Lecrae Says Watching ‘The Secrets of Hillsong’ Reminded Him the Importance of ‘Journeying With Jesus’ Together

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June 14, 2023

Lecrae Secrets of Hillsong — Screengrab via Instagram @lecrae

Christian rapper, singer, and songwriter Lecrae addressed his fans and followers after he watched the docuseries, “The Secrets of Hillsong.” While he didn’t intend to start a full conversation against the “megachurch,” Lecrae advocated for genuine spiritual growth.

“I been minding my business and staying out of trouble and want to continue to do so. I just wanted to share a few thoughts I hope are helpful.” Lecrae continued, “I not anti mega church. It can be done well. I’ve experienced it. But I am PRO spiritual growth. This doc reminded me how important it is to foster a community of people around journeying with Jesus.”

Lecrae Addresses the Challenge of a Megachurch

As an example of a megachurch, Lecrae mentions Hillsong Church—a megachurch that had been expanding around the world but recently fell hard. Lecrae said he has seen the tabloids and interviews with certain pastors and watched the docuseries centered on the corruption within Hillsong.

In the trailer for the docuseries, disgraced former pastor of Hillsong East Coast Carl Lentz said, “You do not want to be in this chair. I cannot stress that enough.”

“The Secrets of Hillsong” includes further corruption within leadership, as former global senior pastor Brian Houston stands trial for hiding his own father’s child sex crimes. The series “goes beyond the sensational headlines and behind the velvet rope to examine the church’s long pattern of covering up misconduct to protect itself.”

Lecrae Focuses on One Central Problem Within the Mega Church

“Let me give you my two cents,” Lecrae offered. “I think, personally, that megachurches create some crazy challenges for people in terms of spiritual formation, discipleship, and pastoral care.”

Lecrae continued, “I mentor a lot of younger believers, and right now I notice that they are far more influenced off of the social majority, social media, and cloud culture—than they are from a consistent community of believers that are integrated into their lives.”

“As long as they show up on Sunday…amongst 2,000 other people, it appears like they’re ‘good,'” Lecrae said. “The modern church follows the structure of an American business institution—more than it is a community shepherded by leaders and sharpened by a community.”

The rapper further described many megachurches. “The focal point is like this great day of presentation, oratory speeches, and musical production,” Lecrae said. “And, there’s nothing wrong with that—but it’s usually just that, and not a consistent community of people who are walking through life together.”

Lecrae concluded, “I don’t have anything against the megachurch. I just think it presents some crazy challenges because, oftentimes, when you’re trying to build a business—the end goal is capital growth. But, when you’re trying to build a church, it’s spiritual growth.”

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Southern Baptists End First Day of Annual Meeting With Key Questions Hanging

By

Bob Smietana

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June 14, 2023

SBC annual meeting — Messengers vote during the first day of the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, La., on June 13, 2023. RNS photo by Emily Kask

NEW ORLEANS (RNS) — During the opening day of their annual meeting, Southern Baptists reelected a president, debated the place of women leaders in the church and spent hours debating using Robert’s Rules of Order.

Still, nearly 10 hours after the opening gavel, key issues that brought nearly 13,000 members of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination to the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans remained unsettled, including the status of reforms meant to address the issue of sexual abuse.

The meeting of local church representatives, known as messengers, kicked off with prayer and singing, followed by some legislative sparring and the resolution of a messenger’s complaint dating back to the previous annual meeting.

But once underway in earnest, the meeting dealt with motions in rapid-fire: a resolution on abortion that had been rejected in committee was proposed from the floor; requests were made for more transparency from the SBC’s seminaries and other agencies; calls were heard to investigate churches that minister to the LGBTQ community and to release security footage from the 2021 annual meeting in Nashville that allegedly showed a controversial exchange between Georgia pastor Mike Stone, then a presidential candidate, and an abuse survivor.

Stone’s supporters have long claimed he was falsely accused of mistreating the survivor on the eve of a close election he lost. His supporters hoped to have the video released to clear his name before Tuesday’s presidential election, when he was again a candidate. The motion was ruled out of order.

The Rev. Linda Barnes Popham speaks at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, La., on June 13, 2023. RNS photo by Emily Kask

The Rev. Linda Barnes Popham requests the reinstatement of her church at the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in New Orleans, Tuesday, June 13, 2023. RNS photo by Emily Kask

Messengers also heard appeals from three churches that had been kicked out of the SBC earlier this year, including Saddleback Church in Southern California, one of the nation’s largest and most prominent churches, which has been ruled out of “friendly cooperation” with the SBC for having women pastors. The denomination’s statement of faith says that the office of pastor is limited to men.

The messengers have voted on those appeals, but the results will not be reported till Wednesday (June 14). That same day messengers will debate a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban any church where a woman has the title of pastor, including children’s pastors and other staff roles that are not that of lead pastor of a church.

During a question-and-answer session, Kevin Ezell, president of the SBC’s North American Mission Board, was asked about the agency’s finances in light of a report of years of overspending at one of the denomination’s seminaries.

That report found $140 million in overspending over two decades and criticized a former president of the seminary who spent $11,000 on an espresso machine, more than $60,000 on Christmas decorations and more than a million dollars on renovating the presidential residence.

Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board, gives the NAMB report during the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, La., on June 13, 2023. RNS photo by Emily Kask

“I own my own home, have a Keurig and go to Hobby Lobby for my Christmas decorations,” Ezell said, to appreciative laughter from the messengers.

Ezell was followed by a report from Paul Chitwood, head of the SBC’s International Mission Board, and a ceremony celebrating a group of new missionaries heading around the world, from Poland to Japan.

