Three Wise Men Story: 12 KidMin Resources for Epiphany

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October 14, 2022

The Bible’s three wise men story (also known as the three kings, or the Magi) recounts the events of Epiphany. On January 6, following the 12 days of Christmas, the Christian church celebrates the Christ-child’s “manifestation” or “appearance” to Gentiles.

Symbols of Epiphany include the star (that the wise men followed), light, crowns, gifts, and the color green (for life, growth, and eternity). In Sunday school, children learn about the presents the Magi brought to baby Jesus (Matthew 2:1-12) — gold, frankincense and myrrh. Teachers also emphasize that wise people still follow the Savior and give him their best.

How does your children’s ministry program mark Epiphany and the three wise men story? If you need new ideas and resources, keep reading! Check out the free gifts below. Adapt them for your age groups and needs.

12 Resources for the Three Wise Men Story

Use these lesson plans, discussion questions, crafts, and activities to engage children with the three wise men story.

1. Seeking the Savior

Use a map for this powerful object lesson about the Magi traveling to worship Jesus.

2. Watching and Waiting

Remind kids to be alert for Jesus’ return. This children’s message is based on Mark 13:33.

3. A Light-Bulb Moment

Help give kids an “epiphany” by teaching them to worship the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

4. Crafts for the Three Kings Story

Have fun making these Epiphany crafts with children!

5. Epiphany Lesson & Craft

Use this free lesson and activity to encourage kids to always seek Jesus.

6. Follow the Star

Older kids will enjoy making this star craft for the Epiphany season.

Grieving Toddler Packs a Bag to ‘Visit His Dad in Heaven’—Leaves TikTok in a Puddle of Tears

By

Bri Lamm

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October 14, 2022

A little boy is melting hearts across TikTok this week after packing his bags to go visit his dad in heaven.

TikTok mom, Ashley Irwin (@just_your_average_mom) is a content creator and single mom from Texas who uses the platform to share various parts of her life, including grief and mental health.

In a viral video Ashley shared last month, which has nearly 5 million views at the time of publication, the single mother of three sat in front of her phone holding her young son’s super hero-themed duffle bag. The clip begins with the text, “When your son wants to visit heaven.”

@just_your_average_mom #griefandloss #fatherandson #iloveyou #wemissyou #heaven #healing #hepicksmeflowers ♬ Pieces (Solo Piano Version) – Danilo Stankovic

“Y’all know my son. He’s a hoot,” Ashley says, explaining that before bed, her son Wyatt asked her to get his suitcase.

Confused, Ashley asked her son where he’s going. His response: “I’ve got a big trip tomorrow.”

Thinking about their plans for the next day, Ashley asks Wyatt if he’s talking about going to church, to which he replies, “No, that’s going to have to wait, but He’ll [God] forgive me.”

Through tears, Ashley explains that her son told her he’s going to heaven to visit his dad.

Ashley’s husband Tyler passed away unexpectedly in his sleep in May of 2020. He was just 35 years old.

Wyatt asked his mom not to peek at what he had packed. But an emotional Ashley said she hopes he’ll forgive her before diving into her son’s duffle bag.

She opens the bag and chuckled as she pulled out few masks and capes. “I’m assuming he’s saving the world in heaven,” she says through sniffles.

Other important items for the journey to heaven included a whistle, two new baseball gloves, a ball, and ALL the Nerf darts. But it was what Ashley discovered next that left her in a puddle of tears.

T.D. Jakes’ Daughter, Sarah Jakes Roberts, Apologizes for When the Black Church Has Promoted Harmful Messages

By

Jessica Mouser

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October 14, 2022

Bishop T.D. Jakes’ daughter, Sarah Jakes Roberts, took a few minutes Saturday, Oct. 8, to apologize on behalf of the Black church for perpetuating messages that have harmed people’s mental health and self-image.

“I don’t know how much it counts,” said Roberts, “but I will say that I apologize as a faith leader for the moments where you were told to just pray it away, for the moments where you were told that you’re never going to be one of the ‘good girls’ or the ‘good guys’ or you’re always going to be damaged. I apologize that you received those messages.”

Roberts said it would be “remiss” not to acknowledge church leaders’ failures in these areas, while noting that she can only speak on behalf of the Black church because she does not have experience in white churches.

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Sarah Jakes Roberts on ‘Mental Wealth’

Sarah Jakes Roberts appeared with her husband, Touré Roberts, in New York City Saturday at the Mental Wealth Expo, an event organized by The Breakfast Club co-host Charlamagne tha God in partnership with Mental Wealth Alliance and iHeartRadio.

Sarah Jakes Roberts is the daughter of Bishop T.D. Jakes, who leads The Potter’s House, a non-denominational megachurch in Dallas. She and Touré co-pastor two branches of The Potter’s House, one in Los Angeles and one in Denver. In September, T.D. Jakes announced that he was handing his daughter leadership of his women’s-empowerment conference ministry, including the renowned Woman, Thou Art Loosed! conference.

Touré Roberts interviewed his wife on the topic of “mental wealth” before an audience at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. Roberts shared that when she grew up in the church, she did not have the awareness or language to understand mental health challenges. She did not realize, for example, that she struggled with depression during that time. “I just felt like I was disconnected from God,” she said, “that the faith thing wasn’t working for me, that there was something wrong with me.” Now that she is more educated about mental health, Roberts has a “deeper, more authentic, relationship with God.”

It is important to “marry” mental health practices with faith, said Roberts, instead of spiritualizing mental health problems by telling people they should simply “pray it away” or “name it and claim it.” She emphasized the importance of approaching God honestly instead of trying to hide behind a certain persona.

To achieve “mental wealth,” Touré and Sarah Jakes Roberts encouraged people to educate themselves, to put what they learn into practice, and then to be disciplined about those practices. Sarah Jakes Roberts goes to therapy and has worked on being aware of when she is responding in her life out of her past trauma. As an example, she said that when her husband asks her a business question, sometimes she feels insecure, as though she is not intelligent, or “like a 13-year-old girl who got pregnant.” Roberts has written about her teen pregnancy in her book, “Dear Mary: Lessons From the Mother of Jesus for the Modern Mom.”

