A Ministry of the Mundane

July 30, 2018

I’ll never forget the quiet of the church building on my first day as pastor. I had previously served on a large church staff with many action-packed weekly ministries. The building was a beehive of activity. But in my new role as pastor of a small church, it was a different experience, one my Bible-college training and Christian upbringing didn’t quite prepare me for.

I suspect most of my ministry colleagues have made similar adjustments. I once heard Chuck Swindoll say to a gathering of ministers, “In ministry life, there are more moments of the mundane than the magnificent.” This is true, but why is it so hard to adjust to a ministry of the mundane?

Pastors are rightly motivated to see God do a grand work in their midst. After all, that’s why we surrendered to the call to ministry in the first place. We want to be vessels through which God changes the lives of the people we serve. We read the book of Acts and are inspired, again and again, by the way the Spirit of God builds Christ’s church. And we ask ourselves: Why can’t that happen here, in this community, through this local church?

We all want God to do something big, and we want that big thing to happen through our ministry. This isn’t necessarily a bad or carnal impulse. We should dream, as Paul did in Romans 10:1, for the salvation of those who are alienated from God. We should read the Great Commission and the words of the Lord in Acts 1:8 and the picture of the gathering of the kingdom from all nations in Revelation 5 and 7 as both a challenge to spread God’s name and a promise of Christ’s activity in this generation. Nobody should go into ministry with only a casual interest in seeing people moved from death to life.

God is in the whisper

However, this doesn’t mean we, ourselves, have to be overcome with frenetic activity. Sometimes God moves in big, catalytic moments like conferences and memorable worship services or large-scale events. Other times, however, God moves in the quiet, small things.

I’m reminded of Elijah, who experienced an adrenaline crash after his showdown with the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. Many in Israel still worshiped Yahweh, yet still he was despondent because the big convert, Queen Jezebel, remained hardened in opposition.

As God ministered to his discouraged prophet in 1 Kings 19, he demonstrates God’s unwillingness to be held captive by our expectations. Elijah stood and watched a series of big natural phenomena: a strong wind, an earthquake and a fire. Each time, the text is clear that God was not in any of these events. God was in what came next: a whisper.

Does this mean God isn’t in control of earthquakes and fires and wind? No. Does this mean God doesn’t use big events to bring about his purposes? No. But the point God is making to Elijah and to us who speak and minister for God, is this: God is also in the whisper. He’s in the quiet, ordinary moments of life.

Gregory the Great wrote, “Purity of heart and simplicity are of great force with almighty God, who is in purity most singular, and of nature most simple.”

Most of our professional ministry training prepares us for the big moments. This is good. But I wonder if we go into the pastorate expecting every day to be Mt. Carmel, when more days are like Elijah’s solace under the juniper tree.

We have a natural restlessness. In part it’s a product of the culture in which we live, where we are constantly awaiting the next big thing. Our smartphones light up with alerts from social media, email, text and phones. Each one has the promise of something new: a new conversation, a new opportunity, a new news story. We are mastered by the moment.

I find it extraordinarily difficult to turn this off. It’s a constant battle that I don’t always win. I find it hard not to check my phone regularly, even when I should be present with people.

This is a symptom of not just a busy culture, but a busy heart. We are restless creatures because we are running from the solitude that allows us to meditate, to be quiet, to hear God speak, to repent. It’s uncomfortable to face ourselves, so we fill our time with distractions.

The way of Jesus is not just active ministry. It’s time away with the Father. It’s not just crisis and confrontation; it’s the ordinary, mundane and common. As much as we need to plan the next big event, we need to experience routines, and rest and renewal. At times, this might mean a sabbatical or time away with the family. Often it’s simply structuring our lives to include moments that are not big or consequential: breakfast with friends, a few hours to read and grow, or pursuing a life-giving hobby. I’m reminded of Thomas Carlyle’s statement that silence is “the element in which great things fashion themselves together.”

How to Exponentially Launch More Organic Groups

Mark Howell

July 30, 2018

How to Exponentially Launch More Organic Groups

There are ongoing discussions about what kind of groups are easiest to launch, what kind of groups are healthiest for members, and what kinds of groups actually make disciples. Looking back at my own writing and that of others, I can see a lot of opinions and a lot of strategies. What I don’t see much of is help to launch more organic groups (which might be the most productive kind of group).

Think about it.

Almost everyone has a few friends. And yet, the most popular strategies to connected unconnected people are primarily designed to connect people who don’t already know one another; people who are not yet friends (or even acquaintances).

Have you ever thought about that?

Whether you launch new groups with a small group connection, or GroupLink, or a small group fair…you are using a strategy that is primarily designed to connect people who don’t already know each other.

Whether you use a semester strategy (sermon based or free market), or a program like Rooted, your strategy is primarily designed to connect people who don’t already know one another.

For that matter, when you run a church-wide campaign most churches simply publish a list of existing groups and allow unconnected people to join them.

The most popular strategies to connected unconnected people are primarily designed to connect people who don’t already know one another.

And while I’m not saying that friends never come together to a small group connection or sign up for the same semester group, I am saying that there are very few strategies intentionally designed to help unconnected people launch new groups.

Isn’t it a little strange there isn’t more emphasis on starting organic groups?

Maybe it’s just me, but I think it might be a little strange.

After all, if you think about it, shouldn’t it be pretty easy to start new groups with people who are already friends? And what if you added co-workers, neighbors,acquaintances and family?

How to Launch Exponentially More Organic Groups

The first tactic to add to your existing strategy is the element of “bringing a friend with you.”

Regardless of your group launching strategy, simply encouraging participants to bring a friend with them will increase the organic nature of the groups you form.

“Looking for a way to get connected here at First Community? Bring a friend and join us at our upcoming small group connection.”

This line should be added to all verbal announcements, bulletin promotions, website and email content.

Second, add a self-starter kit to every group launch strategy.

Regardless of the strategy you are using to launch new groups, there is probably a way to make it easy for groups to begin organically.

“If you’ve got a couple friends you’d like to do the Transformed study with, stop off at Group Central after the service today and pick up a Starter Kit. It has everything you need to get started.”

The newest version of the HOST strategy, this will help launch a new wave of organic groups to your results, you’ll connect a lot more unconnected people.

Third, add a tip sheet with invite ideas and helps at your new leader orientation and/or training.

If you want to connect more unconnected people and add a more organic feel to the groups you form, you need to get both your leaders and group members in the game of inviting. Begin by training your leaders to be better inviters (and remind them that it’s their job to fill the group, not yours).

This may be a philosophical change for your ministry, but as I’ve pointed out many times, you’ll launch more new groups and connect more unconnected people if you prioritize new groups AND train your group leaders to “fish for themselves.”

Finally, add a second-wave invitation to every new group you form.

If this is not already part of your new leader training and ongoing practice, you need to add it immediately. It’s so easy to do and so effective and when practiced system-wide will add more organic additions.

A second-wave invitation is something that should happen at the end of every first session of a new group (if not during the get-to-know-you meeting before the first meeting). It is simply asking the question, “who do you know that should be invited to join our group?”

“Who do you know that should be invited to join our group?”

While this is a built-in element in many small group studies, it should always be added where it’s not built-in. Training your leaders to ask this question will almost always add new members organically in the second week.

