Women Report Finding ‘beauty from ashes’ After Abortion

January 9, 2018

The negative effects of abortion are universal. Women who had abortions in “ideal circumstances” and those who said support “was lacking” left the experience saying they felt “their decisions were a mistake.” But surprisingly, many of those who have had abortions came closer to God through that mistake.

That is the conclusion from unparalleled research titled “Women Who Suffered Emotionally from Abortion: A Qualitative Synthesis of Their Experiences” and published in the latest edition of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons.

Four researchers worked on the project, Priscilla K. Coleman, Ph.D., Kaitlyn Boswell, B.S., Katrina Etzkorn, B.S. and Rachel Turnwald, B.S.

The survey’s respondents were women who had contacted crisis pregnancy centers for post-abortion care and were asked to describe the most significant positive and negative aspects of their abortion in an online anonymous survey.

DEEPENED SPIRITUAL LIFE AFTER ABORTION

Many women (just under 32 percent of the 987 who participated) expressed no personal benefits of their abortions.

The second largest group (17.5 percent) said the abortion resulted in a deepened spiritual life (finding forgiveness, peace, inner healing). Many of the responses had a distinctive spiritual aspect. The researchers characterized their answers this way:

“The one positive is that it has brought me to my end and brought me to my knees before God. He has drawn me to him through His endless forgiveness, mercy and grace. I think He could have shown me those same things had I chosen another path, but this is how I came to Him, not as a Christian, because I already was one, but as one who really knows Him now.”

13.3 percent said the abortion caused them to be more committed to crisis pregnancy work. 8.9 percent began writing or talking about their abortion to help others. And just over 8 percent committed to helping women recover from an abortion experience by sharing God’s forgiveness and love.

“I understand the pain and can relate to the pain and difficult decision points of other women. That I may share my heart. That Jesus cares about people (about the women/mothers) and that I know/and can share and tell…that babies are in heaven, but that God can use even mistakes we make and turn it all around “beauty from ashes” or mush inside a [caterpillar chrysalis] turns into a butterfly.”

Many of the women (7.5 percent) said the abortion resulted in their conversion to Christianity, and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ personally.

“I have faced my past, felt the emotions and mourned my losses, experienced anger and forgiven others for their participation. I am free in Christ. I can share my story without shame because I have brought the darkness into the light. I used to be a complete anxious mess—I couldn’t concentrate I felt like a complete failure in every area and was totally isolated. Now I am free!”

The last group (6.4 percent) said they are now active in the pro-life movement.

NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES

Answers to the question, “What are the most significant negatives, if any, that have come from your decision to abort?” were The abortion “took a life” (23.7 percent); Depression (14.4 percent); Guilt/remorse (14 percent); Self-hatred/anger at self/self-loathing/feelings of worthlessness/unworthy of love (12.4%); Shame: 86 (10.9 percent); Addiction, alcohol or drug abuse including alcoholism (9 percent); Regret (9.3 percent); Self-destructive behaviors including promiscuity, self-punishment, and poor choices (7.7 percent); Low self-esteem (7.6 percent); Anxiety/fear (7.1 percent); Suicidal/suicidal thoughts/wanting to die/self-harm/ dangerous risks/suicidal attempts (6.2 percent).

Twenty states require pre-abortion counseling on a range of possible post-abortion emotional effects, with six states mandating only the sharing of information related to possible negative responses.

In their conclusion the study’s authors suggest more treatment should be available and more research conducted on the effects of abortion.

“Even in an ideal environment wherein women receive adequate counseling, are offered support to continue their pregnancies, and do not present with established risk factors, it is still possible to be blindsided by an abortion and suffer ill effects due to the inherent complexity of abortion. Future research should examine the psychological trajectories (positive and negative) of women who felt they received sensitive pre-abortion counseling, were supported had they chosen to give birth, and believed the abortion was the right decision to those who felt the pre-abortion counseling was inadequate, supports were lacking and their decisions were a mistake.”

No previous studies of this size, using a qualitative methodology based on open-ended responses from women, who have sought post-abortion care from a crisis pregnancy center, have been conducted. Respondents came from every state in the nation except Hawaii.

