8 Principles in Seeking Spiritual Accountability

January 17, 2024

thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

If you want spiritual accountability in your life, you’ve got to take responsibility. Nobody will do that for you. Others can pour into you, teach you, model for you, and share resources with you. But if you want accountability, you’ve got to take that responsibility on yourself. I’ve asked people to help me with certain aspects of my spiritual life. Sometimes it’s “worked.” Many times, it hasn’t. But I’ve learned some principles along the way that have helped ensure success.

8 principles in seeking spiritual accountability

1. Ask for it.

If you don’t ask, nobody will respond. You need these deep relationships that help you with your personal spiritual growth.

2. Help define what it needs to look like.

Don’t just assume that if you ask someone, they’ll instantly know what accountability needs to look like for you. You have to help set the paramaters. How often? What will you talk about? What questions should they ask you?

3. Be vulnerable and share your story.

Otherwise, how can someone else help? If they don’t know who you are, where you’ve been, and the weak spots in your life, they’ll have no idea how to help you grow.

4. Take a risk.

You’ll never know if the person on the other end, that you’re asking to step into that relationship with you, is 100% trustworthy. This is a step of faith, not a step of pre-knowledge.

5. Remember that accountability is a two-way street.

This isn’t a cure-all solution. You’ve got to be doing the difficult task of working on yourself and your own shortcomings. Having someone “hold you accountable” doesn’t assure you’re accountable. You’ve got to continue to actively pursue that relationship, and be open and honest with where you are at all along the way.

6. Give the other person the room to say, “No.”

This is a big responsibility that you’re asking someone to. Give them the freedom to say that this is not the right season for them. Forced accountability rarely works. Both parties have to be willing to step in and do the hard work.

7. You have to continue to drive the relationship.

Don’t expect that you can ask once, share your story, and the other person will then magically follow up with you exactly when you need it. You’re the one asking for accountability. You need to be the one driving this relationship.

8. Ask for grace.

Since accountability isn’t a cure-all, there’s a good chance you’ll mess up again. In a big way. And this is where many “accountability partners” fall apart. If you’ve messed up, you think, “I can’t possibly be honest about this with him now.” And he’ll think, “I guess I’ve failed at holding him accountable.” What needs to happen is what happened in the beginning: grace. Set out from the beginning this idea that if failure happens, grace is the knee-jerk response.

You need someone to spur you on. (Hebrews 10:24) You’re too weak on your own to fight sin, insecurities, and the battles that rage against you doing what God’s calling you to do. You need someone who’s got your back. You need someone who is going to encourage you on the good days and the bad. You need a warrior who won’t give up on you, who knows where you’re headed, and is willing to walk through the dark and the light to help you get there.

So encourage each other and build each other up – 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Do you have someone who’s intentionally encouraging you and helping hold you accountable?

Have you seen this kind of relationship misused? Where one (or both) parties expected too much?

7 Key Steps of Recruiting, Training and Retaining Church Volunteers

Anthony Coppedge

January 17, 2024

I’ve written on burnout and church volunteer issues before, but the key to avoiding those issues is right-fitting volunteers and placing safe boundaries around their workload. In my experience, there are three parts (Recruit, Train, Retain) to this process, so I’ve included my 7 Steps of recruiting, training and retaining church volunteers.

7 Key Steps With Church Volunteers

1. Invite someone to learn with you.

There’s something powerful about being invited and asked to participate in something bigger than ourselves. Most of the best volunteers I’ve met at hundreds of churches came because someone asked them if they’d like a chance to see what it was like to do what we do!

Your pool of current church volunteers are the best possible recruiters. Why? Because, chances are, they are friends with people similar to themselves. That means techies know more techies. It also means that your non-techie volunteers (more on that below) know people like them, too. Leveraging the spheres of influence that your church volunteers have is the best way to invite new people to your ministry.

Another important recruiting tip is to find college interns, stay-at-home moms and retirees who have the time to give on a Monday thru Friday basis. Unlike your other volunteers with full-time jobs, these folks have more flexible schedules and can help you with a host of necessary areas including volunteer scheduling, administrative support, copywriting, organizing, documenting and encouraging other volunteers with handwritten notes.

I have had men and women help me out during the week so that I was freed up to do the work that only I could do instead of work that anyone could do. One of my best volunteers was a brilliant administrator; she just kept me organized and helped me with the myriad of daily tasks that I didn’t like or have the time to do.

When you use interns, keep a log of what they do and give them the chance to apply their time and effort towards their high school or college credits. It may mean you need to go and visit with their high school counselor or college professor, but those real world on-the-job training hours can result in applicable hours towards their degree.

2. Guide someone through the process.

Initiate them slowly through the ropes and give them a lot of freedom to watch and observe. There’s a great deal of safety in knowing that an invitation to come into the tech booth has no expectation for them to perform. If possible, have a trained techie with the observer to point out what’s happening and to answer their questions. De-mystifying the tech is a big part of alleviating their fears.

5 Methods of Volunteer Recruitment

Church Fuel

January 17, 2024

The question of volunteer recruitment comes in many forms.

How do we get people off the sideline and into the game?

How do we help members get motivated when it just seems like they want to come and listen or be entertained?

How do we engage people when they are already so busy or say that they’re tired and need a break?

Volunteer recruitment. Pastors and church leaders know they will never be able to do all of the ministry that needs to be done. But seeing people take the next steps to serve is another story.

I’ve never had a church leader come to me and say, “We have too many volunteers.” Instead, we hear the opposite time and time again. How do we encourage volunteer recruitment?

The question is even more important when you consider that people often give their time before they give their money, and volunteers are three times more likely to invite their friends to church.

So, let’s talk about volunteer recruitment.

5 Methods of Volunteer Recruitment

#1 – Get good at saying thanks.

The first step in volunteer recruitment is to thoroughly thank your existing volunteers.

That’s right…before you worry about bringing any new people into your volunteer base, make sure the volunteers you already have serving are the happiest and healthiest people in your church.

