CHICAGO (RNS) — About 100 active and retired United Methodist bishops from across the globe are meeting this week in Chicago for the first time in person since the COVID-19 pandemic and since the launch one year ago of the Global Methodist Church, a conservative denomination formed for United Methodist churches looking to disaffiliate over LGBTQ ordination and marriage.
United Methodist Bishops Meet, Look to Pivot After 2,400+ Churches Disaffiliate
Pastors: Children’s Ministry Is More Than a Place to Keep Kids Occupied
As the pastor prayed the benediction over his congregation, his 3-year-old daughter ran screaming up to him. The congregation chuckled as he scooped her up with his head bowed.
The next day he received two emails. One said, “Having your kids behave like that in church is disruptive and disrespectful.” The other said, “Seeing your kids run and play in church is such a blessing!”
Kids and church—it’s a duo that often brings conflicting perspectives. Nearly two-thirds of children’s ministry leaders strongly agree that churches cannot grow without an effective children’s ministry. Depending on resources, some churches have vibrant children’s ministries while others are threadbare. But regardless of size or structure, children are both the present and the future of the church. How the church receives and ministers to children are of Kingdom significance.
Consider the story in Mark 10, when parents brought their children to Jesus for his blessing. The disciples turned them away, mainly because—at that time—children were the epitome of “to be seen and not heard.” Children were not seen as special or sacred to anyone other than their parents. But Jesus became frustrated with the disciples and said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.”
The church is more than just a place of physical activities to keep kids occupied; it’s where children’s spiritual lives are grown, too. Traditionally, both are done through things like Sunday School and Children’s Church. But one of the most significant and memorable experiences for the bodies and souls of kids is summer camp.
A Christian summer camp can be a profoundly influential event in a child’s life and faith. But what if a church doesn’t have the means to host camp, or parents don’t have the resources to send their kids out of state or even out of town?
At WinShape Camps, we began to see this struggle and knew we had to do something. That’s why we created a model of ministry to meet kids and families right where they are.
WinShape Camps for Communities partners with local churches and businesses to host a one-week summer day camp experience in cities across the nation. These weeks model our WinShape overnight camps in Georgia, but the best part is that they happen right where campers live—offering epic adventures during the day and the chance to sleep soundly in one’s own bed at night.
When summer camp comes to a local church or school, some people might not recognize the place. It’s fun seeing summer camp excitement combined with a classic church setting—flag football, archery and science amidst a regular gathering place of weekly fellowship.
Most importantly, though, everything we do is centered around faith. Each year introduces an intentional theme about Jesus that finds its way into every aspect of camp, including small groups and worship services. Year after year, I see kids grow in their God-given skills and talents through singing, games, physical activity and creative play—all of it helping them learn more about Jesus.
Jesus said, “let the children come to me,” as he walked among us on earth. Our prayerful intention is to invest in the future of the church by bringing a camp experience that does just that—paving the way for children to come to Christ through a week of fun and friendship, all covered in faith.
Should Christian Businesses Tithe?
Back in 2008 I wrote an article about how to tithe on behalf of a business. There is surprisingly little published on the topic, which is why I addressed it. After [10] years, it’s still the 3rd highest ranked resource via Google, and I continue to get questions from people wanting to know specifics on how to apply it to their business. Should Christian businesses tithe?
Should Christian Businesses Tithe?
I received an interesting question this weekend that really was about whether one can trust their church’s leadership and, ultimately, the Lord. The ramifications go much further than the original question — even to church IT, and [it] seemed worthy of an article.
The Question Posed
“If I feel that the leaders of the church are not doing what they suppose [sic] to do in the church and when something is needed for the house of God they don’t buy it like furniture, carpets etc, can I use my tithe money to buy those necessary things for the house of God. PLEASE ADVISE”
It felt to me like this is a larger question that relates to faith. Faith in the Lord, and faith in his ability to lead through the leadership he’s put in place in his church.
The Answer I Gave
“If your faith is in the God of the Bible through Jesus Christ, then you can’t help seeing in Scripture that the church is his church. In fact, it is referred to as the bride of Christ!
Character with Anointing: A Recipe for Avoiding Burnout
Jason Vallotton makes an argument for ministers to intentionally focus on taking care of their own needs and the needs of their families in the following video segment about character with anointing.
This practice is about having a character with anointing on your life or the supernatural gifting he has given you. “When our character matches our gifting, our gift won’t be a negative. It won’t be a weakness to us,” Vallotton says.
Vallotton gives examples of some of the great revivalists of the 20th century. John G. Lake is one of the ones he mentions. Lake had an incredible ministry in Africa and all over the world. Vallatton says that Lake would get “caught up in the presence [of God] so much so, that his kids started to feel neglected. The presence would come, and he would just check out,” Vallatton explains. Worshipping God is not a bad thing, but in the case of Lake, his kids weren’t getting the attention they needed, especially since their mom had passed away.
Reading a passage from the book “God’s Generals”, Vallatton states “many miracles wrought at his [Lake’s] hands were personally unfulfilling and not worth the loss of his family. John’s strength in ministry to God cost him his family because he wasn’t aware of his personal needs and the needs of his kids.”
Vallatton then explains he has personal experience with this habit of ministers to continuously give out of lack, neglecting themselves or their families. This practice resulted in a nervous breakdown for Vallatton.
“If we really want to steward what God has given us, we have to actually take care of our body, soul, and our spirit.” This, essentially, is about being able to pass on the ministries we have received to the next generation and equip them to be able to sustain them.
