Writing Worship Songs: 3 Tips To Get Started

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July 3, 2023

The Lord tells us to sing new songs to Him, and it is a good thing to write new worship songs, especially if the church is new or going through a season of change. Worship is our response to the Lord, and writing songs relevant to the season and to the congregation is extremely powerful. This is not a “how to” on songwriting, but rather on how to write a worship song. Obviously, basic songwriting talent is required to write a good worship song, and musical ability does not hurt either. Know your audience, play your instrument well, these are good pointers, but out of the scope of this article. The focus here will be on how to writing worship songs people want to sing.

Any how to article about art is difficult. How to write a book, how to paint a masterpiece – these are not as straightforward as how to change your oil or how to put together a boy band. By definition, art is not formulaic, so take this not as a recipe for song craftsmanship, but as a set of filters that I use to determine whether a song I have written meets the quality bar. These are my opinions, and therefore, may not prove relevant, but hopefully, they will be of some assistance to aspiring worship leaders about how to write a worship song.

Writing Worship Songs: 3 Tips To Get Started

1. A good worship song is singable.

If no one sings, it’s not worship. Worship songs are different then other songs in one distinct category; there are way more singers than musicians. Everyone in the congregation should be able to (and want to) sing along to the song.

How do you know if a song is singable? The “yeah, duh” answer is if people sing to it. Though this doesn’t always tell, you should see some songs that people consistently sing along with, and others that they consistently don’t. Ask yourself the difference between these two songs, and I think you’ll see some of the things in this article.

Why does a song have to be singable? The congregation is not the audience, and the leaders are not performers. When worshipping, we are all one body lifting up our voices to the Lord. As singers and instrument players, our whole job as worship leaders is to encourage as many people as possible to worship, and this is usually manifested through singing.

If There Is No God, Why Is There so Much Good in the World?

By

Randy Alcorn

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July 2, 2023

While atheists routinely speak of the problem of evil, they usually don’t raise the problem of goodness. But if evil provides evidence against God, then shouldn’t goodness count as evidence for Him? And wouldn’t that be evidence against atheism?

From a non-theistic viewpoint, what is evil? Isn’t it just nature at work? In a strictly natural, physical world, shouldn’t everything be neither good nor evil? Good and evil imply an “ought” and an “ought not” that nature is incapable of producing.

Augustine summarized the argument in two great questions: “If there is no God, why is there so much good? If there is a God, why is there so much evil?” To many, only the second question occurs. But the first is just as important. If a good God doesn’t exist, what is goodness’s source?

We have no logical reason to take good for granted; its existence demands an explanation. Much of the good of this world, such as the beauty of a flower or the grandeur of a waterfall or the joy of an otter at play, serves no more practical purpose than great art. It does, however, serve a high purpose of filling us with delight, wonder, and gratitude.

Why does anyone feel gratitude? And why do people, even irreligious survivors of a plane crash, so often thank God? Do people thank time, chance, and natural selection for the good they experience? No, because innately we see life as a gift from God.

People speak of gratuitous evil. But what about gratuitous good—purely impractical, over-the-top good that seems to have no explanation?

That we don’t question good’s existence affirms we consider good the norm and evil the exception.

Don’t evil and suffering grab our attention precisely because they are not the norm in our lives? We “get the flu” because we normally don’t have it. We break an arm that normally remains unbroken. Our shock at evil testifies to the predominance of good. Headlines we consider terrible wouldn’t be headlines if they described usual events. At any given time, fewer people are at war than at peace. Even in the bloody twentieth century, a person had less than a 2 percent chance of dying from war or violent civil strife.

The atheist who points out the horrors of evil unwittingly testifies to good as the norm. When we speak of children dying, we acknowledge they usually don’t. When a natural disaster hits, 99 percent of the world remains untouched. Most people in the world go through a lifetime without personally experiencing a devastating natural disaster. Fatal car accidents and murder are rare, relatively speaking. Though fallen, nature still contains more beauty than ugliness.

Without God, the world would be amoral, with no objective goodness or evil.

I heard Christopher Hitchens say in a debate, “The world looks as it would if there were no God.” But if there were no God, would you really expect this world to look just as it does? I don’t think so.

Where does goodness come from? How could it come from nothing? Why would people have such a strong sense of right and wrong? Why would the powerful sometimes sacrifice their lives to save the weak, handicapped, and dying?

Why Fulfilling the Great Commission Also Means Discipleship

By

Ray Hollenbach

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July 2, 2023

Following Jesus means discipleship. It’s the path to Christlikeness–and yes, the astounding news of the gospel of the Kingdom is that we’ve been called to look like him. I’m gratified when Christians begin to realize spiritual formation is possible. They begin to pursue their destiny in Christ. But there is a second part to our destiny in Jesus: we have been called to not only be disciples, we’ve been called to make disciples as well. This, too, is fulfilling the Great Commission.

You might think: “this is a no-brainer, you’re talking about evangelism.” But it’s not so easy. For many, the Great Commission in Matthew 28:16-20 has been a call to evangelism. The problem is, evangelism in North America has consisted chiefly of proclaiming the gospel of “Go-to-heaven-when-you-die.” The substance of most evangelism focuses upon the price Jesus paid for our redemption and the new birth required to receive his free gift. When there is a new decision for Christ, the follow-up may encourage converts to find and attend a local church, but that is not making disciples.

