How to Make Your Church Stickier

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September 12, 2022

Make Your Church Stickier — Adobestock #249073170

For the first time in our lives, Sherry and I have the freedom to choose what church we attend. When we lived at home, our parents chose for us, and after we got married, we always attended the church I (and sometimes she) worked at. But now we are free to visit any church we want, so over the past couple of months, we have visited nine different churches. In most cases, we have gone as anonymous visitors, and it has been an eye-opening experience. We have been surprised how difficult it is to fit in and connect at a new church. (If you know we attended your church recently, I’m obviously talking about one of the other eight.) I thought I’d share some tips on how to attract, connect, and retain new attendees with the aim to make your church stickier.

None of these ideas are new or revolutionary, but I bet you think your congregation is a LOT better at how to make your church sticker than you really are. Trust me on this; they’re not.

How to Make Your Church Stickier

1. Make your church friendlier

I’m sure you assume your church gets a pass on this one; your church is one of the friendliest churches on the planet. When you walk in, everyone says hi, you have a built in greeting time in your service when all the new people feel welcomed, and after church, people hang around forever laughing and connecting. You’ve got the friendly thing down.

Let me give you an outsider’s perspective on the friendliness of your church. When I arrive, one or two assigned people with big nametags smile and say “Hi.” (At some churches, the assigned greeters are either engaged in conversation with someone else, grunt hello or just frown and hand me a bulletin.) Once I navigate past people in the lobby talking to people they already know, I am placed in an isolation bubble called the auditorium.

I sit with people who don’t acknowledge my presence in any way until the forced greeting time. “Turn and greet your neighbor before you sit down.” At most, someone might crack a half smile, give their name and shake my hand. Normally, I get a grimaced look, a quick handshake and a short, “Hi.” I don’t realize it at the time, but that is the last time anyone will make any contact with me at your church.

After service, I again have to navigate the lobby where people who already know each other have exclusive parties with other people who already know each other. Sometimes, I stand in the lobby looking bewildered and feeling as out of place as a bikini in a Denver snowstorm, but no one sees me.

Finally, I find my way back to the car feeling more alone than I did when I arrived. And in case you think it’s because I’m an introvert, my extroverted wife feels the same. Feeling alone and disconnected is the one experience we’ve had at almost every church we’ve attended.

So how do you make your church sticker? Here are a couple of ideas (most of these I stole from others):

1. Teach on hospitality.

Take a weekend (or a month) and teach your congregation how to be hospitable at church, in the workplace and at home. Hospitality has always been a hallmark of Christianity, so we need to teach on it.

2. Create a “gorilla greeter” team.

Get as many people as possible to be gorilla greeters. Their job is to make sure they talk only to people they don’t know for the first ten minutes after they arrive and for the first ten minutes after the service is over. They don’t need lanyards or nametags (in fact, that would defeat the purpose). Their job is to find people who seem disconnected and figure out how to connect them.

3. Adopt a “neighborhood.”

Divide your auditorium into sections and get leaders to adopt a section as their neighborhood. They commit to attend the same service each week, sit in their neighborhood, and watch for new people who sit in the section. They become the small group leader of that section.

4. Give the greeting time a purpose or kill it.

Find a way to make the greeting time in your service purposeful. Why are you doing this? How can you make it more effective? Is it accomplishing the purpose you designed it for?

How has your church worked on friendliness? What has worked and not worked?

How an Overemphasis on Loyalty Is Hurting Churches

By

Phil Cooke

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September 11, 2022

During many years as a consultant to churches and ministries worldwide, one of the most frustrating challenges I’ve discovered within Christian organizations is an overemphasis on loyalty. I know – we all grew up with the understanding that loyalty was good – one of the most important virtues. I was an Eagle scout, and number two on the Boy Scout law was loyalty.

That’s probably why so many churches and ministry organizations value loyalty far more than expertise – to the extent that they would rather hire or promote an extremely loyal person over someone more qualified. As a result, many churches and ministries are filled with employees who are very loyal, but sadly, incompetent as well. That’s why I think it’s time we took another look at the concept of loyalty – particularly as it relates to employees.

How employees view their jobs has changed dramatically over the last 10-20 years. My father’s generation were the “men in the gray flannel suits.” They were team players, and kept their jobs for life. Most of my family worked in cotton mills throughout North Carolina, and worked at the same company their entire lives. It was understood that corporate loyalty overshadowed their own personal sense of fulfillment.

But different generations view their working life through a far different lens. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average worker currently holds 10 different jobs before age 40. Job tenures now last less than four years. Some estimate that today’s youngest workers will hold 12 to 15 jobs in their lifetimes. For a generation that’s grown up with technology upgrades and media change, multiple variations of work environments comes easily. The bottom line? Especially since the pandemic, the world of work has changed dramatically in this culture, and as a result, employee expectations are different as well.

Today, employees care less about loyalty to an organization, and more about accomplishment. Finding a place where they can grow, utilize their gifts and talents, and pursue significance, are far more important than blind loyalty. That doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t value their employer – they just value accomplishment far more.

So in the new world of work, how can a pastor or ministry leader change their attitudes toward employee loyalty?

First – understand that when an employee leaves your organization, it’s not necessarily about you. He or she is not being spiteful, shunning your friendship, or disrespecting your authority. Today, only the most insecure ministry leaders should feel hurt when employees move on to another church or organization. In fact, one pastor I know takes pride in the fact that his employees leave. He feels like he’s training a new generation to go out and grow other churches and ministries.

Second – today, loyalty happens when employees can grow, exercise their gifts and talents, and explore possibilities for the future. For them, it’s not about how long they stay at a single company, it’s how much they can grow and expand their career. Their goal is not the organization. Their goal is impact.

Third – Don’t be offended if you discover an employee has been looking at other opportunities – even if they’ve actually interviewed at other organizations. It’s natural to wonder what’s on the other side of the fence. Besides, if they discover a better fit somewhere else, why would you want to keep them? What’s the point of forcing an employee to stay who’s unhappy? Further, why lose the potential of a future relationship by firing them in anger? On the flip side, they might actually discover just how good their present job is, and re-commit with new energy and enthusiasm.

9 Leadership Strategies to Avoid Becoming a Growth Barrier

By

Gavin Adams

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September 11, 2022

thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Every leader hates growth barriers.

The Internet is full of suggestions on breaking through barriers.

Some of these articles, blogs, and books are good. But too few focus on the leader as the barrier.

Here are 9 ways to remove yourself as a growth barrier.

Often, we are tempted to look around and cast blame when we bump into an issue or problem. At times blame should be cast elsewhere, but as a point leader of any team or organization, there is always an element of accountability that should fall back on our shoulders. After all, we are the leader.

Looking in the mirror is more demanding than looking through a window, though. Discovering and owning our part in any problem is painful at best, but if we desire to build the Kingdom more than OUR kingdom, a mirror moment is necessary.

