Instead of Playing Sunday Morning Critic, Try These Eight BE-atitudes

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October 25, 2023

sunday morning critic — Lightstock #208842

Imagine when you show up for work tomorrow, you’re immediately directed to the Human Resources office.

Not a fun way to start your day!

It turns out you’re not in trouble, but the HR team is meeting with every employee to inform them of a new practice that will be implemented the following Monday.

As it turns out, the company is switching to a new practice of doing an employee review with every employee every Monday morning.

That’s right, instead of your boss conducting a job review with you just once or twice each year, starting on Monday you’ll go through an employee review where your work is scrutinized by your boss every single Monday morning throughout the calendar year.

How you would like to have an employer who practiced such intense scrutiny of your work?

Most people would probably dislike such a practice to the degree many would change jobs in an attempt to avoid such smothering criticism.

Welcome to the world of pastors!

Did you know the way many Christians treat their pastors is just like going through a job review every Sunday?

For example, instead of listening to and learning from each sermon, you play Sunday Morning Critic, making sure you let the preacher know after the service whether his sermon was (in your opinion) good, just okay, not so good — in some way imparting a critique of the quality of that morning’s sermon.

In addition to that, you play critic on the selection of songs for the worship service, the quality of the Communion meditation, the appearance of the church facilities, and the overall comfort of the “experience” … and you place all of that squarely on the pastor’s shoulders.

It’s no wonder so many ministers leave vocational ministry every month, and about 50 percent of ministers leave ministry altogether by their fifth year in ministry.

Nobody wants 52 job reviews in a year! (and that’s per member!).

Instead of playing Sunday Morning Critic, try replacing that negative role with these eight BE-attitudes for “going to church”:

BE grateful.

Believe it or not, it’s not your role to sit in a pew or padded chair every Sunday morning and critique the preacher’s sermon; it is your responsibility to learn from it. Every week, you have the opportunity to learn from someone who spends the bulk of their life studying scripture just to be able to correctly and effectively teach it to you! Be grateful! Not only that, but God has adopted you into His family and you have the chance every week to gather for fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ to worship God together, be taught from the Scriptures, and much more. If you approached a weekly gathering of your local church with the gratitude we all should have for such an opportunity, then the idea of playing critic every week wouldn’t even come to mind.

10 Things That Happen When a Pastor Commits Adultery

By

Joe McKeever

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October 25, 2023

“You have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.” (II Samuel 12:10) A pastor commits adultery and it becomes public knowledge. This becomes a sad, sad day for everyone who knows him. (And yes, I am aware it takes two people to commit this sin. However, this blog is directed toward pastors and other church leaders, so the minister is the focus of our comments here.)

“I think we all should consider this a wakeup call,” said a colleague of a friend who had fallen into sin and lost his ministry. The other ministers nodded in agreement.

It can happen to any of us. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Will anyone tell you “otherwise”? Oh yes.

He is called by various names such as Satan, the devil, Lucifer, that old serpent and the slanderer. Remember, friend—he’s not called the “accuser of the brethren” for nothing (Revelation 12:10).

Jesus called him a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44).

“Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” (I Corinthians 10:12)

Beware of feeling this sin or any other sin could not happen to you, friend.

“If Thou O Lord should mark iniquities, who would stand?” (Psalm 130:3)

You know that you are just as bad a sinner as the adulterer, don’t you? If you do not, if you believe that your sins are of a nicer variety and deserve less severe treatment from God, you have more problems than we can deal with here. If anyone should be above the law and able to come and go sexually as he pleases, it ought to be the king, right? One king of Israel seems to have bought into that myth.

When King David sinned with Bathsheba, and then committed manslaughter to get her righteous husband out of the way, he was in major trouble with God. Second Samuel chapter 12 tells the story.

David received many surprises when God called him to account for his behavior. He was surprised to learn that …

God took his sin personally.

“You have despised me,” the Lord said (II Samuel 12:10). Later, David prayed, “Against Thee and Thee only is my sin” (Psalm 51:4). We can beg to differ with that—and we do—but to the one struggling under that great load of guilt over his wrongdoing, it felt that way. In the same way, the Apostle Paul called himself “the chief of sinners” (I Timothy 1:15). Was he the worst? Not even close. But he felt that he was, and that’s the correct way to assess one’s own guilt before God.

God took his sin as a rejection of His word. “Why have you despised the word of the Lord by doing evil in His sight?” (II Samuel 12:9) The enemy took his sin gleefully.

Top 7 Reasons Guests Come Back to Church

By

Dan Reiland

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October 25, 2023

The most common reason people check out your church is someone invited them. The most common reason people leave your church is they don’t feel connected. But what are the most common reasons people come back to church after their first visit or two?

There’s lots of conversation about church attendance patterns these days, and that affects how we measure guest retention rate, and the length of time it takes for guests to connect with your church.

Here’s a new reality, new people connect more slowly than in the past and disconnect more quickly than we’ve previously experienced. It’s a double-edged sword. It takes longer for new people to connect because they don’t necessarily attend every week. And, they disconnect faster because the best “connection factors” are relationally based and therefore depend on attendance!

We can’t change current culture, or can we?

Here are three big reasons why people attend church less frequently (not in order):

Online church is provided 24/7 on demand, so, simply put, there is a less perceived need to physically attend a church.
Families are busier now than ever. From demands in their jobs (travel, etc.) to sports for their kids on weekends, people are on the go nearly seven days a week.
People get bored faster than lightening. If guests attend your church and it gives off even a hint of being out of date, not fresh, “seen this before,” or in some way behind or irrelevant, they are gone!

That’s difficult to compete with, so perhaps competing is not the answer. We might be wise to focus just a little less on why people don’t come, and invest more energy into why people do come back to church. Focusing on what church does best is a smarter approach. Doing it the way your church does it best is smarter still.

That takes us back to the top reasons guests come back to church. Put your energy here.

Top 7 Reasons Guests Come Back to Church

1) They felty the presence of God.

There is an unmistakable awareness of the presence and power of God at work. It may be inspirational and filled with emotion, or a more quiet and peaceful stirring within, but however it’s experienced, the presence of God is felt.

2) The key leaders are perceived as trustworthy.

Guests come to your church at varying levels of “readiness” to trust the leaders they encounter. But it’s surprising how quickly they can discern if they trust you or not. Even from only a message or two, or brief connections in the lobby, they intuitively have decided if they can trust you. Your level of authenticity and clarity of communication make a huge difference in this process.