Chitwood was asked pointedly by critics of the COVID-19 vaccine about requiring SBC missionaries to have the shot during the pandemic. He answered that for decades the IMB has required vaccination and had been concerned that missionaries would have been kicked out of the countries where they serve without the vaccine.

SBC Messengers Reelect Texas Pastor Bart Barber to a Second Term as President

By

Bob Smietana

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June 14, 2023

NEW ORLEANS (RNS) — Texas pastor Bart Barber was elected to a second year in office during an afternoon session of the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting.

Barber received 7,531 votes, 68% of the 11,014 vote total, beating out Georgia Baptist pastor Mike Stone, a more conservative challenger, who received 3,458 votes, or 31%.

It was the first time in a decade that a sitting SBC president had faced a challenge and only the second time since the late 1980s. The president of the United States’ largest Protestant denomination, in an unpaid role, oversees the annual meeting and promotes the SBC’s mission and beliefs. Presidents are elected for a one-year term and generally run unopposed for a second term.

Barber was an unlikely candidate for president when he first ran in 2021. At the time, he was mostly known for his quirky Twitter videos and an uncommon expertise on SBC governance. He had also played a key role on the board that ousted SBC legend Paige Patterson from his role as president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Texas.

Pastor of a church of relatively modest size, Barber became a candidate for president after Florida megachurch pastor Willie Rice, who had been considered a favorite, dropped out after news broke that his church had ordained a church leader with a history of sexual misconduct.

Ironically, Rice ended up nominating Barber’s challenger, Stone, for president.

Stone, who lost a previous election in 2021 by a narrow margin, has close ties to the Conservative Baptist Network, which has criticized current SBC leadership and claims that the denomination has become too liberal.

During a series of campaign events, he cited rising legal costs, due to dealing with a sexual abuse crisis, that have reduced the reserves of the SBC’s Executive Committee. Citing an Executive Committee auditor, he said that those costs were “unsustainable.”

“For Southern Baptists, unsustainable should be unacceptable,” he said in announcing his candidacy. Stone also had been critical of the SBC’s abuse reforms, saying that local churches should deal with abuse.

Tuesday’s election marked the third year in a row that a CBN-backed candidate has lost the presidential race.

Stone congratulated Barber on his reelection on Twitter, saying, “May God continue to grace you with wisdom, discernment and strength. That will continue to be my prayer for you as you lead.”

After Two Years, Vatican Financial Trial Closes Preliminary Stage

By

Claire Giangrave

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June 14, 2023

vatican financial trial — FILE - In this Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021 file photo, people are reflected on a puddle as they walk in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — The Vatican’s “trial of the century,” in which 10 defendants, including a cardinal, face charges of fraud and corruption in a shady real estate deal, has already seen a century’s worth of testimony alleging blackmail, scandalous liaisons and secretly taped conversations with Pope Francis. The trial itself, however, has only just begun.

On Tuesday (June 12), a hearing ended the preliminary stage of the trial, which has been going on since July of 2021.

On July 18, Vatican prosecutors will take center stage at the trial’s next phase. The chief prosecutor, Alessandro Diddi, is expected to lay out the formal charges against the defendants and detail the tortuous maneuvering over the church’s investment in a luxury property in London’s swank Chelsea district that would eventually squander millions of euros in Vatican funds, including monies earmarked for the poor.

The defense is expected to begin no sooner than October, when the trial will step into its third year.

The London property at the heart of the Vatican financial scandal. Image via Google Maps

The scandal’s roots can be traced to 2019, when the Vatican Institute for Religious Works, or Vatican Bank, flagged a suspicious loan request by the Vatican Secretariat of State to obtain full ownership of the prime London real estate. The prosecutors now allege that Italian entrepreneurs colluded with Vatican officials at the secretariat to defraud the Catholic institution of more than 200 million euros.

The hearing on Tuesday focused on procedural issues, which have been a thorn in the side of the prosecutors. Defense lawyers have complained that the Vatican’s criminal law system, mostly inspired by a version of the Italian penal code dating to 1889, lacks the legal protections enshrined in modern law systems.

The legal teams defending Cardinal Angelo Becciu and Fabrizio Tirabassi, both former officials at the Secretariat of State, asked that more documentation be introduced into evidence, especially items related to the financial statements of the Vatican Bank and other financial institutions at the Vatican.

Lawyers for Raffaele Mincione, who sold the London property to the church and is charged with embezzlement and fraud among other crimes, also asked the judges to request more documents, asking that the official contracts signed by the Vatican and financial entities such as Credit Suisse be released to them.

Cardinal Angelo Becciu speaks during a news conference Sept. 25, 2020, in Vatican City. RNS photo by Claire Giangravé

The judges on Tuesday denied both requests, stating that there is sufficient documentation for the case to be adjudicated.

The lawyers for Tirabassi and Enrico Crasso, a longtime investment manager for the Holy See, asked that the testimony of Italian financier Gianluigi Torzi be excluded from the proceeding, as he is also among the defendants in the trial and therefore cannot be considered a witness.

Barnabas Piper: Why a Culture of Belonging Has To Start With a Church’s Leaders

By

Jessica Lea

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June 14, 2023

The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast · Barnabas Piper: Why a Culture of Belonging Has To Start With a Church’s Leaders

Barnabas Piper is the assistant pastor at Immanuel Church in Nashville, Tennessee, and co-hosts “The Happy Rant” podcast with Ted Kluck and Ronnie Martin. Barnabas is the author of several books, including “The Happy Rant” (written with Ted and Ronnie) and “The Pastor’s Kid: What It’s Like and How to Help.” His latest book is, “Belong: Loving Your Church by Reflecting Christ to One Another.”