Other believers, the kind who readily embrace spiritual formation, focus on the call to become like Jesus. They embrace the disciplines capable of changing their lives without looking beyond their own welfare in God. But what if the task of making disciples is central to our calling to become like Jesus? What if we are called to the kind of evangelism that causes us to say, “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ”? (I Corinthians 11:1) How would that change our walk with God? How effective would our “evangelism” become?

Jesus modeled every aspect of life with God. Sometimes we miss one of the most obvious aspects of his example: he called and trained others. His personal influence drew them closer to the Father, and after three years of intensive life-sharing he released them into the care of the Father and the Spirit. His command at the end of Matthew’s gospel and the evidence of the book of Acts reveals that he expects us to do the same. Here’s a vital question regardiung fulfilling the Great Commission: whom has God given me to disciple?

This article on fulfilling the Great Commission originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

3 Keys To Overcome Leadership Development Failures

By

Eric Geiger

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July 2, 2023

In his book Leadership Pipeline, Ram Charan articulates the biggest reason leadership development efforts fail in organizations. It is a big claim to make, to say that there is one overarching reason leadership development, as a practice, fails. And here is what Charan claims is the culprit: Leaders are trained for their current roles and not their future roles. Leadership development fails because learning and training are often focused on the current role a person is playing rather than the role they will be playing in the future. Thus, when people move into new roles, they are often ill-prepared because all their training was focused on their previous roles.

The solution, according to Charan, is to develop people for their future roles rather than their current roles. When leaders are developed for their future roles, they learn new skills for their current roles while also getting prepared for the future. They benefit and the organization benefits.

So how can leaders, as they develop others, overcome the biggest reason leadership development initiatives fail? Here are three suggestions:

1. Expand the scope of your vision.

When an organization or ministry has a large vision, a picture of how they can serve people in the future, new leaders are going to be absolutely essential. A big vision requires leadership development, inviting people into new and expanded roles that will push the mission forward. A small vision requires merely filling positions and keeping the status quo. If you set a bigger scope you will find yourself in the position where leaders must be developed.

2. Look for new opportunities.

As new opportunities arise for the ministry or organization, those new opportunities are often incredible places to offer leaders new responsibilities that will grow them. The new opportunities are not only good for the organization, but they are also good for the leadership development of the people who get asked to run after those opportunities. I had an HR executive tell me once that all of his research convinced him that 70% of leadership development comes through experiences. Books and conferences and training seminars can help, but it is most often the work that develops you.

3. Invite younger leaders to play important roles now.

Younger leaders have a lot to offer right now, not in the future, but right now. They are often ready to be given a shot, an opportunity to lead something significant. Should they prove faithful first? Absolutely. But when they do prove themselves faithful, entrust them with more. Don’t let age be what stops you from entrusting the faithful with more responsibility. In my last three roles (executive pastor, senior vice-president, and now senior pastor), I have placed leaders in their twenties on my lead/management team. Not only because the team benefits from their insight and intensity, but because we must always keep handing responsibilities to younger leaders.

This article on leadership development originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

Fear Is Contagious—But So Is Gospel Courage

By

Derwin Gray

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July 1, 2023

When Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. –Galatians 2:11-13

Paul opposed Peter because Peter ate with Gentiles until “some friends of James”—one of the leaders of the church in Jerusalem—arrived in Antioch. Then Peter stopped eating with the Gentiles. Peter knew the Jewish believers from James didn’t consider the Gentiles full members of God’s family because they hadn’t taken on the ethnic badges of being Jewish (i.e., circumcision). The irony was that in Jerusalem, James, John, and Peter had told Paul and Barnabas to “keep preaching to the Gentiles” (Galatians 2:9).

Why did Peter turn his back on Jesus, his gospel, and his Gentile brothers? Because “he was afraid of criticism.” To eat with someone meant that you accepted them. When the “friends of James” arrived, it was like a middle school lunch scene. In middle school, you might have sat with the kids who were not cool, but then when the cool kids walked by, you got up because you wanted to be included with the cool kids. That’s what Peter was doing in Antioch. But at God’s table of grace, all his kids are the cool kids. Jesus welcomes all to the banquet table of Abraham. At the table of grace, there is no “separate but equal.”

Peter knew that Jews and Gentiles were equal in the family of Abraham through Jesus: he saw Gentiles receive the same Holy Spirit as Jews (Acts 10:34-36). Despite knowing correct doctrine, he gave in to fear. His right doctrine did not lead to right living (holiness). He feared the good ol’ boys from Jerusalem more than he feared his good God. Peter’s ethnocentrism caused the other believers—including Barnabas, who had brought Paul to the multiethnic church in Antioch—to be led astray.

Fear is contagious. So is courage. Choose courage. Paul confronted Peter, Barnabas, and the others because “they were not following the truth of the gospel message” (Galatians 2:14). Ethnocentrism, racism, and indifference to racial injustice do not reflect the truth of the gospel. In the face of criticism, peer pressure, political pressure, economic pressure, and family pressure, we must love Jesus and our siblings in Christ more than we fear rejection.

