11 Signs of an Emotionally Mature Christian

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October 18, 2022

emotionally mature christian — Lightstock #983358

Are you a mature Christian? Why are so many Christians judgmental, unaware and defensive? Part of the answer lies in a failure to biblically integrate emotional health and spiritual maturity.

A vast industry exists around emotional intelligence that ignores spirituality. A vast amount of information also exists that defines a “mature” Christian. Rarely are the two integrated.

11 Signs of an Emotionally Mature Christian:

1. You anchor your life in the love of Jesus.

You don’t divide your life into “secular” and “sacred” compartments. Instead, you rather enjoy communion with Him in all areas of your life—work, recreation, church and parenting. Toward that end, you regularly practice spiritual disciplines (e.g., meditation on Scripture, silence, solitude, community, confession, worship) to position yourself to practice His presence all throughout the day.

2. You break the power of the past.

You can identify how issues from your family of origin (e.g., character flaws, ways of coping with pain) impact your current relationships and decisions. As a result, you are reflective and open to feedback from trustworthy sources in order to minimize the negative impact of your past and live freely in the new family of Jesus.

3. You listen to your anger, sadness and fear.

You take the necessary time to experience and process these “difficult” emotions. Thus, you are able to express anger, hurt and sadness in ways that lead to growth in others and yourself.

4. You slow down for Sabbath.

You regularly set aside a 24-hour period in which you stop your work and practice Sabbath—setting a healthy limit around your paid and unpaid work. This rhythm of stopping, resting, delighting and contemplating God informs the structure of your week.

5. You recognize your brokenness and vulnerability.

People experience you as approachable, gentle, open and transparent. This is evidenced by the way you receive criticism without becoming defensive. You easily admit when you’re wrong and freely talk about your weaknesses, failures and mistakes.

How to Grow Small Groups – 5 Paradigm Shifts

By

Derek Olson

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October 18, 2022

how to grow small groups — Adobestock #537159163

While the phrase Paradigm Shift may be used and heard a lot today, the actual occurrence of one is still a rare sight, especially when considering how to grow small groups.

A paradigm shift can be defined as a dramatic change by members of a group or community in the cognitive framework of basic assumptions, ways of thinking, underlying suspicions and methodology. I believe a true paradigm shift in small group ministry can release a desperately needed disciple-making revolution in our churches.

For many years, small groups were seen merely as an assimilation tool. In other words, if you get new church attenders plugged-in to a small group, they won’t be able to sneak out the “back door.” While this was (and is) a real benefit of small groups, it was an isolated motivator that typically didn’t generate enough sustainable momentum for churches to eventually see the “back door” shrink or close.

Since then, small groups have been re-discovered as an oasis for community, transparency and best friends. In other words, you need a small group to form close-knit, Christian relationships in your life that allow you to be vulnerable and cared for. While this was (and is) a real benefit of small groups, it created two unforeseeable reactions:

A. Scared them away for good.

People who weren’t already in a group became reinforced in their lack of participation because they didn’t want any more relationships in their life. The thought of having to create new, deep bonds with strangers was an overwhelming one.

B. Unrealistic Expectations.

People got out of their comfort zones to visit a group, loaded with high expectations. When they arrived, and looked around, they had trouble seeing their future “bestie” across the room and left disappointed, never to return again.

I have personally navigated my way through these paradigms of small groups. In many churches, if we are going to learn how to do small groups, we will need a paradigm shift to unlock the potential God has hidden in them.

How to Grow Small Groups – 5 Paradigm Shifts

1. Promote spiritual growth more than you focus on how to grow small groups.

When your church is communicating to your people about upcoming opportunities to join a small group, talk more about what aspect of spiritual growth the group will be focusing on instead of the nuts and bolts of group life.

Can people meet new people at a small group? Yes.

Can people develop flourishing friendships over time at a small group? Sure, it’s possible…

But don’t talk about that!

Talk about the study the group is going to go through. Talk about how you believe people will grow as a result of going through the group curriculum. Elevate the value of participation in group life for personal development to the same levels that you also do for the weekend services, daily devotions, serving, giving etc.

Why? For one, it’s the truth; and two, it will give your people a healthy focus at the beginning while everyone gets comfortable and gets to know each other. When it comes to small groups, most American Christians tend to get excited about content before being hooked by community.

2. Your vision must be to see every single individual in the church connected into a small group.

Don’t move onto to the next point because you think that you’re already doing this. A lot of churches have this as their goal, but they’ve set the deadline five to six years down the road. I’m not talking about hitting this goal in five to six years, if you are truly interested in how to grow small groups, I’m talking about hitting it in the next five to six months.

It will radically alter your prayers and approach. You will begin asking questions you never asked before…

How many people are connected in groups right now?
How many groups would we need to connect every single person in our church?
How many new people will we need to find to spearhead all of the new groups?
What tweaks do we need to make to our ministry model to make it possible to hit our goal?

Remember: Your present ministry structure creates the perfect conditions for the current outcomes you have. If you’re looking for a dramatic difference in results of how to grow small groups, you’ll need a dramatically different design.

3. To grow small groups, the lead pastor must be the small group champion.

You can always have a volunteer or staff pastor lead the charge behind-the-scenes, but if you want your entire church to mobilize into groups, they need to hear it and feel it from their leader. This is the practical advice I give to lead pastors:

In the first week of a new groups launch, find one small group to visit one time. At the next weekend service, take the first one to two minutes of your message talking about your experience.

4. Your groups can’t be hardcore without an actual core.

If small groups and discipleship are going to grow in your church, the leadership core of the church must be all-in. In fact, without the core, things will just be hard.

Remember, it’s not the worship leader’s job to worship for the church. It’s also not the small group pastor’s job to do small groups for the church either. Jesus commanded all of us to “make disciples” (Matthew 28:19-20). When the church sees buy-in from the influencers regarding the church’s discipleship philosophy, it will remove any confusion about what the priorities should be in their own life.

If you’re the point person for group life at your church, please don’t use #3 and #4 as the catalyst to tear your clothes and proclaim a holy rebuke. Use these insights as fuel for prayer and as conversation starters with key leaders who know your heart.

