click here to view FULL VIDEO at AGTV.

John Lindell Endorses Spell it with an “R” !

John Lindell, James River Assembly, hosted the “R” Seminar and highly recommends building a “RELATIONAL” ministry. Jonathan will teach you new ways to “CONNECT” and make people feel even more welcome at your church.

Click below to see
John Lindell’s endorsement which occurs only
13 seconds into video.

Spell it with an “R” Seminar Promo — Check it out!

R-Rating YOUr CHRISTmas

Take the phrase “Jesus is the reason for the Season …” It once was new, now it is a cliche and “Hackneyed” ….and over-used.

Renew it, Re-paradigm it, perhaps, by saying (writing, blogging, putting in your Christmas letters, ads, Church bulletins, etc)

N-O-T “Jesus is the Reason” …  but:

“Y-O-U  Are the reason for the Season.”
He came not for Himself … but specifically for Y-O-U!

This personalizes the reason… directly ..to the heart of the reader, listener, etc.    I believe the Holy Spirit can bless this way beyond what we might think in . . . bringing souls to Jesus this Christmas!

What do you think…and what results did you get? I’d love your feedback. Have a real, relational Christmas with the One Who is Christmas: our Awesome Lord Jesus Christ!

**also love to hear any creative Christmas themes, ministries, etc. Leave a comment below.

Family Update

Unbelievable, four years ago!

Life is all about family.  Not just life, but God Himself.  God didn’t invent relationship.  It is His registered trademark.  Before eternity began, relationship existed in the Trinity.  The Trinity is a family…is a relationship…is a community.  To call church a building is to call people two by fours.  Church is a family: If you really want your church to be R Rated and grow like God wants it to, use the “F” (Family) word on every level, every program.  It is God’s program and it works.

Jeanette is visiting Christmas, John and baby St. Nick, who is turning three this weekend in Denver.  Thanks for your friendship, prayers and missionary ministry partnering over the many, many years and miles.  1 Samuel 30:24 promises: “As is his part goes down to the battle, so shall be their share that stays by the goods.  They shall share alike in the rewards.”

Grandpa JG and Nick

Miracle Ministry at University of Virginia

Miracle Ministry at UVA

University of Virginia, Charlottesville: A 40 Year full circle.

In early Sept., few short weeks ago, I was life-time privileged to preach at the UVA Chi Alphas retreat. Photo of Infinity times one (me & Pete Bullette) — Pete & Amy Bullette, founded the Chi Alpha College campus ministry in Charlottesville.  In May this year, Pete told me he heard me preach 15 years ago in Carbondale, Il.

My sermon & title: “Infinity times One Equals Infinity” so tagged him, he started using the phrase. His wife Amy made him a Birthday present plaque of those words: it went up on their living room wall. The plaque is still there 15 years later.

7 years ago God had Pete & Amy move to Charlottesville, VA to pioneer a Chi Alpha campus ministry there. Unknown to them, that’s the school I dropped out of as a barefoot hippie 30+ years ago.  God miraculously re-connected us at the May ’08 Potomac District Council.

Pete filled me in on all this: that Chi Alpha now runs 200+ each Monday evening and is increasingly reaching UVA’s campus for Jesus!

They invited me to speak at their annual Fall retreat 2008: over 200 kids attended the “The R-Rated Retreat.” (Twice their largest Fall retreat ever! Praise God!)

I’ve challenged them to dare to dream, pray and believe God to see God grow the Chi Alpha to 1000!

Spell It With an “R” Seminar Announcement

When: SATURDAY, MAY 24, 2008, 9:30 AM – Noon (Registration 8:30 AM)
Presenter: Evangelist Jonathan Gainsbrugh Author and Nationally known church-health strategist
Location: Laguna Christian Center, 3109 Dwight Rd., Elk Grove, CA 95758 – 916-394-LIFE

For complete details get the flyer right now!
See below and click the link you need.
Then call TODAY to reserve your place.

Click this link for the web version to view now.
Click this link for the High-Quality print version.

Broken Arm Update … and a little more …

“Praise the Lord!” The broken left arm from Feb 21 is healing up bit by bit by the Lord’s marvelous touch and your prayers. Thank you to each one that has given and prayed for the arm and for our finances during this beyond difficult time.

We are still praying for monthly National Lamb-Care Initiative partners. This is an extreme need….for to sustain health medical at this point is beyond just a nice option. Please pray with us and see whom the Lord would speak to. Y-O-U can have a part each month, regardless of whatever size great or very small, that part might be. I give Praise to the Lord for how He and His people have helped us up to this point, and praise Him for His faithfulness in days ahead as well.

Praise our awesome God! “Great is His faithfulness, His mercies are new every morning!”

Easter and Visitor Ideas – Build Stronger Relationships in Your Church

Easter “E” Ideas

Important: Schedule the “Spell It with an “R” Seminar at your church in weeks *& months immediately following Easter. Then the crowds see the church prioritizes Relationships. Feel free to use a new name like “Relationship Revolution” – whatever combination they feel will help the church best connect with their community.

Now Here You Go! The Big “E” Idea List for Easter!