Paul gave Peter the gospel by reminding him that Jews and Gentiles are made right by faith in Jesus alone, not by striving to fulfill the law through human effort or by the ethnic badges that make a person Jewish. Paul was able to stand up to Peter because of the gospel. The former Jewish nationalist could no longer be a racist because Jesus had made him a gracist. When Paul said yes to Jesus, his old sin nature was crucified with Jesus, and now the resurrected Messiah lived in him. He did not fear people, because he trusted Jesus, “who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Paul stood firm in the gospel; so must we.

This article is an excerpt from Dr. Derwin Gray’s book, “How to Heal Our Racial Divide: What the Bible Says, and the First Christians Knew, About Racial Reconciliation“).

5 Words for an Overwhelmed Leader

By

Ron Edmondson

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July 1, 2023

As a leader, there have been times I was overwhelmed with the challenges and opportunities facing me. God seems to call me to huge tasks.

I suspect if you’re a leader, you understand. I think He does that to many people! It keeps us humble. And dependent—on Him!

Regardless of how comfortable a leader may be in his or her position.

There are times when the leader has no answers.
He or she has exhausted every bit of knowledge gained.
The current strategies don’t seem to work anymore.
The situation is beyond the current plans and systems.
People are complaining.
Expectations upon you are greater than you feel you have capacity to deliver.
It seems you’re on a treadmill—getting no where.
Some days you leave thinking you accomplished nothing—maybe even most days.
You are so overwhelmed you don’t know what to attempt first.

Ever been there? Did you think someone was talking to me about you?

When the leader doesn’t know what to do and/or doesn’t have a clue what to do next, here are some suggestions:

Admit

The first step is to be honest with where you are currently as a leader. Pretending to know the answers when you don’t know them will not solve the problem. Most of the time, the people you are leading already know your inadequacies. Come clean. You’re overwhelmed. No shame. All of us have been there at times.

Pause

It’s okay to take a break to clear your head. It could be an afternoon, a day, or a week, but sometimes you just need to get away from the situation long enough to gain a fresh perspective. I often disappear from the office in the afternoons on especially difficult weeks. I may take a long walk, mow my grass, cook something special for dinner, pray or read. The busier the season—the more overwhelmed I feel—the more I need to pause. I know it sounds counter-productive. It’s not. Actually, it’s life-giving.

Seek Help

Find a mentor who has walked where you are currently walking. I have several older men I call when I’m maxed out with stress. There is a benefit in surrounding yourself with people smarter than you about a matter. This is the time for the believer to rely more than ever on his or her faith; trusting that the God who called them to the task will be faithful to complete it. (1 Thess 5:24)

Learn

Leaders should always be teachable. Again, assuming or pretending to have all the answers only slows or curtails projects and is quickly be discovered by others. Stretch yourself and learn something new. Read. Definitely be reading. Attend a conference. Listen to some TED talks or sermons from pastors you admire. Feed your mind. It needs some new energies.

Improve

Make better checklists each day. Spend more time planning. Learn to better delegate. I always say, you have to get better before you can get bigger. As you learn improvements needed, be willing to change. The tighter you hold onto methods that aren’t working the longer you’ll delay moving forward. Push through the overwhelming period and become a stronger, more capable and better leader. You can do it!

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

How Pastors and Church Staff Should Handle Honest Mistakes

By

Brian Dodd

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July 1, 2023

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. (Matthew 5:7)

Let’s say your church has two services, one at 9:00AM and the other at 11:00AM. At the morning’s first service, some mistakes were made. Inefficiencies were revealed. Everyone’s hearts were in the right place but some things could have been done better.

Adjustments were made between services and the 11:00 time together ran much more smoothly.

So how do you handle this as a leader in the following week’s staff and one-on-one meetings?

I would tell the person over the area where the mistake was made that I was proud of him or her. You see, no one is perfect. We all make mistakes. I know I’ve made my fair share and will probably make some more in the very near future. What I appreciate, however, is the mistake was immediately recognized and corrected.

The person owned it. Adjustments were promptly made. And for that they should be commended.

The Real Problem

The problem is not the person who makes an honest mistake and corrects it. The problem is the person who makes careless mistakes or the same mistake over and over and over again, and does not correct it or think they are doing anything wrong.

As a leader, it is important to have a healthy perspective. It is best to show mercy because we will all need it ourselves in the near future. Also, the sun will come up tomorrow. Sundays come around with amazing regularity. In fact, I’ve heard one is coming again in seven days. We evaluate and then move on to this next weekend.

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

Luddite Teens: Why More Young People Are Staying Off Their Phones

By

Stephanie Martin

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June 30, 2023

What are Luddite teens, and how are they influencing media usage? Read on to learn more about the mini-rebellion that today’s young people are waging against time-consuming technology.

All teenagers these days are obsessed with their phones and with social media, right? Not so fast! News reports have been challenging the stereotype that kids and phones are joined at the hip. Last December, the New York Times ran an article about a Luddite Club at a high school. Some members have switched to retro flip phones (which are hip again!). Others simply weaned themselves off of constantly checking and using their devices.

The idea is catching on, as more teens ditch screens to enjoy low-tech life. Are your kids pushing back against 24/7 smartphone access? How can you help them unplug and reap the many benefits of doing so?

Luddite Teens Hang Up on Phone Usage

The original Luddite was a real-life weaver in the 1700s who literally raged against his machines. Today a Luddite refers to anyone who opposes new technological improvements or advancements.

