Charles Stanley’s eBay Items Returned to Family After Pocket Watch Winner Makes ‘Jaw-Dropping’ Call to Grandson

May 9, 2023

In a May 6 YouTube video, Matt Brodersen again apologized for auctioning off items from his recently deceased grandfather, Pastor Charles Stanley. This time, however, the apology was accompanied by an announcement that the eBay auction is over.

Shortly after Stanley, founder of In Touch Ministries, died on April 18 at age 90, Brodersen, 29, listed his grandfather’s pocket watch and a framed photo for sale on eBay. The YouTube content creator, who has struggled with mental health issues and addiction, admitted being “desperate for money.”

Grandson of Charles Stanley Has ‘Jaw-Dropping’ Chat With Buyer

In a five-minute video posted Saturday, Brodersen recapped how he obtained Charles Stanley’s personal items, why he decided to sell them, and how people (including family members) reacted. He said the winning bidder for his grandfather’s engraved pocket watch (as well as other watches) called him for a 30-minute, “jaw-dropping” conversation.

The man, who requested anonymity, told Brodersen he planned to send the watches back to Stanley’s family. The purchaser explained that when his own grandpa died, some relatives “went and grabbed his grandpa’s things and they went and auctioned [them] off right away and he did not like it.”

Hearing that story, Brodersen said, “is when it really all sank in about how creepy or weird that was of me to do that.” He added, “When he told me his story, I just died inside, I guess. And I realized how selfish I was being.”

In response to a question from ChurchLeaders, Brodersen said the buyer “got all the items and drove six hours the next day and went to give them back to my uncle [Andy Stanley] by hand delivery. My uncle, in return, paid for his hotel stay that night and they had [a meal and] hung out. It was really sweet.”

Matt Brodersen: Everything Is Being Returned

The other item on eBay, a framed portrait of Stanley, was up for auction with a “bonus” coin collection. According to Brodersen’s latest update, the winning bidder was attempting to skirt the website’s commission, which “felt uncomfortable.” So Brodersen relisted the portrait. But then after hearing the watch-winner’s story, he canceled the entire auction and mailed back the portrait and coins to his uncle, Andy Stanley.

“So technically, nothing has gotten sold on eBay,” Brodersen said. “Everything is going back to its right property owners.” He admitted the whole thing “feels weird,” saying, “I should not have done that.” He apologized and thanked people for their support and forgiveness.

In previous YouTube videos, Brodersen said he didn’t realize that auctioning off his grandfather’s items would upset people. “I promise you, I have a bunch of my grandpa’s stuff that you don’t see that I’m going to keep and cherish and hold on to forever,” he added.

‘I Was Born To Share the Love of Jesus’— Megan Danielle Joins Other Christian Singers in ‘American Idol’ Top 5

Janna Firestone

May 9, 2023

The 21st season of “American Idol” is inching closer to the finals. The show just announced its Top 5 performers left in the competition: Wé Ani, Megan Danielle, Zachariah Smith, Colin Stough, and Iam Tongi.

Christian contestants have been applauded for sharing their faith publicly. On the next episode, airing Sunday, these contestants will compete with new songs and unique arrangements, attempting to make it through one more round of the competition.

‘American Idol’: ‘Disney Night’ Will Feature Top 5

According to ABC, “Disney Night” will feature guest mentor Sofia Carson, who played Evie in Disney’s “Descendants.” The remaining contestants will “breathe new life into beloved Disney songs,” as is to be expected on Disney Night. Each of the five is hoping to make it through one more round of the competition, but only four will move on.

From the beginning of the season, all of the “American Idol” contestants have displayed engaging stage presence, belted out on-point vocals, and showed teachable hearts willing to learn. But there are specific aspects that set apart the remaining performers. Here is how they made it through the last episode and into the Top 5.

Wé Ani from New York

Honoring guest judge Alanis Morissette, Wé Ani powerfully performed the song, “Uninvited.” At the suggestion of the judges, Wé Ani focused on a raw, unique sound to the popular hit. Wé Ani also teamed up with Warren Peay in a duet covering Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect.” The duo mesmerized the audience.

As the oldest contestant left in season 21, Wé Ani has already begun her career as a performer. This 24-year-old loves her father, who posted a video endorsing Wé Ani and her talent. “She’s gotten there by her fans, the fans of the show, and people who just recognize talent,” her dad said. “Each week she’s been giving you something different.”

Megan Danielle from Georgia

Megan Danielle invited the audience into her own story as she sang Morissette’s “Head Over Feet.” She also sang Sheeran’s “Dive” alongside Colin Stough. The two combined their unique voices in a way that made it appear they had been singing together for years.

Danielle recently posted on Facebook, “I was born to share the love of Jesus.” At 21 years of age, she works alongside her single mom as a restaurant server in their hometown. Danielle mesmerized fans everywhere with her recent rendition of “Go Rest High On That Mountain” to honor her late “papa.”

“You’re never scared to tell everybody about your faith,” said judge Luke Bryan.

Zachariah Smith from Mississippi

Early in the episode, Zachariah Smith, belted out “Ironic” by Morissette, displaying a unique approach encompassing his own flare. Smith also sang a duet with Haven Madison, who didn’t make it through to the Top 5. The two sang “Thinking Out Loud” by Sheeran and exquisitely nailed the harmony of the song.

This 20-year-old grill cook has made the change from small-town life to the big stage. Smith recently posted, “Thank you so much for the sweet signs at Live Shows this past Sunday! I love seeing these in the crowd!”

New Christian Beaten Unconscious for Leaving Islam

Morning Star News

May 9, 2023

globe- — Photo credit: Arpit Rastogi / Unsplash

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 8, 2023 (Morning Star News) – A former Islamic teacher remains hospitalized after Muslim extremists in eastern Uganda on Tuesday (May 2) beat him unconscious for converting to Christianity, sources said.

Shaquru Ndifuna, 33, was receiving treatment for blood loss at a medical clinic in Iganga town in the district of the same name, area Christians said.

A former Islamic teacher at Noor Islamic Mosque in Mayuge District, Ndifuna is a resident of Kaliro Town Council, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Iganga town. He put his faith in Christ in January an open-air evangelistic event in Namutumba, 39 kilometers from Iganga town.

