‘Online Missionary’ Streams Video Games, Bible Studies To Reach Internet Audience

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August 10, 2022

‘Online-missionary’-streams-video-games-Bible-studies-to-reach-internet-audience-Baptist-Press — Online missionary Joshua Clayton livestreams on his channel while engaging through gaming. He is on staff at Claremore FBC in Claremore, Okla. as a online missionary to the gaming community. Courtesy of Baptist Press.

CLAREMORE, Okla. (BP) – For Joshua Clayton, talking to people about Jesus has always been a part of who he is, even while playing video games or creating online content.

He now uses these two passions together in his new role as “online missionary,” at Claremore First Baptist in Okla.

Clayton began livestreaming his video game play during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Broadcasting the content was initially an attempt to earn extra income to pay for his wife’s unexpected medical bills.

After several months of livestreaming video game content, Clayton garnered more than 40,000 followers across a variety of social media including Facebook, YouTube, Tik Tok, Twitch and Discord.

He soon began averaging up to 10,000 views per video and reaching viewers from dozens of countries.

While he livestreams playing the games (typically sports games such as NBA2K or NCAA Football 2014), Clayton is able to communicate with viewers as they post comments that appear on the side of the screen as he is playing.

These conversations can often turn serious, and Clayton simply says what comes naturally.

“I started making content for the purpose of taking care of my family, not to tell people about Jesus, but telling people about Jesus is just what I do and who I am,” Clayton said.

“You put me working out in a field or in the oil industry or whatever, I’m going to find a way to talk about Jesus. A large part of what I’m doing now as an online missionary is stuff that I’ve been doing since as early as high school. I use the forum of online gaming to meet people, talk and build relationships. I use opportunities like that to tell people about Jesus.”

Claremore First Baptist noticed the impact Clayton was making and reached out to him about joining the church staff in a unique position to help bolster its online influence during the pandemic.

In the position, Clayton simply continues what he has been doing on his previous gaming channels, while also hosting an apologetics-type bible study every week called “Unseen Hope” on behalf of the church.

He also helps with the church’s tech and media teams and helps oversee its social media accounts.

Keith Wiginton, senior pastor at Claremore, said he came across Clayton’s content while watching videos with his son.

Clayton had previously served as an intern at the church, and his wife is the daughter of one of the church’s staff members.

Although the position might be unconventional, Wiginton said there is a great need for online ministry.

“There may be a generation gap in understanding,” Wiginton said, “but to a younger generation, watching someone play video games is just the same as watching a football game is to my generation. It’s just entertainment.

“We knew Josh and realized he had thousands of followers and that he was getting to have Gospel conversations with people online almost every week. We thought, ‘How many missionaries would we have to send and how much money would it cost to reach all the different people that he does?’ We saw there was a need and thought it was worth it to try and support him.”

A self-described natural extrovert, Clayton said Southern Baptist seminary training helped him be better prepared for the serious Gospel encounters he has online.

He graduated from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with an M.Div. focused in biblical counseling, and was a doctoral student at Midwestern Seminary while also working full-time on the campus.

Why the Largest US Lutheran Denomination Apologized to a Latino Congregation

By

Emily McFarlan Miller

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August 10, 2022

ecla — The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Churchwide Assembly meets at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio, Aug. 8, 2022. Photo by Janine Truppay, courtesy of ELCA

COLUMBUS, Ohio (RNS) — When the Rev. Megan Rohrer was elected bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s Sierra Pacific Synod in May 2021, the election was celebrated as a revolution in and outside of the United States’ largest Lutheran denomination. Rohrer became the first transgender bishop of any of the Christian churches known as the Protestant mainline.

Barely a year later, the top bishop of the ELCA asked for Rohrer’s resignation after Rohrer’s removal of the pastor of a Latino congregation on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

What happened in the intervening 12 months can only be understood as a “perfect storm” of charismatic personalities clashing amid a heightened awareness of racism in one of the country’s whitest denominations, said Shruti Kulkarni, who maintains a website called “What Happened in the Sierra Pacific Synod?”

“Regardless of the intents of the people involved or whether it was justified or not, just the optics alone are terrible: You’ve got this white bishop from a predominantly white denomination that ruined this Latiné celebration of faith that was deeply cherished in their cultural tradition,” said Kulkarni, a recent graduate of Wartburg Theological Seminary.

On Tuesday afternoon (Aug. 9), leaders of the denomination delivered an apology to Iglesia Luterana Santa María Peregrina, formerly Misión Latina Luterana, and expressed a commitment to anti-racism at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly, the triennial meeting of the 3.3 million-person denomination taking place this week in Columbus, Ohio.

“This is in response to recent events in this church that have caused harm to people, communities and the whole body of Christ,” said a church press release.

Bishop Megan Rohrer speaks to the press before their installation ceremony at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco on Sept. 11, 2021. Rohrer is the first openly transgender person elected as bishop in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. (AP Photo/John Hefti)

The celebration that followed Rohrer’s election last year wasn’t just about Rohrer’s identity — Rohrer, who uses the pronoun “they,” is also neurodivergent — ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton said at the time. It was about all the gifts they bought to the church, including their focus on those who have been marginalized.

“What this means for the whole denomination, I believe, is that when we say, ‘All are welcome, and there’s a place for you here,’ we mean this,” Eaton said at the time.