Art Rorheim: Of This Approved Workman God Will Not Be Ashamed

Bob Ditmer

January 9, 2018

Art Rorheim is quoted as saying, “You know, kids are the same the world over, they respond to those who love them.” And he also knew they liked to have fun.

Rorheim, the co-founder of Awana, died Friday at the age of 99.

FILLING A NEED

Rorheim and Lance “Doc” Latham created the Awana youth association in 1950 as a non-profit provider of curriculum and training materials.

Awana, derived from 2 Timothy 2:15, stands for Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed.

Rorheim started full-time ministry in 1943 as the youth director at the North Side Gospel Center in Chicago. At the time, most churches didn’t have mid-week programs for children like they do today. Rorheim and Latham set out to start one with exciting games that would attract kids.

In the early days, Rorheim shared a desk with another employee in a stairwell at the church. Although he never attended college, Rorheim quickly showed his creativity and organizational skills, developing many of the programs that make Awana unique today, including Bible-based handbooks and Awana games competitions.

RAUCOUS AWANA GAMES

For games, he devised a symbol that most Christians who attended church in their youth will recognize: a circle inside a square, its sides marked red, blue, green and yellow, divided by diagonal lines.

Rorheim had been having trouble with traditional two-team games as his youth group grew; his four-team court was designed to let 100 play with little downtime. Now more than 10,000 churches in the United States use it as they host Awana programs.

And the games played round that symbol are just as legendary. Baton relay races. Three-legged-races. Balloon volleyball. Four-way-tug-of-war. Throwing bean bags to knock over plastic bowling pins. Anyone who has worked as an Awana volunteer probably marveled at how there weren’t nightly injuries.

In the beginning, they were even more raucous. Some of Rorheim’s early games “were unconventional and even illegal,” according to Awana: God’s Miracle, Awana’s official history book. Boys ran out of the building and around the block, then fought in the halls to slow each other down. “That game was short-lived when the church board heard about it,” God’s Miracle notes.

LOVE OF CHILDREN AND SCRIPTURE

In addition to the rousing games, Scripture memorization is a trademark of Awana, and Rorheim lived it out in his own life. On one occasion, he even required his children and grandchildren to recite Psalm 1 before attending a family reunion.

Friends and co-workers also praised him for his wit and love for children.

“He was so much fun, and he saw life as fun,” said Jeff Schacherer, who worked closely with Rorheim at Awana and frequently traveled with him. “He loved to play jokes on people. He had a passion for life, and he felt a need to share it with others.”

“Rorheim had tremendous energy because he had a passion for helping others connect with God,” Schacherer said. When they traveled together, Rorheim wanted to sit separately so that he could have the opportunity to share his faith with the person sitting next to him.

“He didn’t see bodies; he saw souls,” Schacherer said.

By 1960, 900 churches had started Awana programs, and by 1972, Awana began its first international club in Bolivia.

Today, the Streamwood, Illinois-based international evangelical nonprofit serves churches from 100 different denominations and has an outreach of more than 3.7 million children as well as millions of adult alumni in over 100 countries.

Rorheim would go on to visit some 50 countries to spread the word about Awana and lead the national and international expansion of the organization until retiring as executive director in 1990. He then served as Awana president until 1999 before assuming the role of co-founder/president emeritus.

A memorial service for Rorheim will be at Quentin Road Bible Baptist Church in Lake Zurich, Illinois, at 11 a.m. Saturday, January 27.

