‘The Chosen’ Now Available in More Than 300 Prisons, Reaching Tens of Thousands Prisoners

By

-

May 3, 2023

The first-ever multi-season series about the life of Jesus, “The Chosen,” is about to reach even more people: those in prisons around the country. Through a collaborative effort, Prison Fellowship is making the life-changing series available to more than 300 prisons.

“The Chosen” has experienced success from the beginning. Fundraising goals for each season have not only been met—but surpassed—by individual and corporate sources. And, the series is well on its way to being translated into hundreds of languages and promoted in vastly different cultures. The story of Jesus continues with Season 4, expected to release in 2024.

Critics from all walks of life have questioned the content, approach, and reach of the hit series. Creators have received accusations of misrepresenting Jesus and connections with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Director, Dallas Jenkins, has addressed how he deals with “toxic” and “untrue” criticism.

While the ever-popular series is free to stream directly from the new Chosen app and across mainstream services — including Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Peacock — streaming isn’t allowed in prisons.

According to prison chaplain Paul Neilsen, who commented on the news on Facebook, “In most prisons, there is no internet and we’re not allowed to stream. but we can show DVDs and the guys can have DVDs in the cell houses.”

And, that’s where Floodlight comes in. “Floodlight®, a closed-circuit video streaming service, was created and developed by Prison Fellowship in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” explained the ministry. “As a result of this partnership, prisons around the country are now able to stream or order a DVD copy of ‘The Chosen’ completely free of charge.”

Prison Fellowship Announces ‘The Chosen’ Will Be Shown in Prisons

“We are thrilled to announce a partnership with the Come and See Foundation to stream The Chosen—a multi-season series about the life and ministry of Jesus—into more than 300 prisons across the United States,” Prison Fellowship posted on Facebook.

Prison Fellowship’s President and CEO James Ackerman said, “This life-changing television series that has become a phenomenon around the world will soon be available to tens of thousands of incarcerated men and women on the Prison Fellowship Floodlight platform, thanks to the Come and See Foundation.”

“Our prayer is that it will impact the lives of those currently incarcerated by bringing healing and a deeper desire for Jesus!” mentioned Ackerman.

This post is receiving immense positive feedback around the country. “Awesome news!!” said Toni. “I support Prison Fellowship and am delighted that incarcerated individuals will have access to the Chosen. It’s a wonderful fit with everything the organization accomplishes in giving them important second chances!! ❤️”

Angela mentioned, “It’s already in the Texas prisons.” Sissy hopes the series will be available in California prisons as well.

And Frances shared how “The Chosen” is already having an impact on those in her local prison: “We are showing it at our local facility! Our ladies love it!” Frances continued, “They are asking questions & they said it brings the Bible to life!💕🙏”

Glenn Packiam: How Pastors Can Develop Healthy Rhythms in Our ‘New Normal’

By

Jessica Lea

-

May 3, 2023

The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast · Glenn Packiam: How Pastors Can Develop Healthy Rhythms in Our ‘New Normal’

Rev. Dr. Glenn Packiam is the lead pastor of Rockharbor Church in Costa Mesa, California. He is a Senior Fellow at Barna Group and an ordained priest with the Anglican Church of North America. Glenn is the author of several books, including “The Resilient Pastor: Leading Your Church in a Rapidly Changing World,” and his most recent, co-authored with his wife, Holly, “The Intentional Year: Simple Rhythms for Finding Freedom, Peace, and Purpose.”

Other Ways To Listen to This Podcast With Glenn Packiam

► Listen on Amazon
► Listen on Apple
► Listen on Google
► Listen on Spotify
► Listen on YouTube

Key Questions for Glenn Packiam

-What are some major markers of pastoral health, and how do you think pastors are doing in general?

-What does it look like to develop healthy rhythms in our “new normal”?

-Do you have any new observations about the overall health of pastors since your book “The Resilient Pastor” was released last year?

-What does it look like for pastors to seek ways for others to speak into their lives?

Key Quotes From Glenn Packiam

“One of the markers of health is that we’re able to have some sense of agency in our own life, and we use that agency in a way that creates rhythms and intentionality.”

“The surest way to get towards a place of despair is to feel like you have no control over your life or over the world.”

“My wife, Holly, and I, what we really feel burdened by is to be able to say to pastors particularly, ‘Ok, what about the rhythms in your own life, in your own home?’”

“That’s true for so many pastors…we’re just kind of soldiering on. We don’t even stop to reflect and review.”

“What we need as pastors is we need to create that space to center the voice of the Lord to say to us, ‘This is what this season is for and this is what you need to give your attention to for this season.’”

“A good farmer does the work that fits the season.”

“There’s a page we can take from the playbook of people who write and study on habits…some people call it the idea of ‘stacking’ or ‘bundling.’ The concept is when you do one thing, make it the moment that you do these other things as well.”

“We want people to live rhythmically rather than sporadically.”

SBC Executive Committee Rejects Nominee Jared Wellman and Restarts Search for CEO

By

Bob Smietana

-

May 3, 2023

Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee member Jared Wellman speaks during a meeting June 14, 2021, in Nashville, Tennessee. RNS photo by Adelle M. Banks

(RNS) — The Southern Baptist Convention’s effort to fill the top administrative post on its Executive Committee will start from scratch after members of the committee rejected Texas pastor Jared Wellman on Monday (May 1) by a vote of 50-31.

The vote seemed to reflect disappointment that Wellman, who had been chairman of the Executive Committee for nearly three years before resigning in mid-April, was nominated despite being an ex-officio member of the search committee for the new CEO and president.

His role on the search committee had become an issue in the days before the vote — after A.B. Vines, a prominent Black SBC pastor, raised concerns about the search process in a letter to the committee and in a series of Tweets.

Jared Wellman's Church, Tate Springs Baptist Church, sponsored Cornerstone in our inception. We are fellow Pastors in Arlington. I've had nothing but positive interaction with Wellman. However, I affirm every single word in the attached probative letter from Rev. A.B. Vines. pic.twitter.com/pFdumQVzqk

— Dwight McKissic (@pastordmack) April 27, 2023

“How does an Ex-Officio officer involved in most of the process get an interview in a process he helps develop?” Vines, a former SBC vice president, asked in the letter, which was reposted on social media.

Vines and other critics of the process also asked why interim President Willie McLaurin, who is Black, had been passed over by the search committee. McLaurin has served as interim since the resignation of former President and CEO Ronnie Floyd in October 2021. No SBC entity has ever had a top leader of color.