Rohrer had only officially been in office three months when they appeared at another celebration on Dec. 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a sacred and culturally significant day for many Latino Christians. Misión Latina Luterana, a Latino congregation in Stockton, California, had planned a service featuring Aztec dance and prayers and liturgical music by a mariachi band.

But, according to a listening team report on the day’s events, Misión Latina Luterana’s pastor, the Rev. Nelson Rabell-González, was not in attendance. The service was led instead by the Rev. Hazel Salazar-Davidson, the synod’s assistant to the bishop for authentic diversity, inclusive community and service. When the congregation began to shout questions about Rabell-González’s whereabouts, Rohrer, who was sitting in the pews, went to the front of the sanctuary and informed the congregation that they had removed Rabell-González from his position that morning.

In a statement on the Sierra Pacific Synod’s blog, the synod council said it had unanimously decided to vacate Rabell-González’s call at Misión Latina Luterana after receiving “continual communications of verbal harassment and retaliatory actions” by the pastor “from more than a dozen victims from 2019 to the present,” it said.

“The severity of the situation required immediate action to safeguard the Latinx community,” according to the statement.

New Book Invites Christians To Rethink Homelessness

By

Kathryn Post

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August 10, 2022

(RNS) — When he first began working at The Center, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that hopes to “break the cycle of homelessness through radical hospitality,” author and advocate Kevin Nye thought he had all the answers.

Nye soon found out he’d been mistaken.

His job was to befriend the people he met, not save them; to see them as people, not problems to be solved.

In his new book, ”Grace Can Lead Us Home: A Christian Call to End Homelessness” (out Tuesday, Aug. 9, from Herald Press), the Fuller Seminary graduate says that many of his fellow Christians make the same mistake. Too often, they offer cash or bagged lunches instead of relationships. Or they avert their eyes and just move on.

Nye suggests trying to see people experiencing homelessness as if they were Jesus.

“If we actually saw Jesus on the side of the road, and recognized him as the Son of God, our savior, we probably wouldn’t just roll down our window and hand him a five,” Nye told Religion News Service in a recent phone interview. “We’d hopefully pull over and talk and enter into some sort of relationship where we are doing a lot more listening than talking.”

Kevin Nye. Courtesy photo

Nye suggests that this approach can help his fellow Christians and others avoid transactional, paternalistic models that dehumanize the very people being served.

“When we encounter Christ in the face of the poor, we shouldn’t so much seek to transform them, but to be transformed ourselves,” Nye advises in the book’s opening chapter, using insights from years of firsthand experience as a homeless services worker in Los Angeles as well as from his theological training.

RNS spoke to Nye about his book and ways to better respond to the issue of homelessness.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

You acknowledge that in your early days in homeless services, you were caught up in a savior mentality. How did that change?

I entered the field with the idea that I had all these resources — time, energy and gumption — to give to this work and this population. I wanted to make a difference and be a hero.

But my earliest responsibility with my job (at The Center in Los Angeles) was to walk around with a clipboard and get the name of everybody who came in, if they were willing to give it. It’s a very humbling task. My goal was just to get to know everybody. I quickly learned I needed to be in relationship. Authentic community can’t be top-down or transactional.

R.C. Sproul: Taking Thought for Tomorrow

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R.C. Sproul

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August 10, 2022

“I’m too busy enjoying summer to think about winer,” the grasshopper told the the ant. —The Grasshopper and the Ant, by Aseop

My father’s favorite Bible verse was Jesus’ admonition in the Sermon on the Mount, “Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink” (Matt. 6:25, NKJV). He never tired of quoting this text to me when I was a boy. Yet my father did take thought for the future. He bought life insurance, fire insurance, health insurance, etc. He also had a savings account. He preached a philosophy of delayed gratification. With my weekly allowance, he insisted that I first take 10 percent of it and give it back to God. Then he required that I take a second 10 percent and put it in savings. Then he said I could spend the remaining 80 percent on my special needs and wants.

Was his philosophy contrary to his favorite Bible verse? By no means. He understood that what Jesus was teaching was not a prohibition against prudence but a message against the anxiety that robs us of our trust in the good providence of God. The providence of God, among other things, has to do with His provision for our needs. “Provision” literally means “to see beforehand.” As God’s creatures, we not only are to trust in His providence, we are to reflect His character by being provident ourselves rather than profligate. The Apostle Paul teaches that the father who fails to provide for his household is worse than an infidel (1 Tim. 5:8). Scripture repeatedly enjoins us to be prudent stewards of the gifts we receive from God.

When God revealed to Joseph that the land would experience seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine, he spent the seven years of plenty preparing Egypt for the coming famine. As a superb administrator, he prepared storehouses in which grain was preserved for times of emergency. By his actions, not only were the Egyptians able to survive the famine, but Joseph was able to provide his own family with a refuge from the calamity, which, in the providence of God, ensured the survival of His chosen people.

Joseph did not take a simplistic linear or uniformitarian view of history. He understood that history is subject to intrusions of the catastrophic. Like Noah before him, he believed that things would not remain the same but that drastic changes were coming—and he prepared for those changes.

In October, weather forecasters noted the formation of a tropical storm far off in the Atlantic. It was given the name Mitch. No one was too concerned until Mitch picked up force and became a huge hurricane bearing down on the Caribbean. Soon people were boarding up their homes and business establishments, and making preparations for evacuation. Many people in Honduras, Nicaragua, and throughout Central America learned the folly of linear thinking the hard way beneath the wrath of Mitch.

