Blog

International Training

International Pastor, Youth Pastor and Church Leader Training:  This program will both provide a curriculum for training leaders and deliver training to leaders in countries where poverty prevents them from receiving a formal education or quality training. As the first part of this program, various training modules and curriculums will be created and shared with international partners. These partnerships will be developed with organizations, denominations and church leaders in various countries in order to provide...

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Church Revitalization Network

Our Programs: Church Revitalization Network – Preparing for Amazement Ministries Our mission is to revitalize and build the global church. The world is a mess. The church is a mess. The church around the world is in decline. In the United States alone, roughly 70% of churches are in decline, 20% are plateaued and 10% are growing. Only 1% of churches are growing from people new to the faith. We are driven by the notion...

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Bangladesh Testimony

Want to better understand the power behind what we do? Below is an unedited letter from a Pastor in Bangladesh where our executive director has done some training. It is a reflection on that training, its impact and a request for more training. It is at the heart of why we have our international training program. Dear Rev. Marcus Carlson.Please receive my love and respect in the name of Jesus Christ. I hope you are...

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Self-Care Inventory for Ministry Leaders

Organizational health trumps everything. ~Patrick Lencioni Organizations cannot be healthy if their leaders are not healthy. Our focus is on empowering and equipping churches and leaders to create lasting and transformational health. This is just one resource in helping leaders examine their life and health. The goal of this inventory is to help ministry leaders reflect on their overall health. In addition to the foundational questions of health, the inventory offers 7 questions in 7 Read more…

By marcusjcarlson, ago

July 2020 News

Empowering and equipping churches and leaders to create lasting and transformational health. In the midst of the Covid-19, Preparing for Amazement Ministries is working hard to build and revitalize the global Christian Church. We hope you take a couple minutes to read our July newsletter and visit our website. What’s New?! There are a lot of exciting new things happening in our ministry in spite of the challenges we face in the world with the Read more…

By marcusjcarlson, ago

June 2020 News

In the midst of the Covid-19, Preparing for Amazement Ministries is working hard to build and revitalize the global Christian Church. We hope you take a couple minutes to read our June newsletter and visit our website. What’s New?! There are a lot of exciting new things happening in our ministry in spite of the challenges we face in the world with the Covid-19 pandemic. Some of the highlights include: We have shifted our focus Read more…

By marcusjcarlson, ago

Health Trumps All

Leadership guru Patrick Lencioni notes that ‘organizational health trumps everything.’ No leadership axiom has proven to be more true in my lifetime. As we seek to build and revitalize the global church, our primary focus is on empowering and equipping churches and leaders to create lasting and transformational health. Each week, we hear painful stories from churches and leaders about the unhealthy nature of ministries around the world. No church or leader sets out to Read more…

By marcusjcarlson, ago

Opening Up

Every church has to make their own decision in their context of when to re-open. It is not an easy decision to make, weighing state and federal laws and guidelines, considering our church population, weighing finances and more. For years, pastors have been leading and serving their people. They do not need to government’s help in deciding how to best care for their people spiritually, emotionally and physically. They are not perfect nor will they Read more…

By marcusjcarlson, ago

2020 Seminar Offerings

We are excited to offer the following seminars for 2020! Date Time (eastern) Topic Cost: Network Members Cost: Non Network Members Register Thur. 6/25 10am-Noon QPR Suicide Prevention Training $10* $15* By 6/20 Here Tue. 6/30 2-4pm Leading Through Change $15 $30 By 6/27 Here Tue. 7/14 2-4pm Generational Understanding for Churches $15 $30 By 7/11 Here Tue. 7/21 10-11:30am Changing Family Dynamics: Working with parents and families today $10 $25 By 7/17 Here Mon. Read more…

By marcusjcarlson, ago

May 2020 News

In the midst of the Covid-19, Preparing for Amazement Ministries is working hard to build and revitalize the global Christian Church. We hope you take a couple minutes to read our May newsletter and visit our website. What’s New?! There are a lot of exciting new things happening in our ministry in spite of the challenges we face in the world with the Covid-19 pandemic Some of the highlights include: We have been working and Read more…

By marcusjcarlson, ago

Reflections on Leading Worship Post Covid-19

While I am not serving full time in a church setting, I have been filling in from time to time in various churches. On Sunday May 10, I led worship and preached at a church for the first time since the Covid-19 restrictions went into place. It was the first time this church of under 25 was meeting in 8 weeks. During the pandemic, I have been diligently working to think through the implications of Read more…

By marcusjcarlson, ago

What I Learned about Health and Leadership from my Border Collies

One of the most important things I have ever learned about life, leadership and mental health came from my two Border Collies, Oreo & Reeses. I had taken them both to a trick training class. Border Collies are notoriously smart, energetic and empathetic. Our two are no exception. I was talking wit the instructor afterwards, complaining about how hard it was to tire our dogs out. The instructor gave me a lesson in Border Collies Read more…

By marcusjcarlson, ago