‘The Thorn’: A Case Study in Using the Arts To Spread the Gospel

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February 16, 2023

Evangelism and Christian outreach can occur in many formats and settings. But the experiences of John and Sarah Bolin, creators of “The Thorn,” prove that the performing arts offer unique opportunities for sharing the salvation message. Their brainchild, which began as a youth group presentation, has blossomed into a 25-year project and thousands of commitments for Christ.

This spring, “The Thorn” ventures into 12 Broadway-quality performing arts centers throughout America. It also will debut on the big screen, with a movie airing nationwide March 6 and 7. Amid all this success, the goal of The Thorn” remains the same: to share Jesus’ love and the good news of his resurrection.

‘The Thorn’: Visually Conveying God’s Supernatural Power

ChurchLeaders recently spoke to John Bolin, CEO of Bridgehouse Media, about using the arts to share the Gospel. The producer and author, who has a background in marketing and creative arts, describes how the concept for “The Thorn” originated in the mid-’90s.

Back then, the Bolins served as youth pastors at New Life, a megachurch in Colorado Springs. The student ministry program had grown to about 1,000 kids, but the struggles of one particular teen alarmed the couple.

One Wednesday evening, a 16-year-old girl rolled up her sleeves and admitted she’d been cutting herself. John Bolin remembers telling her she didn’t need to inflict pain like that because “Jesus did it for you.” That spurred the youth pastor, who wasn’t a natural at preaching, to develop a visual message that communicated the Gospel and the “power of the supernatural.”

Although the production values of the first iteration of “The Thorn” left much to be desired, God blessed and grew the outreach. For a decade, Bolin staged the live-action show about Jesus’ Passion each spring at New Life. The quality and attendance both grew, and on performance nights cars lined up outside the church’s parking lot for a quarter-mile or more.

Soon requests came in for special appearances of “The Thorn” at churches throughout America. And when the Bolins briefly relocated to South Carolina, they ran two productions simultaneously. Because that wasn’t sustainable, the idea of a tour was born. The couple sensed God calling them to focus on three main areas: the page, the stage, and the screen.

John Bolin: All Artists ‘Bear the Image of the Creator’

Bolin also credits a Cirque du Soleil show for opening his eyes to the power of visual storytelling. In Las Vegas, he attended “O,” which incorporates water, hydraulics, music, movement, and costumes—but no words. “Imagine what we could do with the Gospel!” thought Bolin, recalling that emotionally moving performance.

Through open casting calls for “The Thorn,” many non-Christian performers have been introduced to the Gospel and have started following Jesus. Some arrive to rehearsals in tears, saying they had no idea a Christ-honoring show like this existed. After an intense two weeks of practice, the cast hits the road and the tour begins.

“Even secular artists are bearing the image of their Creator because he’s in them,” Bolin says. “We have the opportunity to steward these performers for a month or two, and then we send them back to shine their light in the secular world,” whether that’s Broadway or Disney or Cirque du Soleil. Some “Thorn” participants formed an alumni group online so they can disciple and encourage one another in the faith journey.

Nikki Haley Praises Controversial Pastor John Hagee at Presidential Campaign Rally

By

Stephanie Martin

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February 16, 2023

L: Nikki Haley speaking at an event in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Oct. 12, 2020. Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons R: John Hagee preaching in a sermon dated Jan. 31, 2023. Screenshot from YouTube / @Hagee Ministries

One day after officially announcing her candidacy for the 2024 U.S. presidential race, Republican Nikki Haley held her first campaign rally on Wednesday (Feb. 15). The former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador chose John Hagee, televangelist and pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, to give the invocation.

Hagee has generated controversy over the years for comments considered to be anti-Catholic, anti-Semitic, anti-Islamic, and anti-LGBTQ. The 82-year-old writes about end-times prophecies and has indicated the Antichrist will be a gay German of Jewish ancestry.

Nikki Haley to John Hagee: ‘I Want To Be You When I Grow Up’

As the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley spoke at a summit for Christians United for Israel, a group John Hagee founded. The two visited Israel in the same delegation in 2021. After Hagee gave the invocation at her rally Wednesday, Haley took to the stage and said, “To Pastor Hagee, I still say I want to be you when I grow up.”

Haley, the child of Indian immigrants, is the first woman of color running for the GOP presidential nomination. At her rally, the 51-year-old said the Republican party needs a new generation of leaders. Haley also emphasized that Americans aren’t hateful or racist but “full of love” and “sustained by faith.”

Throughout his ministry, Hagee has made headlines for questionable statements—some of which he later apologized for or walked back. The televangelist has called the Roman Catholic Church the “great whore,” said Adolf Hitler had Jewish and Catholic backgrounds, and indicated that God used Hurricane Katrina to punish New Orleans for its plans to hold a gay pride parade.

During the pandemic, Hagee initially said Jesus Christ was the only vaccine for Covid-19; later the pastor clarified that he would receive the shots. At a right-wing event held at Cornerstone Church in 2021, some attendees started chanting “Let’s Go Brandon,” a derogatory dig at President Biden.

Is Haley Trying to Impress the GOP Religious Base?

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Arizona Sen. John McCain embraced Hagee’s support until deciding the pastor was too extreme. In 2018, President Trump tapped Hagee to offer the benediction when a new U.S. embassy opened in Israel. Former Vice President Mike Pence, rumored to be considering a 2024 presidential run, visited Hagee’s church last month—as well as the Dallas-area megachurch of Robert Jeffress.

Political science professor Kirk Randazzo tells Newsweek that Nikki Haley might help the Republican party with its “reputational problem,” citing issues such as abortion. The candidate offers the promise of maturity, calmness, and cooperation, he says, “which is vastly different from the current image” of female GOP politicians.

SBC Church That Hosted Disgraced Pastor Johnny Hunt Fires Back at Committee Inquiry

By

Dale Chamberlain

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February 16, 2023

Hiland Park Baptist Church defends decision to host Johnny Hunt — Pictured: Johnny Hunt preaching at Hiland Park Baptist Church in January (screengrab via YouTube @Hiland Park Baptist Church of Panama City, FL)

Hiland Park Baptist Church in Panama City, Florida, one of two churches for which the SBC Credentials Committee has launched an inquiry for hosting disgraced pastor Johnny Hunt, has fired back in an open letter, indicating that they will fight for their place in the SBC—by legal means if necessary.