5. The end-game of small group discipleship is to send out disciple-makers.

The end-game cannot simply be to get people connected to each other. Remember, we want to see people grow in our groups. Think about growth in your small group ministry in the following stages…

Seeing every single person connected in a group
Seeing people in groups grow from consuming to contributing
Seeing disciple-makers raised up within groups and sent out to start new groups

This mindset can take time to cultivate but it’s an important one to maintain for kingdom discipleship. Not everyone in small groups will eventually lead their own group one day, but there should be a few people in each group that are in the process of being sent out to fulfill the mission of disciple-making. This dynamic not only facilitates future growth, it raises the sense of significance for each group and provokes other group members to have a higher vision for their own spiritual formation as well.

I pray that one or more of these five paradigms spawn fresh waves of thought, ideas and energy for you. Which one(s) stand out to you the most?

This article about how to grow small groups originally appeared here.

Pumpkin Prayer Craft: Kids Will Love This Fun Fall Activity

By

Courtney Kirk

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October 17, 2022

Make a pumpkin prayer craft with kids in your Sunday school class or children’s ministry program. Children will have a blast while learning a lasting message about interacting with God. Read the tips below for a safe, powerful autumn activity.

No matter how your church or ministry approaches Halloween, it’s possible to turn our focus toward God. Here’s a great activity that’s a hit with kids.

How to Do a Pumpkin Prayer Craft

In our Sunday school class, kids sat in a circle while I carved a Jack-O-Lantern and shared the Pumpkin Prayer. I cheated a bit. Beforehand, I had cut the top off and cleaned out the inside, leaving just enough to pull out for that part of the prayer.

If I had thought about it, I would have roasted the seeds and let the kids eat them while listening and watching. I cut the eyes as we talked about “opening our eyes” to see God’s love. Then I cut the mouth as we talked about “sharing” God’s Word. You get the idea. And at the end, I placed a flashing LED light inside. Then kids could see our lights shining for God in all we say and do!

Then it was their turn. No, I was not too comfortable with the idea of handing a bunch of elementary kids sharp objects. So I passed out miniature pumpkins and these awesome acrylic paint markers. Then kids could draw their Jack-O-Lanterns to take home with the Pumpkin Prayer. (And down the road, they can use the markers to make prayer rocks or story stones. The possibilities are endless!)

Finally, I emailed the Pumpkin Prayer (below) to parents. I suggested that as a family, they carve pumpkins as they go through the prayer. We will see how many give it a shot!

This article about a pumpkin prayer craft for fall originally appeared here.

Ex-Atheist Lee Strobel Shares 4 Powerful Facts That Prove Jesus Resurrected from the Dead

By

Kelsey Straeter

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October 17, 2022

Atheist turned Christian apologist Lee Strobel is one man who is not easily swayed without evidence.

When he was the legal editor of The Chicago Tribune, Strobel says, “I would have smirked at the fact Easter (in 2018) fell on April Fool’s Day because back then I thought anyone would have to be a fool to think that Jesus literally rose from the dead.”

But after discovering what he can only describe as an “avalanche of historical data” in his quest to disprove the Resurrection, the famed Case for Christ author can no longer refute that Jesus Christ IS who he said he is — the resurrected Son of God.

In the video below, Strobel outlined four major reasons that prove Jesus died AND rose from the dead.

Firstly, there’s no dispute among scholars that Jesus was dead after being crucified. Even renowned atheist and medical journals agree it’s “historically indisputable” that he was, in fact, dead. Strobel also points to the fact that very early reports of Jesus’ resurrection and an empty tomb (that even Jesus’ enemies attested to) prove the accounts can’t be written off as legend. Lastly, the ex-atheist explains that numerous ancient sources both inside and outside the New Testament confirm and corroborate the conviction of the disciples that they encountered the resurrected Christ.

Strobel says upon his conversion, he did not have a rush of emotion as many do, but rather the “rush of reason” after seeing Jesus’ claims were backed by historical evidence that could not be denied:

“I had the rush of reason because the Resurrection of Jesus is not some April Fool’s Day joke, it is a historical reality based not on mythology or make-believe or wishful thinking, but a solid foundation of historical truth.”

When I was an atheist and legal editor of the Chicago Tribune, I would have smirked at the fact that Easter this year falls on April Fool’s Day. Because back then I thought that anyone would have to be a fool to think that Jesus literally rose from the dead. One day my wife gave me the news that she’d become a Christian and so I decided to take my journalism training and legal training and debunk the resurrection of Jesus. So I spent two years of my life analyzing the historical data. And what I found really shocked me. I recounted in my book The Case for Miracles.

Beth Moore on Cremation, the Silence of God and What She Would Bring to Your Potluck

By

Jessica Lea

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October 17, 2022

At a Living Proof Live event in Colorado Springs, Colorado, this past weekend, author and Bible teacher Beth Moore exhorted attendees to persevere in holding on to the confession of their faith in Jesus amid a culture that is increasingly chaotic. During the final session of the event, Moore took audience questions, some of which were lighthearted and some of which were spiritually heavy.

Beth Moore: Hold Fast to Our Glorious Confession

The Living Proof Live event took place the evening of Friday, Oct. 14, and the morning of Saturday, Oct. 15. Beth Moore’s teaching was interspersed with worship led by Travis Cottrell.

Moore told her audience that she was not there to entertain them, but to study the Bible alongside them, and she invited attendees to approach the weekend “with a sincere heart,” that is, however their hearts were at the time. Moore said that her heart was in a particularly tender posture that weekend as her dog of 14 1/2 years had died and her mother-in-law had just passed away.

“I go this weekend with a tender heart but still joyful and without reluctance,” said Moore in an Instagram post ahead of the event. “Even the devil himself cannot do anything God cannot use to his glory as you serve or the Lord would not permit it. Let’s go forth presenting our full selves to the Lord: all our sorrows, joys, all our concerns, in tenderness or numbness, when such is the case.”

Moore took Hebrews 10:11-25 as a central passage for her teaching that weekend, drawing parallels between it and Hebrews 4:14-16. A key verse she focused on was Hebrews 10:23, which says, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” The author and Bible teacher said that the older she gets, the more convinced she is “there is nothing out there that competes with the gospel.”

Throughout the weekend, Moore dwelt on the concept of “confession.” What does it mean to confess Jesus? Are we clinging to beliefs that are of “first importance,” as opposed to those that are secondary to the gospel? And how do we articulate that confession in a culture that feels increasingly alien? Moore encouraged attendees that followers of Jesus have an “articulate doctrine,” a “coherent worldview” and a “gloriously good confession.” But how are we currently responding to that confession?

“If you are in Christ, he has never let go of you,” she said, “but I’m going to tell you that the action of faith is when we respond by holding tight.”

