The Danger of Bypassing Your Emotions

January 25, 2024

thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Have you ever stuffed your emotions because you thought they couldn’t be trusted?

I did, for most of my young adult life. In fact, I stuffed my emotions because I thought it was the “Christian” thing to do. I would tell myself things like:

I’m not lonely. I have Jesus.

I don’t need therapy. I pray.

What shame? My identity is in Christ.

I’m not angry. I forgive.

Somehow, I thought my relationship with Christ made me immune to normal human emotions. A part of me even looked down on emotions.

I could not have been more wrong.

Spiritual Bypassing

I was guilty of what psychologists call “spiritual bypassing.” The term is tossed around a lot these days, and it’s important to understand it. Spiritual bypassing simply means that you use spiritual concepts, platitudes, or activities to “bypass” or avoid dealing with your true feelings, especially the hard ones like anger, grief, fear, loneliness, envy, and shame.

It doesn’t work.

And Christians are not immune to this problem.

For example, have you ever shared a hard situation with members of your church community and heard a version of the following response?

“You don’t need to feel depressed. God has given you so much.”

“Pray more – ask God to take your addiction away.”

“God forgave you, so you should forgive your abuser. Just turn the other cheek!”

“Starve your fear! It’s the enemy of your faith.”

5 Signs You Might Be an Insecure Leader

Sam Luce

January 25, 2024

Leadership is not easy. The reality is that every person leads at some level. The question is not whether or not you are a leader as much as how well are you leading. And if you’re an insecure leader, your leadership is not as strong as it could be.

Growing up in the church, I saw one insecure leader after another, but I never realized they were insecure until I started to work at Redeemer 18 years ago. I began serving Mike Servello Sr. as his kids’ pastor, and currently serve his son, Mike Servello Jr., as his campus pastor. Mike and his father are by far the most secure leaders I have ever met. It was only through their confident yet humble, Christ-centered leadership that made me see those other leaders (and even myself at times) as insecure.

One of the things that amazes me most about the church is the epidemic proportions at which insecurity runs through church leadership. If you want to lead for the long haul, your security had better be found in Christ. Insecure leaders create drama, havoc and pain in the lives of those they lead. Ask yourself if the following is true for you; as I wrote them I found them convicting—and humbling.

What does an insecure leader look like?

1. They surround themselves with people they can control. An insecure leader hinders the organization because they don’t hire or attract the best people for a job. They attract people who are not as good as they are…people with less experience who can be controlled mentally or emotionally.

2. They misinterpret other people’s motives to fit their story. Insecure leaders have to be right. So they misinterpret what people do and why they do it to make themselves emerge the hero. When people stand up to an insecure leader, they write them off as jealous or arrogant. Motives get misrepresented so they can be wrong.

3. They look at those who work for them as employees, not their team. Insecure leaders don’t look for the best ideas. They can’t collaborate because they don’t value other people’s opinions. They prefer to forego extended work relationships, because it’s easier to fill your team with disposable cogs rather than friends and teammates you love and trust. They find their identity in how many people work for them rather than how many people they work with.

4. They consider anyone “disloyal” who disagrees with them. Insecure people don’t see people as people; they see them as either on their side or against them.They are the center of all things.

5. They mishandle conflict. Insecure leaders either avoid conflict through passive-aggressive means, or they look at every situation as a potential conflict.They are either too soft and squishy or harsh and uncaring. Secure leaders handle conflict with truth and grace working together, because relationships matter more than being right.

Jesus was the most emotionally secure person who ever lived. He understood who He was, where He was from and where He was going. He had incredible clarity of mission and purpose. Our security as leaders has to come from Whose we are.

We are all looking for comfort. I love how the Heidelberg Catechism handles the question of where we find our comfort in life and death: We find it in the fact that we are not our own but belong—body and soul—to our faithful Savior Jesus Christ, who has fully paid for all our sins with His precious blood. Any time we place something at the center of our lives besides Him, it will produce insecurity when something bumps up against it…I say “when” because it will get bumped. Everything does.

When Christ fails to be our center, we compensate. The act of compensating to keep something central to our lives that was never meant to be will always produce insecurity. We know deep down that thing we are living for will fail us. Even if it’s a good thing, it will still fail us.

Security in the life of a leader comes from seeing and treasuring Christ in all things. As those who lead at home, church, school and in the marketplace, we must find our security in Whose we are.

Do Good to All People – It’s God’s Will!

Chet Gladkowski

January 25, 2024

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” ~ Galatians 6:10

Do you ever wonder about the will of God? What he wants for you and your life? Where he wants you? What he wants you to do? What he doesn’t want you to do? Where should you go? How you should get there? When to start? When to stop?