Wellman reportedly recused himself from the search committee after he became a candidate in January, though his move was not made public until recently, and Wellman had presided over a regular meeting of the Executive Committee in February. His mid-April departure from the committee itself was also not made public until days before the vote.

The Texas pastor, who was elected chairman in June 2022, had served on the committee since 2015. He came to prominence due to his advocacy for abuse reform. In particular, he advocated for the committee to waive privilege as part of an investigation into how SBC leaders had dealt with the issue of abuse. Doing so allowed investigators from Guidepost Solutions to see communication between SBC leaders and their attorneys and allowed their findings to be made public without any control by the Executive Committee.

He has also served repeatedly on the denomination’s Committee on Resolutions, which plays a high profile role during the SBC’s annual meeting.

Operating mostly out of the spotlight, the Executive Committee president and CEO plays a key role in the nation’s largest Protestant denomination and oversees the denomination’s operations between annual meetings, held most years in June. The president and CEO also helps raise money for the Cooperative Program, which funds much of the denomination’s national and international ministry.

Though the role has little formal authority and oversees only a few dozen staff members, the president and CEO has a great deal of influence, in part because it is a long-term appointment that comes with a salary. By contrast, the SBC’s president is a volunteer who is term-limited.

The last two people to lead the Executive Committee resigned in less than ideal circumstances. Frank Page, who held the office from 2010 to 2018, left after admitting misconduct. Floyd, who held the office from 2019 to 2021, left in the fallout of the SBC’s abuse scandal.

Whoever is eventually named president and CEO will face a series of challenges, including denominational conflict, a Department of Justice investigation into abuse, and the complicated work of implementing abuse reforms.

Wellman, who is pastor of Tate Springs Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, was gracious in accepting the vote.

“It’s been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve the Southern Baptist Convention through the Executive Committee,” Wellman told committee members, according to Baptist Press, the SBC’s official news publication.

After the failed vote, the Executive Committee appointed a new search committee, which will begin the process over. This new committee is less diverse than the committee that nominated Wellman, which had several members of color.

This article originally appeared here.

How Can We Avoid Becoming Cynics of the Cynicism and Negativity on Social Media and in the Body of Christ?

By

Randy Alcorn

-

May 3, 2023

In a discussion with some friends about social media, one of them recently wrote, “It’s so difficult to wade through social media attacks and gang wars. That’s why I can’t bear to be on social media.”

I totally understand. Nothing makes me more cynical than listening to cynical people, and even though my cynicism is directed at them, it is still unhealthy.

I don’t read much social media, as I tend to be very selective, but as soon as I see people ganging up, whether or not I am sympathetic to some of their concerns, I stop reading. My feeling is that their comments are not about reality, but about them. Their cynicism, their weariness with life, and their judgmental spirit is poison, and I don’t think it’s helpful to drink poison, even if you think you’re immune to it.

Charles Spurgeon said, “Warm-hearted saints keep each other warm, but cold is also contagious.” How true that is, especially on social media.

I am generally pleased with my Facebook page, and the kinds of responses we get. (The fact that our EPM staff give an explanation or a link in the comments from time to time helps foster a more positive spirit.) Sure, there are always the people who didn’t actually read the article or maybe glanced at it and assume we’re saying something that we’re really not.

For example, someone posted in response to my blog article that they were surprised (and obviously disappointed) that I clearly didn’t know the whole story about some of the people in the Jesus Revolution film. Of course, that meant they hadn’t read the article. Sure enough, another commenter said something like “you obviously haven’t read the article, since Randy addresses that.” But then the person who made the criticism came back and admitted they hadn’t read the article and said that they now would. And I thought, sometimes critical readers actually are open to correction. It is always a beautiful thing to see people offer correction that turns around somebody’s thinking.

That encouraged me, but it also struck me once again how utterly ridiculous it is (and how embarrassed anyone should be!) to draw conclusions and make comments without even reading an article. I wonder sometimes if they assume that I don’t know about the bad stuff that also happened related to a given subject. It’s as if everything is black and white, and anything that happens must be all good or all bad. The blindness that goes with that approach to life is itself poison. To use a recent example, the Asbury revival must be all of God or all of the devil, and the moment I see anything that I think is of the devil (or God, for that matter), therefore it must all be.

This is why I find Romans 14–15 so comforting and encouraging. We can have different convictions, even in relatively significant areas, and still be united in Christ. But so much social media turns people into petty little arrogant presumptuous critics. It reminds me of what J.I. Packer said in Knowing God about the difference between travelers and “balconeers.” There are those people actually traveling the road of the Christian life, and there are those who don’t really walk the road; rather, they just sit up in the balcony and look down on those walking the road, and think their view allows them to understand what it means to walk the road.

Scot McKnight: Overcoming a Toxic Church Culture

By

Jason Daye

-

May 2, 2023

What happens when toxicity seeps into the culture of our local church? In this week’s conversation on FrontStage BackStage, host Jason Daye is joined by Scot McKnight, Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary. Scot has written over 80 books, including a church called Tov, which he co-authored with his daughter, Laura Behringer. Together, Scot and Jason explore how we, as ministry leaders, can assess our churches and look for areas of toxicity. Scot also shares how we can overcome those toxic areas and nurture a culture of goodness.

FrontStage BackStage Podcast Scot McKnight

View the entire podcast here.

Keep Learning

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

Podcast Links

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

‘A Light in the Darkness’ — LFO’s Brad Fischetti Clings to His Faith After Multiple Band Members Die from Cancer

By

Janna Firestone

-

May 2, 2023

Brad Fischetti is the last surviving member of the band, LFO (Lyte Funkie Ones). The band rose to fame in 1999 with its Billboard hit, “Summer Girls,” before experiencing a series of tragedies over the years. While recounting the band’s tragic history, Fischetti said, “I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know that I do my best to stay strong in my faith.”

The other two original members, Devin Lima and Rich Cronin, both died after battles with cancer years ago. Most recently, however, Brian “Brizz” Gillis, a newer band member, died in March 2023. Fans have claimed the band is cursed, but Fishcetti doesn’t accept that label.

Brad Fischetti Describes LFO’s ‘Tragic Story’

LFO “burst on the scene” back in 1999 in Massachusetts and celebrated many hits with their unique R&B and pop-rap sound.

Fischetti recalled that when he heard of Gillis’s passing, “I was just completely dumbfounded. I was just shocked. I was sort of in a fog for about two days.”

