Brent Leatherwood, ERLC Leaders Meet With Biden’s Staff, Congressional Members

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November 21, 2022

WASHINGTON (BP)—Brent Leatherwood’s first trip to Washington, D.C., as head of the Southern Baptists’ public policy entity impressed upon him a recognition of the appreciation government leaders have for the churches of the convention.

As president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), Leatherwood traveled from Nashville to the capital “to discuss some of the pressing issues our convention of churches cares about,” he said in a Nov. 16 Twitter thread.

On Twitter, Leatherwood summarized some observations regarding those meetings Nov. 15-16 with lawmakers and executive branch officials.

“Throughout all these conversations, it was apparent our nation’s leaders deeply appreciate the SBC’s commitment to life, religious liberty, and marriage and family,” Leatherwood tweeted. “While we may not always agree with these individuals, I’m thankful for their willingness to serve and listen.”

And, he said on Twitter, it “makes me even more appreciative that our SBC churches cooperate to ensure our entity may do this sort of crucial public advocacy and, more importantly, bring the Gospel into the public square.”

After serving as acting president for a year, Leatherwood received in September the unanimous approval of the commission’s trustees as the ERLC’s ninth president.

Two months later, he spent time with officials of the executive branch and Congress on behalf of Southern Baptists. ERLC Policy Manager Hannah Daniel joined Leatherwood in addressing a variety of issues of concern to the country’s largest evangelical Christian convention or denomination.

In meetings with members of Congress, they continued to make clear the ERLC’s priorities in the current lame-duck session, which began Nov. 14.

These included objections to the Respect for Marriage Act (RMA), which would repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and require federal and state recognition of same-sex marriages considered legal in the jurisdiction where they took place. The ERLC opposes the bill because it contradicts God’s design for marriage and threatens religious freedom.

In a Nov. 16 roll call, the Senate voted 62-37 to bring the bill to the floor for a vote on passage. The Senate must still vote to pass the proposal, and the House of Representatives, which approved a different version earlier, must endorse the Senate-amended bill, but the enactment of the measure into law appears certain.

The ERLC’s requests for the lame-duck session continue to be that the Senate and House “should instead focus on pro-life protections in the budget & a solution for our neighbors known as Dreamers,” Leatherwood tweeted.

Democratic leaders in Congress again are seeking to eliminate the Hyde Amendment and other pro-life “riders,” which must be approved each year in spending bills, from the new budget. The Hyde Amendment has barred federal funds in Medicaid and other programs from paying for abortions in every year since 1976. It has saved the lives of an estimated 2½ million preborn children.

Messengers to the SBC’s 2021 meeting approved a resolution that denounced any attempt to rescind the Hyde Amendment and urged the retention of all pro-life “riders.”

The ERLC has long called for a legislative solution for Dreamers, a label for undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children.

In 2011 and 2018, SBC messengers adopted resolutions on immigration reform that called for securing the border and establishing “a just and compassionate path to legal status,” with restitutionary measures, for undocumented immigrants already in the United States.

Daniel and Leatherwood reported “an encouraging visit” with State Department staff, including Rashad Hussain, ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, Leatherwood tweeted.

They urged the Biden administration “to continue doing all it can to morally oppose China and bring attention to the Uyghur genocide,” he said on Twitter. “And we discussed other areas around the globe where religious freedom is threatened.”

The State Department under both President Trump and President Biden declared the atrocities committed by China against the predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in a western region of the country as genocide. In 2021, SBC messengers passed a resolution that made the convention the first Christian denomination to denounce China’s campaign against the Uyghurs as genocide.

Also on Twitter, Hussain said Thursday (Nov. 17) he enjoyed meeting with Leatherwood and Daniel and “hearing their leadership vision.” He tweeted, “I look forward to future collaboration w/ the Southern Baptists to help protect religious freedom for all.”

They also met with White House officials and “discussed the important role of faith in our nation’s life, protecting churches, and ways the Admin can advance the cause of human dignity in the weeks and months ahead,” Leatherwood tweeted.

This article originally appeared at Baptist Press.

Why Confidentiality Matters in Small Groups

By

Roger Carr

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November 21, 2022

Get Smart was a comedy television series in the ’60s about secret agents. It was one of my favorite shows to watch when I was a kid. Back then I had no idea that it could teach me about the need for a small group confidentiality agreement.

The good spies worked for an agency called CONTROL and the evil spies worked for KAOS. Of course, there were times when CONTROL agents needed to discuss extremely sensitive information that needed protection. How did they do this? They used the Cone of Silence!

The Cone of Silence was a device that put a bubble around those talking so others weren’t supposed to hear the conversation. Watch this video clip to see the Cone of Silence in action.

The Small Group Cone of Silence

Before many of your members are going to share sensitive information, they need to know their information is protected from others finding out about it. They need assurances that they are in a safe environment.

Confidentiality is extremely important.

How can you set up a safe environment that incorporates confidentiality? Consider following these five tips, especially number three: the small group confidentiality agreement.:

1. Location, Location, Location

Meet at a location that is as private as possible.

If you meet at a public location, find a way to divide or move your group away from others. Ideally be outside of anyone’s listening range.

Meeting in a private home doesn’t automatically make you immune from being overheard. For example, if children are in the house, they might overhear conversations and pass them along to their friends.

Find a location that eliminates the possibility of anyone overhearing your conversations.

2. Be an Example

As the leader, refuse to discuss any of the conversations that take place within the group outside of the group.

Be the first to get vulnerable within your group. If you are willing to take the risk, others are likely to follow your example.

3. Small Group Confidentiality Agreement

Each small group participant should commit to a small group confidentiality agreement. A part of that agreement should stress the importance of confidentiality within the group.

By using a small group confidentiality agreement, members are committing to each other that what is said within the group stays within the group.

Every time a new participant attends your gatherings, he or she needs to agree to abide by the group agreement before participating in group discussions.

4. Group Reminders

Periodically mention to your group members the importance of confidentiality. This not only provides a reminder to them, but it also lets them know that you are always mindful of the need to give them a safe environment.

5. Turn Off Listening Devices

Consider powering off any listening devices in the area that could compromise your safe environment. These devices would include any voice assistants like Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri and Google Assistant.

Follow these five tips to help create a safe environment of confidentiality that builds trust among your group members.

Question: Besides a small group confidentiality agreement, hat other tips do you have that reinforce the need for confidentiality within the group?

This article on a small group confidentiality agreement originally appeared here.

100 Remarkable Reasons to Give Thanks

By

Andrew Hess

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November 21, 2022

Can you count to 100? How about considering 100 remarkable reasons to give thanks to God this Thanksgiving!

