In the book Developing a Giving Church, Dr. Stan Toler shares his "pocket principles - a series of insights he feels a church should consider as it constructs its stewardship plan. Here is an excerpt from the book, reprinted with the author's permission, and additional commentary by Presiding Bishop Ronald Carpenter.

1. Money in one pocket usually will not go for projects of another pocket. The emotional or spiritual commitment of members usually does not transfer from one project to another.
   
2. Finances that are not given to the local church will usually go to an interdenominational or humanitarian agency. Postponing a fund raising campaign usually means the church is losing money it could otherwise use.
   
3. Church leaders are not aware of what members have in their pockets until the members are presented with a financial challenge. People give in response to a challenge, and their preference is unknown until they give.
   
4. Once a member’s pocket is opened, that member will give again from that same pocket with the same motivation to the same kind of need.

Here are the six pockets of giving, as identified by Stan Toler:

Number one is the maintenance pocket. The givers from this pocket are the general operation givers. They are the people who are just going to give to the general fund. They are concerned with providing funds for utilities, salaries, supplies, and general maintenance. They tithe and that’s it—not much else.

The second pocket is the missions pocket. When you’ve said “World Missions” to people with this pocket, you’ve said it all. When it comes to raising dollars for overseas ministries, you can always count on them being on board. Certain members want most of their money to go to outreach, usually out of the concern for the Great Commission. Here is where MISSIONAL THINKING about the church in America comes into play for these givers.

A third pocket is the benevolence pocket. This is the “cup of cold water person”—the person who is always interested in helping the homeless or the hungry. One church has a group that receives an offering every Wednesday night just to help take care of the homeless in the community, and the people in this group are thankful to support that cause.

The fourth giving pocket is the building pocket. Their cause is brick and mortar. They’re the first to offer a “challenge gift” when raising funds for a new family life center. They propose the paving of the parking lot. They want the facilities expanded. They’re the volunteer members of the committee on building the new family life center or helping to fund a new church plant.

Number five is the education pocket. Because some church members value higher education, they direct their money to the denomination’s Bible college or liberal arts college or possible the church discipleship program. Receive an offering for a new educational venture and they are all ears!

A sixth and final pocket is the evangelism pocket. These are individuals who have a desire to see the world come to know Christ. When you say, “Let’s evangelize the world,” they’ll be right there to help you in the process.

You may or may not feel that all of Toler’s principles and pockets are relevant to your church. His insights, however, point to three universal rules for developing an effective stewardship emphasis:

1. People give to ministries, not budgets. Sharing the VISION and impact of these ministries is critical.
   
2. Ministry needs, progress in meeting those needs, and stories of ministries completed must be communicated often.
   
3. People have giving preferences, and they respond to opportunities to give to ministries that have special appeal to them.

Christian Churches Together enables churches and national Christian organizations to grow closer together in Christ in order to strengthen our Christian witness in the world. The IPHC has been a member of this organization for several years.

"Christian Churches Together offers a space that is inclusive of the diversity of Christian families in the United States — Evangelical, Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Pentecostals, historic Protestant, Racial and Ethnic churches. Until CCT came into existence, there was no national process in the United States to bring together churches from all the major groupings or families of churches."

CCT has released recordings of its speakers from the 2010 Annual Meeting in Seattle. The focus of this year's meeting was Evangelism. If you would like to learn more about CCT or listen to the 2010 speakers, click here.

Here are some testimonies we've received about Accelerant 2010. If you want to share your testimony, email news@iphc.org.

We enjoyed Accelerant so much.  And the snow was an added blessing since we seldom see any.  We had almost as many adults go from our church as we did kids.  Our youth are so pumped up they are about to float away.  Thanks! - Faye P.

As a small child, I was abused by my biological dad.  My mom married a man she met a church, and he adopted me.  He is now a pastor.

I expected [Accelerant] to be like last year, get on fire, then get home and the whole youth group loses it.  But boy did I get proved wrong.  Saturday morning my body was just hurting so bad that I was to the point of crying, and one of the guys from [Eddie James Ministries] came down from the stage towards our youth group, and one of my youth leaders told him she wanted him to pray for me.  He started praying for me and I received the Holy Ghost, and God spoke to me and said, "Your biological dad may not have treated you like he loved you, but I am here for you now." After they finished praying for me, I felt no pain at all. 

[On Sunday] Eddie James had us form a prayer tunnel and I went through, and came out speaking in tongues again.  I went to the back where they carried all the people who fell out in the Spirit in the prayer tunnel, and I was wandering around speaking in tongues because I just couldn't stand still.  I was dancing, and even after that my body felt no pain at all.  By the time we left, everyone was packing up the stage and we were the only youth group left there. My youth leaders had to help me back to the hotel because I was drunk in the Spirit and still speaking in tongues. We go to the hotel and I was still speaking in tongues two hours after we got back.

