Disarming a Weaponized Church: Moving Forward Amid Turmoil in the UMC

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September 20, 2022

Rash words are like sword thrusts,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
(Proverbs 12:18)

The United Methodist Church feels like a war zone. Tribal factions seem to be battling for resources, property, and people. If we let the headlines tell the tale, Methodists are destroying each other through schism. We do so while largely remaining irrelevant to a post-Christendom world.

These issues are not unique to Methodism. Sadly, this polarization exists across the many expressions of the body of Christ. While this is an oversimplification, in many cases, a minority of extremists at far ends of the spectrum have weaponized different theological distinctions. Conservatives have weaponized the term “orthodoxy” and accuse progressives of abandoning the historic faith. Progressives have weaponized the term “inclusion” and accuse conservatives of injustice towards the LGBTQ+ community. Both use Scripture, what Walter Brueggemann has referred to as texts of “rigor” and “welcome” to justify their positions. These passages are wielded like swords slicing opponents to pieces.

Yet, many everyday believers live in the wide middle between these extremes.

Amid this seemingly endless diatribe, how do we be faithful and fruitful in our task of sharing “good news for all people” (Luke 2:10-11) with people for whom it is not only good but also news?

I believe the way forward is to “beat our swords into plowshares” (Isaiah 2:4) on the anvil of compassion. Here are three principles that can guide us.

1. Recentering Missio Dei in Passio Dei

Has the missional church conversation become a shouting match? Both conservatives and progressives increasingly use the term “missional” to describe their activity.

Perhaps we can experience a course correction through recentering mission in the compassion of Jesus?

Missio Dei (Latin for “mission of God”) understands mission as an attribute and activity of God, and furthermore that the church is missionary by its very nature.

Passio Dei (Latin for “passion of God”) is grounded primarily in the incarnation, suffering, crucifixion, and death (passion) of Jesus.

Matthew 9:36 reports that when Jesus “saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” The Greek word for compassion, splanchnizomai: means to be moved as to one’s bowels. Jesus experiences a gut-wrenching love that inspires him to act.

The unbounded mercy of God manifests in Jesus’ ministry of compassion and finds ultimate expression in the cross. God’s nature is the self-emptying (kenotic), other-oriented, and sacrificial love fully displayed in the crucifixion. The passion of Christ expresses God’s inhabitation of human vulnerability and suffering.

The church as the “body of Christ” (1 Cor 12:27) in the world is an expression of Christ’s own compassion. An active, practical, inclusive and holy compassion should emanate endlessly from the church.

Overemphasis on orthodoxy (“right belief”) or orthopraxy (“right practice”), while disregarding orthopathy (“right pathos/suffering” i.e., experience of God), causes harm. The passio Dei seeks to normalize the experience of Jesus’ passion in our own missional approach.

The Passional Church Movement reminds us that the great commandment (love God and neighbor) comes before the great commission (go make disciples). Missional describes what God does, passional describes how God goes about it.

11 Characteristics of Spiritually Weak Christian Leaders

By

Chuck Lawless

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September 20, 2022

thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

I’m hesitant to write this post because I know I probably exhibit some of these characteristics. Nevertheless, I’ve seen a lot of Christian leaders who never fully live up to their potential in the power of God’s Spirit. Here are some of the primary issues I see in this group of weak Christian leaders:

11 Characteristics of Spiritually Weak Christian Leaders

They lead in their own power rather than God’s power. They may use the language of “God’s power,” but honesty would require them to say that they’re living in their own strength. They’re tackling very little that they could not do on their own.

They manage rather than lead. They’re not casting vision. They cannot talk with specificity about what they believe the church should be three to five years from now. Most of their work relates only to managing what’s already happening.

They pray reactively, not proactively. In fact, most of them are not prayer warriors. Their tendency is to plan first and then ask God to bless their plans. Seldom do they genuinely seek God first and then follow His lead.

They lead an organization, but not their family. They might even appear to be great leaders of their church, but they’re losing their family in the process. Externally, they get good publicity. In their home, everything is in shambles.

They firefight rather than ignite fires. That is, much of their ministry is responding to fires, often because they believe that putting out little fires saves the church from facing bigger fires. They’re always watching for the fires of conflict, and they consequently give no attention to igniting fires of worship and evangelism among their church members.

They lead out of charisma rather than crucifixion. On the stage, they excel. Any thought of “dying to self,” though, is more a matter of saying the right words than living the life. Leaders who love being on the platform seldom think about being on the altar.

They speak the gospel on Sunday, but “foolish talking and crude joking” (Eph. 5:4) the rest of the week. For some reason, they give themselves permission to talk privately in ways they would never talk from the pulpit.

They tell others to evangelize but expect the lost to come to them. Others must reach out to their friends and neighbors; these leaders, though, evangelize only from the pulpit and within their office. Any initiative belongs only to the non-believer seeking help.

They call for sacrificial effort from their people while they maximize their leisure. That’s often the case when no one holds them accountable for how they use their time.

They’re aware of everyone else’s sin, but not so aware of their own. Apparently, their discernment stops with their own lives, and they genuinely miss what others see so obviously in them. Hence, they can be both arrogant and unaware—a dangerous combination.

The Bible is their source for sermons, not their source for life. Beyond sermon preparation, their spiritual habits suggest that the Word means little to them.

Pastors, do you find yourself in any of these descriptions? If so, spend some time with the Lord.

This article originally appeared here.

5 Things Your Pastor Needs to Know About Media Ministry

By

Phil Cooke

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September 20, 2022

As a media consultant, I have the opportunity to help some of the largest churches and ministries in the country create effective, high quality media ministry outreaches. In most cases, they are experienced, committed Christian leaders who understand the value and the power of the media. But I also have the opportunity to spend time with less experienced pastors and ministry leaders who feel just as called to use media in a meaningful way, but have serious questions like:

“Will it compromise my message?”
“Will it be too expensive?”
“Will my preaching or teaching ministry really work on television?”
“I only have 100 people in my congregation, can I still use the media?”
“Is it an effective use of our money?”

There are many questions, and many options as well. Perhaps you’ve wondered about many of these issues before, or listened to Christian radio or watched Christian television late into the night thinking, “I could do that,” but just have no idea where to start. I feel your pain. But the good news is, yes—even if you have only a handful of people in your congregation, you can use the media. I’ve taught media classes and workshops around the world, and I’ve seen people in the most remote places in Russia, Africa, India and South America producing programs. Today, there’s a young Russian woman producing a local Christian television program in one of the most isolated cities in Siberia. She started with a department store video camera and a VHS tape deck, and yet it’s reaching thousands of people with a message of hope.