“But I have always said since the death of Rich and Devin that the LFO story is a tragic story,” Fischetti told Fox News Digital. “And so what I’m trying to do in this tragedy is shed light in the darkness. You know, I really do believe that through great struggle comes great grace.”

“And so I think about how those guys would want me to live, what they would want me to do,” he continued, “And we have no control over what happens to us. But we have the ability to respond – and responsibility. And so I choose and have chosen to respond in a positive way to try to bring some peace and some love and some joy into what is a very tragic story.”

The story of LFO extends beyond Cronin, Lima, and Gillis. Other deaths associated with the band include recording label rep Kelly Schweinsberg, the band’s keyboardist, LFO’s choreographer, and a producer.

According to TMZ, Fischetti “says he’s not scared by the fact death seems to come early to those involved with the band … He’s alive and well, and touring in their honor.”

With thousands of views and many comments, fans are sharing their shock and condolences. Some fans didn’t realize so many people associated with LFO had passed at young ages.

“My heart breaks for Brad….. the last remaining member of LFO. 😥 To lose so many incredible bandmates (all at such a young age) who shared their beautiful gift of music & soulful voices with the entire world is truly heartbreaking, devastating & sad!!!” a commenter named Philip wrote. “I pray for all of their loved ones & millions of fans whose lives they touched with their gifts. Rip.”

Another commenter, Rey, encouraged the last band member, Fischetti. “God bless you bro! I been a fan since I was a kid. 39 now. We know as God’s children God can take something bad and in his mysterious ways turn it into something good… Stay up bro! Keep the faith and God bless you and your famz.”

While Fischetti appreciates the encouragement from fans, he says his losses are no different than those of anyone else. Fischetti said, “I try my best to do God’s will and try to be a light in the darkness.”

As Fishcetti was navigating so much deep loss and hurt, he and his wife decided he should talk with his doctor, who referred Fischetti to a psychiatrist. “The problem,” he said, “is a lot of us are not vulnerable enough to admit when we need help.” Fischetti recognizes the impact his entire team of supporters has had on his life.

Jackie Hill Perry Warns That Beyoncé’s Music Has a Demonic Influence

By

Jessica Lea

-

May 2, 2023

Author and speaker Jackie Hill Perry has made waves on social media for saying that the music of Beyoncé and Kehlani has a demonic influence on people. Perry specifically addressed the singers’ promotion of non-Christian deities in music that celebrates Black identity.

“I don’t know who told us you got to be a witch to be Black,” said Perry in an Instagram clip of her speaking at a Glory event. “You are not more Black by engaging in witchcraft. That is still propagating a white supremacist lie that Black people in Africa didn’t know Jesus.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jackie Hill Perry (@jackiehillperry)

“I am angry that the powers that be — in social media and in culture and in music and in Beyoncé’s music and in Kehlani’s music and in whatever the others are,” Perry continued, “like I’m angry that they are really trying to convince us that all spiritualism is the same. And we have digested this impurity. We want so bad not to be legalistic that we actually become profane. We want so bad to have all these freedoms that we are entertaining demons.”

Jackie Hill Perry No Longer Listens to Beyoncé

Jackie Hill Perry is a poet, Bible teacher, and artist. She is the author of “Gay Girl, Good God: The Story of Who I Was, and Who God Has Always Been” and “Holier Than Thou: How God’s Holiness Helps Us Trust Him.”

Perry has partnered with Lifeway to hold Glory events, gatherings where women around the country worship God and study his Word. She concluded her recent Glory clip by warning that items with a demonic influence can cause harm in people’s lives. “And you wonder why you are depressed,” she said. “And you wonder why you are anxious. And you wonder why you have nightmares. And you wonder why you can’t sleep. And you wonder why you see things in your room at night. It’s because you’re opening up doors to all kinds of demons. Close them.”

Perry concluded, “Whatever you got in your home that’s witchcraft—throw it away. Throw it away. Burn everything you got because we are women who are going to love God with all of our heart and all of our mind and all of our soul. We are not going to imitate the detestable practices of the nations.”

Jackie Hill Perry is not the only influencer who has recently used her platform to warn Christians against the dangers of Beyoncé. In February, a self-described prophet named Tiphani Montgomery warned her followers that Beyoncé is a “witch” and her fans are a “coven.”

Perry has not stated she believes that Beyoncé is practicing witchcraft as such and even explained her concerns about the artist in detail in a video posted Feb. 15.

‘I Am Christian. That’s Not What We Stand For’—Taylor Swift’s Political Comments Resurface As She Returns to Tennessee

By

Stephanie Martin

-

May 2, 2023

taylor swift is christian — Screenshot from TikTok / @swifts.clips

Ahead of Taylor Swift’s upcoming Nashville concerts, the singer-songwriter’s past comments about political involvement and Christian faith are going viral. The pop star, a registered voter in Tennessee, is playing three “Eras Tour” concerts at Nissan Stadium May 5 to 7.

Swift hadn’t spoken publicly about politics or religion until 2018, when she endorsed two Democratic congressional nominees in Tennessee. The musician took a particularly strong stance against U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, whom Swift accused of opposing equal rights for women and gay people. “These are not MY Tennessee values,” Swift posted online.

In June 2022, after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Swift tweeted, “I’m absolutely terrified that this is where we are – that after so many decades of people fighting for women’s rights to their own bodies, today’s decision has stripped us of that.”

Taylor Swift: Christians Don’t Stand for Inequality

The 2020 documentary “Miss Americana” featured a candid peek at Swift’s decision to use her platform for social advocacy. In a two-minute clip from 2018 that’s now recirculating, the singer had a heated discussion with her parents and team. Although Swift’s father and another man expressed concerns about the singer’s safety and fan base, Swift was adamant about needing to go public and be “on the right side of history.”

@swifts.clips Replying to @formicality FULL SCENE of her talking about her politics! #swifttok #swifties #taylorswift #swiftie #marshablackburn #tennessee #democrat #feminism #lgbt #missamericana ♬ original sound – swift clips

Swift said she regretted not speaking out during the 2016 presidential election, because “really basic human rights” are at stake. Politicians disguise their stance “behind Tennessee Christian values,” she said, adding, “I live in Tennessee. I am Christian. That’s not what we stand for.”

On May 1, Lance Cotten shared that clip on Twitter, garnering thousands of likes. “That moment Taylor Swift tells her dad she’s not staying quiet anymore!” he writes. “She is finally going to ignite her base! Listen till the end #taylorswift well done!”

