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Should We Use the “End Times” to Evangelize?

By
Greg Stier
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

I’ll never forget the first time I watched a Christian movie on the Rapture. It was a 1972 poorly produced film called A Thief in the Night.

But what this movie lacked in production quality it made up for in premise… When Jesus comes back you should be ready or you will be left behind. The song in the movie still pops in my head from time to time. It’s Larry Norman‘s “I Wish We’d All Been Ready.” Here are the cryptic, catchy lyrics,

“Life was filled with guns and war
And all of us got trampled on the floor
I wish we’d all been ready.
The children died, the days grew cold
A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold
I wish we’d all been ready.

There’s no time to change your mind
The son has come and you’ve been left behind.

A man and wife asleep in bed
She hears a noise and turns her head he’s gone
I wish we’d all been ready.
Two men walking up a hill
One disappears and one’s left standing still
I wish we’d all been ready.

The father spoke, the demons dined
How could you have been so blind?

There’s no time to change your mind
The son has come and you’ve been left behind

There’s no time to change your mind
The son has come and you’ve been left behind

I hope we’ll all be ready
You’ve been left behind.”

No, I wasn’t afraid of being left behind. I had put my faith in Jesus and was sure of my salvation. But I was afraid of others being left behind. And that righteous fear became part of my evangelistic fuel.

Yes, I come from a pre-tribulational, pre-millennial, pre-everthing background. The dispensational, fundamental teaching I was raised on ingrained in me an urgency factor when it came to evangelism (because Jesus could come back at any time) and a readiness factor when it came to personal holiness (because Jesus could come back at any time). This urgency helped shape both me and the ministry I lead today, Dare 2 Share.

While the Lord has enabled me to scrape off many of the legalistic views I was raised in, by his grace, I’ve been able to keep much of my urgency. And I’m deeply thankful for that.

Regardless of your eschatological leanings, most of us can agree that a primary purpose of prophecy is to be ready for the return of Jesus. The Lord himself said, “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42).

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10 Ways to Cultivate Quality Volunteers

By
Penny Rogers
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

“As long as they’re breathing I’ll take them!” While we may not have said it, we’ve probably all thought it when it comes to volunteers.

There are times we’ve all asked our pastor to make an announcement to the congregation that volunteers are needed in the kids’ ministry. These tend to be the times we’re focused on quantity. We just need people in the rooms every time the doors are open. We’re desperate.

Serving is important. 1 Peter 4:10 says, “God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” When we pursue quantity, we have found we often end up right back where we started…needing more volunteers. They simply don’t stick.

Quantity-Focused Results
  1. Volunteers who show up…sometimes.
  2. Volunteers who interact with kids…if they’ve run out of things to talk about with the other volunteers.
  3. Volunteers who do whatever is needed…if they receive public recognition and a pat on the back.
  4. Volunteers who engage with kids…if they’ve finished telling you all their personal woes and needs.
  5. Volunteers who follow instructions…halfway and half-heartedly.
Quality-Focused Results
  1. Volunteers who show up…every time, grateful for the opportunity to serve.
  2. Volunteers who interact with kids…in a way that is uplifting to the children.
  3. Volunteers who do whatever is needed…even when no one is looking or notices.
  4. Volunteers who engage with kids…as an opportunity for ministry.
  5. Volunteers who follow instructions…thoroughly, even going above and beyond what’s expected.
Here are 10 ways to help cultivate quality volunteers:
  1. Communicate expectations…what they can expect from you and what you expect from them.
  2. Emphasize the importance of their personal relationships with Jesus…including daily times with the Lord and attending weekly services.
  3. Clearly communicate the value of kids’ ministry…it’s not babysitting or childcare.
  4. Build a relationship with them…beyond what’s going on in the children’s ministry.
  5. Communicate your care for them…personally, spiritually and practically.
  6. Laugh…make your environments fun for everyone.
  7. Recommend good “reads” or “listens”…books, articles, podcasts.
  8. Remind them that their serving has eternal value…and is making a difference now.
  9. Model Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
  10. Invest in your volunteers…inspire, equip and support them, often.

When it comes to effective KidMin volunteers, quality comes first! What are your best methods for recruiting quality volunteers?

This article originally appeared here.

Dangers and Delights of Raising Children in the Ministry

By
Paul Chappell
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

I remember as a young father hearing stories about pastors’ kids not turning out and being afraid that my children could be among the statistics. I wanted with everything in me to love and nurture my family while at the same time to be faithful to God’s calling on my life for the ministry.

I didn’t always get it right (as Terrie and all four of our children could tell you). But, thanks to the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the help of the Word of God, and the assistance of a godly wife, I did learn along the way.

From the hundreds of pastors I’ve counseled with in ministry, I know that many share my fears for their children. If you are among those, I’d like to share with you a few thoughts about the ministry and your family.

Dangers of Raising Children in the Ministry

Every Christian home—actually, the home itself—is under attack today. In fact, each of the dangers listed below applies to all Christian families.

In some ways, however, these challenges are unique to families in ministry.

Family Neglect—As a pastor, you warn, plead with and provide marital counsel to parents so they don’t abandon their families. Don’t let your children have an absentee dad just because you’re too busy to see your own family’s needs.

Ephesians 6:4 instructs, “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Remember, nurture and admonition take time—so give that time to your children.

A Double Standard—Nothing generates disappointment or rebellion in the heart of a child like an inconsistent model in the Christian life. Beware the admonition of Romans 2:21: “Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself?”

No one is perfect, but don’t set one standard in the pulpit and live another at home. Your children would rather see a sermon than hear one, and seeing one will make a longer impression on their hearts.

Proud Expectations—We in the ministry often speak about church members’ high expectations of ministry kids, but sometimes we are just as guilty of expecting perfection—not because we want to see our kids grow, but because we are afraid of being embarrassed.

To put it plainly, that’s pride. And it hurts both your children and you. So humble yourself, release expectations that are rooted in what others will think, and ask God for His grace. “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6).

False Assumptions—Sometimes we assume that our children will turn out OK just because we are always around. The fact is, it doesn’t work that way—as the Old Testament priest Eli could tell us.

Don’t make Eli’s mistake of assuming that because your children are around church and the things of God, their hearts are secure in the love of God. And don’t assume that just because you love God that your children will too. Spend time with them, pray for them and purposefully nurture their hearts.

This is in no way a comprehensive list of challenges ministry families face, but these are among the most common.

It’s not all challenge and burdens though. On the other hand, there are some special delights for families in ministry as well, and there are ways you can specifically encourage your children to love the ministry.

Delights of Raising Children in the Ministry

By God’s grace, all four of our adult children love the Lord and are serving Him with their spouses in full-time ministry. There are, however, a few intentional actions Terrie and I took that I believe were helpful to our family life and to our family’s enjoyment of the ministry during the years that our children were in our home.

Have daily family devotions. Regular family devotions knit your hearts together spiritually as a family. It becomes a time when children can depend on the family being together around God’s Word. Don’t lead a ministry spiritually while neglecting to spiritually shepherd the hearts of your children in an intentional way.

Remain available. Back in the day when we had no cell phones, I installed a private landline in my church study that did not ring to my secretary’s desk. My family knew that they could call any time to get direct access to me. Additionally, they knew they could walk in on any meeting or appointment if they needed me.

Abstain from negative talk about the ministry. I truly believe that one of the reasons our adult children are serving the Lord in ministry is because Terrie and I were vigilant about what we said. If a critical church member was gossiping, the Christian school enrollment was down, or the budget was tight, they never heard about it from either of us.

Additionally, when we found ourselves with added ministry responsibilities, we did our best to present them in a positive light to our children. Instead of, “It’s so hard to have missionaries come when we don’t have enough rooms in our home,” we tried for, “Isn’t it great that we get to be the ones to have the missionaries stay in our home? And look, you get to sleep in Mom and Dad’s room!”

Talk positively about the ministry. Share with your children the little victories that bring you joy in ministry. When you get to lead someone to the Lord in a counseling appointment, when you get fresh direction for adding ministries, when you receive a thank you letter from a child who rides the bus—share these positive aspects of serving in ministry with your children.

