Helping Preachers Preach + Men Help Men
BETTER BIBLICAL PREACHING (BBP)
This is a growing focus of James MacDonald Ministries: Pouring into young and aspiring preachers who have great potential to be next-generation voices for God, as we have long sought to be. After many years of building into pastors around the world, I am now investing more deeply in preachers who want to work hard at better biblical preaching.
In early March the first “BBP 101” retreat took place, as Kathy and I welcomed select men from across the country for four intensive days of preaching training in our home.
With Kathy feeding them physically, I invested what the Lord has shown me through thousands of sermons (since my very first in March 1978) – and all of it has brought much joy to our hearts. SO MUCH SO, I thought it best to present to you visually. Please take a few moments to watch the video above and sense our joy over what the Lord has begun through BBP.
If you believe you or your own local church preacher would benefit from this training, we are receiving applications for another session later in 2022. It isn’t too late – apply here.
NOTE: Thanks to the monthly support of our Change Partners family, each of these men left with armloads and boxes full of Bible-teaching resources from our warehouse as our gift to honor and support their calling.
In fact, the entire training was gifted to them with no financial obligation beyond inviting their respective churches to invest in the cost of future 201/301 events from Better Biblical Preaching.
ACT LIKE MEN SOBRIETY HOUSE
Our own experience of betrayal and rejection by those we pastored for so long, coupled with recent rereading of Matthew 25:40, “in that you did it to the least of these my brothers, you did it to me,” birthed the conviction that beyond my teaching ministry, I must focus on men in crisis and gather a group of men to establish a “half-way” or sobriety house for men.
In February that conviction led us to purchase the Act Like Men (ALM) House, to provide transitional housing, spiritual counsel, and other support for men seeking lasting freedom from incarceration and/or substance addiction.
God’s favor has been all over this project – from the provision of a beautiful home and property (purchased well below market value), to the hard working guys renovating the house and setting up the ministry, to liaising with the DuPage County sheriff’s office men’s recovery program, to a household filled in a single day with high quality, all-donated furnishings from top to bottom. (Our heartfelt thanks to Nancy Shepherd and the team from Love Your Neighbor in Wheaton, IL!)
Today, renovation to provide Christ-centered recovery for 9 men (and future expansion for more) is nearly complete, with the first residents arriving early this spring.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
We would have neither the funding nor the courage to continue pressing on in service to Christ, were it not for the encouragement He pours into us through your interest.
The financial needs of our ministry endeavors are currently greater than the total provision. If you can send a special gift of support or join our growing family of Change Partners with monthly support, we will be forever grateful.
Much love in Christ,
Dr. James MacDonald
“I waited patiently for the LORD and He heard my cry and turned to me. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on a solid rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” Psalm 40:1-3