If you’re like most people, you ask this all the time. You might not say the words out loud, but the idea bounces around inside your head like marbles that are being shaken in a tin box. Your mind is filled with lots of noise from all the questions and options that are jumping all around inside your brain. I get asked this question all the time. Some are openly and honestly looking for direction. They really want to please God in all they do. But I’m afraid that if I’m honest, these people are few and far in-between. They definitely are the minority.

Do Good to All People – It’s God’s Will!

The majority of people asking about the will of God are looking for an answer that fits into their existing way of life. They’re looking for a thumbs-up for decisions they’ve already made. They want an approving pat-on-the-back for the way they live.

If you’re looking for the will of God, here is part of it. It’s right here in this short sentence. There are three parts in this instruction about God’s will for you and your life.

Take Opportunity

This starts when someone or something shows up right in front of you. The opportunity is just so obvious that it about hits you in the head. It almost stops you in your tracks. But opportunity doesn’t end there. Opportunity is also what you’re looking for. It comes in the form of things and people that you rub shoulders with. Where you spend your time. What you think is important enough to invest your time and money in. For example, you like to grow flowers and vegetables. Do you look at the people you buy seeds, plants, and even the fertilizer as an opportunity to be encouraging and thankful? And as your garden matures, what do you do with the blooms? The produce? Do you only look for ways to eat it, or are you looking to share it? Your interest in gardening will give you opportunities.

Do Good

There are lots of versions of good floating around our lives. And some of them are OK. But God’s kind of good looks, acts, and speaks like God himself. His good is consistent with who he is. It’s stable and reliable. It doesn’t change with the tide or tsunami of the times. And this doing good isn’t like a food truck that drives in, sets up for a few hours, and then goes home. Oh no. This kind of good sticks around. It’s not here today and gone tomorrow. And you don’t do this kind of good just once. It takes commitment. Yes, it’s good to help out a widow when her pipes start leaking at 1:47 AM. But what about taking in her trash cans every week? What about sending over a meal once in a while? What about stopping by just to see how she’s doing. Doing good is in it for the long haul.

Video Switcher Basics

Duke Taber

January 25, 2024

Since so many houses of worship live-stream and/or record their productions, sermons, and classes, it’s important to note that using a video switcher is a great idea. Why? Because a video switcher brings everything together and allows you to manage multiple audio and video devices on the same box, managing any production is much easier than you think. While you can do much the same thing with a computer with certain software, video switchers tend to be more reliable because computers can slow down, freeze up, or even crash in many instances.

Video Switcher Basics

Let’s start with just the basics; in other words, what exactly is a video switcher? The device switches from one source to another regularly. These “sources” are usually video cameras set up to stream in various locations around your house of worship. When you switch from one source to the next, you’ll have to tell the control panel where you want to switch and press the appropriate key. Video switchers have a lot of different keys on them, some more than others, and learning where each key is will help you determine how to complete each action.

If you’re new to video switchers, your best bet is to set up a couple of cameras, get your switcher all set up and ready to go, read the instruction manual, and then practice switching between the different cameras. If you practice when no one else is around and the auditorium or meeting hall isn’t full, it will be much easier on you, and you’ll feel more confident when your event starts. Before your function begins, you’ll need to know what your particular video switcher does and what it doesn’t do. The only way to learn this is to practice it as much as possible.

What Is a DSK, and Why Is it Important?

Most video switchers will have a downstream key, or DSK, which is usually used when you want to include, for example, the name of the station or house of worship in the corner of the screen (DSK 1), the name and title of the presenter (DSK 2), and subtitles for translation purposes (DSK 3). You can use other keys for this same purpose, including a luma key or even a chroma key, but since the DSK is commonly used for this purpose and because most video switchers have only one DSK, you’ll have to add software if you feel as though you’ll need more than one.

Don’t Quit Youth Ministry: 7 Compelling Reasons to Press On

Greg Stier

January 24, 2024

If you’re discouraged, youth leader, think twice before you quit. In fact, think seven times. Consider all the reasons below before you decide to hang up your youth ministry hat.

Youth ministry can be highly rewarding and highly discouraging…sometimes within the same hour. Helicopter parents, apathetic teenagers, and eye-rolling, finger-wagging church leaders can all add up.

They become a slow-moving vortex of depression that churns deep in the soul of the average youth leader. So why stay in such a low-pay, high-pressure position? Why not escape to get a “real job” in ministry, a job where you’re loved and respected? And where the pay is more than the typical barista’s.

Keep reading before doing anything drastic.

7 Reasons to Not Quit Youth Ministry

1. Teenagers follow Christ more quickly than adults do.

According to Barna, two out of three people put their faith in Jesus by age 18. After that, the odds go way down. In the words of my grandpa, “Get the gettin’ while the gettin’s good.” And the salvation gettin’ is good before age 18.

2. Teenagers spread the Gospel faster than adults.

Because the average teenager has well over 400 online and face-to-face friends, they have a huge (and growing) opportunity to share the Gospel like no generation before them. Gen Z, the nickname for this cohort of teens, is filled with “digital natives.” They’ve never known a time without devices and social media.

