Escaped Detainee Who Allegedly Killed a Pastor Is Dead Following Standoff, Police Believe

April 26, 2023

An escaped jail detainee was reportedly killed in a police standoff in Leake County, Mississippi, on Wednesday (April 26). Dylan Arrington, 22, and three other detainees had escaped from Raymond Detention Center over the weekend. Arrington allegedly went on to shoot and kill a local pastor, stealing his truck.

Arrington was being held after he was charged with auto theft and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He had a previous conviction for a separate auto theft.

The other escapees were Casey Grayson, 34, Corey Harrison, 22, and Jerry Raynes, 51. They were in custody for various felony charges, most involving theft, according to the Associated Press.

The group escaped from Raymond Detention Center, which is roughly 15 miles from Jackson, by breaching a cell and making their way to the roof. Prison officials believe that the four made their initial escape from their cell sometime around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, leaving the property in staggered time intervals after making it to the roof.

Their escape was discovered at 12:30 a.m. when staff conducted a routine cell check.

Arrington is suspected to have shot and killed 61-year-old pastor Anthony Watts in Jackson on Monday after Watts apparently pulled over to help Arrington when he wrecked a stolen motorcycle.

“Based on information gathered from investigators, the suspect…fit the description of 22-year-old Dylan Arrington,” Jackson Police Chief James E. Davis said.

Arrington allegedly fled the scene in Watts’ Dodge Ram.

Watts was the pastor of St. Mary Missionary Baptist Church in D’Lo, Mississippi. Carl Burton, assistant pastor at the church, told an NBC affiliate, “He was a good man, willing to do anything for anybody. And he showed that every day of his life.”

Watts routinely posted encouragements to the church’s Facebook page. On Monday, mere hours before he was murdered, Watts posted a prayer.

Bob Roberts Jr.: How To Evangelize Without Seeing People as Projects

Jessica Mouser

April 26, 2023

The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast · Bob Roberts Jr.: How To Evangelize Without Seeing People as Projects

Bob Roberts Jr. is the Senior Global Pastor at Northwood Church, which he planted over 30 years ago in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The author of several books and host of the Bold Love Podcast, Bob has been a trailblazer in the peacemaking and international religious freedom arenas. He is the founder of Multi-Faith Neighbors Network, as well as GlocalNet, a non-profit dedicated to mobilizing the church for transformation in the public square.

Other Ways To Listen to This Podcast With Bob Roberts Jr.

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Key Questions for Bob Roberts Jr.

-How did meeting the religious leaders in your city change the way that you pastored your local church?

-Why is having relationships with people of other religions essential?

-How can church leaders actually meet with religious leaders in their cities?

-What is a peace builder’s responsibility to speak up about the persecution of Christians?

Key Quotes From Bob Roberts Jr.

“[Earlier in my life], evangelism was more of a project for me than it was a lifestyle.”

“I can’t stand the word ‘interfaith’…Evangelicals often are not a part of interfaith conversations because we’re viewed as bigots, because we’re exclusivist with reference to what we believe is the gospel.”

“I like the word ‘multifaith,’ and the reason I do is that multifaith says, you don’t have to compromise your faith. You don’t have to give up your faith. You have to just be truthful and honest about who you are and say it in the kindest and most loving way.”

“I think when we begin to see the image of God in everybody, then instead of calling them out as sinners…we’re challenging them to live up to who they are, their identity as how they were created in Christ.”

“I share my faith all the time. Eighty percent of the time I’m with non-Christians.”

“When an imam accepts Christ, a lot of people come to faith in Christ.”

“These people come to faith in Christ because of the message and the messenger…[but] a lot of times we don’t have time to build a relationship with them.”

In Rural Texas, Spending Taxpayer Money on Private Schools Is a Hard Sell

BeLynn Hollers

April 26, 2023

In-rural-Texas-spending-taxpayer-money-on-private-schools — Photo credit: RNS

TYLER, Texas (RNS) — “If you will bow with me, please,” said Christopher Moran, superintendent of the Whitehouse Independent School District, after he was invited to pray to open a news conference outside the Tyler Independent School District building last month. Those from both school districts were there to voice local opposition to a school voucher proposal being floated by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott that would channel taxpayer money to private schools.

The news conference took place the day before the governor’s visit to Grace Community School, one of the largest Christian schools in Tyler, to promote his proposal for education savings accounts, a voucherlike program that would provide families $8,000 per student per year to use toward private school tuition or other education-related expenses.

This being East Texas, there was nothing controversial about Moran, a public school official, leading a prayer. What was unexpected — apparently even for the governor himself — was the staunch objection from locals to giving public funds to religious schools.

After Moran’s invocation, Wade Washmon, president of Tyler’s school board, stepped onstage and wasted no time calling Abbott’s push for education savings accounts a gift in exchange for “political platitudes.”

Vouchers have the potential to decimate public school budgets in Tyler, which, according to data from The Dallas Morning News, has one of the largest concentrations of private schools of any rural area in the state.

But Washmon only objected to depriving public schools of funding, not the idea of public support for religious education. His solution was to allow public schools to teach religion. “See, for ages public schools and conservative Christian communities like Tyler have been forced to be less vocal about our faith or face legal action and repercussions from multiple government agencies, both state and federal,” Washmon said.

Moran echoed Washmon’s appeal. “Why not just allow Tyler ISD to have a Christian choice school that’s measured by the same educational standards as all other public schools, instead of sending taxpayer dollars to places they’ve never been and having no control over how outcomes are measured, or how education is executed?” Washmon asked.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a primary night event March 1, 2022, in Corpus Christi, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks in Corpus Christi, Texas, on March 1, 2022. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

The voucher issue is one that has left the state’s House and Senate at odds as well.

On April 6, the Texas House passed an amendment by a vote of 86-52 that banned voucher funding from the state budget. Twenty-four of the votes that banned vouchers came from members living in rural areas.

But that didn’t settle the question: The Texas Senate overwhelmingly passed its own bill that would fund school choice, and days after it had voted against vouchers, the House took up a pro-vouchers bill filed by Rep. James Frank, R-Wichita Falls. More than 100 witnesses testified at the hearing.

Frank’s bill is still pending in committee; the House referred the Senate pro-voucher bill, meanwhile, to the chamber’s Public Education Committee.

Nor has Abbott given up trying to convince rural Texans to support school choice. “I cannot do it alone, I need you standing with me every step of the way,” Abbott has told his audiences.