A perennial debate goes on in the field of geology between those who argue for uniformitarianism and those who argue for catastrophism. Some steer a middle course between the two. We understand the changes that are wrought over protracted periods of time via erosion and other methods, but it is risky business to assume that all of the changes that have occurred on our planet have been the result of gradualism. The volcanic explosion of Mount Saint Helens produced a stratification effect on the area in a matter of hours that paralleled changes often assumed to have taken millions of years to have occurred. And a mastadon found totally preserved in the polar ice cap had undigested food in its stomach that included tropical vegetation, indicating a sudden change in climate. A strange anomaly indeed.

The Y2K scare that confronts us today warns us about the possibility of a catastrophe unprecedented in the world’s history. Hurricanes, floods, and volcanic eruptions come and go, and we have experience in dealing with them. But the threat of a massive infrastructure collapse on a global scale is something with which we are not familiar. We are so dependent on this infrastructure that it boggles the mind to contemplate what would happen if it suddenly collapsed.

For several months, like a nervous Floridian tracking hurricane coordinates, I have been reading everything I can get my hands on regarding the Y2K problem. In a nutshell, I have learned that the only thing I know for sure about Y2K is that nobody knows for sure about Y2K. I hear experts from various sectors saying that Y2K will be a mere hiccup in history, with no significant damage to the status quo. I hear other experts forecasting a global catastrophe of epic proportions. And there are other scenarios in between.

Basically the prognosticated are predicting one of four possible scenarios: 1.) A hiccup (much ado about nothing). 2.) A recession with rolling brownouts in power. 3.) A major depression with bank failures, power blackouts, and severe shortages in fuel, food, water, etc. 4.) The meltdown of civilization with one billion fatalities—the end of the world as we know it.

In wading through the literature on this matter, I have passed through a sequence of psychological states. The sequence has moved from awareness to concern to alarm to action. I still do not know what will happen or which of the possible scenarios actually will take place. Of the four I mentioned, however, the one I least expect is number 1. I think the odds highly favor that the impact of Y2K will be at least number 2 and possibly number 3 or number 4. I am hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.

What if the Prodigal Returns to a Ruined Farm?

By

Ray Hollenbach

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August 10, 2022

It’s one thing to remind students of Jesus they should belong to a local church, but what if the local church is neither safe nor healthy? Dissatisfaction with the church has led to the rise of the “Dones” and the “Nones” (those who are fed up with the idea of the local church, or those who have given up on the idea of any church affiliation). Use your imagination for a moment and consider the parable of the Prodigal Son: what if the prodigal returns to a place ruled not by the father, but by older brothers filled with judgment or manipulation? Or imagine returning home to a farm filled with nothing but children: some Evangelical churches focus on the new birth to exclusion of worship, community, or spiritual formation. Like a maternity ward, there are spiritual babies everywhere and no grown-ups in the faith.

What if the Prodigal Returns to a Ruined Farm?

Spiritual formation is about each of us developing the kind of relationship with the Master that leads to rest and peace. I’ve tried to avoid criticisms of the church at large because I have no voice or control over the church at large. Besides, church bashing is fun and easy (plus it’s irresponsible, requiring no particular insight or revelation). Anyone can do it. Yet it’s still true that our personal spiritual formation is not complete apart from the community God intended—the church.

How can we address the deep need for true community of the Spirit when there are churches empty of such life? How can we hold Christian prodigals accountable for their own hearts when some have left home out of self-preservation? And what about Christians who moved from one city to another—leaving behind a healthy church, and now unable to find a new home?

I have three things to say about when the prodigal returns, each one difficult:

1. To those who have been wounded by the church

I point toward the example of the Lord Jesus. John’s gospel reminds us, “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” (John 1:11) Religious houses may be the places most in need of the presence of Jesus. In some churches a person of Christ like character will be welcomed by some and abused by others. Our calling to such a church may be especially difficult and sacrificial, but we will take our place among those Jesus calls “blessed” in the beatitudes.

2. To those searching for a new church home in a new city

I point toward the journey of Abraham. He “was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:10) Abraham had seen the blueprint and was searching for where the Divine architect was at work. The benefit of a growing up in a healthy church home is that we will not settle for a poor substitute. Our past becomes the blueprint for the future. There is a difference between running from home and looking for a new one: Dr. Tolkien reminds us “not all who wander are lost.”

3. To those who have “high ideals” of what a church community should be

I remind you that there was no shortage of idealists in Jesus day. He welcomed those with high ideals—and tempered them with down-to-earth teaching about birds, flowers, foxes, wheat and tares. Jesus demonstrated the wisdom and true power that flows from keeping after the Father’s business. There is often a disparity between the builder’s plans and the worker’s craftsmanship.

It’s just too easy to complain about “church” in general, but how should we speak people of genuine faith, people of true goodwill, who cannot find a home in a local church? How can our actions and counsel make a place for those who believe there is no place for them? I’m not interested in “fixing the church at large.” That’s a fool’s errand, but how can we help our homeless brothers and sisters, when the prodigal returns to a ruined farm?

This article on the prodigal returns originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

VBS Volunteer Gifts: 98 Ways to Say Thank You for Volunteering

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ChildrensMinistry.com

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August 9, 2022

VBS volunteer gifts are an important way to appreciate program helpers. Saying thank you for volunteering your time and sharing your love also helps ensure that those helpers return!