Vallatton concludes with 3 John 1:2: “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.”
‘God Still Works in the Midst of Darkness’—Sean Feucht Says ‘Over 98 SatanCon Attendees Surrendered Their Lives to Jesus’
Hundreds of people attended the largest satanic gathering in history this past weekend (April 28-30) in New York at the sold out SatanCon 2023.
The event marks the 10-year anniversary of The Satanic Temple (TST) and was dedicated to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu for not allowing the group to deliver an invocation at City Hall last year.
A spokesperson from the City of Boston said, “Neither Mayor Wu nor the City of Boston are sponsoring or affiliated with SatanCon 2023. Mayor Wu will be out town this weekend.”
One SatanCon attendee told CBS Boston, “We’re just normal people. We just believe a little differently,” and said that “we are a very misunderstood group.” Despite its use of satanic imagery, TST states that it is non-theistic group that does not actually worship Satan.
This year’s SatanCon theme was “Hexennacht in Boston.” “Hexennacht” is German for “Witches Night.” The satanic event held multiple panels over the weekend, including topics on “Deconstructing Your Religious Upbringing,” “Hellbillies: Visible Satanism in Rural America,” “The Devil Is in All of You: The Changing Face of Satan in Cinema,” and “Reclaiming the Trans Body.”
In addition to the panels, SatanCon hosted a “Satanic Ball” and an event called “Impius Conventus,” which is Latin for “An Ungodly Assembly.” It featured a drag queen performance and a concert by the band Satanic Planet.
RELATED: Tickets for SatanCon 2023, ‘The Largest Satanic Gathering in History,’ Sell Out
During the opening night of SatanCon 2023, two Satanic leaders led worshipers in chants of “Hail Satan” and said, “We stand here today in defiance of their siege and destroy their symbols of oppression,” before ripping pages out of the Bible. The leader, who was female, was cheered on by the crowd as she shouted, “Hail Satan,” while tearing pages of the Bible and throwing them on the floor.
A video of the Satanic leader destroying the Bible was posted on Twitter by “Let Us Worship” leader Sean Feucht, who shared that more than 98 SatanCon attendees have given their lives to Jesus.
“While they were ripping up pages of the Bible to kick off the largest Satanic gathering ever (SatanCon in Boston), over 98 attendees surrendered their lives to Jesus (verified!) from covert evangelists infiltrating the crowd,” Feucht posted.
RELATED: Christian Group To Organize Prayer, Evangelism Campaign at Sold Out SatanCon
One person who commented on Feucht’s tweet said the worship leader was lying. Dr. Eric Sprankle, who led the talk on “Sins of the Flesh: Satanism and Self-Pleasure,” told Feucht, “I presented at this conference and there were no ‘covert evangelists infiltrating the crowd.’ It’s easy to lie about converting 98 Satanists when your whole career is based in delusion and deception.”
Your Kids’ Perspective on Family Health
Your greatest contribution to the kingdom of God may not be something you do, but someone you raise. -Andy Stanley
Professionally, it’s necessary for us, as leaders, to receive and grow through feedback and coaching from those we lead and are led by. It’s through this that blindspots are revealed, and we can evaluate our efforts as they relate to accomplishing our goals. While these conversations can be tough, they can lead to powerful breakthroughs both personally and professionally. What would it look like for us to approach our parenting with the same level of humility and curiosity?
Our methods of parenting are informed by a myriad of things. We lean on our childhood upbringing, cultural observations, personal values, virtues, and faith to guide us in the principles we use in raising our children. As parents, we have goals and hopes we desire for them to one day leave our home with, and we’ll work tirelessly to ensure their success. Yet, while striving for academic, athletic, and social success, we can get caught up in investing so much of ourselves in our kids. We monitor their progress and success through grades, playing time, and accolades and develop plans to improve potential areas of struggle.
However, an area we can quickly look past or under-develop is the relational health of our families.
Regardless of our position within our organization or the size of our platform, our family is our primary ministry. We all want the best for our kids, but the most vital thing we can offer them is not opportunities for success outside the home. The way we invest in our families’ relational health will ultimately inform how they approach friendships, dating, marriage, and parenting. With that being the case, it’s essential to create opportunities to evaluate the relational health of our families.
Being willing to ask our kids for feedback requires a delicate balance of humility and wisdom. The goal is not to give our kids a “Yes Day” experience but, instead, to gain perspective of what their experience in your family is like. It offers a chance for us to learn from and encourage them. We’ll discover new things to celebrate, while at the same time, we’ll bump into areas where we need to seek forgiveness and adjust our methods.
Below are two lists of questions we can use to guide these conversations with the kids in our home. By no means are these lists exhaustive, and they may serve as inspiration to develop different questions based on the dynamics of your own family. It’s less about the questions we ask and more about intentionally taking the time to learn from our kids and their experiences. Regardless of the age of our kids, it is worth fighting through the awkwardness for the sake of greater depth, trust, and relational health in our families. At the end of this article are suggestions for approaching these conversations to make them feel natural and valuable to your kids.
Preschool and Elementary
- What is your favorite way to spend time together as a family? Why?
- Is there anything you would like to do more of as a family? Why do you think it’s important?
- When do you feel most loved by us as your parents? Are there any times that you don’t feel loved?
- What can we do to show kindness and generosity to others in our family? What about people outside of our family?
- How do you feel when we pray together or read Bible stories as a family?
- Is there something you want to learn how to do that someone in our family can teach you?