Someone who retweeted the clip wrote, “I realize it’s from a few years ago, but I needed the reminder tonight.” Another person commented, “I am surprised [Swift] hasn’t been more vocal lately,” to which someone else responded, “Here’s hoping for a word from her this weekend in Nashville!”

Taylor Swift as LGBTQ Ally

In the September 2019 issue of Vogue magazine, Swift addressed her shift to advocacy. The turning point, she said, was seeing rights being “stripped from basically everyone who isn’t a straight white cisgender male.”

Prominent gay celebrities appeared in the singer’s music video for her 2019 hit “You Need to Calm Down.” Some critics accused her of “using gay rights as a fashion statement,” while others took issue with the negative portrayal of anti-gay protesters.

Iran, 27 Other Countries Critiqued by Watchdog for Religious Freedom Violations

By

Adelle M Banks

-

May 2, 2023

uscirf — Protesters are pressing the Iranian regime for changes since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

(RNS) — A watchdog for global religious freedom has used its new annual report to call out the Iranian government for targeting women’s rights protesters during demonstrations last year. The report also points out the country’s “decades-long campaign” against religious minorities.

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom criticized Iran for repressing the religious rights of people of a variety of faiths — from Baha’i to Zoroastrian — and nonreligious communities and decried the use of violence against girls and young women who protested in the wake of Mahsa Amini’s death. Amini, 22, perished after the country’s morality police detained her last year based on an accusation that her visible hair breached a headscarf law.

“While religious freedom conditions in Iran were extremely poor even before protests began in September 2022, they have deteriorated considerably due to the government’s severe brutality against Iranians peacefully asserting their religious freedom,” said USCIRF Chair Nury Turkel, during a Monday (May 1) virtual event when the 2023 USCIRF report was released.

“Iran‘s security forces have shot and killed peaceful protesters, detained and tortured others and engaged in a systematic campaign of sexual and gender-based violence against not only women and men, but boys and girls as well.”

These circumstances were determined by USCIRF to be “systematic, egregious, and ongoing” religious freedom violations, which qualify Iran to remain on the State Department’s list of “countries of particular concern,” or CPCs.

The watchdog has called for the redesignation of a total of a dozen countries as CPCs: Myanmar (which the department and USCIRF refer to as Burma), China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

In addition to Iran, USCIRF drew special attention to violations it has observed in Cuba and Nicaragua, two nations that were added to the State Department’s list last year.

“In Cuba, religious freedom conditions in 2022 worsened considerably, with the government seeking total dominance over religious life in the country,” the watchdog said in its report. “Additionally, the regime in Nicaragua has sharply increased its persecution of the Catholic Church by imprisoning clergy, shuttering church-affiliated organizations, and prohibiting Catholic rituals.”

In its new report, USCIRF recommends five other nations be considered as additional CPCs: Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, Syria and Vietnam.

Turkel expressed the commissioners’ disappointment that the State Department had not listed Nigeria nor India in its recent lists of CPCs. He noted that parts of Nigeria are “hotbeds of persecution” and said the Indian government “enforces religious nationalist policies, including restriction on citizenship, religious conversion, interfaith marriage and cow slaughter” that negatively affect people of a range of faiths.

Missio Alliance Hosts Hopeful Conversation for Disruptive Times

By

Bob Smietana

-

May 2, 2023

EVANSTON, Ill. (RNS) — The last time the Missio Alliance held a conference, organizers invited expert speakers to help church leaders deal with a changing culture. Then came COVID-19. And the whirlwind of other changes in the past few years.

“There are no experts anymore,” said the Rev. Wayne Faison.

In its first national gathering since 2019, about 300 people came together Thursday (April 27) for the opening session of the “Awakenings” conference, organized by Missio Alliance, a cross-denominational, multiethnic network of church leaders interested in how churches fulfill their mission in a changing world.

The gathering was a place to ask hard questions, said Faison, a board member of Missio Alliance and the executive director of the Baptist General Association of Virginia. And a place to find friendship and community in trying times.

Lisa Rodriguez-Watson, Missio Alliance national director, began her talk by outlining some of the challenges that churches have faced in recent years, during what she referred to as a “season of apocalypse.”

Missio Alliance organized the “Awakenings” conference at Vineyard church in Evanston, Illinois, Thursday, April 27, 2023. RNS photo by Bob Smietana

Missio Alliance organized the “Awakenings” conference at Vineyard church in Evanston, Illinois, April 27, 2023. RNS photo by Bob Smietana

A global pandemic. The nation’s racial reckoning after the 2020 death of George Floyd. Christian nationalism. Church scandals.

“It’s been kind of sucky for a while,” Rodriguez-Watson said.

Those challenges, she said, had taken their toll on congregations and church leaders. The past few years have been a time of disruption, with friendships lost and hopes shattered, leading to significant disruption in many congregations, Rodriguez-Watson told attendees.

“There’s probably a number of things that you’d hoped had gone differently in your life in this recent season,” she said.

She went on to tell a story about a plant she’d gotten around the time of her father-in-law’s funeral. Rodriguez-Watson said she’d taken the plant home and for years, it had been a reminder of her beloved father-in-law, a kind of steady presence in her family’s home.

Then, during the pandemic, the plant died. It was a small thing, she said, but painful — yet another in a series of losses.

Still, she told attendees, there were signs of hope. Churches have long dealt with seasons of disruption, often with creativity and innovation. Responding to this current season of disruption, she said, will require a renewed focus on spiritual formation — as well as an outward focus on justice.

That outward focus, she said, is linked to spiritual formation. People can’t share the “boundless love of God” unless they know it, she said.

Dennis Edwards, another of the first day’s speakers, challenged attendees to turn the idea of disruption on its head. A New Testament scholar and dean of North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago, Edwards said the earliest followers of Jesus lived in chaotic and disruptive times.

Dennis Edwards addresses the “Awakenings” conference at Vineyard church in Evanston, Illinois, Thursday, April 27, 2023. RNS photo by Bob Smietana

Dennis Edwards addresses the “Awakenings” conference at Vineyard church in Evanston, Illinois, April 27, 2023. RNS photo by Bob Smietana

But they also disrupted the status quo of the Roman Empire at a time when social stratification and violence were commonplace. In that world, he said, some people prospered while others were crucified.