10 Reasons Preachers Should at Least Audit a Preaching Course

Chuck Lawless

January 8, 2018

As a Dean of Doctoral Studies at Southeastern Seminary, I realize I’m suggesting an idea here that sometimes gets complicated to accomplish—that is, encourage people to audit a preaching course. In fact, not every seminary allows this kind of option. Nevertheless, here’s why I think every preacher ought to consider this option:

None of us is a perfect preacher. All of us have room to grow, no matter how long we’ve been doing this work. Even a few days sitting in a classroom can teach all of us something.
Most of us received only the basic required preaching training in our seminary work. The required courses laid a strong foundation for preaching well, but we’re usually better prepared to learn and apply after a few years in ministry.
All of us could stand some critique. For too many of us, our seminary days were the last time somebody evaluated our preaching. I trust we’ve grown enough now that we can hear critique with more wisdom.
New delivery options allow pastors to take classes from a distance. An online advanced preaching elective might be an option. So might a hybrid course that gives you both online and on-campus instruction. A short-term Doctor of Ministry course that requires you to be on campus for only a few days might also be a possibility.
The classroom is almost always stronger when veteran pastors and preachers are in the room. That’s part of the reason I’m arguing that even the most educated pastor ought to get back to the classroom for a few days. Everybody benefits.
Many of us could use some humbling. We’re better preachers when we’re humble—and the classroom has a way of taking us there. Simply being a student when we’re used to leading can be good for us.
A few days on a seminary campus can be a welcomed break. I can tell you many stories of students whose greatest benefit of brief, short-term on-campus work was the time away from their church to get rejuvenated.
We need to know about the newest and best resources. Even those of us who already have advanced degrees get behind in the current resources—and we miss opportunities to grow.
You might make connections that change your life. I’ve seen classroom networking among students that has led to enduring friendships and prayer support.
Auditing one course might lead to increased interest in earning a degree. Start somewhere. Get your feet wet in further education, and see where that step takes you.

Preachers, I encourage you to contact your nearest seminary. See what options you have to strengthen your preaching. Let me know if I can help you.

This article originally appeared here.

Five Lessons Learned From Counseling Those With Anxiety

Ryan Davidson

January 8, 2018

Fear…Anxiety…Worry. In the cursed world in which we live as fallen image bearers, this pattern can often be a part of the human experience. Many times, it is caused by sinful unbelief or idolatry. At other times, it is a physiological response, and at other times, it’s a mixture of both. Having spent years walking alongside many for whom anxiety is a reality, there are many lessons I have begun to glean. Here are five of those lessons learned from counseling those with anxiety.

1. Scripture Speaks to This Issue

The Word of God speaks to our anxieties and regularly seeks to call us out of it. In our day, however, the Scriptures are often not brought to bear in the face of our anxieties. Perhaps that is because many people believe anxiety is merely a clinical issue, far removed from the church or the Scriptures, or perhaps, more likely, because in the midst of very difficult anxieties, Christians have not learned the pattern of reaching for the truths of Scripture. I believe, and have seen countless times, that thinking, or cognitions, must be addressed in counseling. The way we perceive things, how we are conditioned through years of thinking patterns, and how we tend to accentuate certain thoughts above others, all must be addressed when we deal with anxiety. The Scriptures are the best filter for how we go ought to go about this task (i.e., Jesus’ teaching on anxiety—Matt 6:25-34, considering our thought life—2 Cor 10:5, Phil 4:8, Ps 56:3, as well as dwelling on God’s goodness—Ps 77:11-12).

The Scriptures also reveal deep truths regarding our tendency to create false gods and idols, which cause anxiety when elevated to an unholy or ungodly place. For instance, when our job, family, reputation, money, etc. become an idol, the Scriptures call us to repentance. A byproduct of idolatry is that we often feel anxious when our idol is not “worshiped” by others, when it fails us or when it is ultimately exposed as a false god. Here, the wisdom of Scripture can produce the fruit of peace when we filter our lives through its pages.

In addition to the application of specific texts and passages of Scripture, it is important to consider how Scripture as a whole speaks to certain issues. Specifically, we must be careful, in any situation, but particularly in our dealings with anxiety, to look at the patterns of Scripture, understanding how Scripture as a whole teaches a specific doctrine or speaks to a particular concern. And this is where historic confessions aid us. The Second London Baptist Confession of Faith provides a helpful framework, which arises from the pages of Scripture, through which we can understand how the various passages of Scripture we are using fit within the overall united message of the Scripture. This guides us from taking passages out of context, or placing emphases in places that are misguided. It also helps us to not treat the Bible simply as a pill box from which we gather various medication, but as an entire course of treatment in our moments of fear, worry and anxiety patterns.