If your current volunteers are under appreciated, you’re asking people to jump on board a sinking ship. And very few people want to make that leap.

Have a simple system in place to thank your current volunteers. That system could consist of:

Personal handwritten thank you notes like these to recognize individual contributions
An annual volunteer appreciation event
Regularly scheduled insider communication
A team structure that makes sure everyone serving has a shepherd to care for their soul

Since people naturally go where they are appreciated, make sure you thank your volunteers over and over again. It’s the most powerful thing you can do to attract new people.

#2 – Highlight volunteer contributions.

Not only should you thank your volunteers individually, but you should also appreciate them publicly.

Call attention to people who go above and beyond. Recognize people by name and in public. Every time you do this, it means a lot to the person you’re recognizing, but it also makes a difference to your larger volunteer base.

5 Gifts Jesus Gives Us in the Lord’s Supper

Ray Hollenbach

January 17, 2024

The Lord’s Supper is more than history, more than the artwork of a painting. It’s the living example of how to go through stressful times. When we read about the Lord’s Supper in John 13, we discover not only the roots of the sacrament but also the secrets of Christian living. There are at least five diamonds shining out from the darkness of John 13. I’m sure you can find more, but I’m struck with these reflections.

5 Gifts From the Lord’s Supper

1. Jesus showed us how to love well. (v.1)

Jesus demonstrated that sometimes the grand gesture is important. What more perfect love is there than the love of God? Yet Jesus determined that night to show them the “full extent” of his love. He washed their feet. Earlier in the week Mary had broken open a jar of fabulously expense perfume and covered his feet with the sweet-smelling ointment. He had received extravagant love, and now, at the Lord’s Supper, he showed the same. The service due him he gave to others. In a time of incredible stress, Jesus lavished his attention on others.

2. Jesus showed us how to deal with betrayal. (v.2)

Jesus washed Judas’ feet as well. The very one who objected to Mary’s outrageous act of love was apparently willing to receive the full extent of Jesus’ love. Jesus knew the score and chose to serve even Judas. But should we be surprised? Before sunrise, all the disciples except John would flee for safety. Peter would deny the Lord again and again (and again). But Jesus served them all. In a setting of betrayal, Jesus determined to pour forth his love and care. Under incredible pressure, he met betrayal with love. He cared even for his oppressor. Perhaps that’s why the early church sang, “If we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”

Children’s Ministry Leader: Avoid These 5 Dangerous Traps

Greg Baird

January 16, 2024

Children’s ministry leader: Do ever feel frustrated about your work? Do you ever question your role or calling? If so, read one veteran kidmin worker’s story and tips.

As I stood in front of a couple hundred elementary-age kids, my mind was racing. I was in the middle of telling the story for large-group time but realized several props were missing. These were pretty big—and necessary!—props. Yet I had no idea where they were.

But I did know why they weren’t there. I had become comfortable. We had a system for Sunday morning, and we had become so used to the system that we were comfortable. As a result, we did quick run-throughs instead of the step-by-step checks we were supposed to be doing.

And we, or rather I, missed making sure all the necessary props were on stage and in place. As a leader, I learned a valuable lesson that day: to avoid getting caught in the trap of being comfortable. Read on to discover other kidmin traps…and how to avoid them.

5 Traps Every Children’s Ministry Leader Should Avoid

1. Comfort

Systems, processes and standard operating procedures are important. Done correctly, they leave plenty of room for creativity, flexibility and even spontaneity. But they also open the door for getting a little too complacent. Essentially, we say, “We do this so much we don’t need to prepare as much.” That’s when we get caught.

As a leader, have you become too comfortable with something in your children’s ministry?

2. Small-Church Thinking

We’re just a small church and know everyone. So we don’t need to worry too much about security. If I had a few bucks for every time I’ve heard this as I’ve consulted with churches, I’d be able to take a nice vacation. Don’t buy it! This is foolish thinking, on this issue or any other. Being a smaller congregation doesn’t give you an excuse to be less than excellent.

Kidmin leader: What areas of your ministry do you need to shore up?

3. Hoarding

No one can do it as well as I do, a leader often thinks. When it comes to the individual tasks of ministry, you’re probably right. But when it comes to the collective job of ministry to children, you couldn’t be more wrong. Hoarding tasks to do ourselves is selfish and short-sighted. It limits the potential of you and your children’s ministry. It disengages and diminishes the work of others. It’s small-minded.

What tasks do you need to equip others to do so you can remain primarily focused on doing those things only you can do?

A Post-Christian World Requires a New Approach to Youth Ministry

ThreadsResources

January 16, 2024

Need advice about doing youth ministry in a post-Christian world? Then read on for one church worker’s thoughts and tips on this vital subject.

Recently I asked some young people who all follow Jesus to have dinner with my family. I asked the kids if they attended the church I was working for. They all responded with a hesitant “no.”

I asked if they attended any church service anywhere on the weekends. Again, the answer was “no.”

This conversation could be repeated in living rooms and coffee shops around the country with similar responses. During the last century, our culture has undergone a paradigm shift from Christendom into Post-Christendom. At one time we might have been a Christian culture. But all research points to the new reality that we are living in a post-Christian world.

This means we cannot expect the church to be the central gathering place for local communities. We cannot expect people to agree with the teachings of Jesus simply because “the Bible clearly states…” Due to the influence of postmodern philosophy, our culture is skeptical of institutional houses of worship. It rejects coercive meta-narratives and seeks knowledge from within a lived community.

Given today’s secular culture in which we’re called to minister, our practices must reflect this new reality. To use tools, resources and methods that were successful during Christendom would be counterproductive in our post-Christian world. As our culture has shifted, so must our practices.