3) The worship service is positive, relevant, biblically sound and executed with heart and excellence.

You don’t have to compete with the other churches near you. The important thing is to be the very best that you can. For example, if the worship team isn’t strong, select less challenging music, and do it with excellence. If the preaching isn’t strong, make the message shorter. In all cases, keep practicing, so you get better. Make sure the service is positive, clearly biblical, upbeat and communicates faith in an atmosphere of grace.

Continue

Interview With a Worship Sound Pro

By

MinistryTech Magazine

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October 25, 2023

Bobby Spangler operates Spangler Media, a sound consulting and sales company based in Kentucky. He’s a bona fide worship sound pro. He’s supervised six-figure sound installations all over the United States and is an instructor for events hosted by Vineyard Worship. We sat down with Bobby to get his perspective on running sound in everyday church environments.

CL: If I’m the sound guy at a church with an existing setup, what would be the one thing I could do without spending money to improve my existing situation? What would be the thing you’d recommend to anybody just if they already have a legacy system?

Bobby Spangler: Training is a huge thing in the church world. That’s for sound techs. It’s largely neglected. You wouldn’t take somebody who’s never led worship or played an instrument before, hand them an acoustic guitar, give them two one-hour lessons, and be like, “Hey, you’re leading worship this Sunday,” but we kind of do the equivalent of that to sound people all the time: “Here is Shiny Toy, and here are two one-hour lessons: Now don’t mess up the service.” They get thrown into the hot seat without training on this massively complicated tool-set in front of them. So ongoing training for everybody is a big deal: You know, even those that have experience can always gain and deepen their skill-set. It’s not that you get to a point and you’ve arrived. You can always get better at your craft.

CL: So where would somebody shop for training?

Spangler: Now, you’ve got to budget how you would go get training. In the world of Vineyard churches, I’m a part of our new program called Sound Lab. It’s an event right now that brings people together to address different skill levels. Basics, up through mid-level stuff: and there’s an advanced version being developed, which isn’t currently going, but we are developing specifically in the Vineyard wheelhouse.

CL: Can non-Vineyard people attend?

Spangler: Yeah, it’s wide open to the whole church. There’s plenty of training out there. Meyer Sound also has quality training. There are a few others that exist, and also the better installers in large sales firms will do one-on-one training or in-your-house training, but it’s good to be aware that there’s help: Every installation is a little bit different, and even with the same equipment your space will be different than the next church down the street. There will be things that apply [only in] your house. So if you can bring worship sound pro in to do training with you and your crew right in the house, that can be a super-valuable resource.

CL: In the world of sound, one size doesn’t fit all.

Spangler: Right. It’s good to stage these things from a kind of basic entry level 101 up through the more complicated advanced adjustments and tweaks that you can do on your system and become your own worship sound pro. So if you have somebody that’s never run sound, before you start dropping terms like equalizer, gain, and compressor — it just starts flying right over their head and they get that glazed-over look like I’m just lost right now. So structuring from the very basics up through to the more advanced and kind of having time for your text to develop in each of those areas before they advance can be very helpful.

CL: What’s the next vital element for church sound?

Spangler: Another thing that is lost a lot of times is an understanding of signal flow. Signal flow is if we have a microphone that’s receiving the sound, how that sound travels from that microphone to your soundboard and then forward to the speaker system. So there is a grouping of cabling and there may be amplifiers and processors and boxes in your floor and all of them have different connection points. You want to know every point: from where it leaves that microphone all the way through that chain. If something does go wrong, you can methodically trace down the problem from the front of the house to the back and find where that failure is. It’s a skill set that you would need right now to understand the places.

CL: How do you teach people to understand signal flow?

Spangler: We’ll often start people on what’s called stage deck duty, where their job is more set-up, before they even touch the soundboard. They’re learning setting up in carrying microphones, unplugging cables, and how those route into the system on the front end of that system. Then they later learn about the booth. I want guys to understand what’s happening up front before they’re thrown into the booth itself.

CHECK PAGE TWO FOR “THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF GEAR”

Sorrowful but Rejoicing Always

By

Lauren McAfee

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October 25, 2023

sorrowful but rejoicing — Lightstock #433527

A few months in he Fall of 2017 were some of the darkest I’ve experienced in years. l had expected the fall of 2017 to be full of joy and celebration as Museum of the Bible opened, a project I’ve been invested in for nearly eight years. But along with the great joy from this season, it was also full of pain. And it’s hit on many levels. In them all I learned what it meant to be sorrowful but rejoicing.

Those months brought personal medical issues (infertility), a family member’s death, broken trust in close relationships, personal attacks and many close friends experiencing their own tragedies, all the while as l am trying to keep up with my full-time job, a PhD work load on nights and weekends, and co-writing my first book with my mother. It’s a season that’s brought back panic attacks, heartache, doubt and insecurity. It’s also a season l feel God’s presence more than l have in a long time. It drove me to His Word, and to prayer.

Sorrowful but Rejoicing

In the midst of this season, one night l was supposed to go to an award ceremony in the evening to receive an award along with dozens of other recipients. l actually hadn’t told anyone about the award except my mom and husband. The day of the award ceremony turned out to be one of the more difficult days because of events that transpired. Those difficult events caused me to feel unable to get to a place where l could get out and go to this award banquet.

My husband, Michael, was out of town, but a few friends knew what was going on. As I got home from work, my sister (in-law) and a close friend from my community group showed up at my door with listening ears, my favorite snacks, flowers and a candle. (My sisters live on opposite coasts, and had told these friends what my favorite things were.) They spent hours with me, just listening to me and loving on me.

‘I’m Literally Speechless’—Skillet’s John Cooper Addresses Drag Queen at the Dove Awards

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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October 24, 2023

Skillet frontman John Cooper recently addressed the controversy surrounding last week’s Dove Awards, a controversy that centered on the appearance of Derek Webb in a dress, accompanied by openly queer Christian artist Semler and drag queen Flamy Grant.

The Dove Awards ceremony, which was held at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee, was open to the public.

A couple of days after the event, Webb, who holds more than one Dove Award of his own, posted an explanation as to why he wore a dress to the awards ceremony.

“As a cis, straight, white man, I walk into a room like that (and any room) with an incredible amount of advantage and privilege,” Webb said in a video. “If I’m attending as an ally of friends and colleagues, I should do everything possible to surrender that privilege at the door.”