It’s about to get all personal up in here, but it’s worth the introspection because the church and the people in our community are worth us being at our best.

Let’s start by acknowledging a truth for every leader: “In some way, I am a potential growth barrier.” In fact, just pause for a moment and read that aloud. Do you believe that? I hope so because every leader has something in them that can impede growth. I’ve yet to meet a leader who doesn’t have the potential to become a barrier. The best leaders both acknowledge this potential and embrace proactive solutions.

While I can’t diagnose every possible leadership deficiency, I can give you some specific things to consider that will overcome almost every leadership-driven growth barrier. Or at least I can give you the ones I’ve learned (and am learning) the hard way.

Quick Note: Each of the below ideas could be a full post in and of itself. I’ll give you more than one sentence on each, so feel free to skip what you do well and study what you don’t in more detail. Whatever you do, though, read number 1 so you know what to skip!

If you want to proactively remove yourself as a barrier to growth, make sure you:

1. Solicit feedback about your leadership — often.

The best and worst thing I have ever done as a leader was survey those around me about my leadership. The people around you are most likely talking about you amongst themselves already. You might as well find out what they are saying.

Leaders are notorious for seeing deficiencies in others without knowing their own. Since you can’t improve what you don’t know needs improvement, a leadership evaluation could be the most important step you can take to ensure you are not an artificial barrier to your organization’s growth.

Any sort of survey via SurveyMonkey can be fruitful so long as it’s anonymous, but if you want to go deeper, leverage a professional service, like RightPath 360. Just a word of warning: Set up a counseling appointment to coincide with your feedback review. Trust me on this one.

Question for Introspection: Do I really know what others think of my leadership?

2. Surround yourself with great leaders.

This is so important to create a path for continuous growth, but it takes a self-aware and secure leader to pull it off. If you are the smartest person in your organization, your organization is in trouble. If you struggle to attract or retain great people, you are the problem, and your organization is in trouble. If you look around and your organization is full of doers, not leaders, you’re in trouble.

During the early years of Woodstock City Church’s growth, I mistakenly hired too many doers. I hired doers because we had so much to do. They were great people who became my friends, but their ability to lead at the time was weak, and we collectively suffered as a result. We need some doers, but doers without leaders stunt organizational growth.

What I learned the hard way is, while doers might get a job done, leaders will attract other leaders and doers, get the job done, and move the organization forward in the process.

Attracting and retaining leaders is our preference, but it can only happen if we become a leader worth following and are willing to bring leaders into the organization.

Question for Introspection: Am I afraid to work with people better than me?

3. Systematically replace yourself.

If you replace yourself, what will you do? If you are tempted to ask that question, you’re probably not actively replacing yourself. Great leaders replace themselves because great leaders understand the health of any organization is ultimately only measured after a leadership transition has taken place.

As a leader, if you are not actively and systematically replacing yourself, you are not setting up your organization for continuous growth because you are the growth lid. While every leader is unique, one thing we all have in common is none of us wants to lead an organization small enough to be managed alone. We also don’t want to leave the organization worse than we found it. Replacing ourselves is the most effective way to prevent either of these two growth barriers.

Question for Introspection: Who am I actively replacing myself with?

4. Discover your natural strengths.

No leader is the best at everything necessary to lead an organization. God has given each one of us a unique set of strengths, and it is within these strengths where we find our greatest success and fulfillment. As a leader—especially a point leader—we owe it to our organization and ourselves to lead out of our strengths.

This concept is so problematic for church leaders, and it is equally damaging to long-term growth. If you are the point leader, you are called to lead in your strength. That means, if you are not the best communicator on your staff team, you should not preach every week even if you have the title of Lead Pastor. If you are not the best vision-caster in the church, you should stop casting vision alone. If you are not the most organized or detailed person on your team, you should not be responsible for the financials.

On the other hand, when you solicit feedback about your leadership and skills, pay attention to what you are great at doing. Leaders who don’t know their strengths operate from other’s expectations. On the other hand, leaders who know themselves and have embraced their strengths can lead more effectively toward continuous growth.

Quick Note: A great way to discover your strengths and unique abilities is to pay attention to compliments. We tend to shrug off compliments, but in humility, pay attention to what others say about you. Complements are as revealing as critiques.

Question for Introspection: Do I know where I thrive and where I struggle?

5. Delegate more than you do.

This is related to discovering your strengths. Leaders who refuse to limit their organization’s growth delegate more than they do, because, in their delegation, they free themselves to do what only they can do while empowering others to share the burden of leadership.

Delegation is an art, though. To be done well, a leader must possess a keen understanding of the leaders around them, provided great clarity, and pass along a level of authority and responsibility necessary to accomplish the task.

A leader who does not delegate is a leader who becomes the lid for their organization, and no leader wants an organization small enough to be managed alone.

Question for Introspection: What am I doing that someone else should be doing?

Do the Old Testament Promises of Prosperity Apply to God’s People Today?

By

Randy Alcorn

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September 11, 2022

In some circles, the abundant life Jesus promised His followers has been confused with material wealth. Prosperity theology says that God’s plan is always for us to be wealthy—and to spend our money primarily on ourselves. Jesus, who didn’t even have a place to lay His head and who owned nothing but a robe and sandals (Matthew 8:20), clearly didn’t live a money- and possessions-centered life. Surely that’s not what He wants for us either.

So how can we explain the apparent contradiction between the words and lifestyle of Jesus and the apostles, and the Old Testament prosperity passages? Can God’s people today lay claim to those Old Testament promises of prosperity? The answers to these questions lie in the fundamental differences between the Old and New Covenants. Suffice it to say that the New Testament reflects a fuller picture of the true, eternal wealth that is ours in Christ.

Material Wealth = God’s Blessing?

The portion of truth that makes prosperity theology credible is that some Old Testament passages link material prosperity with God’s blessing. For instance, God gave material wealth to Abraham (Genesis 13:1-7), Isaac (Genesis 26:12-14), Jacob (Genesis 30:43), Joseph (Genesis 39:2-6), Solomon (1 Kings 3:13), and Job (Job 42:10-17) because He approved of them. He promised the Israelites He would reward them materially for faithful financial giving (Deuteronomy 15:10; Proverbs 3:9-10; 11:25; Malachi 3:8-12).

In Deuteronomy 28:1-13, God tells the Israelites that He would reward their obedience by giving them children, crops, livestock, and victory over their enemies, but He also tacks on fifty-four more verses describing the curses that would come upon the nation if they didn’t obey Him—including diseases, heat and drought, military defeat, boils, tumors, madness, and blindness. The teaching is double-edged: prosperity for obedience, adversity for disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:14-68).