Serve together. One of the best ways to make time for your family is to include your family in ministry. Take one of your children with you when you go soulwinning, make hospital visits, visit your Sunday school class, etc. These times don’t replace family nights, day trips together or family vacations, but they do allow for regular times throughout the week to spend together doing something you are teaching your children to love.

Share special memories. Invite guest missionaries or preachers to your home for meals. Take your children with you when attending an out-of-town meeting or going on a missions trip. After revival services or missions conferences, talk together as a family about the special ways God worked in each of your hearts and the victories won as a church that week. Let your children be part of these memory-making times.

Rejoice together. Celebrate ministry victories as a family. For instance, the first time we had 300 people at church, we took our family to stay overnight in a hotel and went to the ocean. Not every victory will be an overnight celebration, but many should be celebrated, if simply by ice cream sundaes.

Keep the Big Picture

Sometimes in our quest to fine tune the alignment of family and ministry, we forget to simply do the basics. The truth is, you are a parent. And just like every other parent, your job is to parent!

Yes, there are challenges related to nurturing a vibrant family in a busy ministry, but there are also challenges related to parenting in general. Rather than focusing on the challenges, focus on the basic responsibilities of raising your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Teach and model biblical principles. Guide and protect with prayer. Mold and prepare with patience. This takes time, effort and great measures of God’s grace, but this is possible with the help of the Lord.

Above all, trust God with your children, and look to Him for guidance and help as you raise them for Him.

This is part one of a three-part series on ministry families. In part two, we’ll look at marriage and the ministry.

This article originally appeared here.

10 Ways to Bring Joy to Your Pastor

By
Thom Rainer
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

In some ways, I don’t like the official designation of October to be pastor appreciation month. I really wish we brainstormed pastor appreciation ideas all the time.

But like many other points of recognition, it does serve as a reminder that we are blessed by our pastors and their ministries.

Pastor Appreciation Ideas

So how can you bring joy to your pastor? My list of 10 is based on the interactions I have with thousands of pastors every year. Some of the affirmations are letters. Many of them have no monetary cost. All of them will be greatly appreciated.

  1. A handwritten letter committing to pray for your pastor. I just spoke with a pastor who received such a gift. He was choked up just talking about it.
  2. A handwritten letter of support. Pastors receive criticism regularly. It’s an unfortunate way of life for them. Though many of you support your pastors, they really appreciate your telling them so.
  3. An anonymous letter with cash. Let your pastors know the gift is for them. Most pastors have no extra funds to buy books or resources or even go out to eat.
  4. A gift card. Find out what your pastors really like. Do they have a favorite restaurant or store? Get them a gift card.
  5. A childcare certificate. Commit to a certain number of days to watch the pastor’s children, assuming the kids are still at an age that need childcare. That will be an incredible gift for pastors and spouses.
  6. A handwritten letter expressing how much difference the pastor has made in your life. Be specific. Let your pastors know how much their ministries mean to you personally. Don’t write in generalities, but in ways that demonstrate your life is better because of your pastor.
  7. A handwritten letter of gratitude to the pastor’s spouse. Pastors’ spouses rarely get affirmed. Your letter of gratitude will mean so much—both to the spouse and to the pastor.
  8. Books. Most pastors love books. Most pastors have a wish list of books they would like. If you can’t find the specific wish list, a gift card for them is great as well.
  9. Video of gratitude. Produce a video to be shown in the worship service. Have testimonies of gratitude. Show specific ways the pastor has made a difference. Express gratitude to the pastor’s family as well.
  10. Remember their anniversary. Let pastor appreciation month be a reminder for you to note your pastor’s anniversary at the church. Celebrate it when that date arrives. Too many pastors get passed by every year despite their ministry and labors for the church and the Kingdom.

Most pastors do not expect recognition or rewards. They did not enter vocational ministry for that reason.

But they really do appreciate it when one or more of the church members remember them in a positive manner.

I hope you will be one of those church members.

This article about pastor appreciation ideas originally appeared here.

N.T. Wright: What the Church Has Missed in the Crucifixion of Jesus

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

Professor N.T. Wright of St. Andrews University in Scotland is no stranger to academia or the church. After publishing over 75 books and serving as the Bishop of Durham, Prof. Wright is a respected as a learned voice in the Christian world. His latest book is called The Day the Revolution Began.

Key Questions:

-When we look at look at Jesus’ crucifixion and we take into account Israel’s story, what did the cross of Christ achieve?

-What has the church done right in the area of evangelism?

-What can we learn from the early church that connects with what we’re dealing with in the world today?

Key Quotes:

“In the Western tradition…we have by and large over the last thousand years emphasized a Platonic message about souls going to heaven, which has made the biblical idea of heaven and earth being the twin halves of God’s good creation and of the news heaven and new earth being God’s intention, we have allowed that to be lost of, and in particular, we have lost sight of the resurrection.”

“The role of humans is to reflect God’s image into the world and to reflect the praises of all creation back to God in articulate and glad worship and praise.”

“Humans were made to stand at the cusp, to stand on the edge of heaven and earth and belong in both. Because God wants to belong in both and God calls humans to bear his image.”

“God has to deal with human sin in order to rob the idols of their power so that then new creation can begin. That is the story that the New Testament is telling.”

“The call of Abraham in Genesis 12…is God’s means of putting right the problem of Adam.”

“Jesus comes as Israel’s representative Messiah in order to do for Israel and the world what Israel and the world couldn’t do for themselves.”

“The story of Israel is the story of how the creator intends to rescue the creation. The story of Jesus is how God comes in person to rescue Israel in order to achieve that ultimate end.”

“This is the problem, that we have traditionally, in the west, taken phrases which belong in Jewish eschatology and we’ve turned them into platonic cosmology.”

“We need to recognize in ministry today that where the gospel actually bites in our society will have economic, political, philosophical, religious, ethnic, all sorts of overtones.”

“We have for too long allowed the Enlightenment of the 18th and 19th centuries to set the pace, which has said: Religion and real life are in two totally different categories. And Christians teach religion so please don’t mention politics, society, etc.”

“A Christian political theology is more complicated and difficult than we have often realized. It isn’t just a matter of saying ‘We’ve all got to be holy anarchists.’ Nor is it just a matter of saying ‘The elected officials in every country are right whatever they do, so you’ve just got to obey them.’”

“How can we in the church as a whole…be training the people in [our] congregation[s] so that they will be people who will speak for Jesus in Caesar’s world today?”

“Trust the God of surprises.”

Mentioned in the Show:

The Day the Revolution Began: Reconsidering the Meaning of Jesus’s Crucifixion

10 Common But Illegitimate Reasons to Divorce

By
Tim Challies
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Divorce has legitimate and illegitimate reasons. It is clear in the Bible that God’s intention for marriage is that it remain in effect until the death of one spouse. I believe it is also quite clear that God has provided a limited set of circumstances in which a marriage can legitimately be severed. However, many people—even Christians—offer bad reasons to divorce that are not sanctioned by God. Jim Newheiser outlines a number of these in his book Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage: Critical Questions and Answers.

10 Common But Bad Reasons to Divorce

1. “My spouse isn’t a Christian,” or “I wasn’t a Christian when I married my spouse.” 

Nowhere in the Bible is this first of our bad reasons to divorce seen as grounds for not staying married. In 1 Corinthians 7:12-13 Paul very clearly urges men and women in such situations not to divorce their unbelieving spouse. In 1 Peter 3:1-2 women married to unbelievers are called to “be subject to their own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives.” Rather than seeking for an opportunity to get out of the relationship, Christians are told to seek for opportunities to share their faith with their unbelieving spouse.

2. “We weren’t married in a church.”

Matthew 19:6 renders this an illegitimate excuse when it says, “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” Marriage is sanctioned by God and is not dependent on the context in which those vows were made. Regardless of where you were married or who married you, if you have made a covenant of marriage, the Lord expects you to keep it.

3. “I need to get out of this marriage for the sake of my kids.” 