Other Ways To Listen to This Podcast With Barnabas Piper

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Key Questions for Barnabas Piper

-What is keeping church leaders from thinking better about belonging in the churches that they lead?

-What steps can pastors and church leaders take to help create a culture of belonging?

-How do you respond to people who meet with you and say they are leaving the church because they don’t feel they belong?

-How do you talk about belonging to someone who has been wounded by the church?

Key Quotes From Barnabas Piper

“This is a thing church leaders are really responsible for creating: the culture of the church that makes it easy for people to belong, no matter where they’re coming from.”

“It’s easier for church leaders to rely on metrics than it is to gauge the health of a culture because that’s a hard thing to put in numbers.”

“Do we have a culture where somebody feels like they could expose their soul with whatever the thing is that hurts the worst, that they are ashamed of, that makes them feel distant from the Lord?”

“Anything that is cultural in a church has to start with the leaders. The most invested church participant, church member is kind of just a drop in the bucket when it comes to cultural change.”

“There has to be a culture that backs up those claims of truth in the gospel, truth in Scripture, but also a culture of safety, meaning if somebody comes with something difficult, they won’t receive condemnation.”

An Invitation to the Church This Father’s Day

By

Randy Phillips

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June 14, 2023

Christians often intuitively understand the role of fathers. We appreciate how earthly fathers are tangible examples of the heart of our Heavenly Father, the one who loves us unconditionally. Here in the U.S., we even set aside a day to honor fathers each June, those who have helped guide and nurture us into the people we are today.

As both a biological and adoptive father, I know firsthand how our presence is invaluable in a child’s life. Not only does it help shape their view of God, but a loving father can alter the trajectory of a child’s future. We don’t have to be perfect, simply present.

The tragic truth, of course, is that not all children have a father figure in their lives. This Father’s Day, I can’t help but think about the estimated 5 to 8 million children worldwide who live in residential care facilities, like orphanages or children’s homes. That’s 5 to 8 million children living in facilities without the consistent, protective presence of a father. Many assume that children in orphanages don’t have a father or mother, but global statistics suggest that an estimated 80% actually have at least one living parent.

At World Orphans, we believe children belong in families, and we know those statistics can change. Our mission is to preserve and strengthen families by equipping, inspiring, and mobilizing the church to care for orphans and vulnerable children through church partnerships. We want to see the church engaged, families strong, children restored, and communities transformed by the gospel of Christ.

Our work has taught us that so many of the children living in residential facilities can grow up within a strong family. While many U.S. Christians with the best of intentions fund orphanages as a way to help vulnerable children, we have seen how restoring a father’s dignity through family-strengthening programs can instead help keep a family together long-term.

Fathers play a pivotal role in both the physical and spiritual provision for their children. Fathers, albeit imperfectly, have the opportunity to be a picture of who God is and show what he cares about. Our presence casts a vision for the future, one that, with support, can become a child’s reality.

But there are many vulnerable families worldwide who are struggling to care for their children.

I am reminded of Tsafe, a single father of two children in Ethiopia. The average person in Ethiopia lives on only a few dollars per day. Living in poverty, Tsafe had limited means of providing financially for his kids. In situations like this, sending a child to a residential facility can seem like a viable option for ensuring they get food, clothing, medical care and access to education. Tsafe was desperate for support for his children.

There are many reasons parents struggle to provide for their families, but poverty is often the underlying reason. Families in poverty who then experience a crisis or new challenges can be forced to consider an orphanage as a solution to their situation.

Imagine the stress of providing for the expenses of rent, food, clothing and education. Compound that with the crisis of a sickness, medical needs, or civil conflict. Additionally, dignity is lost when fathers can’t support their families, and unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for individuals in crisis to cope with their circumstances through addiction, abuse, abandonment, or neglect.

But research shows that children grow best in families.

I’m proud to share, through the church in his local area, Tsafe received immediate support in order to keep his children with him. He also eventually entered a microloan program which educated him about finances and stewardship. Then, he created a business plan and received a loan. He worked hard running a vegetable business, earning a living to support his family. Four years later, Tsafe graduated from the program, and his children are thriving. Tsafe is overjoyed to graduate because his spot is now open for someone else’s life to change.

Abortion Is Not an Unforgivable Sin

By

Jen Oshman

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June 14, 2023

Does God forgive abortions?

One in four women will have an abortion by the time they’re 45, according to research published by the American Journal of Public Health last year. That means that this weekend, when churches across the nation focus their attention on the Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, up to 25 percent of the ladies in attendance will have experienced abortion themselves.

Does God Forgive Abortions? Absolutely

Several of my own dear friends have had abortions. Their stories are all unique and all very painful. They include abuse, careless boyfriends, a lack of wisdom, a giving in to temptation, pressure from parents, pressure from the father, pressure from herself—each one an overwhelming sense of feeling like she had no other option. And each one now carrying heavy regret and deep sadness. For those attending church on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, the day can be especially sorrowful.

Friends, who are asking, “Does God forgive abortions?” hear this: Abortion is not an unforgivable sin.

Be Convinced of the Truth About Abortion

I have heard you express immeasurable sorrow and shame, but Jesus stands ready to forgive you. As that question, “Does God forgive abortions?” occurs to you, do not believe the father of lies (John 8:44). As quickly as you confess, you are cleansed.

The sin of your abortion was bought with the blood of Jesus. Rejoice in that reality and resist the temptation to look at his gift of grace and say, “No thank you, that doesn’t cover my sin.” Rather, pursue godly grief, which “produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death” (2 Corinthians 7:10).

