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If You Don’t Care for the Poor, You Don’t Understand the Gospel

By
J.D. Greear
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Karl Marx famously called Christianity the opiate of the people, but I think it’s actually the smelling salts. Because when you really understand God’s grace, you wake up to injustice, and you are moved by compassion. The reverse is true as well: When you are fail to care for the poor, it raises the question of whether or not you’ve actually ever believed the gospel, because you are unaware of your own pressing need for God’s merciful attention to you in your sin.

We Need to Care for the Poor

A failure to care for the poor shows a fundamental misunderstanding of the gospel.

When the prophet Amos confronted the nation of Israel about their neglect and oppression of the poor, the excuses they gave may sound familiar to us today.

First, the Israelites said, “But we are God’s chosen people” (Amos 3:2). In other words, “We’re forgiven; we’re God’s favorites.” But God responded, “That makes your sin even worse! You not only knew me as lawgiver; you knew me as Father and Redeemer. To whom much is given, much will surely be required.”

Then they tried their second excuse: “Our religious zeal makes up for our moral shortcomings” (Amos 5:21). At this point in their history, Israel went to church all the time and put on a bunch of feasts. But God responded, “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.”

We use the same excuses today when we fail to show a concern for the poor: “Well, thank God that he accepts us by grace!” or “We’re not perfect, just forgiven.”

But we can’t excuse ourselves with grace. If we’ve really been forgiven, we’ll be more passionate about caring for the poor and fighting injustice, not less. Forgiveness is not a license to avoid these things. It’s a catalyst to drive us deeper into these things.

Amos 6:1 says, “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion”—those who are playing through life when so many around them are suffering.

Charles Spurgeon identified three groups that are “at ease in Zion”:

  1. The apathetic: They just don’t care. They are not cruel and vicious people; they just don’t think much about things that don’t affect them.
  2. The self-indulgent: Maybe they care, but they love creature comforts too much to actually sacrifice anything for anyone else.
  3. The procrastinators: These people know they are supposed to do good. But they’re slactivists—they care enough to retweet and repost things that matter, but they never really do anything about it.

We may not think we belong to any of these groups, but how many of us have failed to acknowledge the most desperate need of all that surrounds us? This is the greatest position of privilege all of us occupy: We know the gospel that has saved us from sin, death and hell. And yet there are people around the world who have never heard it. Don’t we owe the gospel to them? How could it not be unjust to keep it from them?

I wonder if God would look at us today and say, Woe to you who are at ease in the kingdom of God while so many perish! Would he look at all the attention we give to our worship services and say, I hate, I despise your church services. I take no delight in hearing your sermons. Though you offer me a moving experience of worship music, I won’t accept it. If we’re busier playing church than we are getting our hands dirty for the poor, that verdict is entirely possible.

The Apostle Paul said he was a debtor to people everywhere who never heard about Jesus (Romans 1:14). Why was he a debtor to a bunch of people he’d never even met?

Paul knew that he didn’t deserve to hear the gospel. He was not worthier or less of a sinner. It was a gift of grace. And with that gift of grace comes the obligation to share it with others.

What If Unbelievers Aren’t Miserable?

By
Mike Leake
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

We should never assume that unbelievers are miserable.

It was probably about 17 years ago that my mom called me in a panic. She had gotten my “suicide note” and was terrified. When I picked up the phone I was confused at how worked up she seemed to be and wondered why she was so passionately asking where I was and if I was alright.

I was confused because I hadn’t actually left a suicide note. It was a journal entry that I had penned a few months prior. I had photocopied this journal entry to share with a group of students about my past and how Jesus had redeemed me. I wanted them to see my frame of mind before Christ. But I had ignorantly left the master copy on our coffee table at home and my mom thought it was current.

If you know my testimony you’ve heard the many ways that Christ has redeemed me and is continuing to redeem me. (This is a decent summary here.) I was absolutely miserable as a lost person. But this isn’t true of every person who doesn’t know Jesus. And if I’m not careful I’ll end up sharing a truncated gospel that is founded in my own personal experience rather the Bible.

Don’t Make Assumptions About Unbelievers

Phil Moore says it well:

Most contemporary Gospel preaching assumes that unbelievers are dissatisfied with their lives and that they will respond to Jesus if we show them he is the answer to their unmet needs. If they are lonely, Jesus will be their friend. If they are afraid, he will be their shelter. If they feel guilty, he will be their forgiveness. If they feel empty, he will give their life meaning. The problem with this message is not that it is untrue—the Bible tells us that Jesus really is the answer to all these needs. The problem is that this is only part of the truth. Most unbelievers are not unhappy at all. (The Myth of the Unhappy Pagan)

If the only gospel we know how to share is “Jesus is the answer,” we are going to find it rather difficult to share the good news when our neighbor doesn’t have any questions. We’ll have to spend most of our time trying to deflate their tires and make them miserable so that we can show how Jesus is the solution to a problem they didn’t know they had. The Proverbs (and many other places in Scripture) do not present the unbeliever as necessarily miserable, depressed and grasping to fill an aching void. Instead we read of men “who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil” (Proverbs 2:14).

This is why so many of those who share the gospel in the New Testament do not start with a person’s psychological emptiness but rather with their guilt before a holy God. Consider how Paul shared the gospel in Acts 17. He didn’t say, “I see that you are very religious and therefore show a heart that is deeply searching to fill a void. Let me tell you how to fill that void.” I think we’ve taken a bit too much license in often supplying that last part. Instead he simply told them who God is and explained that they are accountable to Jesus whether they acknowledge it or not and they’d do well to repent and believe in him.

I’m convinced that one of the reasons we do not have a sense of urgency in sharing the gospel with our neighbors is because we don’t really believe they need it…at least not now. They seem to be getting along just fine without Christ—so why should we turn over the apple cart? And so we go about waiting for the wheels to fall off so we can share Christ. We are better equipped to share Christ in loss than we are in luxury. And so we bide our time waiting for the whirlwind to come, then we’ll have a gospel to share.

But what if the gospel isn’t to make happy people happier? Or even to make miserable people moderately happy? What if the gospel isn’t merely a means to meet our unmet needs? What if the good news of the gospel is so much more? What if it’s about being transferred from a kingdom of darkness into a kingdom of light? What if it isn’t about smiles and frowns but instead about life and death? Then I’ve got a gospel to share regardless of your emotional state.

And its message is unchanging.

God created you to enjoy God and extend His glory. You’ve rebelled and went about trying to find joy in other things and to extend your own glory. As such, you’ve robbed God of his glory and are guilty before Him. Jesus, God incarnate, perfectly fulfilled our mandate to enjoy God and extend His glory. His perfect record is graciously given to all those who are united to Him in repentance and faith. This means you either have the righteousness of Christ credited to your account or you have no righteousness. This is true whether your life is going amazing or it’s blowing up. Repent and believe in Christ today.

This article originally appeared here.

No, Christians Don’t Use Joseph and Mary to Explain Child Molesting Accusations

By
Ed Stetzer
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

There are times when Christians bow our heads in prayer and lament. When we see unbelievable tragedy and suffering, we find ourselves asking how much longer God will wait. This past week, I found myself calling out to God in this respect in the wake of the Texas church shooting, as I read more and more stories of faithful loved ones who lost their lives in a senseless act of violence.

There are other times, however, when we shake our heads in response to the sheer foolishness from those who claim to represent him.

Yes, this is again our reality, this time coming from a defender of Roy Moore.

Today, allegations of sexual assault against Moore broke in the Washington Post. This time, the allegations involved sexual advances against a 14-year-old girl.

Now, let me be clear. I know these are allegations and that everyone gets their day in court. I don’t write articles every time there is an allegation.