Controversy swelled around Hiland Park Baptist after their pastor, Steven Kyle, along with a team of three other pastors, led former pastor and denominational leader Johnny Hunt in a “restoration” process following the revelation last year that he had been credibly accused of sexual abuse.

Kyle characterized his role in returning Hunt to ministry as a “sacred duty.”

The allegations against Hunt came to light in the Guidepost Solutions report that had been commissioned by the SBC and sought to determine whether the denomination’s Executive Committee had mishandled sexual abuse in the last two decades.

Released in May 2022, the report described Hunt’s alleged sexual assault of the wife of a pastor he was mentoring. The survivor claimed that the abuse occurred in 2010 toward the end of Hunt’s term as SBC president.

Investigators found the testimony of the survivor and other witnesses close to the situation to be credible. Hunt, whose story shifted throughout the course of the investigation, was not found credible. Hunt eventually conceded that he had a sexual encounter with the survivor, but he denies that he sexually assaulted her.

Following the revelation, Hunt was stripped of his title of pastor emeritus at First Baptist Church in Woodstock, Georgia, a congregation he had pastored for over three decades. FBC Woodstock would go on to void his membership to the church. Hunt also resigned his position as Vice President of Evangelism and Leadership at the SBC’s North American Mission Board.

To the understanding of most Southern Baptists, the credible allegations against Hunt constituted a permanent disqualification from pastoral leadership, in accordance with a resolution passed by the Convention in 2021.

Nevertheless, Kyle and three other pastors declared Hunt cleared for ministry in November 2022. The announcement was sharply criticized by SBC leaders, including current SBC president Bart Barber.

In January of this year, Hunt made his defiant return to the pulpit at Hiland Park Baptist Church, preaching a sermon that indicated his belief that he was being persecuted by SBC leadership. In March, Hunt preached his second sermon since his “restoration” at New Season Church in Hiram, Georgia. That church is also under inquiry.

Since the SBC is a collective of autonomous churches, denominational leaders do not have the power to tell churches who may fill their pulpits. However, they can disfellowship churches that are deemed by the Credentials Committee to no longer be in “friendly cooperation” with the SBC.

In the case of Hiland Park Baptist and New Season Church, this is the process that the Credentials Committee has begun. They informed the two churches that they would be the subject of an inquiry earlier this month.

Pastor Abducted by Malaysian Police Still Missing After 6 Years

By

Diana Chandler

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February 16, 2023

Pastor Abducted by Malaysian Police Still Missing After 6 Years — Raymond Koh (center) with his wife and children. Voice of the Martyrs photo

PETALING JAYA, Malaysia (BP) – Leavell College Dean Greg Wilton met Malaysian pastor Raymond Koh about a decade before police abducted Koh in an effort to quash his Christian ministry.

On the sixth anniversary of Koh’s Feb. 13, 2017, abduction, Wilton is among many praying and advocating for the pastor’s release.

“I highlight his abduction and disappearance every year on social media,” Wilton told Baptist Press. “It’s important that I never forget my friend. It’s also important that his family knows there are others out there who have not gotten over it. We shouldn’t be making heroes and celebrities in our faith, especially the kind that take our eyes off Jesus.

“However, there are rare individuals, of whom the world is not worthy, who do nothing to detract from Jesus and who do everything to bring Jesus all praise, glory and honor,” Wilton said. “Pastor Raymond is one of those rare individuals.”

Koh was driving along a highway in Petaling Jaya when three SUVs impeded his path, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) reported, based on close-caption television security footage of the crime. Fifteen masked men pulled him away and stole his car in the 40-second scene, this version posted on YouTube by Voice of the Martyrs (VOM). He was 64 and hasn’t been seen or heard from since the abduction.

Koh ran a nonprofit ministry helping people living with HIV/AIDs, recovering addicts and single mothers and children. Islamic authorities once investigated him over allegations he was working to convert Muslims to Christianity, among other outreaches.

USCIRF, Voice of the Martyrs, Open Doors, International Christian Concern and the Jubilee Campaign are among groups that have advocated for Koh’s release.

VOM spokesperson Todd Nettleton said the pastor has been missing far too long, especially for Koh’s wife and children.

“For Susanna and the Koh family, it’s been six years, waking up every morning wondering what happened to Pastor Raymond, wondering where he is, how he is,” Nettleton said. “I, and many other Christians around the world, have been inspired by Susanna’s grace and faithfulness through these years. I pray God will continue to bless and sustain her and their family.

Chaplains Offer More Than Prayers: New Study Confirms Impact on ICU Families

By

Kathryn Post

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February 16, 2023

hospital chaplains — Image by Moondance/Pixabay/Creative Commons

(RNS) — It’s hard to forget your first time in the ICU.

Strangers obscured by masks and gowns, beds surrounded by wires, constant beeping — it can feel like you’ve stumbled into a warped, disorienting alternate universe.

It’s true for patients — and it’s true for their loved ones.

For decades, hospital chaplains have offered hope and solace to patients and family alike as they navigate the trauma of being in the intensive care unit. But the impact of those efforts is often intangible, hard to measure and generally anecdotal.

But thanks to a new study of ICU patients’ family members and loved ones, data now confirms what many chaplains already know: Proactive, enhanced spiritual care leads to better spiritual and psychological outcomes.

“We wanted to improve the well-being of ICU family members because there’s so much distress that they face, and we were one of the very few studies that have been able to successfully do that,” said Dr. Alexia Torke, who led the study conducted by the Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University School of Medicine.

The randomized, single-blind trial took place across an Indiana medical center’s five ICUs from August 2018 until November 2021. The 128 participants who completed the trial were surrogate decision-makers whose loved ones were ICU patients unable to make medical decisions.