Word of his conversion spread, a cleric at the Noor Islamic Mosque began monitoring his movements, and in April three Islamic leaders visited him at his home, said an area Christian unnamed for security reasons.

“They questioned me about my absence as a teacher at Noor Mosque,” Ndifuna told Morning Star News. “I tried to explain to them about my other commitments elsewhere. One of them mentioned about me having become a Christian, but I did not respond. Afterwards the three Muslim leaders left.”

Tuesday evening (May 2) at 7:30 p.m., four Muslims intruded into his house, he said.

“They forcefully entered into the house, shouting about me having blasphemed the Islamic religion and trying to force me to confess that Jesus is not the Son of God, and that Allah is the only God to be worshipped and Muhammad is His prophet,” Ndifuna said. “I refused to renounce Jesus as the Son of God. They started beating me up.”

His wife and three children hid in a bedroom, and his wife telephoned a family friend, saying that the assailants were beating him unconscious and that he had lost a lot of blood, the source said.

“The attackers have left, I think they thought my husband is dead – they did not touch his phone nor any property,” his wife told the friend, according to the source.

The friend drove to their home, took Ndifuna to a nearby medicine shop for first aid and later transferred him to the clinic in Iganga, the source said.

“Please take care of my children, I am not sure whether I will survive,” Ndifuna told Morning Star News at the hospital. “The Muslims who injured me were trying to force me to return to Islam, but I refused.”

Ndifuna suffered a deep cut on the right side of the forehead, a fracture in his right hand and a neck injury as the assailants tried to strangle him, the source said. His vision has been affected, and he has difficulty breathing.

“He can’t swallow solid food,” the source said. “He is using a drip of intravenous fluids with a little juice for his survival.”

The attack was the latest of many instances of persecution of Christians in Uganda that Morning Star News has documented.

Uganda’s constitution and other laws provide for religious freedom, including the right to propagate one’s faith and convert from one faith to another. Muslims make up no more than 12 percent of Uganda’s population, with high concentrations in eastern areas of the country.

This article originally appeared here.

UMC Bishops Request 2026 General Conference as Hundreds More Churches Disaffiliate

Emily McFarlan Miller

May 9, 2023

CHICAGO (RNS) — United Methodist bishops have proposed a five-day meeting of the denomination’s global decision-making body, the General Conference, in May 2026.

The announcement comes at the end of the Council of Bishops’ spring meeting last week in Chicago and a weekend that saw hundreds of United Methodist churches in the United States leave the denomination.

The 2026 General Conference would focus on re-establishing connection within the United Methodist Church, lamenting, healing and recasting the mission and vision for the mainline denomination after years of strife over the ordination and marriage of its LGBTQ members, according to a press release published Monday (May 8) on the Council of Bishops’ website.

Delegates to the General Conference also would consider a more regional governance structure to better support the remaining denomination, which currently numbers about 30,000 U.S. churches.

“I admit to you I’m eager to get past all this. I want us to stop talking about disaffiliations,” Bishop Thomas Bickerton, president of the Council of Bishops, said during the bishops’ meeting, which ran April 30 to May 5.

“I’m worried genuinely that we’ve spent more time on those that are leaving than focusing our energy on those who are staying.”

Delegates to the 2020 General Conference meeting had been expected to consider a proposal to split the denomination over its disagreement on sexuality and help create a new, theologically conservative denomination called the Global Methodist Church. That would allow the United Methodist Church to change language in its Book of Discipline that bars same-sex marriages and LGBTQ clergy.

When the 2020 meeting was postponed a third time for pandemic-related reasons, the Global Methodist Church went ahead and launched last year. To date, about 2,000 churches have joined the new denomination.

More recently, United Methodists’ top court, the Judicial Council, ruled that the General Conference meeting set for April 23 to May 3, 2024, in Charlotte, North Carolina, should be considered the postponed 2020 meeting. Because those meetings must be held once in four years, the court also ruled that the denomination must hold another meeting afterward to take the place of what would have been the 2024 meeting before the next regularly scheduled session in 2028.

The bishops’ request to hold that meeting in May 2026 now goes to the Commission on the General Conference to set the date.

Kansas City’s International House of Prayer’s Mike Bickle Calls for 21-Day Fast and Prayer for ‘Salvation of Israel’

Yonat Shimron

May 9, 2023

(RNS) — An independent charismatic ministry has launched a 21-day prayer and fast for Israel, which its leaders believe will hasten Jesus’ return as part of the Second Coming.

The Isaiah 62 Global 21-Days of Prayer and Fasting, organized by the International House of Prayer Kansas City and its leader, Mike Bickle, is being billed as a historic gathering that will bring together as many as 1 million “intercessors” who will take turns praying an hour a day for what they call “the salvation of Israel.”

The prayer and fast, which began Sunday (May 7), will conclude on May 28, which is Pentecost. The Christian holy day commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles following Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.

Bickle said the fast is part of a network of thousands of evangelical ministries across the world who are mobilizing their followers to join for the three weeks of prayer and fasting.

It did not appear that anyone was traveling to Israel in person.

The event is named for a passage from the Book of Isaiah that says, “I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night.”

Mike Bickle. Photo courtesy of IHOPKC

The purpose of the fast is to awaken Jews to the God of Israel, which they believe took on human form as Jesus. Once they do, Jesus will return.

“When Israel wakes up spiritually, Jesus says, I will come down from heaven,” Bickle said in a YouTube segment with evangelical singer and activist Sean Feucht. “The Second Coming is actually connected to the Jews saying yes to Jesus. And the Jews saying yes to Jesus is related to the gentiles standing for God’s purpose for Israel.”

Since 1999, Bickle, a self-proclaimed prophet, has led a prayer room in Kansas City devoted to nonstop 24/7 prayer. The prayer room is staffed intermittently by some 600 worship leaders, called missionaries, who lead musical prayers around the clock. Anyone can tune in online.

Bickle did not respond to requests for interviews.

The 67-year-old evangelist was originally a megachurch pastor in the Vineyard Fellowship movement. He then became part of a group called The Kansas City Prophets. Among them is Lou Engle, also of Kansas City, who has a prayer group called TheCall Ministries.

