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What Is Revival?

By
Bill Elliff
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communicating with the unchurched

Recently I saw the word revival used to describe a clothing line. I understand. The word itself is not designed distinctly for the church. But something in my soul recoiled that such a sacred word to believers was being used in such commercial ways.

The church itself does not use the word well. Like most things theological, we have a tendency to miss the point. Satan loves to subtly redirect our thinking so we almost have its meaning, but are off just enough to miss it entirely.

THE CAUSE

There is only one source of revival. Richard Owen Roberts once said that he could describe revival in one word: GOD. It is God manifesting Himself; God revealed and responded to; God in His rightful place again in the hearts of His people.

Isaiah reminds us in one verse of its definition:

The LORD has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations, that all the ends of the earth may see the salvation of our God (Isaiah 52:10 NASB).

Most of us do not understand that the reviving of His people for His redemptive purposes is one of the regular ways of God. It has happened repeatedly in human history. There is a cycle of revival that seems as consistent as the rising of the sun.

Our Wandering and His Judgments

When God’s people fall away from Him, He brings discipline and judgment. This is a wonderful thing, for without it we would keep wandering away, farther and farther. This discipline is like pain to the human body, reminding us that the path we’ve chosen is harmful.

Our Cry and His Reviving

As we realize where we are, we cry out and begin to return to Him. This is why we always see a return to extraordinary prayer when we are in this part of the cycle of revival. These are the birth pangs of repentance, and this is our side of the equation, prompted and aided by the grace of God.

When we cry out, God, in mercy, responds by coming in power, manifesting Himself. Manifest means “clear, unmistakable, visible.” God shows up in clear demonstration. And when God comes into the midst of His people once again, it leads His true followers to revival.

To revive literally means to “bring to life again.” It is a word for the church, for you cannot re-vive what has not once been “vived”! It is important to note that this cycle can happen in an individual, a family, a church, a community or across a nation.

THE EFFECT

When God “has bared His holy arm,” the church sees Him. And when the church begins to see Him and walk again in unison with Him, another amazing thing happens: The world sees God in the midst of His people.

As this occurs, God moves through His church like a mighty wind, mobilizing them to witness, pray, confess and further repent; and Christ is once again exalted. When He is lifted up, the world is drawn, through God’s grace, to the saving Christ.

The Church Is Revived and Awakening Begins

Awakening begins to occur. This is a word that describes God’s work among those who have never believed in Him. Again, God is the source, for only He can bring dead people to life. Only He can open blinded eyes. But God is moving through His body, the church, to share the gospel, which is “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).

In times of spiritual awakening, thousands—even millions—are redeemed in short order. The rapid expanse of His kingdom occurs. In the First Great Awakening, 15 percent of the entire American population came to faith in Christ in a matter of two years.

Spiritual awakening by God reminds us what His plan and purpose is for mankind. “All the ends of the earth” begin to see “the salvation of our God.”

Answering the Top Questions From Today’s Parents, Part 2

By
Jonathan McKee
-
communicating with the unchurched

We already tackled some of the big ones…

What age do you recommend allowing children on social media?

Is there a way to filter the stories on SnapChat?

How do you prevent sexting?

These are just a few of the countless questions I just received from parents…and for three days I’m going to answer all of them in this blog. Each day I’m going to narrow it down to the top 10. (See yesterday’s 10 answers HERE.)

Here are today’s 10 answers to 10 questions…

QUESTIONS FROM TODAY’S PARENTS, PART II

1. What is the downside of waiting until 9th/10th grade to give kids access to a smartphone or data plan? What are the compelling reasons to do it before then?

The only downside to holding out is that if your kids are surrounded by friends who all have devices, they might whine and complain that they are the only kid without a device. But this doesn’t mean give in. In fact, here’s the link to some great ear plugs Amazon sells.

Funny…I know lots of parents who actually give their kids a device before they even ask for one. We don’t need to feel the pressure to give a device when most experts are recommending wait. See my answer to questions 1 and 2 in yesterday’s post.

2. I’m concerned about how to regulate screen time with a high functioning autistic child when their social skills are so limited and their peers are so unwilling to engage them; what do I do?

This is a tough situation, because once again we’re learning that parenting answers are not always “one size fits all.” Ongoing research has shown that social media can actually provide a comfortable means of interpersonal communication for people with autism, although it might be noted that even this research reveals that social media does not cure loneliness—face-to-face interaction is necessary (something we are definitely seeing in young people without autism).

My sister-in-law Amy (who happens to write our free Stranger Things Netflix discussions) works as a speech therapist with autistic kids and constantly shares with me how she encourages letting them express themselves, but at the same time provides boundaries of acceptable/unacceptable behaviors. In other words, she might not even require a boy with ADHD to sit in a chair in her classroom, allowing him to stand and move/fidget. But hitting another kid is unacceptable. We can do the same with boundaries in our homes. For example, we don’t want to turn our kids loose on social media or 10 hours of video games per day just because they have a learning disability.

Amy pointed out three things to consider when working with children with autism:

1) Technology has actually shown some great ways for children with various diagnoses to connect with other similar children. Oftentimes, it is true that kids with autism have more difficulty with peer relationships at school (often because of the low number of students with that same diagnosis), the Internet provides amazing forums, blogs and chat rooms (however, it needs to be noted that strong parent oversight and regulation is important—i.e., consider having a common computer area for all eyes to see).

2) Kids with autism have a harder time reading emotions and do need to have technology limited and sculpted to address their actual needs (for example, parents could play a game of charades using technology to drive the game), but simply allowing your child to watch/interact with tech devices unsupervised and without limit is not good.

3) Kids with autism crave structure—which is one reason why predictable video games are so comforting to these kids. One way to establish structure is to designate specific times of the day for specific technology uses (i.e., from 3:30-4:30, Jonny may play ____ game).  This way, you are acknowledging how helpful technology is to your child, but also limiting what is being accessed and for how long.

This research is ongoing. I recommend talking with SEVERAL clinicians who are trained in working with kids with autism and see what they recommend. Look for the common truth in all their advice.

3. What are the dangers of the app Musical.ly.

Musical.ly is a popular app where kids can create and share music videos to their friends/followers. So like most social media sites, they need to be careful WHO they allow as friends (a good rule of thumb is no one they haven’t met face to face) and WHAT they are posting (are they posting their location, are they posting anything inappropriate). As for inappropriate…anyone who has been to one of my parenting workshops has gleaned a taste of what today’s music videos look like…these are many of the videos that are passed around. So young kids are exposed to pretty raunchy and sexualized content.

It’s sad, because it allows kids to be creative…but can expose them to some raunchy content.

Many parents are not aware of how much kids are exposed to pornographic videos on this app. Even if they carefully select their friends and who can see their videos, the video search feature is not filtered and they can access anything through that search feature.

Age is also a concern. In their privacy policy  they aren’t as clear about age…just that they won’t “keep” or “collect” information from anyone under 13. It never asks if you are 13 when you sign up, so many young kids have this.

Here’s an article sharing concerns.

And Common Sense media goes into some detail about what parents can expect in their review of the app.

4. What is the easiest way to monitor a child’s online activity for parents who aren’t tech savvy? Specific app or software? Do you recommend any phone/internet filters?

Same answer as question number 3 in yesterday’s post.

5. When your kids push you away and go silent how do you reconnect and bond and know that they are OK or know what’s going on in their world?

This all starts with NOTICING our kids and making time to connect on their level.

In the Virginia panel, a youth pastor named Chris shared a compelling story about difficulty connecting with one of his sons. Chris and several of his boys enjoyed sports like basketball and football, but one of his sons enjoyed outdoors activities like kayaking and elk hunting…something Chris had never done. Chris could have done what many parents do and just shrugged his shoulders. But he didn’t—instead he took an interest in “elk skinning” and took his son to the big outdoorsman store, and that opened his son up. Chris said, “When we were walking through the isles of this outdoorsman store, my son lit up and began telling me about all the cool things he was seeing. Now, I spend time with him doing outdoor activities he enjoys, and he actually reciprocates, sitting down with me at his brothers’ basketball games asking me questions.”