Because of this, these kids have an unprecedented opportunity to accelerate the spread of the good news through their many social media channels.

3. Teenagers are daring.

Part of the reason teens get into trouble so often is that their brains aren’t fully developed yet. The part that signals “DANGER! DON’T DO IT!“ isn’t fully operational. Believe it or not, this can be an advantage for getting teenagers to live out the Cause of Christ (Matthew 28:18-20)!

Teenagers will do and try things (both good and bad) that adults would never dare. So let’s use that to our advantage and mobilize kids to Gospelize their world!

4. Teenagers are fast learners.

Generation Z is a multi-tasking, fast-learning crew that loves to take in information and put it to use for causes that matter. Because there’s no cause greater than the Gospel, let’s unleash teens to advance it!

5. Teenagers can be a farm club.

If you want a strong professional baseball team, you had better build a strong farm club. If you want a strong church, you had better build a strong youth ministry. Teenagers can become strong leaders now and stay strong leaders later if you properly inspire, equip and mobilize them.

David Platt Announces Secret Church 2024 Will Focus on Persecuted Church in North Korea

Jessica Lea

January 24, 2024

David Platt, pastor of McLean Bible Church in Washington, D.C., and the founder of Radical, announced Wednesday, Jan. 24, that Secret Church 24 will be take place April 19. The purpose of Secret Church is to provide an opportunity for people to study God’s Word and pray for persecuted believers; participants can join the event from any location in the world.

“Secret Church 24 is finally happening on April 19 and I want to personally invite you to be a part of this powerful night of studying God’s Word and passionately praying for the persecuted with thousands of believers around the world,” said Platt in a post about the event on X, formerly Twitter.

Secret Church 24 is finally happening on April 19 and I want to personally invite you to be a part of this powerful night of studying God’s Word and passionately praying for the persecuted with thousands of believers around the world.https://t.co/rwjOwURWeS pic.twitter.com/ZxbTLGCz1e

— David Platt (@plattdavid) January 24, 2024

“We’re going to be diving into the Book of Ruth,” said Platt, who shared that Ruth is one of his “favorite” books and “one of the most beautiful books in the Bible.”

Platt said that during the event, “We’re going to pray for our persecuted sisters and brothers around the world, specifically learning about the persecuted church in North Korea. It’s going to be a really unique night.”

Secret Church 2024

Secret Church was inspired by Platt’s experience meeting with members of an underground church in a part of the world where Christians are persecuted. The believers he met at the time were risking “houses, jobs, lands,” going to prison, and even losing their lives for the sake of the gospel.

Platt joined these Christians for a Bible study that he thought would last one hour but ended up going for eight hours because the believers were “so hungry for the Word.” They wanted to meet again to study Scripture, and Platt and the underground church members ended up meeting to study the Bible for eight to 12 hours per day for the next two weeks.

“When we came back from that trip and were talking with some other folks in the church, somebody said, ‘Why don’t we do that now? Why don’t we gather together for hours at a time just to dive into God’s Word?’” said Platt. “And so that led to the first Secret Church where we said, ‘Well, let’s try it.’”

For their first event, church leaders planned for six hours on a Friday night, from 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m., to study God’s Word and pray for persecuted Christians around the world.

American Family Radio Drops Alistair Begg Following Controversial Remarks About LGBTQ+ Weddings

Jesse T. Jackson

January 24, 2024

Alistair Begg — Screengrab via YouTube @Parkside Church

American Family Radio (AFR), a broadcast division of American Family Association (AFA), announced on Wednesday (Jan. 24) that it is dropping well-known pastor Alistair Begg‘s daily radio program, “Truth for Life,” following Begg’s controversial remarks about Christians attending LGBTQ+ weddings.

In a September 2023 interview for his book “The Christian Manifesto,” Begg shared that he encouraged a grandmother to attend her grandson’s transgender wedding.

Begg said that he knew people wouldn’t like his answer, but that didn’t stop him. After confirming that the woman’s grandson understood that she doesn’t affirm his choice to marry a trans person, Begg said, “Well then, okay. As long as he knows that, then I suggest that you do go to the ceremony. And I suggest that you buy them a gift.”

Begg then told the grandmother, “Well, here’s the thing: Your love for them may catch them off guard, but your absence will simply reinforce the fact that they said, ‘These people are what I always thought: judgmental, critical, unprepared to countenance anything.’”

According to its website, AFR’s mission “is to inform, equip, and activate individuals and families to transform American culture and to give aid to the church, here and abroad, in its calling to fulfill the Great Commission.”

AFR Vice President Ed Vitagliano told the American Family Network (AFN), “Pastor Begg’s program will no longer air on American Family Radio. He is an excellent Bible teacher. We certainly wish him the best.”