Webb added, “If the way you look at my loved ones isn’t the way you’re looking at me, I’m not truly standing with them.”

Webb proceeded to quote progressive Christian pastor Stan Mitchell, who has said, “If you claim to be someone’s ally but aren’t getting hit by the stones thrown at them, you aren’t standing close enough.” Webb then concluded his video, which now has more than 2.4 million views, by saying, “Plus, I have amazing legs.”

Earlier this year, Webb released what he described as his “first Christian and gospel album in 10 years,” which featured a song with Flamy Grant, titled “Boys Will Be Girls.” In the lyrics of the song, Webb sings, “I heard Jesus loved and spent his life with those who were abandoned by proud and fearful men / So if a church won’t celebrate and love you, they’re believing lies that can’t save you or them / ‘Cause you’re so beautiful by any name.”

The song’s video shows Webb dressing in drag and performing alongside Flamy Grant.

Both Semler and Flamy Grant have topped the iTunes Christian Music chart within the last couple of years and have expressed their desire to be recognized by the Gospel Music Association (GMA).

Last year, Semler campaigned on social media to be nominated for the GMA’s New Artist of the Year award and described her disappointment when she didn’t make the list.

Léonce Crump Jr.: Building Trust Across Your Ministry Leadership Team

By

Jason Daye

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October 24, 2023

How can you increase trust across your local ministry leadership team so that you can serve more effectively together? In this week’s conversation on FrontStage BackStage, host Jason Daye is joined by Léonce Crump Jr., co-founder and senior pastor of Renovation Church in Atlanta. His latest book is titled “The Resilience Factor.” Together, Léonce and Jason discuss ways that you can learn how well your ministry leaders trust one another. Léonce also shares how you can build that trust and catalyze a resilient ministry team that’s ready to face together whatever challenges might arise.

FrontStage BackStage Podcast With Léonce Crump Jr.

View the entire podcast here.

Keep Learning

Looking to dig more deeply into this topic and conversation? Every week we go the extra mile and create a free toolkit so you and your ministry team can dive deeper into the topic that is discussed. Find your Weekly Toolkit here… Love well, Live well, Lead well!

Podcast Links

Video links to this week’s episode – easily share with the ministry leaders in your church
Audio links to this week’s episode – easily share with the ministry leaders in your church
Additional resource links from this week’s conversation – so you and your team can easily find what is mentioned or referenced
Ministry Leaders Growth Guide – key insights and concepts from this week’s conversation as well as engaging questions for you and your team to consider and process
Full-text transcript of this week’s episode – review something you heard, pass along snippets, post tweets, create presentations to share, or use in whatever way you find most helpful in developing your ministry leaders
Shareable Social Graphics – Feel free to post them on your church social accounts, your personal accounts, or use them as graphics in your communications

Christian and Former Trump Lawyer Jenna Ellis Pleads Guilty in Georgia, Says She ‘Failed To Do My Due Diligence’

By

Stephanie Martin

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October 24, 2023

On Tuesday (Oct. 24), former Trump campaign lawyer and outspoken Christian Jenna Ellis became the fourth person to accept a plea deal in Georgia’s election-subversion case. In exchange for pleading guilty to one felony count of aiding and abetting false statements and writings, Ellis will avoid jail time.

Her sentence includes five years of probation, $5,000 in restitution, and 100 hours of community service. The lawyer, podcast host, and frequent Fox News guest also must cooperate with prosecutors and avoid posting about her case on social media until all the Georgia cases conclude.

Jenna Ellis on Being a Christian

Ellis, an evangelical Christian who’s been involved in several high-profile cases involving religion, briefly addressed the judge in an Atlanta courtroom Tuesday. “As an attorney who is also a Christian, I take my responsibilities as a lawyer very seriously and I endeavor to be a person of sound moral and ethical character in all of my dealings,” she said, at times becoming emotional. “In the wake of the 2020 presidential election, I believed that challenging the results on behalf of President Trump should be pursued in a just and legal way.”

Ellis, 38, said she “relied on others,” including more experienced lawyers on the team, “to provide me with true and reliable information, especially since my role involved speaking to the media and to legislators in various states.” In her prepared statement, Ellis admitted she should have verified “facts that the other lawyers alleged to be true.” Instead, because of the “frenetic pace” of raising post-election challenges in November 2020, she “failed to do my due diligence.”

During Tuesday’s unscheduled hearing, Ellis told Judge Scott McAfee, “I believe in, and I value, election integrity.” She added, “If I knew then what I knew now, I would have declined to represent Donald Trump in these post-election challenges. I look back on this whole experience with deep remorse.” Ellis concluded by taking responsibility and apologizing to the citizens of Georgia.

Last month, Ellis was censured by a disciplinary judge in Colorado, where she is licensed to practice law.

Jenna Ellis: ‘God Is God All the Time’

In August, when Ellis was charged with violating Georgia’s anti-racketeering act, she invoked her faith. “The Democrats and the Fulton County DA are criminalizing the practice of law,” she posted on social media. “I am resolved to trust the Lord and I will simply continue to honor, praise, and serve Him.” Trump critic George Conway responded, “I don’t know about you, but I plan to honor and to serve the Lord today by not engaging in any racketeering conspiracies.”

Candace Cameron Bure Announces ‘Most Expansive’ Great American Christmas Yet With 20 Christmas Movies

By

Jessica Lea

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October 24, 2023

Great American Christmas — Screenshot from YouTube / @candacecbure

Christmas is already underway at the Great American Family (GAF) channel, a family-friendly alternative to Hallmark owned by Great American Media (GAM). On Oct. 12, GAM’s chief creative officer, Candace Cameron Bure, announced that Great American Christmas would begin on Oct. 13, with 20 new Christmas movies releasing from Oct. 14 through Dec. 23.

“I am thrilled to invite you to the third year of the most heartwarming holiday experience on television,” Bure said on Instagram. “Great American Christmas on Great American Family is here!…We’re bringing you Great American Christmas 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Great American Family (@gactv)

Great American Christmas Kicks Off on Friday the 13th

Candace Cameron Bure is an actor, producer and Christian who in 2022 announced she had left the Hallmark Channel and signed with GAM. Bure dealt with several controversies that year, including when former “Dance Moms” star JoJo Siwa claiming Bure was the “rudest celebrity” Siwa had met.

Bure also faced criticism following a statement to The Wall Street Journal that Great American Family “will keep traditional marriage at the core.” She made that comment in response to a question regarding whether GAF will feature LGBTQ+ love stories as the Hallmark Channel is now doing.