While the original Luddites were mainly concerned about losing their jobs, modern-day Luddite teens and adults often just want a break. Being on screens for school, work, socializing, shopping, navigating, movie-watching, gaming, and reading is tough on the eyes and body.

Surfing the internet and using social media can become addicting too. And platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat can take a toll on teenagers’ emotional and mental well-being.

In a study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, researchers sought a “sweet spot” of smartphone usage. They concluded that “conscious and controlled changes of daily time spent on smartphone use can contribute to subjective well-being (less depressive and anxiety symptoms, less problematic use tendencies, more life satisfaction) and to a healthier lifestyle (more physical activity, less smoking behavior) in the longer term.”

Discoveries by Luddite Teens

Teens who aren’t tied to their phones are making amazing discoveries. They’re learning new hobbies, meeting new IRL (in real life) friends, and viewing the world from different angles. When kids aren’t constantly posting photos to attract likes and followers, they discover new things about themselves, too.

At 79, Famed SBC Missionary Surgeon Rebekah Naylor Is About To Retire. Again. But She’s Not Done Yet

By

Bob Smietana

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June 30, 2023

(RNS) — The first time she retired, in 2002, Dr. Rebekah Naylor, a longtime missionary surgeon, came home to Texas after 35 years in India to care for her mother, who was ailing.

Along with doing that, she joined the faculty at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, where she taught surgery for eight years. She later became a consultant for Southern Baptist global relief and development work, taught at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and helped her church start a health clinic in Fort Worth, Texas.

This fall, the 79-year-old Naylor will retire again, stepping down from her role at the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board, where she’s helped promote medical missions around the world.

Now, for the first time in 50 years, she plans to take a proper break.

Not bad for someone who, as a teenager, never wanted to leave home and who was overwhelmed when she felt God’s calling on her life.

“Even going to college seemed like a mountain to me,” said Naylor in a recent interview, looking back over her career. “So how could I be a medical missionary?”

But once she makes up her mind—especially about something she believes God wants her to do—almost nothing stands in her way. That combination of faith and tenacity has served her well. Following that call to missions, Naylor, the daughter of a Baptist preacher turned beloved seminary president, graduated from Baylor University, then went to medical school at Vanderbilt, where she was told that women were not welcome in surgery.

But a missionary surgeon in Thailand, whom she met while visiting that country as a medical student, believed in her. While the faculty at the medical school thought her hopes of becoming a surgeon were a lost cause, she said, this missionary did not.

“I got to help him a lot in the operating room and discovered that I loved surgery,” she told Religion News Service. “It was really that experience that made me go back to medical school that fourth year and tell the faculty I was going to be a surgeon.”

After finishing her training, Naylor was assigned to a fledgling hospital in Bangalore, India, which had opened with 40 beds and a small staff outside the city limits. Over the years, the hospital expanded to 400 beds, a large staff and an attached nursing school. Naylor went from being a staff doctor to medical director to CEO, treating thousands of patients and delivering a host of babies while doubling as the hospital’s only OB-GYN for years. She also ended up training many of the staff who now run the hospital.

Semler Touts Success of Single ‘Faith,’ as the ‘Queer Artist’ Charts in Christian Music During Pride Month

By

Dale Chamberlain

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June 30, 2023

Semler faith — Screengrab via Twitter / @gracebaldridge

Grace Baldridge, a singer and songwriter who goes by the stage name Semler, took to Twitter on Thursday (June 29) to celebrate the success of her single “Faith,” which briefly charted as the number one song in the iTune Store’s Christian category. In particular, she celebrated that “a queer artist” was charting in a Christian category during LGBTQ+ Pride Month.

“I really can’t believe it,” Semler tweeted. “We got a queer artist to chart at #1 in Christian music during Pride month. You did that. Faith forever. Thank you thank you.”

The popular song opens with a clip of a sermon delivered by famed evangelist Billy Graham, in which Graham says, “That’s the question: Jesus Christ, who are you?”

“Faith” goes on to explore Semler’s struggle to remain a part of the Christian community despite the fact that “my religion turned against me.”

“But I still havе faith when you call my name / never been the same,” Semler sings in the song’s chorus. “I still have faith / how you comfort me when they come for me / call that mercy.”

In the past few years, Semler has garnered attention from both fans and critics for being as open about her sexuality as she is her faith. She has also vocally advocated for herself to be included in the conversation of mainstream Christian Contemporary Music.

In 2021, Semler went viral on TikTok after attending a Switchfoot concert at which she attempted to get Jon Foreman, the band’s frontman, to express affirmation toward the LGBTQ+ community. While Foreman did not hear Semler’s shouts from the crowd at the concert, he did see her video and issued a response via a video of his own.

“Yes, I support your rights to freedoms. I want you to feel loved and supported. I want you to feel treasured and valued and seen. I want all love and joy and beauty and truth for you,” Foreman said in the video.

Though Foreman’s words were somewhat vague, Semler took him to mean that he is LGBTQ+ affirming.

Last year, Semler unsuccessfully petitioned to be considered for the Gospel Music Association’s “Best New Artist” award at the Dove Awards. Coming off of a tour in which she served as the opening act for longtime popular Christian band Relient K, Semler felt that her recent rise in popularity was worth considering.