Skillet’s John Cooper Explains Hard Rock Music Isn’t Demonic: ‘I Absolutely Believe Music Belongs to God’

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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October 14, 2022

Pastor Shane Idleman of Westside Christian Fellowship in Leona Valley, California, recently invited Skillet’s John Cooper onto his podcast “Idleman Unplugged,” where they discussed if hard rock music is demonic.

Cooper has been the lead singer of the Christian rock band Skillet since they formed over 25 years ago. Their band has always taken a bold approach to sharing the gospel with fans and listeners through their lyrics, interviews, meet and greets, and now through the “Cooper Stuff Podcast.” Due to their boldness for their faith in addressing cultural issues, the band has gained mainstream respect from secular fans and bands, which allows them to tour and perform at festivals where most Christian bands wouldn’t be welcome.

Idleman asked Cooper his thoughts on hard music and when it crosses a line, becomes too dark, or should be considered demonic.

“At some point, you do cross the demonic when it’s, it’s just too dark…I guess it depends on the lyrics and the artist, because you can take the same instrument and use it for God’s glory or for very dark and demonic lyrics,” Idleman said while sharing his thoughts on the topic.

“For me, I just love loud music,” Cooper replied. “I’ve always loved it since I was a kid—I just related to it.” The lead singer shared that while playing sports, the energy that comes from listening to hard rock music helped him get pumped for competitive sports.

Cooper said, “I really don’t want to use Scripture cavalierly, but I will throw some Scriptures out there that I think they mean something to me, and maybe it’s applicable. Maybe it’s not, but I think about this Scripture, you know, that says, to the pure, all things are pure (Titus 1:15).”

“One of the things that that Scripture, as I’ve understood it to mean, is that sometimes there’s going to be something [that] may be attached to something that’s really negative for someone, but maybe it’s not negative for someone else,” Cooper continued while speaking of the Apostle Paul’s instructions about eating food offered to idols. “Maybe that could be that meat that was sacrificed to idols, as we see in the Scriptures, and somebody’s like, ‘Hey, that’s not me anymore. I gave my life to Jesus. I don’t want nothing to do with that meat.’ Then you may have somebody else—a Christian—that’s like, ‘I don’t even know this is a sacrifice to idols. I just thought it was meat, and I was thankful that God gave it to me.’ Music was a little like that for me.”

The hard rocker explained that he never understood the rebellion that surrounded rock music. The “sex, drugs, and rock-and-roll” phrase didn’t mean anything to Cooper growing up. Instead, he shared that he just “liked the way it sounded.”

Cooper said he understood that God created music. “The devil doesn’t create stuff, he distorts. The devil comes in to steal and kill and destroy—of course—but he wants to steal something that God made that was good. He wants to mess with it and change it to where he tries to get glory, and I always felt that music just glorifies God.”

“I was pure in it, and I didn’t know anything about rebellion [pertaining to rock music],” Cooper said. Listening to music before a basketball game didn’t make him love the devil, Cooper explained. It was just “loud” and “cool.”

To Actor Mr. T, Preaching God’s Word Is an ‘Awesome Responsibility’

By

Stephanie Martin

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October 14, 2022

mr t — Arrival of 'The A-Team' at Circuit Zandvoort, April 22, 1984. Fotopersbureau De Boer, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

On October 9, actor, wrestler, and outspoken Christian Mr. T (Laurence Tureaud) had the opportunity to preach at his home congregation, Chicago’s Cosmopolitan Community Church. Mr. T has preached elsewhere and is open about his Christian faith on Twitter and during media appearances.

“I always get Butterflies before I Preach in Church,” the 70-year-old actor tweeted the night before. “I must remember to take my Time and let the Spirit Move Me.” In the 1980s TV show “The A-Team,” Mr. T played B.A. Baracus.

On October 5, when Mr. T shared news of his upcoming sermon, he tweeted that the invitation to preach at his home church was a “Great Honor” and an “Awesome Responsibility” that he doesn’t “Take Lightly.”

Mr. T’s Sermon: ‘Thomas Doubted the Disciples,’ Not Jesus

For his message titled “Doubting Thomas,” Mr. T preached on John 20:24-25. “Let me set the record straight right here,” he told congregants. “Thomas did not doubt the Power of Christ. Oh no, no way. Thomas had seen Jesus do too many miracles. Thomas knew and felt that Jesus was capable. Had the inward ability of rising from the grave. The thing that Thomas doubted was what [the other disciples were] telling him. Not what was being said, but who was saying it.”

Mr. T added, “Thomas did not doubt Jesus. Thomas doubted the disciples who [were] telling him about Jesus, because Thomas knew the disciples were not credible witnesses.” In his sermon, Mr. T noted, “Thomas was not the only disciple that [doubted]. As a matter of fact, many of you are doubting Jesus right now!”

After the service, Mr. T tweeted: “I want to Thank Everybody who Tuned in to My Sermon. Thanks for your Support and Encouragement. I really Needed that and I Felt it, GOD Bless You!” He admitted feeling “spiritually drained” by the experience but added he “felt so Good knowing that I Gave it My All!”

Worship Experience Left Mr. T ‘Full of Emotions’

Mr. T indicated he was “full of Emotions after Hearing ‘Amazing Grace’ song in Honor of my Mother, before I Preached.” In 2017, the acting legend performed a waltz to that hymn on the reality show “Dancing With the Stars.”

During that TV appearance, Mr. T also opened up about a 1995 cancer battle—and how his Christian faith sustained him through the challenge. “I called on God. I said, ‘God, give me strength to do your will.’ That’s when it really hit me: What’s really real? My faith in God, that was real, because only God could save me.”

In recent tweets, Mr. T has emphasized God’s grace and forgiveness, saying that while other people try to bring up the actor’s past, he is “busy looking to My Future.” He writes: “I Felt there Always was A Calling on My Life, But I guess I just kinda Resisted It until that Tug Got a Little Stronger and Louder. Thank you Jesus.”

Two days before preaching at his home church, Mr. T tweeted: “I Must be Honest with You, to be Invited to Preach and Deliver A Soul Saving Sermon is GOD Ordained. Because ‘Many are Called But Few are Chosen.’”

LA Band Called ‘Cancer Christ’ Baptizes Fans in Fake Blood, Destroys Bibles During Concerts

By

Dale Chamberlain

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October 14, 2022

Disclaimer: this article contains content that may be offensive to some readers.