The Old Testament also warns against the dangers of wealth—especially the possibility that in our prosperity we may forget the Lord (Deuteronomy 8:7-18). Furthermore, the Bible recognizes frequent exceptions to the prosperity/adversity doctrine, noting that the wicked often prosper more than the righteous. The psalmist said, “I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a green tree in its native soil” (Psalm 37:35), and “I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. . . . This is what the wicked are like—always carefree, they increase in wealth” (Psalm 73:3, 12). Solomon saw “a righteous man perishing in his righteousness, and a wicked man living long in his wickedness” (Ecclesiastes 7:15). Jeremiah, a righteous man who lived in constant adversity, framed the question this way: “You are always righteous, O Lord, when I bring a case before you. Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?” (Jeremiah 12:1).

Are material wealth, achievement, fame, victory, or success reliable indicators of God’s reward or approval? If so, then He is an evil God, for history is full of successful madmen and prosperous despots. Was God on the side of Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and other prosperous butchers of history during their rise to power and at the apex of their regimes when they were surrounded by material wealth? Is God also on the side of wealthy cultists, dishonest business executives, and immoral entertainers? If wealth is a dependable sign of God’s approval and lack of wealth shows His disapproval, then Jesus and Paul were on God’s blacklist, and drug dealers and embezzlers are the apple of His eye.

Was George Whitefield a Christian?

By

Jared C. Wilson

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September 10, 2022

The following is an expansion of a lecture delivered to Midwestern Seminary students on the recent New England Study Tour at the Old South Church, Newburyport, Massachusetts, which stands today, in part, as an historical monument to George Whitefield and where he is buried “beneath the pulpit.”

What are we to make of evangelicalism’s historical “heroes” who carry with them still a tainted legacy of sin? Such is the question constantly facing the American Church as we contemplate the theological and evangelistic impact of men like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield, both of whom owned and, at points, defended the sinful institution of chattel slavery.

Who Was George Whitefield? Was He A Christian?

Both of these men leave behind an incredible record of gospel-rich theology and preaching. There is a reason we still study their work today and why many of us find much in it that edifies and stirs our affections for Christ. Many are reluctant to admit the great sin of these figures, believing that doing so may eradicate their contributions to church history. Many of course readily admit the great sin of these figures for the very purpose of indicting their contributions to church history. Still others assert we must accept all of their contributions, good and bad, as the consequence of honest historical appraisal. We must admit the good and the bad, because both the good and the bad we do leave their own legacies. Certainly the historical evil of slavery continues to impact American society today.

It is common sometimes to hear the defense that these were “men of their times,” as if to apply a kind of ignorance born of their cultural milieu, an unenlightened naiveté, in hopes of seeing their good “outweigh” their bad. But this kind of defense doesn’t work.

In the case of George Whitefield, English evangelist to the American colonies, whose ministry attracted tens of thousands, occasionally in one visit, to hear his extraordinary preaching gift and passionate and dramatic articulation of the grace of God, we find no remedy in “man of his times” ignorance. Early in his ministry, Whitefield spoke out against slavery and against slave-holding. Unlike many of his contemporaries at the time, he expressed concern for the souls of slaves, urging that they not just be treated kindly, but also evangelized, and their children catechized and raised in the church. Which is to say, Whitefield’s earliest expressed positions stand in prophetic witness against his later and longer-held expressed positions. The man knew better.

Something happened or changed in his disposition toward slavery, and it puts him beyond the excuse of simply being a “man of his times.” Perhaps it’s as simple as the growth of his platform. As his popularity grew, so did his prestige and power. Some of his admirers—perhaps in a way to court favor, perhaps out of genuine admiration, perhaps out of a strategy to sway his position—actually gifted him slaves.

Whitefield also began to see the economic advantage in implementing slave labor at his burgeoning orphanage in the Georgia colony. This may be difficult to believe, but Georgia originally did not allow slavery. Whitefield actually advocated for it there. There’s even good evidence that he brought slaves there two years before slavery was legalized! Therfore, Whitefield was not merely a slave-holder or a slavery-advocate—he was instrumental in the institution of slavery in the Georgia colony. He was complicit in this great evil.

How can someone who apparently knew the gospel so well not see his own duplicity? Or, perhaps seeing it, not care? We cannot rightly say this was a “blind spot” in the man’s life because of his contrary views previously. How might we wrestle with the tainted legacy of George Whitefield? Perhaps you’ll allow me a few reflections:

Rote Discipleship Is Spiritual Window-Dressing

By

James Scott Jr.

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September 10, 2022

Part of the Great Commission Jesus gave His church of going into all the world and making disciples, is the assignment to, “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you …” (Mt. 28:20a).

We don’t have a very good track record of doing what Jesus told us to do. When we try, we often settle for limited, rote teaching, thinking if a new disciple can parrot back what they’re told, they’ve learned.

No.

They’ve just learned to parrot, not to understand.

Kind of like this story from Gen. Douglas MacArthur in the book, Reminiscences:

It was a bad moment for me, but I did not hesitate in replying, “No, sir.” You could have heard a pin drop. I braced myself and waited.

And then the slow words of the professor: “Neither do I, Mr. MacArthur. Section dismissed.”

An accumulation of knowledge without understanding is an empty accomplishment; but teaching someone to the degree they gain understanding and even wisdom, that is deeply life-changing!

For example. let’s take just two lines of scripture that help us understand why and how we human beings exist:

For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen. (Romans 11:36)

For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, “We are his offspring.” (Acts 17:28)

Our lives can be deeply changed and satisfied by plumbing the depths of what is taught in just those two sentences of scripture. But for that to happen, we can’t settle for the spiritual window-dressing of rote discipleship; rather, we must strive for understanding from the knowledge we gain from God’s Word, and the wise application of it.

At the earliest stages of discipleship, a little rote learning, such as learning the books of the Bible in order, can be beneficial, but certainly not sufficient. Are you settling for a rote-level discipleship? Are you growing in knowledge and understanding from the Word of God? If you’re a Bible teacher or discipler of other Christians, do you teach for understanding?

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

Generous Church: Ten Top Characteristics

By

Brian Dodd

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September 10, 2022

I recently had the privilege of speaking to over 150 church leaders about the role generosity plays in allowing local bases of ministry to impact, serve, and change their communities. During that time together, I discussed The Top 10 Characteristics of a Generous Church. I want to make that content available to you.

A problem currently exists in American churches that we as spiritual leaders need to address. As a whole, our congregations are not generous. Let’s look at some facts.

Christians are giving at a 2.5% per capita or tithe. During the Great Depression, they gave at a 3.3% rate. Today, 33-50% of church members, those who claim they have bought in at a deep level to your ministry, give nothing.

