About Me
Biography of Randall Paul Pipes
Randall Paul Pipes (Randy) has been in the people development business for over 25 years. He is a life development specialist, using his skills as a writer, teacher/trainer, coach, consultant and mentor to develop and transform the lives of people regionally, nationally and internationally. His passion and life-calling are to assist people in the discovery and development of life-purpose, helping them to answer the questions, “Who am I? Why am I here and what am I supposed to do about it?”
Pipes, who has been in full time Christian ministry for over twenty five years created over 100 booklets, assessments, training experiences and resources and eventually founded Life Development Services in order to promote them, as well as his speaking and coaching services. People from around the world have benefited from the business’s website www.lifepurposetips.com by downloading his daily devotionals, streaming audio and video trainings and more.
In 2008, with the assistance of two business partners, Pipes helped launch The Life Purpose Institute, offering five levels of original seminar experiences taught by himself and his partners. The curriculum, written by Pipes, leads clients through “7 Principles of Purpose,” a copyrighted plan which he developed through twenty plus years of distilling a Biblical pattern he found throughout the Scripture. See www.findyourplaceinlife.com.
Here’s what other people have to say about their experiences with Pipes:
“Randy is really passionate about releasing people into their potential. He really invests himself a lot into people…He believes in what’s already inside a person and works to draw that out so they can use that information to make better career goals, life decisions and even be more strategic in improving their relationships.” – Renee
“I reconnected with Randy when I was going through some very personal and difficult times and he helped me understand how the difficulties in my life were part of a greater purpose and plan…” – Ben
“There have been so many things in life that I kept stumbling over, and going through Randy’s class I was able to identify what those things were and to deal with them…I can honestly say that I would not be here today if it were not for Randy’s teaching.” – Robin
“Through tools that he developed like life coaching, the C.S.T mentoring program (Christian Success Training) and the book “Becoming All You Were Meant To Be” my life has drastically changed for the better.” – Cathy
“I appreciate his mentoring. Everything I’ve read and studied from his work has really helped me and impacted my life and helped me to grow…” – Doug
Pipes is a pioneer in the field of personal life-purpose development who is guaranteed to inform and educate your audience. To schedule an interview you can contact Randy by calling (330)309-6531.
- Certified Life Coach through A.S.C.C. (American Association of Christian Counselors) in 2009
- Co-Founded Life Purpose Institute with Dr. David Oliver and James D. Roberts in 2008 which is a unique series of experiential training seminars I developed to help people discover and develop their God-given purpose in life.
- Founded Life Development Services in 2007 to help people discover and develop their unique God-given purpose in life.
- Senior Pastor and founder of The Place of Purpose (church) in Canton, Ohio 1999-Present
- Founded and directed Refuge Ministries in Canton, Ohio from 1992-1998 as a way of creating cooperation between local churches in Canton, Ohio.
- Served at Canton First Friends church in Canton, Ohio from 1996-1999 as Singles Pastor
- Served at Trinity Gospel Temple in Canton, Ohio from 1983-1992 as Youth Pastor with these additional responsibilities: Trinity Christian school teacher, guidance counselor, wrestling coach, camp director (junior and senior high camps), emergency assistance director (Jesus Christ People Care Center), counselor and other pastoral responsibilities (weddings, funerals, etc.)
- Graduated from Malone University 1982 with a Christian Ministries Degree – Bible Literature Emphasis – Graduated Cum Laud. Elected Who’s Who Among American Colleges and Universities and member of National Honor Society.
- Graduated from New Philadelphia High School in New Philadelphia, Ohio with honors. Varsity member of the wrestling team and member of the National Honor Society.
To so transform individual lives through the power of Jesus Christ that every aspect of society to which they connect is transformed.
I help people live extraordinary and abundant lives of contribution!
Find your place in life!
Accountable relationships
Body ministry (find your place in the Body of Christ)
Community outreach (use your unique gifts to serve your sphere of influence.
I would describe a great part of my past life as being busy and unrested. I used to be very proud of it too. As I became an adult, work became an obsessive vicious circle. I’d use it to try to make myself feel worthy… worthy of being loved… worthy of the nice things that people would say about me… worthy of the financial support people sent to the ministry. I’d take work to bed with me at night. I’d carry work into my relationships with my wife and my son. Work would go with me on vacation.
Now, I know that many people consider me to be successful. They must, because they keep coming back to me for help. I was never successful in my own eyes though. The harder I worked, the more my dreams seemed to slip through my fingers. Anyone who knows me knows that I have big dreams, big visions and even bigger ambition.
Repeatedly, I stood at the threshold of what I considered success. Repeatedly, some unforeseen circumstance would blow “success” away. I wanted to rest… I needed to rest… I’d teach about rest… but somewhere, deep inside me was a fear that if I quit striving, I’d be lost and go unrecognized.
God has been delivering me from this vicious circle for several years now. From my present perspective I can see that this “beam” of fear kept me from seeing many things clearly. The more I experience freedom from this fear, the more my heart is broken. I see many people who wrestle with these same issues all around me.