A band named Cancer Christ has been performing concerts in the Los Angeles area wherein they baptize fans in fake blood, destroy Bibles, and play songs featuring lyrics that combine biblical imagery with violent themes.

The band, which refers to its genre of music as “Reptilian Christian Christ Violence” and features band members who wear reptilian masks during shows, is headlined by Anthony Melhaff, who said in a 2021 interview that the band represents serving punk rock in the name of faith.

“I stand for all the would-be scum that never considered Jesus an option,” Melhaff said. “For the millions of demon worshippers that think Satan is tough or sick or down. I stand to let all those b–s know that God b–h slapped Lucifer out of heaven and only then did that punk-b–h become Satan. God f–ks the hardest and he’s ready to f–k the world, whether you believe or not.”

During that interview, Melhaff further said that he found faith after struggling with drug abuse. Though, it is unclear which parts of the interview are meant to be taken seriously, as Melhaff also said that he met his bandmates, who are referred to as “snakeboys,” when he discovered them chained to the floor in the basement of a church.

Speaking to his understanding of Jesus, Melhaff said, “Most of the stuff written about Jesus is completely off-base. Jesus likes sex…he likes to fight, he likes to drink, he likes to take psychotropics. He invented all that s–t. It was God’s people who think that Satan invented all the evil things. No, God did and when he gave free will to man, he knew s–t was going to get a little f–ing hairy.”

In an Instagram post following a recent show in Hollywood, Melhaff referred to the band as a church and said that the photos contained in the post captured “biblical moments in time that prove, without a doubt, that God is not dead! God bless you all!”

“Cancer Christ saving souls and performing miracles,” Melhaff wrote. The post included a photo of Melhaff baptizing a fan in fake blood, which the band refers to as the blood of Jesus, fans biting into and destroying Bibles, and what appears to be one man running a cheese grater across the forehead of another man.

Hashtags on the post included some commonly used by Christians (such as #letusworship #thechurchhasleftthebuilding #godisgood #godisgreat #letgodtakethewheel), as well as others containing derogatory language aimed at Satan and the police.

In other Instagram posts, Melhaff refers to himself as “Saint Anthony.”

Ezell Issues Statement for He Gets Us Webinar

By

Brandon Porter

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October 14, 2022

he gets us campaign — Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board, speaks to attendees at the For The Church Conference sponsored by Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo. The conference was held Tuesday, June 14, the first day of the two-day 2022 SBC Annual Meeting at Anaheim, Calif. Photo by Adam Covington

NASHVILLE (BP) – Kevin Ezell issued a statement on Thursday (Oct. 13) for his involvement in an online forum with Ed Stetzer on Oct. 12 to discuss the “He Gets Us” movement.

The movement is a “campaign designed to create cultural change in the way people think about Jesus and his relevance in our lives,” according to the group’s website.

They say they do not represent any church or denomination and they are not a political organization.

“The He Gets Us campaign invited NAMB to involve Southern Baptist churches (along with several other denominations) interested in engaging people who have more questions and would like to connect with a local church,” Ezell said.

Topics on the group’s website deal with issues such as “#Activist”, “#Judgment”, and “#Justice”.

The group behind the ads is Signatry, a Christian foundation in Kansas, according to Religion News Service.

They told RNS their objective is, “… to give voice to the pent-up energy of like-minded Jesus followers, those who are in the pews and the ones that aren’t, who are ready to reclaim the name of Jesus from those who abuse it to judge, harm and divide people,” according to Jon Lee, a principal at Lerma, a cross-cultural advertising agency based in Dallas.

According to Christianity Today, at least $100 million was to have been spent on ads related to the campaign.

“Knowing that these ads will be seen by millions of people, we hoped to help Southern Baptists engage the opportunity from the conversations these ads will create,” Ezell said.

In his statement, Ezell said, “However, upon further consideration, the effort is too broad for us to directly connect with the campaign. In my desire to help our churches, I did less diligence than I should have. That’s on me and I apologize. Although NAMB will not be involved, we will pray that the conversations begun by this campaign will lead to gospel-centered conservations and cause many to seek to learn more about Jesus.”

Mexican Church Suspends Priest Who Advised Carrying Guns To Fight Off Drug Cartels

By

Mark Stevenson

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October 14, 2022

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s Roman Catholic Church has suspended a controversial priest who has advised parishioners to carry guns to fight off drug cartels.

Better known as “Father Pistolas,” Rev. Alfredo Gallegos is a priest in the violence-plagued western state of Michoacan who has himself sometimes carried a weapon.

A circular from the Archdiocese of Morelia, the state capital, instructed other priests not to allow the Rev. Gallegos to celebrate Mass.

While the archdiocese did not answer phone calls seeking to confirm the order, a priest in a neighboring diocese who was not authorized to be quoted by name confirmed the authenticity of the order Wednesday.

The order, dated Sept. 21, did not specify a reason for the indefinite suspension imposed earlier that month, saying only that Gallegos “had been admonished on several occasions” for something.

Even for Michoacan, it was surprising when the Rev. Gallegos called from the pulpit in 2021 for parishioners to arm themselves against warring drug gangs.

“The cartel gunmen come, they take the livestock, they screw your wife and daughter, and you do nothing,” the Rev. Alfredo Gallegos said in a sermon. ”Well, get yourself a gun, the government can go to hell.”

“We have to defend our lives,” Gallegos continued.

Mexican law forbids most civilians from owning almost all firearms, except for extremely low caliber hunting rifles or shotguns.

But Michoacan has a history of armed civilian “self defense” vigilante militia movements dating from 2013 and 2014. Back then vigilantes managed to chase the dominant Knights Templar cartel out, but rival cartels like the Viagras and the Jalisco cartel have moved in. Kidnappings, killings and shootings have prompted thousands to flee their homes.

At the time, Gallegos was backed by some fellow Roman Catholic clergy.

The Rev. Gregorio López, a priest known for once wearing a flak vest while celebrating Mass, has spent the last few years running shelters for people who have fled their homes due to violence. He has also tried to help get asylum or refugee status for Michoacan residents in the United States.

López called Gallegos’ sermon “the cry of the people.”

“He is trying to be the voice of the people, and that is the feeling of the community, that they should be armed,” said López, who served as a sort of spiritual adviser for some of the self-defense groups in 2014.

Mexico is a notoriously dangerous country for priests’ own personal safety.