If we were able to have our people increase their giving from 2.5% to 10% of their annual income, an additional $165 billion would flow into the Kingdom. To show the global impact those resources could make, consider the following:

$25 billion would relieve global hunger, starvation, and deaths from preventable diseases in 5 years.
$12 billion would eliminate illiteracy in 5 years.
$15 billion would solve the world’s water and sanitation issues, specifically at places in the world where 1 billion people live on less than $1 per day.
$1 billion would fully fund the Great Commission.
$100 – $110 billion would still be left over for additional ministry expansion.

(These statistics were provided by www.generouschurch.com.)

The Following Are Questions Church Leaders Then Need to Be Asking Based Upon This Current Reality

Where can we get a roadmap to help us effectively communicate our need for financial resources to continue fulfilling our ministry vision?
How do we focus people and leadership on the responsiveness and the generous heart that honors God?
How do we help our leaders discern the importance of best practices and the role of faith in making decisions for the ministry of the church?

What a Generous Church Looks Like

1. Righteous Regret

The pastor and senior leadership must be broken about the condition of those around them and have a vision of what financial resources could do to bring aid to the hurting and suffering. This begins with senior pastors as the platform/pulpit drives ministry initiatives.

2. Ethos

Most churches have a vision statement that includes honoring God, reaching people for Christ, and serving others. However, if I visit a church three consecutive weekends, I know what your church actually celebrates. Church leaders, if I came to your church three weekends in a row, would I say that you celebrated generosity?

3. Defiant

A generous church is non-apologetic about asking for resources. They understand that ministry costs money, and the more money you have, the more impact you can make.

4. Poverty Centric

A generous church is focused on the under-resourced, hurting, orphaned, poor, and those in need rather than ministry maintenance. They care deeply about improving human life.

5. Crusade

A generous church is on a quest to serve those around them. Is it unacceptable that probably 10% of your city lives below the poverty line or children to go to bed cold and hungry or for families to lose their homes or…

6. Partnerships

A generous church works with other groups such as Samaritan’s Purse, World Vision, and Convoy of Hope who do things better than they do. By working with these groups, churches can multiply their impact. It is true that one can put a thousand to flight but two can put ten thousand. That’s the value of partnerships.

7. Call to Action

A generous church knows that how you ask people to give and serve makes a big difference in their level of engagement. These churches make requests of their people in a way that is clear, crisp, and compelling.

8. Clear Instruction

Generous churches communicate what the needs are in their sphere of influence and how resources utilized effectively can be a solution to these problems. In addition, they creatively weave generosity into each service, allowing people to participate.

9. Easy Accessibility

Generous churches create multiple points of entry for their donors. All churches should have automatic draft, online giving, and kiosks in their lobbies. Churches are one of the few places left where people still write checks, but that is diminishing greatly.

10. Corporate Commitment

Generous churches know that everyone (young, old, male, female, rich, or poor) can and does make a difference. Each is engaged, cultivated, and enlisted in a manner God has equipped them to behave.

I trust this list helps you create a culture of generosity that serves others and relieves human suffering. Pastors and church leaders, what additional strategies are you implementing to increase generosity in your churches?

Counter-Cultural: Submit to God or Conform to Culture

By

J.D. Greear

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September 10, 2022

Following Jesus is counter-cultural in every society, though often in different ways.

In some cultures, it’s the Scriptures’ teaching on marriage and sexuality that offends the culture. In others, it’s the emphasis on grace and generosity and giving away power. Sometimes it’s Jesus’ emphasis on the equality of all peoples as made alike in the image of God. Sometimes it’s God’s authority over his creation, defying our innate desire to be our own gods.

As I’ve heard it said, Jesus is an equal-opportunity offender. But he offends each society in unique ways.

One way to think about this struggle is through the biblical metaphor of “Babylon.” In Scripture, “Babylon” doesn’t just refer to an ancient Near Eastern city. It represents the spirit of defiance against God. The spirit of Babylon is alive in every nation on earth.

One of the great tragedies of the church in the West is how often and consistently we have conformed to Babylon.

Consider, for instance, slavery. I’m thankful to live during a time in which slavery seems unthinkably horrific. But historically, slavery has been alarmingly common. Nearly every culture in history has practiced slavery—because every culture in history was led by sinful, fallen people. And sinful people use power to exploit others. It is difficult to comprehend the moral horror of the tens of millions of people—people, those made in God’s image—who have been bought and sold as property.

But what makes the tragedy of slavery in the West particularly shameful is how Christianity was often used to defend it. The gospel undermines the very nature of slavery. To participate in slavery, Christian slave traders had to willfully blind their eyes to the faith they professed. Our gospel teaches that all people are equal because they are made in the image of God, that Jesus died for all equally alike, and that it is the responsibility of the strong to lift up the weak, not oppress them, like Jesus did for us.

And yet, we find the church in the West not only complicit in slavery but a defender and proponent of it. In conforming to Babylon, the church left a legacy of damage to both our society and the church. We still haven’t fully recovered.

It’s easy, in 2021, to look back and condemn slavery. Well, you think, we learned our lesson there. We’re not going to do that again. It’s much harder to see the church today making many of the same mistakes in new ways. Babylon is still around.

For example, as our society shifts its views on sexuality and gender, many in the church are following suit. A friend of mine who teaches in a local public school notes that 10 or 15 years ago, when he talked about same-sex behavior, the class was evenly split in opinion, usually along the line of kids who went to church and those who didn’t. Now, if he asks that question, only one or two students will say that homosexual behavior is outside of God’s will.

It’s not that he has fewer Christians in his class. It’s that fewer Christians are willing to say something about sexuality that is increasingly unpopular.

We shouldn’t congratulate ourselves because we are able to spot the societal sins of the past. Those are always the easiest to see. Instead, we must always ask ourselves where Babylon today is asking us to conform.

There’s a famous line attributed to the Reformer Martin Luther: “The courage of the soldier is tested in how well he stands where the battle is the hottest, not in how brave he postures himself where the battle has passed.”

We must be prepared to take our stand—not at those places where we are celebrated, but where doing so puts us most out of fashion with the culture around us. We must be prepared to be told that we are “on the wrong side of history.” How? By caring less about what side of history we’re on and more about which side of Jesus we’re on. By listening to his loving, offensive, counter-cultural rebuke to all of us.

This article originally appeared here.

VP Harris Applauded for Pro-Abortion Comments During The National Baptist Convention; SBC President Condemns Remarks

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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September 9, 2022

On Thursday (Sept. 8), Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the 142nd Annual Session of The National Baptist Convention (NBC) in Houston, Texas.

According to their website, the NBC is the “nation’s oldest and largest African American religious convention” and consists of over 7.5 million members.

During the Vice President’s speech, which fell just short of 30 minutes, Harris shared that she learned about the importance of faith while growing up in 23rd Avenue Church of God in Oakland, California.

“Through the darkness, faith and our faith reminds us that we are not alone. Faith teaches us that a brighter future is always ahead and we must keep moving forward to realize that future. And to move forward, simply put, I also learned and we all know: Faith requires action,” Harris said.

