How 94 Million People Heard about Jesus from Tim Tebow

January 8, 2018

Tim Tebow made his faith in Christ known by writing “Phil. 4:13” on the eye black he wore during games. Here’s the story behind that visible declaration of his allegiance to Jesus.

Tebow told the story at this year’s Passion 2018 conference in Atlanta, Georgia. He told Louie Giglio, the conference founder, that in 2008, his junior year at the University of Florida, he was in the locker room getting ready to take the field against Tennessee and he noticed that other players were writing their zip code or their mother’s name on their eye black. He decided to write Phil 4:13 on his as a way to encourage those sitting in the stands who might notice it watching through binoculars.

The verse reads, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” He called it the perfect verse for a football player.

The media quickly picked up on the unique message and it caught on not only in Gainesville but nationwide as Tebow wore the eye black with the Bible message on it during every game.

The Gators went on to play in the national championship that year against the top-ranked Oklahoma Sooners. Before the game Tebow said he felt God telling him to change the verse. He decided on John 3:16, which he calls “the essence of every Christian’s hope.”

Tebow told his coach, Urban Meyer, of his decision to change the message but Meyer didn’t take the news well. Meyer is a coach who doesn’t like to mess with what works and told Tebow, “No, Philippians 4:13 is what got us here!”

Tebow reminded him that it wasn’t a Bible verse that got the Gators to the national championship and said “he talked him off the ledge” about his planned change and Meyer agreed.

The Gators went on to win the national championship game with Tebow throwing two touchdown passes.

Shortly after the game Tebow was having dinner with his parents and Meyer when the Gator’s coach got a phone call from the team’s public relations staff telling him that during the game 94 million people googled John 3:16.

Tebow said he was humbled by the news that demonstrated “how big God is.” He said he only intended the Bible message to be an encouragement and God turned it into a way to reach millions with his message of love and salvation.

Tebow says the story is also a reminder to every Christian of what God can do when his children step out in faith and are obedient to his leading.

But there’s more to the story. Exactly three years after that national championship game Tebow found himself in an NFL playoff game as the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos. The Broncos won.

Tebow again wrote “Jn. 3:16” on his eye black. During that game 90 million people googled the iconic Bible verse.

The lesson for Tebow was clear, God can take games, jobs and our lives and transcend them into something that is so much bigger, if we’ll only let him.

From Harlem to Mississippi: 5 Inspiring Church Leaders You Need to Know This Week

Christine Yount Jones

January 8, 2018

Every week, inspiring church leaders make a difference right where God has called them to serve. They may never make the national headlines, but we found these 5 inspiring stories on local news sites from around the country to share with you.

Inspiring Church Leaders in the News This Week

“A pastor drives 1,000 miles to get to his small church, and the people who need him”

Joey Gilbert’s story was featured in the Biloxi Sun Herald recently. Gilbert is a bivocational pastor who makes the roundtrip trek three times a week from Carnesville, Georgia, to Bayside Baptist Church in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. During the week he works as a land surveyor.

The Bay St. Louis community was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Gilbert first came to the neighborhood a few years ago when he and several other volunteers arrived to help after Katrina. The people in the community won his heart. And last year after learning that the church had no leader and attendance had dropped dramatically, Gilbert decided to do more.

It’s not an easy trip three times a month, but Gilbert, who is often joined by wife Julie and friends Joyce and Kim Reed, sees this route as a regular mission trip.

How does he do it? Gilbert said: “With the Lord’s help, and a lot of prayer, and a lot of determination. If you came on a Sunday, and met the members and the kids, you’d understand. Like I tell people, it’s a God thing. Physically, financially, God has made a way. I’ve just about worn out a vehicle in the past year and a half, but it’s all worth it.”

Living a Dream

The Observer-Reporter in Washington, Pennsylvania, told the moving story of Pastor Michael Matthews, a man who will not allow his cerebral palsy to limit what he can do.

Matthews felt called to ministry at the age of 24. He says, “I wanted to be used by God and I wanted to show other people that no matter what background they came from, they can be used by God and that’s what my whole life goal is.”

It would take years for Matthews to overcome obstacles to see that dream come true. Two years ago, Matthews was voted in unanimously to pastor First Baptist Church in Claysville, Pennsylvania, a 13-person congregation that has grown to over 40 under his leadership.

“I want people to see that, ‘Hey, here’s a guy, he’s a Christian, he’s a pastor, and he’s also dealing with this disability,’” Pastor Mike said. “For me, it’s so important that they see a man in a role like a pastor. They can see how there’s a group of people trusting me to lead this church, and they have the same expectations of me like any other pastor, and that’s amazing, that’s a step in the right direction.”

Pastor Mike is living his dream!

And a woman shall lead them! Baptist church in Harlem picks first female pastor in its 88 years

The New York Daily News reported recently about Lisa Jenkins who’s the new pastor at St. Matthew’s Baptist Church in East Harlem. Church members are excited about Jenkins’ preaching style since it’s accessible and generation-spanning. Five new people have joined the church since Jenkins was hired and some of those new people are under 30—a demographic the church is hoping to recapture.

The New York Daily reports that “On a recent Sunday, Jenkins rocked the flock with a plain-talking sermon that hopped from Exodus and Isaiah to slavery and Martin Luther King in a crescendo of hand-clapping praise.”

“She was preaching, my 16-year-old grandson had his head down, but all of a sudden his head pops up, he’s listening!” said deacon Nataline Vanderburg.

Jenkins was also recently appointed to Community Board 10 where she’s involved in social activism, such as fighting for housing and justice.

Flabby Bodies, Fat Naps and the Need for Ministry Leaders to Get Fit

Greg Stier

January 7, 2018

I don’t run triathlons or marathons. Nor am I a fitness freak. But, as a 52-year-old preacher, I’ve become increasingly aware of my mortality and the ever sagging effects of gravity.

It was early on in my ministry experience that I began to realize that I had better start working out or bad stuff was going to happen to me. Heart attacks, diabetes and strokes happen to preachers too.

It was easy for me to dismiss my out-of-shapeness in ministry because for years I was in excellent shape. In my late teens and early 20s I was a roofer by trade. The results of 10- to 12-hour days of manual labor was me being slim, tan and quasi-ripped. In college I had 8 percent body fat and could hang with the best of them when it came to push ups, sit ups and the like.

But then something strange happened. I stopped roofing and planted a church.

I exchanged my roofing hammer for a commentary, my ladder for a desk and my once rigorous manual labor job for a sedentary calling. To add injury to insult I tore my ACL while dancing to a Michael Jackson video (don’t ask.) And I let my injury give me an excuse to be even less active.

I ballooned from 155 to 223. The closest I came to working out was sprinting to the kitchen and curling a fork full of food to my face. But, worse than that, my blood pressure spiked up and my energy dropped down. In the middle of the day I began scheduling, what I affectionately nicknamed, my “fat naps” to try to compensate for my lack of energy.

