These Two Christian Athletes Aren’t Shy About Sharing Their Faith

By

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July 20, 2018

thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

A couple of professional sports stars are making the news because of their talent and faith.

Steph Curry, fresh off another NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors, is prepping his production company, Unanimous, to create several faith-based family-friendly films.

Curry, a two-time winner of the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award, told Variety that some of the films in the works will be stories with biblical Christmas and Easter themes, but won’t be “overly religious.”

“It’s not about me hitting people over the head with a Bible and telling them they have to believe a certain thing, or think a certain way,” Curry told Variety.

Another film in the making, Church Hoppers, will be a comedy where a group of guys help their friend navigate the dating scene at a series of churches.

Variety reports there will also be projects with sports and family themes.

Curry formed Unanimous Media with Jeron Smith, a former Nike brand manager and White House deputy director of digital strategy during the Obama administration, along with producer Erick Peyton.

He’s taking the movie making venture seriously. In fact, he told Variety this will be the first time he won’t play any basketball for a three-week period, instead focusing on his films.

Curry has always used his platform to point people to Jesus.

One of his favorite Bible verses is Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” In fact, it’s on his basketball shoes.

“I love that basketball gives me the opportunities to do good things for people and to point them towards the Man who died for our sins on the cross,” he wrote in a 2015 Fellowship for Christian Athletes article. “I know I have a place in heaven waiting for me because of Him, and that’s something no earthly prize or trophy could ever top.”

Christian Athletes Share Faith in All-Star Game

Meanwhile, Major League Baseball’s 83rd All-Star game Tuesday night will include Cincinnati Reds second baseman Scooter Gennett.

Gennett told Latino Sports that the Lord is vital to his life.

“It’s been huge especially in this game that’s a game of failure,” he said. “There are a lot of ups and downs, mostly downs, and after I was baptized in 2013, I quickly learned that if my career was over right now, I would be OK. There are other things that I can do in this life. To know that at the end of the day, Heaven is waiting on me and not letting baseball become my god was huge. When you are going through those slumps, a lot of guys are like, ‘If I don’t get out of this, my life is over.’ So knowing that at the end of the day, I could work a normal job, die and go to Heaven, that’s great. That’s the Good News.”

The Reds’ All-Star second baseman says that prayer and communicating with God have helped him through many of the trials he’s faced in his life.

“I’ve been through some ups and downs,” Gennett said in 2015 when he was with the Brewers. “Without praying and without talking to God, I don’t think I would have gotten through. God’s with me wherever I go. Whether it’s on the field or in the locker room, He’s always with me. It all points back to the love of Christ who has a purpose for my life.”

Listed on Gennett’s social media accounts is the Bible verse 1 John 4:20.

“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.”

When Gennett was with the Milwaukee Brewers he partnered with Open Arms home for Children in South Africa, which was started by Brewers broadcaster Davey Nelson.

The charity provides a residential home for orphaned, abandoned or disadvantaged children and a few adults in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. They receive emotional, physical, spiritual and developmental support.

Gennett told Athletes In Action, “I hope to go spend some time there, not only to help provide food, toys and clothing, but to share Jesus, too.”

Teens, Tweens and Me

By

Cathe Laurie

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July 19, 2018

We meet every Tuesday, just the four of us. I bring the books and snacks, and they bring their sweet, 13-year-old selves. It’s such a delightful time, one I look forward to each week.

Ah, how I remember those teen years. You know what I’m talking about—the wild hormonal fluctuations and feeling so misunderstood. Longing desperately to fit in, doing your very best to not say the wrong thing. Yes, those were heavy times, so vastly different from my life now. But I do remember what it was like. I can’t help but look back now, and imagine how much better I would have navigated those muddy waters of the teen years—if only I would’ve had someone I trusted that was older, wiser and willingly available to live life alongside me. Someone who wouldn’t roll their eyes and laugh at my superficial insecurities, someone who had walked that path before, who could help me understand the transition between being a girl, to becoming a woman after God’s own heart.

I am tempted to panic over the way things are now for these kids. But I wonder…were they really that much better when I was a teen? Sex? Yep, that was everywhere. Drugs? Oh, you bet! Rock and roll? This is where we’ll need to part ways. Rock and roll was so much better then than it is now! But it was still just as subversive.

I was a young girl during the late ’60s, ages 11-13 years old. Like most younger sisters, I wanted to be just like my older sisters. Unfortunately, that meant following them down some paths that I probably wouldn’t have wandered alone. The power of influence is real, and it’s also a neutral thing—it can either be used for good or for bad. While every social media outlet, TV show, magazine and billboard is begging for teens to walk down the road to destruction, I want to stand at the intersection of this time in the lives of these young girls. I want to be there as a listening ear and a guiding hand, reaching out to lead the way for them.

So, how can we do this in a tangible way? I’m glad you asked! For us, it started off pretty simple. We began meeting together on Tuesdays, right after school lets out. I throw on my very best June Cleaver apron (am I showing my age here?) and make something homey, never too healthy. I don’t want them to have to pass on the snacks. These are 13-year-olds we’re talking about…bring on all of the comfort foods!

There is such simple joy in watching them eat, because it reminds me of the reason we meet together in the first place. As a mentor, we are choosing to nourish and nurture the young people we take under our wing. This includes praying, reading and talking with them. I always try to get them to talk and ask questions, because I don’t want to be the only one talking. As I share my heart with them, it opens the door for them to be vulnerable and comfortable enough to share what’s on their hearts as well.

When I open up and tell stories from my life—the mistakes made and lessons learned, it helps to illustrate the stories we’re reading, and gives them the courage to share their stories, too. In Titus chapter two, Paul shares the importance of us older women pouring into the younger women. It’s not just a good idea, it’s a fundamental command to follow in the life of a woman chasing after God.

Sometimes we laugh at each other, and it feels like an episode of Gilmore Girls—full of wit and endless banter. Other times, it is completely quiet and they just take it all in. And then there are times when we hit on a sensitive area, and they open up with things they’re going through. What an incredible opportunity, to be the one who gets to hear what’s on the hearts and minds of the next leaders of tomorrow. It’s so worth taking the time to invest in them, to listen to what they have to say.

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. – Proverbs 27:17

I think about each of these young women with their unique personalities, and their backstories are all different. Now, being open and sharing what’s going on in our lives is such a good thing, but it’s not my main goal. I long to pass on wisdom—practical, biblical wisdom that can help them face the battles in their lives, even when I’m not around to coach them. I also like to give them fun, every day wisdom to remember.

Like these few things:

When in doubt, wear black. It matches everything—especially…well, black. And it makes your life that much simpler. In a rush? Don’t know what to wear? Don’t look back, just wear black!

Now, this one is so important…don’t forget it. Always, and I mean always put butter on your biscuit. No “calories” this or “diet” that. Just butter the biscuit.

When eating, put your napkin on your lap. Hold your knife and fork properly. Chew with your mouth closed—the whole table will appreciate it, and you’ll worry less about getting food all over your face.

When talking with people, try to look them in the eye. Sure, it can get a little awkward at times, but it shows personal confidence and gives respect to the person you are speaking with. Shake hands with a firm grip. Sit up straight, and always walk with your head up.

