Can Others See Your Intentional Approach to Discipleship?

September 28, 2023

Does your current ministry model seem clear? Strategic? Intentional? A clear, strategic, and intentional approach to ministry isn’t unholy. The opposite, in fact. Contributing to the Great Commission doesn’t happen by accident. The more intentional we are in ministry, the better we position our church and ministry for God to work through it.

Here’s the problem: You might not see your church model for what it is any longer.

We typically better understand the things we create. Perhaps your methods were highly intentional when you launched or took over the church or ministry. Your strategy didn’t grow complex or unruly as your ministry grew and evolved. After all, the additions were small and incremental. One Elder’s requested a pet project. A lady in the church offered to lead something new. A community concern arose, and you met the need with a program.

Sure, you’re doing more now than you did when you launched. The church is more complex today than in the past. But that’s supposed to happen. You’re doing more to accomplish more. But busy doesn’t mean production. Activity doesn’t equal productivity. Adding more doesn’t mean you’re accomplishing more. If an outsider saw your ministry model, would it appear to be an intentional approach to move people along a discipleship journey?

Outside perspectives are invaluable. Outsiders have fresh eyes. They aren’t seeing your ministry model as a creator or through dozens of incremental additions. They see it for what it is, not what you perceive it to be. To better see your intentional approach to ministry strategy accurately, you have two options:

Bring in an outside perspective.
Think like an outsider.

The first option is typically better yet more expensive. Running with the second option means implementing a process to see yourself and your church more accurately. You can contact some great people and organizations for option 1 (including me, but I’m biased).

An intentional approach to move people along a discipleship journey

1. Define your simplified mission.

You can’t evaluate success until you define the target. Full buildings aren’t the goal. Paying bills is not the target. Getting people “back” to your church is not why you’re passionate about your church.

Your mission is your aim, but your mission statement may be too complex to serve as the target. I love challenging my clients to reduce their mission statement to eight words or less.

For example, a friend and client of mine leads a church with this mission statement: We exist to show God’s love in such a way that people would exchange ordinary living for an extraordinary life through the transforming power of Jesus Christ.

That’s a well-crafted statement, but it’s also long and multifaceted. Is success showing God’s love? Is the goal to engage the transforming power of Jesus Christ? Both of those statements represent more strategy than the mission.

When we worked on simplifying their mission to define success, we reduced it to “people exchanging ordinary living for an extraordinary life.” Eight words exactly. Not that God’s love and the transforming power aren’t necessary, but what’s the ultimate measure of success? The exchange of life.

Give it a try. Go through this exercise with your mission statement. What’s the irrefutable minimum of your mission?

2. Put it all on the table.

Or whiteboard. To completely see your church and ministry model, make a list of everything you do. And I mean everything. Grab a whiteboard or flip chart and start writing it down. List it all out as granularly as you can. Don’t just write “Men’s ministry.” Use that as a category and list everything that happens within each category.

The Vatican’s ‘Synod on Synodality’ Is About to Begin. Here’s What to Know.

Claire Giangrave

September 28, 2023

synod on synodality beginning — Image courtesy of the Vatican

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Catholic clergy and laypeople will gather at the Vatican Oct. 4-29 for a synod, or summit of bishops and lay people, to discuss synodality, with an emphasis on communion, participation and mission.

While some might dismiss the highly anticipated event as a meeting on meetings, the term synodality under Pope Francis has expanded to reflect his vision for dialogue and decision-making in the church.

“I am well aware that speaking of a ‘Synod on Synodality’ may seem something abstruse, self-referential, excessively technical, and of little interest to the general public,” Francis said to journalists at the Vatican on Aug. 26.

The summit will bring 464 Catholic clergy and laypeople, including women, to the Vatican to discuss hot-button issues ranging from sexual abuse to LGBTQ inclusion and female ordination.

“It is something truly important for the church,” the pope said.

What is the Synod on Synodality?

The synod is the result of a two-year process that started in September 2021, when the Vatican released a preparatory document and instructions on how to prepare for the summit. Catholic faithful around the world then met in their parishes to discuss the questions posed by the synod. The syntheses of those conversations were then sent to their respective bishops’ conferences.

Once bishops had the opportunity to discuss — and debate — the syntheses, they sent their conclusions to the Vatican, where a group of some 30 experts, theologians and pastoral workers met in the town of Frascati near Rome in September 2022 to draft a document that would guide the next phase. This document, titled “Enlarge the Space of your Tent,” was sent to the Continental Assemblies, or groups of bishops divided by continents. The Eastern churches and Catholic advocacy groups also had a chance to submit their reflections on the synodal topics.

The results of those continental discussions were sent once again to the Vatican, where officials at the synod office drafted another document, the “Instrumentum Laboris 2,” that will guide discussions at the upcoming synod.

When is the synod?

On Saturday (Sept. 30), right before the synod takes place, there will be a consistory where 21 new cardinals will be made, followed by an ecumenical vigil in St. Peter’s Square. Afterward, participants at the synod will travel to the town of Sacrofano for a spiritual retreat where they will get to meet and talk to one another until the eve of the synod on Oct. 3.

Pope Francis will celebrate the inauguration Mass for the synod on Oct. 4. The Vatican announced in April that the synod will be extended, meaning participants will convene again for a second time in the fall of 2024.

The monthlong synod will be sprinkled with other important gatherings and events, including Masses, pilgrimages, retreats and a prayer for migrants and refugees scheduled for Oct. 19. Attendees will pray the rosary in the Vatican gardens on Oct. 25.

Where is the synod?

Instead of taking place in the traditional synod hall, the summit will unfold at the larger Pope Paul VI Hall, which can hold over 6,000 individuals. This is a reflection of the growing number of participants at the synod.

AME Bishop Silvester Beaman Named Chair of White House Council on African Engagement

Adelle M Banks

September 28, 2023

Silvester Beaman — Bishop Silvester Scott Beaman. Photo © AME Church

(RNS) — An African Methodist Episcopal bishop has been appointed chair of the new White House council that aims to increase dialogue between U.S. officials and African, Caribbean and African American communities.