To be honest I felt guilty every time I preached on self-control because it was obvious that I wasn’t controlling my own appetites. I coped with stress by eating. I coped with ministry frustrations by eating. I coped with the guilt I felt from eating by eating.

Although I came from a very health conscious family who worked out with weights, ate healthy and took vitamins, I had kind of dismissed all that as “unspiritual.” My body, I reasoned, was temporal anyway. Why would I spend time going through the pain and strain of working it out when I was going to get a new one in heaven someday?

But what I came to realize was that if I didn’t do something really soon my body was going to be really temporal. If I didn’t do something drastic I was going to die sooner rather than later.

1 Timothy 4:8 reminds us, “physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” As church leaders we rightfully focus on the importance of eternal values. But if we don’t stay in basic shape we may enter into eternity sooner than we want to.

Here are four reasons for church leaders to get/stay in shape physically:

1. Getting in shape gives you endurance to face the rigors of ministry.

“But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:5

Ministry is hard. It is mentally, emotionally and spiritually taxing. So when you are physically strong it enables you to face these challenges with a sharp mind and strong body. There’s something about enduring the hardship of doing those extra sit ups that prepare you for the pain you are going to endure in that extended elders meeting (and, if a rogue elder punches you in the stomach, he’ll hurt his fist against your rock hard abs).

2. Getting in shape gives you the physical discipline to help drive your spiritual disciplines.

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:23-27

Guys like the apostle Paul and Peter and the boys didn’t need to work out. They walked hundreds of miles and ate fish, bread, veggies and fruit.

But, although he probably didn’t work out personally, Paul seemed to understand the connection between spiritual disciplines and physical ones. This thread of connection reminds us that our bodies do matter. Healthy bodies make sharper minds. Sharper minds make better study. Better study habits make stronger sermons.

There is a connection. We don’t want to over-spiritualize the connection. But we don’t want to underestimate it either.

1 Peter 4:7 reminds us, “The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.” It’s easier to be alert as you pray if your heart is strong and your body is healthy. Take it from me that sweet hour of prayer can turn into a fat nap pretty darn quick if you’re out of shape physically.

3. Getting in shape could help you face temptation more effectively.

When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan he was tempted when he was at his weakest physically (Matthew 4:1-3). Jesus had just completed a 40-day fast, and Satan attacked when he knew Jesus’ body was worn down. I’m sure that he figured that if there was an ideal time to see if he could get Jesus to sin, it was when his body was at its weakest physically.

I am convinced the Tempter does the same thing with pastors, youth pastors and worship leaders. He knows that when we are at our weakest physically, we are most likely to let our guards down spiritually. Obviously working out doesn’t give you an automatic victory over Satan’s temptation, but it gives you an advantage over your more squishy compadres.

4. Getting in shape gives you strength to accomplish the mission Jesus gave you.

Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations.” We need to be energized to Gospelize). But some of this energy is physical.

Jesus was strong enough to endure the most painful torture that could ever be imagined. Peter was healthy enough to swim a hundred yards to shore without falling over dead (John 21:7,8).

These men were healthy enough to accomplish the mission that God gave them. Are you healthy enough to accomplish the mission he has given you? If you want to build a Gospel advancing, disciple-multiplying ministry, you need to get physically fit enough to advance the Gospel for hours at a time and have enough energy to multiply disciples over the long haul.

How can you start getting in shape? Try walking or running. Join your local fitness center. Download a good fitness app. Try one of those workout DVDs. But, whatever you choose to do, do something. Do anything.

And don’t wait until after the holidays. Start now!

Either that or get used to them fat naps.

This article originally appeared here.

Getting Alone With God Is Always in Season

Rick Warren

January 7, 2018

Life can get busy for anyone, and this is certainly no different for pastors. And for pastors, there is a rhythm to our year that involves seasons of more intense ministry, like Christmas and Easter.

Regardless of the season you’re in right now, it’s always appropriate to withdraw and spend time seeking God’s favor on your life and ministry.

If we want to fulfill God’s vision for our lives and ministries, we must continually hear from God. We must believe that hearing from God daily is a requirement for us to truly shepherd our congregations. It is not just an add-on to our list of things to do; it is a necessity for being a loving and effective pastor.

The prophet Habakkuk says, “I will climb up to my watchtower” (Habakkuk 2:1 NLT).

This is his way of saying, I’m going to get alone with God.

It doesn’t matter where you get alone with God. You just need to find a place. I happen to like outside.

When my kids were growing up, I actually built a little prayer garden down on the slope behind my house where I could get away to pray and focus on God.

You need to have a place that’s quiet, a place where you habitually go to meet with God. Make it special and specific.

The Bible says, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16 NIV). This was a habit with Jesus, and it needs to become a habit in your life.

If you want to get God’s vision and hear God’s direction for each new year and each new season of ministry, you need to meet with him daily.

Let him set your priorities.

Jesus says, “Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace” (Matthew 6:6 The Message).

God wants to meet with you. He wants you to know him as well as he knows you. There is nothing in your life or in your church that doesn’t interest God.

“Don’t worry about what you will eat…or drink…or wear. Your heavenly Father knows that you need [these things]” (Matthew 6:31-32 AP).

This article originally appeared here.

Is Your Youth Ministry a Dry Wasteland?

Josh Griffin

January 7, 2018

For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. Isaiah 43:19 NLT

I read this verse yesterday and my mind was flooded with memories of when I felt this exact way. My youth ministry was a dry wasteland. God wasn’t there. No life. Nothing but frustration with the leadership, a lack of volunteers, no passion, nothing but bone dry sand and bitterness.

What a beautiful message is contained in this verse for youth workers lost in the throws of a dry lake bed of youth ministry. We’re not lost. We’re not wandering aimlessly in the desert! God is doing something new, and He has already begun. He is making a path. He is bringing rivers of life to what looks hopeless and empty.

Have you ever felt like this:

Empty soul in the middle of the year

Pressures from the senior pastor to do more

Alone in youth ministry

Frustrated with the lack of growth

Lack of direction or focus

Nothing but disappointment in your heart and all around you too

If you do—you’re in good company! Isaiah felt this way, and anyone who has done youth ministry for any length of time has felt this way as well. So rest easy that despite your surroundings and feelings that shouldn’t be trusted—God is at work! Jesus is calling your students to something greater. He is doing great things, bringing life and hope and love to the lost. If you’re in a dry wasteland of youth ministry as we start the new year—know that God is right there, with big plans for you and your youth group.

Bogged Down in Minutiae: The Occupational Hazard of the Pastor’s Daily Existence

Joe McKeever

January 7, 2018

“I feel like I’m being eaten alive by a school of minnows.”