Doing Youth Ministry in a Post-Christian World

Here are three practices I find helpful while engaging our post-Christian culture with the Gospel:

1. The Practice of Being Sent

After this the Lord appointed 72 others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.” –Luke 10:1-4

In our post-Christian world, we must understand youth ministry as a missionary endeavor. We can no longer expect students to flock to incredible buildings and flashy programs. Teens are “out there,” so we must adopt the practice of heading to where they already live, play and work.

Being sent means we enter into a culture as a guest. We go where people gather and learn the practices. We don’t go to “win” a culture. Instead, we go to reveal Jesus amid the already-existing culture.

I go to RabbitFoot Records and Cafe every Friday and set up my office on a cafe table. RabbitFoot is this quirky hybrid of a coffee shop and a vinyl record store. It serves as a sanctuary for marginalized communities, punk-rock kids and the LGBTQ+ community in my city. In this small store, I’m the guest entering a foreign space.

As I’m sent here, I go ready to discern what God is doing in and among the people who enter. These people have no idea who Jesus is. They’d never set foot in an institutional church, no matter how great the programs. Without the practice of being sent, these people will never have the chance to know Jesus.

‘Sound of Freedom’ Subject Tim Ballard Responds to Multiple New Sexual Assault Claims

Janna Firestone

January 16, 2024

The box office hit “Sound of Freedom” is loosely based on the life and career of Tim Ballard, founder of the anti-sex trafficking organization Operation Underground Railroad. However, Ballard is now the subject of multiple investigations and a growing number of lawsuits for alleged sexual misconduct and abuse.

“Tim Ballard has dedicated his life to protecting others, and his behavior toward his former friend and colleague has been consistent with that commitment,” Ballard’s attorney, Whitney Bernstein, has said in response to the allegations.

Tim Ballard Faces Additional Lawsuits—From Multiple Women—Citing His Alleged Sexual Misconduct and Abuse

Ballard’s career has been focused on rescuing children from human trafficking. In October 2013, he founded and led Operation Underground Railroad (OUR)—an organization dedicated to human trafficking efforts and justice for the abusers. A 2023 investigation by an independent law firm found his behavior to “violate O.U.R.’s policies and values.” Ballard was permanently separated from the organization.

In October 2023, at least five women filed a lawsuit against Ballard, not counting additional civil lawsuits against Ballard claiming sexual misconduct and/or assault.

In December 2023, a former assistant to Ballard, Celeste Borys, sued him for sexual assault. Borys and her husband filed the lawsuit claiming that Ballard “violently sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions.”

Borys has reported assaults in four jurisdictions—San Diego, San Clemente, Campbell, and the Los Angeles Airport.

“My client’s decision to report the assaults in additional jurisdictions speaks to the widespread nature of the traumatic events she and other women have experienced due to Tim Ballard’s sexual deviancy,” Borys’ attorney, Suzette Rasmussen, said. “It emphasizes the critical need for a comprehensive and coordinated effort across jurisdictions to address these heinous acts.”

According to the lawsuit filed by the five women, Ballard would “fly women who would be posing as his wife or partner from across the country to Utah, because he wanted to hone their sexual chemistry for the so-called ‘couples ruse.’”

In a video posted to Facebook, Ballard explained what he called the “couples ruse” or “couples tactic.” He said, “Based upon the allegations that are currently being spread throughout the media, I want to formally introduce and clarify what the ‘couples ruse’ is.”

As part of an intentional and complex rescue, the “couples ruse” involves a male-female team going undercover and interacting with traffickers to gain credibility. In order to keep the conversation going, Ballard claimed, one partner acts like he or she is interested in sexual acts but “blames” the other partner who is against it.

Throughout the video, Ballard referred to the “heroic” female operators who have worked with him. “I’m going to pay homage, respect, love, and gratitude for these female operators,” he said.

‘I Messed Up Really Bad’—Lil Nas X Says He ‘Didn’t Mean To Mock’ Christianity

Jessica Lea

January 16, 2024

Rapper Lil Nas X, who has been promoting his recently released music video for the song, “J Christ,” as part of his “Christian era,” posted a video Monday saying he is sorry for some of his actions and explaining his thinking behind them.

“I wanted to, not necessarily apologize, but I wanted to explain like where my head at and where it’s been for like the last week,” he said at the beginning of his video [Editor’s note: This video contains language some may find offensive].

“When I did the artwork [for my new single], I knew there would be some upset people or whatnot simply cause, you know, religion is a very sensitive topic for a lot of people,” he explained. “But I also didn’t mean to mock.” The rapper said he is not the only artist to portray himself as Jesus and said he will not be the last, and his intention was not to tell Christians “f*** you.”

“It was not that,” said Lil Nas X. “It was literally me saying, ‘Oh, I’m back, I’m back like Jesus.’”

Lil Nas X Begins His ‘Christian Era’

On Nov. 29, Lil Nas X, whose real name is Montero Hill, asked, “Y’all mind if I enter my Christian era?” The implication of the question was surprising for a few reasons. In 2021, the artist partnered with MSCHF to release “Satan Shoes,” a modified pair of Nike Air Max 97s that supposedly contain a drop of human blood mixed with red ink and featured a pentagram, the verse Luke 10:18, and upside down crosses. The rapper planned to release 666 pairs of the shoes.

The 2021 music video for Lil Nas X’s song, “Montero (Call Me by Your Name),” sexualizes Christian imagery of the serpent and a tree and shows Lil Nas X sliding from heaven to hell on a stripper pole and giving Satan a lap dance.

On Jan. 12, the rapper released the music video to his single, “J Christ.” The video portrays the rapper welcoming celebrity look-alikes into heaven, beating Satan at basketball, and hanging on a cross wearing go-go boots and a crown of thorns. In the song, the artist raps, “Back up out the gravesite b****, I’m back like J Christ.”

Lil Nas X released various videos and images ahead of the music video to promote it. On Jan. 9, he even posted a fake acceptance letter to Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Some promotional images show the rapper hanging on crosses. In one, a group of men and women lift him while another shows him in a metallic outfit and transforming into a robotic figure. A short video the rapper published shows him devouring communion wafers and juice.