No Problem Free

Are these tactics problem-free? Nope. With each of the tactics I’ve mentioned here, there will be a set of problems. You’ll have to develop a self-starter kit. You might have to reframe the process of qualifying to lead a group or create a preliminary step that leads to leader status.

There is no problem-free. Every strategy comes with a set of problems. Wise leaders choose the set of problems they’d rather have.

I would much rather have the problems that come with starting more organic groups. And I bet you would too.

This article originally appeared here.

When You Are Ministry Tired

Jenny Funderburke Smith

July 30, 2018

Several times in recent weeks, my lead pastor has referenced how ministry slows down in the summer. At first he did not understand why I looked at him like he had three heads. Yes, weekly ministry may look different for youth and children’s ministries, but for most the summer definitely doesn’t slow down. Between VBS, camps and special events, many leaders will work an extraordinary number of hours within just a few weeks. And, oh by the way, at some point you have to plan for the fall.

How does the gospel-centered leader respond during these seasons where you are just plain tired?

Recognize that you are not a superhero. Only God is all-knowing, ever-present and limitless in energy. You are not Him. During busy seasons we push ourselves to the limits. Rest is not of the devil. Recognizing your own limitations is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of being the human God made you to be. It is not healthy to try to be the Energizer Bunny who never stops. That might work for a little while, but eventually fatigue and burnout will catch up. God is the hero of this busy season, not you.
Don’t rely on your own energy. When we run on adrenaline during these busy seasons, we tend to rely on ourselves and our talents. Colossians 1:29 says, “I labor for this, striving with His strength that works powerfully in me.”
Guard your mouth and your heart. Maybe you don’t function this way, but one of the easiest ways that I can tell that I am tired is I become very snappy and short with the people in my life. I put on a great friendly face at church, but my husband gets the sharp response. I smile at a hundred volunteers, but my closest friend says something and I snap back. I get way too sensitive way too quickly. Just like I tell my five-year-old that she is tired when she starts whining, I also need to watch for these cues in my own life.
Prioritize your daily spiritual walk. Our big, public moments of ministry must be fueled by the quiet discipline of our relationship with Jesus. When busy takes over, unfortunately it is easy to neglect things like personal Bible study or prayer. How silly is it that we do this?
Don’t quit. Have you ever daydreamed about being a Wal-Mart greeter or a paperclip sorter in the middle of a big event where there are lots of demands on you and questions to answer? Now is not the time to go put in an application. Now is not the time to say, “If only I was at a bigger/smaller/richer/nicer/whatever church…” Now is the time to persevere exactly where God has placed you.
Remember that the Gospel you are teaching applies to you. God is in charge, not you. You will mess up, but that’s why Jesus came. Your worth is not in how many kids go to youth camp or how many volunteers are at VBS. Your worth is in the God who created you and gave you His righteousness. God’s grace upon grace is not just a subject for a lesson, but a reality for your life as you lead.

This article originally appeared here.

Easy Lies to Believe (Thanks to Social Media)

Jared Olivetti

July 30, 2018

A few days ago, our Sunday school lesson was centered on the first chapter of the Westminster Confession and its emphasis on the necessity of Scripture. In discussing how wonderfully God provided for our need to be certain about Him and about salvation, we also spoke about how often we feel certain but we shouldn’t. Along those lines, I’d like to take a stab at naming and disarming several lies often spoken to us through social media, especially in understanding the world around us. In naming these lies, I’m not necessarily advocating giving up on #facetagramsnaptweeting, but encouraging us to wise, careful and limited use.

Lie #1 – You can understand a complex subject in a very brief time. Whether it’s climate change, vaccines, racism, global trade or the inner workings of Washington, D.C., social media whispers constantly to us, “This is easy stuff. Read a headline and a couple paragraphs and you’ll be ready to engage in the conversation.” This isn’t to defend a modern kind of agnosticism, one which says we can never really know the truth about anything, but it is to say that many of these issues require real research and deep reading to come to a knowledgeable position. Having read an article or a few headlines doesn’t mean we understand something. To fight this lie means both reading more deeply and thoughtfully while also having the humility to know what we don’t know.

Lie #2 – You should understand as many complex subjects as possible.There is no end to the sheer number of issues social media asks you to care deeply about. Everyone has their hobby horse, they all seem fairly compelling, and every time we open up Facebook or Twitter, we’re being asked to give attention and emotional energy to what Tim Challies spoke of as “Outrage Porn.” Perhaps the deeper lie is that we are unlimited in our capacities to know, care and act; in reality, we are extraordinarily limited in our capacities to understand and care for things. And in believing lies about our capacities, we may in the end be stealing from those in our lives who deserve and need that emotional energy.

Lie #3 – Your opinion on those many and complex subjects is valid. Now that you understand those complex subjects, social media constantly encourages you to share your thoughts. And in giving everyone an equal platform, the subtle lie is that everyone’s opinion is equally valid. But in reality, very few opinions actually matter and even fewer are valid in the sense of being well-founded in research and wisdom. Social media encourages us to narcissistic certainty all while we ought to be feeling less certain about many of the issues presented to us. Lie #3.5 might be something like, “Certainty is the only option; anyone who questions or withholds judgment will be suspect by society.”

Lie #4 – You are angry at all the right things. We have come off a weekend of great anger in our nation, including great anger expressed on social media. While the reason may be new, the anger isn’t. And while anger over white supremacy is justified, not all of our anger is. Here are observations based on my twitter feed over the last five days: (1) absolutely every Christian leader and thinker I follow denounces white supremacy and racism; (2) absolutely everyone else I follow denounces white supremacy and racism. The damning thing is that I’m pretty sure many pastors who feel the need to speak out against white supremacy (praise God they do) have never felt the need to speak out against abortion. Most local pastors here in central Indiana have released some type of statement against white supremacy. But I’ve never seen most of them do the same for abortion. Why? Partly because it’s easier being angry at racism; it’s a popular anger that doesn’t cost us anything, especially not respectability. But to speak out against the genocide and racism of abortion is to risk much more. In the end, my fear is that we are taking our anger cues from social media and not from God. Sometimes they will be the same; often they won’t. Faithfulness will be shown in the difference.

So what’s the answer? Quitting social media is surely an option, one which many should seriously consider. But far more than needing to leave something, we need to return to something. We need to return to the Word of God. We need to hear from God more than we need to hear from our friends. We need God to tell us what’s right and wrong more than we need Facebook to tell us. We need God to inform our love and anger or else it will be shaped by forces outside our control. We need to be Bible people long before and long after we are #facetagramsnaptweeting people.

This article originally appeared here.

Judges Lose It When 145-Person Choir Sings Baba Yetu [Lord’s Prayer in Swahili]

Megan Briggs

July 30, 2018

You can’t listen to The Angel City Chorale sing the “Baba Yetu” without getting goosebumps. Something powerful happens when 145 people join to sing a very important passage of Scripture.

“I’ve heard a lot of choirs over the years, but this is original,” Simon Cowell told the group following their performance.

The Curious Origins of Baba Yetu

“Baba Yetu,” which is translated “Our Father,” is a song with a very curious origin. The lyrics are taken from the Lord’s Prayer. Word for word, the prayer is sung in Swahili. Of course, the Christian music world is familiar with taking lyrics from Scripture, but the video game world is not. The composer of the song, Christopher Tin, wrote it for the game Civilization IV in 2005. It is the first piece of music written for a video game to be nominated and win a Grammy Award, which it did in 2011.