“I felt like I was being stoned to death by popcorn.”

Ask any pastor.

The size of his congregation is immaterial, but my observation is it’s the minister of the medium-sized flock who has it hardest.

The pastor of the tiny church has one well-defined set of jobs and the leader of the mega-congregation another entirely. The first has a few well-defined roles while the latter may have a vast team of helpers so he can put his focus where his gifts are.

It’s the poor pastor in the middle who has little say-so about what he will do today.

The pastor-in-the-middle, that is, the shepherd of the church running a 150 up to 400 or 500 or more, depending on a thousand things including resources and available helpers, will always have more on his plate than he can get to.

This pastor is the administrator of the church. He is the boss of the employees. He gives direction to everyone who works there. He deals with problems and headaches. He is the counselor for the congregation. He is the hospital visitor and does all the funerals and weddings. He is a member of every committee in the church, and as a rule, if he doesn’t call the meeting and attend, nothing gets done. He is the go-to person for every question. He dictates all the letters, or more likely types them himself. He follows up with the visitors and prospects, phoning or visiting them. Meanwhile, he preaches all the sermons and even some of the Sunday School lessons. Add to this one overwhelming fact…

He’s married. He has a wife and children, and they need him. He loves them dearly and is constantly torn because he is not giving them what they need.

Everyone owns a piece of him. Every church member feels he belongs to them and each has a right to call on him. He has no personal time, no days blocked off when he is not available. (And even if he tries to, try that on a congregation where the pastor has ever tried to seclude himself for a day or two a week. Good luck with that.)

The denomination needs him to attend their meetings and sometimes to serve on committees. As a member of the community, he meets with other pastors and leaders from time to time.

His mama needs him. His extended family is calling. Grandpa is in the hospital, Grandma is laid up and unable to look after herself, and the siblings are of little help. So, he’s torn by the younger and the older generation of his family.

He has trouble sleeping because of all the nagging needs which will not leave him alone. When his head hits the pillow, he can think of calls needing returning, sermons needing attention and problems needing addressing. Meanwhile, his wife has been waiting for this time to communicate to the man she loves.

Oh my.

Sound familiar to anyone?

Start a New Year With a Blank Page

Ron Edmondson

January 7, 2018

One of my life goals has been to get to a blank piece of paper stage in my walk with God. Ultimately, I want to present God with a blank piece of paper so He can plan my life.

It started like this. Years ago I was explaining to a friend I was at one of those “trying to discover God’s will” points in my life. (I have been there many times before and will be again.) His advice wasn’t something he had thought about a ton before. He admitted it sort of came to him quickly. But, for me it was the word I needed to hear.

He said something like, “Maybe you need to start with a blank piece of paper and give God ample space to plan out the rest of your life. Make yourself completely available to Him.”

I left our meeting, however, with a very probing question for myself. Did I really even have blank piece of paper? And, not in the literal sense. I’m sure I could find blank paper somewhere—even in such a digital age. But, in my heart. Had I really released my will to God’s will?

Over the next few weeks, through prayer and discipline, I attempted to get there—at least in that season.

Over the years since then, I have periodically continued the self-examination. To do this I have to be honest with myself and the plans I have for my life. I certainly want to follow His lead, but I think many times my page is loaded with my own agenda. If I want my page to be completely blank, then I need to offer it back to God with nothing on the paper.

But, it leads me to ask you the question:

Have you given God a blank page to plan your life?

Be prepared when you do. God seems to love a challenge. He is great at taking nothing and making something when we let Him draw the picture—write the story of our life. But, I’m not sure as followers of Christ—and, really as humans—whether we know it or not, if we can fully realize our ultimate design until we let the Creator have His way.

Let me offer a few more thoughts on the subject:

The Biggest Mistake of my Life

Making Resolutions You’ll Actually Keep

Personal Reflection Questions to Start New Year Right

7 Things Which Have Brought Me Success

The best thing you can do for yourself when planning for life is to give God plenty of margin to shape your plan. Actually, when we give Him our whole life we are in a better place than when we come with our own agendas.

This article originally appeared here.

5 Personal Reflection Questions to Evaluate Your Year and Start the New Year Right

Ron Edmondson

January 5, 2018

I’m a reflective person. This time of year, when we start to see all the “best of” reflections online and in the news, I like to do my own personal reflection. How was the year? What can we learn from it? How can I do better next year?

I think it’s a great exercise.

Perhaps you need a little help getting started. Take a couple hours over the next week or so—get alone—and reflect.

Here are five questions to get you started:

What was great?

List some of the highlights of your year. What gave you the most pleasure in life? Make sure they merit repeating—sin can have an immediate pleasure—but plan ways to rekindle those emotions in the new year. Most likely they involve relationships. The new year is a great time to plan some intentional efforts to strengthen relationships—spend more time with family and friends. Maybe you enjoyed the times you spent writing. Take some intentional steps to discipline yourself to do that more. Remember how good it felt that day you served people less fortunate than yourself? Well, now you know something you need to do more of in the new year.

What wasn’t great?

Think of some things that are draining to you personally. Again, it may be some relationship in your life. It could be a job or a physical ailment. It could also be that whatever it is that isn’t great has been around for more than a single year. But, chances are you’ve never taken the hard steps to do something about it. Sometimes recognizing those things is the first step to doing something about them. (Your answer may be that a relationship has ended—and there’s nothing you can do about it. Maybe this is your year to move forward again—even in spite of the pain.) Could this be the year?

What can be improved?

Sometimes it isn’t about quitting but working to make something better that makes all the difference. Intentionality can sometimes take something you dread and make it something you enjoy. I’ve seen couples who appeared destined for divorce court turn into a thriving marriage when two willing spouses commit to working harder (and getting outside help if needed). I was out of shape in my mid-30s. I’m healthier today in my 50s than I was then. The change began in one year—one decision—one intentional effort. Conventional wisdom says a new habit begins in 21 days, but some now believe it may take as long as 66 days to really get a habit to stick. But, would it be worth it if you really began a daily Bible reading habit? Or the gym really was a part of your life more than just the first couple weeks in January? Maybe this is your year to get serious about improving some area of your life.

What do I need to stop?

Maybe you need to stop caring so much what other people think. Maybe you need to stop overeating. Maybe you need to stop worrying far more than you pray. Maybe you need to stop believing the lies the enemy tries to place in your mind. Maybe you need to stop living someone else’s life—and start living the life God has called you to. Maybe you need to stop delaying the risk—and go for it! Maybe you need to stop procrastinating. Do you get the idea? Sometimes one good stop can make all the difference. What do you need to stop doing this year, so you can reflect on this year as your best year ever? Start stopping today!

What do I need to start?