I can't wait to go back to school, and I'm gonna stay on fire so I can light other people's matches!  - Name Witheld

Just wanted to thank all who helped pull Accelerant together. It was a fantastic opportunity for our kids.  We were ALL truly blessed and two were saved from our youth group Saturday night!  Eddie James and his team were amazing... hope they come back, as we plan to return next year! Thank you again... God Bless! - Jonell W.

Our kids gave testimonies Wednesday night.  The Accelerant trip really was a great help to so many.  We had teen girls talk about being free from sexual sin, freedom from suicidal thoughts, depression, etc. It was one of those nights that God moved so strongly that you know peopel will never be the same. Thanks for all the work you guys do with Accelerant.  The weekend was a great catalyst for change in those that went which affected the ones that did not go too. - Brock

Seek God for the City is a 40 Day Prayer Initiative that begins on February 17 and concludes on Palm Sunday (March 28). Waymakers has provided the Body of Christ with a tool to pray for and affect community transformation.

The tendency of many is to pray for things that immediately concern them, or the people in their inner circle. Seek God for the City gives us a plan which enables us to impact entire communities, work places, and neighborhoods by saturation prayer.

Intentionally planning a time of saturation prayer and mobilizing a team to pray for everyone in their community is the right thing to do according to 1 Timothy 2:1-4. "First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all people....This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

"First of all" means that it's a top priority. Since God desires for all people to be saved his Word urges us to expand our prayers to match the heart of God.

Jesus reveals God's passion for every person in the Parable of the Lost Sheep. "What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying?" (Matthew 18:12).

We see the heart of God again in Matthew 9:36 "Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36).

"Then He said to His disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.'"

The point is this: That God is watching and working in every person's life. But God works in accordance with the prayers of His people. I encourage everyone to pray and make God’s hand evident in our community, workplace and neighborhoods by joining WayMakers, IPHC and many others during these forty days of focused prayer.

^{Editor's Note: This post was written by Dr. Doug Beacham, Executive Directof of World Missions.  Dr. Beacham's post is one of a series of guest posts on Lent.}

Ash Wednesday begins forty days of intentional discipleship reflection on the meaning of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These forty days, known in the churches of the west (Protestant, Roman Catholic) as “Lent,” and in the churches of the east (Orthodox) as “Great Lent,” continue through Holy Week and conclude on Holy Saturday before Easter Sunday.

These forty days reflect the forty days that Jesus spent in the wilderness combating and overcoming the temptations of Satan: temptations that challenged Jesus’ identity as the Son of God (Matthew 3:3) and were manifested through power, arrogance, and trust in the material things of this world. These were not the final temptations of Jesus life (Luke 4:13), but the forty day encounter provided the needed spiritual preparation for our Lord’s ministry of the Kingdom of God.

The word “Lent” is a Teutonic word that originally meant the spring season. The practice of spiritual preparation during this season, often accompanied by intense fasting, dates back to the early centuries of the Christian faith when new converts prepared for their baptism, usually on Eastern Sunday. By the fourth and fifth centuries the practice had evolved to something similar to what we know today.

I grew up in the 1950s and 60s, a time when Christianity was more culturally pronounced in American life. So Lent was known to me though not particularly practiced in the Pentecostal Holiness Church. But two things occurred in the early 1970s that made this season more important to me.

First, I attended a Presbyterian seminary that opened more doors of understanding about many of the practices of the larger Christian community.

Second, through the ministry of the late Rev. Carl Campbell, then pastor of the Ray of Hope IPHC in Richmond, VA, I learned that these practices were not antithetical to our IPHC heritage, especially with our strong roots through John Wesley into the Anglican tradition. In those days, Ray of Hope had a large number of Spirit-baptized attendees from liturgical churches but who longed for the vibrancy and spiritual immediacy of Pentecostalism. Pastor Campbell wisely understood that they also needed connections to their roots and often used the church calendar, including the colors of the church year, in the Sunday services. It had a profound impact on me.

This year for Lent I am focusing my devotional Biblical reading on the three passion prophecies of the Synoptic Gospels (e.g., Mark 8:31-33; 9:30-32; 10:32-34), and the three passages in the Gospel of John where Jesus speaks of Himself as being “lifted up,” an obvious metaphor of His death on the Cross (John 3:14; 8:28; 12:32).

