Getting Beyond "How Are You?"

by David R. Mains, Melissa M. Timberlake

This refreshing and honest resource invites you to enjoy closer connections with your family, friends, and casual contacts. You will learn how to bring healing to your own soul and touch the lives of others.

105 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1992

About the author

David R. Mains has been dedicating himself for spiritual growth development programs that disturb ordinary presumptions. During the year 1967 he built an experimental church in a Teamster’s Union Hall in West Chicago. Some church-planting specialists proclaimed that it can't be done but then with a few supporters, the church has grown from only 27 until 500 for ten years.

Mains' system is advanced that he joined together worship with arts and media. He implement a system to service planning focusing one concept making the entire worship communication into just a single but valuable idea. Lay people were invited and brainstorm sermons and he firmly incorporated that each sermon should include practical ideas so it will be integrated with everyday living as Christians.

During the year 1977, Mains replaced his uncle John D. Jess as Director of a national radio broadcast, The Chapel of the Air. He then started to use religious media that would boost spirituality on every listener.

Mains transformed broadcasting as a service to the local church rather than competing them. He then began to train a team to do on-air voices which includes his wife, Karen Mains.

Several experts again warned him that such a service can’t be done but then he was thrilled when the first Spiritual Adventure he implemented had reach 7,000 participants.

Mains has been a Christian communicator and his passion was always for the local church to experience the living presence of Jesus Christ. A pastor once gave him a gratitude for putting his own personal agenda to serve for the good of the local church.

Now, Mains resigned from the broadcast and created Mainstay Ministries which dedicated to help church leaders and its people by several growth tools and training seminars. He established Team Sundays where every church goer would experience a life changing Sunday. His goal in Mainstay Ministries was to help pastors be effective in preaching.

Visit David Mains Mainstay Ministries the - Sunday Solutions. He also put up several resources for pastors called Sermon Series and Sermon Coach. He also established a mentoring ministry for men and women called Hungry Souls.

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

David and Melissa pack quite a bit into this small book. At times they go a bit too far into personal examples of the points they are trying to make, but that just goes to show the level of thinking they put into it. The reader will also be prompted to think about how to improve their conversation skills, as each chapter is followed by several questions for the reader to ponder. While this may appeal more specifically to the Christian reader (indeed, some parts of it are exactly that), any person reading will benefit from much of what is written. If you want to learn how to get beyond the small talk, if you feel your conversation partner isn't asking enough about your life, if you wish to discuss polarizing issues without getting into an argument--this book will provide some very useful suggestions to these and other challenging issues.

[Christopher Sweet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though this is an older book (1992), the principles are still applicable and very helpful. Asking good questions (couples with good, attentive listening) is a great way to begin conversation while making the other person feel valued.

I would highly recommend this book to not only be read but implemented.