KidMin Leader: Discover the Most Important Skill You Need

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November 1, 2023

For a kidmin leader, what is the most vital skill or ability? As a children’s ministry leader, do you need speaking skills? charisma? great vision-casting? organizational prowess? boundless creativity? Yes, those are all good characteristics. But I believe the most important skill kidmin leaders need is the ability to raise up leaders.

A successful children’s ministry is not a group of spectators watching an all-star perform. It’s a team of empowered leaders working together to make an impact that’s bigger than anything someone could do alone.

Kidmin Leader: Ask Yourself These 11 Questions

Take time to honestly answer these 11 self-evaluation questions. They can open your eyes to your leadership style and possible improvements to make.

1. Am I doing all the teaching, or am I equipping others to teach?

2. Is it okay if other people get the credit for wins?

3. If I sit quietly in the background, will everything run smoothly?

4. Can I name three people I’m currently investing in?

5. When people think about our kidmin leadership, do they think about a one-person show? Or do they think about a team of people?

6. How much time do I spend investing in others each week?

7. Am I the only one people can come to for help or answers?

8. Who is leading something that I used to lead? And how did that transition happen?

9. Do I enjoy putting the spotlight on others more than I enjoy being in it?

10. Do I focus more on what I can do? Or do I seek and emphasize what I can empower others to do?

11. Is the reason the ministry is small enough to pull off by myself due to the fact that I’m pulling it off by myself?

Remember: As a children’s ministry leader, it’s not what you can do. It’s what you can empower others to do.

Arizona Teacher on Leave After Wearing a Devil Costume That ‘Insulted’ Christian Student

By

Janna Firestone

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November 1, 2023

teacher devil costume — Screengrabs via YouTube / @12 News

Halloween sparks controversy each year. While some view the holiday as an opportunity to eat candy and dress up in fun costumes, others deem the celebrations go too far. This year, a high school teacher in Mesa, Arizona, dressed up in a devil costume and reportedly said, “Hail Satan” to the students. Nathaniel Hamlet, a sophomore in the class, spoke with 12 News and said he was “insulted.” Since then, the teacher has been put on administrative leave as the school district investigates the incident.

“Some people thought it was funny, some people didn’t like it, some people were like ‘whatever,’ they just blew it off,” Hamlet said.

Teacher on Administrative Leave After Wearing a Devil Costume and Reportedly Taunting Students

Ahead of Halloween, Mesa High School planned a spirit week where students and staff were encouraged to dress up and participate. As the teacher who is now on leave explained, the spirit week theme for that day was “dynamic duo.” The teacher next door dressed up as an angel.

“Participating in spirit weeks like this is a way for me to engage with my students and bring fun to my classroom,” the offending teacher said. “It’s truly not any more complicated than that.”

However, Hamlet described a very different situation. The teacher reportedly said, “Hail Satan” and pointed a pitchfork toward students—often getting close to their faces. The student said the teacher did this repeatedly to multiple students.

“I said, ‘Don’t do that to me’ and I pushed [the pitchfork] away, maybe three or four times and he still said it and still did it,” recalled Hamlet.

Hamlet said, “I was kind of insulted because of my faith, because I believe in God.”

Hamlet told his father, Chris, about what happened in the classroom. Chris Hamlet is a former Mesa public school board candidate. He said, “Of course, I was livid because I am a Christian as well.”

“What tipped it over for me is he kept telling him no and the teacher kept persisting,” explained Chris. Chris reported the incident to the school principal.

“If you’re gonna keep the Christian stuff out, then you got to keep the devil-worshiping stuff out, period,” Chris Hamlet said to 12 News.

Students and parents shared a variety of reactions to what happened in the Mesa classroom. Some haven’t given it a second thought, while others are calling for the teacher in question to be fired.

Mesa Public Schools gave 12 News a written statement regarding the incident:

Mesa Public Schools administration was notified of the alleged incident at Mesa High School late Wednesday [Oct. 25] afternoon after school hours. Our Human Resources department began the investigation Thursday morning and placed the teacher on paid administrative leave pending the result of the investigation. The investigation remains ongoing.

Chris Hamlet Had Run for Mesa Unified School Board—Against ‘Indoctrination, Hypersexualization and Grooming’

Nathaniel’s father is a conservative politician who often receives support from far-right Republicans. Chris said in a recent Facebook post, “Evil is rampant within the Republican party as well; we need WARRIORS for CHRIST!”

The incident with his son, Nathaniel, has gone viral on social media. Chris, his supporters, and those who oppose him are not keeping their opinions to themselves.

Practicing Simplicity

By

Full Strength Network

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November 1, 2023

In the hustle and bustle of modern ministry, it’s easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of activities, programs, and expectations. But today, let’s take a moment to step back and consider the power of simplicity in our calling. After all, in a world filled with complexities, sometimes the most profound impact comes from embracing simplicity.

The Simple Life of Jesus: A Guiding Light

When we talk about simplicity, who better to turn to than Jesus himself? The Son of God, whose very life and teachings are the bedrock of our faith, modeled a beautifully simple yet incredibly impactful ministry. Let’s explore a couple of instances where Jesus demonstrated the power of embracing simplicity:

1. The Power of Stories: The Parables Jesus had an uncanny ability to communicate profound truths through simple stories. He didn’t rely on elaborate theological treatises or complicated arguments. Instead, he used relatable, everyday scenarios to convey the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. Think about the Parable of the Prodigal Son or the Parable of the Mustard Seed. These stories cut through the noise, making spiritual truths accessible to all.

As pastors, we can follow Jesus’ example by simplifying our messages. Rather than overwhelming our congregations with complex theological jargon, let’s use relatable anecdotes and clear language to convey the timeless message of hope and redemption.

2. Prioritizing Relationships: The Call of Discipleship When Jesus called his disciples, he didn’t hand them a detailed plan or a five-year strategy. Instead, he extended a simple invitation: “Follow me.” He prioritized relationships over programs, spending time with his disciples, teaching them, and showing them how to live out the Kingdom message.

As pastors, we can learn from Jesus’ approach by prioritizing genuine connections with our congregation. Embrace the simplicity of discipleship by walking alongside your church members, listening to their stories, and sharing life together.

3. The Act of Presence: Feeding the 5,000 In one remarkable incident, Jesus fed a crowd of 5,000 with just five loaves of bread and two fish. This miraculous act speaks volumes about the power of simplicity. Jesus didn’t need an elaborate spread or a grand feast. Instead, he took what was available and multiplied it to meet the needs of the people.

In our ministries, we can find inspiration in this act of simplicity. We don’t always need elaborate events or extravagant programs to make a difference. Sometimes, a simple act of kindness, a listening ear, or a heartfelt prayer can have a profound impact on the lives of those we serve.

Embracing Simplicity Today

So how can we, as modern-day pastors, embrace the transformative practice of simplicity?

Drag Queen Flamy Grant Removed From Consideration for Grammy in Christian Category

By

Dale Chamberlain

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November 1, 2023

The Recording Academy has removed drag queen Flamy Grant’s album “Bible Belt Baby” from consideration for Best Contemporary Christian Album at this year’s Grammy Awards. The album has instead been moved over to the Pop category.

While it may seem strange that the Recording Academy, a nonreligious entity, can make the determination as to what constitutes Christian music, it is worth noting that many of the lyrics in Grant’s songs contain expletives—something that is absent from all other Christian works being considered.