The study found that surrogates who received intensive spiritual care had more spiritual well-being and satisfaction with spiritual care and were “less likely to have anxiety and spiritual distress compared to those in control group,” according to Torke, a research scientist at Indiana University Center for Aging Research. Surrogates in the intervention group were “three times more likely to have a clinically important reduction in anxiety,” according to the study.

When Paul Galchutt, a research chaplain at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, heard the trial’s results, he told Religion News Service, “I clicked my heels a few times.” Galchutt described this kind of data “like a V8 engine for the kind of work we do,” because it provides hard numbers to tell the story of what chaplains do and why it matters.

The trial studied two groups: a control group receiving typical care from the medical center’s chaplains, and an intervention group that would receive intensive spiritual care from one of five outside chaplains. In the first group, surrogates saw a chaplain an average of two times during their relative’s stay, whereas the second group had an average of four visits per stay.

Chaplains in the enhanced spiritual care group also made proactive contact to schedule visits and implemented a spiritual care assessment and intervention framework to evaluate surrogates in several areas, including relationships, self-worth and meaning. During their first visit, chaplains asked at least one pre-written question from each of the categories, then adapted the conversation to best suit the surrogate’s needs.

Next Gen Leaders Urge Proactive Response to SBC Age Distribution Trends

By

Timothy Cockes

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February 16, 2023

Next-Gen-Leaders-Urge-Proactive-Response-to-SBC-Age-Distribution-Trends — Youth worship service at Paramount Baptist Church. Courtesy of Baptist Press.

NASHVILLE (BP) – Recent trends regarding age distribution in the SBC are causing next generation leaders to reflect on building up the future of the Convention.

Research indicates a majority of Southern Baptists are over the age of 55, while a much smaller percentage of the Convention falls within the 18-35 age range.

A survey distributed to messengers at the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting reveals that just 5 percent of respondents fell within the 18-29 age range. The highest percentage belonged to the over 60 age range, which represented more than 27 percent of the 1,000 survey participants.

This Convention data reflects a similar story as other research on Protestant religion in America.

Ryan Burge, a researcher and assistant professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University, recently tweeted data from Harvard University’s 2020 Cooperative Election Study, which indicates 57 percent of Southern Baptists are older than 55, while 15 percent are 18-35.

Will Standridge, student pastor at Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo, Texas, told Baptist Press while the trends are not unexpected, they should serve as a wake-up call for leaders.

“When I see research like this it doesn’t surprise me at all,” Standridge said.

“As the Convention gets older it’s not getting replaced with younger people. Every youth pastor I talk with says having a ‘big’ youth group means something different now than it did 20 years ago.

“While not surprising, this should be alarming to us. We have to replace those people, or the SBC of tomorrow isn’t going to look at all like the SBC today. I think it should cause some kind of urgency for us in how we think about things like kids, youth and college ministries.”

Standridge said one of his observations about young people today is the disillusionment or distrust of organized religion or institutions as a whole.

“When our students see moral failings of known pastors, or high-level hypocrisy, that is a huge turn-off to them wanting to be organizationally involved because they’re already pretty anti-organization in posture to begin with.

“I would really love to see the Southern Baptist Convention recover character in leadership, meaning we continue to put the right kinds of people in places of leadership and not just the right kind of talent.”

Despite the Convention’s problems, Standridge strives to show his students the cooperative work the SBC does.

“One of the things I’ve tried to encourage them with as we’ve talked about denominations is that the SBC is not necessarily what you think,” Standridge said.

“We try to teach our students a robust biblical ecclesiology so they actually understand why the Church exists. The Church and the Southern Baptist Convention are not just entities that exist for them to live out their individual spiritual ideas. …

“We (the Convention) have the opportunity for accountability through the local, state and national associations. We also have the ability to cooperate missionally. And we have educational opportunities and the ability to find a confessionally similar church. We’ve just been trying to give a really positive view of what the SBC is on its best days.”

Standridge says a big challenge is helping students transition into adulthood while keeping their faith intact.

“I think one thing that could help churches is to work toward integrating students into the life of their church while they have them,” he said.

“I do think if the mentors and relationships kids form in youth ministry don’t last past youth ministry, then we didn’t do that right. Our volunteers invest in students with the understanding that doesn’t stop when they graduate.”

Kegan Shoemaker is the student and college pastor at Lifepointe Church in Eustice, Fla.

Before his work with Lifepointe, Shoemaker worked as a lead graduate assistant for the undergraduate evangelism courses at Liberty University. His interactions with students confirmed the difficultly of the transition.

Latino Evangelicals Launch Campaign Against Florida Execution of Donald David Dillbeck

By

Alejandra Molina

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February 16, 2023

(RNS) — Latino evangelical leaders are calling on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to stay the execution of Donald David Dillbeck, who was convicted of fatally stabbing a woman after escaping from custody while serving a life sentence for killing a Lee County deputy.

Dillbeck’s attorneys have argued that his neurobehavioral disorder — which they say is similar to an intellectual disability and related to alcohol exposure before birth — should exempt him from execution under constitutional law, according to news reports.

Latino Christian leaders, as part of their faith-led effort dubbed “Evangélicos for Justice,” are urging the governor — who signed Dillbeck’s death warrant on Jan. 23 — to consider his disability and to offer him clemency. By enacting the death penalty on Dillbeck, they say, the state is undermining “our values and respect for all life.”

Dillbeck, who was convicted in the 1990 murder of Faye Vann in Tallahassee, is scheduled to die Feb. 23 by lethal injection.

“As pastors and Christian leaders, we do believe all life is sacred, the life of victims and their oppressors. We want justice for everyone, which is why we believe that Donald Dillbeck should spend the remainder of his days in prison. We also believe that his life should be spared,” according to a letter on the “Evangélicos for Justice” website addressed to DeSantis.