Yet, in this case, we need to clear something up.

Simply put, it is important to make clear that Christians don’t believe the message that is coming from some of Moore’s supporters. Actually, most of us find it really creepy.

The Allegations Against Roy Moore

Moore’s evangelical faith has been central in his senate campaign. It is, in part, what won him the primary over the establishment candidate. Since the primary, Moore has continued to campaign as the evangelical candidate while building political alliances with Steve Bannon and his compatriots.

Again, there will be a sizable collection of readers who will immediately shout back that these are just allegations that have not been proven. That candidate Moore deserves his day in court and the presumption of innocence.

And I agree. The court of public opinion in the age of outrage too often looks eerily similar to a lynch mob.

But in the midst of an avalanche of accusations against liberal Hollywood that we accept immediately as truth, let’s not brush aside an accusation against a religious right leader. We need to take allegations seriously on all sides of the political aisle.

Now, I’m not a supporter of Moore. I don’t follow Alabama politics, and he seems a bit of a sideshow to the current (much bigger) issues we face. But let’s be clear about one thing—his defenders are not helping at all.

Moore’s Defenders

In defending Moore, his supporters have now become the news and, as they do so, some are stunningly appealing to religious reasons.

Let’s go to the tape:

First, Alabama Marion County GOP chair David Hall told a reporter, “It was 40 years ago, I really don’t see the relevance of it. He was 32. She was supposedly 14. She’s not saying that anything happened other than they kissed… It wouldn’t affect whether or not I’d vote for him.”

OK, really? Did he really just say that?

Let’s be clear, she is saying a lot more than that they kissed. But, seriously, a 32-year-old even kissing a 14-year-old is OK with you, David Hall?

Hint: it’s not.

But the most widely reported comment came from Alabama State Auditor Jim Zeigler, who told the Washington Examiner, “Take Joseph and Mary. Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became the parents of Jesus… There’s just nothing immoral or illegal here. Maybe just a little bit unusual.”

So…after I got over my initial shock of this statement, I admittedly got angry.

If this is evangelicalism, I’m on the wrong team.

But it is not.

Continue

How to Recover From the Emotional Exhaustion of Ministry

By
Rick Warren
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

When tragedies occur in communities or nations, pastors can wind up working tirelessly to comfort congregations looking for help, both physical and spiritual. Counselors call it compassion fatigue, and it affects anyone who works in human services of any kind, especially those deeply involved in soul care.

In American life, we’ve all been focused on the recovery effort that has followed the flooding and devastation from Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma. Communities are coming together to aid one another in the recovery.

To pastors and ministry leaders who are in the middle of the work of comforting and consoling others, let me give you three pieces of advice.

1. Release Your Frustrations

Stress and exhaustion create all kinds of negative emotions in your life. They bring on anxiety, worry, fear, guilt, shame and depression. And the most common thing we ministers tend to do with our negative emotions is stuff them. We think we’re being better Christians if we never admit to our own fear, anger and depression.

But God created you as a human being with emotions, and he wants you to be real—to let them out by expressing them to him. If you don’t do that, they will eventually come out in other ways—perhaps inappropriate ways.

So tell God how you feel. The Bible says in Psalm 62:8b, “Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge”(NLT). That means just lay it all out. “God, here it is! Here’s how I feel, the good, the bad and the ugly. I’m stressed. I’m tired. I’m grieving. I’m angry.” Whatever you’re feeling, the Bible says to pour out your heart to God.

2. Receive Help From Others

We give so much in ministry that often it’s hard for us to receive from others, but if you’re going to survive the emotional strain of the heaviest seasons of ministry, you’re going to have to find some people who will support you. You need some people with whom you can let your hair down.

The temptation in moments of crisis and recovery is to isolate yourself. That’s a very big mistake.

When you are at your breaking point, you need people in your life. You need people who will give you strength, and most of all, who will give you perspective. The Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Encourage each other and give each other strength” (NIV).

3. Refocus on Christ

When you get under stress, your life gets out of focus. In fact, when you get under stress you start looking at your problem and you stop looking at Christ. You become very preoccupied with yourself, and all you can see is your pain. Your focus just gets narrower and narrower when you’re under stress.

What you need to do is get the focus off the problems and back on God. Think about Jonah—now there’s a guy literally swallowed by his problems!

But God says, when your problems swallow you up, refocus on him. Jonah finally learned this and he prayed, “When I had lost all hope, I turned my thoughts once more to the Lord” (Jonah 2:7a TLB).

The key here is to stop focusing on what you can’t do and start focusing on what God can do.

Are you at the breaking point today? Or maybe the stress level is rising in your life. Some of you say, “You have no idea what I’m going through right now!” I don’t know the pain in your heart, but God does. God is aware of the stress in your life, and God cares about the stress in your life. God can help you in the stress in your life—if you will take these steps…take it all to Jesus and say, “I put it in your hands.”

Jesus said it like this, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you” (Matthew 11:28-29 The Message).

This article originally appeared here.

Is Unity in a Diverse Church Even Possible?, Part 2

By
J.D. Greear
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Trusting in Jesus does not remove our cultural distinctives; it just shows us that we are not ultimately defined by our cultures. We are defined first by who we are in Christ.

God created the rich beauties of culture, and he is not on a mission to erase them. But when we become Christians, he gives us an identity that goes beyond and deeper than any of our other cultural characteristics. Our new common identity gives us the power to move beyond any challenges to unity we face in the church.

“Now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility” (Ephesians 2:13-16 ESV).

In saying that Christ has created “one, new man,” Paul is introducing a concept a lot of theologians call the concept of the “third race.”

Your first race is whatever you are (I am Caucasian). Your second race is whatever you are not (I am not Hispanic, African-American, etc.). Your third race is what you are in Christ. When you become a Christian, it’s not that your first race disappears; it’s that your third race becomes more formative than your first race.

My first race becomes insignificant enough to me that I can lay it aside when I need to, because it doesn’t ultimately define me.

Paul gives us a great example of this when he said he became like a Jew to the Jews and like those without the law (Gentiles) to win them to Christ (1 Corinthians 9:20). How does Paul “become a Jew” if he is a Jew? In Paul’s mind, his “Jewishness” was so light that he could take it on and off like a garment. If he needed to take it off to become something else for someone so that person would know Christ, he could do that.

This does not mean that his previous culture disappeared but that something greater started to define him. The Bible says in Galatians 3:28 that “there is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus” (CSB).

In other words, the gospel gives us something that unites us greater than anything that divides us.

What if you find out someone shares your political convictions, and that makes you feel more at ease with him than when you find out he follows Jesus? That shows you the gospel has not gone deep enough in your heart. It ought to be that when I meet someone that loves Jesus, I feel a unity with that person that goes beyond any differences we might have. I can call someone “brother” or “sister” even as we talk about other things that we might disagree on.

The gospel also gives me the desire and power to replace my preferences for the way things are done in the church with what would best serve God’s kingdom. There’s a certain hypocrisy when we stand in church worshipping a Savior who gave up all his rights for us while we simultaneously insist that everyone else around us worship that Savior the way that we prefer. Can you think of a greater absurdity?

If we worship a Savior who laid down his preferences, of course we’ll lay down our preferences to see other people reached for the gospel.

Vertical relationship with God should lead to horizontal relationships with each other. When Paul went in to plant a church in a new city, he didn’t plant a church for the Jews on the north side of town and another for the Gentiles on the south. He planted one in the middle, where Jew and Gentile would come together and bring glory to Jesus.

The point is not that we have different-colored faces in the audience on the weekend like some kind of United Colors of Benetton display.