Immerse yourself in the Word of God and know what is true. The enemy, the world and your own shame threaten to bind you and blind you. Rehearse these verses, seek out more from the Bible and ask God to convince you to your very core that you are in fact forgiven. (See Psalm 103, 2 Corinthians 5, Ephesians 1, and Colossians 1 to arm yourself with more truth.)

Be Reminded of the Truth Over and Over and Over

While the word of God will be your most effective weapon against the lie that you cannot be forgiven, the people of God will be especially important too. As the old hymn says).

We were created for community and we need one another to help us remember what is true. Your sisters in Christ will be a strong refuge for you, as you seek to quiet the world’s megaphones. We belong to one another, “so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another” (Romans 12:5).

Beyond leaning on your sisters in the Lord, I encourage you to seek counseling at a pregnancy care center near you. The Care Net directory is a good starting point. Many pregnancy centers offer after-abortion counseling by trained therapists to women who experienced abortion recently or in the distant past. Your pastor may have some ideas too. Don’t underestimate the power and value of the help offered by a professional or a support group of women just like you.

Be an Advocate for Others

You know from personal experience how loud and convincing are the voices that say, “You have no other options than to abort your baby.” You can now be a uniquely powerful voice to women contemplating abortion, convincing them that they do in fact have alternatives. Get trained at a local pregnancy center and become an advocate for clients who walk through their doors. Write down your story and share it in a blog or other media. Be a voice in your church and consider starting an Embrace Grace group. Be an ally to the young women in your church body and community who become unexpectedly pregnant. Gather your girlfriends and seek out ways to serve women in your area who are vulnerable to abortion because of a lack of resources.

Your story is powerful. As you seek forgiveness, refreshment and healing, you can stand with Joseph and say, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:20).

This article originally appeared here.

5 Ways Preachers Blow It During the Invitation

By

Greg Stier

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June 14, 2023

I’m a big fan of preaching. When I was only twelve years old I read “Biblical Preaching” by the late, great Haddon Robinson. Soon after I preached my first sermon at a “preaching contest” in the little, fundamentalist Christian school I attended. I was so terrified during my 7 minute sermonette that I literally shook the pulpit with my white-knuckled fingers clinging to the sides of the pulpit. But the judges mistook my terror for boldness and gave me an A rating.

I’ve been hooked ever since.

Since I wasn’t any good at sports, I decided to put my whole effort into becoming the best preacher I could possibly be. So I began to listen to the best preachers I could find. From pastors on the radio to listening to old cassette tapes of famous preachers to watching televangelists, I listened to thousands of sermons over the years, taking copious notes along the way.

I wanted to learn from the best.

Not only that, but, over the course of my 30+ years as a preacher, I’ve been privileged to have traveled with some of the greatest Bible teachers on the planet. Throughout much of the 2000’s I toured with Promise Keepers and was blessed to preach alongside some amazing communicators.

It was an honor. I learned much from them along the way.

But over these decades of traveling with preachers and listening to all kinds of sermons, I’ve come to a conclusion that makes me sad. It’s this: Most preachers I’ve heard train wreck at the Gospel invitation. They don’t give a clear Gospel and/or invitation for unbelievers so unbelievers can say “yes” to Jesus.

What is the invitation I’m referring to? The Gospel invitation! It’s the moment when a preacher invites unbelievers to believe and the lost to be saved. It’s the moment when all the angels of heaven pause in anticipation of just “one sinner who repents” and then holds a praise party in his/her honor (Luke 15:10).

In many ways this is the most important part of every sermon. It’s when the preacher demonstrates the power of the Gospel to his watching congregation. It’s when God is glorified by the proclamation of the Gospel. It’s when the bridge is built from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light and sinners are invited to cross it in faith.

Here’s 5 ways most preachers blow it during the invitation:

1. Failing to Present a Cross-Centric Gospel.

For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. (1 Corinthians 2:2)

When Paul ministered to the Corinthians for 18 months he had one main sermon…the Gospel.

If you don’t preach the cross you don’t preach the Gospel. The blood-stained cross of Jesus is the centerpiece of salvation. Without the death of Christ there is no resurrection or hope for any of us.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard preachers give the “Gospel” and not even mention the cross, let alone focus on it. This means they didn’t actually give the Gospel at all.

Here is a video of a ten year old girl named Quinn. Her church filmed her testimony before she was baptized at a church I recently preached at. In her baptism video, Quinn gave an explanation of the Gospel that was clearer than 90% of the pastors and evangelists I’ve heard. Her parents gave me permission to post.

She makes the cross central to her Gospel explanation. So should we.

Cooke Media Group Wins 8 Telly Awards for Feature Documentary & Fundraising Videos

By

Phil Cooke

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June 14, 2023

cooke media group — Photo courtesy of Phil Cooke

I have to take a moment of shameless self-promotion and mention the recent Telly Awards we just won. The award honors excellence in video and television across all screens, and competing companies include major Hollywood studios Disney, Universal, Netflix, and Paramount as well as corporations such as Apple, Sony, and Microsoft. The eight wins by the Cooke Media Group represented high-caliber work in videography/cinematography, cause marketing, editing, writing, voice-over, and documentary filmmaking.

“With a decade-high record number of exceptional entries submitted, winners truly represented the most innovative stories being told across all screens,” said Sabrina Dridje, executive director of the Telly Awards. She added, “As a Telly Winner, you are truly a standard bearer of excellence in our industry.”