“In most charismatic and a lot of American evangelical circles there’s a really big focus on Israel being key to Jesus coming back,” said Brad Christerson, a sociologist at Biola University who co-wrote with Richard Flory a 2017 book, “The Rise of Network Christianity,” that features Bickle’s ministry. “They pray for the salvation of the Jews, for protection over the city and nation and for End-Times prophecy regarding Israel to be fulfilled.”

Bickle, who has 79,000 Instagram followers and 69,000 Twitter followers, is not opposed to Jews. He rejects Replacement Theology, which teaches that the church is the new or true Israel that has permanently replaced or superseded God’s covenant with the Jewish people. He believes Jew and gentile will all be united in the end.

His ministry has a 24/7 prayer room in Jerusalem overlooking the Mount of Olives called Succat Halell, or the Tabernacle of Praise.

A livestream of the International House of Prayer Kansas City 24/7 prayer room on Monday, May 8, 2023. Video screen grab via IHOPKC

Jews have long resisted efforts at conversion, and some who learned about the fast were not enthusiastic about it.

“To pray for us to abandon a tradition that is beloved by so many is tone deaf,” said Rabbi Joshua Stanton, an interfaith leader who works with the evangelical community.

American and Israeli Jews have mostly developed warm relations with evangelicals, many of whom, driven by their End Times beliefs, visit Israel frequently and contribute millions of dollars in aid.

But Bickle has a mixed record among Jews. In a 2011 sermon, Bickle said God would give Jews a chance to convert to Christianity and “raise up the hunters” against those who refuse,” the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported. Bickle also called Hitler “the most famous hunter in recent history.”

The Anti-Defamation League called the 2011 sermon “abhorrent, intolerant and unacceptable.”

Bickle, however, has not strayed from his mission.

“Mike Bickle is not distractible,” said Steve Hickey, a seminary professor at Alaska Christian College and a former pastor. “He’s very focused. He’s got a very biblical and responsible approach.”

This article originally appeared here.

Surrendered to the Holy Spirit

Robby Gallaty

May 9, 2023

thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Preachers are pretty good at asking rhetorical questions—questions that aren’t meant to be answered directly, but rather internalized for the purpose of making a point. Rhetorical questions have been used for thousands of years by people of various professions to drive home a thought or concept in an audience.

Think of this question in the context of a preacher’s sermon, at the end when he’s concluding: “Who is the Holy Spirit to you?” There might be soft music playing, an attitude of reverence and quiet reflection in the air. Some people are probably checking their watches to see what time they’ll get out. Others are praying, internalizing the question, asking the Holy Spirit to be real in their lives, and so on.

The Holy Spirit—to You

Now, consider the question under different circumstances, when it was asked a bit more pointedly, and with the expectation of an answer. Walter Lewis Wilson was a doctor in the beginning of the 20th century who was agonizing over his fruitless efforts at witnessing for Christ. One day in 1913, a French missionary was visiting in his home and asked the question posed above to him: “Who is the Holy Spirit to you?” Wilson gathered that it probably wasn’t a rhetorical question, judging by the way the missionary expected an answer. So he replied, “He’s one of the Persons of the Godhead…the teacher, guide and third person of the Trinity.” A textbook answer.

But his answer wasn’t what the missionary was looking for. “No, you haven’t answered my question,” this missionary responded. “Who is the Holy Spirit to you?” Wilson responded the only way he knew how: with honesty. “He is nothing to me. I have no contact with Him and could get along quite well without Him.”

At the beginning of the next year, on January 14, 1914, Wilson attended a message given by James M. Gray, a pastor and the future president of Moody Bible Institute. He was preaching from Romans 12:1. Gray stated, “Have you noticed that this verse does not tell us to whom we should give our bodies? It is not the Lord Jesus; He has His own body. It is not the Father; He remains on His throne. Another has come to earth without a body. God gives you the indescribable honor of presenting your bodies to the Holy Spirit, to be His dwelling place on earth.”

Wilson returned to his house and lay prostrate on the carpet. There in the late hours of night, he said, “My Lord, I have treated You like a servant. When I wanted You I called for You. Now I give You this body from my head to my feet. I give you my hands, my limbs, my eyes and lips, my brain. You may send this body to Africa, or lay it on a bed with cancer. It is Your body from this moment on.”

Mother’s Day Craft for Sunday School: 7 Keepsakes Moms Will Love

Megan Briggs

May 8, 2023

A Mother’s Day craft for Sunday school celebrates moms and women. But it also teaches children to “honor your mother and father” (Exodus 20:12).

Ideas for a Mother’s Day craft for Sunday school abound on Pinterest. We found lots of clever crafts for moms and want to share them with you!

We love these seven creative Mother’s Day craft ideas. They’ll help you engage kids at your church as they honor Mom!

Mother’s Day Craft for Sunday School: 7 Keepsakes

1. I Love You Because… Pictures

(Idea from and directions available at Soaring Through Second)

This cute idea has kids holding a small chalkboard (or iPad, if you’re techie!) explaining why they love their moms. Each child sits on the stool holding the chalkboard. Then you snap a quick keepsake picture for mom. It’s instant joy, especially if you have access to a picture printer or a Polaroid camera.

2. Handprint Tote Bag

(Idea from and directions available at A Mountainous Journey)

Who doesn’t love their child’s handprint? And what mom doesn’t need another tote bag? These totes are easy to make. Plus, they’ll keep kids busy decorating while you talk to them about ways they can honor mom on Mother’s Day and every day.

Letter to Graduating Senior High School Students: Celebrate & Encourage Your Grads

Caleb Hagen

May 8, 2023

A letter to graduating senior highers is a great way to honor your youth group members. Plus, you can encourage kids to continue their faith walk as they move on to life’s next steps.

This year we gave all our seniors a copy of the book Wide Awake by Erwin McManus. Inside we included a letter to graduating senior highers. Everyone on our youth ministry team signed it. Here’s what we wrote. (Go ahead and use or adapt it for your program’s grads.)

A Letter to Graduating Senior High School Students

Dear Senior,

It’s been such a pleasure serving you during the past four years! We’re so proud of each and every one of you. Your commitment to loving God and others has served as an example for our own spiritual lives.