Since early March, the governor has reprimanded public schools for pushing “woke” agendas, telling a crowd at Brazos Christian School in Bryan, Texas: “Schools should not be pushing a woke agenda on their children. Our schools are for education, not indoctrination.” Abbott’s office says there were 200 parents in Bryan to hear him speak and over 500 parents in Tyler the next day.

Abbott, a Roman Catholic, has since given similar speeches in at least 12 private schools — 10 of them exclusively Protestant and mostly rural. After Texas Monthly published an article that reported Abbott pitching school choice at exclusively Protestant Christian schools, he visited Catholic schools in Texas — St. Mary Magdalen School in San Antonio and Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth.

Fort Worth’s Rep. Charlie Geren and San Antonio’s Rep. Steve Allison, both Republicans, were the only two metropolitan-area GOP members that voted against vouchers.

This article originally appeared here.

As Death Toll Mounts in Kenya Church, Local Clergy Wonder at Scale of Indoctrination

Fredrick Nzwili

April 26, 2023

NAIROBI, Kenya (RNS) — In an expansive forest near Kenya’s southern coast, detectives have been exhuming bodies of people who starved to death to go to “heaven,” allegedly at the orders of a Christian pastor.

Anger and shock gripped the East African nation as families learned Paul Mackenzie Nthenge, the leader of the Good News International Church, ordered members to pray and fast to death so they could meet Jesus. When the people died, Nthenge and other members reportedly buried their bodies in shallow graves in Shakahola, an 800-acre forest ranch near Malindi, a tourist town on the Indian Ocean.

“Shakahola” means “a place of treating people’s problems,” according to retired Anglican Bishop Julius Kalu of Mombasa, whose home is near the area. Kalu wonders if the place’s meaning held a special appeal to Nthenge.

“When he bought the land in Shakahola, he told the people that he wanted to practice farming,” Kalu told Religion News Service.

“It got us by surprise. I do not know where he got this kind of theology. Christians pray and fast, but they don’t do it until their death,” he said. “I think we could not detect it because most of the victims are people from upcountry. The area is also sparsely populated.”

The death toll now stands at 90, with 26 new bodies exhumed Monday (April 24) from the mass graves in the ranch. Local teams anticipate more bodies in the ongoing search — the Kenyan Red Cross Society said on Sunday that 112 people had been reported missing to a tracing desk it set up near where the church was located — and Kenyans from different parts of the country have traveled to the area searching for their relatives.

Many are decrying the Good News International Church as a cult and calling Nthenge a cult leader.

“It’s indeed a worrying trend to watch how many desperate and innocent Kenyans are being spiritually terrorized or swindled by multiple fake pastors and cultic leaders,” said Roman Catholic Bishop Wilybard Kitogho Lagho of the Malindi Diocese on April 24. “What makes cultism a complicated phenomena to deal with is that cult followers believe their religious, sect or cult leader is always right, and their leader has the exclusive means of knowing ‘truth.’”

Pastor Paul Makenzi, who was arrested on suspicion of telling his followers to fast to death in order to meet Jesus, accompanied by some of his followers, appears at a court in Malindi, Kenya on Monday, April 17, 2023. Kenya's president William Ruto said Monday, April 23 that the starvation deaths of dozens of followers of the pastor is akin to terrorism. (AP Photo)

Pastor Paul Mackenzie Nthenge, who was arrested on suspicion of telling his followers to fast to death in order to meet Jesus, accompanied by some of his followers, appears at a court in Malindi, Kenya, on April 17, 2023. Kenya’s President William Ruto said on April 23, 2023, that the starvation deaths of dozens of followers of the pastor are akin to terrorism. (AP Photo)

The horrors began unfolding on April 14 when police raided the Nthenge compound on a tip that some people were starving to death there. They found 15 emaciated people, including four who later died. The survivors said they were following the pastor’s instructions to starve in order to meet Jesus.

Kenya’s President William Samoei Ruto described the incidents at the ranch as “akin to terrorism,” saying terrorists use religion to advance their heinous acts.

“People like Mackenzie are using religion to do exactly that,” said Ruto.

Religious leaders and human rights campaigners have criticized the pastor’s actions as an abuse of Kenya’s right to freedom of worship. Kenya is majority Christian: About 85% of the country’s nearly 53 million population is Christian, while about 10% are Muslim.

5 Things Every Child Wants From Your Ministry

Dale Hudson

April 26, 2023

what every child wants from children's ministry — Adobestock #178081713

This week children will walk through the doors of your church. They will come from many different backgrounds, family dynamics and life situations. No matter what they are mentally or physically carrying as they walk into the doors of your church, there are five big things every child from your children’s ministry.

They may not be able to articulate these five things, but it is what they are longing for.

1. Every Child Wants To Hear Their Name Spoken.

The sweetest sound to a child is hearing their name called (unless they are in trouble).

When you call a child by name it shows them that you care enough about them to memorize their name. (Of course, name tags are a big help with this, but don’t depend on name tags. Learn the child’s name and remember it.)

2. Every Child Wants To Be Accepted.

Kids are often insecure…especially if they are new or don’t have any friends at church (kinda like us as adults—right?).

Help them get connected to other children in the church so they have the opportunity to make some friends. You will often have to initiate this for them.

After we have been in a church for awhile, we tend to forget what it is like to walk into a new place and not know anyone. It can especially be hard for a child to do this.

Go the second mile to make children feel accepted. One key part of this is teaching the kids who are already attending to be intentional about helping new kids or kids who are loners.

If you really want to be intentional, train a team of kids to be greeters. They can meet new children at the door and hang with them throughout the entire service. This will not only help new or lonely kids to feel accepted, but will also give established kids an opportunity to serve.

3. Every Child Wants To Know They Are Missed When They Are Not Able To Attend.

We often complain (myself included) about kids who only attend church once a month of even less. We often point a finger at the children’s parents for not making church attendance a priority. But stop and think with me for a moment. Maybe one of the reasons children don’t attend regularly is because we don’t show them that they are missed. Why attend when it doesn’t matter to anyone that I will be absent?

One of the big things you can do is to send personal miss you cards to children when they are absent. Let them know you missed seeing them. Let them know it matters a lot when they are not there. Send the card through the mail to the child. It’s a big, big, big, big deal for a child to get a miss you card. As adults, we are always getting mail (like 10 credit card apps a day). But kids rarely get mail. Use the postcards you send to show them that you care and they are missed. It will make a difference.

4. Every Child Wants To Know More About Jesus.

This is another thing kids may not be able to articulate, but it is something they want and need. They want to know more about this person who died for them. They want to know more about how much Jesus loves them. They want to know more about why He died on the cross and rose again.