UPDATE: Charles Stanley’s Grandson Apologizes for Auctioning Off Inherited Items, Leaves Them on eBay
UPDATED May 1, 2023: Dr. Charles Stanley’s grandson, Matthew Brodersen, has apologized for auctioning off his grandfather’s picture and pocket watch on eBay, but has left the items online. Brodersen said he has taken to heart the negative feedback he has received and that people should not judge his extended family by his actions.
“Yes, my family was not happy with me doing this,” said Broderson in a YouTube video titled, “I messed up.” “My uncle, Andy Stanley, begged me to take…the auctions off of eBay. My mom called me and said, ‘You take that stuff down right now.’ My sister, she was mad at me as well.”
“I would like to apologize,” said Brodersen in his video, during which he read aloud an article from the Daily Mail about his actions. “I did not even realize that this was going to make people upset.”
Charles Stanley’s grandson said he was thinking of himself when he posted the items, adding, “I admit I shouldn’t have done that.” With regard to someone who said Charles Stanley would not be proud of him, Brodersen agreed, “Yes. That’s true. I don’t think he would be either.”
Brodersen said he would not take the items off eBay, however, because “now it’s kind of awkward. People already started bidding on the items.” Stanley’s grandson said he does not want to deprive his grandfather’s admirers of the chance to get the picture and watch. Currently, the bid on the picture of Stanley is $2,325 and the bid on the watch is $1,375. Bidding on both items closes today.
Brodersen also said that his uncle, Andy Stanley, was “disgusted” with Brodersen’s behavior, and Brodersen asked people not to “get mad at [Andy Stanley] for what I did.” Brodersen has mailed his uncle his grandfather’s passport, which Brodersen had showed his viewers earlier this week and which he had planned to keep as an heirloom.
ChurchLeaders original article written on April 28, 2023, below.
The grandson of Dr. Charles Stanley has received criticism for selling some of his grandfather’s items following Stanley’s death. On Tuesday, Matthew Brodersen announced on his YouTube channel that he would be auctioning off some of his grandfather’s possessions on eBay, a decision some have called “shocking” and a “disgrace.”
“Listen, guys, I’ve already got some negative feedback on eBay for wanting to auction off some of my grandpa’s things,” said Brodersen in his video. “And I promise you, I have a bunch of my grandpa’s stuff that you don’t see that I’m going to keep and cherish and hold on to forever.”
Charles Stanley’s Items for Sale on eBay
Dr. Charles Frazier Stanley was the founder of In Touch Ministries, pastor emeritus of First Baptist Atlanta, and a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention. He passed away at his home the morning of Tuesday, April 18, at the age of 90. A memorial honoring Stanley’s legacy took place April 23. Attendees included Chuck Swindoll, Donald Trump, Dr. Tony Evans, Franklin Graham and CeCe Winans.
‘Through God, All Things Are Possible’ — Dolly Parton on How Faith Shaped Her Anti-Bullying Children’s Book
Beloved country music legend Dolly Parton has never shied from publicly sharing her faith and love for God. One of 12 children in her large family, Parton grew up in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains singing together with her family. After her break into show business, Parton recorded dozens of hit albums and has won numerous awards throughout her career. Through it all, she credits her relationship with God for her success, happiness, and desire to give back.
Parton recently sat down with Fox News Digital and shared more about how her faith is at the center of her life. “My faith impacts everything that I do because I do believe that, through God, all things are possible,” Parton said. “And so I always ask God to bless everything that I do and the people that I work with and to bring all the right things and right people into my life and to take the wrong ones out.”
Dolly Parton’s New Children’s Book Helps Kids Stand Up to Bullies
As Parton nears 80, she doesn’t have any plans on slowing down much. “I don’t have any children, and I love my work,” the country music star shared. “And, I guess I’ll just work until I can’t no more and then I’ll quit.”
“I’ve always wondered what I could do in my lifetime, and I’ve been very fortunate and very blessed that I’ve been successful,” she continued. “So, I try to just live through love as much as I can. And so I just think that my spirituality has been a guiding light in my life and my strength, really, in my creative energy.” she continued, “And my spiritual energy has really been a great force to keep me going all these years and still being productive.”
The multi-talented artist has now written her third children’s book, “Billy the Kid Makes it Big.” Her previous works include “Coat of Many Colors” and “Kindness Is My Superpower.”
As she began to dream about the story for her third children’s book, Parton looked no further than to her own dog, Billy the Kid. “When he meets some big bullies at the Battle of the Bow-wows, Billy worries he’s barking up the wrong tree,” Parton said. “He’ll need his favorite songs (‘Jowlene’ and ‘I Will Pawlways Love You,’ of course), a group of scrappy new friends, and his favorite country music star to regain self-confidence and be the star he always knew he could be.”
Parton’s music career spans decades. Within that time, she’s encountered her fair share of bullies on her way to stardom. “I wanted kids to understand how harmful bullying can be to someone,” said Parton.
@apnews Dolly Parton, who just released her own children’s book called “Billy the Kid Makes It Big” and has a rock album on the way, talks about staying busy and when she will retire. #dollyparton ♬ original sound – The Associated Press
Comments remain positive and supportive of the country star and philanthropist. Ty mentioned, “She would have been a fantastic mother.”
Christians Haven Madison, Megan Danielle, and Warren Peay Remain Among ‘American Idol’ Top 10 Finalists
On April 30, “American Idol” revealed its Top 10 finalists for Season 21. Of those 10 singers, three are outspoken Christians: Megan Danielle, Haven Madison, and Warren Peay. As ChurchLeaders has reported, the three musical artists are vying for the top prize of $250,000 plus a recording contract.
