Why Games Should Be a Part of Your Teaching Strategy

January 10, 2023

games teaching strategy — Adobestock #533614991

Games should be a part of your teaching strategy. Here’s why…

Kids love games. It’s wired in their DNA. They love to play. It’s what kids do.

Games are one of the most effective teaching methods. Did you know that lecturing is the worst way to teach kids? If you’re only a talking head in your class, you will have a hard time engaging kids.

Games can help move truth into kids’ long-term memory. Our goal should be to get the lesson into the children‘s future so it will influence them for a lifetime. You can use a game to help effectively accomplish this.

Games will keep your lessons from being “boring.” Don’t make kids sit still for long periods of time. Games will bring the “fun” factor into your lesson and help you make the lesson something kids look forward to each week.

Review games help you see if the kids “got” the lesson. Want to know if the kids will remember what you taught? Use a review game. It will make it clear whether they understood what the lesson was about.

Games are one of the best ways to keep kids’ attention. Let’s be honest. It is extremely challenging to keep the attention of today’s kids. Due to the “on demand” culture they are growing up in, it is a challenge to hold their attention. They are inundated with hundreds of messages each day through social media, advertising, etc. Games can help you move your message to the forefront.

Games can provide you with a platform to discuss Biblical truths. You can and should tie the game(s) into the key point of your lesson. Don’t play a game just for the sake of playing a game. The game(s) you use should reinforce what you are teaching. Make sure at the end of each game, that you take time to tie it into the lesson. You should also use the game as a bridge to asking open-ended questions.

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

‘I’m Not Being Fed’ and Other Ridiculous Christian Complaints

Brian Jones

January 10, 2023

If forced to make the decision, our church from day one has decided that we will offend the self-seeking Christian before the spiritually seeking non-Christian.

I personally believe you can only strategically choose to offend either the self-seeking Christian or the spiritually seeking non-Christian.

Some churches are purposely designed to offend the spiritually seeking non-Christian, whether they describe it that way or not. The music they sing, the way they dress, the decorum of their buildings, the vibe they create on Sunday morning and most important—what they define as a “win” missionally—all combine to create an atmosphere that repels the very people Jesus came to die for.

Other churches believe it’s absolutely critical to nurture the believers in the church into radically sold-out world-changing followers of Jesus, but also believe Christ-followers are called to serve. They would rather offend the self-seeking Christian. Jesus taught in Mark 10:43-44,

“Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.”

Christians always define those verses as being willing to do crappy stuff for other Christians without getting any accolades. I’m sure that’s part of it, but I think what Jesus was driving at was that he wanted his followers to purposely choose to not get their own way, to put their own wishes and interests and needs aside in the desire to further his kingdom. Therein lies the motivation to offend the Christian before the non-Christian: Christians are supposed to be willing to be offended.

Show me someone who keeps whining about not singing enough worship songs, or “being fed,” or doesn’t want the church to focus on evangelism, or missions, or feeding the poor, or singing secular music on Sunday, and I’ll show you a freakishly immature Christian. The sad, and sometimes scary, thing is that 99 times out of 100 they simply don’t realize it.

It’s one thing for a Christian to say, “Hey, I’m giving my life away for the lost and poor, but I’ve got a lot of growing to do. Can you help me?”

It’s an entirely different thing for a Christian to live in the most Christianized culture on the planet, replete with an endless supply of Christian churches, books, TV programs, radio shows, websites, conferences, 501© nonprofits, blogs, Tweets, Bibles in 67 gagillion translations, etc., and say, “I’m not being fed.” That’s like a morbidly obese person setting down their 11th plate at an all-you-can-eat buffet and screaming at the waitress, “Bring me more food NOW!”

Given the choice of offending the self-seeking Christian or someone far from God, it’s easy to know which choice Jesus would make.

How about you?

10 Leadership Statements That Often Come From a Heart of Pride

Ron Edmondson

January 10, 2023

Pride goes before destruction.” Proverbs 16:18

We are all capable of pride. Some of us more than others.

Here’s what I’ve learned over the years—mostly from my own personal growth and experience:

Many times what may appear to us—or we may label as—a leadership style or personality is actually a leader’s personal battle—and sin—of pride.

And pride is very dangerous.

“Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” Proverbs 26:12

Here are 10 leadership statements that often come from a heart of pride:

“I need to know everything that is happening around here.”

“If I don’t do it—it won’t be done right.”

“Look what I’ve accomplished.”

“I know all there is to know about this.”

“They’ll do what I say or else.”

“If I left, all this would fall apart.”

“Did you hear about what I said/did?”

“I don’t need anyone looking over my shoulder.”

“It wasn’t my fault.”

“I don’t need anyone else’s opinion. I know I’m right.”

So, what can we do, leaders?

How do we battle pride, pastors?

We, above all else, guard our heart (Proverbs 4:23).

We let people in—we value others (Romans 12:16, Philippians 2:3).

We recognize who we are and who God is (Ecclesiastes 5:2).

We remember that we are created for His glory—not our own (Isaiah 43:7).

It’s a constant battle.

As leaders, we’ve been given a platform. We have the opportunity to build a name. We value our work done for the good of others. And God can use the voice we develop for His good. He does it every day.

No denying that.

But we must be careful not to let pride be the motivation in building our seat of influence. Or in taking credit that belongs to Him—and should be shared with others.

Someone said humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less. (And others more.)

That should become a discipline of our life.

Thankfully God gives “grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

And wisdom.

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.” Proverbs 11:2

I’m in the battle with you. To His glory, let’s lead well.

5 Ways to Deal With A Gossip Group

Allen White

January 10, 2023

A gossip group is a killer. There is nothing more fatal than small group gossip. It is the deadliest sin in group life. A couple of guys in our small group in California would wander out to the sidewalk after the meeting each week to smoke. They would just hang around in front of our house and talk. The other guys in the group were a little jealous of their fellowship and considered taking up the habit themselves.

Someone from another group heard about our smoking members. Then, that person passed the news to a friend of theirs. The third person in the chain approached me at church one day: “I heard that you’ve got group members who smoke in front of your house every week. That must be embarrassing for a pastor.”

I replied: “Yes, it’s terrible. I wish they wouldn’t smoke. But I’ve heard some groups are full of gossips.” OK, I actually didn’t say that, but I wish I had.