Among those who signed the letter are Bishop Angel Marcial, president of the Florida Fellowship of Hispanic Councils and Evangelical Institutions; the Rev. Irene Familia, president of the Pastors Association of Volusia County; and the Rev. Ivan García, president of the Fellowship of Evangelical Ministers of Tampa. Signers also included Black clergy leaders, such as Bishop Derrick L. McRae, president of the African American Council of Christian Clergy, and the Rev. Frank Madison Reid III, with the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Agustin Quiles, with the Florida Fellowship of Hispanic Bishops and Evangelical Institutions, is part of the campaign and said Latino evangelicals are denouncing the execution because “we value life, from the womb to the tomb.”

Marcial noted the importance of their Latino evangelical effort advocating for Dillbeck, who is white. Latino evangelicals should use their “prophetic voice” for Dillbeck because “we are committed to life,” Marcial told Religion News Service.

Dillbeck is “in need of an act of mercy” considering his upbringing and diagnosis, Marcial said.

“We believe in life at all levels and in all circumstances,” he added.

To Celeste Fitzgerald, who for years has advocated against the death penalty, seeing Latino and Black leaders rallying behind Dillbeck speaks “to the history of the death penalty.”

The death penalty is not a “punishment of the wealthy,” or the “worst of the worst,” said Fitzgerald, of Florida. It’s a punishment, she said, “we reserve for the poor, for people who are marginalized … for the most broken and traumatized.”

King David’s Reign Confirmed in Text on Ancient Stone, Scholars Say

By

Diana Chandler

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February 16, 2023

King David — Mesha Stele from Louvre Collections

PARIS (BP) – New readings of text on the Moabite Stone studied for 150 years give new evidence that the stone includes an extra-biblical reference to King David, scholars have announced.

The latest reading reveals previously illegible characters to complete the phrase “the House of David” on the 31st line of the 34-line inscription written in the ninth century B.C., scholars assert in the current issue of the Biblical Archeology Review.

Southern Baptist archeologist and theologian Jim Parker affirms the latest interpretation of the stone that records the victorious battles of King Mesha, who ruled in the mid-ninth Century B.C. what is now known as Dhibon, Jordan.

“While there will likely be a peer review of the work that has been done with the scanning, etc., it does seem that things look favorable that this does make reference to ‘House of David,” Parker, executive director of the Michael and Sara Moskau Institute of Archaeology at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, told Baptist Press.

“It does seem that the context around Line 31 of the Mesha Stone, in which this appears, was speaking about the lands and peoples that King Mesha of Moab had defeated. That would lead one to the understanding that David (meaning Judah if the 810 B.C. dating of Lemaire is accurate), was one of those groups.”

The stele appears to document Mesha’s battles recorded in 2 Kings 3, scholars André Lemaire and Jean-Philippe Delorme said in interpreting the line written in an ancient Hebrew script. The scholars were able to transcribe three previously illegible letters or characters in reaching their conclusion of “House of David.”

“The term ‘House of David,’” Parker said, “can be a reference to the kings who were of David’s lineage that followed each other over consecutive reigns. The kingdom that the ‘House of David’ reigned over was Judah, so basically these two terms, especially after the split at the time of Rehoboam, became synonymous with one another. ‘House of David’ also meant that this Judean kingdom was founded by David.”

At least three scholars, Israel Finkelstein, Nadav Na’aman and Thomas Römer, have interpreted line 31 of the text to refer instead to King Balak, the Moabite King who consulted the prophet Balaam in an attempt to curse the Israelites, as recorded in Numbers 22. Their findings were printed in Bible History Daily in 2019.

But the interpretation as King Balak is problematic, Parker said.

“Israel Finkelstein has put forth the idea that line 31 of the Mesha stele should be translated Balak, however, most scholars disagree,” said Parker, who is also an NOBTS professor of biblical interpretation and archaeology, and associate vice-president of operations.

“It does seem that the stele is explaining a historical event … sometime between 840-810 BC. Since Balak was at least 200 years before, if not longer than this time, it seems that a reference to him would be anachronistic,” Parker said. “Therefore, most scholars would not accept this view in light of what is believed to be the context of the stele.”

The stele, on display at the Louvre Museum in Paris, was publicized in 1868 when Bedouin attempted to sell the stone to scholars, according to Bible History Daily. After negotiations failed, the 3-foot black basalt stone was broken into dozens of pieces and scattered among the Bedouin, east of the Jordan River and north of the Arnon River.

Scholars recovered enough of the fragments in the 1870s to reconstruct two-thirds of the original stone, according to Bible History Daily. But a paper imprint that had been taken of the intact inscription allowed scholars to fill in the blanks.

This article originally appeared at Baptist Press.

4 Keys To Launching a Gospel Movement

By

Greg Stier

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February 16, 2023

Since I was 11, I’ve dreamed about a sweeping Gospel movement, led by a generation of on-fire young people. Yes, I was that weird kid, brainstorming movements, when I could have been setting ant piles on fire with a magnifying glass.

But I’d witnessed a teen-led Gospel movement transform my entire inner-city family from street fighters to radical followers of Jesus, almost overnight. And I’d experienced the power of finding my identity as a child of God, my belonging with the people of God, and my purpose in the mission of God, as a result of that same teen-led Gospel movement.

Now, 46 years later, launching a Gospel movement is the chief objective—other than knowing Jesus deeply and personally—I pour my energy into.

For the past 32 years, God has allowed me to be the founder and visionary of Dare 2 Share Ministries, through which we’ve put countless theories and ideas to the test with youth leaders and teenagers. This has created a feedback loop about what works and doesn’t work when it comes to launching a Gospel movement in the microcosm of a youth ministry.

We’ve learned many lessons from that feedback. Here are a few of the big ones.

First and foremost: Only God can truly launch a movement. Salvation comes from the Lord (Jonah 2:9) and so does revival. Despite all our hard work, we cannot manufacture a spiritual awakening. But we can dig the trenches, lay down the proper piping, and trust God to turn on the spigot.

This is why prayer is so essential. Gospel movements transfer from Heaven to Earth through divine decree. We must ask, beg, intercede with all kinds of prayers and requests, until God says “yes.” We must keep sharpening the blades of holy lives and swinging the axe of intercessory prayer at the tree, until God yells “Timber!” and revival strikes again.