Bishop Silvester Scott Beaman of Delaware was named the leader of the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States, the White House announced Tuesday (Sept. 26). Beaman, 63, is the prelate of the AME district that includes South Africa, Namibia and Angola.

Eleven other inaugural council members, in fields including business, social work and government, were named as well.

“The African Diaspora in the United States, a rich and diverse community of African Americans and African immigrants, is foundational to our 21st century partnership with Africa,” the White House said. “This community, which includes descendants of enslaved Black Americans, has long advocated for the prosperity of the African continent and its people, and strengthened the unique relationship between the United States and Africa.”

Other members of the council for the 2023-2025 term include actress Viola Davis, Spelman College President Helene D. Gayle and WNBA player Chiney Ogwumike.

“They will provide invaluable guidance to reinforce cultural, social, political, and economic ties between the U.S. and Africa, and promote trade, investment, and educational exchanges between the United States and Africa,” the White House said of the 12-member council. “Bishop Beaman’s extensive experience and deep roots in Africa will enable him to lead the Council to achieve its full potential.”

Beaman and President Joe Biden have a decadeslong friendship. The clergyman delivered the benediction at Biden’s inauguration. Before Beaman was elected a bishop in 2021, he was the pastor of a church in Wilmington, Delaware, a city that has long been the president’s home base.

“I am looking forward to serving this council with diplomacy, integrity, and respect,” Beaman said in a statement on his Facebook page. “I seek to honor all those who are a part of the African Diaspora and keep the rich heritage and history of the entire continent alive and relevant.”

In December 2022, Biden signed an executive order establishing the council and Vice President Kamala Harris announced the administration’s commitment to it during the 2022 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit.

In addition to being a confidant of Biden’s, Beaman collaborated with Beau Biden, the president’s son, when the younger Biden was Delaware’s attorney general in the mid- to late 2000s. The then-pastor also took part in the services for Beau Biden, processing in with the clergy at the funeral Mass after his death in 2015, said John Thomas III, editor of The Christian Recorder, the AME Church’s official newspaper.

Are Your Words Wholesome – or Unwholesome? It Matters!

Chet Gladkowski

September 28, 2023

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Ephesians 4:29)

“Unwholesome” doesn’t sound all that bad, does it? After all, doesn’t it mean just a little bit dirty? It’s not like the inside of your garbage can that you take out once a week. Or is it?

I’m sorry to say that’s exactly what unwholesome means. It’s smelly, rotten, corrupt. And the funny thing about something that’s rotten, it doesn’t stay alone very long. Soon, it reaches out and spoils what’s around. Not only does the smell move out, so does the rottenness. It makes everything bad, unfit for use, worthless.

When the word “corrupt” comes up, it’s usually about someone else. Some politician got caught taking a bribe or stealing money from the government. It might be used of someone fixing a sporting event so those in the know will win. Or it can be used about scammers and schemers who are trying to get your money through lies and fraud.

Did you notice that in all these examples, corrupt always points to someone else? It’s them. It’s those people. It’s never us, it’s always them.

And for the most part, that might be correct. But the truth here isn’t about some scheme, it’s about our scheme. It’s not about their actions, it’s about ours. It’s not about their corrupt works, but ours.

The bar for unwholesome is not set very high. It’s not that you can have some rottenness, some corruption. There’s no room for any. Have you ever been served a meal, only to discover that there was a live snail in it? What would you do? Would you calmly reach in, pick out the snail, and eat the rest of the food around where the snail was? I don’t think so

Our words are to be helpful, building people up. Our speech is to have a purpose: making people feel at home. Helping them be comfortable. We are to use our words to give blessings and benefit.

But who gets the blessing? Who gets the benefit? Not everyone but only those who listen. Our words alone don’t do anything, it’s a partnership between the speaker and the listener. So, we have to be where people can hear us, and speak in a way that they can understand.

Which brings up another important question: why is unwholesome talk bad? It’s less about the words and more about what happens to the people who are around. Yes, the words are destructive and damaging, but the person who’s saying them rubs off and corrupts the people around them.

Where do unwholesome words come from? They come from deep down inside an unwholesome person.

But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

Matthew 15:18,19

So, how beneficial are our words? Do our words help people? Or are they shouting about how hurt we are? Are our words full of grace? Or are they spewing garbage from our life? Do our words make people feel relaxed? Or are they energized by the raging rebellion inside?

It’s more than just trying harder to control what we say. If it were that simple, we’d have fixed it long ago. If a three-point checklist could have changed us, then there would be no problem.

But the problem is much more significant than that. It’s deadly serious. In ourselves, we are unwholesome, rotten to the core. Not a very popular idea, but look at the news, what’s happening in our country and around the world. How much more evidence will it take before we will agree with those four small words: for all have sinned?

This is where the good news about Jesus comes to the rescue. He saw our corruption, and instead of running away, he ran to us. Instead of throwing us away, he threw himself into our place. Dying on the cross not just to pay for all our corruption, all our sin, but to remake us. Remake us for our short time here on earth, and for all eternity.

I know that you are hurt. I know that you are frustrated. I know that you are exhausted. But be encouraged. Not because I say so, but because of what God says and what he’s done. He refused to let us stay separated from him. He wanted us back so desperately that he was willing to put all our corruption on himself. Making us clean. Making us new.

Now those are words worth listening to.

Noodling Questions

Describe the last time you heard “unwholesome talk.” What was it like?
On a scale of 1 to 10, how helpful are your words? Why?
How do you figure out how to speak to be beneficial to listeners?

This article on unwholesome talk originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

How to Study the Bible Online

Duke Taber

September 28, 2023

One thing that has amazed me in providing Viral Believer to people is the number of people that come to it from other countries and territories around the world. The hunger for the word of God and to find out what the Bible says on certain subjects both humbles and amazes me. In just one recent two-week period at Viral Believer we have had people from 142 countries and territories around the world. People want to know how to study the Bible online!