Think of something you know you need to do, but so far you’ve only thought about it. Maybe you started before but never committed long enough to see it become reality. Often, in my experience, we quit just before the turn comes that would have seen us to victory. Is this the year you write the book? Is this the year you pursue the dream? Is this the year you mend the broken relationship? Is this the year you finish the degree? Is this the year you get serious about your financial well-being—planning for the future? Is this the year you surrender your will to God’s will—and follow through on what you know He’s been asking you to do? Maybe getting active in church is your needed start this year. Start starting today!

Five questions. When I’m answering questions like this, I like to apply them to each area of my life—spiritual, physical, relational, personal, financial, etc. Reflect on your life with God, with others and with yourself. This can be a powerful exercise.

Try answering some of these questions and see how they help you start your best year ever!

This article originally appeared here.

Before You Preach on the Soul, Watch This Video

Bob Ditmer

January 5, 2018

The Hebrew word “nephesh” translated into English as “soul” appears more than 700 times in the Old Testament. A word that prominent needs to be understood but our perception of soul doesn’t do the Hebrew intent justice.

“Soul” indicates a non-physical, immortal essence of a person that is released at death. The meaning comes from Greek philosophers. But that is not what the Hebrews meant when they talked about a person’s soul.

The literal translation of “nephesh” from Hebrew is “throat.” While that is a specific part of the body, when the Hebrews used the word they were referring to the entire person because your whole life and body depends on what comes in and out of your throat.

This video from the Bible Project uses Deuteronomy 6:4-5, referred to as the Shema, to give us a better understanding of “nephesh.”

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Strong’s Hebrew dictionary gives us an indication of how all encompassing the word is defining nephesh as “a soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion.”

Building on the idea that “nephesh” refers to the whole person, in the Torah, a murderer is called a “nephesh slayer,” a kidnapper is a “nephesh thief,” in Genesis we read that people are “living nephesh.”

In fact people don’t have a nephesh, they are a nephesh.

Psalm 42 is also used as a metaphorical example of how the writers of the Old Testament used the word soul.

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng.”

Just as your throat can be thirsty for water, like a deer’s, your entire physical being can thirst to be known and loved by your creator.

Is the Gospel Being Hindered by Unethical Clergy?

Bob Ditmer

January 5, 2018

Gallup reports that a growing number of people think clergy are unethical. This year marks the lowest rating to date, with 42 percent saying the clergy has “very high” or “high” honesty and ethical standards. The historical high of 67 percent occurred in 1985. Overall, clergy ranked ninth on the list behind judges and just ahead of auto mechanics.

Gallup has measured Americans’ views on the honesty and ethics of the clergy 33 times dating back to 1977. Although the overall average positive rating is 55 percent, it has fallen below that level since 2009.

WHAT IS SHAPING PUBLIC SENTIMENT?

Reasons for the decline are hard to pin down, but the research shows the clergy as a profession lost much of its luster in 2002 amid the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church. Gallup reports, “While positive ratings of the clergy’s honesty and integrity rebounded somewhat in the next few years, they fell to 50 percent in 2009 and have been steadily declining since then.”

Many who have left the church, referred to as nones by researchers, indicate that their perception of the ethical standards of pastors and Christians as a whole influenced their decision.

A 2016 Pew Study reported that the reasons nones left the faith included “Too many Christians doing un-Christian things,” “The clergy sex abuse scandal,” and “Because I think religion is not religion anymore. It’s a business…it’s all about money.”

Robert J. Young, the masters of divinity program director at Oklahoma Christian University, identifies three factors that he believes have contributed to the ethics crisis in the clergy:

Lack of Spiritual Focus

Ministry interviews seldom ask about personal spiritual health and growth. Few ministerial training programs require a spiritual-formation component. The significant requirement of spiritual reflection and formation in ministerial training is the exception not the rule. Have we forgotten that spiritual leaders must be spiritual? Are we so busy pursuing God’s work by methods proven in the marketplace that we have forgotten God’s kingdom work is spiritual? How will unspiritual people minister God’s presence effectively in the church when God is barely present in their lives? Without spiritual focus, spiritual famine will come. Genuine ministry is fraught with frailty, frustration and even failure. The greatest failure, however, may be seeking power for ministry in the physical rather than the spiritual realm.

Misguided Evaluation

How should ministry be measured? There are two opposite extremes. On one hand, worldly standards of success often replace spiritual evaluation. Some churches fail to appreciate effective ministry in their demand for numerical results. God’s Old Testament prophets would not have fared well in many modern churches. On the other hand, some churches and ministers fail to understand the power and potential of effective ministry and suffer because of their low expectations. The ultimate measurement of ministry is faithfulness to God. Ministry that is faithful to God never fails. Faithful ministry brings God’s power to bear in this world, and God promises increase. His Word never returns empty.

Worldly Expectations

Our society and churches often buy into the worldly mindset more than we like to admit. We frequently have expectations that do not appreciate the elastic, flexible nature of ministry. We do not know with certainty whether ministers work for God or for churches. We affirm the former, but often practice the latter. We are more apt to clone preachers than allow valid ministry consistent with the minister’s personality.

H.B. London, Jr., vice president of ministry outreach/pastoral ministries for Focus on the Family, identified similar problems. He told the Enrichment Journal:

“In my work as a pastor to pastors, I see ethical mistakes, financial integrity mistakes, and men and women disregarding one another and their families because success is so important to them. Sometimes I think we use God as J.B. Phillips describes in Your God Is Too Small. When we put God in a box and only pull Him out whenever we need Him, it presents ethical problems. When we speak, teach and think for God, it is really not for God at all. It is for our convenience. We are simply using God as a crutch.”

“Another critical issue I see frequently is the church mirroring the world rather than the world mirroring the church. The church is not impacting society like society is impacting the church. The world is in our congregations. If we are not careful, we will downplay the problems of homosexuality, divorce, abortion, euthanasia or easy believism. If we do not guard the church in the next five to 10 years, it will become more of a social institution than a deeply spiritual, moral institution.”

IS A CODE OF ETHICS NEEDED?

Could the declining numbers be resurrected by a shared code of ethics? The National Association of Evangelicals has one. It calls on clergy to:

Pursue integrity; in personal character, in personal care, in preaching and teaching

Be trustworthy; in leadership, with information, with resources

Seek purity; in maintaining sexual purity, in spiritual formation, in theology, in professional practice

Embrace accountability; in finances, in ministry responsibilities, in a denomination or a ministry organization

Facilitate fairness; with staff, with parishioners, with the community, with a prior congregation

Robert Young believes the church bears responsibility for improving the numbers too. He has seven suggestions to help them accomplish that.

Why You Should Record Every Church Service LIVE!