The Bible teaches, “A gossip separates close friends” (Prov. 16:28) along with murder, envy, strife, jealousy, rage and deceit. A gossip group is serious business. So what do you do when it shows up in your group?

How to Deal With a Gossip Group

1. Be Proactive.

Even though your group is filled with wonderful people, the first place to deal with group gossip is on the first day of the group — before it begins: As your group talks about their group values, you should formulate a group agreement. These are simply the things the entire group agrees to. This can include when and where the group meets, the frequency of meetings, childcare, etc.

A key value for your group is confidentiality. What is said in the group needs to stay in the group. Period. Your group should be declared “Las Vegas.” Nothing in the group—comment, prayer request, joke or off-the-cuff remark—should be repeated outside of the group.

Sometimes, the rules get blurry. Let’s say a group member requests prayer for a mutual friend—let’s call her Jane—who is not in the group. Jane is having some tests for a serious health problem. One day, you bump into Jane’s husband and tell him you are praying for Jane and her health issues. The problem is Jane hasn’t said anything to her husband. She was afraid the news would affect his heart condition, so she didn’t want to worry him unnecessarily. (This is a fictitious story. I am not telling tales out of school here.) Now, you get the picture.

A gossip group, as benign as it might seem, is a missile that will sink the whole ship. Who would ever share another prayer request or personal issue in front of someone they feel they can’t trust? If the group lacks trust, relationships are broken down. There is no more group.

Youth Ministers: Watch Out for These 6 Attacks From the Devil

Greg Stier

January 9, 2023

If I were the devil, I’d have a field day with youth ministers. In some ways, busy church workers are ideal prey for Satan. They have packed schedules, face high expectations, and tend to focus more on others than themselves.

Read on to discover the vulnerabilities of many youth workers. And consider how you can bolster your spiritual armor to defend against attacks.

6 Ways I’d Attack Youth Ministers If I Were the Devil

1. I’d distract youth ministers with more and more meetings.

First, I’d get them super-involved with well-intentioned youth ministry “stuff.” That way, they won’t have time to actually make and multiply young disciples.

2. I’d get youth ministers to minimize the importance of intercessory prayer in their own lives and their meetings.

Second, I’d have youth workers focus all their time on programming and preparation. That will leave hardly any time for prayer. I’d so crowd their schedules and programs with good things that they miss the best things from God wrought through prayer.

3. I’d attack youth ministers with porn.

I’d get these church leaders so steeped in this easy-to-access sin that they couldn’t rid themselves of the hard-to-shake-shame that accompanies it. Then I’d make them feel that they didn’t need to confess their struggles to anyone and could break this habit on their own.

I’d seek to so isolate youth ministers in their sin so that it became a never-ending loop of lust and shame. And I’d make them feel that breaking the cycle was absolutely hopeless. I’d do this until something broke and they were caught and fired, or they crossed a line with someone they were lusting after.

4. I’d get youth leaders to embrace a typical youth ministry model that keeps things light.

I would encourage them to make meetings fun. After all, they should hold off on getting serious about evangelism until teenagers are spiritually ready. I’d keep youth ministers steeped in a safe, traditional approach to ministry. Plus, I’d do everything in my power to keep them far away from a Gospel-advancing approach.

Children’s Church Rules: 6 Standards for Every Congregation

Greg Baird

January 9, 2023

Children’s church rules are crucial because of who we serve. Almost every workplace has standards. These include personal behavior, program standards, and safety protocols. Our churches and children’s ministry programs must follow the highest standards.

Yet while working with churches, I often find very few children’s ministry and children’s church rules or guidelines in place. People tend to do things haphazardly. Certainly spontaneity is a plus at times, and we always need to be flexible. But a lack of standards can endanger our programs, our people, and our church. A lack of children’s ministry standards is especially dangerous.

So what children’s church guidelines are necessary? Consider these 6 as starters.

6 Must-Have Children’s Church Rules

1. Safety Standards

This category might seem obvious, but I’m amazed at some churches’ lack of safety standards. We’re responsible to keep kids safe! And that doesn’t just mean physically; it means emotionally, mentally and spiritually as well. Everyone involved in the ministry must know and relentless practice safety standards.

If your ministry lacks clear safety standards, make that your top priority. To get started, KidCheck offers a terrific resource called Improving Child Safety and Security in Your Organization.

2. Volunteer Standards

“If you’re breathing, we’ll take you!” That seems to be the standard for some churches. And to be honest, that might’ve been mine once.

But I discovered that taking anyone and everyone puts a ministry at risk and makes things much more difficult for you. Taking anyone who’s breathing means taking people with bad attitudes, bad habits, poor skills and more. That creates a lot of messes you’ll eventually have to clean up.

I’d much rather invest in the work necessary to maintain standards from day one. So what children’s ministry standards do we need regarding volunteers? I use three “A’s”:

Attitude. This is critical! Are people cheerful, patient, persistent and positive? Will they support the ministry and help find solutions? Or will they criticize and complain?
Alignment. All volunteers must align with your vision, values and doctrine. (A friend discovered that one of her Sunday school teachers was a Jehovah’s Witness!) If your ministry has a big vision, people must be committed to reaching it with you.
Aptitude. This is probably the easiest to correct. But you don’t want someone who’s never been around babies running the nursery. Likewise, you don’t want a brand-new Christian leading children’s church. The key is discovering each individual’s level of experience, ability and willingness to learn. Then assign them appropriately.

For more about volunteers, check out these articles.

3. Assimilation Standards

The pastor’s daughter wanted to volunteer, now that she had kids in our ministry. “Great!” I said. “Let me get an application packet, and we’ll set up your orientation.”

She looked at me as if I’d asked her to eat a frog. “What?” she asked, rather firmly. “I’ve grown up in this church. You know who I am. Why do I need to do all that? I’m ready to serve today!”

But no, she wasn’t. That’s because she hadn’t gone through the mandated assimilation process. We make no exceptions. It’s all about the other standards we maintain. As well as I knew that woman, I didn’t know everything I needed to know to entrust her with our children.

Assimilating volunteers is a huge part of accomplishing your ministry’s vision.

For more, check out 4 Steps to Assimilating New Volunteers in Children’s Ministry.