‘Pray for the Haters Who Are Going To Rejoice,’ Greg Locke Says After Snow Storm Damages Church’s Tent

Jesse T. Jackson

January 16, 2024

Greg Locke, outspoken lead pastor of Global Vision Bible Church (GVBC) in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, shared on social media Monday (Jan. 15) that the tent the church uses as its gathering space suffered heavy damage from a winter storm that dropped an entire season’s worth of snow in one day.

GVBC’s tent seats 3,000 people and hosts visitors from across the nation each week.

According to NWS Nashville, the snow accumulation since Monday was 7.6″. For perspective, NWS Nashville reported that Nashville’s normal annual snowfall accumulation is 4.7″.

In Locke’s video, the pastor showed how the weight of the snow caused the roof of GVBC’s tent to collapse, ripping parts of the tent.

“I want to let you guys know that the tent has withstood a grave amount of damage,” Locke said. “I’m super grateful for Christ’s servants rolling up their sleeves and getting here in the snow” to help move equipment out of the tent to a safe location. “But with all the snow accumulation and the wind and more snow to come,” he added, “the tent is just not able to handle the weight of it.”

Locke also showed how the weight of the snow had damaged the HVAC system installed on the tent’s roof.

“All of our framing is being bent from the inside,” Locke added. “The whole tent is just beginning to implode—it’s buckling, buckling from the outside in.”

The damage to the tent is so great that Locke said the church is looking for a different location to hold Sunday and Wednesday worship services until the tent can be repaired. “We got to figure out what the Lord’s gonna do, but it definitely won’t be under the tent. The integrity of the structure is is worthless,” he explained.

GVBC’s pastor asked for prayer. He added that looking at the tent’s damage is “disheartening, but it’s just a setback.” Locke shared that “so many times, prophetically, setbacks are divine setups.”

Locke said that insurance will only cover damage to equipment inside the tent and not the tent itself, estimating the damages will cost GVBC around $150,000, which is an “astronomical amount of money.”

After Iowa Caucuses, Beth Moore Is ‘Plainly Sobered’ by the Fact So Many Republicans ‘Still Hail Trump’

Stephanie Martin

January 16, 2024

After former president Donald Trump’s overwhelming victory in the Iowa caucuses Monday night (Jan. 15), Bible teacher and author Beth Moore posted that she is “just plainly sobered by the thought that, with other individuals to choose from, masses of people still hail Trump.”

Sobered by last night and trying to practice what people call radical acceptance, not of a presidential candidate because surprising things happen. Just plainly sobered by the thought that, with other individuals to choose from, masses of people still hail Trump. He’s what they…

— Beth Moore (@BethMooreLPM) January 16, 2024

Despite Trump’s ongoing legal troubles, he won 98 of Iowa’s 99 counties, missing a clean sweep by just one vote. Overall, Trump received 51% of the votes. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis came in second, with 21%, and former U.N. Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley came in third, with 19%.

Moore, who is the founder of Living Proof Ministries and who spoke out against Trump back in October 2016, has called “Trumpism” both “seductive and dangerous.” Almost three years ago, Moore left the Southern Baptist Convention, partly due to church leaders’ unwavering support for Trump.

Beth Moore Hopes To Avoid Her ‘2016 Self’

In a lengthy social media post on Jan. 16, Beth Moore referred to Trump as “a verbally abusive, artfully and purposely divisive bully who has all but left the Republican Party unrecognizable.” She said she “just can’t understand” why “staunch” GOP voters “don’t…care about your own party.”

Moore, 66, indicated she wants to avoid “a repeat performance of my 2016 self,” adding, “I didn’t like her anymore than you did.” So instead of becoming “obsessed” during this election cycle, Moore wrote, she wants to “seek peace and pursue it.”

Although Moore said she doesn’t want to “get obsessed” or “lose more relationships” over politics, she needs to “move to a place of radical acceptance.” She wrote, “It was one thing to cast a vote for a party’s only candidate, reasoning the choice as the lesser of two evils. This is quite another thing. This is wide-open-eyed, ‘We WANT Trump!’”

Moore concluded, “We can complain all we want about our leaders but, in this government by the people, at the end of the day and the beginning of November, our candidates are mirrors of ourselves.”

Churches Sheltering Unhoused Individuals Amid Freezing Temperatures Face Financial, Legal Challenges

Dale Chamberlain

January 16, 2024

unhoused shelter — Photo by Plato Terentev (via Pexels)

As winter temperatures drop below freezing, churches around the nation are opening their facilities as places of shelter for unhoused individuals in their communities. Providing this service can be lifesaving, but it is also costly.

In Colorado, Denver Friends Church opened its gymnasium to unhoused migrants on Jan. 10, incurring a nightly cost of $500 to feed and house 29 mostly Venezuelan migrants who would have otherwise been sleeping in the snow.

While Denver Friends Church has received support from the city, which has provided cots and blankets, Pastor Keith Reeser has led the charge in gathering the funds and volunteers necessary to make the shelter possible.

“We are delighted at the fact that we can serve this community in a way like this because I know this community is struggling and this is a humanitarian crisis,” Reeser told a local NBC affiliate.

In other cities, other churches are likewise faced with high daily costs to operate emergency shelters. In the case of First Baptist Church in Edwardsville, Illinois, those costs are coming in the form of a daily fine of $750 for what city officials say is a zoning violation.

First Baptist has been opening its sanctuary to members of the community who are either unhoused or who live in housing without heat as part of a collaboration with the nonprofit Overnight Warming Locations (OWL).

“Being out in cold weather is really dangerous,” said Michelle Babb of the Glen-Ed Ministerial Alliance. “They need to stay here. They are rooted here. They are our neighbors even though they don’t have addresses, so we need to provide shelter for them.”

Nevertheless, the city of Edwardsville says that First Baptist needs a special permit to operate its shelter, something the church contests.