5 Things Your Pastor Needs to Know About Media Ministry

1) Think Quality People Before Quality Equipment

Most churches and ministries are happy to spend serious money on equipment, and then hire untrained volunteers to operate it. But remember—God works through people, not equipment. I would much rather have creative, innovative people working with second rate equipment, over great equipment operated by average people. When you allocate your budget—concentrate on qualified and committed people before you purchase state-of-the-art equipment.

2) Consult With Someone Who Understands the Media

Your brother-in-law may be a wonderful guy who loves your ministry, but chances are he doesn’t know anything about the media. Find someone with real experience in the business who can guide you and give you the best advice. Perhaps there’s someone in your church with experience. If not, call a media ministry you watch and respect, or Christian college with a mass communications department, and ask for their recommendations.

3) Learn How to Tell a Story

It’s no surprise that the most watched programs on secular television are story based. Even reality programs are built around a story. It’s critically important to remember that ultimately, as a pastor, you’re telling a story. A simple story about how God chose to become one of us and share His eternal plan with people who didn’t deserve it. That’s it. It’s not just about close-ups, cuts and dissolves, better lighting, or quality sound. It’s about telling a story. This coming Sunday, thousands of pastors will step up to the pulpit without telling a single story. And yet, when you study the life of Jesus, that’s just about all he ever did. Stories touch people, and change their lives.

4) Forget Christian Lingo

Christian media is so filled with its own “lingo,” that most of the people we’re trying to reach can’t even understand us. But when I read the New Testament, Jesus spoke in a language and style people understood. Why have we lost that ability? Why have we created an entire vocabulary of words and phrases that only church members can understand?

5) The Importance of the Package

On our home cable TV system in Los Angeles, we have nearly 500 channels. With TV remotes, our experience and research indicates that most people take an average of two to three seconds to decide which program to watch. Therefore, it doesn’t matter how powerful your message is—if the rest of the program can’t keep their attention, they’ll never watch long enough to hear it. We need to package our messages in an innovative and exciting way so people will want to watch and listen.

You can make a difference in media ministry.

This article about media ministry originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

Brooklyn Pastor Who Had Million Dollar Jewelry Stolen Arrested After Forcefully Grabbing Woman During Live Sermon

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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September 19, 2022

Brooklyn Bishop Lamor Whitehead is making headlines following an incident on Sunday (September 18), wherein he forcefully grabbed a woman by the back of the neck for disrupting his live sermon, leading her out of the room.

Whitehead first made the news in July when he and his wife were robbed of jewelry at gunpoint while he was preaching during his church’s livestream on a Sunday morning. According to police, the value of the jewelry stolen was estimated to be worth over $1 million.

Police officers were called to the scene after Whitehead, bishop of Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries located in Brooklyn, New York, was interrupted by two women who started shouting from the back of the room at the bishop.

The incident, which was captured on video (1:31:00 mark), shows that Whitehead stopped his sermon and confronted the woman who was taking pictures and video of their altercation. “Do you want to come preach,” the bishop asked the disrupter and told her to come up to the front, adding, ”I’m gonna make you famous.”

Whitehead then proceeded to repeatedly say “Yes Lord” and “In the name of Jesus” while he smiled in what appeared to be in her direction. The bishop then told the congregation to pray in the Spirit and started speaking in tongues. He then told someone to remove the woman from the room and repeated, “Let’s give Jesus a round of applause,” several times to the congregation.

The woman then appeared on camera walking in front of Whitehead, shouting and pointing her finger.

As the woman was walking away from Whitehead, the bishop abruptly grabbed the back of her neck and led her off camera, telling her to “go over here.” He then told others to grab her and take her out of the room. Someone who is off camera could be heard saying, “Let her go.”

The protesting woman told Whitehead she was going to press charges. The bishop responded, “Press whatever charges you want…You’re not going to come in my space. I feel threatened.” Whitehead then appeared on camera, walking back to the pulpit to resume preaching.

“I was almost done with my preaching and these two young ladies came in and sat in the back,” Whitehead told the New York Daily News, sharing that the woman who approached him was shouting obscenities and calling him names.

Whitehead explained, “She came back storming toward my wife and my 10-month-old baby. She went toward my wife, and that’s when I grabbed her. I grabbed her and took her out of my church. All I could remember was the guys with the guns who put their gun in my baby’s face.”

Donald Trump Is Openly Embracing QAnon, Say Critics, Who Cite ‘Messiah-Like Status,’ ‘Deeply Weird’ Hand Gestures

By

Stephanie Martin

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September 19, 2022

The use of certain hand gestures and music at recent Republican political rallies, including a recent Ohio rally where former president Donald Trump appeared, is raising eyebrows and concerns. Video clips from the events are being called everything from creepy and bizarre to Nazi-like and supportive of QAnon.

Doug Mastriano, a Republican gubernatorial candidate in Pennsylvania, told attendees at a weekend rally to “put your right hand in the air” as he prayed for America to “have a new birth of liberty.” Although some online commentators characterize the raised hands as a Nazi-type salute, others point out it’s a common posture of prayer for Christians.

Ohio Rally Attendees Salute Donald Trump

At a September 17 rally for J.D. Vance, a Republican Senate hopeful from Ohio, former president Donald Trump delivered an ominous message about America’s decline. While music played that apparently sounded similar to a QAnon-linked song, many listeners at the Ohio rally raised their hands in a one-finger salute. Journalist Aaron Rupar, who tweeted clips from rally, called it “weird and cult-like,” adding “all it is missing is passing around Kool-Aid right after.”

Some people are labeling the event fascist, while others raise concerns that Trump has been seeming “to more fully embrace QAnon” lately. The music accompanying his speech Saturday was very similar to the song “Wwg1wga,” which stands for the conspiracy theory’s slogan “Where we go one, we go all.”

The one-finger salute may have referenced the “one” in that slogan, some people say. Others link it to Trump’s America First platform. Confusion exists even in the Trump camp about the salute’s exact meaning, says NBC’s Ben Collins. “Whatever it is, it’s deeply weird, and I haven’t seen it before.”

A Trump spokesperson says the song, titled “Mirrors,” appeared in a Trump video at CPAC, a conservative gathering. “The fake news, in a pathetic attempt to create controversy and divide America, is brewing up another conspiracy about a royalty-free song from a popular audio library platform,” says Taylor Budowich.

Is Donald Trump ‘Welcoming’ QAnon Members?

Several media outlets are writing about Trump’s move from merely “winking” at QAnon to “welcoming” it. Trump recently posted a photo of himself wearing a Q pin, captioned “The Storm is Coming.” In late August, he reposted—then deleted—a so-called “q drop” message.