When I share with these young girls the things my older self takes for granted, I’m surprised at how they respond. Despite the age gap, God’s Word is still so relevant! I don’t feel ready for this “mentoring” role, and when I am asked about it I always say, “Well, I am trying!” And really, isn’t that all God asks us to do? To obey His command to make disciples, and to work at all things as if working unto Him.

Do your best and leave the results up to God.

I have never felt ready, and if we’re not careful, we’ll wait for someone else to do it some other day. It’s easy to think about delaying this whole mentoring thing. You know, to say I’ll do it later on in life when I know an extra thing or two. But that’s not how God works. He doesn’t need us to be all polished up to use us, He just wants us to dust off our feet and keep blazing the trail He set before us. And He especially wants us to take others along for the ride!

When it comes to mentoring, don’t wait for someone else to do it someday. You are the someone and today is the day. Be intentional. Ready or not, the younger people in your life are taking notes on the way you live. Why not give them a life worth modeling? My mom never formally mentored me, but oh how I was watching and listening! She showed me what it looks like to be generous and thoughtful, to put prayer and devotion to God at the beginning of each and every day.

Mentorship isn’t a dictatorship, where you just tell others what to do and not do. It’s being there to help catch them when they fall, when they don’t take your advice. It’s a long-term commitment to be present, available and willing to tackle life’s hard times with those who are behind us in age. Sometimes it’s taking the afternoon off to listen to a young girl’s problems and challenges, helping them find their way through. Notice I said helping them to find their way through.

More than simply telling them what you know, or what you think they should do, you must help them learn how to listen to God’s voice for themselves and find their way through the challenges.

You don’t need to be perfect to mentor someone—you just need to be present and willing.

So, let’s do it! Let’s take God’s Word seriously and help plant it into the hearts of the young girls in our lives. Once upon a time, you were in their shoes, and because of that, they don’t have to walk alone. With God at the center and you by their side, there’s no limit to what they can do for the kingdom of God.

Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare Your power to the next generation, Your mighty acts to all who are to come.

Psalm 71:18

This article originally appeared here.

10 Things I Wish I’d Known When I Started Leading Worship

By

Julianna Morlet

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July 19, 2018

1. PASSION IS LEARNED, NOT TAUGHT

I didn’t figure this one out until I began raising up worship leaders. I teach girls who have amazing voices and no emotion. Nada. Yet I also teach girls with intermediate voices and amazing passion. Wanna know the common denominator between the passion girls? Life. Life experiences that drove them to a place where they were broken before God. That’s it.

And that brokenness is either the preliminary to or aftermath of spending quality time at the feet of the Lord. So if you feel as though your passion is lacking, study the Bible and be patient. Or look over your life and see where God has brought you from and how He has shaped and fashioned your life. Where were you five years ago?

2. INTERACT WITH YOUR PEOPLE

There is nothing more discouraging than executing a worship service and it ending up feeling like a rock concert; for both the church-goer and worship leader. For the congregation, there is some weird automatic pedestal that goes up when people step foot on a stage. I don’t know why, or where it started, but it is just a sad sorry fact because in reality, no one is worthy of a pedestal. (click to tweet)

Worship leaders, worship teams and pastors are real live people with the same issues and struggles as the congregation. We are made from the same fiber. We are no better than anyone else. So there has to be some sort of glass shattering, pedestal colliding action that creates a legitimate community worship experience. I’ll give you a hint: It’s authenticity.

3. GET YOUR WHOLE BAND ON A CLICK TRACK

There is something to be said for quality music in worship. There is not enough time or space to debate this here. I’m on the heart over talent side, but why choose when you can cultivate a culture of both. If you have the ability to raise or place into action quality musicians, do it. If you just don’t have those resources yet, obviously you can still have a very well executed worship time.

Holy Spirit does not work under the conditions of quality music. (click to tweet) Thank you, Jesus. But playing with a click track definitely glues a band together; professional and mediocre.

4. IT’S OK TO GO OLD SCHOOL

Hymns are some of the most powerful songs of worship ever written. Let me repeat. Hymns are some of the most powerful songs of worship ever written. I absolutely love them. Usually teams don’t play them because they fear bringing their church back into the old school world of music, but there are plenty of newer versions with the post-mod melodies and arrangements.

This isn’t a requirement thing, it’s a preference. But for me it’s so easy to get caught up in the new of worship that we forget how powerful the things of old are. They minister to people in absurd ways and sometimes the newer generations don’t even know the song is 100 years old! My favorites right now are “Come Thou Fount,” “It Is Well” and “The Lord’s Prayer.”

5. DON’T ASSUME ANYTHING

When teaching or talking through a song with your congregation, the worst thing you could do is assume that everyone there knows what you are doing, singing or talking about. A lot of churches have revolving doors with unbelievers just feeling things out. The worst thing that could happen is that they walk into a church and leave feeling like they were in a foreign country. We have a tendency to speak “Christian-ese” and not even realize that the average person has absolutely no idea what the holy spirit or sovereign or fellowship is.

Now some of you have the words “dumb down” flashing through your heads right now. Let me clarify that that is not what I’m saying. I’m saying let’s be real. Teach your congregation. This should also be done in collaboration with your pastor. You are a team.

6. MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH YOUR PEOPLE

They want to know you see them. I understand being wrapped up in the spirit and closing your eyes when leading. I do it too. But I try to make sure that I connect with the people I am leading. I want them to know I like them. And I like hearing them.

I even choose a couple chairs in rehearsal and pray for the people who will be sitting in those specific chairs. Then during the service I make eye contact and smile at them. It may be all made up in my head, but I feel like it communicates something.

7. PLAN EVERYTHING

From the songs to the speaking to the verses to your prayers. Not because all those things have to be executed exactly as planned, but because planning gives more leeway for organized spontaneity. I have a hard time when I have to say a prayer or a short share time between songs and the only content I have is a topic sentence or key scripture.

So lately, I’ve been scripting my speaking and even my prayer, not so that I can read it, but because it forces me to think through everything and try out words and concepts behind the scenes instead of on the spot. Planning for such a fluid thing, like a worship service, sometimes seem oxymoronic. But it works.

8. RECORD AND WATCH BACK

Oh snap. This is one of the hardest but best things I’ve learned to do in worship leading. In every performance actually. It’s awkward and weird to see all the quirky things I do when singing. I make some crazy funny faces. But it makes me more aware of my stage presence: Am I distracting? Do I look fake? Do I look stiff? Etc., etc., etc.

It is also good to hear yourself: Am I on key? Do I ad lib too much? Is there too much blank space between songs? You can make this an exercise for your entire team, as well.

9. PRIORITIZE “TEAM” PLAYERS

Being a team player is crucial to productivity as a worship leader. I learned this lesson by watching other people. I saw how non-team players became the unaddressable, unavoidable elephant in the room. I also saw my tendencies toward that kind of leadership and vowed to keep myself in check by surrounding myself with people who could frankly speak into my life.