Grant has recently been making a splash in Christian circles, provoking outrage among conservative evangelicals and garnering support from influencers in the Christian deconstruction space. Among those allies is Derek Webb, singer and guitarist for the Christian band Caedmon’s Call.

Webb and Grant collaborated earlier this year for Webb’s solo album entitled “The Jesus Hypothesis.” The two perform together on the song “Boys Will Be Girls.” In the music video for that song, both Webb and Grant can be seen dressing in drag.

Last month, Grant and Webb further raised the ire of conservative evangelicals when they attended the Gospel Music Association’s Dove Awards in Nashville. Grant was dressed in drag for the event, and Webb donned a dress. Also accompanying them was Semler, an openly queer Christian artist.

Last year, Semler—who has topped the Christian charts on iTunes more than once—publicly petitioned the Gospel Music Association to consider her for a Dove Award in the Best New Artist category to no avail.

Flamy Grant’s Grammy Category Shift

As for Grant, not only was “Bible Belt Baby” not considered for awards by the Gospel Music Association but now the album has been removed from consideration for awards in the Christian category at the Grammys.

One of the album’s tracks is titled “Esther, Ruth and Rahab.” While Grant told Rolling Stone that it is “the most biblical song I’ve ever written,” it does contain several expletives, including one reference to male genitalia.

Describing patriarchal structures in the evangelical church, Grant sings, “So I guess the lesson there was God would only hear a prayer if it came from a person with a c**k.”

Throughout the song, Grant celebrates women in the Bible who would be considered heroes of the faith, including Esther, Ruth, Rahab, Deborah, and Rachel. Nevertheless, the song also positively references prominent female figures that the Bible does not portray as heroes, such as Jezebel and the witch of Endor, who aided King Saul in summoning the dead spirit of the prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel 28.

Former IHOPKC Associate Director Calls for Independent Investigation Into His ‘Spiritual Father,’ Mike Bickle

By

Jessica Lea

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November 1, 2023

Allen Hood, former associate director at International House of Prayer of Kansas City (IHOPKC), has issued a public statement on the recent allegations that IHOPKC founder Mike Bickle has committed sexual and spiritual abuse. Hood emphasized the need for IHOPKC leaders to learn from the ministry scandals that have occurred in organizations such as Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) and the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).

“As the former associate director of IHOPKC, I want to speak clearly and firmly: it is imperative that the IHOPKC leadership team investigates these allegations by engaging an independent, third-party organization that specializes in handling allegations of abuse in a church context,” said Hood in a statement issued Tuesday, Oct. 31.

My public statement concerning allegations of spiritual and sexual abuse against Mike Bickle. pic.twitter.com/lgR35q4WCu

— Allen Hood (@allenshood) October 31, 2023

“Historically, leadership teams have been unable to effectively lead internal investigation processes,” Hood continued, citing RZIM, Willow Creek Community Church, Hillsong Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the SBC as examples of organizations that have handled such investigations poorly. It would be foolish, he said, “to think that IHOPKC is immune from institutional blind spots.”

“The burden upon my friends in the IHOPKC leadership is too weighty for such a task,” Hood added. “An independent, third-party investigation is the only pathway for a godly and fair process for all parties involved. I have spoken with IHOPKC leadership, and they have assured me this is their intent.”

Former IHOPKC Associate Director Allen Hood Speaks Out

Mike Bickle, 68, was formerly a pastor in the Vineyard Fellowship movement and founded IHOPKC and International House of Prayer University (IHOPU) in 1999. According to its website, IHOPKC “is an evangelical missions organization that is committed to praying for the release of the fullness of God’s power and purpose.”

IHOPU was founded with the goal of “equipping people to intercede and lead a lifestyle of prayer.” Moreover, Forerunner Church in Kansas City describes itself as “a local church expression” of IHOPKC.

IHOPKC has faced controversy in the past in part because of sexual abuse allegations some followers have faced. Some people have also seen Bickle and his ministry as suspect because of its ties to the New Apostlic Reformation (NAR), an ideology characterized in part by a particular view of spiritual warfare, ecumenism, and the end times, as well as the idea that Christians should have positions of influence in the major spheres of society. NAR is not a formal organization, but a term that refers to certain beliefs and practices.

According to his website, Allen Hood (M.Div., Asbury Theological Seminary) has been involved with IHOPKC since its founding. He was associate director of the IHOPKC Mission Base from 2000 to 2020 and served as president of IHOPU from 2003 to 2016.

Thom Rainer: Why Pastors Need To Ask Their People for Prayer

By

Jessica Lea

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November 1, 2023

The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast · Thom Rainer: Why Pastors Need To Ask Their People for Prayer

Dr. Thom Rainer is the founder and CEO of Church Answers. With nearly 40 years of ministry experience, he has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of the local church and its leaders. He has pastored four churches and served as interim pastor to 10 churches. Thom’s latest book is, “When the People Pray: An Invitation to Intercede for Your Pastor and Revive Your Church.”

Other Ways To Listen to This Podcast With Thom Rainer

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Key Questions for Thom Rainer

-Why did you share some of the painful challenges and joys of being a pastor?

-How would you encourage pastors to ask their congregations to pray for them?

-Should the pastor be the person to ask the congregation for prayer, or should a key leader in the church do so?

-What is the outcome of a church praying regularly for its pastor?

Key Quotes From Thom Rainer

“[My church praying for me] was life-changing, and it was a reminder of the power of prayer, and it was also a reminder that pastors don’t need to be ashamed to ask for prayer. That’s my heart for pastors.”

“I wrote the book so that pastors would have something to ask people to do…I would say to pastors, ‘Ask your people to pray.’”

“If you get people praying for you, they’re going to ask, ‘How can I pray?’ And when my group of 100-plus was praying for me, I sent them a message every week…and I said, ‘Here’s how you can pray for me.’ And when I mentioned some of the areas they [could pray] for me, they would come back and say, ‘I had no idea that this was an issue for you.’ So when the people pray, they not only unleash the power of prayer through the Holy Spirit but they also begin to empathize and understand what it means to be a leader in the church.”

“It does feel weird, but I want to tell you this: The pastors who have [directly asked for prayer] thus far have told me that it felt weird but, boy, was the response tremendous.”

“Pastors want to be a shepherd. They want to take care of people. They want to be the servant. They don’t want to be served…And now you’re asking the congregation to take care of them. It’s awkward, but it is not awkward to the church members.”

An Inconceivable Challenge: The Story of a Persecuted Pastor in Pakistan

By

Yousaf Sadiq

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November 1, 2023

On Aug. 16, 26 churches, 180 homes, and a Christian graveyard were destroyed, looted, and burned by a charged mob of several hundred men in the Punjab state of Pakistan. Members of the Christian community from all over the country, several key leaders, and officials visited the affected communities to show their support, including the current caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Chief-Justice of Pakistan.

A few days after these attacks, someone sprayed religious slogans on the wall of a local church. This church is led by Pastor Eleazar Sidhu. The content of the slogans contained basic Islamic beliefs, in addition to calling the pastor cursed. Realizing the sensitivity of the matter, Pastor Sidhu immediately called a police officer and requested for the words to be cleared from the wall. Pastor Sidhu wisely did not attempt to remove the graffiti himself, as this would violate the country’s blasphemy laws, for which the punishment is the death penalty. Additionally, he made a video in the presence of a police officer as proof that he had nothing to do with the writing and clearing of the religious slogans.