Gracias! Dankeschon! Merci! In any language, these ideas will help you say thank you for volunteering. So read on for fun ways to express gratitude with VBS volunteer gifts.

“Thanks” is such a simple word, and it comes in many forms. Some are quick and easy; others are more time-consuming and crazy. But you’ll never run out of thank you ideas with almost 100 ways to say it. Pro Tip: Many of these VBS volunteer gifts work for other helpers, such as children’s ministry teachers and parent volunteers.

98 Gifts Your Volunteers Will Love

VBS Volunteer Gifts: Encouragement

Send a postcard made of foam with a special Scripture verse of encouragement.
Provide a place and time for prayer with volunteers before the hectic morning begins.
Plan a team retreat for encouragement and spiritual renewal.
Share encouraging messages or memes on social media.
Have your pastor and governing board commission new volunteers with prayer.
Create a laminated Bible bookmark with a Scripture verse.
Find a prayer partner for each volunteer. Send this card: “[Prayer’s name] is praying just for you and Jesus’ kids!”
On parchment paper, personalize a “Letter from Jesus.”
Create a personalized Scripture card for each person with a positive verse that reminds you of him or her.
Pray for a different VBS volunteer each day. Send a card telling the volunteer you prayed for him or her that day.
Print a poem, cartoon, or encouraging quote on colorful paper for each volunteer.

VBS Volunteer Gifts: Words of Affirmation

Write three to five quick thank you notes each week.
Send volunteers an “Email Greeting Card!”
Make random phone calls just to say thank you for volunteering.
Write a note in bright colors on a blank puzzle, break it apart, and send the pieces.
Use paint pens to write on heart key chains: “We Love YOU!”
Have children complete “You’re special to me because…” slips. Then present the slips to teachers.
Hang vinyl banners that say, “Thanks, children’s ministry volunteers!”
In a children’s ministry celebration service, invite the congregation to show appreciation for VBS volunteers.
Include children’s positive comments about volunteers in your church newsletter.
Send a thank you for volunteering letter to volunteers’ spouses.
Give your teachers the summer off with a big “Thanks you for volunteering! See you next fall!”
Make a Certificate of Appreciation for each volunteer.

Why to Stay in Youth Ministry: 7 Compelling Reasons Not to Quit

By

Greg Stier

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August 9, 2022

These days, more church workers than ever are wondering why to stay in youth ministry (or any kind of ministry). If that’s you, read these encouraging words from evangelist Greg Stier!

Youth ministry can be highly rewarding and highly discouraging…sometimes all within the span of an hour. Helicopter parents, apathetic teenagers and eye-rolling, finger-wagging church leaders can all combine to become a slow-moving vortex of depression that churns deep in the soul of the average youth leader.

Are you wondering why to stay in youth ministry? Why remain in such a low-pay, high-pressure position? Why not escape to get a “real job” in ministry, a job where you are loved and respected? And where the pay is more than the typical barista’s?

7 Compelling Reasons: Why to Stay in Youth Ministry

1. Teenagers come to Christ quicker than adults.

According to Barna, two out of three people put their faith in Jesus by age 18. After that, the odds go way down. In the words of my grandpa, “Get the gettin’ while the gettin’s good.” And the salvation gettin’ is good before the age of 18

2. Teenagers spread the Gospel faster than adults.

Because the average teenager has well over 400 online and face-to-face friends, they have a huge (and growing) opportunity to share the Gospel like no generation before them. Generation Z, the nickname for today’s teens, is filled with “digital natives.”

They’re called this because they’ve never known a time without digital devices and social media. As a result, they have an unprecedented opportunity to accelerate the spread of the good news through their many social media channels.

3. Teenagers are daring.

Part of the reason teens get into trouble so often is that their brains aren’t fully developed yet! The part of the brain that signals “DANGER! DON’T DO IT!” isn’t fully operational. Believe it or not, this can be an advantage when it comes to getting teenagers to live out the Cause of Christ (Matthew 28:18-20)! Kids will do and try things (both good and bad) that adults would never dare. So let’s use that to our advantage and mobilize them to Gospelize their world!

4. Teenagers are fast learners.

Generation Z is a multitasking, fast-learning crew. Kids love to take in information and put it to use for causes that matter. Because no cause is greater than the Gospel, let’s unleash teens to advance it!

Creating Healing Spaces for Those Affected by Race-Based Trauma

By

Frederica Brooks-Davis, M.A., Psy.D.

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August 9, 2022

race-based trauma — Image credit: Adobe Stock

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) 2019 Hate Crime Statistics Report, data collected by 15,588 law enforcement agencies reported 7,314 hate crimes that involved 8,559 offenses. There were 8,552 victims of single-bias motivated incidents, of which 57.6% were a result of race/ethnicity/ancestry bias, 20.1% religion bias, and 16.7% sexual orientation bias. Of the 6,406 reported known offenders, 52.6% were White, 23.9% were Black or African-American, and the race was unknown in 14.6%. While the United States has made some progress toward improving race relations, racism, discrimination, and race-based trauma incidents continue to be problematic for people of color (Comas-Díaz, 2016).

The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder’s (DSM) definition for trauma is used by practitioners, researchers, and scholars in the mental health field to inform diagnosis, future research, and treatment. The most recent DSM (5th edition) expanded its definition of trauma from previous versions; however, it does not include in its criteria the types of stress (e.g., discrimination, racism, poverty) that create similar reactions experienced by those either directly exposed to a life-altering event or who witness an event or a combination of traumatic events (Carter et al., 2020; Carter, 2007).