Finding Balance When Everything Seems Like a “Big Deal”

Ron Edmondson

April 26, 2023

Senior leaders are called to the work of finding balance all the “big deals” within an organization.

I’ll never forget the time I found out a staff member was disappointed with my leadership. He didn’t think I supported his ministry. Actually, I had said no to a budget item for his ministry area, because we needed to do something in another ministry area. I felt horrible, because I valued his ministry – and him – but my actions had led him to believe otherwise.

Thankfully, I learned a couple of things from this experience.

First, I needed to better communicate the “why” behind my decisions.
Second, there are some things we do as senior leaders others on the team can’t understand. We shouldn’t expect them to.

Finding Balance When Everything Seems Like a “Big Deal”

As a leader, I have to consistently remind myself one person’s big deal may not be another person’s big deal.

As a pastor, those in finance ministry naturally believe their ministry is critical to the success of the church. This may lead them to think attention should be given to finances above everything else. It’s their big deal.

Those in small group ministry naturally believe their ministry is most critical to the success of the church. This may lead them to think attention should be given to small group ministry above everything else. It’s their big deal.

Those in worship planning ministry naturally believe their ministry is most critical to the success of the church. This may lead them to think attention should be given to worship planning above everything else. It’s their big deal.

Those in children’s ministry naturally believe their ministry is most critical to the success of the church. This may lead them to think attention should be given to children’s ministry above everything else. It’s their big deal.

You get the point.

It was true when I was in the nonprofit role also. It was true when I was in the business world as a senior leader.

Of course, the ultimate “big deal” is the vision of the organization. As a church, our big deal – our vision – was to “lead people to Jesus and nurture them in their faith“. While everyone on our team agreed with this vision, they were also rightfully passionate about – and actively involved in – their specific role in accomplishing their individual vision. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. We wanted ownership of their individual ministry and them doing everything they could to see it prosper. But at times this specially focused passion for their role could cloud their ability to see the needs of other ministries.

Media Influence: How Hollywood Has Hijacked Our Minds

Ethan Renoe

April 25, 2023

Want to learn more about media influence, especially on today’s young people? Keep reading for one youth pastor’s take on how Hollywood has hijacked people’s minds.

Recently I was introduced to the idea of Soft Power. The term alone caused so many things to instantly click in my head. Soft Power is a clear paradox to Hard Power, and once you grasp the simple concept, so much will make sense. It’s the reason you always feel like you’re offending someone. Or that if you disagree with someone, you’re anathema to the cultural tide.

For example, consider the two Koreas. North Korea has nuclear weaponry aimed at the soil of the world, hovering her finger above the launch button if someone pries too closely. Hard Power. The bully with the bigger muscles and the baseball bat.

By contrast, South Korea is a rising star in the music scene with numerous breakout bands. K-Pop is infecting radio waves alongside the behemoth of entertainment which is the United States. Soft power is far more subliminal but perhaps even more powerful than its opposite.

South Korea, with its intellectual Soft Power, is growing the ability to influence fans however they want. Of course, this is slow and over time rather than blatant like North Korea’s nukes. The reason this is so important? In the West, we’re in far more danger of giving in to Soft Power than Hard.

Soft Power & Media Influence

For instance, look no further than the third chapter of Genesis. Does the serpent come to Eve with a crossbow and tell her to eat the fruit “or else…”? No, of course not! Satan slips subtle lies into her mind. He makes Eve question things she was once so sure of. Before long, she has given in and doomed the progeny of the world to death and toil.

I’d wager that few of us face AK-47s or barbed-wire clubs on the daily. But we face a far more insidious power: Intellectual Colonialism. What is Colonialism? It’s the invasion of Western culture into indigenous lands. The white man came in and said people should do things a certain way (to put it lightly).

Without realizing it, Christians in the West have become slaves to the machine of Intellectual Colonialism. We’ve hear that how we think is wrong. Media influence tells us we need to do it like them. We must be sexually liberated (as long as it’s safe and consensual). We need to tolerate every belief simply because someone feels it’s true.

Problem is, feelings aren’t great dictators of truth. Someone once commented on a YouTube video of mine. They said I shouldn’t be so hard on Christians who may believe something the Bible doesn’t teach. “If they believe it strongly, then it can be true for them.”

That phrase, in addition to being ridiculous and ignorant, was disproven in the 300s B.C. Something cannot be simultaneously true and false depending on how someone feels. No matter how hard I feel that the winter should be sunny and 75, reality will keep dumping snow on me.

But now I’m off track…

Boys in Worship: 5 Reasons They Don’t Sing During Church

Dale Hudson

April 25, 2023

Do boys sing in your children’s ministry and church? Take a close look next weekend during worship time. You’ll probably find many guys just standing there while everyone else sings.

Over the years, I’ve observed this in most churches. Many boys don’t sing during worship time. I’ve seen this in all sizes and types of churches, from megachurches to smaller, rural churches.

Why don’t boys sing during worship? Let’s look at five reasons and how you can make changes to get everyone involved.

Why Boys Don’t Sing — and How to Change That

1. Few, if any, males are up front leading.

In the elementary years, boys steer clear of anything that appears too “girlish.” When they see only girls leading worship, they put up a wall and refrain from singing. Many children’s ministries work hard to get male role models in key areas like teachers, small-group leaders, mentors, etc. But then they neglect to place males in worship leading. And it shows in the boys who stand with their mouths closed during songs.

Change this by making sure some males lead worship. And if a female leads, make sure some males are front and center with her.

2. You’re doing too many motions.

For years, leaders have used motions to help engage kids in songs. But if you’re not careful, you’ll use too much of a good thing. Actions might become a hindrance. When kids are more focused on trying to keep up with the motions than they are in singing to God, then you need to make changes.

Use simple motions that are easy to follow. And when it comes to motions, less is more. You want to keep the focus on the words more than the motions.

3. You’re singing too many slow, emotional songs.

Unlike girls, boys won’t engage as much in songs filled with slow, emotional lines. Yes, it’s important to sing songs that cause kids to slow down and reflect on God’s love, heart matters, devotion, etc. But it’s also important to sing high-energy, action-based songs if you want more kids to engage.

Here’s an example: Will boys engage with a slow, emotional song like “Your Love Never Fails?” Some will. Will they engage with a high-energy, action song like “Moving Song?” More will.

Megan Danielle Sings Lauren Daigle’s ‘Thank God I Do’ After Advancing to ‘American Idol’ Top 12

Jesse T. Jackson

April 25, 2023

Megan Danielle American Idol — Screengrab via YouTube @American Idol

Megan Danielle is quickly making a name for herself in the music industry with her success on this season of “American Idol.” The 21-year-old singer and songwriter received the last spot in the show’s “victory zone” on Monday (April 24), making her one of the show’s 12 remaining contestants.