Many parents don’t take the TIME to NOTICE and enter their kids’ world.

What is it that your kids love to talk with their friends about? Where do they spend their time? How could you enter their world this week?

For Further Reading: If I Had a Parenting Do Over, Chapter 3: Notice

6. Is there a way to receive your child’s text directly to your phone or laptop? Can kids’ screens/apps activity be displayed on a parent’s screen?

There are apps that can do this, but personally I don’t recommend them. I recommend just setting the parental restrictions on the phones appropriately for their age, then having conversations about content. See my answers and links to question number 3 in yesterday’s post.

7. For kids who want to be “set apart” are there suggestions or resources regarding these types of things? For example: 14-yr daughter recently had a teammate tell her she was “pan.” Our daughter came to us and asked what the best way to respond to that type of confession? As a believer, she wants to be a safe/non-judgemental place. She asked, said girl, if her parents knew and thanks for sharing, but this is a heavy burden to carry.

This is so common, and I think the answer we need to keep pointing to is Jesus himself, because Jesus showed such compassion and love for sinners, but yet didn’t bend on morality. We need to continue to share stories of Jesus with our kids where Jesus showed compassion to the lost (John 4: woman at the well, John 8: woman caught in adultery, Luke 19: Zacchaeus, etc.) and ask our kids questions about how we can respond like that when we meet the lost.

At the same time it’s OK to dialogue with students about the realities of much of what the world says is OK, but isn’t actually healthy. Here’s a recent blog I wrote about dialoguing about gender identity with some good discussion material to talk about.

For Further Reading: Sex Matters, Chapter 1: Why Wait, Chapter 5: Tough Questions

8. Do you think there will be a new “norm” of culture for our kids when they are adults because of the seismic change of the smartphone?

This is all pure speculation, but I think we are seeing changes in our culture in the way we communicate with each other (poorer), the amount of entertainment media we’re absorbing (more each year), and the change in morality as we slowly are adopting the morality of our entertainment we love.

Here’s a powerful interview with Simon Sinek about some of the changes in communication—an interview I highlighted in my blog a while back.

And here’s an article I linked yesterday about some of the consequences we’re seeing as a result of this constant connectivity.

Will the “new norm” be increased anxiety, self absorption and social isolation? I hope not. I’m hoping humans will recognize this and the pendulum will swing back.

9. Jonathan mentioned some additional authors/resources beyond his books, can you please share those resources?

Yes, in addition to many of the books I’ve already linked, here are a few others I mentioned and often plug from my parenting workshops:

CURT STEINHORST and I teamed up for this book to leaders in the workforce helping today’s worker accomplish focused work in a world overflowing with distractions: Can I Have Your Attention?

SHERRY TURKLE – New York Times best selling author talks about how tech is killing relationships: Reclaiming Conversation

KARA POWELL and a few others wrote a nice little guide to parents about parenting your teenager in a digital media world: Right Click

And the other source I kept quoting was COMMON SENSE MEDIA, a free online source for parents: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/

10. What suggestions do you have about young people creating their online identity? For example: Professionals are told to have LinkedIn with followers because we have to network. As adults, we have a social media presence or we are considered odd. How do we guide them in understanding their online identity?

I think here’s a perfect opportunity to teach our kids truth and see how that truth seeps into the other areas of their lives like “online identity.” In other words, the more we teach our kids who they are “in Christ” (II Cor 5:17) and their mission of “we don’t preach ourselves, we preach Christ the Lord” (II Cor 4:5), the more they’ll know how to live this out in every area of their lives, including online.

For Further Reading: The Teen’s Guide to Social Media & Mobile Devices, Chapter 8: Take more “Selflessies,” Chapter 9: Like Me

Jonathan McKee is the president of The Source for Youth Ministry, is the author of over twenty books including the brand new If I Had a Parenting Do Over, 52 Ways to Connect with Your Smartphone Obsessed Kid; Sex Matters; The Amazon Best Seller – The Guy’s Guide to God, Girls and the Phone in Your Pocket; and youth ministry books like Ministry By Teenagers; Connect; and the 10-Minute Talks series. He has over 20 years youth ministry experience and speaks to parents and leaders worldwide, all while providing free resources for youth workers and parents on his websites, TheSource4YM.com and TheSource4Parents.com. You can follow Jonathan on his blog, getting a regular dose of youth culture and parenting help. Jonathan, his wife, Lori, and their three kids live in California.

This article originally appeared here.

Ten Critical Trends for Churches in 2018

By
Thom Rainer
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communicating with the unchurched

Never in my lifetime have I seen local congregations at such a critical juncture. Cultural Christianity is all but dead. The “Nones,” those without any religious preference, are increasing. Many of the communities are no longer friendly to local churches; some have become adversarial.

But in the waves of these seas of negativity are mercy drops of hope and possibilities. Look at these 10 major trends carefully. See how God would have your church respond.

  1. The audio revolution. The e-book has not proved to be nearly as popular as we thought it would be. Many blog writers are reporting declines in readership. But audio books are rising in popularity. Listeners are moving to podcasts so they can learn while they jog, drive and exercise. Outside of preaching podcasts, churches have many other opportunities to reach and disciple people through audio ministries.
  2. Boomer retirement crisis. Boomer pastors and church leaders are retiring in large numbers. But most of them don’t have succession plans. They are in churches from the small to the large. We will have many churches that are looking to fill these voids with little success.
  3. The deferred maintenance crisis in church facilities. My friend Tim Cool of Cool Solutions Group keeps reporting about churches that have done little to keep their church facilities in acceptable condition. For many of them, they are experiencing times of reckoning. A church with which I have familiarity had to close 4,000 square feet of space because it was deemed unsafe and uninhabitable. Like Tim says, you pay some now or you pay more later.
  4. Churches moving into retail spaces. The United States has a surplus of retail space, and that surplus will grow. The demise of many brick-and-mortar stores and chains presents an incredible opportunity for churches to find prime space for new and additional sites.
  5. Ongoing church closures. This trend shows no signs of slowing. I hope church leaders and members will be more receptive to acquisitions and mergers before it’s too late. Too many of these churches are expecting to be bailed out without lifting a finger.
  6. The rise of the neighborhood church. Churches that were once at the center of life in a neighborhood have declined and died. But we see them experiencing a renewal and revival both through acquisitions and re-plants.
  7. The learning revolution of the best church leaders. It is almost cliché to talk about the pace of change in our world and culture. I won’t bore you with the statistics and reality of change. But one thing is becoming glaringly obvious. Church leaders who are becoming ongoing learners are becoming the best leaders of these churches. Indeed, we created Church Answers to provide a learning platform for church leaders on a regular basis. Those church leaders who are not continually learning will not be leading well.
  8. Downsizing of worship centers/sanctuaries. This trend is one I have mentioned in recent months, but the pace of downsizing has accelerated. For certain, some of it is due to declining attendance, but that is not the only factor. A number of churches have intentionally moved to smaller worship services through multiple services, venues and campuses.
  9. The rise of networks. More churches are aligning with both informal and formal networks with a common cause and common purpose. Those that are part of denominations typically choose to stay with their denominations for both doctrinal and legacy reasons. Acts 29 is an example of a church planting network more aligned with Reformed churches. Watch for new networks to form with different emphases and a broader evangelical doctrine.
  10. More Great Commission intentionality. When cultural Christianity was alive and well, churches could do minimal evangelistic activity and still grow by transfer growth. Such is not the case any more. Churches will have to be highly intentional evangelistically in the months ahead or they will head toward death and closure.