Harris then shared that she was raised to live out her faith, citing examples of her parents pushing her in a stroller while marching for civil rights, as well as her own political endeavors.

Harris explained that faith is what guides her and President Joe Biden’s work every day, telling the NBC that they “know deeply, that when people of faith come together anything is possible—everything is possible—that is the power of faith.”

The 57-year-old vice president expressed her concern for the United States, saying that we currently live in “unsettled times,” referencing that “here in our own country, the powerful transfer of power in a way that is peaceful; the freedom of voters—voters—to decide elections; the freedom of women to make decisions about their future; even what constitutes the truth.”

Harris said, “These ideals now hang in the balance,” and called on faith leaders to help lead the country forward. “As we see gun violence threatening the safety of our communities and the sanctity of our houses of worship, our faith leaders have been among the leaders who demand a ban on assault weapons so that our children do not have to fear their lives as they sit at their desk or kneel in the pew.”

Harris then used words from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church of Corinth as a charge for NBC attenders to fight for abortion access: “Be on your guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything in love (1 Corinthians 16:13-14).”

The crowd applauded Harris after she said, “As extremists work to take away the freedom of women to make decisions about their own bodies, faith leaders are taking a stand, knowing one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held religious beliefs to agree that a woman should have the ability to make decisions about her own body and not have her government tell her what to do.”

Mississippi Pastor Accuses Joe Biden of Being Possessed by Satan During ‘Soul of America’ Speech

By

Dale Chamberlain

-

September 9, 2022

In a recent YouTube video, Mississippi pastor Shane Vaughn argued that President Joe Biden was possessed by Satan during his “The Battle for the Soul of America” speech on September 1. In that speech, Biden spoke strongly against those who continue to deny the results of the 2020 presidential election, urging Americans to stand for democracy.

Vaughn has become increasingly well known among certain segments of the online evangelical community for his Trump-related conspiracy theories, as well as his denunciations of pandemic safety measures and mandates. He serves as pastor of First Harvest Ministries in Waveland, Mississippi, and posts video content online in a persona he has named “Professor Toto.”

The speech Biden gave at Independence Hall in Philadelphia has been controversial, particularly among Republicans who felt personally slighted by the president’s words—including Vaughn.

During the speech, Biden said, “Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.” As he spoke, Biden stood against a deep red backdrop and was flanked by two Marines.

“Something hit [Biden] when he got up there. I know what that something was: the power of Satan himself,” Vaughn said in his video. “Just like Senator Palpatine in Star Wars. He can barely walk until Satan touches him, and then he becomes this rough and tough—but he’s a coward without Satan’s power.”

Vaughn continued, “When he came there, the drugs kicked in, and he delivered a commanding speech, oh yes, by his standards. He started off real hoarse, but like a pro, he managed to get over it, fumbled over the first few words, and then Satan took over.”

“Joe-bama spent weeks preparing this speech and the background. This is something that was set up by Satan himself,” Vaughn said, apparently making simultaneous accusations that former president Barack Obama exerts control over the Biden administration and that Obama is himself a demonic figure.

Since the “Soul for America” speech, President Biden has walked back some of his more harsh comments, and the White House has continued to contend that the speech was not divisive.

“I don’t consider any Trump supporter a threat to the country,” Biden said one day after the speech. “I do think anyone who calls for the use of violence, fails to condemn violence when it’s used, refuses to acknowledge when an election has been won, insists upon changing the way in which the rules—you count votes—that is a threat to democracy.”

Ohio Pastor Faces Domestic Violence Charges for Allegedly Threatening His Wife

By

Stephanie Martin

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September 9, 2022

An Ohio pastor has been charged with aggravated menacing and domestic violence after allegedly threatening his wife with a loaded gun. The Rev. Charles Ross, pastor of New Prospect Baptist Church in Toledo, has pleaded not guilty. He is due back in court on September 26 for a pre-trial hearing.

Charles Ross’ Wife Feared for Her Safety

Yolonda Ross called police for assistance in the early hours of Sunday, September 4, saying her husband loaded a firearm in their home and threatened to kill her. According to court records, Charles Ross caused “the belief of serious physical harm or imminent death to his live-in wife and mother of his children when he loaded a firearm and stated, ‘Is it going to end?’ while he held the firearm in front of the victim.”

During his initial court appearance on September 6, Pastor Ross was fingerprinted and released on his own recognizance. A judge ordered him to stay away from his wife. The Rosses have three children.

A relative of Yolonda Ross says the pastor should no longer lead his congregation. “I’m the one that went up and [talked] to the deacons,” says the family member, who requested anonymity. “You’re supposed to protect [the woman], not cause harm to her. You’re threatening to harm. That’s a problem.”

Although the relative admits “we all make mistakes,” he adds, “there’s no way it should be where you can do this and then lie to people saying you didn’t do it. It’s unacceptable.”

New Prospect has not responded to requests for comment or addressed whether Ross will remain as its pastor. The church’s social media pages have been disabled. On YouTube, the congregation describes itself as a family-oriented ministry that aims to change lives, heal people, and strengthen families.

Addressing a Surge in Domestic Violence

As Church Leaders has reported, domestic violence has increased in the past couple of years, partly due to the stress of pandemic-related isolation. An increasing number of churches have begun addressing the problem from the pulpit and offering resources for abuse victims.

Joanna Berry of the South Texas Children’s Home Ministries tells Baptist Press: “From the pulpit, a pastor can present how women should be treated, using many examples, including Jesus.” In addition, she says, churches can share survivors’ stories, provide counseling services or recommendations, and offer resources “for respite and healing, keeping in mind that most women will not have financial resources to pay for this.”

Pastor and Former Atlanta Official Gets 14 Years in Corruption Case

By

Kate Brumback

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September 9, 2022

ATLANTA (AP) — A pastor, political operative and former high-ranking Atlanta city official was sentenced Thursday to 14 years in prison after a jury found her guilty of charges stemming from a long-running federal investigation into corruption at City Hall.

U.S. District Judge Steve Jones told Mitzi Bickers that the evidence showed that she was involved in “a deliberate, calculated plan to cheat” the taxpayers of Atlanta over a number of years. In addition to the prison time, he ordered Bickers to pay nearly $3 million in restitution to the city and to serve three years of supervised release once she’s out.

Bickers, 56, was the first person to go to trial in the investigation into corruption during the administration of former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. She helped Reed win election and then worked as his director of human services for several years. Prosecutors said she used her influence to funnel roughly $17 million in business to city contractors Elvin “E.R.” Mitchell Jr. and Charles P. Richards Jr. in exchange for more than $2.9 million in bribes for herself and others.

A jury in March found Bickers guilty on charges including money laundering, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit bribery.