Ronnie Martin: Patience When Ministry Seems Slow

By

Jason Daye

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June 30, 2023

As pastors and ministry leaders, how do we respond when our ministry is moving more slowly than we anticipated? In this week’s conversation on FrontStage BackStage, host Jason Daye is joined by Ronnie Martin. Ronnie is the founder and lead pastor of Substance Church in Ashland, Ohio. He also serves as the Director of Leader Renewal for the Harbor Network and has written a number of books, including his latest, “Pastoring Small Towns.” Together, Ronnie and Jason look at how we can be at peace with the pace that our ministry is developing in our local churches. Ronnie also shares the beauty that we experience when we refuse to overextend ourselves and, instead, slow down and journey alongside our people.

FrontStage BackStage Podcast Ronnie Martin

View the entire podcast here.

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Steven Furtick’s Elevation Church Withdraws From the SBC

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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June 30, 2023

On Monday (June 26), Elevation Church, a multisite megachurch headquartered in Matthews, South Carolina, sent a letter to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Executive Committee and Credentials Committee informing them that the church is “withdrawing its affiliation” to the SBC effective immediately.

Steven Furtick, a graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS), is the founder and lead pastor of Elevation Church. Along with holding a Master of Divinity degree from the SBC seminary, Furtick is also a New York Times best-selling author and Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer.

“We would like to thank the Southern Baptists for the privilege of partnering with you, especially through the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina for nearly two decades,” the letter, signed by Elevation Church CFO Chunks Corbett, read.

Elevation Church explained that its “Statement of Beliefs” is in alignment with SBC’s Baptist Faith & Message and that the church has “no intention of changing those core beliefs.”

Elevation Church also indicated that there are no plans to make a public announcement regarding the church’s voluntary departure from the SBC because the church has “too much to do in reaching a world that needs the love of Jesus.”

Elevation Church said that if the SBC decides to make the news of the church’s departure public, representatives from Elevation would only respond to requests for comment by referring back to the letter.

“Thank you again for the privilege of having been affiliated with the SBC all these years,” Elevation Church said. “Please know that our withdrawal from affiliation in no way means that we will withdraw from praying for you and your ministries and mission work in the future—we are all on the same side!”

“We pray that we will continue to be able to work alongside many SBC churches in the coming years. We know there is much we can do more effectively in partnership than we can do alone,” the letter concluded. “May God bless the SBC and her churches in the years ahead.”

Elevation Church has an estimated weekly attendance of over 10,000. Baptist Press reported in 2001 that Elevation Church gave “$10,000 through the Cooperative Program and received $103,296,704 in total receipts.”

Supreme Court Ruling in Favor of Mail Carrier Celebrated Across Religious Spectrum

By

Yonat Shimron

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June 30, 2023

Mail Carrier Gerald Groff — Gerald Groff, a former postal worker whose case was argued before the Supreme Court, stands during a television interview near a "Now Hiring" sign posted at the United States Postal Service, March 8, 2023, in Quarryville, Pa. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

(RNS) — In siding with an evangelical Christian mail carrier who quit the U.S. Postal Service after he was forced to deliver packages on Sundays, his Sabbath, the Supreme Court on Thursday (June 29) did something rare: It brought a whole panoply of U.S. religions together.

The unanimous ruling in Groff v. DeJoy clarified that employers must do more than the minimum to accommodate workers’ requests related to religious observance.

The ruling mostly vindicates Gerald Groff, a former mail carrier from Pennsylvania, who sued the post office, saying the requirement that he work on Sundays violated his deeply held belief that Sunday was his day of rest. (U.S. mail is not usually delivered Sundays, but in 2013, the USPS signed a contract with Amazon to deliver the company’s packages, including on Sundays.)

Groff was represented by First Liberty Institute, the conservative Christian legal powerhouse based in Plano, Texas.

But in ruling in favor of the Christian mail carrier, the court also united a host of non-Christian religions in the U.S., who saw the decision written by Justice Samuel Alito as a much needed corrective to the challenges they face in balancing their work with their sincerely held religious practices.

Whether it’s accommodating Sikh health care workers who are required by their faith not to shave their beards or Jewish teachers who want to take time off for religious holidays not officially recognized by the public schools or colleges where they work, the ruling has the effect of forcing employers to accommodate their worker’s religious practices.

“The court’s ruling is going to help many people, from many different faith communities across the U.S.,” said Nathan Diament, executive director for public policy for the Orthodox Union, the nation’s largest representative Orthodox Jewish organization.

The Orthodox Union was one of a diverse group of faith-based and religious liberty organizations that filed amicus or “friend of the court” briefs with the Supreme Court supporting Groff. They included the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, the American Center for Law and Justice, the Sikh Coalition, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the American Hindu Coalition, Becket Law and the Baptist Joint Commission.

Organizations opposing Groff’s petition included the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the Center for Inquiry, Americans United for Separation of Church and State and American Atheists. The latter argued the ruling would shift more work burdens onto atheists, humanists, nonreligious Americans.

In their ruling, justices clarified a decades-old Supreme Court decision that allowed employers to deny religious accommodations that would cause them more than a minor inconvenience.