Nevertheless, Great American Family had a strong finish to 2022, reporting that it was ending the year as “the fastest-growing network in all of cable television,” in part due to the performance of its 18 Christmas movies.

This year’s Christmas event, “the most expansive in the history of Great American Christmas,” features a 20-movie release beginning with “Destined 2: Christmas Once More,” which premiered on Oct. 14.

Viewers will recognize some familiar actors, a number of them Christians, including former “Days of Our Lives” star Jen Lilley, who stars with Matthew Morrison in “A Paris Christmas Waltz,” premiering Nov. 19.

Former “The Wonder Years” star Danica McKellar, a Christian and friend of Bure’s, stars with Damon Runyan in “A Royal Date for Christmas,” premiering Nov. 25.

Florida Pastor’s Son Shot, Killed by Alleged Gang Member Outside of Church Building

By

Dale Chamberlain

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October 24, 2023

An investigation is underway after a Florida pastor’s son was shot and killed outside his father’s church over the weekend.

Twenty-year-old Roderick Wilson Jr. was found dead in the parking lot of Pentecostal Church of God in Winter Haven early on Sunday morning (Oct. 22) after an altercation with 22-year-old Taquion “Quan” Cotton, an alleged gang member.

Police do not yet know what caused the altercation that led to the shooting.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) said in a press release that emergency services were contacted around 1:47 a.m. on Sunday by someone who was passing by the church and saw Wilson’s body.

Wilson was pronounced dead at the scene after PCSO deputies arrived and discovered he had suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

Wilson had been living in an apartment on the church’s property, and he worked for the church.

“Detectives are still trying to determine Taquion Cotton’s motivation to commit this murder. At this time, there is no indication the two men knew each other prior to [the day of the murder],” said Sheriff Grady Judd. “Despite the murderer being locked-up, there is still work to be done. Please keep Roderick Wilson’s family in your thoughts and prayers.”

On Sunday, PSCO detectives obtained security footage that captured the confrontation between Wilson and Cotton on the street in front of the church.

Following the initial confrontation, Cotton drove away. After circling the block several times, Cotton returned to the church to argue with Wilson further before shooting and killing him, according to Spectrum Bay News 9.

Later in the day, police apprehended Cotton in a residential area near the crime scene. Cotton was arrested after fleeing to a nearby residence, attacking a woman and putting her in a chokehold as she entered her home.

Vatican Summit Tackles Women’s Ordination With a Nod From Pope Francis

By

Claire Giangrave

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October 24, 2023

Vatican Synod — Pope Francis poses for a family picture with the participants of the Synod of Bishops' 16th General Assembly in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican Monday, Oct. 23, 2023. Pope Francis is convening a global gathering of bishops and laypeople to discuss the future of the Catholic Church. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Discussions about women’s ordination to the priesthood have become livelier in the waning days of the synod on synodality, Pope Francis’ month-long summit to discuss pressing issues facing the church. While there’s a consensus that women’s roles need to be promoted, participants remain divided on how to achieve that goal.

The Vatican’s synod, which started on Oct. 4 and goes until Oct. 29, is the result of a two-year-long process engaging Catholics at every level, from faithful at the local parish to continental leaders. Now, the 364 lay and religious participants present at the synod are poised to address questions ranging from sexual abuse to LGBTQ welcoming to hierarchal structures. Few topics have captured the attention of attendants more than the question of women’s roles in the church.

Participants were encouraged to maintain the confidentiality of the small working group discussions taking place at the synod. But speaking to Religion News Service, attendants said the question of the ordination of women remains fairly evenly split, with some bishops leaning against and religious sisters leading the charge in favor.

In many ways, this synod has seen many firsts for women. For the first time a woman, Sr. Nathalie Becquart, is undersecretary of the synod office at the Vatican. Sister Maria de los Dolores Valencia Gomez, a sister of St. Joseph of Lyon, is the first woman to preside over a synod. In the months leading up to the summit, the resources of the Women’s Ordination Worldwide advocacy group were made available for the first time on the synod website.

A record 54 women are participating, and voting, during the synod. In the past, synod events were exclusively attended by bishops and a few priests who acted as secretaries and writers.

Synod discussions so far have addressed the topics of women’s ordination to the priesthood, the female diaconate and the creation of alternative ministries that would allow women to have an equal representation in the traditionally male dominated institution.

Whereas the pope has shut the door to the female priesthood in the past, Francis recently opened an unprecedented opportunity for debate on the topic. Answering a series of questions, or dubia, sent by conservative prelates regarding the synodal discussions, Francis said there is no “clear and authoritative doctrine” on the question of ordination, and it can be “a subject of study.”

Pope Francis created two commissions to study the possibility of the female diaconate, which would allow women to preach at Mass and perform marriages and baptisms but not celebrate the Eucharist or hear confessions. Opponents fear allowing women to the diaconate would open the door to women being ordained as priests.

Some participants at the synod, and Catholics looking in from the outside, have voiced the possibility of finding alternative roles and ministries for women in the church. They argue that if the church is going to defeat clericalism, a term used to describe the special status held by Catholic clergy, then the solution is not to ordain more people. While synod officers, and the pope, have encouraged synod participants to be creative in the search for solutions to the church’s woes, there have so far been few inspired solutions to the much-needed promotion of women’s roles.

For some synod participants, the solution is already there: allowing women to become priests or deacons. A significant push toward this solution came from the religious sisters within the synod. A “cohort” of nuns favoring female ordination, and especially women deacons, has formed at the synod, said participants. The women, mainly from Latin America and some from Europe, are said to have initially bonded because they could all speak Spanish.

Nuns from Italy to India have come forward in recent years to denounce unfair treatment by male clergy who, they claim, often regard them as nothing more than free labor. Cases of nuns being sexually abused by priests or bishops have also emerged in recent books and reports.

Liberal-minded nuns at the synod have embraced the cause for a women’s diaconate with gusto, participants said, with some pushing the envelope further by asking for the elimination of titles reserved for clergy, such as “your eminence” or “your excellency,” which promote clericalism.

Archbishop Welby, Patriarchs of Jerusalem Urge Ceasefire, Condemn Church Bombing

By

Catherine Pepinster

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October 24, 2023

Justin Welby Israel — Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip, in Ashkelon, Israel, Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. (AP Photo/Avi Roccah)

LONDON (RNS) — Church leaders in Jerusalem have joined with the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, to demand a ceasefire in Gaza and condemn the bombing of the Orthodox church there. The leaders also urged greater security for hospitals and places of worship.