Beth Moore developed her weekend teaching around the following five points:

Let us hold on firmly to the faith we profess.
Let us be confident we have a gloriously good confession.
Let us learn to articulate our gloriously good confession.
Our boldness in prayer will not exceed our belief.
The ultimate blood-bought miracle of prayer is no mere answer. It’s access.

To help attendees with point #3, Moore led the audience several times through some interactive exercises, including reciting Hebrews 10:23 and memorizing 12 words or phrases (e.g., “Son of God,” “sinless,” “risen”) that represent beliefs that are fundamental to the gospel.

It Costs as Much as $1,000 a Ticket To See Elevation Worship in LA. Why?

By

Dale Chamberlain

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October 17, 2022

Elevation Church’s worship group, named Elevation Worship, is going on a West Coast tour, which includes stops in San Diego, Las Vegas, Oakland, Sacramento, Seattle, and Los Angeles. Called “Elevation Nights,” the tour will feature appearances from Elevation Church senior pastor Steven Furtick.

“It’s gonna be me, Holly, Elevation Worship…Unbelievable, these nights,” Furtick said as he stood alongside his wife, Holly Furtick, in a promotional video.

Many have expressed excitement that Elevation Worship, an award-winning musical collective whose songs are used in church worship services around the nation every weekend, is coming to a city near them.

However, after attempting to purchase tickets, some have been left reeling from sticker shock.

Elevation Worship Ticket Prices

While fans can find tickets for as low as $11.43 a seat in a section toward the back of the Oakland Arena and $20 a seat for the very back row of the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, if worshippers want a front row seat to see Elevation Worship at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles on November 3, they should expect to pay $1,080.25 a seat plus booking fees—which bring the total to $1,240.15 for one seat. Parking is an additional $45 to $60.

For the Kia Forum concert, the cheapest seat still available in the floor section is $84.75, and some other seats one section up are available for between $60 to $70. Seats on the back row of the uppermost terrace cost $44.75.

Given the fact that the concerts will essentially take the form of a worship service, with praise songs accompanied by a sermon, some are questioning why many of the tickets are so expensive.

While critics have been quick to cite high ticket prices as evidence of Furtick and Elevation Church taking advantage of an opportunity to line their pockets, it is notable that the cost of concert tickets has soared across the board in recent years. In fact, the average concert ticket has more than tripled in price since the middle of the 1990s.

In a segment of Last Week Tonight aired earlier this year, John Oliver sought to explain this trend and how companies like Ticketmaster, which are facilitating ticket sales for these Elevation Worship events, may be to blame.

“It is no secret Ticketmaster is horrible,” Oliver said. “But exactly how it is horrible is genuinely interesting.”

After Being Shot, NFL Rookie Focuses on God’s ‘Bigger Purpose for Me’

By

Stephanie Martin

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October 17, 2022

Scoring your first NFL touchdown is always special. But for Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr., the milestone will be extra memorable. On October 13, the 23-year-old rookie ran for the winning score against the Chicago Bears—less than two months after being shot in an attempted robbery.

In post-game interviews, Robinson credited his mother and teammates for their encouragement and thanked God for having a plan for his life. Although the athlete admits “it was tough” hearing the same positive messages so often, he says they made a difference in his recovery process.

“I truly believe God’s got a bigger purpose for me,” says Robinson. “And I’ve just gotta live through him every day.”

Brian Robinson Jr. Survived Robbery Attempt

While out with friends in D.C. on the evening of August 28, Brian Robinson Jr. was the victim of an attempted robbery and carjacking. During the encounter with two teenage assailants, the athlete was shot twice in the leg. Facing surgery and an uncertain future was “probably the lowest point I’ve ever been in my life,” admits Robinson.

“My passion for this game runs so deep,” he adds. “I never thought I’d be in a situation where I had to question or be questioned about if I could return to playing football.”

Just two days after being shot, Robinson was back in the team’s facility. And by September 14, he had returned to practice. “It was tough,” he admits. “I just had to keep my head high and focus on what I really want in my life. I want to be a football player, I wanted to get back on the football field. So I did everything I needed to do in my power, strength-wise, mentally-wise to get myself back on the field.”

Robinson, an Alabama native, won two national championships with the University of Alabama Crimson Tide, rushing for more than 1,400 yards during the 2021 season. This spring, the Commanders selected Robinson in the third round of the NFL draft.

Running Back Thanks God for ‘Another Opportunity’

Speaking to reporters after his game-winning TD against the Bears, Brian Robinson Jr. described being on “cloud nine” and expressed gratitude to God, his teammates, and his family. I’m “thankful God gave me another opportunity to come back out here and do it all over again,” the running back told Scott Van Pelt on ESPN’s “Sports Center.”

Suit: California Teacher Says Bright Horizons Fired Her for Exercising Religious Belief

By

Alejandra Molina

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October 17, 2022

LOS ANGELES (RNS) — A Southern California teacher has sued Bright Horizons Children’s Center, an international childcare program, claiming religious discrimination after she said she was terminated for refusing to read children’s books promoting same-sex marriage.

Nelli Parisenkova, who was an associate teacher at Bright Horizons in Studio City for four years, said she’s a devout Christian and that her religious beliefs teach her that “marriage is a sacred covenant divinely instituted by God as a lifelong union between one man and one woman,” according to the lawsuit filed Thursday (Oct. 13) in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Parisenkova is being represented by the Thomas More Society. Bright Horizons has not responded to a request for comment. The suit claims religious discrimination, wrongful termination, harassment based on religion and retaliation. It seeks compensatory damages for future loss of earnings and costs of seeking other employment.

Among the books Parisenkova took issue with were: “Mommy, Mama, and Me,” “Daddy, Papa, and Me” and “Love Makes a Family.”

“Reading such books to children would violate her religious beliefs and constitute promotion of intimate relationships and choices that are contrary to the teachings of her faith,” the lawsuit reads.

On a hot day in early April when children could not go outside, Parisenkova said she felt pressured to read the books promoting same-sex marriage and same-sex parenting to the children. Five of the 12 books available contained such content, according to the lawsuit.

While the children napped, Parisenkova claimed she asked a lead teacher if it was OK to remove those particular books. The teacher agreed but later reported the interaction to the director of the Bright Horizons location, according to the claim.

The book removal request angered the director who told Parisenkova that, “if you cannot celebrate with us, then Bright Horizons is not a place for you,” the lawsuit states. Parisenkova was then told she had to immediately leave the center, was given an administrative leave memo and was escorted by a security guard. With no immediate ride, she claimed she waited outside in 96-degree heat for 45 minutes.