Historically, Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act required employers to provide religious accommodations unless they create an “undue hardship” for the business. But the Supreme Court undercut this standard in 1997 when it ruled in Trans World Airlines v. Hardison that employers need only suffer minimal hardship to deny a religious accommodation. This low threshold, referred to as a “de minimus standard,” was often used to deny religious accommodations.

While the court did not overturn Trans World Airlines v. Hardison, it clarified that the burden for employers denying religious accommodation must be substantial.

Keeping the Faith: Helping Students Thrive After Graduation

By

Greg Stier

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June 30, 2023

High school graduation is upon us, and if statistics ring true, then a majority of teenagers who currently claim to be Christians will abandon their faith sometime after the tassel is turned. Some will turn from it completely and become atheists. Others will put it in a drawer for a time down the road. Still others will have it eroded by hedonism or the Philosophy 101 professor of their secular university.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. We can help graduating seniors not only keep their faith after high school but also learn to advance it effectively.

So how can you encourage them to stay strong in those precarious young-adult years? Here are four ways:

1. Pray for Them To Not Just Survive, but Thrive.

Prayer is a vastly underrated tool in helping our teenagers keep their faith long-term. During Jesus’s earthly ministry, He often escaped to pray (Mark 1:35-36), and one of His prayer priorities was interceding on behalf of His young disciples. We see this especially in Luke 22:31-32, when He tells Peter:

Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.

Jesus was praying that Peter’s faith would stand strong amidst trial and temptation. He also prayed that Peter would not just survive but thrive by ministering to the other disciples—most of whom were teenagers—after Jesus had returned to Heaven.

In the same way, we must pray for our graduating seniors to have a strong faith throughout the inevitable trials and temptations they will face. We must also pray that they, like Peter in the book of Acts, will thrive by encouraging other believers to serve Jesus with all of their hearts.

2. Mentally Prepare Them for What’s Coming.

Teenagers need to know that the years following high school can be filled with intense temptations. We need to prepare them mentally and spiritually for this battle.

In Acts 20:29-31, the apostle Paul warned the Ephesian believers about the upcoming trials that awaited them:

I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number, men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard!

In the same way, we must prepare our teenagers by speaking forthrightly about the temptations that await them after high school. We must help them be on their guard and learn how to be fully “armored up” with the spiritual protection that Jesus provides every believer (Ephesians 6:11).

3. Inspire Them To Look at the Next Few Years Missionally.

Mormon teenagers graduating from high school often take two years to go on a mission before they head off to college. During these two years, they spread the message of Mormonism door to door across different parts of the planet. After two years of door-knocking and proselytizing, the average Mormon young person knows what they believe and why they believe it.

Pastor: Define Small Group for Your Church

By

Rick Howerton

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June 30, 2023

The term “small group” is a very confusing term. It’s confusing because it creates so many different mental images. That’s why every pastor must define small group. If someone was once in a healing or support group, in their mind, a small group is a support or healing group. If someone has been in a group that was mostly about learning the Bible and led by a gifted Bible teacher, they have a completely different image in their mind. If someone was once in a group that was all about being on mission and so they were involved in ongoing mission projects together, they have an immensely different mental image than the other groups that have been mentioned. If someone was in a holistic small group where the group carried out all the functions of the church, these people see group quite differently than someone who was once in a support group.

Define Small Group for Your Church

We need to define small group. To simply use the term “small group” without describing and defining it, can cost a small group leader many difficult conversations and church members much confusion and despair. Let’s imagine a new couple comes to a small group pastor’s church. They’re looking for a “small group.” The church this new family just came from had what they believed to be an amazing small group ministry. The groups were all about being the church and exhibited it through group life in very extreme ways. In fact, the meetings often lasted four hours. There was intense prayer time where the group fell on their knees begging God for healing and mercy, Bible study time was led by a group member with a seminary degree and often went on for an hour and a half, and there was a time set aside for people to confess sin and they always did. When they hear the term “small group” this is the kind of connection and experience these people are expecting. If the small group they connect with isn’t like the one just described, before too many weeks have passed, they’re going to be on the phone with the small group pastor wanting to know if there’s a “real small group” they can become part of.

When using the term “small group” it’s important that the small group pastor define small group in their setting. Because, when people connect with a group and feel as though they’ve been duped their disappointment will either keep them from ever getting in a small group at that church or they’ll look for another church.

P.S. Don’t think that using the term “cell group,” or “Life-Group” or “Community-Group” will take care of this. Most of the terms that are being used to describe a Christian Micro Community are being used interchangeably to describe any group that is small and Christian.

12 Ways to Get Rid of Your Worship Leader

By

David Manner

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June 30, 2023

No one is trying to get rid of your worship leader, right? This tongue-in-cheek guide offers 12 surefire, guaranteed ways to make sure your worship minister never comes back.

12 Ways to Get Rid of Your Worship Leader

Target his family because you aren’t happy with him.
Insist on worship service musical style quotas.
Constantly compare her with your previous worship leader.
As an act of civil disobedience stop singing when he introduces new songs.
Don’t accept his limitations, vulnerabilities or transparency.
Expect the worship music to increase church attendance or reduce church conflict.
Depend on her alone to generate or create worship every week.
Demand intergenerational worship that doesn’t require you to sacrifice.
Expect her to lead multicultural worship without changing anything.
Require him to always plan and lead worship with your preferences in mind.
Institute ageism and physical appearance guidelines.
Never view worship as more than a service starter, stuffer or stopper.