“The church has had a special permit since 1969 that allows them—all churches have one—to perform ministry work,” said a representative for OWL. “The activities with OWL are ministry work and fall under this special permit use. Why the city believes it doesn’t is a mystery.”

Sabrina Trupia, who volunteers at the shelter, said, “This is an issue of life and death to me.”

Organic Christian Living in the Local Church

Nicholas Batzig

January 16, 2024

The New Testament gives us more than enough commands for believers to live out the Christian life organically among the members of the congregation to which we belong. There are 59 “one another” passages in the New Testament that we can only understand and carry out in light of the relationship each believer has to other believers in the same worshiping community. Here are a few of the commands through which God reveals how he desires for believers to live out their Christian lives organically with other believers in the local church:

“Bear with the failings of the weak” (Rom. 15:1)
“Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another” (Rom. 12:10)
“Serve one another through love” (Gal. 5:13)
“Bear one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2)
“Share all good things with the one who teaches” (Gal. 6:6)
“Do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10)
“Bear with one another in love, with all lowliness and gentleness, with long-suffering” (Eph. 4:2)
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph. 4:32)
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord” (Col. 3:16)
“Increase and abound in love to one another and to all” (1 Thess. 3:12)
“Exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Heb. 3:13)
“Consider one another in order to stir up love and good works” (Heb. 10:24)
“Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account” (Heb. 13:7)
“Visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27)
“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16)
“Love one another fervently with a pure heart” (1 Peter 1:22)
“Have compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous” (1 Pet. 3:8)
“Be hospitable to one another without grumbling” (1 Peter 4:9)
“Minister to one another, as each one has received a gift” (1 Peter 4:10)
“Love one another” (1 John 3:11, 23; 4:7, 11, 12; 2 John 1:5)

These are merely a few of the recurrent of apostolic imperatives that God has given to the members of his church. All of them require prayerful and purposeful pursuit. They involve personal commitment, sacrifice, and diligence. They will only truly happen in a spiritually organic manner. They will never occur through programs or organizational structure in a local church.

We love the local church of which we belong because it is God’s sphere of special, redemptive blessings in Christ (Eph. 3:10). Accordingly, we should all want to see believers giving the better part of their lives to the growth, provision and nourishment of the local church. God never intended for programs or community organization to serve as replacements for the organic acts of love and service that are of the essence of the Christian community of believers.

The church exists to bring glory to God, to spread and defend the Gospel, to build up and equip the saints unto mutual edification in love, and to perform the good works for which Christ has redeemed a people (Eph. 2:10; 4:11-16). To this end, the Christian life and Christian ministry requires personal commitment, sacrifice and diligence.

There is always the danger that believers will grow weary in well doing (Gal. 6:9). When this happens many begin to look for alternatives that they believe will make them feel like a fruitful Christian. When church members cease “giving all diligence” to living out the Christian life personally and in the context of service to others in the local church they become susceptible to start trusting in programs and extracurricular activities.

Many turn to programmatic churches or parachurch ministries for solutions. A mechanistic church mindset is a counterfeit to an organic church mindset. Adopting a mechanistic view of the church has detrimental consequences. Burk Parsons makes the important observation that often “the local church programs its people with so many activities that people have no time left to spend with their families and friends to enjoy life together and rest together—let alone take care of widows and orphans.” It is altogether possible to be involved in activities in a local church without being a spiritually active member of the body. Both pastors and congregants can fall into the error of embracing a mechanistic ministry mindset and start to trust in programs or external accommodations to do the work of ministry for them. This is one of the more difficult errors to identify and expose, since those who have begun to do these things are usually not aware that they have begun to do so. It is a subtle modus operandi.

I’m Not An ‘Angel Mommy’ and Here’s Why

Melissa Edgington

January 16, 2024

angel mommy — Photo by Felipe Cespedes (via Pexels)

It’s a vast and terrible club to belong to: mothers who have babies in Heaven. At one time, women didn’t feel the freedom to share much about such losses, especially when it came to miscarriage, but these days we’re encouraged to talk about and remember the little souls that we never really knew. Once women began talking about miscarriage, infant loss, and rainbow babies, a problem emerged in our thinking that has spread far and wide thanks to social media. Women began painting pictures in their minds of their babies flitting around Heaven with angel wings, fat little cherubs with rosy cheeks. Moms started calling them “angel babies,” and they began to make t-shirts to wear that say, “Mother of Angels” or “Angel Mommy.” Somehow art and lore and mythology combined with vague ideas of what Heaven is like to produce this image in the minds of grieving mothers. As usual, the world’s notions of comfort and peace pale in comparison to the true comfort that comes from knowing God’s truth.

As a follower of Christ and a mother who suffered three miscarriages, I have a vastly different view of what my babies are experiencing. People who die don’t earn angel wings. Angels are completely different created beings, separate from humans and without the same experience knowing God. The Bible tells us that angels love to look at the ways that Jesus rescues human beings from our sin. (1 Peter 1:12) Piper writes that the angels watch the spiritual drama unfold, aware that they are outsiders, having never sinned or experienced salvation through Christ. In other words, the angels play a special role in the heavenly realms, but they were not created in God’s image nor are they objects of His fatherly affection and salvation.

Human beings, on the other hand, are invited to enter the place that Jesus Himself has prepared. This means that there is a plan for our babies. They are living a very real present and have a very real future, not as fat little cherubs with no direction or purpose, not as mere cutesy decorative elements of Heaven, but as real souls with real relationships with the King of Kings. Viewing our babies as cherubs is such a poor substitute for the realities of Heaven and the future of eternity. I would much rather envision my babies in the arms of the Lord Himself, on the laps of saints that have gone before, joining in with the worshiping throng of Heaven. We know very little about babies in Heaven. But we do know that God is good and that He is taking care of them. We also know that they are who He created them to be: human beings, redeemed by the blood of Christ, living out the first days of a beautiful, pure, fulfilling, and glorious future in His presence.

