Big, Unfriendly Churches Are Bad — But Small Unfriendly Churches Are Dangerous

August 26, 2024

People are only capable of having relationships with so many people. We don’t need studies to tell us that. We know it instinctively. That’s why we all behave differently in a large crowd than we do in a small group. When there are thousands of people in a room, we expect to be an audience, so we become one. Even the presence of a few hundred people causes us to slip into the role of passive observer instead of active participant. That’s not to say that a large crowd is bad, but the mere fact of its size causes us to act more passively, even in church. So even in unfriendly churches we put on our polite crowd-smile and become an audience.

But it’s different in a smaller group. We expect people to say hello. We hope for connection. We want to be a part of the conversation.

Today’s post is not a slam on big churches. None of my posts will ever be that. Instead, it’s intended to serve as a caution to Small Churches. Friendliness is not more likely in a Small Church. But it is more important.

Crowd Dynamics and Unfriendly Churches

Because of crowd dynamics, people expect a degree of anonymity in a big church. So if they feel a little lonely, that’s OK. They put on their big-crowd face and soldier on.

But in a Small Church, it’s very different. People come to a Small Church expecting (at least hoping) for connection. They often want it so badly that they feel frightened and exposed by the mere fact of driving into the parking lot.

Walking into a Small Church for the first time can be an act of great vulnerability. They know there won’t be anywhere to hide. So when someone feels ignored in a big church, it’s pretty bad. But when someone feels ignored in a Small Church, it can be downright brutal, even scarring to their heart and their spirit.

Friendliness, warmth and connection are not automatic in any church. Big churches know this. Small Churches tend to forget it. And when we forget it unfriendly churches can hurt people deeply.

An unfriendly Small Church can be a dangerous thing.

Big churches are aware of crowd dynamics, so most of them work really hard at overcoming the pull toward anonymity. Many of them succeed and are very friendly. It may even be one of the reasons they became big.

Small Churches need to work just as hard at friendliness, warmth and connection as our large church counterparts do. Maybe even harder, because friendliness is more expected and needed when the crowd is smaller.

Developing a Healthy Culture of Honor

Dan Reiland

August 25, 2024

How would you describe and define a healthy culture of honor?

My observation is that churches demonstrate a wide variance of who is honored and how honor is demonstrated.

If you value a culture of honor in your staff or whole church, I hope these thoughts are helpful to you.

Let me quickly say that I have no desire to critique any particular expression of honor, my hope is to write about a healthy culture of honor overall.

To do that we need to start with Scripture. Any church and staff culture that practices the value of honor without a biblical foundation to guide it is destined for disappointment.

That doesn’t suggest that there is sin, evil, or malice in play. It is simply that we are profoundly human.

Romans 12:9-13 is a good starting point for this topic.

The context is important. The passage describes who we are, what we value and how we treat each other.

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

This passage in Romans, specifically verse 10, makes clear that we are to honor each other, not just one or a select few, and the qualifier is honoring above ourselves.

Honor means to ascribe value, give recognition, and show appreciation.

Honor isn’t meant to be given randomly. We should honor what is honorable and honor where honor is due rather than insincerely flattering others. The key is that honor never loses sight of humility, so it can be uplifting to everyone.

Romans 12:9-10 indicates that the foundation of honor is love, and that love is qualified as sincere, not fake or forced.

The idea is that we would regard one another as persons of value. Another perspective or lens for honor is the idea of respect.

Cultivate a Healthy Culture of Honor

1. Honoring Others Begins and Ends With Honoring God.

The best way to keep the right perspective regarding honoring others is to always honor God first and highest.

Honor isn’t about putting someone on a pedestal or suggesting they are better than others. It’s an awareness of the value of others and letting them know. It is appropriate recognition and appreciation that often comes from gratitude.

One of the most appropriate guardrails for a healthy culture is to always honor God first in our lives. We can honor him with our words, actions, love and character.

The following Psalm is one of my favorites and is one of dozens that describes the honor due to God.

For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. (Psalm 95:3-7)

6 Tests To Know if Someone Is a True Friend

Brian Dodd

August 24, 2024

One of the things many leaders struggle with the most is loneliness. Many feel like everyone wants something from them. They don’t know who to trust.

Therefore, many leaders want to know if there is a criteria on how to recognize if someone is a true friend or not. Well, fortunately there is and the answer is located in the best leadership book ever written.

In the Bible, the book of 2 Timothy is Paul’s deathbed letter to Timothy. I love this book because Paul is about to die and therefore, cuts through the clutter and tells us what is most important in this life. One of those things is genuine friendships.Second Timothy 1:15-18 (ESV) says,

You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me—may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day!—and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus.

Paul identifies the following five tests to know if someone is a true friend. They are:

Committed – “all who are in Asia turned away from me”
Consistent – “he often”
Caring – “refreshed me”
Courageously Loyal – “was not ashamed of my chains”
Chasing – “but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me”

I promised you a sixth quality in this article’s title. Second Timothy 2:3 says, “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”

The sixth quality of a true friend is they are willing to pay a COST to be your friend.

A soon-to-be martyred Paul asked Timothy to share in his suffering. Foxe’s Book of Martyrs reads, “Timothy was the celebrated disciple of St. Paul, and bishop of Ephesus, where he zealously governed the Church until A.D. 97. At this period, as the pagans were about to celebrate a feast called Catagogion, Timothy, meeting the procession, severely reproved them for their ridiculous idolatry, which so exasperated the people that they fell upon him with their clubs, and beat him in so dreadful a manner that he expired of the bruises two days later.”

Timothy was one of Paul’s true friends.