Here’s a look at the three Christians remaining in this season of “American Idol.”
‘American Idol’ Finalist Megan Danielle
To land in the top 10, Georgia native Megan Danielle sang “Angel From Montgomery” by John Prine. The 21-year-old Christian singer and songwriter auditioned for “Idol” by singing “You Say,” the hit from Christian singer Lauren Daigle. During Danielle’s audition, Daigle walked in the room and started singing along, to the surprise of her young fan.
To earn a Top 12 spot, Danielle sang We the Kingdom’s “Holy Water,” a song about God’s grace and forgiveness. After making it into the top 12, Danielle sang Daigle’s recent single “Thank God I Do.”
Danielle, whose parents divorced when she was 7, admits to a lifelong struggle with self-confidence. She credits her grandfather for encouraging her to use her talents to glorify God. Participating in the competition provides “an opportunity to share my love of God,” Danielle told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I want to be able to just lead people where the world is missing, and the world is missing God.”
‘American Idol’ Finalist Haven Madison
Haven Madison, the youngest remaining contestant (and the youngest “Idol” finalist ever), made it to the top 10 Sunday night by singing Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer.” The 17-year-old singer-songwriter from Tennessee is the daughter of Jason Roy, lead singer of Grammy-nominated CCM band Building 429. “I swear I came out of the womb singing,” Madison told Billboard. By age 8, she had traveled to 46 states and was composing her own songs.
For her “Idol” audition, Madison sang “15,” an original she penned at age 15. Her dad accompanied her on guitar. Then for Hollywood Week, she sang her original song “Still Need You,” about her brother’s struggles with suicidal ideation. “I convinced myself I didn’t have anybody to talk to” during that time, Madison said, “so I talked to my piano.”
About her “Idol” appearances, the performer said, “The most beautiful part of getting to do my originals on the show is that other people are relating to the songs, which makes me feel less alone.”
‘American Idol’ Finalist Warren Peay
For his spot in the top 10, South Carolina worship leader Warren Peay sang “House of the Rising Sun,” a folk song by The Animals. Peay, 24, grew up listening to and appreciating a wide range of music.
‘Don’t Quit, Y’all’—Beth Moore Encourages Believers To Persevere
In a video Beth Moore filmed Sunday evening after working in her garden, she exhorted her fellow believers not to give up on serving God.
“Don’t quit, y’all,” said Moore in the caption of her tweet. “Don’t stop serving Jesus.”
Don’t quit, y’all. Don’t stop serving Jesus. pic.twitter.com/RPjTDyIvKL
— Beth Moore (@BethMooreLPM) May 1, 2023
Beth Moore: ‘Don’t Stop Serving the Lord’
Beth Moore is a speaker, a bestselling author and the founder of Living Proof Ministries. In her memoir, “All My Knotted-Up Life” (released Feb. 21), Moore reveals how God has been faithful to her throughout her life, including her tumultuous childhood and various trials she has faced as an adult. Among other experiences, the memoir recounts Moore’s upbringing, which included being sexually abused by her father, as well as her history with the Southern Baptist Convention.
RELATED: ‘I’m No Longer Your Concern’—Beth Moore on Her Inclusion in Report on ‘Doctrinal Drift’ in SBC
“I’m heading back to my house after tending to my vines and tending to my garden, and the sun’s going down on this gorgeous Lord’s Day,” Moore said in her Sunday video, “and I just feel so moved in my spirit to say to somebody this evening, ‘Don’t stop serving the Lord.’”
“I know that there are lots of frustrations and discouragements and a lot going on in some of our churches,” she continued, “but I’m going to tell you something. You may need to go somewhere else and do something different in service to the Lord, but don’t, don’t stop, don’t quit. We’re gonna get one glimpse of his face and all we’re going to be able to say is, ‘You are so worthy. Worthy are you Lord.’”
In an Instagram post of a cluster of grapes also shared on Sunday, Moore once more encouraged her followers to persevere. “If you don’t think your vinedresser notices when you produce some fruit after a hard season, think again,” she said. “He knows the winter you’ve had. Come on out. Risk it again. Don’t compare yourself to your fellow branches. Just bask in the light and living water and grow, baby, grow. It is to your Father’s glory that you bear much fruit and show yourself to be Christ’s disciple.”
People thanked Moore in the comments on her tweet. “I needed to hear this today,” said one. “Thank you for your encouragement.”
LA’s Atheist Street Pirates Go National in Efforts To Remove Illegal Religious Signs
LOS ANGELES (RNS) — It started as a small group of atheists tracking and removing religious signs from public streets in Los Angeles. Now, this network spans more than a handful of states, with volunteers documenting and taking down illegally placed religious material on utility poles and overpasses across the country.
Known as the Atheist Street Pirates, the group formed in 2021 as a subset of the LA-based Atheists United, a nonprofit that’s been in the city for 40 years and that seeks to “empower people to express secular values and promote separation of government and religion.”
The street pirates’ goal is to clear city streets of religious propaganda.
Evan Clark, the executive director for Atheists United, created a public Google map database where the street pirates upload photos and locations of the signage they encounter during commutes.
RELATED: In LA, ‘Atheist Pirates’ remove religious signs from public streets and overpasses
A year ago, the map showed about 70 signs across LA County, including material taken down by the pirates or others. The map now includes about 1,000 markers for religious signage that has been reported, tracked, or removed in such states as Texas, Tennessee, Georgia, Illinois and Kentucky. Volunteers focus on religious signs on public land, not paid billboards or signage on church property.