This is, of course, a justifiable concern, but one that Paul does not neglect to address. In 1 Corinthians 7:14 he says, “For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.” According to Paul, here is another opportunity to endure for the sake of the gospel, so that your children, too, may see your godly example of faith. However, in the case that your spouse poses a threat of danger, be it emotional or physical abuse, your children’s safety is a priority.

How Your KidMin Can Respond to Disasters

By
Jenny Funderburke Smith
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

I hope your community never faces a crisis, but the reality is that most do of some sort or another. Last week our community was challenged after Hurricane Irma roared through. We were blessed that we were spared the catastrophic damage that other parts of the states and the Caribbean experienced. However, between power outages, storm damage and clean up, our town needed some assistance.

I wanted to share one way that our children’s ministry responded in hopes that it will be a resource for those of you who may find yourself needing to serve your community in a crisis situation in the future.

However, I can not even begin describing our logistics without making it very clear that I am blessed with incredible friends and leaders who really took the lead on this and made it happen. I was in Tennessee during the hurricane. I literally said to one on the phone, “Here’s what’s in my head, but I’ll be driving and cannot get it together.” Jeanna Stinehefler and Brandi Spencer totally ran with it and did an amazing job. You may not know them, but please take a second and thank God for their faithfulness.

1. Recognize the need. Following the storm, our local public school system decided they would resume on Monday. We quickly realized there were many parents who would have to return to work and not have childcare for their children. Our team decided to host a half-day playdate and then a two-day day camp to help working parents, but also parents who were struggling to clean up and recover from the storm.

2. Recruit volunteers. First, we had a couple of rock star leaders who agreed to coordinate and own the camp. (I’m not exaggerating when I say rock stars…they totally owned it from beginning to end. I was traveling and literally showed up to help). Since we were dealing with limited time, we could only recruit from church members who have already been background screened. We didn’t have the time or ability (our church office was closed) to run any new screens. We created a schedule on Sign Up Genius and immediately sent it out via text and email to all of our Sunday, Wednesday and special event volunteers. We divided each day into three shifts so that volunteers only had to serve three hours at a time. Of course, they could serve additional shifts if they wanted and we are so glad that many did! Our volunteers totally stepped up. This camp provided a unique place for our people to serve in our hurting community and our volunteers jumped on it.

3. Set a limit. My heart wanted to take in every single kid in the community who needed a place to go. The reality was there was a limit on what we could logistically plan for and handle in such a short amount of time. We had a good number of people volunteer, but so many of our own people were struggling with clean up, power outages, etc… Their availability was limited. We created a registration form on Wufoo and chose to cap the attendance at 50 kids. We wanted to only do what we could do well without sacrificing safety or sanity.

4. Get the word out. Because everything was in such a tight timeframe, we began advertising by faith. We waited until we had several committed volunteers, but we couldn’t wait until we had every time slot filled. We wanted parents to have time to plan. We advertised by sending a mass email to every contact we had both within our church and families who had attended camp, VBS or other special events. We also sent texts to all the families we had in our text groups through Remind. Finally we posted on Facebook, including posting in a “Hurricane Irma” community group that had popped up.

5. Create a plan. Two 8 1/2-hour days is a lot of time to fill! In fact, our day camp took up more time than a week of VBS and we were planning it in less than 36 hours! Our coordinator came up with a schedule that kept everyone moving every 30 minutes to an hour. One leader created simple crafts that utilized supplies that we mostly already had (stores were opening slowly due to power outages). We divided into three big groups: Pre-K/Kindergarten, 1st-3rd grades and 4th/5th grades.

6. Share Jesus. The majority of kids who registered do not come to our church and at least half do not have a church at all. We wanted to make the most of this opportunity. I had some sweet friends send me some curriculum, but honestly we were so short on prep time and didn’t have time for our volunteers to prepare anything that we had to keep it very basic. We had an opening time, a large group time in the middle, and a closing time in which we made sure that we shared the gospel in fun and exciting ways. Our crafts involved biblical truths. What blessed me the most, though, was our volunteers taking advantage of every opportunity and teachable moment to point kids toward Jesus.

7. Connect with parents. As much as we could we tried to connect with parents at drop off and pick up. They were extremely grateful for the camp and my prayer was that they felt connected enough that when they decide to try a church, they will remember that their kids were loved here.

We had a great time during the fun (and long) two days. While I’m sure there were things that we could have done differently, it was undoubtedly a God thing that it came together the way that it did!

Please pray for the families in our community that continue to recover from Irma’s aftermath.

This article originally appeared here.

You’re Not a Perfect Small Group Leader—And That’s OK

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

God is not looking for you to be the perfect small group leader. I wrote The World’s Greatest Small Group not because I think I’m the world’s Greatest Small Group Leader—I’m not—but to help you learn from and thus become more like the one who is: Jesus.

God is not looking for you to lead the perfect small group. While Jesus’ group was a mess and often dysfunctional, it was healthy. That might seem like an oxymoron, but Jesus understood the principle of process. He saw not only what they were, but what they were becoming. And often this process of becoming looks very messy. But think about this: Jesus’ dysfunctional group became The World’s Greatest Small Group.

Do you have what it takes? Do you have what it takes to be a small group leader? Depending on your perspective, you can answer this question two different ways:

NO—You do not have what it takes…on your own, under your own power, with your own intellect. That’s why it’s so vital to remember that Jesus is the real leader of “your” group. “’Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty” (Zechariah 4:6).

YES—Don’t forget that Jesus calls unschooled, ordinary men and women to follow him and then turns them into world changers. If you follow Christ, the World’s Greatest Small Group Leader, he will use you to do extraordinary things. Don’t sell yourself short. Say, “I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13, New Living Translation).

By God’s power, you can do this, but you must start by first seeking after him.

This article originally appeared here.

Billy Graham’s Ministry in Four Words

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

My wife, kids and I recently had the chance to visit the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, N.C. We’ve long been impressed with Graham’s life and ministry, and this trip only increased our appreciation for Graham.

As I reflect on Billy Graham’s six decades of ministry, four words stand out:

1. Conviction

As we looked over various exhibits and heard stories about Graham’s life, Veronica commented to me, “He wasn’t complex, and not usually ‘profound.’ But you can tell that he really believed what he was saying.” And it’s true: Billy Graham had struggled with the hard questions, so when he spoke with assurance, it wasn’t the naïve assurance of a neophyte. It was the absolute assurance of someone who has wrestled with questions of faith.

During the beginning of Graham’s ministry, theological liberalism was on the rise in mainline denominations, and Graham’s faith was shaken. He often told the story of a moment when, in the height of his doubts, he took a walk in the woods. During that walk, he finally acknowledged, “I either believe God has spoken or I don’t. I believe Jesus Christ is God’s Son, and I believe the Bible he authorized is his Father’s word, just like he said it was. I’ll believe it by faith—even the parts I don’t quite understand.” (my paraphrase)

Graham’s conviction was contagious. Conviction always is. It reminds me of David Hume, the 18th-century atheist philosopher who consistently went to hear the preacher George Whitefield at his evangelistic rallies. Someone recognized Hume, and—surprised to see him there—said, “I thought you do not believe in the gospel.” Hume answered, “I don’t, but he does.” That was the draw that Billy Graham had at his rallies: He believed in his message so deeply that he drew in some of the most skeptical and nonbelieving.

At this point, you can’t name a single one of Billy Graham’s friends who drifted with the tide of theological liberalism; but Billy changed the world.

2. Bible

Graham’s conviction yielded a profound, often mysterious authority. Again and again, on public talk shows with Phil Donahue, Larry King or Johnny Carson, his hosts would clarify or challenge what he was saying. “You aren’t actually saying…” they would begin. And Graham would interrupt to say, “No, Johnny, I’m not saying this. The Bible says this,” and then quote a verse of Scripture.

A number of well-meaning Bible teachers today say things like, “Well, people no longer accept the authority of the Bible, so saying ‘The Bible says so’ has no more weight in our culture.” And yet, no one in history has reached more people, from different cultures across six continents, than Billy Graham. People in Russia, Korea and vast parts of Eastern Europe may have completely rejected the authority of the Bible, but that didn’t keep Graham from seeing incredible fruit there.