Conclusion

Are you looking for a true friend. Find someone who is:

Committed – when times are tough or inconvenient.
Consistent – they are always there.
Caring – they are kind people who are about others.
Courageously Loyal – when I am not popular.
Chasing – they search for me when I have fallen away.
Cost – they are willing to pay one.

Do you have any friends who pass these tests? More importantly, are you the type of friend who passes these tests?

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

Christians Respond to Donald Trump’s Promise That His Administration ‘Will Be Great’ for Women’s ‘Reproductive Rights’

Jesse T. Jackson

August 23, 2024

In a post on Truth Social on Friday, former President Donald Trump said that if he is elected this November, his “administration will be great for women and their reproductive rights.”

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “reproduction rights” are defined as “the rights of women as individuals to control and make decisions relating to reproduction, esp. with regard to contraception and abortion.”

During his first term as president, Trump vowed to appoint conservative justices to the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. Trump kept his promise, resulting in the historic Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which gave abortion legislative power back to the individual states.

Since losing his re-election bid in 2020, Trump has gradually softened his stance on abortion, especially as the nation moves closer to the November election.

Nevertheless, Trump’s opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, has proven far more liberal on the issue, telling voters at the Democratic National Convention this week that “when Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedoms, as president of the United States, I will proudly sign it in to law.”

Christians, some of whom endorsed the former president’s policies in the past, were quick to push back on Trump’s post.

Ed Stetzer, Outreach Magazine editor-in-chief and dean of Talbot School of Theology, responded to Trump by sharing an article he wrote, titled “What’s a Pro-Life Christian To Do in This Election?”

“When the party dropped the language (and ignored the pro-life leaders who spoke up), I said, ‘I’ve voted for a convictional pro-life candidate in every presidential election since I was allowed to vote,” Stetzer wrote in the article, which was published on ChurchLeaders. “It’s not a political choice, it’s a moral choice. I’ll vote pro-life again this time, because the unborn still matter.’”

“I still will,” he added. “Most evangelical Christians will factor in the life issue, because for them, like me, life is a paramount issue.”

“I encourage you to value the unborn as well,” Stetzer wrote. “I don’t tell people how to vote—that’s binding the conscience in ways with which I am not comfortable, but facts are our friends. And these are the facts.”

“However, I will say this: The unborn deserve better, and I’ll use my vote accordingly,” he concluded.

Cross Timbers Church Is Losing More Leaders, As Founding Pastors Resign

Stephanie Martin

August 23, 2024

More upheaval is occurring at Cross Timbers, a megachurch in Argyle, Texas. Founding Cross Timbers Church Pastors Brian Hackney and Jamie Hackney, a married couple, are resigning effective Aug. 31.

This news follows the late-July resignation of Cross Timbers Senior Pastor Josiah Anthony for what church elders described as “inappropriate and hurtful” behavior. Then on Aug. 12, Byron Copeland, the executive pastor who was originally slated to step in as interim lead pastor, resigned.

Cross Timbers Church Founders Resign

In a statement to congregants, Cross Timbers Church elders said the Hackneys had been “instrumental in building and growing our church family” since January 2000. “In recent months,” they added, “Brian and Jamie have sensed their season as staff [members] was coming to a close, and have decided that now is the time to make their departure.”

Elders thanked the couple for their “open communication” during the process and assured congregants that church leaders have “a renewed energy” and “a forward-facing posture.”

While at the nondenominational Cross Timbers, Brian Hackney served as a worship pastor and campus pastor before heading The Healing Place, the church’s counseling ministry. Jamie Hackney identifies herself as a marriage and family pastor. She also served as a Care Coach at The Healing Place. The Hackneys, who’ve been married 34 years, have three adult children.

In their statement, elders encouraged church members to visit with the Hackneys on Aug. 25, their final Sunday on staff.

Recent Staffing Shakeups at Cross Timbers Church

Cross Timbers Church, located 30 miles north of Fort Worth, has a weekly attendance of 5,000. Staffing shakeups at the Texas megachurch began with the July 28 announcement that Senior Pastor Josiah Anthony had resigned due to “inappropriate and hurtful” actions.

Initially, church elders indicated those actions were related to Anthony’s “prolonged and sustained season of struggle with his emotional and mental health”—and did not “include any children, physical or sexual interactions or any illegal activity to our knowledge.”

But in an Aug. 1 email, elders offered more details about Anthony’s departure—and provided a new plan for interim leadership. “Upon further investigation,” elders wrote, “we discovered that Josiah was not forthcoming or transparent, and had a concerning pattern of behavior communicating inappropriately with women.” Although the communication wasn’t sexual, the elders noted, it was “excessively personal” and “overly familiar.”

After Anthony resigned, elders said, they “learned about additional inappropriate comments he made in text messages and through social media that were sexual in nature.” The elders emphasized that they don’t consider the encounters to be “emotional affairs” or “consensual,” due to the “power dynamic” involved.

The elders’ Aug. 1 email also indicated that the interim lead pastor role would be filled by Founding Pastor Toby Slough, not Executive Pastor Byron Copeland. The change of plans, elders said, “is not due to the lapse of Byron’s service to Cross Timbers” but his “gracious deference to the most trusted and qualified person to tend to the hearts of Cross Timbers” during the pastoral transition.

4 New Charges Brought Against Former Michigan Pastor in Child Sex Abuse Case

Dale Chamberlain

August 23, 2024

A former Michigan pastor is facing four new charges in an ongoing child sex abuse case. Michael Ronald Goble, formerly the pastor of the now-defunct Church of the Good Shepherd in Adrian, Michigan, was originally arrested in July and charged with two counts of criminal sexual conduct in the second degree.

In July, two victims were identified, both of whom were younger than age 13 at the time of the alleged abuse.