In this video, which is available on social media, Pastor Sidhu described why the police officer had been called. He commented that the best way to discuss religious matters is by sitting together and not by writing slogans on a church wall. Then, he explained the words written on the church wall.

After this, an assistant policeman cleared the words by spraying white color on them. The pastor hid the face of the assistant policeman in this video for safety; if the policeman could be identified, then he could be in danger for clearing the graffiti. On Aug. 29, Pastor Sidhu filed a case against unknown personnel for writing religious slogans on the church wall.

A couple days later, Pastor Sidhu was threatened by some local men. These men angrily told the pastor that he would be removed from this world like the way he erased the religious slogans. As Pastor Sidhu returned home from picking up his children from school, he was confronted by one of these men, who was carrying a gun. The man stressed that Pastor Sidhu must deny his Christian faith or be killed. Pastor Sidhu refused to deny his faith, replying that he would prefer to be killed than to deny Christ.

At this point, the man shouted furiously, blaming the pastor for insulting his religion. The man started shooting at Pastor Sidhu, hitting him in his upper right shoulder. The attacker immediately fled from the scene and Pastor Sidhu was taken to the nearest hospital with severe injuries. Thankfully, he survived the attack. On Sept. 3, Pastor Sidhu filed another case against his attacker, whom he recognized. The judicial court gave orders for the matter to be further investigated and for the pastor to be at liberty.

From Sept. 4-22, there was no news about Pastor Sidhu. On Sept. 23, a Christian woman and her colleague visited the pastor’s house. As a result, horrific details were released about the inhumane treatment the pastor was receiving. It was revealed that Pastor Sidhu’s physical condition had worsened since the day he was released from the hospital. Moreover, the extremist group involved in attacking the pastor had been using pressure tactics through some local policemen to force him to withdraw his applications for a legal action against them.

Contrary to the court orders, the policemen did not permit Pastor Sidhu to participate in church services, meet with his congregants, or see his extended family. He did not receive regular access to the medications that he needs for his preexisting medical condition, which led to him experiencing severe shakiness and difficulty speaking. He has been in a wheelchair since his release from the hospital.

Additionally, Pastor Sidhu was mentally tortured as three policemen were staying with him at all times. For 19 days, the policemen slept at Pastor Sidhu’s house, where he lives with his wife and children. At times, Pastor Sidhu was even chained. While speaking to Christians gathered outside the home, his wife said that they have not had any privacy due to the police presence. She raised the questions: “Are we not Pakistanis? If I was a Muslim woman, would any strange men ever dare to cross my house boundaries and stay overnight?”

On Sept. 23, she expressed her determination to not withdraw the legal petition and to continue pursuing lawful action against her husband’s attackers. On this occasion, Pastor Sidhu asked, “Am I a terrorist that I have been chained to and the police will not leave me alone? What wrong has my wife done that the policemen stare at her, and she cannot breathe freely in her own house? My father served this country as a teacher for twenty-five years; do we deserve such a treatment?”

Pastor Sidhu stressed that he has not committed any crime and that four of his acquaintances have been pressured and detained by the police, including a 13-year-old boy.

The policemen briefly detained and tortured the Christian woman and her colleague, who insisted that if Pastor Sidhu were to be detained, then court orders must be issued. At this point, the pastor was dragged and taken to the police station. There he was tortured, humiliated, insulted, and beaten. He was threatened with false charges and was not supplied an adequate amount of food and water. Moreover, policemen made derogatory remarks about the Bible and the ethnic background of local Christians. Pastor Sidhu endured physical, mental and emotional suffering before appearing in court.

The Local Church, God’s Answer to the Needs of Orphans

By

Herbie Newell

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November 1, 2023

November is National Adoption Month, a time to reflect on all of the things the Lord has done and will do through His church and His people on behalf of vulnerable children. At Lifeline Children’s Services, we have the unique privilege of seeing the Lord work powerfully and intimately through the families who adopt children with our partnership.

The Roberts family is one example of grace and mercy at work. When they first met Leeona, their adopted daughter from China, she was nearly three years old and in desperate need of surgery for a cleft lip and palate. Leeona was then, and remains now, a courageous, inquisitive little girl and a tremendous blessing to her family.

God has brought tenderness, joy, obedience and fortitude to the Roberts’s home through Leeona and the gift of adoption. God has used adoption to not only bless Leeona but simultaneously to bless her family. Leeona’s mother, Jessica, puts it beautifully, describing how to wait well for the child you hope to adopt:

“[It] is imperative that your child’s file merely be a means to prepare your heart to meet a little person. Period. The person you will meet does, in fact, have dreams, desires, needs, hopes, giftings, energy, preferences, and joy.”

It may seem trite to those who haven’t adopted, but an essential moral and emotional reality of adoption is that these children are, in fact, real people. These children are made in the image of God, endowed with dignity and abundant potential, and they bear the marks of a glorious Creator.

They are, moreover, children who have faced immense challenges. They need permanence, patience, love, acceptance and stability. They need to play. They need to be nurtured and guided. It takes a carefully educated and well-equipped family to deliver these things for their child.

To fulfill the needs of children like Leeona, God equips the families whom He calls to adopt them. This doesn’t happen accidentally. It takes serious counsel and training in the particular needs, background and trauma of adopted children. This happens when the Lord mobilizes the local church, where people who know and love the family can support them with God’s wisdom and charity.

And this all takes grace flowing through the people closest to the family in their community and in their church. It takes relentless prayer and complete obedience.

That’s because God’s providence works tangibly through His people. We are His hands and feet. We are all called to join in His plans to serve the orphan and the widow, whether or not we already know how.

Our churches and our homes are where God shows His mercy and goodness most intimately, through specific men and women He has charged with kingdom work. Empowered and equipped, these men and women are the ones vulnerable children need to faithfully carry out the work God has given them.

Let His will be done in each believer’s life. Let His grace, mercy and wisdom flow through the body of Christ. Let His kindness reach the orphan, the widow and all who need the service of His faithful. There is nobody else who can do the work He intends for His people, and no better time to begin than National Adoption Month.

5 Ways To Keep an Innovative Spirit Alive

By

Gavin Adams

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November 1, 2023

innovative spirit — Adobestock #219424441

Do you have the resources necessary for your church? At our church, we challenge the leadership to ask that question frequently. The thought is simple and logical – if we don’t have the resources we need to succeed, we want to help fill in the gaps (within reason, of course). When I first arrived at Watermarke Church, we were FAR from resourced. We existed as a hand-to-mouth organization. Every dollar we received left as it arrived. Every offering was critical. Every check was necessary. For two years, we scratched and clawed our way. It was a difficult season, but it was also a season full of fun and challenge because we had an innovative spirit.

Then, after two years, we converted our church partnership into a campus location of North Point Ministries. Many things changed. And by many, I mean nearly everything. But our resources changed the most. Overnight, we went from being under-resourced to winning the church resource lottery (not really, but it felt that way). There were no blank checks, but we immediately improved financially. Within weeks our church began to take on new staff and new equipment. Our services improved. Our technology improved. Our leadership bench improved.

But our innovative spirit began to wane. It was hardly noticeable, because our church was getting better, which feels a lot like innovation. But improvement is not equivalent to innovation.

Now, three years into our transition, I can clearly see that our initial lack of resources was the fuel for our innovative spirit. I never would have guessed that was true when we were under-resourced, though. I firmly believed in those early days our lack of resources KEPT us from innovating. In some respects that was true. We could not purchase everything we needed. We could not create the full environments we desired. So we improvised. We got creative. In short, we had an innovative spirit.