According to AP, more than one-third of the accounts Trump reposted on his Truth Social platform during the past month promoted QAnon somehow. The movement’s adherents often brag about being reposted—or “retruthed”—by the former president, whom many consider a savior figure.

Pastor Arrested While Watering Neighbors’ Flowers Extends Love to the Woman Who Called 911 on Him

By

Jessica Lea

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September 19, 2022

Michael Jennings, a pastor in Childersburg, Alabama, who was arrested while watering his neighbors’ flowers, says he extends love to the neighbor who called the police on him. Jennings has, however, filed a federal lawsuit against the city and three police officers on the grounds that he was racially profiled and his civil rights violated.

“I don’t hold anything against my neighbors,” said Jennings in an interview with Dr. Rasha Richey of The Young Turks. “I still speak to them. Matter of fact, I’ve talked to her husband [of the neighbor who called 911] since the incident, and he was telling me how bad she feels about it, so. I love that neighbor just as well as I love the one where I was watering their flowers. May not have to like them all the time, but we have to love them anyway.”

Michael Jennings Files Federal Lawsuit

Michael Jennings, who is Black, is pastor of Vision of Abundant Life Church in Sylacauga, Alabama. He was watering his neighbors’ flowers on May 22 when police approached him, questioning him about his actions and saying they had received a call about a “suspicious individual.” Police body camera footage released in August captured the interaction.

Jennings said that the residence belonged to his neighbors, who were out of town and had asked him to watch their house while they were gone. “I’m Pastor Jennings,” he said. “I live across the street.”

The situation escalated after an officer asked Jennings for identification and the pastor refused to give it, saying he was not suspicious, that he had a background in law enforcement, and that he had every right to be on the property.

A different neighbor, identified as “Amanda,” eventually showed up on scene and corroborated Jennings’ claim that he knew the people whose plants he was watering.

Amanda, who is white, told the officers that she did not know if Jennings were taking care of the plants for the neighbors, but said that for him to do so would be “completely normal.” She also admitted to being the person who placed the 911 call, saying, “This is probably my fault.”

Jennings’ wife later appeared with the pastor’s wallet, but officers nevertheless arrested Jennings and charged him with obstructing government operations. On June 1, a judge dismissed the charges with prejudice.

A transcript of the 911 call shows that Amanda voiced concern to the operator over there being a gold SUV parked in the neighbors’ driveway, as well as there being a “younger Black male” on the property.

Pastor Michael Jennings says that police violated his civil rights. On Sept. 9, he filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Childersburg and Childersburg police officers, Christopher Smith, Justin Gable, and Jeremy Brooks. The suit states that under Alabama code section 15-5-30, Jennings was not required to provide his ID to officers.

Lifeway Research: Americans’ Theological Beliefs Changed To Suit Post-Pandemic Practice

By

Aaron Earls

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September 19, 2022

theological beliefs — Photo by Ben White (via Unsplash)

Americans experienced seismic changes over the past two years, including, for many, how they attend church. The shift in behavior coincides with a shift in theology.

The biennial State of Theology study conducted by Lifeway Research found relative stability in some of the religious and cultural beliefs U.S. adults hold. After months of quarantines and social distancing, however, Americans increasingly believe worshiping apart from a church is as good as attending church services.

In March 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic was just beginning in the United States, 58% of Americans said worshipping alone or with one’s family was a valid replacement for regularly attending church, with 26% strongly agreeing. In 2022, 66% believe worshiping apart from a local congregation is as valid as worshiping with one, with 35% strongly agreeing.

Additionally, most Americans (56%) don’t believe every Christian has an obligation to join a local church. Fewer than 2 in 5 (36%) say this is something all Christians should do.

Tracking surveys from Lifeway Research throughout the pandemic found U.S. Protestant churches were open at pre-pandemic levels by summer of 2021 and into 2022, but early this year few churches had reached pre-pandemic attendance levels.

“Religious identity, beliefs and behavior are interrelated,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “When in-person church attendance behaviors were interrupted and habits were broken, it affected some Americans’ beliefs about the need to gather with other believers to worship.”

With many theological beliefs remaining stable, those that did shift point to areas where a changing U.S. culture may be impacting Americans’ religious perspectives.

The 2022 State of Theology study, sponsored by Ligonier Ministries, surveyed more than 3,000 Americans and follows previous versions in 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020.

God-Sized Confusion

Most Americans believe in God, but they’re a little confused about who the divine is.

While 66% of U.S. adults say God is a perfect being and cannot make mistakes, half (51%) say God learns and adapts to different circumstances.

Almost 7 in 10 Americans (67%) say God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism and Islam. A similar percentage (71%) say there is one true God in three persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Despite a majority of Americans affirming a Trinitarian God with three divine persons, most still aren’t sure about how that applies to Jesus or the Holy Spirit. Slightly more than half (55%) believe Jesus is the first and greatest created being. Another 53% say He was a great teacher but not God. Close to 3 in 5 (59%) believe the Holy Spirit is a force but not a personal being.

Crist Campaign Accuses Pastor Featured in DeSantis Ad of Being an ‘Antisemite’

By

Dale Chamberlain

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September 19, 2022

Charlie Crist Ron DeSantis — Screengrab via YouTube @ Ron DeSantis

Florida Gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist has called out Governor Ron DeSantis for a campaign ad featuring a pastor whom Crist’s campaign is accusing of antisemitism.

The ad, titled “Results,” features a number of Florida citizens, including restaurant owners, mechanics, teachers, veterans, first responders, medical professionals, and students, all who thanked DeSantis for his accomplishments as governor.

The ad also featured Pastor Larry Jinks of First Baptist Church in St. James City, Florida, who pointed out DeSantis’ stance on pandemic-related mandates, which affected churches’ ability to gather. DeSantis was critical of shelter-in-place orders that disrupted businesses and places of worship, preventing local municipalities from enforcing lockdown measures.

“You protected our right to worship together—in person,” Jinks said.

Now Crist’s campaign is accusing Jinks of antisemitism in light of comments he made on an April 19 Facebook post featuring a Jerusalem Post article discussing the possibility of the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.

“With the talk of a rebuilt temple in the media now, it just confirms that we are that generation to see the Lord return,” Jinks commented. “It’s a shame that the Jews, who should know better, reject their own Messiah (who fulfilled every one of their prophecies) still believe that they need sacrifices and the Temple to sacrifice them in. Nonetheless, because of their rejection they will move forward with that plan.”

Jinks went on to criticize Pope Francis for seeking to foster peace between Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faith leaders.

“It seems like there’s a plan among world leaders to push this ‘Unity,’ ” Jinks wrote. “Which is just the opposite of what Jesus taught and what Christians are supposed to do. We are called to be at odds with any religion that does not acknowledge Jesus as the Prince of Peace and the only way to the Father.”