At the time of Goble’s arrest, police said that “more victims are believed to exist that have not yet been identified.”

The original charges were the result of accusations that Goble, 75, sexually abused two brothers on separate occasions as they helped him with yard work at his home. These incidents are alleged to have occurred in 2022 and earlier this year.

Now Goble is facing four additional charges: two counts of second degree criminal sexual conduct with a person younger than 13 and two counts of second degree criminal sexual conduct with a detained juvenile.

These new charges relate to allegations from then-detained juveniles at Lenawee County’s juvenile detention facility. These two victims claim that the incidents occurred between August 2011 and March 2013 and between September 2012 and August 2014.

According to The Daily Telegram, tempers flared at a court hearing on Monday when the father of two of the alleged victims stormed out of the room and loudly slammed the door, reportedly uttering an apparent threat of physical violence toward Goble on his way out.

Judge Laura J. Schaedler had court officers escort the father back into the courtroom.

After Goble had been escorted out, Schaedler told the father, “I prosecuted people like Pastor Goble for 20 years of my life…I do understand the anxiety and anger that creates.”

However, Schaedler told the father that his conduct was not helping the situation and would not regain what his sons had lost.

‘Emotional Pornography’—Allie Beth Stuckey Warns Christian Women To Avoid ‘It Ends With Us’

Jessica Lea

August 23, 2024

Conservative commentator Allie Beth Stuckey warned Christian women that the novel, “It Ends With Us,” is “emotional porn” and encouraged people to stay away from the new movie based on the popular book by Colleen Hoover.

“Whether it’s intentional or not,” said Stuckey, “when you are writing these hot and heavy romantic scenes with a woman and her abuser, you are almost glorifying the abuse. Because women, unfortunately, still get attached to that abusive character.”

‘It Ends With Us’ Draws Mixed Reactions

“It Ends With Us” is a bestselling romance novel published in 2016 by Colleen Hoover that portrays a woman in an abusive relationship, one which Hoover has said is based on that of her own parents.

The movie, starring Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Jenny Slate, and Brandon Sklenar, released in the U.S. on Aug. 9 and has grossed over $204 million worldwide as of this writing. The story follows Lily Bloom (Lively), who ends up in an abusive relationship with Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni) and later reconnects with her childhood sweetheart (Sklenar).

Stuckey, who has read the book but not seen the movie, warned her followers away from Hoover’s content. “Women eat up Colleen Hoover books,” said Stuckey. The novel was “super easy to read,” but, Stuckey said, “I had to skip over so many parts. Why? Because [it was] so sexually explicit. It is pornography. It is sexual pornography, and it is also emotional pornography.”

“Can we just say this?” Stuckey asked. “Can we just realize that just because something is fiction, just because you are reading something, does not mean it is ok to consume?”

Women who are struggling with “escapism, with fantasy, with lust…do not need to be reading these books,” and there is no need for women who don’t have these struggles to expose themselves to temptation, she said. Given books like “It Ends With Us,” Stuckey believes it makes sense that women are having thoughts about “sex and promiscuity” as well as being compelled by “this girl boss, god-of-self world that women occupy, this self-empowerment, this self savior complex.”

As the movie’s title suggests, the story is about ending a generational cycle of abuse, and “in general, I think that that is a good message,” said Stuckey. “Of course, I want women to escape their abuser. Of course I want women to be with a guy who is strong in the right way.”

It could be that the book and movie will help some women escape abusive relationships. “That is a good thing,” she said, “but I still would never encourage a woman to consume this kind of content.”

Foundations of Faith and the Future of Evangelism: A Look at the Lausanne Movement, part 1

Ed Stetzer

August 23, 2024

Fifty years ago, evangelical leaders around the world recognized the need to think and work together for the mission God had given them. Meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1974, they laid out the priorities for Christian mission at the end of the 20th century.

This meeting birthed the Lausanne Movement.

In September in Seoul, Korea, I will join thousands of evangelical leaders from around the world on the 50th anniversary of the Lausanne Movement, for the fourth global Lausanne Congress (L4). We will gather because we believe the Lausanne Movement continues to play a critical role in mobilizing evangelical Christians for global missions.

As we prepare for our gathering, we should remember the foundational principles that have shaped the movement along with how these principles can guide the future of evangelism.

The Origins and Purpose of the Lausanne Movement

The Lausanne Movement was founded by two significant figures of 20th-century Christianity: Billy Graham and John Stott. Both men recognized the need for a global movement that would unite evangelical Christians around the task of world evangelization. At its core, the Lausanne Movement aims at mobilizing the church to show and share the love of Jesus across the globe.

The movement’s full name, the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, reflects its primary focus. This focus in part responded to earlier mission movements that had lost sight of their original purpose. Specifically, the “conciliar” missions movement was over 60 years old, and had drifted from its missionary purpose.

At the 1910 World Missionary Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, world Christians (though primarily from Western nations) gathered with the ambitious goal of evangelizing the world within their generation. However well-intentioned, the movement made some critical mistakes. Most notably, the conference neglected to outline core and non-negotiable theological beliefs. I call this failure the “Edinburgh Error.” Soon the movement drifted.

By the time the International Missionary Council (IMC) was absorbed into the World Council of Churches (WCC), an emphasis on personal conversion and church planting had diminished significantly. Instead, the work focused on “larger evangelism”—meaning societal transformation—often at the expense of the proclamation of the gospel and the call to repent and believe.

This shift concerned Graham and Stott, and created the need for a movement that would maintain a clear theological foundation and a strong commitment to evangelism. The Lausanne Movement was born out of this concern that the global church should remain focused on the task of evangelizing the world.