100 Remarkable Reasons to Give Thanks

Reasons to Give Thanks: The Place and Timing of Your Birth

Thank God for your conception.
Thank God for knitting you together in your mother’s womb.
If you survived your mother’s pregnancy, thank God.
If you survived your birth, thank God.
If you were born in a free country, thank God.
If you were born to parents who loved you and provided for you, thank God (and thank them).
If you enjoyed growing up with siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents, thank God.

Reasons to Give Thanks: Life Before You Can Remember

If someone changed your diapers, thank God.
If someone woke up with you in the middle of the night to feed and hold you, thank God.
If someone cared for you when you were sick, thank God.
If someone read to you and played with you, thank God.
If someone taught you how to crawl, walk and ride a bike, thank God.

Give Thanks – It’s the Will of God

By

Ray Hollenbach

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November 21, 2022

One of the big problems with this holiday is that–if our hearts are not properly tuned–it can feel forced.Thanksgiving messages can seem to sound like such a scolding: We ought to give thanks.

Think about all the things you have and all of the other people who have nothing.
There, now: Give thanks.

Don’t concentrate on what is missing; be grateful for what you have.
There, now: Give thanks.

Ungrateful people are losers.
There, now: Give thanks.

The problem is, guilt is a terrible motivation to give thanks. When I read Bible passages instructing me to give thanks, it can sound the same way:

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Give Thanks – It’s the Will of God

On my grumpy days, I feel like talking back to the Scripture, “Don’t tell me to be happy! Do you think I could put it on from the outside?” (Here’s a happy-coat, why don’t you put it on?) And yet, giving thanks is the will of God. So if it’s the will of God, shouldn’t I simply try harder, be obedient and say thank you?

For example, frequently we teach children to say please and thank you as a matter of courtesy—as a way of teaching them how to get along in society. It’s the price they must pay to get their milk and cookies. We’re more concerned with the outward performance of good manners than we are with true gratitude.

As we approach Thanksgiving in the United States this year, I’m beginning to discover there’s a difference between giving thanks and having a thankful heart. I’m also beginning to discover that the Father cares more about thankfulness that flows from the inside out than obedience we wear like a cheap suit.

Paul’s words in Thessalonians have something to teach us about the will of God: Does the Father want outward compliance or a heart capable of expressing his will and doing it naturally? Of course, it’s always better to obey than not to obey, but I think he’s after more than mere obedience—he knows thankfulness is the best thing for us. He knows that when our hearts respond with prayers of joy and gratitude to the situations of life, we are responding out of Christlikeness and not simply parroting the company line.

Rather than hearing thankfulness as a command, perhaps we can hear it as an invitation:

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. (Colossians 3:15-16)

God is not honored when we tell him what we think he wants to hear—even though we don’t believe it. He knows better. He is honored (and we are healthiest) when our hearts and minds flow naturally with his. In this season, we do well to recognize that included in the flow is a heart-condition called thankfulness.

When Worries and Church Anguish Keep You Awake at Night

By

Chuck Lawless

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November 20, 2022

I wish I could always say with the psalmist, “I will both lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, Lord, make me live in safety” (Psa 4:8). Too often, though, that’s not the case. I’m like other pastors whose burdens keep them awake, and I have my own failures that rob me of sleep. Review these posts, and then note below some things have helped me sleep more recently.

13 Reasons Your Pastor May Not Sleep Well Tonight
8 Reasons I Let Concerns Keep Me Awake at Night

Despite my sleepless nights, the Lord is teaching me how to rest. Here are some of the things that have made a difference for me:

I recognize and confess that worry and sleeplessness don’t add anything to my life. They actually rob me of peace, as I wrote about in this devotion earlier this week. Verbalizing that confession to God challenges me to trust Him more.
I’m trying my best to turn to scripture memorization as soon as I face fitful sleep. It helps me, in fact, to keep my index card scriptures close to my side. This week I have Ephesians 1:2 beside me.
I remind myself that even when it seems like Jesus is asleep in the middle of my sleep-robbing storm, He’s still completely in control. My chaos that keeps me awake at night is never outside the control and care of the sovereign Lord. He’s not worried.
I remember how often God said to the faithless Hebrews something like, “Have you forgotten how much I’ve taken care of you throughout your life? Have I ever let you down?” He’s been that gracious toward me, too—so I just need to remember His years of care during my sleepless nights.
I am learning to cry out to God, admit my restlessness, and start lifting up the needs of others until I fall asleep. Prayer to God turns my attention to Him, and prayer for others turns my attention off self. It’s sweet, actually, to fall asleep with a prayer on my lips in these situations—even if falling asleep takes awhile.

In Christ, rest well tonight, friends.

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

7 of the Most Dangerous Church Cultures I’ve Observed

By

Ron Edmondson

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November 20, 2022

dangerous church cultures — Photo by Skitterphoto via Pexels

What makes a toxic church?

I was talking with a couple of pastors recently about leading in church revitalization and growth. Both of these pastors are seasoned church leaders—having far more experience in total than I have in vocational ministry.

Toxic Church Cultures

Mostly I listened to their stories. Both are currently in difficult pastorates. One of them serves in a church that has a history of very short-term pastorates. The other is in a church that has seen a roller coaster trend in church attendance—every time they get in a season of growth it’s followed by a season of decline—sometimes rapid decline.

Frankly, I prefer to have conversations about opportunities and possibilities than about challenges and frustrations. But, get a few pastors in the room and there will be some war stories. Leading toward health in a church can be a battle sometimes.

Just like it’s been said numerous times—leading people is easy if it wasn’t for the people.

I tried to encourage them in their call and offered a few suggestions for them in their current situations. But, the conversation stayed on my mind for days afterward.

A few days after this conversation, I was talking with another pastor friend, reflecting on what I had heard in the previous conversation. I didn’t share names or specific situations, but it led us to a discussion about church cultures.

Every Church Has Its Own Culture

Both of the pastors in the original conversation just seemed to find themselves in some very toxic church cultures.

I’ve seen lots of different cultures while consulting and working with churches for over a decade. Regardless of what some believe—there are some healthy churches. And, there are some who are not so healthy.

It always breaks my heart to encounter a church that is ready to implode. Frankly, some churches live in that tension continually. Some cultures are dangerous—toxic even.

Why do some churches seem to have such a hard time keeping church staff for any significant length of time? It usually has something to do with the culture of the church.

Why are some churches more resistant to change than others? It will almost always reflect back to the culture of the church.

Is Your Church a Fellowship of Low Expectations?