‘Demonic’—Jackie Hill Perry Renounces Enneagram, Told God ‘I Am Sorry’ for Promoting It

Jesse T. Jackson

January 9, 2023

Jackie Hill Perry, Christian author, Bible teacher, and hip-hop artist, posted an Instagram story over the weekend in which she expressed that after studying the widely popular Enneagram personality profiling system, she has come to believe that it is demonic.

Though she had previously promoted the Enneagram, Perry is now warning Christians of its dangers.

“I was really skeptical and have been for some years when people were saying that the Enneagram was demonic,” Hill said in the now expired story.

After the Lord prompted her to study the Enneagram for two days, the “Gay Girl Good God” author said she now believes the personality test is “evil,” saying, “It ain’t even funny, [because] it’s like legitimately doctrines of demons, divination, witchcraft.”

“I had no idea,” Hill shared.

Hill admitted that she had pushed aside previous demonic warnings she had heard, because she thought some were just going “too deep” regarding particular things Christians should not participate in.

She explained that one of the originators of the Enneagram received his information through a demon named Metatron, while another who created the types in the personality test got his wisdom for the types through chant and automatic writing.

“Which is a form of channeling spirits where a demon basically guides your hand or guides your mind to help you arrive at certain ideas,” Hill said.

Therefore, Hill said, when someone engages with the Enneagram and identifies with their “types,” they are “literally applying to our identity to the wisdom of demons—it’s literally that deep.”

Hill felt a responsibility to renounce the Enneagram publicly and bring attention to what she believes to be its demonic nature, because she had spoken about it on several occasions in the past.

“Divination, witchcraft, all of this stuff,” Hill said. “A lot of it centers around knowledge and being able to access information and secrets and mysteries from sources that God hasn’t sanction whether that’s using astrology, tarot cards, psychics, mediums, etc.”

Hill believes that the temptation Adam and Eve faced in the Garden of Eden was attempting to gain knowledge reserved for God. In that account, the knowledge was sought after in the forbidden fruit. Today it is being searched for in things like the Enneagram.

Thinking that the Enneagram was a “cooler personality test,” Hill previously believed that it gave her “language for who I was and what made me tick and how to understand other people apart from the Spirit.”

“But I think what I’m seeing is that if these men develop this framework, from demons, then that means that we are actually choosing to understand ourselves in ways that has nothing to do with the Spirit of God,” Hill said. “Why wouldn’t Satan want to influence the way we understand ourselves?”

The subtleness of the Enneagram “seems good” and “like wisdom,” so it can make one skeptical that it’s demonic, Hill said.

“In many of the conversations that I have with people about Enneagram, we talk about being a type more than we talk about being united in Christ,” Hill went on to say. “We talk about our numbers more than we talk about being a chosen race. We talk about our wings more than we talk about being conquerors.”

‘Ministry Is Who You Are’—Sadie Robertson Huff Urges Christians Not To Compartmentalize Their Faith

Stephanie Martin

January 9, 2023

During the closing session of Passion 2023, TV personality and social media influencer Sadie Robertson Huff encouraged attendees to merge their spiritual and personal lives. Huff spoke on December 30 to the audience in Dallas/Fort Worth; other sessions took place last week in Atlanta. Videos from both conference locations are available to watch online.

The 25-year-old former “Duck Dynasty” star, who’s expecting her second child, speaks about “Getting Personal With Jesus.” In a message based on Luke 5, Huff uses Simon’s fishing boat as an example of an everyday space where ministry can occur.

Sadie Robertson Huff: Preach in Your Day-to-Day Life

By getting into Simon’s boat, Jesus is “showing Peter what it looks like to start the church,” says Huff. Likewise, Christians should preach from our day-to-day settings, whether at school or in a profession, because God’s Spirit is always inside us.

“We can’t keep compartmentalizing our spiritual life and our personal life,” Huff says. “We have to get it out of our heads that those…are different things, and they have to become one thing.”

Huff reminds young adults that ministry isn’t “waiting for you on a platform,” in the guise of a job title or role. “Ministry is who you are, and it’s where you are, and it’s what you do,” she says. “Because you are a disciple of Christ, ministry is a full-time thing. Ministry is not a separate thing.”

To illustrate her point, Huff has attendees turn on their phone lights in the darkened auditorium. Then she asks them to turn on their selfie cameras—at which point the phone lights go out. On an iPhone, she notes, the light and camera can’t operate simultaneously. Likewise, “you can’t give the glory [to God] and get the glory at the same time.”

Repentance and Surrender Are Key, Says Huff

If the way you’re living your personal life completely contradicts your spiritual life, Huff warns, then you need to invite Jesus in. We often act as if God doesn’t know what we’re dealing with, she says. But like the Prodigal Son’s father, God will run into our lives so he can intervene. And instead of loving us any less, he’ll offer forgiveness.

Pastor Jack Hayford Passes Away at 88

Dale Chamberlain

January 9, 2023

Pastor Jack Hayford, author, songwriter, and longtime pastor of Church on the Way in Van Nuys, California, has died at the age of 88.

Hayford was pastor of Church on the Way from 1969 when he stepped in as the interim leader, officially being installed in 1971, until his retirement in 1999.

He is also known for having founded The King’s University, which is now located in Southlake, Texas, in 1997, serving as the school’s chancellor and later as chancellor emeritus. Additionally, he served as president of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel denomination from 2004 to 2009.

Hayford authored numerous books, including “The Key to Everything,” “The Reward of Worship: The Joy of Fellowship with a Personal God,” and “I’ll Hold You in Heaven.” He also composed hundreds of hymns and worship choruses, perhaps most notably among them the 1978 song “Majesty.”

Born in 1934 in Los Angeles to a military veteran father and Bible teaching mother, Hayford was plagued with a life threatening muscular condition in his neck during his infancy. However, Hayford’s health soon improved, something that he and his family have credited to the power of prayer.

Later in childhood, he was stricken by polio. The elders of his church prayed fervently for his healing, and Hayford’s health eventually returned. The family believed it to be another miracle healing.

Hayford attended Life Pacific University, a private Christian Bible college in San Dimas, California and which serves as the flagship institution for higher education for the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1956.

He would go on to earn a second bachelor’s degree from Azusa Pacific University in 1970. While finishing his degree at Azusa Pacific, he took up a pastorate at the First Foursquare Church of Van Nuys, California.