Sue Fink started the chorale in 1993 at a guitar shop in Santa Monica, California. Twenty-five years later, the group is going strong and wowing judges.

“I wanted to start something to give back to the community. We try to represent diversity. Different religions; different ages; we’re black, white; rich, poor; gay, straight. Even the Republicans, Democrats can sit next to each other in our group,” explained Fink, who directed the choir in their performance on stage.

Actress Olivia Munn hit the golden buzzer, which advances a contestant straight to the live show competition. Each judge is only allowed one hit to the golden buzzer, so they have to be very impressed to fast-track a contestant to the final round of competition! Earlier this season, Cowell pressed the golden buzzer for Michael Ketterer, a worship leader from southern California. Ketterer performed a secular song with a very spiritual soul behind it.

Apparently, if you want to impress the America’s Got Talent judges, the best thing to do is perform a spiritual song.

If you enjoyed The Angel City Chorale’s Performance of Baba Yetu, check these out:

Simone Biles’ Dance to ‘Good, Good Father’ Is Incredibly Personal and God-Focused

Christian Cuevas Performs Powerful Gospel Song on ‘The Voice’

The Hymn ‘Great Is Thy Faithfulness’ Knocked Adele’s ‘Hello’ Out of the Top Spot on iTunes

Meet the Worship Leader Who Drove Simon Cowell to the Golden Buzzer

Ex-Pastor Harry Thomas Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Sexual Assault

Bob Ditmer

July 30, 2018

A 75-year-old former pastor has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for having sexual contact with children.

Harry Thomas, former pastor of Come Alive New Testament Church in Medford, N.J., and co-founder of the Creation Festival, plead guilty of sexual assaults and other crimes involving five minors.

As part of a plea agreement earlier this year, Thomas acknowledged sexually assaulting a 9-year-old in 2005, having sexual contact with three girls ages 7 to 9 in 2000 and 2010, and exposing himself to a girl between 2008 and 2010. Prosecutors would not comment on whether the victims were church members.

Relatives of the victims were in court during sentencing, and in testimony two of them described Thomas as a “ravenous wolf” and a “hypocrite” who professed to be a man of God while victimizing children. Burlington County assistant prosecutor Stephen Eife called Thomas “a devil in disguise.”

Thomas wept as he expressed remorse about his crimes. “I’m very sorry for the pain I’ve caused,” he said.

Referencing a biblical passage about punishment for those who harm children, he said, “I agree with the scriptures. It would be better for a millstone to be hung around my neck and be cast into the sea. That’s what I deserve.”

Superior Court Judge Jeanne Covert said she recognized that Thomas might die in prison but the 18-year sentence was appropriate given the crimes and the risk of Thomas reoffending. Prosecutors sought the maximum 20-year prison term.

Thomas started Come Alive Ministries and a Christian rock radio show called the Come Alive show in 1973. Soon after he began promoting concerts and festivals and then founded the Come Alive Church.

Come Alive “indefinitely suspended Thomas from all leadership positions with the church and all associated ministries after he was arrested in December. He has been housed in Burlington County jail since his arrest.

His other ministries include building schools and hospitals in Haiti and Africa.

Rwanda’s Relentless Drive to Secularize Claims 8,000 Churches

Bob Ditmer

July 30, 2018

More than 8,000 Rwandan churches have closed this year as the East African nation’s government makes clear its aggressive secular stance.

The Rwanda Governance Board put the new regulations in place at the beginning of the year claiming that the vibrant religious community’s sometimes makeshift operations have threatened the lives of followers.

The new regulations cover a variety of safety issues. For example, toilets must be a certain distance from the church entrance and all churches must have lightning-conductors.

But some of the regulations suggest government hostility toward faith groups. The new codes require church buildings to install a certain kind of canvas ceiling, even though that material carries a considerable fire hazard. And one church was told it needed to change its roof and rebuild one of the brick walls. The church is already financially strapped as a result of the government’s initial requirements.

Claims of government harassment appear to be supported by statements from President Paul Kagame. When Kagame was told earlier this year that the regulations had resulted in thousands of churches being closed including 700 in the nation’s capital, Kagame told the media, “700 churches in Kigali? Are these boreholes (deep wells) that give people water? I don’t think we have as many boreholes. Do we even have as many factories? This has been a mess!”

Some of the new regulations are not based on safety but simply government control. All pastors now need to have a theological degree from an accredited institution. And the law states that only institutions that also teach science and technology can teach theology, meaning that few of the theological institutions or Bible schools are regarded as valid.

Rwandan Churches Closing Rapidly

According to a report by Rwanda’s pro-government KT Press, more than 8,000 churches have been closed as a result of the regulations, and the number keeps growing.

“On checking which churches were included, we learned that all churches are suffering the same fate, and that even churches considered luxurious for local standards have had to close,” a local analyst, who wished to remain anonymous, told World Watch Monitor.

“World Watch Monitor learned that in one village the church was closed while a wedding was ongoing. The couple and all the guests were simply told to leave the church during the service, and the church was closed.

“Another church was stopped from having services and other meetings (such as home groups) in a school hall as an alternative after all the churches in that parish had been closed. The church had timber instead of a metal door and window frames, and was told the roof also needed to be elevated ‘just a little.’”

The laws are being enforced even though they have not yet been approved officially. In most cases it is almost impossible for churches to make the required changes within the given time frame of 15 days.

Government Imposing Onerous Regulations on Rwandan Church

World Watch Monitor reports government has taken several steps that have hindered religious liberties in an effort to secularize.

Prayer meetings are no longer allowed in government institutions.
Words referring to the Christian faith have been removed from the preamble of the Constitution.
During the commemoration of the genocide, neither pastors nor priests (who used to play a prominent role in past commemoration events) can speak or preach anymore, unless the event is organized by a church.
Two Sundays per month, main roads are closed, meaning that many people cannot reach their church. Church attendance has declined as a result.
Many Rwanda Patriotic Front (the ruling political party) meetings and other activities that may be compulsory are arranged for Sundays.

The group also reports widespread fear among the nation’s pastors. Shortly after the new requirements began to be implemented, officials arrested six pastors accused of plotting to defy the government orders. The pastors have since been released.

The Common Difference Between Single Men and Women

Gary Thomas

July 29, 2018

During a recent sermon, I got a few laughs of recognition when I described what I see as a huge difference between Christian women and men who are looking to get married. Of course there are many exceptions, but quite often I see this:

A Christian woman is in a serious relationship with a man when she recognizes some warning signs and red flags. Her first instinct isn’t to “run,” it’s “How can I make this relationship work?”

When I talk to Christian guys, however, it’s often comically the reverse. They are dating an attractive, healthy, personable, funny, intelligent, godly and wise woman who earns more money than they do. When I ask when they plan to pop the question, their response is often, “I can see all those qualities, but what if there’s someone even better out there?”

I don’t know if this discrepancy results from the perceived lack of available, thoughtful and gainfully employed Christian men, but both Lisa and I have seen it far too often. We knew a couple that had us a bit concerned, wondering if the woman was making too many concessions. As gently as possible, both of us tried to point out what she was going to accept for the rest of her life (many of the things we didn’t think would ever change), but she moved forward.

