Dr. Kellemen Launches RPM Ministries Full-Time

Dr. Kellemen Launches RPM Ministries Full-Time

Friends,

I’d like to share with you a decision that I’ve made after much prayer and consultation. After thirteen years of ministry at Capital Bible Seminary (CBS), effective July 1, 2009, I will no longer be serving as the Chairman of and full-time Professor in the MA in Christian Counseling and Discipleship (MACCD) department. I will remain connected to CBS as Professor-at-Large where I will offer key classes as visiting professor and present equipping seminars as a guest lecturer.

RPM Ministries 2.0

I am following God’s leading to expand RPM Ministries. Myself and a team of fully-equipped and highly-qualified colleagues have laser-focused our mission.

It is our passion to equip God’s people to
change lives with Christ’s changeless truth
through speaking, consulting, and writing
on comprehensive, compassionate, and culturally-informed
biblical counseling and spiritual formation.

Speaking: Changing Lives Seminars

Through day-long or half-day seminars, and through one-session presentations, RPM Ministries will equip pastors, lay people, and Christian counselors to grow through biblical truth related to daily life. Every speaking opportunity includes engaging PowerPoint presentations, interactive group discussions, personal applications, and ministry implications.

1. What to Do After the Hug: How to Care Like Christ

Be equipped to use the Bible accurately, powerfully, and lovingly in biblical counseling and spiritual friendship.

2. God’s Healing for Life’s Losses: How to Find Hope When You’re Hurting

Be equipped to journey with hurting people through the eight stages in the biblical healing process.

3. Heroes of Black Church History: Celebrating the Legacy of African American Christianity

Christians of all races learn how to apply the legacy of the heroes of Black Church history to life and ministry today.

4. Cultivating Christlike Intercultural Relational Competencies: A Christ-Centered TEAM Approach

Be equipped to develop four championship TEAM skills to relate harmoniously and minister powerfully in our culturally-diverse society.

5. Heroines of Church History: Celebrating Life Lessons from the Legacy of Christian Women

Be equipped to apply the legacy of women heroes of the Church to life and ministry today.

Consulting: “4E” Ministry Equipping

Through RPM Consulting, we provide biblical wisdom to churches and para-church organizations. Christian leaders are passionate about equipping lay counselors, care-givers, and spiritual friends. However, most leaders are terrified about the process—fearing legal issues, quality of care matters, training material questions, and supervisory difficulties.

Step-by-step, we empower you to equip your people for the work of the ministry. Learn how to envision God’s ministry, enlist God’s ministers for ministry, equip godly ministers, and empower God’s ministers.

Writing: Changing Lives with Christ’s Changeless Truth

I’ll continue my writing ministry with:

1. Daily blog posts on Changeless Truth for Changing Times: http://rpmministries.blogspot.com/

2. Free resources on my web site (over 50 already!): http://www.rpmbooks.org/free_resources.html

3. Weekly updates on my RPM Ministries Facebook page (join today): http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=131391165161

4. Books such as Soul Physicians, Spiritual Friends, and Beyond the Suffering: http://www.rpmbooks.org/orders.html

5. New Books

That’s right, look for these two exciting new books:

a. Sacred Friendships: Listening to the Voices of Women Soul Care-Givers and Spiritual Directors (July, 2009, BMH Books, co-authored with Susan Ellis).

b. God’s Healing for Life’s Losses: How to Find Hope When You’re Hurting (December, 2009, BMH Books).

6. The VineLine: This is our monthly e-newsletter with free resources, to-the-point equipping, community-building, and ministry updates. If you would like to be added to our growing e-list, email us at: rpm.ministries@gmail.com.

Prayer Partnership

Your prayer support is greatly appreciated.

1. We’ll likely be transitioning from a sole proprietorship to both an LLC status and a 501 C 3 status.

2. We need to be wise in what to say “Yes” to and what to say “No” to. We want to keep our laser focus. Already for 2009 we only have three open weekends left for seminar ministry. If you are interested in having your church host one of these final three events, email us: rpm.ministries@gmail.com or call: 219-662-8138.