La’s Atheist Street Pirates Go National in Efforts to Remove Illegal Religious Signs Bright yellow “JESUS SAVES” signs also appear quite commonly in North Carolina, according to the map.
Through this work, Clark, who identifies as an atheist and humanist, said he has recognized a “larger phenomenon happening, where Christian nationalists, evangelicals and other types of religious fanatics are using our public land illegally for their proselytizing.”
On Sunday (April 23), Atheists United held an art exhibition in LA featuring signs and banners that volunteers have removed from across Southern California. Clark said showcasing the signs this way helps show the magnitude of the issue.
Dozens of posters with the words “Jesus. The way. The truth. The life” were prominently showcased on a wall during the exhibit. These signs are the most commonly seen in LA along busy intersections, public parks and freeway off-ramps. More than 130 have been removed, according to Atheists United. Some of these signs are stapled and can be easily torn down, but many are placed atop telephone poles and attached with roofing nails. Volunteers have had to use a crowbar and ladder to remove some signs.
Fulani Kill 18 Christians, Wound Pastor in Plateau State, Nigeria
ABUJA, Nigeria (Morning Star News) – In 11 days of attacks through Wednesday (April 26), Fulani herdsmen killed 18 people and wounded others in predominantly Christian villages of Plateau state, Nigeria, sources said.
The herdsmen attacked 11 communities in Jos South, Riyom, Barkin-Ladi, Mangu and Bokkos counties.
Three Christians in Darwat village were wounded in attacks as they worked on their farms on Wednesday (April 26), Dalyop Solomon Mwamtiri, an attorney with the Emancipation Centre for Crisis Victims in Nigeria (ECCVN), said in a press statement.
“The attackers were identified by Christian victims as Fulani terrorists,” said Mwamtiri, adding that “Gyang Danbwrang, Joshua Gyang and Mark Gyang were shot and injured by the terrorists.”
RELATED: Muslim Fulani Herdsmen Kill Christians With Machetes While Farming in Nigeria
The Rev. Gwong Dachollom of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Darwat was ambushed, shot and cut with a machete along the Darwat-Wereng Camp route at about 3 p.m. on Monday (April 24), area resident Rwang Tengwong said.
“The pastor was hacked and his motorcycle carted away by his attackers,” Tengwong said in a message to Morning Star News, adding that his injuries are life-threatening. “He’s presently receiving medical attention at Vom Christian Hospital of the COCIN.”
In Farin Lamba village of Jos South Local Government Area, Fulani terrorists killed six Christians on Tuesday (April 25), said area resident Ron Thomas Gyang in a message to Morning Star News.
Mwamtiri said in his statement that while the “burial of the six Christians killed [April 25] at Farin Lamba of Turu in Vwang was ongoing, another tragic incident of armed attack was carried out against Christians in Gako community in Riyom LGA, where a Polytechnic graduate, Mr. Philip Bitrus, was shot dead by Fulani militias.”
Tengwong said that on Sunday night (April 23), “Fulani militias” killed six Christians and wounded two others “during coordinated attacks on residents of Wereng community and Bachi District of Riyom LGA as well as Tapo village of Heipang District in Barkin Ladi LGA.”
“Two Christians were killed in Wereng village of Riyom Local Government Area, while the other four persons were killed in Tapo village of Heipang in Barkin Ladi LGA,” Tengwong said.
The attacks were simultaneously coordinated between the hours of 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., he said.
“In Wereng, a household was attacked, leaving one family member dead, and a second family member was ambushed while he was on his way to Kwi community. In Tapo, nine Christians were ambushed by the terrorists while they were on their way from another village. Four of them were killed, while five of them escaped with injuries.”
Survivors said the assailants spoke Fulfulde, he said.
RELATED: Violence in Plateau State, Nigeria Escalates with more Muslim Fulani Herdsmen Attacks
“They laid an ambush at Tapo forest and sporadically opened gunfire at them,” Tengwong said. “These Christians were returning home from Heipang, the District headquarters in the Barkin Ladi Local Government Area.”
He gave the name of one of the Christians killed as Tapshak Guwus, 24, a student at the Plateau State Polytechnic, Barkin Ladi.
Area community leader Shwamut Ishaku Elisha said in a message to Morning Star News that five Christians were killed and dozens of houses burned down in Murish, Dungmunan and Manja villages of Mangu County in attacks at about midnight on April 16.
Mwamtiri of the ECCVN confirmed killings of Christians this month in the Murish community of Mangu LGA, Marish and Maitunbi villages of Bokkos LGA, Kuru Station in Wereng and Kwi of Riyom LGA, Rawuru of Fan and Tapo of Heipang in Barkin Ladi LGA, and Farin Lamba of Turu-Vwang of Jos South LGA.
How Integrating VoIP & ChMS Solves Problems (We Don’t Not Know About or Try to Ignore)
As a pastor, I know I am in good company. Pastors give it all for our church communities. Sayings like “there’s no such thing as part time ministry” are common, as are familial problems that can stem from pastors who do not prioritize well.
Basically, there is a lot of risk in ministry. We see it all too often in the news: abuse, adultery, loneliness, and people leaving the church. Our own families can take a hit from broken marriages, lack of communication, even just missing out on family events because “something came up at church.” Probably not what you anticipated in an article that is pointed towards technology in the church, but if you’re a fellow pastor, you know that we’re great at ignoring the uncomfortable.
Pastors and churches must deal with these challenges often brought on by common problems: poor communication, bad habits, and opportunities to fall into temptation.