In future posts, I plan to offer solutions for churches for many of these issues. For now, I am sharing information about Church Answers to assist church leaders with the challenge of ongoing learning.

Many congregations are at a tipping point. Some will die. Some will thrive. My prayer is that the summary of these trends can be used of God in your churches to move your congregation toward greater health and Great Commission obedience.

This article originally appeared here.

Celebrating Awesome Wives: How to Spot One, How to Keep One

By
Gary Thomas
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communicating with the unchurched

What a joy to be married to a good wife! A godly wife isn’t a possession, but she is a treasure.

The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord. –Prov. 18:22

On my Facebook personal page and author page, I asked men to brag about their wives, telling me the three things they most appreciate about their spouses. Four qualities clearly rose to the top.

This is in no way scientific. Most men following me on Facebook are Christians. But I love the way some stereotypes were obliterated. For example, not a single man chose as one of his favorite qualities his wife’s physical appearance. Only two out of about a hundred even mentioned “lover.” Guys are often characterized as focused primarily on sex, but the husbands who responded to my request clearly aren’t.

This post has a triple purpose: to thank you wives for being so wonderful; to encourage single men that, when looking for a godly wife, you would do well to consider these qualities; and to encourage wives who want to grow in their husband’s affection with the knowledge that these are the things long-term husbands most admire. Your own husband may value different things, of course, but these are what men chose to publicly celebrate. At the very least, this post could spawn some enlightening conversation on a date night.

Celebrating the Godly Wife

The four qualities men on Facebook (I’m not saying this is my list or what I think is most important; mine would be somewhat different)…

Most celebrated about a godly wife, in this order, were:

Number 1: Faithfulness and Loyalty

Wives, your husbands are grateful for your commitment to your marriage. They believe you hold true to your vows, you won’t cheat on them, and that you will stick with the marriage through disappointments.

Many of us are astounded that a woman agreed to marry us. And we are ever more grateful that, even as you get to know our weaknesses, you stay by our side. We’ve been cut from the team by coaches, rejected by university admission committees, fired by or passed over for promotions by employers, sometimes rejected by our own children, but the story of our lives has been a woman who has walked through all of that with an unyielding, iron-willed faithfulness and loyalty.

And for that we are truly grateful.

I celebrated this gift of loyalty in my book Cherish when I imagine a godly wife saying to her insecure husband, “You’ve made it across the finish line, into my arms. I’m yours and you are mine. We’re one. I’m thrilled with you. I love you. You can rest in my acceptance. I will recharge you with my affection. I won’t pull away when I get to know you; I’ll draw closer. I won’t disrespect you when I find the dark within you; I’ll pray for God to flood you with his light. I won’t compare you to any other man because to me you are the only man of my affections; you are the standard; you are my man of all men. I won’t look at another man, I won’t touch another man, I won’t compare you to any other man. I will feast my eyes and fill my heart with my love for you.”

What this also means, wives, is that unfaithfulness is perhaps the biggest wound a woman can inflict on her husband because loyalty seems to be closest to many men’s hearts. Flirtation outside the marriage can crush a man, particularly if he values faithfulness and loyalty above all else, as a clear plurality of men in this survey seemed to.

Number 2: A Devoted Follower of Christ

Wives, thank you for bringing more of Christ into our homes. Your knowledge of God’s word, your devotion to prayer and worship, your eagerness to be a part of the local church, and your commitment to godliness blesses us in so many ways.

Apocalypse at Christmastime

By
Russell Moore
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communicating with the unchurched

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. The stirrings of holiday cheer are all around us, from the Bing Crosby music loop at the Home Depot to the inflatable glowing Santas that every neighborhood seems to have.

But my Bible reading right now is anything but festive. I’m in Revelation, reading about Jesus the Warrior-King, returning to his creation to destroy his enemies with the sword.

Shouldn’t I take a break from the Apocalypse to highlight the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay? Isn’t there something kind of, well, unseasonable about teaching, at this time of year, about a Christ who bears a sword and a cosmic entourage, who prepares his people a messianic banquet and then prepares for the birds a banquet of the flesh and blood of his enemies (Rev 19:17-19)? It is hard to imagine Tiny Tim exclaiming “God bless us every one” after hearing about southern-fried Gog and Magog.

But my discomfort only reveals to me how much my Christmas imagery is more shaped by Currier and Ives than by apostles and prophets.

The infant Jesus is not as conspicuous in American pop culture as he once was. Claymation Burl Ives is a little more palatable to contemporary religious pluralism. But the baby Jesus still exists in the American Christian subculture as a kind of non-threatening mascot for everything warm and sentimental about the holiday season. The only problem with this is that the Bible doesn’t present the baby Jesus as warm or sentimental at all. As a matter of fact, the sentimental Jesus of the Christmas season often chills our evangelistic fervor because we forget that the Bethlehem event is the exact opposite of blessing the good feelings of contemporary American culture.

The virgin birth prophesied in Isaiah is a sign, the prophet tells us, of God defeating his enemies and restoring his kingship (Isa 7:10-25). The young Galilean couple travel to Bethlehem, it must be remembered, because from that city of David will come a Conqueror who will drive back the Assyrians and shepherd the people of Israel (Micah 5:1-6). That’s why the angel tells Mary not just that she will bear a holy Child but that he will sit on the throne of his father David (Luke 1:32-33), a throne it must be remembered that came through the severed head and bloody foreskins of not a few Philistines. This is also why Herod didn’t greet the oracles of the Magi with a hearty “season’s greetings,” but with a bloody threat to root out this threat to his kingship (Matt 2). And all of this is rooted in an ancient promise that the son of the woman would crush the head of the serpent of Eden (Gen 3:15).

Remember: Jesus was not born into a gauzy, snowy “winter wonderland” of sweetly-singing angels and cute reindeer nuzzling one another at the side of his manger. He was born into a warzone. Jesus was chased out of his manger and into Egypt by one of Planned Parenthood’s ancestors, King Herod, who also sacrificed Bethlehem’s infant children for the sake of power.

We must remember the infancy of Jesus. We must cherish in our hearts that he took on flesh and blood for us, that he bore our humanity in all of its fullness, even in the dependencies of a baby in a feeding box. But we must never allow this baby to be defined as non-threatening. Indeed, the shadow of Bethlehem threatens the frenzied buying of our consumeristic Christmas season. We must remember that ultimately we will not coo over him in a cradle beneath us, but give an account to him as our sovereign Judge and give glory to him as our sovereign King. We must remember that our love for family and friends and Christmas includes our responsibility to plead with them to be found in Christ before the great and terrible day of the Lord.

I suppose that’s why I won’t take a break from Revelation this season. The young virgin Mary, after all, set the tone for our Christmas thoughts when she reflected on the angel’s announcement of the birth of Jesus. She sang of God’s mercy to his people, of his faithfulness to his covenant promises. And then she sang also of the fact that in this fetal Incarnate One within her God “has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away” (Luke 1:51-53 ESV).

With Bethlehem before her, Mary also had Armageddon on her mind. So should we.

This article originally appeared here.

Tim Keller on What It Means to Be an Evangelical

By
Bob Ditmer
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communicating with the unchurched

What is an evangelical? Tim Keller’s December 19, 2017, article in The New Yorker effectively explains what it means to be an evangelical—a term that is often misunderstood in our greater culture. Yet it’s a term that many are trying to define and even dismiss.

Type “evangelical demise” or a similar term into your Google search bar and you’ll find no shortage of articles: “The Coming Evangelical Collapse,” “Will Evangelicalism Survive Its Own Popularity?” “Can Evangelicalism Survive in the Context of Free Inquiry?” Indeed, critics appear obsessed with predicting the death of evangelicalism.  

Yet what do critics, pollsters and evangelicals themselves mean by the term “evangelical”? Keller outlines the history of “little-e evangelicalism,” with its tenets and motivations, and “big-E Evangelicalism” in his provocatively titled article “Can Evangelicalism Survive Donald Trump and Roy Moore?”