What characterized his preaching was his utter reliance on God’s self-authenticating Word. How often he retreated into it made even his most skeptical interlocutors curious: Why would such a bold, intelligent and successful man put all his confidence there? Many nonbelievers became so intrigued about the book that he really believed was the Word of God that they picked it up. And as they read it, many because convinced, as he was, that it was the Word of God. Their hearts “burned within them” as he preached, because he preached with a conviction that God’s Word and the gospel were true.

I am not saying that we should believe the Bible “just because” or that we should abandon any attempt to show why we believe the Bible is the Word of God. But Jesus says that divine life flows from Scripture, and those who speak with authority and transform the world have at the core of their message, “Thus says the Lord.”

3. Simplicity

If you go back and listen to Billy Graham’s messages, you’ll be struck by their simplicity. He really saw himself, like the Apostle Paul, not as a wise man unveiling religious mysteries, but as a simple herald (2 Timothy 1:11). What J.I. Packer said of Paul was true of Graham:

“Paul in his own estimation was not a philosopher, not a moralist, not the world’s wisest man, but simply Christ’s herald. Paul’s royal master had given him a message to proclaim. His whole business therefore was to deliver that message with exact and studious faithfulness. He added nothing, altered nothing, omitted nothing.”

4. Integrity

Graham took integrity so seriously that many in churches today know of the “Billy Graham Rule”—Graham would not meet with, travel with or eat alone with a woman other than his wife. He knew that Satan wanted to disqualify his ministry, and he was fierce in his efforts to remain above reproach. The “Billy Graham Rule” has come under a lot of fire in recent years (and there are often good reasons to modify it), but in light of the number of high profile pastors who fall due to moral failure every year, we could use a good deal more of this kind of integrity.

One of my favorite stories illustrating Graham’s dedication to purity: Graham was staying in a hotel, and made his usual request to the hotel staff to turn off the cable in his room so that he wouldn’t be tempted to watch anything he shouldn’t. They refused, and since it was too late to find a room at another hotel, Graham did what he thought he needed to: He yanked the cable right out of the wall. He made sure to pay for the damage, but his nonchalant response to the whole situation was perfect: “We can replace the television cable; we can’t replace integrity.”

Graham’s power flowed out of his walk with God. It wasn’t just a matter of sexual purity, either. Graham displayed a radically generous spirit with his money. As high profile as he was, it would have been easy to get rich off of his ministry. But as donations came in, he was open-handed in giving that money away. He had a message to proclaim, and would not be bought, no matter the price. As one pope said about John Calvin, “This heretic gains all his power by his utter disregard for money.”

As Graham often noted, the methods of how God works in the world change from generation to generation. But the core principles that shape ministry do not. Where are the preachers today characterized by these four qualities?

This article originally appeared here.

Building a Culture of Spiritually Intentional Relationships

By
Mark Dever
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Most Active Does Not Equal Most Fruitful

Could it be that the most active members of your congregation are the least fruitful? Consider for a moment: in God’s sight, not all activity carries equal value. Not even all church activity. In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul uses the image of a farmer to describe the process of planting a church. “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth” (v. 6). Then as Paul transitions to the image of a builder to describe the growth of this church, it becomes clear that some church activity counts as worthless.

According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (3:10–15)

What a sobering picture. On the last day, God will reveal every action—even every word (Matt. 12:36)—for its true value. Despite the best of motives, some church activity will be judged as worthless.

In our churches, opportunities for wasted effort abound. Think of “fellowship” that is nothing more than virulent exchange of gossip. Think of people attending sermons and not listening. Think of endless rehearsals by a tone-deaf choir that, on further reckoning, merely distracts the congregation from worship. Think of cookbook sales, charity auctions and 10km races that consume enormous time for relatively small spiritual gain. All these things—fellowship events, sermons, choirs and fund-raisers—can bear real spiritual fruit. But sometimes they don’t.

In fact, church activity may especially attract the least spiritual. If there are any in your congregation who, like the Galatians, began “with the Spirit” but now seek to be “perfected by the flesh” (Gal. 3:3), they will likely be consumed with activity. What better shows that we are worthy of God’s affection than throwing ourselves into activity at church? The infrastructure and inner workings of your church offer more than sufficient cover for the works-focused person to take shelter from the gospel. In fact, some of the most active members of your church may in fact be the least spiritual.

Value in Relationships

So where can we invest to bring about eternally lasting fruit? We can invest in spiritually intentional relationships. Love for other Christians shows us to be true Christians (1 John 2:10–11). Love for other Christians demonstrates the power of the gospel to the watching world (John 13:35). Love for other Christians makes for an eternally rewarding investment (Luke 16:9). Love for other Christians is primarily how we live out the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22–23).

As a general rule, church activity that builds into relationships will last; activity that doesn’t, won’t. After all, people are eternal; everything else will pass away. Of course, exceptions exist: We can erect infrastructure that supports the relational work of the local church (managing church financial records, for example). But by and large, the lasting work of the church is the relational work of the church.

But not any relationships will do. The New Testament describes how Christians are to confront, to encourage, to discipline, to confess sin and so forth. In the church, we want to see relationships where it is normal to talk about spiritual things. Not where conversation is never about football or kids or politics—but where a conversation with no spiritual grounding would be unusual.

How do we encourage this culture in our churches?

The Four Ps

As church leaders, it’s tempting to seek structural solutions to cultural problems. We see something we’d like to change about the basic instincts and habits of our church, and we look for the policy we can write to fix it all. For example, consider the example of a pastor desiring to instill a culture of discipling by assigning each church member to a mentoring relationship. Or a church that tries to instill a culture of intentional relationships by requiring each member to join a small group. Or a church that tries to become more neighborhood-focused by “outlawing” small groups outside a fixed geographic area. Sometimes a structural change can be a helpful companion when shifting culture. But if church policy is your main tool for promoting a culture of intentional relationships, I fear that whatever changes you see will be short-lived. Instead, consider four P’s that can lead to persistent cultural change.

  1. Personal example. A culture change does not happen overnight; rather, it is a slow process trickling through the congregation. One person begins investing intentionally in the lives of a few others, who in turn catch the vision and begin living in the same way. Do not undervalue the long-term power of good examples. Select church leaders who model the type of church culture you want (1 Pet. 5:3). Hold up as examples those faithful church members who invest in relationships even though they don’t participate in many church programs. And encourage your own friends in the church to be good examples themselves.
  2. Preaching. Remember, the best church policies in the world cannot change the hearts of your congregation. Where does supernatural change begin? It begins with a spark of faith, ignited as our people hear the Word of Christ. Do not undervalue the ability of faithful preaching to change church culture.

The Compelling Community

The Compelling Community

Mark Dever, Jamie Dunlop

Written to help pastors guide their churches toward authentic fellowship, this book offers theological principles and practical advice related to the two crucial ingredients in a compelling community: commitment and diversity.

3. Prayer. Ask God to do this supernatural work in your own church. Many times, prayer is the most practical thing you “do” to encourage change.

4. Patience. Watching a culture of intentional relationships take root can feel like watching paint dry. We must have faith in the ordinary means of grace. As we preach faithfully, pray and model godly relationships, change will often happen. But as Christ’s servants, our job is not to “effect change.” It is to be faithful. We work diligently to guide our churches in the right direction. And then as much as we long for change, we can rest content with whatever pace our Lord deems best. In fact, the richest harvest from our toil may only become visible long after our time on earth is finished. As Charles Bridges said so well, “The seed may lie under the clods till we lie there, and then spring up.”

This article was written by Jamie Dunlop and Mark Dever and originally appeared here.

 

Hidden, Dangerous, Contagious: 10 Church Diseases You Should Know

By
Chuck Lawless
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

In the 1990s, Peter Wagner published The Healthy Church, a book describing several diseases that churches sometimes exhibit. Some of his descriptions are quite helpful (e.g., koinonitis = excessive, inward fellowship), and the list itself challenges readers to come up with their own descriptions.

