The Doug Ellingsworth Blog

Becoming The Church Our Grandparents Were Forced To Leave

by Doug Ellingsworth @https://twitter.com/DEllingsworth on September 16, 2014

For the first fifty years of the 1900’s, most communities viewed Pentecostals as undesirables. This group of folks claiming a spiritual experience that had been outside mainstream Christianity for years were springing up everywhere and nobody knew what to do with them. One thing was certain: their experience did not mesh with most churches’ worship traditions. Claiming that baptism in the name of Jesus was the only correct formula was the final straw. Those who embraced this “new” doctrine found themselves unwelcome in most mainline and community churches.

The church I pastor started as a tent revival in 1916. When the evangelist took down his tent and moved on, the new Pentecostal congregation began meeting in the local Community Church – a building that all faiths shared and used to hold their worship services. Things were fine for a while, but one day the Pentecostals arrived at church to find that the locks had been changed and they were no longer welcome to use the church that the whole community shared. Their noisy worship, speaking in tongues, and baptizing folks in Jesus name wasn’t going to be tolerated any longer.

Family/Living

The Benefits Of Being Over The Hill

by Doug Ellingsworth @https://twitter.com/DEllingsworth on September 3, 2014

I spent a few minutes yesterday with a gentlemen who will soon be celebrating his 95th birthday. In a few days, our family will celebrate my father’s 80th. (He’s the guy in the picture with the light above his ear, talking to his older brother, Paul.) It wasn’t very long ago that I experienced the traditional “over-the-hill” ribbing that comes with accumulating fifty birthdays.

I’ve been thinking about that “over-the-hill” stuff. The joke behind the term is that you have spent your youth, that your strength has dwindled and your knowledge is outdated.

Leadership/Living

Police Brutality In The United States?

by Doug Ellingsworth @https://twitter.com/DEllingsworth on August 22, 2014

The recent events in suburban St. Louis have rekindled the always smoldering fire that accuses our nation’s police officers of being trigger-happy and looking for somebody to beat up on.

Is that an accurate picture? Are we victims who need to be leery of the very men and women who have sworn to protect and serve us?

While there are villains in every occupational group, including yours and mine, what do the facts say about our law enforcement officers in general?

Leadership/Living

Why I Feel Sorry For Guys Like John Koskinen

by Doug Ellingsworth @https://twitter.com/DEllingsworth on June 25, 2014

Over the past few days, I’ve listened to some of the hearings Congress is holding regarding the IRS scandals, in particular, the one where the IRS targeted conservative groups, including religious organizations, slowing or denying them tax exempt status. As I watched some of the video replayed, I was shocked at the IRS Commissioner’s behavior. Completely ignoring the decorum and air of respect for Congress that are normally part of these proceedings, he interrupted speakers, belittled their statements, and did everything except answer their questions. And all the while, wearing a smug arrogant smile that told us all how proud he was of himself. I would have not been surprised if he were a young and inexperienced man, but he should know better.

At first, I wanted to reach through the internet and slap that smirk off his face. But late last night as I considered all of the day’s events, I found myself feeling sorry for Mr. Koskinen.

Living

Music!

by Doug Ellingsworth @https://twitter.com/DEllingsworth on April 15, 2014

It has to be one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind. It rocks us to sleep, consoles us when we’re sad, announces our kings, rousts our patriotic pride, wings us through endless hours of work, connects us with eternity, and bridges every gulf between generations, races, and cultures. Music! What a wonderful gift.

Leadership/Resources/Writing

10 Reasons To Follow Michael Hyatt

by Doug Ellingsworth @https://twitter.com/DEllingsworth on April 9, 2014

Every half-second, somewhere in the world, somebody creates a brand-new blog, joining the 152,000,000 that already exist. That’s a lot of traffic flowing down Al Gore’s information superhighway.

So, which ones should you read? Other than this one, of course.

One blog that should be on your must-read list is Michael Hyatt’s. If you are unfamiliar with him, I’ll give a quick rundown on why his blog is essential reading.

Leadership

Prepare Now!

by Doug Ellingsworth @https://twitter.com/DEllingsworth on March 22, 2014

Who knew winter would last so long? Listening to the global warming crowd, I thought winter would be packed up and gone by New Year’s night. But here are, Spring having officially arrived, and the eastern coast of the United States is preparing for yet another snow storm.

But toss the mittens in the corner and pull your chair up to the fire. We need to talk.

For much of the middle and southeastern regions of our country, Spring brings with it strong, and occasionally, violent storms. Where these storms will occur is not always easy to predict, but the fact that they will come is indisputable. So, gathered around our warm fire, now is the time to plan what we are going to do if those storms come raging through our neighborhood.

Writing

The Professionals Aren’t Always Right

by Doug Ellingsworth @https://twitter.com/DEllingsworth on January 28, 2014

I don’t want to ruffle any professional feathers, but the Professionals don’t always get it. I don’t know if they stay locked in their stuffy offices too long or if they are mesmerized by their own bios, but something, somewhere occasionally gets disconnected.

The book series Chicken Soup For the Soul? It was rejected 144 times. Professional publishers, one hundred and forty-four times, said they had no time for that chicken soup stuff.

Twelve publishers and sixteen agents rejected John Grisham’s A Time To Kill.

Seventeen publishers turned down The Princess Diaries.

Thirty-eight said no to Gone With the Wind.

What were they thinking? Or were they?

Leadership

The Heart of Leadership

by Doug Ellingsworth @https://twitter.com/DEllingsworth on January 18, 2014

Integrity is the heart of leadership.

Let that simmer in your mind for a moment.

Dishonesty may hide behind talent and skill for a while, but the rotten fibers will eventually corrupt the whole cloth and what lies beneath will be exposed. It is simply a matter of time.

God pointed this out when He mediated a dispute within the very first human family. Cain was mad at his brother. The Lord tried to reason with him, but Cain refused to listen. God’s short statement to him remains a warning to us. “If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door” (Genesis 4:7). Purposely choose to do something other than right and sin will ultimately be your ruin. It is only a matter of time. Cain’s lack of integrity – his refusal to be honest with himself – drove a wedge between him and his brother, his parents, and his God.

Uncategorized

Youth Pastor, Wife, Die In Bus Crash

by Doug Ellingsworth @https://twitter.com/DEllingsworth on January 3, 2014

It happens thousands of times every summer. Noisy teenagers crowd onto buses and head off for exciting times at summer camps. Five days later, parents, anxious to see their kids, gather on the church parking lot waiting for the buses, loaded with sleepy teens and dirty clothes, to return.

Someone gets a text. “We’re five minutes away.” Parents get out of their cars. Little brothers and sisters run to the edge of the road, wanting to be the first to catch sight of the bus. Smiles and hugs are passed around as anticipation builds.

Imagine the feeling holding for more than five minutes. For more than ten. For more than fifteen.

And then the sound of sirens. Lots of sirens.