The Need for Theological Clarity

The Edinburgh Error reminds us of the importance of a clear theological foundation. The early conciliar movement’s failure to lay such a foundation eventually led to a drift away from proclaiming the gospel so that men and women might respond in repentance and faith and be converted. The Lausanne Movement must avoid repeating this mistake.

Theological clarity is essential for maintaining the integrity of the church’s mission. The proclamation of the gospel must remain central to the church’s mission, and proclamation requires a clear understanding of what the gospel is and what it demands of us. Without this “theological gospel,” the church risks losing the unique calling it has in the world. Without the theological gospel, the church becomes little different than any other social institution.

Those at the upcoming Lausanne Congress will need to articulate clearly what we mean by “evangelism,” and how evangelism relates to the larger mission of the church. Specifically, we must clearly define the relationship between “proclamation” and “demonstration” or “sharing” and “showing” the love of Jesus. Likewise, we must address contemporary challenges such as secularism, religious pluralism, and the rise of the “nones” (those who claim no religious affiliation).

Greg Laurie Reveals Powerful Message From Billy Graham, How Generation Hungry For God Is Responding to the Gospel

Billy Hallowell

August 23, 2024

Greg Laurie Billy Graham — Photo: Greg Laurie/Harvest

Pastor Greg Laurie has helped lead tens of thousands of people to the Christian faith, calling his decades in ministry a true “privilege.”

“I can’t believe that God allowed me to do this and to be doing it for 35 years,” Laurie recently told CBN News. “[When] we started these Harvest Crusade [events], never did we think we would be doing them 35 years later, but we are, and they’re going strong, and it’s a whole new generation.”

With so much chaos unfolding in culture, the preacher said he believes recent positive reactions to the Christian faith show there’s a “spiritual hunger” among Generation Z and Millennials.

“They’re searching,” Laurie said. “They’re looking for answers, and I find myself in these crusades being simpler than I’ve ever been. I just feel my job is to make this information accessible and understandable.”

He continued, “It is my belief that most Americans have never [encountered an] accurate, understandable presentation of the Gospel. They’ve heard the word ‘Gospel.’ They’ve heard variations of Gospel preaching, but have they actually just heard the simple Gospel message presented in a way that they can comprehend?”

Laurie said he believes this simple message is one found at the heart of the biblical narrative.

“The power of our message is in the death [and] resurrection of Jesus Christ,” he said.

Laurie recalled a dinner he had years ago with the late evangelist the Rev. Billy Graham. During the conversation, Laurie asked what Graham would say to a younger Billy Graham, if given a chance.

“Billy said, ‘I would preach more on the cross of Christ and the blood — that’s where the power is,'” Laurie recalled. “So, now, at this point [in] ministry, I find that I’m really simplifying my message.”

With the preacher focusing his attention on helping people make a decision to follow Jesus — and then build upon that relationship — the results are truly compelling.

As AME Church Meets for General Conference, Retirement Plan Questions Continue

Adelle M Banks

August 23, 2024

AME Church — The opening of the African Methodist Episcopal Church quadrennial General Conference on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. (Video screen grab)

(RNS) — When the Rev. Carieta Cain-Grizzell reached age 75, she had expected to retire after a lifetime as an African Methodist Episcopal Church member who became a pastor of several of its churches.

Instead, the Washington, D.C., native-turned-Californian is now “on loan” to the United Methodist Church, first pastoring a Fair Oaks congregation and recently appointed to one in Oakland.

“Pastoring is my ministry,” said Cain-Grizzell, whose lineage in the historically Black AME denomination traces back five generations. “It was something that I wanted to do,
although I had to do it even if I didn’t want to do it.”

RELATED: Vice President Harris Critiques Florida’s Slavery View at AME Churchwomen’s Meeting

Cain-Grizzell is one of thousands of pastors, elders and staffers of the AME Church who lost substantial portions of their retirement savings due to an alleged mishandling of the accounts. A class action lawsuit filed in 2022 against the church calculated the total loss at $90 million. As of Wednesday (Aug.21), church leadership has not revealed a clear path to restore the funds.

The Rev. Carieta Cain-Grizzell. (Courtesy photo)

As the AME Church opened its weeklong quadrennial General Conference on Wednesday in Columbus, Ohio, people like Cain-Grizzell questioned how the fallout from the financial crisis might be addressed at the meeting, which concludes on Aug. 28.

In the first business session of the conference, the church’s general counsel gave an update on the investigations and litigation related to the “legacy retirement plan” and there was an “intense debate” between two bishops as the Department of Retirement Services was discussed, reported The Christian Recorder, the church’s official publication.

Douglass Selby, the church’s attorney, said the church has been treated as a victim rather than a subject of investigations by the U.S. Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“The AME Church is objectively in a much stronger position in liability than 12 months ago,” he said, according to The Christian Recorder.

The bishops debated how money might be restored to plan participants, with one seeking a route that did not increase the denomination’s debts and another aiming to protect its legal strategies, the newspaper reported.

A third bishop, who co-chairs the retirement services commission, said plan participants who have expressed concerns would have a first-time “full briefing” in an Aug. 30 webinar.

As of Thursday, 2,100 delegates were attending the gathering of the denomination that dates to 1816.

At the opening worship service, the litany on the meeting’s theme — “The Pandemics, The Promise, The Plan” — spoke of division in the AME Church’s ranks.

Bishops process in during the opening of the African Methodist Episcopal Church quadrennial General Conference on Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. (Video screen grab)

“We confess that our fellowship has been fractured,” read Bishop E. Anne Henning Byfield. “Some feel betrayed and injured, a circumstance with the potential to tear us apart, fragmented and feeble. Was the Vision given to our venerable founder merely myopic?”