At the time, the church only had 18 members with an average age of 65. Under Hayford’s leadership, within two decades, the church, subsequently renamed Church on the Way, became a pioneer in the American megachurch movement, boasting a weekly attendance of more than 10,000.

In 1999, Hayford retired from the pastorate so that he could focus on the growth of The King’s College and Seminary, which he founded in Van Nuys. The school would later come to be known as The King’s University, moving to Southlake, Texas, in 2013 after building a campus there a year prior.

As news of Hayford’s passing has spread, a number of Christian leaders have taken to social media to mourn his passing and celebrate his memory.

Congress Remains Largely Christian Despite Societal Trends

Diana Chandler

January 9, 2023

Congress faith — Photo by Chris Grafton (via Unsplash)

WASHINGTON (BP) – Congress remains a largely Christian institution, bucking two societal trends of declining Christianity and waning religious affiliation, Pew Research said Jan. 3. More than a fifth of Congressional Protestants are Baptists.

At least 88 percent of Congress – 469 of the 534 members – identified as Christian in the poll of the current 118th legislative body that is predominantly Protestant, Pew said in its analysis of poll results gathered by Congressional Quarterly’s Roll Call, with only one member identifying as religiously unaffiliated.

The percentages contrast with a U.S. population, which has dwindled from 78 percent Christian to 63 percent Christian since 2007, Pew said, and is 30 percent religiously unaffiliated.

Among the 303 Protestants in the body are 67 Baptists of various denominations, including approximately 20 Southern Baptists, according to analyses.

U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, a member of Valley Baptist Church in Bakersfield, Calif., is vying for the top seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who identified himself as Baptist in the CQ Roll Call tally, attends Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Ky., and formerly was a longtime member of a Southern Baptist congregation.

The 303 Protestants include six additional members above those counted in the previous Congress, and marks the first time since the 2015-2016 session that the number of Protestants has surpassed 300. Congress includes 148 Catholics, a decline of 10 since the 117th Congress. A handful described themselves as Unitarian Universalists or Humanists, and about 20 refused to answer or said they didn’t know.

Republican U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna from Florida is the first Congress member to identify as a Messianic Jew.

Southern Baptist ethicist Hannah Daniel commended the Christian predominance of the body.

“We desire to see believers live out their faith in all corners of the public square, certainly including in the halls of Congress,” Daniel, policy manager in the D.C. office of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, told Baptist Press. “As so many Christ followers have taken up this call of public service, it is always our hope that they perform their duties on behalf of our nation in a manner consistent with Christ’s call to love our neighbors.”

Beyond Catholics and Protestants in Congress, there are 34 Jewish members, nine members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, eight Orthodox Christians, three Muslims, two Hindus, and two Buddhists.

Southern Baptist senators, all Republican, are John Boozman, Arkansas; Roger Wicker, Mississippi; James Lankford, Oklahoma; Lindsey Graham, South Carolina, and Ted Cruz, Texas.

Other Southern Baptists serving in Congress include Republican representatives Barry Moore, Alabama; Rick Crawford and Steve Womack, Arkansas; Matt Gaetz, Daniel Webster, Vern Buchanan and Austin Scott, Florida; Harold Rogers, Kentucky; Mike Johnson, Louisiana; Sam Graves, Missouri; and Frank Lucas, Oklahoma.

Pew’s analysis of 534 elected officials includes voting members of Congress sworn in Jan. 3. Virginia’s 4th District is not included. Congressman-elect Donald McEachin of the 4th District died before the swearing-in ceremony.

This article originally appeared here.

Most Abortions Illegal in 14 States After Idaho, South Carolina Rulings

Diana Chandler

January 9, 2023

abortions bans — Photo by MART PRODUCTION (via Pexels)

BOISE, Idaho (BP) – Most abortions are banned in 14 states as the overturning of Roe v. Wade continues to impact state laws protecting life in the nation.

In the latest pro-life ruling, the Idaho Supreme Court rejected a challenge from Planned Parenthood and ruled on Jan. 5 that the state constitution includes no implicit abortion protections. In the 3-2 ruling, the court upheld the constitutionality of three state laws restricting abortion.

Abortion is now allowed in Idaho only to save the life of the mother or in cases of rape or incest, according to the ruling.

A few hours later, the South Carolina Supreme Court struck down a six-week abortion ban there, upholding abortion through 22 weeks of pregnancy, the Associated Press reported.

The South Carolina ruling overturned the law South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster signed in 2021 restricting abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, generally interpreted as six weeks gestation. The 2021 law included exceptions to protect the mother’s life and in cases of rape or incest.

With the latest rulings, abortions are banned in 13 states and limited to six weeks in Georgia, according to abortion tracking sites such as the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF).

The procedure remains widely available in 24 states, is banned as early as 15 weeks in two states, and is banned after 22 weeks in as many as five states.

In addition to Idaho, most abortions are banned in Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia (six weeks), Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Bans in Utah and Wyoming are blocked, the KFF reported.

Abortions remain widely available in Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota and Montana.

In addition to South Carolina, other states banning abortion after 22 weeks are Indiana, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska. North Carolina’s ban begins at 20 weeks, KFF reported.

While abortions are legal in North Dakota, the state no longer has an abortion clinic, KFF reported.

This article originally appeared here.

‘Bomb Cyclone’ the Latest Natural Disaster To Affect California Southern Baptists

Timothy Cockes

January 9, 2023

California cyclone — (Left to right) Derk Schulze, Mike Bivins, Mel and Rod Sanderson serve at an assistance center set up at a local middle school after yet another natural disaster in northern California.

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (BP) – A powerful storm referred to as a “bomb cyclone” hit northern California with heavy rains and hurricane-like winds Thursday (Jan. 5.).

The storm caused loss of power to more than 180,000 homes and the death of two people, according to The Associated Press. California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency, and some evacuation orders were issued but later lifted around the state.

Thursday’s storm was the latest in a series of natural disasters to hit the state including several earthquakes and other heavy flooding over the holidays which left four people dead, AP reported.

Mike Bivins, director of disaster relief and camping ministries for the California Southern Baptist Convention, told Baptist Press despite all of the damage from the storms, there currently are not any “unmet needs” among churches from either the earthquakes or recent heavy rains.

“We’ve weathered the current storms and our teams remain on standby to provide assistance,” Bivins said.

The recent disasters have affected churches in several local Baptist associations, including Rio Dell Baptist Church in the North Coast Baptist Association.