Prosecutors had asked Jones to sentence Bickers to serve 17 and a half years in prison. Her lawyers asked for a much lower sentence, pointing to the five years that Mitchell got and the two years Richards got.

Bickers told the judge that what prosecutors said about her was a “mischaracterization.”

“I pray and believe that God is not through with this situation and that you, sir, will see beyond this awful picture that has been painted,” she said.

Her mother, Ethel Bickers, said in court that her daughter “has been the glue that keeps our family and our church together” and that “her absence from the community would be a great loss.”

Bickers’ father served alongside Martin Luther King Jr. in the civil rights movement and founded Emmanuel Baptist Church next to an Atlanta housing project, according to a court filing. When her father died in 1998, she took over as pastor of the church.

She also was elected to the Atlanta Board of Education at 26 and held the position for a decade. And she was an effective political operative known for getting voters to turn out.

Defense attorney Drew Findling said prosecutors previously offered to recommend a five-year sentence if she took a plea deal and that she was being punished for going to trial. He has said they plan to appeal.

Prosecutor Jeff Davis said cases like this are difficult because “you have to try and balance an otherwise meaningful and productive life against egregious criminal conduct.” Bickers used the formidable skills that made her so effective in her honest pursuits to commit crimes, he said.

J.D. Greear Addresses Listing Pronouns, Clarifies 2019 Comments on Sexual Sin

By

Stephanie Martin

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September 9, 2022

In the latest episode of his “Ask Me Anything” podcast, former Southern Baptist Convention president J.D. Greear elaborates on the controversy of listing one’s pronouns. The pastor of The Summit Church in Durham, North Carolina, addressed the topic back in November 2019. But since then, he says, his thinking has “crystallized” and even “matured.”

Greear also apologizes for “any confusion” caused by his word choice about sexual sins during a January 2019 sermon.

J.D. Greear on Pronouns: ‘There Can Be No Ambiguity in Our Testimony’

While discussing pronouns in 2019, Greear used phrases such as “generosity of spirit” (citing Andrew Walker) and “pronoun hospitality” (citing Preston Sprinkle). Now he clarifies that Christians must “be honest about what the Bible says,” noting, “There can be no ambiguity in our testimony to the world.” Yet believers must balance our defense of truth with our call to “win people” to faith, he adds.

If someone transitions to another gender and wants to switch pronouns, should Christians comply? In response, Greear uses a phrase from Walker: “The answer to that question begins and ends with ‘no.’” He also cites 1 Corinthians 6:9 and Romans 1, saying the issue is “non-negotiable.”

Dynamics at play in the pronoun debate include truth, relationships, and balancing how to “fight the battle at the right location,” Greear says. If you use someone’s preferred pronouns during a conversation, he adds, that isn’t necessarily “capitulation or compromise of truth.” But you shouldn’t do that “in a way that implies acceptance or affirmation, even for a second.” One solution, he says, is to use the person’s name, rather than pronouns, even though that can become awkward.

A listener asks Greear how to respond to an increasingly hostile employer who wants people to list pronouns on nametags. He says even though listing his own pronouns as he/him would be “a true statement,” he’d resist doing so “because I don’t want to normalize the gender confusion or recognize this as a legitimate question.” If a job or government requires you to list pronouns, Greear says, “you’d have to discern what is best for witness and truth and your calling to be somewhere.”

‘I Regret the Word Choice,’ J.D. Greear Says of Controversial Sermon

In a 2019 sermon titled “How the Fall Affects Us All,” Greear used a “comparison by analogy” that he says got taken out of context. About Romans 1:24-32, he said, “In comparison to how Jesus talks about the sins of religious pride and greed, it’s as if God whispers about sexual sin while he screams about pride and greed.”

Eminem, DJ Khaled Reach Number 1 on Billboard Christian Song Chart

By

Dale Chamberlain

-

September 9, 2022

Marshall Mathers, better known by his stage name Eminem, achieved an accolade this week that few would have expected: he was featured on a song that debuted at number one on Billboard’s “Hot Christian Songs” chart.

The song was DJ Khaled’s “Use this Gospel (Remix),” which was released on August 26 as part of Khaled’s new album “God Did.” The song originally appeared on Kanye West’s “Jesus is King” album in 2019.

This is the first time that Eminem and DJ Khaled have reached the number one spot on the “Hot Christian Songs” list. It is West’s fifth time. Billboard announced the achievement via Twitter on September 7.

For DJ Khaled and Eminem to reach number one success in a Christian music category is unexpected, as Khaled adheres to the Muslim faith, and Eminem is well known for his poetically creative but notably vulgar brand of rapping. He has often been criticized by parents and faith groups for writing and performing lyrics that glorify violence and drug use.

Eminem’s lyrics were even discussed among congressional representatives after he won his first Grammy Award in 2001.

“When you hear the words about raping your mother or killing your mother, I think that the industry should be embarrassed that that’s award-winning entertainment,” said then representative for Wyoming Barbara Cubin at the time.

Nevertheless, Eminem said in a 2010 interview with “60 Minutes” that he doesn’t allow swearing in his home, adding, “I’m a parent; I have daughters.”

Eminem’s verse on “Use This Gospel” has distinctly Christian themes, as he refers to Jesus as his “shepherd” and says that his “weapon is prayer.”

“Today’s the day that I put all of my trust and faith in You, Father,” Eminem raps in the song.

Elizabeth II, Longest To Rule Britain and Church of England, Dies at 96

By

Catherine Pepinster

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September 9, 2022

LONDON (RNS) — Elizabeth II of England, Britain’s longest-serving monarch and official head of the Church of England, died Thursday (Sept. 8) at Balmoral Castle in Scotland at age 96. She came to the throne in 1952 but had dedicated her life to service of her nation six years earlier, as a 21-year-old princess, saying, “God help me to make good my vow.”

When Elizabeth was crowned, following her father, George VI, Britain was still recovering from World War II and its heavy bombing campaigns; Winston Churchill was prime minister and the country still had an empire. The young queen’s coronation suggested a new era — as the millions of television sets purchased to watch the live broadcast of the ceremony from London’s Westminster Abbey signaled.

But the coronation itself was steeped in tradition and confirmed the intertwining of the monarchy and religion. The more-than-1,000-year-old ceremony involves the anointing of the monarch, who commits himself or herself to the people through sacred promises.

FILE - This is a June. 2, 1953 file photo of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, as they wave to supporters from the balcony at Buckingham Palace, following her coronation at Westminster Abbey. London. (AP Photo/Leslie Priest, File)

This is a June 2, 1953, file photo of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip as they wave to supporters from the balcony at Buckingham Palace after her coronation at Westminster Abbey, London. (AP Photo/Leslie Priest, File)

One of those, to uphold the Protestant religion, is also a reminder of the religious divisions of the nearer past.