2. A Right Understanding of the Doctrine of God Is Crucial

Every doctrine of the Bible is important and crucial for our growth in knowledge and godliness. However, in dealing with anxiety, one doctrine that is often abused, misinterpreted or flat out forgotten is an orthodox doctrine of God (theology proper). For the counselor, a thorough understanding of the doctrine of God is a necessary component to helping others with anxiety. To attribute finite qualities to God, to consider Him less than omniscient, to argue that he is mutable (even if only to try to make Him seem relatable to His creatures), to view Him as passible, or to misrepresent Trinitarian orthodoxy, are all to be avoided in our faith pilgrimage and particularly in our counseling. It would benefit every counselor to rightly and deeply understand an orthodox theology proper. Confessions help us in that regard. For instance, if a counselor is knowledgeable of the Doctrine of God from the pages of Scripture as faithfully confessed in the Second London Confession, he will more likely correctly represent God in his counseling. We live in a day when many churches are putting together smaller and more “succinct” statements of faith. Often, one of the shortest sections is the doctrine of God such that those crafting said statements seem content wherein a simple statement regarding the Trinity is given. But is this all that our God reveals to us about Himself—that He is Triune? Is there not immense value in a fuller understanding of this God? Take note:

Mixing Acoustic Guitars

Chris Huff

January 8, 2018

Stringed instruments have been around a long time so it’s no wonder the acoustic guitar is a common instrument in the church. And for that reason, we should be doing a great job mixing it each week. This article aims to cover all of the aspects of the acoustic guitar, from where the tone originates to mixing the acoustic guitar itself.

Tone

Sound quality starts at the source and with an acoustic guitar, you can’t get much more source than the wood used for the front and back of the guitar. For an acoustic guitar, consider the tonal properties of four of these woods:

Mahogany
The wood emphasizes the low overtones as well as the high-end response for a full warm tone.
Maple
Maple produces a very bright-sounding tone with an emphasis on the high range of the guitar.
Cocobolo
Found in limited edition or custom guitars, it produces even tones across the full spectrum of sound. Individual notes ring clear even within strummed chords.
Koa
This wood will produce a solid tone with pronounced areas in the mid-range and high end.

We have choices in how we mix an acoustic guitar but we must know how it sounds before it’s amplified, as the type of wood does affect the sound. As an added note, some woods change the tone with age. For example, as the Koa ages and the guitar is played more and more, it will begin to sound like a mahogany guitar, or as I saw described, “a mahogany on steroids.”

Listen to the tone of the guitar when it’s not amplified — and get ten feet from it so you’re hearing the direct sound. Make note of how the low, mid, and high frequencies are represented.

Strings

I’ll dispense with listing out guitar string brands and models except to say that the gauge of the strings (heavy, medium, light) affect the sound as does the material and methods in which the strings are produced. I use DR acoustic strings, not because the company sponsored me (ha ha) but because I love the tone I get when they’re paired with my guitar.

The only other note to add with strings is the age.

New strings sound funky.
Old strings sound bad.

New strings go out of tune faster until they are broken in, though they sound brighter. Old strings go out of tune and sound dull.

Sound detection

The last part of understanding the sound at the source is how the sound is captured.

Pickups

There might be a built-in on-board pickup located inside the guitar under the bridge. Or, a portable pickup can be placed across the sound hole. The sound of the same guitar will be different in each scenario because the sound is captured in a different space.

A quick note about guitars with on-board pickups. They’ll have a mini-EQ built into the side of the guitar. If these EQ settings are bad, the guitar will sound terrible. Flat line the mixer EQ for this guitar and spend an evening with the guitarist and tweaking the guitar’s on-board EQ for the best setting. The other option is to run it flat — all EQ settings at 0. Don’t lower all the EQ controls on the guitar, that applies cuts to all frequencies.

Mic it

The final method of miking the guitar is with an instrument microphone. In this case, place it around the twelfth fret, a foot away. It means the musician can’t move around much, but it will sound great!