Teams accomplish more than one person. It’s a fact. The lack of teamwork is guaranteed prescription for burnout. (click to tweet)

10. DON’T TAKE THINGS TOO SERIOUSLY; IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU ANYWAY

As a creative, I am married to my art. I am self-conscious of my music, guitar playing, singing and writing because it is a part of me. It’s not just an occupation or a hobby. So when ideas get shut down, I used to (and sometimes still do) get totally offended because I couldn’t separate me from the work. But over the years, God’s patience has slowly convicted me and I now take everything with a grain of salt.

Let the little things be little things because worship leading isn’t about us anyway, right? It is about shepherding people to the place where God’s face is revealed.

Got any personal leading lessons to add?

This article originally appeared here.

Three Ways Churches Will Be Impacted in the Revitalization Wave That Is Coming

By

Thom Rainer

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July 19, 2018

Yes, I tend to be an optimist.

I am not, however, that type of optimist who refuses to face reality. If you have been a reader of my blog or listener to my podcasts, you know I am not hesitant to face harsh realities head on.

So, when I say a revitalization wave is about to come to our churches, I am serious about it. Indeed, I am obnoxiously optimistic about the future of congregations. In this post, I will address how churches will be impacted from a high-level perspective. In my post on Wednesday, I will share why I see this major trend on the horizon.

First, let’s agree there are 350,000 churches in North America. You can quibble with our estimates. Some say less; some say more. The exact number is not that important.

Second, let’s also agree there are 300,000, or 85 percent of all churches, needing some level of revitalization, from modest to radical revitalization. Bear with me until my Wednesday post where I make my case for these numbers.

So, how will these 300,000 churches in need of revitalization be impacted by the wave that is coming? Let’s look at three major categories.

About one-third of these churches will revitalize organically. I wish you could see what I am seeing. Never in my life or ministry have I seen church leaders seeking a path of revitalization for their churches as much as I am now. I wish you could see on a smaller scale how many of these churches are using the Church Health Report™ for their congregations. I wish you could see the hunger, the desire and the willingness to pay the price to revitalize. About 100,000 congregations will likely revitalize organically. In other words, their revitalization will take place from within, rather than from a merger or being acquired.
About one-third of these churches will revitalize through replanting and/or being acquired. Another 100,000 churches will not be able to revitalize organically, but they will have the faith and sacrificial attitude to give their facilities and other assets to another church for a church replant or acquisition or both. Frankly, this new attitude and willingness was largely unheard of just a few years ago.
About one-third of these churches will decline and die. Unfortunately, 100,000 of the churches will not revitalize organically, nor will they be willing to give away their assets to another church. Some of these church leaders and members are in denial. Others have just given up. They give new meaning to the hymn “I Surrender All.”

I get it. The near-term closure of 100,000 churches is not good news. But look at the other side. Two of three churches, around 200,000, will revitalize organically or through replanting. That’s incredible news!

If you want to see what many churches are using as first-step tools for revitalization, see the Church Health Report™ or join us at Church Answers™ where we are growing healthy churches together.

It’s an exciting time. It’s a hopeful time. It is my prayer God will use many of us as His instruments for a mighty wave of revival and revitalization in our churches.

Let me hear your thoughts.

This article originally appeared here.

Breakups and Small Groups: 5 Things You Should Do

By

Chris Surratt

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July 19, 2018

Dealing with the aftermath of a broken relationship within a small group can be extremely tricky for a leader. It would be easy for group members to choose sides and splinter the group. But the way the leader responds will set the direction of health and reconciliation for the couple—and the group. When dealing with breakups and small groups, what is a leader to do?

Here are five things a leader should do when a breakup happens:

1) Do not take sides.
The leader’s and members’ roles are to love both people unconditionally. Taking sides will guarantee a split in the group.

2) Guide the couple toward professional counseling.
The leader or members should not take on the role of mediator between the couple. Talk to a pastor at the church about where to point the couple for biblical counseling.

3) Help them find new groups.
If it’s impossible for them to stay in the current group, work with the church leadership to find a group where they can begin to heal.

4) Be honest and open with the group.
Rumors and speculation will destroy the trust of the group. If there are members who are personally affected by the situation, meet with them individually outside of the normal group meeting time. It might be best to offer to meet with one of the church pastors at this point.

5) Allow God to strengthen relationships in the group.
Satan wants nothing more than to destroy marriages and relationships, and he will use this opportunity to plant seeds of distrust. Use this time to help couples in the group rededicate themselves to God and to each other. This is an ideal time to take the group through a good relationship study like this one.

This article originally appeared here.

6 Tips for Better Lesson Illustrations

By

Aaron Helman

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July 19, 2018

Whenever someone asks me what they can do to become a better speaker…

…I start by telling them to work harder to develop excellent message illustrations.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve got technically perfect delivery, voice control, nonverbal skills and killer comedic timing.

If your illustrations don’t clearly and concisely connect one idea to another, your talk will fall flat.

At the same time, I’ve seen plenty of “technically deficient” speakers bring an awesome message on the strength of one unforgettable illustration.

Want to become a better speaker? Start by following these rules toward generating better message illustrations.

Before we get started, let me tell you where these rules came from. I’ve analyzed and torn apart more than 100 different talks I’ve given in my career. I’ve also done the same thing for other talks that I’ve seen.

Lastly, I’ve tried to study the illustrations that Jesus used throughout the Gospels. I’m convinced that in addition to everything else, Jesus was a Master Illustrator, and you’ll see some of that in this list.

So grab a piece of paper and a pen, and let’s get started.

1. Illustrations should be immediately recognizable to your crowd.
A while back, a youth speaker at my church shared an illustration about his favorite basketball player, Pistol Pete Maravich. Hardcore (or older) basketball fans will know that name, but Maravich retired from the NBA in 1980, 15 years before any of my students were even born.

The problem with this illustration was that in order for students to understand it, the speaker first had to spend a full eight minutes explaining who Maravich was.

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus shares bundles of farming illustrations because that was the idea that was most well-known to the most people in His context. They may have struggled to understand why Jesus was talking about a mustard seed, but they knew intimately what a mustard seed was.

It was a sad day when I retired the illustration about Michael Jordan’s “Flu Game” in 1997, but when it hit me that almost none of my students were alive when it happened and that most of them (incorrectly) thought LeBron James was the greatest basketball player of all time, I realized I didn’t have a choice.

I couldn’t help them understand the idea of Spiritual Endurance by relaying a story they didn’t know, hadn’t seen and didn’t care about.

Same thing goes for older movies and TV shows. It’s probably not worth explaining something they don’t understand to help them understand something else they don’t understand.

The Destructive Conversation in Your Head (and What to Do About It)

By

Carey Nieuwhof

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July 19, 2018

There’s a conversation going on in your head almost all the time as a leader.

Let me guess. Most of the time it’s not pretty.

You rarely say these things out loud, because if you did, well first, it would be embarrassing. And second, you would never say anything remotely this negative to anyone else.

Except you say it to yourself all the time.

And that’s the problem.

So many leaders look like they have it all together on the outside, but they struggle deeply on the inside.

The challenge is negative self-talk. Way too many leaders carry on an internal dialogue of self-destruction.