In NC, a Church Network Turns Unused Church Buildings Into Homes for Refugees

By

Yonat Shimron

-

May 2, 2023

Randy Carter, pastor of Temple Baptist Church in Durham, North Carolina, looks out on a house the church owns that was recently retrofitted to house refugees. RNS photo by Yonat Shimron

(RNS) — With the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan nearly two years ago, religious congregations across the country began extending an embrace to refugees.

Partnering with resettlement agencies, they helped families escaping war and political turmoil settle into homes, find jobs, learn English and acclimate to life in the U.S.

Now, in a corner of North Carolina, a group of Baptist churches has begun to deepen that support by retrofitting vacant church-owned buildings — often homes — for refugee housing.

Organized through the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina but open to any religious congregation, a new initiative encourages churches to refurbish church-owned parsonages, office buildings, youth clubhouses or single-family homes and make them available to refugees or humanitarian parolees for a nominal fee.

“It’s increasingly difficult to find affordable housing for refugees,” said Marc Wyatt, a missionary who founded the Welcome House Community Network. “Churches have physical property and buildings that are underutilized. Rethinking the use of those buildings for housing is our vision.”

On Saturday (April 29), the network held its first housing and hospitality summit with 210 congregational leaders — mostly from North Carolina — wanting to learn more about how to use vacant church properties to minister to refugees.

The conference made plain twin realities: A glut of underutilized church properties and a severe shortage of affordable housing for newly arrived refugees with few means.

So far, about a dozen churches in North Carolina’s Triangle region, anchored by Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, have retrofitted ancillary buildings for use by refugees. In all, about 40, including churches in Virginia, Tennessee and Texas, have joined the Welcome House network.

Two boys, part of a refugee family from the Democratic Republic of Congo, share an afternoon snack at a house owned by Temple Baptist Church in Durham, North Carolina. RNS photo by Yonat Shimron

Two boys, part of a refugee family from Congo, share an afternoon snack at a house owned by Temple Baptist Church in Durham, North Carolina. RNS photo by Yonat Shimron

They include First Baptist Church in Hillsborough, which is housing a seven-member Afghan family in its parsonage, and Temple Baptist Church in Durham, which owns a ranch-style home a few yards away from its sanctuary where an eight-member family from Congo is now staying.

Churches typically charge the families $10 a day to cover the cost of utilities and otherwise provide hospitality and connection.

“A lot of (church) folks like to clean and prep the house,” said Randy Carter, pastor of Temple Baptist. “Some people like to work in repairs or on the yard. A small group of folks are more engaged with the family itself.”

Until recently, many of these church-owned homes had been used by pastors or foreign missionaries on leave. Increasingly, they have stood vacant.

The surge of refugee and humanitarian parole programs under the Biden administration has made affordable housing an urgent need.

Since he took office in January 2021, Biden’s administration has reversed Trump-era restrictions on immigration to the United States. The boost in refugee admissions includes some 300,000 Ukrainians who have arrived in the United States fleeing war with Russia, more than all the people from around the world admitted through the official U.S. refugee program in the last five years.

United Methodist Bishops Meet, Look to Pivot After 2,400+ Churches Disaffiliate

By

Emily McFarlan Miller

-

May 2, 2023

CHICAGO (RNS) — About 100 active and retired United Methodist bishops from across the globe are meeting this week in Chicago for the first time in person since the COVID-19 pandemic and since the launch one year ago of the Global Methodist Church, a conservative denomination formed for United Methodist churches looking to disaffiliate over LGBTQ ordination and marriage.

Bishop Thomas Bickerton told the United Methodist Church’s Council of Bishops it was time to pivot, as the denomination has been losing churches since a 2019 special session of its General Conference approved a disaffiliation plan for congregations wishing to leave for “reasons of conscience” related to their beliefs about sexuality. The United Methodist Church has been stuck in disagreement over the ordination and marriage of its LGBTQ members for decades.

“There is a way through the morass. But it depends completely on where we cast our eyes — not on the dilemmas in this world, but on the goodness of God’s mercy and grace,” Bickerton said during his president’s livestreamed address Monday (May 1).

The bishop’s remarks came one year to the day after the Global Methodist Church launched.

The Global Methodist Church got its official start on May 1, 2022, after the United Methodist Church’s General Conference meeting was delayed for the third time for pandemic-related reasons. Delegates to that meeting had been expected to vote on a proposal to effectively split the mainline denomination, dedicating money to the creation of the new theologically conservative Methodist denomination.

Since 2019, more than 2,400 churches have disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church, according to the latest tally by the United Methodist News Service.

The majority — about 2,000 churches and 2,450 clergy, including three former United Methodist bishops — have joined the Global Methodist Church, according to the Rev. Keith Boyette, who leads the new denomination as its transitional connectional officer. And more congregations and conferences around the world have declared their intention to join the Global Methodist Church, according to a post on the new denomination’s website.

Bishop Thomas Bickerton addresses a meeting of United Methodist bishops, Monday, May 1, 2023, in Chicago. Video screen grab

Bishop Thomas Bickerton addresses a meeting of United Methodist bishops, May 1, 2023, in Chicago. Video screen grab

Meantime, those leading the denomination Global Methodists have left behind are “tired, worn and vulnerable,” according to Bickerton, president of the United Methodist Church’s Council of Bishops.

“There’s no doubt in this room that the second wave of disaffiliations has taken a toll. In conversations with many of you, it’s not hard to sense the fatigue, the disappointment, the anger, the sadness, the confusion within us all,” he said.

More disaffiliations are expected as regional annual conferences gather this year for regular meetings and special sessions.

Dec. 31 can’t come soon enough, Bickerton said.

That’s the last day churches can leave the United Methodist Church under the disaffiliation plan approved at the 2019 special session of its General Conference.

“I admit to you I’m eager to get past all this. I want us to stop talking about disaffiliations. I’m worried genuinely that we’ve spent more time on those that are leaving than focusing our energy on those who are staying,” he said to applause.

The United Methodist Church will look different moving forward, Bickerton said. Too much has changed, he said, and he anticipates a “drop in the denomination numerically.”

He encouraged bishops to grieve all that had been lost, making time during his address for them to pause and pray together.

But he also encouraged them to look for new opportunities.

“We should anticipate less bishops, reconfigured boundaries, reformed agencies and a revised work plan to achieve our mission. We cannot work with what is not there. But we can see it as a longtime overdue opportunity to reposition this denomination for its next expression,” he said.