Jinks further commented, “I wonder how long it will take for me to be in Facebook jail over these comments?!”

Commenters on the post, including Jinks, went on to discuss various End Times theories and how current world events may be signaling the imminent return of Christ.

Queen Elizabeth II Mourned by Britain and World at Funeral

By

Danica Kirka, Mike Corder and Jill Lawless

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September 19, 2022

LONDON (AP) — Britain and the world said a final goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II at a state funeral Monday that drew presidents and kings, princes and prime ministers — and crowds who massed along the streets of London to honor a monarch whose 70-year reign defined an age.

In a country known for pomp and pageantry, the first state funeral since Winston Churchill’s was filled with spectacle: Ahead of the service, a bell tolled 96 times — once a minute for each year of Elizabeth’s life. Then, 142 Royal Navy sailors used ropes to draw the gun carriage carrying her flag-draped coffin to Westminster Abbey before pallbearers bore it inside the church, where around 2,000 people ranging from world leaders to health care workers gathered to mourn her.

The trappings of state and monarchy abounded: The coffin was draped with the Royal Standard and atop it sat the Imperial State Crown, sparkling with almost 3,000 diamonds, and the sovereign’s orb and scepter.

But the personal was also present: The coffin was followed into the church by generations of Elizabeth’s descendants, including King Charles III, heir to the throne Prince William and 9-year-old George, who is second in line. On a wreath atop the coffin, a handwritten note read, “In loving and devoted memory,” and was signed Charles R — for Rex, or king.

“Here, where Queen Elizabeth was married and crowned, we gather from across the nation, from the Commonwealth, and from the nations of the world, to mourn our loss, to remember her long life of selfless service, and in sure confidence to commit her to the mercy of God our maker and redeemer,” the dean of the medieval abbey, David Hoyle, told the mourners, as the funeral opened.

The service drew to a close with two minutes of silence observed across the United Kingdom, after which the attendees sang the national anthem, now titled “God Save the King.”

The day began early when the doors of Parliament’s 900-year-old Westminster Hall were closed to mourners after hundreds of thousands had filed in front of her coffin. Many had waited for hours in line, including through cold nights, to attend the lying in state in an outpouring of collective grief and respect.

“I felt like I had to come and pay my final respects to our majestic queen. She has done so much for us and just a little thank you really from the people,” said Tracy Dobson, who was among the last to join the line.

Monday was declared a public holiday in honor of Elizabeth, who died Sept. 8 — and hundreds of thousands of people descended on central London to partake in the historic moment. They jammed the sidewalks to watch the coffin wend its way through the streets of the capital after the service. As the procession passed Buckingham Palace, the queen’s official residence in the city, staff stood outside, some bowing and curtseying.

Millions more tuned into the funeral live on television, and crowds flocked to parks and public spaces across the U.K. to watch it on screens. Even the Google doodle turned a respectful black for the day.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said in his sermon that “few leaders receive the outpouring of love we have seen” for Elizabeth.

U.S. President Joe Biden, French President Emmanuel Macron, all of the living former British prime ministers as well as European royalty attended the the funeral.

ERLC Trustees Hear From New President, Discuss Sexual Abuse Assessment

By

Tom Strode

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September 19, 2022

brent_leatherwood — Brent Leatherwood, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission president, speaks to trustees at the entity's fall 2022 Trustee Meeting on Sept. 14. (Baptist Press/Brandon Porter) Photo courtesy of Baptist Press.

NASHVILLE (BP) – The Baptist witness the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission has long provided in the public square “is needed now as much as ever,” Brent Leatherwood said Wednesday (Sept. 14) in his first presidential report to the entity’s trustees.

A day after the trustees elected him unanimously as the Southern Baptist entity’s ninth president, Leatherwood expressed his gratitude to the ERLC’s board, reported on the commission’s work during the previous year in which he served as acting president and offered a view of its continuing commitments.

In their two-day meeting, trustees also voted to require background checks for their members, adopted a budget and heard developments on the commission’s role in helping Southern Baptists prevent and respond to sexual abuse.

The ERLC board voted without opposition to require criminal and sex registry background checks of all current and future trustees. The board-approved motion called for the checks to be conducted each time trustees are elected by convention messengers “until/unless the [SBC] incorporates a background check into their Nominating Committee process.”

Leatherwood’s vision

The trustees’ election of Leatherwood, 41, filled the ERLC’s permanent leadership role for the first time since the departure of Russell Moore as president more than 15 months earlier. The board had named Leatherwood as acting president at its September 2021 meeting.

Leatherwood, 41, thanked the trustees from across the country for “placing your confidence in me to lead this historic commission that has in various forms over a century brought forth a conventional Baptist witness into the public square.”

Southern Baptists expect us “to go into the public square and proclaim things that we know from The Baptist Faith and Message,” Leatherwood said before citing some of the tenets of the SBC’s statement of faith.

“God alone is Lord of the conscience. We’re going to continue to say that,” he said. “Marriage is between one man and one woman in a covenant union for life, that religious liberty is our nation’s essential liberty, that human dignity matters and that human life matters at all stages from conception to natural death.

“Those are going to be the things that we are known for that we are going to carry forth into the public square.”

Leatherwood will need to fill several staff positions, including on the senior leadership team, that have become vacant in the last 15 months. He read from Exodus 31:1-11, which describes God’s selection and preparation of men to design and build the elements of the tabernacle.

“God has already put wisdom in the hearts and minds of the future team members that are going to join the current team that is here at the ERLC, so that we may continue carrying out the work that is part of our ministry assignment that Southern Baptists have given us and we are privileged to carry out,” Leatherwood told the trustees.

Nearly Two Years After Election, Episcopal Diocese of Chicago’s First Black Female Bishop Takes Office

By

Emily McFarlan Miller

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September 19, 2022

LOMBARD, Illinois (RNS) — Everyone would have understood if Bishop Paula E. Clark had stepped away from her call to lead the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, said her fellow bishop, Mariann Edgar Budde of Washington.

Just weeks before she was set to take office in April 2021, Clark experienced a brain bleed while exercising. Surgery followed, postponing her consecration to June, then to August, then indefinitely as she worked through speech, physical and occupational therapies.

As Clark regained her health, her husband, Andrew McLean, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and died in November.

Bishop Paula Clark was ordained as the first female and first Black bishop to lead the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago on Sept. 17. 2022, at the Westin Chicago Lombard in suburban Lombard, Illinois. RNS photo by Emily McFarlan Miller

Bishop Paula Clark was ordained the first female and first Black bishop to lead the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago on Sept. 17, 2022, at the Westin Chicago Lombard in suburban Lombard, Illinois. RNS photo by Emily McFarlan Miller

“Paula never once wavered — not once,” said Budde in a sermon at the worship service celebrating Clark’s ordination as bishop on Saturday (Sept. 17) at the Westin Chicago Lombard Hotel in this Chicago suburb.