But, other than prayer, how do we prepare the hearts of our teenagers for a transformational and sustainable Gospel movement in our midst? And how do we do our part in scaling this movement from youth group to youth group, until every teen, everywhere, has every last opportunity to hear the Gospel from a friend?

I’m convinced, based on Scripture and personal experience, there are four key elements:

Gospel urgency
Gospel fluency
Gospel strategy
Gospel Advancing sustainability

Let’s take a look at each of these and break them down in a practical way.

1. Gospel Urgency

When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. (Matthew 9:36-37)

Jesus had a strong sense of Gospel urgency. He saw the crowds and imagined them as sheep who were without the Shepherd of their souls. He envisioned them as harassed by predators and helpless against their attacks. This gave Him a compassion that was deeply inspirational. He passed that urgency on by giving His disciples the analogy of a big harvest that needed more harvesters. In that culture, everyone knew that if you didn’t get the harvest in in time, it could rot, get diseased, or be taken by others. There was an urgency to His words and an urgency in His and the disciples’ hearts.

Should Doubling Your Group Be the Goal?

By

Josh Hunt

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February 16, 2023

Doubling groups is a worthy goal. Here is why. There is no discplemaking without small groups. It is the way Jesus did it. He gathered a group together and taught them. He taught them in the context of a group; in the context where they could discuss what was taught. This is how life-change happens. This is how Jesus did it and it is how we can do it.

Should Doubling Your Group Be the Goal?

Consider these words from Robert Coleman:

It all started by Jesus calling a few men to follow him. This revealed immediately the direction his evangelistic strategy would take. His concern was not with programs to reach the multitudes, but with men whom the multitudes would follow. Remarkable as it may seem, Jesus started to gather these men before he ever organized an evangelistic campaign or even preached a sermon in public. Men were to be his method of winning the world to God.

Having called his men, Jesus made a practice of being with them. This was the essence of his training program—just letting his disciples follow him.

When one stops to think of it, this was an incredibly simple way of doing it. Jesus had no formal school, no seminaries, no outlined course of study, no periodic membership classes in which he enrolled his followers. None of these highly organized procedures considered so necessary today entered into his ministry. Amazing as it may seem, all Jesus did to teach these men his way was to draw them close to himself. He was his own school and curriculum.

The natural informality of this teaching method of Jesus stood in striking contrast to the formal, almost scholastic procedures of the scribes. These religious teachers insisted on their disciples adhering strictly to certain rituals and formulas of knowledge which distinguished them from others; whereas Jesus asked only that his disciples follow him. Knowledge was not communicated by the Master in terms of laws and dogmas, but in the living personality of One who walked among them. His disciples were distinguished, not by outward conformity to certain rituals, but by being with him, and thereby participating in his doctrine. — Coleman, Robert E. 2006. The Master Plan of Evangelism.

God’s plan for forming spiritually mature disciples involves getting them in groups. People do not climb Mt. Everest alone. But every year, little groups, little bands of friends, scale its lofty heights.

Teen Advice: 10 Conversations You Need to Have With Kids Now

By

Chuck Lawless

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February 15, 2023

thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Teen advice is everywhere. Today’s kids hear lots of advice, but is it the right advice? Read on to discover 10 topics that kids, including your youth group members, need to hear about from you.

Today I write on behalf of teenagers. Frankly, I’m glad I’m not one today for many reasons. I certainly wouldn’t want to face the temptations teens face today. I do remember my teen years, though. And I still think about times when I desperately wanted guidance, encouragement, and advice.

Here are 10 conversations and pieces of teen advice I wish someone had shared with me:

10 Key Areas of Teen Advice

1. “You’re not the only one struggling as a teen Christian.”

I was certain I was the exception. Surely nobody was battling temptations like I was. At least nobody was talking about it. That was part of the problem.

2. “Let’s talk about pornography and lust.”

I cannot say strongly enough how I wish a Christian man had cared for me enough to initiate that conversation. Fathers, waiting until you catch your teen in this habit is an abdication of your responsibility. Provide biblical advice now!

3. “I’ll show you how to read the Bible and pray every day.”

I wanted to do that because my pastor said I needed to. But nobody taught me, so I struggled trying to be obedient. No teen should have to learn these disciplines on his or her own. Emphasize and model reading Scripture.

4. “God forgives you. But you’ll probably remember your sinful choices the rest of your life.”

Had I known decades ago that I’d still occasionally hurt over my past sin, I think I would’ve made different choices.

5. “Be ready for God to change your plans.”

As a teen, I knew exactly what I was going to do when I grew up: teach high school English. God had other plans.

6. “Let me help you learn theology well because you’ll be challenged often.”

High school classmates respected me but disputed my beliefs. College professors in a public institution questioned my faith. I’m sure the battles are worse for teens now.

7. “Date only believers.”

My experience is that more often than not, the nonbeliever influences the believer more than the other way around.

Children’s Ministry Volunteer: You’re an Amazing Servant of God!

By

Eric Geiger

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February 15, 2023

Want to uplift a children’s ministry volunteer? Share these insights to remind your kidmin helpers they’re making an eternal difference in young lives.

Last week our church held VBS for kids in our church and community. Our children’s ministry team did an amazing job serving kids and families. They taught kids about Jesus and provided an incredibly fun time. As usual, I loved every minute of vacation Bible school.

Seeing VBS in action reminded me of at least four truths about children’s ministry. I hope you’ll pass these along to appreciate and encourage your volunteers!

Why Each Children’s Ministry Volunteer Matters

1. Children can learn more than we often realize.

Many VBS volunteers commented on how much the kids were learning and remembering from day to day. They noted that details were sinking in even when it looked like not all participants were paying attention. I taught in our Bible station, and kids in 3^rd, 4^th and 5^thgrades quickly connected the Passover lambs to Jesus being the Lamb of God.

Kids can learn much more than “you need to be a nice person.” And they need to learn much more than that! Children likely have always been able to learn more than we realize. But that’s especially true today, as they’re learning challenging concepts in school at younger and younger ages.