This led me to think that an article on how to study the Bible online might be something that would be beneficial and helpful to everyone. I used to have a big library with hundreds of books to use in my Bible study. I have been studying the Bible online now for over ten years.

Now all of those books and resources are available online. What cost me thousands of dollars when I first started in ministry in 1988, now they are available for free if you know where to look. It is my hope, especially to our visitors from other countries that do not have the books and resources to do in-depth Bible study, that this article will help.

How to Study the Bible Online

A great website is Bible Gateway. Bible Gateway has Bible reading plans, audio Bibles, Bible Commentaries from many of the favorite publishers, Bible dictionaries to look up words that you are not familiar with or do not know their meaning, and many other Bible study tools all available online. All of this is provided free of charge to anyone.

Other notable free online Bible websites are.

Sunday School Prayers: 5 Creative Ways Children Can Connect With God

ChildrensMinistry.com

September 27, 2023

Sunday school prayers don’t need to be quiet and subdued. Instead, kidmin teachers can get creative and incorporate prayer into games and other activities. Teach children that conversing with God isn’t boring or a chore. Instead, prayer is a privilege and an ongoing part of daily life.

Are you trying to find ways to incorporate more prayer into your children’s ministry? Then look no further! Here are five unique ideas to start using creative Sunday school prayers. PRO TIP: Share these ideas with parents, for use at home during family devotions.

1. Prayer Walk

Take a walk around your church grounds or neighborhood with kids. Stop every 50 steps and invite children to look around for:

something to praise God for creating,
someone who has a need, and
something that reminds them of a blessing from God.

Allow 30 seconds for children to look around and 30 seconds to pray silently before resuming your walk. When you return to the meeting area, discuss the most surprising thing each child found to pray about as they walked.

2. Bearing Burdens

Give each child a sheet of paper and a pencil. Have them write in the center of the paper a prayer concern they’d like to tell others. Then gather children in a circle (or several circles if you have a large group), and have children hold their paper.

Have the first child share the concern he or she wrote, then pass the paper to the person to the left. That person will say a short intercession for the child and rip off a piece of the paper.

Continue around the circle until each child has asked God for help with that need and torn off a piece of the paper. Then have the second child share his or her need, and so on until all the children are prayed for.

Afterward ask, “What happened to the papers?” Explain that in the same way that our papers became smaller, so our burdens seem smaller when others pray for us.

3. FaithWorks

Write the word “faith” on a large piece of butcher paper. Have each child write on a strip of masking tape a prayer that God has answered. The prayer can be their own, someone else’s, or a situation from the Bible. Use the children’s tape strips to attach the butcher paper to the wall.

Discuss with children that it’s important to share answered prayers because they encourage people’s faith. Seeing how God has answered in the past gives us faith for the future.

For kids who have prayer requests, have them write their requests on the faith poster as an expression of their belief that God will hear and answer their prayers. Each week highlight requests that God has answered.

David Platt Assures He’s Not Leaving As Church Votes To Install Mike Kelsey as Lead Pastor

Jesse T. Jackson

September 27, 2023

David Platt — Screengrab via YouTube @McLean Bible Church

This past Sunday, McLean Bible Church (MBC) held a church family meeting to vote on Mike Kelsey, the current MBC Montgomery County location pastor, to be the church’s new lead pastor alongside David Platt.

According to a Q&A on church’s website and a panel discussion including Platt (elder, lead pastor), Mike Hollingsworth (elder), and Mike Kelsey (teaching pastor), a recent change to the church’s constitution allows for more than one lead pastor to be elected by the members of MBC.

Article VI, Section 2 of MBC’s church constitution reads:

One or more Lead Pastors may be elected only by the Church membership in accordance with this section. The Board of Elders may nominate a candidate for Lead Pastor to be voted upon by the Church membership according to the process for electing elders in this Constitution. Each Lead Pastor shall provide Word-driven, Spirit-directed vision and leadership for the Church and shall serve as an elder in office, including as a voting member of the Board of Elders as described in this Constitution.

The MBC elders believe that God has gifted Kelsey to “shepherd” MBC “to reach current and coming generations in our increasingly secular city with the gospel,” and him doing so will allow Platt to focus on how God has called him “to mobilize the church for the spread of the gospel to unreached people in the world.”

If elected, Kelsey will assume primary leadership over the church’s pastors. MBC members have until Wednesday, Sept. 27, to cast their votes.

Platt shared in the meeting that affirming Kelsey as a lead pastor doesn’t mean he has plans to leave MBC, nor is it the first step in a process for him to do so.

“I don’t know how I can convince people enough that I’m not going anywhere,” Platt said.

“The reason I left a mission organization (International Mission Board) and came here is because I have a conviction that as long as I’m in a local church, I think—by God’s grace—I have gifts and a calling to pastor a local church,” Platt explained. “I love pastoring. I love shepherding people with the Word on mission. I love just seeing Galatians 4 people conformed to the image of Christ through the Word and through pastoral ministry.”

‘The Blind’ Presents a Raw Look at Phil and Kay Robertson’s Marriage and How Jesus Saved It

Jessica Mouser

September 27, 2023

Editor’s note: The following article contains spoilers for “The Blind” movie.

Viewers who go to theaters this weekend to see “The Blind,” a new film based on the life of Phil and Kay Robertson of “Duck Dynasty,” will witness the impact of the devil on a man’s life, Phil Robertson says. Releasing on Thursday, Sept. 28, “The Blind” offers a raw look at the early stages of the Robertsons’ marriage and is explicit about the fact that only Jesus saved it.

“Y’all have just witnessed what happens when Satan controls a man,” said Phil Robertson, who appears, seated, onscreen after the story of the movie concludes. “You’ve seen it in living color. It’s embarrassing and shocking. Y’all saw the initial me.”

“‘The acts of the sinful nature are obvious,’” Robertson continued, reading from a Bible on his lap. “Ya’ll just saw the acts of the sinful nature. They’re obvious. Jesus beat death for us! Removed our sin, cleans us up, and guarantees he’ll raise you from the dead.”