Although we’re sad to say goodbye, we’re excited to see how you will use your God-given abilities to impact the world. God has a wonderful plan for you, and if you stay faithful to him, you’ll see that plan come to fruition. God will use you to change lives, shape hearts, and shine light in a dark world.

Remember the wise, powerful words of King Solomon in Proverbs 3:5-6. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

As you finish one chapter of your life and get ready to start a new one, always cling to the redeeming power of God’s love. High school is difficult, but trust us. Life will only get tougher from here. You’ll experience new challenges with every step you take. But you have the love of Christ, which will comfort and encourage you during all of life’s hardships. Always stay committed in your relationship with Christ, continuing from the faith foundation you built during high school.

‘Mental Health Crisis’—Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Elected Officials Attend Prayer Vigil for Mass Shooting Victims

Janna Firestone

May 8, 2023

Greg Abbott — Image source: Screengrab via Facebook

Hundreds gathered Sunday, May 7, at Cottonwood Creek Church in Allen, Texas, to pray for the victims and families of the mass shooting at the local Allen Premium Outlets mall on the afternoon of Saturday, May 6. The gunman was shot by police after he killed eight people and injured another seven. Many community leaders, including Governor Greg Abbott, joined the group to pray and to support one another.

“Tonight, I joined my fellow Texans in Allen for a community vigil for the innocent lives lost last night and those who are recovering from injuries,” said Abbott. “As this community heals, Texas will be with you every step of the way.”

In an interview following the shooting, Abbott spoke with Fox News Sunday anchor Shannon Bream. “One thing that we can observe very easily is that there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of anger and violence that’s taking place in America,” Abbott said. “And what Texas is doing, in a big-time way, we’re working to address that anger and violence by going to its root cause, which is addressing the mental health crisis behind it.”

However, during his tenure, Abbott has made a point to slash mental health care funding in the state’s budget. In April 2022, less than a month before the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which claimed the lives of 19 young students and two teachers, Abbott cut nearly $211 million from the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC), which oversees mental health services in Texas. He and other leaders have also worked to loosen gun laws in the Lone Star state, most notably enacting permitless carry in 2021.

Gov. Gregg Abbott Attends Prayer Vigil for Victims of Mass Shooting

Executive Pastor Scott Sanford began the service by reading Romans 12:15 and the challenge to “mourn with those who mourn.” Sanford said, “Tonight, we’re here to do just that. We’re here to mourn together as a community and to pray together for God to comfort us.”

The service included short messages from several people—many pastors and staff of Cottonwood Creek Church—who spoke words of encouragement, read Scripture, and guided those gathered in prayer for the countless people distraught and impacted by the tragedy. More than 30 local representatives and government officials were recognized during the prayer time, including Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Attorney General Ken Paxton, and State Senator Angela Paxton.

As Sanford finished reading the list of elected officials, he addressed the group together to offer his appreciation, saying, “We’re praying for you. We know the weight of the events—like yesterday—weigh on you. You are in our prayers.”

He closed his brief time with prayer. “We seek out your love. We ask for healing for the brokenhearted.”

‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Star Chris Pratt Cites John 15 When Asked About People Criticizing His Faith

Jesse T. Jackson

May 8, 2023

“Guardians of the Galaxy” star Chris Pratt was asked about the criticism he has received from people for being outspoken about his faith in Jesus. Pratt fielded the question at a recent Cinema Society screening for “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” which opened in theaters on May 5.

During an interview at the screening, Page Six reporter, Nicki Gostin, told Pratt that she admired him for being open about his faith. She then used some colorful language to describe criticism Pratt has received and asked him if it’s “a hard thing to do”—remaining faithful to his beliefs despite the naysayers.

“Oh, yes, I sure do, but it’s nothing new,” the blockbuster actor replied. “If I was of this world they would love me just like that.”

Pratt told the reporter, “But as it is, I’ve chosen out of this world. That’s John 15:18-20.”

The passage Pratt cited was the account of Jesus warning the disciples that the world would hate them for following him because they hated him first:

If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: “A servant is not greater than his master.” If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

The 43-year-old actor explained how he handles those who object to his faith, among other challenges, saying, “Oh, just how you deal with anything,” he said. “Like a rhino, stick your head down, you keep driving forward, you have thick skin and if anyone gets in your way, you stick the horn right up their a**!”

Pratt made headlines for his acceptance award speech at the 2018 MTV Movie TV Awards because he gave the audience and those watching the broadcast throughout the world “9 Rules for Life.” Two of those rules were “God is real. God loves you. He wants the best for you. Believe that. I do,” and “Learn to pray. It’s easy, and it’s so good for your soul.”

What the Church Is Missing About Moms—Barna, MOPS Reveal Surprising New Research

Jessica Lea

May 8, 2023

Mothers are the primary influencers on the faith of their children, yet many churches are not serving moms well, and many mothers feel they are not contributing to the world in a meaningful way. These were among the startling findings that Barna and MOPS International revealed on Thursday (May 4).

“Mothers are evangelists, forming the faith of the next generation,” said Savannah Kimberlin, Associate Vice President of Church Engagement at Barna Group, and a mother herself. “Mothers truly are uniquely placed to create a difference and to raise up the leaders of tomorrow and the Christians of tomorrow.” Yet, said Kimberlin, “Mothers are notably underserved by the church, according to Barna data.”

Kelli Smith, Vice President of Marketing and Church Engagement at MOPS International, said that the research is “timely” and “impactful” as it shines light on the “untapped, latent power that exists in moms that is sitting in our churches.”

MOPS International, Barna Find Surprising Insights on Moms

Barna Group, a Christian research organization that studies faith and culture, has partnered with MOPS International, a Christian organization that connects and supports moms, to create the “State of Motherhood” project. The report will be released in the fall, and the two groups revealed a sneak peek of their findings in a webinar Thursday.

Kimberlin presented the data, sharing first that mothers are extremely influential on the faith of their children. When asked who they would be most likely to talk to about questions of faith, 62% of practicing Christian teens said mothers, 40% fathers, 20% a sibling, 6% a grandparent, and 13% a close friend.