Luddite or tech-wizard, churches, and pastors—and their faith communities—can benefit from combining modern technologies to help prevent these problems.
The Good Lord knows I dislike giving my cell phone number to anyone except staff members or church leadership. Direct communication through personal devices is problematic. It’s risky, especially in a day when text, voice, and video messages can be faked seemingly with great ease, especially with the advent of AI systems that are capable of creating believable fakes.
Poor communication can be just as compromising as inappropriate physical situations. So how can we protect ourselves, our churches, and those we serve? By adopting technology that helps us.
What Can VoIP & ChMS Technology Do to Help?
Who among us spends every moment at the church? Or, how often have we been told by friends, spouses, or children that we do not spend enough time on ourselves or our families?
My most recent church appointment is small, so I’m rarely at my church. This also affords me more time with my family, which I appreciate. However, this introduces several points of risk. Because of our limited resources as a church, we do not have a lot of technology. Honestly, we do not even have internet in the building; I bring in a wi-fi hotspot each week. Our “ChMS”, or church management software, consists of a simple spreadsheet with a few worksheets in it to track birthdays and anniversaries, as well as administrative roles. This often means my communication is done with my personal device, which can introduce risk.
When I was appointed at a larger church of over 1,000 members and around 800 in weekly attendance, I found that our ChMS software made it easy to find email addresses, phone numbers, and even home addresses. But if the software is only used to store membership information, is it being used to its full potential? We definitely were not using it that way. I rarely saw any kind of record that indicated if anyone had communicated with an attendee or member, let alone what that communication had been. Though we had paper files, I finally instituted the use of the ChMS to track background checks and clearance information of staff and volunteers with automated reminders for renewals.
The problem? A ChMS is only as good or as versatile as the people using it.
Which Nutty Christians to Unfriend on Facebook
If you’re sick of nutty Christians arguing on Facebook, I have GREAT news for you. There’s this thing on Facebook called an unfriend button, and it works!
A while back, I said “that’s it” and began to unfriend crazy Christians “friends” like I was on crack. Since I thought that you, my dear friends, might want to do the same, I took notes.
Here are some of the ways you can know which Christians you should (and should not) delete on Facebook BASED ON ACTUAL PEOPLE I JUST DELETED:
Which Nutty Christians to Unfriend on Facebook
- Anyone who describes themselves as a “Prophetic Evangelistic” who “studied at the school of the Holy Spirit” is a safe DELETE.
- Nine times out of 10, the title “Apologist” is “code” for “I live in my parents’ basement and can’t get a real job because I like belligerently arguing with everyone.” DELETE.
- Backstreet Boys pic for Facebook image? This is a tricky one. How old are they? Any Christian in their 30s who regularly posts about the Backstreet Boys is not someone you want to tick off. KEEP.
- Anyone who is the pastor of “The Fire Baptized Holiness Church of God of the Americas” you must keep. BEST CHURCH. NAME. EVER.
- Someone with a guitar in their hand? Could be a worship pastor, could be an Elvis impersonator. Tread lightly on the unfriend button. We can all agree that we need fewer worship pastors and MORE Elvis impersonators as Facebook friends! KEEP.
- Facebook profile photo of a super ripped Christian trucker in his 50s wearing a sleeveless flannel shirt holding TWO AR-15 rifles? Again, that’s tricky, but my guess is you WANT that Christian guy standing up for you if you’re being bullied online. KEEP.
Welcome to the End of Entertainment Worship
Why do we worship? Is it entertainment worship for God or something quite different?
All the many ways we can get to know God are by way of analogy and metaphor and simile. His Being and activities are reflected to us through nature, in the same way the moon reflects the light of the sun. The moon has no light of its own, even though we say things like “moon light” and “moon-lighting.” God is our fortress, our rock, our fountain of living water. All these are analogies that reflect truth.
One analogy that we have is of God sitting on a throne, ruling and reigning over the universe, sending angels to do His will. This is certainly a biblical analogy that is quite revealing. However, since all analogies limp, let’s look at this one and see how it can, at times, not be helpful. God, of course, has no body, so He cannot be literally sitting on a throne. There is also the fact that He is everywhere in the universe and not confined to one location, even heaven.
The End of Entertainment Worship
During worship, if we think of God as being on a throne, watching us sing and praise and even dance and raise our hands to Him, that puts Him in the passive position of the audience, as in entertainment worship, and we would be in the active position of the performers or worshipers. However, I believe honest worship is not an activity, but a response.
14 Things NOT to Say to Your Pastor
There are simply some things not to say to your pastor. The list is meant to be both humorous (and serious). And I bet almost every pastor has heard all of these in the course of a ministry.
Enjoy the list. Try to imagine these things spoken in real life, and you’ll understand why they are things not to say to your pastor.
1. I wish I had a job like yours, where I would work only one day a week.
2. What do you do with all the free time you have?
3. Can I have a couple of minutes before you preach?
4. I love you pastor, but _______________________________ (fill in the blank).
5. I like your preaching, pastor, but I really like ____________________________ (fill in the blank with television or podcast preacher).
6. Can your wife play piano?
7. Your kids shouldn’t behave that way. After all, they are pastor’s kids.
The Unimaginable Suffering of Jesus
For many, the story of Jesus’s crucifixion has become so familiar that it’s easy to brush over what He actually endured on the cross when He died in our place for our sins. We tend to underestimate what He went through in the hours leading up to being crucified and during the six hours He hung on a cross in our stead.