2. Kids value relationships with adults at church.

I have tons of respect for people who work with kids and teenagers. Some people are hesitant to volunteer because they think kids don’t want them, are embarrassed by them, or don’t think they’re cool. But it doesn’t matter if you’re cool! Kids often don’t need more friends. They need more leaders, mentors, and examples.

3. Kidmin volunteers are typically amazing and fun.

After we served at VBS together, my wife said, “I love the people in our room. They’re amazing and fun. Kids ministry just attracts the most fun people.”

UPDATE: Damar Hamlin Apologizes for Wearing ‘Blasphemous’ Jacket

By

Jesse T. Jackson

-

February 15, 2023

UPDATE: Following backlash, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has publicly apologized for the jacket he wore while on the field at Super Bowl LVII, which some Christians characterized as depicting Jesus in a manner that was “blasphemous.”

Hamlin appeared at the Super Bowl to honor the first responders and medical personnel credited with saving his life after he suffered a cardiac arrest during a game on January 2.

The jacket Hamlin wore during the appearance featured a cartoonish, zombie-looking depiction of Jesus hanging on the cross.

“After talking with my parents I understand how my coat could have offended some people. It was never my intentions to hurt or disrespect anyone, the coat is abstract art to me. It says Eternal which I am Eternally thankful to my Savior,” Hamlin tweeted on Wednesday. “My beliefs and Relationship with God is not tied to symbolic images. I will learn from this and continue to walk in Love as I ALWAYS have. Matthew 7:1-5.”

ChurchLeaders original article written on Feb. 15, 2023, below:

Adrian Peterson Blasts Damar Hamlin for ‘Blasphemous’ Jacket Worn at Super Bowl

Damar Hamlin, Buffalo Bills safety who suffered a cardiac arrest during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2, is taking heat for wearing a jacket to the Super Bowl that appeared to be mocking Jesus on the cross.

Hamlin suffered his injury after initiating a tackle on Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. Hamlin stood to his feet after the tackle but three seconds later fell lifelessly to the ground, requiring medical personnel to administer CPR for nine minutes.

Players, coaches, and team personnel were visibly shaken by the incident, many of whom had tears running down their faces. Before Hamlin was placed in an ambulance that was brought onto the field, television viewers witnessed players on their knees praying for Hamlin. Prayer circles also broke out throughout the stadium.

The game that was paused at the six minute mark in the first quarter was eventually cancelled.

Hamlin was in a medically induced coma and in critical condition for three nights. He then spent the next nine days at two different hospitals before being released.

During those three days when Hamlin’s prognosis was unknown, players, coaches, teams, celebrities, fans, and others made it known that they were praying for Hamlin’s life and healing. In one instance, former NFL quarterback turned ESPN football analyst Dan Orlovsky spontaneously prayed for Hamlin during a broadcast of NFL Live.

‘I Stood by My Faith’—Christian Teacher in Southern California Fired Over Stance on Gender

By

Jessica Lea

-

February 15, 2023

A Christian teacher with the Jurupa Unified School District in Southern California was fired from her position for refusing to comply with the district’s policies on gender. Jessica Tapia says that one of the directives the district required her to follow to keep her job was to lie to parents about their students’ gender identities.

“I have officially been terminated from my position as a teacher because the school district could not accommodate my religious beliefs,” Tapia wrote in an Instagram video posted Feb. 1. “January 31, 2023,” which appears in the text of the video, is presumably the date when Tapia was fired. The former teacher said she had to choose between her job and “directives I did not agree with” and, “I stood by my faith & kept fear in the Lord.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jessica Tapia (@jess_sayinnn)

Jurupa Unified School District Investigates Tapia

In a series of videos, some of which are interviews with media outlets, Tapia, a married mother of three, explains why she was fired from the Jurupa Unified School District. She was a high school physical education teacher who was finishing her sixth year of teaching when some of her students discovered her beliefs via social media and reported them to the district. The district then put Tapia on paid administrative leave and investigated her for over nine months.

District officials told Tapia she would be allowed to come back to work if she followed their directives. She had to refer to students by their preferred pronouns, and she had to “lie to their parents, withhold that information from their parents,” she said.

Tapia was shocked to hear they were asking her to lie, so she asked, “Are you asking me to lie to parents?” They said yes.

In one video, Tapia clarifies that there was no “locker room situation” that led to her firing—that is, there was no incident with a student that resulted in a confrontation with district officials. Rather, her firing was based on “hypotheticals.”

After hearing that Tapia would not use preferred pronouns or conceal students’ gender identities from parents, district officials asked if there were anything else her faith would prevent her from doing. Tapia said yes: She would not allow boys into girls’ locker rooms. The district made it clear to her that position was also problematic.

“I was just fired for vocalizing to my district that I would not let male genitals into the female locker room,” said Tapia. “How is that safe?” She exhorted other parents to take a stand. “I am seeking justice on this as the district has decided to release me from employment because they could not accommodate my religious beliefs.”

Tapia says that since she has shared her story, she has had many other teachers reaching out to share their experiences, offer their support and seek advice. She encourages teachers to stand firm in their convictions: “It’s time to act.”

‘She’s a Praying Woman’—Terry Crews Praises His Wife at Movieguide Awards

By

Dale Chamberlain

-

February 15, 2023

Terry Crews Praises Wife Rebecca — Staff Sgt. Ramon Adelan, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Last week while walking the red carpet at the 30th Movieguide Awards, an award ceremony for Christian entertainment held in Hollywood each year, actor Terry Crews expressed gratitude for his wife, Rebecca, who is a “praying woman,” something that has been a lifeline for their marriage in good times and bad.

While Crews, who was hosting the awards ceremony, attended by himself because Rebecca was preparing for New York Fashion week, which took place the next day and for which Crews would be boarding a red-eye flight to attend himself, Crews was quick to praise his wife of over three decades in an interview with the Christian Post.

“She loves the Movieguide Awards,” Crews said of Rebecca. “She said the prayer last time she was here…and she’s sad she had to miss it.”

Crews went on to say, “But she’s a praying woman!”