Begg, 71, is senior pastor of Parkside Church in Cleveland, Ohio. His radio ministry had been featured on approximately 1,800 radio outlets.

The decision no longer to air Begg’s radio program came after Vitagliano and AFA Vice President Walker Wildmon talked with the people who represent Begg. Vitagliano and Wildmon had hoped the call would result in “reconciliation.” However, Begg intends to stand by the advice he gave.

Wildmon informed AFN that the two ministries agreed on the biblical definition of marriage, saying, “We were all in agreement that homosexual marriage is just as the Bible declares it, it’s a faux marriage. It’s not an actual marriage. It is a sinful union.” However, the AFN “strongly disagrees” with Begg’s advice to attend a wedding ceremony that involves a trans person.

In Begg’s interview, he admitted that his response to the grandmother’s situation is a “fine line,” but he believes Christians need to start taking risks to build bridges for the gospel.

‘Two Kings. One Kingdom. The Outcome Is War.’—Amazon Prime Video To Stream ‘House of David’

Janna Firestone

January 24, 2024

House of David — Amazon.com, Inc., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Christian masterminds behind hit projects such as “The Chosen” and “Jesus Revolution” are at it again—this time to tell the story of King David. “House of David” portrays the humble and faithful shepherd boy, David, who is a seemingly unlikely choice to be king.

“As Saul’s fury grows, David navigates love, violence, and politics in the court of the very man he’s destined to replace,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Amazon Prime Video Will Stream ‘House of David’

Steamers will soon have access to the next biblically-based story—the story of King David. “House of David” begins with a retelling of “the once-mighty King Saul as he falls victim to his own pride,” the film synopsis reads. The project will be available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.

“A prophet prepares to overthrow him—anointing the outcast shepherd boy David as a second king,” the film’s summary continues. “As Saul’s fury grows, David navigates love, violence, and politics in the court of the man he’s destined to replace. Two kings. One Kingdom. The outcome is war.”

“House of David” directly involves Christians in Hollywood dedicated to wholesome, family-friendly entertainment. And many of the projects in their portfolios are faith-based. Jon Erwin (“Jesus Revolution”), Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten (Netflix), and Dallas Jenkins (“The Chosen”) are all involved.

Erwin created the idea of “House of David,” hoping to continue sharing biblical stories and truths via the big screen. With a growing number of fans wanting to support faith-based programming, Erwin is expecting “House of David” to be met with viral excitement.

A Project Like ‘House of David’ Takes a Village

Amazon MGM Studios recently announced that it’s working with The Wonder Project to bring “House of David” into homes around the world. The Wonder Project, formed by “Jesus Revolution” director Jon Erwin and former Netflix executive Kelly Merryman Hoogstraten, is aimed at creating “a trusted brand that serves the faith and values audience globally with movies and TV shows they didn’t know were possible.”

Erwin sees himself as the studio’s target audience. “I know there’s opportunity here,” he said, “because I’m part of this audience. My wife and I have four kids. There’s an audience that I serve with the content that we make. I need more of this in my home.”

Ohio Pastor Dies Trying To Save Two Sons From House Fire

Dale Chamberlain

January 24, 2024

An Ohio community is mourning the tragic loss of a pastor and two of his sons. The three died in a fire that broke out in their home around midnight on the evening of Monday, Jan. 22. Mark Robinette, 55, perished while trying to get his sons, ages 10 and 17, out of the home.

Robinette had gotten his wife and other children to safety before reentering the house. He never came back out.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined and remains under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s office.

Robinette was the pastor of Foundation Church in Mt. Sterling, Ohio. He founded the church in 2000. He was the father of eight children.

Robinette also spearheaded the church’s missionary efforts in Myanmar.

Three other members of the family suffered injuries while escaping the home, according to the Columbus Dispatch. All three were released from the local hospital on Tuesday morning.

Members of Robinette’s extended family and community are surrounding the family with support, including Mike Comer, a cousin of Robinette who drove to Ohio from West Virginia as soon as he heard the news.

“I just came up here to be with the family. They’ve lost everything,” Comer told WBNS. “There are a lot of needs. They don’t even have shoes…They’re going to need some help, but they need our prayers and anything we can do for them.”

“Mark was just so much to so many people, his foundation and his mission work,” Comer added. “He was going and building churches in Myanmar.”

The church held a vigil to mourn the loss of Robinette and his sons on Tuesday evening.

“Mark was the most giving person I know,” said one community member. “He was incredible. He was an incredible pastor. He did a lot of missionary work. No matter how old Mark was or how his health was, he would go down into the trenches for anyone.”

Jamaal Williams and Timothy Paul Jones: Should You Pursue a Multiethnic Church? It’s Complicated

Jessica Lea

January 24, 2024

The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast · Jamaal Williams and Timothy Paul Jones: Should You Pursue a Multiethnic Church? It’s Complicated

Dr. Jamaal Williams serves as lead pastor of Sojourn Church Midtown in Louisville, Kentucky, and as president of the Harbor Network. He regularly consults with churches on leadership issues related to building healthy multiethnic churches.