My prayer for this article is that it will give you a taste of what it meant for Jesus to “taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9).
Suffering in Prayer
We’ll start in the Garden of Gethsemane, the night before His crucifixion. Underneath a black sky, Jesus prepared for His worst nightmare—feeling the wrath of God for the first time in all eternity. Again and again, He begged God for another way. In a sense, He was asking the Father to find a clause in the atonement contract.
Hebrews 5:7 gives us a sense of the intensity of His prayers:
He offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue Him from death.
In the garden, He wasn’t just praying—He was crying. He wasn’t just crying—He was weeping. He wasn’t just weeping—He was sweating. He wasn’t just sweating sweat—He was sweating blood.
The meticulously organized and detail-obsessed Dr. Luke described it this way:
And being in anguish, He prayed more fervently, and His sweat was like drops of blood, falling to the ground. (Luke 22:44)
How is this even possible? How can a human sweat blood?
Before we dive into this, it’s helpful to remember that Jesus was 100% human and 100% God. As a human, He slept when He got tired, He drank when He got thirsty, He ate when He got hungry, and He bled when He got cut.
And in this passage, He bled, most likely because of a rare physiological phenomenon that can happen when someone is in so much stress and anguish their capillaries burst and they literally sweat blood. It’s called hematidrosis.
It’s also interesting that all of this took place in the Garden of Gethsemane, where an ancient grove of olive trees thrives. The word Gethsemane comes from the two Hebrew words that together mean oil press. The oil was produced when olives were crushed by a stone roller. From the crushing, came the life-giving oil of the olive.
In the same way, Jesus was about to be crushed on the cross, where the life-giving blood of the Lamb of God would flow from His hands, feet, and side. We see a foreshadowing of this in the blood He sweated out from His pores in the Garden of Gethsemane.
After three hours of sweating blood in prayer—as He repeatedly asked God to remove the cup of unfathomable suffering He was about to drink—He also repeatedly declared to the Father:
Yet not my will, but yours be done. (Luke 22:42)
Suffering in Trials
When Jesus heard the approaching soldiers—led by His frenemy Judas—He stood up, fully submitted to the Father’s will. According to author Philip Yancey, this submission made Him the calmest person in every scene that was to come.
The ONE Thing That Could Change Everything
What is the ONE thing that could change everything? This question is very much appropriate for any of us, no matter what, where, or how you lead.
But I want to pose this question primarily to anyone in ministry leadership.
If you’re a pastor, executive pastor, student or children ministry director, groups pastor, elder, or anywhere in between, take a second and answer this question:
What is ONE thing that, if you could figure out, implement, or fund, would positively change everything about your church?
Do you have something in mind? If not, give this question a moment before moving on.
An Attitude of Platitudes
I’ve spent roughly 22 years in ministry leadership. First, as a lead volunteer and deacon/elder before transitioning out of the marketplace into church staff leadership. My last 13 years were spent as a lead pastor.
As a pastor, I perpetually worked to make our church better. I believed (and still do!) the church’s mission is the world’s most important mission in the world. If there was anything we could do to make our church better, reach more people, and grow more disciples, I would do it. We’d often joke that we’d do anything short of sin to lead more people to Jesus.
I’d often ask our staff and key volunteers the question I asked you above: What is ONE thing that, if you could figure out, implement, or fund, would positively change everything about your church?
I was frequently taken aback by their answers. They meant well. And they wanted to be helpful. They wanted their church to be better. They wanted to reach more people and grow more disciples. But church people tend to suggest platitudes, not plans. Things like:
- If we just had more Jesus.
- I wish our church had a heart for worship.
- We need to be more in the Word.
- We need “deeper” teaching (I heard this a LOT! And I eventually learned how to answer without sarcasm).
You’ve heard all of this before, too. You may have suggested it all the same.
I once interviewed to become the senior pastor for a large, multisite church in leadership disarray. During a site visit with the Elders, I asked our question: What is ONE thing that, if you could figure out, implement, or fund, would positively change everything about your church?
An elder quickly said, “We need to become a house of prayer.”
What? What does that even mean?
I actually asked him that question. “What does that mean?” He platitude’ed his way around his answer like most church people do.
I get it.
No church goes wrong by elevating more of Jesus. Prayer helps. A heart of worship through time, talent, and resources, not just music, can change a community through the church.
Platitudes don’t happen by accident. Platitudes are destinations, not directions.
You Can Be a Church Member and Go to Hell Anyway
If you don’t think you can be a church member and go to hell anyway, please read on. In 2002, I began ministry in a new church. I promised God that I would follow the biblical dictates to structure and build this body of people into a New Testament church. My exact words that day in my study were, “Lord, if I must go, allow this work to be an experiment in the lab of the world for building and maintaining a New Testament church.”
The church today, as was the church of Laodicea, is neither cold nor hot. It is not icy-cold, as is the world who has never heard the gospel. Nor is it fire-hot like a church that knows and accepts its rightful purpose in bringing Christ to the world. Rather, it is lukewarm. Having been forged by the grace of the gospel, we have now cooled down and become tepid, mainly due to our perceived self-sufficiency.
The crowds that show up at our churches are, for the most part, spectators and miracle-seekers. They are not looking for the spiritual growth that comes from the Word of God and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
We send checks to corporate offices and send missionaries to foreign lands, but the majority of American church members have outsourced the Great Commission to a select few, and we have totally absolved ourselves of any personal responsibility to make disciples as we go through this life.