The winning entries produced by Cooke Media Group are:

Silver Telly Award: Museum of the Bible–5th Anniversary
Winner in Non-Broadcast–Videography/Cinematography: Official Listing

Silver Telly Award: The George Shinn Foundation Charity Car Auction: Benefit for Ukraine
Winner in Non-Broadcast–Cause Marketing: Official Listing

Silver Telly Award: Voice of the Martyrs–The John Chau Story
Winner in Non-Broadcast–Editing: Official Listing

Silver Telly Award: Nativity–The Art of Maltese Crib-Making (Feature Documentary releasing Christmas 2023)
Winner in Television–Editing: Official Listing

Loneliness in the Church – 8 Reasons Why

By

Chuck Lawless

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June 14, 2023

First, I am grateful to Dr. Albert Mohler and his daily “Briefing” that alerted me to a U.S. Surgeon General study on loneliness that gave rise to this post. As I read about an “epidemic of loneliness” in North America, I was reminded that even believers are susceptible to this problem: loneliness in the church. Here are some reasons why:

Loneliness in the Church

1. We don’t understand creation.

God created us with a need for other human beings (Gen 2:18). We need Him, and we need others who help us experience Him and His love. When we don’t recognize our God-given need for others, it’s easy to slip into isolation and hiding.

2. No one has taught us a biblical understanding of fellowship.

Fellowship is much more than food; it’s the gathering of God’s people for the task of provoking each other to good works (Heb 10:24). If we miss this point, however, we too often reduce fellowship to a self-centered focus. That’s lonely.

10 Traits of a Great Church Member

By

Ron Edmondson

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June 14, 2023

God builds the church, but He uses people to build it. So, a good question might be, what kind of church member does God use to build a great church?

As a pastor, I have noticed some trends among church people who help move the church forward. The following is a list of characteristics of those type of people. Not everyone will have every one of them, yet, from my perspective, it’s the combination of each of these in people that builds a great church.

10 Traits of a Great Church Member

1. Believe and love God’s Word.

Joshua 1:8 “Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed.”

Great church members allow the Bible guide them and the church.

2. Grow in prayer.

Ephesians 6:18 “Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere.”

Great church members strive to pray more than worry.

3. Build on faith.

Hebrews 10:38 “And a righteous person will live by faith.”

A great church member is willing to walk by faith as God leads, even through the most challenging times.

4. Put God’s will first.

Mark 3:35 “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

Great church members put God’s agenda ahead of every other agenda.

Glow in the Dark Dodgeball: An Active Indoor Game for Kids

By

ChildrensMinistry.com

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June 13, 2023

Glow in the dark dodgeball is a fun, energetic game that kids are sure to love. Try this interesting twist on a classic game in your children’s ministry program!

What You Need for Glow in the Dark Dodgeball

The Right Space

First, you need an enclosed space with no furniture or features (and for sure nothing breakable!) that you can make pitch-black. Yes, this is probably a rarity unless you have a gym. Put everything away, and close the doors to make it safe, enclosed, and as dark as possible. Use just half the gym depending on how many people are playing. But of course, a full-size gym is great if you have lots of kids.

The Right Equipment

Then, depending on the number of players, you’ll need one or two glow-in-the-dark dodgeballs. Although you can buy these at Wal-Mart, you may need to order them online.

You can also use regular 6-inch dodgeballs and wrap glow-in-the-dark duct tape around them. You can also use duct tape to mark boundaries on the floor.

To determine who’s on which team, have kids wear glow-in-the-dark bracelets. Give each student two glow bracelets that are the same color, one for each wrist. Each team is based on the color of their bracelets. For an additional team, one team can have mixed colored bracelets. You can purchase the glow-in-the-dark bracelets from a local dollar store.

It’s also nice to have a whistle to blow when the 3-minute segments are up. Or you can play music and stop it when time is up. To really make use of all the glowing power, you could use ten 2-foot fluorescent black lights.

The Right People

Of course, you need players—probably about five or six for one ball, and however many more you want if you have two balls. Tell the players to wear athletic gear, because this game is intense!

How to Play Glow in the Dark Dodgeball

For K-6th graders, consider dividing kids into two large teams with both teams having kids from every age level.

Rick Warren Pleads for Messengers To ‘Act Like Southern Baptists’; Al Mohler Rebuts Saddleback Appeal

By

Jessica Lea

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June 13, 2023

Rick Warren appealing Saddleback Church's SBC removal at the 2023 Annual Meeting. Photo credit: Jesse T. Jackson

“For 178 years, the SBC has been a blend of at least a dozen different tribes of Baptists. If you think every Baptist thinks like you, you’re mistaken,” said Rick Warren in an appearance at the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) annual meeting in New Orleans Tuesday afternoon.

Standing at a microphone in front of over 12,000 messengers, Warren defended his view that Saddleback Church should not be disfellowshipped from the Southern Baptist Convention. Saddleback was the third church to appeal being disfellowshipped Tuesday afternoon and the second to appeal being disfellowshipped over having a female pastor.

Rick Warren: Keep Saddleback in the SBC

The Executive Committee (EC) of the SBC ruled in February that Saddleback was not “in friendly cooperation” with the Convention due to the church’s decision to ordain women as pastors. The church appealed the decision by the deadline of May 15, and messengers voted on the decision Tuesday afternoon after Warren gave a defense for the appeal and Dr. Al Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, responded to Warren’s remarks.

In the weeks leading up the annual meeting, Warren has posted extensively on social media and on the website “SBC Stand,” defending his view that women may in fact serve as pastors.

During a time reserved for “Miscellaneous Business,” Warren spoke to the messengers regarding his view that Saddleback should remain in the denomination.