I now believe the more resourced you are, the less innovative you are required to be. Why? Because innovation is not just a skill-set, it’s a mindset. In fact, it might be mostly a mindset.

5 Ways to Keep an Innovative Spirit Alive

1. Allow your resource gaps to fuel your innovative leaps.

Every organization has a resource gap of some sort. It’s natural to try closing the gap. As a leader, don’t allow one question (How can we get more resources?) to destroy a better question (How can we get better within our resources?).

2. Enjoy success, but stay hungry.

Leaders must refuse complacency and the status quo. Resources typically come from success, and success can work against innovation. It becomes very tempting to protect what you have when you have something to protect.

3. Find a problem to solve.

Innovation is a muscle and problems (i.e., lack of resources) provide the resistance required to grow. Solving a problem comes from a resourceful mindset, and as we said, innovation is one part skill-set and one part mindset.

4. Reduce your expense budget.

Literally. If you try to execute tomorrow with less resources than you did today, you will force innovation. What’s more, you’ll have more financial margin to take advantage of your innovations. Win-win.

5. Ask a different question.

“Do you have the resources necessary for your job?” is a good question – we should continue asking it. And we should buy people a printer or a stapler when necessary. Here is a new question I’m beginning to ask our leadership: “SHOULD we have all the resources we need for our job?” Or maybe “What can we do with what we have?”

There’s a reason thousands of churches are sitting on a mountain of resources with no people to fill their seats. My guess is their past success provided resources, and their resources drove away their innovation. I hope you are massively resourced! I just hope more that your resources don’t kill your innovative spirit.

How have you seen an innovative spirit thrive under financial pressure?

This article about maintaining an innovative spirit originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

The Hard Work of Grace

By

Ray Hollenbach

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November 1, 2023

A parable: two students each received scholarships to Harvard University. Full rides, every possible expense paid. Both were bright kids, and both felt intimidated by the reputation of such a great college. They each thought, “I don’t deserve to be here.” One student studied day and night. She gave it all she had. The other student began to enjoy the thrill of college life: parties, the big city nearby, and the freedom of being on his own for the first time in his life. By mid term, the first student focused on the hard work of studying, earning C’s and B’s in her classes. The other was failing every class and placed on academic probation. By Christmas, the first student had earned a 3.0 GPA, but the second had flunked out of Harvard. Which of these two students laid hold of the opportunity given to them?

Of course, the answer is the first student, humble and and willing to do the hard work. The second student was the object of gossip: “How could he throw away an opportunity like that?” people asked.

The Hard Work of Grace

Imagine for a moment that the grace of God is like a full ride to Harvard: beyond expectation, every expense paid, a life-changing opportunity. Anyone watching these two students would conclude that the student who flunked out had thrown away a once in a lifetime opportunity. The scholarship to Harvard was a gift of grace, but the truth was that the work was just beginning. God’s grace is something like this parable. He does for us what we could not possibly do for ourselves. What is beyond our reach is joyfully paid in full by Jesus Christ, but the work is just beginning. Why would we squander the possibilities of new birth in Christ?

Some people might object to the close association between the word “grace” and the word “work.” God’s grace comes with no strings attached, doesn’t it? No amount of effort on our part could win his pardon. True enough—it’s just not the whole story.

The whole story goes beyond the fact that God picked up the tab we couldn’t pay: he invites us to labor with him as the Kingdom of God breaks into the Earth. The Apostle Paul knew immediately that Jesus had laid hold of him for a purpose. Paul, filled with gratitude for God’s grace and forgiveness, began to call himself “God’s fellow worker.” (I Corinthians 3:9) He considered the church in Corinth God’s field, God’s building, and he considered himself privileged to join the workforce. Paul was well aware that he had no moral standing to plant, preach, or pastor God’s new church in Corinth; he was also aware that his “qualifications” were not the issue: “by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.” (I Corinthians 15:10) What a strange combination of words: “grace” and “worked harder” all in one sentence.

Like the student who received a full ride to Harvard, we need to receive the grace of God for what it is: a calling to a new life, a life in which we join the family business (and work hard!).

Paul isn’t the only Biblical example. Imagine the grace of God coming to one man, with a warning of worldwide judgment. Imagine that this one man–out of all the world–had found favor in God’s sight. You are imagining Noah. In an era when sin and violence threatened to spoil all of creation, the grace of God came to one man with the warning of a flood and instructions to build an ark. The grace was in the warning; building the ark was the response. God did for Noah what he could not do for himself. Noah responded by partnering with God to bring safety to every living creature. Tradition holds that construction of the ark took 120 years. Imagine 120 years of faithfulness in response to the grace of God. Noah’s response to God’s grace was sweat and effort for longer than men or women live in our day. Here’s the lesson: the only reasonable response to the grace of God is gratitude that moves us to action.

Some are given a free ride to an Ivy League school. Others hear a word of warning generations before the great and terrible day of the Lord. We all are given God’s grace to become fellow workers in the family business.

This article on the hard work of grace originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

250 Years Later, ‘Amazing Grace’ Has Filled Churches, Concerts, Even Commercials

By

Adelle M Banks

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November 1, 2023

Amazing Grace anniversary — St. Peter and St. Paul Church, in Olney, England, was home to curate John Newton from 1764 to 1780 and is where “Amazing Grace” was first sung on January 1, 1773. (Photograph by Brian Tomlinson/Flickr/Creative Commons)

(RNS) — James Walvin, a former Church of England choirboy and professor of history at the University of York, doesn’t remember encountering “Amazing Grace,” in song or in his hymnal. It wasn’t until he traveled to the United States to research the history of slavery that he came upon the hymn introduced by John Newton, a former slave trader, in 1773.

Since then, Walvin, the author of the new book “Amazing Grace: A Cultural History of the Beloved Hymn,” has submerged himself in the hymn, which turns 250 this year and has become a staple of Sunday services that has been adapted and adopted by preachers, performers and presidents.

“I wasn’t too keen on Elvis’ version,” Walvin said after a recent visit to the Library of Congress’ “Amazing Grace” collection, which includes more than 3,000 recordings of the song — the only one of Newton’s hundreds of hymns that gained such international stature.

“I certainly was not keen on (1960s orchestra leader) Mantovani’s version,” he added. “I was amazed to listen to Janis Joplin’s version. I mean, who’d think of Janis Joplin and ‘Amazing Grace’?”

Among the thousands of versions, Walvin is especially fond of bass-baritone Paul Robeson’s but gives a nod to “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin as well as “a choir from Soweto, an extraordinarily haunting version of it,” saying they are all “effective in their own different, very distinctive ways.”

Walvin, 81, a longtime non-Christian who describes himself as “steeped in Christian morality,” spoke to Religion News Service about the hymn, its composer and the “electrifying event” when President Barack Obama drew on its power.

The interview was edited for length and clarity.

Why has “Amazing Grace” endured for 250 years?

“Amazing Grace” survived, particularly in the United States and especially in African American communities, because its words speak to a human condition of suffering, and people coming out of suffering, and its music has a kind of haunting refrain that soothes. It has a unique combination of important phraseology — words, verses — and the beguiling music.

How do you explain the fact that John Newton, a former slave trader, wrote a hymn that’s treasured by enslaved people and their descendants?