Dr. Timothy Paul Jones teaches apologetics at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and serves as a preaching pastor at Sojourn Church Midtown. He has authored or co-authored more than a dozen books, including “Finding God in a Galaxy Far, Far Away” and “Christian History Made Easy.”

Jamaal and Timothy’s new book is, “In Church As It Is in Heaven: Cultivating a Multiethnic Kingdom Culture.”

Other Ways To Listen to This Podcast With Jamaal Williams and Timothy Paul Jones

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Key Questions for Jamaal Williams and Timothy Paul Jones

-Why does the desire church leaders have for diversity not match reality?

-How are you creating spaces at your church where people can empathize with and challenge one another?

-What are some errors churches make when trying to foster multiethnic, multicultural congregations?

-Why is pursuing diversity costly, and why is it worth pursuing?

Key Quotes From Jamaal Williams

“Should we pursue the multiethnic church and multiethnic churches? The answer, I think, is it’s complicated. Some churches should and some churches shouldn’t, But overall, every church should pursue what we call a ‘multiethnic kingdom culture.’”

“One of the things that we’re really trying to focus on is how do we get to…help churches to become churches where any person can bring their glory, their honor from their culture into a church, and it contributes to the church, rather than they assimilate into that church and to that culture?”

“If we’re just saying this main culture is the one that’s kind of setting the agenda and everyone is expecting to assimilate to it, you know, Black and brown people don’t want to be a part of that.”

“Everyone is bringing a culture, and typically white cultures tend to swallow up and dominate, especially in our context, Black and brown cultures, if [white people] are the majority.”

Religious Donors Keep Giving to Houses of Worship and Beyond Amid Inflation

Adelle M Banks

January 24, 2024

(RNS) — Religious Americans are continuing to give to their houses of worship — and to other causes — with money and in-kind donations despite rising costs for daily living, a new report shows.

More than 8 in 10 (81%) faith-based givers who donated money in 2023 gave funds
to houses of worship, and 60% gave $1,000 or more, according to “Giving in Faith: Exploring Key Trends in Religious Giving,” a joint 2024 report from Givelify, a mobile and online app, and Indiana University’s Lake Institute on Faith & Giving.

Most religious donors (81%) gave the same amount of money (or more) to their congregations in 2023 as in 2022.

A similar percentage of religious donors (82%) reported that they made in-kind gifts, such as physical items to places of worship, registered nonprofits, informal community groups or directly to people who had a need.

By viewing the philanthropy of people of faith beyond just their congregations, researchers have gained a wider sense of how much and why they share their money and their time, said Wale Mafolasire, founder and CEO of Givelify, an Indianapolis-based company that launched in 2013.

For example, 48% of faith-based givers who made donations gave money directly to friends, neighbors, relatives and others in need. Describing those direct monetary gifts, 70% reported donating to family members, 61% to friends and 60% to strangers.

“When we expand that definition to include not just what they’re giving to their place of worship, but also what they’re giving in kind and to other members of the community and to their members, we’re seeing that people of faith are probably the most generous in the United States of America,” said Mafolasire, whose company runs an app used by congregants and others to make donations to nonprofit organizations.

The report’s findings are based on responses from 2,000 religious Americans and 980 faith leaders in the country. The vast majority of the respondents were Christians.

The research included an oversample of African American and Black faith givers in order to gauge perceptions on the value of houses of worship to their communities. Forty-four percent of the respondents who were people of faith were Black or African, while 48% were white. The racial composition of the faith leaders’ congregations were 45% Black or African, 34% white or European and 19% multiracial (or with no more than 80 percent of a single race or ethnicity).

“There’s an increase in the number of places of worship, especially within the African American segment, that are taking a more active role of providing safety net programs to members of their congregations, and also nonmembers or members of the local community,” said Mafolasire.

Black people comprise about 80% of Givelify app users, and about 80% of congregations using Givelify are predominantly Black.

According to the faith leaders surveyed for the report, predominantly Black congregations were more likely than mostly white congregations to offer elderly support services (60% vs. 46%), outreach programs for people in prison (35% vs. 17%) and supplemental educational support, such as GED classes and tutoring (46% vs. 29%).

Agriculture Department, COGIC Make Plans for Funds to Add Trees to Urban Centers

Adelle M Banks

January 24, 2024

Church of God in Christ trees — Students plant trees in the West Greenville neighborhood of Greenville, South Carolina, for Community Tree Day on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022. (Photo courtesy of Flickr/RawPixel.com/Creative Commons)

(RNS) — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced a $1 million grant to leaders of the Church of God in Christ as part of a national program to plant and maintain trees in American cities.