The church’s Catholic Multimedia Center said seven priests have been slain during the current administration, which took office in December 2018, and at least two dozen in the six years of the previous president.

This article originally appeared here.

Vatican Prosecutors Focus On Role of ‘Cardinal’s Lady’ in Financial Trial

By

Claire Giangrave

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October 14, 2022

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — More details concerning Cecilia Marogna, known in Italian media as “The Cardinal’s Lady,” emerged during this week’s proceedings in the Vatican financial trial of 10 individuals charged with mismanagement of the institution’s funds, including Cardinal Angelo Becciu.

Becciu stands accused of embezzlement and abuse of office while he was substitute, the Vatican equivalent of chief of staff, at the powerful Secretariat of State department between 2011 and 2018. Until 2020, the cardinal also headed the Vatican department charged with making saints.

Vatican prosecutors put a spotlight on Becciu’s relationship with Marogna, who they claim was paid over 1 million euros from the Secretariat of State. Numerous installments labeled as “contributions for humanitarian mission” were deposited in her bank account in Slovenia starting in 2018.

Marogna, 43, is among the defendants at the trial and is charged with embezzlement.

Commissioner Stefano De Santis of the Vatican gendarmes was called as a witness by Vatican prosecutors on Wednesday (Oct. 12) and Thursday (Oct. 13). He testified that Becciu first appeared in the investigations into financial mismanagment within the Vatican in March 2020 when Slovenian authorities flagged the money transfers from the Secretariat to Marogna.

De Santis said the Vatican police force does not know how the majority of the funds sent to Marogna were used, but they claimed a portion were used for hotel stays, spa treatments and dinners. Vatican prosecutors relied on the testimony of Monsignor Alberto Perlasca, an initial key suspect in the investigations turned star witness, to suggest Becciu also paid Marogna in cash.

The commissioner projected images during his testimony showing Facebook posts by Marogna of pictures taken inside Becciu’s apartment in the Apostolic Palace with the captions “feeling at home” and “my paradise.” He also showed stills of video recordings showing Marogna leaving Becciu’s apartment with a carry-on bag after spending the night there.

According to Vatican prosecutors, the cardinal also sent conspicuous amounts of money derived from the Secretariat of State, amounting to at least $276,000 between 2015 and 2018, to Spes, a charitable organization on the Italian island of Sardinia that is run by his brother Antonino Becciu.

In September 2020, after reports that Becciu had sent money to his brother, the cardinal resigned, and Pope Francis stripped him of his Vatican roles and the rights derived from the red hat, including electing the pontiff at the next conclave.

On Oct. 3, 2020, De Santis said, he and the head of the Vatican gendarmes, Gianluca Gauzzi Broccoletti, met with Becciu in his apartment. De Santis said they confronted the cardinal about Marogna and warned him the money she was given was not being used as intended.

“The cardinal, hands in his hair, asked us not to let the name of Cecilia Marogna emerge because it would have caused great damage to him and his family,” De Santis testified, adding that Becciu offered to pay Marogna’s expenses out of pocket.

In a spontaneous testimony during the hearing, Becciu said the gendarmes had asked that that meeting remain a secret and expressed surprise it was being addressed at the trial. “It’s true, I put my hands in my hair when they spoke to me about Mrs. Marogna,” he said, adding that his main concern was for the exposure of her role in an operation to release a kidnapped nun covered by the pontifical secret. Becciu also said he offered to pay for her expenses “because if the money was mismanaged, it’s my fault.”

“I procured the money,” the cardinal said, “they were given to the lady because she was charged with leading an operation that only the Holy Father and I were aware of.” While documents show Marogna offered her services as an intelligence officer to Vatican gendarmes in 2016, De Santis said she never fulfilled such a role.

In March 2022, Pope Francis released Becciu from keeping the pontifical secret in relation to Marogna.

Becciu’s defense lawyers pushed back against the accusations when cross-interrogating De Santis, citing court documents they say prove the pope was aware of and approved the payments to Marogna.

The cardinal’s defense team stated that Marogna continued to be paid with the Secretariat’s funds by Mons. Edgar Pena Parra, who succeeded Becciu as substitute. “We affirm once again the absolute correctness of Cardinal Becciu’s behavior,” the cardinal’s lawyers wrote in a statement on Thursday.

The charges against Becciu are made in the context of wide accusations of financial malfeasance and corruption within the Secretariat of State. At the heart of the trial is the controversial purchase of real estate in London through intermediaries that cost the Vatican well over 300 million euros originally destined for charity, Vatican prosecutors say.

This article originally appeared here.

Faith Groups Curb Haiti Work Due to Chaos, 2021 Kidnapping

By

Peter Smith

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October 14, 2022

AP22284702831119 — FILE - A manager at the Christian Aid Ministries headquarters, left, speaks with a worker at the door of the center in Titanyen, north of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021. A year after 17 North American missionaries were kidnapped in Haiti, beginning a two-month ordeal before they ultimately went free, Christian Aid Ministries, the agency that sent them hasn't made a permanent return, and several other international groups have also scaled back their work there. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

A year after 17 North American missionaries were kidnapped in Haiti, beginning a two-month ordeal before they ultimately went free, the agency that sent them hasn’t made a permanent return, and several other international groups have also scaled back their work there.

The kidnapping underscored a deteriorating security situation that has worsened in the past year, with Haitian leaders calling for foreign troop deployments to help break the paralyzing grip of gang activity and protests.

The missionary group, including five minors ranging from an infant to teens, was abducted Oct. 16, 2021, while returning from a visit to an orphanage supported by their organization, Christian Aid Ministries.

It was the largest kidnapping of its kind in recent years, though hundreds of abductions have targeted Haitian nationals and drawn scant international attention.

The hostage-takers from the notorious 400 Mawozo gang demanded $1 million ransom for each victim, CAM says. After two were released for medical reasons and three others ransomed by a third party for an undisclosed amount, the remaining 12 went free Dec. 16 after what they described as an overnight escape.

The standoff came just a few months after a presidential assassination and an earthquake that killed and injured thousands.

Currently, basic supplies such as fuel and water have dwindled since a powerful gang seized control of a main fuel terminal in the capital, Port-au-Prince. Demonstrators have blocked roads to protest a spike in fuel prices, and gas stations and schools have closed.

Some North American workers from CAM have visited Haiti in the last year, “checking up on things as they’re able,” spokesman Weston Showalter said. But there’s no timetable for a permanent return.