Keller writes that “understanding the religious landscape requires discerning differences between the smaller, let’s call it ‘big-E Evangelicalism,’ which gets much media attention, and a much larger ‘little-e evangelicalism,’ which does not.”

By understanding what’s at the heart of evangelicalism, all of us may be able to see beyond the labels.

The History of Evangelicalism

Christian Evangelicalism, as a movement, began in the 18th century as a revival of piety and devotion to God. Adherents hold to the core convictions of the triune God, the Bible, faith, Jesus, salvation, evangelism and discipleship.

Keller cites historian David Bebbington’s research that identifies four primary characteristics of evangelicalism:

  1. Conversionism: the belief that lives need to be transformed through a “born-again” experience and a lifelong process of following Jesus
  2. Activism: the expression and demonstration of the gospel in missionary and social reform efforts
  3. Biblicism: a high regard for and obedience to the Bible as the ultimate authority
  4. Crucicentrism: a stress on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as making possible the redemption of humanity

“Do the self-identified white ‘big-E Evangelicals’ of the pollsters hold to these beliefs?” writes Keller. “Recent studies indicate that many do not. In many parts of the country, Evangelicalism serves as the civil or folk religion accepted by default as part of one’s social and political identity. So, in many cases, it means that the political is more defining than theological beliefs, which has not been the case historically. And, because of the enormous amount of attention the media pays to the Evangelical vote, the term now has a decisively political meaning in popular usage.”

The Heart of Evangelicalism

Keller says he first started describing himself as an evangelical in the 1970s, primarily to let people know what he was not—a fundamentalist. “When I became a Christian in college, in the early 1970s, the word ‘evangelical’ still meant an alternative to the fortress mentality of fundamentalism.”

Fundamentalism also adheres to the basic tenets of Christianity. One of the primary differences is fundamentalists made separatism from the culture a true test of faith. Evangelicals wanted to engage the culture.  

Since 1960, there has been an explosion of evangelical ministries finding biblical ways to help a culture in need. They work with the homeless, families, children in need, each one challenging the church to fulfill its biblical mission while keeping evangelism at its core.

Today, however, the term evangelical has taken a beating in the broader culture. Keller explains: “Many younger believers and Christians of color, who had previously identified with evangelicalism, have also declared their abandonment of the label. ‘Evangelical’ used to denote people who claimed the high moral ground; now, in popular usage, the word is nearly synonymous with ‘hypocrite.’ When I used the word to describe myself in the 1970s, it meant I was not a fundamentalist. If I use the name today, however, it means to hearers that I am.”

Sex Crimes, Moral Failures and Guarding Yourself from Becoming a Statistic

By
Greg Stier
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communicating with the unchurched

For the last few months the news has been full of moral failures of sexual harrassment and even sex crimes against women, men and, in some cases, children. Prominent men, from senators to actors to Hollywood producers, have been exposed as sexual predators.

Sadly, in the church world, it’s not that much different. I’ve heard it far too many times over the last 30 years of ministry, “So and so was just accused of a sexual crime”…or…”a moral failure” or something to that effect.

Mostly it’s been pastors or youth leaders I didn’t know well, if at all. But there have been a handful of times it’s been men I did know. The closer the connection, the harder it is to believe and the more difficult it is to process.

Over the last three decades I even had a ministry friendship with a few leaders who ended up being arrested on sex crime charges. My heart dropped and stomach sickened when I heard the shocking news of their arrests.

One of the most devastating phone calls I’ve ever received was from a wife whose youth pastor husband had cheated on her with a teenaged girl who was staying in their house. Her husband was a friend of mine and someone I had been pouring into personally and on a ministry level. I looked at him as a next level leader in the making. I saw in him the potential to be a key leader in the Gospel Advancing movement.

But all of that came crashing down with that dreaded, painful phone call. And, worse than that, he left a devastated wife, disillusioned kids and a destroyed youth group in the wake of his sinful choices.

It’s really weird when “they” (the perpetrators and perverts you read about in the news) turn out to be someone you know…and like. It’s hard to reconcile the person you thought you knew with the headline you just read about them in the news.

When the news came out about Matt Lauer’s firing over sexual misconduct, his co-host, Savannah Guthrie, was visibly shaken as she shared the news on the NBC Today Show, “We just learned this moments ago, just this morning. As you can imagine we are devastated and still processing all this.”

That’s how I felt when I heard the news about my ministry friends who fell. Scars were made for a lifetime by the selfish, sexual crimes of these men.

I know there can be forgiveness for the perpetrators and healing for the sexual abuse victims through Jesus Christ. But, both the reception of this forgiveness and true acceptance of God’s healing can often be a painfully long road.

So how do we as ministry leaders protect ourselves from being caught up in a moral failure? The easy answer is “safeguards” but, as the story I’ll close with will demonstrate, safeguards are not nearly enough.

I’ll never forget when I was a young pastor at a church in Denver and running, what was then, a brand new ministry Dare 2 Share. Somebody paid for me to go to a small pastor’s conference in Colorado Springs. Little did I know that God would use this conference, and the man speaking at it, to impact my life in a big way.

 

The speaker was an expert at counseling struggling pastors. He had shepherded hundreds of spiritual shepherds from all across America, many of whom had fallen into sexual immorality of some sort or another. He was at this conference to help us pastors fight against the insidious enemy called “lust” and to perserve the integrity of our lives and the pulpits we preach from on a weekly basis.

After he was introduced he took the podium and asked the question, “How many of you pastors have some sort of boundaries when it comes to counseling members of the opposite sex? For instance, you won’t counsel a woman alone or with the door of your office shut or something like that?”

Why Is the Interruption of Routines at Christmas So Difficult for a Child of Divorce?

By
Linda Jacobs
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communicating with the unchurched

A child of divorce gets used to a particular routine. While living in a different house every week or leaving your home to spend every other weekend with a different parent might not seem like a routine to us adults, to children, it is what has become their routine.

It is a schedule that has become a routine they can count on to happen. They can look forward to seeing the other parent every other Friday. Or they know that each Saturday morning, they will be moving to the other parent’s home for a week. After months or even years, this convoluted schedule becomes comfortable and doable for children of divorce.

One thing that makes the holidays difficult for children is the interruption of routines and rituals. Routines lend themselves to a sense of security, and everyone knows that routines go out the window during the holiday times. Please encourage single parents to try and keep the routines the same as much as they can.

Tell the single parents in your church that when things have to change, let their children know: “Things are going to be a little bit different today. We’re going to do such and such.” Routines, rituals and traditions are very important to children. Encourage single parents to make concessions for the kids if the adults’ schedule gets hectic.

Several years ago, my church’s choir was practicing every night for our Christmas cantata. One of our young, single moms, who had a two-year-old and a three-year-old, was a real trooper. She was there for each rehearsal. She made concessions for her kids. She brought their pajamas to rehearsal and dressed them for bed before they got in the car to return home. She also allowed her kids to sleep in the living room with her for these two weeks. Their bedtime was about the only quality time they were able to be together these two weeks.

Why it is important to keep some of the same traditions for kids during the holidays?

Many times during the holidays, single parents want to protect their children. They don’t want the kids to remember how things used to be when the parents were married. They try to make everything different, and sometimes that’s a mistake. Sometimes it’s OK to keep things the same. Children feel security in family traditions.

Perhaps when married, the parents took the kids to see the Nutcracker every year. Now, in the single-parent family, money is tight, and the parent considers not taking the children to a performance. The children really enjoy the Nutcracker, so naturally, they want to continue this tradition.

Encourage the single parent to add to the tradition rather than abolish it. For instance, perhaps the single parent could afford to take the kids to a less-expensive matinee instead of an evening performance. Maybe the single parent could take the children for hot chocolate after the event. Suggest little, subtle things the parent can do to blend the old tradition with a new tradition.