The response in the litany for other worshippers was: “A thousand afflictions to vex our souls, yet we are the Church, we are called to Hope.”

Later on the first day of the General Conference, the church’s AME bishops released their quadrennial episcopal address, a summation and commentary on what had occurred within and outside the denomination since their last meeting — including the retirement issues.

You Can Inspire Big Accomplishments by Celebrating Small Wins

Gavin Adams

August 23, 2024

Ever noticed how we, as leaders, often get caught up in the big picture, waiting for those monumental milestones to throw our confetti?

Leaders love to win. To make progress. To see results. The bigger, the better.

Meanwhile, the small victories, the everyday wins, go by unnoticed. And therein lies the problem.

The Power of Small Wins

Overlooking small wins is like ignoring the bricks that build a house. Sure, the roof is impressive, but without those bricks, there’s no roof to admire. Recognizing and celebrating the small things can create an environment buzzing with positivity and progress. When leaders highlight these small successes, it’s like adding fuel to a fire, encouraging team members to keep pushing forward toward the bigger wins.

Why It Matters

Celebrating the little things isn’t just about patting people on the back. It’s about reinforcing positive behaviors, boosting confidence, and building a culture of appreciation. Think of it as planting seeds. Each small win you acknowledge is a seed of encouragement that, with time, grows into a tree of big accomplishments.

Practical Ways To Celebrate

Public Recognition

A shoutout in team meetings can do wonders. It’s simple, but it sends a powerful message: “I see you, and I appreciate your effort.”

Personal Notes

Whether it’s an email or a handwritten note, taking a moment to personally thank someone can be incredibly meaningful.

Small Rewards

It doesn’t have to be extravagant. A gift card, a day off, or even a favorite snack can show appreciation in a tangible way.

Internal Communication Platforms

Share these wins on your Slack channels or wherever your team communicates. It not only recognizes the individual but also inspires others.

Newsletters

Highlight achievements in your company newsletter. It’s a great way to ensure everyone sees and celebrates the success.

The Flip Side: What Happens When We Don’t Celebrate?

Ignoring small wins is like neglecting the foundation of a building. Without a strong foundation, the entire structure is at risk. Over time, team members who feel unappreciated may become disengaged, their motivation dwindling. It’s a slippery slope to burnout and high turnover rates.

Too often, the leader receives praise for the big accomplishment without noting all the small wins that created the bigger success along the way. Great leaders not only pass along the praise but also recognize contributors along the way.

Does Your Church Have a Sabbatical Leave Policy?

Charles Arn

August 23, 2024

The role of pastor is extremely stressful. In effect, he/she is never off duty. This long-term stress takes a toll emotionally, spiritually and physically. Churches that want to keep their pastor for many years must provide him/her with a season of rest. I recommend that all full-time pastors and staff receive a three-month paid sabbatical every six or seven years.

The Battle Wounded …

Consider the following statistics[i]:

23 percent of pastors have been fired or pressured to resign at least once in their careers.
25 percent of pastors don’t know where to turn when they have a family or personal issue.
45 percent of pastors say that they have experienced depression or burnout to the extent that they needed to take a leave of absence.
56 percent of pastors’ spouses say that they have no close friends.
70 percent don’t have any close friends.
75 percent report severe stress causing anguish, worry, bewilderment, anger, depression, fear and alienation.
80 percent say they have insufficient time with their spouse.
80 percent believe that pastoral ministry affects their families negatively.
90 percent work more than 50 hours a week.
94 percent feel under pressure to have a perfect family.
1,500 pastors leave the ministry each month due to burnout, conflict or moral failure.

Time for Some R & R …

Universities and colleges have given professors sabbaticals for many years. Originally modeled on the biblical cycle of work and rest, professors receive a sabbatical for research, writing, travel and rest every seven years.

Many churches today find that by providing a regular sabbatical for their pastors, they are able to keep them for a longer period of time. And, as I mentioned in an earlier article here, there is a direct relationship between pastoral longevity and church growth.

This Is How and When God Will Open Doors for You

Scott Williams

August 23, 2024

We have all seen and walked through the automatic-motion type doors at various businesses. It’s a simple concept: The heat motion opens the door as you are walking toward the door. The challenge for those doors is that if you are outside of the motion area, the doors won’t open. This also teaches us how and when God will open doors for you. In this picture, if you are outside of those yellow barriers, there is a good chance the door won’t open.

This Is How and When God Will Open Doors for You

The same thing is true for God. When we want God to open doors, we have to make sure that we are in His motion, in His space, His presence, connecting with Him, reading His word, communing with Him, not denying Him and doing what His word says.

This allows for God to better feel our motion. In other words, our presence in His presence.

“I see what you’ve done. Now see what I’ve done. I’ve opened a door before you that no one can slam shut. You don’t have much strength, I know that; you used what you had to keep my Word. You didn’t deny me when times were rough.” Revelation 3:8 MSG

In the above scripture, God opened the door for the Philadelphians once He was able to feel their motion. It was an after effect.

Let God feel your presence and feel what you’re doing in His name. He will open doors that you don’t have the strength or ability to open and no one else has the power or ability to close.

Get In God’s Motion!

33 Wise Quotes You Need to Help Guide Your Ministry

Staff

August 23, 2024

Great leaders search for wisdom, and when they find wise quotes, they collect them. After all, what is the book of Proverbs other than a collection of wise quotes. True: God gave Solomon wisdom, but the wise king also collected wise quotes whenever he encountered them. Beside the book of Proverbs, here are some wise quotes to help your collection.