There’s a major difference between words that are self-deprecating or self-destructive.

And way too many leaders live an interior life of self-destruction.

Here are five destructive things leaders say to themselves. I know, because I’ve said them to myself again and again until I learned how to stop. And some days, I have to learn this all over again.

If you struggle with these, guess what? You don’t need an enemy. You have one. It’s you.

So buckle up and see if you can relate.

1. I’m Just Not Good Enough

There’s a strange paradox to our humanity.

The self-help feel-good-about-yourself people will tell you that you ARE good enough. You’re wonderful. Perfect. Amazing. Gifted. Talented.

But deep down you know something’s wrong.

That’s because something is wrong: It’s your sin.

All of us have memories of Eden, but will live east of there now.

Self-affirmation will only get you so far, and it will often lead to what Tim Elmore describes as high arrogance (I’m amazing!) and low-self esteem (and I’m so horribly flawed…). I talk to Tim about this in depth in Episode 187 of the leadership podcast. It’s a fascinating conversation.

This is where the Gospel rushes in. Paradoxically, we all carry within us the image of God and we are sinfully flawed. Sin isn’t just an action, it’s a condition.

And Jesus comes into our brokenness and not only saves us, but deeply restores us over time. The ancients called this process of being made new sanctification.

It really is quite bad. And it really is more amazing that any of us dreamed.

The key is not to lose sight of either. Most of us lose sight of one or the other truths, and that’s how ho we get lost.

2. He Is So Much More__. She Is So Much More.

Fill in the blank

Gifted

Talented

Smart

Attractive

Funny

Clever

Succesful

So what’s behind that?

Well, it’s likely the feeling that when God was giving out gifts, he short-changed you. Not only did God not give you six-pack abs, he didn’t give you nearly enough intelligence or brains or charm or whatever.

I feel that.

Everyone does.

But underneath that is the lie that God made a mistake. That he didn’t know what he was doing, or got distracted when he made you.

And now you’re jealous of everyone else because God did such a better job on them than he did on you.

Not only is your jealously patently absurd, it’s also deeply unfounded.

The only one who wants you to believe that you don’t have what it takes is the enemy.

Andy Stanley has the best insight I’ve heard for overcoming jealousy.

First, celebrate what God has given others. Praise them. Jealous people stink at this, but do it. Like that Instagram. Give your rival credit. Acknowledge the person you’re jealous of publicly.

And second, leverage what he gave you. As long as you’re in a place where you can only focus on what God has given others, you’ll never develop what God has given you.

7 of the Toughest Decisions I Had to Make as a Pastor

By

Chuck Lawless

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July 19, 2018

If you’ve been reading my recent posts, you know I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my pastoral ministry. I spend time with students filled with questions about ministry, and that’s led me to think about these things. The past few days, I thought about some of the toughest decisions I had to make over the years. Some don’t seem so tough now, but they were at the time I had to make them.

Leading the church to discipline a church member. I’d seen it done only once prior to that point, so I was a “rookie” at this painful but important task. I believe we made the right decision, but I still grieve it.
Saying “no” to officiating at a church member’s wedding. I don’t need to hash out the details here, but I didn’t believe I should sanction the wedding by my serving as the officiant. I’d make the same decision today.
Leaving a church I loved. I had no question that God was calling me to change my ministry location, but I wept for days during the leaving process. Frankly, I’d rather love a church so much that I grieve leaving than serve a congregation I can’t wait to leave.
Asking a staff member to seek another position. It would have been easier had he done something wrong. He simply didn’t fit our team and vision, however, and we had to make a hard call.
Offering to step down as pastor after I ended a marriage engagement. As a single pastor, I hurriedly and wrongly asked a young lady to marry me. My church graciously loved me through the pain and allowed me to remain as pastor, but I was prepared to step away from ministry.
Calling a church to repentance over past division. The “fights” weren’t even present tense, but the fallout from conflict years earlier was. I didn’t know what I was asking for, but I knew that unforgiving churches could not reach our community.
Choosing not to baptize the child of faithful church members. I had little issue with baptizing children who wanted to follow Jesus, but I didn’t sense that this little guy had even a basic understanding of the gospel. It took some time, but the parents later understood my decision.

I’m sure that many of you have had to make much tougher decisions. Without revealing any more information than necessary, what were those decisions?

This article originally appeared here.

This Is What Young Church Leaders Want to Spend Time (and Money) Doing

By

Bob Ditmer

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July 19, 2018

Success stories and an entrepreneurial spirit among young pastors are fueling the hottest movement in evangelicalism—church planting.

The Young Leaders’ Advisory Council Report, released earlier this summer at the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, found church planting is wildly popular among young pastors.

The survey of 2,378 pastors, almost three-quarters under the age of 40, found church planting ranked high when responding to the question, which initiatives provided the “highest value…and the greatest benefit to you and your church.”

The results square with the findings of researcher Warren Bird who reported 83 percent of pastors under 40 in growing churches say that part of their vision for the future is planting a church.

Dr. Jeremy Roberts, a member of the advisory council, told ChurchLeaders that among young pastors, “entrepreneurialism has never been cooler than right now”.

Dave Ferguson, the president of the Exponential Conference, told the ChurchLeaders podcast that young pastors are mimicking what they’ve seen work in the business world because “all truth is God’s truth.” Church planting, he said, “is taken from the franchising concept in business.”

Entrepreneurs, according to Roberts, have risen to the level of sports stars among Millennials. “It is cool for Millennials to start a business. It is cool for Millennial ministers to start churches.”

The Allure of Church Planting

They also like the idea of starting with a clean slate to achieve their ministry vision.

Roberts said planting a new church avoids “inherited problems” and allows young pastors to join a network of congregations with “common philosophical or methodological approaches to ministry”.

“Many young men would rather start something from scratch than deal with the headaches,” Roberts noted.

The allure of shared vision has taken church planters out of their traditional denominational boundaries.

The Austin Church Planting Network gathers church planters from multiple denominations such as Anglican, Bible Churches, Evangelical Covenant Church, Free Methodists and Southern Baptists, just to name a few. Planters meet at Missional Hubs all over Austin, Texas, to learn best practices and to build friendships.

It’s also hard to argue with the success.

The North American Mission Board (NAMB) reported these success stories at the SBC gathering in Dallas this past June:

In Minnesota-Wisconsin, 57 percent of baptisms came from church plants.
In New England, 34 percent of baptisms came from church plants.
Churches planted since 2011 have an 84 percent survival rate.
34 percent of all churches in New York and 35 percent of all churches in New England were planted since 2010.
50 percent of all churches in Canada were started since 2010.

How Will J.D. Greear Lead the SBC in Light of the #ChurchToo Movement?

By

Megan Briggs

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July 19, 2018

After his election win to take the role of President of the Southern Baptist Convention, all eyes have been on J.D. Greear. Greear, the pastor of The Summit church in North Carolina, will have to make weighty decisions on behalf of the largest Protestant organization in the United States over the next year. One group in particular is asking how he will respond to the growing #ChurchToo movement that has knocked on the SBC’s collective door of late.