• Find & use the “R” word in newer translations (example: 2 Cor 5:19-21 – use the included attachment as a great example).
• Apply the “Pastor of the Pew” idea – just for Easter or for ALL March/April.
• Give your Easter Message & plans a total “stem-to-stern” M.R.I. – A “Magnetic Relationship Image”. Look for an enriching a greater “R’ Emphasis in your weekly and post-Easter emphases, media, print items, ads, etc.
• Put the “R” intentionally into your Easter Salvation Sinner’s Prayer & Literature.
• Explain to your congregation: “People are not looking for a friendly church, they are looking for a Friend”. Can you unpack this briefly & help them to “get it”?
• Warm up tired phrases. Change “Newcomer” to “New Friends — or — “Newcomer/Vistor Reception” to “New Friends Center”.
• Use Testimonies of “Fruit That RRRRemained” – testimonies of those who gave hearts & lives to Christ last year.
• Remember your/ (& our Product) is “Changed Lives” and Life-change, not services, programs, or mere Christian information. Our product is Christ.
• Talk transparently & vulnerably. You as pastor and leader are the “C.R.O.” – Chief Relationship Officer. Share how and what God is doing in you and in your own personal RRRRRelationship with Jesus.
• Collect “What I like best about our church” one and 2-liners from the congregation about what they like best regarding your church. Pastor Mark
• Compile gifts to give to your new friends such as “Funniest Stories of Pastor Craig” – models from Shadow Mtn Communi Church, and Pastor David Jeremiah. They create a new one every year. Get a sample my good friend Pastor Craig Andrus. He includes one of these in every “New Friends” packet at Christian Heights AG, Sonora, CA. E-mail or call for more details.

Give THANKS to the Lord — HE IS Good!

How glorious, absolutely worthy & great our God is!

Think of the 1,000’s (countless) times He has shown His faithful heart & hand to you & me!

He is so totally worthy of our trust, our praise, our best – our all! What amazing love He has lavished (an ocean on our thimble), that we should be called the sons & daughters of the Living God. (I John 3:1).

“Lord, Am I grateful enough? – A brief but potent Thanks-Living Prayer?

Thanksgiving (the official day) has just passed us. But even now – let’s each one ask God’s help to make Thanks-Living day.

* Lord, give me a daily, unending attitude of gratitude!
* Lord: “How thank-ful is my tank-ful?
* How great-ful is my gratefulness, dear Lord?
* Lord, is my TLQ (my Thanks-Living Quotient) all You want it to be.

“Give thanks in (not for) but IN all things.” (I Th.5:18) can easily connect with Eph 5:1, ” Be ye filled (& continually re-filled) with God’s Holy Spirit of grace, power & agape love.

Book Recommendations

I’d like to recommend several books. Do you have any great “reads” that you would strongly recommend to others? Do you have any book reviews you yourself have written? Leave a comment below to share them with all of us!

• The Multi-Site Church Revolution: Being One Church in Many Locations (Leadership Network Innovation Series, The) by Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon, and Warren Bird
• Morph: The Texture of Leadership for Tomorrow’s Church by Ron Martoia
• Sacred Marriage by Gary L. Thomas

Open Letter of Encouragement

Time is flying and eternity is nigh’in,
People are dying, prisoners are sighing
But Jesus is setting souls free by His blood

God is using y-o-u! Be extremely encouraged. You have committed yourself and your life to the right cause, the Right Kingdom! Remember YOU are doing the most important work on the planet, more important than any King, President, CEO or ruler!

God is on your side and you are headed up to victory. So be encouraged! Remember whose ministry it is – not yours – it’s His! And let Him be God!

YOU are helping people find eternal Life and Re-relationship themselves through Jesus Christ and His eternal blood sacrifice back into the family of God.

Lord, please send real real-ational Revival. And Lord, Lord, please start revival and please start it in me – in the rocky, gray and not-on-fire portions of my heart, ministry and life, and relationships.

Those who pray for revival the least – need it the most.

Lord, send your Holy Spirit and commandeer of the fallow ground – in all of me.

Lord, please cultivate A-L-L of my heart into everything You, Heavenly Father, want, desire and plan for me to become for Your glory and honor. Cultivate Your usefulness and Your kingdom.

Lord, I pray that for my friends receiving this e-letter, that You mightily encourage them and bless the work of their hands, hearts and lives in Your Kingdom and for Your glory.

Keep on Loving even in a world of hate (Jn 16:33 & 7:7, I Jn.4:4,Ro.8:37-39)

Thanks for being who you are in the Lord Jesus and also in our lives!  This is quite a quote on love
from our brother CS Lewis.

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries, avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, –safe, dark, motionless, airless—it will change. It will not be broken;  it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable . . . . The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers. . . .of love. . .is Hell.”
CS Lewis,    The Four Loves,  Orlando, Harcourt Brace, 1960, page 169

Keep on loving…keep on loving….and finally.. Keep on loving!  (I Jhn 4 is really the love chapter, : I Cor.13 only has agape 9 times, 1 John 4 has agape in it 27 times! Rejoice! You are loved much, much, more than you think… by the perfect One Who alone knows you best ….and loves y-o-u the very, very most!

And atop this, check out John 17:23!  WOW!  Father, that they would know (Jesus prayed) that You love them…even as You love Me.”
Whoah! Hallelujah!

Being Up When You’re Down (Matthew 19:26/II Cor.12:9)

Romans 8:28 is alot easier to quote to others than oneself, yet somehow God is immeasureably over it ALL:

ALL our ups and ALL our downs…and He has wonderfully gotten us through this horrendous pre-Christmas computer crash thanks to y-o-u -r prayers, your help and His great faithfulness . If you didn’t recieve our JG Ministries Thanksliving e mail please e mail us to add yo to our free e-letter which is sent out every so often. Send to Jonathan@gainsbrugh.org

What is working for you in Spelling It with an “R” at your church: with converts, visitors, regulars, longtimers, absentees, pre-visitors and whomever. Please leave your comments here…. Thanks. Keep feasting! Jesus is the Feast! (John 6:53,63 & Rev.3:20)!!

Heres a lamb-care Hot-Tip: Check out Notreligion.com and refer it to ALL your new converts to help them. also we’re kicking around the idea of a New Convert Boutique for New Believers to be able to go in and pick out gifts that appeal to them….hae you tried it, ideas? suggestions? models for this or similar youknow of.. please share withme to sare with others. Thnx!