Racial discrimination is identified in the literature as a form of stress that may lead to traumatic reactions by those who experience a negative, race-based encounter (Carter et al., 2020; Carter, 2007). When a person experiences danger due to an actual or perceived experience of racial discrimination, it can lead to stress referred to in the literature as racial trauma or race-based stress (Comas-Díaz et al., 2019; Carter, 2007). Race-based stress is not limited to a personal experience. Observing a person from another ethnic minority group encounter racial discrimination can also trigger a stress response (Comas-Díaz et al., 2019; Carter 2007). According to clinical psychologists, Sabrina Liu and Sheila Modir (2020), secondary trauma may occur in communities of color following a national crisis event such as September 11, 2001, when innocent Middle Eastern Americans were unfairly treated.

Every ethnic minority group (EMG) in the United States has a story to tell and experiences to share concerning racism and discrimination. Compared to other EMGs in the United States, African-Americans by far have endured a longer history of racism and discrimination. Conversely, Asian-American and Hispanic immigrants have experienced challenges assimilating into the United States (Chou et al., 2012; Vega & Rumbant, 1991). Additional research is needed to better understand how these groups are subjected to racial discrimination and race-based stress. Understanding these differences will also help inform the best practices for creating healing spaces. Boston University professor, researcher, and clinical psychologist, Stefan Hofmann, and his colleagues, Tina Chou and Anu Asnaani (2012), conducted a study of the three largest communities of color in the United States: African-Americans, Asian-Americans, and Hispanics. The findings suggest that perceived racial discrimination led to an endorsement of major depressive disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia, panic disorder with agoraphobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance use disorders.

As the incidents of negative race-based encounters rise and people of color report feeling anxious, angry, and/or depressed, creating healing spaces sensitive to the needs of those directly impacted by these encounters is desperately needed. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services (2001), ethnic minorities tend to seek counseling services at lower rates than whites. Stigma, racism, lack of access to healthcare, unemployment, mistrust of the healthcare system, lack of transportation, and finances have all been identified as barriers to treatment (USDHHS, 2001). Speaking with a clergy member and a trusted elder in the community, religious coping and spirituality continue to be survival strategies used by people of color (Comas-Díaz, 2016; USDHHS, 2001). It is important to note that religion is as diverse as race, which means special attention should be taken when incorporating religion or spirituality in the healing process (Milstein et al., 2010).

Serving Those Affected by Race-Based Trauma

As a mental health professional, clergy member, community leader, ministry leader, or teacher, you may or may not currently provide care, minister, or teach individuals affected by race-based trauma. However, as the United States becomes more diverse, there may come a time when you will need to hold space or minister to someone who has experienced race-based trauma. Alternatively, you may feel led to create a healing space via Zoom© for friends or co-workers.

‘God’s Not Done With Us’—Venue Church Pastor Tavner Smith Confirms Foreclosure Notice, but Says Church Will Not Shut Down

By

Jessica Lea

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August 9, 2022

After denying last week that Venue Church will be shutting down, lead pastor Tavner Smith confirmed Sunday that a bank has put a notice of foreclosure on the church’s building, located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Smith said that church leaders nevertheless expect to retain the building and reiterated that Venue Church will not be closing.

“We’ve gone through a hard season, it’s been no lie, we’ve not hidden that,” said Smith before he began his sermon. “It’s been pretty public…We have had hard times and fallen on hard times and we’ve done our best, not just as a staff, but as a whole church. We’ve all come together.”

Tavner Smith Addresses Foreclosure Reports

Regardless of whether anyone has attempted to hide it, the “hard season” Tavner Smith alluded to has been difficult to conceal. In November 2021, Venue Church volunteers showed up at Smith’s house to find the pastor in his boxers with one of the church’s female employees, who was wearing only a towel.

In December of that year, a video surfaced showing Smith kissing that same woman in public. Smith and his now ex-wife had begun divorce proceedings earlier in May, and their divorce was finalized that December. Eight staff members and all of the church’s board members quit due to the controversy, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

In a December meeting, Smith denied having an affair with the staff member, but said that he and she planned to pursue a relationship after each of their divorces were finalized. Smith took a sabbatical in January and returned to the pulpit in February, where he acknowledged having an “inappropriate relationship.” In addition to the controversy surrounding this relationship, Smith has been accused of financial misconduct, living a lavish lifestyle and preaching a prosperity gospel.

In an Instagram video posted last week, Smith referenced news reports that Venue Church faces foreclosure and will be shutting down. “I wanted to say it’s absolutely not true. Venue Church is not shutting down,” he said. “Number two, our legal team, who is amazing, has assured me that I can tell you with confidence our Chattanooga location is going nowhere.” The pastor said he would address these allegations in his upcoming Sunday sermon.

A notice of foreclosure and sale states Venue Church has defaulted on payments it owes First Citizens National Bank and that the building will be auctioned off on Aug. 24 at 2:00 p.m. According to The Daily Beast, an attorney for the bank said the only actions that would stop the foreclosure are a court order or the church paying off its debt in full.

“I would just like to briefly address the mess,” Smith said at the beginning of his Aug. 7 sermon titled, “It’s time for closure.”

“You probably read in the paper or saw in the paper that the bank put a notice of foreclosure on our building, which is absolutely true,” said Smith. He praised the generosity, kindness and patience of the congregation. “It is a scary situation when you’re navigating through things like this and you know you’re not just going through it alone, but you’re going through it with a group of people…When we found out and saw the notice, just like you, we were scared as well. But we also knew that God’s not done with us.”