I think young people find it very hard to get their heads around the fact that here is a hymn of great Christian significance written by a man who’s stained by the brutality and violence of slavery. It’s a historical paradox, really. But it extends beyond that hymn. There are millions of people at the time, on both sides of the Atlantic, ensnared in slavery, one way or another, who are deep Christians, God-fearing men and women who see no contradiction in their faith and their behavior toward Africans. And that’s one of the extraordinary, difficult things to understand.

You write that Newton spent years trying to become a Church of England priest before he was able to lead a parish and share his hymns. So this song might never have reached the international stage?

Yes, it speaks to John Newton’s perseverance. To become a minister, you had to have gone to one of the two main universities, Oxford or Cambridge, and he hadn’t been close to either of them. He was not formally educated. Yet he was a deeply learned man, and a deeply religious man. He had to fight against the institutions and against the church to let him in.

Though most of the words are 250 years old, the tune we know best today is newer. How did that come about?

The music that we associate with “Amazing Grace” today is not what people sang for 60 years after Newton wrote it in (December) 1772. We know from the Lomax family — a father and son who recorded folk songs in the United States in the backwoods — that people sang the words through an extraordinary variety of songs. But it’s the music that we now know came together with the words in the 1830s that actually creates that combination that is so potent and so durable.

Scripture for Anxiety – The Best Cure I Know

By

Joe McKeever

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November 1, 2023

Scripture for anxiety — Adobestock #620236654

“Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you” (Psalm 116:7).

Want to see anxiety demonstrated? Get on any highway in the country during morning rush hour traffic. One out of every 10 drivers is either running late, in a hurry, under the gun from the boss or the school kids, and taking it out on every other motorist on the road. They’re not wicked, just stressed.

They’re anxious.

A friend wrote to thank me for an article on depression. “I’m not really depressed,” he said, “but anxious. I have a lot of problem with anxiety.”

I could write a book on that subject myself. (A friend, Dr. Larry Kennedy—now in Heaven and a member of the great cloud of witnesses—did just that. I told him he might have thought of a more uplifting title than Down With Anxiety, but he felt the play on words worked.)

I’ve been anxious. It seems to go with the job of pastor.

Ask any pastor how well he sleeps on Saturday night.

Let’s not add to the misery of those battling anxiety by calling them unbelievers. Anxiety may well be the norm for those who live in uncertain times. And yet there is a Scriptural answer for it.

Perhaps we should think of anxiety not so much as depression as a blend of worry and fear. It’s a first-cousin to stress. Anxiety is fear about something that may or may not happen in the future. And it doesn’t go away or cave in when you become a believer in Christ, in the same way that temptation actually increases after salvation. Sometimes temptations and anxieties and fears are attacks of the enemy, but often they are merely things we do to ourselves. (The unholy trinity of the world, the flesh and the devil are at work. But let’s not credit the last of the three with more than he is due.)

Anxiety is normal. But it tends to yield to faith.

I sat on the plane, about to take my first trip in a commercial airliner. I was 30 years old and headed to Detroit for a revival across the river in Ontario. I’d been up in small planes a few times, but over the years had managed to work up a certain amount of anxiety about the big ones.

“Lord,” I whispered, the plane still sitting at the gate, “my life is in Your hands.” Just as clearly He spoke back to my spirit. “And just where do you think it has been all these years?”

I relaxed and went to Canada and had a wonderful meeting. Since then, I have flown hundreds of times, all over the globe. Anxiety still shows up from time to time, but I remind my unsettled spirit that the Lord is in control and I refuse to stay home just because of fear. Whether the anxiety goes away or not, I board that plane and have a great flight.

The Word of the Lord is the best cure for anxiety I know.

A few favorite texts on the subject (followed by a more in-depth look at Psalm 116:7):

–The friend whose note triggered this article replied that Isaiah 41:10 meant a lot to him. “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” I suggested that verse is a companion to Hebrews 13:5-6, “For He hath said, ‘I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.’ So that we may boldly say, ‘The Lord is my helper; what can man do to me?’”

–Everyone’s favorite is Philippians 4:6-7. “Be anxious (fearful) for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which surpasses comprehension shall guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” The outline used by Dwight L. Moody in the mid-1800s, and everyone since, says: Worry about nothing; pray about everything; thank God for anything.

–And then there is Psalm 56:3. “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.” When a woman told D.L. Moody that was her favorite text, he replied, “I prefer the verse following it. “I will put my trust in Thee and not be afraid.” In both cases, the point in the same: Trust, trust, trust. After all, “without faith, it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).

–The 23rd Psalm. Psalm 27. Psalm 103. The list is endless (well, OK, there are only 150 psalms).

–In the New Testament, check out Mary’s song of praise in Luke 1. If the pastor is anxious before his Sunday sermon, imagine the anxiety that may have filled this young lady who was being charged with bringing not a message to a flock but The Messenger (!) to the world. And yet, Mary, ever trusting, said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior… He has filled the hungry with good things… He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy…”

And then, back to Psalm 116:7, the gold standard for the anxious believer…

He was anxious: “The pains of death surrounded me, and the pangs of Sheol laid hold of me; I found trouble and sorrow.”

He called on the Lord: “Then I called upon the name of the Lord: O Lord, I implore You, deliver my soul!”

He spoke to himself: “Return to your rest, O my soul, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.”

He remembers how the Lord has dealt with him in the past: “(The Lord has delivered) my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from falling…”

What She Said at the Start of Worship Service Changed Everything

By

Joe McKeever

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November 1, 2023

Recently, as my wife and I settled into our favorite pew a few minutes before the morning worship service, we greeted the people around us. The woman to our right was waiting for her husband, she said, and would not be remaining in that pew. A couple of minutes later he arrived.

Before she left, the woman leaned over and said to my wife, “This is going to be a very difficult service.” When Bertha asked why, she said, “I’m not at liberty to say. But you’ll see.” That changed everything for me in that worship service.

Our church is pastorless at the moment, so I knew we were not going to be hit with a resignation of our shepherd. Those are always tough. The staff is fairly depleted these days, and we have an interim pastor who flies in on weekends from another state. We’re in the early stages of raising several million dollars for renovation, but that seems to be moving seamlessly.

I had no clue.

When we sang “The Church Victorious,” I did so with a greater appreciation. Our victory in Christ is not dependent on the ups and downs of a single congregation or the momentary conditions concerning one tiny portion of the Kingdom. Whether the staff stays or leaves, whether we are meeting the budget or struggling, Christ is Lord and we are all overcomers through Him who loved us.

We take the long view. Our eyes fixed on the Lord. Worshiping Him. Bringing ourselves to Him, making ourselves completely available to Him.

Each Sunday, as we settle in to the worship service, we buckle our seat belt. Whatever comes, Lord, my trust is in you.

Rangers Rookie Evan Carter, Now in the World Series, Shares ‘Jesus Won’

By

Stephanie Martin

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October 31, 2023

In less than two months, Evan Carter went from playing Double-A baseball to starting in the World Series. At just 21, the rookie outfielder for the Texas Rangers is living “a dream come true”—and praising God in the process.

On Sept. 8, ahead of his Major League debut, Carter told reporters he was grateful to God for the opportunity. For that interview and during batting practice, he was wearing a T-shirt proclaiming “Jesus Won.” Carter singled in his first at-bat that day, helping to spark a turnaround for Texas.

The Rangers, who made it into the postseason as an American League wildcard team, have a 2-1 World Series lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks. In game one, Carter became the second-youngest player to drive in the first run of a World Series and the third-youngest player with multiple extra-base hits in a World Series game.

Game four in the best-of-seven championship takes place tonight, Oct. 31, in Phoenix.