“Now Paula knows how to let go when that’s what’s best, but she never let go of you, Diocese of Chicago, and she never let go of the call that God placed on her heart and yours.”

Clark is the first female and first Black bishop to lead the Chicago diocese.

On Sunday, she will take her seat in the chair, called a cathedra, symbolic of her position, at a worship service at St. James Cathedral in Chicago.

“The process of confirming a new Bishop in the Diocese of Chicago has been long, challenging, sometimes heartbreaking, but always guided by God,” Clark wrote in a letter of welcome to those who attended her ordination.

“I would like to thank the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago for your steadfast loyalty and faith. You have believed in me, prayed for, comforted, and encouraged me even through difficult times. You have held fast to your faith and showed me what God-centered leadership really is. Most of all, you have kept the faith and overcome, despite repeated setbacks.”

Bishop Paula Clark was ordained as the first female and first Black bishop to lead the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago on Sept. 17. 2022, at the Westin Chicago Lombard in suburban Lombard, Illinois. RNS photo by Emily McFarlan Miller

Bishop Paula Clark was ordained the first female and first Black bishop to lead the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago on Sept. 17, 2022, at the Westin Chicago Lombard in suburban Lombard, Illinois. RNS photo by Emily McFarlan Miller

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, head of the Episcopal Church, served as chief consecrating bishop during the ordination service.

Curry and the Rev. Anne B. Jolly, president of the Diocese of Chicago’s standing committee, had said repeatedly they expected Clark to eventually serve as bishop.

Bishop Paula Clark was ordained as the first female and first Black bishop to lead the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago on Sept. 17. 2022, at the Westin Chicago Lombard in suburban Lombard, Illinois. RNS photo by Emily McFarlan Miller

Bishop Paula Clark was ordained as the first female and first Black bishop to lead the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago on Sept. 17, 2022, at the Westin Chicago Lombard in suburban Lombard, Illinois. RNS photo by Emily McFarlan Miller

Budde never doubted it, either, she said. “Being in the presence of Paula Clark and watching her in action is like taking a master class in Christian leadership. That was true before all that transpired in the last 18 months, and it is even more so now,” Budde said in her sermon.

Former Virginia Pastor Arrested, Charged With Multiple Sex Crimes

By

Timothy Cockes

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September 19, 2022

virgina_pastor — Photo courtesy of Baptist Press.

ABINGDON, Va. (BP) – A former pastor in Abingdon, Va., was charged with multiple child sex crimes and arrested on Sept. 8.

Michael Canter, a 38-year-old lifelong resident of the county, was the pastor of Valley View Baptist Church.

Local police reports state the alleged sexual assault happened to an underage female member of the congregation at a church event.

The charges Canter faces include taking indecent liberties with a child, two counts of aggravated sexual battery and attempted object sexual penetration.

He is being held in the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail without bond, according to a local media report.

Washington County Detective William Smarr, speaking to WJHL News in nearby Johnson City, Tenn., said the investigation began around two weeks ago after the victim came forward, and there is a possibility there could be more victims.

Smarr encouraged the continued reporting of such incidents.

“I’ve told my kids this before — the monsters aren’t under the bed,” he said. “They’re out there in the world with us, and they look like you and I.

“Please come forward. We hear you. We see you. When you come forward with an accusation like this, we will believe you and work to establish the truth and to find justice for you.”

Brandon Pickett, director of strategic initiatives & communications for the SBC of Virginia, offered support for those affected and clarification about Valley View Baptist’s status in the convention.

“SBC of Virginia has no tolerance whatsoever for any form of sexual or physical abuse,” Pickett said. “Our prayers go out to the survivors, the community and the church. This church has not been active with SBCV nor has given through the Cooperative Program since 2016.”

Jonathan Howe, vice president of communications with the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, offered further clarification regarding Valley View’s affiliation with the SBC.

“While this church may identify as a Southern Baptist church, they have not shown any intent to participate in our cooperative missions endeavor by giving through the Cooperative Program since 2016,” Howe said.

If you are/have been a victim of sexual abuse or suspect sexual abuse by a pastor, staff member or member of a Southern Baptist church or entity, please reach out for help at 202-864-5578 or SBChotline@guidepostsolutions.com. All calls are confidential.

Editor’s Note: In support of the sixth strategic action of Vision 2025 adopted by messengers to the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting, Baptist Press will continue to report every instance of sexual abuse related to Southern Baptist churches or leaders of which we are made aware.

This article originally appeared at Baptist Press.

Lunch With a Novice

By

James Scott Jr.

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September 19, 2022

servant leadership — Adobestock #512602323

The young minister was all smiles and oozing enthusiasm as we ordered our lunch at the restaurant. I had been one of a few mentors to him as he transitioned into his first senior minister role in a church that had seen some troubles recently.

Now, with some of those things behind him, he was excited to move forward. So his disappointment was obvious when I began asking him about the depth and quality of his own relationship with Jesus Christ.

His smile disappeared and didn’t return during the remainder of our lunch. He had anticipated a more exciting discussion than this. He had watched others become rock star pastors, so a more poignant conversation about the realities of his own spiritual health didn’t seem to be what he had expected.

My goal wasn’t to steal his smile, but to help equip him for the realities of servant leadership.

*****

Springtime in the Chicago area can be beautiful.

I was spending a few months in a nearby suburb, working for a pest control company as the temporary coordinator of their small weed control department. With business slowing down, I was asked if I could help out with power spraying a few lawns with insecticide.

As the harsh Chicago winter gives way to Spring, residents start coming outdoors after a long winter being bundled up indoors. Many residents hire pest control companies to spray their lawns to rid themselves of pests that would make their time outdoors less enjoyable. The demand for spraying lawns was more than the other department could handle, so I agreed to do a few lawns for them.

My assignment was three large yards at the homes of some executives who lived on the same cul-de-sac. One of the homeowners was an executive with Sears who had just spent $70,000.00 having his yard landscaped with new flowers and vegetation. Good customer service was needed to make these neighbors regular customers.

One of the technicians offered to rinse out the weed killer in the truck used for weed control jobs and fill it with insecticide. Soon, I was on my way to the upscale neighborhood and spent a couple hours covering every square inch of the three large yards. I made sure I didn’t miss a plant, flower, or blade of grass. There would be no insects left to bother these families!

There also wouldn’t be any yards.