Referencing Jesus’ statement that, “The truth will set you free,” Smith said, “There is a difference between facts and truth. Facts happen; truth prevails.” The pastor said he prayed and “the Lord gave us wisdom to seek some really amazing legal counsel and they’ve really helped us.” According to Smith, these attorneys have assured church leadership that there are “multiple options” for keeping the building, but he did not elaborate on what those options are. Regardless of what happens with the building, Venue Church will continue, said Smith, because the church is not a building.

Lifeway Research: Pastors Identify Modern-day Idols, Comfort Tops List

By

Marissa Postell Sullivan

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August 9, 2022

Idols don’t always come in the form of carved statues or reside in places of worship. Many pastors believe modern-day idols can be benign-looking desires with significant influence on people in their congregations.

According to a study from Lifeway Research, more than half of U.S. Protestant pastors believe comfort (67%), control or security (56%), money (55%) and approval (51%) are idols that have significant influence on their congregations. When asked to choose the potential idol with the most sway over people in their churches, pastors again point to comfort (30%) and control or security (20%) above the others.

“It’s easy to think that those in Christian churches have chosen their God and are faithful to Him,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “However, pastors quickly acknowledge how divided their congregations’ allegiances can be. These gods don’t have a physical shrine, but they compete for the hearts of Christians.”

Significant Influence of Idols

While most pastors point to comfort, security, money and approval as potential idols, fewer say success (49%) and social influence (46%) are idols in their congregations. Nearly 2 in 5 say political power (39%) is an idol their congregants face, and nearly 1 in 3 say sex or romantic love (32%). Another 14% of pastors say none of these are idols with influence in their churches, and 2% say they’re not sure.

Younger pastors are more likely than older pastors to identify several of these modern-day idols in their churches—particularly political power, money and control or security. Pastors ages 18-44 are the most likely to say political power (55%) and control or security (72%) are idols they see in their congregations.

The younger pastors are, the more likely they are to see money as a rival object of worship. Pastors ages 18-44 (63%) and 45-54 (58%) are more likely to say money is an idol in their churches than pastors 65 and older (46%).

Furthermore, older pastors are less likely to identify any of these potential idols among their congregants. Pastors ages 55-64 (18%) and over 64 (19%) are more likely to say none of these are idols in their churches than pastors 18-44 (9%) or 45-54 (10%).

“The large differences we see between younger and older pastors cannot be definitively explained by this study,” McConnell said. “There are signs that younger pastors are of the mindset that idols are rampant today, whereas older pastors may be slower to classify one of these as having significant influence on their people, or they may define idols more narrowly.”

Some different modern-day idols stood out to pastors of different ethnicities. White pastors are more likely than African American pastors to identify political power (41% v. 29%) and approval (53% v. 40%) as idols in their churches. And African American pastors are more likely than white pastors to say none of these are idols in their churches (25% v. 13%).

Pastors with higher levels of education are more likely than pastors with less formal education to identify money and control or security as idols in their churches. Pastors with master’s degrees (64%) or doctoral degrees (57%) are more likely than those with no college degree (43%) to say money is an idol in their churches. And pastors with master’s degrees (67%) or doctoral degrees (64%) are more likely than those with bachelor’s degrees (47%) or without college degrees (38%) to say control or security. Meanwhile, pastors with no college degree (25%) are the most likely to say none of these are modern-day idols in their churches.

Pastors of larger churches are more likely to identify idols of social influence and sex or romantic love in their congregations than pastors of smaller churches. Pastors of churches with more than 250 (55%) in attendance and those with 100-249 (51%) are more likely than those at churches with 50-99 (42%) or less than 50 (39%) to say social influence. Similarly, pastors at churches with attendance of more than 250 (40%) and 100-249 (39%) are more likely than those at churches with attendance of 50-99 (30%) or fewer than 50 (21%) to identify sex or romantic love as an idol.

Olivia Newton-John Said the Lord’s Prayer Nightly After God Saved Her Baby

By

Stephanie Martin

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August 9, 2022

Following the death of singer, actress, and activist Olivia Newton-John on Monday (August 8), statements have surfaced from one of her final interviews. On a February 2021 episode of the podcast “A Life of Greatness,” Newton-John detailed a pact she made with God while pregnant with her only child. She also shared personal thoughts about spirituality and death.

Newton-John, 73, died at her California home after battling stage 4 cancer for several years. She was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992; it returned in 2013 and metastasized by 2017. In addition to her entertainment career, Newton-John was an advocate and philanthropist who wanted “positivity” to be her legacy.

Olivia Newton-John Asked God to Save Her Daughter

Last year, Olivia Newton-John told podcast host Sarah Grynberg she almost lost her daughter, Chloe, during pregnancy in 1985. “I went to bed and asked God to save her,” the singer said. “And if he did, I would say the Lord’s Prayer every night for the rest of my life. And so I have. I think prayer is very powerful.”

Chloe, whose father is Newton-John’s ex-husband Matt Lattanzi, is now 36 and has followed her mother’s footsteps into music. She is posting tributes to her mother online, captioning one photo, “I worship this woman.”

During the podcast, Newton-John also answered questions about mortality and life after death. “I have quite a few times [thought that death] was a possibility sooner than I wanted it,” she said. “We all know we are going to die. I think we spend our lives denying it. It’s extremely personal.”