Warren’s primary argument was that Southern Baptists do not have to agree on every matter of doctrine so long as they agree on the essentials of faith, such as authority of Scripture. “I’m not asking you to agree with my church. I am asking you to act like Southern Baptists,” said Warren.

Referencing a 2013 controversy in the SBC over Calvinism, Warren said a split in the Convention was avoided as messengers “agreed to disagree.”

“Will we treat the egalitarian Baptists with the same grace we showed the Calvinists?” he asked. Warren said there are many types of sin that it makes sense to divide over, including sexual, racial and financial sin. “But the 1,928 churches with women on pastoral staff have not sinned,” he said. The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 (BFM) contains 4,033 words, said Warren. “Saddleback disagrees with one word…Isn’t that close enough?” he asked.

Messengers responded with murmurs of “no” and other signs of disapproval.

Warren then mentioned Mohler by name, taking issue with Mohler’s interpretation of what the BFM says about women pastors and questioning why Mohler “gets to speak twice and do the rebuttals.” This was in reference to the fact that several minutes earlier, Mohler had rebutted the appeal of Linda Barnes Popham, pastor of Fern Creek Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, and was also the person set to rebut Warren’s defense.

Paul Chitwood Addresses Missionary Vaccine Requirement: We Would Have ‘Lost Access to More Than 2 Billion Lost Souls’

By

Jesse T. Jackson

-

June 13, 2023

During the SBC annual meeting in New Orleans, Paul Chitwood, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) International Mission Board (IMB), was asked by an SBC messenger if he’d like to apologize for mandating SBC missionaries get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The SBC messenger also asked if the IMB would cover medical costs for any missionaries who may incur long-term effects, alluding to heart issues, such as myocarditis.

Chitwood responded by explaining that missionaries long ago boarded ships with caskets because “it was a safe assumption that their time on the field would be short lived” due to the fact that they would be introduced to diseases to which their immune systems were not prepared to respond as soon as they stepped foot onto the mission field.

In fact, he continued, “your very first Southern Baptist missionary, appointed to China [at] the [first] annual meeting of this convention in 1845, boarded the ship in 1846, headed for China. Within a year, his funeral took place, as he died from a disease he was exposed to.”

The IMB president said the denomination is blessed today by the miracles of modern medicine, which allows the SBC to send missionaries into the world “who are prepared to die” if they are exposed to diseases their bodies cannot not fight off, “but who typically don’t have to because they receive a long list of vaccinations before they go.”

That list of vaccinations is “simply a requirement of serving with the IMB,” Chitwood said.

Acknowledging the COVID-19 pandemic was “incredibly unique,” Chitwood shared that the IMB’s decision regarding whether it would expose missionaries to a vaccine or a deadly virus wasn’t the organization’s biggest challenge.

The biggest challenge was that missionaries who said they’d “give our lives to share Christ among the nations” had to receive the vaccine if the country in which they served mandated it. The IMB was facing a situation in which they would have lost access to more than 2 billion lost people if missionaries didn’t receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

You Can Find Beauty in the Southern Baptist Convention—If You Want To—Says SBC President Bart Barber

By

Jessica Lea

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June 13, 2023

Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) president Bart Barber exhorted his fellow Southern Baptists at the annual meeting in New Orleans Tuesday to develop a taste for the good, the true and the beautiful. Hours before Barber faces off against Mike Stone in the SBC presidential election, he used his presidential address to challenge messengers to desire to find beauty in the SBC more than they want to find corruption.

Anyone hoping to find examples of doctrinal or moral compromise in the SBC will find it if they look “long enough,” said Barber, given that there are 47,000 churches in the denomination. But people can also find “champions of the faith,” “defenders of the abused,” “courageous missionary-martyrs,” and “conscientious whistleblowers.”

The question is, “Do you want to see it?” asked Barber. “Do you have a taste for seeing it? Or do you find it unattractive?”

Bart Barber Gives Presidential Address at SBC Annual Meeting

The SBC’s annual meeting takes place in New Orleans this week from June 13-14. At the beginning of Tuesday morning’s opening session, over 11,700 messengers had registered.

One of the hot-button issues messengers will address this week is the denomination’s stance on women in positions of church leadership. Yesterday, the SBC Executive Committee (EC) approved a recommendation to give messengers the opportunity to vote on whether to amend the SBC constitution to include a permanent ban on female pastors, as proposed by Virginia pastor Mike Law.

After Toronto Pitcher Shares Christian Beliefs, Team Cuts Him Ahead of Pride Weekend

By

Stephanie Martin

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June 13, 2023

Last month, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Anthony Bass shared what some people described as an “anti-queer” social media post. Now he’s looking for a new team.

On his personal Instagram page, the veteran reliever advocated for boycotts of LGBTQ-friendly companies Bud Light and Target. Quoting Ephesians 5:11, the 35-year-old characterized the selling of LGBTQ products as “evil” and “demonic.” He later removed the post and apologized—while defending his right to share his “personal beliefs.”

On June 9, the day Bass was slated to catch the ceremonial first pitch to begin his team’s fourth-annual Pride Weekend event, the Blue Jays designated him for assignment. That means he can be traded through June 16 and then placed on waivers, either to be released or signed elsewhere.

Toronto Pitcher Anthony Bass: ‘I Mean No Harm’

In an apology, Bass said he recognized that his post “was hurtful to the Pride community, which includes friends of mine and close family members of mine, and I am truly sorry for that.” He also said he apologized to his teammates.

“The ballpark is for everybody,” Bass told reporters. “We include all fans at the ballpark. We want to welcome everybody.” The pitcher met with a Pride Toronto representative to listen and learn about the local LGBTQ community.