The queen’s two titles of Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England, given to her at her accession, also owe their existence to Reformation history. The first was first bestowed on Henry VIII by a grateful pope for the king’s rebuttal of the teachings of Martin Luther. Henry defiantly held onto it even after breaking with Rome to declare himself head of the new Church of England.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II passes the choir as she leaves after attending the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in London, Monday, March 14, 2016. Organised by the Royal Commonwealth Society, the service is the largest annual inter-faith gathering in the United Kingdom. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II passes the choir as she leaves after attending the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey in London, March 14, 2016. Organized by the Royal Commonwealth Society, the service is the largest annual interfaith gathering in the United Kingdom. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

His daughter, the first Elizabeth, dubbed herself Supreme Governor of the Church of England, saying Jesus Christ was its head. To this day, the British monarch retains constitutional authority in the established church but does not govern it. The modern Elizabeth left that to the bishops, although she addressed general synods and maintained a role as a listener and guide to her primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

On Thursday, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby released a statement noting the “signs of a deeply rooted Christian faith” in the queen’s life: her courage even as she mourned her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who died in April 2021; her reminders in the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic that darkness cannot overcome light; her service to “her people and her God.”

“As a faithful Christian disciple, and also Supreme Governor of the Church of England, she lived out her faith every day of her life. Her trust in God and profound love for God was foundational in how she led her life – hour by hour, day by day,” Welby wrote.

While Defender of the Faith has been an inherited title and little more, Elizabeth II embraced it and in recent years made it her own, speaking very openly about her faith and explaining how it provided the framework of her life.

She did this mostly through her annual Christmas message, a tradition begun by her grandfather, George V, in 1932, and continued by her father. Her early Christmas Day broadcasts were platitudinous — the holidays as an occasion for family was a frequent theme. In 2000, however, she spoke of the millennium as the 2,000-year anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ, “who was destined to change the course of our history.”

She went on to speak very personally and frankly about her faith: “For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ’s words and example.” Similar sentiments have been aired at Christmas ever since.

State of Bible: Gen Z Leads in Active Evangelism, Desire to Share Faith

By

Diana Chandler

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September 9, 2022

PHILADELPHIA (BP) – Gen Z adults, those 25 and under, match elders in a desire to share their faith, and lead all ages in their openness to spiritual conversations, the American Bible Society (ABS) said Sept. 8 in releasing its latest chapter of the 2022 State of the Bible.

More than half, 54 percent, of Gen Z and elders expressed a desire to share their faith with others, and 58 percent of Gen Z engaged in individual spiritual conversations with three or more persons in the past year, more than any other age group studied. The ABS defines elders as age 76 and older.

“We asked a range of questions with different phrasing – sharing faith, having spiritual conversations, talking about the message of the Bible,” ABS said of its survey. “The Bible itself expresses the work of evangelism in various ways (preaching, reconciling, conversing, answering), so we felt comfortable approaching the subject in different ways.”

The findings are a good report for Gen Z, ABS said, in contrast to the previous release from the 2022 report placing a large percentage of Gen Z among committed Christians who don’t attend church at least once monthly.

“We’re especially encouraged by Gen Z. Our last chapter included some causes for worry, but here we see a desire for faith-sharing among Scripture-engaged young people,” ABS said in releasing the report’s sixth chapter, focused on evangelism. “We also see signs of a greater openness to spiritual conversations in the Gen Z culture.

“As with many other factors in State of the Bible, evangelism is strongly associated with Scripture engagement and church attendance. Those who are committed to the Bible and the church are far more likely to be committed to sharing their faith.”

Factors that likely influence Gen Z’s Gospel sharing, ABS said, are changes in American culture that have made the Gospel “genuinely new” to Gen Z. American culture is “less overtly Christianized,” and methods of evangelism have adjusted to include Christian music, films, novels, streaming television and internet memes.

Among other generations, 45 percent of millennials and Gen X, and 50 percent of boomers said they wanted to share their faith. When it came to actually sharing their faith with others, 54 percent of boomers said they shared their faith with at least three people in the past year, the age category ranking closest to Gen Z. Among others, 52 percent millennials, 51 percent of Gen X and 45 percent of elders shared their faith with at least three others.

“Are we seeing a generational shift in openness to spiritual matters?” ABS asked. “Where previous generations learned to avoid religious talk, our findings suggest that Gen Z is breaking those barriers.”

Feeling inadequate in social interactions (19 percent), a lack of knowledge of faith issues (15 percent) and fear of what others will think of them (12 percent) rank as the top three obstacles to evangelism among Scripture-engaged Christians of all ages. Gen Z described their top obstacles as a lack of knowledge of faith issues (31 percent), guilt about inconsistencies in their own lives (22 percent), and being unsure about their own faith (19 percent).

Missouri Pastor’s Wife Dies in Auto Crash

By

Scott Barkley

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September 9, 2022

NEW MADRID, Mo. (BP) – Heather Polk, a nurse practitioner who used her expertise on medical mission trips, died Sept. 7 in a two-car collision as she returned home from work.

Polk’s husband, Jeff, is pastor of New Madrid Baptist Church.

The accident occurred at the junction of highway 61 and I-55 in New Madrid. A 19-year-old driver in a 2012 Chevrolet Cruz failed to yield and collided with Polk’s 2012 Mazda as she returned from her shift in Dexter, Mo. Polk was pronounced dead at the scene.

Josh Boley, pastor of First Baptist Church in Chaffee, Mo., recounted Polk’s determination and work toward extra training for medical mission trips. Her most recent one – which included ministering alongside one of her daughters, Riley – was to Honduras in July.

“She and my wife were friends and Bridget said Heather had a magnetic personality and good sense of humor,” said Boley.

Last October the Boleys lost one of a set of twin daughters shortly after birth. Polk’s medical background and friendship helped them walk through that dark time, he said.

“Even recently, Heather was still sending Bridget texts about it to check in on her,” said Boley.

A visitation for will be held at the church Friday (Sept. 9) from 5-8 p.m. There will be a second visitation from 9-11 a.m. Saturday, followed by a funeral service at 11.

This article originally appeared here.

Toxic Person: 6 Early Warning Signs You’re Dealing With One

By

Carey Nieuwhof

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September 8, 2022

A toxic person. You’ve likely dealt with someone like that before. At your church, as a volunteer, on your staff, and as customers. A toxic person is, well, toxic.

An unhealthy or difficult person can infect your team like toxins infect the human body. After some exposure, everyone feels sick. The optimist in you and me hope a toxic person will become better. The good news is, sometimes they do.

Unhealthy people can grow healthier with the right care and attention in a healthy environment. But some toxic people just don’t. Some remain difficult, despite all attempts.

And as you know, if you don’t address toxic people—or worse, let them gain influence—they can infect your whole organization. Plus, they can diminish your effectiveness and take everyone’s focus off the mission.