Admitting the concept was “hard to put into words,” Newton-John continued, “I feel we are all part of one thing. I have had experiences with spirits or spirit life and felt the spirit world and have heard things that I believe there is something that happens.”

She also referenced energy, saying, “It’s almost like we are parts of the same computer, and we go back to the main battery. I don’t have a definite definition of what it is. I think there is a great knowingness out there we become part of it. I hope that the energies of the people you love will be there. I think all the love will be there. I’m sort of looking forward to that, not now, but when it happens.”

Olivia Newton-John: Always ‘Shining the Light’ on Others

In announcing his wife’s death, John Easterling wrote: “Olivia has been a symbol of triumphs and hope for over 30 years sharing her journey with breast cancer.” Her family asks that donations go to the Olivia Newton-John Foundation Fund, which is “dedicated to researching plant medicine and cancer.”

FBI Executes Search Warrant at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago; Christian Leaders React

By

Dale Chamberlain

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August 9, 2022

Trump Mar-A-Lago — Left: Michael Vadon, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Right: Jack Boucher, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

On Monday (August 8), the FBI executed a search warrant at former president Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump took up full-time residence at the resort after his term as president ended in 2021.

According to the former president’s son, Eric Trump, the FBI was searching for documents sought by the National Archives. Donald Trump had allegedly taken 15 boxes of presidential documents from the White House upon his departure from office, including classified documents, which could threaten national security.

The former president broke the news of the raid himself in a statement released on Monday.

“These are dark times for our Nation, as my beautiful home, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents,” Trump’s statement read. “Nothing like this has happened to a President of the United States before.”

Trump characterized the FBI’s execution of the search warrant as “not necessary or appropriate,” further arguing that it constituted “prosecutorial misconduct.”

Claiming that the search warrant was part of a plot by Democrats to keep him from running for president in 2024, Trump said, “Such an assault could only take place in broken, Third-World Countries. Sadly, America has now become one of those Countries, corrupt at a level not seen before. They even broke into my safe!”

This news broke on the same day as two other stories involving Trump. In one of those reports, it was revealed that journalist Maggie Habberman claims to have evidence suggesting that Trump, while president, routinely ripped up documents that ought to have been preserved and flushed them down the toilet.

Another report included the claim that President Trump once expressed to John Kelly, his White House chief-of-staff, that he wished high ranking national security and military officials would act more like “the German generals in World War II,” whom he believed were completely loyal to Adolf Hitler.

Kelly allegedly clarified that Hitler’s top military personnel attempted to assassinate him three times, but Trump reportedly denied the existence of that historical reality.

How to Follow Up With First-Time Guests Online

By

Kelsey Yarnell

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August 9, 2022

Many churches follow a Sunday morning ritual of asking “Who is new?” and then handing out connect cards to visitors. The next step is where many churches go wrong. Either they fail to follow up completely, or they only make a one-time effort to reach out to first-time guests.

Digital tools allow you to create a consistent and sustainable way to follow up with visitors. Connecting with new visitors with church technology (such as with a tool made for online giving, admin, and marketing) can help you automate effective follow-up.

The goal? Don’t let anyone “fall through the cracks,” communicate that you care about every visitor, and provide the opportunity to take the next step with your church family.

In the following article, we’ll take a look at how you can follow up with first-time visitors online…and increase the chances of growing your church family.

3 Steps to Follow Up with First-Time Guests

Here are three simple steps to create an automated system of follow-up with people who check out your church during a weekend service.

1. Hand Out Connect Cards.

As mentioned above, a connect card can be a great way to collect information from first-time visitors.

While a conventional connect card might provide a few lines for visitors to write down their name, email address, and phone number, a connect card with a QR code is even better.

Visitors can scan the QR code and go directly to a contact form on your website. Then they can provide you with their information online–so that you don’t have to hand out pens, collect cards, and then manually input information into your church CRM.

Remember that your connect card should be simple and well-designed. Give visitors one compelling reason to scan the code.“Learn More About Our Church Family” or “Get Connected With Us!” tell new visitors that you want to connect beyond one visit, and give them a clear course of action.

2. Create an Automated Email Series.

An automated email series requires minimal time and effort from church admin.

When new visitors are input into your church database, that will trigger a series of 3-4 emails. Those emails can provide more information about your small groups and various ministries, or provide opportunities for visitors to take action.

Here are three templates you can use for a follow-up email series.

Email 1

Subject line: Thanks for visiting!

Hi [first name],

Thank you for visiting our church home this weekend! We love having new visitors, and hope you enjoyed spending time in worship and the Word with us.

Our church home has several opportunities to plug in deeper, if you’re interested. We have weekly Bible studies, a range of ministries for different life stages, and opportunities to give back to the community. Click here to learn more! [link to your website]

Have any questions for us? Feel free to reach out to [name of appropriate staff member], and we’d be happy to hop on a phone call with you.

Have a blessed week!

Email 2

Subject line: Looking for a small group?

Hi [first name],

Small groups and Bible studies are a great way to dive deeper into community, build new friendships, and learn more from God’s Word.

At [church name], we’re big believers in the power of small groups. That’s why we have a range of studies so that you can find a group that fits your needs, schedule, and life stage.

Click here to learn more about our small groups.

Email 3

Subject line: Did you know we have an app?

Hi [first name],

You might have an app for managing your finances, editing your photos, and ordering food from your favorite restaurant.