Jesus says that a successful church is one that produces spiritual results in the lives of people. If the church is not producing spiritual results, it is not fulfilling the mission of the New Testament church. Jesus wanted to see if His teachings and examples were taking hold in the minds and hearts of His disciples. There is a reason why He spent three years with 12 men as He set up the New Testament church. The reason is relational discipleship, which cannot be accomplished in large groups as effectively as in smaller ones.
How to Be a Church Member and Go to Hell Anyway
“How to Be a Church Member and Go to Hell Anyway” was the title of a series I preached in my first pastorate. The point of this series was to focus on the things that church members consider sacred and accept as spiritual truth. Mainly, it demonstrated the fact that being religious and being rightly related to Christ are two very different things with very different destinies.
During the invitation, a 67-year-old grandmother came forward to accept Jesus as her Savior. Her statement to me was, “Pastor, when I was 12 years old, my mother made me sit on that bench right there until I joined the church. I have realized that, back then, I got religion, but today, I want to get Jesus.”
While this salvation delighted heaven and her pastor, it did not delight the members of the church. They attacked the woman as only church folk can do, verbally and by disassociating with her within their cliques. Nothing in my estimation was more evil than this: to see and hear how church folk treated this woman because she came to Christ. She left our church.
One of the deacons approached me in the midst of the series and questioned my premise. He told me the title of the series suggested there are lost people in the church, and I should preach more comforting messages. When I confirmed that there were lost people in the church, and that he was exactly right concerning my premise, he went on to say, “That’s not true. We have been a church for 190 years, and we have come this far by faith.”
When human history, human heart and human head govern one’s relationship—or lack thereof—with Christ, there is zero acknowledgment of the Word of God. Without such acknowledgement, it is impossible to know the will of God or to perform the work of God. The question the deacon asked me in order to argue his point was, “Reverend, how do you explain all these years of existence and these buildings and people who have faithfully lasted almost 200 years?” My reply was a story I heard from a professor years earlier. There was a delegation of Chinese Christians who were brought to the United States to observe the success and largess of a certain denomination. Upon the completion of the trip, the church leader asked the Chinese visitors what their observations had taught them. They replied, “We have learned and are amazed by the fact that the American church can accomplish so much without God.”
Why must we fight for the relevance of the New Testament church? Because the church is not complete, and Satan is not yet confined. Moreover, because the believer must not be led to believe that a seat in the sanctuary takes the place of the hands, feet, heart, eyes, and voice of Jesus Christ in the streets.
“You Can Be a Church Member and Go to Hell Anyway” excer[ted from Not on My Watch: Practical Principles for Planting, Pastoring and Preaching the Word of God by Robert L. Williams
Public Evangelism in an Age of Relativism
I think it was D.A. Carson who coined the phrase “the intolerance of tolerance.” It is certainly apropos. One of the great ironies of our so-called tolerant age is just how intolerant it can be. Whereas the great legacy of classic toleration was the mantra, “I may disagree with you, but I’ll die for your right to say what you believe,” political correctness has generated a culture of suspicion and fear.
Some of this is understandable: when online forums can spew out and radicalize Islamic terrorism, it is conceivable that certain forms of manipulation need to be monitored. But that is quite different from a nanny state interfering with every whim and whisper of our conscience.
It is good news then that Chicago has decided that is allowable to evangelize in public in Millennium Park. What is astonishing is that was ever up for grabs at all!
What is a Christian view of public free speech in secular societies? I’ve always liked the phrase a “free market of ideas.” When we were evangelizing at Yale University, we advocated for our right to tell college students the gospel, and also that other philosophies and religions should be able to have their say too.
That doesn’t mean that we earnestly campaign for the validity of other faith positions; far from it. We advocate for their illogical inconsistency, falsehood, and devilish failure, if truth be told. We love sinners but do not agree with sin, whether in our own lives or in the lives of others. We must contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints. Our prayer is that, as the apostle instructed Timothy, we might live quiet lives and that the gospel might flourish.
There is no such thing as a neutral ideological vacuum. We must stand for something. And what the new kind of relativistic tolerance is showing is that it is not really tolerant at all.
The alternative is a society that is built upon the best of Christian values: to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s, to love our neighbor enough to confront him or her with the truth of the gospel, as well as to do their grocery shopping and mow their lawn.
I’ve recently been reading again in Tertullian, the great father of the Latin church. While his later works have often fallen under suspicion because of his flirtation with Montanism, his earlier apology in particular is well worth reading—along with the general greatness of his genius—because of the fresh need for us to advocate for the overall good of Christianity for society.
Non-Christian, if you are reading this, you want there to be more Christians in your society. We will take care of the poor. We will visit the sick. We will send relief to the next flood or hurricane disaster. You might not like our music (or you may, who knows), and you may not like our taste in movies (or maybe you do)—but what we are, we Christians, is salt and light in the world. We tend to make our communities places of peace and thriving. We seek the good of the city, and your good too. What you don’t want, non-Christian, is to get rid of us, hate us, spurn us, stop us from evangelizing.
The whole thing is extraordinary. I live in the Chicago area. Once, when a family member came to visit me, he was mildly astonished at the brazen advertising on the highways for strip clubs while he drove in from the airport. And, really, Chicago had to debate whether it was okay to evangelize in public about Jesus when you can proselytize about so-called “gentlemen’s clubs”?
To be clear, I am glad that Chicago has made the right decision. But let it be noted that it had to be fought for. Well done to those Wheaton College students for sharing the faith. And the more Christians there are—yes, evangelizing in public—the better it will be for Chicago, and everywhere else too for that matter.
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