“It seems like things are more difficult there than ever,” he said, adding that Haitian staff work is also hindered by the crisis.

The kidnapped missionaries included 16 Americans and one Canadian. Christian Aid Ministries, based in Berlin, Ohio, draws support from conservative Mennonite, Amish, Brethren and related groups. The agency, which has worked in Haiti since the 1980s, is weighing the lessons of 2021.

“We’ve become hypersensitive to the risk,” Showalter said. “So especially the matter of women and children being present there, I would say that is a big matter of discussion.”

Other faith-based agencies are also struggling to respond to Haiti’s plight.

“There’s not a clear path forward,” said Alex Morse, deputy regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean for Church World Service, a partnership of more than 30 Christian denominations and communions in the U.S. that provides development assistance and disaster relief worldwide.

Minnesota Ukrainian Church Prays Over Injured Soldier, Thanks God

By

Diana Chandler

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October 14, 2022

Minnesota Ukrainian church — Victor Soro (second from left) joins other pastors of First Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Church at its Oct. 9 harvest festival, thanking God for the simple things in life including water, God’s Word and bread. (Facebook photo)

MINNEAPOLIS (BP) — “Praise God, He left me my right leg,” Ukrainian soldier Stanislav exclaimed at First Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Church in Minneapolis during the church’s annual harvest celebration of thanksgiving.

Stanislav lost his left leg in battle protecting Ukraine from a Russian attack. With his right leg intact, he transitioned to volunteer status, driving Ukrainian civilians to safety and delivering supplies to those in need.

Stanislav is in Minnesota receiving a prosthetic and counseling through the Protez Foundation’s Prosthetics for Ukraine humanitarian outreach the church supports. He shared his story with Victor Soro, a First Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Church bilingual pastor.

“He was a full-time soldier until his injury, and now he works as a volunteer,” Soro told Baptist Press. “I think his exact words were, ‘Praise God, He left me my right leg,’ which is what he drives with, so he’s able to do that. And hopefully with this prosthetic, (he’ll) be able to do even better. He’ll be more physically able to help.”

Protez has provided prosthetics for 14 Ukrainians injured in the war, the foundation said on Facebook. Stanislav was one of at least three prosthesis recipients who attended the harvest festival, including two civilian children who lost limbs and were accompanied by family members.

The war is very personal to First Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist congregation of about 150 members, Soro said.

“Obviously our people are Ukrainian and the war in Ukraine is really personal,” Soro said. “And just to honor those soldiers that are fighting over there when we can’t do that living over here, it means a lot to us, their sacrifice, their service in the military over there.”

Leo Endel, executive director of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention (MWBC), was among the speakers at the event, assisted by interpreter Alexander Fartushniy. First Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Church is among 200 MWBC churches.

“I have known the Ukrainian pastors for a number of years, but the war in Ukraine has given us the opportunity to partner at a deeper level as they minister to refugees and wounded soldiers here in Minnesota,” Endel told Baptist Press. “I asked NAMB to partner with the MWBC and together we helped two of these churches with funding to care for, and to share the Gospel with, those refugees who have come to Minneapolis.

“Moments like these are where we see the power of Southern Baptists working together,” Endel said. “The MWBC is a microcosm of the world. We have been enriched to join a number of these people groups as they have engaged in missions in their former homelands.”

First Ukrainian Evangelical Baptist Church is supporting the Protez Foundation by housing soldiers, and providing food, transportation and other services. Additionally, the church sends financial support to Baptist churches preserving ministry in Ukraine during the war. Many of the churches the congregation supports are the former membership churches of the Minnesota congregants.

“We’re still affiliated with a lot of the churches,” he said. “Most of our members have come from Ukraine. They’re immigrants, directly from over there. They’re getting letters or communication from churches they were members of when they were still over there, so we’re getting very good word-of-mouth of what the churches are doing, what they might need help for. And so we work with those churches mostly where our members have come from.”

Podcast: Learning to Accept Care and Support as a Ministry Leader With Thad Austin

By

Jason Daye

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October 14, 2022

As pastors and ministry leaders, we feel called to support and care for others. Yet oftentimes, we do not accept that same support and care for ourselves. In this conversation on FrontStage BackStage, host Jason Daye is joined by Dr. Thad Austin. Thad is a senior director at the Ormond Center at Duke Divinity, and he and his team have completed a research study looking at caring for pastors and ministry leaders. Together, Thad and Jason look at some of the theological and biblical underpinnings of caring for clergy, as well as some of the roadblocks that hinder ministry leaders from accepting the care that can help their lives and ministries thrive.

FrontStage BackStage Podcast Guest Thad Austin

Watch the entire podcast here.

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

Podcast Links

What the Online World Is Doing to Us

By

James Emery White

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October 14, 2022

Generation Z is spending, on average, nine hours a day in front of one screen or another—meaning TV, video games, smartphones or tablets. What does that level of online consumption do to individuals and society in general? There are at least five areas where we know the effect is not a positive one.

First, it’s hurting our kids. According to a major study of nearly 10,000 teenagers by University College London and Imperial College London, social media damages children’s mental health by “ruining sleep, reducing their exercise levels and exposing them to cyberbullies in their homes.” In fact, “using sites multiple times a day increases the risk of psychological distress by around 40 percent, compared to logging on weekly or less.”

Making matters worse, children’s screen time doubled during the pandemic and, according to researchers from the University of California-San Francisco, hasn’t gone down since. Adding to the concern is that this does not include the time spent on computers for schoolwork as researchers focused exclusively on recreational activities such as social media, texting, internet surfing and watching or streaming movies

Second, it’s changing how we view and have sex. A survey from the U.K.’s The Times finds that pornography is leading to sex where women getting hurt is the new normal, specifically the causing of pain and humiliation. BDSM (bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism) “is now ordinary.” Slapping, choking, anal intercourse… internet pornography has made those who view it expect it.

For Generation Z, “rough sex” (hair-pulling, biting, slapping, choking and other aggressive behavior) is now the second-most popular porn category searched, and nearly half say online porn is the source of their sex education. It’s also changing our experience with sex, creating distance with our sexual partners—both emotionally and physically. Those who watch porn often find themselves unable to be sexually aroused by their actual (flesh and blood) partner.