“My wife, she has prayed us through so many things. And, you know, one thing I know is that to have a woman like that who really wants the best for you—let me tell you, there’s no replacing [her],” Crews said. “It’s absolutely the best feeling in the world. You know what I mean? And it makes us tighter, it makes us better, and it’s just an incredible feeling.”

An accomplished actor and host of “America’s Got Talent,” Crews went on to express gratitude for the opportunity to host the Movieguide Awards, adding that Hollywood is home to more Christians than many might think.

“Hollywood gets a bad rap,” Crews said, “because there are a lot of Christians in Hollywood. There are a lot of praying people in Hollywood, a lot of God-fearing people in Hollywood.”

“And it’s just that, you know, we don’t always get an awards show,” Crews continued. “And here it is! So that’s why I knew it would be perfect for me to host this show…I just feel the blessing. I feel all the good energy here tonight, and it’s wonderful.”

While Crews has become a symbol of positivity for fans, Christian and non-Christian alike, he has also been open about the struggles of his childhood, as well as his marriage.

Growing up in a home in which he experienced abuse, Crews struggled with anger and other unhealthy behaviors well into adulthood.

J.D. Greear: How To Explain the Gospel to 21st Century Americans

By

Jessica Lea

-

February 15, 2023

The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast · J.D. Greear: How To Explain the Gospel to 21st Century Americans

J.D. Greear is pastor of The Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. Under his leadership, The Summit has grown from a plateaued church of 300 to a congregation of more than 12,000. J.D. is the founder of J.D. Greear Ministries and hosts Summit Life, a daily, 30-minute radio broadcast and weekly TV program. He is also the author of several books, including his latest, “Essential Christianity: The Heart of the Gospel in Ten Words.”

Other Ways To Listen to This Podcast With J.D. Greear

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Key Questions for J.D. Greear

-Why did you feel the need to write this book and why did you choose to base it on Romans?

-What do you think the evangelical church in the United States is missing about being a Christian?

-What are the biggest obstacles preventing people today from considering and embracing the Christian faith?

-How can we come alongside those who are used to Christian culture and are turned off by it, but they haven’t really engaged Christian content?

Key Quotes From J.D. Greear

“What is the most classic book ever written on the gospel? It’s obviously the book of Romans.”

“Paul was actually writing Romans as part of a deconstruction project in one sense, because he’s rebelling against some of the established religious hierarchies—you know, in his case, rabbinic Judaism, also the way the Romans thought about religion.”

“Here’s a question I’ve never seen addressed or at least I haven’t seen addressed in a lot of apologetic type books: If there really is a God, why don’t more people believe in him? Paul answers that question right there in [Romans] chapters one and two.”

“We recognize that, while deconstruction we would say is a mostly unhealthy movement, it starts with some really necessary healthy questions.”

“We’ve taken artificial constructs that go along with Christianity…and we’ve conflated those with the essential message of the gospel so that minor things become central things and [major] things are not important.”

Christian Leader in Sudan Flees Kidnapping Attempts

By

Morning Star News

-

February 15, 2023

JUBA, South Sudan (Morning Star News) – An evangelist in western Sudan has gone into a hiding following attempted attacks by Muslim extremists, he said.

Ahmad Adam Mohamad, 49, of North Darfur state went into a hiding after his Muslim uncles accused him of apostasy earlier this month. He disciples about 25 Christians of Muslim upbringing, which has angered his relatives, he said.

Family members on Thursday (Feb. 9) sent a group of Muslim extremists aboard a vehicle to search for him, but he was not at home, he said.

“Again on Saturday, Feb. 11, another group was sent to my house with a mission to arrest and kidnap me,” he said, adding that he narrowly escaped.

Relatives had come to his house on Feb. 6 and threatened him, saying he must renounce Christianity and return to Islam, he said.

Mohamad, who put his faith in Christ 10 years ago, said relatives have been monitoring his house.

“The situation is extremely difficult – I am not safe at all,” he said. “I urge all the brothers to pray and help me get out from this area to a safer place.”

He has been moving from house to house to avoid being arrested or kidnapped by Muslim extremists.

The church leader said he has missed meals because he was unable to go to the local market to work.

“I have not eaten for almost two days now,” he told Morning Star News on Monday (Feb. 13).

Christians in Sudan, and Darfur in particular, are increasingly experiencing persecution from Muslims extremists. Similar cases have occurred over the past months in the region.

In Open Doors’ 2023 World Watch List of the countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian, Sudan was ranked No. 10, up from No. 13 the previous year, as attacks by non-state actors continued and religious freedom reforms at the national level were not enacted locally.

Christian Families in Laos Evicted from Their Village

By

International Christian Concern

-

February 15, 2023

persecution of Christians in Laos — Photo by aboodi vesakaran (via Pexels)

Laos (International Christian Concern) – Residents of a majority-Buddhist village in Laos drove out more than a dozen Christian families following their conversion to Christianity. Their pastor was also forced out of the village. The incident occurred in Mai village in the Luang Namtha province of Laos.

Despite supposed efforts by government authorities to solve the issue of converts to Christianity being kicked out of their homes by their communities, the issue remains prevalent. As a result, evicted villagers face homelessness and joblessness.

Pertaining to this specific instance in Mai village, government authorities have refused to speak to the press. However, a spokesperson called the situation a “sensitive issue” and stated that authorities are “still working on the case.”

Even though it is a majority-Buddhist nation, Laos technically has a national law that protects the freedom of religion for its citizens. However, in actuality, Christians are treated as second-class citizens and face various forms of discrimination and oppression. In addition to facing rejection from their communities, there have also been allegations that Christians are excluded from government humanitarian aid distributions.

Please pray for Christians who are facing persecution in Mai village.

This article originally appeared here.

ChatGPT and Christian Ethics: An Interview With Technology Ethicist Jason Thacker

By

Dale Chamberlain

-

February 15, 2023

Dr. Jason Thacker on ChatGPT — Left: Dr. Jason Thacker, chair of research in technology ethics and director of the research institute at the ERLC (courtesy image); Right: image by Jonathan Kemper (via Unsplash)

ChatGPT, a chatbot powered by artificial intelligence, has caught the world’s attention because of its ability to produce sophisticated, even human-like, responses to user prompts, raising questions about how this technology can be used ethically and what its existence means for how Christians understand their own humanity.