Here are 10 diseases I see as I consult with unhealthy churches around the country:

1. Community Disconnect Disease.

Churches with this disease meet within a given community, but they do not know that community. Often, church members drive to the church building, meet as “church” and then drive home—without ever taking note of a changing community around them.

In fact, I’ve seen church members with this disease lock their doors as they drive through the community where their congregation gathers.

2. Methodological Arthritis.

I give credit to my former student Kevin Minchey for naming this condition. The name says it all: This church is stuck in doing things the way they’ve always done them.

Change (that is, movement) is painful, and it’s seemingly easier not to take a step forward. What these churches often don’t recognize is that standing still is also risky.

Eventually, they will not move at all.

3. The “Grass Is Greener” Syndrome.

This syndrome is a malady of leaders who are always looking for the next church leadership position. They establish no roots, and their current congregation is only a stepping-stone to the next place. Because they are always looking elsewhere, they miss the present tense blessings of their ministry.

And, though leaders think otherwise, a church often recognizes when its leader has this syndrome.

After the Shooting: Las Vegas Pastor Has Never Seen the City So Open to the Gospel

By
Megan Briggs
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Shooting
Adobe Stock #217111685

Pastor Chris Marlin and his wife, Katherine, moved to Las Vegas three years ago to serve a church called Grace City. Marlin calls Vegas a “city of transplants” that oftentimes doesn’t feel like much of a community. But after the tragic events of October 1, 2017, Marlin has hope that the city—and the church in particular—can come together to bring about positive change.

“We’re sin city and the biggest thing we need is for Jesus to break through here,” Marlin says.

We caught up with Pastor Marlin to hear his thoughts on how the church can be the church to Las Vegas as it attempts to heal from Sunday’s shooting.

Q: What is it like to live in Las Vegas?

A: We are a city of transplants. Hardly anybody is born and raised here… There’s not a whole lot of city pride… Everyone moves here to make money while you’re a millennial. Maybe you stay until you’re 35 or 40 and then you try to get out.

[The mass shooting] has brought the city together more than anything. In terms of blood banks, they’re at capacity. Everyone I know is collecting gift cards or food and passing out water.

Q: What has your church done to minister to people in the city?

A: We walked the strip yesterday and were praying for people and offering prayer. It was the strangest experience I’ve ever had on the strip. And then my wife and other people went to UNLV (University of Nevada, Las Vegas) and were praying for people there. Especially at UNLV, people are really shaken up and open to things that they haven’t been open to before.

We got to pray for a number of people that I don’t think would claim Jesus as Lord. But one [of our worship leaders], her name’s Lia, felt like the Lord highlighted this woman to her on the bridge as we were walking across Las Vegas Boulevard. She went and she started talking to her, and this woman has three children: One’s in Puerto Rico, one’s in Florida, and one’s in Houston. So, all three of her kids in the last month have lost almost everything because of a hurricane hitting each one of those places. And her husband died two months ago.

This woman used to be in faith, and for almost understandable reasons, has walked away. And she just wept with Lia as Lia prayed for her and shared the gospel with her…and got to pray and speak hope and life into her. This woman actually was at the concert and what she believes was a nine-year-old boy died in her arms. This woman is homeless and she’s hopeless… The woman said, “You know, I thought I was going to go get drunk after this because there is no hope in my life anymore.”

I’ve surveyed our church. There are some people that go straight to meeting physical needs while others of us went out and prayed for people. That’s the body of Christ, where some people are going to be more given to [one form of service than another].

Q: What have you learned from this experience that you can offer to pastors who are trying to help people cope with trauma?

A: The thing I’ve learned most in my few years here is to not come in—especially in times like this—with an agenda. As people are vulnerable (and this is such a time for Kingdom expansion), I don’t want to just let people get through their stories so I can jump straight to how Jesus fixes that. I want to truly be invested in what they’re saying. And of course I’m going to present the gospel because that’s the only thing that truly heals, but I think if we come in with too heavy of an agenda…I think we could maybe do more wounding than even help. But if we truly love the person in front of us—and it’s slower and it’s less efficient, but it’s more real—then we might help less people because it’s going to take longer, but Jesus really loved the one who was in front of him. I think really not coming in with an agenda to shell out the gospel as quickly as we can but actually listen and then say, “How would Jesus respond in this incident?” It might be slower than we would like.

No one wants you to be selling them something in the midst of tragedy. If our primary objective is to love that person, the gospel is going to come out as a natural flow instead of as you’re vulnerable, let me push this on you.

What specific prayer and action points can you offer those who are eager to help Las Vegas?

Prayer points:
1. Pray for the Kingdom to break through. Marlin says he’s never seen people in Las Vegas so open to the gospel than they seem to be in the face of this tragedy.

2. Pray that churches won’t use this as a time to fight against each other, but that “there would be a real unity among churches in the city.”

3. Pray for Christians in Las Vegas to actually go out and be the church. Marlin hopes that there would be “church happening on the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana, and there would be church happening at the airport, and all these other places.”

4. Pray for the move of unity that is happening, especially among younger, smaller churches. Marlin hopes the churches in Vegas would not be hindered by things like territorialism but would focus on a common, Kingdom mission. “Pray that my church would work with the big one and the newest one, and whatever.”

What you can do:
1. Look for reputable churches or organizations on the ground you can give to.

2. Consider sending a team from your church to Grace City or another Las Vegas church to assist in their evangelism efforts. Marlin says his church is ready to receive teams and they have a program already in place through their School of Ministry. More information is available on their site or by contacting info@gracecityvegas.com

Chris MarlinPastor Chris Marlin moved to Las Vegas in 2014 to intern with Grace City after feeling God leading him to leave his job in corporate finance. He is passionate about teaching the Bible and being a part of a family on mission. Chris is now the lead pastor of Grace City Vegas, a church on mission to see Sin City transformed into Grace City.

5 Keys to Lead Children’s Ministry for the Long-Term

By
Greg Baird
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

We all want to lead our ministry well. We want it to thrive. We want it to grow. We want it to succeed. And we want to lead in a manner so that we do all of these things personally, as well.

That can be a challenge.

It’s easy to get sidetracked. To get distracted and busy. To focus on things that catch our eye but, in the end, don’t matter as much. Like program. Is program important? Absolutely! But often we focus so intently on program that we forget all the pillars that should be in place to hold program up. As a result, we are constantly feeding the program beast and that requires short-term thinking. We want to lead for the long-term…

5 Keys to Lead Children’s Ministry for the Long-Term

1. Prioritize Spiritual Formation

  • In your own life. Yes, really! I’ve seen far too many church leaders become “professional” Christians. Don’t let this happen. Practice the spiritual disciplines. Worship. Stay in the Word and in prayer daily. Pursue personal spiritual formation. Let your ministry flow from your own spiritual life…not the other way around.
  • In your ministry. Yes, really! Too many of us replace a real plan for spiritual formation with program. Program—no matter how creative or captivating—is not a plan for spiritual formation. Read this again: Program—no matter how creative or captivating—is not a plan for spiritual formation. Here’s the question I like to ask as I work with churches: If a child were to go through your children’s ministry from birth through preteen, what is the specific plan for spiritual formation along every stage of that journey? If you can’t answer that, you probably don’t have a real plan for spiritual formation.

2. Protect Your Family

Perhaps the most important way to ensure longevity in your leadership is to protect your family. I love Jim Wideman’s quote: “You cannot sacrifice your family on the altar of your ministry.”

Do you want to lead well? Do you want to influence others? Do you want to stay in leadership? Protect your family.

Of course, the primary reason for protecting your family is for the sake of your family. Long after your ministry is gone, your family will still be with you. They are worth protecting, and a benefit of doing so is increasing your ability to lead for the long-term.

3. Promote Vision

First, do you have a clear and compelling vision for your ministry? Second, can you articulate that clear and compelling vision in a manner which influences others? If the answer to either is “no” or “I don’t know,” you need to work on both.

Beyond that, make sure that you are focused on promoting the defined vision. Make sure every decision made is in support of that vision. Make sure that you share the vision with potential leaders. Make sure that your facilities, your program, your systems and procedures, your staff meetings, your training, your…everything!…is pointed straight at that defined, clear and compelling vision.