A couple days after spraying the lawns, the company received hysterical calls from all three homeowners: all the vegetation in their yards was dying!

In-Depth Study: Worship Leaders in the Bible

By

John White

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September 19, 2022

worship leaders in the bible — Adobestock #162432304

What does it mean to be a worship leader? Many articles on the subject address musical, spiritual and technical issues involved in worship. In preparation for classes and seminars that I have taught, I’ve come to realize that these articles address only half the equation. While worship is important, leadership is equally important. Ready to dig deep? This in depth study about worship leaders in the Bible is very long, but it is broken into four parts: “The Gift of Leadership”, “Biblical Leadership Models”, “The Maturing Christian Leader” and “Leader Emergence.”

Included are some questions that are intended to reinforce the major points of each section. I suggest that you spend some dedicated time before the Lord in prayer, mediation and soul searching to answer these questions as thoroughly and accurately as possible. If you don’t have a good answer, continue in an attitude of prayerful waiting until you have your answer. It is my prayer that understanding God’s call to leadership of worship leaders in the bible will help you become more effective as a worship leader.

A leader is someone you will follow to a place you wouldn’t go yourself.
—Joel A. Barker

Worship Leaders in the Bible: Introduction

Have you ever wondered what makes a good leader? The makings of a good leader are many, and vary based on the context of the position. In business, a good leader is one who maximizes profit and shareholder value without depleting company resources. In the home, a good leader is one who focuses on the well-being of the family; profitability is not a concern. In the Church, a good leader is one whom the Lord uses to build the body of Christ, prepare people for service and good works and to positively affect the world for Christ using the Church’s and the Church’s community human and physical resources.

So far we’ve identified leaders by what they do. However, this tells us nothing about what personal characteristics make good leaders. In this section, we will attempt to define, and certainly will emphasize, Christian leadership based on personal character and characteristics rather than activity. The premise is that leadership is borne from the leader’s character and characteristics, rather than their activities. In other words, God’s leaders are defined by who they are in Christ and not what they do. Allow me to illustrate my point.

Part One: The Gift of Leadership

Every neighborhood has a leader, though it is not clear why a particular person is singled out as the leader. In my neighborhood it was Gary. Gary was not smarter, better looking, older, a better athlete or kinder than anyone else on my street, yet every day after school and on the weekends, everyone would meet at his house to participate in the next “great adventure,” which usually was not even Gary’s idea. No matter what the circumstances, even when the group was in trouble and was confronted by a respected authority figure (such as a parent or law officer), the kids looked to Gary to validate and approve what the authority figure said. Gary had a leadership gift, which manifested itself in a charisma and charm that attracted the attention and respect of the neighborhood kids. Some leadership experts say this kind of charisma may be the most important gift for effective leadership.

Now let me tell you about Zack, whom I met at a young adult Bible study. Zach had a flare and background that was similar to Gary’s. However, unlike Gary, Zack was aware of his leadership gift and calling. Every week, you would find Zach serving members of the church, his family and his friends. Zach’s commitment to serving and helping people extended into his personal evangelism as well. He would help strangers in need, all the while sharing Christ with them and inviting them to church. Zach not only had a similar personality and charisma as Gary’s, but he also earned the respect of the church by his committed service, his leadership, his personality and his integrity.

These two examples show that leadership can be considered a personality trait. We say “trait” because we can’t really put our finger on exactly what spawns leadership activity. That is because leadership is deeply imbedded into the leader’s personality. In the cases of Gary and Zach, their leadership was a “natural” expression of their charismatic personalities.

At this point, you may be saying to yourself, “I might as well give up because I never have been a natural leader like Gary or Zach.” That is exactly what I said too but God’s callings are “irrevocable and without repentance” (Rom 11:39); what He calls us from in no way limits what He calls us to. Let’s consider for a moment two suppositions: First, that you might have a “natural” gift of leadership that has been dormant or suppressed for many years, and second, God may be creating a new work in you that you have not considered before; “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor 5:17 NIV). Isn’t it consistent with God’s creative nature, who created the universe from nothing and is creating our lives anew in Christ from the death of our old nature, that leaders would be created from people who have absolutely no natural leadership gifting? This is exactly what the author of Hebrews says regarding the honor of leadership; “No one takes honor to himself, but receives it when he is called by God, even as Aaron was” (Heb 5:4, NASB). Therefore, God does not call the qualified, but rather, qualifies the called.

God’s calling to ministry will have a greater influence on you than simply changing your activities; it will change your personality, your character, your priorities; it will change your life! Here we can see that having a “natural” gift of leadership may, in fact, be a disadvantage; those who are “natural” leaders may tend to draw on their “natural” abilities and charisma, rather than the spiritual gifts bestowed upon them to function in their calling.

Let’s take this one step further by considering God’s redemptive work. Once we were dead in our sins. Unregenerated, we “naturally” produced the fruits and deeds of the flesh. But now, we are alive in Christ and Christ is working in us. Having been regenerated, we have a new nature, a nature of the Spirit which replaces the nature of the flesh. If we, before we were redeemed, “naturally” produced the works of the old nature, shouldn’t we as Christians “naturally,” produce the works of the Spirit as a result of our new spiritual nature? So it is that God’s leader will “naturally” produce leadership as he matures in Christ simply by being who we are becoming in Christ. In other words, leadership is not doing what God wants, it is being who God wants.

There is another form of leadership, one where the leader becomes a figurehead for a group. This type of leadership is characterized by an ability to gather and organize information and represent the group they “lead” before the group’s constituents and other organizations. Such leaders frequently are found in business and hierarchal religions. Although they may be good decision-makers, they usually consult with the group to arrive at a consensus before “going public” with any decision. Many times they volunteer for leadership positions because nobody else does. Sometimes they step into leadership because their sense of organization is violated; there is a leadership vacuum. While these leaders can help most groups, they are particularly effecting in leading groups who’s mission is their passion.

Through these examples, we see the gift of leadership is manifested in different ways. However, to be effective, the gift of leadership must be exercised and developed within the character of the leader. We will discuss the gifting and development of church leadership and how group dynamics affect leadership expression and style in the next section.

Think About It

1) Leadership is not only God’s gift to the church, but also a character trait that manifests itself in our personality. What in your personality do you believe points to leadership traits in your character?

2) Do you believe that leadership is lying dormant in your character waiting for the opportunity of expression?

3) Can you identify in you personality and in what you do or desire to do the emergence of leadership?

4) How does the knowledge of God’s call to leadership affect you?