Vilsack made the announcement on Tuesday (Jan. 23) at the predominantly Black Pentecostal denomination’s annual leadership conference in Atlanta.

Last year the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service announced $1 billion in grants to be distributed through its Urban and Community Forestry Program with a goal of supporting projects that provide tree cover in disadvantaged communities.

In a phone interview, Vilsack said he envisions trees providing shade and lowering electric bills in neighborhoods across the country, as well as wider benefits for those communities.

“It can create job opportunities and career path opportunities,” he said, “so structuring this program so that it’s empowering more tree planting and more workforce development gives us the opportunity to partner with the church.”

The denomination was one of hundreds of organizations that applied for the program’s grants, and one of 385 selected to receive funds. The program was created under the Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law by President Biden in 2022 to address climate change and to promote clean energy.

COGIC Presiding Bishop J. Drew Sheard said in the joint interview with Vilsack that his denomination has some 12,000 congregations in the U.S., some of which are located in low-income areas.

“Some of our neighborhoods, the trees have gone, the buildings have gone, in some cases, and here’s an opportunity to start beautifying those neighborhoods,” he said, adding that the planting of trees could especially benefit young people in the communities.

“This has the potential for inspiring them to go into the field of agriculture and other ways of helping their communities,” said Sheard, who noted COGIC congregations will have to apply and qualify for use of some of the grant funds.

Vilsack said some youth may receive “a little extra cash” from a nursery that may work to get the trees planted, prompting them to possibly be interested in forestry or urban agriculture.

Latest Candidate to Head Southern Baptists’ Executive Committee Withdraws

Bob Smietana

January 24, 2024

Southern Baptists — The Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention meets Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. (RNS photo/Bob Smietana)

(RNS) — The Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, has failed again in its search for a new leader for its Executive Committee, which handles the denomination’s business between annual meetings.

The committee announced on Tuesday (Jan. 23) that the leading candidate for the president and CEO of the Executive Committee has withdrawn. He is the second prospective top executive whose candidacy failed.

Members of the team searching for a new permanent Executive Committee leader had planned to present the candidate for a vote February 19-20 in Nashville. But the candidate, who has not been named, withdrew after “much prayer, fasting, and a desire to be in the center of God’s will,” according to Baptist Press, an official SBC publication.

The Executive Committee has been without a permanent leader since the fall of 2021, when former Arkansas megachurch pastor Ronnie Floyd resigned as CEO and president after losing a battle over an investigation into the SBC’s handling of sexual abuse.

After Floyd resigned, former staffer Willie McLaurin stepped in as interim CEO and hoped to be named to the post. However, the search committee learned in its vetting of McLaurin that he had falsified his resume.

Jonathan Howe currently serves as interim president and CEO. Howe had been named as a temporary fill-in when McLaurin resigned but remained in the role after another interim candidate bowed out last fall.

Howe is expected to remain as interim.

“Despite this development, I commend the search team for their diligent work seeking the next SBC Executive Committee president and CEO,” Howe said in a statement. “This team has exemplified grace under pressure as they face their difficult task in the light of the current challenges across the Convention. I encourage Southern Baptists to continue to pray for these leaders as they move forward and to pray for the EC staff as they continue carrying out the work tasked to us by the Convention.”

The Executive Committee has had five top leaders since 2018, including a pair of permanent leaders who resigned in the face of controversy. The committee has struggled in recent years in the wake of a major sex-abuse scandal in the SBC.

In May of 2023, a previous search team had nominated Texas pastor Jared Wellman, a former Executive Committee trustee, for the top role. But a vote to confirm Wellman failed.

During their meeting in February, committee members are expected to discuss a proposed long-term plan for abuse reforms as well as plans for the denomination’s 2024 annual meeting this summer in Indianapolis.

This article originally appeared here.

4 Missional Shifts for Churches in 2024

Todd Korpi

January 24, 2024

The beginning of a new year brings new opportunities to examine and adjust our priorities and our approach to life. Like clockwork after the ball drops in Times Square, fitness centers are flooded with newcomers, throngs of people commit to fad diets, couples commit to spend less and save more, and more.

But also like clockwork every year, once we get a few weeks into January those new commitments start to fade. The gym empties out again, the fad diet was too extreme, and the budget commitments couldn’t stand up against the convenience of Instacart and Amazon Prime. By the time February hits, all is basically as it ever was.

Most Christians recognize that in 2024 we’re at something of an inflection point in the normal rhythms of evangelical church life. Some attribute this to the changes wrought by COVID-19, others to political and ideological polarization, and still others to phenomena like secularization, globalization, and deconstructionism. But whatever the reasons, most can sense that change is afoot and to flourish in the emerging present, churches must adapt.

Now that the “new year, new me” hype has now waned and we can think seriously about what’s ahead, I want to suggest eight shifts I believe churches must begin to make in 2024 in order to thrive.