By

Ray Hollenbach

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November 20, 2022

Across the spectrum of Christian worship, our churches are filled with individuals who do not believe Christlikeness is possible. Call them the fellowship of low expectations. Individual believers have camped beside the river of God’s grace and drink daily of his forgiveness, unaware that this same grace can can provide spiritual transformation into Christlikeness. Discipleship, they suppose, is for those few super-saints called into the ministry.

Perhaps even more striking is the number of church leaders who have largely abandoned the task of making disciples. In the first years of my work as a pastor I attended a weekly breakfast “prayer meeting” of local pastors. I was looking for practical help in fulfilling my vision of equipping every believer to do the work of the ministry. Assembled were church leaders from a variety of faith traditions, both liturgical and Evangelical, representing a variety of the American denominational spectrum. In two years of regular meetings with these shepherds of the flock, the only subject which drew complete agreement was their low opinion of the people they were called to lead. Each pastor shared story after story of petty arguments and disagreements, all to the same point: the people were impossible to lead! Clearly, I had fallen in with the wrong crowd. It will come as no surprise that by the time I celebrated my fifth year in the pastorate, every single pastor who attended the prayer breakfast had moved on to other churches or left the ministry.

The Fellowship of Low Expectations

Our difficulties embracing discipleship occur not only at the individual level, but also at the level of Christian leadership. Pastors rarely describe their task in terms of reproducing the character and power of Jesus in the people of their congregations. Nor do the people of the church expect their pastors to be spiritual mentors. Sadly, many pastors do not think the image of Christ is reproducible in their charges. As a result, leadership in Christian churches looks less and less like the Biblical model and more and more like models drawn from the secular world.

Individual Christians struggle in their relationship with Jesus, and his call to become like him. Pastors struggle with the same thing: the idea that Jesus calls each one of us to become like him. When pastors do not have a realistic expectation that every Christian can live up to the example of Jesus, pastoral ministry becomes about something other than making disciples. If pastors are not convinced of the Christlike destiny of each person in their charge, the role of Christian leadership drifts away from the Biblical example toward any number of earth-bound substitutes. These earth-bound substitutes may each be a moral good in their own right, but they will miss the high calling of developing a royal priesthood capable of demonstrating the glory of God to a watching world.

How many pastors carry the vision Peter expressed for the people in his charge?

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. (I Peter 2: 9 – 12)

These four verses express high expectations for the assembled people of God. Consider this partial list drawn exclusively from these four verses:

The people are chosen by God to do ministry;
God has a regal view of his people;
The people are ordained to represent God;
The people are the light-bearers for the world;
The people have a new identity with one another;
The people have a reason to embrace life-change.

Peter presents a vision that the everyday conduct of “average” Christians will elicit praise for God from the watching world.

In my personal experience pastors rarely present such a high view of those they are called to shepherd. Many pastors lack the vision of a church filled with mature disciples and are trapped in the fellowship of low expectations. Is it any wonder the church at large is powerless?

This article on the fellowship of low expectations is an excerpt from Ray’s book, The Impossible Mentor.

A Thanksgiving Prayer

By

Sam Luce

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November 19, 2022

Below is a Thanksgiving prayer to remind you of everything God has provided through Jesus Christ.

God thank you for who you are
Remind me today of my limits
in Prayer, in love, and in Christian service
Remind me today of your limitlessness
in love, in goodness and in forgiveness

Thank you for Jesus.
Remind me of the power of the cross
Of my need for the cross
Of the reach of the cross
Of the totality of the cross
Oh the wonders of God in the cross of Christ.

Help me today never forget
Your benefits and my sins
Your beauty and the ways I betray such beauty for selfish gain
Your bounty and my need
Your blessing and my want

Thank you for salvation
Thank you for Jesus
Thank you for the million ways
you protect
you provide
you preserve
of which I am only aware of two or three.

Preserve me that my life may be a praise of your mercy.
Protect me that my ways may be a testimony of your power
Provide for me that I may confess my lack and your unending sufficiency all the day of my life.

Thank you for the Holy Spirit my helper, my guide and revealer of Christ
Thank you for Jesus crucified, risen, ascended and coming again.
Thank you, Father, you are and always will be. That you are all in all for the glory of your name.

Amen

7 Lessons Learned in a Time of Leadership Transition

By

Brandon Cox

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November 19, 2022

It’s been six months since I preached my final message as Pastor of Grace Hills Church, which Angie and I founded together in the summer of 2011. We spent a decade of our lives gathering with people who were passionate about embracing the brokenness of humanity and creating a safe place for people to experience the grace-covered life offered by Jesus. The final twelve months of ministry were tumultuous for our surrounding culture. Pastors everywhere are exhausted. Nationally iy was a time of leadership transition. We reached a point of burnout and entered a long valley of transition. I’ve come to call it a valley because, on an emotional and spiritual level, things got much harder before we began to see the light again.

What has happened within evangelicalism in the last few years has been an unveiling of our flaws and a reckoning with those on the fringe who are trying to find Christ in us. Much has been written about what’s going on within the evangelical movement. If you’re curious, I’d recommend starting with:

- My article about 15 Reasons People are Disillusioned with Evangelicalism.
- Peter Wehner’s excellent piece in The Atlantic on how The Evangelical Church is Breaking Apart.
- Kristin Du Mez’s book about how we arrived where we are, Jesus and John Wayne.

(If you’re going to read any of those, be prepared to read without defensiveness – we have serious issues and we need thick skin if we’re going to fix them.)

In the last six months, I’ve ventured into some new areas and back into some old ones. I became a licensed real estate agent and joined the Collier and Associates team. I’m loving that! I’m also renewing my marketing and social media consulting work, which became a passion of mine over a decade ago and led to a book I wrote on the subject called Rewired.

I’ve thoroughly loved the extra family time we’ve had, which we’ve spent taking little trips, camping out, and visiting my daughter at college. Obviously, it’s been a bit of an emotional roller coaster, but I’ve always taught people that every experience you go through – good, bad, or ugly – has the potential to shape you in positive ways and to teach you lessons you wouldn’t have learned otherwise.

7 Lessons Learned in a Time of Leadership Transition

1. Relationships matter more than anything else on earth.

Businesses, institutions, and organizations rise and fall, as do economies and empires. But real friendships last. I recently conducted a wedding and some close friends from our Grace Hills family were present. It was a breath of fresh air!

We bumped into another attendee out shopping and exchanged hugs and tears in the bedding aisle at Home Goods. I spoke for just a couple of minutes on a panel at a fundraiser for For the Love NWA and a couple of tables of Grace Hills friends were there. It felt a little like old times and a sweet feeling washed over my soul.

People matter. Relationships mean something. And while you won’t always be able to salvage every broken relationship, you can never underestimate the value of knowing people as real friends.