The point is that we want to know and love each other and show the world that the greatness of Christ far exceeds any of our cultural differences or preferences. And, through Jesus, we are “no longer strangers and aliens, but…fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 3:19-21).

This article originally appeared here.

I Have a Dream

By
Bill Elliff
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Originally titled “Before I Die,” this post was featured on March 25, 2011. It made our “Best of the last five years cut” because it’s our heart cry, too, here at True Woman and Revive Our Hearts. 

If you resonate with this beautiful post, you’ll also enjoy watching Pastor Elliff’s True Woman ’12 message, “A Call to Revival.”

All of us have dreams. Some want a dream home complete with grass and a white picket fence. Others would love to have their dream job or dream car or dream vacation.

I have a lot of dreams. Fueled by a few years of experiences and a passion for something transcendent, you don’t want to ask me about my dreams unless you have a full pot of coffee and a good bit of time. I’ll wear you out.

But, can I let you know just one? I dream of a mighty spiritual movement in this nation. Something that history would record—not just in human writing, but in heavenly records: a movement of God’s Spirit that overpowers our human frailty and our silly wineskins, a breath from the throne of heaven that brings the church to magnificent renewal. Where people can’t wait to get to prayer meetings and worship lasts all night. Where no musical instrument is needed because the fullness of human voices raised in genuine praise is more magnificent than the greatest symphony.

I dream of a day when the silly, stupid, worldly gods we vainly follow as believers are seen for what they are and gladly released. When the thought of wasting time in front of a television is so useless to believers that it’s passed over like stale bread. I dream of Acts 2. I dream of love that causes us to release every hold on our possessions—that the whole church in any given city is caring for the needs of each believer so there is literally “no more need” in the entire believing community.

I dream of a national revival in God’s church where whole towns are marked by one characteristic—the manifest presence of God. I see, from this reviving of God’s church, a spiritual awakening among those without Christ. Where society and culture is consumed and transformed in a tidal wave of spiritual momentum. Where people without Christ don’t have to be begged and persuaded to think about Christ but come running to God’s altars to beg for mercy and cleansing. Where Sunday morning is a continuation of gatherings that have happened every single weekday. Where every home becomes a sanctuary, every gathering a prayer meeting, every person a testimony and a messenger of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Where the gospel is almighty and carries everything before it.

If you think I’m a lunatic, go ahead. But I’m not just dreaming. This is my God’s desire, and He has done it before. Everything I’ve just described has happened, more than once, in American history. And our God is powerful enough to do it again. Even in spite of our sin and weakness, our fears and traditions. It seems fantastical to us, but it’s our lack of exposure to an experience of national revival and spiritual awakening that makes us so unbelieving.

That’s one of my dreams and, I admit, the big one…and I’m not giving up on it until I die.

This article originally appeared here.

3 Questions to Ask Before You Start Mixing

By
Chris Huff
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Mixing is a chaotic process, at least it looks like it. Watch an audio engineer and they’re jumping all around the mixer. Yet, when you do this, your mix doesn’t come out nearly as good. What gives? The truth is it’s because of one simple fact: They know why they are reaching for a specific control.

Consider the two mix methods:

  1. I wonder if I do THIS if it will sound better?
  2. I know how it should sound and therefore I need to do THIS.

The first is a question that’s full of doubt. There’s uncertainty about the how the final result should sound, and even if not, there’s uncertainty about how to get that result. The latter is a statement. There’s a goal in mind and the method to achieve it is known. It’s when I made the change from #1 to #2 that my mixes dramatically improved, there was a parade in my honor, rejoicing in the streets, and…OK, maybe not but I was getting far better results.

Let’s break down that statement:

“I know how it should sound…”

This can come from experience in having previously mixed the song. It can come from listening to it live elsewhere or via a recording. In these instances, you have a sound in your head so you have a goal.

“…and therefore I need to do THIS.”

And that’s where we get into the big three questions that have to be asked before reaching for any control.

The First Question

WHY do I want to modify this channel?

Possible reasons:

  • It needs to come forward in the mix.
  • It needs to sit farther back in the mix.
  • It needs an EQ change for clarity.
  • It needs an EQ to sound fuller.
  • It needs to have the volume fluctuations controlled.
  • It needs to have additional sounds it detects to be reduced, like gating.

It can even be distilled down to two needs:

  1. I need to add something to it (more volume, more EQ boosts, effects, etc.).
  2. I need to remove something from it (less volume, EQ cuts, less effects, etc.).
Continue

What to Say When You Don’t Have the Whole Story

By
Megan Hill
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Recently, I got an email from a casual acquaintance. Among other things, he mentioned that he had recently been terminated from his position with a Christian ministry.

From such a distance—both location and relationship—it was impossible for me to understand the issues which contributed to his situation. Was he wrongly terminated? Or was he the guilty one? I simply could not know.

And yet, our correspondence required me to reply, and I could hardly ignore what was obviously an important and life-changing matter for him. What could I say?

Frequently, in Christian ministry, we are told about a situation and are invited to make a response. And often we know only one small part of the whole story.

A person gives what seems to be an extended (and possibly biased) list of wrongs someone else has done. Another person only tells part of the story to avoid exposing someone else’s sin.

Proverbs warns against making a quick judgment without information:

“The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.” (Prov. 18:17)

“If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.” (Prov. 18:13)

Sometimes, we are able to pursue the subject. If both parties are within our circles, we can get more information, assist them to pursue biblical conflict resolution, and offer help to everyone involved. But, as with my out-of-work acquaintance, some situations and relationships will never disclose the full story.

So what can you say—over email or coffee or Sunday’s fellowship lunch—when you cannot have the whole story?

I’m sorry. 

Sin makes us sorrowful. And if there is sin in a situation, no matter whose sin it is, you can truthfully say you are sorry. A church member loses his job because his Christian convictions are distasteful to his employer? Then, “I’m sorry to hear that.” A church member loses his job because he failed to show up three shifts in a row? Then, too, “I’m sorry to hear that.”

Thank you. 

Maybe, as in the case of the email I received, the best reply is “thank you for your years of service.” Maybe it’s “thank you for being such a good friend to her in this hard time” or “thank you for being concerned.” Sometimes, all you can say is “thank you for being here.”

Let’s pray. 

Our Lord knows the whole story even when we do not, and we can pray with humility and confidence for him to work. Together, we can ask him to vindicate the righteous, convict the sinning, reconcile the estranged and exalt his Son. Prayer is also a great equalizer—forcing each of us to admit our limitations and to cry out in dependence on our sovereign God. When we don’t know the whole story, we can together ask for help.

And that’s something to which we can all say, “Amen.”

This article originally appeared here.

Through the Fog, Help Us Find You, God

By
Christine Yount Jones
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

I drove home through thick fog last night and I realized it was a picture of how my heart and soul and mind had been feeling this week.

You see, the Sutherland Springs First Baptist Church massacre happened only five days ago. And I haven’t been able to get it off my mind.

It doesn’t help that I read every news story, every account, every breaking detail. But there are two reasons I think I do that.

#1. The people of Sutherland Springs First Baptist Church are MY people. They are OUR people.

I’ve spent my profession serving churches like this sweet one. Churches that matter in their communities. Churches that matter to God.

And since I awoke from a Sunday afternoon nap to this nightmare, I have continued to cry out for God to pour out His grace and mercy to this church and community.

Our people have been attacked–the people who show up for hurting children and families in Sutherland Springs. The people who celebrate life’s milestones with their neighbors. The people who have demonstrated the truth and hope of the gospel even as bullets rained down on them. The people who trusted in and worshipped an all-powerful and loving God.

