The Pursuit of Excellence Developing Your Personal Ministry: "New Enlightenments"

By Bishop Leroy C. E. Newman and Pastor Israel E. Newman

This book is about building Christian character and the development of ones personal ministries, which includes integrity, commitment, dedication, and devotion. It assures believers that God will never take them any place in their ministries where they are forced to retreat.
Bishop Newman

Ministry is one of the most important assignments our Savior has commissioned to the church. Each member has an assigned purpose or call for the cause of Christ. How seriously you take that calling will determine your level of maturity as a believer. My father and I have devoted this text to helping believers achieve spiritual maturity.

Timothy Keller, in his book Ever Good Endeavor, says, A story begins when something knocks life off balance. Then the progresses, of the plot thickens, as the protagonists struggle to restore that balance and peace while antagonistic forces block and resist them. Finally, the story ends as the struggle results in either the restoration of balance or the failure to recover it. Thats a good story!

As baptized believers, our lives have been knocked off balance by the wiles of the devil, and by grace, we are seeking restoration through the blood of Jesus, who was wounded for our transgression and bruised for our iniquities. Our strategy for restoration and development toward Christian maturity and Christlikeness must be based on our commitment, dedication, and devotion to the Will of God.
Pastor Israel E. Newman

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Feb 11, 2015
• ISBN: 9781496967350

Bishop Leroy C. E. Newman

Bishop Leroy C. E. Newman has been a pastor of the Friendly Church of the Apostolic Faith and the general overseer of Friendly Church Ministries International for thirty-nine years. He holds a bachelor of science degree in sociology and a masters and PhD in the sociology of religion. He is a graduate of Ely High School in Pompano Beach, Florida. Born to sharecroppers, Bishop Newman worked in the farm with his grandparents, John and Rosa Lee. He is the oldest of eleven brothers and sisters. He owes his ministry development to his Aunt Millie, who introduced him to Christ. Bishop is married with three children of his own: Israel, Tramain, and Laroi. His wife, Mattie, is an accomplished soloist, who has two recordings of her own. In addition to the ministry, Bishop Newman is the vice president of educational services at Global Business Institute, where he has served for twenty-eight years. Bishop believes that commitment, dedication, and devotion turns vision into reality, and that God will never take you anywhere where you are forced to retreat.

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2015 Bishop Leroy Newman. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 02/10/2015

ISBN: 978-1-4969-6734-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-6735-0 (e)

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Accknowledgments

The pursuit of excellence

Introduction

My father

Faith

Frar

Affirmations

Vision

Opposition to vision

Goals

Prove your ministry by faith

Maturity

Giving

Focus

The gift of discernment

Leadership

The servant leadership

The ministry of personality

Ministry changing challenges

About the Author

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations in this book are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Bibles: New Internation Verson

New King James Verson

American Standard Bible

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

ACCKNOWLEDGMENTS

The Pulpit Commentary, Edited by H.D. Spence and Joseph S. Exell, Volumes 1-22; Wm. B. Erdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan

PC Bible, Mathew Henry’s commentary, Kell and Delitzsch on the Old Testament

Strategic Thinking for the ’90s, The Pacific Institute

Global Business Institute, Mike Hatten and Moshe Weder for exposures to the TPI instrument and the opportunity prove the theories note in this text.

Hebrews – Better things Volume 1 - Daniel Segreaces

World aflame Adult Teacher’s – Pentecostal Publishing House

THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE

Developing Your Personal Ministries

New Enlightenments

Many of those who have read this book read it because of their relationship with a friend who recommended it or because of their relationship with me or Pastor Israel or with someone connected to the church Pastor Israel is now pastoring or with one of the Churches over which I am presiding prelate and General Overseer.

No matter for what reason you have for reading it, I’m convinced that it will change your life. The one thing I hope to do as you read this book is to change the way you think.