The Oct. 21 statement, signed by the patriarchs and heads of the churches in Jerusalem, came after Archbishop Welby spent several days in Jerusalem following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and the ensuing assaults on Gaza by Israeli forces.

“We, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem, having gathered in prayer with Jerusalem’s honorable guest, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, join with him in expressing, in the strongest possible terms, our condemnation of the Israeli airstrikes that exploded without warning at the Orthodox Church compound of Saint Porphyrios in Gaza,” the statement said.

The Oct.19 bombing of St. Porphyrios Greek Orthodox Church, which killed at least 18 people who were sheltering inside, came just two days after a rocket attack on the Anglican-run al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza, which left hundreds dead. Who was responsible for the attack on the hospital is disputed, with evidence indicating it was a misfired Hamas rocket.

Both the church and hospital highlight the presence of Christian organizations working in Gaza and the plight of Palestinian Christians, whose numbers have fallen to less than 1,000. Two of the three centers for Christians in Gaza have been devastated by attack, with only the Catholic church, to date, left unscathed.

Welby, who is spiritual head of the Anglican Communion and primate of the Church of England, said his visit was to express solidarity with Christians, especially the Anglican archbishop of Jerusalem.

“I join with the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem calling for a humanitarian ceasefire so that aid can safely reach the innocent civilians of Gaza,” Welby said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that included the full text of the statement.

The statement from the patriarchs and heads of the churches in Jerusalem, including the Latin patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, and Theophilos III, patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, urged “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire so that food, water and vital medical supplies can safely be delivered to the relief agencies ministering to the hundreds of thousands of displaced civilians in Gaza, including those operated by our own churches.”

The international community, they said, should “immediately enforce protections in Gaza for sanctuaries of refuge such as hospitals, schools and houses of worship.”

“We call upon all warring parties to de-escalate the violence, cease from indiscriminately targeting civilians on all sides, and operate within the international rules of warfare,” they continued.

The attack on St. Porphyrios, the church leaders said, caused two church halls to collapse around scores of refugees, including women and children, sleeping there. Dozens were crushed. Of the 18 so far confirmed dead, nine were children, according to the statement.

While the three Christian institutions in Gaza — the Greek Orthodox church, the hospital and the Catholic church — focused on Christians, they also helped the rest of the community. “Our Lord Jesus Christ calls us to minister to the most vulnerable,” wrote the church leaders. “And we must do so not only in times of peace. The church must especially act as the church in times of war, for that is when suffering is at its greatest.”

The State of the Post-Pandemic Church

By

James Emery White

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October 24, 2023

A yearlong study of more than 1,000 pastors and leaders, conducted by ChurchSalary and the Arbor Research Group on the impact of COVID-19 on the American church, has been completed and the results released.

Here are the headlines:

More than one in three churches saw attendance declines between 2020 and 2022.
The reasons for the departures include disagreements over health policies, other disagreements, because they moved, or no reason was given at all.
Churches in large cities and suburbs were most likely to see a decline in attendance, rural churches the least. Majority black congregations were among the hardest hit, with 64% reporting decreased attendance since 2020.
Church attendance was most impacted by reactions to pandemic restrictions in no-win scenarios. Churches who shut their doors for long periods, or required masks, lost attenders who wanted to return to “normal” more quickly; churches that responded with less stringent restrictions equally lost attenders who were more cautious, had health concerns, or felt the church was not being more compassionate about ensuring COVID did not spread.
Church leaders were of one mind in regard to the Catch-22 COVID presented. No matter what they did, what they said, or how they responded, someone was going to be angry or upset and leave.
Post-COVID, leaders cite a decline in commitment and involvement among those who are attenders.

A five-year research project led by the Hartford Institute for Religious Research, “Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations,” is reaching similar conclusions. Compared to three years ago, a higher percentage of churches are facing serious declines in attendance. In 2020, 27% of churches said they had lost more than a quarter of their weekend attendance. In 2023, instead of a rebound, the number of churches reporting that steep of a drop climbed to 30%. More than half (54%) are in some form of decline.

Lifeway Research finds similar results among Southern Baptist churches with 81.5% reporting that they are either plateaued or declining in terms of growth.

As disheartening as these studies may be, the Hartford research presented the most distressing news of all. In the spring of 2020, almost three in four churches (73%) said they were willing to change in whatever way was needed for the church to flourish. That climbed to nearly 90% during 2021. Now, the number of churches expressing any willingness to change has dropped to 66%.

And the health of those churches who have gone hybrid?

Hartford seems to have tailored the research along the lines of those who emphasize in-person instead of virtual, and those churches that emphasize virtual over in-person attendance. That is not what a true hybrid model is. (For more on what truly constitutes a hybrid church, I would recommend my book, “Hybrid Church: Rethinking the Church for the Post-Christian Digital Age.”)

Nonetheless, they found that those churches that embrace the virtual have higher virtual attendance, more total attending worship, greater likelihood to have grown in worship attendance, and, overall, higher giving rates.

But let’s return to the nearly one-third of all churches now expressing an unwillingness to change. It brings to mind the title of an old book: “The Seven Last Words of the Dying Church.”

And what are those seven words?
“We never tried it that way before.”

For those that actually die, they surely add, “And never will.” That will kill more churches than any pandemic ever could.

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

Overcoming Sinful Anger

By

Nicholas Batzig

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October 24, 2023

There is plenty of sin in the world upon which we can fixate. The internet has brought the fallen sinful world—with all of its beliefs and actions—into laser-sharp focus on our computer screens. This poses a unique temptation for the lawless soul as well as for the self-righteous soul. The lawless soul is ever in danger of being led into paths of unrighteousness on account of the multitude of lawless voices and sites online. The self-righteous soul is in danger of a far more subtle form of rebellion, namely, responding in sinful anger to the sin of others out of a faux sense of moral superiority. The former danger is often easier for us to identify, since it almost always manifests itself in outward forms of rebellion. The latter danger is more diabolical, given the fact that it can often be hidden or wrongly chalked up to being righteous anger.

The issue of sinful anger is one that is not addressed enough in theologically conservative circles. It is one leading mark of self-righteousness; and, is a sin of which we need to repent and against which we must watch and pray.