Later, Bass indicated that he deleted the video because it “was too much of a distraction.” He continued, “But I stand by my personal beliefs, and everyone is entitled to their personal beliefs, right?”

Bass said the experience has taught him about “being accepting of everyone’s decisions and views” and not to “post my personal beliefs on my social media platforms.” After the incident, fans booed him at two home appearances.

Blue Jays General Manager Ross Atkins cited “distraction” as a “small part” of the decision and performance as a “large aspect.” In 22 relief appearances this season, Bass has an ERA of 4.95.

Atkins said the Blue Jays value all their fans and “definitely don’t want anyone feeling any hurt.” Ahead of the Pride Weekend celebrations, he said the team will “continue to work hard to make sure that this is an inclusive environment and one where we will not stand for behavior that makes it otherwise.”

Is Pitcher Anthony Bass a Victim of Cancel Culture?

Bass, who has played for six other MLB teams, lists Mark 10:27 as his life verse. Some people on his side of the debate say he’s being targeted for his faith and is a victim of cancel culture. “Never apologize, it’s never enough,” someone advised the athlete on Twitter.

‘Theological Transgenderism’—SBC Presidential Candidate Mike Stone Preaches on Female Submission to Male Authority Ahead of Annual Meeting

By

Dale Chamberlain

-

June 13, 2023

On Tuesday (June 13), Georgia pastor Mike Stone will accept a nomination for president of the Southern Baptist Convention for the second time in three years, but not before offering a sermon that touched on issues he believes are plaguing the denomination.

The Sunday before the annual meeting of the SBC in New Orleans, Louisiana, Stone preached at Woodlawn Baptist Church in nearby Baton Rouge. In that sermon, he accused those who advocate for women serving as pastors of supporting “theological transgenderism.”

During the message, Stone specifically criticized Saddleback founding pastor Rick Warren, former SBC president J.D. Greear, and author Beth Moore, who departed from the denomination in 2021.

Stone noted that he was “bringing a message that I would not normally or typically bring as a guest preacher,” but he was doing so at the request of Woodlawn’s pastor.

Stone then indicated that his sermon would focus on 1 Timothy 2, in which the Apostle Paul bars women from exercising or abusing authority. The proper interpretation of the Scripture passage has long been disputed by theologians and exegetes.

Mike Stone on ‘Theological Transgenderism’

“I’ll label the message, ‘Women in Ministry and the Authority of Scripture,’” Stone said. “We live in a day that blurs the lines of distinction…between men and women. And in the larger cultural context, American evangelicalism is not left unscathed. Many deny that such distinctions even exist.”

Stone went on to reference various gender identity issues that have become culture war battlegrounds, including public restrooms and trans athletes.

“As sad as these trends are, there’s a growing trend in the American church that I might call ‘theological transgenderism,’” Stone said. “By that, I mean a trend to blur the lines of gender distinctions and in some cases to deny that those distinctions exist at all.”

Stone continued, “Like its cultural and physiological counterpart, theological transgenderism seeks to ignore the God-given assignment and role responsibility that God gave at birth.”

“Specifically, in this theological movement, women say, ‘I don’t care what assignment God has given to me in the creation and in the Scripture. I want to do what God has called a man to do. And no one will tell me otherwise,’” Stone argued, adding that while trans activists “take a scalpel to and thereby mutilate the physical body, their theological counterparts take a scalpel to and mutilate the Word of God, turning it into Swiss cheese, slicing and dicing it, cutting away anything that doesn’t match their self-assigned, self-affirming, self-appointed role.”

“Now this broader debate within our culture and American evangelicalism has not left our own denomination of churches untouched,” Stone said. Stating his belief that the SBC is “overwhelmingly” complementarian, Stone nevertheless said that “there is still a raging debate within our convention of churches as to exactly how that is to be fleshed out.”

‘Shame on Me’—Rick Warren Apologizes to Christian Women Leading Up to Saddleback’s Appeal at the Annual Meeting

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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June 13, 2023

Rick Warren, Saddleback Church’s founder and former senior pastor, published an apology to Christian women leading up to his appeal to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) messengers at this year’s SBC annual meeting.

In February, the SBC Executive Committee (EC) ruled that Saddleback Church was no longer “in friendly cooperation” with the denomination for ordaining women to the role of pastor.

Warren retired as Saddleback Church’s senior pastor last year. His successor, Andy Wood, has helped advance the church’s move toward recognizing women as pastors. Stacie, Wood’s wife, frequently preaches during Sunday morning worship services.

On May 16, Warren announced that Saddleback Church would appeal the EC’s ruling, which will take place Tuesday afternoon (June 13).

In the weeks leading up to the annual meeting, Warren has posted a series of videos and articles explaining how his view on women serving pastors has changed. Warren even launched a website titled “SBC Stand,” which is dedicated to explaining those views and pleading with SBC messengers not to remove churches that have appointed women as pastors.

“Jesus told Mary Magdalene to tell the disciples about his resurrection, choosing her to be the first preacher of the Gospel,” Warren stated on his website.

The “Purpose Driven Life” author posted an apology to “Christian women” this past Saturday on Twitter.

“My biggest regret in 53 years of ministry is that I didn’t do my own personal exegesis sooner on the four passages used to restrict women,” Warren said. “Shame on me. I wasted those four years of Greek in college and seminary.”

Warren explained that after doing his “proper due diligence” and laying aside 50 years of biased thinking, he was “shocked, chagrined, and embarrassed” because he believes he violated “so many” hermeneutical rules.