2. Grieving takes time and wears a lot of disguises.

A few weeks after stepping away, we began to feel a sense of relief, as if life might resume some kind of normalcy. By the weekend, we were sad again. It took five months for us to feel good about getting up on a Sunday morning to gather with some fellow believers. We kept doing it, but each experience highlighted the pain of our loss.

Now, six months later, we’re on a streak of several weekends in a row of really enjoying ourselves and feeling comfortable in our surroundings.

In that time, my own grief has shown itself in quite a few disguises. I’ve had days of mysterious irritability, moments of unexpected anger, and anxiety and depression along the way. All grief, wearing different costumes.

Grief, showing up as anger.
Grief, dressed up as fear.
Grief, masquerading as depression.

Angie has reminded me on many occasions about how essential it is to allow grief to have its space. We can acknowledge the pain and sit with it, or we can deny it and it will pop up later in unrecognizable forms.

And as I’ve shared in dozens of funerals over the years, grief is a gift that lets us cope with loss in a healthy way and move toward closure and healing.

3. Pivoting is extremely hard but possible.

I began pastoring my first church at age 19 and haven’t stopped since. Twenty-four years of my life were spent moving in a single direction, each step of the journey preparing me for the next.

When you spend your entire adult life dedicating yourself to a particular calling and identity and it comes to a sudden and somewhat unexpected stop, you will walk through a crisis of identity and worth.

Who am I, if I’m not Pastor Brandon?
What am I supposed to do now?
How do I start over, from scratch?

There is light at the end of the tunnel and it seems to grow brighter by the day, but those first few weeks and months were spent hoping for clear direction.

Now, at 44 years of age, I’m re-enrolled in college to finish a degree in Communications at the University of Arkansas, which will come in quite handy in building a boutique online marketing agency and selling real estate. I’m getting to exercise my entrepreneurial muscles and it’s stretching me in uncomfortable ways.

But I’m starting to fit into my skin again.

Pivoting, especially in mid-life, is hard. But it’s possible.

4. You are not your job.

Who are you?

If you’re like most people, myself included, you start your answer with whatever it is that you do with the majority of your waking hours, whether it’s a career in the marketplace or being at home full-time. And that’s okay, but it’s not everything.

You are more than your career. Your worth isn’t to be found in your professional accomplishments.

Your worth is rooted in your humanity. You’re a living soul with a unique personality created in the very image of God and infinitely precious to him, regardless of who writes you a paycheck.

I’ve had to realize that I’m valuable to the people around me because of who I am deep within, not because I was a pastor, speaker, or organizational leader.

5. It’s okay to turn the page.

There is a place deep within the soul of every person, an inner temple, if you will, where we meet and commune with the Spirit of God and understand him and ourselves in a way no one else can.

But people will try. My former Pastor, Rick Warren, often said tongue-in-cheek that “God loves you and everyone else has a wonderful plan for your life.”

Most people who make career changes are celebrated, but within evangelical culture, we use vocabulary that stings. We describe women and men who leave their positions as “walking away from ministry” or being “unfaithful to their calling”.

We even make assumptions that something bad must have happened. We’re accustomed to scandal. In fact, we are entertained and intrigued by it.

I’ve been surprised at the number of pastors – probably dozens – who have messaged me privately to say they would leave if they feel they could support themselves, but they carry guilt about even thinking such thoughts. So let me encourage you who have been exhausted and depleted by the work of managing conflict and unhealthy cultures to love yourself enough to do the healthiest thing you can for yourself and for your family.

If God wants you to continue in pastoral ministry, he’ll make a way and he’ll make it clear. But if you feel the liberty or the leading to make a change and you have peace about this new direction, walk confidently into it and thank God for guiding you.

It really is okay to turn the page, to celebrate the work you’ve done, and to anticipate whatever may be in your next chapter.

6. The future isn’t as scary as you think it is.

Our survival instinct and our innate need for security cause us to fear the unknown. And nothing holds us back from greatness like giving our fear more power than it deserves.

One of the hardest aspects of transition is stepping into the unknown without full knowledge of what is coming. And that’s where faith comes in.

Some days, I’ve felt slightly foolish about the number of times I’ve preached to others about believing the very best about God and about their futures only to find myself in similar circumstances struggling to lift my foot toward the next step in the darkness.

God is faithful. His presence never fails us.

That doesn’t mean you won’t suffer or experience loss and defeat. You’re human, and this is earth, so you’re going to encounter challenges.

But in God’s economy, trials and hardships can become learning opportunities and the future can be brighter than our past even when we’re bracing ourselves for pain.

Keep going.

7. Jesus is worthy.

There are two particular miracles I cannot quite explain or rationalize. First, the Incarnation – that God became a man. It makes no sense to me how this could be.

The second is the resurrection. Defying all logic and rationality, Jesus Christ came back from the dead. How? I don’t know other than to credit the divine initiative and working of the Almighty.

What I do know is that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ changed everything, for all of us, for all eternity.

Therefore, whatever Jesus has to teach us about walking in the way of love, I want to learn it. Whatever he showed us about loving God and neighbor, I want to grow in it.

Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever, is worthy of praise and gratitude. And he’s worthy of imitation.

I still have a long way to go and much to learn. I haven’t arrived. But I want to use the rest of my life to figure out how to be like Jesus.

Whatever leadership transition you may face, know that God is presently, actively, and personally working in, around, and through you. He is always worthy. You are always valuable. And life is meant to be lived, not merely survived.

This article about lessons learned in a time of leadership transition originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

Devotion for Christmas: Help Volunteers Celebrate Children’s Gifts

By

ChildrensMinistry.com

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November 18, 2022

Looking for a devotion for Christmas to use with your children’s ministry volunteers? Then check out this resource! It will provide a meaningful, lighthearted moment of joy and discovery.

This devotion for Christmas will work great for a holiday party. Use it to celebrate and honor kidmin helpers and to express your appreciation for their service. Pro Tip: Make the occasion even more special by distributing handmade Christmas cards from Sunday school students!

You’ll need:

a small matchbox stuffed completely with tiny items (examples include a staple, paper clip, stamp, dental floss, dime, pin, safety pin, button, string, ribbon, bead, nail, toothpick, pebble, seed)

Before leading the devotion, gift wrap the filled box. Add a fancy bow.

Volunteer Devotion for Christmas: Big Presents, Little Package

Place the tiny gift where all can see it. Ask your volunteers to guess what tiny gift might be inside the box. Give them one minute to write their guess. Then ask one volunteer to unwrap the gift and display what’s inside.

Ask:

Were you surprised by how much was inside such a tiny box? Why or why not?
How is this gift like or unlike the children in our ministry?