Evan Carter’s Quiet, Steady Faith

Evan Carter grew up in a Christian family in Elizabethton, Tennessee, and was active in the First Baptist Church youth group. Youth minister Jason Holly, who also coached Carter in youth sports, told Baptist Press he was a “phenomenal athlete” from a young age. More importantly, Holly added, Carter and his family are very grounded, humble, and gracious. “With his faith, he’s always stayed steady,” Holly said of Carter.

Through a quiet, steady demeanor, Holly said, Carter conveys that “you can be great without being loud, and you can be great without causing problems, and you can be great without being flamboyant.”

Last December, Carter married Kaylen, his longtime girlfriend. About the couple, Holly said, “You can just tell how they treat each other that the Lord is front and center for both of them.” During her husband’s first MLB game, Kaylen Carter told a reporter, “All the glory to God. Without him we wouldn’t be here.”

On social media, Carter recently announced he and his wife have partnered with Fellowship of Christian Athletes to sell “Jesus Won” T-shirts with the player’s initials and number on the sleeve. Proceeds will go to a program at Central Community Christian Church that assists impoverished children.

Rangers Manager Praises Evan Carter’s Joyful Spirit

Evan Carter’s demeanor also has impressed Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, who said the rookie “just has a quiet confidence about him.” Not only is Carter “advanced for his age,” Bochy said, but he tackles the job with a joyful spirit.

In response, Carter said, “It’s not worth doing if you’re not having fun…I love the game, and I love playing, I love competing, so, really, it’s a joyful thing for me.”

Kenyan Court Dismisses Case Against Pastor Suspected of Being Involved With Starvation Death Cult

By

Dale Chamberlain

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October 31, 2023

Televangelist Ezekiel Odero, head of the New Life Prayer Centre and Church, addresses his followers and members through a window at Maximum Miracle Center Church in downtown Nairobi. Due to the immense turnout and security reasons, the prayer meeting had to be rescheduled. The overflowing crowd filled the church and spilled into the street affecting business and normal flow of traffic. (Photo by James Wakibia / SOPA Images/Sipa USA)(Sipa via AP Images)

Roughly six months after he was arrested on suspicion that he was involved with a starvation death cult, the case against Kenyan pastor and televangelist Ezekiel Odero has been dismissed.

Odero, the pastor of New Life Prayer Centre and Church, was arrested in April for “allegations of deaths that have been occurring at his premises and reported in various morgues or institutions.” At the time, police believed that he may have been connected to death cult leader Paul Makenzie Nthenge, who was arrested earlier that same month.

Police say Nthenge allegedly encouraged followers to starve themselves to death so they could “meet Jesus.” After Nthenge was arrested, authorities began exhuming bodies from his property in the Shakahola forest of the coastal county of Kilifi. By August, they had determined the death toll was at least 427.

Nthenge currently faces charges of cruelty toward children, kidnapping and murder, and terrorism. Most of his victims died of starvation but investigators have said that some were suffocated, strangled, or beaten to death.

Nthenge was taken into custody after police raided his Good News International Church upon receiving a local tip that Nthenge was engaging in cult-like practices and encouraging his followers to fast to the point of starvation and death. Police discovered 15 victims. Though 11 survived, they were severely emaciated.

Roughly two weeks later, Odero was arrested on suspicion that the bodies of some of his own followers, who had died waiting for Odero to miraculously heal their ailments, were buried on Nthenge’s land.

Odero had been accused of conspiracy to commit murder and aid suicide, abduction, radicalization, genocide, crimes against humanity, child cruelty, fraud, and money laundering. However, formal charges had yet to be filed.

Police originally requested that the court remand Odero into custody for 30 days while they conducted their investigation. However, according to Nation, they were only granted seven days. After that, Odero was released on a bail of 1.5 million Kenyan shillings (roughly $10,000).

Henry Blackaby Scheduled To Be Released From the Hospital, According to Son, Richard

By

Jessica Lea

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October 31, 2023

Pastor and bestselling author Dr. Henry Blackaby is scheduled to be released from the hospital Tuesday, Oct. 31. Blackaby’s son, Dr. Richard Blackaby, announced the good news on social media Tuesday morning.

“Update on Henry Blackaby: Dad is scheduled to be released from the hospital today!” said Richard. “He will need to regain his strength to walk and feed himself, but he will be back in his home. Pray that he regains his strength quickly. Thanks for your prayers and concern!”

Update on Henry Blackaby: Dad is scheduled to be released from the hospital today! He will need to regain his strength to walk and feed himself, but he will be back in his home. Pray that he regains his strength quickly. Thanks for your prayers and concern! pic.twitter.com/MOIInyMzKe

— Richard Blackaby (@richardblackaby) October 31, 2023

Henry Blackaby Is on the Mend

Henry Blackaby, 88, is the founder and president emeritus of Blackaby Ministries International (BMI), which according to its website, “was founded in response to the many opportunities the Blackaby family and ministry team receive to share their unique, God-given message globally.” Richard Blackaby is the current president of BMI.

Henry Blackaby is probably best known for being the coauthor, along with Claud V. King, of “Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God,” a book designed to help Christians love God more by recognizing God’s love for them. Blackaby also coauthored the devotionals “Experiencing God Together” and “Experiencing God Day by Day.”

In addition to being a pastor, Blackaby has been a church planter, college president, music director, and education director. It was during his time ministering as a pastor, church planter, and father in Saskatchewan, Canada, that Blackaby learned the lessons that became the foundation of “Experiencing God.”

Blackaby has also served on staff with the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board, International Mission Board and Lifeway Christian Resources. With his wife Marilyn, who passed away last year, Blackaby has five children and 14 grandchildren. All five of Blackaby’s children serve in ministry.

On Friday, Oct. 27, Richard Blackaby posted news about his father’s health, asking people to pray. “Dad took a turn for the worse last night. Heart rate dropped dramatically,” Richard said. “He has not been eating well and his organs are in distress. Please pray his heart issues are resolved and he is able to eat more and regain his strength. We appreciate your prayers!”

Now, it appears that Henry Blackaby’s health has turned for the better. Followers responded by celebrating the news and saying they would continue praying. “Praise God!” said one user on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Praying for my friend that God will strengthen him to do what is needed,” said another.

A follower on Facebook said, “Great progress .. may the Lord bless him with renewed strength for a full and complete recovery!!”

In Vatican Summit’s Closing Document, Agreement That Synodality Is Church’s Future

By

Claire Giangrave

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October 31, 2023

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — What many will take away about the Synod on Synodality, the monthlong summit on the future of the church, is that the 450 Catholic clergy and lay faithful called to the meeting skirted the key agenda items of women’s ordination, marriage for priests and acceptance of LGBTQ Catholics.

On Saturday, after the synod released a tepid summary of its work, the Women’s Ordination Conference pronounced itself “dismayed” by the failure of the synod to allow women to become priests. “A ‘listening church’ that fails to be transformed by the fundamental exclusion of women and LGBTQ+ people fails to model the Gospel itself,” a statement read.

The term LGBTQ did not make it into the final document at all, earning the “disappointment” of New Ways Ministries, a network of gay Catholics and their allies, in their statement on Sunday (Oct. 29), though it noted that the group drew encouragement from some of Pope Francis’ words of support.

But for the synod’s organizers, the event was never about providing definitive answers on these topics, but about promoting dialogue and overcoming division. “Many ask for results. But synodality is a listening exercise: prolonged, respectful and humble,” said Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary general of the synod, on Saturday evening.