Developed by OpenAI and released in November 2022, ChatGPT is the latest innovation in what is called generative AI. It has both garnered praise and raised concerns.

The technology of ChatGPT has the potential to upset the tech industry in ways we cannot yet even predict. It also represents potential dangers such as more advanced phishing schemes and cyberattacks, as well as questionable academic work.

This article is part of a series of interviews with Christian technology experts and ethicists who are grappling with the moral and ethical implications of the AI technology innovation ChatGPT represents. (View ChurchLeaders’ interview with bioethicist Dr. John Wyatt here.)

Dr. Jason Thacker is the chair of research in technology ethics and director of the research institute at The Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC). He also serves as an adjunct instructor of philosophy, ethics, and worldview at Boyce College in Louisville, Kentucky.

Dr. Thacker is the author of several books including “Following Jesus in the Digital Age” and “The Age of AI: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity.” He served as project leader and lead drafter of the ERLC statement titled “Artificial Intelligence: An Evangelical Statement of Principles.”

Below are the questions we posed to Dr. Thacker and his responses.

What benefits does ChatGPT offer? What are its pitfalls?

As with most technologies, advanced AI systems like ChatGPT bring a host of benefits and pitfalls, given that technology is not just merely a tool we use but is something that is deeply shaping our perception of the world. It is easy to think that we simply use technology as a tool for good or bad, but in reality it is altering how we understand God, ourselves as human beings, and the world around us—including our neighbors.

While this particular tool is still relatively novel, we can already see how it can be useful in summarizing complex ideas, helping write various bits of copy, aiding us in complex tasks, and so much more. We have already seen professors seeking to incorporate it into their classrooms, dispelling certain myths about what these systems can do and also helping students to cultivate wisdom to navigate technologies like this in light of the Christian ethic rather than simply try to avoid them in vain.

Alongside the possible benefits, there are currently countless limitations and pitfalls with these systems that must be taken into account as one thinks through the ethical ramifications of their use.

Not only are they limited by the data sets and human supervision used in training the system, but these systems are widely known to falsify information, misapply concepts, or even alter their answers based on the political and social views of their creators. They rarely account for nuance and complexity, currently limited to producing at best entry level and/or basic material.

Memphis Church Gives $1K Each Week to Local Nonprofits

By

Diana Chandler

-

February 15, 2023

MEMPHIS (BP) – Brown Missionary Baptist Church’s $1,000 weekly anonymous gift to area nonprofits has morphed into a partnership to train such groups for maximum impact and engender church-community cooperation.

It began in November 2020 with the church anonymously giving $1,000 to every nonprofit honored as a Community Changer in an outreach the church negotiated with local CBS affiliate WREG.

Brown Baptist gave more than $100,000 in the outreach before revealing its identity as the donor in November 2022, WREG reported. The church is continuing to give $1,000 to each group WREG recognizes in the weekly feature, Orr said.

“We didn’t want it to be about Brown, but just all of these other great organizations in the community,” Senior Pastor Bartholomew Orr told Baptist Press. “Sometimes if we’re not careful, it becomes about the organization rather than about the greater good.”

At the church that received $12.5 million in undesignated giving in 2022, according to the Annual Church Profile, Orr said the identity of the Community Changers donor was unknown even to Brown’s membership.

“Our own members didn’t know that we were the ones behind it, as part of our overall outreach that we were doing,” Orr said. But he revealed the church’s identity to the congregation to show members their “giving has been impactful over the last couple of years in this (COVID -19) pandemic, and (to tell members) we couldn’t have done what we’ve done without you.

“And then reveal it so that we can go to the next level as well.”

The next level is to work with Mission Increase, a national group headquartered in Portland, Ore., offering free training to help nonprofits operate effectively and to help churches and other nonprofits and parachurches work together to meet broader goals.

“We’re working now to actually bring Mission Increase to the area,” Orr said in January. “We’re doing this now so that all of the nonprofits in our area can benefit from a company that focuses in on how do you make nonprofits more evangelistic, as well as more equipped in building their donor base, and so forth.”

Scott Harris, a Brentwood (Tenn.) Baptist Church member and Mission Increase’s vice president of church and global engagement, is working with Orr to establish a Mission Increase chapter in west Tennessee. Mission Increase will station a coach in Memphis, Harris said, to train nonprofits in subjects including board governance, strategic planning and fundraising.

Instead of charging the nonprofits for the service, Mission Increase covers its costs through local funders including individuals, churches and foundations. Healthy community nonprofits are a benefit to Gospel outreach, Harris believes.

‘The Thorn’: Visually Conveying God’s Supernatural Power

John Bolin: All Artists ‘Bear the Image of the Creator’

Nikki Haley to John Hagee: ‘I Want To Be You When I Grow Up’

Is Haley Trying to Impress the GOP Religious Base?

1. Gospel Urgency

Should Doubling Your Group Be the Goal?

10 Key Areas of Teen Advice

1. “You’re not the only one struggling as a teen Christian.”

2. “Let’s talk about pornography and lust.”

3. “I’ll show you how to read the Bible and pray every day.”

4. “God forgives you. But you’ll probably remember your sinful choices the rest of your life.”

5. “Be ready for God to change your plans.”

6. “Let me help you learn theology well because you’ll be challenged often.”

7. “Date only believers.”

Why Each Children’s Ministry Volunteer Matters

1. Children can learn more than we often realize.

2. Kids value relationships with adults at church.

3. Kidmin volunteers are typically amazing and fun.

Adrian Peterson Blasts Damar Hamlin for ‘Blasphemous’ Jacket Worn at Super Bowl

Jurupa Unified School District Investigates Tapia

Other Ways To Listen to This Podcast With J.D. Greear

Key Questions for J.D. Greear

Key Quotes From J.D. Greear

What benefits does ChatGPT offer? What are its pitfalls?

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