GENERAL INFORMATION: CHRISTIAN MINISTERS' RETREAT (CMR)

CMR GOALS AND VISION: Christian ministry is a spiritually demanding vocation that requires exposure to fresh encounter with God's word so that the man of may prepare for the life and ministry.

"All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the faith and correcting error, for re-setting the direction of a man's life and training him in good living. The scriptures are the comprehensive equipment of the man of God and fit him fully for all branches of his work" 2 Tim 3:16-17 (Phillips)

• Preparation for Revival: The most crucial need for revival are men and we trust God that CMR will become platform to prepare men as catalyst for the end time revival with special focus on those who are in Christian ministry or aspiring to get involve in Christian ministry.
• Disciple Making Movement: CMR is focused on equipping ministers to reproduce disciples in a way that will have multiplying effect in churches, fellowships , workplace's and among the nations.
• Re- Igniting Passion: Several ministers are struggling in their call and ministry and are burn out as a result of spiritual attack or personal careless ness, we trust God to use CMR platform to heal and restore ministers spiritual vitality for effective performance in ministry.
• Checkmating Error: Pulpit ministry has consistently come under attack in recent years and we have equally witnessed every kind of heresy and gross display of embarrassing misconduct by Christian ministers, we believe God to use CMR as platform for instruction in righteousness to correct lives and ministries.
• Recruitment for Harvest. It is our desire that the Lord will raise and commission men regularly at this retreat as harvest force in churches, campuses, workplace's and among the unreached groups.

2018 THEME : EXECUTING DIVINE MANDATE

Preambles: The whole point of Christian ministry is executing divine mandate in our generation not personal agenda or selfish ambition and enforcing that mandate over the nations.

In executing divine mandate ministers occupy a central and critical place because they are executors if HIS mandate and agenda and so they must be men who are sensitive to God's purpose for their generation. Divine mandate has suffered setback because of careless men and demonic conspiracy. God has pressed in our spirit to reclaim and reposition the mandate in the hands of qualified men.

This retreat is scheduled for March 29-31 at Foursquare Gospel Church.

19, Olorunsogo Street Off Ogunrun Road Mowe . Ogun State

Registration begins at 12 noon on Thursday , with programme starting by 3pm in the evening of Thursday and ends on Saturday afternoon by 12:00 pm.

During the retreat you will be provided with meals and sleeping space as the Lord provides, but there is equally modest and cheap accommodation for those who desire privacy and convenience.

Please plan to bring the following items with you to the retreat weekend:

• Bible
• Casual, comfortable clothing and walking shoes
• Personal toiletriesincluding bath soap

Looking forward to receiving you at the venue.

The CPM, an initiative of  Open Bible Ministries is a network of Christian professionals, men and women who already have saving faith in Christ Jesus across denominational lines; lawyers, doctors, engineers, teachers, creative artists, accountants, bankers, para-medicals, builders, artisans, civil servants, Christian Corpers etc, and are ready to use their skill and resources for God in advancing  frontier missions among the nations.

Christians professionals has become crucial in today's frontiers missions enterprise through strategic, intentional, and creative deployment of their skills, expertise and proffession in work place  and on mission  fields.

Christian professionals are career and businesspeople who support themselves in secular jobs in order to reach another people with the gospel, by integrating work and witness.

We have plenty of personnel in our churches, but most are spectators in the pews, immobilized by entertainment model services, and unable to evangelize even their own family, neighborhood and workplace.

Are you tired of just sitting on the pew every sunday?

Do you desire relevance in God's end time agenda among the unreached people's group locally and on foreign missions?

Do you desire networking   with  other Christian proffessionals to make difference for Christ in your generation?

The Bible to a large number of Christians remains a close book, even after new birth experience. This has stifled the growth and scuttled their living victorious Christian lives.  To many the Bible is: 

1. Hard and difficult: To a large number of Christians, the Bible is hard, difficult to handle and understand because of the complex geography, poignant and dramatic history, genealogies, strange names and foreign culture. It is indeed a puzzle to many, waiting to be unraveled. But with the Bible Training Seminar one could understand the scripture much more fully than one could otherwise, and this is where this ministry fits in.
2. Dull and boring: Many would have loved to read and study the Bible, but they find it dull and boring, and they soon give up, simply because they can’t flow with it any other book or magazine. But the Bible is to be read and enjoyed, and this ministry is committed to help your heart warm with excitement as you read and study the Bible.
3. Not applicable: To many, the Bible is archaic, outdated, not relevant and applicable, useful only to the first Christians but not for us with sophisticated lives and living. But the Bible contains timeless truth to be learn’t and appreciated and obeyed by every body. We teach you how to simply and uncompromisingly apply the Bible’s timeless truth in a changing world.
4. Confusing: Even some Christians believe that the Bible is confusing and contradicting therefore, not reliable. Christians are prone to believe errors and embrace heresies when they can not discover the truth of the word of God for themselves.  We train you to discover the truth of the Scripture first hand.
5. Unholy: To many, the Bible is not God’s holy word but words of men, angles, demons, devil, history of nations and of men and so, cannot be taken to be from God.  But the Bible is credible, infallible, inerrant and inspired, authored by the Holy Spirit.

Prayer offered in the pulpit must be spiritual, biblically edifying and simple; prayers need not be stereotyped,repetitious or flowery.Prayer should be simple and uttered in true New Testament pattern not just in shout and noise, addressing God solemnly and respectfully.

The devil is becoming more popular than God on the pulpit today, all in the name of deliverance and killing our real and imaginary enemies. We must be careful not to give undue attention and advantage to the devil on the pulpit;this is not a New Testament pattern.

Pulpit prayers must come with holy burden and be heartfelt to move others to pray, it should also be reverent, free of vain repetition and any profanation of the name of God.

The Pulpit Ethics

The pulpit is the most sacred and exalted place in the church. He who occupies this position stands as the representative of Christ. This is the minister's first line of offense. From this honored and dedicated place, he boldly denounces sin and courageously challenges the devil. From the sacred desk are heard the truths of God which cuts as a two-edged sword, bringing both conviction and contrition to the sinner and the worshiper. Words of life and death flow from this fount. To this vantage point, the penitent looks for the heavenly balm of Gilead. Preachers must be careful not to allow their comportment to undermine the authority of the word of God and bring reproach to the name of Christ.