Danielle sang Lauren Daigle’s “Thank God I Do” after host Ryan Seacrest announced she had won America’s vote.

“It was Lauren Daigle who inspired her and sang with her back in the Vegas auditions, and she’s paying homage again to her tonight,” Seacrest said.

Seacrest was referring to Danielle’s Feb. 19 audition, in which Daigle, a 2012 “American Idol” alum, surprisingly appeared to join the rising star in a duet of her Grammy Award-winning song, “You Say.”

“I made the #Top12 of @AmericanIdol! 😭🌟 There’s no voting tonight but get ready to support me again next Sunday! It’s the first live coast-to-coast vote! Thank you so much for your love and support and helping me to this point! ❤️ Also – A HUGE shout out to @lauren_daigle !!! Thank you for writing this song. You’re such an inspiration and I’ll never give up🤗 #IDOL #Top12,” Danielle posted on Instagram.

Daigle replied to Danielle’s post with three yellow heart emojis.

During her “American Idol” audition tape, Danielle shared that when she was 18 years old, she had a band that sang mostly in bars.

“I didn’t like performing at bars,” she said, “because I felt like I had to act like someone I wasn’t, so that people would like what they were hearing.”

Danielle said that at one of her bar shows, her late grandfather pulled her aside and asked her what she was doing. “This isn’t what you’re supposed to do,” he told her.

Danielle said that her grandfather then looked at her and asked a question that changed her music career: “How can you sing for God and sing for this?” That’s when Danielle decided to totally switch to Christian music.

She appears to have a bright future singing for Jesus, regardless of the outcome of the “American Idol” contest.

Bible App for Kids Celebrates 100 Million Downloads in 10 Years

Stephanie Martin

April 25, 2023

One decade since its launch, the Bible App for Kids is celebrating the milestone of 100 million downloads. The free app, which resulted from a partnership between YouVersion and the faith-based organization OneHope, helps children learn and engage with Scripture.

In a social media post about reaching the mark, YouVersion describes the Bible App for Kids as “a tool that helps children all around the world fall in love with God’s Word through interactive stories and activities.” The post also encourages people to make financial donations to “help us bring God’s Word to everyone, everywhere.”

The app features 41 key Bible stories, allows users to share Scripture with friends, and offers resources for parents and church leaders. The Bible App for Kids has been translated into numerous languages, from Spanish and French to Mongolian and Swahili.

Bible App for Kids Sets a ‘Foundation’ for Faith Growth

YouVersion founder and CEO Bobby Gruenewald said, “We know that the most important influence in a child’s life is their family. With that in mind, we’re really encouraged to see millions of families around the world choose to turn to the Bible and learn about God together.”

Rob Hoskins, president of OneHope, addressed the app’s role in spiritual growth and outreach. “Through this Bible experience, we’re seeing children in every country fall in love with God’s Word,” he said. “We’re passionate about equipping the global church to engage the next generation with interactive stories from the Bible and help lay a foundation for future spiritual growth.”

As an example of the app’s impact, YouVersion quotes Melissa Glynn, children’s ministry director at Life Valley Community Church in San Jose, California. “We love using Bible App for Kids and the matching curriculum,” she said. “Just recently, I had a mom tell me that her 5-year-old ran through the house quoting Joshua 1:9! These resources are making a difference in our children’s lives, and they’re such a blessing to our congregation.”

Safety Expert: Some Kids Misuse YouVersion’s Original Bible App

In related news, a precaution is being raised for older children and teens who have graduated to YouVersion’s original Bible App. Some users apparently use workarounds to turn the platform into an unintended form of communication.

On the Instagram account Protect Young Eyes, family digital-safety expert Chris McKenna recently described how some kids are misusing the Bible App. A mother contacted him to warn that it can become a type of “shadow social media.”

When the mom logged into the school email account of her seventh-grader (who doesn’t have a cell phone), she noticed his notifications “started going off like crazy…all from the Bible app.” She realized “it was essentially Instagram within the app.”

‘Jesus Revolution’ Holds No. 1 Spot on Amazon Best Sellers Chart, Beating ‘John Wick’ and ‘Top Gun: Maverick’

Jessica Mouser

April 25, 2023

“Jesus Revolution,” which released today on DVD and Blu-ray, is the No. 1 bestseller on Amazon’s Movies & TV chart. The film is based on the life of Pastor Greg Laurie, who has encouraged believers to use it as a tool for evangelism.

“This movie is a gift,” said Laurie in an interview on the Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast. “It’s a gift to the church. It’s a tool.” When “Jesus Revolution” was out in theaters, people could invite their friends to see it with them. Now that it is out on DVD, Laurie suggests Christians “bring evangelism to your home, tablet or phone and share it with others…Have a watch party and then explain the gospel to them after. Let’s do this!”

Bring Evangelism to your Home, tablet or phone and share it with others. @JesusRevMovie is now available at a retailer near you on DVD and Blue-ray. You can order it at https://t.co/WwgkUvbKIx. This movie is a tool the touches the hearts of people. Have a Watch Party and then… pic.twitter.com/jvqdy5A2vU

— Greg Laurie (@greglaurie) April 25, 2023

‘Jesus Revolution’ Has Ongoing Impact

“Jesus Revolution” (starring Kelsey Grammer, Jonathan Roumie, Joel Courtney, Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Anna Grace Barlow) dramatizes the events of the Jesus People Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. It is based on the book, “Jesus Revolution: How God Transformed an Unlikely Generation and How He Can Do It Again Today” by Greg Laurie and Ellen Vaughn. The movie focuses on the lives of Calvary Chapel pastor Chuck Smith, hippie evangelist Lonnie Frisbee and Pastor Greg Laurie, who now leads Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California.

The film depicts how Laurie came to faith in the midst of what he calls “the last great spiritual awakening in America.” Said Laurie, “It was not until some time later that I realized how significant that particular time was.” The timing of the film’s release was notable as it came out shortly after the end of a two-week worship service at Asbury University, an event many view as a revival.

“Jesus Revolution,” a Lionsgate film, opened at the No. 3 spot in theaters, earned over $15 million during its opening weekend, and gained an A+ rating from CinemaScore. After nearly three weeks in theaters, the movie had made over $40 million domestically, surpassing the amount made by “The Expendables 3,” also distributed by Lionsgate. Box Office Mojo reports that “Jesus Revolution” ran in theaters for eight weeks and grossed over $52 million before ending its run.