Encourage single parents to sit down and talk with their children. Tell single parents to ask their children about what traditions they want to change. Perhaps this year, it is time the single parent and kids developed some new traditions. I like to encourage single parents to try one new Christmas celebration each year. The ones they like can become long-term traditions.

Urge the single parents in your church to go with the flow of what their children want to do. Any changes single parents make need to feel comfortable to them. If single parents don’t feel comfortable, that will impact the children.

This article is updated and adapted from an article originally published on the Kids & Divorce blog on December 9, 2013.

This article originally appeared here.

4 Surprising Things I Learned From My Online Hiatus

By
Josh Weidmann
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communicating with the unchurched

All good things must come to an end…or at least a pause.

In May 2017 my wife and I made a conscious decision to change many things in our life—including our engagement on social media—and to take an online hiatus. Both of us had it as a mainstay in our life (as most people do) and spent more hours than we want to admit on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter—or whatever other trending platform. It was not rare for us to let the night get away from us as we flicked our thumbs upward, scrolling countless feeds. It wasn’t good for our minds, our marriage or our ministry.

I always claimed I was doing social media “for ministry purposes.” At times it did feel more like “Work” than “Play” and I found the immediate access to other people’s lives, and their access to mine, causing me to feel crowded out of my own personal space. I needed to take a break. So I did. Without any notice or “see you in a few months…” messages, I just pulled back, deactivated accounts and left the social media lifestyle I had grown used to. So did Molly. Truthfully, we never looked back.

I stopped blogging. I stopped Tweeting. No posting. No sharing. No liking, engaging or commenting. I was gone. Yet, as I laid down my social media life, I seemed to gain real life back in return.

It only took a matter of days before I felt a burden had lifted. There was no pressure to know what others did (or didn’t do). No need to post my accomplishments or woes, I let them happen without posting them. My life was just that—my life—and I liked the privacy. Truthfully, I also like that I did not know what was going on in everyone else’s life too (no offense meant by that). I was able to inquire genuinely when asking, “So what is going on in your life…?” because I really didn’t know. I found that my conversations with people were (1) really about what was exciting them, not just what they posted last and (2) not riddled with “Did you see what so-and-so posted yesterday…?” because people knew I was in the dark on what others were doing.

FOMO (or at least “Distract-o”)

You’ve probably heard the term “FOMO”—The Fear of Missing Out. Well, I believe it is a real thing. Sadly, I think it is a growing epidemic in our age because of the access we have to each other’s lives through social media. When we see what someone else is doing, we wish we could do it too. We live in fear of missed opportunity or simply in fear of missing out on what is happening in someone else’s life. That had probably affected Molly and I more than we wanted to admit. Staying up with what others were doing was at the very least serving as a distraction for us. To stay in tune, we kept coming back to flicking that thumb up many more times each week.

So what did I learn by taking an online hiatus?

  1. We all need a break sometimes. Breaks from social media give us a reality check on what is right in front of us. It allows for perspective to be gained. I’ve learned that prayer plus perspective equals breakthrough. That is what the social media hiatus was for me. I have perspective and depth now that I was lacking earlier. It may be a year or two, but I will make social media hiatuses a part of my life in the future.
  2. A healthy marriage means meaningful conversation. The best thing I can do for my kids is to ensure that my wife and I are as happy, connected, growing and enjoying each other as much as we can be. I may have let my evening be filled with social media in the past (and Molly’s too), but we are now committed to talking, reading, praying and enjoying each other after our four kids have gone to sleep. We are also striving to get more sleep and make great use of our early morning hours too.
  3. Everyone doesn’t need to know everything. I am allowing my social media to be an authentic view of both the good and bad into my life, but not everything needs to be posted. Somethings will remain for just Molly, myself and our close friends. In the same way—I can keep up with people, but I will not apologize if I don’t know what is in everyone’s feed. Because I have boundaries on my social media time, I will miss some things, and that is just going to have to be OK. No more FOMO. I will look forward to interacting with people as the opportunity presents itself.
  4. I live first to please God; second to “please” men. Let’s be honest: We take pictures, live through stories, and engage in conversation often with the mindset of “What will I post about this?” or “How will I look when this is posted?” I am not going to worry about what people think as I know my primary purpose is to please God. If it causes joy to another person, then that is a great byproduct. But I live before the eye of God 100 percent of the time. I am going to care first and foremost about what God sees in my public and private life.

So why did I come back?

Well, the truth is that I do think there is value in using social media for connecting people, reaching people, encouraging people, inspiring people and investing in people. God has called me to be a communicator of His truth to the world. If I try to avoid the world through social media (or whatever other means) I will not be doing what I am called to do. So I am back, but with a renewed perspective. I will be posting with greater intentionality. I am still a real person, but I also am on a mission. I will continue to blog, tweet, post and share for the Glory of God and the joy of…you…His people. I am excited for what lies ahead!

This article originally appeared here.

High Impact Coaching for Your Leaders

By
Jim Egli
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communicating with the unchurched

For most churches we are just launching a new church year. For the first blog entry of the year I want to focus on the dynamic that my researched revealed as the most important element for a church’s small group system’s health and growth—the effective coaching of your leaders. Coaching is pivotal whether you are overseeing small group leaders, ministry directors, church planters, pastors or any type of leaders.

How can you be a high impact coach? Here’s my advice based on what I have discovered both through research and my practical experience

1. Pray for your leaders. James writes, “You have not because you ask not” (James 4:2). Jesus declares, “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete” (John 16:24). Pray for each of your leaders by name. A couple times a year I give each of my leaders a 3×5 index card and tell them to write down the things they want me to pray for their ministry and their personal life. I also use and really like the PrayerPartner iPhone app.

2. Get your leaders together. While it’s very effective to meet with leaders one-on-one, it’s also more time consuming. If you get all your leaders together, you can touch everyone at once and they can support and encourage each other. How do you get your busy leaders to make time to meet with you and one another? Two things are pivotal: food and making time at that meeting for them to pray for one another. Your leaders love to eat, and they need prayer and encouragement. Not all of them will come, don’t worry about that, those who most need and want support will.

3. Give some leaders more attention than others. Don’t try to give your leaders equal time. I made this mistake when I was first coaching. Experienced leaders don’t need (and maybe don’t want) your attention. New leaders and leaders facing problems need significant attention. Leaders with more new believers in their group will also face more challenges and need more help. It’s like parenting, a newborn or a sick child or a child choosing the right college needs more attention than your other children. Use your time wisely by giving more time to your leaders who need more help.

4. Meet personal with leaders. My doctoral research showed that meeting personally with leaders does more than anything to increase their effectiveness. How should you do this? Here’s something that I have found effective and fun. Take each leader out for breakfast for their birthday. (Breakfast is cheaper and easier to fit into most people’s schedule. If I am coaching a woman leader, I have my wife meet with them or we meet with them together.) At this birthday meeting, ask your leaders what God is doing in their life, what they have learned in the last year, and what God might be calling them to in the year ahead. For experienced and confident leaders, that meeting and one six months later might be all they need. Other leaders you can meet with more frequently. OK, right now, put all your leaders birthdays in your smartphone or planner and take them out near that date. You don’t know their birthdays? OK, email them right now and ask them what their birthdays are.

What questions do you have about being a high impact coach? What tips do you have for me and others who are coaching leaders this year?

This article originally appeared here.

An Incarnational Youth Ministry

By
Rebecca Lankford
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communicating with the unchurched

During the mere six months I have served as a youth minister, I have probably eaten at Panera Bread more than I have in my previous 22 years of life combined. Is it because I love the mediocre food and coffee? Hardly. It is, however, a favorite spot of many students in my ministry. Whenever they have time to grab a meal, nine times out of ten, they will choose Panera, usually to my (hopefully concealed) chagrin.