They don’t need wings. They don’t need cutesy sentiment. They have all they need in Christ. We can take comfort in this truth, now and for all eternity. Our babies are more alive now than ever, not as angels, but as the dearly loved children of God.

What Does the Bible Say About Domestic Violence?

Ally Kern

January 16, 2024

Ally Kern told some of her personal story elsewhere. But what does the bible say about domestic violence? Here she shows how the Bible does not support abuse but instead demonstrates compassion toward domestic abuse victims.

You Know Domestic Abuse Victims

Around the world, 1 in 3 women have experienced some form of abuse from a male intimate partner in their lifetime.[1] In the U.K. the number of women who have experienced domestic abuse since the age of 15 is comparable^[2]. And a survey conducted by the CDC reported that 1 in 3 women in the U.S. experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime.

This is arguably the largest human rights violation of our time. And yet, despite this prolific reality being mirrored in the church[4], we have largely remained silent on this life-altering experience so embedded in our homes and neighborhoods.

The truth is that you know domestic abuse victims. The victim might be your mother, sister, aunt, friend or a teenager in your church youth group. The chances are she hasn’t felt safe enough to reveal the terrible pain she has suffered in the privacy of her relationship. Domestic abuse is easy to hide, but can be challenging to identify.

What exactly is domestic abuse and who encounters it?

Domestic abuse within a dating, cohabiting, or marriage relationship is a pattern of one partner using power and control over the other. This may include physical, emotional/psychological, sexual, financial, spiritual or cyber/digital abuse. All forms of domestic abuse are harmful and often have long-term impact on the domestic abuse victims, even after they escape the violence of their partner.[5]

It can be hard to come to terms with the reality that domestic abuse can happen in our churches at the hands of fellow Christians—even our pastor or lay leader. But abuse is often perpetrated by Christians, and many women suffer in silence due to shame and the failure of the church in addressing domestic violence.

The main perpetrators of abuse are husbands and boyfriends, although it is important to note that men can also be domestic abuse victims.[6] Whenever an individual is abused, it is a serious violation of one’s God-given personhood and human right to freedom. As such, it is critical for the church to break the silence on domestic abuse and advocate for the end of gender-based violence.

What does the Bible say about domestic violence?

If you’ve ever skimmed through the Bible—especially the Old Testament—you’ve seen stories of violence, from rape to slavery and war. How do we reconcile the God of the Bible, who at times seems to promote violence, with our experience of domestic abuse?

Scripture is often used to keep women silent about their experiences as domestic abuse victims, to urge them to stay with an abusive partner, and even to justify abuse. But the Bible is clear that God opposes those who oppress, marginalize and abuse others.

Who is sinning: the person who abuses, or the victim who wants to be free?

The Bible views all forms of domestic violence as sin (Mal. 2:16-17; Psalm 11:5; Col. 3:19), including verbal abuse (Prov. 12:18; Prov. 18:21; Col. 3:8), and exhorts us to protect ourselves from violent people (Prov. 27:12; Prov. 11:9). Even in troubled relationships where one is provoked, the Bible speaks out against responding with violence (Eph. 4:26; Luke 6:45).

God’s heart is to deliver the abused (Psalm 5, 7, 10, 140; Acts 14:5) and to protect women by calling husbands to provide for the physical and emotional needs of their wives with sensitivity and gentleness, encouraging them to become all that God created them to be (Eph. 5:1-2). Any form of abuse is unacceptable behavior and defies God’s calling for Christ-followers to relate to each other in love.

Is My Church a Cult ?

Clint Archer

January 16, 2024

When I first got saved and joined a small Bible church that was not part of a denomination my friends were concerned that I had joined a cult. The church was small (50 or so attendees), we met in a school hall, the pastor was a foreigner (any American teaching just smelled suspicious), and we had a lengthy membership process, part of which required baptism because my “mainstream” Catholic christening didn’t count. It also included signing a document that said I understood the practice of church discipline, resulting in excommunication for violating Scripture. In retrospect, I can sympathize with their concerns. My beliefs and behavior altered, and albeit for the better, it still seemed radical. I attended three Bible studies a week, two services on a Sunday, and listened to countless hours of John MacArthur tapes. I started dating a girl in the church who had refused to date me while I was Catholic. I can see what this looked like. At one point the pressing concerns of a close friend of mine caused me to pause and consider: is my church a cult?

I asked a friend in another church how I could know is my church a cult. I have been asked the same question by others, and I’ve had Christian parents enquire how they can know if the church their college-aged child has got involved in is a cult or not.

First, let me say that the mere fact that you are asking the question is a good sign. Even if someone in my own (Baptist) church asked me if we were a cult I would not be offended but encouraged. It signals that the person is thinking critically about their faith, rather than accepting it based on an authority figure spoon feeding (or worse: force feeding) it to them. I would also recommend to the enquirer that they not accept my answer as final either, but that they read widely and research other sources to check what I say.

Also, bear in mind that cultic patterns occur on a spectrum. The more characteristics your church exhibits, the more concerned you should be. And just because a group is missing one or two of these traits does not mean it is a safe spiritual place. If your church or small group might not be a cult, while still exhibiting cultic behavior, you should address this with the leadership.

Is My Church a Cult – 5 Characteristics:

1. An Authoritative, Unaccountable Leader.

Be concerned if the leader is not held to the same standards as the members or if members don’t question the leader’s teaching or behavior, or if he/she is not held to the same standards as the members are.

Are Tattoos a Sin? Explore Biblical Perspectives on Body Modification

Stephanie Martin

January 15, 2024

Teens today wonder are tattoos a sin. And kids are likely to ask you, their youth minister, what the Bible says about body modification. So how will you answer?

By doing a little research and preparation beforehand, you can present well-developed thoughts on this controversial topic. Plus, you can spark important conversations among youth group members.

A few notes of caution: Realize that your church, board, denomination, or senior pastor might have different opinions about tattoos. Also, some members of your youth group (and/or some kids who visit or attend community events) might already sport ink.