And He is all-powerful and loving–regardless of what an evil man rained down on these innocents. Nothing that happened on that Sunday morning in Texas changes who God is.

#2. The people of Sutherland Springs First Baptist Church FEEL like my people.

I grew up in a small town in Oklahoma with only two churches in town. And it was the First Baptist Church that I attended when I did.

When I imagine the terror for these sweet people, I see those people from my country church. Elderly Alma and Lela leading worship. Thirteen-year-old Tina playing the one piano. The impromptu choir that is beckoned every Sunday to “come on up.” Young families with squirmy children. And Brother House faithfully preaching a sermon.

It is these people I imagine enduring their last moments in the house of God, terrorized.

When I heard about the brave neighbors (like sheepdogs) coming to the aid of this flock of sheep being attacked by a ravenous wolf, I imagine the houses around my little country church.

These people ARE our people.

This could’ve happened in our home church. It could’ve happened in the churches we grew up in. It could’ve happened anywhere.

And it is happening.

That’s why I felt like the thick fog that enabled me to barely see in front of my car best captured how I feel these days. I’m sure the fog will lift. But I don’t believe the threats will disappear.

And I’m sure that even in the fog, that my God–all-powerful and all loving–is present with us.

I’ve read a lot of great posts that have helped me with perspective about suffering in this world, about the reality of a very evil one in the world, about mental illness, about the issue of gun control, and so much more.

The words that helped my heart the most–and what I’m hanging onto in the fog–is a poem that Jesse T. Jackson, a co-worker and friend, shared that’s based on Job 38:

“I Can’t Wait To Hold Your Hand”

The darkness feels so heavy as storms pass one after another,
Are you there? Do you care? We are like a ship without a rudder,
Lost at sea without a clear direction, being tossed to and fro,
Everyone is tired, plus confused, and the crew doesn’t want to row,
Our focus has gotten blurry and all we want are answers to our issues,
The problems we’ve created for ourselves, we throw them at You,
Still asking are you there? Do you care? How could this ever be?
But you are standing beside us, in the midst of the troubled sea,
You’ve never left us, your hands softly grip around our heart,
Whispering in each of our ears “you’ve been here from the start,”
While we were dust, You were the one that spoke life into our breath,
You are the One that rises the sun and lights the stars,
You are the One that commands the seas and bounds the dark,
Your canvas for art is everything my eyes can see,
Yet I question your power and your love you have for me,
Are you there? Do you care? You still answer my faithlessness,
“Always, forever, no one can take you, not even the evil from the abyss,
Trust me child, no matter the chaos that occurs in your view,
I can’t wait to hold your hand in the Kingdom I’ve prepared for you.”

(Job 38)

Through the fog, help us find you, God!

This article originally appeared here.

5 Reasons Kids’ Ministry Is So Important to Churches That Want to Break the 1,000 Barrier

By
Rich Birch
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Churches that grow beyond 1,000 in attendance are today among a radical minority. In fact, 98 percent of all churches never reach this size. During my interaction with hundreds of churches that have been able to overcome this barrier, I have realized that they present several striking common characteristics. Correspondingly, effective and growing Kids’ Ministry is one of the things evident across the board in churches that have smashed the 1,000 barrier. These churches have invested both finances and leadership to lead their Kids’ Ministry to a healthy place where it constitutes an essential thriving aspect of the church’s ministry.

Kids’ Ministry is vitally important to build the strength of your church if you want to break the 1,000 barrier in the weekend service attendance. This might seem a surprise to a leader who doesn’t spend much time directly engaged in Kid’s Ministry, so here I’ve pulled together a few reasons to stress upon its significance:

Kids’ Ministry Requires A LOT of Volunteers – A Very Good Thing!

Churches that break the 1,000 barrier have unlocked the super-secret that getting more people plugged into the church service drives the growth in attendance. People who are committed enough to the church to volunteer are thus bought into the Ministry vision and are willing to invest their most prized possession—time. Prevailing churches are looking for more ways to get the congregation plugged into the service and similarly a thriving Kids’ Ministry requires lots (and lots) of volunteers to make it happen.

Three things result in the process when someone decides to volunteer within your Kid’s Ministry:

  • Understand the Vision – Serving in the Kids’ Ministry in your church is a totally selfless act, which requires a strong connection between the vision of the church and the individual’s personal action. Only churches with a high level of vision casting at work are normally able to convert volunteers into this area. A growing Kids’ Ministry volunteer team implies that the church is thriving at explaining the “big why” behind everything they do which in turns drives the growth of the church.
  • They Tell Their Friends – Once someone starts to volunteer in your Kids’ Ministry they are bound to tell their friends. They’ve gone beyond just merely attending the church to making a conscious and willing decision to invest time, effort and energy into the church. The accompanying sense of accomplishment and pride is high, which in turn drives these individuals to share the Kids’ Ministry idea with their friends. We know that the church grows when people tell their friends about it and this gives another excuse for the people of your church to talk and share with their friends.
  • Kids’ Ministry Improves! – There is a positive upward spiral effect of adding more volunteers to your Kid’s Ministry. As more people start to initiate, get involved and serve—the ministry starts to improve and become even better, which in turn encourages more people to serve. This marked improvement drives more and deeper engagement with this aspect of your ministry, with increasing number of people joining the team.

I’ve seen lots of churches where the Kids’ Ministry department is somewhere around 50 percent of the total volunteer team. Growing your Kids’ Ministry team persuades people to see your church because it will help you engage a higher number of people in the mission of the church.

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Is Unity in a Diverse Church Even Possible?, Part 1

By
J.D. Greear
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Many people in our day love the concept of a multi-cultural society, but achieving it has proven quite difficult.

The Apostle Paul had the same challenge in the churches that he planted. Racial strife was a real issue, because for the first 2,000 years God worked in human history, all of God’s people had been Jews. Then Jesus showed up with his new “whosoever will” program, and a bunch of Gentiles believed, too. So then, in these new churches, Gentiles were sitting next to Jews, and Gentiles had their own customs and fashions, music preferences, and political viewpoints. And so, it was a mess.

Two thousand years later, the church is still a mess.

I read an article not long ago in The Atlantic about a study done on people who chose to live in multi-cultural neighborhoods. The study found that even people who live in progressive, multicultural neighborhoods end up hanging out only with people in the neighborhood who are just like them.

Just like we tend to stick with what we know in our neighborhoods, many people who love the idea of a multi-cultural church are fine with it until you start doing things that are culturally uncomfortable to them. Then, they want to go back to what’s easier. Their ideal is a multi-colored church, but the church culture is still predominantly white. So everyone sings traditional white-people music and sits silently during the sermon.

And, based on their Facebook feeds, many people are all about racial reconciliation but don’t really do anything about it. They are what one of our pastors calls “slactivists,” which means they champion things on Facebook that they don’t live out in real life.

Paul said that the mystery that is now revealed to the church through the Holy Spirit is that “the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” Paul preached to the Gentiles “to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 3:6, 9-10 ESV).

One of the best ways we can demonstrate the wisdom and power of God is being known for our unity-in-diversity, when we move beyond virtue signaling and slactivism and into gospel community.

This kind of unity is fun to talk about, but it takes commitment, and it is hard. Here are a few reasons why.

Six Obstacles to Unity in the Church

1. Satan

Satan hates this kind of unity, especially in the church, because it’s how God gets his best glory. At its core, this is a spiritual battle, and we should always be aware Satan’s working in us to try to undo the good things the Spirit is trying to do.

2. Pride

Racial, political and educational characteristics tend to become core parts of our identity; they are what set us apart from others and make us significant. We feel proud about them, and we resist anything that threatens to remove that distinction.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with any of those things. But where pride in them exists, there will be no unity. Or, as Chris Green, one of our African-American pastors at the Summit says, we have skin issues because we have sin issues.

