The current issue of Ministry Today for September-October with Dr. Mark Rutland, president of Oral Roberts University (ORU), as the guest editor, is now available.

With the theme on leadership, the issue features excellent articles, including ORU Dean Steve Greene's "A Shepherd in the Boardroom." Click here to read the pastor's role in mentoring business leaders.

You can also click here to read the Charisma News story on plans for Dr. Rutland to hand reigns of ORU to its next president in the summer of 2013. We have partnered with Dr. Rutland on the National Institute of Christian Leadership (NICL), which is an intense training and learning experience. There's still time to attend the next session, which will be held Nov. 7-9 at Strang Center in Lake Mary, Fla., the headquarters of Ministry Today.

Dr. Rutland, who has more than 30 years of business and ministry experience, offers leadership training that will positively impact your congregation and community. You can also plan to attend the four sessions of NICL in 2012: Feb. 6-8 (Leadership Management); March 26-28 (Staff & Volunteers: Building, Directing & Leading for Quality); Sept. 10-12 (Preaching & Worship: Excellence in Expression); and Nov. 12-14 (Turning the Ship: Strategic Leadership for Growth).

Several universities recognize Dr. Rutland's leadership training. By completing the four-session course, you can earn college credit towards your degree. For more information on the National Institute of Christian Leadership, contact Daniel Prince at daniel.prince@charismamedia.com, call him at 407-333-7106 or click here. read more

Charisma Media is offering a free "plug-in" from charismanews.com's popular News app, which you can put on your own website. It's an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed, so it's constantly updated dozens of time a week. This means your website is instantly updated and looks professional. Best of all, it's news you can trust from top-notch journalists who share your Spirit-filled perspective.

It can even be customized for your website. Let us show you how. We're rolling this out, so you can be one of the first to have it. Sign up today. It's free for now. It's our way to bless you, and to get the news we produce to a wider audience thanks to digital technology.

Please send us your contact information by calling 407-333-0600 and asking for Bob Cruz. You can also email him at bob.cruz@charismamedia.com, and he'll connect you with the right person.

Help us get out the word. Tell others about this free plug-in. Or give us leads of others who may want this who we can contact. You can also get the free Charisma app on your smart phone. In the app store, download "Charisma News" or text "charisma" to 46275.

Click here for more information on how to customize the Charisma News widget for your website.  read more

Check out some links below to recent stories from Charisma News that you'll find interesting and informative. You can also sign up to receive stories on your smart phone by signing up for the free app Charisma News by clicking here.

Paul Crouch Jr. Leaving TBN to Pursue New Opportunities

Robert H. Schuller Denies Allegations of Misused Funds

Mormon Cult Debate Divides Christian Leaders

More Pastors Plan to Preach Political Sermons

Zachery Tims' Mother Files Suit to Conceal Cause of Death read more

Focus on the Family named and began emphasizing Clergy Appreciation Month (CAM) in 1994, reminding congregations that it was biblical and proper to honor their pastoral staffs and pastoral families throughout the year, but suggesting that they set aside the month of October for a special tangible tribute.

Lee Grady has written an excellent column on Clergy Appreciation Month called "Your Pastor Is on the Firing Line—Please Pray!" which I urge you to read. Click here to read the column.

Click here to learn more about Clergy Appreciation Month or to download a free planning guide and resources for honoring pastors and their family in October. read more

The current issue of Ministry Today for September-October with Dr. Mark Rutland, president of Oral Roberts University, as the guest editor, is now available. I want to remind you about our partnership with Dr. Rutland on the National Institute of Christian Leadership (NICL). The next session will be held Nov. 7-9 at Strang Center in Lake Mary, Fla., the headquarters of Ministry Today.

Click on the image or here to watch a video of Dr. Rutland talking about how you can participate in the NICL.

Dr. Rutland, who has more than 30 years of business and ministry experience, offers leadership training that will positively impact your congregation and community. You can also plan to attend the four sessions of NICL in 2012: Feb. 6-8 (Leadership Management); March 26-28 (Staff & Volunteers: Building, Directing & Leading for Quality); Sept. 10-12 (Preaching & Worship: Excellence in Expression); and Nov. 12-14 (Turning the Ship: Strategic Leadership for Growth).

"This is not just a two-day event," Dr. Rutland said. "It's a life-expanding and leadership-expanding process spaced over the span of a year to transform you and encourage you to get back into the flow of higher education."