“We had people accepting Christ in the theaters,” said Laurie. “I had one person say, ‘I heard people around me praying out loud asking Jesus to come into their life.’”

The “Jesus Revolution” DVD and Blu-ray editions hold the top two positions, respectively, on Amazon’s chart, where the movie is beating films such as “John Wick: Chapter 4,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” and “Super Mario Bros.”

People have shared online the impact the movie has had on them. “WOW!!! What an AMAZING, POWERFUL movie!” said Twitter user Jared Nel.

“Not me crying while watching jesus revolution,” said another.

Christian Group To Organize Prayer, Evangelism Campaign at Sold Out SatanCon

Dale Chamberlain

April 25, 2023

SatanCon IFA — The Satanic Temple unveils its statue of Baphomet, a winged-goat creature, at a rally for the first amendment in Little Rock, Ark., Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018. The Satanic Temple wants to install the statue on Capitol grounds as a symbol for religious freedom after a monument of the Biblical Ten Commandments was installed in 2017. (AP Photo/Hannah Grabenstein)

As leaders of The Satanic Temple (TST) prepare to host SatanCon 2023 in Boston, leaders of Intercessors for America (IFA) are preparing to travel to the event so that they can pray for and share their faith with attendees.

The conference, which is set to take place on April 28-30, has billed itself as “the largest satanic gathering in history,” boasting sellout attendance and promising a “weekend of blasphemy and remembrance.”

The theme of the conference is “Hexennacht in Boston.” Hexennacht, a German feast that takes place every April and commemorates the canonization of Saint Walpurga, is one of the five religious holidays TST celebrates.

Though TST employs satanic imagery, the organization is a nontheistic institution that uses Satan as a satirical symbol of their skepticism and adversarial relationship with the cultural dominance of Christianity.

SatanCon was borne out of this very conflict, as the first event of this kind was held in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2021 after TST was denied their request to deliver the invocation at a City Council meeting. The location of this year’s gathering was selected after TST was similarly denied the opportunity to deliver the invocation at a Boston City Council meeting.

Suzie MacAskill, one of the regional leaders of IFA in Boston, told the Christian Post that while her first impulse was to pray for the event’s cancellation, she soon had a change of heart.

“I initially went to prayer with a preconceived idea that God would want this to be prayed away. It was following this assumption that I was awakened through the night with a clear sense of ‘this is my harvest field,’” she said.

MacAskill added, “Since truly seeking God’s will for this event, and not coming with my own ideas, I believe I’ve been able to more clearly hear of his love for those who are lost and his strategy for praying for this event.”

MacAskill’s sister and fellow IFA Boston leader, Lynn, said that “several people [are] receiving words and visions about the angel armies surrounding Boston.”

”Suzie and I have only just come to understand that God has been preparing us for this for some time, which is very comforting as we get close to going into the battle zone,” Lynn said.

SatanCon will take place the same weekend as Revive Boston, a conference focused on training in street evangelism. Leaders from IFA plan to attend the latter event and then go out into the streets of Boston on Saturday, April 29 to evangelize.

Islamic Extremists Kills Pastor, Herdsmen Slaughter 134 Christians in Nigeria

Morning Star News

April 25, 2023

ABUJA, Nigeria (Morning Star News) – Islamic extremists killed a pastor in northeast Nigeria, and terrorists in the country’s middle belt state of Benue killed 134 Christians the first week of April, sources said.

The Rev. Yakubu Shuaibu of the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria (EYN) was killed in Borno state by terrorists from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) who on the night of April 4 broke into his house in Madlau, Biu County, said EYN leader Salamatu Billi.

They also shot and wounded his pregnant wife, who was receiving treatment at Biu General Hospital in Biu town, Billi said. The pastor is also survived by another child.

Pastor Shuaibu’s body was buried in his hometown of Dzangwala, Gombi County, Adamawa state, Billi said. The couple began work in the area with the EYN church four years ago.

“Please let us all pray for his wife’s recovery, for God to comfort his entire family, and for the church of God and ministers of the church working in the danger zones of Borno and Adamawa states,” Billi said. “The hunt for Christians, especially ministers serving in the church, by terrorists in northeast Nigeria continues. This is the third EYN pastor to be killed in cold blood within a short time by these terrorists.”

ISWAP also attacked predominantly Christian Njimtilo, Pulka and Ajiri Mafa villages at the same time the pastor was slain, said area resident Josephine Joseph.

“During the attacks, the terrorists destroyed houses of Christians and looted their homes of food items,” Joseph said.

In Benue state, in Nigeria’s middle belt, Fulani herdsmen killed 134 Christians from April 2 to April 10, said Benue Gov. Samuel Ortom in a press statement.

“Within one week, 134 Christians have been killed by herdsmen,” he said. “This apart from the fact that of the 23 local government areas of the state, 18 of them have been ravaged by herdsmen attacks, and most Christians in these council areas displaced.”

The herdsmen attacked the local government areas of Makurdi, Guma, Otukpo, Apa and Logo, area residents told Morning Star News in text messages. They also attacked Kwande County, said area resident Dominic Anza, president of the Universal Reformed Christian Church (NKST).

“Armed Fulani herdsmen have been attacking our Christian communities for years, but recently, these attacks became so intense that hardly any day passes without a community being attacked,” Pastor Anza said. “My village of Turan in Kwande Local Government Area was also attacked by these Fulani herdsmen, and many Christians in my village killed.”

Christians affected in the areas are mostly members of the NKST, the Roman Catholic Church, the Methodist Church and Pentecostal churches, and they are now unable to hold worship services, he said.

“My family’s house been burned down by the herdsmen, and all my relations have been displaced,” Pastor Anza said. “It’s impossible for me to even attempt to visit my village, because these herdsmen have completely taken over the affected communities.”

Most Christians slain were women and children, and thousands of the displaced are living in camps, he said.

“They’re not even safe there, as within this period, these camps have also been attacked and many Christians killed,” Pastor Anza said.

Herdsmen attacked a facility housing displaced Christians in Ngban village, Guma County, on April 7 at about 10 p.m., killing 38 Christians and wounding 36 others, said community leader Dennis Shemberga. Catherine Anene, spokesperson for the Benue State Command, confirmed the attack on displaced Christians at the Ngban village camp.

Armed herdsmen invaded predominantly Christian Umogidi village, Otukpo County, on April 5, killing 52 Christians, a council official told Morning Star News.