The “Duck Dynasty” patriarch then quoted from 1 Corinthians 15. “‘I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received,’” he said, pausing to state, “I did [receive it], 50 years ago.”

‘The Blind’ Shows Who Phil Robertson ‘Used To Be’

Phil Robertson is the creator of the Duck Commander, a patented duck call and the name of his multimillion dollar company. He and his family rose to fame through the reality show, “Duck Dynasty,” which aired on A&E from 2012 to 2017 and spawned several spin-offs. “Duck Dynasty” featured Phil and Kay, their sons Alan, Willie, Jase and Jep, and Phil’s brother, Si, among others. The episodes showed the family’s Christian faith and typically ended with them praying over meals.

While “The Blind” is a fictional account of Phil and Kay Robertsons’ lives, it is striking in that it does not gloss over the deep brokenness in Phil’s life and its impact on his marriage.

The title is a play on words and refers both to a lack of sight and to a shelter that conceals hunters. The movie opens with a middle-aged Phil sitting behind a hunting blind, recounting the story of his life to a friend, whom we later learn is named Big Al.

“It’s hard to talk about who I used to be,” Phil tells Al. “Not a day goes by that I’m not grateful…I mean to my bones, about how my life turned around.”

Phil’s story begins with him growing up in poverty with a difficult family life in rural Louisiana. His mother is mentally unwell and had violent mood swings. His father is often gone working in oil fields, leaving Phil to be the man of the house. As a boy, Phil learns how to hunt to provide for his family and relies on the woods as a “refuge” amid the turmoils of his life.

Shane Stanford: Where Is God When Life Seems Unfair?

Jason Daye

September 27, 2023

How do we respond when we are faced with fierce challenges and life just seems unfair? In this week’s conversation on FrontStage BackStage, host Jason Daye is joined by Dr. Shane Stanford. Shane is the president and CEO of The Moore-West Center for Applied Theology and JourneyWise. JourneyWise is a ministry that seeks to disciple others while promoting good mental health. Shane has served as a church planter and a pastor and has written a number of books, including his latest, titled “JourneyWise.” Together, Shane and Jason look at how we can reconcile our expectations with the realities that we face in life and ministry. Shane also shares his personal story, which you will not want to miss, of how he has experienced the goodness of God emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically as he has wrestled with an intense medical diagnosis.

FrontStage BackStage Podcast With Shane Stanford

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
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‘Inappropriate and Unconstitutional’—Auburn Football Coach Criticized for Participating in Baptisms

Janna Firestone

September 27, 2023

Less than a year into his head coaching position at Auburn University, Hugh Freeze is making headlines for more than his work on the field. Freeze, along with Auburn coaches from other sports, recently promoted and participated in a worship event involving baptisms.

Event planners promoted “Unite Auburn” for “worship and giving messages to Auburn students seeking to grow their faith in God or who were curious about Christianity,” according to The Auburn Plainsman.

Auburn Coaches Attacked for Promoting and Attending Campus Worship Event, Spontaneous Baptisms

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) released an official statement warning Auburn University, calling the worship event “inappropriate and unconstitutional.”

Thousands of students attended the event in Neville Arena on the campus of Auburn University. Passion Music led worship, and Jennie Allen and Jonathan Pokluda were the main speakers. The IF:Gathering founder Allen challenged students to be ambassadors for Christ. Pokluda focused his talk on sexual purity.

While the “goal was to unite the Christian community under one roof to worship God,” students began asking to be baptized.

Jeremy Napier, chaplain for the men’s basketball team, said, “I’ve been a part of just planning this event and, man, the Lord just took it from there and we ended up at the Red Barn…It was not planned at all. I think this was a spontaneous decision at the very end where we just said, ‘Let’s go for it.'”

An estimated 100 students were baptized that night. The FFRF wouldn’t stand for the event or its supporters and called for the university to “put a stop to religion in its athletic programs.”

“Auburn University is a public university, not a religious one. It is inappropriate and unconstitutional for university employees to use their university position to organize, promote or participate in a religious worship event,” FFRF staff attorney Chris Line wrote to Auburn University President Christopher B. Roberts. “These ongoing and repeated constitutional violations at the university create a coercive environment that excludes those students who don’t subscribe to the Christian views being pushed onto players by their coaches.”

While it appears no students were required or forced to attend “Unite,” the FFRF said “it is unconstitutional and inappropriate for public school employees to direct students to partake in religious activities, or to participate in the religious activities of their students.”

“Auburn’s sports programs are full of young and impressionable student athletes who would not risk giving up their scholarship, playing time or a good recommendation from their coach by speaking out or voluntarily opting out of any team religious activities,” FFRF continued, “even if they strongly disagreed with his beliefs.”

Faithwire reported that “legal expert Tyson Lanhofer, senior counsel, and director of the Center for Academic Freedom with the Alliance Defending Freedom, doesn’t believe the FFRF’s argument holds any water.” Langhofer said that FFRF has a “twisted interpretation of the First Amendment.”

With hundreds of reactions, shares, and comments, fans are not shy to give their opinions on the incident. Many support and appreciate the FFRF’s report.

Texans Quarterback CJ Stroud Emphasizes His ‘Purpose To Spread the Gospel’ During Post-Game Presser

Dale Chamberlain

September 27, 2023

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud showcased his faith during a post-game press conference after recording his first career win on Sunday (Sept. 24). During the game, Stroud threw for 280 yards and recorded two touchdown passes against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The 21-year-old rookie, who was the second overall NFL draft pick in April, had suffered two consecutive losses to start the season. Nevertheless, Stroud referred to the pressure to perform as a “privilege.”

“Pressure’s a privilege,” Stroud said. “A lot of people don’t get to live the life I do. It’s hard. Don’t get me wrong; it’s hard. But it’s a privilege, man.”

Stroud went on to expound upon his gratitude, which he directed toward God.