Say: The children we minister to are a lot like this box. They’re small on the outside, but they’re filled with great treasures.

DIY Gift Ideas: 12 Ways to Thank Volunteers at Christmas

By

ChildrensMinistry.com

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November 18, 2022

Are you looking for creative DIY gift ideas for volunteers? Do you want to say thanks and affirm your tireless youth ministry helpers? Then here’s a holiday treat! These 12 DIY gift ideas are sure to help your church volunteers feel appreciated this Christmas.

With the Christmas season comes the giving season. You and your volunteers give much to kids at your church. All year long, your team helps preteens and teens grow in relationship with Jesus and each other. So be sure to thank your volunteers for giving—perhaps with a thoughtful little gift.

These creative DIY gift ideas are perfect for volunteers. Choose some for your youth ministry helpers this Christmas!

12 DIY Gift Ideas for Christmas

1. Hot Cocoa Packets

Tape a card with the message, “You warm up our youth ministry!”

2. Tea Bags

A bundle of tasty teas just needs a seasonal ribbon and a gift tag stating, “You’re tea-riffic!”

3. Hand Lotion or Warm Gloves

Either gift goes well with a note affirming, “Thanks for lending a helping hand in youth ministry.”

4. Hand Soap

What better gift to give someone who works with kids! Attach a candy cane and a note that says, “We wish you soap and joy!”

5. Scented Candle

Tape the candle to a card or gift tag with the encouragement, “You brighten up our classrooms every week!” or “Thank you for shining Jesus’ light!”

6. Christmas Cookies

Wrap several holiday cookies in festive décor. And add a card saying, “We’re a batch made in heaven! Thanks for being part of our team.”

7. Peppermint Bark or Mint Candies

Include a notecard that states, “To the coolest volunteer around! You’re mint to be on our team.”

8. Tree Ornaments

You can use standard ornaments or even personalize them with the volunteer’s name. Include a meaningful Scripture verse with a note saying, “Thanks for hanging with us!”

Virginia Church Urges Believers ‘Not To Condemn’ As Pastor Arrested in Sex Sting Op Steps Away From Duties Again

By

Jessica Lea

-

November 18, 2022

John Blanchard, the Virginia pastor who was arrested in a sex sting operation only to have his charges later dropped, is once more stepping away from his duties as lead pastor of Rock Church International in Virginia Beach. In a statement posted Wednesday, the church asked believers “not to condemn.”

“Under the guidance of our legal counsel, We cannot make a statement or comment concerning the accusations against Rev. John Blanchard at this time,” says the statement on Rock Church’s website. “We are all committed to walking in integrity and truth at Rock Church International and will continue to take steps to do so. Pastor Blanchard has voluntarily stepped back as lead pastor and from all his ministerial duties until this present situation is totally resolved. During this season, Bishop Anne Gimenez will be stepping in as Lead Pastor and sharing the pulpit with Pastor Robin Blanchard.”

John Blanchard Steps Away Again

John Blanchard, along with his wife, Robin, is still listed as a senior pastor at Rock Church on the church’s website as of this writing. Blanchard was one of 17 men arrested on Oct. 29, 2021, for solicitation of prostitution from a minor.

After agreeing to meet with a detective posing as a 17-year-old girl, the pastor was arrested and then released on bond. Two days later, he appeared onstage at his church, where he led prayer. At the time, the church posted a statement that contained similar wording as that in this week’s statement, including, “Pastor Blanchard has voluntarily stepped back as lead pastor and from all his ministerial duties until this present situation is totally resolved.”

It came to light in November 2021 that a former assistant had previously accused Blanchard of sexual assault, an incident that allegedly occurred in 2018. Even though the pastor was acquitted after the assistant pressed charges, she says, “It did happen to me. It was inappropriate. Church leadership knew and decided not to remove him from his position.”

Yet on Oct. 11, all charges against John Blanchard were dropped following a request from prosecutors. In a statement posted that day to Rock Church’s Facebook page, Bishop Anne Gimenez, who had taken over Blanchard’s pastoral duties, said:

We have always believed in John’s innocence. His humility and submission to those over him during this time has been a testimony to his character. He has spent the time in fasting and prayer and has invested much of his time in his family and education. We anticipate his resumption of church duties in the near future.

State delegate and attorney Tim Anderson, however, has been drawing attention to Blanchard’s case after obtaining and reviewing the incident report. Anderson said, “In my legal opinion, from what I have seen, there’s no excuse not to prosecute this case. If [Blanchard is] found not guilty or if he’s acquitted, that’s one thing. But to use prosecutorial discretion and say nothing happened here, that’s, in my opinion, an abuse of discretion, especially when they went after 15 other people [following the sting operation].”

Can a Christian Not Have a Spiritual Gift? John Piper Weighs In

By

Stephanie Martin

-

November 18, 2022

On a recent episode of “Ask Pastor John,” theologian John Piper responds to a listener who frets that she doesn’t “seem to have any spiritual gifts.” The woman, who has been a Christian for about 12 years, admits, “I really feel like a talent-less and sinful mess! Does this mean that the Spirit does not actually dwell in me? How can I discover my purpose in him and fulfill 1 Peter 4:10?” That passage reads: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (ESV).

Before diving into his answer, Piper, author of “Desiring God,” clarifies that “there is a fundamental difference between talents and sins.” Being talent-less isn’t “a spiritually serious problem,” he note, while sinfulness is “a huge problem.”

Spiritual Gifts: John Piper on What the Bible Says

Next, the theologian says he knows the listener “does have spiritual gifts” because she’s a Christian. According to New Testament letters from Peter and Paul, “each” believer (not “some”) has a gift, or manifestation, from the Spirit (1 Peter 4:10; 1 Corinthians 12:7). Another passage emphasizes that “every Christian is part of the body of Christ,” says Piper, referencing Romans 12:4-5. “And every member of a body has a function.”

From those verses, Piper concludes that “to be a member of the body of Christ is to have a role in the body that is essential to the body—not flashy, not prominent, but essential.” He adds, “In fact, Paul is at pains to make sure that no Christian, no matter how insignificant they feel, feels excluded from the body.”

‘Make It Your Aim To Love People for Christ’s Sake’

Piper urges the listener not to despair about her role in the church and not to compare her gifts to those of other members. He points to Paul’s reminder in 1 Corinthians 12:22-23 that “the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor.”

In other words, says Piper, “the gift that some people have in the body of Christ is to be weak and needy so that others may have opportunity to show them special care.” Although that not might be the case for her, it’s a way to reorient one’s thinking so as to not “feel so inadequate,” he says.