In his theological masterpiece, Charity and Its Fruits, Jonathan Edwards took up the subject of sinful anger–its woeful prevalence and pernicious results. Edwards explained,

The heart of man is exceeding prone to undue and sinful anger, being naturally full of pride and selfishness; and we live in a world that is full of occasions that tend to stir up this corruption that is within us, so that we cannot expect to live in any tolerable measure as Christians would do in this respect, without constant watchfulness and prayer. And we should not only watch against the exercises, but fight against the principle of anger, and seek earnestly to have that mortified in our hearts, by the establishment and increase of the spirit of divine love and humility in our souls. And to this end, several things may be considered.

Edwards proceeded to set out a number of practical ways that we can guard against sinful anger in our hearts. He first noted the imperative need we have to remember our own sinfulness. He wrote,

Consider frequently your own failings by which you have given both God and man occasion to be displeased with you. All your lifetime you have come short of God’s requirements, and thus justly incurred his dreadful wrath; and constantly you have occasion to pray God that he will not be angry with you, but will show you mercy. And your failings have also been numerous toward your fellowmen, and have often given them occasion to be angry with you. Your faults are as great perhaps as theirs; and this thought should lead you not to spend so much of your time in fretting at the motes in their eyes, but rather to occupy it in pulling the beams out of your own, Matt. 7:3–5.

Edwards then explained some identifying marks of sinful anger, that lies in the heart of a professing believer:

Very often those that are most ready to be angry with others, and to carry their resentments highest for their faults, are equally or still more guilty of the same faults. And so those that are most apt to be angry with others for speaking evil of them are often most frequent in speaking evil of others, and even in their anger to vilify and abuse them.

Finally, Edwards gave a basic applicatory aid to avoiding this particular manifestation of sinful and self-righteous anger. He wrote,

If others then provoke us, instead of being angry with them let our first thoughts be turned to ourselves, and let it put us on self-reflection, and lead us to inquire whether we have not been guilty of the very same things that excite our anger, or even of worse. Thus, thinking of our own failings and errors would tend to keep us from undue anger with others.

6 Ways To Preach Effectively

By

Gavin Adams

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October 24, 2023

This might be the most important principle for effective preaching I’ve learned. It led to my best sermons. Before I tell you the lesson, though, let me walk you through my process of discovery:

When I first began preaching, I took an entire manuscript on stage. It was a pastoral security blanket (except not pink and fuzzy). I tried not to read it directly, and in most cases, I was successful. But in my mind, it was good to know it was there, just in case I needed to snuggle.

Unfortunately, as I watched my messages the next day (it’s awkward, but you should do this if you don’t already!), I felt my preaching was lacking an important ingredient – CONNECTION. I was communicating all the content. I didn’t miss any stories, illustrations, points, or verses. But as I watched myself, I realized something significant that lead to my best sermon (over and over):

Great content without great connection is poor communication. You’ll never get to your best sermons without connection.

And that was my problem. I communicated clear content without any relational connection, and it wasn’t working. As I diagnosed my lack of connection, the problem became apparent:

I was more focused on WHAT I was saying than WHO was listening.

I was mentally focused on my place in the manuscript rather than on the people in the room. For me, the goal of preaching is not getting through an outline, but giving people a truth they can apply. Unfortunately, my manuscript tracking mentality was holding my focus hostage. For me to improve, the security blanket had to go!

One fateful Sunday morning, I did something huge – I walked on stage with my notes in my back pocket – and I was terrified. My little round table sat empty. It and I felt naked. It wasn’t my best message. It’s hard to preach terrified! But my connection to the crowd improved. The next week I left my notes in the green room. And I’ve never looked back. You know what? My connection keeps improving.

The principle is simple: I moved from being message-focused to people-focused. Sure, I still work hard on the content, but I moved my stage focus from the message to the people hearing the message. That is a game-changer that leads to your best sermons.

If your preaching lacks connection, I think you can improve by making this same shift. And if this idea is both intriguing and terrifying, here are a few secrets to preaching your best sermons I’ve picked up along the way:

6 Ways to Effective Preaching

1. Preach a Journey.

A great message takes an audience on a journey, beginning together at a point and traveling as a group to the final destination. I have found structuring my message like a journey helps me both remember the content and stay focused on the audience. A journey is simpler than an outline. Today, I only memorize exit points along the path instead of multiple paragraphs in a manuscript. This literally frees up mental energy to refocus on the audience.

2. Preach ONE Point.

There’s nothing biblical about preaching a three-point sermon, even if your seminary tried to convince you otherwise. If you’re lucky, people will remember only one thing you say anyway, so why fight your crowd’s natural instincts? Besides, one great point is better than three alliterated subpar points read from an outline. And one point is easier to communicate if it’s part of the message journey (see hint 1 below).

3. Preach to One Person in the Room.

This is the best advice I ever received on effective preaching. Before I write a message, internalize a message, or preach a message, I ask myself, “How would I say this in my office to a friend?” I know – not earth-shattering – but so helpful! Ask yourself this one question the next time you preach and see what happens to your message. If you want to connect with everyone, preach to just one.

4. Practice Your Sermons.

I typically rehearse a message 3 – 5 times – and I only stop practicing when I feel comfortable enough with the content that I can walk on stage with my target set on the congregation, not the next sentence in my outline. When I’m worried about what to say next, it becomes impossible to focus on the people listening. I thought taking notes on stage would help relieve my worry, but it only changed the problem. I now rehearse until I can deliver the content effortlessly. We call than internalizing the burden.

Anytime something looks effortless, you can guarantee that person spent hours and hours of effort to make it look that way.

One important caveat, though. Don’t memorize a manuscript unless you’re capable of communicating it without it sounding like a memorized manuscript. We’re trying to communicate with people, not at people.

5. Be You.

I don’t understand the preacher who has a “preaching voice” and a “normal voice.” If you don’t yell at people in normal conversation, stop yelling from the pulpit. Just be you up there. Be normal. How? Stop pretending to be someone else. That’s a good start because you will never fully connect if you aren’t you. I work for Andy Stanley, so when I preach, I stand in a GIANT preaching shadow. It’s so tempting to mimic a communicator like Andy, but mimicking Andy only takes away me. YOU cannot connect as someone else. Borrow what works, but be you.

6. For Your Best Sermons, Be transparent and Honest.

Few things are more connecting than honesty. We should be comfortable sharing our struggles (to a point, of course). We are real people, but pretending we’re not creates an obstacle to connection. People resonate and connect to other people, so be a real “people” on the stage.