Acoustic DI boxes and effects pedals

The musician can either plug into the system from here, if not directly miked, and go into a passive DI to convert from their unbalanced instrument cable to a balanced XLR, or go through their choice of acoustic guitar DI boxes or pedals. This can drive you crazy or make you very happy. In short, what they think sounds good and what you think sounds good can be quite different. I’ve experienced both.

At this point, you have two options:

Capture the sound as it comes out of their effects/guitar
Capture two sounds, the dry signal raw from the guitar and the wet signal coming from the effect box.

Wet and dry are terms used to indicate the modification of a signal or the lack of modification. In the latter, use a splitter pre-effects and run these two signals into two separate stage jacks. This means you can blend these two signals on the mixer.

Blending signals can be beneficial because a wet signal can lose frequency distinction. Imagine a strummed guitar with a lot of reverb. Add in some of the original sound and you get both the brightness of the raw guitar as well as the reverbed sound. How much the two are mixed is up to you. These two channels provide more opportunity for creative mixing to get the intended sound.

It’s time to consider WHERE the acoustic guitar will sit in the mix

Continue

“Seek and Ye Shall Find”: Discerning God’s Presence in Everyday Life

Charles A. Metteer

January 8, 2018

Our day-to-day lives are mostly spent doing ordinary, routine activities such as working, sleeping, eating, commuting, doing household chores and maintaining personal hygiene. The few hours, if any, that remain are normally dedicated to family, friends, hobbies, entertainment and spiritual pursuits.[1] It is in this last category (spiritual pursuits) that our Christian culture has usually counseled us to develop our faith and pursue God’s presence and kingdom. While practices such as Scripture reading and study, prayer and meditation, and fellowship and service to others are vitally important for our Christian experience, they generally are not incorporated into the remainder of our day.

Yet, if we are to live entirely for God’s glory (1 Corinthians 10:31), then the 20 or so hours we dedicate daily to mundane tasks and demands should be as spiritually significant as our “special times” with the Lord. Thus, a fundamental aspect of our Christianity must be discerning the presence of God and His kingdom in our everyday lives.

If this is true, why do so many of us overlook this down-to-earth spirituality and only seek spiritual nourishment in the little free time we have each day? One possible reason is our tendency to take everyday activities for granted because of their sameness and repetition. In general, the everyday is ignored until it becomes a problem. Since we find nothing remarkable in the ordinary, we conclude that it has no spiritual value.

As a result, many of us seek out extraordinary experiences in our limited free moments. By doing this, we too readily place our Christian experience into the category of the unusual and, thereby, overlook the valuable spiritual dimension of everyday life. Both orientations, however, are vital. Just as we are to pursue and hopefully encounter the extraordinary (supernatural manifestations of God’s love and kingdom rule on earth), we are also to discern the presence of God in the mundane and humdrum activities of life.[2]

Fortunately, our everyday affairs have the inherent capacity to reveal the sacred. Yet, to discover God’s immanent presence and rule, we must move beyond merely going through the motions of daily life. Approaching life mechanically and mindlessly creates a dullness of heart that interferes with our spiritual perception and discernment. Our challenge is to pay reverent attention to daily life with the full assurance that God will meet us in the ordinary and extraordinary. Our common, routine activities and situations can then become “sacraments” that reveal the mystery of God and His kingdom. Over time, as we gain in our ability to find God in the pleasures and problems of everyday life—and not simply in signs, wonders, and spiritual experiences—we can gain a deep love and respect for God, creation, and our own existence.

The Workplace as Dominant Reality

From the very beginning of the Old Testament, work is portrayed as a divine ordinance for humanity (Genesis 1:26–28). This charge was carried out so thoroughly by the Hebrews that they were eventually instructed to rest periodically rather than work longer or harder (Exodus 20:9–10).

In like manner, our modern society places a great emphasis on careers. For many of us, the workplace is the dominant reality. More energy goes into our occupations than into our home lives. More status is accorded to what we do at work than to any other factor. We ascribe more significance to our occupations than to any other activity and, as a result, generally worry more about them than about our health, families and friends. Finally, more time is put into our work than anything else we do. The average, gainfully-employed adult in the United States spends approximately 88,000 hours in the workplace from his or her first full day of employment until retirement. When this statistic is measured against the mere 8,000 or so hours most of us spend over a lifetime in church meetings and activities, we can readily see why it is necessary to seek God’s presence and kingdom in the marketplace and not merely at church.