Billie Eilish, one of the biggest Gen Z musical stars and the youngest person in history to win all four of the top Grammy awards in the same year in 2020, has spoken freely about her addiction to pornography, starting from age 11, and how it not only gave her nightmares but affected her later dating life.

Speaking on the Howard Stern Show on Sirius XM radio: “I think it really destroyed my brain and I feel incredibly devastated that I was exposed to so much porn.” Twenty-years old at the time of the interview, she added, “The first few times I, you know, had sex, I was not saying no to things that were not good. It was because I thought that’s what I was supposed to be attracted to.”

Third, it’s costing us community, or at least previously available dynamics of community. Consider dating. Singles today complain about the pitfalls and disappointments of online dating, as if it is the only kind of dating there is. In truth, it represents a radical cultural departure from what had been the norm. Online dating is radically individualistic, as opposed to the more communally based dating of the recent past. Instead of friends and family making suggestions and introductions, it is now an algorithm and two rightward swipes. As an article in the Atlantic puts it:

“Robots are not yet replacing our jobs. But they’re supplanting the role of matchmaker once held by friends and family…. [For] centuries, most couples met the same way: They relied on their families and friends to set them up. In sociology-speak, our relationships were ‘mediated.’ In human-speak, your wingman was your dad.”

Translation: Tinder, OKCupid and Bumble have taken the place of community. No longer are those most intimate with us serving and guiding and counseling; “now… we’re getting by with a little help from our robots.” Even those most involved lament “the spiritual bankruptcy of modern love.” Or as one person put it, the rise of online dating reflects “heightened isolation and a diminished sense of belonging within communities.”

Fourth, it’s making us angrier. Polling reveals two things we all seem to agree on: people are more likely to express anger on social media than in person (nearly nine in 10), and we are angrier today compared to a generation ago (84%).

According to an NPR-IBM Watson Health poll, the more we go online to check the news or use social media, the angrier we become. The reasons are not hard to diagnose. News outlets are often openly biased toward a particular view (thus inciting emotions), and there is a cottage industry of trolling on social media. In other words, we’ve created a context for anger to be incited and expressed, and it’s working.

Bible Literacy – Equipping Children to Navigate the Bible

By

Greg Baird

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October 14, 2022

As our Sword, God’s Word is a tool we must teach children to use effectively in order to live the kind of life God desires for His followers. Teaching Bible literacy skills should be an integral part of our children’s ministry in order to equip children for life today and to lay a firm foundation for their future.

As children progress through elementary school, they are excited to put the new skills they are learning into practice. This is the perfect time to help instill a love for the Word in children as you integrate Bible navigation skills in your teaching and ministry.

Locating passages in the Bible is an essential skill our children must learn. In order to locate verses and passages, children must be familiar with the divisions of the Bible. When we see a reference such as John 3:16, we recognize that this refers to verse 16 found in chapter three of the book of John. However, many children do not understand how to interpret a Bible reference. Some think that the numbers refer to a page number on which they will find the verse. They are confused when they do not find it there.

Bible Literacy – Equipping Children to Navigate the Bible

1. Teach them about book, chapter, and verse divisions.

Demonstrate how to look up a verse in the Bible.
Talk through each step as you locate the book, chapter, and specific verse.
Direct children to the table of contents at the front of their Bibles.
Help them understand the breakdown of chapters and verses within a book.
Be sure to use child-friendly language when explaining these concepts (the “big” numbers tell us the chapter and the “little” numbers underneath tell us the verse).

2. Practice, Practice, Practice!

After modeling the step-by-step process, give children time to practice finding certain books of the Bible and locating specific chapters and verses. During a Bible lesson, allow children time to find the passage(s) or verse(s) to which you are referring. Allowing children to engage in this process of discovery is a vital step in becoming Bible navigators.

3. Make it Special

As you are teaching these skills, continually underscore the importance of reading God’s Word. Help children understand what a special Book the Bible truly is. As you walk with children through the Bible, you will help to equip them with the skills needed to navigate their own Bibles, so that they will be kids of the Word. Over time, you will be excited to see the children digging into the truth for themselves. Encourage their efforts, and you will help to instill a love and hunger for God’s Word in children so that they will want to feed on it throughout their lives.

This article about teaching Bible literacy originally appeared here, and is used by permission. This article was a Guest Post by Vanessa Small

How Not to Be Discouraged With Church People

By

Alan Danielson

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October 14, 2022

Most people, pastors and laypeople alike, become disappointed with their church, especially with church people. It’s inevitable. People are flawed and since churches are made up of people, churches are flawed. If we’re not careful, though, this disappointment can turn into discouragement, frustration and anger.

So if disappointment is inevitable, how do we avoid the awful emotional turmoil that often follows when dealing with church people? One word: expectations.

The reason we become discouraged is due to the mental expectations we set for church people. Let me ask you a question: In the deepest recesses of your heart, what do you expect from the people in your church? Do you expect them to behave properly all the time? Do you expect them to always act spiritually mature? Do you expect them to never offend others? If we’re honest, we often set higher standards for others than we do for ourselves. We give ourselves leeway because we judge ourselves by our motives, but we judge others by their actions.

I was recently telling a friend about a person in my church who disappointed me. I took it very personally and was becoming discouraged. Then my friend asked me, “Is the church a gathering of saintly people, or a hospital for the spiritually sick?” That question frankly reminded me that my expectations of church people are sometimes unrealistic.

When I am disappointed by church people I think things like:

“How dare he ______________?”
“He should know better than to _______________.”
“What was he thinking when he _____________?”

This line of thinking was quickly causing me to spiral downward from disappointment to discouragement. But my friend’s question helped me remember that church people are flawed people. And flawed people blow it sometimes.

The bottom line of my post today is simple: if your expectation is that the church is a hospital for spiritually sick people , you’ll be emotionally ready for disappointments. But if you always expect the church to be a gathering of saintly-mature-people, you’ll be emotionally vulnerable to discouragement.

This doesn’t mean we let people off the hook or never hold people accountable. This certainly doesn’t mean that we should not disciple people to maturity. That’s another conversation altogether.

The point of today’s post isn’t to address the spiritual growth of others. Instead it’s meant to address our own emotional readiness for disappointment.

Remember: People will let you down, but don’t let it get you down.

Why Go to Church When I Can Watch Online?