We will cover the four in part one of this article, and another four in a later part two.

Shift 1: From a One-Size-Fits All Model for Church Toward Agile Innovation

In a time where many churches are struggling to attract and retain new people, it is tempting to look at what Example Church is doing in another state and copy everything they’re doing. I confess that when my wife and I planted our church plant in Flint, Michigan, 10 years ago, we did just that. We “ran the play” that the big churches we looked up to were running. The problem was those churches were in cultural contexts very different than ours. There came a point, frustrated that the magic model we were trying to force upon the people to whom God had called us wasn’t being received with enthusiasm, that we realized we needed to do things differently.

As our local cultures change—and they are changing fast—church leaders must shift toward a posture of agile innovation. It’s freeing to recognize that there are many diverse, beautiful expressions of church life that Christians have walked out together over time and location. There’s no magic model. Instead, we must listen to the needs and unique characteristics of our context and our congregation, and develop globally-informed, but locally specific forms of church community.

Shift 2: From Digitally Primitive to Digitally Savvy

Digital technology is moving at a rapid pace, with the rapid adoption of technologies like Artificial Intelligence and spatial computing for use in everyday life. Christians have historically been at the forefront of adopting technologies for the purpose of sharing the gospel, from the Roman roadway system to deliver Paul’s letters to the printing press and, later, broadcast media. There is tremendous potential for innovation for churches, missional practitioners, and Christian ministries alike. For this innovation to take place, many churches must shift from seeing digital ministry as a peripheral component of ministry to an integral and necessary way to engage people where they now spend a significant portion of their time. Digitally primitive approaches to ministry still leverage technology in much the same way we did 25 years ago—one way communication of information, content, and events. Digitally savvy ministry focuses on cultivating relationships online and bridging the divide between physical and digital in our approaches to ministering to people.

I currently serve as the Lead Researcher of the Digital Mission Consortia, where we have done some work on this subject. All of our research is available for free.

Shift 3: From Information Dissemination to Environment Shaping

Related to the last shift toward being more digitally savvy, churches must consider shifting our relationship with “content” as a whole. For centuries, a crucial function of church leadership was to be holders and dispensers of biblical and theological knowledge. Clergy were among the most well-read and well-educated and were thus looked to for the grand answers of Christian life. But the internet age has brought about a seismic democratization of information. Now a teenager with an iPhone holds more information in their pocket than our ancestors could read in a lifetime.

The Hidden Costs of Top-Down Decisions: A 7-Step System for Better Decisions

Gavin Adams

January 24, 2024

A great tension exists in every organization.

Leaders make most organizational decisions, yet those further down the organization are primarily responsible for executing these decisions.

This is the tension. Consider how this feels when you’re not included at the decision table. You’re working extremely hard to orchestrate the current strategy and expectations. The “leadership” sets these strategies and expectations. You see the gaps and issues firsthand, though. After all, you’re closest to the implementation. It’s easy to assume the decision table is too far removed from their decisions, making their choices frustrating for people like you. This tension causes all sorts of issues in your heart and the hearts of your teammates.

When this tension festers, it births:

Irritation and anger
Poor morale
Reduced Innovation
Decreased Trust
Lower Employee Engagement
Resistance to Change
High Turnover
Ineffective Decision-Making
Communication Breakdown

It’s easy to see why this tension cannot exist unchecked.

A Quick (and Bad Leadership) Story

I served as the lead pastor of Woodstock City Church for nearly 13 years. At our peak, we had 8,000 attending weekly, supported by 65 staff. With 36,000 people on our active roster, planning for things like Easter and Christmas was complicated. How many services should we offer? What times should we offer services? How many people can we fit with overflow spaces? When do we anticipate children attending?

These types of decisions are data-informed, but historical data alone isn’t predictive enough to simply replicate last year’s plan.

I remember sitting with our senior leadership team debating this very topic. How many services should we offer for Christmas? We studied the data. We ran some predictive guesses. And we made our decision. The following Sunday, we announced our plans to the church. One problem. We didn’t ask our preschool staff members what they believed was possible. Or smart.

In a church, preschool ministry is a bit like the Waffle House – it’s always open. I wanted preschool available for kids (and their parents) at each of our 10 services. Yes, you read that correctly. From the top of the organization, this seems wise. Let’s make church easy to attend regardless of when you attend. However, opening our preschool environment 10 times over two days is a logistical nightmare. The sheer number of volunteers required makes this impossible. Not to mention, toddlers aren’t easy to keep at 8:00 p.m.

It was my mistake. I didn’t bring the preschool director into this decision, even though the decision directly affected her, her team, and the kids and parents she leads.

I could give you more examples, but you get the point. It’s all too easy for leaders to make decisions that will be executed by those not involved in the decision.

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The solution is pretty simple: We’ve got to invite those who will be affected by our decisions to participate in the decision.