Indeed, if we endure our work simply to engage in spiritual pursuits in our leisure time, then we can understandably feel jealous of early Christian monks such as the Desert Fathers and Mothers. These saints freely meditated on God while engaged only in simple tasks. But if the Christian conception of work includes discerning God’s presence and kingdom in our ordinary occupations, then everyone—biblical patriarchs, ancient monks and modern adults—has an equal opportunity to grow spiritually.[3]

Uniting the Sacred/Secular Split

Although work is the dominant reality in our waking lives, it is generally given little spiritual reflection. How often do we seriously consider the purpose and meaning of our work? What, apart from wages, an A on a test, or a Thank you from a family member, do we receive for our efforts? How does work contribute spiritually to our personal, family and community lives? Is something “more” going on when we work? If we view work as wholly practical, rooted in the necessity to provide for self and family, then we may conclude that there is nothing “larger” going on when we work.

Super Simple Crafts for the Littlest of Hands

Lindsey Whitney

January 8, 2018

Hello! A few days ago, I was honored to present at the INCM Early Childhood Webinar. I promised I would try to post pictures of some of the crafts I shared during that webinar for those of you who might not have been able to take notes at the time. These crafts are perfect for ages six months through about five years old.

10 Essential Craft Supplies

To begin, you want to make sure your cupboards are stocked with these essential supplies. With these things on hand, you can do almost any of the crafts found below. They are (in no particular order):

Construction Paper
Glue sticks
Google Eyes
Stickers
Crayons
Watercolor paints + Smock (Dollar Tree or Discount School Supply)
Hole Punchers
Cookie Cutters (Craft Stores)
Cotton Balls
Giant Stamp Pad

Bonus Supplies: Laminator, Q-tips, Glitter

4 Types of Projects to Try

Holiday/Seasonal
Hand print
Theme (Animal, Bible Story, Weather, etc.)
Finish Me Project

Holiday and Seasonal

There’s nothing like a craft to make a holiday even more festive. Try out these fun holiday and seasonal crafts with the little ones in your class!

Construction Paper Mitten Craft: Trace around hands to create mitten shape and glue on cotton balls.

Construction Paper Hat: Semi-circle on the top and rectangle construction paper on the bottom. Embellish with cotton balls.

Spring Rainbow: Paper strips from construction paper and topped off with cotton balls

January 2018: Three Prayer Priorities for America

Ronnie Floyd

January 8, 2018

As we enter this exciting year of 2018 together, only God knows what is before us. We do not know what the future holds for us personally or for America; but we do know who holds our future.

UNIFYING in prayer for America is powerful. As we discern what is before us right now in our nation, as well as listen to the Lord and His voice to us through His Word, we lift up these three prayer priorities for America this January.

Please share these with friends, pastors, churches, denominations, networks, ministries and Christian media. The more people we have praying together about the same things in our nation, the more we will see God move us forward together.

We are going to be praying for unity in America for the next several months. We revealed in November that Pray For America: UNITY is our 2018 theme for the National Day of Prayer. We chose this theme because we strongly believe this is God’s heart. Therefore, from now until and even beyond our Thursday, May 3, 2018, National Day of Prayer, we are going to call for, forward and pray for unity in America.

Millions of Christians in our nation need to enter the throne of grace with boldness in this time of great need in our nation. If we do not unify soon, I believe our nation’s future will be jeopardized.