Rio Dell’s buildings were severely damaged after a 6.4 earthquake struck on the morning of Dec. 20.

Even though his own church was deeply affected by recent disasters, Rio Dell Pastor Rod Sanderson is among California Baptists assisting Bivins with outreach.

Humboldt County, where Rio Dell is located, recently sponsored a local assistance center that was set up at a local middle school Dec. 30-31. The county also invited Bivins to bring a team of chaplains to help with setup and provide counseling to visiting community members.

The team included Bivins and Sanderson as well as a few other California Baptist chaplains and pastors from neighboring associations.

More than 100 people visited the assistance center during the two days to receive support, counseling and prayer from the chaplains, Bivins said.

“It’s significant for us to be invited to serve by the local government in this way,” he said.

“When I attend events like this, I like to be there on behalf of the local SBC church, which in this case was Rio Dell. This was a good deployment and was great ministry.”

One of the pastors at the event was Derk Schulze, association mission strategist for the North Coast Baptist Association, of which Rio Dell is a part.

Schulze reiterated to Baptist Press there is currently nothing “severely hampering” any of the churches in the association, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t still great need.

He explained that even though this region of California is known for frequent natural disasters, their effects eventually take a toll on the residents.

“Resilience has a limit, when you get buffeted continually by these things, you can lose hope,” Schulze said.

“Trauma and grief happen with loss, and it’s really important for us to be there to offer a listening ear, hopeful word and prayer. The greatest resource the Church has is its people. We’re better together than we are apart. We can shine a light when times seem completely dark and dreary.”

Schulze encouraged fellow Southern Baptists to both pray for California Baptists as they minister through these disasters, and to consider joining the ministry taking place in the region.

“This is a place that is not often on people’s radar, but people can be very receptive to the Gospel here,” Schulze said. “I would pray that people would develop a heart for areas like this and go there to minister.”

This article originally appeared here.

Who Are the Christian Nationalists? A Taxonomy for the Post-Jan. 6 World

Bob Smietana

January 9, 2023

christian nationalists — A woman is baptized during the ReAwaken America Tour at Cornerstone Church in Batavia, N.Y., Friday, Aug. 12, 2022. In the version of America laid out at the ReAwaken tour, Christianity is at the center of American life and institutions, it's under attack and attendees need to fight to restore and protect the nation's Christian roots. It’s a message repeated over and over at ReAwaken — one that upends the constitutional ideal of a pluralist democracy. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

(RNS) — “Christian nationalist” once summoned images of fiery extremists — stark racists concerned with keeping immigrants out of the United States or politicians who argued that the Ten Commandments ought to coexist in law with the Constitution. Then came Jan. 6, and suddenly the term became a culture-war acid test: One member of Congress began selling “Proud Christian Nationalist” T-shirts, while First Baptist Dallas pastor Robert Jeffress said if opposing abortion, transgender rights and illegal immigration made him a Christian nationalist, “count me in.”

For the record, sociologists Andrew Whitehead and Samuel L. Perry describe Christian nationalism as “a cultural framework that blurs distinctions between Christian identity and American identity, viewing the two as closely related and seeking to enhance and preserve their union.” But not everyone who meets the definition claims the moniker “Christian nationalist,” and some who do are only barely recognizable as traditional Christians.

Here are six loose networks of faith leaders and followers who fit some part of the definition:

God-and-Country Conservatives

These largely unorganized faithful Americans are in many cases your friends, family and neighbors who hold dear a vision of the country rooted in nostalgia for a past that is more aspirational than historical. A recent Pew Research Center survey captured many of this group in the 45% of Americans who believe America should be a Christian nation, including 81% of white evangelicals, 67% of Black Protestants and 54% of nonevangelical Protestants. Almost half of Catholics (47%) also fall into this group, though Hispanic Catholics (36%) are less likely to do so than white Catholics (56%).

Only 16% of Jews think America should be a Christian nation, along with 17% of the unaffiliated and 7% of atheists and agnostics.

However, Pew found that half of Americans (52%) said the federal government should never name any religion as the country’s official faith. Only 24% said the government should make Christianity America’s official religion.

2. Religious Right’s Old Guard

This subset of evangelical Christian culture warriors runs the gamut from Tony Perkins, head of the Family Research Council, a Christian political lobbying organization, to Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, to Texas activist David Barton, who has long rejected the notion of the separation of church and state. Mostly concerned with pushing anti-abortion and “family values” legislation, they advocate for a Christian influence in our existing politics.

While their heyday came under the Reagan administration, they can claim a new generation in such politicians as Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano and Colorado’s U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert.

3. MAGA/QAnon

This summer Gen. Michael Flynn and Tennessee pastor Greg Locke drew large crowds as headliners for the “ReAwaken America Tour,” events that were part political rallies, part revival meetings. Though this movement grew out of “Stop the Steal” Trumpism, the tour featured figures such as Sean Feucht, a worship leader who came to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic for his opposition to church closures, and often fused Christian nationalism with conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccines and globalism. Among their supporters are devotees of QAnon, who often claim the world is run by a secret cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophile Democrats.

Musician Sean Feucht posted a controversial statement about his security team on Aug. 8, 2021, in Portland. Screengrab via Twitter/@seanfeucht

4. The Extremely Online

Booted off of most social media platforms, the online wing of Christian nationalism seemed to have sunk into its own digital world until one of its leaders, the “America First” digital-only talk-show host Nick Fuentes, showed up with Kanye West at Donald Trump’s dinner table. Known to spout antisemitic and white supremacist rhetoric, these internet-based nationalists also include such figures as Andrew Torba, head of alternative social media website Gab who was briefly connected to Mastriano’s gubernatorial campaign. Torba recently published a book approving of Christian nationalism.

5. Trump Prophets

If Trump’s 2024 reelection bid gains steam, you’ll likely be hearing from this mix of prosperity-gospel proponents and self-proclaimed prophets who believe Trump was ordained by God to be president. Among the better known are Lance Wallnau, who predicted Trump’s 2016 election when the former president was still a long shot; South Carolina preacher Mark Burns; California megachurch pastor Che Ahn; and the Rev. Mario Bramnick of New Wine Ministries Church in Cooper City, Florida.