See the next page for part two of worship leaders in the Bible:

Carey Nieuwhof: 21 Things All Great Leaders Do

By

Carey Nieuwhof

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September 19, 2022

Ever asked yourself: What do the great leaders do that other leaders (average and, well, poor) don’t? Great leaders are in part born, but it’s also learned. Just because you have the instincts for leadership doesn’t make you a great leader. Great leadership is also about cultivating the right habits and disciplines: what great leaders do.

Which is good news for all of us, because that means we can grow and become better.

Age doesn’t make you better as a leader. It just makes you more of who you really are. Your habits, disciplines and skill sets make you better. So how do you move toward joining other great leaders? These 21 practices all great leaders do will do it.

I’ve written on qualities of leadership before, but I thought I’d expand, revise and summarize my thinking into one post.

21 Things All Great Leaders Do

1. Make the mission more important than themselves

The sure sign of a mediocre or poor leader is that their leadership is about them.

And it’s not always ego that drives this. Self-centered leadership can be driven as much by insecurity as it can be by pride.

The reason people want to throw their whole heart into a mission is because the mission is about a cause bigger than everyone, including the leader.

2. Work on their character even harder than their skill set

I used to think being a great leader was about your skill set.

But character sinks the ships of otherwise highly skilled leaders. Ethical breaches, moral lapses and character flaws take highly skilled leaders out of play regularly.

Great leaders do know that character—not competency—determines your capacity as a leader. So they work hard on their heart, their lives, their morality.

3. Refuse to make excuses

Ever notice that the best leaders never make excuses?

In fact, the leaders who make the most progress make the fewest excuses. And the leaders who make the most excuses make the least progress.

This is one of my pet leadership themes: You can make excuses, or you can make progress, but you can’t make both.

So stop making excuses. You’ll start making progress.

Two Specific Ways You Claiming ‘Follower of Christ’ Could Be a Liability for Christ

By

Gavin Adams

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September 18, 2022

The below is Lesson 5 from our Leadership Lessons series.

And just a warning – this one may ruffle a feather or two.

LESSON FIVE: It’s painful to obey.

KEY QUESTION: How can you follow and serve to become a better leader?

If you are a Christian leader, this post is for you. If you are a Christian leading Christians (pastor, ministry leader, etc.), this post is especially for you.

If you don’t mind, I need to direct this post a little more in a spiritual direction.

And it might get me in trouble with some of you. Nevertheless, here we go…

Leaders are in charge—mostly. Being a leader means you have followers. Otherwise, you’re just taking a walk.

The sheer presence of followers provides leaders two things we really, really love: power and authority.

Power and authority. Two dangerous bedfellows. Both power and authority are like temptresses, convincing us that what’s best for us (and for those following us) is more of the same. Our desire for power and authority creates an appetite for more power and authority. But like any appetite, having more power and authority doesn’t quench our thirst. The opposite is true. Our appetite grows stronger, causing us to desire and pursue even more power and authority.

The desire for power and authority is as old as time. Or at least as old as the human race. In the beginning, God created man, and man took about a week to disobey God in pursuit of power and authority. Our intrinsic (sinful) pride and greed took control. That same story continues all around us and inside of us.

Let’s talk about each problem individually before we consider a leadership solution.

Leaders Love Power

People love power; therefore, leaders desire it all the same. It seems we will do almost anything to gain a little more control.

Take an honest assessment of the recent behavior seen in self-proclaimed Christians. This example will sound political, but I am using politics only to illustrate.

The love of power has caused our political pursuits to overwhelm our Christian beliefs for far too many Christians.

Politically, people are changing churches because they want their Sunday morning sermon to match their Monday evening cable new network.
Political ideology has become more important than sound biblical theology.
Prominent pastors suckle up to political powers for selfish gain (and power).
Hate speech spews on social media from users with “follower of Christ” splashed all over their bio.

11 Quotes on Prayer from Teresa of Avila

By

Esther Laurie

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September 18, 2022

Teresa of Avila was a Spanish Carmelite nun born in 1515. She was a theologian who focused on mental prayer where one loves God and spends time in His presence though dialogue, meditating on the Word and contemplating His face. Her books on prayer have been considered Christian classics. We hope these eleven Teresa of Avila quotes introduce you to this richly gifted woman of God.

11 Teresa of Avila Quotes on Prayer

1. On Asking

“You pay God a compliment by asking great things of Him.”

2. Are You Too Comfortable?

“Prayer and comfortable living are incompatible.”

3. Mental Prayer

“Mental prayer is, as I see it, simply a friendly intercourse and frequent solitary conversation with Him who, as we know, loves us.”

4. Prayerlessness

“Souls without prayer are like people whose bodies or limbs are paralyzed: they possess feet and hands but they cannot control them.”

5. God is Calling

“This Beloved of ours is merciful and good. Besides, he so deeply longs for our love that he keeps calling us to come closer. This voice of his is so sweet that the poor soul falls apart in the face of her own inability to instantly do whatever he asks of her. And so you can see, hearing him hurts much more than not being able to hear him… For now, his voice reaches us through words spoken by good people, through listening to spiritual talks, and reading sacred literature. God calls to us in countless little ways all the time. Through illnesses and suffering and through sorrow he calls to us. Through a truth glimpsed fleetingly in a state of prayer he calls to us. No matter how halfhearted such insights may be, God rejoices whenever we learn what he is trying to teach us.”

2 Types of Credibility and Why You Need Them Both

By

Eric Geiger

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September 18, 2022

A few weeks ago, my good friends Kevin Peck and Josh Patterson asked me to lead a session for a group of ministry leaders they are coaching. During the coaching session, we spent some time talking about the importance of credibility in leadership. Years ago, in the classic work The Leadership Challenge, Kouzes and Posner identified through their research that credibility is the single most indispensable leadership characteristic. Without credibility it is impossible to lead. You may have a leadership title without credibility, but are never actually leading without credibility. During the conversation, Josh Patterson typed something into the Zoom chat about types of credibility, which I find very helpful and clarifying:

Personal credibility: I am who I say I am.

Professional credibility: I do what I say I will do.

Both personal and professional credibility are essential for the leader. The former is about character and integrity. The latter is about execution and faithfully and skillfully doing one’s job.

2 Types of Credibility and Why You Need Them Both

1. Personal Credibility

Possessing personal credibility is being a trustworthy person, being compassionate and honest. When someone has personal credibility, you believe the person when he or she talks. You trust the person with your family and friends. You are confident his or her motives are pure and know deep down in your gut that he or she is filled with integrity.

How does one get and maintain personal credibility? Integrity. Telling the truth. Being a person of character. Being who you say you are. Constantly bringing your life into alignment with what you say.