“That is the pivot.”

During Monday’s opening worship, the Council of Bishops planned to anoint the new bishops who were elected in November. It also is scheduled to hear from general secretaries of United Methodist agencies and boards and discuss how to endow theological education in conferences outside of the United States and promote racial equality in the workplace, according to a press release.

This article originally appeared here.

Pastors: Children’s Ministry Is More Than a Place to Keep Kids Occupied

By

Stephen Moore

-

May 2, 2023

children's ministry — Adobestock #377068006

As the pastor prayed the benediction over his congregation, his 3-year-old daughter ran screaming up to him. The congregation chuckled as he scooped her up with his head bowed.

The next day he received two emails. One said, “Having your kids behave like that in church is disruptive and disrespectful.” The other said, “Seeing your kids run and play in church is such a blessing!”

Kids and church—it’s a duo that often brings conflicting perspectives. Nearly two-thirds of children’s ministry leaders strongly agree that churches cannot grow without an effective children’s ministry. Depending on resources, some churches have vibrant children’s ministries while others are threadbare. But regardless of size or structure, children are both the present and the future of the church. How the church receives and ministers to children are of Kingdom significance.

Consider the story in Mark 10, when parents brought their children to Jesus for his blessing. The disciples turned them away, mainly because—at that time—children were the epitome of “to be seen and not heard.” Children were not seen as special or sacred to anyone other than their parents. But Jesus became frustrated with the disciples and said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.”

The church is more than just a place of physical activities to keep kids occupied; it’s where children’s spiritual lives are grown, too. Traditionally, both are done through things like Sunday School and Children’s Church. But one of the most significant and memorable experiences for the bodies and souls of kids is summer camp.

A Christian summer camp can be a profoundly influential event in a child’s life and faith. But what if a church doesn’t have the means to host camp, or parents don’t have the resources to send their kids out of state or even out of town?

At WinShape Camps, we began to see this struggle and knew we had to do something. That’s why we created a model of ministry to meet kids and families right where they are.

WinShape Camps for Communities partners with local churches and businesses to host a one-week summer day camp experience in cities across the nation. These weeks model our WinShape overnight camps in Georgia, but the best part is that they happen right where campers live—offering epic adventures during the day and the chance to sleep soundly in one’s own bed at night.

When summer camp comes to a local church or school, some people might not recognize the place. It’s fun seeing summer camp excitement combined with a classic church setting—flag football, archery and science amidst a regular gathering place of weekly fellowship.

Most importantly, though, everything we do is centered around faith. Each year introduces an intentional theme about Jesus that finds its way into every aspect of camp, including small groups and worship services. Year after year, I see kids grow in their God-given skills and talents through singing, games, physical activity and creative play—all of it helping them learn more about Jesus.

Jesus said, “let the children come to me,” as he walked among us on earth. Our prayerful intention is to invest in the future of the church by bringing a camp experience that does just that—paving the way for children to come to Christ through a week of fun and friendship, all covered in faith.

Should Christian Businesses Tithe?

By

Nick Nicholaou

-

May 2, 2023

thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Back in 2008 I wrote an article about how to tithe on behalf of a business. There is surprisingly little published on the topic, which is why I addressed it. After [10] years, it’s still the 3rd highest ranked resource via Google, and I continue to get questions from people wanting to know specifics on how to apply it to their business. Should Christian businesses tithe?

Should Christian Businesses Tithe?

I received an interesting question this weekend that really was about whether one can trust their church’s leadership and, ultimately, the Lord. The ramifications go much further than the original question — even to church IT, and [it] seemed worthy of an article.

The Question Posed

“If I feel that the leaders of the church are not doing what they suppose [sic] to do in the church and when something is needed for the house of God they don’t buy it like furniture, carpets etc, can I use my tithe money to buy those necessary things for the house of God. PLEASE ADVISE”

It felt to me like this is a larger question that relates to faith. Faith in the Lord, and faith in his ability to lead through the leadership he’s put in place in his church.

The Answer I Gave

“If your faith is in the God of the Bible through Jesus Christ, then you can’t help seeing in Scripture that the church is his church. In fact, it is referred to as the bride of Christ!

Character with Anointing: A Recipe for Avoiding Burnout

By

Megan Briggs

-

May 2, 2023

Jason Vallotton makes an argument for ministers to intentionally focus on taking care of their own needs and the needs of their families in the following video segment about character with anointing.

This practice is about having a character with anointing on your life or the supernatural gifting he has given you. “When our character matches our gifting, our gift won’t be a negative. It won’t be a weakness to us,” Vallotton says.

Vallotton gives examples of some of the great revivalists of the 20th century. John G. Lake is one of the ones he mentions. Lake had an incredible ministry in Africa and all over the world. Vallatton says that Lake would get “caught up in the presence [of God] so much so, that his kids started to feel neglected. The presence would come, and he would just check out,” Vallatton explains. Worshipping God is not a bad thing, but in the case of Lake, his kids weren’t getting the attention they needed, especially since their mom had passed away.

Reading a passage from the book “God’s Generals”, Vallatton states “many miracles wrought at his [Lake’s] hands were personally unfulfilling and not worth the loss of his family. John’s strength in ministry to God cost him his family because he wasn’t aware of his personal needs and the needs of his kids.”

Vallatton then explains he has personal experience with this habit of ministers to continuously give out of lack, neglecting themselves or their families. This practice resulted in a nervous breakdown for Vallatton.

“If we really want to steward what God has given us, we have to actually take care of our body, soul, and our spirit.” This, essentially, is about being able to pass on the ministries we have received to the next generation and equip them to be able to sustain them.

Vallatton concludes with 3 John 1:2: “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.”

Copyright Laws: 6 Myths on Showing Films at Church and Youth Events

By

Chris Szulwach

-

May 1, 2023

Copyright laws apply to churches, and you need to be aware of the ins and outs of having a church movie license. Throughout my years in youth ministry, I’ve moved through the following progression regarding copyright laws and movies:

intentional ignorance on the legal matter
learning a little but then not caring too much
taking the issue pretty seriously

Long ago, when everyone was rocking Napster (the illegal predecessor to napster.com), I began researching why violating music copyright laws was so bad. Hopefully, we’re all on board with that by now. But that got me thinking about other copyright laws, including having a church movie license.

As a representative of Christ and my church, I must play by the rules. Not only does that help me live a life “above reproach,” but it also prevents me from stealing.