In this season I often think of the closing lines from Albert Schweitzer’s The Quest for the Historical Jesus, "He comes to us as one unknown, without a name, as of old by the lakeside, he came to those men who knew him not. He speaks to us the same words, "Follow thou me!", and sets us to the tasks which he has to fulfill for our time. He commands. And to those who obey him, whether they be wise or simple, he will reveal himself in the toils, the conflicts, the sufferings which they shall pass through in his fellowship, and, as an ineffable mystery, they shall learn in their own experience who he is."

^{Editor's Note: The following piece is submitted by Rev. Kevin Sneed, an IPHC missionary to Kenya.  Kevin's post is the first in a series of guest posts about the Season of Lent.} 

^{“Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent. Create in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging ourwretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” – The Book of Common Prayer}

I never knew there was such a thing as Lent or Ash Wednesday until my second year of high school. I attended an IPHC church my whole life with almost perfect attendance in Sunday School but never heard of such things. “What is Lent,” I asked my teacher when she announced that she was giving up coke for the season. The only “lint” I knew of came from the dryer or my pockets.

“It is a preparation period 40 days before Easter,” she explained.

“Why do you need 40 days to prepare for Easter?”

“Because I have to prepare my heart,” she said.

Prepare your heart? What does that mean? I was confused but wanted to understand. She invited me to attend an “Ash Wednesday” service at the large Methodist church in town.I went. The sanctuary was less than half full. The lights were dim and the people were very quiet. The hardwood floor made so much noise as I entered I almost tiptoed to an empty seat. The service was all about sin and the need to ask forgiveness. There was a call to prayer and a call to mourn the death of Jesus who died on behalf of our sins. This was a completely new idea for me, that I could (and should) mourn the death of Jesus. I thought about that intently until the Pastor called everyone to the front for the “imposition of the ashes.” He explained that a Biblical picture of mourning including the covering of one’s self in ashes as an outward sign. I stood in line until my turn came and I walked back to my seat with the shape of the cross formed by ashes on my forehead.

As the service ended I felt hesitant to leave. But I noticed the other people quickly shuffling around and making their way towards the door. They all seemed sleepy or, at least,unimpressed. I remained for a moment to stare at a cross, a symbol of the death and suffering of Jesus and I began to mourn for Him.

I believe that for many people in that church, the Ash Wednesday service and the season of Lent was an old, dry, dead tradition. But to me, who had never heard the liturgy or found the need to mourn for Jesus, it was a moment of profound spiritual significance. I determined that day to give up something for Lent and take time to regularly mourn for Jesus and consider my sinfulness for which Jesus died.

Easter Sunday came and as usual I was in attendance at my IPHC church. Hearing the story of the resurrection of Jesus brought me great joy. He may have died for my sins but He arose again! After spending over 40 days contemplating my sin and Jesus’ death it made Easter much more meaningful. Jesus overcame! Yet as the service concluded I took notice of the congregation. They all seemed sleepy or, at least, unimpressed.They quickly shuffled towards the door and began to travel home for a larger than usual lunch.

At that moment I realized the significance of Lent. Lent is not just a dry, dead tradition that Christians observe 40 days before another old, dry tradition. Lent is the means by which we prepare our hearts to celebrate and receive the good news of Easter. If you do not mourn someone’s death how can we celebrate their resurrection? If you do not contemplate the magnitude or consequences of your sin, why would you rejoice when you hear the news that victory over sin has been won. If you are tired of leaving the church unfulfilled on Easter Sunday, try practicing Lent and prepare your heart for this year’s celebration.

I have now been observing Lent for 12 years. During the season I mourn the death of Jesus and the suffering he had to endure on account of my sin. I remind myself of the reason Christ died, because I was a sinner in need of salvation. I revisit the pit from which Jesus rescued me, not to throw myself back in but to remember my inability to get myself out. I force myself to confront the cross he had to bear and the pain it brought him. (A trip around a “Stations of the Cross” will assist you in this.) I spiritually, and sometimes physically, wear the ashes of sorrow for my savior who died. I pray the 400 year old prayer written above that still rings true for me today. Do not view Lent as a dead tradition. Embrace it as a means of drawing closer to God and I assure you, not only the season but the person of Jesus will come alive within you once more.

“Jesus paid it all; all to him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain; He washed it white as snow.”

BETHANY, O.K. – Southwestern Christian University will present “The Music Man” February 25-27. Performances will be at 7:00 p.m. each night with an additional matinee performance at 2:00 p.m. February 27. All performances take place in the Minchew Auditorium on the west end of the Bethany campus, located at 7210 NW 39th Expressway.