“Never build a doctrine on a single word that is used only once in Scripture,” Warren said. “There’s nothing to compare it to (correlation). Do your own study of authentein in ancient Greek and you’ll be shocked too.”

Love Where You Live: Evangelism in Disorienting Times

By

Ed Stetzer

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June 13, 2023

north american church — Adobestock #121804304

This is the second part of a series I’ve entitled, “Love Where You Live.” (You can find the first part here.) My desire is to shed light on some missiological truths about evangelism and provide you with practical ways you can reach people for Christ.

As I previously noted, it would be a mistake to view the decline of cultural Christianity in North America as signaling the decline of Christianity as a whole around the globe. Nevertheless, the North American church does have unique challenges to confront.

The Sky Is Falling—Or Is It?

Few would disagree with the claim that Christianity in the West has increasingly found itself on the cultural margins, driven by the winds of what Lesslie Newbigin called “religious pluralism.” That is, “[r]eligious belief is a private matter. Each of us is entitled to have—as we say a faith of our own.”¹

This insistence on the privatization of faith will continue to exert significant pressure on the ministry of the church in various contexts. The church in North America is facing a moment of reckoning, as we confront the reality of declining attendance and cultural opposition.

Daniel Im confirms this trend:

Over the past few decades another shift has occurred—the Church has moved from the center of the culture and increasingly to the side. In some places, like the U.S. North East, provinces like Quebec, and cities like Portland, this shift occurred years ago. In other states and regions (like in the U.S. South), the shift has just begun. Although there’s been a greater emphasis on church planting and church growth, and church attendance has been relatively steady, the culture has not changed for the most part. In fact, it has become increasingly secular and pluralistic, with more people declaring “none” as their religious status. The writing on the wall is clear: Christians have lost their home field advantage.²

While many are (prematurely) predicting the end of Christianity in the West, it is a far cry from reality. The reality is that the church in the West merely can no longer assume the place of cultural priority.

I see this as advantageous, a door of opportunity. David Bosch, a prolific South African missiologist, reminded us, “We can no longer speak of mission as if it were simply an option for the church. We must instead speak of mission as the very essence of the church.”³ To be effective in reaching an ever-changing culture, the church must be willing to adapt and innovate while staying true to the core message of the gospel. Yes, culture has shifted, but historically the Church has generally been most missionally-focused in uncertain, even culturally hostile, times.

Small Shifts Make a Big Difference

Most of us who answered God’s call to work in church leadership did so precisely because we wanted to see people who are far from God find a flourishing relationship with Jesus. But if we’re honest with ourselves, evangelism can often find itself in the backseat (or even the trunk!) of the church ministry vehicle. We tend toward either inaction (because we’re overwhelmed, anxious, or too busy) or complexity (over-thinking elaborate plans or even over-contextualizing outreach strategies).

¹Lesslie Newbigin, “The Gospel in a Pluralist Society” (Grand Rapids, Eerdmans, 1989), 14.
²Daniel Im 2016. “Seismic Shifts and a Missional Response.” https://www.danielim.com/2016/10/04/seismic-shifts-missional-response/.
³David Bosch, “Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission,” Orbis Books, 1991.

Vatican Court Sentences Eco-Activists to Prison for Damaging Art

By

Claire Giangrave

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June 13, 2023

Vatican Last Generation — FILE - Ultima Generazione (Last Generation) activists Ester Goffi, left, and Guido Viero demonstrate at The Vatican, Wednesday, May 24, 2023, where they are on trial for having staged a protest in August 2022 inside the Vatican Museums. A Vatican court on Monday, June 12, 2023, convicted the two environmental activists of aggravated damage and ordered them to pay more than 28,000 euros (US$30,000) in damages after they glued their hands to the base of an ancient statue in the Vatican Museums in a protest to draw attention to climate change. The banner in Italian reads "We don't pay for fossil fuels" (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Two environmental activists have been found guilty of vandalism for gluing themselves to a statue in the Vatican Museums. In the conclusion of the much-talked-about trial on Monday (June 12), Vatican judges sentenced the activists to nine months in prison and charged them a 1,500 euro fine with a suspended sentence of five years.

Guido Viero, 61, and Ester Goffi, 26, glued themselves to the statue of “Laocoön and His Sons,” in the famed Vatican Museums last summer. A third activist, Laura Zorzini, filmed the other two in action with her phone. Zorzini was sentenced to pay a 120 euro fine.

Vatican City only has three prison cells, and its courts rarely sentence individuals to jail.

The activists belong to the environmentalist group Ultima Generazione, “Last Generation,” which has become famous in Italy in recent years for drawing attention to the climate crisis through acts of vandalism targeting the country’s famed historical sites.

“Nine months of jail for one gram of glue,” Ultima Generazione commented on Twitter. “An exaggerated sentence, which doesn’t want to recognize the drama of the situation that pushed to protest.”

The activists will also have to pay a 120 euro fine for trespassing. Viero and Goffi will have to compensate the Vatican City State for the damage done to the statue for a total of 28,148 euros.

The judges decided the offense will not be added to the Vatican’s criminal records unless the eco-activists transgress again.

Speaking to RNS on the day of the second trial hearing (May 24), Last Generation activists said they hoped Pope Francis would intercede for Goffi and Viero.

“He is more radical than we are,” said Tommaso Juhasz, a member of the Last Generation. “If one reads ‘Laudato Si’ and what it says and what it demands, it’s much more radical than we are,” he added, referencing Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical promoting the care for the environment and the need for nations to come together to fight climate change.

Last Generation declined to comment by the time this article was published.

This article originally appeared here.

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