When asked who they would be most likely to talk to about the Bible, 61% of practicing Christian teens chose mothers, 42% fathers, 28% a sibling, 6% a grandparent, and 12% a close friend. “Mothers are disciplemakers, showing the next generation how to grow,” said Kimberlin.

Researchers asked practicing Christian teens about different actions that people in their households take to share their faith. Eighty percent of these teens said their moms were the ones who encouraged them to go to church, 75% said their moms were the ones who talked with them about God’s forgiveness, and 53% said their moms were the ones who taught them about the Bible.

Yet the data shows that churches are not spending much effort in investing in mothers. When confronted with the statement, “My church never provides me with materials specifically intended to help support me as a mother,” 47% of mothers agreed. And when pastors were asked if they felt that they were serving moms well, only 21% said yes, while 52% said they could do a better job.

Put another way, Kimberlin said, half of churches in the U.S. are saying they need to improve in serving moms. She then went on to share one of the most surprising findings of the study, which is that “fewer than half of mothers feel content and emotionally safe within their community.”

Pastor John Gray to Ransomware Attackers: ‘Leave the Things of God Alone’

Stephanie Martin

May 8, 2023

John Gray, senior pastor of Relentless Church in Greenville, South Carolina, has vowed not to let a recent ransomware attack impede his ministry. After the nondenominational megachurch faced an April 29 online breach, it enlisted a security team to investigate and to protect private information.

Nearby Spartanburg County was also targeted by a ransomware attack recently, but authorities haven’t indicated if the cases are connected.

John Gray: ‘You’re Attacking the God That We Serve’

During a ransomware attack, perpetrators threaten victims by blocking, publishing, or corrupting their data unless a ransom is paid. Relentless Church hasn’t indicated what type of data might have been targeted and/or compromised—or what type of ransom was demanded (or whether the church paid it).

“We are very confident that our data is secured, and our congregation’s information is protected,” Pastor Gray said in a statement. He also indicated that malicious entities would not intimidate or slow down the church. “We’re going to continue with ministry as usual,” he said, “and we’re not going to allow this to stop us or hinder us in any way.”

To the people or group responsible for the ransomware attack, Gray said, “Anyone who would seek to harm a church, you’re not attacking us. You’re attacking the God that we serve, and you don’t want to go against him.” The pastor added, “If I were you, I’d leave the things of God alone, and make an honest living instead of trying to steal from people who are doing their best to live a right, upright life.”

Data Breach Can Be ‘Catastrophic’

Speaking to TV station WYFF4, technology expert Danny Tang said, “People think [ransomware] attacks happen from some guy in the basement with a screen of code coming down typing away, penetrating some technology with their technical expertise. That’s usually not how this happens. It happens through an email that comes from a malicious actor pretending to be someone that the recipient trusts.”

Although ransomware attacks are on the rise, churches don’t usually tend to be victimized, according to Tang. That doesn’t mean congregations shouldn’t be prepared, however. “In the event of a breach, it can be very catastrophic for an organization,” Tang said. He recommends treating any suspicious-looking emails with care, verifying information by calling the sender, and backing up vital data on an additional, off-site server.

Scott Sauls, Author and Nashville Pastor, Placed on Indefinite Leave of Absence

Bob Smietana

May 8, 2023

(RNS) — The Rev. Scott Sauls, an influential evangelical Christian pastor and author, has been placed on an indefinite leave of absence from the Nashville church he has pastored since 2012.

His leave was announced Sunday (May 7) during a member meeting at Christ Presbyterian, a prominent Presbyterian Church in America congregation.

In a video message to the congregation, Sauls apologized for an unhealthy leadership style that harmed the people who worked for him and the church.

“I verbalized insensitive and verbal criticism of others’ work,” he said, according to a recording of the meeting shared with Religion News Service. “I’ve used social media and the pulpit to quiet dissenting viewpoints. I’ve manipulated facts to support paths that I desire.”

Sauls made clear he had not been involved in any sexual sin or substance abuse. He said that he would seek counseling and repentance during his leave and that he hoped to someday reconcile with the people he had harmed.

“I am grieved to say that I have hurt people,” he said. “I want to say to all of you that I am sorry.”

The leave comes after an investigation by Christ Presbyterian itself and by the Nashville Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America. That investigation was prompted by a letter sent from a number of former Christ Presbyterian staffers who raised concerns about Sauls’ conduct as a leader.

During Sunday’s Christ Presbyterian meeting, members also heard from the church’s elders, who said they hoped the leave would to healing and reconciliation. The elders also admitted their own shortcomings in allowing an unhealthy culture on the church’s staff.

Sauls’ standing as a pastor will also be reviewed at an upcoming meeting of the Nashville Presbytery. According to the denomination’s rules, he is considered a “teaching elder” whose status as a minister is overseen by that local presbytery. That presbytery will have the final say over the length and conditions of Sauls’ leave.

Neil Spence, a PCA pastor and Stated Clerk of the Nashville Presbytery, said in an email that Sauls is a member of the group and in good standing.

He had no comment about Sauls’ situation when asked to confirm whether the Presbytery would address his status as a pastor. He did explain some of the presbytery’s processes.

“Nashville Presbytery will meet soon to deal with any matters properly brought before us,” he said in an email. “Presbytery as a whole will decide whether a censure such as suspension from office is warranted. It would be imprudent for me to try to predict what Presbytery will do.”

John Blake, Journalist on Religion and Race, Goes Personal With New Memoir

Adelle M Banks

May 8, 2023

(RNS) — Journalist John Blake, who has long written about religion and race in America, decided it was time to write about his personal story at the intersection of faith and color.

The author of “More than I Imagined: What a Black Man Discovered About the White Mother He Never Knew” recounts how multiracial churches helped lead him to learn to love and forgive the white side of his family.

Such lessons about race, says the CNN senior writer and producer, should be heeded by churches across the country.

“Let’s be blunt about it: It’s really about white churches dealing with their racism,” he said in an interview. “If white leaders are willing to share power, I know they can be successful because I’ve seen them do it. They will not survive if they don’t learn how to accept and integrate nonwhite Christians into their communities of worship.”

Blake, 58, a member of a Presbyterian Church (USA) congregation in Atlanta, talked with Religion News Service about why he decided to reveal his story and how he hopes to model how the church and the country can overcome racial division.