“I’m blessed enough to wake up every day and to walk, to talk, to smell, to interact with people, to play football,” he said. “These are all things we take for granted [on] a day-to-day basis, but I try to do my best to thank God for all that, because his grace, and his mercy—he laid his life on the cross for us, man. I really believe that.”

Stroud, who identifies himself as a “follower of Christ” in his social media bios, has had his faith refined by the crucible of adversity from a young age.

Born as the youngest of four children in Rancho Cucamonga, California, Stroud grew up in poverty. His father is currently serving a 38-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to charges of carjacking, kidnapping, robbery, and misdemeanor sexual battery in 2015.

Stroud has said that his father was his best friend prior to his father’s imprisonment and was the one who encouraged him to pursue sports. The elder Stroud began serving his sentence when C.J. was in middle school.

As a result, Stroud’s family struggled to make ends meet. Experiencing housing insecurity from his youth, Stroud spent his years attending Rancho Cucamonga High School while living in a small apartment above a storage facility.

Arthur Brooks: Why You Don’t Need To Have a Midlife (Ministry) Crisis

Jessica Mouser

September 27, 2023

The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast · Arthur Brooks: Why You Don’t Need To Have a Midlife (Ministry) Crisis

Dr. Arthur Brooks is the William Henry Bloomberg Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School and Professor of Management Practice at the Harvard Business School. He has authored numerous books, including the 2022 No. 1 New York Times bestseller, “From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life.” His latest is “Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier.”

Other Ways To Listen to This Podcast With Arthur Brooks

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Key Questions for Arthur Brooks

-What is the good news behind hearing that our professional decline is coming sooner than we think?

-How can church leaders find success and significance in a culture that wants a 40-year-old pastor with 40 years of experience and four doctoral degrees?

-Do people need to enter a midlife crisis in order to enter into the “second curve” of their lives?

-What are some roadblocks that keep people from thriving in the second half of life?

Key Quotes From Arthur Brooks

“I was trying to figure out what God’s plan was for me in the second half of my life and what I could actually do well, what I could actually get better at.”

“Why is it that people tend to go into professional decline? And the answer is not because you’re some sort of lazy loser. The truth is that there’s a form of intelligence called fluid intelligence that tends to be very high in your 20s and 30s and goes into decline in your 40s and 50s.”

“Fluid intelligence is high in working memory, high in indefatigable focus, your ability to solve problems, your ability to innovate.”

“[Crystallized intelligence] is an intelligence based on your wisdom, your accumulated knowledge, your ability to recognize patterns and your ability to teach. This happens and increases through your 40s, gets higher in your 50s, gets higher in your 60s and 70s and can stay high for as long as God gives you your marbles.”

“Anybody can actually be in a role where they are responsible for doing less of the innovation and more of the teaching. And the way to do that is to be a mentor to more people, to actually think about how you can identify and cultivate the next generation of talent, to think about how you can be less the glorified leader and more the good manager of other people.”

“How can you be less of a single star and more of a coaching leader? That’s what it comes down to, and everybody’s going to find their own way.”

Coach Prime, Coach Mac, and the Power of the Gospel

Greg Stier

September 27, 2023

I don’t know what it is about the University of Colorado that draws men of intense faith to coach its football team. It’s ironic because CU is a very secular university in a super-post-Christian town, and former Coach Bill McCartney (Coach Mac) and current coach Deion Sanders (Coach Prime) are unapologetic Christians.

In 1982, Bill McCartney became the head football coach of the Colorado Buffaloes football team. By 1990, not only had he turned the Buffs into the national champions, but he’d also founded Promise Keepers, a men’s ministry that turned into a massive movement that impacted millions of men across the nation and around the world.

Coach Then

I’ll never forget attending my first Promise Keepers event. It was in 1993 at a sold-out Folsom Field in Boulder where the CU Buffaloes play. Some of the greatest preachers on the planet were there, challenging 40,000-plus men. But the most intense challenge came from Coach Mac himself. With the blue Colorado sky and the sunlit Rocky Mountains as his backdrop, Coach Mac exhorted us to be men of courage, men of action, men of integrity, men who loved their wives and kids, and men who were unashamed of the Gospel. That day we cheered, we cried, we sang at the top of our lungs, and we recommitted ourselves to God.

Years later, I would have the privilege of preaching at several Promise Keepers events and of meeting Coach Mac myself. I’ll never forget the fear-of-God-instilling look of intensity he gave me as I preached. It felt as if I was a second-string CU quarterback, trying to prove myself on the field while desperately looking for that right receiver. Then, right before I passed the ball, I turned toward the sideline and saw my crazy-eyed coach looking at me, hoping I would be able to thread the needle to my intended receiver.

After I preached, Coach Mac walked up to me and said in passing, “You’re quite the dynamo.” I had to go look up what that meant, but I think it was a compliment. And that compliment sank deep into my heart.

To this day, Coach Mac is the most intense man of God I’ve ever met.

Which makes it interesting that in the ’80s and early ’90s, God placed him as the head coach at a, shall we say, not-very-pro-evangelical-Christianity university. But despite countless criticisms for his outspoken faith, Coach Mac never backed down. His boldness to share the Gospel gave other believers on his team, and countless Christians from across America, boldness to evangelize. His example of an unapologetic faith, displayed through the Promise Keepers platform, inspired millions upon millions of Christian men.

Coach Now

Twenty years later, enter Coach Prime.

He, like Coach Mac, is another winner. He won as a professional football player. He won as a pro baseball player. He won as head coach at Jackson State in Mississippi. And, so far, he’s winning as head coach at the University of Colorado.

People from Boulder don’t quite know what to do with him. He’s a bold, brash coach who wears a big cowboy hat and flashes an even bigger smile. He might not have a six-shooter on his side, but he’s the fastest draw in the West when it comes to verbal comebacks and bold predictions.

And he, like Coach Mac, is an unashamed follower of Jesus.

During one team meeting, he prayed these words: “Lord, we thank you for this day—Father, for this opportunity as a group. Father, we thank you for the movement that God has put us in place to be in charge of. We thank you for each player here, each coach, each family. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.”