A Meeting With Summit Church Leadership

Outside this year’s annual convention in June, a group of determined advocates gathered to draw attention to the problem of abuse being swept under the rug in the church. Ashley Easter of the #ForSuchATimeAsThis Rally says next year the group would like to be offered a seat at the SBC’s table instead of having to gather outside its doors.

This is precisely why Easter, along with Pastor Ian McPherson, traveled to Greear’s office at the Summit Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, on July 11, 2018. Hoping to speak directly to Greear, the pair were instead met by Greear’s associate pastor and right hand, Todd Unzicker. When ChurchLeaders spoke to Easter after the meeting, she did not indicate she took Unzicker’s presence as a slight from Greear. Rather, Easter felt the tone of the meeting was “favorable” and felt as if Unzicker understood the issue of abuse in the church is a problem that needs to be addressed. He also indicated collaboration between the organizers of the rally and the leadership of the SBC may be possible.

What Was on the Agenda of the Meeting?

Easter outlined three goals—the same three goals communicated at the rally in June—that she shared with Unzicker:

Goal #1 – Women to be respected and honored within the churches of the SBC.
Goal #2 – Establishment of a clergy abuse offender database for the SBC.
Goal #3 – Best practices training of all pastors and seminarians on the issues of handling domestic abuse or sexual assault disclosure or incidents.

The rest of the meeting was spent discussing how the organizers and the SBC might work together to accomplish these goals, including a timeline for seeing them accomplished. Easter had two specific asks of Greear’s staff at this initial meeting. The first was asking Greear to create an Abuse Task Force whose assignment will be to present a curriculum for churches to use in training leadership “for the eventual domestic abuse or sexual abuse disclosures that will occur.” Secondly, Easter requested a follow up meeting in a month or two, at which time she would like to present a suggested task force, project plan, and schedule and agenda for meetings.

At that follow up meeting, Easter will be suggesting some people to man the task force. She is currently in conversation with a handful of people with experience helping victims of abuse about the prospect.

How Will Greear and the SBC Respond?

While Easter sounds cautiously hopeful about the start of what could be a collaborative relationship with the SBC, she’s not sounding the victory bell just yet. She’s seen leaders agree with her during a meeting but fail to follow up on the necessary steps. For his part, Unzicker did mention the obstacles the group would face in implementing these changes in the SBC.

It remains to be seen how Greear and his staff will respond to these requests. We do know, however, that the issues of abuses of power and sexual sin that have come to light recently in the SBC have been on Greear’s mind. In May, Greear posted a video to his Facebook page expressing his belief that judgment had come to the Lord’s house—namely the SBC.

The bigger the ship, the harder it is to turn, as the saying goes. The SBC may have a particular challenge in adjusting the way they view and treat women. This change would likely become easier if they equipped more women to lead and make decisions on behalf of the denomination, as leaders such as Dwight McKissic have suggested.

Chinese Church Obliterated in 15 Minutes by Government

By

Bob Ditmer

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July 19, 2018

Another church in China has been reduced to rubble by the communist government.

The Liang Wang Catholic Church, a state-sanctioned church in China that has been registered since 2006, was destroyed by 70 police officers and workers who used explosives, bulldozers and pickaxes. The building was reduced to rubble in just 15 minutes.

Chinese authorities said the church was razed to make way for commercial purposes in accordance with urban zoning regulations.

It is not uncommon for Chinese authorities to destroy houses of worship for a variety of reasons. In addition to zoning concerns, churches have been torn down as part of campaigns to remove “illegal buildings.”

That was reported to be the case last January when Chinese police officers demolished one of the country’s largest evangelical churches where more than 50,000 Christians worshiped.

Global Times, a state newspaper, quoted an unidentified official as saying the church had been “secretly” constructed without proper permits and was initially disguised as a warehouse. Members of the megachurch, however, have previously clashed with the authorities, including in 2009 when the police confiscated Bibles and imprisoned several of the congregation’s leaders.

And last December, a Catholic church near Xi’an in the Shaanxi province was destroyed despite having necessary permits.

Fear of Christians Leads to Chinese Church Demolition

Gina Goh, regional manager of International Christian Concern, said: “The disproportionate manpower used to demolish this church goes to show that China is fearful of Christians. The government knew that the demolition in the name of urban zoning would be met with resistance, so it ensured success by taking extreme measures. Despite their best efforts to intimidate the church with actions like this, the government cannot destroy the faith and resilience of Chinese Christians.”

According to CBN News, the church’s caretakers, Gao Rongli, Zhang Siling and Li Xiangmei, were inside the church when work crews arrived to destroy the building. They had their cell phones confiscated and destroyed allegedly to prevent the workers from contacting church members who would protest the destruction.

The Chinese Christian Fellowship of Righteousness, a U.S.-based organization that highlights Christian persecution in China, shared before and after photos of the church on its Facebook page.

Many of the church’s liturgical artifacts were destroyed with the building.

5 Simple but Effective Ways of Dealing With the Naysayers in Your Ministry

By

Greg Stier

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July 18, 2018

“When Sanballat heard that we were building the wall of Jerusalem, he was very angry and upset. He started making fun of the Jews.Sanballat talked with his friends and the army at Samaria and said, ‘What are these weak Jews doing? Do they think we will leave them alone? Do they think they will offer sacrifices? Maybe they think they can finish building in only one day. They cannot bring stones back to life from these piles of trash and dirt. These are just piles of ashes and dirt!’” Nehemiah 4:1,2

When Nehemiah began to rebuild the broken down walls around Jerusalem, a few naysaysers began to say “nay!” They yelled “nay!” to Nehemiah’s vision of restoring Jerusalem to its former glory; “nay!” to bringing the scattered Jews back to Jerusalem; and “nay!” to helping this city on a hill shine the glory of God to the nations like it once did.

They mocked, conspired, accused and, ultimately, planned an assassination on Nehemiah and an attack on the city. How Nehemiah responded to these naysayers gives us some strong clues and cues on how we can respond to the naysayers in our ministries.

Oh yeah, you will get naysayers in your ministry by the way. That’s something most seminaries don’t teach. But it will happen…probably several times over the course of your ministry career.

And, by the way, the more you seek to build a Gospel Advancing, disciple-multiplying ministry, the more the naysayers will nay. There’s something about a ministry that is advancing God’s kingdom that brings out the Debbie downers and the negatives Neds in droves.

5 simple and effective ways to deal with the naysayers

So, as you seek to build your ministry according to God’s Acts blueprint, here are five simple and effective ways to deal with the naysayers that will inevitably attack you:

1. Pray them quiet.

“Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.” Nehemiah 4:4,5

Every time Nehemiah’s naysayers attacked him with words, Nehemiah took it to the throneroom of God in prayer. He asked God to shut them up and shut their efforts down. He asked God to intervene on his behalf. He took their threats seriously enough to ask God to take swift and decisive action.

The book of Nehemiah is sprinkled with Nehemiah’s prayers. Many of these prayers are intercessory prayers on behalf of the Jews and in response to the verbal (and potentially physical) attacks of their enemies.

