Prolific author, speaker, and devout follower of Jesus, Marva Dawn, who’s written a lot on suffering, sabbath, and sharing, says the counter-cultural practice of sabbath-taking can change your ministry and your life.

She started doing it in graduate school, and says she could never get as much done as she does if she didn’t take one day off in seven.

In this interview this beloved saint shares how God has used her to to further the Gospel, and how we might more deeply yield our lives to Christ.

Watch the Full Program.

Rather Listen? Click here to download the Mp3 to your mobile device.

Click here to visit Turnaround 20/20

Synopsis
Marva Dawn, raised a Missouri Synod Lutheran but now calls herself a Transdenominational, faces daily more physical challenges than many people do in a lifetime. Cancer, amputation, blindness, and more – yet her words of encouragement are a testimony to God’s desire to spread the Gospel. Here are my notes from the interview:

Just Do It
When Marva decided to begin honoring the sabbath (nb taking one 24 hour period a week off of work) she went cold turkey and has never looked back. Do you need to ease into it, or can you jump in head first too?

Sabbath as Celebration
Unlike the puritan stereotype, the sabbath is not a day to impress God by being bored – rather Marva says, it’s a day of real partying and rejoicing in all that God has done for us.

Embracing the Day
Sabbath isn’t just about letting go, it’s about embracing the gifts before us, reveling in the joy we have in God, especially the opportunity to imitate God who also rested on the seventh day.

About Marva Dawn
Dr. Marva J. Dawn serves as Teaching Fellow in Spiritual Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, BC, Canada.  Under Christians Equipped for Ministry of Vancouver, Washington, she has preached and taught at seminaries, clergy conferences, churches, assemblies, and universities throughout the world. She holds degrees from the University of Idaho, Western Evangelical Seminary, Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, and Notre Dame. Dr. Dawn is a popular preacher and speaker. She is the author of more than 20 books and numerous articles, several of which have won awards and/or been translated into other languages. She is married to Myron Sandberg; they reside in Vancouver, Washington, U.S.A.

Books Marva Recommends
How the Church Fails Business People – John C. Knapp

Sponsors I Mentioned
Turnaround 20/20 – Learn from experts who have conquered obstacles to growth and watched God turn things around. Turnaround 20/20 is a unique congregational development conference that brings together 20 experts who speak for 20 minutes each. People like Nelson Searcy, Charles Arn, George Hunter, and Elmer Towns will focus on a specific area of congregational development and are out to spark new ideas and innovations for you and your church. Turnaround 20./20 is Tuesday, October 23 in Nashville, TN.

More than once, when pastor Bill Bohline has told the congregation at Hosanna Lutheran Church, ‘We believe the Lord has led you here,’ someone has cried.

It’s the general feeling of God’s presence that Pastor Bohline believes brings people to his congregation, and keeps them there. Bill started this church 30 years ago, which now counts 7,000 members and growing.

He says there are no magic tricks, just open Bibles and lots of prayer.

Watch the Full Program.

Rather Listen? Click here to download the Mp3 to your mobile device.

Click here to visit wildgoosefestival.org

Synopsis
Bill Bohline started this Lutheran Church in a Willow Creek-style in a then-faraway suburb of Minneapolis, MN. Over time the area, and the church have grown. And Bill’s learned plenty along the way. Here are my notes from the interview:

Lifelong Learning
Bill says that’s at the heart of the his development from a founding pastor to the overseer of a large enterprise. Reading, visiting, and exposing his mind to an array of knowledge is what, he says, has kept him in the game.

The Bigger the Church the Smaller the Governing Board
That means the latest iteration – to oversee the biggest church ever – is now a 7-member board. Bill says they’re elected by the church from a slate of very committed members, which, he says, is not uncommon.

Get Into Spiritual Direction
Or some other form of one-on-one mentoring/counseling. While Bill was not as intentional as he is today about seeking out these voices, he recommends it highly now.

About Bill Bohline
Pastor Bill Bohline started Hosanna! Lutheran Church by knocking on doors in January of 1980. The congregation was officially organized with 180 members. Today the average worship attendance during three services is over 4,500.  As Lead Pastor, Bill has been instrumental in helping implement God’s vision for Hosanna! Bill holds degrees from the University of Minnesota and Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary. He has served on the Board of Directors for Lutheran Social Services, the Council for the Saint Paul Area Synod, and the Board of Directors for Fairview Ridges Hospital. Bill has been married to his wife Nancy, a cardiology nurse, for 40 years. They have two children. Bill enjoys reading, snorkeling, traveling, and spending time with friends at their lake home.

Books Bill Recommends
Simple Church – Sam Rainer
The Quest for the Radical Middle - Bill Jackson
The Unshakable Kingdom and the Unchanging Person - E. Stanley Jones

Sponsors I Mentioned
Are you headed to the Wild Goose festival? Thousands of campers are headed to the beautiful hills of North Carolina June 21-24. Wild Goose is a festival at the intersection of justice, spirituality, and art. Some of this year’s guests are Jim Wallis, Brian McLaren, and Shane Claiborne. ChurchNext is a proud sponsor – find out more atwildgoosefestival.org