My heart broke when Lisa explained to me, “Gary, if I could have convinced her that she’d find another solid, decent Christian guy to marry in the next five years, I think she would have broken off this relationship. But she doesn’t think there’s anyone better out there. She thinks it’s either make this relationship work or be single for the rest of her life.”

However it breaks down by gender (again, I’m admitting this is a stereotype with numerous exceptions), these are the two tendencies:

“How can I make this relationship work?” and “What if there’s someone even better out there?”

The danger of the first tendency, “How can I make this relationship work?” prior to marriage, is that it may excuse many things that shouldn’t be excused. It’s one thing to help a spouse with whom you have children confront and overcome an addiction. It’s another thing to willingly go into marriage and plan to conceive children with someone you know is going to be fighting (or worse, not fighting) an addiction for perhaps the rest of their life.

It’s one thing to figure out how to deal with more of a temper than you thought your partner had once the honeymoon is over; it’s another thing to go into a marriage fully aware that one misstep can set this person off for a 15-minute rant. I’ve said this many times: If your significant other seems a little too angry as a boyfriend or girlfriend, he or she will seem much too angry as a husband or wife.

If your natural default position is “How can I make this relationship work?” just be aware of your tendency: Are you excusing something you shouldn’t? If so, guard against it. Bring others into your relationship to gain perspective and objectivity.

Those whose tendency is to ask, “But what if there’s someone even better out there?” often have a distorted view of marriage. They tend to be a little more selfish, and they frequently fail to understand that a great marriage is about building something more than it’s about finding someone. Making a wise choice is the starting line, not the finish line. You’ve got to add intention, purpose, chosen intimacy, etc.

In fact, there are likely hundreds of people with whom you could build a God-honoring and even happy marriage if you’re willing to work at it. Some choices are certainly wiser than others, but no person is the “complete” package, in the sense that for the rest of your life you risk finding someone with a set of strengths that look very attractive in comparison to your current partner’s. Comparing a new infatuation (which launches neurological blindness) with a more mature relationship isn’t fair, though. It goes back to thinking marriage is about finding someone instead of building something together.

By the way, if your hesitancy is based on thinking you need to choose the “right one” so that you can have an “easy” marriage, just talk to some married people. No marriage is ultimately “easy.” Two sinners living in one house creates sparks: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Prov. 27:17).

Instead of wondering whether there’s “someone even better,” spend your time considering whether you’re with a person of faith whom you respect, are reasonably attracted to, are compatible with in the most important areas (read The Sacred Search for what these are) and possesses the necessary relational skills to keep growing a marriage. If those qualities are present and growing, you’re well on your way to a wonderful marriage and a wonderful life. You’ve found a perfect God, so you don’t need to find a perfect mate. The key to happiness is learning to embrace a life of worshipping Jesus rather than desperately pursuing another human being.

Knowing your tendencies is helpful so that you can guard against the natural weaknesses all of us carry. It may sound contradictory to put these two against each other because they seem like opposites—one is too quick to pull the trigger, the other is frozen and can’t move their finger if their life depended on it. But notice the difference: One woman moves forward even though there are numerous red flags. One man won’t move forward even though there is much reason to do so. One can’t say “no” and one can’t say “yes.”

The first group needs to pay more attention to the red flags, and the second group needs to give more consideration to the positive qualities. An abundance of problems should cause you to pull back or at least pause, and an abundance of positive qualities shouldn’t be ignored by the off chance that somewhere out there, someone even better is just waiting to meet you. Think of all you’re missing out on by not beginning to build a life together right away.

I’d love to hear from all the singles out there if you think this stereotype holds true, or whether I’ve just gotten a skewed view of what’s happening in the world of singles these days.

This article originally appeared here.

How to Influence First-Time Parents

Dale Hudson

July 29, 2018

We know the biggest influence in a child’s life is his or her parents. So, if you want to influence children, then you must influence their parents.

The good news is this. When a couple has a new baby, especially when it’s their first baby, they are open to input and advice. Many young mothers turn to the Internet for knowledge about things like teething, feeding, which car seat is the best, what brand of diapers to use, etc.

Yes, they ask their parents some questions. But that is usually not their first go-to source. They have spent much of their life growing up searching the web for information. So it’s natural that they would head to the web for parenting need-to-knows.

But when they want spiritual advice as parents, they turn to the church. That’s you!

It’s important to have a clear strategy and plan to equip young parents.

And I have found that the best way to speak into new parents’ lives is when they are dedicating their child.

This can be done by having a class that all parents must go through before they dedicate their child. You can use the class not only to explain what the dedication means, but also to share with parents how they can be the spiritual leader for their child.

What a great opportunity to talk with parents about church attendance, having devotions with their child, spiritual traditions they can start, how to pray with and for their child, etc.

I have created a proven resource you can use for this. It’s called the Parent & Child Dedication Class. If you don’t presently have a class that you take new parents through or if you’d like to update what you’re currently teaching, then this is the class for you.

It’s crucial that you speak into the lives of young parents. By doing this, you can help them prioritize their lives and have a Christ-centered approach to parenting.

You can see samples of the class and get more details at this link.

This article originally appeared here.

9 Things to Do When You Have Stopped Loving Your Congregation

Chuck Lawless

July 29, 2018

I’m afraid it happens. The congregation we once loved has brought pain, and it’s hard—if not impossible—to love them now. If that’s where you are, here are some suggestions I pray will help:

Enlist some prayer warriors to pray for you and your church. Don’t try to change your heart alone. You can’t do it, and you’ll only grow more frustrated. Intentionally seek God’s help to love His people again.
Admit your feelings to God. He already knows them, and He’s big enough to handle them and work in your heart at the same time.
Do something loving for your church. Godly love is not dependent on having the right emotions; it’s about doing the right thing to express love even when our feelings aren’t there. Doing something loving might be as simple as (a) praying for members and letting them know you’re doing so; (b) letting go of anger toward others who’ve hurt you; or (c) ministering practically (e.g., cutting grass, etc.) to someone who drives you crazy.
As needed, confess your own wrong. Never are we perfect, and seldom are we not at least a part of the problem. Be willing to consider whether you’ve contributed to the problem at all.
Remember some good times with the congregation. I’m assuming you’ve had at least a few good times with the congregation. If so, hold on to those memories. Talk about them with someone. Thank God for them, and ask Him to give you some more.
Ask God to show you a glimpse of where He’s working today. He loves your congregation even if you don’t anymore, and He’s working someplace. Trust Him to open your eyes to His work.
Seek reconciliation with someone. Sometimes it’s easy to think we no longer love the church, when only one or two persons are the real problems. Humbly and prayerfully address those persons as needed. Even it change is not immediate, God will honor your steps of obedience.
Remember that some people become unlovable because of private issues in their lives. Particularly if folks were formerly more lovable, it’s possible they’re dealing with stuff you don’t know about. For example, health concerns, family issues, financial struggles and personal sin can make many of us less lovable.
Go back to the Word. At the risk of appearing arrogant and self-serving, I invite you to listen to this sermon I preached at the Southeastern Seminary chapel last fall: “You Want Me to Do What?” It’s the easiest way for me to encourage you to love God’s people.

May God help all of us to love His church!

This article originally appeared here.