In our ministries, we are called to meet students right where they are, coming alongside them in faithful discipleship regardless of how convenient it might be for us. As a new youth minister, I am learning slowly but surely how important this is in fostering relationships with students, especially during these initial stages of cultivating their friendship and trust. For me, this looks like Friday nights spent at High School band concerts, awkward surface-level conversations about math tests, and yet another turkey sandwich from Panera Bread.

As I grow in my ministry, however, I pray this also looks like grieving breakups with them, walking with them though seasons of doubt, and simply showing up as a constant presence in both their peaks and valleys.

Of course, I will not always succeed at this. I have already experienced frustration, cynicism and doubt that the work I am doing is meaningful. The relational work of meeting teens where they are is a lonely, humbling and often daunting task. Yet it points us to the One who has perfectly done the same work with us: our faithful Savior who has come down to meet us in our darkness.

My first Advent as a youth minister is here. Advent is a season in which we celebrate the birth of our Savior and eagerly await His second coming; I have come to see the beauty of the Incarnation with completely fresh eyes. God has been gracious to show me that Jesus’ human birth is as groundbreaking today as it was the night of the first nativity. The truth that the glory of God was made flesh and “dwelt among us” (John 1:14) has significant implications for our ministries, both as a guiding doctrine and as a hope that we ourselves are met in our doubts and frustrations.

In his work On the Incarnation, St. Athanasius writes:

“For he did not wish simply to be in a body, nor did he wish merely to appear, for if he had wished only to appear he could have made his divine manifestation through some other means. But he takes that which is ours […] so that he might turn them again to incorruptibility and give them life from death, by making the body his own and by the grace of the resurrection banishing death from them as straw from the fire.”

Jesus Christ, the very Word of God, full of His glory, assumed our human form to redeem us. In putting on our humanity, the Creator of the Universe left his home in Heaven, arrived in a feeding trough, lived a humble life full of persecution, only to then be murdered on a cross. Obviously, this was neither easy nor fun. Yet it was necessary so that He might reclaim us, His beloved children who have turned against Him since our beginning. In coming down to a broken world that did not receive Him, Christ has restored us relationally with God the Father.

With the help of the Holy Spirit, we are called to mirror this incarnational relationship with our students: humbling ourselves, meeting them where they are, and relating to them just as Christ has done with us. When we look to Christ, we are reminded that He became involved in our messy, awkward lives so that we might abide in Him, therefore encouraging us to do the same with our students in hopes that they themselves might experience the joy of personally knowing Christ.

I have learned that If I am obedient to this call to meet my students where they are, my life might not always be easy or fun. Yet, thanks be to God that the truth of His incarnation applies to us all, meaning He is with me in my loneliness and frustration. Even better, He has experienced it Himself. As a human who lived on this earth, Jesus knew what it was like to feel defeated, lonely, and frustrated: feelings we as ministers know all too well. Yet, the incarnation means that God, our Emmanuel, is with us, comforting us as a “wonderful counselor” who has experienced all the pains of humanity. Hebrews 2:17-18 summarizes this powerfully:

“He had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tested, he is able to help those who are being tested.”

May the incarnation continue to comfort those, who like myself, are in the throes of relational ministry with little evidence of fruit: We have a Savior who has been like us in “every respect,” yet who now sits at the right hand of the Father. May we be granted daily grace to follow the One who has, as the classic hymn says, “laid his glory by” to come and rescue us. And may we be strengthened by His Spirit to lay aside our notions of glory as well in order that we might relate to our students wherever they are…even if that means eating at Panera Bread, yet again.

This article originally appeared here.

Church, Do We Really Need to Say ‘Keep Christ in Christmas’?

By
Christine Yount Jones
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communicating with the unchurched

Christian brothers and sisters, do we really need to keep telling the world to “keep Christ in Christmas”? Stick with me here; I have my reasons and…

Questions About “Keep Christ in Christmas”

1. Could it be that the message to “Keep Christ in Christmas” demands from a secular world something for which they don’t even fully understand? Nor are they able to do so.

Instead of demanding secular conformity, why don’t we celebrate that for a brief time every year, the world opens itself to this holy Baby who was born in a manger? Could it be that in the same way that the people in the time of Jesus’ birth were awed by all that happened that perhaps Christmas can still fill people’s hearts with wonder? Could it be that the light of Christ’s birth can somehow shine into people’s lives–however broken their celebration of that event might be?

As a child, Christmas was a full-on celebration of Santa for our family–and only Santa. Yet somehow the Spirit of God tugged at my heart and I wondered what the music of Christmas was all about. I loved “Silent Night,” but I wouldn’t understand who the child sung about was for years. Could it be that Christ indeed was in Christmas even though we celebrated the secular version of Christmas?

When I was a child, I’m so grateful that there weren’t the condescending messages to turn us away from Christ at Christmas. Could it be that in my family’s inability to keep Christ in Christmas that this Jesus came to us anyway? After all, it wasn’t up to us to seek Jesus; it was up to Jesus to find us! And find us He did!

2. Could it be that the message to “Keep Christ in Christmas” negates the humility that surrounded the birth of our Savior?

Blogger and youth minister Stephen Ingram writes in “The Heresy of Keeping Christ in Christmas” at OrganicStudentMinistry.com: Christianity, as defined by the life and teachings of Jesus, never depended or insisted on being the majority, in power or even influential. It was a religion that lauded the weak, meek and the poor. Jesus came preaching a gospel that defaulted on the need for religion to have power and influence. He told us that the last shall be first and the first shall be last. When Peter picked up a sword and was ready to take Jerusalem, Jesus quickly told him to put it down because that is not the kind of gospel he was bringing.

Yet one of the most vocal organizations for “Keep Christ in Christmas” states the reason for their campaign: It is our obligation to remind those around us of the true meaning of Christmas. For more than 60 years, our Order has led the “Keep Christ in Christmas” campaign as a way to put that obligation into concrete action by being a positive voice in our national cultural life. 

Is that why Jesus came? Did he come to create “a positive voice in our national cultural life”? If so, why wasn’t he born as a world leader? Why didn’t he become the political leader his disciples thought he would be–instead of the humble servant who washed their feet in almost sheer anonymity?

3. Could it be that the message to “Keep Christ in Christmas” redirects our focus at this time to the wrong “campaign”?

What is it that we care about most at Christmastime? There’s a campaign for signing the petition to keep Christ in Christmas because “it is no secret that the true meaning of CHRISTmas is under attack in our society today,” according to Jesusgivesme.org.

Or you can involve your kids in a “Keep Christ in Christmas” poster contest. The Knights of Columbus encourage this contest every year with this challenge: For many in society Christmas has become for many – especially children – a secular holiday. To combat this, the Knights of Columbus has introduced the Keep Christ in Christmas poster contest. This program – similar to the Substance Abuse Awareness Poster Contest – will allow young people to engage their creative talents and imaginations while understanding the true, spiritual meaning of Christmas.

Marshall McLuhan said years ago: The medium is the message, which means that the medium we use to convey the message may indeed convey more than the content of the message itself.

How did God send His message?

Ben Carson’s Powerful Prayer Before the Passing of the Tax Bill

By
Bob Ditmer
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communicating with the unchurched

President Donald Trump began his weekly cabinet meeting Wednesday saying it was a “celebration.” The president asked Ben Carson to open the meeting in prayer.

Hours earlier, the Senate approved a sweeping tax overhaul bill that House lawmakers passed a second time later in the day.

To begin the celebration Trump asked Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson to begin the cabinet meeting with prayer.