Caleb Neff

January 4, 2018

About 12 years ago I said “Why not?” to a Musicians Friend home recording starter kit. I had never even so much as sat behind the soundboard in our church, but I foolishly thought, “How hard could it be?” Three months and many sleepless nights later, our church’s youth band had an EP and I had unintentionally begun the best music education journey of my life. The EP wasn’t very good, but it became a learning tool. Here are three game-changing shifts that happened through getting our team into recording.

Listening to live recordings helps us embrace objectivity as a gateway to improvement.

Through the painful, unbiased honesty of playback, I discovered my weaknesses as a sound tech and a musician. I was going flat on every high note I sang. I was strumming the guitar like I was trying to chop down a tree. Once I got over the initial “that doesn’t sound like me at all!” syndrome, I decided that instead of delving deeper into the digital tools that could mask my inadequacies, I was going to do whatever it took to actually make these issues get better. It’s been a long journey; you don’t become a better player or singer overnight, but the truth of playback has been my greatest teacher in the process.

It helped the team to open up about how to improve.

Almost everywhere I’ve worked on a sound system or worship-team training, there are “elephant-in-the-room conversations” people have avoided, sometimes for years! They’ve avoided these conversations because they might sound like subjective criticism, but recording every service helps people listen to the realities of what the team sounds like. Listening to the playback opened up opportunities to have honest discussions:

• “Our sound guy mixes the vocals way too hot and the band way too low, but he owns the sound system.” (Unfortunately, I’ve encountered this more than once!)

• “Our guitar player always leaves his fuzz, flange and wah on for every song.”

• “Susie is rarely on pitch during high parts, but we don’t want to hurt her feelings.”

I could go on, but I’m sure you have your own stories. Within the next few years I’m sure Siri will help us have these awkward conversations, but until then what’s often needed most is a way to introduce objectivity into these situations. So many of the leaders I’ve met don’t want to end up in what would seem like a battle of personal preferences, so I recommend using the always-honest, never-biased recording.

I don’t want to oversell this; it’s not magic. However, something different, some kind of left brain/right brain thing that I’m not smart enough to understand, does happen when we’re listening rather than playing. After all, most of us can attend a live performance and agree on what’s good or not—where it gets muddled is when we’re the ones doing the playing.

In relaxed (usually one-on-one) contexts, I’ve been able to have breakthrough conversations with team members by listening to the recordings of our services. Usually, we would start with, “Let’s listen to this section that is really awesome. Do you hear how you and the other guitar player are really locked in—and how great that is?” Then, once we’ve highlighted a strength or two, we listen to a section that needs some work and offer some practical tips on how to grow. When bad tone is the issue, I’ve found that the 45 seconds of isolated tracks you can listen to for free on multitracks.com is a fantastic education for the ear about what sounds work well together in the modern worship context.

I don’t think I’ve ever had someone get upset at me for challenging them in this type of environment (I repeat: use this method one-on-one; group contexts are another story). It seems that most folks I’ve worked with really do have a desire to grow to be their best, but lack clarity about how to improve. And keep in mind that a great way to lighten the tension of sitting with someone listening to his or her mistakes is to point out some of your own. I’ve never had a hard time finding some.

The longer we practiced this discipline as a team, the more our conversations became collaborative. The electric guitar player and the sound person would listen back and discuss tones. The drummer and bass player would listen to the playback and discuss improvements to the rhythm section. When we introduced original songs, we had a way of documenting different ideas for an arrangement before we settled on the best one. As we moved into having multiple leaders at weekend services, I was able to steal great ideas from the other teams! The team began taking ownership of the things they were playing in a different way; it inspired new levels of creativity and renewed desires for excellence.

It’s encouraging!

When you play back something that you were a part of and it’s awesome, that’s supposed to feel really good. I’m no great theologian, but I’m pretty sure it was God who gave us the ears and the inspiration, and who designed us to delight in this stuff. You put all this work in—you should enjoy it!

As much as the recording process will reveal that which is frustrating and highlight room for growth, it will capture moments that will remind you why you’re so darn passionate about ministry to begin with. The archive recordings become markers of what God was doing in your community over time. Some of my favorite worship records are ones we made with dear friends who are with Jesus now, and they are gold to me. I even love that (kind of) lame sounding EP I made with my friends in the youth group band!

This article can be found in the February 2017 edition of Ministry Tech Magazine.

9 Toxic Traits of Common Church Bullies

Thom Rainer

January 4, 2018

Church bullies are common in many churches. They wreak havoc and create dissension. They typically must have an “enemy” in the church, because they aren’t happy unless they are fighting a battle. They tend to maneuver to get an official leadership position in the church, such as chairman of the elders or deacons or treasurer. But they may have bully power without any official position.

Church Bullies Are Nothing New

Church bullies have always been around. But they seem to be doing their work more furiously today than in recent history. Perhaps this look at nine traits of church bullies can help us recognize them before they do too much damage.

1. They do not recognize themselves as bullies.

To the contrary, they see themselves as necessary heroes sent to save the church from her own self.

2. They have personal and self-serving agendas.

They have determined what “their” church should look like. Any person or ministry or program that is contrary to their perceived ideal church must be eliminated.

3. They seek to form power alliances with weak members in the church.

They will pester and convince groups, committees and persons to be their allies in their cause. Weaker church staff members and church members will succumb to their forceful personalities.

4. They tend to have intense and emotional personalities.

These bullies use the intensity of their personalities to get their way.

5. They are famous for saying “people are saying.”

They love to gather tidbits of information and shape it to their own agendas. See my previous post on this one item.

6. They find their greatest opportunities in low-expectation churches.

Many of the church members have an entitlement view of church membership. They seek to get their own needs and preferences fulfilled. They, therefore, won’t trouble themselves to confront and deal with church bullies. That leads to the next issue, which is a consequence of this point.

A Simple Shift to Increase Engagement in Worship

David Santistevan

January 4, 2018

As worship leaders, we love compliments. We love to be validated for what we do.

While we don’t lead for the validation, it’s always nice when others confirm God’s call and say we’re going in the right direction. A few weeks ago was one of those moments.

Following the service, an older man approached me. No offense to older people, but it does make me nervous at times what they’re going to say. I’ve heard quite a few “it’s too loud,” “I don’t like the songs,” “I can’t even be in the room during worship” comments.

But even that negative feedback over the years has helped me. It’s helped me be a better leader. It’s helped me bend not just toward the next generation but the older generation as well. It’s helped me realize that worship isn’t just about being cool, it’s about being compassionate to all generations and helping give voice to the people, not just myself.

So…back to the approaching older man.

I braced myself for the worst. I smiled on the outside but inwardly I was prepared for the worst. I could feel the sweat building.

But with tears in his eyes this man approached me and said, “Thank you. I really felt a part of that.”

OK, I know that was simple. But in that moment it was the kindest compliment he could have given me as a worship leader. He felt a part of it.

Do you know why your congregation might not be responding the way you want them to? Because they don’t feel a part of the worship experience.