Parisenkova submitted a written request for a religious accommodation that was denied.

Bright Horizons then issued another memo requiring Parisenkova to undergo training, to, as the teacher noted in the claim, “comply with the company policy of promoting same-sex marriage and same-sex parenting.” Failure to “celebrate diversity” would represent grounds for “disciplinary action up to and including termination,” according to the suit.

Native Americans Recall Torture, Hatred at Boarding Schools

By

Matthew Brown

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October 17, 2022

AP22288779646385 — Rosalie Whirlwind Soldier talks about the abuse she suffered at a Native American boarding school on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in Mission, S.D., Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022. Whirlwind Soldier recalled being locked in a basement at the school for weeks as a punishment. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown)

MISSION, S.D. (AP) — After her mother died when Rosalie Whirlwind Soldier was just four years old, she was put into a Native American boarding school in South Dakota and told her native Lakota language was “devil’s speak.”

She recalls being locked in a basement at St. Francis Indian Mission School for weeks as punishment for breaking the school’s strict rules. Her long braids were shorn in a deliberate effort to stamp out her cultural identify. And when she broke her leg in an accident, Whirlwind Soldier said she received shoddy care leaving her with pain and a limp that still hobbles her decades later.

“I thought there was no God, just torture and hatred,” Whirlwind Soldier testified during a Saturday event on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation led by U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, as the agency confronts the bitter legacy of a boarding school system that operated in the U.S. for more than a century.

Now 78 and still living on the reservation, Whirlwind Soldier said she was airing her horrific experiences in hopes of finally getting past them.

“The only thing they didn’t do was put us in (an oven) and gas us,” she said, comparing the treatment of Native Americans in the U.S. in the 19th and 20th centuries to the Jewish Holocaust during World War II.

“But I let it go,” she later added. “I’m going to make it.”

Saturday’s event was the third in Haaland’s yearlong “Road to Healing” initiative for victims of abuse at government-backed boarding schools, after previous stops in Oklahoma and Michigan.

Starting with the Indian Civilization Act of 1819, the U.S. enacted laws and policies to establish and support the schools. The stated goal was to “civilize” Native Americans, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians, but that was often carried out through abusive practices. Religious and private institutions that ran many of the schools received federal funding and were willing partners.

Most closed their doors long ago and none still exist to strip students of their identities. But some, including St. Francis, still function as schools — albeit with drastically different missions that celebrate the cultural backgrounds of their Native students.

Former St. Francis student Ruby Left Hand Bull Sanchez traveled hundreds of miles from Denver to attend Saturday’s meeting. She cried as she recalled almost being killed as a child when a nun stuffed lye soap down her throat in response to Sanchez praying in her native language.

“I want the world to know,” she said.

Accompanying Haaland was Wizipan Garriott, a Rosebud Sioux member and principal deputy assistant secretary for Indian affairs. Garriott described how boarding schools were part of a long history of injustices against his people that began with the widespread extermination of their main food source — bison, also known as buffalo.

“First they took our buffalo. Then our land was taken, then our children, and then our traditional form of religion, spiritual practices,” he said. “It’s important to remember that we Lakota and other Indigenous people are still here. We can go through anything.”

The first volume of an investigative report released by the Interior Department in May identified more than boarding 400 schools that the federal government supported beginning in the late 19th century and continuing well into the 1960s. It also found at least 500 children died at some of the schools, though that number is expected to increase dramatically as research continues.

Pope Extends Reform Process for Year Amid Apathy, Criticism

By

Nicole Winfield

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October 17, 2022

pope francis reforms — Pope Francis blesses the faithful from his studio's window overlooking St. Peter's Square on the occasion of the Angelus noon prayer at the Vatican, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022.(AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has decided to extend by a year a lengthy global consultation of ordinary Catholics about the future of the Catholic Church, amid limited participation by the laity and seeming resistance to his reforms from the hierarchy.

Francis announced Sunday that the planned 2023 gathering of bishops would now take place in two stages — one session in October 2023 and a second in October 2024 — to allow more time to find a way forward.

Francis in 2021 formally opened a two-year consultation process on the topic of “synodality,” or a more decentralized structure of the church with the laity having a greater role. The process is part of Francis’ long-term goal of making the church more inclusive, participatory and responsive to real-world issues facing ordinary Catholics.

As part of the process, the Vatican asked dioceses, religious orders and other Catholic groups to embark on local listening sessions so ordinary Catholics could talk about their needs and hopes for the church. Bishops conferences in August reported back the results, and an organizing committee recently met near Rome and completed a synthesis document.

But several dioceses and bishops conferences reported minimal participation. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, for example, reported 700,000 people participated in the consultation, in a country of 66.8 million Catholics. Many European countries also reported participation rates below 10%.

In addition, many of Francis’ opponents have scoffed at the entire initiative. A leading critic and former Vatican official, Cardinal Gerhard Mueller of Germany, recently warned that it represented a “hostile takeover” of the church. Others have pointed to a similar consultation process underway in Germany that has badly divided the church, amid debate on hot-button issues such as sexual morality, women in leadership roles and the church’s treatment of LGBTQ Catholics.

Announcing the yearlong extension Sunday, Francis said the fruits of this first phase had been many “but in order to reach a full maturity, it’s necessary that we not rush things.” Adding in another year, he said, would allow for a “more extended discernment.”

“I trust that this decision will lead to an understanding of synodality as a constitutive dimension of the church, and to help everyone live it as a path of brothers and sisters who offer witness to the joy of the Gospel,” Francis said in his noon blessing overlooking St. Peter’s Square.

Already, the Vatican office organizing the meeting had extended by several months the deadline to let ordinary dioceses and bishops conferences report back. That office said Sunday the decision to extend the whole process by another year would “foster more mature reflection for the greater good of the church.”

It’s not the first time that Francis has split a synod meeting up into two sessions, with a year of breathing room in between them. He did that for his synod on the family, which took place over the course of two sessions in 2014 and 2015, and resulted in his 2016 document that opened the door to letting divorced and civilly remarried Catholics receive Communion.

This article originally appeared here.

Prominent Chicago Priest Accused of Sexual Abuse of Minor

By

AP News

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October 17, 2022

CHICAGO (AP) — A Catholic priest who gained national fame as an activist has been asked to step away from his ministry while allegations that he sexually abused a minor decades ago are investigated.