I’m not a preaching expert. In fact, the more I learn, the more I realize I have a lot left to learn! But, one thing I know for sure:

If you can’t connect, you won’t develop effective preaching.

This article on effective preaching originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

The Power of Vision

By

Rick Howerton

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October 24, 2023

Note: This article is excerpted from our training tool at SmallGroups.com, Develop a Group Strategy. John Maxwell once said, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” While this may be a bit of an overstatement, one thing is for sure: An effective leader is necessary if anything of substance is going to be accomplished. But what drives an effective leader? What keeps a leader in the game when things get tough? What inspires a leader to give his or her life to a particular goal? The power of vision is what makes a leader great. In fact, visionless leaders aren’t leaders at all—they’re managers.

Managers supervise an efficient workforce through which the necessary work is completed in a timely and effective fashion. They make sure tasks are accomplished. Leaders, on the other hand, have the ability to obtain and retain followers by organizing, unifying and directing them to accomplish a God-given vision.

The Power of Vision

Small-group ministry is full of point people who are managers. What today’s church needs is small-group point people who are leaders, people who have a vision in mind and will organize and inspire people to join them in seeing that yet unrealized vision become a present reality. Effective leaders have a vision in their hearts that is inescapable.

Youth Group Still Matters: Discover Why It Remains So Essential

By

Richard Holdeman

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October 23, 2023

Running a youth group is an unlikely task for me, by many measures. I pastor a Reformed church that subscribes to the Westminster Confession of Faith and takes its theology very seriously. I’m not a fan of the goofy, evangelical impulse to separate kids from the rest of the congregation whenever possible. I don’t swallow goldfish or do other stunts to try to impress kids.

At my age, any cool I may have had is long gone. So why am I in my ninth year running our church’s youth group? The simple answer is because I love the kids. I believe youth group is a valuable ministry that God is using.

Why Youth Group Still Matters

When our congregation discussed starting a youth group more than 10 years ago, parents met to brainstorm. We made such a comprehensive list that no one in their right mind would ever take on the ministry. No way was our congregation going to hire a “professional” youth minister. This youth group would have to be a labor of love.

I decided the only way to launch the ministry was to just pick a date and start. So I did. My plan was simple: Have fellowship time, play a game or fun activity, study the Bible, enjoy a snack, and pray. We’d meet every other week for two hours. We’d throw in extra activities from time to time, and we’d include service opportunities as well.

To make it work, I recruited a few young adult helpers. Because we had students from ages 12 to 18, we split into smaller groups—each led by a different adult—for Bible study. This got young people into a small group where they could actively participate.

Last evening, four adults and 19 young people attended our youth group meeting. We learned a new game, prayed for each other, and studied Hebrews 10:1-18. Then we gathered for a snack. Simple yet profound.

Over the years, I’ve been blessed to see students arrive at age 12 and mature through high school. I’ve worked with younger siblings of students I taught when we first started. I’ve watched them grow as young men and women of God. Plus, I’ve watched them encourage younger children. I’ve seen mentor-type relationships develop with adult helpers. And I’ve seen more of the fruit of the Spirit and growth in the disciplines of grace.

Youth Group IS the Church

Our youth group is not an appendage to the church. It is the church. The young people don’t identify with the youth group or a youth pastor. They know the youth group is simply a ministry to encourage them in their service to Christ and His church.

I’m thankful for the men and women who are part of this ministry in our congregation. Their steadfast investment in young people is bearing fruit. I’m thankful this ministry allows kids who are homeschooled, who attend public schools, and who attend Christian schools to spend time together during the week. I’m thankful that kids with special needs are welcome. Finally, I’m thankful our students feel comfortable enough to invite their friends to join.

Youth group is not for every church. And it’s certainly possible to do youth group in a way that’s counterproductive to the spiritual development of young people. But this ministry can be a tremendous blessing to participants as well as leaders.

May God give us discernment as we work with young people in our congregations. And by His grace, may we see young men and women becoming faithful servants in His church. “May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown, our daughters like corner pillars cut for the structure of a palace” (Psalm 144:12, ESV).

This article originally appeared here.

Dennis Quaid Shares Testimony, Plays Songs From New Gospel Album at Pastor Greg Laurie’s Church

By

Jessica Lea

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October 23, 2023

Actor and musician Dennis Quaid appeared yesterday at Pastor Greg Laurie’s Harvest Christian Fellowship church, where he performed two songs from his new album, “Fallen: A Gospel Record for Sinners.” Quaid said that the first song he performed, “On My Way to Heaven,” was written for his mother to let her know that he was okay after he got out of rehab.

“I was always a Christian, grew up in the Baptist church but this was really the beginning of my personal relationship with Jesus, which started after that,” Quaid told the Harvest congregation. “Up until then I’d been trying to do it my way all my life, and that didn’t work out so well.”

Dennis Quaid: ‘Jesus Is There’

Harvest Christian Fellowship is a church with multiple locations based in Riverside, California. Its pastor, Greg Laurie, is the subject of the recent movie, “Jesus Revolution,” set during the Jesus Movement of the 1960s and 1970s.

“We have a very special guest with us here today at church,” said Laurie as he introduced Quaid, an actor who has made over 70 films spanning a 50-year career. The pastor noted that Quaid is “outspoken about his faith in Jesus Christ” and mentioned several films that Quaid has made, including “The Parent Trap” and “Great Balls of Fire!” However, Laurie said he thought the actor’s “greatest performance” was playing the father of Christian artist Bart Millard in “I Can Only Imagine.”

After Laurie welcomed him to the stage, Quaid greeted the congregation and introduced “On My Way to Heaven,” explaining, “I wrote it for my mother after I got out of rehab, what I called ‘cocaine school’ back in 1990, to let her know that I was ok.” In an interview with People magazine, Quaid said that when he returned to his faith after rehab, he began rereading the Bible, as well as other religious texts, such as the Quran and the Bhagavad Gita.

“I grew up at the Baptist church; I love the hymns that I remember from being a kid,” Quaid told People. “The songs are self-reflective and self-examining, not churchy. All of us have a relationship with God, whether you’re a Christian or not.”

The lyrics to “On My Way to Heaven” read in part:

My life may not be roses
But still I’m gonna be alright
Long as I got my Savior by my side

He freed me from the heavy chains
That had bound my broken heart
Picked me up, gave me a brand new start

Now I’m on my way to heaven
On my way to heaven
I’m on my way to heaven
So I can’t be stayin’ long

As the song neared its end, Quaid invited the congregation to sing along with him. Afterward, Laurie joined Quaid onstage and interviewed him about his spiritual journey, asking him to share more about that particular song.