In Texas, Republicans Push Bills Aimed At Enhancing Faith’s Role in School

Jack Jenkins

April 25, 2023

In-Texas,-Republicans-Push-Bills-Aimed-At-Enhancing-Faith’s-Role-in-School — Photo credit: Charles Fair / Unsplash

(RNS) — Texas’ Republican-dominated legislature is working its way through a slate of bills aimed at increasing religion’s presence in the state’s public schools, drawing criticism from Democrats, clergy and activists who say the proposals violate the separation of church and state and are emblematic of Christian nationalism.

The controversy revolves around three bills: One mandates the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools; another allows school districts to require local campuses to set aside time for staff and students to pray and read religious texts; and a third allows administrators to furnish schools with chaplains in addition to existing counselors.

The state senate passed the first two bills last Thursday (April 20), and the proposal involving chaplains is expected to come up for a vote this week. Lawmakers have yet to vote on companion bills in the Texas House of Representatives.

Leading the charge in the state senate are Sen. Phil King, the lead author on the Ten Commandments bill and co-author on the Scripture-reading proposal, and Sen. Mayes Middleton, who is listed as an author or co-author on all three bills. Both are first-year senators after serving in the Texas House.

In his initial statement of intent accompanying the Ten Commandments bill, King insisted the Bible’s moral code would remind students of the “fundamental foundation of American and Texas law.” He also frames the bill as a response to a U.S. Supreme Court decision last June that backed a public high school football coach who prayed on the field after games, arguing his actions were protected by the Constitution.

During debate over Middleton’s chaplains bill on Monday, Sen. Nathan Johnson, a Democrat, was one of several lawmakers who expressed concerns. He noted that while the amended bill did not conscript the faith of a chaplain, the positions are likely to be filled by Christians.

“I still have great concern that we are continuing to break down this wall the framers of our Constitution insisted on having between church and state,” Johnson said.

In response, Middleton dismissed the separation of church and state as “not a real doctrine” — an argument long popular among purveyors of Christian nationalism.

“It’s a pretty real doctrine to some of us,” Johnson fired back.

Neither King nor Middleton agreed to be interviewed about the bills, although Middleton sent a statement celebrating the passage of the prayer proposal.

Sen. Mayes Middleton speaks about his proposed bill to allow administrators to furnish public schools with chaplains, Monday, April 24, 2023, at the Texas Capitol in Austin, Texas. Video screen grab

“Our founders certainly never intended separation of God from government or schools, despite the lefts’ attempts to mislead people on this fact,” read the statement. It went on to insist that pastors were among those who have “asked that prayer be put back in our public schools.”

But Cantor Sheri Allen, a hospital and hospice chaplain and co-founder of the Jewish congregation Makom Shelanu in Fort Worth, vehemently opposed all three bills. She took particular umbrage at Middleton’s bill allowing schools to hire chaplains and potentially pay them with public funds. Although the legislation has been amended from its initial proposal, which would have allowed schools to replace school counselors with chaplains, Allen expressed concern that the bill does not require chaplains to be certified by the State Board for Educator Certification.

“As a chaplain, I’m the first to admit, I am not qualified to play the role of the school counselor,” Allen told Religion News Service in an interview.

Allen argued the three bills amount to a “blatant violation of the separation of church and state” and appear to privilege Christians. The Ten Commandments bill requires the text, taken from the King James Version of the Bible, to appear on a poster at least 16-by-20 inches and legible “to a person with average vision from anywhere in the classroom.”

The King James Version of the Bible is rejected by many Christians — not to mention Jews, as Allen noted.

New Study Suggests Thinking About God Can Make People More Generous to Outsiders

Bob Smietana

April 25, 2023

New-Study-Suggests-Thinking-About-God-Can-Make-People-More-Generous-to-Outsiders — Photo credit: Allef Vinicius / Unsplash

(RNS) — Religion is often seen as a source of conflict — giving insiders a source of community and support while drawing boundaries against outsiders.

A new study suggests religion can also prompt people to be generous to outsiders, even those from groups they distrust.

For the study, entitled “Thinking About God Encourages Prosociality Toward Religious Outgroups,” researchers asked more than 4,700 people in the United States, the Middle East and Fiji if they were willing to share money with people from a different religious group.

Asking those participants about God — or about what God wanted them to do — led to an 11% increase in giving, according to the study, which was published in Psychological Science.

That result surprised some of the researchers, including Michael Pasek, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Illinois Chicago and one of the lead authors of the study.

Michael Pasek. Courtesy photo

Some suspected prompting participants to think about God would make them more generous to people from their religious group but not outsiders. Others thought that thinking about God would increase generosity across the board.

For the study, researchers recruited participants from Muslim, Hindu, Christian and Jewish communities to take part in a series of behavioral economics experiments. During the experiments, research assistants gave people small amounts of money in large envelopes.

Participants were also given two smaller envelopes, one labeled “Mine” and the other labeled “Give to Another Person.” They could keep all the money for themselves, give it all away or divide it up. Those who wanted to give money away could put funds into the envelope labeled “Give to Another Person.” That envelope was then placed back in the larger envelope.

Participants were first told to do whatever they thought best when dividing the money. Later, they repeated the experiment after being asked either to think about God or to think about what God wanted them to do.

The experiments in Fiji and some of the experiments in the Middle East were done in person. Others, in the United States and Israel, were done online. All the money that was designated “Give to Another Person” was given away.

In person, they gave people a large envelope with money in it as well as two smaller envelopes. While participants made the decisions, the research assistant would step away so no one would know what participants were doing.

People in Fiji participate in a study entitled “Thinking About God Encourages Prosociality Toward Religious Outgroups," in 2018. Photo courtesy of Michael Pasek

People in Fiji participate in the study entitled “Thinking About God Encourages Prosociality Toward Religious Outgroups.” Photo courtesy of Michael Pasek

“We always made sure that people were assigned with different people across rounds, so their earlier decisions couldn’t influence their later decisions,” said Pasek.

Azim Shariff, director of the Centre for Applied Moral Psychology at the University of British Columbia and one of the lead authors of the study, has taken part in a previous study about religion and social behavior, including a 2007 study entitled “God is Watching You” and a 2019 study on religion and selfishness.

4 Bad Assumptions About Church Size

Dale Chamberlain

April 25, 2023

“What’s your church’s weekly attendance?” Depending on your answer—and depending on the church size of the person asking you—this question may fill you with pride or shame.

And that’s because you didn’t go into ministry to be ineffective or to make only a small impact. It’s just that sometimes we have a funny idea of what constitutes effective church leadership. Mix in our unhealthy tendency to compare our ministry “success” with the success of others, and we can get all jacked up about the numbers.