By

Tim Stevens

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October 14, 2022

Why go to church when I can watch online? This was a great question posed to me last week by a good friend. He forced me to stop and think about what I believe. See if you agree or not.

Why Go to Church When You Can Watch Online?

Why go to church? Because your church needs you.

I’m not talking about the building or the organization. Rather, the people of God need what you can offer.

Your physical presence, words of encouragement, and acts of service—combined with what others bring, is what makes the people of God. When you “go to church” with missional eyes opened wide, you arrive early and stay late, you engage in conversations with other followers of Jesus, you look for people who need to be encouraged, and you lean into “coincidental” conversations with people that God will bring along your path.

Go to church because it’s not just about spiritual food.

If going to “church” once a week was just about gaining what you need spiritually to make it through another week, then tuning in online would be just fine. You could get what you need on Christian radio, reading books, studying the Bible, or watching your favorite TV preacher.

But the purpose of church is so much broader than that. It is about corporate worship, praying and studying the Bible together, serving one another and reaching out in mission together. This can’t be done in isolation.

Why go to church? Because you need the church.

You need the “church” (those people who are followers of Jesus and gather together with your congregation) more than you think you do.

There is so much in Scripture about the relational aspects of the church — “love one another, be devoted to one another, encourage one another, instruct one another, greet one another” — and these can’t be done as well in a virtual environment.

What Is the Role of Emotional Worship?

By

Andrew Dealy

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October 14, 2022

Music has the inherent ability to tap into our emotions. A sick beat or a beautiful melody can mysteriously draw otherwise dormant emotions to the surface. That’s emotional worship. We all know what it feels like to climb into our car, turn up the radio and feel a surge of emotion when our favorite song comes on.

Worship leaders leverage their skills of music to surface emotions in order to knit them together with God’s truth. It’s a training ground for our emotions to be properly aligned with what God says is good and right. But this kind of role for the worship leader didn’t always exist.

What Is the Role of Emotional Worship?

In the garden, before sin darkened the scene, our emotions perfectly aligned with truth. No reconciliation or training was necessary. We were perfectly connected to God and felt toward Him exactly what we were designed to feel. But then Adam and Eve bit into a lie. Believing the lie that God was holding out on them produced a new feeling that guided Adam and Eve into betrayal. Their emotional worship, once perfectly aligned and guiding them into fellowship with God, now deceived them.

Since Adam and Eve, our emotions have become unfaithful and deceptive guides. We have lived with conflicting emotions, feeling they inform us of what is right, yet we daily experience the consequences of following our feelings.

Although deceptive guides, our emotions are gifted at helping us understand the present and helping us interpret what we experience. Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane is perhaps the best picture of our current relationship with emotions.

Let’s step into the garden of Gethsemane with Jesus. As we kneel beside Jesus in the garden we find Him praying that the Father would provide a way other than the way of the cross. We see drops of sweat and blood cascading down His face as He pleads three times for another way. We feel His disappointment as He finds His disciples sleeping instead of praying. Finally, Jesus rises. Sweat-soaked and weary, He takes determined steps toward His betrayers and the cross.

What happened in this moment? What did Jesus feel? It seems that Jesus felt anxiety. If anxiety is simply defined as looking at what is ahead and feeling that it is overwhelming, then perhaps there was no more appropriate time in human history to have experienced anxiety. Jesus knew what the cross meant. Death. Separation from the Father. Bearing the weight of all the sin of the world.

Jesus’ body and emotions painfully, yet accurately, told Him that moving forward would be overwhelming. But what did Jesus do? Though the feeling of anxiety accurately indicated what would come, He didn’t allow it to guide Him. The Father’s will was His guide and He followed, even though anxiety begged Him otherwise. This is what it means to not be anxious. It is not the absence of the feeling of anxiety, but rather the refusal to allow anxiety to rule and direct you in what to do next. Jesus’s feeling of anxiety was truthful, but, instead of causing Him to run from the Father, it pushed Him deeper into relationship with God through prayer.

What does all of this have to do with leading worship? Scripture tells us that before Jesus’ garden of Gethsemane moment He sang a hymn with His disciples (Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26). Jesus worshiped before He wrestled in the garden. He was emotionally strengthened and prepared for what was coming by singing and aligning His emotions with God’s truth.

In many ways I believe your job is much the same. You are preparing God’s people for daily garden of Gethsemane moments—daily experiences of being tempted to follow their emotions instead of God’s truth. You are combating emotions defined by earthbound experiences with songs that draw out godly emotions and pair them with God-revealed truths. Our ability to reject emotions as our guides in the dust of life is tied to experiencing and remembering how sweet it is to worship the Lord in truth.

If you were Jesus’ worship leader, what song would you have selected to prepare Him for the garden of Gethsemane? What type of music and what instruments would you use? What truths would fill the lyrics?

Are your song selections and the emotional worship they induce properly preparing your people for all the components of a Sunday gathering, from the call to worship and the preaching of God’s Word, to communion and sending out?

This article on emotional worship originally appeared here.

Pastor’s Toolbox: Use Facebook To Grow Your Church

By

Brian Dodd

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October 14, 2022

Facebook is one of the most useful tools a pastor or church leader can use to connect with people. But you can do so much more than post church announcements. The following are a pastor’s toolbox for online engagement:

Pastor’s Toolbox: Use Facebook To Grow Your Church

Post Engaging Content –

One of the best ways to grow your social influence is to post engaging content on Facebook. Announcements are not naturally engaging, so be careful treating Facebook like a digital church bulletin. When your posts are engaging, people will naturally share. But every now and then, make an intentional effort to ASK them to share. Lifepoint Church in Fredricksburg Virginia does this really well.
Promote Your Community’s Events –

Your Facebook page shouldn’t be all about the church. Share events and content from your community and watch engagement skyrocket. Use your Facebook page to let people know about sports leagues, farmer’s markets, family movies, festivals, fairs and so much more. When you share things relevant to the community, the community notices.
Advertise Special Events –

Facebook isn’t just a social network, it’s one of the biggest advertising platforms in the world. You can turn a page post into a powerful ad and target it to a segment of your community. This works really well for a free event at your church, a helpful article on your church blog or a brand new sermon series. Use the power editor to target your ad to the people most likely to visit your church. Facebook has a free training course to help you learn how to promote content.
Promote Events To Church Members –

You can use the power editor to upload your mailing list and create a custom audience on Facebook. Then you can promote a post or run an ad that will only be seen by your church members. Why would you do this? You could promote a post encouraging people to invite their friends, sign up for a small group or mission trip, or give to the upcoming special offering.
Share Needs And/Or Prayer Requests –

Do not forget that Facebook is one of the best ways to communicate with your people, so utilize your page to share prayer request or special needs in your church. You do not want to bombard people with too many opportunities, but Facebook is an appropriate platform for this type of information. It’s also encouraging to see people respond and engage with others.