“We really need to tell these stories about hope because I feel like there’s a lot of Americans now who have given up on any kind of racial transformation and believe racism is just a permanent part of American life.”

The interview was edited for length and clarity.

When you were a child, your typically nonreligious father placed you in a foster home that he considered a gift from God, but you described it as a vile, hate-filled place. How did that experience affect your sense of God?

It was hard to believe in God as a kid when you have this entire side of your family who wants no contact with you. I’m staying in these foster homes and always wondering: Where is my mom, and where is her family? However, it was in those foster homes that I was introduced to the power of the Black church, and that gave me spiritual tools to cope with a lot of what I was dealing with, and it would later give me spiritual tools to reconcile with the white members of my family — the focus on how do you deal with suffering, how to be resilient, how to still have joy, how to still have hope for tomorrow.

You wrote of growing up with hostility toward white people, saying, “It’s easier to despise a group of people you have no personal contact with.” How does that relate to your becoming a “closeted biracial person,” who didn’t want to acknowledge that your mother was white?

When I grew up in this all-Black neighborhood in Baltimore that would later become the setting for the HBO series “The Wire,” nobody came to me and said, “You should hate white people.” They didn’t have to. It was just in the environment. It was like humidity. I couldn’t help but absorb it. Because of that, I didn’t want anyone to know I had a white mother. It was a mark of shame, and so I would mark her race as “Black” on school forms.

Pat, left, and John Blake with their mother, Shirley Dailey. Courtesy of John Blake

You mentioned that you were drawn to the stories of Jesus and his “obliterating any divisions — ethnic, gender, class — that stood between people.” Did your study of the Bible help you develop a new way of thinking about your identity?

It was indispensable to developing my new identity when, for example, people began to reach out to me in college about being a Christian, and I started going to churches. All this talk about salvation and cross and redemption — that didn’t mean that much to me. But when I saw white, Black and brown people in those churches hugging one another, praying with one another and calling each other brother and sister, that was the thing that converted me. And as I began to learn more about Jesus, I no longer saw some white dude who lived 2,000 years ago. I saw a man of color, who knew what it was to be exploited, to be oppressed, and yet he didn’t give in to the hatred, the ethnic divisions of his time.

You cite the concept of “contact theory,” which showed that racial prejudice can decline if, in some circumstances, different racial groups were less isolated from one another. How do you think that applies to churches and other religious spaces?

The church is one of those few communal spaces left in our country today that has a chance to bring together people of different races because people are so self-sorting now. They’re retreating into their ideological, their racial camps. But for contact theory to work, churches must understand there’s a huge difference between a racially mixed church and an integrated church. A racially mixed church is when people of different colors share a pew. An integrated church is where people share pews, and people of different races share power.

Latino Faith Leaders Continue Pressure Against Gov. Ron Desantis’ Immigration Bill

Alejandra Molina

May 8, 2023

(RNS) — Latino faith leaders continue to push Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to reconsider a sweeping immigration bill that, among other things, invalidates driver’s licenses issued to undocumented immigrants in other states.

A latest effort includes a petition — spearheaded by Evangélicos for Justice — that has garnered hundreds of signatures from Latino pastors, faith leaders and congregants who are urging DeSantis to veto the bill, known as SB 1718.

This action comes just days after the Florida Legislature on Tuesday gave final approval for the bill that now heads to the governor’s office to be signed into law.

“This legislation, if adopted, would incite fear and create barriers of needed care that our church immigrant and refugee ministries engage. Through this legislation, the State of Florida is creating barriers to churches from fulfilling their mission to welcome and care for immigrants,” said the petition.

This latest letter, which includes more than 20 pages of signatures, has been submitted to the governor, said Agustin Quiles, a director of government affairs for the Florida Fellowship of Hispanic Bishops and Evangelical Institutions.

Signatories include leaders like Bishop Ángel Marcial, president of the Florida Fellowship of Hispanic Bishops and Evangelical Institutions, which represents more than 2,500 churches and organizations across the state; the Rev. Abner Adorno, superintendent of the Assemblies of God’s Florida Multicultural District; and the Rev. Ruben Ortiz, global coordinator for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

Latino evangelical pastors and faith leaders have staged demonstrations outside the Florida State Capitol to pray and advocate for immigrants who will be impacted by the bill. They’ve delivered handwritten letters to the governor and have sought to meet with Senator Blaise Ingoglia, who is sponsoring the bill.

The measure expands requirements for businesses with more than 25 staffers to use the federal E-Verify to check if employees can legally work in the U.S. It allows authorities to charge people with human trafficking if they knowingly transport an undocumented immigrant across state lines. The bill also requires hospitals receiving Medicaid to inquire about citizenship on intake forms.

Latino pastors have expressed fear they could get arrested simply for serving immigrant communities. Many churches provide food and shelter for those in need, which can include immigrants and unaccompanied immigrant children. Pastors often take ailing congregants to the hospital. Congregations travel to worship retreats, and church vans frequently pick up and drop off church members.

The bill has been amended to ensure human smuggling charges only apply to those transporting people from outside the country to Florida, as reported by the Pensacola News Journal.

Though a relatively small demographic, Latino evangelicals are a fast-growing faith group in the United States and one that 2024 presidential campaigns will work hard to capture. However, many in the community caution that they are not easily swayed by traditional right-left arguments, even as more than half of Florida’s Latinos voted for DeSantis’ reelection last year.

The Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, who serves as president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, wrote in a May 2 article for Newsweek that he shares the governor’s concerns about illegal immigration but noted that “this particular bill is not the solution.”

Rodriguez wrote that this piece of legislation “has the potential to jeopardize hard-won pro-life, pro-family, and pro-religious freedom victories in the long term.”

As a California pastor, Rodriguez urged DeSantis to “abandon this bill altogether” to avoid what happened in his state when Republican lawmakers in the 1990s pushed Prop 187 legislation that prevented undocumented immigrants from accessing public services. The measure passed and was blocked by a federal judge, and voter registration for the Democratic Party surged.

Rodriguez added: “Pastors and church-based volunteers have no interest in helping people violate immigration laws. But we do want to proclaim the gospel and ‘make disciples of all nations.’”