In the final 42-page document, titled Synthesis Document for a Synodal Church in Mission and approved by 364 voting participants in the meeting, the summit is portrayed as a success, with most of the 20 separate points passing by overwhelming majorities, even if no single paragraph obtained full consensus.

During the event, which opened Oct. 4 with a Mass presided over by Pope Francis, participants talked about the spirit of friendship, respect and dialogue overcoming polarization even in the most divisive debates. Even conservative churchmen who were initially critical, including German Cardinal Gerhard Müller and the Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schönborn agreed the synod was a positive experience.

The divisions were nonetheless evident: In votes on the individual points in the final document, 69 attendees voted against a paragraph on the possibility of women becoming deacons, who are ordained to preach at Mass but not to celebrate the Eucharist or hear confessions. Mentions of considering the possibility of married priests drew 55 negative votes, or 15% of the voting membership.

Attendants wrote that they are aware that the term synodality awakens “confusion and concern” among many that the teaching of the church will be changed. Since its start, the synod has been accompanied by vocal criticism of conservative prelates who believe the summit is a Trojan horse aimed at forwarding progressive agendas in the church.

Some of those conservatives had bridled at the portrayal of this year’s synod as a completion of the work of the Second Vatican Council, the meeting called by Pope John XXIII in the early 1960s seeking to reconcile the church with the demands of changing society. Since then, many progressives have felt that Vatican II’s reforms have been muted or ignored and looked to the synod to make good, increasing conservatives’ fears regarding the dilution of tradition and the power of the hierarchy.

The document’s opening section indeed presents the Synod on Synodality as a “further reception” of Vatican II, but while it recognized the almost familial conflicts posed by the small discussion groups — “We also share that it’s not easy listening to different ideas, without immediately giving into the temptation of answering back,” the document read — participants said that through prayer the effectiveness and primacy of synodality in the church eventually came through.

“A substantial agreement emerged that, with the necessary clarifications, the synodal prospective represents the future of the church,” the document read. The document, drafted with the assistance of theologians, describes synodality as “a journeying of Christians toward Christ and the Kingdom, together with all of humanity.”

In his speech to the synod assembly on Wednesday (Oct. 25), Francis further laid out a view of a Catholic church centered around the “infallibility of faithful people.” The faithful share an intuition of the beliefs of the church that needs to be interpreted and adopted by the church as a whole, the pope explained.

The closing document proposes that updates to canon law be made to enlarge the participation of people in the church.

The Need for Pracademics

By

James Emery White

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October 31, 2023

practical academics — Adobestock #254871421

I once had someone refer to me, a bit condescendingly, as a “scholar” instead of an “academic.” They acknowledged my earned Ph.D., with academic work at such institutions as Vanderbilt in the U.S. and Oxford in the U.K., along with many years of serving as an adjunct and visiting professor at various institutions yet felt the need to point out that I had not devoted my life to the academy. I had just been appointed president of a leading evangelical seminary, and it seemed important to them to make sure I realized that I was not the same as they were.

I wasn’t particularly bothered by it. Not because I was overly confident in my intellect, or breadth and depth of reading, or academic accomplishments. It didn’t bother me because I actually preferred being a scholar than an academic. Nothing against academics, but I had gladly chosen a life of the mind and a vocational life as a pastor.

It struck me as odd then—and still does to this day—that someone with one foot in the world of academia and one foot in the world of vocational ministry would be an odd choice for president of a seminary. In truth, it kind of sounded like what seminaries, which are supposed to be preparing people for a life in vocational ministry, need. Even more ironic is that many of the tomes studied by those academics were written by pastors, with names such as Calvin and Edwards, Luther and Stott, Bonhoeffer and Wesley.

Or, as recently coined, “pracademics” (short for “practical academics”). These are professors who work outside the academy—and they are winning new respect. Led by such institutions as Sheffield Hallam University in the U.K., whose goal is to be the world’s leading “applied university,” the idea is to have students learn from those who work or have worked in the fields about which they teach.

This renaissance in practical academics is needed as historically, the heart of learning has always been rooted in some form of mentoring or apprenticeship. Someone who has a skill or practical knowledge passing it on to someone who desires it. It’s why we still have phrases where people boast, “I’m not a theoretician, but rather a practitioner,” or “This isn’t just academics to me.”

In a day when students are turning their backs on college degrees or finding that it simply isn’t worth the price in relation to their career, the solution may be as simple as having educators who teach not simply what they know, but what they have done.

And for the academy to learn to say “scholar” with less of a smirk of superiority, and more of a welcoming smile of appreciation.

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

Leading Your Heart Through Spiritual Battle

By

Cary Schmidt

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October 31, 2023

spiritual battle — Adobestock #520053871

Do you ever feel “off” in ministry leadership? I’m referring to that intangible sense of unseen resistance, abnormal discouragement, or general “out-of-sync-ness” that shows up for no good reason?

Today is Monday, a notoriously “off” day for pastors as our adrenalin crashes after Sunday. But for some unexplainable reason, I’m more encouraged today than yesterday—which is highly unusual! Let me share why.

Sunday was wonderful in every respect, but something oppositional was unfolding in my inner world. The whole day felt like I was looking through fog—during worship, teaching, and even afterwards when trying to decide what to have for lunch. Trying to teach felt like a wrestling match with jumbled thoughts and a struggle to find logical footing. After the message, my imagination screamed, “that was the worst ever!”

These sensations are ironic because they weren’t true. My fog wasn’t reality, but it sure felt powerful in the moment.

What are these randomly recurring ministry experiences and how do we navigate them as spiritual leaders? Thirty-one years into ministry, this I know—any time I take a next step to lift up Jesus, I can buckle up for spiritual opposition of some kind. It’s as predictable as the sunrise.

Paul warned us, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.—Ephesians 6:12

Any way you look at it, real ministry is spiritual warfare—it’s a gut-wrenching, bare-knuckle brawl in the “invisible realm.” Let’s break it down so we can limit its actual influence over us.

What Spiritual Battle Looks and Feels Like

Sometimes it’s purely an internal, emotional, psychological weight or oppression. The sheer intangibility of this makes it hard to identify. In this case, you just feel that oppressive fog I described—unexplainably discouraged or generally negative. (Paul called this “affliction and distress” in 1 Thess. 3:7)

Sometimes it’s tied to fatigue—as in a busy ministry season, when you are expending more physical and emotional energy. The additional expenditure can make you more irritable or sensitive.

Sometimes it’s conflict oriented—bumping into others emotionally (who are perhaps facing similar battles themselves), or finding conversations more combustible, running thin, or generally “flaring up” more easily. Satan loves to stir up confusion and conflict.

Sometimes it’s circumstantial—a car accident, a hard drive crash, a technical systems failure, an irritating or discouraging series of events, but more than usual, indicating that this is more than random. These event strings feel strategically coordinated. (Perhaps this is what Paul meant when he said “Satan hindered us…” in 1 Thess. 2:18)

Sometimes it’s personal and functional—this could be an amped up anxiety about present ministry challenges, this Sunday’s message, upcoming events, or other factors that are weighing on you. This is an added layer of ministry intensity that you’re temporarily carrying, and maybe tossing and turning over. This can also contribute to tension, stress, and inner turmoil or relational tension. Can we say “lost sleep?”