Is your life and ministry sprinkled with prayer? Are you consistently in his presence, bringing your requests, praying on behalf of those you are ministering to? Are you asking God to shut down the plans of the naysayers and advance his kingdom agenda through you and your team?

Make intercessory prayer a habit. It’s like an Air Force that protects the battleground of your ministry efforts. And recruit others to join you in prayer.

2. Don’t waste too much time responding to the naysayers.

“But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. ‘What is this you are doing?’ they asked. ‘Are you rebelling against the king?’ I answered them by saying, ‘The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.’” Nehemiah 2:19,20

Nehemiah tried to quickly shut them down and their false accusations of his efforts. He made it clear that he and the Jews had a historic right to the city. In the same way you and I have a historic right to make and multiply disciples.

In Matthew 28:18-19 Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations...” Talk about a historic right? Two thousand years ago the King of kings and Lord of lords gave you and I the right to share the Gospel with everyone everywhere!

Kindly, gently and firmly affirm this right to anyone who tries to keep you from doing this in your ministry. Lovingly remind them that you are called to carry out the last and lasting mandate of Jesus…no matter how much resistance it brings.

3. Make sure the leadership of the church is fully behind you.

“If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe conduct until I arrive in Judah? And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?’ And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests. So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.” Nehemiah 2:7-9

Long before Sanballat and Tobiah began their attack on Nehemiah, he had strategically gotten a permission slip from the King. Not only did the King give him permission to build the wall in Jerusalem, he also graciously gave Nehemiah the provision and protection to carry it out.

Early on, talk to your church leadership about your vision, philosophy and strategies. Make sure there is full alignment up front (and, just in case, request a copy of the notes from that particular meeting!).

This preemptive step is crucial to keep the “nays” at bay when things go astray.

4. Pray and take defensive action when things turn ugly.

“But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry.They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.” Nehemiah 4:7-9

Nehemiah and crew prayed to God and posted a guard when the threat of a military attack turned from possible to probable. Later on in this chapter we find out that all the laborers armed themselves. They had a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other. All the Jews kept building the wall (although slower) and, at the same time, kept a vigilant eye out to the horizon for the impending attack.

When you know that things have moved beyond just words to action, it’s time to play defense. That may mean calling a meeting with the church leadership. It may mean documenting all that has happened up to that particular point. It may mean getting the power brokers of the church involved.

This is when we must be both wise and shrewd. I call shrewdness wisdom’s streetwise cousin. If you don’t, like Nehemiah, deal shrewdly at these critical times, you could potentially lose all forward progress up to that particular point.

You could also lose your job.

5. Put the focus on celebrating God, not gloating over the naysayers, as your ministry vision gets accomplished.

“When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.” Nehemiah 6:16

“Nehemiah said, ‘Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

God used Nehemiah to accomplish a very specific mission, building a wall around the city of Jerusalem. God wants to use you to accomplish a very specific mission, multiplying disciples in and around your city.

Nehemiah didn’t allow the naysayers to stop him, neither should you. But, when God comes through, don’t gloat over them. Instead, celebrate all that God has done and put the focus on Him, not them…or yourself.

Hopefully, these handful of hints from the book of Nehemiah will help you, as they’ve helped me, deal with the naysayers in ministry.

This article originally appeared here.

Jesus’ Small Group Was a Dysfunctional Mess

By

Mike Mack

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July 18, 2018

Jesus’ small group was a mess. It was often a dysfunctional small group. Except for its leader, this leadership training group seemed to lack any observable spiritual leadership potential.

A Dysfunctional Small Group

Within two pages in my Bible, Jesus had to…

rebuke his leader-intern (Mark 8:33). Actually, this verse says he looked at all the disciples as he addressed Peter: “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
deal with Peter missing the bigger vision during their mountaintop experience (9:5-6).
stop an argument between some of his group members and the religious leaders (9:14-16).
rescue his group members when they could not do what he had told them to do (9:18, 25-28).
correct his disciples who were arguing about which of them were the greatest (9:33-34; also see 10:35-45).

The next time you feel like there are tensions and problems in your group, look again at Jesus’ group!

We often talk about what kinds of characteristics to look for in potential leaders: a heart for God, a servant’s heart and humility, for instance, but from all discernible measures, the guys Jesus selected did not have these qualities. And the worst culprits seem to be the men selected for Jesus’ core team: Peter, John and James.

Of course, “the Lord does not look at the things man looks at” (1 Samuel 16:7). Even when we as men try to look at the things of the heart rather than just outward appearances, however, we can miss what God sees…which is why we must pray, and ask the Lord of the harvest to send us potential leaders.

Yes, Jesus’ group was a mess and often dysfunctional, but Jesus’ group was healthy. That might seem like an oxymoron, but I don’t believe it is. Jesus understood the principle of process. He did not see only what they were, he saw what they were becoming. And often this process of becoming looks very messy.

If your group is a mess—if your group includes a bunch of dysfunctional, sinful, pride-laden, argumentative men and women—don’t give up! Ask God to help you see the process of what your group members are becoming. At the proper time—God’s time—you will reap a harvest if you do not give up!

This article originally appeared here.

Why Is Ministry So Hard?

By

Kenny Conley

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July 18, 2018

The 2017-2018 ministry year has been one of my hardest. It’s odd to feel that way because it was such a great year.

I have an amazing staff that I get to work with every day.
I have a pastor and leadership team that believes in me and empowers me.
We saw amazing success in so many different areas of our church.

But I’m tired. Bone tired? Ever feel that way?

This year I’ve had to juggle more responsibilities than normal.
This year’s school load for the kids has been really heavy.
This year, it seemed like someone was sick every week.
This year, our family encountered some significant challenges (still walking through those)

This year’s challenges were mostly connected to a shortage of resources (that sounds familiar, right?) and hard life/family stuff. There were years when resources weren’t an issue and family stuff was good, but there were some vision/leadership challenges that made things difficult. There were years when I didn’t know if I was in the right place and God was quiet on where I was supposed to be.

After 21 years of ministry, I’ve sensed a theme.

Ministry is hard. Every year is different. Every year sees new challenges. Regardless, one thing is certain—it’s not going to be easy. If you’re new to ministry, let me tell you a few things:

You will question if God actually called you to ministry and if you heard him right.
People will disappoint you.
People will be terrible to you or your family on occasions.
Your family will resent your ministry role at times.
You will feel alone.
Programs and ministries that took years to build will disappear overnight.
You will feel overwhelmed.
You will feel abandoned.
You will feel spent.
Any questions?

Over the years, I’ve met plenty of broken servants. I’ve heard terrible stories that would cause anyone to question their calling.

But what did you expect?

It was never supposed to be easy.

The calling to serve Jesus comes at a price. Jesus’ followers changed the world, but it cost them everything. Those who served the church throughout history have known many challenges. Poverty, persecution and loss seem to be the most common experiences. When Jesus questioned his disciples’ willingness to “drink from his cup,” the challenges of the road ahead is what he was referencing.

The 21st-century American minister is soft. Poverty, what is that? Persecution, where? Loss, we have more than ever. A role in ministry can actually be fairly lucrative. But we’re surprised when ministry is hard because everything looks like it should be so easy.