Some of this group overlaps with the New Apostolic Reformation, a network of preachers who believe that church leaders have been given spiritual authority over Christian nations and seek to develop ties with leaders abroad. While allegiance to Trump has become a point of debate in the NAR community, and some members have disavowed Christian nationalism, others, such as South Carolina pastor Dutch Sheets, who reportedly visited the White House hours before the attack on the Capitol, have stood by their prophecies.

Televangelist Lance Wallnau explains the significance of a gold coin featuring King Cyrus and President Trump on the Jim Bakker Show. Video screenshot

Televangelist Lance Wallnau explains the significance of a gold coin featuring King Cyrus and President Trump on the Jim Bakker Show in May 2019. Video screenshot

William Barber Points to NFL Players’ Humanity in Prayer for Damar Hamlin

Kathryn Post

January 9, 2023

(RNS) — As NFL players prepare to take the field for the last Sunday of the regular season, the Rev. William Barber II, prominent pastor and activist, offered a prayer for NFL players and Damar Hamlin, the 24-year-old Buffalo Bills safety who went into cardiac arrest after making a tackle in Cincinnati Monday night (Jan. 2).

His prayer also stressed the humanity of Hamlin and all NFL players as the league played its first full slate of games since Hamlin’s injury. “We pray for the league itself, the NFL, that it may never see the players as just pieces of an economic engine, but as people without whom the sport would not exist,” he said.

Barber asked for comfort for every player and player’s family shaken by the sight of Hamlin receiving CPR for nine minutes on the field and for all NFL players who have been injured by the game.

“May this moment cause us who see the game to recognize the players as people, not just competitors on a field, but fathers, brothers, uncles, husbands, sons, and grandsons. Help us, oh God, to repent of all the times we have forgotten this.”

Demaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association, thanked Barber for the prayer and said in a statement that he and Barber were “both moved by the unity on display not only by Bills and Bengals players, but by NFL players across our league and everyone in our community.”

Barber’s prayer is one of several public invocations for Hamlin since Monday night. Bills chaplain Len Vanden Bos led a prayer as players and staff knelt in a circle at Paycor Stadium in the moments after Hamlin’s injury. ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky prayed for Hamlin on air on Tuesday.

Barber’s prayer asks God to heal Hamlin and offers praise for his improvement — he remains in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center but has made good progress and is breathing on his own, the Bills said on Twitter Saturday afternoon.

Barber, a Disciples of Christ pastor in North Carolina, founded the Repairers of the Breach advocacy organization and co-leads a modern resurgence of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Poor People’s Campaign. He recently announced that he will lead a new center for public theology at Yale Divinity School.

Barber’s prayer celebrated the millions of dollars donated to the Chasing M’s Children Foundation, a GoFundMe started by Hamlin in 2020 that provides toys and support for children in need in his hometown of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh.

Hamlin’s on-camera injury has highlighted the Christian elements of NFL culture while reigniting debates about the safety and ethics of the sport.

Barber concludes his prayer by asking God to remember every person in the human family, especially those who face sudden tragedy. “Let this moment open up our conscience to care about all people in need and remind us how quickly in the blinking of an eye things can change for any family.”

This article originally appeared here.

5 Ways To Help Parents Succeed Spiritually With Their Children

Dale Hudson

January 9, 2023

We know that parents are the biggest spiritual influence in the life of their children. As ministry leaders, we have the awesome opportunity to be an equipper, cheerleader and influencer of parents.

Here are five ways you can help parents succeed in their biggest responsibility: leading their children to love and serve Jesus for a lifetime.

Provide Them With Tools They Can Use To Disciple Their Children.

Here are some examples:

Take home papers
Bible reading plan
Devotion books for the kids
Discipleship apps

Facebook page for parents. On the page, place the weekly take home paper, Bible verses, activities to do at home, devotional readings, parenting tips, etc.

Salvation Class

The most important thing parents do is to lead their children to Jesus. You can come alongside parents and provide a class (for kids and parents together) that explains what it means to follow Jesus. You can use my Starting Point class for this. Included in the class, is a booklet that parents can use to follow-up with their child after the class. Hundreds of churches are using this class with great success. You can get more information about the class and see samples at this link.

Once children and their parents have went through the Starting Point class, they can then attend the baptism class. There is a parent booklet for this class as well. You can get more information about this class and see samples at this link.

Parenting Classes and Trainings

I think many of us in children’s ministry have previously had the mindset that parenting classes and strategies are the responsibility of the adult ministry. We’ve left it in their hands. But as churches are realizing that children’s ministry also has a responsibility to equip parents, we have started taking the lead in leading parenting classes.

Partnering in Prayer

We should be very intentional when it comes to partnering with parents in prayer. Here are a few ideas for this.

Create a prayer promise calendar for parents. Have a prayer promise for each day of the month. Encourage parents to use this to pray for their children.

Put a prayer promise from God’s Word on the wall in each of your nursery and preschool environments. Let parents know that each week the prayer will be prayed over their child. Encourage them to join you and pray the same verse over their child at home.

Another powerful thing to do is to call parents and ask them how you can best pray for their child. Parents will respond to this.

Two Main Principles for Getting the Bible Right

James Emery White

January 9, 2023

I’ve taught seminary students for more than three decades. If there are two principles for biblical interpretation that I’ve hammered home time and again, it would be these two: 1) Let Scripture interpret Scripture; and 2) Don’t take verses/passages out of context.

Just think about the opening words of III John:

“This letter is from John, the elder.

“I am writing to Gaius, my dear friend, whom I love in the truth.

“Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit.” (III John 1-2, NLT)

At first glance, you might think there’s not much there to exegete. And you would be right. It’s a fairly generic greeting, using standard niceties of the day between two good friends: “I hope you’re as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit.” That was like a standard, “Hello, hope everything is good with you and your family” or, “I hope this finds you doing well.”

But some have taken it to mean something more. That it’s not a greeting, but rather a declaration or a statement: If you are sound in spirit, you will be healthy in body. If you’re spiritually healthy, you’ll be physically healthy. And not just physically healthy, but materially well-off as well. This is, of course, the “health and wealth” gospel. And this is, of course, not what John was saying. He wasn’t trying to say anything theologically prescriptive at all. He was just starting off a letter with a common greeting of the day. We know this because the same kind of greeting was widely used in letters and correspondence during that time. He knew that Gaius was doing well spiritually, so he just opened up by saying, “I hope and pray that you are feeling/doing as well as I know you are doing with Christ.”