2. Professional Credibility

While personal credibility is about one’s character, professional credibility is really about one’s ability to deliver on expectations, to accomplish goals, and to execute the responsibilities the person has been given. Just because you think someone is an amazing person who you would love as a neighbor does not mean you trust the person to accomplish a goal or get something done. While personal credibility is most important, professional credibility is critical if a leader desires for people to trust and follow.

How does one get and maintain professional credibility? Execute. Do what you say you will do. Don’t make excuses. Deliver with joy and gratitude, thanking people along the way.

A leader with a deficit in credibility has to spend disproportionate amounts of time communicating because trust is so low. A leader with a deficit in either type of credibility can only rally people around an idea and can never ask people to follow him or her. Thus, the commitment from the team will always be less than what it would be if the leader had credibility. While both personal and professional credibility are indispensable, one can much more easily recover from deficits in professional credibility than deficits in personal credibility.

This article about types of credibility originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

The Overemphasis of Influence in Spiritual Leadership

By

James Scott Jr.

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September 17, 2022

spiritual leadership influence — Adobestock #478724236

The mantra taught to 21st century church leaders is that “leadership is influence.” There’s a lot of truth in that statement for business or secular leaders, but not for spiritual leaders.

So great is that message ingrained into today’s church leaders that a lot of ministers stress themselves out about their influence in people’s lives.

You shouldn’t.

I say that because we’ve greatly overemphasized the role of our influence in spiritual leadership, and under-valued the influence of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit in people’s lives — an influence far greater and deeper than we could ever have!

It’s not that we should not be mindful of what measure of influence we might have; the problem is we stress over our influence until we raise it to a level beyond what it should be, and certainly beyond its real impact on lives. As influential as we may be, our influence cannot transform lives. However, the influence of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit can and do transform lives! Thus, our greater emphasis should be on being messengers of God, and letting the influence of the preaching and teaching of God’s Word and work of the Holy Spirit be the dominant, life-changing influences in the lives of those we serve.

Let me give you a real-life example.

About a dozen years ago I was asked to preach at a church that I had helped when it was first planted. I had preached at this church several times, and after preaching that last sermon, I was speaking with the pastor when a lady approached us. I had no idea who she was, but she knew me. She held up a paper and said she just wanted to thank me for the message I had preached on a previous visit; what she was holding were her notes to that sermon, and she remarked about how that previous message had deeply impacted her life.

I had no idea!

I never knew this lady was in the audience when I preached previously, and I never knew how much that sermon had touched her life. That’s because that important experience for her had nothing to do with influence on my part. But, by my being a faithful messenger for God, His Word and the Holy Spirit had great influence upon this woman, enough to change her life in a significant way.

It wasn’t my influence that mattered, it was the influence of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit that mattered.

More important than influence to leadership is our being faithful messengers of God so that His Word and the Holy Spirit may unleash their influence in life-saving, life-transforming ways. That’s the influence that matters most.

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

Teaching Spiritual Disciplines to Youth: 5 Important Tips

By

Greg Stier

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September 17, 2022

“Spiritual disciplines” may sound intimidating, but they really boil down to spending regular, focused time with God. As a youth leader, you can help young people develop these important practices that they’ll use throughout their life. Teaching spiritual disciplines to youth isn’t complicated. Instead, you can follow these basic guidelines with your kids.

5 Tips for Teaching Spiritual Disciplines to Youth

1. Define “spiritual disciplines.”

We need to demystify prayer, Bible reading and meditation for teenagers. Too many times when we speak of spiritual disciplines in a nonspecific way, teens envision monks and monasteries. It seems like something people in castles on hills in Europe do instead of, well, typical Christian teenagers.

But spiritual disciplines basically mean becoming spiritually disciplined to absorb the truth of God’s Word deeply into our souls and psyches. In other words, it’s two-way communication between us and God. He speaks to us through his Word and the wonder of his creation. Meanwhile, we speak to him in prayer and sing to him in “psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:19).

2. Show young people how they can engage in these disciplines via smart phone.

If spending time with God is just about big books and Jesus journals, then we may be missing opportunities for teaching spiritual disciplines to youth. Show your tech-savvy teens the many wonderful apps available for them to read the Bible, memorize and meditate on Scripture, and journal their prayers to God.

Don’t fight the tech bent of your students. If you do, you’ll sound like the priests who railed against the evils of the printing press centuries ago. Satan has used technology for years for his purposes, but God desires to use it in teens’ souls for holy purposes.

3. Teach them how.

In Luke 11:1, when Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them how to pray, he used a short, pithy prayer (aka “The Lord’s Prayer“). It’s a succinct, powerful guideline for interacting with God.

Of course, like any alliterating preacher, I’ve developed an acrostic that spells out PRAY:

Praise: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed by thy name.”

Request: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.”

Admit: “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”

Yield: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

In the same way, teach your teens not only how to pray but also how to worship, read the Bible for all it’s worth, mediate on God’s Word, and engage in silent reflection.

4. Show them how.

Talk to teenagers about what you’ve experienced during your own times of prayer and meditation. Even share your struggles with prioritizing it at times. Spend time in prayer together as a group. Go on a spiritual retreat with your teens and, while there, engage in these disciplines together and alone. Gather at the end and share what God is teaching each of you as a result of your times with him.

5. Get your teens sharing their faith.

Although evangelism may seem unrelated to teaching spiritual disciplines to youth, it’s really not. Evangelism feeds our spiritual disciplines, while spiritual disciplines feed our evangelistic efforts. Think of Jesus: In the middle of evangelizing to prostitutes, partiers and the poor, he escaped to pray on a mountainside. His missional movements drove him to pray, to reflect, to meditate on God’s Word, and to look to the Father for wisdom, comfort and courage. It will do the same for us and our teenagers.

What ideas do you recommend for teaching spiritual disciplines to youth?

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God-Sized Confusion

Worship Leaders in the Bible: Introduction

Part One: The Gift of Leadership

Think About It

See the next page for part two of worship leaders in the Bible:

21 Things All Great Leaders Do

1. Make the mission more important than themselves

2. Work on their character even harder than their skill set

3. Refuse to make excuses

LESSON FIVE: It’s painful to obey.

KEY QUESTION: How can you follow and serve to become a better leader?

The sheer presence of followers provides leaders two things we really, really love: power and authority.

Leaders Love Power

11 Teresa of Avila Quotes on Prayer

1. On Asking

2. Are You Too Comfortable?

3. Mental Prayer

4. Prayerlessness

5. God is Calling

2 Types of Credibility and Why You Need Them Both

1. Personal Credibility

2. Professional Credibility

5 Tips for Teaching Spiritual Disciplines to Youth

1. Define “spiritual disciplines.”

2. Show young people how they can engage in these disciplines via smart phone.

3. Teach them how.

4. Show them how.

5. Get your teens sharing their faith.

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