3. Preference

Bryan Lorrits says that we know multiculturalism was an issue in the early church because so much of Paul’s letters talk about food. Food isn’t an issue in a homogeneous church; you just eat your kosher meal and be happy. But when you’ve got Gentiles showing up at the potluck, they start bringing in different, unfamiliar dishes: Who brought the squirrel soufflé? Wherever the Bible talks about food, we could sub in music.

In order to achieve unity, you have to be willing to be uncomfortable sometimes with people not doing things your way. You have to care about being multi-cultural and not just multi-colored.

4. Apathy

It’s just easier to be indifferent. When you try to change the status quo, you’re often misunderstood, and you get hurt. I get a lot of feedback when I talk about topics like this—some feeling I said too much, others not enough. Sometimes it’s easier just to forget it.

But the glory of Jesus and the success of the Great Commission are worth it.

5. Lack of empathy

James tells us that we should be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger. If there were ever a place for us to apply this verse, it is in the area of church unity-in-diversity.

Yes, there is a time and place for you to speak. But we need to seek to understand more than we seek to be understood.

6. Unforgiveness

There is a lie about forgiveness many people believe that keeps them in Satan’s clutches: I can’t forgive you until I know that you know how much you’ve hurt me.

But when you make forgiveness conditional on someone understanding everything about your pain, you’re just holding yourself captive to a standard that person will likely never meet.

That’s not forgiveness. Forgiveness is extending grace even when someone doesn’t deserve it.

Jesus Made a Way for Unity in the Church

Those six daunting obstacles keep us from being able to achieve multi-culturalism in our churches. It’s no wonder our society can’t do it!

But what the law is unable to accomplish, the power of new life accomplishes in the gospel.

This article originally appeared here.

The Futility of Control and Your Reason to Rest

By
Paul David Tripp
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

As a pastor, I learned the hard way that my ministry was either propelled by hope-motivating rest in God’s sovereignty or fear-inducing belief that success would be the result of me controlling everything. In my early morning waking moments, in those quiet moments in the car or as my body gave way to sleep, I would pepper myself with a long list of “what ifs” and “if onlys.”

This habit never produced greater courage or rest. It only tempted me to wonder if I had what it takes and pushed me to try to control things that I couldn’t control. But over and over again in grace my heavenly Father came to me through his Word and the ministry of others and reminded me of the only place rest could be found.

I did the same thing again and again when our children resisted our instruction and correction. I did it again and again when they debated a command or questioned our plans. I did it again and again when they opposed our authority and quested for self-rule. I did it again and again for two good reasons.

To begin with, my wife and I brought children into this world who thought they didn’t need us! Each of them at some point fell into believing they were far more knowledgeable and capable than they really were. They all assumed that their intentions were noble and their plans sound. They all thought they were capable of determining what was best, even when they lacked important information and experience. They simply felt they were in possession of a better way.

But there was a second reason I did it again and again. Our children were too young to grasp the abstract, strategic and often theological purposes underlying my instruction. Even if I explained everything in an age-appropriate a way as I could, they would still have no actual understanding. They just didn’t yet have the categories or the capacity to grasp the parental logic behind the plan or command.

So I did the same thing again and again. I would kneel down in front of them at eye level and say, “Please look at Daddy’s face. Do you know how much I love you? Do you know that your Daddy isn’t a mean, bad man? Do you know that I’d never ask you to do anything that would hurt you or make you sick? I’m sorry that you can’t understand why Daddy is asking you to do this. I wish I could explain it to you, but you are too young to understand. So I am going to ask you to do something—trust Daddy. When you walk down the hallway to do what Daddy has asked you to do, say to yourself, ‘My Daddy loves me. My Daddy would never ask me to do something bad. I’m going to trust my Daddy and stop trying to be the Daddy of my Daddy.'”

Pastor, God does the same thing with you, over and over again. He meets you in one of the difficult hallways of your life, kneels down before you in condescending love, and asks you to trust his loving and wise rule, even though you don’t have a clue what he’s doing. He knows there are many times when your life and ministry don’t look as if there’s anyone ruling them, let alone someone wise and good. He knows there’ll be times when you will wish you could write your own story.

He knows that at times you’ll be overwhelmed by what’s on your plate. He knows that his plan will confuse and confound you. And he knows that real rest can’t be found in understanding. Real rest is found in trust. So he’s willing to have the conversation with you again and again, and he’s made sure that his Word assures you of his rule again and again. For just a few examples, see:

Is your ministry a place of rest? Are you propelled by the security of your Father’s sovereign care? In condescending love, he kneels before you once again today, face to face, and invites you to find rest where it only can be found—in trusting him. You can rest in the knowledge that your Father is wise, powerful, gracious, holy and faithful and his rule is bigger than all the responsibilities, opportunities and obstacles that you could ever face.

This resource is from Paul Tripp Ministries. For additional resources, visit www.paultripp.com. Used with permission.

How to Develop Authority as a Worship Leader

By
David Santistevan
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

If I were to poll worship leaders across the world, I’d imagine most would say they don’t love to talk.

Most would prefer to sing, close their eyes and worship their hearts out…in front of people. The problem with that is it’s not leadership. There needs to be a heart to love, lead and connect with people in the room. That is why you are a leader. That is why you are on stage.

But the answer isn’t just talking a lot. We all know the difference. Too much can oftentimes be a distraction.

In my recent interview with Christy Nockels she called it the difference between leading aggressively and leading with authority. Aggressive leadership is being bold and based on personality. Leading with authority is, as Peter calls it in I Peter 4:11, “leading in the strength that God provides.”

That’s what we’re talking about.

Where Does Authority Come From?

It’s an important question to consider.

Because if authority comes from your personality, that’s a problem for introverts. Introverts don’t naturally like to do what a worship leader needs to do—talk in front of people, be the center of attention, gather and influence.

An extroverted personality might enjoy those environments more naturally. But that doesn’t mean you carry authority. Many people mistake an authoritative, anointed worship leader as one who just knows how to work a room. Authority is different.

Authority on stage comes from authority in secret.

Authority as a leader comes from learning how to be led by the Spirit.

How King David Developed Authority

Here’s why: Authority isn’t something external, it’s internal.

King David was anointed the next King of Israel because of his heart.

But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’” – I Samuel 16:7

Sure, he had the skills to lead but he developed a closeness with the Lord that prepared him for leading a nation. He had history with God.

Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.’” – I Samual 17:36

His authority came from experience. His authority came from proving what God could do in trying circumstances. He didn’t just have intellectual knowledge, personality or looks. Think about it—his own Father didn’t even invite him as one of his own sons to be chosen. But God had chosen him.

So rather than just focusing on being bold, aggressive and having killer stage presence, focus on this:

  • Developing authority in prayer
  • Memorizing God’s word
  • Singing to the Lord
  • Knowing God
  • Spending time in the unseen
  • Praying without ceasing
  • Loving your enemies

What do you say? How are you developing your authority as a worship leader? How are you training young worship leaders to lead with authority over aggressive stage presence?

This article originally appeared here.

Standing Against a Destructive Misogyny Threatening Our Children

By
Denny Burk
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Sexual perversion is firmly entrenched in our cultural mainstream, so it takes a lot these days to astonish me. But I am astonished today. In the span of 24 hours, I have come across not one but two separate unrelated articles about teenage girls who agree to be brutalized during sexual encounters with teenage boys. Both articles indicate that this is a growing trend among adolescent children who are becoming sexualized at younger and younger ages.