The Most Difficult Leadership Misstep to Catch, (That Will Stall Out Your Ministry)

Dan Reiland

July 29, 2018

There are many ways to stall out your ministry. You could make a quick list like this one:

Busy instead of productive
Lack of vision
Low morale
Scattered more than focused
Trying to please everyone
You can add one to the list _______________________

But there is one leadership misstep that will stall out your ministry every time.

If you need people more than you feed people, you will soon be leading from empty.

If you need people to fill volunteer roles.
If you need people to help you grow your church.
If you need people to give money.
If you need people to believe in the vision.
If you need people to trust your leadership.

You may be thinking, “Wait a minute, every leader needs people to do that stuff!”

Yes, but it’s all about the order (of need & feed) and what’s underneath driving you. It’s not semantics.

Here are several warning signs that your need is greater than how you feed.

People have become a bother.
Numbers matter more than stories of life change.
Your joy factor is low.
Your frustration level is high.
You start trying to implement quick fixes, rather than value-driven, principle-based ministry.

Jesus said: “Feed my sheep.”

Let me go back to the misstep.

If you need people more than you feed people, you will soon be leading from empty. And if you lead from empty, your ministry will stall out.

That may sound counterintuitive because “feeding” people can empty you. But here’s the major difference.

Yes, you can get tired from the work of ministry. You can get tired because you consistently feed people, but you get to go to bed each night and take care of that.

That is very different than an unfulfilling and stalled out ministry. That can empty you at a soul level.

The most fundamental principle to a fulfilling ministry is that it’s other-person centered. When you genuinely pour into people, you get tired, but your heart is filled.

A full heart will always energize a tired body and help sustain a weary soul. This gives you the spiritual stamina to help you lead through and out of a stall.

The difference between needing people and feeding people can seem like a fine line. But when you cross over the line and flip the order of priority and focus, your leadership becomes desperate. And people can smell desperate.

This practice keeps you filled so you can feed others.

The best way to break through a stall is to lead dependent, not desperate.

Five practices of leaders who feed their people more than need their people:

(Another way to express this is that you want more for the people than from the people.)

1) They love their people.

Church leaders don’t last long when they don’t love the people. If you run on empty, it’s easy to become distant from the people, and you can’t love people from a distance.

It’s that same genuine love for people that fires you up when you see someone’s life change. That’s our motivation, the mission and the reward.

When you love someone, you want the best for them.

2) They want the best for their people.

People pursued Jesus because He healed them, not because He drew big crowds.

They wanted to be part of what Jesus was doing because He taught them the truth that helped them live a better life, not because He was clever or popular.

Jesus always wants the best for people; he wants us to have “life to the full!” (John 10:10)

Delivering your best ministry requires both a shepherd’s heart and a strategic mind.

3) They protect the people spiritually.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

John 10:10-11

As Christian leaders, we help protect the people spiritually in three primary ways.

Teaching biblical truth
Praying for God’s blessing
Challenging toward maturity

The best spiritual cover is for each person to be able to stand their ground, to stand firm (Ephesians 6), under temptation and attack. As leaders, it’s our responsibility to lead people to this level of faith and spiritual maturity.

4) They are willing to be with the people.

You can’t be with all the people all the time, but your desire to be with people matters. Your personality, gifts and actual responsibilities aren’t the issue. Great leaders spend time with people.

This can be more of a challenge in large and very large churches. In fact, there’s a subtle danger of becoming an event planner with a theological degree.

There’s nothing wrong with systems, processes and events. They help you reach more people. But at some point, we need to connect with people at a heart level.

5) They possess a passion for people’s growth.

You can see the theme. Love the people, want the best for them, participate in their spiritual protection, and be with them. This is the process of feeding the people, which results in their growth.

From a new Christian to a solid leader, I love helping people grow. I’ll bet you do too. That’s a core trait of a leader who desires to feed the people more than need them.

This article originally appeared here.

How to Lay Aside the Weight of Lust

Jon Bloom

July 29, 2018

Lust is an ancient and universal human sinful appetite. The more we feed it, the more ravenous and perversely diverse it becomes. And the more socially acceptable perverse diversity becomes, the more sexual immorality steals, kills and destroys human lives.

No wonder lust is one of Satan’s choice temptation weapons. Few sins wield as much power to blind unbelievers and seduce Christians, and then immobilize them with shame. So, at all costs, we fight and flee it lest it make us a prisoner of war (1 Corinthians 6:18).

A few centuries ago, the English word lust described a fairly wide range of human desires, both good and evil. Today, lust is typically shorthand for “sexually immoral desires.” But still, lust covers a lot of ground, because there is a wide range of “sexually immoral desires.” These desires, and the behaviors they produce, if not vigilantly resisted, have been a devastating part of the human experience since the forbidden fruit was eaten in Eden.

But the driving force behind lust is frequently misunderstood. The human sexual drive, while strong, is not the dominant power in lust. Sin is the dominant power. Various kinds of sin seize or infect the sexual drive in order to gratify selfishness through sexuality.

This is why lust can be so difficult to fight. Our sexual drive can be infected by many different kinds of sinful desire viruses, resulting in multiple variants of lust disease. What helps us fight lust one day might not help the next, because a different virus is infecting the sexual drive.

Viruses leading to lust

One common virus is coveting. Our rebellious sinful nature finds forbidden things attractive and covets them (Romans 7:7–8).

Another virus is self-indulgence. Self-indulgence can manifest in any corrupted human appetite. In fact, self-indulgence can be contagious. I have found if I sinfully indulge in one area, like overeating or entertainment or laziness, I am more vulnerable to sexual temptation. Certain emotional states also may trigger a desire to indulge lust (among other things), like the euphoria of success, boredom, self-pity, discouragement, anger and more.

A host of other sin-viruses can infect us and become manifest through the sexual drive. Lust can be fueled by a desire to wield self-exalting dominance or manipulative power over another. It can be fueled by discontent. It can be fueled by the fear of death, manifested in a sexualized desire to recapture youth or be sexually desired by youth.

And more than one virus frequently powers our lust. For example, when David lusted after Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11), his sexual drive was infected with selfish indulgence, coveting someone forbidden and possibly numerous other sin-viruses.

Lust also can be hard to fight because the fog of arousal often obscures the sins that are fueling it. But the more we recognize the sin-triggers, the better we can cut lust’s fuel supply and blow away its fog.

The most powerful way to fight lust

Crucial to fighting lust is identifying triggers and choking the fuel supply. Accountability partners and software safeguards can be great helps. But these are defensive measures and only half the battle—and not the most powerful half.

The most powerful and successful way to fight the desire fire of lust is with the desire fire of faith in what God promises to us. Faith in God’s promises prepares us for offensive action. Faith shields us from enemy blows while God’s promises hack down spiritual enemies like broadsword (Ephesians 6:16–17).

When faith in God’s word swells in our hearts, lust is no match for it. You know what I mean. When you have been most filled with hope and trust and delight in God, what kind of grip did lust have on you? Hardly any. You didn’t want to defile your mind and heart with anything impure.

We are not naïve. We know we will not always surge with lust-dousing faith. So we need to put strong defenses in place. We must understand the nature of lust so we are not ignorant of Satan’s designs (2 Corinthians 2:11).

Lay aside the weight of lust

The cross of Christ guarantees that every moment of confession and repentance is a cleansing moment (1 John 1:9). Last year’s or yesterday’s or this morning’s lust need not linger or flagellate us with shame.