ERLC Offers Guide for Pastors on Sexuality, Gender Issues

By

Tom Strode

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October 13, 2022

NASHVILLE (BP)—Southern Baptist pastors and churches have a new theological and practical guide to help them address issues involving sexuality and gender.

The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) published the document “A biblical resource for pastors on gender and sexuality”on its website Oct. 11. The guide is intended to assist pastors and other ministry leaders in responding biblically to questions regarding issues such as gender dysphoria or discomfort, same-sex unions and what it means to be male or female, according to the ERLC.

The guide contains a section of theological fundamentals regarding sexuality and gender, as well as one offering advice on how a church’s bylaws should be updated to provide protection for its ministries. It also includes a list of other resources to help address such issues.

“To navigate the challenges of this world, Christians turn to the Bible, and that is just what we have done with this new resource,” ERLC President Brent Leatherwood told Baptist Press. “Whether it’s reminding readers of scriptural truths that are meant for our flourishing or practical steps for strengthening the ministries of our churches, we believe this guide will serve our convention as it confronts a deeply confused and often antagonistic culture with truth and grace.”

Leatherwood also said in written comments, “While it can be easy to get lost in national debates or social media controversies, our pastors are busy doing actual ministry on a daily basis to the individuals and families who are victims of the sexual revolution. My hope is that this resource, and future ones like it, will come alongside and assist them as they do this vital Gospel work.”

The six theological, biblically-based truths explained in the guide are:

— “God created you,” which means “we are limited by the design that God has given us.”

— “God created you with a body,” which signifies “our bodies are inseparable from who we are.”

— “God created humans male and female,” making them “distinct, yet equal expressions of humanity.”

— “God created male and female to complement one another,” a complementarity revealed in biology and “a range of social and relational aspects.”

— “The Fall affects how we perceive our bodies,” with gender dysphoria being an example of how “sin has warped our understanding.”

— “God meets those broken by the sexual revolution with compassion and grace,” and Christians can offer the same to others and seek their restoration.

The section on church bylaws provides guidance on steps that congregations can take to safeguard their Gospel-based ministries against potential sexual orientation and gender identity lawsuits. It offers counsel regarding a church’s statement of faith and religious employment criteria, as well as its policies on facility use, membership and marriage.

The bylaws section is a summary of advice provided in a 44-page guide published in 2015 by the ERLC and Alliance Defending Freedom and linked to in the commission’s new resource.

This article originally appeared here.

Pool Boy Claims Jerry Falwell Jr. Filmed Him Having Sex With Falwell’s Wife in New Hulu Documentary Trailer

By

Dale Chamberlain

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October 13, 2022

On Wednesday (October 12), Hulu released a trailer for their upcoming documentary titled “God Forbid: The Sex Scandal That Brought Down a Dynasty,” which will be available for streaming on November 1. The documentary is set to follow the sex scandal involving Jerry Falwell Jr., his wife Becki, and pool boy Giancarlo Granda.

The story will apparently highlight Granda’s perspective.

Falwell, whose father was the highly influential Baptist preacher who founded Liberty University and co-founded the Moral Majority, served as president of Liberty University from 2007 until 2020 when he was forced to resign amid scandal.

At the center of that scandal was an alleged affair between Becki Falwell and Giancarlo Granda, whom the couple met at a resort in Miami. Granda has claimed that Jerry Falwell Jr. knew about the affair and encouraged it, something the Falwell couple has denied.

The trailer for “God Forbid” opens with images of a Miami Beach resort teeming with partiers overlaid with a voiceover of Granda saying, “As a pool attendant, I would get hit on. But if I would have known that accepting this woman’s invitation to go back to her hotel room would have led to a scandal involving the president of the largest Christian university in the world, and president of the United States, I would have walked away and just enjoyed my private life.”

At the time when the scandal with Granda was coming to light, Falwell had a close relationship with former president Donald Trump, regularly offering his public endorsement of Trump, defending Trump when various controversies arose, and conferring with Trump lawyer Michael Cohen when his own scandal was looming.

Pool Boy Tells All

“[The Falwells] have a public image. But behind the scenes, they’re freaks,” Granda says later in the documentary trailer. “At the time, I didn’t really know who they were.”

Speaking about Falwell’s children, Granda says, “They had no idea that their dad liked to record his wife having sex with me.”

Another interviewee says, “Becki was in love with this kid. Jerry was looking at keeping his wife happy…They were bringing him into a world he couldn’t imagine: real estate, politics.”

“I’m like, this is it,” Granda says.

12 Resources for the Three Wise Men Story

1. Seeking the Savior

2. Watching and Waiting

3. A Light-Bulb Moment

4. Crafts for the Three Kings Story

5. Epiphany Lesson & Craft

6. Follow the Star

Sarah Jakes Roberts on ‘Mental Wealth’

Mr. T’s Sermon: ‘Thomas Doubted the Disciples,’ Not Jesus

Worship Experience Left Mr. T ‘Full of Emotions’

FrontStage BackStage Podcast Guest Thad Austin

Keep Learning

Podcast Links

Bible Literacy – Equipping Children to Navigate the Bible

1. Teach them about book, chapter, and verse divisions.

2. Practice, Practice, Practice!

3. Make it Special

When I am disappointed by church people I think things like:

“How dare he ______________?”

“He should know better than to _______________.”

“What was he thinking when he _____________?”

Why Go to Church When You Can Watch Online?

Why go to church? Because your church needs you.

Go to church because it’s not just about spiritual food.

Why go to church? Because you need the church.

What Is the Role of Emotional Worship?

Pastor’s Toolbox: Use Facebook To Grow Your Church

Post Engaging Content –

Promote Your Community’s Events –

Advertise Special Events –

Promote Events To Church Members –

Share Needs And/Or Prayer Requests –

Pool Boy Tells All

New Articles

New Podcasts