Franklin Graham Praises Candace Cameron Bure for Taking a Bold Stand for ‘God’s Definition of Marriage’

By

Jesse T. Jackson

-

November 18, 2022

Franklin Graham, outspoken president and CEO of Samaritan’s Purse, weighed in on the most recent Candace Cameron Bure controversy, which arose after Bure made comments regarding traditional marriage.

As ChurchLeaders reported earlier this week, Bure has received heated criticism from fellow celebrities for implying that the cable network Great American Family, which she joined in April, “will keep traditional marriage at the core.”

Graham praised the 46-year-old “Full House” star for leaving Hallmark Channel and “standing with God’s definition of marriage.”

“Good for Candace Cameron Bure! She recently left the increasingly secular Hallmark Channel for an upstart cable channel—the Great American Family—to ‘tell stories that have more meaning and purpose and depth behind them,’” Graham posted on Facebook.

Graham questioned why Hollywood celebrities like JoJo Siwa, who identifies as pansexual, have a problem with Bure voicing her beliefs.

“Several of the Hollywood elite are upset with her for saying that this cable channel will ‘keep traditional marriage at the core.’ What’s wrong with that,” Graham asked. “I appreciate her boldness in standing with God’s definition of marriage and supporting Judeo-Christian values. I hope tens of thousands of Christians around the country will check out this new channel—and encourage Candace in the comments below.”

Bure addressed the criticism on Instagram, saying that although critics are attempting to assassinate her character, she still loves them.

“To the members of the media responsible for using this opportunity to fan flames of conflict and hate, I have a simple message: I love you anyway,” Bure said. “To those who hate what I value and who are attacking me online: I love you. To those who have tried to assassinate my character: I love you. To everyone reading this, of any race, creed, sexuality, or political party, including those who have tried to bully me with name-calling, I love you.”

Bill Abbott, former president and CEO of Crown Media (Hallmark Channel’s parent company), launched Great American Family in 2021. Bure joined the network as chief creative officer.

Christian Influencers Bid Twitter Farewell in Light of Possible Crash

By

Dale Chamberlain

-

November 18, 2022

twitter crash — Photo by Joshua Hoehne (via Unsplash)

The first few weeks of Elon Musk’s tenure as CEO of Twitter have been eventful.

From the moment that Musk walked through the lobby of Twitter headquarters carrying a porcelain sink to the initial layoff of roughly half the company’s employees and subsequent firings and resignations, the entire ordeal has been live-tweeted, including an exchange wherein Musk apparently fired one employee via a public tweet.

On Thursday (Nov. 17), Twitter employees were locked out of the company’s headquarters, for unknown reasons, until Monday. Some have theorized that the lockout was made in an effort to tamp down on the possibility of outgoing employees sabotaging the company, though those reports have not been confirmed.

Regardless, by Thursday evening, many had begun responding to reports that Twitter might soon become unavailable in light of the myriad employee departures resulting in a deficit of domain experts responsible for maintaining the website and app.

As many influencers, including Christian leaders, have spent years building their audience on the platform, the possibility of its disappearance has been cause for alarm. As a result, many Christian influencers with large followings have scrambled to alert their followers to other platforms where their content can be found.

Additionally, some have been bidding their Twitter community an emotional farewell, in case the site does in fact crash over the weekend.

Author and Bible teacher Beth Moore tweeted, “I AM NOT SAYING BYE!!!! But, just in case, I’ll go on record with this. Gah, I’ve had a blast with y’all. I wouldn’t have made it the last 6 years without y’all. I reckon I’d have…well…gone home. God bless y’all. Hold tight to Jesus. He’s not like us. He’s faithful to the end.”

“Hope to talk to you just like always in a day or two. Or in our beloved @HeatherTDay’s words, I’ll See You Tomorrow,” Moore went on to write, referencing the title of Heather Thompson Day’s new book.

Moore, who is a favorite among many Christian Twitter users, is also a highly sought after podcast guest.

“If Twitter is really dying, then I’m going out shooting my shot: @BethMooreLPM will you be on our podcast!!?!?!??! :),” tweeted Mike Erre, teaching pastor of Journey Church in Franklin, Tennessee, and host of the Voxology podcast.

SWBTS Student Narrates ‘Jesus’ Film in Its 2,000th Language

By

Timothy Cockes

-

November 18, 2022

jesus film — Mang Siing (second from left) receives a framed still of the Jesus film as a gift for helping translate the film into its 2000th language.

FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) – Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary student Mang Siing recently became a part of history when he served as the narrator for the Zo language translation of the world-famous “Jesus” Film. The effort marked the film’s 2,000^th available language.

“Jesus” depicts the life and ministry of Christ, and is the world’s most translated film, according to Guinness World Records. Since its release in 1979, it has been viewed by billions of people around the world and resulted in more than 600 million decisions for Christ, according to statistics on the film’s website.

Siing, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in missions with a minor in evangelism at SWBTS, was approached through a connection with the evangelical organization Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ) about leading the translation project for the film in the Zo language.

Siing, who is from Myanmar, said Zo is one of more than 50 different dialects of the Chin people group, and was of the last of the Chin languages to receive a biblical translation. The New Testament translation of Zo was completed about 10 years ago, followed by the entire Bible in 2018.

Aside from the Bible and a few Christian hymns, Siing said there is a lack of Christian content or resources in Zo. Many tribes do not even have access to the internet.

He is thrilled the translation of the “Jesus” Film will change that forever.

“I was so excited, and our people were so excited,” Siing said. “I thank God for the opportunity and God has blessed our community with this.

“We don’t have any movie or film in our language, much less the “Jesus” Film. We were all excited, and we really know that Jesus is our King and Savior, so for Him to speak our language is a great opportunity. This is a milestone for our people group.

“Jesus will speak our language, and he will speak to us directly. Just as the Bible said God remembered Abraham and he remembered Noah, God also remembers us and He doesn’t forsake us.”

Siing worked with representatives from the film to begin the recording process, and Cru assisted by renting a local recording studio to complete the voiceover work.

The role Siing played with the voiceover was providing the lines for the film’s narrator. He also enlisted 28 other people from the Zo community in Fort Worth to provide voices for other characters, including Jesus, Mary and several children’s voices. The full recording process took around 16 hours for Siing, and a full week of days and nights overall.

ELECTION WRAPUP: Congress Splits, Pro-Life Measures Fall Short

By

Tom Strode

-

November 18, 2022

WASHINGTON (BP) – The next Congress will be a divided one.

The Associated Press (AP) declared a winner in a California election race Wednesday (Nov. 16) that, as a result, gave Republicans 218 seats and the majority in the next House of Representatives. The call more than a week after the Nov. 8 election means each political party will control a chamber when the 118^th Congress convenes in January after Democrats owned majorities in both houses in the current session.