Not all restless people are workaholics. Some are overachievers; others underachievers. Some are extroverted; others introverted. They come from all walks of life… pastors, housewives and executives… white collar and blue collar. Internal unrest can manifest its fear in many different ways… alcoholism, sex addiction, or gambling. It can also be much more subtle… the drive for one more child, one more helping of food, or one more trophy. Restlessness can drive us to watch another movie, or buy a new car.
Everywhere I look I see restless people. Perhaps you are one of them. Life presses and something in you responds. You have to have more. You have to be more. You have to do more. You work daily to achieve your idea of success with the limited time and resources at your disposal. You lie to your friends and family. You lie to yourself. The illusion is that if you strive a little more, you’ll be able to stop and enjoy life. Like the proverbial carrot on a stick, your vision of success and happiness eludes you.
The Lord has shown me that fruitfulness is much better than busyness. He doesn’t want us to exert our life energies building, achieving or performing for Him, or for anyone else. These activities are rooted in fear. As we learn to rest in the Father’s love for us, He will begin to bear incredible fruit through us. God is exalted through us as we learn to be still before Him.
“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10
Amazingly, the more we slow down, the more He works in and through us.
Do I have your attention? I hope so, because my heart is to share some truths with you that can help you to break free from these vicious cycles!
Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is His reward. Like arrows in the hand of the warrior, so are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, but shall speak with their enemies in the gate.” Psalm 127
There are two types of houses being “built” on the earth today. The Lord uses the word “house” to symbolize anything that we can invest our life energies into building… our life, family, business, ministry, church, etc. One type of house is being built in the flesh by men, the other in the spirit, through men, by God.
Now it might seem that I am playing with semantics here, but the difference between these two building projects is monumental. Good is often the worst enemy of God’s will. We are capable of doing many things that appear to be good, that in actuality really stand in the way of God’s glory and power.
God’s number one desire for people is relationship. He first wants us to know His love and to share it with Him. Then He wants us to share the love we have freely received with others. Our strivings for success and happiness always place these relationships in a secondary position to the things that we strive after.
In other words, all of our striving is counter-productive. God wants to build His vision, dreams and desires through us. As we abide in Him through our relationship with Jesus Christ, His life flows through us, bearing His fruit.
Many of us choose to “manufacture” fruit rather than to bear it. We work hard to have something to show for our lives. It’s like trying to stick wax fruit on a tree. We work hard to make it. We work harder still to keep it.
We forget that the Father sent Jesus to tell us, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you,” John 15:16.
George Barna recently took a survey of people across America. He asked them to quote one Bible verse. Most of us would think that people would recall John 3:16, a verse about a Father who so loved the world that He was willing to sacrifice His only Son to save it. Instead, the survey revealed that most Americans “remembered” the verse, “God helps those who help themselves (Not really in the Bible).
The lie that satan told Adam and Eve is the same one he uses today. He convinces us that we must:
1. Hide from the presence of God
2. Cover ourselves (perform in an attempt to create an “image.”)
Our natural inclinations are toward outward adornment, performance and achievement.
These things are accentuated by the fact that our image of God is primarily derived from our image of our earthly father. If time with your dad was limited or non-existent… if he seemed disinterested or demanding… it’s easy to conclude that if you just work a little harder, he might pay more attention to you. Ball games are won, money is made, and empires are built to win the love of a father. Those with less self confidence may drown their pain in vices.
Becoming a Christian does not necessarily break this cycle. Often people just exchange unacceptable behaviors for those more subtle and acceptable. Business, churches and ministries are sometimes built out of a deep longing for approval and significance.
There is a Way back! “…He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” Malachi 4:6 (last verse of the Old Testament).
God has placed a curse on all attempts to build or produce apart from His Spirit. He has done this to frustrate us. His hope is that this frustration will lead us back into a Father/son or daughter relationship with Him.
“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.“ Romans 8:20-21
I’m here to tell from my own personal experience. You don’t have to strive, or wrestle, achieve or perform. You don’t have to build, or prove. You don’t have to compare yourself or your work to anyone else’s. You are an extraordinary human being. God has an amazing plan for your life and He wants to unfold it for you. It will take perseverance and work but not the kind that is born out of unrest. God wants to do His work through you.
My hope and prayer through this website and my resources is to share some of what I have learned along the way with you. Perhaps my past frustrations can be redeemed by helping to blaze a trail that you can follow.
The life God has given us is a glorious adventure. May you live it to its fullest and be abundantly blessed along the way. Don’t hesitate to call, write or email if I can lend a helping hand. My heart longs to see you succeed…not according to the world’s standards, but through the eyes of God!
Your brother in life,
Pastor Randy
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
I wanted to thank you sincerely for all your encouragement and for providing a new perspective on my own work. I am a committed Christian who operates as a freelance trainer, coach, facilitator here in Northern Ireland. I am always seeking new ideas to help me share wherever I can, and of course I am always open to new opportunities to do this. I wanted to encourage you and wish you every success in your wonderful ministry. Regards and God bless