Several universities recognize Dr. Rutland's leadership training. By completing the four-session course, you can earn college credit towards your degree. For more information on the National Institute of Christian Leadership, contact Daniel Prince at daniel.prince@charismamedia.com, call him at 407-333-7106 or click here. read more

Check out some links below to recent stories from Charisma News that you'll find informative and interesting. You can also sign up to receive stories on your smart phone by signing up for the free app Charisma News by clicking here.

Sarah Palin Prayerfully Decides Not to Run for President

Osteen Willing to Vote for Candidate of Different Faith

Peter Wagner Addresses Apostolic Influence on American Politics

Survey: Most Bible Readers Want Accurate Word-for-Word Translation

Harold Camping: World Will End by Oct. 21 read more

Did you miss our recent conference call with Sharon Daugherty? You can listen to our touching conversation with the pastor of Victory Christian Center in Tulsa, Okla., by clicking here.

Along with her late husband, Billy Joe Daugherty, pastor Sharon founded Victory in 1981. Victory, which has a membership of 17,000, has planted more than 1,000 International Victory Bible Institutes in 98 countries.

The day after Billy Joe died on Nov. 29, 2009, pastor Sharon heard the Lord, "Philippians 1:21: 'For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.' Billy Joe lived for Me and now he is dead. He has gained, but you are still alive on earth and your life does not stop."

"The enemy wants to paralyze churches and ministries," pastor Sharon, who was married to Billy Joe for 36 years, shared during the conference call. "He wants us to be in a position of fear and moving backward, instead of forward. ... Yes, I had emotions at that time, but I didn't let my emotions direct me.

"I made a decision that I would be led by God," she added. "I confessed 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord.' It (her husband's death) didn't shake my faith in God."

Click here to read pastor Sharon's article on "Leading Through Loss" in the September-October issue of Ministry Today magazine, now available. read more

You can now catch the September-October issue of Ministry Today with Dr. Mark Rutland, president of Oral Roberts University (ORU), as the guest editor.

It's a great issue, and I believe you'll receive a lot from the theme on leadership—including Dr. Rutland's interview with David Green, the founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby. Born in a pastor's home, he began working at a local five-and-dime as a teen. After marrying his high school sweetheart, David and his wife, Barbara, began a small picture-frame shop, and in 1972 they opened their first retail store. Today, Hobby Lobby has more than 475 stores in 40 states.

In 2007, his family made national headlines when they pledged $70 million to ORU, which was $52 million in debt and facing unlawful termination lawsuits from three former professors. In the years since, ORU has experienced a dramatic turnaround in enrollment and financial stability.

Click here to read how David leads by giving.

Click here to subscribe to Ministry Today, so won't miss reading about some of the most influential and impactful ministries in the world. read more

If your church is in the West Coast, there is still time to attend Retailing ReBoot West. To be held Oct. 17-18 at Cottonwood Church in Los Alamitos, Calif., the event will offer training on how to launch and operate a church bookstore, as well as discussions, networking sessions and business meetings to help stores deal with the changes the industry is facing and prepare for the important Christmas season.

Retailing ReBoot West is being staged following the success of Christian Retailing magazine's Retailing ReBoot in Orlando, Fla., in April. Rose Seeley, manager of Cottonwood Bookstore at Cottonwood Church, said that the Orlando event gave her "more practical information and ideas than I have ever got from any one show I have been to."

She added: "I love ReBoot because of its size and atmosphere. It's intimate and therefore conducive to connecting and collaborating with others. And I'm so excited that Cottonwood Church is hosting the first Retail ReBoot West because that opportunity will be made more available to churches and other stores in the West."

Bayless Conley, senior pastor of Cottonwood Church, has seen the impact of church bookstores. "Others have pioneered, fought, struggled, discovered and walked with God before me ... and recorded their journey and the lessons they have learned," he said. "It would be foolish not to learn what we can from them. I consider the bookstore on our campus an indispensable aid in helping to equip the members of our congregation for their journey with God."

For more information on Retailing ReBoot West, contact Derek Bjork at derek.bjork@charismamedia.com, call him at 407-333-0600 ext. 2283 or click here. read more

Check out some links below to recent stories from Charisma News that you'll find informative and interesting. You can also sign up to receive stories on your smart phone by signing up for the free app Charisma News by clicking here.