This is where our interpretive principles come into play. First, letting Scripture interpret Scripture. If John was saying something as significant and provocative as the guarantee of health and wealth if you walk closely with Christ, that would be major doctrine—not to mention an overarching principle taught clearly throughout Scripture. Yet it isn’t. That should, then, lead everyone to be careful not to read too much into an opening greeting like this, particularly something as sweeping as the idea of health and wealth being tied to your relationship with Jesus.

God can certainly bring about material blessing. He can certainly heal us. But it is also true that some of the greatest saints in the Bible faced all kinds of persecution and poverty and difficulties. So that ought to make us pause right there before reading anything more than a greeting into the opening lines of III John.

Then comes our second principle. In addition to letting Scripture interpret Scripture, we must ensure that we never take a verse out of its context. Again, III John serves as a good example. John is writing to address an internal issue within the church relating to a major personality conflict with a man named Diotrephes. There is nothing in the letter about the problem of pain, or evil, or poverty, or about how a walk with God brings success or wealth. So to read that into the greeting would not be exegesis, which is discovering what the text itself says, but eisegesis, which is adding to what the text itself says.

Rejection: How To Keep Other People From Feeling It

Charles Stone

January 8, 2023

I blew my knee out, but that wasn’t what hurt the most. I was left alone and felt rejection. Pain is a given in life. And usually when we think of pain we’re only thinking about physical pain. But social pain is just as real and perhaps more hurtful. In this post I share what recent neuroscience has learned about social pain and some practical tips how pastors and leaders can avoid multiplying social pain in others.

In college I could run fast. I had joined a college flag football team and I was their deep threat. I could outrun most of the other defenders. During one game the quarterback had me run what is called a down and out. I was to run ten yards and take a quick pivot to the right. He would then pass the ball to me.

We lined up. I took off. I planted my left foot. I turned around and caught the ball and something in my knee exploded. I crumpled to the ground in agonizing pain. The team had to carry me off the field to the sidelines. I was out of the game but after a few minutes I was able to hobble around, still in considerable pain.

When the game ended, all my teammates left. The field where we played was a mile from my dorm room and I didn’t have a car. Nobody asked me how I was doing. Nobody offered me a ride. It took an hour to hobble back to my dorm room. The next week I learned that I had blown out my knee which later required surgery.

As I write this, I don’t feel the physical pain from the injury. But I still can feel a tinge of rejection I felt that day when no one showed me any concern. I’m not angry at the guys. I can simply feel some of the pain of rejection I felt then.

It’s a brain thing. Neuroscientists have discovered that our brain records social pain, like rejection, in the same place in our brain where we feel physical pain. In other words, getting rejected really hurts just like physical pain really hurts. That day I got a double whammy.

Across multiple languages we even use words to describe social pain that we typically use to describe physical pain like, “she broke my heart,” or he “hurt my feelings.” Disapproving facial expressions can even create social pain, especially those most prone to feeling hurt from rejection.

So what can we do as leaders to avoid unintentionally hurting others? I suggest three tips.

Help your church be more aware of those who are alone on Sundays. Often before a service you can easily spot those who are sitting alone. The same is true after church for those who stand alone in the lobby or in your café. Encourage your regulars to look for people who are alone. And when they see someone alone, encourage them to introduce themselves to the person and genuinely seek to make them feel welcome.
Be careful with your facial expressions. Be aware that our facial expressions often communicate more than our actual words. Studies show that even looking at disapproving faces can evoke social pain. Without being fake, don’t bring your “poker” face to church. Bring your kind and pleasant one. If you’ve not sure what kind of face you usually bring, ask someone who is close to you to observe you interacting with others to give you feedback.
Finally, teach your church about the brain. Help them understand how our brain impacts community, spiritual growth, and leadership. For a primer on the brain in layman’s terms, check out my most book called Brain-Savvy Leaders.

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

4 Realities That Hold Leaders Back From Moving Forward

Gavin Adams

January 7, 2023

What needs to change in your church or organization right now? I suspect you could list several things. Some of the issues you are facing don’t have clear solutions. Many do, though.

What’s keeping you from implementing these solutions? What’s keeping you from fixing the problems?

If we sat down together, you’d offer plenty of reasons the solution cannot be quickly executed. After all, if it were an easy fix, it wouldn’t still be a problem! But you feel somewhat held back, don’t you? You know how to fix the problem—or you at least know how you’d like to begin fixing the problem. But it feels impossible to move forward. Why is that? What’s holding you back?

It’s rare to see only one element hold leaders back from making progress. It’s most often a combination of issues. Let’s look at four:

Your Organization

Organizations are designed to organize and orchestrate what is in place today. But not necessarily tomorrow. There is an instinctual tension that exists between the management of a machine and the innovations required to make it better.

When you look around your company, church, non-profit, or whatever you call it, how much time and energy is spent orchestrating what is? Organizations are designed to do this and are incredibly adept at it! By default, every organization works against progress because progress creates chaos and adds complexity—the enemies of effective and organized orchestration.

Question: How and where is your organization working to maintain what current is while resisting what could become?

Your Strategy

I am a strategist at heart; therefore, I spend much of my client time working on strategy with senior leaders and executive teams. After reviewing dozens and dozens of business strategies, one thing is blatantly apparent:

Every model is built for a moment.

Think about it. Strategies are always formed for momentary realities. When a company, church, or organization forms a plan, it’s predicated on the time of its formation. This is how strategies are designed.

One of the most famous approaches is the SWOT process. To form a SWOT-based strategy, you consider your organization’s current internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats. This is a tried and true mechanism for developing a strategy, and the outcome of a SWOT analysis can be precisely what’s needed at that very moment.

But what happens when an internal strength ceases to be a strength? What happens when a key (i.e., strong) staff member resigns? What happens when the community changes? What happens when culture shifts or customer preferences change?

You Can Do Better: 6 Leadership Lessons We All Need

Ron Edmondson

January 7, 2023

In my 5T Leadership coaching practice I have the privilege of working with a lot of different leaders. They each have unique challenges, personalities, and contexts in which they lead. Leading well is hard in every one. There are often common threads – leadership lessons – among a majority of leaders with whom I interact. They are often doing better than they perceive they are doing. Sometimes I can simply be a voice reassuring them in their calling.