This article originally appeared here.

How Our Leadership Weaknesses Becomes Strength With God

Dan Reiland

May 8, 2023

Leaders are often reluctant to acknowledge and accept their weaknesses.

I can understand that. I’m often reluctant too. I’m trained to “overcome” my weaknesses and lead out of my strength, and that things like resilience and discipline are core to successful leadership. I agree. It makes sense, God gave you and I unique gifts, strengths, passion and ability so we can lead out our calling at our best.

That is the aim, to lead at our best in alignment with God’s plan, but it might be a shortsighted aim if we don’t understand how weakness fits in. And if so, we’ll miss the real target of our fullest potential.

Why?

Weakness is part of humanity. There is no escaping that truth.

And God uses it for His glory and our good.

As leaders we have limitations. Most of us are reluctant to accept them, but that doesn’t make them any less real. In fact, that usually makes our limitations a greater liability and ultimately short-changes our leadership potential.

A weakness or limitation is different than being a weak person or a limited leader. It’s an acknowledgement of your humanity and gives you clues to how God wants to use you.

The chinks in your armor allow you to develop empathy and compassion. They give you insight to human nature. They help you genuinely connect with people. Without these things it’s difficult to lead with God’s heart.

The truth is, we rarely find our fullest potential as a leader outside of pain, some failure, and a connected sense of our own suffering.

The apostle Paul wrote about his own experience.

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:8-10)

There is something we need to acknowledge here.

God never intended for our weakness to become permission for excuses, but to remind us that He is the true source of our strength.

Weakness Becoming Strength:

1. Get Honest About Your Weakness and Accept It as Something God Wants to Use.

What is your weakness?
What is your struggle?
Where do you get stuck?

It’s important that you know.

It would be virtually impossible to list every specific possibility, but what might your main category be? Here are a few examples.

Lack of confidence: Such as doubting and second guessing yourself, or like fear of risk.
Insecurity: Perhaps the narrative about your family of origin. Or past hurts.
Pleasing people or performance for approval: This changes things, like how you make or don’t make decisions and how you establish priorities.
Your emotions get the best of you: This is common. Anger, discouragement, frustration saps the strength from you and can push people away.
Anxiety: Not a clinical level struggle, but that low-grade anxiousness or common anxieties that rob your peace and joy. There’s a subtle uneasiness in your gut.

We Don’t Need Cops in the Pulpit — We Need the Yoke of Discipleship

Ray Hollenbach

May 8, 2023

My daughter saves her deepest theological questions for bedtime. She doesn’t give a rip about theology, but she cares deeply about delaying bedtime. If Daddy is foolish enough to take the bait on Who-made-God-type questions, she wins. Even though her greatest need is rest, she thinks her late-night allies are unsolvable religious questions. In the end, everyone ends up sleepy and confused. So it is with preachers: Let’s preach about current political events; let’s preach about the state of the church worldwide; let’s crusade against the high-profile fools of Christendom and expose them for charlatans—in fact, let’s do anything other than preaching about taking the yoke of discipleship.

I’m just wondering, have you ever seen anyone win a religious argument? The only reason a crowd gathers is simply to watch a good fight, never mind who wins.

We Need the Yoke of Discipleship

The Apostle Paul, that great intellect of the first generation church, was capable of winning nearly any argument, but with each passing year he lost interest in being God’s cop and gave himself more and more to being God’s herald. Consider this amazing trope from his letter to the Philippians:

Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. Because of my chains, most of the brothers in the Lord have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.

It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. —Philippians 1: 12-18

He actually rejoiced even as others tried to make his life more complicated! This passage is filled with marvels—and instruction—for every student of Jesus. Paul, thrown in prison because he declared the gospel, looks out from his house arrest in Rome to see and hear a wide variety of evangelists continuing his work. He knows that some are simply trying to pour gas on the fire of his persecution. These interlopers actually mean to do him harm, but Paul doesn’t care. He focuses on the gospel and delights that the message goes forth. Could you do that? Could you ignore your enemies and celebrate the sound of the Kingdom—even if it is sounded off-key?

Tracking the Trends in Worship

Tom Lawson

May 8, 2023

Welcomed or not, the contemporary music-centered approach to worship that has been both dominant and effective in most large and megachurch worship services is being challenged. This challenge, however, does not come from traditionalists who are still demanding a return to the Hammond B3 and southern gospel. This challenge, which has been slowly growing over the past decade, is coming from the same age-group that once pioneered praise bands and raising hands: Teens and young adults are challenging the trends in worship.

Tracking the Trends in Worship

Fortunately, the shift does not seem to be as sudden or as dramatic as when the college graduates who grew up in the 1970s and ’80s entered into church leadership roles in the 1990s. That era was one in which two dramatically different approaches to worship, especially the style and role of music, came into direct conflict in the so-called worship wars.

There is strong anecdotal evidence that points to an increasing number of young adults who have grown up in evangelical churches being drawn toward trends in worship experiences that are more intimate, less polished and often more liturgical than the worship of their home churches.

In a recent survey taken in our required (for all students) worship class, the results seem to demonstrate the shift is already at the point where those leading worship need to at least make note of it. Admittedly, a sample of 30 students is too small to provide proof. But, since the class is made up of the general student population (as opposed to only those involved in worship leading), it does provide an opportunity to take the general pulse of where (at least our) college students are in regard to approaches to corporate worship. The average age in the class is about 20.

4 Purposes of Church Leadership

Gavin Adams

May 6, 2023

Why does your church need leadership? I realize this may sound too fundamental of a question, but for the sake of a short conversation, have you ever paused and wondered why churches need leadership?

More specifically, what do church leaders do?

The Bible on Church Leadership

We can find a few references to spiritual leadership in our Bible.

1 Timothy 3:1-7 – This passage provides a list of qualifications for overseers (also known as bishops or pastors) and deacons in the church.

Acts 20:28 – In this verse, the apostle Paul exhorts the church elders in Ephesus to “keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.”

Hebrews 13:17 – This verse instructs the church members to “obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

1 Peter 5:1-4 – In this passage, Peter encourages the church’s elders to “be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be.”

Titus 1:5-9 – This passage provides instructions for appointing elders in the church and lists the qualifications they must meet.