9 Vital Bible Reading Tips

By

Jarrid Wilson

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June 30, 2023

It’s been years since I first picked up a Bible and read it out of pure desire and intrigue. I’ve had access to a Bible most of my life, but the reality is that it spent most of its being collecting dust on a shelf in my room. Every once in a while, it would get dusted off only to be used as an accessory while attending the yearly Christmas Eve and/or Easter morning church services. For much of my life, reading the Bible was nothing more to me than a book, but it wasn’t until I dropped my pride and opened up my eyes that I realized this was no book; it was a lifeline, a safety net, a second chance and an answer to the vast amount of questions I had about my life. I was hooked. My love for Bible did not come easily, but the more and more I spent time in God’s Word, the more I realized how much I truly needed its presence in my life. And I’ve learned a few vital Bible reading tips.

9 Vital Bible Reading Tips

1. Take notes.

It’s been said that individuals are three times more likely to remember something when they have written it down or noted it on some type of mobile device. Not only will taking notes help you in your remembrance of what you have just read, but it will also give you content to review and look back on over the course of your spiritual journey.

2. Ask a ton of questions.

There is nothing wrong with asking a lot of questions. In fact, I would encourage you to ask any question that comes to your mind. The more that you initially ask, the better understanding you’ll have of the text you are reading and the purpose in which it was written. There’s nothing wrong with admitting you don’t quite understand everything you see on each page. It’s OK! Everybody has to start somewhere, and the best thing you can do while studying the Bible is ask questions about situations you don’t understand instead of simply assuming and moving forward. Find clarity by questioning what you are reading. God can handle any question you throw at him.

3. Read through the lens of a learner.

Each time I open up my Bible, I act as if it is the first time I’ve ever taken notice of it. In doing this I allow my heart and soul to flow wide open, digesting everything that may come toward me. You will see passages you’ve read a hundred times in a new light, illustrations in a new fashion and stories of faith with a new perspective. Don’t allow yourself to assume that you’ve already learned everything you can from a certain story or passage. Instead, read through the lens of a learner, ready to discover something new that you never noticed the day before.

Bible Stories for Preschoolers: 9 Places to Find Lessons for Little Learners

By

Stephanie Martin

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June 29, 2023

Bible stories for preschoolers play a key role in children’s faith development. These Sunday school and devotional materials feature age-appropriate, easy-to-remember lessons from God’s Word. Plus, Bible lessons for preschoolers often contain themed life-application activities such as object lessons and crafts.

When little learners are active and engaged, they’re more likely to focus on and retain important points from the Bible. And as Sunday school teachers and parents can attest, the memory of preschoolers can be amazing! Children will pick up phrases and entire verses of Scripture during your classes and worship times.

Be sure to keep Bible stories for preschoolers brief and repetitive. Stay positive and allow time for questions (and interruptions!). Emphasize that God loves us and that everything in the Bible is from God and is true. As you teach, remember to convey the joy of learning about God and his Word.

9 Resources for Bible Stories for Preschoolers

At these websites, you’ll find loads of great Bible-based materials for teaching preschoolers:

1. Sermons 4 Kids

Many of the children’s messages at this site work well for preschoolers and kindergartners. Search a wide range of topics to find exactly what you need.

2. For Little Lambs

This site offers a “Just Us Little Guys” section specifically for preschoolers and preschool classes.

3. Free Series for Preschool Learners

Curriculum for preschoolers at this site comes in several series, from 3 to 31 weeks.

4. All Things Preschool

Children will love the materials on this website. The Bible-based Sunday school lessons are tailored just for preschoolers.

5. Bible-Themed Activities

Enhance your Bible stories for preschoolers with fun crafts. The wide range of activities here will reinforce Scripture teachings for the youngest kids.

3 Reasons Pastors Should Waste More Time

By

Full Strength Network

-

June 29, 2023

What do you consider a waste of time?

It’s worth asking yourself. The answer is also very telling when it comes to receiving and experiencing true rest. As a culture, we place great value on our productivity, innovation, and checklists. And while we are beginning to see the value of self-care, we’ve yet to dismiss the 24/7 hustle culture that pervades our workforce. And this mindset has definitely worked its way into our church workforce as well. Staff members are often celebrated and elevated for overworking. This ends up placing a higher value on doing while neglecting rest as God-designed.

As pastors and ministry leaders, you’ve probably heard (or preached yourself) the value of Sabbath, rest, or time with God. But what is your track record of you putting it into practice? When it comes down to it, many people associate Sabbath with a waste of time. We’d never say that aloud. But our actions prove it to be true. You might place a higher value on work over rest by choosing to stay late and finish a project rather than be home on time for dinner. Maybe you see the programs you’re facilitating as a priority over a walk outside by yourself. And if it came down to it, you’d probably feel obligated to go volunteer at a ministry’s carnival over spending time at home to read…because you don’t want to be seen as lazy or selfish! Oh, how we have missed God’s design for how our bodies operate.

Today, consider the ways you spend your time. Do you allow weekly time for Sabbath rest? True rest? Let’s “waste some time” together, and see how it ends up being the most crucial fuel to your life. Here are three reasons pastors should “waste more time” (and of course, we see it as the opposite of waste in actuality).