Still, I have discovered that when we aren’t leading well there are usually reasons. Let me share a few leadership lessons I’ve observed. I think if we can find those underlying reasons we might be able to address them and lead better.

You Can Do Better: 7 Leadership Lessons:

1. You are doing the best you know how.

I don’t mean that as a slam. It simply could be a reality. You only know what you know.

Shortly into my vocational ministry career I decided I needed more insight into church leadership. I went back to school and got another master’s degree in leadership.

It could be you need to go back to school, read more books, attend more conferences, listen to more podcasts. I don’t know the right recipe for you learning, but it could be time to invest in your leadership development.

2. You are intimidated by things (or people) you can’t control.

Who really knows how to lead through a pandemic? Seriously. There are lots of opinions out there, but you’re actually having to do it – with real people. We haven’t done this before, so of course it is overwhelming. It could be you’re comparing yourself to others. I’ve also seen where leaders are intimidated by high capacity people on their team.

Bottom line – it could be you need to lower the expectation you’ve placed on yourself to know everything. Because you never will.

3. You have sacrificed people for process or progress.

I’ve seen this one so many times. A leader is so bent on doing things the way the rules say they should that they forget leadership is really about people. Or the leader gets so caught up in growth that people become pawns in the game rather than true team members – partners in the mission.

Evaluate how you are viewing, treating, empowering, and caring for people you are trying to lead. People will always be the best asset in effective leadership.

The organization/culture shifted. You didn’t. The principles of good leadership don’t change often. The way you treat people, having good visions, strategies, and motivation. Those type things are constants.

But we must learn to adapt even our tried and true leadership practices to the cultural changes around us. Hopefully, COVID-19 reinforced that for most of us.

4. You refuse to ask for help.

Perhaps I should have put this one first, because I certainly see it as one of the more common reasons for not leading well.

If this one pegs you, may I be a voice of encouragement (and challenge) to you. There is not a single person or leader who has all the answers. Not one. There is nothing wrong and everything right about seeking help from others.

5. You are facing internal pressure others know nothing about.

This is a leadership quandary. Sometimes it might appear you’re not leading well – or leading at all to others. But they can’t see what you see unless they sit where you sit. You may be getting pressure to “lead more”, but there may be circumstances preventing you or keeping your from moving forward at the time. (And that might actually be good leadership on your part.)

I try to let teams I lead know some of the unseen stress or circumstances I’m experiencing they aren’t aware of, as much as I can. But you can only share so much. This is sometimes part the loneliness of leadership and why you need people outside the organization with whom you can confide.

6. You are struggling with something personal and it’s impacting them professionally.

You can’t compartmentalize your life. It simply won’t work. The way you are in your home life will impact you at work. How you feel physically impacts your leadership. Our spiritual well-being is all a part of the way we lead others and whether or not we are at our best.

If you have struggles outside your leadership “job” get help there so you can lead better with what you’ve been called/tasked with doing.

My hope is for this to be an encouraging post. I truly love to help leaders lead better. It’s why I write this blog and record the podcast with Lifeway Leadership. If I can help you lead better, please let me know.

This article on seven leadership lessons originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

How to Lead a Pessimist

Dale Hudson

January 7, 2023

Have you ever worked or served with a pessimist? Here’s an example. Your team sits down for a brainstorming meeting. You have some new ideas you’d like to discuss for your upcoming fall festival.

Someone shares an idea and most of the team likes it. But then there is Jill. The team pessimist jumps in and begins to tell everyone why the idea won’t work.

You can feel the energy and excitement vacate the room. Momentum is lost and you drag everyone through the rest of the meeting.

Does this sound familiar? Do you have a pessimist on your team? Someone who always sees the negative side and is very vocal about it? Someone who drags the rest of the team down? Someone who always pokes holes in everything, always has a bad attitude and points out why things are not going to work. They seem to always be in a bad mood and display an attitude of negativity. A pessimist can disrupt a team culture and affect the production of the other team members.

The word pessimism is from a Latin world — pessimus. It means “the worst.” A pessimist takes a negative event and allows it to ruin their day or week or even month.

Here’s a little humor so we won’t get dominated by pessimism.

Someone said to always borrow money from a pessimist. They will never expect it back.

What do you call two pessimists that are dating? A double negative.

What blood type do pessimists have? B-negative.

All humor aside, you cannot let a pessimist put a damper on the rest of the team.

Here’s what to do if you have a pessimist on your team.

#1 – Find out why they are a pessimist. Often behind the pessimism is resentment, insecurity, jealously or anger.

#2 – Let the person know they are having a negative effect on the team. Balance this with a positive statement that tells them they are valued and appreciated.

#3 – Give them a specific example of a negative statement or action they have made recently. Help them see how this can hinder the team.

#4 – When they make a negative statement counter it with a positive statement.

#5 – Provide the pessimist with coaching and feedback. Their pessimism may be a blind spot they don’t realize they have. Bring up their negative behavior, actions and words that you would like to see them improve in.

I personally believe you can only strategically choose to offend either the self-seeking Christian or the spiritually seeking non-Christian.

Here are 10 leadership statements that often come from a heart of pride:

How to Deal With a Gossip Group

1. Be Proactive.

6 Ways I’d Attack Youth Ministers If I Were the Devil

1. I’d distract youth ministers with more and more meetings.

2. I’d get youth ministers to minimize the importance of intercessory prayer in their own lives and their meetings.

3. I’d attack youth ministers with porn.

4. I’d get youth leaders to embrace a typical youth ministry model that keeps things light.

6 Must-Have Children’s Church Rules

1. Safety Standards

2. Volunteer Standards

3. Assimilation Standards

Sadie Robertson Huff: Preach in Your Day-to-Day Life

Repentance and Surrender Are Key, Says Huff

Provide Them With Tools They Can Use To Disciple Their Children.

Salvation Class

Parenting Classes and Trainings

Partnering in Prayer

Your Organization

Your Strategy

You Can Do Better: 7 Leadership Lessons:

1. You are doing the best you know how.

2. You are intimidated by things (or people) you can’t control.

3. You have sacrificed people for process or progress.

4. You refuse to ask for help.

5. You are facing internal pressure others know nothing about.

6. You are struggling with something personal and it’s impacting them professionally.

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