“Our kind father in heaven, we’re so thankful for the opportunity and the freedom that you’ve granted us in this country. We thank you for the president and cabinet members who are courageous, who are willing to face the winds of controversy in order to provide a better future for those who come behind us. We’re thankful for the unity in congress that has presented an opportunity for our economy to expand so we can fight the corrosive debt that has been destroying our future. And we hope that unity will spread even beyond party lines so that people recognize that we have a nation that is worth saving. And recognize that nations divided against themselves cannot stand. In this time of discord, distrust and dishonesty, we ask that you would give us a spirit of gratitude, compassion and common sense. And give us the wisdom to be able to guide this great nation in the future. We ask in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

Before asking Carson to pray, Trump invited the reporters in the room to stay for the invocation joking, “You need it more than I do,” adding, “Then maybe you’ll be honest,” continuing his war with reporters whose stories have been 91 percent negative of his administration.

James A. Smith, the Vice President of Communications for the National Religious Broadcasters Association, took issue with the off-handed remark on Twitter:

That is one truth on which all sides should agree; we all need prayer.

Google’s ‘Year in Search 2017’: the World Searches for Solutions

By
Jesse T. Jackson
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communicating with the unchurched

Google just released its ‘Year in Search 2017’ video. The video gives churches a glimpse into what the people sitting in their pews searched for over the last year. It might also inspire pastors on ways to reach their congregation’s most heartfelt needs.

Here are some of the most searched terms on Google last year.

DISASTERS:

How to help flood victims?
How to help refugees?
How many refugees in the world?
How to help Las Vegas?
How to help Houston?
How to help Puerto Rico?

Its been a year filled with disasters that have displaced families, taken lives and provided an opportunity for Christians to live out their faith. This list indicates that people want to help those in need and in severe suffering. This might be a good time to look at the ministries in your church to see if you have ways to address this very real desire. Small groups, prayer sessions and even the children’s ministry can help your members come alongside those suffering from disasters. Or it might just be a reminder from the pulpit about why we suffer.

HOPES

How to make a protest sign?
How to make a difference?
How to be a strong woman?
How to be a good parent?
How to be a superhero?

These searches show most people want to get involved and make a difference in the culture. That desire should be especially strong for believers who are commanded to be salt and light in the world.

Courage, risk and perseverance are all qualities needed for Christians who want to improve the world around them, and scripture is filled with examples of how those traits can further God’s work.

FEARS

How far can North Korean missiles go?
How do hurricanes form?
How to be fearless?

The world can be a scary place. Fears of loss, abandonment, sickness, failure, rejection are real and on the minds of many.

Hopefully, this short video will compel you even more to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to a world so desperately searching. This video ends by showing the search term ‘how to move forward’; Church, we have that answer! We get the privilege of telling and showing them Jesus Christ. Humanity is begging for a Savior, most just don’t know it.

As you prepare to lead your people through 2018, think about these trending search terms. They reveal the felt needs of the people sitting in your pews and the people outside your church. Now more than ever, the world needs people proclaiming the solution to every problem. Renew your zeal for ministry as you reflect on these verses:

Matthew 28:19-20
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Mark 16:15
And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”

Matthew 5:15-16
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

Brian Zahnd: Jesus Is the True Perfect Word of God

By
Jason Daye
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communicating with the unchurched

Brian Zahnd is the founder and lead pastor of Word of Life Church, a non-denominational Christian congregation in Saint Joseph, Missouri. Brian and his wife, Peri, founded the church in 1981. Brian is also the author of several books, including, Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God and Water to Wine.

Key Questions:

Why is the truth of God’s love scandalous?

How did this sermon evolve out of Jonathan Edward’s classic sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God?”

How did you personally navigate the large loss of members at your church?

How do you explain the differences between the wrath of God and the love of God?

[SUBSCRIBE] For more ChurchLeaders podcasts click here!

Key Quotes:

“We are deeply committed, in our fallen state, to the idea that only retributive justice can corral sin. We’re all a lot like the older brother in the story of the prodigal son.”

“We lost about a thousand people in our church when I began to pull away from religious right, American pop christianity, that wasn’t what people signed up for.”

“I am comfortable calling the Bible the Word of God, provided we understand that it’s the Word of God in a penultimate sense, that Jesus is the true, perfect Word of God.”

“As Christians we don’t start with Genesis 1:1 we start with Star Wars episode 4 and then we get the prequel.  I don’t ever go wandering around in the Old Testament unescorted. I’m there because of Jesus and with Jesus.”

Mentioned in the Show:

Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God

N.T. Wright

Water to Wine

www.brianzahnd.com

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God – Jonathan Edwards

 

5 Traits of the Aware Leader

By
Ron Edmondson
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communicating with the unchurched

The longer I’m in leadership, the more I realize I don’t always fully know the real health of my team or organization at any given time—at least as much as others do.

Don’t misunderstand—I want to know, but often, because of my position, I’m shielded from some issues.

I’ve learned, right or wrong—agree or disagree—that some would rather complain behind a leader’s back than tell them how they really feel. Others assume the leader already knows the problem. Still others simply leave or remain quiet rather than complain—often in an attempt to avoid confrontation.

I’ve made the mistake of believing everything was great in an area of ministry or with a team member, when really it was mediocre at best, simply because I was not aware of the real problems in the organization.

It can be equally true a leader doesn’t know all the potential of an organization. Some of the best ideas remain untapped for some of the same reasons. People are afraid of their ideas being rejected, so they don’t share them. They assume the leader has already thought of it or they simply never take the time to share with them.

If a leader wants to be fully “aware,” there are disciplines they must have in place. For example, as a leader, do you want to easily recognize the need for change and the proper timing to introduce it? That comes partly by being a more aware leader.

Here are five traits of the aware leader:

Asks questions

Aware leaders are consistently asking people questions and making intentional efforts to uncover people’s true feelings about the organization and their leadership. (Read a post of questions I wrote called 12 Great Leadership Questions HERE.)

Remains open to constructive criticism

Aware leaders make themselves vulnerable to other people. They welcome input, even when it comes as correction. They realize that although criticism never feels good at the time, if processed properly, it can make them a better leader. (You may want to read THIS POST and THIS POSTabout how to and not to respond to criticism.)

Never assumes everyone agrees

Aware leaders realize that disagreement and even healthy conflict can make the organization better. They expect differences of opinions on issues and they are willing to wrestle through them to find the best solution to accomplish the vision of the organization, even if that opinion belongs to someone other than the leader.

Never quits learning

Aware leaders are sponges for information. They read books, blogs or they might listen to podcasts. They keep up with the current trends in their industry through periodicals and newsletters. They never cease to discover new ideas or ways of doing things.

Remains a wisdom-seeker

Aware leaders surround themselves with people further down the road from where they are in life. They most likely will use terms like mentor, coach or consultant. They are consistently seeking the input of other leaders who can speak into their situation, make them a better leader or person, and ultimately help the organization.

Great leaders are aware leaders.

This article originally appeared here.

10 More Signs That a Church Has Settled for Mediocrity

By
Chuck Lawless
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communicating with the unchurched

Several years ago, I posted on “Signs of Mediocrity in a Church.” Today, I add to that list other signs I’ve seen as a church consultant:

  1. They haven’t tackled any “God-sized” task in years. That is, they’re going through the motions, doing things as they’ve always done them—and they wouldn’t know what to do if God did something not already planned in their weekly bulletin.
  2. Prayer is perfunctory, not passionate and powerful. You can usually tell when that’s the case, too. Folks pray, but they do it because that’s what they’re supposed to do—and it’s usually only in response to something wrong.
  3. They provide no training for workers. If you put workers in place but don’t expect them to be trained (in fact, not even offer them any training), you can’t expect them to improve much.
  4. Nobody’s asking about the lack of growth or baptisms. The church isn’t reaching anybody, but nobody seems aware or concerned enough to ask, “Why?” Status quo is apparently acceptable.
  5. They’ve come to be OK with “I really didn’t have time to prepare this week…” I realize that life does occasionally hinder our preparation, but some churches almost expect some of their leaders to make this statement.
  6. No small groups are reproducing themselves. That’s often because the leaders and groups have grown comfortable with where they are. Nobody wants to move out, so everybody settles.
  7. They have stopped challenging members to increase the sacrifice of their giving. Too many members never deepen their sacrifice because the church never lays that challenge before them. Whatever they gave years ago is still acceptable today.
  8. They fight change just because it’s change. They can’t explain why they’re opposed to the change; they just are—and nothing ever improves.
  9. Excellence is apparently not the goal. Whether it’s the preaching, the music, the facility, the programs or whatever the church is doing, members seem to think they can do less than their best for the glory of God.
  10. They tend to judge other churches. Churches living in mediocrity don’t improve; they just make themselves feel better by tearing down other congregations.