33 Wise Quotes You Need to Help Guide Your Ministry

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” —C.S. Lewis

“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.” —C.S. Lewis

“God can’t give us peace and happiness apart from Himself because there is no such thing.” —C.S. Lewis

“The provision is in the promises.” —Derek Prince

“I had been my whole life a bell, and never knew it until at that moment I was lifted and struck.” —Annie Dillard

“Why do we people in churches seem like cheerful, brainless tourists on a packaged tour of the Absolute?” —Annie Dillard

“Our old history ends with the Cross; our new history begins with the resurrection.” —Watchman Nee

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” —Corrie ten Boom

“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.” —Corrie ten Boom

“Hold everything in your hands lightly; otherwise it hurts when God pries your fingers open.” —Corrie ten Boom

“Grace is not opposed to effort; it is opposed to earning. Earning is an attitude. Effort is an action. Grace, you know, does not just have to do with forgiveness of sins alone.” —Dallas Willard

“A carefully cultivated heart will, assisted by the grace of God, foresee, forestall or transform most of the painful situations before which others stand like helpless children saying, ‘Why?’” —Dallas Willard

“I’m practicing the discipline of not having to have the last word.” —Dallas Willard

“Our failure to hear His voice when we want to is due to the fact that we do not in general want to hear it, that we want it only when we think we need it.” —Dallas Willard

“When we genuinely believe that inner transformation is God’s work and not ours, we can put to rest our passion to set others straight.” —Richard Foster

“The world upon whom grace is thrust as a bargain will grow tired of it.” —Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“The preaching of grace can only be protected by the preaching of repentance.” —Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.” —Henri J.M. Nouwen

“Peace is first of all the art of being.” —Henri J.M. Nouwen

Does God Plan Our Lives? Thoughts on God’s Will & Sovereignty

Josh Weidmann

August 22, 2024

Does God plan our lives? Dive into that question—and answers from the Bible—with Pastor Josh Weidmann. Then share this information with teens when they ask about God’s will and does God plan our lives.

Many times I’ve wondered where this thing is headed. Life seems off the rails, and I wonder who’s in control. Does God have a plan for me? Are all things really working together for my good and His glory (Romans 8:28-29)?

Even in Loss, God Has My Gain in Mind

Imagine about 10 grieving people standing in a circle. Most are crying but all are singing. “He gives and takes away. He gives and takes away… My heart will choose to say, blessed be your name.”

Every person in that circle had lost someone they loved. They were on a retreat to deal with their grief. Nancy and Greg had lost their son to a drowning accident. Sue and Tom buried their college-age daughter who had overdosed. And Sean and Susan said goodbye to Susan’s mom after a brutal battle with liver cancer.

They had studied Revelation 1:18, “I hold the keys of death and the grave.” Then they burst into song. Afterward, Greg spoke through tears, “I have wanted to believe that my son’s death caught God by surprise,” he said. “But now I realize he was not surprised at all.”[i]

Death forces us to reckon with God’s sovereignty in order to make sense of circumstances and have peace amid loss. Any time our circumstances don’t make sense, we’re forced to wonder if God has a strategy in all this mess.

Does God Plan Our Lives?

Let’s explore the question “Does God plan our lives?” from a biblical perspective. Then I’ll share important application points.

First, understand that God always has a plan. He leaves nothing to chance; no molecule is outside His rule. Because God created all things, he has all power and all knowledge of everything in creation. Isaiah 46:9–11 (NLT) says,

⁹Remember the things I have done in the past.
For I alone am God!
I am God, and there is none like me.
¹⁰Only I can tell you the future
before it even happens.
Everything I plan will come to pass,
for I do whatever I wish.
¹¹I will call a swift bird of prey from the east—
a leader from a distant land to come and do my bidding.
I have said what I would do,
and I will do it.

Scripture is clear that God has a plan for the whole world and for each person. He is God; there is no one like Him. What God purposes and plans He will do. God knew us before we came to be (Psalm 139). Before the beginning of time, He had a plan for us (Romans 8:29). God’s plan is never reactive but always preemptive. All time is present before Him at the same time. He sees all, and nothing happens outside of His knowledge and power.

Two Wills

Knowing that God has a plan doesn’t fully answer our question. Does God plan our lives? If so, why don’t I always know or understand God’s plan?

John Calvin spoke of the double will of God. He didn’t mean God has two wills; instead, we should think of God’s will two ways.

First is the secret will of God. Before time, God designed all things for His glory and our good. We get to know His secret will only as He unfolds it in history. Even then, we know it only in part.

Second is the revealed will of God. This plan is declared in His Word. God has a plan for our salvation (2 Peter 3:9). He designed us each with unique gifts He wants us to use (Ephesians 2:10). And He has a plan for our life after death—eternity spent with Him if we have faith in Christ.

Preventing Adoption Disruptions: Essential Counseling Strategies

Josh Spurlock

August 22, 2024

Adoption disruptions — Source: Lightstock

The journey to adoption is often filled with hope, anticipation, and dreams of forming a new family.

However, when adoptions are disrupted, the impact can be devastating for everyone involved, particularly the children.

Adoption disruptions refer to situations where an adoption is halted after the child is placed in the adoptive home but before the legal adoption is finalized. These disruptions can have significant financial, emotional, and psychological consequences for the family, and most importantly, for the child.

Financial Impact

Adoption is a process that often involves considerable financial investment. Prospective adoptive parents may incur costs related to agency fees, legal expenses, travel, and preparation of their home for the child. When an adoption disrupts, these investments can be lost, leading to significant financial strain. Moreover, families might face additional expenses if they choose to pursue another adoption or need to access support services to cope with the emotional fallout of the disruption.