Do you know why you haven’t seen the breakthrough in worship you’ve been praying for? Because your people don’t feel a part of the gathering.

What You Don’t Need

Oftentimes we get so immersed with being progressive that we leave people in the wake of our creativity. We haven’t brought them with us. And that is a problem.

You know what you don’t need?

You don’t need more passion.
You don’t even need better songs.
You don’t need a better band.
You don’t need a bigger budget.
You don’t need pad loops, click tracks, skinny jeans and a single origin chemex pour over in the green room.

You need to help people feel a part of it. Stand with them. Cry with them. Listen to their stories. Smile at them. Help them find the song they need for their season of life.

Because that’s what we’re supposed to be doing anyway, right? Worship ministry isn’t just about us finding our voice as worship leaders but helping others find theirs.

If you don’t change anything else in 2018, change this. Help your church feel a part of those corporate moments.

Prioritize their voice. Encourage them to sing. Be inviting.

In so many churches all I see is a band playing music in front of a room that hasn’t been invited in. Their voices haven’t been prioritized. They haven’t been told what to do.

So what would it take to increase engagement?

What are you willing to change?

This article originally appeared here.

The Question of Questions for Christians With Political Convictions

Joe McKeever

January 4, 2018

Now that the critical elections of 2017 are behind us—and quickly, before some new ones pop up!—perhaps we can discuss this dispassionately.

You are a serious follower of Jesus Christ. You take Scriptures seriously and believe God’s people have an obligation to be salt and light in this world. As a result, you exercise your right to vote and you try to influence others to do the right thing.

So far, so good.

Can we talk?

I have a question for those who take their discipleship to Jesus Christ seriously and as a result have strong political views:

“If it could be shown that you are wrong in your conviction (position on this issue, support of that candidate), could you change?” Would you be willing to drop your opposition to that cause or stop advocating that issue if you learned you were in error?

If it could be shown to you that your position on abortion or Obamacare or gun control (or any of the other hot issues for conservative Christians) was in error, would you be willing to switch to the other side?

I’m not being the devil’s advocate here. He has plenty of those without you or me lending him a hand. I’d rather be a voice for righteousness if possible.

Some people are so wed to their position that nothing, absolutely no facts or reasoning or insights, can budge them. And when that’s the case, they quickly become belligerent and carnal and a detriment to all that is good and right.

Some of the most devout Conservative believers quickly become angry zealots when they espouse their cause. And that’s what concerns me at the moment. They begin trying to do the work of the Lord in the flesh. Which dooms it from the start.

So, the question stands:

If it could be demonstrated to you that the truth is with the other fellow, that you are wrong, not doing the Lord’s will, would you be willing to change?

There can be only one answer for the serious follower of Jesus Christ. Just one.

The only way for a true child of God to answer that is in the positive.

I would be willing to change my convictions if it were shown to me that I was in the wrong.

I want to please my Lord, not further my agenda.

After all…

–The Truth and only the Truth shall set you free (John 8). That line in verse 32 refers to the Lord Jesus, of course, but it’s also an eternal verity. Lies and half-truths lead to bondage; the Truth sets us free.

–Think of Peter’s comeuppance on the rooftop (Acts 10) where he learned he had been seriously in error concerning the Gentiles. “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy” (10:15). Later, Peter said, “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right, is welcome to Him” (10:34). He was willing to change when shown by the Holy Spirit his error.

But the reality for so many modern believers seems to be another thing entirely.

I’m in the midst of reading “Crowded Hours,” the 1932 autobiography of Alice Roosevelt Longworth, the first-born of President Theodore Roosevelt. As a history student I love reading about well-known characters in the past as they looked at events with which I have a certain degree of familiarity. Take the 1912 presidential election, for instance.

Why I’m Insane

Mike Leake

January 4, 2018

In his book Love and Respect, Emerson Eggerichs talks about how many couples are stuck in the Crazy Cycle:

It’s like someone coming into a room, flipping the light switch, and discovering the lights won’t come on. If someone tries the switch two or three times with no results, you can understand. He will eventually figure it out—a tripped circuit breaker, a burned-out bulb. But if he stands there and flips the switch constantly for half an hour, you begin to wonder, ‘Is this guy a little crazy?”

I think Eggerichs is putting a bit of flesh on the old saying that “the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” There is quite a bit of truth to this old adage. It is pretty dumb to keep doing the same thing over and over again expecting something different to happen…unless…

Unless you are commanded by God to keep flipping the light switch.

I’ve seen several church growth gurus pick up on this phrase. There is truth to it which I appreciate. I don’t intend to swing the pendulum too far the other way. There might be lots of silly things we are doing that worked 50 years ago but that light switch has burned out. It’s silly to keep a program going just because it worked a decade ago.

But there are some things that are simply non-negotiable within the life of a church. There are points within Scripture that will always be unpopular. The gospel has always been offensive. It’s never worked in a purely pragmatic sense. It was foolish to the audience of Paul and it’s foolishness in our culture.

I hear folks saying things like, “Preaching on God’s wrath just doesn’t square with today’s millennials.” The light bulb isn’t turning on. Sure, you might need to make sure you are faithfully communicating what God’s Word says, but it’s true whether the bulb happens to come on or not. Keep at the switch, brother. We aren’t dealing in pragmatics.

We preachers are called to be insane. Doing the same thing over and over again and at times expecting different results. And I suppose we do this because there are times when out of nowhere the light bulb comes on. Same action with totally different results. And that is because God always uses His Word but sometimes differently. So this is one switch that I’m going to keep on flipping…

—

I wrote this after being encouraged by this post by Jared Wilson.

This article originally appeared here.

10 Projections for the Church in 2018

Chuck Lawless

January 4, 2018

With one week left in this year, here are some trends to consider for 2018:

Even more seminary training will be local-church based. Because accreditors and seminaries have made this approach credible, more churches have been moving in this direction. This trend is likely here to stay.
More young pastors will tackle church revitalizations. Church planting will still be popular, but the interest in church revitalizations will grow. Many of these ministries will be in the South.
Denominations will still matter, but networks and affinity groups will be primary sources of encouragement and strengthening for pastors. Some of these groups will likely even be internet-based, but they’ll meet specific needs for church leaders.
Discipleship strategies will increase, but with little corresponding growth in evangelism. The interest in discipleship is a needed reaction against poor discipleship in the past, but it will still not address our poor evangelism.
Fewer seminarians will have a priority interest in the pastorate. This trend reflects a general fear of leading a church without significant experience, in addition to a genuine desire to work alongside a team.
Bad preaching will lead to church departures. My seminary professor told us, “A church will put up with bad preaching as long as you love them.” I’m not sure that’s the case anymore (if it ever were). It’s easy to find really good preaching elsewhere, including on the Internet.
Life-on-life, genuine community will ground people in a church. In my 40+ years as a Christian, I’ve never seen the interest in local church community, especially among young leaders. We’re even beginning to see seminary graduates who stay in the seminary city rather than start ministry because they love the church of which they’ve been a part.
More churches will share their building with ethnic congregations. Some of this trend will come from a Millennial desire to have diverse congregations, and some of it will come from recognizing the difficulty of thoroughly blending diverse cultural and language groups.
Evangelical churches will give the Lord’s Supper more regular prominence. That trend has been happening among younger congregations, but it’s now spreading to more established churches as well.
Prayer ministries will slowly grow. I’m beginning to see growing interest in prayer that undergirds our work, particularly as culture increasingly fights the church. The growth of prayer, though, will be slow.