Eddie Long's Church Wants Settlement Money Back

Solid Rock Church Pastor Lawrence Bishop Dies

'Love Wins' Author Rob Bell to Write Spiritual TV Series

James Dobson Released From Hospital After Accident

'Courageous' Film Shines Light on Fatherhood read more

This month our Ministry21 conference call is with Sharon Daugherty. Join us for an hour of interesting conversation with the pastor of Victory Christian Center in Tulsa, Okla., on Tuesday, Sept. 27, at 4 p.m. EDT, 3 p.m. CDT, 2 p.m. MDT and 1 p.m. PDT.

Share this with your friends. We are widely publicizing it, and we expect a lot of people on the call. Here is the call information: Dial-in number (712) 432-1001; access code: 430871248#.

Along with her late husband, Billy Joe Daugherty, pastor Sharon founded Victory Christian Center in 1981. Victory, which has a membership of 17,000, has planted more than 1,000 International Victory Bible Institutes in 98 countries. Pastor Daugherty is the host of Victory in Jesus, a daily broadcast that is transmitted via satellite to more than 200 nations. She is the author of several books, and has also produced 12 music CDs. She is the Oklahoma state director for Christians United for Israel and a graduate of Oral Roberts University.

Listen in as we to talk to pastor Sharon about leadership, the theme of the September-October issue of Ministry Today. Click here to read pastor Sharon's article on "Leading Through Loss" in the magazine's latest issue, now available.

Click here to subscribe to Ministry Today, so you can read about some of the most influential and impactful ministries in the world. read more

Charisma Media is now offering a free "plug-in" from charismanews.com's popular News app you can put on your own Web site. It's an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed, so it's constantly updated dozens of time a week, so your Web site is instantly updated and looks professional. Best of all, it's news you can trust from top-notch journalists who share your Spirit-filled perspective.

It can even be customized for your Web site. Let us show you how. We're rolling this out so you can be one of the first to have it. Sign up today. It's free for now. It's our way to bless you and to get the news we produce to a wider audience thanks to digital technology.

Please send us your contact information by calling 407-333-0600 and asking for Bob Cruz. You can also email him at bob.cruz@charismamedia.com and he'll connect you with the right person.

Help us get out the word. Tell others about this free plug-in. Or give us leads of others who may want this who we can contact. You can also get the free Charisma app on your smart phone. In the app store, download "Charisma News" or text "charisma" to 46275.

Click here for more information on how to customize the Charisma News widget for your Web site. read more

Courageous, the widely anticipated follow-up from a church in Georgia that made the hit movie Fireproof, will premiere in theaters nationwide later this week.

Set to hit your local cineplex on Friday, Sept. 30, Courageous addresses fatherhood through the lives of four police officers. Michael Catt is executive producer of the movie, and senior pastor of Courageous' film-making brothers Alex and Stephen Kendrick's home church, Sherwood Baptist Church, in Albany, Ga.

Boosted by grass-roots support and bulk ticket purchases from churchgoers, Fireproof made $33.4 million at the box office, despite a modest $500,000 budget from Sherwood Baptist. The top independent movie release of 2008, which starred Kirk Cameron as a firefighter who turns to God to save his marriage, has been credited with rescuing countless marriages.

Courageous has been heavily marketed to the faith-based community, especially pastors' screenings. The producers have created a ministry resource site, which includes clips, sermon outlines and small group materials, as well as multiple related products. Click here for more information.

A faith-based marketing firm, Lovell-Fairchild Communications has promoted Courageous through Charisma Media.

For more information on advertising faith-based films and related resources, contact Ann Marie Kelly at AMKelly@charismamedia.com, call her at 407-333-0600 x 2244 or click here. read more

It was interesting to attend the Republican presidential debate in Orlando, Fla., last week as a member of the media. Charisma and our other magazines don't usually cover debates like this, and I wouldn't have attended had it not been in my hometown. It was broadcast live on Fox News and, truth be told, I could've seen it better on TV at home.

Even though I took notes on what the candidates said, I knew my readers either watched the debate or could read more extensive articles elsewhere. The question I had to ask was: "Where is God in all this? How does this affect the Spirit-filled community?

Click here to read my full report, in case you missed it. read more

Check out some links below to recent stories from Charisma News that you'll find interesting and informative. You can also sign up to receive stories on your smart phone by signing up for the free app Charisma News by clicking here.