Copyright Laws: 6 Common Misconceptions

1. The FBI warning says I can’t charge money for people to watch the movie, so my event is okay.

The FBI warning actually does pertain to an individual showing a movie within the home.

2. As long I’m using the movie at a church event, I’m within copyright laws.

This is false. A movie may be screened outside a home without a license only in a nonprofit educational setting with “face-to-face instruction.”

3. If I make a lesson out of the movie, I’ll be within copyright laws.

A nonprofit educational setting is specifically defined as a nonprofit academic institution. The main activity of a church is not academics.

4. My church has the CVLI, so we can show movies at any event we hold.

This license pertains only to a church showing movies “in its facility(ies).” This means if you have a current CVLI (Church Video License), you may show any legally obtained movie in your church property. (See points 1 and 4 on this page at CVLI.com.)

CVLI covers those movies “produced and/or distributed by CVLI affiliated motion picture companies only,” according to point 6. This means your CVLI license doesn’t cover all films. So you may need to purchase a license to show certain films.

You may be able to contact the motion picture company for written permission to show the movie. If that company is the copyright holder, it can waive its rights and grant a church or ministry permission to show the movie. Warning: Do this well in advance, because the process is s-l-o-w.

‘God Still Works in the Midst of Darkness’—Sean Feucht Says ‘Over 98 SatanCon Attendees Surrendered Their Lives to Jesus’

By

Jesse T. Jackson

-

May 1, 2023

(L) Sean Feucht photo courtesy of "Let Us Worship" (R) Screengrab via Twitter @seanfeucht

Hundreds of people attended the largest satanic gathering in history this past weekend (April 28-30) in New York at the sold out SatanCon 2023.

The event marks the 10-year anniversary of The Satanic Temple (TST) and was dedicated to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu for not allowing the group to deliver an invocation at City Hall last year.

A spokesperson from the City of Boston said, “Neither Mayor Wu nor the City of Boston are sponsoring or affiliated with SatanCon 2023. Mayor Wu will be out town this weekend.”

One SatanCon attendee told CBS Boston, “We’re just normal people. We just believe a little differently,” and said that “we are a very misunderstood group.” Despite its use of satanic imagery, TST states that it is non-theistic group that does not actually worship Satan.

This year’s SatanCon theme was “Hexennacht in Boston.” “Hexennacht” is German for “Witches Night.” The satanic event held multiple panels over the weekend, including topics on “Deconstructing Your Religious Upbringing,” “Hellbillies: Visible Satanism in Rural America,” “The Devil Is in All of You: The Changing Face of Satan in Cinema,” and “Reclaiming the Trans Body.”

In addition to the panels, SatanCon hosted a “Satanic Ball” and an event called “Impius Conventus,” which is Latin for “An Ungodly Assembly.” It featured a drag queen performance and a concert by the band Satanic Planet.

During the opening night of SatanCon 2023, two Satanic leaders led worshipers in chants of “Hail Satan” and said, “We stand here today in defiance of their siege and destroy their symbols of oppression,” before ripping pages out of the Bible. The leader, who was female, was cheered on by the crowd as she shouted, “Hail Satan,” while tearing pages of the Bible and throwing them on the floor.

A video of the Satanic leader destroying the Bible was posted on Twitter by “Let Us Worship” leader Sean Feucht, who shared that more than 98 SatanCon attendees have given their lives to Jesus.

“While they were ripping up pages of the Bible to kick off the largest Satanic gathering ever (SatanCon in Boston), over 98 attendees surrendered their lives to Jesus (verified!) from covert evangelists infiltrating the crowd,” Feucht posted.

One person who commented on Feucht’s tweet said the worship leader was lying. Dr. Eric Sprankle, who led the talk on “Sins of the Flesh: Satanism and Self-Pleasure,” told Feucht, “I presented at this conference and there were no ‘covert evangelists infiltrating the crowd.’ It’s easy to lie about converting 98 Satanists when your whole career is based in delusion and deception.”

Your Kids’ Perspective on Family Health

By

Full Strength Network

-

May 1, 2023

Your greatest contribution to the kingdom of God may not be something you do, but someone you raise. -Andy Stanley

Professionally, it’s necessary for us, as leaders, to receive and grow through feedback and coaching from those we lead and are led by. It’s through this that blindspots are revealed, and we can evaluate our efforts as they relate to accomplishing our goals. While these conversations can be tough, they can lead to powerful breakthroughs both personally and professionally. What would it look like for us to approach our parenting with the same level of humility and curiosity?

Our methods of parenting are informed by a myriad of things. We lean on our childhood upbringing, cultural observations, personal values, virtues, and faith to guide us in the principles we use in raising our children. As parents, we have goals and hopes we desire for them to one day leave our home with, and we’ll work tirelessly to ensure their success. Yet, while striving for academic, athletic, and social success, we can get caught up in investing so much of ourselves in our kids. We monitor their progress and success through grades, playing time, and accolades and develop plans to improve potential areas of struggle.

However, an area we can quickly look past or under-develop is the relational health of our families.

Regardless of our position within our organization or the size of our platform, our family is our primary ministry. We all want the best for our kids, but the most vital thing we can offer them is not opportunities for success outside the home. The way we invest in our families’ relational health will ultimately inform how they approach friendships, dating, marriage, and parenting. With that being the case, it’s essential to create opportunities to evaluate the relational health of our families.

Being willing to ask our kids for feedback requires a delicate balance of humility and wisdom. The goal is not to give our kids a “Yes Day” experience but, instead, to gain perspective of what their experience in your family is like. It offers a chance for us to learn from and encourage them. We’ll discover new things to celebrate, while at the same time, we’ll bump into areas where we need to seek forgiveness and adjust our methods.

Below are two lists of questions we can use to guide these conversations with the kids in our home. By no means are these lists exhaustive, and they may serve as inspiration to develop different questions based on the dynamics of your own family. It’s less about the questions we ask and more about intentionally taking the time to learn from our kids and their experiences. Regardless of the age of our kids, it is worth fighting through the awkwardness for the sake of greater depth, trust, and relational health in our families. At the end of this article are suggestions for approaching these conversations to make them feel natural and valuable to your kids.

Preschool and Elementary

What is your favorite way to spend time together as a family? Why?
Is there anything you would like to do more of as a family? Why do you think it’s important?
When do you feel most loved by us as your parents? Are there any times that you don’t feel loved?
What can we do to show kindness and generosity to others in our family? What about people outside of our family?
How do you feel when we pray together or read Bible stories as a family?
Is there something you want to learn how to do that someone in our family can teach you?