The musical tells the story of traveling salesman Harold Hill’s visit to a small Iowa town in 1912. While there, he meets and falls in love with the willful, spinster librarian, Marian Paroo. With his fast-talking style, "Professor" Harold Hill convinces the town that unless they adopt his revolutionary music program, the youngsters of River City will be forever doomed. He cons the town parents into buying instruments and expensive uniforms to form the River City Boys Band. Chaos ensues as Hill's credentials are questioned and he is called upon to prove himself to the citizens of River City.

The production features several well-known songs, including Ya Got Trouble and Till There Was You.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for senior adults or students with ID. Children 12 and under are free. Group discounts are also available. For reservations or more information, email tickets@swcu.edu.

^{Southwestern Christian University is a private, four-year Christian university located on a beautifully wooded campus in the Bethany area of metropolitan Oklahoma City. SCU was founded in 1946 by the International Pentecostal Holiness Church and embraces the Holiness, Pentecostal, and Charismatic traditions. A growing Christian liberal arts university, Southwestern currently offers an Associate of Arts degree, eighteen Bachelors degree options, and a Master of Ministry degree with five areas of concentration.}

^{Editor's Note: This post was originally featured on Chris Maxwell's blog and he offered to share it with us.  With the Lenten season starting this Wednesday, we wanted to share this important topic with you.}

The topic didn't put an immediate smile on my face. I could almost hear my stomach growl while planning the presentation. I wanted to pause the study, forget the subject, and drive down the road to order a pork sandwich plate. With chips. And red velvet cake.

But, I stuck to the subject. A subject discussed in Scripture and practiced through the years. A subject often misunderstood and applied improperly. A subject we need to remember and receive.

Fasting. Saying goodbye to food - or other things we normally depend upon - to invest time and dedication to prayer, intercession, petition, meditation, and devotion. Subtracting a portion of our normal routine in order to add more time with the Listener.

When hoping to help students learn, teachers have the honor of learning from their students. Our discussion regarding fasting taught me. The decisions students made revealed their passion, their willingness to pursue time with God, their dedication to Him.

We talked about giving up food, about biblical references, about historical understanding, about impure motives, about books explaining fasting, about seeking medical permission and advice, about other methods of fasting. The students made valuable decisions as they dedicated a spiritual addition through a willing subtraction of common, habitual routines.

Any guesses? Music. Text messages. Facebook. Twitter. Video games. Movies. Time with friends. And food.

Adding time with God by subtracting our routine can be healthy. It isn't seeking to improve our ranking or score religious points or lure God into action. It shouldn't take the place of caring for others. Scripture rebukes the fake effort toward religious stat sheets. Fasting is to never be seen as a means toward improving our spiritual grade. Or losing weight. But proper fasting is needed. It moves us away from what we normally do; it moves us toward a new place with a new mind and a new perspective.

So, take a little time to investigate your use of time. Subtract a little of your routine to add an experience with God. Ask. Seek. Knock. Listen. Think. Learn. Meditate. In silence, in petition, in intercession, in reverence. Removing the normal and entering the spiritual. Noticing the spiritual in the normal. Finding God in the nearby, the regular, the real. And choosing to value the importance of Him.

Give it a try.

Along the way,
Chris Maxwell

Powerful Statement: This physical awareness of emptiness is the reminder to turn to Jesus who alone can satisfy.
(Spiritual Disciplines Handwork: Practices That Transform Us, Adele Ahlberg Calhoun)

When the webcast began in September 2009, we envisioned a global communication tool that would reach conference leaders and pastors around the world. We wanted to provide training, assistance, and a platform for connecting these individuals as they strive to lead our church into a new decade. We named the program "Thrust 20" as an indication that our church is looking forward to the year 2020. Originally, the program was intended to be a quarterly communication specifically for church leadership.

We quickly learned that our initial vision was too small! We received an overwhelming response from lay leaders and church members who wanted to be a part of the webcast, too. The majority of people wanted a monthly interactive experience that would allow them to connect with our leaders and other IPHC members around the world. We needed to CAST a larger vision... so that's exactly what we've done.

Our new monthly format will involve more people,have more diverse content, and will involve multiple communication sources. The monthly program is just the foundation. During each webcast, you'll engage with other viewers around the world in a round-table discussion. Through our
redesigned resource library, you can use these teachings at training events, in small groups, and in presentations. You'll even be able to share the newscast in your weekly worship service.

CAST is a program that will challenge your thinking, awaken your imagination, sharpen your focus, and transform your life.

Join us this Tuesday, February 9 at 11 am CST for CAST.

Remember to tune in this Tuesday at 11:00 am CST for our monthly webcast. This month's program features Dr. Doug Beacham and World Missions Ministries.