The development came a little more than a year after another probe cleared the priest, the Rev. Michael Pfleger, of allegations that he sexually abused children.

In a letter sent Saturday, Cardinal Blase Cupich said Pfleger was asked to relinquish his duties at the church, Faith Community of Saint Sabina, after allegations were made that he sexually abused a minor decades ago.

Pfleger “has agreed to cooperate fully with this request,” Cupich said, adding that the archdiocese has notified the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and law enforcement officials as required by archdiocese policies.

The accuser is a man in his late 40s who said Pfleger on two occasions abused him in the late 1980s during choir rehearsals in the Saint Sabina rectory, according to a statement released by a spokesperson for the man’s attorney, Eugene Hollander. The attorney did not elaborate on the allegations.

In his own statement to the parish on the city’s South Side that he has led for decades, Pfleger said he had done nothing wrong.

“Let me be clear – I am completely innocent of this accusation,” he wrote, telling his parish he was confident that the allegation would be “determined to be unfounded” and that he would be reinstated.

Pfleger, who is white, leads a Black church in Chicago’s largely Black and low-income Auburn Gresham neighborhood. His activism captured the attention of film director Spike Lee, who based a character played by actor John Cusack in the 2015 film “Chi-Raq” on Pfleger.

Pfleger has made national headlines for his activism on an array of issues, opposing cigarette and alcohol advertising, taking on drug dealers and stores that sell drug paraphernalia, and leading countless protests. He has even been sued for his activism and once said it “has resulted in jealousy, attacks and hate.”

In May of last year, four months after Pfleger was asked to step aside from his duties while similar allegations involving a minor more than 40 years earlier were investigated, he was reinstated by the archdiocese after the probe found “insufficient reason to suspect” he sexually abused children.

This article originally appeared here.

Scholar and Preacher Jonathan Lee Walton Named Next President of Princeton Seminary

By

Adelle M Banks

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October 17, 2022

(RNS) — The Rev. Jonathan Lee Walton, an academician, preacher and administrator who has served on the faculties of Wake Forest and Harvard divinity schools, has been named the next president of Princeton Theological Seminary.

He will be the first Black president of the seminary, which was founded in 1812, and is to officially begin his new role on Jan. 1, 2023.

Walton, 49, who has been dean of Wake Forest University’s School of Divinity in North Carolina and dean of its chapel since 2019, will succeed President M. Craig Barnes, who has led Princeton’s seminary since 2013.

“Theological education is at an inflection point,” Walton said in a statement in the seminary’s Friday (Oct. 14) announcement. “The church is changing. Society is changing. So we need clear-minded, faith-informed professionals who can speak hope, equity, and healing in all fields of human endeavor.”

Walton, whose scholarship has included evangelical Christianity, political culture and mass media, is the author of “Watch This! The Ethics and Aesthetics of Black Televangelism” and “A Lens of Love: Reading the Bible in Its World for Our World.”

The ordained Baptist minister will be returning to his alma mater, where he earned his doctoral degree in 2006 and his master of divinity in 2002.

“Dr. Walton’s profound commitment to scholarship and strong leadership experience perfectly position him to advance Princeton Seminary’s mission to serve as a vital and engaging hub for pastoral formation, Christian theology, and leadership generally,” said Michael Fisch, chair of the seminary’s trustee board, in a statement.

Eddie S. Glaude, a university professor at Princeton University, welcomed the decision about Walton.

“He will model excellence for the students and faculty, and he will help lead the way to revitalizing theological education in the 21st century,” Glaude said in a statement. “This is a historic appointment, and I can think of no one better suited for the tasks ahead.”

Early this year, the seminary’s board voted to dissociate the name of anti-abolitionist and slaveholder Samuel Miller from the school’s chapel. The action followed a petition and demonstrations by the school’s Association of Black Seminarians and allies. It is now known as the Seminary Chapel.

Cooperative Program Helps Fuel Send Relief’s International Ministry Projects

By

Timothy Cockes

-

October 17, 2022

NASHVILLE (BP) – While the damage caused by natural disasters and the devastation of the war in Ukraine continue to make headlines, giving to the Cooperative Program is continuing to fund the compassion ministry of Send Relief around the world.

Send Relief is the Southern Baptist compassion ministry that is a joint effort between the North American Mission Board and International Mission Board focused on providing practical and spiritual aid to those in need.

Focus areas of Send Relief include responding to crises, protecting children and families, caring for refugees, fighting human trafficking and strengthening communities.

Jason Cox, vice president of international ministry for Send Relief, told Baptist Press that none of these avenues of ministry, including those happening overseas, would be possible without the support of Southern Baptists through the Cooperative Program.

“The importance of the Cooperative Program to the international work of Send Relief is best quantified in the people the CP supports and the missionary presence it enables around the world,” Cox said in comments to Baptist Press.

“What excites me most about Send Relief today are reports of lives changed for eternity through our projects. Everything we do is modeled after the life and ministry of Christ and in obedience to His commands,” Cox said.

“Everything we do is Gospel-focused. The works of compassion that we facilitate give expression to the Gospel through word and deed. Hundreds of thousands of people don’t just see the gospel but hear the gospel through Send Relief projects every year,” said Cox.

He says this year more than a thousand people have responded to the Gospel through Send Relief’s efforts related to the war in Ukraine.

Send Relief oversees personnel organizing aid projects are all IMB missionaries, according to Cox.

“IMB missionary presence is critical to Send Relief because the vast majority of the compassion ministry projects we facilitate are through IMB missionaries,” Cox said. “We rely directly on the generous giving of Southern Baptists through the CP to keep our Send Relief team on the field.

According to Cox, Send Relief currently has 354 active compassion ministry projects going on around the world, which support the work of IMB missionaries and their partners.

“Because Send Relief supports the work of IMB missionary teams and their local partners, the relief and development projects we facilitate are designed to enhance and expand those teams’ field strategies to engage in the missionary task. This simply would not be possible without the support provided through the CP.”

He said two of the biggest areas Send Relief has been able to provide aid in the last few years are related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

Ironically, the unique challenges of the pandemic resulted in an increase in Send Relief’s work internationally.

“The work of Send Relief is typically most visible when we are responding to crisis, but the COVID-19 pandemic presented us with a crisis unlike we’ve ever experienced in our lifetime,” Cox said.

“In a world of lockdowns and social distancing, and throughout repeated disruptions experienced by our ministry partners on the field, the work of Send Relief actually expanded and accelerated during the pandemic. The number of Send Relief international projects increased by 75 percent from 2019 to 2020.