It is said, There is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so. The truth is, "As a man thinketh, so is he, Proverb 23:7. The writer here is saying that things are not always what they appear to be. I know we always look at this verse positively, but it is referring to a man who invites a company to dinner but really didn’t want them to enjoy the food; it’s like have someone smile in your face and talk about you behind your back. I once knew a lady that was so unattractive that people laughed at her; she was too young and too poor to do anything about it; however, there was something in her character that those who laughed at her didn’t have. She had a positive perception of life. This lady loved herself; and accepted herself the way she was; she didn’t waste time trying to make herself appear to be someone or something she was not. If we accept ourselves the way we are, we will have won half the battle.

One of the most important steps we must take in our pursuit of excellence has to do with developing a relationship with ourselves. We may be overweight, unattractive and poor, but if we love ourselves, our pursuit of excellence will soon become a reality.

Although being attractive may have played a part in helping some achieve success in their pursuit of excellence, not being attractive should not prevent us from living our dreams or stepping into our purpose. How you feel about yourself is important but not the final say as to the fulfillment of one’s destiny.

The key to fulfillment and stepping into of one’s purpose is faith and trust in God. Purpose has nothing to do with the physical; for in it there is no spiritual value. When we trust in the arms of the flesh we deceive ourselves and deny ourselves of the riches of God Graces.

Paul admonishes us to "Trust in the Lord, and lean not unto your own understanding but in all our ways acknowledge Him (God) and He shall direct your path (your will, your going in and coming out) Proverbs 3:5-6.

In Proverbs 3, the preacher, is saying to every believer that, although there is much to be gained by embracing natural wisdom, we must not lean to our own understanding, or self-sufficiency, or self-dependence or even our own self- sacrificing; that which is more beneficial in our walk with God is our devotion and our total reliance on Him and our patient submissiveness to His Divine Will for us.

INTRODUCTION

For many years I worked on this book; it is the synthesis of the many books I’ve read over the years and the personal experiences I’ve shared with other ministers, pastors, and lay members through out my ministry. The Lord has given me the unique opportunity to view the church from several perspectives; as Pastor, Bishop and Presiding Prelate over an international ministry; I’ve witness failure and success, despondency and elation, sorrow and happiness among the servants of the Most High with whom I’ve interacted over the years.

I’ve witnessed both respect for and disrespect toward leadership, support and challenge to vision, commitment, dedication, and devotion, as well as a lack thereof; I have written this text for a variety of reasons, but mostly because of an increase of negative attitudes toward worship by a younger generation of believers and a lack of commitment by young evangelists and ministers who, in order to turn their visions into reality, must develop their Christian character and become more Christ like in their personal walk with God.

Much of what we do as pastors and as church leaders is out of necessity and due to a lack of faithfulness and lay involvement in the day-to-day operations of ministry by other members of the fellowships. When members of the fellowship fails to do what is necessary to make ministry work, the leaderships of ministry must still get the job done, even if they have to do it themselves. In this book I will define, from my perception, several official terms and the scope of their ministry, such as pastor, deacon, ministry, lay member, etc; Let me stop and give some acolytes to some of those individuals who helped me in put this book together. Sister Jannie Moore, my sons, Israel who is co-authoring the book with me, Tramain, and Emory; my wife, Mattie and many other members of the church; Co-pastor Henry Nicholson and Shepherd Mother, Bertha Mea Nicholson; Carol and Peggy Nicholson; Annette Grant who through my wife brought me to Friendly. There are others who in there own ways have given their support in my ministry. Many of the books I have read over the years came from the Scarsdale Women’s Club in Scarsdale, NY. I’m greatly indebted to all who gave even the smallest bit of support.

Pastor Israel’s contribution to this book Is valuable to the growth and development of many who attend our church and who live in our church community. I’m amazed at how quickly after his assignment as pastor became reality at how many members of the local community gravitated to his ministry. Members of the community who are not members of our local church often stop by to say we see what you are doing and we like it it is as if we have a satellite church.

The first printing of this book took place around the time of the World Trade Center