Impact on the Family

For the adoptive family, a disrupted adoption can lead to feelings of grief, failure, and confusion. Parents who have prepared themselves emotionally and physically to welcome a child into their home may find themselves navigating a complex mourning process for the loss of a child who was never legally theirs but had become a part of their family. This experience can strain marital relationships, affect parent-child dynamics with existing children, and lead to isolation as families grapple with a loss that society may not fully recognize or understand.

Most Devastating Impact on the Children

Children are the most affected by adoption disruptions. Being moved from the adoptive home can exacerbate feelings of rejection, loss, and instability. These children often struggle with attachment issues, making it challenging for them to form secure relationships in the future. The experience can reinforce negative beliefs about their worthiness of love and permanence, leading to long-term psychological and emotional consequences. For these children, the disruption of an adoption can be a traumatic event, adding to any pre-existing trauma from their earlier life experiences.

Predictability and Prevention Through Counseling

Many of the factors leading to adoption disruptions, such as unmet expectations, challenges with attachment, and difficulties in managing the child’s behavioral or emotional needs, are predictable. With this predictability comes the opportunity for prevention. Professional counseling services, such as those provided by MyCounselor.Online, offer adoptive families the support and strategies they need to navigate these challenges successfully.

By engaging in counseling ideally two months prior to placement and continuing for 10 months following, families can significantly reduce the likelihood of disruption. This preventive approach provides families with the tools to:

Build strong, healthy attachments with the child.
Manage behavioral and emotional challenges more effectively.
Adjust their expectations to the realities of adoption.
Strengthen marital and family relationships in the face of adoption-related stress.

Priscilla Shirer Talks About ‘The Forge’ and Shares How ‘Critical’ Discipleship Is in the Church Today

Jesse T. Jackson

August 22, 2024

Author, Bible teacher, and actor Priscilla Shirer stars in a new film from the Kendrick Brothers (“War Room,” “Overcomer,” “Courageous”) titled, “The Forge.”

The film tells the story of a young man who just graduated high school, has no job, no plans for the future, and lives only to play video games and basketball.

Shirer, who has starred in the films “War Room,” “I Can Only Imagine,” and “Overcomer,” plays the young man’s single mother, who gives her son an ultimatum to step up or move out. Her ultimatum forces her son to get a job. Soon, his boss begins discipling him and helps him discover God’s great purpose for his life.

“The Forge” focuses on the message of discipleship and the importance of having godly mentors in the lives of young people in the church—a message that Shirer told ChurchLeaders is “critical” for church today.

“It’s part and parcel with exactly what Jesus’ message and model was when he was with us physically in the flesh,” Shirer said. “One of the first things he did was call 12 men that were supposed to be tethered to him,” telling them to “leave everything and follow me. That whole picture of one life being connected to another.”

Shirer explained that Christians need “older, wiser people in our lives” who walk alongside us and demonstrate what it means to “honor Christ” in our everyday lives.

“So in the body of Christ, not just in a church, but in the body of Christ, meaning every area of the marketplace, wherever the Lord has assigned us…no matter where we are, we are in ministry,” Shirer continued. “And our goal is to say, Lord, open the eyes to see whose life I’m supposed to be impacting for your kingdom.”

Discipleship comes at a high price, Shirer said, sharing how that message is portrayed in “The Forge.” “You can be a believer [in Jesus] and not be a disciple because discipleship comes at a high cost—it’s about surrendering everything to Jesus,” she said.

That message will be “jarring” for some viewers, Shirer explained. “I think it is going to shake a lot of people awake when they see the movie.”

Shirer told ChurchLeaders that for the disciple, the compass for living is not “how close” they can get to sin but rather “how close can I get to Jesus?”

Shock Rocker Alice Cooper Tells Greg Laurie Who Jesus Christ Is to Him

Jesse T. Jackson

August 22, 2024

Alice Cooper Greg Laurie — Alice Cooper and Greg Laurie. Photo credit: Harvest

Legendary rock star Alice Cooper, born Vincent Damon Furnier, recently sat down with Harvest Christian Fellowship Pastor Greg Laurie and shared how God saved his life in the midst of utter darkness.

The 76-year-old is known as “The Godfather of Shock Rock,” a genre of music that takes rock or heavy metal music and combines it with theatrical live performances. Musicians and bands like Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, Twisted Sister, and Kiss all credit, in some way, Cooper for how they perform.

Cooper and his band released their first album in the late 1960s. Since then, Cooper has won multiple rock music awards, earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and has been inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The “School’s Out” rocker grew up in a Christian home, frequenting the inside of the church every Wednesday night, Friday night, and all day Sunday. Cooper told Laurie that all his friends were Christians, and it wasn’t until his band started to take off that he began to stray from those Christian influences and began to rely heavily on drugs and alcohol.

Despite his alcoholism, which nearly ruined his life and marriage in the 1980s, Cooper has remained married to his wife Sheryl Goddard and often credits her for her faith. He said that his wife, who plays a character during his live shows, is “like a walking Bible.” Goddard filed for divorce in 1984, but the two reconciled shortly after Cooper stopped drinking and got help through a Christian recovery program.

The couple have three children, all of whom are Christians, Cooper said.

“I think God used my alcoholism and my drug addiction,” Cooper told Laurie. The rock star said that God let him go through these struggles so he could use them for God’s glory later. “I sit here and I go, I have no idea why you let me live, except for this fact that I can talk about it now, and I can give him all the credit,” Cooper said.

One of the ways God is using Cooper is through his Solid Rock Teen Centers. Cooper founded the faith-based nonprofit organization, whose “primary mission is to make an everlasting difference in the lives of teens.”

When Laurie asked Cooper who Jesus Christ was to him, Cooper responded, “He’s the core of everything.”

“He’s life itself. He’s the light,” he continued. “If we don’t all revolve around Christ, we’re way out in space somewhere.”