10 Things To Do When God Seems to Be Saying ‘No’

Chuck Lawless

September 27, 2023

We’ve all been there. We pray and pray, and it seems God’s answer is “no.” When that happens, here’s what I encourage you to do:

Trust his wisdom. He always knows what’s right. He is, in fact, the standard for right.
Trust his heart. He loves you more than you can ever know. Lean into that love.
Trust his long-term goal. He’s conforming you to the image of His Son (Rom 8:29). It may be that His saying “no” right now is part of His plan to get you there.
Trust his grace. As He did with the apostle Paul’s request to remove his thorn (2 Cor 12:7-10), God sometimes tells us “no” because He wants us to see the sufficiency of His grace.
Trust his timing. His “no” may actually be a “wait,” but He seldom operates according to our calendar or clock. How long He takes to answer our prayer is up to Him.
Trust his record. Read the Bible again, and see God for who He truly is. See the validity of David’s words even when God says ‘no’”: “I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned or his children begging for bread” (Psa 37:25).
Check your heart. Where sin reigns (Isa 59:1-2), when we ask selfishly (James 4:3), or when our marriage relationship is weakened (1 Pet 3:7), we cannot expect God to give us a “yes” response to our requests.
Check your ears. Pay attention to the voices you listen to if God has chosen to say “no” for now. Trust God and His Word—listen to Him, and ignore the enemy who wants you to doubt God today and turn away from Him tomorrow.
Check your hands and feet. That is, keep serving God with all your being even if you don’t like God’s response to your prayers. Disobedience never leads to more answered prayer.
Check your knees. God’s present-tense “no” is seldom a call to stop praying for a legitimate request. Stay on your knees, even if they’re calloused before God answers your prayer.

What would you add to this list?

This article originally appeared here.

Faith-Based Resettlement Orgs Celebrate Moves To Maintain Refugee Cap

Jack Jenkins

September 27, 2023

refugee resettlement orgs — A Venezuelan migrant and her child use an emergency blanket as cover from the rain, near the banks of the Rio Grande in Matamoros, Mexico, Saturday, May 13, 2023. As the U.S. ended its pandemic-era immigration restrictions, migrants are adapting to new asylum rules and legal pathways meant to discourage illegal crossings. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

WASHINGTON (RNS) — Faith-based refugee resettlement groups offered qualified praise for President Joe Biden amid news his administration plans to keep the annual refugee cap level at 125,000, maintaining the elevated ceiling while shifting quotas to allow more asylum-seekers from the Western Hemisphere.

“Resettling more families from our own hemisphere will be critical to maintaining our humanitarian leadership, building trust with regional partners, and reducing the need for vulnerable people to make the dangerous journey to the U.S. southern border,” Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, head of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, said in a statement.

Proposed shifts that appeared in a draft report obtained by CNN will likely allow the U.S. government to take in more refugees from countries struggling politically and economically, such as Venezuela. Thousands of asylum-seekers from that country have appeared at the U.S.-Mexico border in recent months, many having endured treacherous journeys through the Darién Gap — the dangerous jungle region that separates North and South America.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops noted that while the USCCB is still awaiting an official announcement regarding the refugee cap, which is set annually in advance of the Oct. 1 fiscal year start, it has already expressed support “for increased refugee resettlement from Latin America.”

Heads of the religious nonprofits, which constitute six of the nine organizations that partner with the federal government to resettle refugees in the U.S., were also quick to laud Biden’s recommitment to a refugee resettlement program that was gutted under former President Donald Trump.

The shift wasn’t immediate. Despite Biden telling a Jesuit group shortly after he was elected in 2020 that he would raise the refugee ceiling to 125,000, his administration initially kept Trump’s historically low cap of 15,000 in place upon taking office. But after blowback from faith-based refugee resettlement groups and other advocates, Biden raised the cap to 62,500 in the spring of 2021. The next year, he raised it again to the promised 125,000.

Even so, faith groups voiced concern as the U.S. again falls short of its resettlement goals.

“More important than where the refugee ceiling is set, however, is whether or not it will be reached,” Mark Hetfield, head of the refugee assistance organization HIAS, said in an email on Tuesday (Sept. 26). “In FY2023 the US will likely not even get half way to the ceiling. The Biden administration needs to finally reach that ceiling next year, as unused refugee slots evaporate every October 1.”

He added: “Each unfilled refugee slot represents a life needlessly left in danger.”

Matthew Soerens, vice president of advocacy and policy at World Relief, an evangelical Christian organization, told Religion News Service he estimates the U.S. will have resettled roughly 60,000 refugees over the past year.

When It Comes To Preventing Abuse, Are All Churches Equal?

Kathryn Post

September 27, 2023

abuse — Photo by Arina Krasnikova/Pexels/Creative Commons

(RNS) — The Anglican Church in North America, formed in 2009 after splitting from the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada, will soon begin a high-profile church trial against a beloved bishop who is accused of welcoming men with histories of predatory behavior into church leadership. One of those men, a former lay minister, has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for felony sexual assault.

Bishop Stewart Ruch, head of ACNA’s Upper Midwest Diocese, is also facing separate church charges brought by three other bishops. Meanwhile, the diocese’s churches have suffered through years of controversy and power struggles.

Given the number of accusations and crimes involved, the increasing awareness of abuse and ACNA’s relatively short existence as a denomination, some have asked whether ACNA or Ruch lacked infrastructure of accountability or safeguards against abuse. How, in other words, could things have gone so wrong?

“The short answer is, it could happen in any religious organization,” said Stephanie Krehbiel, executive director of Into Account, which supports people who have suffered abuse in Christian organizations. “It’s common as dirt.” She added that while abuse is often connected in the public mind with the Catholic Church or Southern Baptist Convention, socially and theologically conservative denominations have no monopoly on abuse problems.

The Episcopal Church, for instance, made headlines this month when over 55 bishops cited deep concerns about members of their ranks receiving “free passes” when accused of misconduct.