So…how can you tell early on that the person you’re dealing with might be that person?

6 Signs of a Toxic Person

1. A toxic person comes on too strong.

In my experience as a pastor, the people who show up and want to make it headline news are rarely (I’m being generous here) healthy people. What’s perplexing is that the people who end up being the most toxic at the end of the relationship are over-the-top positive when they first meet you.

I have learned to be suspicious when people tell me on first meeting and first hearing, “That’s the best message I’ve ever heard in my life!” or “This is the best church I’ve ever been to anywhere.”

I find usually the people who are moderately impressed or even neutral on the first visit and warm up over time are the ones who are most healthy in the long run.

People who come on strong when they first meet you usually leave just as loudly.

2. A toxic person gives you advice during your first meeting.

Whether it’s a casual conversation or even a job interview, people who tell 15 ways you can improve your organization or your speaking often end up being toxic people.

Are there ways we can improve our organization? Of course. Can you improve your speaking? Sure you can.

But when someone leads off with loads of advice…well, that’s just not healthy.

When people I first meet start telling me about all the ways we can improve our church, I thank them and tell them point blank we’re probably not the church for them and offer to help them find a new one.

Popular Preschool Cartoon ‘Peppa Pig’ Introduces Same-Sex Parents

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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September 8, 2022

Earlier this week, the popular British preschool cartoon Peppa Pig, which airs on Nick Jr., introduced a same-sex couple to its young audience, a first in the program’s 18-year history.

In an episode of the Hasbro owned show titled “Families,” the character Penny Polar Bear shared with her classmates that her parents are two moms.

“I’m Penny Polar Bear. I live with my mommy and my other mommy,” Penny said while showing a hand drawn portrait of her family. Penny told the class, “One mommy is a doctor and one mommy cooks spaghetti. I love spaghetti.”

The children’s show, which is broadcasted in over 180 countries, may have been influenced to include the same-sex parental polar bears by a 2019 petition that fell short of its 25,000 signature goal but demanded that Peppa Pig writers include a same-sex parent family on the show.

“Peppa Pig is one of the most popular TV shows for young children and has won numerous British Academy Children’s Awards. The show features Peppa Pig and her family, and various families of other animals they are friends with,” the petition said.

Petitioners took issue with the show not featuring a same-sex family in any of the 250-plus episodes that had aired at the time.

“Children watching Peppa Pig are at an impressionable age, and excluding same-sex families will teach them that only families with either a single parent or two parents of different sexes are normal,” the petition continued. “This means that children of same-sex parents may feel alienated by Peppa Pig, and that other children may be more likely to bully them, simply through ignorance.”

Before asking for supporters signatures, the petition claimed that “Peppa Pig is not just for entertainment, children are inevitably learning from it too.”

This isn’t the first time the polar bear characters have made an appearance on the animated series. The two polar bears made a brief appearance together when they dropped off Penny for a birthday party, but nothing was referenced regarding their relationship at the time.

Pastor and Tennis Legend Margaret Court Takes Aim at Serena Williams

By

Stephanie Martin

-

September 8, 2022

Amid the recent adulation for U.S. tennis superstar Serena Williams comes pushback from 80-year-old Australian pastor Margaret Court. Before entering the ministry, Court was a tennis champion who won 24 Grand Slam singles titles—one more than Williams.

In a recent interview, Court compares the two athletes’ careers and expresses disappointment that she doesn’t receive enough credit. The Pentecostal pastor tells Britain’s Daily Telegraph her Christians beliefs are one reason she isn’t honored, even in her own nation. Critics accuse Court of being intolerant and racist.

Margaret Court: Tennis Is ‘So Much Easier’ Now

Last Friday, Williams lost in the third round of the U.S. Open, in what’s presumed to be her final pro match. The 40-year-old is being lauded as the “greatest athlete of all time”—male or female. She holds the record for the most career Grand Slam wins (23) in the “Open Era,” which began in 1968.

Margaret Court’s pro career lasted from 1960 to 1977. Afterward, she attended Bible college, started a ministry, and then launched Victory Life Centre in Perth, where she still serves as pastor.

Court, who played seven fewer years than Williams, notes that she won Grand Slams after having two babies. (Williams hasn’t won a championship since the 2017 birth of her only child.) Modern-day players “don’t honor the past of the game” or honor their opponents anymore, Court laments. Although she says she has “admired” Williams “as a player…I don’t think she has ever admired me.”

Being a top tennis player was tougher in the past, Court says. “I would love to have played in this era. I think it’s so much easier. How I would love to have taken family or friends along with me. But I couldn’t. I had to go on my own or with the national team. People don’t see all that.” She adds, “We didn’t have psychologists or coaches with us. It’s a whole different world.”

Pastor Margaret Court: Media ‘Don’t Want To Mention My Name’

Court, who became a born-again Christian in the early ’70s, while ranked number one, says, “A lot of the press…don’t want to mention my name.” At Wimbledon earlier this year, she says, “Nobody even spoke to me.” And Court believes she knows why.

“I think a lot of it is because of being a minister and making a stand for my beliefs,” she says. “I have had a lot of bullying. But we should be able to say what we believe. I’ve got nothing against anybody. I respect everybody. I minister to everybody.”

Court’s opposition to same-sex marriage has cost her and Victory Life Centre grants and donations. And LGBTQ activists want her name removed from an arena in Melbourne Park.

How to Make Your Church Stickier

1. Make your church friendlier

1. Teach on hospitality.

2. Create a “gorilla greeter” team.

3. Adopt a “neighborhood.”

4. Give the greeting time a purpose or kill it.

Here are 9 ways to remove yourself as a growth barrier.

If you want to proactively remove yourself as a barrier to growth, make sure you:

1. Solicit feedback about your leadership — often.

2. Surround yourself with great leaders.

3. Systematically replace yourself.

4. Discover your natural strengths.

5. Delegate more than you do.

Material Wealth = God’s Blessing?

Who Was George Whitefield? Was He A Christian?

The Following Are Questions Church Leaders Then Need to Be Asking Based Upon This Current Reality

What a Generous Church Looks Like

1. Righteous Regret

2. Ethos

3. Defiant

4. Poverty Centric

5. Crusade

6. Partnerships

7. Call to Action

8. Clear Instruction

9. Easy Accessibility

10. Corporate Commitment

Charles Ross’ Wife Feared for Her Safety

Addressing a Surge in Domestic Violence

J.D. Greear on Pronouns: ‘There Can Be No Ambiguity in Our Testimony’

‘I Regret the Word Choice,’ J.D. Greear Says of Controversial Sermon

6 Signs of a Toxic Person

1. A toxic person comes on too strong.

2. A toxic person gives you advice during your first meeting.

Margaret Court: Tennis Is ‘So Much Easier’ Now

Pastor Margaret Court: Media ‘Don’t Want To Mention My Name’

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