So biblically, we find qualifications (Timothy and Titus) and comparisons (primarily to shepherds and flocks). This is helpful and instructive to a point. If you are a pastor, though, you and I know there’s more to the role.

Or at least some metaphorical unpacking to do.

What’s the Deal With the “Shepherd” Metaphor?

In the first century, shepherds were generally viewed as low-status workers who spent most of their time out in the fields tending to their flocks. Perhaps this is enough of an answer for us church leaders!

But there is more. Shepherds were often seen as uneducated, rough around the edges, and socially isolated from the rest of society. All said, shepherding was not a highly respected occupation, as it was physically demanding and involved working with animals that were not considered clean or pure according to Jewish religious law. Shepherds were often poor and marginalized, and their work was seen as a last resort for those who could not find other forms of employment.

Honestly, I can’t think of a better professional metaphor!

There are some exceptions to this view of shepherds. For example, in the Bible, King David was a shepherd before he became a king and was often praised for his skills. Additionally, in some areas, shepherds were highly valued for their ability to provide food and resources for their communities.

If the sheep could speak, I imagine they’d be grateful for their shepherd. All except the few disgruntled sheep who transferred by letter from another flock where they were also persistently unhappy.

But I digress…

How To “Shepherd” Your Church (and Community) Flock

The authors of scripture used the “shepherding” metaphor consistently for a reason. Most obviously, everyone in the first century was intimately familiar with the shepherd and sheep relationship. Less obvious, at least to modern readers, is the purpose of a shepherd.

Pastor: Are You Asking the Right Questions?

Ray Hollenbach

May 6, 2023

Here’s an old joke that illustrates the pastoral need for asking the right question:

Once there was a boy sitting on a porch, with a dog next to him. A salesman approached the porch and asked the boy, “Does your dog bite?”

“Nope,” said the boy.

The salesman stepped on the porch to ring the doorbell and the dog viciously bit his leg. “I thought you said your dog didn’t bite!” screamed the salesman.

“My dog doesn’t bite,” said the boy. “But that’s not my dog.”

Sometimes asking the right question can make all the difference.

One of the great obstacles in becoming an effective pastor is learning to ask the right questions. The disciples wanted to know who among them was the greatest. The Pharisees wanted to know by what authority Jesus did his powerful works. Pontius Pilate wanted to know, “What is truth?” when Truth Himself was standing right there. It’s clear they all missed the point. What is not so clear is the fact that we, too, can miss the point.

The questions we bring to Jesus can make a big difference in our pastoral work. We live in a religious culture that craves correct answers. I’m afraid Evangelical Christianity places correct answers above relationship with God. Now, there’s nothing wrong with correct answers: we won’t get very far believing that two plus two equals twenty-two. But you can do the math all day long and still not know God.

“There is today no lack of Bible teachers to set forth correctly the principles and doctrines of Christ . . . strangely unaware that there is in their ministry no manifest Presence, nor anything unusual in their personal lives.” ~ A.W. Tozer

What Tozer wrote in the early 1960’s is even more acute today. We have come to God with our list of questions, eager to hear the answers we think are important. We have come to the scriptures with our values and world-views, eager to read into the text those things we think God wants the world to know. We have done this. The church. We have insisted that God speak to our values rather than learning what is on his heart. But learning what is on God’s heart means asking the right question.

I believe we have valued knowledge over experience and relationship. Knowledge is easier to grasp. We can master a subject. Yet there is a kind of knowledge that comes only from experience. It’s the difference between studying the physics of a curve ball and learning to hit one. In the arena of Christianity, it is easier to relate to a book (the Bible) than it is to experience relationship with the Lord Himself. Again, I’m talking about you and me, the church. One reason we reduce evangelism to the narrow message of “Jesus died for your sins” is that it does not require relationship with Jesus on the part of the believer or the prospective believer. The Great Commission–to make disciples–costs everything on the part of the believer and the prospective believer.

Do we really want to know Jesus, or simply know about him? How long would it take to know him? Consider these amazing words from the Apostle Paul, who had walked with Jesus for decades when he wrote:

I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ . . . I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3: 8 & 10 (I omitted verse 9 in order to emphasize Paul’s point.)

Every follower of Jesus should asking the right question: if Paul still desired to know Jesus more and more after two decades, how much more is there for me to experience? Paul was not hungry for doctrine about Jesus. He wanted Christ himself.

Jesus understood the powerful attraction of religious doctrine when he said, “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me.” Sadly, as he spoke to religiously-minded people he concluded, “yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (John 5: 39 – 40) Correct doctrine is important, but it is not the reality. It is the doorstep, not the door. The menu, not the meal. It is the skeleton, not the living body.

The first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord. Love is relational and experiential–and yes, love depends upon the truth as well. We can take a lesson from our own children: we want them to love and trust us, but we do not require that they understand us in every respect. They can even repeat our words back to us, but it does not guarantee that they understand what we have said. In many cases the understanding will come years, even decades, after we are gone.

What questions do we bring to the Lord? What questions do we bring to the scripture? The best answer waits upon asking the right question.

This article originally appeared here, and is used by permission

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When you were a child, your typically nonreligious father placed you in a foster home that he considered a gift from God, but you described it as a vile, hate-filled place. How did that experience affect your sense of God?

You wrote of growing up with hostility toward white people, saying, “It’s easier to despise a group of people you have no personal contact with.” How does that relate to your becoming a “closeted biracial person,” who didn’t want to acknowledge that your mother was white?

You mentioned that you were drawn to the stories of Jesus and his “obliterating any divisions — ethnic, gender, class — that stood between people.” Did your study of the Bible help you develop a new way of thinking about your identity?

You cite the concept of “contact theory,” which showed that racial prejudice can decline if, in some circumstances, different racial groups were less isolated from one another. How do you think that applies to churches and other religious spaces?

Weakness Becoming Strength:

1. Get Honest About Your Weakness and Accept It as Something God Wants to Use.

We Need the Yoke of Discipleship

Tracking the Trends in Worship

The Bible on Church Leadership

What’s the Deal With the “Shepherd” Metaphor?

How To “Shepherd” Your Church (and Community) Flock

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