How to Deal With Spiritual Battle

First, see it for what it is. At least for me, this is 99% of the battle. For years I would get neck deep into this before realizing it’s predictable and primarily spiritual in nature. Seeing it as deliberate opposition (as opposed to merely random occurrences) would immediately neutralize the vast majority of “its power” over me. James 4:7 says, “Resist the Devil and he will flee…”— he’s all smoke and no fire. But he’s really good at smoke!

Second, deliberately reframe the inner narrative. The best way to do this is “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”— 2 Corinthians 10:5. Cast down imaginations, and stand on truth. Don’t allow lies, deception, and incriminating thoughts to win the day. Refuse to let the opposition win your attitude. Don’t let Satan kill the awesome joy that there is in serving Jesus and giving the Gospel to others.

Ironic isn’t it? “New life, good-news” people often serve in a “living death, bad news” sort of way.

Third, breath and rest and fuel up. Before you run much further or harder, it’s pretty critical that you rest well and have some down time to renew. Spiritual battle calls for clear-headed diagnosis and strategic response. Ignoring it will eventually leave you exhausted and depleted, which is no way to lead forward. Your enemy wants you to lead from an empty, confused, foggy place. But Jesus counters this with His invitation in Matthew 11:28— “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

God’s people and Gospel ministry deserve the best you—the joyful, rested, un-anxious, gracious you. That you only emerges when you’ve rested properly, eaten wisely, and cultivated a healthy soul. Your best ministry isn’t a product of radical over-extension and personal depletion. It’s a product of resting in Jesus do the work you cannot do. It’s pretty hard to call people to the “joyful, abundant Christian life” from the prison-cell of frustration and emptiness.

Finally, link arms with co-laborers and friends—Community and true friendship can help you almost immediately press through the fog. As soon as I mentioned how I was feeling Sunday, I immediately received loving, clarifying push-back from godly friends! One reached out and expressed how the message impacted him and his family. Another expressed feeling the similar fog during the day. Still others emailed or texted how God worked in their lives.

My point is, it took clear-minded encouragers for me to see what was really going on. This is one way the body cares for itself, and one big reason that even spiritual leaders need authentic friendships that welcome transparent moments. These encounters in community will renew gospel passion and help us to press through the fog, in spite of our feelings and imaginations.

***

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”— John 12:32.

Spiritual opposition in ministry is hard, hurtful, and just plain frustrating. But the spiritual fruit of seeing hearts drawn to Jesus is worth it all! It’s a mind-game more than anything else, and Satan’s strategy is entirely constructed on lies. He only has the power you grant him by believing his lies. He fears you and your gospel message immensely! He fears what is unfolding this weekend at your church. Literally.

It is my consistent experience that spiritual opposition especially intensifies when the Lion of Judah is about to roar!

Rest up. Fuel up. Chin up. Head up. Eyes up. Your best Friend rose from the grave, saved you, called you, enables you, goes before you, empowers you, and plans to use you. He’s got this, He’s got you, and He’s got someone in mind that you will soon reach, bless, and help.

Several years ago, at a church prayer time during resurrection week, a cheerful lady raised her hand and said, “Pastor, I was saved three years ago at our Good Friday service!” Five years later, this lady is loving Jesus, growing in grace, and serving passionately in kids ministry. On top of that, she led a friend to Jesus, and is now engaged to that friend. God’s unfolding story in her life has been a perpetual source of encouragement.

But here’s the irony.

Her testimony was a “lightening-strike moment” to my heart. I will never forget the intensity of spiritual battle that particular weekend. During the week I had been vilified on social media and drawn into several hurtful conversations as a result. On top of that, I was imagining that nobody would actually attend Good Friday Service. I remember walking into the service feeling weak and discouraged, but by grace, determined to give the gospel and lift up Jesus. Hearing her story five years later cause my heart to soar! My personal, spiritual gut-kick was no hindrance to the power of Jesus and His hope.

Yes, in case you’re wondering, I’m preaching to myself (even 31 years in), but I thought this time perhaps it would encourage others to make my message public. Don’t let spiritual battle get you down. Rise up! Jesus has gone before you, and the war is already won!

God-speed in Gospel ministry. We will spend all of eternity rejoicing in the full view of all the beautiful things God did through our faithful leadership, and we will barely remember the foggy seasons through which God lead our hearts.

Cary is the author of “Stop Trying—How to Receive Not Achieve Your Real Identity”

Technology in Church—4 Key Considerations

By

Eric Geiger

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October 31, 2023

Every new technology in church provides an opportunity for gospel advancement. With the Gutenberg press, the Scripture became more accessible. With the advent of the microphone and sound system, regular preachers without booming George Whitefield voices were able to speak the good news of Jesus to more people. With radio, Christians such as C.S. Lewis were able to place important messages about Christ into the culture of the day. With social media, messages are able to be quickly shared and spread.

But technology in church also presents us significant challenges.

Sean Parker, who was president of Facebook for a season, admitted that Facebook (and assuming other social media): “literally changes your relationship with society, with each other. It probably interferes with productivity in weird ways. God only knows what it’s doing to our children’s brains … It’s a social-validation feedback loop, exactly the kind of thing that a hacker like myself would come up with, because you’re exploiting a vulnerability in human psychology.”

Clearly those who have introduced new technology to our world know there are some really damaging and destructive results in the technology they introduced. People learn, without realizing it, to live for likes and hearts. And phrases such as FOMO (fear of missing out) have been invented because teenagers see a continual highlight reel of places where they were not invited.

So, is technology in church good or bad? It depends who is using it and for what motivation. In Titus 1:15 the apostle Paul writes, “To the pure, everything is pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure…” Yes, I want to use technology in church but I also want to heed some cautions that wise men and women have articulated.

Technology in Church – 4 Key Considerations

1. We Must Use the Tools of the Day and the Language of the Day.

Technology can and should be used for noble purposes, for spreading the good news of Jesus, and for encouraging believers. We are grateful that God had the New Testament written in Koine Greek (everyday language) instead of Classical Greek because God wants His message heard by people He created and loves.

2. We Must Place the Message Where People Are.

Pay attention the next time you are in a line or at a red-light. People are on their phones. Both believers and non-believers are connected continually. Should we caution against technology changing us? We should. But we also should place the message where people are.

3. We Must Not Equate Consumption With Development.

People who are in a group where there is discussion, study, and interaction have a very different experience then those who simply press play and consume. Someone who passively watches is much less likely to be developed. Ministry leaders must not stop at consumption and we must not equate it with development.

4. We Must Not Confuse Mission and Church.

Do I want people to be able to hear the gospel online? Absolutely! Do I like that people in our church can stay connected to a teaching series when they are traveling or sick? For certain! But do I want them to equate watching a service on their couch with being in community? I do not. Sean Parker admitted Facebook is changing the brains of children. While we should use tools to reach people, we must resist the biblical picture of the church being altered. To place in in theological terms: My missiology gets me to using technology to spread the message but my ecclesiology forces me to keep reminding people that they must be in community. Church is plural and worship gatherings are communal.

For some this reads conflicting. Eric is advocating for “new school” in terms of technology and mission and “old school” in terms of technology and the gathering of the church? I don’t see it as a conflict, but as a paradox. We must place the message in the context of culture and we must invite God’s people to gather together. Both are true. And actually, both are old school.

This article on technology in church originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

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Technology in Church – 4 Key Considerations

1. We Must Use the Tools of the Day and the Language of the Day.

2. We Must Place the Message Where People Are.

3. We Must Not Equate Consumption With Development.

4. We Must Not Confuse Mission and Church.

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