What are your thoughts?

This article originally appeared here.

Jim Caviezel to Students: ‘Be saints. You weren’t made to fit in.’

Megan Briggs

January 4, 2018

Jim Caviezel Students — Screengrab Facebook @Brian Buettner

“The name Saul means ‘great one.’ The name Paul means ‘little one,'” actor Jim Caviezel said slowly as he began addressing a gathering of students in Chicago.

Jim Caviezel, an outspoken Christian and actor who played Jesus in Mel Gibson‘s The Passion of the Christ, admonished students not to live out a shallow version of Christianity that employs “happy talk.” Rather, Caviezel pointed to the example of suffering we are given in the life of Christ.

Jim Caviezel: Embrace Your Cross

It is the suffering of Christ that Jim Caviezel knows on a very practical level. While playing the Christ in The Passion, Caviezel suffered injuries on the set. Some of which were excruciatingly painful and potentially have long-term effects. Caviezel recalls sustaining a shoulder injury while carrying the cross. Finding out that Jesus must also have suffered a shoulder injury, the actor said, “I now know what that felt like.” Caviezel says carrying the crushing weight of the cross during filming was “like a penance” for him.

“The suffering made my performance, just as it makes our lives,” Caviezel concludes.

“Embrace your cross and race toward your goal. I want you to go out to this pagan world…and shamelessly express your faith in public. The world needs proud warriors animated by their faith. Warriors like Saint Paul and Saint Luke who risked their lives and reputations…”

Be Strong. Be Courageous. Be Saints.

Caviezel also addressed the decline he feels our culture is facing. “We are…a people in danger of succumbing to our excesses,” he warns the crowd.

The actor admonished the students to combat the decline by praying, fasting, meditating on the Holy Scriptures and taking the Holy Sacrament seriously. The only thing Caviezel believes that will save us from becoming like the rest of culture is practicing “our faith and the wisdom of Christ.”

“Set yourself apart from this corrupt generation. Be saints,” he tells the students, again emphasizing the need to go against the excesses of culture.

“Freedom exists not to do what you like, but to do what you ought,” Caviezel says, which is a conviction he has expressed before.

Caveziel wraps up his stirring speech with the iconic quote from the movie Braveheart about freedom (“they may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom!”), but then puts its sentiment in context for the Christian audience: “With the Holy Spirit as your shield and Christ as your sword, may you join Saint Michael and all the angels in sending Lucifer and his henchmen straight right back to hell where they belong!” The crowd gave a hearty cheer at this point.

Circling back to his first point, about the difference between Saul and Paul, Jim Caviezel implies the best way to fight and be a warrior for Christ is to humble yourself and go about the calling God has given you.

The entirety of his message was captured (providentially) by Father Brian Buettner, Vocations Director at Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and an attendee of the conference. You can watch it below:

https://www.facebook.com/brian.buettner/videos/vb.9632667/10106042622862237

These Christian Movies Did the Best at the Box Office in 2017

Bob Ditmer

January 4, 2018

Christian Movies — Screengrab YouTube @Family Movie Faves

After the Passion of the Christ took in an earth-shattering $612 million back in 2004, Hollywood executives were shocked and suddenly open to faith-based films.

Since then, more were put into production and for the last three years, there have been at least 12 faith-based films released annually.

Here are the top grossing films released in 2017.

The Shack $57 million

A grieving man receives a mysterious, personal invitation to meet with God at a place called “The Shack.”

The book that inspired the movie sparked controversy among the Christian community for its unconventional theology and was even called “heretical” by R. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

The many who liked the movie felt it made God real and helped those experiencing grief over loss of a loved one, a dream, a job or a relationship.

The Star $40 million

A small but brave donkey and his animal friends become the unsung heroes of the first Christmas.

Viewers loved the idea of the Christmas Story seen through the eyes of animals and enjoyed the animated film’s inspirational story and humorous dialogue.

The Case for Christ $14 million

An investigative journalist and self-proclaimed atheist sets out to disprove the existence of God after his wife becomes a Christian.

The movie struck a chord with many viewers but especially those who had gone through faith journeys of their own. One viewer commented on IMDB, “I used to be an atheist too, so the spiritual struggle he went through is way too familiar to me. Personally it touched me very deeply.”

Let There Be Light $7.2 million

An atheist goes through a near-death experience in a car accident before converting to Christianity.

Viewers found the movie refreshing in its portrayal of the real life struggles that many face today. It also showed the reality that fame and fortune rarely bring fulfillment and happiness.

Same Kind of Different as Me $6.3 million

An international art dealer must befriend a dangerous homeless man in order to save his struggling marriage to a woman whose dreams will lead all three of them on the journey of their lives.

Darren Moorman, one of the movie’s producers, told churchleaders.com, “The movie naturally opens up conversations, because it doesn’t sugar-coat that there are racial issues or marital issues. But the movie then shows the audience how when people aren’t afraid to talk about it and come to a place of forgiveness that lives can be changed.”

All Saints $5.8 million

When a group of Burmese refugees join the congregation, the pastor of a failing Anglican church attempts to aid them by planting crops and enlisting the help of the community.

The film is a story about the power of community and the miracle of people learning to work, respect and love each other.

A Question of Faith $2.5 million

When tragedy strikes three families, their destiny forces them on a converging path to discover God’s love, grace and mercy as the challenges of their fate could also resurrect their beliefs.

Many who loved this movie were moved by its portrayal of the power and beauty of forgiveness.

The Resurrection of Gavin Stone $2.3 million

A washed-up former child star, forced to do community service at a local megachurch, pretends to be a Christian to land the part of Jesus in their annual Passion Play, only to discover that the most important role of his life is far from Hollywood.

The movie’s director, Dallas Jenkins told ChristianLeaders.com, “In the script-writing stage, it was very important to me that I tell the story of Gavin getting away with pretending to be a Christian. Any good pastor is going to know when someone is faking it. Finding a way to make sure that the other characters weren’t stupid was important. So we set it up to allow the cast to accept him, even though they knew he was a little off, because they wanted him to be a part of the church. They knew it could impact him.”