God Designed You for Sabbath Rest

Do we understand the weight of the words we read in Genesis 2:3? If God, the Creator of the Universe and all its inhabitants took time to rest, how much more do we need to follow that rhythm? We read not only what God did with his time but also the pace he was setting up for us to follow. Incorporating a rhythm of rest, weekly, is a way for us to obey God and also acknowledge with our time that we rely not on our busy pace, work, and to-dos, but on him alone. It’s an intentional, countercultural practice to set us apart from the way of the world. And God has actually designed it as a pace that gives most life to our bodies, physically, emotionally, spiritually, etc.

Our Relationships Grow Stronger

It’s interesting to correlate the stats of productivity and busyness alongside the stats of loneliness and disconnect. We live in a world that is busier than ever…and lonelier than ever. As we take time each week to invest in rest, this can work wonders for our relationships. What would a dedicated 24 hours of rest do for your family? What would it do for your marriage? What would it do for your friendships?

The answer is, it would grow them stronger than ever. Don’t underestimate the power of cultivating close relationships. When we “don’t have time” for them, we’re only deceiving ourselves and getting lost in the lies of a work pace that leads to loneliness and emptiness. Make that dinner with your kids. Go on that date with your spouse. Plan that coffee date with a friend. God has placed relationships in your life to strengthen you spiritually, and he’ll use them for your good.

It’s an Active Fight Against Anxiety

If we are experiencing anxiety (and studies show you likely are), we have blinders on if we think neglecting rest can somehow work in our favor to overcome it. The greatest irony of our cultural work pace is the fact that we’re choosing a method that causes anxiety in an attempt to overcome anxiety. Do you see how this cannot compute? Choosing to follow God’s way of Sabbath rest is an active fight against anxiety—one that actually has a track record of working.

So, pastor…will you waste some time this week? And then next week? Make it a habit to find 24 hours of rest. It’s ok to stop, rest, delight, and worship—apart from your work or duties. Find your rest in God, and see how he redeems the time you thought would be wasted.

This article originally appeared here.

Chick-fil-A Rules the Roost, Topping Restaurant Survey 9 Years in a Row

By

Stephanie Martin

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June 29, 2023

For the ninth consecutive year, Chick-fil-A has topped a customer-satisfaction survey of U.S. fast-food restaurants. The Atlanta-based chain known for its chicken sandwiches and conservative values again received the most points—85 out of 100—on the latest American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).

In the 2022-2023 ACSI survey, 16,250 randomly selected Americans rated fast-food chains on benchmarks ranging from food-order accuracy and checkout speed to menu variety and staff courtesy and helpfulness.

Chick-fil-A ‘Continues To Set the Standard’

Customer satisfaction with Chick-fil-A rose slightly, up from 83 points last year. According to the ACSI, “The popular chain continues to set the standard with its exceptional combination of food, service, and technological quality.”

Competitors are catching up to Chick-fil-A, however, with Jimmy John’s rising five points this year to 84. In the full-service restaurant category, the top-ranking restaurant, Outback Steakhouse, had 83 points, making Chick-fil-A the top contender among both types of establishments. Coming in last in the fast-food category was McDonald’s, with just 69 points.

Chick-fil-A’s popularity continues despite its Sunday closures and various controversies about its Christian roots. The latest dustup involving the chain concerned its vice president of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI), as well as its DEI policy. LGBTQ advocates and competitors have taken shots at Chick-fil-A for its stance on social issues.

On its website, the family-owned chain says its corporate purpose is to “glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.”

Restaurants Rebound From Pandemic, Now Face Inflation

Forrest Morgeson, a marketing professor who serves as ACSI’s director of research emeritus, shared insights about the current state of the American restaurant industry. “This year we’re seeing customer satisfaction returning to pre-pandemic levels for full-service dining, while fast-food outlets have rebounded to within a point of their 2019 score,” he said. “This good news is tempered, though, by increasing inflationary pressures, which are already slowing traffic. Sooner rather than later, the industry is going to feel the pinch, and price competition and value will matter.”

According to the ASCI, “Restaurant prices are up 8.8% over the last year, making it the first time since mid-2021 that eating out costs consumers more than eating in. And yet, perceived value is improved.”

Writing Worship Songs: 3 Tips To Get Started

1. A good worship song is singable.

1. Expand the scope of your vision.

2. Look for new opportunities.

3. Invite younger leaders to play important roles now.

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1. Pray for Them To Not Just Survive, but Thrive.

2. Mentally Prepare Them for What’s Coming.

3. Inspire Them To Look at the Next Few Years Missionally.

Define Small Group for Your Church

12 Ways to Get Rid of Your Worship Leader

9 Vital Bible Reading Tips

1. Take notes.

2. Ask a ton of questions.

3. Read through the lens of a learner.

9 Resources for Bible Stories for Preschoolers

1. Sermons 4 Kids

2. For Little Lambs

3. Free Series for Preschool Learners

4. All Things Preschool

5. Bible-Themed Activities

God Designed You for Sabbath Rest

Our Relationships Grow Stronger

It’s an Active Fight Against Anxiety

Chick-fil-A ‘Continues To Set the Standard’

Restaurants Rebound From Pandemic, Now Face Inflation

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