“Safeguarding children is an important responsibility of every congregation and diocese in the Anglican Church in North America,” Andrew Gross, spokesperson for ACNA, told Religion News Service in an email.

But according to Krehbiel, there are factors that make some denominations better equipped to address misconduct than others.

When bishops left the Episcopal Church to start ACNA, the split was followed by years of infighting and slow, grinding property lawsuits. Seeking to avoid the rigid, top-down governance many found stifling in the Episcopal Church, ACNA’s founders favored a nimbler, decentralized structure.

As a result, each ACNA diocese has its own governance rules and abuse protocols. “It’s such a hodgepodge,” said Marissa Burt, an ACNA layperson and clergy spouse in the Seattle area, about the denomination’s safeguarding policies. “So you really have to investigate the parish bylaws. You have to look at the diocesan canons and really ask what your parish is doing. What are their policies for children, what is their training?”

In 2021, the denomination published a sample child protection policy, based on the work of a committee, and formed a task force charged with creating a separate sample policy for responding to allegations against adults. The policies are recommendations, not mandates.

ACNA’s bylaws also outline how to report accusations against clergy, though the bar for doing so is high: Accusations against clergy must be delivered to the priest or deacon’s bishop, and accusations against bishops must be submitted to the archbishop, who heads the entire denomination, by either three bishops or 10 adult members, including at least two clergy and seven people who belong to that bishop’s diocese.

All allegations must be written, signed and sworn, contravening expert opinion that survivors should be able to make anonymous reports and be guaranteed confidentiality.

Worship Is a Lifestyle – Here’s How to Live It

David Santistevan

September 27, 2023

We say that worship is a lifestyle, but how many of us actually live it?Merriam Webster defines lifestyle as “a particular way of living: the way a person lives or a group of people live.” If that’s the case, this is pretty important stuff.

It makes sense, right? The Bible isn’t silent on this matter:

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (I Corinthians 10:31). All. Do all. Whatever you do.

Worship Is a Lifestyle

I’m no theologian, but from my perspective that doesn’t leave any stone unturned. If worship is a lifestyle, no facet of our lives is exempt from the glory of God. We don’t keep any for ourself. We don’t hide anything behind closed doors. There are no secrets, no facade, no silence when it comes to God and His glory.

He is a jealous God—passionate for our full attention, admiration and affection. And He’s the only being in the universe that can demand such loyalty. It’s right for Him to do so.

Pastor Finds Pastor Appreciation Month ‘Strange’ — Can You Relate?

Jessica Mouser

September 27, 2023

October is Pastor Appreciation Month and as such is an opportunity for church members to show that they see and value the service of their ministry leaders. But pastor appreciation can be a source of struggle for some church leaders, as one South Carolina pastor shared Tuesday.

“’Pastor Appreciation Month’ is strange for a lot of pastors (myself included),” said David Sons, lead pastor of Lake Murray Baptist Church in Lexington, S.C. “Most pastors, if not all, want to know that the life they live, work they do, and ministries they lead are a blessing to their church members. While also recognizing that they do all those things primarily for the glory of God and not the praise of men. Because of this, many of us subtly create a false dichotomy between God’s glory and man’s praise. But the two aren’t always mutually exclusive.”

A short 🧵about pastor appreciation.

‘Pastor Appreciation Month’ is strange for a lot of pastors (myself included).

— David Sons (@dsons) October 19, 2021

Pastor Appreciation and True Humility

Sons alluded to the situation church leaders are in as those called to be examples of what it means to follow Jesus. “Many pastors don’t draw any attention to being appreciated in their churches because they don’t want to appear self-serving or vain,” he said. “They instead choose ‘humility’ by failing to communicate to their people that they are edified by congregational or personal encouragement.”

When Pastor Appreciation Month rolls around, many church leaders hope their congregants remember it, but will not mention if they do not. Sons believes it is unwise for pastors to keep these feelings to themselves.

He explained one motivation some pastors have for remaining silent. “Rather than reminding their church, in the name of ‘humility’, many pastors just soldier on, trying to convince themselves that they don’t need to feel appreciated. But also, quietly growing bitter towards their congregation, or demoralized by the thought that no one cares.”

Sons argues this response is not truly based in humility. He points to several Scriptures as guidance for pastors and church members in this situation. 1 Thess. 5:12 and 1 Tim. 5:17 instruct believers to honor their leaders, while Acts 20:27 instructs preachers to teach all of God’s Word, which includes the previous passages.

7 Ways to Hold On to Hope

Ben Reed

September 27, 2023

Some of you are in a difficult season right now. Maybe it’s in your finances. Maybe your marriage. Maybe your health. Or maybe your job. All of us — everyone — need to know how to hold on to hope.

I’ve heard it said that you’re every person on the planet is in one of three places:

In the middle of a difficult season
Coming out of a difficult season
Getting ready to enter a difficult season

Hopefully you haven’t yet taken your shoes off.

What you need right now isn’t an immediate change. That may be what you want, but it’s not what is going to happen. You know that. God doesn’t just remove all things difficult when we ask Him to.

I don’t always do that for my kids. “Dad, I’m tired of cleaning my room!” doesn’t find me giving in to my kids’ request to stop. It’s good to push through what you think your capacity is. It builds character when frustration isn’t immediately resolved, and we’re required to dig deeper, hang on longer, and trust with more certainty. Paul the apostle says it like this:

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. – Romans 5:4-6

Suffering –> Endurance –> Character –> Hope

How to Hold on to Hope

1. Go with friends.

Don’t try to navigate on your own. There are no healthy followers of Jesus that are lone rangers. Going alone, you will be broken. Going with others, you can grow and prosper. The wisest man to ever live, Solomon, said this:

“And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” – Ecclesiastes 4:12

Hope isn’t found simply through relief. It’s found when others walk through hopelessness with you. It’s found in community. Paul urges us:

“Bear one another’s burdens.” – Galatians 6:2

2. Actively trust in the Lord.

This means we don’t simply wait lazily on our couches until God opens up the heavens. There’s this concept in Crossfit that we talk about called “active recovery.” It means that on your “off” days, do something that’s still active. You don’t get better by sitting on the couch. Actively trust in the Lord by doing and going, not just sitting and waiting. Be careful with your “open door theology.” Hope is an action verb.