But our birthright as children of God is far more than the removal of condemnation. It is freedom (John 8:32). That’s why Satan tries to enslave us with lust: to steal our spiritual freedom and joy. For when indulged, lust weighs down our souls, quenches our faith and shuts our mouths. It robs our desire to worship God, witness for Jesus, intercede for kingdom needs, encourage others, give generously, reach unreached peoples or engage in spiritual warfare. It makes prisoners out of freemen.

So let’s lay down this sin-weight, this demonic ball and chain (Hebrews 12:1).

Some Advice on Same-Sex Marriage for U.S. Church Leaders From a Canadian

Carey Nieuwhof

July 29, 2018

In June 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples can marry in all 50 states, setting off a flurry of reaction by Christians and virtually everyone else on social media and beyond.

Ed Stetzer wrote a helpful background post to the shift in opinion that led to the decision and included links to a number of other leading articles in his post.

The social media reaction ranged from surprising to predictable to disappointing to occasionally refreshing.

I write from the perspective of a pastor of an evangelical church in a country where same sex-marriage has been the law of the land for a decade.

That does not mean I hold any uniquely deep wisdom, but it does mean we’ve had a decade to process and pray over the issue.

I hope what I offer can help. It’s my perspective. My fingers tremble at the keyboard because my goal is to help in the midst of a dialogue that seems far more divisive than it is uniting or constructive.

There will be many who disagree with me, I’m sure, but I hope it pulls debate away from the “sky is falling/this is the best thing ever” dichotomy that seems to characterize much of the dialogue so far.

The purpose of this post is not to take a position or define matters theologically (for there is so much debate around that). Rather, the purpose of this post is to think through how to respond as a church when the law of the land changes as fundamentally as it’s changing on same-sex marriage and many other issues.

Here are five perspectives I hope are helpful as church leaders of various positions on the subject think and pray through a way forward.

1. The Church Has Always Been Counter-Cultural

Most of us reading this post have been born into a unique season in history in which our culture is moving from a Christian culture to a post-Christian culture before our eyes.

Whatever you think about history, theology or exactly when this shift happened, it’s clear for all of us that the world into which we were born no longer exists.

Viewpoints that were widely embraced by culture just decades ago are no longer embraced. For some, this seems like progress. For others, it seems like we’re losing something. Regardless, things have changed fundamentally.

But is that really such a big deal? For most of the last 2,000 years, the authentic church has been counter-cultural. The church was certainly counter-cultural in the first century.

Even at the height of ‘Christendom’ (whenever that was), the most conservative historians would agree that Christianity as embraced by the state was different than the authentic Christianity we read about in scripture or that was practiced by many devout followers of Jesus.

Being counter-cultural usually helps the church more than hurts it.

If you think about it, regardless of your theological position, all your views as a Christian are counter-cultural and always will be. If your views are cultural, you’re probably not reading the scriptures closely enough.

We’re at our best when we offer an alternative, not just a reflection of a diluted or hijacked spirituality.

2. It’s Actually Strange to Ask Non-Christians to Hold Christian Values

As the Barna Group has pointed out, a growing number of people in America are best described as post-Christian. The majority of Canadians would certainly qualify as having a post-Christian worldview.

The question Christians in a post-Christian culture have to ask themselves is this:

Why would we expect non-Christians to behave like Christians?

If you believe sex is a gift given by God to be experienced between a man and a woman within marriage, why would you expect people who don’t follow Christ to embrace that?

Why would we expect people who don’t profess to be Christians to:

Wait until marriage to have sex?

Clean up their language?

Stop smoking weed?

Be faithful to one person for life?

Pass laws like the entire nation was Christian?

Seriously? Why?

Most people today are not pretending to be Christians. So why would they adopt Christian values or morals?

Please don’t get me wrong.

I’m a pastor. I completely believe that the Jesus is not only the Way, but that God’s way is the best way.

When you follow biblical teachings about how to live life, your life simply goes better. It just does. I 100 percent agree.

I do everything I personally can to align my life with the teachings of scripture, and I’m passionate about helping every follower of Christ do the same.

But what’s the logic behind judging people who don’t follow Jesus for behaving like people who don’t follow Jesus?

Why would you hold the world to the same standard you hold the church?

First, non-Christians usually act more consistently with their value system than you do.

It’s difficult for a non-Christian to be a hypocrite because they tend to live out what they believe.

Chances are they are better at living out their values than you or I are. Jesus never blamed pagans for acting like pagans.

But he did speak out against religious people for acting hypocritically. Think about that.

3. You’ve Been Dealing With Sex Outside of Traditional Marriage for a LONG Time

If you believe gay sex is sinful, it’s really no morally different than straight sex outside of marriage.

Be honest, pretty much every unmarried person in your church is having sex (yes, even the Christians).

I know you want to believe that’s not true (trust me, I want to believe that’s not true), but why don’t you ask around? You’ll discover that only a few really surrender their sexuality.

Not to mention the married folks that struggle with porn, lust and a long list of other dysfunctions.

If you believe gay marriage is not God’s design, you’re really dealing with the same issue you’ve been dealing with all along—sex outside of its God-given context.

You don’t need to treat it any differently.

By the way, if you don’t deal with straight sex outside of marriage, don’t start being inconsistent and speak out against gay sex.

And you may want to start dealing with gluttony and gossip and greed while you’re at it. (I wrote more here about how to get the hypocrisy out of our sex talk in church.)

At least be consistent…humbly address all forms of sex outside of marriage.

The dialogue is possible. (Andy Stanley offers a great rationale for sex staying inside marriage here.)

We have that dialogue all the time at our church.

And people are grateful for it.

We also talk about our greed, our gluttony, our jealousy and our hypocrisy as Christians. It’s amazing. Jesus brings healing to all these areas of life, including our sex lives.

6 Things Mom Taught Me About Church

Phil Cooke

July 29, 2018

I’m a preacher’s kid, so growing up, I sat on a church pew every time the doors were open (and they were hard wooden things back then).

Mom was pretty strict about attending church, and I’ve sat through about a million worship services, weddings, funerals, vacation Bible schools, Sunday school classes, revivals, youth rallies and more. Along the way, my mom had some pretty tough rules that have mostly fallen out of fashion since those days.

But after a few decades, I’m wondering if they weren’t so bad after all. Let me know if you think my mom was nuts or maybe on to something:

1. Dress up.

My mom felt that church was about honoring God, and looking right was a big part of that honor.

I had a whole collection of clip-on ties, and she made sure I was dressed up before I left the house. Today, even pastors preach in jeans and t-shirts, and the truth is, I love being casual.

But attorneys and other professions have learned that how you dress impacts your attitude and perception.

As my mom said, it shouldn’t be about pride, it should be about honor. Looking around the congregation these days, I just wonder if we could use an occasional dose of my mom’s advice.

2. Pay attention.

I got slapped a lot in church for not paying attention. Even as kids, my mom wouldn’t let us lay down on the church pew, draw in coloring books or scribble on paper.

We had to pay attention—which, if you know how easily distracted I am, was like a personal nightmare. But looking back, it taught me discipline and a remarkable amount of Bible teaching.

Is Your Technology Destroying Your Volunteer Ministry?