Whether you pray daily or weekly for our nation, please join us in praying with the authority of the Scriptures for these three priorities for America. This week, we are four months away from Thursday, May 3, 2018, our National Day of Prayer. Now is the time to pray for these three prayer priorities for America:

1. #PRAY4UNITY IN THE CHURCH OF AMERICA

“Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction.” 1 Corinthians 1:10

God is calling His church in America to unify upon the authority of the Bible and the centrality of Jesus Christ, the only Savior of the world.
Ask God for thousands of local churches to unify as one body of Christ, agreeing together that God is our greatest need in America.
Call upon God for Jesus’ church in America to walk in unity, harmony and oneness, so His church personifies, calls and leads America to unity.
Convict the church in America to wake up spiritually, agree clearly, unite visibly,and pray extraordinarily for the next Great Spiritual Awakening in America to occur in our generation.
Call upon God to bring spiritual awakening now in America, shaping the future of America, just as the Great Spiritual Awakenings in our history have shaped our spiritual heritage as a nation.

2. ASK GOD SPECIFICALLY TO GIVE OUR NATION’S LEADERS CLEAR DIRECTION TO LEAD THE PEOPLE IN OUR NATION THROUGHOUT THE YEAR OF 2018.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Lord Jesus, give our nation’s leaders a passion to lead by Your Word and according to Your will in all things.
Father, help our President, our Vice President, the Cabinet and all the members of Congress, as well as the leaders in our state and in our region, to know that God is able to reveal the path He wants us go to in our regions, states, and nation.
Spirit of God, move upon the leaders of our nation to work together toward resolving these critical issues:
- Personal credibility and the integrity of leadership among their own colleagues charged with leadership in our nation
- Divisiveness and vitriolic communication in our nation
- Tax reform implementation
- Healthcare reform
- Immigration reform
- Education reform
- National security
- Religious liberty
- Sanctity and dignity of human life
- Terrorism nationally and globally
- Drug addiction and overdose
- Other issues that may emerge this month

Sovereign God, we ask that You protect the leaders of our nation and their families, as well as the members of our military nationally and globally, and all the first responders in our nation.

UPDATE: Andy Savage Placed on Leave of Absence (Effective Immediately)

Bob Ditmer

January 8, 2018

Sexual Abuse — Screengrab Youtube @Washington Post

Update January 12, 2018

Highpoint Church’s lead pastor, Chris Conlee, released a statement Thursday night, January 11, 2018, announcing Andy Savage would be placed on a leave of absence, effective immediately. Additionally, the church has requested “a qualified, independent, third-party organization to do a full audit of our church processes and Andy’s ministry.” Conlee assured his congregation “we support Andy as a leader of our church,” in the statement.

Jules Woodson filed a report with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office in Texas. After researching the law in effect in 1998 (the year the alleged assault occurred), the sheriff’s office concluded the statute of limitations had passed. “As a result, we are unable to investigate and seek justice to the full extent of what we normally would in such a case,” a statement released by Captain Dan Zientek stated.

Ministerial leaders at Highpoint Church in Memphis, Tennessee, say they are aware of allegations of sexual abuse made against Andy Savage, their teaching pastor, from an incident 20 years ago and are “standing behind him.”

Chris Conlee, the lead pastor of Highpoint Church, said in a statement Friday,

“This information is not new to me or to our leadership. As one of my closest friends and partners in ministry, I can assure you that I have total confidence in the redemptive process Andy went through under his leadership in Texas. In addition, for more than 16 years, I have watched Andy strive to live a godly life and proactively share what he has learned to help others.

On behalf of the elders, pastors, staff and Trustees of Highpoint, I want to affirm that we are 100 percent committed to Andy, Amanda and their family and his continued ministry at Highpoint Church. We ask for your prayers and support for all involved.”

The incident became news when The Wartburg Watch, a site started by two Christian women who pursued their faith but saw “disturbing trends within Christendom,” published the account of a woman who had accused Savage of sexually abusing her in the late 1990s when she was 17.

Savage responded by way of a statement.

“As a college student on staff at a church in Texas more than 20 years ago, I regretfully had a sexual incident with a female high school senior in the church. I apologized and sought forgiveness from her, her parents, her discipleship group, the church staff and the church leadership, who informed the congregation. In agreement with wise counsel, I took every step to respond in a biblical way.

I resigned from ministry and moved back home to Memphis. I accepted full responsibility for my actions. I was and remain very remorseful for the incident and deeply regret the pain I caused her and her family, as well as the pain I caused the church and God’s Kingdom.

