July 2007

Celebrate Freedom

Dave Ping, Executive Director

"I'm too busy!" is the outcry we frequently hear from church leaders across the country. One factor that contributes to this frantic pace is that many pastors operate as jack-of-all-trades. With a majority of the congregation passively watching, the pastor, on the other hand, is a one-man show - preaching, counseling, evangelizing, visiting, teaching, etc. At times s/he even has to take out the trash and lock up the building.

Wouldn't it be awesome if the entire congregation were mobilized to visit the sick, to pray for the needy, to teach the children, and yes, to take out the trash? One reason people don't get involved in ministry is because they don't feel qualified. The pastor is the one with the degree and training, and he alone is qualified to "do" ministry, so the thinking goes. After all, that's what s/he is being paid to do.

Scripture tells us differently. "It was he (Christ) who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up." Ephesians 4:11-12. According to apostle Paul, the pastor and church leader's job is to equip the believers for works of service. Ministry is to be done by everyone. The pastor is to equip and prepare them.

EMI's calling is to come alongside church leaders in fulfilling their role of equipping the believers for ministry. EMI's practical training has been empowering ordinary people to do significant ministry for over twenty years. We've seen countless stories of ordinary believers equipped to minister, like a stay-at-home mom helping numerous neighbors find Christ; a retiree training a team of leaders to start a lay counseling ministry; a software engineer overseeing small group ministry and raising up new small group leaders in their denomination. EMI's training is effective. You gain not just knowledge, but also hands-on experience. EMI's training is also transferable. Imagine an entire congregation, equipped and mobilized, actively involved in ministry, reaching out to non-believers, serving others. We long to see the church unleashed.

A hunger for freedom is woven into the very fabric of the United States. As we celebrate the founding of this country, can you picture your congregation free to experience all that God designed and intended it to be? Can you see the pastors and leaders free to lead and equip as God calls them to? Now that would be something to celebrate!

Come experience EMI's empowering training at the upcoming LIFE Seminar on July 13-14 in Cincinnati, OH.

Call 513-742-1100 or 800-EMI-GROW (364-4769)

More info on LIFE seminar.

Marriage -- A Blessing or a Struggle?

EMI's COUPLES course maximizes the blessings!

Our Caring Couples II course is designed to ignite hope and joy!

Every marriage needs a boost of blessing and guidance. The stress, troubles, and even blessings of daily life pull a husband and wife away from the time needed for meaningful care and communication. Take time out to strengthen your love for one another!

You will see how to celebrate temperament differences -- and to maximize how they influence communication and intimacy.
You will learn concrete ways to maneuver through disagreements in constructive and respectful ways.

EMI Director and lead teacher for COUPLES Dave Ping says, "I have a commitment to making this experience relevant and FUN!"

As one participant, Lisa H. commented, "This is the first marriage seminar I've taken that actually teaches how to apply what we learned!"

Bob H. from Anderson, IN said, "I feel a special closeness to my wife from experiencing this weekend. This course is perfect for enhancing your relationship. It's general enough to fit everyone's needs, yet specific enough to fulfill God's desire for your life."

We hope to see you there!

Caring Couples II will be offered August 3-4, 2007, in Cincinnati, OH.

More info about the course. Register online for the course. Call 513-742-1100. 800-EMI-GROW(364-4769).

The Marriage "RDD" Factor

: Bob and Janice on their wedding day

: Janice and Bob today

From Desperation to Harmony
Janis and Bob Lerer

"RDD" is a phrase we coined to describe the challenging times in our marriage. We call it Relational Deficit Disorder. It isn't exactly a medical diagnosis, but since we are both in the medical professions, it spoke to us in a language we understand. We both know today in our hearts that without the tools that we learned from EMI, our marriage would have been history years ago, because we were suffering from "RDD".

Our four year courtship was fun and romantic! We got married and things fell apart practically overnight. We wondered, "What went so wrong so fast?" We each tried to win every argument. We didn't have an inkling of how to put God at the center of our marriage. We were headed for divorce and we knew it. Our kids avoided us and our counselor said we were like two cats with our tails tied together, thrown over a clothesline. It seemed hopeless.

Out of desperation, we decided to take EMI's Caring Couples class. It was the turning point in our marriage. We learned about personality and gender differences. We learned to value our differences in order to compliment each other. As we learned to listen, the intimacy in our relationship grew to a new level, including spiritual intimacy. Our children and friends observed huge changes in us and asked us what happened that we were in such harmony. God has used EMI to change our marriage dramatically. Yes, sometimes we fall back into old ways and suffer short spells of "RDD." But we know the remedy and the importance of not letting our relationship tools get rusty. Thank you EMI!