UPDATE: Charles Stanley’s Grandson Apologizes for Auctioning Off Inherited Items, Leaves Them on eBay

By

Jessica Lea

-

May 1, 2023

UPDATED May 1, 2023: Dr. Charles Stanley’s grandson, Matthew Brodersen, has apologized for auctioning off his grandfather’s picture and pocket watch on eBay, but has left the items online. Brodersen said he has taken to heart the negative feedback he has received and that people should not judge his extended family by his actions.

“Yes, my family was not happy with me doing this,” said Broderson in a YouTube video titled, “I messed up.” “My uncle, Andy Stanley, begged me to take…the auctions off of eBay. My mom called me and said, ‘You take that stuff down right now.’ My sister, she was mad at me as well.”

“I would like to apologize,” said Brodersen in his video, during which he read aloud an article from the Daily Mail about his actions. “I did not even realize that this was going to make people upset.”

Charles Stanley’s grandson said he was thinking of himself when he posted the items, adding, “I admit I shouldn’t have done that.” With regard to someone who said Charles Stanley would not be proud of him, Brodersen agreed, “Yes. That’s true. I don’t think he would be either.”

Brodersen said he would not take the items off eBay, however, because “now it’s kind of awkward. People already started bidding on the items.” Stanley’s grandson said he does not want to deprive his grandfather’s admirers of the chance to get the picture and watch. Currently, the bid on the picture of Stanley is $2,325 and the bid on the watch is $1,375. Bidding on both items closes today.

Brodersen also said that his uncle, Andy Stanley, was “disgusted” with Brodersen’s behavior, and Brodersen asked people not to “get mad at [Andy Stanley] for what I did.” Brodersen has mailed his uncle his grandfather’s passport, which Brodersen had showed his viewers earlier this week and which he had planned to keep as an heirloom.

ChurchLeaders original article written on April 28, 2023, below.

The grandson of Dr. Charles Stanley has received criticism for selling some of his grandfather’s items following Stanley’s death. On Tuesday, Matthew Brodersen announced on his YouTube channel that he would be auctioning off some of his grandfather’s possessions on eBay, a decision some have called “shocking” and a “disgrace.”

“Listen, guys, I’ve already got some negative feedback on eBay for wanting to auction off some of my grandpa’s things,” said Brodersen in his video. “And 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.”

Charles Stanley’s Items for Sale on eBay

Dr. Charles Frazier Stanley was the founder of In Touch Ministries, pastor emeritus of First Baptist Atlanta, and a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention. He passed away at his home the morning of Tuesday, April 18, at the age of 90. A memorial honoring Stanley’s legacy took place April 23. Attendees included Chuck Swindoll, Donald Trump, Dr. Tony Evans, Franklin Graham and CeCe Winans.

‘Through God, All Things Are Possible’ — Dolly Parton on How Faith Shaped Her Anti-Bullying Children’s Book

By

Janna Firestone

-

May 1, 2023

Beloved country music legend Dolly Parton has never shied from publicly sharing her faith and love for God. One of 12 children in her large family, Parton grew up in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains singing together with her family. After her break into show business, Parton recorded dozens of hit albums and has won numerous awards throughout her career. Through it all, she credits her relationship with God for her success, happiness, and desire to give back.

Parton recently sat down with Fox News Digital and shared more about how her faith is at the center of her life. “My faith impacts everything that I do because I do believe that, through God, all things are possible,” Parton said. “And so I always ask God to bless everything that I do and the people that I work with and to bring all the right things and right people into my life and to take the wrong ones out.”

Dolly Parton’s New Children’s Book Helps Kids Stand Up to Bullies

As Parton nears 80, she doesn’t have any plans on slowing down much. “I don’t have any children, and I love my work,” the country music star shared. “And, I guess I’ll just work until I can’t no more and then I’ll quit.”

“I’ve always wondered what I could do in my lifetime, and I’ve been very fortunate and very blessed that I’ve been successful,” she continued. “So, I try to just live through love as much as I can. And so I just think that my spirituality has been a guiding light in my life and my strength, really, in my creative energy.” she continued, “And my spiritual energy has really been a great force to keep me going all these years and still being productive.”

The multi-talented artist has now written her third children’s book, “Billy the Kid Makes it Big.” Her previous works include “Coat of Many Colors” and “Kindness Is My Superpower.”

As she began to dream about the story for her third children’s book, Parton looked no further than to her own dog, Billy the Kid. “When he meets some big bullies at the Battle of the Bow-wows, Billy worries he’s barking up the wrong tree,” Parton said. “He’ll need his favorite songs (‘Jowlene’ and ‘I Will Pawlways Love You,’ of course), a group of scrappy new friends, and his favorite country music star to regain self-confidence and be the star he always knew he could be.”

Parton’s music career spans decades. Within that time, she’s encountered her fair share of bullies on her way to stardom. “I wanted kids to understand how harmful bullying can be to someone,” said Parton.

@apnews Dolly Parton, who just released her own children’s book called “Billy the Kid Makes It Big” and has a rock album on the way, talks about staying busy and when she will retire. #dollyparton ♬ original sound – The Associated Press

Comments remain positive and supportive of the country star and philanthropist. Ty mentioned, “She would have been a fantastic mother.”

Prison Fellowship Announces ‘The Chosen’ Will Be Shown in Prisons

Other Ways To Listen to This Podcast With Glenn Packiam

Key Questions for Glenn Packiam

Key Quotes From Glenn Packiam

FrontStage BackStage Podcast Scot McKnight

Keep Learning

Podcast Links

Brad Fischetti Describes LFO’s ‘Tragic Story’

Jackie Hill Perry No Longer Listens to Beyoncé

Taylor Swift: Christians Don’t Stand for Inequality

Taylor Swift as LGBTQ Ally

Should Christian Businesses Tithe?

Copyright Laws: 6 Common Misconceptions

1. The FBI warning says I can’t charge money for people to watch the movie, so my event is okay.

2. As long I’m using the movie at a church event, I’m within copyright laws.

3. If I make a lesson out of the movie, I’ll be within copyright laws.

4. My church has the CVLI, so we can show movies at any event we hold.

Preschool and Elementary

Charles Stanley’s Items for Sale on eBay

Dolly Parton’s New Children’s Book Helps Kids Stand Up to Bullies

New Articles

New Podcasts