4. Pursue Leaders, Not Followers

Do you want things done better? Do you want to lighten your load? Do you want greater enthusiasm and engagement in children’s ministry? Do you want more volunteers?

Pursue leaders. 

And don’t try to do so by “recruiting” volunteers…volunteers fill spots to complete a task they’ve been asked to complete. Instead, pursue leaders with an invitation to invest in that grand, clear and compelling vision. When you find them, invest heavily in developing them.

5. People, People, People

If you are a leader in children’s and/or family ministry, your job is about people—adult people.

Can I be direct? Almost always, someone else can and should be:

  • Getting the crafts ready
  • Distributing curriculum
  • Setting up chairs
  • Processing paperwork
  • Scheduling volunteers

And I could go on and on with the “tasks” that I so often see children’s ministry leaders giving themselves to rather than investing in people. Now don’t misunderstand me…I’m NOT saying the leader should be “above” doing those things. And of course we all have to do these types of things sometimes. But if you are the one primarily responsible for tasks such as these, or if you regularly have to do these types of tasks, then you are limiting your ministry and leadership potential.

I’ve had the privilege of being a children’s and/or family pastor in a churches of 250, 2,500, 4,500 and 7,500. Guess what? It was the same in all of them. My job as a leader is to invest in people…to equip and develop people to pursue the ministry vision…period.

What have you learned will help you lead for the long-term?

This article originally appeared here.

Pastor, Everything Builds Toward Sunday

By
Ronnie Floyd
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

In every church, ministries are plentiful and opportunities abound. Pastor, let’s remember: Everything builds toward Sunday! 

Refuse to Be Distracted

If we are not extremely intentional, we can become so busy doing many good things that we are not doing the main things that will help us advance the gospel in our region and move the entire week toward Sunday. Remember, everything builds toward Sunday! 

Be Careful Becoming Cause-Driven

Causes are driving so many Christians today. People hear about or become involved in a cause, and in time, move their energies and resources toward them. Again, this may be a good thing, but we cannot be driven by our causes alone.

We can only be driven by Jesus’ commission, His Great Commission: Going, winning, baptizing and discipling.

Whatever we are involved in during the week, including any good causes, we must remember: Everything builds toward Sunday!

Why Do We Do What We Do? Everything Builds Toward Sunday!

Scripture says Sunday is The Lord’s Day: Each Sunday is Resurrection Sunday! 

The church gathering in obedience to God’s Word to celebrate the death, burial and the victorious resurrection of Jesus Christ is why we worship on Sunday! Sundays are not for the things of this world that distract us: leisure, recreation and, yes, even family time. Sundays are for worship!

Recently, I told our people, “We do not believe infrequent church attendance is God’s will for your life, nor is it a good testimony of your faith or our church.”

Sunday Is About Life Change!

Every act of compassion we are involved in during the week, Bible Study we teach or attend, mentoring session we conduct or participate in, or any cause-related matter we think is important must all conclude with an ask and an arrow!

The Ask: Will you join me this Sunday in worship? 

The Arrow: Listen, we are doing what we are doing because we believe in Jesus’ church that gathers for worship on Sundays, and we want you to join our spiritual family this Sunday! 

Pastor, there is nothing like Sunday! As the church gathers to worship Jesus Christ, lives are changed!

Sunday Is the Day to be With Your Spiritual Family, Jesus’ Church!

People say at times, “Sunday is a family day for us.” The priority should be spending Sunday with your Spiritual Family, Jesus’ Church! On the Lord’s Day, His family first, then your family.

Here is a Fact: There is nothing any greater you can do for your family, on Sunday, than to spend it together with Jesus’ family! 

We need to be careful not to turn our families into idols. Sundays are for worshiping Jesus, not our families.  

Sunday Is the Day We Deliver the Word of God!

Teaching and preaching the Word of God weekly can result in great life-change and Christian maturity. Attending online is good when you are sick or absolutely have to be away, but personally, every family needs to be together with your local spiritual family…his church!

There is NO replacement for it! There is nothing like being with your spiritual family, worshiping Jesus Christ, and leading in and being ministered to from the Word of God.

Pastor, there is nothing like Sunday! Pray for it daily, work toward it continually, and trust God to move like it is your last Sunday on this earth. Make each Sunday count!

This article originally appeared here.

Impact of Sexualized Music on Teens: A Closer Look

By
Jonathan McKee
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

What’s the impact of sexualized music on teens? Explore the ramifications of secular lyrics on young people. And discover what youth ministers and parents can do about this.

It’s a good time to ask that when a chart-topping song says, “I want to show my mouth your favorite places. Let me trespass your danger zones until I make you scream.”

When I speak to parents, I provide a glimpse into the world of youth culture. The apps young people frequent (on their smartphones at an average of two hours and 38 minutes a day). The games they’re playing (teen boys play an average of 56 minutes per day). And the music they’re soaking in (at an average of one hour and 54 minutes per day) (Media Use by Tweens and Teens, page 19 and 31).

Sometimes I play YouTube videos or show lyrics of the top dozen songs for parents to see firsthand. The reaction is always the same: “I didn’t know it was this bad!”

Well, I’ve been doing a long time, and I’ve never seen the top songs this bad. Eleven of the top 12 are sensual, overtly sexual, or about hookups. (And that’s not even considering the violence, language, etc.)

What’s the impact of sexualized music on teens? I’ll show you the research. First, though, let me give you a quick tour. After you sample what kids are hearing, the research will make perfect sense.

And if you’re offended by these lyrics—good! I hope you are. Because these are just the most popular songs (literally) that young people are listening to right now on their devices.

Here’s the top 12 on the charts from September 2017:


Billboard magazine does the chore of translating what they describe as “less than innocent” lyrics. Lyrics like the ones I posted above, or “I want to undress you in kisses slowly, firmly in the walls of your labyrinth.” (I’ll leave that interpretation up to you.) The music video is ridiculously sensual.



We shouldn’t expect much from a song that opens with Rihanna singing, “Know you wanna see me nakey, nakey, naked.” Butit gets worse, like when Bryson Tiller kicks in:

I heard that p**sy for the taking
I heard it got these other n**gas goin’ crazy
Yeah, I treat you like a lady, lady
f**k you ’til you’re burned out, cremation (burned out)
Make it cream, yeah …


Just when you thought it couldn’t get any more explicit than Wild Thoughts, ex stripper Cardi B chimes in bragging about her expensive shoes, her accomplishments and what she will do with your boyfriend. She gets specific:

I might just feel on your babe, my p**sy feel like a lake
He wanna swim with his face, I’m like, “Okay”


It’s nice to see this song in the top of the charts, literally the only song that isn’t about hooking up, shooting someone or bragging how rich they are.

Take a breath … it’s the only one on the list.


The music video for this is very sensual; the song, tame compared the rest of this list. It’s just a story of a girl who is trying to get the attention of a guy she broke up with by putting on a sexy dress and “going round every party in LA “cause you knew that I’d be at one.” No solutions, just drama.

But what do we expect? After-school-special solutions? I don’t think songs about “doing your homework” or “sharing your lunch with a homeless guy” are making the charts right now. (I’d settle for a song about walking your beagle? Anyone? Couldn’t that be a hit? Maybe not.)

Continue

What You Need to Know About the Millennial Exodus from Church

By
Carolyn Custis James
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

The Millennial exodus is very real. Regarding Millennials leaving church, David Kinnaman with the Barna Group says that “Christianity has an image problem among American youth.”

Millennials Leaving Church

In his ominously titled book The End of White Christian America, Robert P. Jones (CEO, Public Religion Research Institute) chronicles the demise of the white American church.

Among the symptoms that have led to this terminal diagnosis, Jones identifies a “major force of change in the religious landscape: young adults’ rejection of organized religion. Young adults are three times as likely as seniors to claim no religious affiliation.”