Last week, Teen Vogue published an article instructing teenage girls how to enjoy being sodomized by their boyfriends. The article is so vile that I am not even going to link to it. But among other things, it tells these minor children that such activity is normal. It gives detailed instructions on how they can learn to enjoy it. For those teenage girls who are still reluctant, Teen Vogue reassures them:

Anal sex, though often stigmatized, is a perfectly natural way to engage in sexual activity. People have been having anal sex since the dawn of humanity. Seriously, it’s been documented back to the ancient Greeks and then some. So if you’re a little worried about trying it or are having trouble understanding the appeal, just know that it isn’t weird or gross.

Let’s just pause here for a moment and ponder this. A major publication marketed to minor children is instructing them on how to enjoy being sodomized by other minor children. If this doesn’t fill you with grief and outrage, nothing will. God help us.

How did we get here that this kind of brutalizing conduct has become the norm? Many of you already know the answer. It is because of pornography. Countless teenage boys have spent the better part of their adolescence marinating in hardcore pornography. This material has decimated them. Their sexual preferences and tastes have been definitively shaped by this material, and they are bringing these expectations to any female who will agree to them.

And that brings us to the second article, which has a decidedly more realistic take on what is happening. Allison Pearson writes about a conversation she had with a group of mothers about how to raise healthy and happy children. The conversation turned to talk about sex. Pearson writes:

A couple of the women present said that they had forced themselves to have toe-curlingly embarrassing conversations with their teenagers on the subject. “I want my son to know that, despite what he might see on his laptop, there are things you don’t expect a girl to do on a first date, or a fifth date, or probably never,” said Jo.

A [doctor], let’s call her Sue, said: “I’m afraid things are much worse than people suspect.” In recent years, Sue had treated growing numbers of teenage girls with internal injuries caused by frequent anal sex; not, as Sue found out, because she wanted to, or because she enjoyed it—on the contrary—but because a boy expected her to. “I’ll spare you the gruesome details,” said Sue, “but these girls are very young and slight and their bodies are simply not designed for that.”

Her patients were deeply ashamed at presenting with such injuries. They had lied to their mums about it and felt they couldn’t confide in anyone else, which only added to their distress. When Sue questioned them further, they said they were humiliated by the experience, but they had simply not felt they could say no. Anal sex was standard among teenagers now, even though the girls knew that it hurt.

I was reluctant to write about this because it is so awful and embarrassing even to acknowledge. But there it is. It is reality, and it is all around us. A generation of young men are destroying themselves by the darkness of pornography, and now they are foisting their desolation on young women who desperately want to be loved by a young man. The sexual revolution which promised to liberate has given birth to a destructive misogyny that is now being soft-pedaled as “normal” by the likes of Teen Vogue.

I have said this before, but it is worth saying again. Porn use in our culture is a civilizational calamity. The sexual revolution promised us more sex and more pleasure. It has actually delivered to us a generation of men who think of women as objects to be used and abused for their sexual pleasure. It has not given us men who know what virtue and honor are. It doesn’t teach men to pursue their joy in self-sacrificially loving and being sexually faithful to one woman for life. It teaches young men to use women for sex and then to discard them when they become unwilling or uninteresting. This means that it has given us a generation of young men completely unprepared for marriage and for fatherhood. And if you lose marriage and fatherhood, you lose your civilization. We have sown to the wind, and our children are reaping the whirlwind—not least our daughters, who are less likely than ever to find a man who hasn’t been corrupted by this.

As a father and as a Christian I am feeling the weight of this. I know that porn use is the pastoral challenge that defines our generation. This brokenness is all around us and among us. It is the burden of far too many of the boys and men sitting in our pews. I don’t know of any other problem that has done more to subvert manhood and marriage than porn use. It is killing us.

Please Stop Giving Bad Invitations

By
Dr. Josh Buice
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Some people call it “drawing the net” or an “invitation,” while others simply refer to it as an “altar call.” It’s typically a time of decision at the end of a sermon where people are invited to the front to counsel and pray to receive Christ. What methods do we see employed in the Scriptures?

Years ago I was approached by our local association of Baptist churches to support a local evangelism event in our community. Since I value the work of evangelism and the collective work of local Baptist churches, I supported the event. Each evening the sermon came to an end by the guest evangelist offering an invitation to respond. It was a fresh reminder that methods matter.

As I watched the whole scene unfold, I became very uncomfortable. When the “invitation” was given, the counselors all got up and walked to the front from where they were seated in the audience. All of this was a pre-planned and well-organized routine that happened each evening at the conclusion of the sermon. It was a means of priming the pump—resulting in others following in their footsteps to be counseled. As you can imagine, it worked. Many people over those few days walked to the front for counseling. I’m not saying that there wasn’t a single true convert in that meeting, but I have yet to meet one in the years that have passed since that meeting. Tactics like this have been employed for many years in the evangelical church. What does the Bible teach about altar calls and the public invitation system?

God’s Invitation

God calls people to Himself. He invites sinners to come to Him. As early as Genesis 6:18, we see God directing Noah to come into the ark with his family where they would be spared from God’s wrath. Later, through the mouth of the prophet Isaiah, we see these words, “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Is. 55:1
). It’s clear that God calls people to come to Him for salvation.

In Jesus’ ministry, we see similar language. Jesus once said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28, Jesus said these words, “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”

The Bible comes to an end with a glorious invitation from God. We find these words in Revelation 22:17:

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

Through the Holy Spirit and the work of God’s church, sinners hear the words, “come.” This is the work of evangelism. As we go teaching and preaching as God’s ambassadors, we are to implore people to be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:20). We direct people to find their hope in God through Jesus Christ. Through the power of the gospel, God calls sinners to Himself (Rom. 1:16).

Continue

7 Seconds: Make the Most of It – 1…2…3…4…5…6…7

By
Nathan Parr
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

It is that time that many people seem to like (except for Arizona, Hawaii and the U.S Territories); it is daylight savings time! Otherwise know as the universal bulletin announcement of, “Everyone should be on time this Sunday; don’t forget to set your clocks back.”

For facility stewards, this is also a great reminder to check certain systems. Not taking the time to inspect and check your systems at regular intervals throughout the year will directly contribute to increased maintenance costs and potential downtime of systems.

Critical systems to check:

  • Roofs – If you live in part of the country that sees snow, now is a good time to hire professional roofing companies like Image Roofing in Deer Park, TX to check your roof. Water getting in is annoying; having water intrusion during a freeze/thaw cycle will destroy your building. The issue is not only indoor air quality issues (mold). The action during the freeze/thaw cycle can destroy the integrity of brick/stone cladding and deteriorate your sheeting and framing material if you don’t get it repaired by a professional (more info here). Roofing requires a certain skill set that could only be learned through real job training. Seeking the help of professionals such as Aegis Environmental would be a life-saver.
  • Gutters – Take the time to clean and inspect your gutters. Whether it is from melting snow or increased rain, having an unobstructed path for the water to flow away from the building is a good thing. If your downspouts flow into an underground drainage system, it is a good idea to ensure it is not obstructed as well. If you can’t tell by a flow test, find reputable plumbers Townsville and have them run a camera through it.
  • Window Flashing – As you move around your facility take the time to check the flashing and caulking around your windows. Water intrusion is the concern here. Remember, a $2 tube of caulk now can save a $2,500 window replacement later. And it is not just caulk…if you have a wood sill, how is the paint holding up? Touch-up as necessary to seal it from the elements.
  • Exterior Faucets – If you have faucets on the outside of the building (or sprinkler system back-flow valves) check to make sure they have the proper weatherization covers. You can generally find faucet covers at most hardware stores for a couple of bucks, proper covers for a back-flow is a bit more. Both are less expensive than a plumbing repair bill.
  • Weather-stripping – Checking and replacing worn or missing weather-stripping on your doors will help improve energy efficiency. While you are at it check the openers and hinges and lubricate as needed.
  • Walk Mats – These are critical year-round, but are especially critical during inclement/wet weather. Well-maintained entrance matting helps reduce wet floors, making it safer for all. You may want to consider rotating entrance matting; longer length matting for winter, shorter for the summer.
  • Parking Lots/Sidewalks – Cracks in parking lots and sidewalks do not look the best, and when water gets underneath during a freeze/thaw cycle they can get worse as well as damage the substrate. Fortunately, the available sealers, caulks and patching products for asphalt and concrete are affordable and easy to use.