There has never been another situation remotely similar in my life before or after that occurrence. The incident happened before Amanda and I were engaged and I shared every aspect of this situation with her before I asked her to marry me. I further disclosed this incident to Chris Conlee before coming on staff at Highpoint and have shared with key leaders throughout my tenure.

This incident was dealt with in Texas 20 years ago, but in the last few days has been presented to a wider audience. I was wrong and I accepted responsibility for my actions. I was sorry then and remain so today. Again, I sincerely ask for forgiveness from her and pray for God’s continued healing for everyone involved.”

In the Wartburg Watch blog, Jules Woodson, the alleged victim, detailed what happened and said she felt manipulated and used. She said she took her allegations to church leaders when the incident occured but the police were never called. The blog also contains an email Woodson says she wrote to Savage last month asking if he remembered the incident. She says he did not respond.

The blog states she has recently filed a report with law enforcement, saying what happened to her was sexual assault.

Last Sunday Conlee and Savage addressed the congregation about the allegations and the church’s response. The comments begin at the 16:00 mark.

https://youtu.be/wyKdluNR95I?t=16m4s

How 94 Million People Heard about Jesus from Tim Tebow

Bob Ditmer

January 8, 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Christine Yount Jones

January 8, 2018

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

Inspiring Church Leaders in the News This Week

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

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

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

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

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

Living a Dream

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

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

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

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

Pastor Mike is living his dream!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Greg Stier

January 7, 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Either that or get used to them fat naps.

This article originally appeared here.

Getting Alone With God Is Always in Season

Rick Warren

January 7, 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let him set your priorities.

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

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

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

This article originally appeared here.

Is Your Youth Ministry a Dry Wasteland?

Josh Griffin

January 7, 2018

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

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

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

Have you ever felt like this:

Empty soul in the middle of the year

Pressures from the senior pastor to do more

Alone in youth ministry

Frustrated with the lack of growth

Lack of direction or focus

Nothing but disappointment in your heart and all around you too

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

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

Joe McKeever

January 7, 2018

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

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

Ask any pastor.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oh my.

Sound familiar to anyone?

Start a New Year With a Blank Page

Ron Edmondson

January 7, 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

But, it leads me to ask you the question:

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

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

Let me offer a few more thoughts on the subject:

The Biggest Mistake of my Life

Making Resolutions You’ll Actually Keep

Personal Reflection Questions to Start New Year Right

7 Things Which Have Brought Me Success

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

This article originally appeared here.

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

Ron Edmondson

January 5, 2018

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

I think it’s a great exercise.

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

Here are five questions to get you started:

What was great?

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

What wasn’t great?

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

What can be improved?

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

What do I need to stop?

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

What do I need to start?

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

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

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

This article originally appeared here.

Before You Preach on the Soul, Watch This Video

Bob Ditmer

January 5, 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is the Gospel Being Hindered by Unethical Clergy?

Bob Ditmer

January 5, 2018

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

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

WHAT IS SHAPING PUBLIC SENTIMENT?

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

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

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

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

Lack of Spiritual Focus

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

Misguided Evaluation

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

Worldly Expectations

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

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

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

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

IS A CODE OF ETHICS NEEDED?

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

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

Be trustworthy; in leadership, with information, with resources

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

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

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

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

Why You Should Record Every Church Service LIVE!

Caleb Neff

January 4, 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It’s encouraging!

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

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

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

DEEPENED SPIRITUAL LIFE AFTER ABORTION

NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES

FILLING A NEED

RAUCOUS AWANA GAMES

LOVE OF CHILDREN AND SCRIPTURE

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Acoustic DI boxes and effects pedals

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4 Types of Projects to Try

Holiday and Seasonal

Update January 12, 2018

Inspiring Church Leaders in the News This Week

Here are five questions to get you started:

WHAT IS SHAPING PUBLIC SENTIMENT?

Lack of Spiritual Focus

Misguided Evaluation

Worldly Expectations

IS A CODE OF ETHICS NEEDED?

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

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

It’s encouraging!

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