5 Bedtime Prayers That Will Change Your Life

Stephen Altrogge

January 24, 2024

Bedtime prayers present a unique opportunity for us to connect with God. Maybe we had a good day. Maybe we had a bad day. Either way, bedtime prayer is an opportunity for us to reset, in a sense. To freshly connect with God. To properly align our hearts with God’s will before we go to sleep.

But sometimes we don’t know what to pray when it comes to bedtime prayer. Should we pray the Lord’s prayer? That’s certainly one solid option. But there are numerous other helpful ways we can pray before we go to sleep.

Whether you’re looking for a good night prayer or night time prayer, these will align your heart with God before you go to sleep.

Bedtime Prayers:

Bedtime Prayers #1: A Prayer of Dependence

I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me (Psalm 3:5).

Father, sleep is a reminder that I am totally and completely dependent upon you. I don’t have infinite strength. I cannot keep working indefinitely. I need sleep to refresh me. Ultimately, I need you to refresh me.

The truth is, I am a dependent creature. I am dependent on you to give me life and breath and strength. When I try to live on my own, it results in heartache. When I live in dependence on you, I receive grace and mercy.

So as I go to sleep, I want to proclaim my total dependence upon you. As I drift off to sleep, it’s a clear reminder that I am not in control. I need you. I need you to sustain me through the night, and I need you to sustain me through my life.

Please give me the grace of sleep. Give me the grace of strength. Allow me to wake refreshed in the morning.

I depend on you, my good and gracious Father. I trust you to sustain me and to wake me with fresh energy in the morning.

Bedtime Prayers #2: A Prayer of Trust

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Father, many things have happened today. Some good, some bad, some hard, some joyful. Before I go to sleep, I want to entrust all these things to you. Honestly, there are many things I can’t figure out. Many circumstances that are confusing. Many situations that are just plain hard.

Even though I can’t figure out how all these things will work out, I know that you are good and I know that you will do good to me. Ultimately, I know that I can completely, 100 percent trust in you.

As I go to sleep, I declare that I trust in you. I trust you with the big things and the little things, with the happy things and the hard things. I trust you to deliver me out of evil and to lead me into paths of righteousness. You are my hope. My help. The lifter of my head.

I may not know how all things will work out, but you do, and because you are good I proclaim my trust in you.

Take the Test: Is God Calling You to Ministry Leadership?

Brandon Cox

January 24, 2024

Is God calling you to serve Him in ministry? First of all, it’s a big YES. God draws lost people to himself to save them, and his desire is that all saved people serve people. So, if you’re a believer, you are called! Obviously, however, there is a kind of “calling” that sets certain individuals apart for positions of ministry leadership. The New Testament refers to some people as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. And they are given to the church to teach, preach, shepherd, equip and instruct.

It should be noted before moving any further that everyone within the body of Christ is of equal worth and importance. We may serve different functions, but the gap between “clergy” and “laity” is an imagined one. All believers are “ministers” even though a few may receive a special calling to lead and to take responsibility for the health and welfare of the flock as undershepherds who follow Jesus.

Some of these leaders are paid and some are not. Some work for churches full-time, some part-time and others on a volunteer basis. Regardless of their formal relationship with a particular church body, they are called to a higher level of responsibility for the maturing of the body of Christ. So they preach, they lead, they counsel, they give oversight and they cast a vision for the fulfillment of the Great Commission.

Here’s the million-dollar question among those who grapple with this subject: Is the call of God to ministry leadership discerned mystically? Or practically? Is God’s call heard supernaturally? Or naturally?

And again, the answer is YES.

I have friends who testify that God showed up in a moment of their lives in an unusual way and made his presence known to them in the moment of their calling. But this isn’t always the case.

Personally, I would describe my own experience of God’s calling to ministry leadership in three phases:

I was hungry. I couldn’t get enough of the Bible, and I couldn’t seem to read enough about ministry or ask enough questions of my mentors. This hunger grew over several months as I found my way back into a local church. (As an aside, we ought to pursue this calling in the context of a local church community and under the mentorship of our pastors and leaders.)

I was convinced. I came to a moment when I simply knew that God wanted me to spend the rest of my life in full-time, vocational ministry leadership. It was on a bus ride to Louisville, Kentucky, when I was a senior in high school. I jotted in the margin of my Bible the phrase “3-1-95 Called to Preach.” I wrote it next to Jeremiah 1:5, which I was reading that day …

Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

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Shift 1: From a One-Size-Fits All Model for Church Toward Agile Innovation

Shift 2: From Digitally Primitive to Digitally Savvy

Shift 3: From Information Dissemination to Environment Shaping

A Quick (and Bad Leadership) Story

Listening To The Boots On The Ground

Bedtime Prayers:

Bedtime Prayers #1: A Prayer of Dependence

Bedtime Prayers #2: A Prayer of Trust

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