These aren’t just un-churched youths, which would be bad enough. Young people—even those raised by Christian parents, who’ve grown up in the church, walked the aisle, given their lives to Jesus, gone on mission trips and graduated from Christian colleges—are leaving the American church in droves.

Many view this ongoing exodus as a catastrophic development for the church that cannot be taken lightly. This isn’t simply about declining numbers. The future of the church’s mission is at stake. According to many millennials, something is deeply wrong with the white evangelical church. And they are voting with their feet.

The unchecked bleeding of any organism will prove fatal sooner or later. Far too much is at stake if we ignore this millennial exodus or chalk it up to normal generational differences, assuming that in time they will “come to their senses.”

So far, this trend is not reversing. If we cannot manage to keep and mobilize our own, how can we hope effectively to reach others of this rising generation?

What Post-Evangelical Millennials Are Saying About the Millennial Exodus

A 2006 Barna survey of 16- to 29-year-olds found “three attributes young Americans associated with ‘present day Christianity’ were being antigay (91 percent), judgmental (87 percent) and hypocritical (85 percent).”

From time to time, various evangelical leaders and organizations circulate political and theological statements and manifestos regarding issues they collectively consider paramount—mainly, abortion and gay marriage. To which journalist Jonathan Merritt (son of a former Southern Baptist Convention president) responded with what Jones describes as “the literary equivalent of a shrug.” Merritt (a millennial himself) argued that these statements create what he called “a false hierarchy of issues, with older generations contending that only a few hot button issues are worthy of attention.”

According to Merritt,

Younger Christians believe that our sacred Scriptures compel us to offer a moral voice on a broad range of issues… The Bible speaks often about life and sexuality, but it also speaks often on other issues, like poverty, equality, justice, peace and care of creation. (141)

Millennials inhabit the 21st century and the changes and opportunities it offers. They aren’t contemplating returning to a long-gone era that their parents and grandparents nostalgically long for. Their friendships are crossing gender and racial lines. They’re not interested in internal debates that captivate and divide evangelicals. Issues the institutional church deems threatening and hills to die on are non-issues to them.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Life

By
Derwin Gray
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Pastors have a lot going on. We have to be present mentally, emotionally and physically in many circumstances throughout each week. We often have families that are, or should be, a priority. We have responsibilities that pull us in many directions daily.

As the lead pastor for a church as well as a speaker, author and doctoral student, I’m often asked, “Pastor, what is the key to your productivity?” Here are some principles I like to remember in order to be productive and try to maximize my God-given potential.

1. Know your calling

We are all first called to receive, embrace and live from the life of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. In response to the love of God, through the Holy Spirit’s power, we grow in our love for God.

For me, after that, I am called to love my wife and then my children.

I am called to serve and shepherd Transformation Church.

I am called to influence and encourage other pastors.

I am called to be an author.

I am called to complete a doctorate in the New Testament in context.

The specifics of your calling will differ, but by knowing and stewarding our callings, we can be free of the “tyranny of the urgent.” Once we clearly define our priorities, then if it’s not on that list, we really need to consider if it’s the best use of our time and other resources.

2. Simplify and declutter your life

A lack of productivity in people’s lives is often the result of not knowing our calling and having a cluttered life, filled with activities but not production.

In our 21st-century world, choices are everywhere, and we often clutter our lives with too many options because we are afraid we are going to miss out on something. The older I get, the more I realize that by doing less, I can accomplish more because I can focus my energy and abilities into my calling. God did not put us here to do everything but to do his specific assignments.

3. Focus

In a world of Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook, Netflix binges and Internet connectivity, we can easily lose focus on our callings. To concentrate on one thing in a world where peripheral things are calling our names constantly, mental toughness is required. Set limits and add accountability to help block out the noise.

4. Be disciplined

In this case, I define discipline as doing what you are supposed to do when it’s supposed to be done. There is too much at stake for the people I love and for me to not be disciplined. I often hear people complain about not being productive. Often the reason is a lack of discipline.

5. Be ready to sacrifice

To really own your calling and be productive, it will require great sacrifice. I was working out with my son on a hot day in the local high school football stadium. No one was there, just him and me. I said, “Son, this is where greatness is cultivated, in the stadium, when no one is here watching you. A lot of your friends are at home playing video games, but you are out here sacrificing to develop your God-given talent. Greatness requires great sacrifice.” The great Muhammad Ali put it this way, “The fight is won or lost far away from the witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road; long before I dance under those lights.” What do you need to sacrifice to develop your God-given gift(s)?

6. Surround yourself with great people.

My late grandmother used to tell me, “Birds of a feather flock together.” I learned that the people I surround myself with will influence and determine where I go in life. I’ve learned to invite around me people who love Jesus, who are smarter than me, and who stretch and pull God-given talent out of me.

So, how do you discover your calling?

Most importantly, how do you discover your calling? We discover our calling by being intimate (“into me you see”) with Jesus. The closer we are to him, the more we will know that he’s shaped us to leave our unique imprints on the world. This takes time; be patient.

We can learn to rely on the power of the One who called us to be productive for his glory, our joy, and for the sake of the world: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me“ (1 Cor. 15:10, ESV).

Marinate on that.

This article originally appeared here.

Pastor, Remember Your Wife Is the MOST Vulnerable Person in Your Church

By
Joe McKeever
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

We’re all vulnerable.

Everyone who walks in the church door can be helped or hurt in what happens during the next hour. Whether saint or sinner, preacher or pew-sitter, oldtimer or newcomer, child or geezer, everyone is vulnerable and should be treated respectfully, faithfully, carefully.

No one in the church family is more vulnerable than the pastor’s wife.

She is the key figure in the life of the pastor and plays the biggest role in his success or failure. (Note: I am fully aware that in some churches the pastor is a woman. In such cases, what follows would hardly pertain to her household.)

 

And yet, many churches treat her as an unpaid employee, an uncalled assistant pastor, an always-available office volunteer, a biblical expert and a psychological whiz.

She is almost always a reliable helper as well as an under-appreciated servant.

You might not think so, but she is the most vulnerable person in the building. That is to say, she is the single most likely person to become the victim of malicious gossip, sneaky innuendo, impossible expectations and pastoral frustrations.

The pastor’s wife can be hurt in a hundred ways—through attacks on her husband, her children, herself. Her pain is magnified by one great reality: She cannot fight back.

She cannot give a certain member a piece of her mind for criticizing the pastor’s children, cannot straighten out the deacon who is making life miserable for her husband, cannot stand up to the finance committee who, once again, failed to approve a needed raise, or the building and grounds committee that postponed repair work on the pastorium.

She has to take it in silence, most of the time.

It takes the best Christian in the church to be a pastor’s wife and pull it off. And that’s the problem: In most cases, she’s pretty much the same kind of Christian as everyone else. When the enemy attacks, she bleeds.

The pastor’s wife has no say-so in how the church is run and receives no pay, yet she has a lot to do with whether her husband gets called to that church and succeeds once he arrives.

That’s why I counsel pastors to include with their resume a photo of their family. The search committee will want to see the entire family, particularly the pastor’s wife, and will try to envision whether they would “fit” in “our” church.

The pastor’s wife occupies no official position, was not the object of a church vote and gives no regular reports to the congregation on anything. And yet, no one person in the church is more influential in making the pastor a success—or a resounding failure—than she.

5 Questions to Ask Yourself When You Feel Inadequate as a Leader

By
Carey Nieuwhof
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

If you’ve led anything, you’re likely familiar with the feeling.

You wonder whether you have what it takes.

Maybe you even wonder how you got this job/task/assignment/responsibility.

And you just don’t know if you can accomplish the responsibility you’ve been given.

I felt this again yesterday. I was getting up to preach (something I’ve done for over 25 years), and for some reason, my main thought 60 seconds before I was scheduled to begin was: “I don’t think I have anything helpful to say.”

You’d think after decades of senior leadership, those thoughts would disappear. And if you think that, you’d be wrong.

So much in leadership is a mental game—an important game. What you think ultimately determines what you do (or don’t do).

And if you think that’s just talk, I promise you that every day there are leaders who hold back, scale back and even quit entirely because they feel inadequate, when in fact, they were very much up to the call.