More and more people seem to be getting tattoos these days. So avoid being judgmental. Let kids dive into Scripture and come to their own realizations about are tattoos a sin.

Use the topic of tattoos for a Bible study or small group. It’s sure to spark intense discussions on both sides of the issue.

Are Tattoos a Sin: Dive Into This Hot Topic With Teens

Here are some thoughts on this relevant debate. Plus, we’ve provided links to resources so you can take a deeper dive into whether or not tattoos are biblical.

Arguments Against Tattoos

Bible verses that people cite to argue against tattoos include Leviticus 19:28 (an Old Testament law against cutting or marking your body) and 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (a New Testament Scripture about our bodies being God’s temple). Why would we want to change what God made in his image?

Many tattoos consist of questionable content. Some people say tattoos have evil roots and signify rebellion. Often people later regret a tattoo, and removing them is painful and expensive. It isn’t always easy to cover a tattoo, and some workplaces frown on them. Plus, tattoos don’t always look great down the road, as the body changes.

Does God really care what we do to our bodies, which he created? Tattoos might not be a matter of salvation. But are they sinful? Here’s a helpful list of 10 biblical arguments against tattoos. For example, getting a tattoo can signify that you are conforming to the world and its standards (see Romans 12:2).

Using a tattoo to proclaim that you’re a Christian isn’t a solid argument, according to Pastor John Piper. At DesiringGod.org, he writes, “There is a much better way to brand yourself biblically—namely, with love.”

Ellie Holcomb Talks Family, Lauren Daigle, and Getting To Perform at the Indiana Pacers ‘Faith Night’

Jesse T. Jackson

January 15, 2024

Ellie Holcomb, a Dove Award-winning Christian Contemporary Music (CCM) recording artist who was named the Gospel Music Association’s (GMA) 2014 New Artist of the Year, performed at the Indiana Pacers’ “Faith Night” earlier this month (Jan. 5).

Taking the stage after the Pacers beat the Atlanta Hawks 116-150, Holcomb performed an hour-long set featuring a combination of songs from her Dove Award-winning studio and children’s albums.

“I love it being able to play for events like the Pacers’ Faith Night because I love community,” Holcomb told ChurchLeaders. “I think sports and music are two things that bring people together, and so when they marry those two things in one night, it feels really special.” Holcomb shared that she loves to play for people that might not have ever heard of her but who stick around after the game and end up becoming fans.

Because Holcomb was able to welcome Pacers’ fans to a new year, ChurchLeaders asked her what her most memorable moment in 2023 was. The mother of three, who is married to Drew of the Americana band Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, replied that this past fall was the first time that all of her kids were in school and that it has been amazing to watch them grow in this new season of life.

The stay-at-home mom said that she has been using the extra alone time to spend more time with God through prayer and meditation. “I am so very grateful to have that time,” she said.

Holcomb said her word for 2024 is “stillness” and that she intends (she uses the word “intentions” in lieu of “resolutions“) to take a pause before making decisions—”to try to get to a place of being still and listening.” She also intends to take each of her kids on a “mama date” each month.

Later this year, Holcomb will be joining her friend Lauren Daigle for Daigle’s 2024 “The Kaleidoscope Tour.” The two wrote Daigle’s song “Be Okay,” which was released on Daigle’s 2023 self-titled album.

Holcomb shared the emotional story of how the song was created. “There was a parent who reached out and let me know that their little girl was in hospice and was losing her battle with cancer,” she said. “The mother shared that her little girl was a huge fan of my music and was reaching out to see if I could just send her a video.”

The song “Be Okay” was inspired by Holcomb’s correspondence with the 11-year-old. “Her story and heart captured my heart,” Holcomb said, sharing that she started writing the song while she was on a plane heading to meet Daigle for a writing session. “It was so beautiful because we were able to finish the song and send it to [the little girl] before she went home to be with God,” Holcomb added.

eharmony Ad ‘Attempts To Glorify Sin,’ Says Conservative Advocacy Group

Jessica Lea

January 15, 2024

An eharmony ad featuring a lesbian couple has come under fire from the group One Million Moms, a division of the American Family Association. One Million Moms has created a petition, currently at 12,321 signatures, urging eharmony to “pull their LGBTQ-inclusive ad immediately.”

“This eharmony ad is an attempt to brainwash children and adults by desensitizing them and convincing them that homosexuality is natural,” said the group. “In reality, it is an unnatural love that is warned about in Scripture.”

eharmony’s Journey to LGBTQ+ Inclusion

eharmony is an online dating site founded in 2000 by Neil Clark Warren and his son-in-law, Greg Forgatch. When it was first started, the site did not offer services to gay couples, and Warren promoted the site on the radio program of Focus on the Family founder James Dobson.

When explaining why eharmony did not offer matches to same-sex couples, Warren said he had no expertise in gay relationships and also that he didn’t “want to participate in something that’s illegal.” Gay marriage was eventually legalized in all 50 states in 2015.

In a 2002 interview with Focus on the Family, Warren said eharmony was not an “exclusively Christian organization” but that “it might as well be.” When asked how he defended his position that eharmony didn’t serve gay couples because of a lack of expertise, Warren said, “Cities like San Francisco, Chicago or New York—they could shut us down so fast. We don’t want to make enemies out of them. But at the same time, I take a real strong stand against same-sex marriage, anywhere that I can comment on it.”

However, Warren later distanced himself from Dobson and sought to appeal to a broader audience. In a 2005 interview with USA Today, Warren said, “We’re trying to reach the whole world—people of all spiritual orientations, all political philosophies, all racial backgrounds.”

“And if indeed, we have Focus on the Family on the top of our books, it is a killer,” he explained, “because people do recognize them as occupying a very precise political position in this society and a very precise spiritual position.” Warren retired as CEO of eharmony in 2007 but returned in 2012. He stepped down permanently in 2016.