‘Not Exposed to LGBTQ, CRT, or Woke Teachings’—Trump-Supporting Pastor Mark Burns To Open New Military Academy School

By

Janna Firestone

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October 23, 2023

As the pastor of The Harvest Praise & Worship Center and a political advocate for former president Donald Trump, Mark Burns has been publicly vocal about his views supporting Christian nationalism. Now, Burns is set to open a new “military academy” to “raise up God’s army.” He says the school will “instill good morals and a love for our country in our students while ensuring that they are not exposed to LGBTQ, CRT, or ‘woke’ teachings.”

Pastor Mark Burns Plans To Open School Free From ‘Woke’ Teachings

Burns told Newsweek, “I believe it is the obligation for the Body of Christ to protect our children from such liberal unbiblical ideologies, which is why I’ve founded the Burns Military Christian Academy.” Burns continued, “Our focus is not to wish harm on any LGBTQ persons but to pray for them and show them the love of Jesus Christ while teaching against that and other sinful lifestyles that the Bible warns us against.”

In a post on Facebook, Burns said, “Here at the BURNS MILITARY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY we will raise up GOD’S ARMY. We will raise them in the way they should go; and even when they are older, they won’t depart from it.”

“Get your children out of schools that don’t believe Jesus is Lord and that it’s okay to choose your gender,” he continued. “They are after your children, and BURNS MILITARY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY will cover them in the blood of Jesus! #GodFirst #JesusIsLord #ProtectTheChildren #SaveTheChildren #KingdomKids #Trump2024”

A closed Facebook group has been created for the future school. At the time this article was written, 48 people had joined the group. According to Facebook, the school’s mission is “to educate and inspire so that each student will have an opportunity to achieve his or her maximum potential and gain the educational foundation to succeed in college and life as a productive, contributing citizen.” The school will “seek to develop self-discipline, encourage a commitment to excellence, and assist them in the development of Godly, Jesus-centered character.”

According to Newsweek, Burns said in a Facebook post, “Our school aims to instill good morals and a love for our country in our students while ensuring that they are not exposed to LGBTQ, CRT, or ‘woke’ teachings.”

“We believe that our children are more than capable of making their own decisions and that they deserve a safe and nurturing environment to thrive in,” he continued. The post also called for greater support from the community. Students will wear “military-inspired” uniforms, and the school is encouraging parents, grandparents, and mentors to participate by wearing the uniform, fostering “a sense of community and support.”

“We are at the very beginning stages of our school with the goal of launching in the Fall of 2024,” Burns said. He also explained to Newsweek the intentionality behind the school’s name, saying, “The term ‘Military’ is only used because we believe that we are in the Army of the Lord and believe in teaching our students good morals, discipline and respect for adults. We are not affiliated in anyway with the US Military.”

Report: Former SWBTS President Adam Greenway Threatens $5 Million Lawsuit

By

Stephanie Martin

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October 23, 2023

Adam Greenway, who resigned as president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) in September 2022, is reportedly threatening to sue the Texas-based institution for $5 million. According to The Tennessean, Greenway’s attorney, Andrew Jones, sent a demand letter to the seminary last month, claiming that SWBTS damaged Greenway’s reputation and his ability to seek further employment.

As ChurchLeaders has reported, Greenway left his helm after 3½ years. In June 2023, the seminary’s board reported that the former president had “engaged in a pattern of spending that…did not reflect proper stewardship of seminary resources.” Its Summary of Findings listed expenditures for the president’s residence that included $11,000 for an espresso machine and almost $60,000 for Christmas decorations.

Attorney: SWBTS Disparaged Adam Greenway With ‘Grossly Inflated’ Figures

The demand letter from Jones, dated Sept. 25, stated, “The framing of these expenditures as unauthorized and lavish personal gain undertaken by Dr. Greenway is an assertion of financial impropriety on par with embezzlement.” Reports of Greenway’s spending were “grossly inflated and false,” the attorney added. For example, he said the espresso machine actually cost $5,952.

Not only did the seminary board’s revelations leave Greenway “humiliated,” Jones said. It also “harmed his job prospects” after he left SWBTS. According to The Tennessean, Greenway and the seminary had previously agreed not to disparage each other. Going public with lists of expenditures violated that agreement, Jones said.

Responding to Jones’ letter, SWBTS attorney Michael D. Anderson wrote on Oct. 11 that the seminary “has fully complied with its obligations under the Settlement Agreement and will continue to do so.” He added, “The fact that Dr. Greenway does not like the results of that financial review and the public disclosure of it (which he demanded) does not make the results of the financial review false or in any way defamatory.”

SWBTS: Demand for Payout Is ‘Disappointing’ and ‘Absurd’

Jonathan Richard, chair of the SWBTS trustee board, described the demand letter from Adam Greenway’s attorney as “incredibly disappointing,” especially in light of the former president’s “professed love for this institution.” Richard said, “Over the past year, we have continued to pray for Dr. Greenway’s spiritual, mental, and emotional well-being as we have worked towards an amicable resolution, which we had every reason to believe had been achieved with the agreement signed in February of this year.”

His statement continued, “As stewards of precious institutional resources, we cannot in good conscience capitulate to [Greenway’s] absurd demand for $5 million. Our focus remains on confronting the financial challenges facing Southwestern, which would only be compounded by agreeing to his demand.”

BE grateful.

God took his sin personally.

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Great content without great connection is poor communication. You’ll never get to your best sermons without connection.

I was more focused on WHAT I was saying than WHO was listening.

6 Ways to Effective Preaching

1. Preach a Journey.

2. Preach ONE Point.

3. Preach to One Person in the Room.

4. Practice Your Sermons.

5. Be You.

6. For Your Best Sermons, Be transparent and Honest.

If you can’t connect, you won’t develop effective preaching.

The Power of Vision

Why Youth Group Still Matters

Youth Group IS the Church

Dennis Quaid: ‘Jesus Is There’

Pastor Mark Burns Plans To Open School Free From ‘Woke’ Teachings

Attorney: SWBTS Disparaged Adam Greenway With ‘Grossly Inflated’ Figures

SWBTS: Demand for Payout Is ‘Disappointing’ and ‘Absurd’

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