'Love Wins' Author Rob Bell Leaves Mars Hill Bible Church

Jersey Church Hands Out $30,000 in 'Reverse Offering'

Pastor Challenges Sinning Couples to Marry With Free Wedding Offer

T.D. Jakes, Religious Leaders, See Troy Davis Execution as Tragedy

YWAM Plans London Olympics Youth Outreaches read more

The third of four sessions of Dr. Mark Rutland's National Institute of Christian Leadership (NICL) this year was held last week in Tulsa, Okla. I had the privilege of attending, and it was as good if not better than any of the previous sessions Dr. Rutland has done.

Click here to watch a video of Dr. Rutland talking about how you can participate in the NICL.

The topic of last week's NICL was on Public Speaking, Preaching and the Relationship of the Pastor with the Music Minister. Dr. Rutland gave one of the most interesting analysis I've heard on the growth and evolution of Christian music over the years, and he compared it with what was happening with secular music at the same time. It was very fascinating. It dealt a lot with the cultural issues of what's going on in the church and the world.

Dr. Rutland also showed a funny video on worship, which was shared by one of the NICL attendees, and we thought you would enjoy it. Click here to watch the Wrong Worship: Inspirational Videos. Please let us know what you think by posting your thoughts on our Facebook page.

The next session (Turning the Ship: Strategic Leadership for Growth) of the NICL is to be held Nov. 7-9 at Strang Center in Lake Mary, Fla., located near Orlando, and the headquarters of Ministry Today.

You can also plan to attend the four sessions of the NICL in 2012: Feb. 6-8 (Leadership Management); March 26-28 (Staff & Volunteers: Building, Directing & Leading for Quality); and Sept. 10-12 (Preaching & Worship: Excellence in Expression). Several universities recognize Dr. Rutland's leadership training. By completing the four-session course, you can earn college credit towards your degree.

For more information on the NICL, contact Daniel Prince at daniel.prince@charismamedia.com, call him at 407-333-7106 or click here. read more

You can now catch the September-October issue of Ministry Today with Dr. Mark Rutland, president of Oral Roberts University, as the guest editor.

It's a great issue, and I believe you'll glean a lot from the theme on leadership. Leadership is one of the main ingredients God uses, and leadership principles can be taught—a truth that's often overlooked in charismatic/Pentecostal circles. That's why we asked Dr. Rutland to be guest editor of this issue and share his wisdom. I have a lot of respect for Dr. Rutland. I've personally benefited from his leadership teaching, even though I've been a leader almost as long as Dr. Rutland.

Click here to read my why I consider him Dr. Turnaround. You can also click here to subscribe to Ministry Today, so you can always read about some of the most influential and impactful ministries in the world. read more

Well, Ministry21 Network is in lights at night if you drive down Rinehart Road, past our Charisma Media headquarters in Lake Mary, Fla.

Even though we have more than 15 brands, we could only pick two for the sign. I felt Ministry21 would represent the ministry aspect to our organization. (By the way, Casa Creacion is our Spanish group and the Wellness Center is a tenant.)

Members have given great testimonials about the benefits of Ministry21. Click here to read some of the testimonials, and here to find out how you can be part of this exciting network. read more

There are more Christian movies hitting our local cineplex than ever before, which is great news. Two films that come out this month—Seven Days in Utopia and Courageous—offer pastor resource sites as well as other materials for churches.

Based on the Christian novel Golf's Sacred Journey: Seven Days at the Links of Utopia, Seven Days in Utopia stars Academy Award-winners Robert Duvall and Melissa Leo.

In the sports drama, young Texas golfer Luke Chisholm (Lucas Black) drops out of the sport after being publicly humiliated during a tournament. When Chisholm unexpectedly gets stranded in Utopia, Texas for a week, he meets an eccentric rancher and former professional golfer Johnny Crawford (Duvall) who teaches him not only about a better swing, but a better way of life.

Seven Days in Utopia is "a rare G-rated film that Christian adults can enjoy without having to leave their values at the altar," according to one pastor.

The film has been heavily marketed to the faith-based community, especially pastors' screenings. The producers have created a ministry resource site, which includes clips, sermon outlines and small group materials. Click here for more information. A faith-based marketing firm based near Hollywood, Grace Hill Media has promoted Seven Days in Utopia through Charisma Media.

For more information on advertising faith-based films and related resources, contact Ann Marie Kelly at AMKelly@charismamedia.com, call her at 407-333-0600 x 2244 or click here. read more