“Since the pandemic began, Send Relief has facilitated 597 Covid relief projects impacting over 1.7 million people. Most importantly, more than 14,000 people have professed faith in Christ through the ministries and strategies directly supported by these relief projects.”

Regarding the crisis in Ukraine, Send Relief has been “actively engaged,” since it began, providing aid to people in desperate need.

State of the Bible: Printed Bibles More Popular Than Apps

By

Diana Chandler

-

October 17, 2022

PHILADELPHIA (BP) — Printed Bibles remain the most popular choice among Bible readers, the American Bible Society (ABS) said in its latest installment of the 2022 State of the Bible.

Bible readers who classify as Scripture engaged, meeting more stringent criteria of Bible use, are also overwhelmingly more successful in unconditionally forgiving those who wrong them, ABS said in the study’s seventh chapter released Oct. 13 and focused on how Bible users interact with Scripture.

“You might think no one is reading printed Bibles anymore,” researchers posed in the report. “Actually, print is still the Bible format used most often. Nearly seven of 10 Bible users say they have read on their own in the past month from a printed version of the Bible, but several tech options are vying for second place, chosen by nearly half of Bible users.”

Specifically, 69 percent of Bible users read from the printed Bible within the month preceding the query, and 48 percent used a Bible app on a phone, tablet or computer, ABS said, with the categories overlapping. Among additional delivery methods, 46 percent watched a Bible-oriented program, 46 percent searched for Bible content online, 29 percent enrolled in an app-based Bible reading plan, and 28 percent listened to a Bible-related podcast.

Printed Scripture remains popular across generations, although younger adults ages 18-57 are more likely to engage online than adults older than 57. A majority of younger adults (69 percent) and older adults (75 percent) read printed Scripture within the previous month. But younger adults engaged with Bible apps more than older adults within the preceding month, 53 percent compared to 35 percent, ABS said.

The Bible has transformed the lives of those who read it, ABS said. Among Bible users, 92 percent said the Bible’s message had transformed their lives, with only 8 percent seeing no personal transformation. Even those who don’t use the Bible at least three times a year – ABS’s benchmark for categorizing people as Bible users – 38 percent agreed that the Bible has transformed their lives. Non-Bible users have encountered Scripture through occasional church attendance or through personal conversations, ABS reasoned.

“Of course, we wish more Americans would interact with Scripture on a regular basis,” ABS said in the report, “but this is a noteworthy statistic. Of the 155 million non-Bible users in America, nearly 60 million would say the Bible message has transformed them.

Describing forgiveness as one of the most difficult biblical mandates to achieve, ABS found that Bible users who ranked as “Scripture engaged” reported more success in forgiving others regardless of whether those who wronged them apologized and sought forgiveness.

Among the Scripture engaged, 47 percent strongly agreed and 47 percent somewhat agreed with the statement, “I am able to sincerely forgive whatever someone has done to me, regardless of whether they ever ask for forgiveness or not.” Among the Bible disengaged, only 11 percent strongly agreed with the statement, 48 percent somewhat agreed, and 40 percent disagreed somewhat or strongly.

ABS judges scripture engagement based on responses to 14 survey questions centered on the frequency of Bible use and its impact on the lives of readers, revealing what researchers consider a “high-fidelity, numerical measure of holistic Scripture engagement among U.S. Bible users.”

In exploring ways to increase Bible use, the research found the most promising indications among those who approach Scripture by reading one or more chapters or a complete story at a time. In that category, 48 percent were more likely to increase their Bible reading. In other categories, 42 percent of those who follow a schedule, plan or program are more likely to increase their Bible reading, compared to 24 percent of those who read the Bible at the same time each day.

“In our churches and ministries, we need to keep meeting people wherever they are” researchers wrote. “Show them how to make the Bible a part of everyday life. Show them how it addresses their issues. And always recognize the transforming work God is doing in each of them.”

ABS researchers collaborated with the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center to survey a nationally representative group of American adults on topics related to the Bible, faith and the church. The study conducted online via telephone produced 2,598 responses from a representative sample of adults 18 and older in all 50 states and Washington D.C.

The seventh chapter of the study, along with the first six chapters already released, is available here. Additional chapters are slated for release through December.

This article originally appeared at Baptist Press.

Hope Church Utah Sees Spiritual Fruit in the Salt Lake Valley

By

Timothy Cockes

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October 17, 2022

utah_church — Pastor Ben Heile baptizes a young man at Hope Church in Salt Lake City, Utah. (submitted photo)

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (BP) – While considering locations to plant a church, Ben Heile determined the unique evangelistic opportunity available in Salt Lake City matched perfectly with his own desires and giftings.

Heile now lives in the Salt Lake Valley with his wife Rachael and three daughters, where he serves as the pastor of preaching and teaching at Hope Church Utah.

A Southern Seminary graduate, Heile and his family were sent out by Highview Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., pastored at the time by NAMB President Kevin Ezell.

Heile told Baptist Press he and his wife believed using their gifts and abilities in the Salt Lake City community made sense.

“We just sat down with pen and paper, and thought about what is Salt Lake City and what are Ben and Rachael?,” Heile said.

“We looked at how ministry there matched up with who God has made us to be with our experiences and our giftings,” Heile said. “It was the most missional opportunity that we could see for our lives, so we jumped at it.”

Shortly after launching Hope Church in 2014, the church planting journey became even more of a family endeavor for Heile, as his parents moved to the Salt Lake area, along with his two younger brothers and their families.

He said his parents were “moving as grandparents, but wanted to be missionaries.”

These close-knit relationships have helped Heile and Hope Church minister within the distinct evangelistic context of Salt Lake.

Heile explained Utah, and specifically, Salt Lake City is the historic home of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), commonly referred to as Mormons or Mormonism.

According to Heile, most of the population has the LDS belief system as their active religion or as a part of their background.

He said the main hurdles in communication between evangelical Christianity and the LDS belief system begin with terminology.

“They have a different set of definitions for the words that we use than we do,” Heile said. “We have to share the Gospel in an intentional way in order for people to even hear it. It takes time to get to know individuals and help them see the differences and why we believe what we believe.”

The influence of the belief system can be clearly seen in the community, as the LDS are a massive majority while evangelical Christianity is a massive minority.

Even the city’s street addresses serve as evidence, as they are presented as numbers that indicate the distance that particular location is from the LDS temple downtown.