To be sure, numbers aren’t nothing. However, we certainly shouldn’t let them define us in a way that causes us to be boastful on the one end or ashamed on the other.

Here are four bad assumptions we tend to make when it comes to church size.

1. ‘Healthy Things Always Grow.’

When advocating for strategies that will better help a church reach its community and increase its weekly attendance, pastors and church leaders often repeat the refrain, “Healthy things grow.”

And that’s true enough. As a father with toddlers, I always remark and celebrate when my sons grow physically, mentally, or emotionally. While their physical growth often means that I need to purchase larger pajamas for them and place my valuables a little further back on the countertop to elude their clutches, growth is a good thing. If my boys weren’t constantly growing at this stage of their lives, both their pediatrician and I would quickly grow concerned.

So healthy things do grow. But they aren’t always growing at the same rate of speed or to a size that exceeds the healthy limits of their capacity. In fact, the rare disorders of Gigantism and Acromegaly cause children and adults to grow beyond what is healthy. These conditions are serious, painful, and even deadly.

Not every church and its leadership has the same capacity for growth, or even has the same capacity in every season. There may be times in the life of a church when it experiences rapid growth spurts, and there may be other times when its growth is slowed or stopped.

While the call of the church is to live on mission until the return of Jesus, there may come a point when a particular local expression of the church has reached its capacity for growth and, while healthy, will not experience much more substantial net increase by way of membership numbers.

This does not diminish the call for that church to live missionally, but it also does not mean that a church is necessarily unhealthy because it is no longer doubling or tripling in size over a given span of time.

2. ‘Megachurches Don’t Disciple Their People.’

To be sure, I would rather be part of a church with 50 people who are being deeply formed in their faith through intentional discipleship than a church with 5,000 people who are simply attending a worship service two or three times a month but whose faith is having no real impact on their lives.

Christ’s Resurrection Means Our Old Bodies Will Be Made New

Randy Alcorn

April 25, 2023

In 1 Corinthians 15:17-19, Paul says that if Christ hadn’t risen from the dead, we’d still be in our sins—meaning we’d be bound for Hell, not Heaven: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.”

He doesn’t just say that if there’s no Heaven, the Christian life is futile. He says that if there’s no resurrection of the dead, then Christianity’s hope is an illusion and we’re to be pitied for placing our faith in Christ. Paul has no interest in a Heaven that’s merely for human spirits.

Wishful thinking is not the reason why, deep in our hearts, we desire a resurrected life on a resurrected Earth instead of a disembodied existence in a spiritual realm. Rather, we desire it precisely because God intends for us to be raised to new life on the New Earth. It is God who created us to desire what we are made for. It is God who “set eternity in the hearts of men” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). It is God who designed us to live on Earth and to desire the earthly life. And it is our bodily resurrection that will allow us to return to an earthly life—this time freed from sin and the Curse.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Becoming a new creation sounds as if it involves a radical change, and indeed it does. But though we become new people when we come to Christ, we still remain the same people.

Conversion is a blend of change and continuity. When I became a Christian as a high school student, I became a new person, yet I was still the same person I’d always been. My mother saw a lot of changes, but she still recognized me. She said, “Good morning, Randy,” not “Who are you?” I was still Randy Alcorn, though a substantially transformed Randy Alcorn. My dog never growled at me—he knew who I was.

Likewise, this same Randy (who is now very different) will undergo another change at death. And I will undergo yet another change at the resurrection. But through all the changes I will still be who I was and who I am. There will be continuity from this life to the next. I will be able to say with Job, “In my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another” (Job 19:26-27).

Conversion involves transforming the old, not eliminating it. Despite the radical changes that occur through salvation, death, and resurrection, we remain the unique beings that God created. We have the same history, appearance, memory, interests, and skills. This is the principle of redemptive continuity. God is not going to scrap his original creation and start over. Instead, He will take His fallen, corrupted children and restore, refresh, and renew us to our original design.

If we don’t grasp the principle of redemptive continuity, we cannot understand the nature of resurrection. “There must be continuity,” writes Anthony Hoekema, “for otherwise there would be little point in speaking about a resurrection at all. The calling into existence of a completely new set of people totally different from the present inhabitants of the earth would not be a resurrection.”

First Corinthians 15:53 says, “The perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.” This (the perishable and mortal) puts on that (the imperishable and immortal). Likewise, it is we, the very same people who walk this Earth, who will walk the New Earth. “We will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:17, emphasis added).

The empty tomb is the ultimate proof that Christ’s resurrection body was the same body that died on the cross. If resurrection meant the creation of a previously nonexistent body, Christ’s original body would have remained in the tomb. When Jesus said to His disciples after His resurrection, “It is I myself,” He was emphasizing to them that He was the same person—in spirit and body—who had gone to the cross (Luke 24:39). His disciples saw the marks of His crucifixion, unmistakable evidence that this was the same body.

Keeping Kids Busy While Limiting Screen-Time

Cassie Baker

April 25, 2023

As a work-from-home-mother of a young child, I am raising a screen-time kid. Screens have been an aspect of my daughter’s world since the pediatricians said it was safe to introduce them… okay, let me be real, they’ve been part of her world even before that. While I admire families who are entirely screen-free, it has not been our reality. To be honest, a screen in front of my child is the best chance I have to get through a meeting with a client without multiple interruptions. While I feel like being able to work and be at home with my daughter has been the best of both worlds, I have often relied on screens to make that possible. I am always on the hunt for ideas, tips, and tricks to help limit my daughter’s screen time without compromising my work time.

Here are some of my favorite go-to resources for getting things done without relying on screens!

1. Time Blocking. I have been a big fan of time-blocking and task-batching to balance out my work time with my mommy time: i.e. spend 30 minutes of focused time playing with my daughter, followed by 60 minutes of work. I find that if my time spent with my daughter is focused and not divided, she is more content to play independently for a longer block of time afterward.

2. The Play Café. Pre-pandemic, I was fortunate to take full advantage of this wonderful trend of “play café’s.” We had two in the city where we were living, and I could take my daughter to play while I sat at a table drinking coffee and working. What a gift! Sadly, I know some of these businesses have not survived the pandemic. However, some hardy ones remain, so if you are fortunate enough to live in a city that still has one or two close by, take advantage of them!

3. Ideas from the “experts!” I have found fantastic ideas for occupying my child’s time through sites like The Busy Toddler.

4. Don’t let the name fool you: this mommy blogger has activities well beyond the toddler years and just recently, one suggestion on her Instagram page gave my five-year-old 90 minutes of independent play. Ninety whole minutes! And more the next day … and the next. (Disclaimer: results may vary.)