In each case, the party in control will have a slim majority. As of 1 p.m. CST Thursday (Nov. 17), AP’s results showed a 218-211 margin for the GOP in the House. Winners in six races have yet to be determined, according to AP.

Meanwhile, Democrats maintained control of the Senate by what may prove to be the narrowest of margins once again. The Democrats hold a 50-49 edge with the winner in Georgia yet to be determined. The race between Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker will be decided in a Dec. 6 runoff.

If Warnock loses, the Democrats will retain control in an evenly divided chamber. A 50-50 division, which has been true the last two years, will still give them the majority by virtue of Vice President Kamala Harris’ tie-breaking vote as president of the Senate.

Little significant progress is to be expected from a divided Congress with slender majorities, but opportunities will exist for Southern Baptist public witness, Brent Leatherwood told Baptist Press.

“Many expected Republican gains in Congress, especially the House,” said Leatherwood, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. “But almost no one predicted it would result in such a slim majority for GOP representatives. With Democrats retaining control of the U.S. Senate, we should expect one thing: Gridlock.

The current speaker, Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, announced Thursday from the House floor she would step down as the Democratic leader while remaining in Congress. Pelosi, 82, has served as her party’s House leader for two decades. Screen capture via TheHill.com.

“Because of that, my expectations are low for anything consequential in Congress being accomplished on the issues that are important for our convention of churches,” he said in written comments. “But, at the same time, it will likely mean a helpful check on some of the areas of disagreement we have with the agenda put forth by the Biden administration on matters related to abortion and SOGI [sexual orientation/gender identity] initiatives.

“But the bottom line for the next two years is that if either side wants to advance something meaningful, it will require bipartisan consensus building. And ‘bipartisanship’ is not a word many would use to describe Washington right now.”

Leatherwood added, “Still, even in an environment where little movement takes place, there’s an opportunity for our commission to continue speaking a convictional word from our churches to those in authority and ministering to all who work in the public square. That’s a vital service in this deeply polarized era of American political life.”

In contrast to the current Congress, Republican control of the House will make a considerable difference in at least which bills receive votes.

This new reality is likely to be especially true on the issue of abortion. The House has approved measures expanding abortion rights with Democrats in control the last two years – something a Republican majority is not expected to countenance. The Democratic-controlled Senate has failed to forward those bills to President Joe Biden, though he supported them. The Senate rule requiring 60 votes to cut off debate for action on legislation to take place has been helpful to pro-life advocates.

CeCe Winans: ‘Private Ministry Is the Thing That Fuels Your Public Worship’

By

Adelle M Banks

-

November 18, 2022

(RNS) — CeCe Winans is known for her gospel-singing family and her award-winning contemporary Christian music.

But after more than four decades in that industry, Winans seeks to be a bridge-builder across generations, encouraging older folks to share their faith and life lessons with younger people who may or may not have darkened church doors.

At 58, the author of the new book “Believe for It: Passing on Faith to the Next Generation” is practicing what she’s preaching.

She and her husband, Alvin Love II, are founding co-pastors of the nondenominational Nashville Life Church but “Pastor Mom and Dad” have turned over the leadership of the multigenerational and multicultural congregation to their son, Alvin Love III.

“Believe for It: Passing on Faith to the Next Generation” by CeCe Winans. Photo by Five Pence Photography

“We have to learn that we can’t wait until people are perfect before they get into position,” Winans said in an interview. “It has been amazing. He has grown the church, but I just love the way he does things totally different than what we did ’em but yet it’s so much better. So, no regrets. Praise God.”

Winans also emphasizes intergenerational wisdom-sharing through the “Generations” YouTube show she co-hosts with her daughter, Ashley Phillips, and by featuring her mother, Delores Winans, in her Generations Live conferences. She also included then-19-year-old MDSN (pronounced “Madison”) on her “Believe for It” album, the focus of her concert tour, which restarts this spring.

Winans talked with Religion News Service about her hopes for opening doors for younger artists, what she’s learned from “church mothers” and why retirement is not on her mind, despite admitting she loves just staying home and spending time with her young grandson.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Congratulations on recently being named Artist of the Year at the GMA Dove Awards. What did it mean for you that this came after you recorded “Believe for It,” the name of your most recent album as well as your new book, and after 40 years in music ministry?

Exactly. (laughs) Receiving that award was just — I don’t think I have the words — I was so honored, humbled, excited and really in shock. I wasn’t expecting it at all. But to have been out here for over 40 years and to still be welcomed — and not just welcomed but celebrated to that level — all I can say is: To God be the glory.

CeCe Winans accepts an award during the recent Dove Awards. Photo courtesy of Wander Creative

What do you think that recognition says about the state of the contemporary Christian music industry, given that you were the first African American female soloist to receive it?

Well, I think it’s a step, a big step in the right direction. And hopefully, it’s encouraging to see more diversity in our industry occupying all the different levels of award. I know there are extremely talented young people who are coming after me that will deserve that spot. And I feel good about that door being open so others can walk through as well.

Your new book focuses on your belief that older Christians can pass on their faith to young people. With a declining worship attendance across the United States, what advice do you have for the elders as they seek to do that?

Well, my advice is to get busy. As you get older, as you accomplish certain things, you kind of feel like you need to step back, you need to slow down. And it’s the total opposite. That’s totally contrary to what I believe God wants us to do as believers. As a believer, you never retire.

So this is an urgent cry. This is an urgent need for all of us as believers, especially those my age and older, to get busy pouring into the next generation. There’s somebody that you can pour into that’s coming up after you.

Poll: Politics Drives Religious Americans’ Views on the Environment

By

Yonat Shimron

-

November 18, 2022

(RNS) — Many reasons have been suggested as to why highly religious Americans are less likely to be worried about climate change or work to try to stem it. But in the end, a new Pew Research survey concludes, it’s all about politics.

“The main driver of U.S. public opinion about the climate is political party, not religion,” the survey of 10,156 Americans concludes.

Republicans are far less likely than Democrats to believe human activity is causing global warming or to consider climate change a serious problem. The same is true for the religious among them: Religious people who identify or lean Republican are less inclined to be concerned about global warming than people of the same religion who identify or lean to the Democratic Party.

Take evangelicals as an example — a group with a reputation for denying the dangers of climate change — 34% of evangelicals say climate change is an extremely or very serious problem. But if you break evangelicals down by political party, a bipolar picture emerges: 78% of evangelicals who lean Democratic say climate change is an extremely or very serious problem, compared with 17% who lean Republican.