The great thing about these tasks is that most can be done by just about any person; the tasks that require working on a ladder or roof should be undertaken by someone with experience. This might be a good time to have a church workday and make these tasks a time of fellowship; what would be better than gathering together to worship and maintain what He has entrusted to us?

If this list seems daunting, we are here to help. Contact us today and let one of our facility specialists speak with you and help you with stewarding your facility.

This article originally appeared here.

Pastor, Will You Allow Guns in Your Church?

By
Megan Briggs
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

After the tragic events in Sutherland Springs, Texas, on Sunday, everyone’s attention is on security in churches. Whether you pastor a church, attend a church, or know someone who attends church, the question of whether to allow firearms at church—either in the possession of security guards or laypeople—has crossed your mind.

However your church chooses to answer this question, it will need to be addressed. The last thing you need is someone showing up to your church with a firearm he or she is not properly trained to handle.

It’s a hard question to address for faith leaders. The Christian tradition has birthed some of the most effective and counter-cultural nonviolence movements throughout history, yet here we are in the wake of terrorism against Christians and mass shootings that occur in the most unsuspecting of congregations. It’s a situation where the phrase “Fail to plan—plan to fail” comes to mind.

Those in Favor of Guns in Church

Brady Boyd, pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, shares the security measures his church has adopted, both before and after the shooting that occurred on their property and took two of their members’ lives 10 years ago.

First, every church should hire at least one uniformed police officer to be visible in the main lobby and parking lot. Every Sunday, there is a police car parked in front of our church. These off-duty officers are paid by us to be present. They are now our friends and we see them as part of our vital team each weekend. Most crime studies show that criminals can be deterred by the physical presence of the police on property. If local police are not available, hire a very visible security guard…

Because we live in a military town, we’re able to recruit and train dozens of men and women to serve our church as volunteers. They spend all week protecting our nation and they love serving their church the same way. They dress in plain clothes, but walk the property during our worship services, serving our people.

We live in a state that allows most people to carry concealed weapons and to carry openly if they choose. We discourage our members from bringing guns into the church. In fact, if we know someone has a weapon, we escort them out to their car and watch them put it away. We have plenty of trained and qualified people who are appropriately armed, so extra weapons are not necessary and can actually cause more harm should there be a violent episode.

Pastor Shannon Talley of McAllen First Baptist Church in Texas is being proactive about firearms in his congregation, putting a plan in place so that church members with concealed handgun licenses know who else may be carrying. “We are putting that into place so our concealed-carry people know each other, but we are also setting things up to where they’re located strategically throughout the auditorium in the services that we have,” Talley told KRGV News.

Those Opposed to Guns in Church 

Not everyone is in favor of such an approach. Churches fear an armed presence may take away from the sense of sacred space that churches are known for. Reverend Dawn Frankfurt of St. James Episcopal Church in Wichita, Kansas, says “I think Christianity is a non-violent religion,” and therefore does not encourage her congregation to carry. She does, however, employ armed security guards.

Speaking to the Christian Chronicle a couple years ago, Patrick Barber with East Point Church of Christ in Wichita, Kansas, understands the complexity of this question. However, when it comes to bringing guns into the church, he offers a couple more questions: “Would Jesus stand up for the innocent? Certainly. Would he kill someone to protect the innocent? I’m not so sure.”

Dahleen Glanton, a Chicago Tribune columnist, questions the practicality of using a handgun versus the assault rifles most mad gunmen use: “A handgun would have been as powerless in Sutherland Springs as it would have been against Dylann Roof’s .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol and the arsenal of magazines and hollow-point bullets he used to kill nine people during Bible study at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., two years ago.”

Before you make a decision about guns in your church…

Be sure to check laws on guns in your particular state. For instance, churches in Texas were given permission to extend their conceal carry rights into houses of worship earlier this year, while churches in South Carolina do not allow people to bring their guns without “express permission.” Whatever your church decides, it must adhere to the law of the land.

Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberties Committee (ERLC), affiliated with the Southern Baptist Church (SBC), raises the question most of us are thinking: What does the Bible say about bringing my gun to church? Moore responds, “I don’t think there is a gun control policy outlined in scripture. There is a commitment to human life and to the protection of human life, but I think Christians can disagree on what the specific policies ought to be to get there.”

Whether you allow guns in your church or not isn’t something to take lightly. Pray about it, consider it with your elders, look to Scripture for direction, consult subject matter experts, do the research on the law of the land, and make a decision. Pastor, whatever you decide, you must do this: Communicate your church’s policy. If you allow guns, you need to talk to your parishioners about what is permissible and what is not. If you do not allow guns, you need to make this clear.

Please do not let lack of communication put your congregation in jeopardy.

Alan Hirsch: Revitalizing Church with the Ephesians 4 Blueprint

By
Jason Daye
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Alan Hirsch is founder of 5Q Collective. He is widely considered to be something of an original thought-leader for the church in the West. He is the author and co-author of numerous award-winning books on movements, organization, and leadership including The Forgotten Ways, The Shaping of Things to Come, The Permanent Revolution, and now 5Q.

Key Questions:

We’re celebrating the 500th year anniversary of the Reformation. Talk to us about the need the church has to always be reforming.

What do we find in Ephesians 4 that should inform our ministry?

Can you explain what happened in the 15th and 16th centuries in the European church that caused us to abandon the Ephesians 4 model?

What’s keeping the church from operating in the Ephesians 4 model?

[SUBSCRIBE] For more ChurchLeaders podcasts click here!

Key Quotes:

“The Great Reformation bequeathed upon us a commitment to the Scriptures being authoritative on all matters of faith.”

“Most of our ways of thinking about the church in America and in Europe are actually European derivatives. It wasn’t the original form of church.”

“If we think we can negotiate the 21st century, with all its incredible complexities…[with] 16th century ecclesiology or 18th century ecclesiology…I think we’re in for a big surprise. It’s like trying to negotiate New York City with a map of London.”

“I think most of our problems that we face in the church are actually results of what we call reductionism.”

“The word heresy in the Bible actually doesn’t mean someone’s wrong or they’re bad. It means they’ve got themselves a piece of something that’s true but they make that truth into the whole truth…The focal point becomes the little piece of truth that they’ve discovered divorced from the total truth.”

“We can never mature, we can never become the church Jesus intended us to be if we’ve only got a two-fold form of ministry. The Bible itself says that—the Ephesians text is absolutely clear.”

“The prophet is the one who maintains faithfulness and loyalty within the people of God. All prophets have always done that. When they see the relationship with God is under threat, people are turning to idols or to other things or other powers, the prophet calls them to repent and relate to God—to be covenantly loyal.”

“Every church is meant to be prophetic…we’re meant to stand and speak truth to power sometimes at the pain of death.”

“Jesus has given the church everything it needs to get the job done. The church doesn’t need to import fancy ideas from corporate America. The early church didn’t have those fancy ideas.”