These are exciting days. Thank you for being a friend, supporter, and partner in ministry.

In Christ’s Grace,

Bob

Cultivating Christlike Intercultural Relational Competency

Cultivating Christlike Intercultural Relational Competency:
A Christ-Centered TEAM Approach
Revelation 7:9-10

Many of you have asked to hear more about my presentation on intercultural (multicultural) ministry. Here's an outline.

Presentation Objectives

The primary goal of Cultivating Christlike Intercultural Relational Competency: A Christ-Centered TEAM Approach is to equip participants to develop four championship TEAM skills that empower them to function effectively in our culturally diverse society. Participants will learn how to relate harmoniously by building bridges of understanding across diverse cultures. This seminar is based upon the biblical conviction that God in Christ is moving all of history toward an eternity where “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language” will stand before the Lamb in united worship (Revelation 7:9-10). Thus the eternal goal is to equip participants to relate interculturally now in light of their eternal future so that God is glorified and others are attracted to Christ by their love.

Student Learning Outcomes

After successful participation in Cultivating Christlike Intercultural Relational Competency: A Christ-Centered TEAM Approach, participants will be able to implement the TEAM intercultural relational competencies of:

T: Taking another person's earthly perspctive through empathy and culturally-informed listening.

E: Engaging in bridge-building spiritual conversations through focusing on God's eternal perspective.

A: Abolishing barriers through forgiveness and reconciliation.

M: Mentoring interculturally competent disciples through envisioning, empowering, and equipping.

Resources

I have a five-page outline plus a 60-slide PowerPoint presentation. If you are interested in having me speak to your group, feel free to contact me.

Bushisms

Bushisms

In today's blog, I veer from my focus of comprehensive, compassionate, culturally-informed posts designed to equip you to change lives with Christ's changeless truth.

Instead, a little levity to start the year right.

These "Bushisms," or jangled speeech of President Bush, are NOT meant as a political commentary of any kind. Anyone who speaks in public, and who is followed by a cadre of people reporting his every word, will make their fair share of mistakes. I have my own "Kellemenisms." Past Presidents and future Presidents will also have their fair share of mis-speaking.

So, enjoy these please, with no political agenda.

Bushisms

"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully." — September 2000, explaining his energy policies at an event in Michigan.

"Rarely is the question asked, is our children learning?" — January 2000, during a campaign event in South Carolina.

"They misunderestimated the compassion of our country. I think they misunderestimated the will and determination of the commander in chief, too." — Sept. 26, 2001, in Langley, Va. Bush was referring to the terrorists who carried out the Sept. 11 attacks.

"There's no doubt in my mind, not one doubt in my mind, that we will fail." — Oct. 4, 2001, in Washington. Bush was remarking on a back-to-work plan after the terrorist attacks.

"It would be a mistake for the United States Senate to allow any kind of human cloning to come out of that chamber." — April 10, 2002, at the White House, as Bush urged Senate passage of a broad ban on cloning.

"I want to thank the dozens of welfare-to-work stories, the actual examples of people who made the firm and solemn commitment to work hard to embetter themselves." — April 18, 2002, at the White House.

"There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." — Sept. 17, 2002, in Nashville, Tenn.

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." — Aug. 5, 2004, at the signing ceremony for a defense spending bill.

"Our most abundant energy source is coal. We have enough coal to last for 250 years, yet coal also prevents an environmental challenge." — April 20, 2005, in Washington.

"We look forward to hearing your vision, so we can more better do our job." — Sept. 20, 2005, in Gulfport, Miss.

"I can't wait to join you in the joy of welcoming neighbors back into neighborhoods, and small businesses up and running, and cutting those ribbons that somebody is creating new jobs." — Sept. 5, 2005, when Bush met with residents of Poplarville, Miss., in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

"It was not always a given that the United States and America would have a close relationship. After all, 60 years we were at war 60 years ago we were at war." — June 29, 2006, at the White House, where Bush met with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

"Make no mistake about it, I understand how tough it is, sir. I talk to families who die." — Dec. 7, 2006, in a joint appearance with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

"These are big achievements for this country, and the people of Bulgaria ought to be proud of the achievements that they have achieved." — June 11, 2007, in Sofia, Bulgaria.

"Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for your introduction. Thank you for being such a fine host for the OPEC summit." — September 2007, in Sydney, Australia, where Bush was attending an APEC summit.

"Thank you, Your Holiness. Awesome speech." April 16, 2008, at a ceremony welcoming Pope Benedict XVI to the White House.

"The fact that they purchased the machine meant somebody had to make the machine. And when somebody makes a machine, it means there's jobs at the machine-making place." — May 27, 2008, in Mesa, Ariz.

"And they have no disregard for human life." — July 15, 2008, at the White House. Bush was referring to enemy fighters in Afghanistan.

"I remember meeting a mother of a child who was abducted by the North Koreans right here in the Oval Office." — June 26, 2008, during a Rose Garden news briefing.

"Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These immigrants have helped transform 13 small colonies into a great and growing nation of more than 300 people." — July 4, 2008 in Virginia.

"The people in Louisiana must know that all across our country there's a lot of prayer — prayer for those whose lives have been turned upside down. And I'm one of them. It's good to come down here." — Sept. 3, 2008, at an emergency
operations center in Baton Rouge, La., after Hurricane Gustav hit the Gulf Coast.

"This thaw — took a while to thaw, it's going to take a while to unthaw." Oct. 20, 2008, in Alexandria, La., as he discussed the economy and frozen credit markets.

Words Matter

Words Matter

In the November 19, 2008 issue of The USA Today, political analyst Sandy Grady rightly praises President-elect Barack Obama for his eloquence ("His Words Will Matter").

Grady aptly notes about Obama's speeches, "They always have rhythm, repetition, alliteration, balance. They flow with a narrative, his story meshing into America's story" (p. 13A).

Anyone familiar with historic and current African American preaching (see my work Beyond the Suffering: Embracing African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction) knows that Obama's style reflects the best of a long tradition.

Amazingly, in this day of the tele-prompter and of the speech-writer, Obama writes his own speeches.

Some of his more powerful, poetic words include:

July 27, 2004, Democratic National Convention Speech: "There is not a black America and a white America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America."

January 8, 2008, Manchester, NH, after Hillary Clinton defeated him in the primary: "Yes we can!"

March 18, 2008, Philadelphia, answering the Rev. Jeremiah Wright controversy: "It is a story that has seared my genetic makeup, the idea that this nation is more than a sum of its parts, that out of many, we are truly one."

November 4, 2008, Grant Park, Chicago: "If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible . . . tonight is your answer."

Words matter.

Whether or not one agrees with President-elect Barack Obama on each and every issue, one has to respect his stirring use of words.

And we all can learn from him.

1. Write and speak with passion from the heart. Tell a story that means the world to you and it will mean the world to the world.

2. Write and speak your own story and style. Write with originality and freshness. Sure, research the works and words of others. But don't mimic. Find and use your own voice.

3. Write and speak "poetically" even if writing non-fiction prose. For example, in my theology of Christian counseling text book (Soul Physicians) I use the literary style of "theo-drama" to tell the awesome story of God's work in history. Theology should never be dry-as-dust! It is God's story!

4. Write and speak in narrative. Life is a story. We all live in story, in narrative. Craft a compelling depiction of the main characters, their setting, their aspirations, even in non-fiction. For instance, in Beyond the Suffering we did not simply tell historical facts. We placed African American Christians in their historical setting, drawing out and describing their personal passions and their life-changing interactions.

5. Write and speak with relevance. Whatever "truth" you have to tell, relate truth to life. In our book on the history of women's soul care (Sacred Friendships), my co-author and I did not simply write a history text. We paused at each step along the journey to ask the "So what?" question. "So what difference does the life of this godly woman make for us today?

Words matter.