In 2009 in response to a discrimination lawsuit, eharmony launched a separate service for gay couples called Compatible Partners. Prior to stepping down in 2016, Warren told CNN that many evangelical Christians left eharmony after Compatible Partners was created. “We’ve suffered from the contentiousness of that topic,” he said. He noted that Compatible Partners had led to “quite a number of same-sex marriages.”

Compatible Partners officially merged with eharmony in 2019.

CJ Stroud, Now the Youngest NFL QB To Earn a Playoff Victory, Plays for an ‘Audience of One’

Stephanie Martin

January 15, 2024

By leading his Houston Texans to a 45-14 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Saturday (Jan. 13), C.J. Stroud became the youngest quarterback to win an NFL playoff game in the Super Bowl era. The 22-year-old rookie said surpassing Michael Vick in that category was “really cool” because the former Atlanta Falcons player was his favorite quarterback as a kid.

Stroud, the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, called it a “blessing” to be in the post-season and to be on a team with a Christian head coach (DeMeco Ryans), “a lot of God-fearing brothers,” and “God-fearing sisters in the staff.”

While speaking to reporters after Saturday’s home win, the former Ohio State star paraphrased Scripture, saying, “We know that with God we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us” (Philippians 4:13).

CJ Stroud: ‘God Is at the Forefront of Our Minds’

C.J. Stroud, a strong candidate for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, said this season has been “a dream come true,” with everyone’s hard work paying off. “It’s really cool to see it come to fruition,” he said, adding that the players’ confidence is contagious. “I thank God I can just go another week with my teammates.”

When asked about the role God plays in the Texans’ success, Stroud replied, “I think definitely God is at the forefront of our minds, and we play for an audience of One.” The QB added that players each carry their own crosses and are “trying to be like Christ as much as possible,” despite not being perfect.

Stroud, who has said God gives him peace, said his life experiences have prepared him for this moment. As ChurchLeaders has reported, Stroud’s father, a former pastor, began serving a 38-year prison sentence while Stroud, the youngest of four siblings, was in middle school. The family experienced financial hardships and housing insecurity as a result.

CJ Stroud: My Purpose Is To ‘Be a Light in This World’

After his first playoff win, C.J. Stroud praised his teammates, coaches, and family, saying he thanks God for them all. The QB, who was quick to admit he’s young and still learning, said he’s “blessed enough to be with a group of guys that hold me to a standard,” adding he holds himself “to an even higher standard.”

Former Megachurch Pastor Micahn Carter Files Defamation Suit Against Rape Accuser

Dale Chamberlain

January 15, 2024

Micahn Carter, a pastor who had formerly been on staff at Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama, has filed a defamation lawsuit against a woman who accused him of rape.

The alleged rape occurred in 2019 while Carter was lead pastor of Together Church in Yakima, Washington. Carter led the congregation for 13 years before resigning after admitting to an “inappropriate incident.”

Later that year, Carter began a “ministerial restoration” process at Church of the Highlands. He was later announced as part of the church’s staff and preached in 2020.

However, when Carter’s accuser contacted Church of the Highlands senior pastor Chris Hodges in 2021 to tell him that the sexual encounter between her and Carter, which had led to Carter’s resignation from Together Church, was not consensual, Church of the Highlands cut ties with Carter.

“In 2019, Micahn Carter’s Pastoral Overseers from Washington state asked Church of the Highlands to assist them in directing a ministerial restoration process for him,” the church said in August 2021. “Recently, Highlands received correspondence raising new allegations about events that occurred over two years ago in Washington state. When we shared this information with the Carters, they resigned from their positions on staff to work through these issues themselves.”

“Highlands is no longer involved in the restoration process,” the statement added.

The accuser, Mary Jones, had been serving as Carter’s assistant at the time of the alleged assault. Jones also published a blog post detailing the alleged rape, which she said took place on April 29, 2019.

“[My] pastor raped me in my office while most of our staff, teams and my family stood just outside the door,” wrote Jones.

“This nonconsensual and horribly traumatic event left me unable to function,” Jones went on to write. “I hesitated to tell the truth because I understand the ramifications of these statements. However, it’s been two years too long.”

Carter originally filed a defamation lawsuit against Jones in Alabama in October 2022, according to AL.com. Carter reportedly sought $500,000 in damages and claimed that he had lost publishing contracts and speaking engagements because of the allegations.

8 principles in seeking spiritual accountability

1. Ask for it.

2. Help define what it needs to look like.

3. Be vulnerable and share your story.

4. Take a risk.

5. Remember that accountability is a two-way street.

6. Give the other person the room to say, “No.”

7. You have to continue to drive the relationship.

8. Ask for grace.

7 Key Steps With Church Volunteers

1. Invite someone to learn with you.

2. Guide someone through the process.

5 Methods of Volunteer Recruitment

#1 – Get good at saying thanks.

#2 – Highlight volunteer contributions.

5 Gifts From the Lord’s Supper

1. Jesus showed us how to love well. (v.1)

2. Jesus showed us how to deal with betrayal. (v.2)

5 Traps Every Children’s Ministry Leader Should Avoid

1. Comfort

2. Small-Church Thinking

3. Hoarding

Doing Youth Ministry in a Post-Christian World

1. The Practice of Being Sent

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Beth Moore Hopes To Avoid Her ‘2016 Self’

You Know Domestic Abuse Victims

What exactly is domestic abuse and who encounters it?

What does the Bible say about domestic violence?

Who is sinning: the person who abuses, or the victim who wants to be free?

Is My Church a Cult – 5 Characteristics:

1. An Authoritative, Unaccountable Leader.

Are Tattoos a Sin: Dive Into This Hot Topic With Teens

Arguments Against Tattoos

eharmony’s Journey to LGBTQ+ Inclusion

CJ Stroud: ‘God Is at the Forefront of Our Minds’

CJ Stroud: My Purpose Is To ‘Be a Light in This World’

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