What other signs have you seen?

This article originally appeared here.

7 Simple Ways to Wow First-Time Church Visitors

By
Jeremy Goldsborough
-
communicating with the unchurched

Anticipation? Expectation? A little bit of nausea? A combination of the three? First-time church visitors can experience a wide variety of feelings and emotions as they enter the unknown abyss.

Will they know anyone? Will the things they’ve heard about your church prove true, or will they be surprised by something different?

As church leaders, it is paramount that we develop healthy, organic responses to first-time church visitors within our church family.

Here’s a brilliant thought…

Your church cannot possibly grow unless it has first-time visitors that come back.

So how will you handle them? Will it be an obligation or a delight? Will it be accidental or intentional?

Encouraging First-Time Church Visitors to Return

In your quest for church growth, here are seven simple but attainable ways to make sure those first-time church visitors don’t become one-time church visitors.

1. Remember their names.

I’ll admit it, I stink at this. I will literally ask a visitor for their name, and by the end of the conversation I will have forgotten.

Unless, of course, I’m intentional with my memory. If I walk into the introduction with the goal of remembering their name, it’s much more likely to happen.

Do whatever it takes. Write it down, tap it into your smartphone notes, record a voice memo, etc. If you greeted that guest on their way in, and you say goodbye to them by name on the way out, it speaks volumes. It says, “You’re not a number, you’re a life, and you matter to us.”

2. Give attention to the workflow.

This is such a key point. We’ve got to think through the visitor workflow in our churches. Are we saving our best parking spots for them? What questions will they have upon arrival? What are their needs? How will we interact with them?

Take the time to think it through, plan it and empower your church to live it out.

Determine where the potential snags are in your visitor workflow. Where could they potentially get “stuck”? Then, plan on ironing out those friction points to maintain a smooth journey.

Why I Don’t Like Church Christmas Programs

By
Christina Embree
-
communicating with the unchurched

Is there anything cuter than kids in a Christmas play? I mean seriously, don’t we just love seeing the kids sharing their songs, saying their lines, quoting their Bible verses and wearing all the Christmasy things? And, of course, there’s always that “one” kid who unwittingly steals the show with their over-enthusiastic lines or their under-enthusiastic singing. Or the one who is just a little bit off on the motions or the one who is pretending to conduct in the back row. I mean, who doesn’t like seeing kids perform in church?

Me.

What?!? I’m a children’s pastor. Isn’t that against the rules?

You guys, bear with me but, yeah, I usually don’t like them very much at all. I love that the kids talk about Jesus. I do think that they are beyond adorable and I want to hug every single one. But what I don’t like are the many implications that often come with it; things that go unsaid, but speak volumes to children and adults about the place of children in “big church.”

Four Reasons I Don’t Like Christmas Programs

  1. They define the role of Children in Worship – They are performers. They are cute. Everyone likes to “see” them. Everyone wants them on stage. But children are much more than that. They are active, vital, necessary members of the body of Christ. If they are only invited into worship to “perform,” guess what worship/church becomes for them? A performance. And when they get tired of performing or they aren’t cute anymore, they move on to bigger and better things.
  2. They define the role of the Children’s Pastor – Many or most who work in Children’s ministry rarely spend much time in “big church.” The role is unseen; serving downstairs or upstairs making sure children are loved, rooms are covered, volunteers are appreciated, parents are affirmed, janitors are appeased, visitors are welcomed and families are encouraged. But the only time a children’s minister is seen in church is when he/she bring the children up to put on a show. It creates a very limited view of who children’s ministers are.
  3. They define the role of the Congregation – When the children perform, all the feelings are there! The kids are sweet and cute and the church loves to see them in church. But it is a passive reception; the kids give, the church receives. There are no active, ongoing relationships. Many don’t even know the children’s names. They are the “girl in the red dress that sang so loud” and the “boy in the tie who sat on the steps.” It creates an environment of “us” and “them” and when the performance is over, everyone returns to their posts.
  4. They define who is and who is not “the church” – This is the same reason I despise the term “big church.” There isn’t a big church and little church in God’s kingdom. There’s just church. We, all of us, old, young and in-between, are all members of God’s body, part of the church, His Bride. We affirm this at baptism or dedication. The whole congregations commits to being one body. And then, we go our separate ways, big and little, for the year, until it’s time to perform again.

How to Deal With Darkness at Christmas

By
Bob Kauflin
-
communicating with the unchurched

It seems each Christmas I hear more people talk about how difficult this time can be for those who are suffering, depressed or struggling with loss. Posts like When Darkness Falls at Christmas, What Grieving People Wish You Knew at Christmas, and The Problem With Our Holly Jolly Christmas Songs remind us that in spite of the parties, sentimental commercials, holiday greetings and family reunions, all is not “calm and bright.” For many of us, Christmas is troubled and dark.

My daughter Brittany Hope has had a tender heart for those kinds of people for years. A wife whose husband’s life was snuffed out too early. A young couple burying their stillborn child. Parents carrying the weight of an adult child no longer walking with God. Singles longing for a family of their own.

Brittany’s love for the Savior and those he came to redeem overflows in songs, lyrics, quotes and poems that she frequently posts on Facebook and Instagram. In line with her middle name, she consistently points others to a God who not only knows the depths of our sufferings and loss, but comforts us in the midst of them through the gospel.

Recently she asked me and her sister, McKenzie, if we’d record one of her songs on video. She wanted to share it with friends whose Christmas is characterized more by sadness than celebration. People for whom the Christmastime seems to be more about darkness than deliverance. So Tuesday night we did a quick video and Brittany posted it on Facebook with the introduction: “A song for those in darkness this Christmas season.”

It’s been 2 1/2 days and her “few friends” have turned into over 100,000 as the video has been shared more than 1,800 times. She’s received emails from people she’s never met saying how God used her song to encourage them. One pastor emailed saying this past week a family in his church lost an infant while another family’s 20-year-old daughter died in a car accident. He stumbled across the song on Facebook and said numerous people in his church had been comforted through it. Others let us know this would be the first (or second, or third, or tenth) Christmas without a parent, spouse, child or friend. The pain was still fresh, raw and profound, and the fight for joy still difficult. They said God used the song not only to allow them to grieve, but to give them hope in the midst of their sadness.

And that’s what Christmas does. It reminds us that we are not yet in the time of uninterrupted joy. Our celebrations are always tainted by the reality that although the Savior has come, everything isn’t yet right. Sorrow is real. Death has not disappeared.

So in the midst of the joy, and perhaps because of it, Christmas is an ideal time to address our pain, sadness, loss and darkness. For as Isaiah said:

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.” (Isaiah 9:2, ESV)

If we had no darkness to deal with, there would be no need for a great light to come. Our darkness is deep, but the salvation and love revealed in Jesus Christ go deeper.

God promises, “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!” (Psalm 126:5, ESV) It may be next month, next year or in the next life. But Jesus Christ, who took our sins upon himself and endured God’s wrath in our place, has made sure that one day every tear will be wiped away.

Christmas assures us that day is coming.

Click below to download the music.

CHORD CHART
VOCAL/PIANO SCORE
LYRICS

UPDATE: This song is now available on Brittany’s album, Glory in the Darkest Place.

This article originally appeared here.

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