Kentucky Pastor Helps Police Save Suicidal Man, Then Prays With Officers

Stephanie Martin

August 22, 2024

kentucky pastor — Pastor Dave Hamlin. Screengrab from YouTube / @WLKY

Authorities in Shelby County, Kentucky, are crediting a local pastor for helping to de-escalate a tense situation and save a life. On Aug. 14, law enforcement officers were called to an apartment where an armed man was barricaded inside.

The man was saying he planned to kill himself—or else have the police kill him, according to Shelby County Sheriff’s Capt. Kyle Tipton. When officers couldn’t talk the man down, Tipton requested help from “higher up.”

That’s when Pastor Dave Hamlin arrived on the scene. After he talked to the man for about half an hour, they both walked outside together. Then officers took the man to receive help.

The incident is another example of a successful police-clergy partnership, Tipton said, adding, “It resulted in a peaceful operation. There was no officer-involved shooting. There was no suicide attempt, but it had all the ingredients to end that way.”

Kentucky Pastor Dave Hamlin: ‘That’s Somebody’s Son’

About his involvement, Pastor Hamlin said the goal was to help someone who was obviously in distress. “That’s somebody’s son or daughter,” said the pastor, “and if you’ve ever been a parent and your kid’s going through anything, you would do anything to fix it.”

Police had entered the man’s apartment, but he started issuing threats. Officers headed back outside and tried to communicate with the man via radio, without success. Finally, Hamlin was able to talk the man down. “You just got to trust me, just trust me, trust God,” the pastor told him. “Come on, let’s go.”

After the man surrendered and stepped outside with the pastor, the two of them hugged. The man was taken for an evaluation and is now receiving substance abuse treatment, according to Hamlin.

Law Enforcement Partnering With Clergy

On its Facebook page, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office thanked local clergy “for their assistance in peacefully resolving this matter.” Commenting on that post, Hamlin praised God that “the situation ended much better than we were afraid of.”

Prayer was vital to the entire encounter, the pastor added. “The best moment was after the individual was under control and headed to get help, the officers…and a couple other guys circled up for prayer. Not at the request of a pastor but one of the officers in charge.”

Hamlin said he’s proud to live in Shelby County and to “offer my assistance to these fine men and women on every occasion possible. Before midnight last night these officers had dealt with a standoff and two serious [motor vehicle accidents]—one ending in a fatality. No one knows what [officers] go through. #Igotyour6.” That hashtag is an expression among law enforcement and military personnel that means “I’ve got your back.”

Hamlin told ChurchLeaders he has assisted with dozens of calls during the past decade. In addition to suicide threats, the pastor said addiction issues are also common.

When asked what led to his involvement with the partnership—and what spurs him to continue—Hamlin cited friendships with officers who belong to his church, as well as longtime work in addiction recovery.

The partnership is about using all available resources to help people, Hamlin added. When asked about potential danger, he said, “Let’s just say I know how to handle and protect myself, and God’s behind all of this.”

Chick-fil-A Set To Launch a Streaming Service

Dale Chamberlain

August 22, 2024

Chick-fil-A streaming service — Photo by cottonbro studio (via Pexels); Chick-fil-A logo: public domain

Chick-fil-A is reportedly planning to enter the entertainment industry with a new streaming service to launch later this year.

Known for its Christian roots and emphasis on customer service, Chick-fil-A is consistently ranked among the most beloved fast food restaurants.

Somewhat paradoxically, the chain also continues to be controversial, particularly for its founder’s traditional stance on marriage. However, the company has sought to cultivate a welcoming environment for all customers and employees—sometimes even resulting in criticism from conservatives.

Chick-fil-A continues to emphasize the importance of families in its corporate decisions. According to Deadline, the Atlanta-based chicken purveyor is currently working with production companies and studios to create family-friendly shows and content for its streaming service.

The main emphasis of the original content will reportedly be on unscripted shows, with a budget of $400,000 per half-hour.

One such program is a game show from Glassman Media (NBC’s “The Wall”) and Sugar23 (Netflix’s “13 Reasons Why”), which has been given a 10-episode order, according to Variety.

Chick-fil-A is also looking to acquire licensed content.

Additionally, leaders are in early talks to create original scripted and animated content.

Brian Gibson, who has producer credits on “Top Gear USA,” “Supernanny,” “Dancing With the Stars,” and “The X Factor,” is leading the charge on programming.

While the move to develop a streaming service might come as a surprise to some customers and fans, this is not the first time Chick-fil-A has expanded its vision beyond quick service dining. Through pennycake, the company offers games, puzzles, and activities “to bring families closer together.”

Crowd Dynamics and Unfriendly Churches

Cultivate a Healthy Culture of Honor

1. Honoring Others Begins and Ends With Honoring God.

Conclusion

Cross Timbers Church Founders Resign

Recent Staffing Shakeups at Cross Timbers Church

‘It Ends With Us’ Draws Mixed Reactions

The Origins and Purpose of the Lausanne Movement

The Need for Theological Clarity

The Power of Small Wins

Why It Matters

Practical Ways To Celebrate

Public Recognition

Personal Notes

Small Rewards

Internal Communication Platforms

Newsletters

The Flip Side: What Happens When We Don’t Celebrate?

This Is How and When God Will Open Doors for You

33 Wise Quotes You Need to Help Guide Your Ministry

Even in Loss, God Has My Gain in Mind

Does God Plan Our Lives?

Two Wills

Financial Impact

Impact on the Family

Most Devastating Impact on the Children

Predictability and Prevention Through Counseling

Kentucky Pastor Dave Hamlin: ‘That’s Somebody’s Son’

Law Enforcement Partnering With Clergy

New Articles

New Podcasts