Slamma Jamma $1.6 million

Wrongfully accused and sent to prison, a former basketball star prepares for the national slam dunk competition while finding redemption in himself and in those he loves.

Slamma Jamma is a movie that defines the idea of the underdog rising to meet the challenge of greatness.

Genesis: Paradise Lost $1.4 million (Documentary)

This film documents the biblical account of what happened “in the beginning.”

The documentary uses stunning visual effects and the latest in scientific research to tell the story that many said made the book of Genesis come to life right before their eyes. It takes viewers on a journey and answers some of the most perplexing and important questions of human existence.

Mennonite Church Schism: What You Need to Know

Bob Ditmer

January 4, 2018

The largest conference of churches within the Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) is leaving the fold over changing views on homosexuality.

The Lancaster Mennonite Conference (LMC) is returning to independence after 40 years of denominational membership based on fears that the MC USA is loosening its views on same sex marriage.

In 2016, there were about 78,000 members of the MC USA.

SEEDS OF DIVISION

The MC USA officially views homosexual activity as a sin and defines marriage as between one man and one woman, but several pastors in the denomination have performed same-sex marriages and been censured or resigned and smaller regional conferences that affirm LGBT relationships have departed.

The denomination has voted down attempts to affirm same-sex marriage, but in 2015, adopted a resolution to extend “grace, love and forbearance toward conferences, congregations and pastors in our body who, in different ways, seek to be faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ on matters related to same-sex covenanted unions.”

That same year, two schools affiliated with MC USA, Eastern Mennonite University and Goshen College, adopted policies to protect faculty in same-sex relationships. Months later, they voluntarily withdrew from the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities as a result.

It was in November of 2015 that congregations within the Lancaster Conference formally voted to withdraw from the umbrella organization. The decision was finalized on January 1, 2018.

In a Mennonite World Review editorial written last November, Paul Schrag summed up the schism this way, “MC USA proved to be a place where congregations and conferences did what their own majorities believed was right and not what anyone else wished they would do. Lancaster desired more unity of belief and practice.”

MOVING FORWARD

Lancaster Mennonite Conference moderator Keith Weaver told LancasterOnline,

“Rather than an inward focus of self-preservation, congregations are cultivating an outward focus in which attending to the material and spiritual needs of the neighborhood becomes the mission.”

He said the conference will focus on three things:

— The theological center “that keeps the lordship of Jesus Christ in focus,” which is summarized in the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective, published in 1995.

— Adherence to the church’s core values to aspire to “radical allegiance to God’s Kingdom and authentic obedience to Jesus Christ.”

— The missional vision “in which Jesus…will reign over the Earth through a new order in which swords will be beat into plowshares, lions and lambs will lie together in peace and the Shalom of God will finally be realized.”

DEPARTURES IN BOTH DIRECTIONS

There are 179 congregations in the Lancaster Mennonite Conference and the departure will reduce the size of the MC USA by about 14 percent. But the decision is also causing changes within the LMC. Since 2015, when the conference announced its intention to leave MC USA, 13 new congregations have joined Lancaster Mennonite Conference but eight others are leaving to join the Atlantic Coast Conference of the Mennonite Church USA.

Merv Stoltzfus, executive conference minister for the Atlantic Coast Conference, told LancasterOnline that there is a strong belief among the 36 congregations in his conference that “we need to engage and invite this marginalized group of people (LGBT) into an opportunity to worship with us and others are not comfortable with that.”

He added that the churches that joined his conference “were immensely loyal to Lancaster Conference and for many of them it was difficult processing, but they wanted to stay with Mennonite Church USA.”

Both Weaver and Stoltzfus said the split has been amicable and Stoltzfus said he anticipates congregations from both local conferences will continue to work on projects in which they have a shared interest.

Francis Chan: This Is the Kind of Church God Wants

Bob Ditmer

January 4, 2018

Francis Chan says the model for building a church in America is 1) find a pastor who’s a good speaker 2) bring in a band 3) find a building.

The only problem is, that’s not God’s plan.

God’s plan is to love one another and to be united. After all, Francis Chan says, that was Jesus’ prayer in John 17:20-23.

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

Biblically Building a Church

Francis Chan admits God’s plan was not on his radar when he started a church in his home that grew to 4000 people. He said he’s accountable to God for letting people keep coming every week with hopes of being fed, but never maturing to the point of feeding others.

He left that church and is now meeting in a home with around 100 people. The plan is for that church to split in six months to a year creating a new church. The founding and splitting continues every year building an association of small house churches that have no staff, building or overhead but where communion, the Bible and prayer are central.

Chan says God’s way forces his people to become leaders. It prevents Christians from attending church only to be fed while taking no responsibility for presenting the gospel or shepherding others.

While some might argue that’s not their gift, Chan says those goals are part of the DNA of every believer.

Others will say they haven’t been trained to lead or shepherd. Chan’s answer; neither are parents when they bring home their first baby. But he says, “Don’t worry, you’ll figure it out.”

Doing church God’s way is not an option according to Chan. He says we can’t keep having gatherings where people don’t love each other deeply. And he says there are plenty of examples from the Bible where God rejected that kind of religion.

More About Francis Chan:

Francis Chan (August 31, 1967) is an American preacher. He is the former teaching pastor of Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley, California, a church he and his wife started in 1994. He is also the Founder and Chancellor of Eternity Bible College and author of several books.

Chan also sits on the board of directors of Children’s Hunger Fund, World Impact and Gospel for Asia.

Inspiring Church Leaders in the News This Week

Here are five questions to get you started:

WHAT IS SHAPING PUBLIC SENTIMENT?

Lack of Spiritual Focus

Misguided Evaluation

Worldly Expectations

IS A CODE OF ETHICS NEEDED?

Listening to live recordings helps us embrace objectivity as a gateway to improvement.

It helped the team to open up about how to improve.

It’s encouraging!

Church Bullies Are Nothing New

1. They do not recognize themselves as bullies.

2. They have personal and self-serving agendas.

3. They seek to form power alliances with weak members in the church.

4. They tend to have intense and emotional personalities.

5. They are famous for saying “people are saying.”

6. They find their greatest opportunities in low-expectation churches.

What You Don’t Need

Jim Caviezel: Embrace Your Cross

Be Strong. Be Courageous. Be Saints.

The Star $40 million

The Case for Christ $14 million

Let There Be Light $7.2 million

Same Kind of Different as Me $6.3 million

All Saints $5.8 million

A Question of Faith $2.5 million

The Resurrection of Gavin Stone $2.3 million

Slamma Jamma $1.6 million

Genesis: Paradise Lost $1.4 million (Documentary)

SEEDS OF DIVISION

MOVING FORWARD

DEPARTURES IN BOTH DIRECTIONS

Biblically Building a Church

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