Hebrews 12:1-3 Don’t grow weary, though. Jesus has called you to complete the work he began. There’s no greater joy than being exactly where God has placed you. Be encouraged when life and ministry are hard, it doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong. Your responsibility is to be faithful. Hang in there friend, it’s worth it. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

This article originally appeared here.

11 Tensions to Manage in Ministry

By

J.D. Greear

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July 18, 2018

One of the most important concepts in the Christian ministry is the notion of tension. I instinctively resist tension, as do most people. Tension sounds like friction or conflict, and many leaders think that if they’re doing their job well, there won’t be any tension in their organization. But there is such a thing as “healthy tension.” In fact, more often than not, I have found that many areas of ministry that seem like conflicts to be solved are actually tensions to be managed.

Now, to be clear, in many matters of ministry, there exists a clear right and wrong: We preach the gospel and not works-based righteousness; we stand upon the authority of Scripture, not the prevailing winds of culture; we call our leaders to the highest standards of biblical ethics, not the sliding scale of relative morality.

But the tougher areas of discernment in ministry are not between what is obviously good and what is obviously bad. The tougher calls happen when two good and biblical ideals seem to be competing with each other. In those moments, we are tempted to pick a side to resolve the tension. Many ministry leaders do this with gusto, and they gather great crowds at conferences arguing for their “side.” But what makes for a great conference speaker isn’t always what makes for a real ministry leader. The moment we pick a side in a godly tension, we lose.

Imagine a man balancing a six-foot pole in the palm of his hand. He wants to keep the pole upright, but to do so he always has to shift—slightly this way, now that way. The correcting and counter-correcting never stops.

So it is in our ministries. This is one of the reasons I have tried to be very intentional in structuring our leadership teams so that people don’t all think like me. Our staff is unified in our vision and mission, but we all have different leanings and passions. I want that. After all, if we all lean the same way, we’ll fall over. These various leanings reflect the different gifts that God put in the body of Christ on purpose. I believe God is honored when we experience the tension of competing (biblical) passions. He wants us to come to the table, to argue our positions with conviction, and for each of us to walk away feeling the frustration of a healthy tension.

Here are just a few of the tensions that we manage in our ministries:

Depth/Width

The term the New Testament uses for the leaders of the church is “pastor,” which literally means “shepherd.” So on one hand, our responsibility is rather clear: We must care for the flock God has entrusted to us. We are not called to grow an audience but to care for Christ’s bride. Depth matters.

But on the other hand, Jesus tells the story of the lost sheep, in which the Shepherd leaves the 99 sheep that are already his in order to pursue the one that is lost. That’s an astounding statement about the importance of pursuing width—not for our sake but for the sake of the lost. And both matter.

Attractional/Missional

For decades, there has been an argument in missiological circles about whether churches should pursue attractional or missional approaches. The attractional side points out that the church is the place where outsiders are given the chance to hear the gospel. The maddest Jesus ever got was when he saw the temple transformed from a portal to the outsider into a convenience for the insider. Our churches must attract outsiders and be ready to welcome them.

The missional side counters by pointing out that all throughout Scripture, people are drawn to the people of God primarily by their counter-cultural way of living. It is usually in the context of the community, not the church gathering, that the gospel goes forward. As Lesslie Newbigin points out, sharing the gospel in the New Testament almost always begins with the question, “What is going on with you people?”

And both are true.

Healthy Church/Sending Church

We are always trying to keep the temperature turned up on sending, because it’s far too easy to slacken that emphasis. But there’s a pace at which sending our best isn’t healthy for our people here. For instance, the group of staff members most likely to leave on new church plants is our campus pastors. But a quick turnover of campus pastors undermines our pastoral care. So we’re constantly talking with our campus pastors about ways they can go that not only serve the Great Commission but also serve their campuses well.

Empowering New Leaders/Pursuing Excellence

We are committed to developing new leaders, and part of development is putting people in a position to make mistakes. But there are smart ways to do this and sloppy ways to do this. When it comes to our weekend worship services, for example, we don’t want to approach this time as a “lab” for untested musicians and singers. If they’re going to fail (which they will) and grow from it (which they will), it’s best for us to iron some of that out before we put them on stage, say, at the Durham Performing Arts Center during Christmas at DPAC.

3 Worship Tips That Are Easy to Forget

By

Carlos Whittaker

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July 18, 2018

Since I’ve made a purposeful switch to speaking on Sundays more often than leading worship on Sundays, everything is suddenly louder when I lead worship. Preaching three Sundays a month and then leading worship one Sunday a month has been so good for my worship leading soul. Here are some things I’m discovering often go untouched:

1. Make tired songs new by pointing out new truths.
You see it happen. That glazed look not only in the congregation’s eyes but your band’s eyes the second they hear the “do do do, do do do, do do do, do do do, do do dooooo” of the guitar player’s intro of “Mighty to Save.”

It’s because there is nothing new about the song after the 43,422th time you have done it.

You have to LEAD them.

Lyrics are your friend.

This weekend I introduced the song by pointing out the second verse…

“I know you may have sung this song 1,000 times, but the truth of verse two is available for redemption today. No matter the sin of Wednesday night, Monday morning or last night, Christ wants you desperately and won’t stop pursuing you, so as we sing this today, go to that place of loneliness in your sin and know that He is there waiting for you, desperately wanting you just the way you are.”

The simple bringing of a lyric to the current situation of the people you stand in front of will make a song brand new.

2. Don’t talk TO…Do talk WITH.
Nothing drives someone more crazy than a pointed finger.

It can become easy to lead from a place of self-righteousness when there is a microphone in front of you. So I try to replace words like YOU with US and WE. I like to tell congregations that WE are going on a journey together toward the heart of God. Not that I’M leading THEM to the heart of God. How ridiculous.

Lead from BESIDE them, not in FRONT of them.

Lord knows we need all the help we can get so we don’t end up in who-knows-where instead of Heaven.

3. Lead the weary AND the cheery.
OK. That was lame. But you get it.

It becomes SO EASY to just harp on “those of you who are broken and downcast and in need of Jesus.”

In fact, I’d say most worship leaders I know, myself included, speak primarily to the downcast during a worship set. As if we are the worship leading version of Dr. Phil trying to pull them out of despair.

News Flash. Not everyone in front of you is depressed. In fact, many of them are having the time of their lives.

Don’t forget them. The joy of the Lord is their strength and many of them have it.

Let them know that you aren’t just waiting for the next bomb to drop on their heads in order to be able to worship God with you on a Sunday morning.

It’s better that way…

The Wisdom of Mourning

By

Brian Berry

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July 18, 2018

Ecclesiastes 7:1–2 reads:
“A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth. It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart.” (TNIV)

Every time I go to a funeral, I’m reminded that Solomon was right when he wrote those words. Every time I help my kids navigate a loss in a critical soccer game, I’m reminded that losers ponder their methods and rethink objectives, but winners just celebrate and toast the victory. Every time I make a mistake or suffer loss or struggle as a pastor, husband or father…I’m reminded that pain and hardship cause me to rethink stuff, but victory and ease cause me to coast through life. It just does.