The lack of evangelical Christianity doesn’t discourage Heile, but provides excitement instead.

“There are lost people everywhere, but it’s extremely exciting to be in a place where you’re an extreme minority religiously because then every conversation you’re speaking to somebody that’s a blank slate,” Heile said. “We really like the idea of being in a place where everything that we did would be useful just because there are so few other people doing it.”

Because so many in Salt Lake come from an LDS background, Heile said Hope Church wants to focus on building long-term relationships that extend the hospitality and love of Christ.

“We just have realized over and over again that hearing the Gospel verbally is the most important thing, but only part of how someone encounters Christianity,” Heile said. “You really want someone to be involved with seeing the Gospel lived as well as spoken.

“The runway for somebody to come to faith can be very lengthy and so the relationship has to be firm enough to last for that whole runway. Consistent prayer, hospitality and long-form life and love with people that are far from God are things that we get really excited about. We just want people to know the joy that comes from knowing Christ.”

Despite facing challenges as the spiritual minority in the community, Hope Church has seen great spiritual fruit in its eight years of ministry, including growing its congregation to nearly 200 attendees and seeing many professions of faith and baptisms.

Yet, the focus for Hope is not only on the here and now, but on the future.

“We’re hoping to find and equip the next generation of planters here,” Heile said.

“We try to facilitate partnerships that might turn into planters coming, but we are also trying to raise up people locally that can start new ministry work and be relational evangelists throughout our city.”

Derwin Gray on Healthy Ministry and Building Character Before Building a Platform

By

Jason Daye

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October 17, 2022

As ministry leaders, we can often focus on building a platform and making the biggest impact possible without first and continuously, allowing Jesus to establish value and build character in our own lives. In this conversation on FrontStage BackStage, host Jason Daye is joined by Dr. Derwin Gray, founding and lead pastor of Transformation Church, just south of Charlotte, North Carolina. Together, Derwin and Jason look at the priorities and the values that Jesus wants to establish in your life. And then Derwin gives a backstage peek into the spiritual disciplines that he finds most vital in helping sustain a thriving life and ministry.

FrontStage BackStage Podcast Guest Derwin Gray

Watch the entire podcast here.

Keep Learning

Looking to dig more deeply into this topic and conversation? Every week we go the extra mile and create a free toolkit so you and your ministry team can dive deeper into the topic that is discussed. Find your Weekly Toolkit here…Love well, Live well, Lead well!

Podcast Links

Additional Resources

God, Do You Hear Me? by Derwin Gray – Derwin guides you in learning and living the prayer that God always answers, The Lord’s Prayer

DerwinLGray.com – Derwin’s website where you will find free ministry resources, updates on new books he is releasing, sermon podcast, and more

Transformation Church – The church in Indian Land, South Carolina, that Derwin and Vicki Gray planted

Connect with Derwin Gray – Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Follow PastorServe – LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or just want to talk? Complimentary 1-hour Coaching Session for Pastors http://PastorServe.org/freesession

Counting What Counts: Soft and Hard Metrics

By

Allen White

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October 17, 2022

thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Numbers are important. You want to know if you are succeeding, failing, or holding steady. These hard metrics can be encouraging or even exciting. They can also be motivating. If your small groups are lagging in some way, then you can kick it into high gear, recruit more leaders, and get more groups started. Everybody likes numbers that climb up and to the right. But, when numbers start falling, you might feel all of your efforts don’t count. The good news is that numbers are only part of the equation.

Hard Metrics aren’t the Only Factor

Numbers are hard metrics: names on rosters, number of groups, meetings attended, verses memorized. Hard numbers don’t paint the entire picture. You also need to look at soft metrics: stories being told, how God is working through groups, lives being changed, problems overcome, next steps achieved, and so on.

In a recent episode of the Church Pulse Weekly podcast, Bill Willits reflected on this ministry season at North Point, “We’ve been averaging 35-40 percent of what we would typically connect in our short-term and long-term groups. I think that’s [because of] Covid. It’s been a challenging, challenging season.” Bill continued, “[Weekend] attendance is running between 40-50 percent compared to pre-Covid at North Point. We are looking at about a third of the typically connections we would see in a fall season.” Clearly, those are disappointing results for North Point and for your church as well.

In this challenging season like in every church, the North Point team has to navigate the emotions surrounding the ministry. Bill adds, “One of the biggest things is just reminding our team, ‘Let’s make sure that the people taking the step are finding a great experience. Let’s make sure that we are helping to onboard new groups, new group leaders and their members well.’ We are putting in a lot of touch points in the first 90 days of a new group just to make sure…that this experience in really unique times is still a good one. It’s taking a lot more effort.” Are you feeling that in your fall launch right now?

“For a staff going into a connection season when you’re used to having a [high] level of engagement, it can be a major bummer to have a [much lower] level of engagement. We keep reminding staff that in this unique time, we are dialing down the euphoria about numbers and let’s dial up stories about people who are having meaningful group experiences.”

Things You Might Have Overlooked

When your numbers are strong, things are usually moving pretty fast. You probably don’t slow down to look at what’s happening with your coaches, your leaders, and your groups because too much is happening. But, when things aren’t moving fast enough, you can follow one of two approaches: frustration or evaluation.

If you expect things to work the way they always have, you will live in a lot of frustration. The world has changed. The culture has changed. New approaches are necessary in a new culture. Longing for the good old days of 2019 isn’t going to propel you forward. In fact, it will discourage you to the point of giving up. You and I both know pastors who have left the ministry in the last 18 months. When things aren’t happening fast enough for you, it’s time to slow down.

If you choose evaluation, then you ask yourself if what you’re doing is still effectively fulfilling the Great Commission. Be willing to strip away all of the plans and programs down to their core. What should you keep? What should you end? What new thing should you try? What does this make possible?

Another big question is: What is your current system producing? Are you seeing leaders developed? Are you seeing people become more like Christ? Do you see an increase in selflessness and a decrease in selfishness?

What you’ve been doing is not wrong. But, it’s not working at the level it once did. Riding this season out is not the answer. It’s time to take the thing apart – strip it down all of the way, evaluate each piece, and decide what to invest in.

Think About This

Counting your groups and leaders is important. After all, you count your money, why wouldn’t you count your people? People are far more important than money. Counting is important, but it’s not all important. The metrics that matter the most are difficult to measure. How are you creating environments where disciple-making can take place? How are you multiplying yourself? Are people coming to Christ? How are people becoming more like Christ? Who has surprised you by stepping forward to lead a group for the first time? What is God doing in your groups?