And that plays right into the enemy’s hands.

If you take yourself out, the enemy won’t have to. He’s already won.

Don’t get me wrong, sometimes you’re the right person in the wrong role. Sometimes you should back off and walk away.

But most days, for most people, that’s just not true. Far too many leaders quit moments before their critical breakthrough.

So what should you do when you feel inadequate as a leader?

Try asking yourself these five questions.

1. Are You Tired?

You know what one of my problems was Sunday morning?

I was tired.

I had woken up at 3:30 a.m. on Sunday morning (which is even early for me). By the time the services rolled around, I was pretty much spent; it had been a full week, and I didn’t have a normal day off.

Your emotions tell you all kinds of things that aren’t true when you’re tired. And mine were telling me things that I knew objectively weren’t true.

I felt like just deciding not to preach that morning, or having the production crew play back the 9:00 service at 10:30. Had I let that thought train ride all the way, I might have just decided to stop preaching entirely. Maybe my time is done. Maybe I have nothing to add, ever.

Sure, I wasn’t even close to throwing in the towel, but get tired enough for long enough and you never know what you’ll do. In my seasons where my fatigue pushed me toward burnout, my mind has gone in many unhelpful directions.

Emotional decisions are terrible decisions.

If you’re tired, the cure is simple: Get some sleep. You’ll see and think better in the morning.

2. Are You Unprepared?

Sometimes you may feel inadequate. But drill down a little deeper and you’ll realize you’re not inadequate, you’re just unprepared.

Sometimes you just didn’t study hard enough, prepare early enough or do enough background research. (I had done a lot of study for this message and had written it weeks in advance, so even that wasn’t rationally the reason I was struggling.)

Sure, all of us struggle with imposter symptom to some extent (Is this the day they figure out I don’t really know what I’m doing?), but almost no one is fully qualified for the work to which they’re called.

I still have recurring dreams/nightmares that I’m scheduled to give a sermon or a conference talk and show up completely unprepared, get hustled out on stage and have to wing it.

In reality, I prepare weeks ahead of time for virtually everything I am asked to do.

At least that levels the playing field.

But if you’re struggling with whether or not you’re adequate, ask yourself, are you well prepared? If not, prepare.

Life is unkind to the unprepared, so prepare.

3. What Are Other People Thinking And Saying?

How you feel is one thing.

But most leaders are not the best judges of how well they’re doing.

You will most likely think you’re doing better than you really are, or that you’re doing worse than you are.

Honest feedback will help you figure that out.

You get a much better perspective on the true state of things by learning how are other people feeling. What are they thinking?

What other people think about you can be incredibly grounding.

So, what great people do you have around you that could give you some perspective on how things are going?

Continue

3 Ways to Pray for Las Vegas: It’s a Powerful (Not Political) Act for Christians

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

This morning, most Americans are waking up to news of another mass shooting—this time in Las Vegas—and, this time, the worst in our country’s history.

We will sit in front of the TV, our regular morning routine put on hold as we see the all-too-familiar images of police setting up barricades, victims being evacuated and a slowly increasing casualty count scrolling across the bottom of the screen. In our shock, we often default to news consumption, waiting on every bit of information:

Who was the shooter and why did he do this?

What about the wounded?

What does this mean moving forward?

What needs to change in our country?

These questions are important questions, but let me propose for Christians that after we have learned of the shooting, we turn away a moment from news consumption and turn toward prayer.

#ThoughtsAndPrayers?

I wrote in response to San Bernardino that prayer is often depicted as “not enough” or, even worse, as political posturing. But Scripture both models and teaches that prayer is central to the Christian life. Regrettably, #ThoughtsAndPrayers was already trending this morning on Twitter, but not in a good way.

Some will criticize politicians for their prayers today, calling them to action. But, I’m not a lawmaker and I think prayer is action. Not the only action needed, but a good one right now in this moment.

I don’t know all the details and I am not in Las Vegas, but I do have a heavenly father who hears my prayers as I cry out to him.

Here are three things you can pray for this morning as you process these news stories.

Read this: After the Shooting: Las Vegas Pastor Has Never Seen the City So Open to the Gospel

1. Pray for the Victims

As of this morning there are at least 50 people dead and over 200 injured. As was the case with Orlando, San Bernardino, Newton and others in recent memory, mass casualty attacks invariably leave a wake of destruction. And, if we are honest, in addition to feeling sadness, we are angry. Indeed, if we look at Scripture, we find that this response is normal.

As those who want to see God’s kingdom come here on earth, our anger is a reflection of how things are not right in this world. In fact, our anger can spur us on to greater love and deeper prayer for God’s healing and shalom to come during times of great tragedy like this.

As we recognize our anger, we then pray with an attitude of confession and expectation. Nehemiah’s prayer in chapter one is an example of one receiving terrible news of devastation far away. He started his prayer and fasting by confessing his own sin. He then gave himself to the task and expected that God would empower him to be a blessing. So can we.

So we pray for healing for the survivors and for their loved ones. We ask God to bring not only physical and emotional healing, but spiritual assistance. This spiritual assistance takes many forms—words of encouragement from believers spoken at the right time and in the right attitude, reminders that we have a God who cares for us and who himself is familiar with great pain, etc.

2. Pray for Our Civic Leaders

In the political division we face, praying for our civic leaders can be difficult for many of us. This past week has been a good example of that.

Of course, people will bring lots of issues to these conversations. But, when a national tragedy occurs, before we begin arguing about who is right and wrong and why this happened and how we can stop it, we first sit in the pain and weep with those who weep.

Indeed, questions of mental health, gun laws and the source of the hate are, indeed, appropriate questions to ask and discuss. But 1 Timothy 2:1-2 actually commands us to pray in intercession and thanksgiving for “kings and all those in authority.” Leading through crisis is harrowing and can be magnified by everyone looking to you for answers. The president, Congress, and local law enforcement are not only grieving as we are, but are responsible to lead in the aftermath.

Regardless of our political divisions and how personally difficult it is to pray for certain civic officials, our faith demands that we submit ourselves in humility to praying for our leaders. You can join me in praying for Las Vegas sheriff Joseph Lombardo, Las Vegas mayor Carolyn Goodman, Nevada governor Brian Sandoval and President Trump.

Pray honestly and fervently for their wisdom in navigating the treacherous roads ahead. Pray that they’d make wise choices for the safety of our nation and its people. Pray that they would have wisdom and discernment during the crisis so as to bring unity and leadership to those in need.

3. Pray for Las Vegas Churches

Las Vegas is often known as “sin city,” and (surely) some fool will say this is the judgement of God, forgetting that Bible-belt Houston was just hit with a hurricane. And, of course, some in the media will make that person that no one has ever heard of into a nationally prominent voice.

As Christ-followers, our place is not to judge, but to humble ourselves in unity with our brothers and sisters who are grieving.

We must pray for the churches in Las Vegas to be ministers of the gospel in the midst of this loss. As Paul asked of the early church in Colossians 4:3, we must pray that God would open a window for us to share the love of Christ in the midst of the pain. Just as God’s church has led the response to hurricane relief, pray that it would now again be a light in Las Vegas. They need all of our encouragement and support during this time.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I visited with my friend Vance Pitman of Hope Church in Las Vegas. Their church has been, as their name says, a bearer of hope for many years in Las Vegas, but that word takes on new meaning now.

And many other churches will bear that hope as well. And, we pray they will.

Going Forward on Our Knees

Now, we must do more than pray. Issues, some controversial, must be addressed. But, all of us can agree to pray in this moment.

Let’s pray for comfort for the hurting, echoing the words of Paul speaking of God, “who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Cor. 1:4).

Then, we can pray the words of Jesus: “Thy kingdom come, thy will done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). Clearly, the world is not as Jesus desires it to be, and we pray for him to make all things right. God’s kingdom is one that is holy and right and without pain and suffering. Lord Jesus, this is what we long for today and always.

Maranatha. Come quickly, Lord, and fix this broken world.

For us, #PrayForLasVegas is not a political act. It’s actually a powerful one.

This article originally appeared here.

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