“APEST [Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Shepherd, and Teacher] are the modes of Christ’s presence in the church.”

Mentioned in the Show:

The Best Kind of Busy

By
Daniel Henderson
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Life seems busier than ever. The pace of modern society drains us of vitality, creativity and focus. You’ve heard the adage, “If the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll just keep you busy.”  A mentor once told me, “Busyness destroys relationships.” Most of us are overly busy and many of us don’t know how to fix it.

One writer noted, “The opposite of busy in today’s world is sustained, focused attention. It is deep engagement in activities that really matter to us, or in conversations with those we care about.”[i] How do we define the right activities that really matter to us? What are the key conversations we should pursue with “those we care about?”

The Right Kind of Busy

Here is some inspired advice from the Apostle Paul: “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving” (Colossians 4:2). The final section of Paul’s letter to the Colossian believers is marked by an encouragement that they should be faithful in prayer. The original meaning of this phrase “continue steadfastly” is literally to “busy oneself with or be busily engaged in” prayer. It speaks of deep devotion and persistence. This is the idea of being diligently occupied with prayer.[ii]

This is the best kind of busy. Are you busy with prayer? Does it occupy a significant part of your schedule, your focus, your thoughts? Is it naturally infused in all parts of your life? According to Paul, this is an activity that really matters. This is the key conversation we should pursue with the One we care about; the One who ultimately cares about us.

Charles Spurgeon noted, “If you are very busy, think and pray all the more, or your work will wear and weary you, and drag you away from God. For your work’s sake, break away from it, and give the soul a breathing time. Get a holy subject and keep to it till you have drawn somewhat from it to feed your soul upon, and then you will do your lifework with less fatigue because you will have more strength to spend upon it.” [iii]

The Best Kind of Alertness

Paul explains the kind of prayer that we should embrace when he writes, “being watchful in it.” Other translations say, “keep awake, be on the alert.” This idea is taken from the imagery of guard duty. As one commentator states, “At the very least the sense of an impending threat requiring constant alertness is retained, and prayer functions as the vital channel of communication with the commander in chief.” [iv]

Alert to Attack – We live in the environment of spiritual war. Ephesians 6:10-20 warns us of the nature of our battle and calls us to stand in the power of the armor of God. The nature of the battle is clear: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). In light of this serious contest we are to pray: “…praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18). Peter issues a similar warning: “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Alert to Apathy – Because we pray with the attitude of one on guard duty, we cannot afford apathy, sleepiness or lethargy. In a crucial moment in his journey toward the cross, Jesus called His inner circle of Peter, James and John to join Him in the garden and to “watch and pray.” They dozed off more than once. They had done the same thing when Jesus called them up to the mountain for a previous prayer meeting (Luke 9:28-36). As I wrote in my book PRAYzing! (CLICK HERE), “God is not the author of boredom, especially when we are talking with Him.” When are busy with prayer we can be fully engaged and awake through “Scripture-fed, Spirit-led, worship-based” prayer.

Alert With Anticipation – As disciples of Jesus, we are called to live in eager anticipation of His return and toward our accountability in eternity. First Peter 4:7 states, “The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray” (NIV). Because life is short, eternity is long and the gospel matters, we must busy ourselves with prayer.

The Best Kind of Attitude

In Colossians 4:2 Paul directs us to the proper attitude in prayer when he says that we should pray “with thanksgiving.” As I often state, “Discouragement is a temporary loss of perspective.” Thanksgiving counteracts discouragement, neutralizes negativity and fuels hope. A thankful heart compels us to be busy in prayer because our hearts are confident in a personal, prayer-answering God.

So get busy—not with trivial matters, not just with more tasks, not just with Christian service. Get busy in prayer, both in extended moments of focus and in the course of the day—as naturally as breathing.

A.J. Gordon said, “You can do more than pray after you have prayed; but you can never do more than pray until you have prayed.” I’ve always been encouraged to stay busy in prayer by the story of two elders:

Two elders’ wives sat mending their husbands’ pants. One of them said to the other, “Poor John, he is so discouraged by his church work. Just the other day, he said that he was considering resigning. It seems like nothing ever goes right for him.” The other wife replied, “That’s too bad. My husband was saying exactly the opposite. He’s been feeling so inspired lately, it seems like he’s closer to the Lord than ever.” A heavy silence filled the room as the women continued mending the pants—one the seat and the other the knees.

God give us grace and wisdom to pursue the best kind of busy.

Copyright © 2017 Daniel Henderson. All rights reserved.

[i]Tony Crabbe, Busy: How to Thrive in a World of Too Much.

[ii] Dunn, J. D. G. (1996). The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon: a commentary on the Greek text (pp. 261–262). Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: William B. Eerdmans Publishing; Paternoster Press.

[iii] Charles Spurgeon, Flowers from a Puritan’s Garden.

[iv] Dunn, J. D. G. (1996). The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon: a commentary on the Greek text (p. 262). Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: William B. Eerdmans Publishing; Paternoster Press.

This article originally appeared here.

When Your World Caves In (What to Do and Not Do!)

By
Kurt Bubna
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

This is not going to be one of those blogs that tells you how to turn lemons into lemonade. (I hate that cliché.) I’m not going to give you 10 steps to overcoming your struggles and finding victory. You won’t find any secrets or keys or any mysteries revealed here either.

I suggest you go read something from Tony Robbins if you’re looking for blue skies and rainbows.

Of course there’s nothing wrong with having a positive attitude; it’s always better than the alternative. But I’ve grown a little weary of the abundant and overused sappy or religious platitudes.

Sometimes life sucks.

You hurt.

You ache.

And from somewhere deep within you, there is a groan and a sorrow that seem unquenchable.

  • Your marriage ends.
  • You get diagnosed with cancer.
  • You find out your kid is on drugs (again).
  • You go to court expecting a fair and just outcome that doesn’t happen.
  • You pour your life and every dime you have into a business that goes bankrupt.
  • You find yourself saying goodbye to a parent on the edge of eternity.

You see what I mean?

When you’re in the thralls of devastation and despair, when a dream dies or your hope gets crushed, the last thing you want or need is for somebody to slap you on the back and say, “It could be worse! Hang in there, buddy.”

Why do some well-meaning Christians forget that it’s OK to grieve with those who grieve? Why do some feel the need to slap a happy sticker on everything? Why are we afraid to embrace one another in the valley of the shadow of death?

I love these words of Ann Voskamp in The Broken Way: “There is no fear in letting tears come. Sadness is a gift to avoid the nothingness of numbness, and all hard places need water.”

Pain is often a present reality. On this side of eternity, there is no avoiding it. Of course there are good times. Certainly there is much to be thankful for in this life. By no means am I suggesting we become a Debbie Downer or just throw in the towel (another cliché I hate).

So, what can you do? When your world caves in and all seems lost, what can be done?

Just take the next step.

That’s it.

Just determine to do one more thing, to take one more breath, and to go one step farther down life’s road.

There is very little you can do about what was or is to come.

As Jerry Sittser writes in his book A Grace Revealed, “The future is as unknowable and uncontrollable as the past is unchangeable.” In other words, you and I have absolutely no idea what is coming, and there is nothing we can do about what has been done.

However, right now, because this moment is the only thing you can control, you can choose to take one more step.

“Bubna, what in blazes does that mean?”

It means you don’t give up.

It means you get out of bed.

It means you put one foot in front of the other even though there are no guarantees that anything is going to change or get better tomorrow.

It means you just keep moving forward even when (especially when) you don’t have a clue.

Why? Why not just quit?

Because giving up never ends well, but taking one more step might.

This article originally appeared here.

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