Be encouraged. You matter. Your work matters. God is using you. There’s much to do. There’s much to celebrate.

This article on soft and hard metrics originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

Your Sunday Guest Experience Checklist

By

Eugene Mason

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October 17, 2022

I think there are many aspects more important to the health and biblical function of a church than an “excellent guest experience.” Frankly, if we’re really “being” the church in our own lives and as a body, people will know it and Christ will draw them to Himself through it.

At the same time, evaluating a guest experience is one of many ways to determine if the church organization is “firing on all cylinders,” and functioning in these practical aspects to the very best of our ability.

Preparing to welcome guests and members, and planning adequately for the demands of a weekend service schedule, is just practical and necessary. I’ve created this guest experience checklist for a typical Sunday morning routine at church. The list is certainly not comprehensive, and I welcome suggested additions from readers.

Worship Room Setup:

Adequate lighting to walk at all times.

Comfortable temperature achieved (68-72 degrees) prior to sound check (temperature changes after this time will affect sound in room, quality of vocalists, tuning of instruments).

Service schedule/outline given to all worship leaders and technical personnel; any last-minute changes clearly communicated to all who have a role in the service(s).

Chairs/pews clean; stains removed from seating areas and carpets.

Doors open and close silently so people entering/leaving do not distract worshippers.

In-seat supplies (offering envelopes, pens, hymnals, Bibles, etc.) replenished and in good condition.

Video screen(s) have helpful information scrolling before and between services.

Soft, pleasant music playing before and between services (should be in background to encourage worshippers to prepare for service — avoid “making a statement” with background music).

Technical checks have been completed before any guest or member enters room for worship; no sound or lighting adjustments once doors are open.

Written policies for medical emergencies, inclement weather (tornados or thunderstorms), power outages and disturbances within the congregation; all key personnel should know the plans.

The Dangerous Allure of Sexy Christianity

By

Kyle Donn

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October 17, 2022

My generation of believers loves the idea of radical Christianity. It’s edgy, some people call it sexy Christianity. It compromises everything, it’s dangerously transparent and it’s simple. Phrases like “I just want Jesus” are its slogan—its very breath. Verses are tattooed on our backs, and Greek words are penned into our wrists and biceps. Our sweatshop-free clothes are ripped and dirty. Our coffee is fair-trade. Our books are doctrine-heavy and well-worn. And maybe we’ll even have a drink or a cigar here and there over a deep theological conversation.

Today, most of us have made our pilgrimage to an African orphanage or held the hand of the dying somewhere in the third-world. We are not like our parents—who worry themselves that our bold faith is going to leave us homeless and maybe dead.

The Dangerous Allure of Sexy Christianity

It’s exciting to be alive today. The amount of resources we have at our fingertips is overwhelming. And it’s invigorating to be a part of a generation of Sons and Daughters that just wants to get back to the unmuddied basics: “the old, old story of Jesus and His love.”

We want to live dangerously. And we would love the honor of being numbered with those in Hebrews 11—believers who lived so recklessly in homesickness for the love of God that the writer went on to say of them:

“They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.”

Hebrews 11:37-38 (NIV)

Again, we read passages on the sufferings of Paul, like 2 Corinthians 11:23-28, and find our hearts stirring within us as if to say, “Ah! If I could just have that kind of faith! If I could just live with that kind of abandon! That is what I was created for!”

Our generation has reached out in longing saying, “There has got to be more than this!” and is finding that heroes like Paul seem to have found it…it’s that variable on the back of our tongue when we hear the words “for me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

It’s Jesus. Untamed and unadulteratedly Jesus. Unpolluted by what the church wants to make Him…unbound by what modern philosophers want to call Him. We only want Jesus. And no less. This kind of Christianity is dangerously cool.

And that’s the thing: it’s dangerous.

Rethinking Salaries for Church, Nonprofit, and Ministry Leaders

By

Phil Cooke

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October 16, 2022

Let me get a bit controversial and talk about why we should consider paying church, ministry, and nonprofit leaders more money. In my opinion, we need to evolve from the idea that the mission is all that matters, and people who are called are there because of bigger purposes than mere salaries.

Yes – some of that is true. Obviously a pastor, ministry or nonprofit leader is primarily there because of the mission, but when is that an excuse not to pay them what they’re worth?

Somehow we’ve become enamored with the idea of keeping these salaries as low as possible – almost as if it were a loyalty test to see just how committed they really are to the cause. And we’ve spread that word to the congregation and donors – some of whom I’ve seen donate to whatever nonprofit or ministry organization they could find with the lowest overhead or salary scale.

And don’t get me wrong, during a start up phase, or with a small church, ministry, or nonprofit I understand that budgets are tight. But if the plan is to grow that organization, then we need a team at the helm who aren’t just called, but also have the right gifts and talent to lead that growth.

Over the years I’ve advised some ministry and nonprofit organizations with enormous potential, but were crippled because of poor leaders. And most often, the reason is they simply won’t pay enough to recruit someone better. And in church situations, one of the dominant reasons pastors leave the ministry is the same cause – they just can’t afford to continue.

Let’s change the paradigm. Let’s start looking for the best leaders instead of the least expensive leaders. Let’s focus on the organization’s purpose more than focus on the percentage of overhead. Let’s focus on outcomes. And if donors (or anyone else) question the salary, let’s have the confidence to defend that decision.

Because in the end, will we be more pleased about a church, ministry, or nonprofit’s impact – or with how low we kept everyone’s salary?

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

11 Signs of an Emotionally Mature Christian:

1. You anchor your life in the love of Jesus.

2. You break the power of the past.

3. You listen to your anger, sadness and fear.

4. You slow down for Sabbath.

5. You recognize your brokenness and vulnerability.

A. Scared them away for good.

B. Unrealistic Expectations.

How to Grow Small Groups – 5 Paradigm Shifts

1. Promote spiritual growth more than you focus on how to grow small groups.

2. Your vision must be to see every single individual in the church connected into a small group.

3. To grow small groups, the lead pastor must be the small group champion.

4. Your groups can’t be hardcore without an actual core.

5. The end-game of small group discipleship is to send out disciple-makers.

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Podcast Links

Additional Resources

Hard Metrics aren’t the Only Factor

Things You Might Have Overlooked

Think About This

Worship Room Setup:

The Dangerous Allure of Sexy Christianity

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