5. Groups of parents with a shared vision. Facebook groups like this one on Limited Screen Time Families are a great place to find shared ideas and resources. I like this particular group because it assumes there is some screen time, whereas some groups sharing ideas for no screen time can feel a bit shaming, in my opinion. Great ideas abound with those, too, however!

6. The Dollar Store, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, etc. In a pinch, these stores are wonderful resources for busy activities for kids, and they are usually inexpensive or on sale. My daughter can busy herself with glue, googly eyes, and popsicle sticks in ways I would never have thought.

7. Ask for help. A lot of moms wrestle with this, but if you don’t have a support system around you, build one. Make this a priority. I don’t have family nearby, and even in a community where I’m new to town, I’ve made building my support system a high priority. I’m learning to ask for help, and have been surprised by friends’ willingness to cheerfully lend a hand. (And when possible, I offer a hand to someone else who may need it! )

8. Josh Weidmann’s book, Raising Screen Time Kids, has some wonderful suggestions that he has used with his six kids to limit their screen time. This is a quick read with guiding biblical principles and practical tips. (And rumor has it, there will be an audio version very soon, which is a popular format with busy moms.)

As they say, “the struggle is real.” But limiting screen time and getting things done IS possible. It’s not easy, but a little creativity, asking for help when needed, and seeking resources from those who face the same challenges can give you a plan for releasing the screen.

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

Do Animals Go to Heaven? How to Answer Your Child’s Questions

Garrett Kell

April 24, 2023

Do animals go to heaven? That’s a common question from children, especially when they experience the loss of a pet. Discover what the Bible says…and how you can respond to kids.

This morning, we were awakened by the tears of one of our children. They had found our dog dead on the floor. Nellie the cross-eyed Chihuahua was relatively new to our family. But she had already brought us much joy. She was about as good a dog as a Chihuahua can be.

As the tears flowed, the questions did as well. “Why did Nellie have to die?” “Why did God take Nellie so soon?” “Will we see Nellie in heaven?”

Although some people may think these questions are silly, I do not.

Do animals go to heaven?

The longer we live on this fallen planet, the more sorrow we face. Some sufferings are small; others are great. But it all hurts. Some families experience tragedy early and often. Ours has been spared significant tragedy, but times like these leave their mark.

So we talked about what we were feeling and what questions we were processing. Here are a few highlights:

1. We know why our pets die.

Death is one of the saddest and most certain realities of this life. Few things like death sober us, whether it be a pet or a fellow image bearer. A cold, stiff body that lacks the life it once supported is a heavy reminder that something is wrong with our world.

So why does death happen? The Bible tells us plainly that when Adam and Eve sinned against God, all creation was cursed (Genesis 3:14, 19.) Because of this, death comes for all of us, people and animals alike.

Some may want to shield their children from discussions of death, but we don’t.

In Deuteronomy 6, God instructs Israel with His commands and gives parents this charge, “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise” (Deuteronomy 6:7).

Discipleship in the home happens as we live life together, and as we bury pets together. We tell our children that death is in the world because of the curse of sin. All of us will die, and days like these remind us that even our beloved pets aren’t exempt.

2. We don’t know why our pets die when they do.

Death comes for all of us in a time and a way that is most normally unexpected. Nellie was, as far as we could tell, a healthy little dog. She seemed to go peacefully in her sleep. I’ve also lost other pets in more traumatic ways. When my daughter asked, “Why did she have to die now?” I simply held her and said, “I don’t know.”

God never tells us when our time is up. When we love someone, it always seems like our time with them was too short. I encouraged my daughter that our family loved Nellie well, and she loved us in like measure. I also reminded her we need not be afraid of losing those we love. But while they’re with us, we must love them as well as we can.

Teens and Church: 6 Things Young People Need From You

Bill Nance

April 24, 2023

“What do teens want in a church?” someone recently asked me. Wow! That’s a tough question to answer. It’s like asking, “What kind of music do people like?” or “What food do kids eat?”

When people choose a church, personal taste often plays a big role. Relevant factors include location, denomination, and where their parents worship. Other considerations are music, youth program, people they know who attend, type of building, and on and on.

Asking what teens want from church is the wrong question. What teenagers desire from a faith community doesn’t compare to what they need. So let’s look at the topic from that angle.

What Teens Need From Church: 6 Considerations

1. A place with Jesus

This is the number-one thing kids need in a church. If they aren’t meeting Jesus, then attending is a waste of time. Making kids more moral, knowing the Bible, and being nice people are all pointless without Jesus. Don’t just teach students about Jesus. Help them know Jesus.

2. A place with adults who care

Teens need adults who can invest and pour their lives into them. They need adults who can mentor and guide them on the right path. So many adults tells kids they’re not worth the time or effort. That’s why teens need adults who genuinely care.

3. A place to belong

Teens yearn for belonging. Yes, they often do stupid and damaging things to belong. What if we gave them a place to belong before they even came through the door? Our congregation and youth group should be a place where any student can be “home.”

4. A place to serve

It always amazes me what a bad rap teenagers get for being lazy and selfish. I’ve been on too many group mission trips, work camps and church service projects to see the zest and joy of teen servants. It’s a rare thing to see in adults, but young people love to serve. So churches and youth ministries need to provide opportunities. Otherwise, kids will end up being lazy and selfish adults.

Other Ways To Listen to This Podcast With Bob Roberts Jr.

Key Questions for Bob Roberts Jr.

Key Quotes From Bob Roberts Jr.

1. Every Child Wants To Hear Their Name Spoken.

2. Every Child Wants To Be Accepted.

3. Every Child Wants To Know They Are Missed When They Are Not Able To Attend.

4. Every Child Wants To Know More About Jesus.

Finding Balance When Everything Seems Like a “Big Deal”

As a leader, I have to consistently remind myself one person’s big deal may not be another person’s big deal.

You get the point.

Soft Power & Media Influence

Why Boys Don’t Sing — and How to Change That

1. Few, if any, males are up front leading.

2. You’re doing too many motions.

3. You’re singing too many slow, emotional songs.

Bible App for Kids Sets a ‘Foundation’ for Faith Growth

Safety Expert: Some Kids Misuse YouVersion’s Original Bible App

‘Jesus Revolution’ Has Ongoing Impact

1. ‘Healthy Things Always Grow.’

2. ‘Megachurches Don’t Disciple Their People.’

Do animals go to heaven?

1. We know why our pets die.

2. We don’t know why our pets die when they do.

What Teens Need From Church: 6 Considerations

1. A place with Jesus

2. A place with adults who care

3. A place to belong

4. A place to serve

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