The survey shows the same consistent pattern, if not quite as extreme, among other religious groups, including mainline Protestants, Catholics and even the religiously unaffiliated. In every group, the Democrats among them are significantly more likely to be concerned about climate change. The same is true when asked about the cause of climate change: Democrats in each group are much more likely than Republicans to lay the blame on human activity, regardless of religion.

These massive gaps in views among people claiming the same religion points to political partisanship as the crucial factor driving these opinions.

The study also shows a gap between those with high, medium and low religious commitments. The higher the religious commitment, the less likely to be concerned about climate change — and the more likely to identify with the Republican Party, according to the report.

While more than half of Americans believe the Earth is getting warmer because of human activity, only 39% of highly religious Americans — those who pray daily, attend religious services regularly and say religion is very important to their lives — agree. By comparison, 70% of those with a low religious commitment believe the Earth is getting warmer because of human activity, the survey found.

Other theories for why highly religious Americans are less concerned about the environment — there are much bigger problems in the world today; God is in control of the climate; the end times are near, why worry? — were not as salient.

The survey found only a modest relationship between end-times beliefs and concerns about climate change. Those who say the “end times” are coming soon are less likely to think climate change is an extremely or very serious problem compared with those who do not believe the end times are near (51% vs. 62%) .

Returning From Self-Imposed Hiatus, ACNA Bishop Stewart Ruch Works To Regain Trust

By

Kathryn Post

-

November 18, 2022

acna Stewart Ruch — Bishop Stewart Ruch III, left, and the Anglican Church in North America logo. Photo via ChurchRez.org

(RNS) — After 16 months of a self-imposed hiatus after admitting to mishandling sexual abuse allegations in his diocese in Wheaton, Illinois, Bishop Stewart Ruch — a charismatic, controversial figure in the Anglican Church in North America — is taking steps to revive trust in his leadership. But a meeting last week held to soothe concerns of members of Church of the Resurrection showed he has work to do to restore trust.

Some Resurrection members told Religion News Service that while the church “didn’t bat a thousand” in terms of how it handled the abuse allegations, the meeting on Nov. 10 showed that church leaders “genuinely tried to do the right things” in the midst of a “very thorny situation.”

But several of those who attended the meeting said they were not convinced. “He is no longer someone that I trust,” one Resurrection member said after the meeting. “And as an extension of that, Rez is no longer a place that I feel comfortable attending.”

Ruch initially departed in July 2021 after admitting he had made “regrettable errors” in responding to allegations of sexual abuse by Mark Rivera, a lay minister in the diocese. Rivera is facing trial on charges of felony child sexual abuse, with a verdict expected on Friday (Nov. 18).

In late September, Husch Blackwell, an investigative firm hired by the diocese, published a report that found Ruch had been slow to act. Despite that finding — and an ongoing, separate investigation into allegations of spiritual abuse by Ruch and other diocesan leaders — ACNA’s Archbishop Foley Beach announced on Oct. 21 that Ruch had decided to return from his voluntary leave of absence. Beach said he would appoint a second bishop to help guide the diocese.

Booking photos of Mark Rivera. Photos courtesy of Kane County Sheriff’s Office

“In light of the Husch Blackwell Investigative Report, I have assigned Bishop Martyn Minns to serve as a supervisory Bishop while the canonical procedures continue,” the letter said.

Spokespeople for the archbishop, Ruch and the Church of the Resurrection did not respond to requests for comment.

At last Thursday’s meeting, Ruch and other leaders at Resurrection sat in armchairs in front of a packed church, according to church members who attended. After Ruch read several statements, he answered questions chosen from those submitted by congregants and read by church leaders. Ruch answered by reading from a script.

Attendees told RNS that Ruch apologized for “ways he did not always respond well,” according to one member who was there, and listed six things he had learned, including that he should have involved a third-party investigator and a senior clergy much sooner. Ruch also reportedly acknowledged the need for better child protection and sexual abuse policies, which are expected to be revamped soon, and a church staff member spoke about the abuse and trauma trainings Resurrection leaders have attended in the last year.

“It gave me hope that the church realized that they needed to make some institutional programmatic changes or implementation and policies that would make it clear to everybody what their roles were when and if these kinds of crises hit,” one Resurrection member told RNS.

But Ruch and other church leaders also appeared to want to manage the narrative about the bishop’s handling of the case and his return. Attendees were asked not to record the meeting, and clergy, accompanied by two police officers, were stationed at the sanctuary entrance. Audrey Luhmann, who stopped attending Resurrection in person over her concerns about church culture and who has been an outspoken member of ACNAtoo, an anti-abuse advocacy group, was barred from entering the meeting. ACNAtoo also reported that another clergy staffer tried to compel an alleged abuse victim’s mother to leave the meeting.

“When we learned that people were turned away at the door and not allowed to come in to the sanctuary, we were horrified,” one member who attended the meeting said. “We don’t see how this is a place that is showing God’s love to the least or the lost.”

The Small Group Cone of Silence

1. Location, Location, Location

2. Be an Example

3. Small Group Confidentiality Agreement

4. Group Reminders

5. Turn Off Listening Devices

100 Remarkable Reasons to Give Thanks

Reasons to Give Thanks: The Place and Timing of Your Birth

Reasons to Give Thanks: Life Before You Can Remember

Give Thanks – It’s the Will of God

Toxic Church Cultures

Every Church Has Its Own Culture

The Fellowship of Low Expectations

7 Lessons Learned in a Time of Leadership Transition

1. Relationships matter more than anything else on earth.

2. Grieving takes time and wears a lot of disguises.

3. Pivoting is extremely hard but possible.

4. You are not your job.

5. It’s okay to turn the page.

6. The future isn’t as scary as you think it is.

7. Jesus is worthy.

Volunteer Devotion for Christmas: Big Presents, Little Package

12 DIY Gift Ideas for Christmas

1. Hot Cocoa Packets

2. Tea Bags

3. Hand Lotion or Warm Gloves

4. Hand Soap

5. Scented Candle

6. Christmas Cookies

7. Peppermint Bark or Mint Candies

8. Tree Ornaments

John Blanchard Steps Away Again

Spiritual Gifts: John Piper on What the Bible Says

‘Make It Your Aim To Love People for Christ’s Sake’

Congratulations on recently being named Artist of the Year at the GMA Dove Awards. What did it mean for you that this came after you recorded “Believe for It,” the name of your most recent album as well as your new book, and after 40 years in music ministry?

What do you think that recognition says about the state of the contemporary Christian music industry, given that you were the first African American female soloist to receive it?

Your new book focuses on your belief that older Christians can pass on their faith to young people. With a declining worship attendance across the United States, what advice do you have for the elders as they seek to do that?

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