Author: Rev. Marc Carr
Located in: Rohnert Park, CA
Submitted: February 18, 2017
Tell us a little about yourself. I grew up in Monterey, California and attended the First United Methodist Church of Monterey, under the direction of Reverend Tarr. I attended MPC, and felt GOD calling me to HIM, I attended my first revival in Redding in October 1984 and GOD saved me. HE gave me the direction to take, and just as the wonderful hymn says "Wherever HE leads I'll Go", I will go. I was sent off to seminary after my pastor Dan Coker saw GOD working in me and after I fulfilled an Associate pastor position building a new Hispanic work in Watsonville, California. At present I am teaching Bible study at New Hope Church in Cotati.
What was your motivation behind this project? I studied under several godly pastors that crossed denominational lines, Missionary Baptist, Southern Baptist, Assembly of God to name a few. God had placed a calling on my life to take HIS word and teach and preach it, and build churches. I was commissioned by the Assembly of GOD church and the Southern Baptist Church to fulfill the calling of building churches, just not as a contractor, but through reaching out to people and listening to them and their struggles and touching their hearts as JESUS did. After starting a Hispanic work in Watsonville, California I was sent off to attend seminary and I graduated in May 2002 and started another church in Sonoma, California. God placed this fire inside me to reach all HE places in my path.
What do you hope folks will gain from this project? I sincerely hope and pray that those who read the book do so with an open mind, as I wrote it from my own personal experiences. We are always learning, whether that happens in school, seminary, work, or in our daily lives. If you keep an open mind and answer the questions at the end of each chapter honestly, and use the different ways offered to do successful outreach in the way that you feel will get you the best results for your target outreach, then you have achieved the reason that GOD had me write it, to save those who are lost and don't know it.
How were you personally impacted by working on this project? I was personally impacted working on this project as it came from personal experiences throughout my life. How the people were receptive to me or rejected me. I also learned not everything you learn in school, seminary etc . works. We who are called into ministry need to remember who we are working for, it's not the church, it's GOD.
We need to keep that as our center and everything we do should be to honor and give all the glory to GOD.
GOD gave me the words to write and opened up the doors to get it published, it's all GOD'S handiwork I was just being used as a tool in HIS hand to write it. I give GOD all the Glory!
Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists? First and foremost GOD is my inspiration for the writing of the book. Jim Cymbala author of Fresh Wind Fresh Fire was also inspiring, as was Chuck Swindol, Billy Graham, and Dwight Lyman Moody. The following men I give honor to because of all that they taught me whether they know it or not; Pastor Dan Coker and all the wonderful church members of Lighthouse Baptist Church located in Seaside California, Pastor Ray Allan, Pastor Allan Ray, Pastor Hugh Morgan, Professor Dwight Honeycutt, Professor Gary Arbino and so many more I cannot name all of them here.
Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know: It's not a large book, but it's a book that will change lives for all eternity!
Give it a try and allow GOD to work through you as you read and answer the questions at the end of each chapter.
It may even change the way you do ministry.
May GOD richly bless you in all that GOD has called you to do.