Yvon Prehn

July 29, 2018

It always seems like a great idea when someone discovers a software system that will replace having [to] interact with people, for example, one that will allow volunteers to sign up online for tasks that need to be done at the church or an event that needs lots of volunteers. But you need to be very careful that the technology that you get to help the church doesn’t actually discourage involvement with it. Let me explain . . . . .

Nothing is totally good or bad, but how it’s used

I’m not saying that all software volunteer management programs are bad — there are lots of them available and many of them are loved by the groups that use them. However, as with any technology, we have to be careful that our love of technology or the seeming benefits that it has for the church staff doesn’t blind our eyes to some of the problems that technology can cause for volunteers. Before I go into specifics dos and don’ts, here is a brief review of why we have volunteer ministries and what it can accomplish.

The reasons for volunteer ministry

In addition to the reality that leaders cannot handle all the demands of ministry by themselves, a healthy volunteer ministry is the Biblical model for how we to do ministry.

Jesus was not a lone preacher and if anyone could have handled a ministry all by himself, the sinless Son of God would qualify, but he didn’t go at it alone. He chose 12 disciples and others traveled with him. After Jesus returned to his Father he put us in a Body, his church. He left us his Spirit who gives gifts to the members of his Body for the benefit of the entire church body (“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good” 1 Cor.12:7). The early church may have had problems in how they worked out working together (1 Corinthians is a case study of this situation), but Paul’s advice to them was always founded on ways for them to work together in the local church body with mutual care and peace.

In addition to this overall theological basis for volunteer ministry and that you need warm bodies to get things done, two other practical advantages are worth noting:

One, volunteering is a great way for new members to become permanently connected to the church. If someone starts volunteering in the children’s ministry or prayer team or greeting or making coffee, that person will get to know other members of the church and feel they are a part of it. In addition, by trying out different jobs there is a greater chance they will interact with others, learn more, discover their spiritual gifts and overall mature in their faith far more than if they sit in a few Sunday after Sunday.

Two, another often ignored benefit of active volunteer ministries is that they are great ways for people outside the church to become involved in the church. An unchurched person may have no interest in coming to a church service but he or she might be very interested in a day of service to the homeless, giving out gifts to kids whose families can’t afford them, a fundraiser for clean water, or to end human trafficking. It’s also easier for your members to invite their friends to participate in activities like this.

With all these great benefits of volunteering how do we get people involved?

This is where reality hits idealism. Getting people to volunteer is VERY hard and getting them to follow through on what they promised to do is even harder. A computer program to do the work for you is very appealing. A computer program can be PART of the solution, but here are some cautions in using one:

How to make sure your technology doesn’t destroy your volunteer program

Realize that your technology system won’t work for everyone. We must never forget that we live in a transitional time when some people in your church are very tech savvy and some people still do not have computers. In the same way that many churches have both an online newsletter and a print newsletter and realize that they will need to continue both channels of communications for some time, so also you can have a computer sign up program for volunteers, but you must have ways for people to be involved who for some reason can’t or won’t use the computer to sign up. If you don’t, you are effectively shutting out a large pool of volunteers. Not only is that not a wise use of people resources, but it is unkind.

Be realistic about how “easy” your program is for people to use. It might seem easy to you because you got training in how to use it and you were motivated by the dream of how easy this would make your life, but I’ve yet to see a volunteer program from the user side that was even remotely easy or intuitive to use. To see how it works for your people, ask several members of your congregation, who are different age groups to come into the church office and without any coaching from you, ask them to sign-up and navigate through your volunteer sign up system. Take notes and then…..

Create training on how to use the system and how it can benefit your church. This won’t be easy to do, and you still won’t get everyone involved, but it will help. If at all possible, if you have a program like Camtasia where you can demonstrate the program in your voice with your system and your volunteer jobs and you can create training videos for your church — this is a very helpful solution. You could also train team leaders and have them train their teams. Adequate, upbeat training can turn a disliked program into a tool people can’t imagine doing without.

Listen to feedback, record it and consider your response. If many people don’t like the system and complain about it, ask them for more detailed reasons: what was confusing, what didn’t work, what didn’t they like about it? Record their answers and in a calm time, pray about how to respond. If people aren’t using the program and really dislike it, it can be difficult, but we always must remember we are servants and our technology should also serve our people, not intimidate or frustrate them.

In addition to your technology, try this simple method for volunteer sign-ups

One of the best ways to get people to volunteer for various ministries is to have a form people can fill out, check a box on and sign up that’s in the church bulletin. When the announcement is made about a volunteer need, if all they have to do is take out a form, fill it out and put it into the offering plate, you’ll get many more sign-ups. Some churches rotate volunteer position requests on their connection card. Something like this isn’t a duplicate of your technology tools or a replacement, you still want to use that because the many in your church will love it — this paper option is part of, to paraphrase a verse, “being all things to all people that we might get some to volunteer.”

Direct Boxes – What They Do, Why They’re Needed, and Why Price Matters

Chris Huff

July 29, 2018

Time to talk DI boxes and answer all the related questions I get. For example, what’s the difference between an active direct box and a passive one? For that matter, is there a difference in audio quality between a $40 passive DI and a $200 passive DI?

And then there’s the big one, “do I even NEED a DI box?”

Let’s start with understanding WHY you need a DI box.

Why A DI Box Is Needed!

First, the Needs of a Mixing Console

A mono mixer channel is designed to take in a monoline (not stereo) that’s balanced, as the input. A balanced line means the incoming cable will have three wires:

Pin 1: Ground
Pin 2: Hot (+)
Pin 3: Cold (-)

Regarding the hot and cold wires, the Cold wire carries the same information as the hot except it has the polarity reversed. If you viewed the signal on the hot compared to the cold, it would look like the cold is an inverted copy of the hot. This method of sending two complementary signals is called differential signaling. The benefit of these two signals is they aid in the elimination of interference.

Hot and Cold of a Balanced Signal

Phase versus Polarity

Don’t confuse polarity with phase. Phase is dependent on time where polarity doesn’t have a time component. If a sound wave has its polarity reversed, it’s like seeing a mirror image, as in the above image. A wave with a peak at +5 which had the polarity reversed would now have a trough at -5. The wave is inverted

Something that was out of phase would be copy of the sound wave that appears at a delayed time. This is what happens when two microphones pick up the same sound source, like a drum, but at different distances from the drum and therefore the microphones pick them up at different times. Something that’s 180-degrees out of phase would appear as an inverted wave but it’s a result of a time delay — it’s not inverted at the same time, the time delay just makes it appear so.

The words phase and polarity are often confused. Remember phase has to do with time and polarity has to do with electrical signals.

How Interference is Eliminated

The balanced line comes into the mixer and what happens?

Here comes a little math. What happens when we sum the two signals from the above image? If the max/min was +5 and -5, conventional math says +5 + (-5) = 0. However, it doesn’t work like that with balanced lines.

The Standard Method for Calculation

The output voltage is calculated by subtracting the voltage on the two wires (pins 2 and 3).

Pin 2 – Pin 3 = voltage

Let’s substitute values such as we used a moment ago:

(+5 V ) – (-5 V ) = voltage

If you recall basic mathematical processes, two negatives equal a positive:

(+5 V ) + 5 V = voltage
10 V = voltage

Noise Cancellation

Now comes the fun part.