Fall Festival Ideas: 100 Great Ways to Connect With Local Families

ChildrensMinistry.com

September 26, 2023

Having a fall festival at your church on or around Halloween is a great outreach opportunity. Families looking for a safe place for their children will gravitate to your event. While there, they can discover more about what your church and children’s ministry program offer.

Children’s Ministry Magazine shares these 100 great ideas for a fall festival that will thrill families:

Fall Festival Booth Ideas

Treasure Box: Kids dig for prizes in a sand-filled aquarium.
Gospel Sing: Have a talent show on a flatbed truck.
Door Prizes: As they enter, participants get tickets for a drawing held later.
Jonah and the Big Fish: Decorate a refrigerator box to look like a big fish. Hang moss on the top inside of the box. Use red light inside and have “Jonah” tell his story.
Candy Grab: Kids get one chance to grab all the candy they can out of a bucket.
Swirl Painting: Kids make art designs from a swirl painting kit (available at toy stores).
Nurse’s Station: Children get their pulse rate, weight and height done by a uniformed nurse.
Computer Printout: Kids get printouts with their name and its meaning (taken from baby name books).
Karaoke Singing: Have an adult play the piano or borrow someone’s karaoke machine. Kids sing their choice of song on a little stage, complete with a microphone.
Nail Painting: Older girls paint kids’ nails.
Treasure Dig: Kids dig around in a kiddie pool filled with plastic foam packing peanuts and small toys.
Family Photo Booth: Families pose for instant-print photos at your fall festival. Then place photos in kid-decorated frames.
Live Reformers: Costumed Martin Luther, John Calvin or John Knox give brief presentations about what happened in their lifetimes.
Bean the Philistine: Kids sling small beanbags at a life-size plywood cutout of Goliath.
Pin the Thesis: Have “Martin Luther” talk with children before blindfolding and spinning each one. Then each child tapes a pre-printed “thesis” to a door.
Ring It: Children toss embroidery hoops over empty two-liter bottles arranged similar to bowling pins on the floor.
Ring It Again: Kids toss hoops at prizes set up on tables or boxes. Prizes include bubbles, soft drinks and small toys.
Muffin Pan Toss: Kids toss 10 pennies into a muffin tin with numbered holes; pieces of felt in the bottom of the tin keep pennies from bouncing out.
The Mummy Wrap: One player is the “wrapper,” the other is the “wrappee.” Racing against time, the wrapper wraps the wrappee with an entire roll of toilet paper.
The Carpenter’s Crew: Each player is given a hammer and a board with three already started nails. On go, the carpenter is given 30 seconds to hammer as many nails as possible.
This Little Light of Mine: Each player receives two filled squirt guns. Standing three feet away from three lit candles, kids try to extinguish the candles before running out of water.
Knock It Off: Kids use water guns to knock ping-pong balls off tops of soft drink bottles.
Blow and Go Race: Four children race on the floor using party blowers to blow ping-pong balls to a finish line.
Ping-pong Blow: Teams of three compete to blow ping-pong balls to the other end of a table using drinking straws.
Pumpkin Sweep: Children sweep a small pumpkin along a taped course on the floor. Kids can race against each other or against time.
Creation Station: Kids create art with this “putty”: Stir four tablespoons of glue and a few drops of food coloring in a bowl. Add a few teaspoons of dissolved borax water solution. Stir. Then squeeze it like dough. Provide water for washing hands and plastic bags for the putty.
Exploration Point: Fill a sandbox with objects to tell a Bible story. Give kids toy shovels to dig out the objects. Then tell them the story.
Can Alley: Cut out one side of a big box. Hang soft drink cans from strings inside the box. Kids shoot at the cans with Nerf guns.
Music Videos: Set up a video-recording device with a monitor. Families pick their wardrobes from old clothes and wigs. Then they lip-sync to Christian music while watching themselves on TV.
Gummy Fun: Set out two paper plates for each child. Fill one plate with gummy worms. Pour Hershey’s syrup over the candy. With hands behind their backs, children pick up the candy with their mouths and set it on their empty plates.
Super Hero Story Tent: Every half-hour, a creative storyteller tells a different Bible story at your fall festival. A poster clock outside the tent shows the next story time.
Noah’s Super Boat Race: Fill capped, plastic rain gutters with colored water and lay them on parallel tables. Give children small plastic boats to blow the length of the gutters.
Moses’ Super Journey Obstacle Course: Families experience the Israelites’ journey by running through sprinklers, eating graham cracker manna, carrying cardboard tablets over sturdy step ladders, pushing through oversize grape clusters of purple balloons, fighting giant cardboard cutouts with bed pillows, and running through streamers to the Promised Land where they receive compasses.
Jonah’s Super Soaker: Children run through a revolving sprinkler head, then crawl under a table draped with blue sheets. Lay plastic sheeting under the table and cover it with cooked spaghetti. Stake a whale painted with gaping jaws against the table. Tape clear plastic to the whale to keep it dry. (KE, NH, GV)
Moses’ Super Cake Walk: Instead of numbers, use the 10 plagues to mark your cake walk. Families walk the circle as music plays. When the music stops, the person closest to the drawn plague wins the cake.
Basketball Shoot: Kids toss a basketball through a PlaySkool hoop.
Water Sponge Toss: Kids toss a sponge at a person peeking through a plywood cutout.
Water Sponge Toss Too: Kids toss sponges into lined-up buckets.
Dunking Booth: Put your church staff and teachers in a rented dunking booth.
Face Painting: Decorate kids’ faces.

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Coach Then

Coach Now

Worship Is a Lifestyle

Pastor Appreciation and True Humility

How to Hold on to Hope

1. Go with friends.

2. Actively trust in the Lord.

Fall Festival Booth Ideas

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