C.S. Lewis put it like this in his book The Problem of Pain. He writes, “Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our consciences, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

And that reality is no less true today than it was 3,000 years ago when Solomon wrote it down or when C.S. Lewis echoed it in 1940. However, since the majority of my work is with high school students, most of them feel like death is a lifetime away (and I pray they are right). So they never give death or mourning much thought. Not that their parents do either, but death and mourning are not popular subjects for teens.

However, the biblical book of James reminds the reader that our lives are like a blip on the map of eternity and even a long 90-year life will be over before we know it. He warns: “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14).

To this end, I think one of my jobs as a youth pastor is to remind teens that today should be lived in light of forever. I have a responsibility to challenge my students to consider the life they are living and the destiny they desire. I have a responsibility to live that way myself.

Just last Sunday, I sat down with a young woman in our high school ministry who had asked to talk. She told me she was not happy with where she was at spiritually and that she wanted to make some changes. Rather than spend a lot of time focusing on how to help her do that…I spent the majority of our time reminding her that what she does today should be shaped by who she wants to be tomorrow.

When we know what we want said about us at our funeral…when we know what we want to be known for and to be all about…then and only then do we have a solid filter through which to make our decisions. Youth ministry is not about giving students tools to navigate the stress of today. It is instead about helping them set a compass that will help them navigate all their days in a way that honors God.

Recently…I was reminded of these truths by two GREAT pastors on opposite ends of our country:

1. Louie Giglio recently gave a sermon in Atlanta, Ga., that is beyond worth the time to listen to on this very subject. Seriously, it’s so good you should go download it now and give yourself an hour of life that will remind you what you want all of life to be about. Get some earbuds and drown out the rest of the world for a few. You’ll be so thankful you did.

Here it is under the title: From Here and Now to Now and Forever.

2. Britt Merrick is a pastor in the Santa Barbara, Calif., area whose 8-year-old daughter, Daisy, just tragically died from a three-plus year battle against cancer. In that context, he gave a sermon a few days before Daisy’s death that will rip your heart out. It will also, in no uncertain terms, remind you that while the day of mourning is not chosen by any of us, it is still the crucible through which life screams its lessons and lives are forever transformed. This sermon is a video and might be the best 50 minutes you’ve spent in the last 50 days.

It is titled “When Sparrows Fall,” and was given at Reality Santa Barbara.

Sensing That This Isn’t Fair

By

Jen Oshman

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July 18, 2018

“I am battling how unequal parenting feels sometimes. Is that normal?”

I immediately answered my friend’s text with, “Yes! So normal.” And then I speed-texted down memory lane and shared with her a handful of stories from when my kids were young and I was constantly battling a sense that this isn’t fair.

But the sense that this isn’t fair is not reserved for motherhood alone.

Amongst students: Hey, I study way harder, why is she getting better grades?
Amongst siblings: I do more chores, why does he receive more praise?
Amongst neighbors: How did he land such a high paying job?
Amongst colleagues: Why did she get the promotion when I’m the one who sealed the last deal?
Amongst missionaries: If only our agency headquarters could see how much more I do than my teammates…
Amongst pastors: How is that guy’s church growing so fast? He’s a terrible preacher.

Whether we are moms, CEOs or in full-time Christian ministry, we compare ourselves to one another. And, undoubtedly, we consider ourselves the harder worker, the better performer, the one who deserves a bit more. I knew exactly what my friend’s SOS text was all about, because I have been there and I am still there, more often than I’d like to admit.

I shared with her two things that I have tried to practice over the years when the sense that this isn’t fair rears its ugly head.

1. Put blinders on.

Have you ever seen a race horse? They often wear blinders on the sides of their eyes so they can’t see what’s happening next to them. They can only focus on what’s ahead—the goal, the finish line. Their jockeys know that if they look to the left or to the right, they will slow down and become distracted.

And so it is with us. When we look around at how others are performing, we become distracted. We get consumed with critiquing them and take our eyes off the course that has been set for us.

Hebrews 12:1-2a says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith” (italics mine).

Philippians 3:13-14 says, “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (italics mine).

The Lord has set a race course for us. He has called each of us uniquely, for his glory and for our good. Our races don’t match each other’s, but are designed specifically for us. Our sovereign Father sees us and knows what he’s doing. He wants us to fix our eyes on him and run the race for him. There is no allowance in scripture for us to compare our race to another’s.

2. Remember Jesus’s Unfair Calling

When I get the sense that this isn’t fair, I try (clearly, with the Spirit’s help, as my mind is on myself in that moment) to remember Jesus, “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross).

God himself, whose rightful place is on a throne in heaven, willingly condescended and walked this dirty earth to save me, his enemy. How unfair is that? And if our perfect Savior was willing to die for his enemies, how much more should I—a very imperfect and fallen woman—be willing to sacrifice to serve him and others?

If there ever was anyone who could rightfully say this isn’t fair, it was Jesus.

Our Choice: Bitterness or Joy?

Hebrews 12:2 tells us that it was “for the joy that was set before him [that Jesus] endured the cross.” Somehow, enduring pain beyond imagine led to Jesus’ joy. When Jesus obeyed his Father and poured himself out on behalf of his enemies, it led to joy.

But comparison leads to bitterness. When we fix our eyes not on our own race, but on others’ we become bitter. We inevitably tally our score higher than theirs and we cry foul.

When you and I put on blinders, when we fix our eyes on Jesus, when we are of “the same mind” (Philippians 2:2).

Whether we are moms, students, executives or missionaries, may God work in us (Philippians 2:13) and help us to choose joy over bitterness, sacrifice over selfishness, a focus on our own race and prize rather than the performance of another.

This article originally appeared here.

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Do your best and leave the results up to God.

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1. PASSION IS LEARNED, NOT TAUGHT

2. INTERACT WITH YOUR PEOPLE

3. GET YOUR WHOLE BAND ON A CLICK TRACK

4. IT’S OK TO GO OLD SCHOOL

5. DON’T ASSUME ANYTHING

6. MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH YOUR PEOPLE

7. PLAN EVERYTHING

8. RECORD AND WATCH BACK

9. PRIORITIZE “TEAM” PLAYERS

10. DON’T TAKE THINGS TOO SERIOUSLY; IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU ANYWAY

If you struggle with these, guess what? You don’t need an enemy. You have one. It’s you.

1. I’m Just Not Good Enough

2. He Is So Much More________. She Is So Much More______.

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1. Pray them quiet.

2. Don’t waste too much time responding to the naysayers.

3. Make sure the leadership of the church is fully behind you.

4. Pray and take defensive action when things turn ugly.

5. Put the focus on celebrating God, not gloating over the naysayers, as your ministry vision gets accomplished.

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Here are just a few of the tensions that we manage in our ministries:

Depth/Width

Attractional/Missional

Healthy Church/Sending Church

Empowering New Leaders/Pursuing Excellence

1. Put blinders on.

2. Remember Jesus’s Unfair Calling

Our Choice: Bitterness or Joy?

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2. He Is So Much More__. She Is So Much More.