There are methods to shield the hot and cold wiring to prevent as much interference as possible from getting into the hot/cold wires. However, if it does enter in, let’s look at what happens.

The interference would occur somewhere during the cable run which means it’s going to appear the same on both wires. See the red lines on the chart below. Imagine those are an instance of interference picked up along the way.

Interference in red.

Now we apply the same calculation of Pin 2 – Pin 3. And let’s say that interference is at +3.

(+3) – (+3) = voltage
3 – 3 = voltage
0 = voltage

Thus, the interference is eliminated.

THERE’S MORE! CHECK OUT PAGE TWO:

5 Keys to Developing Young Leaders in Your Church

Paul Alexander

July 28, 2018

It seems like everywhere you turn lately some national church leader is writing about the bleak future of the U.S. church due to younger generations leaving. Well, recently I spent some time at a place that made me really hopeful about the future of the church in America.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to do some coaching at Ethos Church, a young multisite church located in Nashville, Tenn. In just seven years Ethos has grown to three locations and more than 2,500 people in attendance, and the rate at which they are baptizing people is in the top 10 percent of churches in the U.S.! Plainly stated, God is using the ministry of Ethos Church to change people’s lives. But what excited me the most about my time with them was everywhere I looked there were young leaders, and not just serving as interns or in some inconsequential role. But there were young men and women in their 20s and 30s (the ones in their 30s were the old ones…I guess that makes me ancient now) who are serving as the senior leaders of this fast growing church.

In working with churches around the country, unfortunately churches like Ethos have become the exception rather than the rule. It doesn’t have to be that way. This list below of “5 Things Young Leaders Need” is a great place for your church start.

1. Opportunity

Even leaders who have been gifted greatly don’t start out as great leaders. Someone somewhere gave them their first opportunity. The tough thing about leadership is that it isn’t learned in a classroom, it’s learned by leading. In order to grow and develop, young leaders need the opportunity to get real hands on experience.

Question: Does your church give young leaders real opportunities to lead stuff that matters?

2. Access

Young leaders need access to real leadership conversations. They need to be a “fly on the wall” in board meetings, management team meetings and executive team meetings. They need to watch the senior leaders in the organization lead through the tough stuff and make the big decisions. They need access to ask experienced leaders questions about how they lead and why they do it the way they do.

Question: Do the senior leaders in your church give young leaders unfiltered access to watch real leadership take place and discuss it?

3. Authority

Young leaders don’t just need busy work to keep them occupied. Once they’ve proven they can deliver through following through on tasks being delegated to them they need to be empowered to make real decisions and exercise real authority to accomplish objectives through leading their own teams and delegating to others.

Question: Does your church give young leaders real consequential responsibility?

4. Grace

Part of the nature of being a young leader is making mistakes. Even experienced leaders don’t get it right all the time; and young inexperienced leaders certainly are going to make mistakes, it’s the nature of young leaders. How you respond when young leaders fail matters.

Question: Does your church give young leaders the room to fail?

5. Coaching

Great coaching can make all the difference in the performance of a team or a particular player. Great coaches do four simple things with their players. They train their players before the game, they put their players in game-like situations in practice and get “reps” in before the real game happens, they make in-game adjustments, and they watch the game film after the game to review and learn from the player’s performance.

Question: Does your church expect young leaders to learn on their own through their own experience or do you actually coach them?

How to Love a Heretic

Dr. Josh Buice

July 27, 2018

A true heretic is a dangerous person—one of the most deadly is the type who is opposed to the gospel of Jesus and passionately seeks to persuade others to embrace a false gospel. Do you know a heretic? How should you show genuine love to that person without endangering yourself and your family? The Bible speaks to such situations, and we would be wise to follow the biblical pattern of love.

Stop Affirming and Start Evangelizing

According to the world, the politically correct method of showing love is to be affirming to all people no matter what they say or do—it’s their life and their choices and we should love them anyway. Friendship evangelism never works. If you think that being a friend to a heretic will lead that person to Christ—you will never see results. The heretic is often pleased with remaining friends in hopes that he or she could chip away at the foundation of your faith. It’s time to stop affirming them in their beliefs and start evangelizing them with the gospel.

To share the gospel involves confronting people with error. According to the world, this is judgmental). Hanging out with the heretics will never change their hearts. The Bible says, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). In other words, if you continue in a close intimate friendship without evangelizing the unbeliever with the gospel and confronting them with their error—you’re not showing true love to your friend. True love will lead someone away from an eternity that’s under the blazing wrath of our sovereign God. Do you really love your friend if you refuse to confront them and to point them to Jesus?

Stop the Intimate Friendship

For the sake of your soul, you need to bring an end to the friendship between you and your heretic friend. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, and taught the church to keep their distance from those who claimed the name of Jesus but denied him in their manner of living (1 Cor. 5:11). You can do this in several ways, but perhaps the best way to do it is to be honest. You can sit down across the table from your friend and explain how their heresy has divided your friendship and that you will no longer be able to remain close friends. Doctrine matters and false doctrine divides. In this meeting, you can take time to share the true gospel and plead with your friend to embrace Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins. However, the breaking of the relationship is necessary for the sake of your spiritual well-being. Don’t have an elevated opinion of yourself—yes, you can be fooled too. Remember, Paul scolded the church at Galatia for being fooled by the heretics. Robert Thomas, former professor at The Master’s Seminary once wrote the following:

People don’t often go heretical all at once. It is gradual. And they do not do so intentionally most of the time. They slip into it through shoddiness and laziness in handling the word of truth… All it takes to start the road to heresy is a craving for something new and different, a flashy new idea, along with a little laziness or carelessness or lack of precision in handling the truth of God. All around us today are startling reminders of doctrinal slippage and outright failure. In case after case someone who should have known the truth of God better failed in upholding that truth. [1]

God is in the whisper

How to Exponentially Launch More Organic Groups

Isn’t it a little strange there isn’t more emphasis on starting organic groups?

How to Launch Exponentially More Organic Groups

The first tactic to add to your existing strategy is the element of “bringing a friend with you.”

Second, add a self-starter kit to every group launch strategy.

Third, add a tip sheet with invite ideas and helps at your new leader orientation and/or training.

Finally, add a second-wave invitation to every new group you form.

No Problem Free

The Curious Origins of Baba Yetu

Rwandan Churches Closing Rapidly

Government Imposing Onerous Regulations on Rwandan Church

Five practices of leaders who feed their people more than need their people:

1) They love their people.

2) They want the best for their people.

3) They protect the people spiritually.

4) They are willing to be with the people.

5) They possess a passion for people’s growth.

Viruses leading to lust

The most powerful way to fight lust

Lay aside the weight of lust

Here are five perspectives I hope are helpful as church leaders of various positions on the subject think and pray through a way forward.

1. The Church Has Always Been Counter-Cultural

2. It’s Actually Strange to Ask Non-Christians to Hold Christian Values

3. You’ve Been Dealing With Sex Outside of Traditional Marriage for a LONG Time

1. Dress up.

2. Pay attention.

Why A DI Box Is Needed!

First, the Needs of a Mixing Console

Phase versus Polarity

How Interference is Eliminated

1. Opportunity

2. Access

3. Authority

4. Grace

5. Coaching

Stop Affirming and Start Evangelizing

Stop the Intimate Friendship

Take Your Team to Play Bingo

“Secret Shop” Another Church

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