Why not use an app for church?

The [church name] app is a free, simple way to connect with us, learn about upcoming events, listen to sermons online, make donations, read the Bible, and even post prayer requests.

Click here to download the app for free [link to app download].

Of course, these are just ideas. Regardless of what you include in your follow-up emails, make sure to give recipients an action to take–whether that’s to visit your website or to register for a specific event.

3. Send a Text Message

Sending a text message may feel like an unconventional choice, but it might be the best way to connect immediately with first-time visitors. After all, text messages have an average 90-second response rate. Even older guests are likely to check their text messages.

Just like your automated email series, you can also send automated text messages to new visitors. Once they input their phone number, that can trigger an automated text to follow up with them after the service.

You can even include a link in your text message that directs new visitors to your website or church app. Or, you can ask for additional information that can help you understand what the new visitor’s needs are.

Here are a few ideas for follow-up text messages.

Hi [first name]! Thanks for joining us this weekend. We’d love to see you again–click here to learn more about our church family!

Hi [first name]! Hope you’re having an awesome week! Want to learn more about small groups? Click here.

Hi [first name]! Looking for deeper connection? We’d love to connect with you. Click here.

Again, you’ll want to customize your text message to your church’s style, voice, and messaging. But regardless of what you include in your message, make a plan to follow up with additional communication and touchpoints. The goal is to create multiple touchpoints with new visitors so that they have more than one opportunity to say “yes” to taking the next step with your church.

Lay the Foundation for Online Follow-Up

To all of these suggestions about online follow-up, you may be thinking, Sounds great, but I don’t have a CRM, a church app, or an email tool.

It’s true that you do need a system in place for following up with guests online.

But it doesn’t have to be complicated, or expensive.

Tithe.ly is an all-in-one solution for churches to connect with their first-time guests and long-term members with tools for storing contact information, sending emails and text messages to your contacts, building an app and website, and much, much more.

To learn more about how Tithe.ly can help you connect with others, click here.

‘Community Lighthouses’ Powered by the Sun and Church Volunteers

By

Rebecca Santana

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August 9, 2022

Community Lighthouses — Sonia St. Cyr, a 74-year-old New Orleans resident who uses an electric wheelchair, poses for a photo on July 21, 2022, outside the Broadmoor Community Church where she volunteers at a food pantry. The church is part of a program being launched to put solar panels and batteries on locations around southeastern Louisiana so they can maintain power and help people in their communities such as St. Cyr during extended power outages like the one that followed Hurricane Ida last year. (AP Photo/Rebecca Santana)

LaPLACE, La. (AP) — Enthusiastic church volunteer Sonia St. Cyr lost something she treasures during the blackout caused by Hurricane Ida — her independence, afforded her by the electric wheelchair she expertly maneuvers over bumpy city sidewalks.

“After Ida I was housebound,” said St. Cyr, who has multiple sclerosis. She did her best to conserve power on her wheelchair, going only to the end of her block or sitting on her porch after the storm made landfall last August 29.

It took 10 more days before all of the habitable homes in New Orleans had electricity again. With the lights out and nothing open in her Broadmoor neighborhood of New Orleans, “It was not fun.”

A project launching in southeast Louisiana aims to help people like St. Cyr who are especially vulnerable during extended power outages as the warming climate produces more extreme weather including bigger and wetter hurricanes.

“Community Lighthouses,” outfitted with roof solar panels and a battery pack to store energy, can serve as electricity hubs after a disaster, enabling neighbors to recharge batteries, power up phones or store temperature-sensitive medications.

They’re being sponsored by Together New Orleans, a non-partisan network of churches and groups that tries to fix community problems.

Organizer Broderick Bagert said they felt “impotent and powerless” as the city struggled to deliver basics like collecting garbage in Ida’s aftermath. They realized that local governments couldn’t handle everything alone.

“You can spend a lot of time saying… ’Why don’t they?‘” said Bagert. “But you start to realize the real question is ‘Why don’t we?’”

More than just energy hardware, each lighthouse needs a team of volunteers to study their areas, learn who has health problems and who needs medication refrigerated or depends on electric wheelchairs for mobility. While people with means can evacuate ahead of a hurricane, about one in four people live in poverty in New Orleans, and not everyone can afford to flee. Hurricanes are also forming more quickly due to climate change, making it more likely that people can find themselves stuck in a disaster zone.

Each lighthouse should be able to connect with all of its neighborhood’s vulnerable people within 24 hours of an outage, Bagert said.

“This is not all about batteries and and solar panels. There are some other batteries and solar panels made by the hand of God. And that is called the human personality,” the Rev. JC Richardson, pastor of Cornerstone United Methodist Church, said during an event announcing one of the locations.

Churches Can Be ‘Personalized Ministry Partner’ for Local Schools

By

Timothy Cockes

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August 9, 2022

local-school-partner — Volunteers from North Hills Church in West Monroe, La., pass out school supplies during a back-to-school bash on Saturday, Aug. 6. Photo by Abby McCartney, North Hills Church. Courtesy of Baptist Press.

NASHVILLE (BP) – In the midst of the back-to-school season, Southern Baptist churches are loving and serving the students, teachers and schools in their communities.

Churches are meeting needs in a variety of ways including hosting back-to-school bashes, offering free school supplies and giving away free backpacks.

First Baptist Church of Pensacola, Fla., hosted its annual back-to-school bash on Saturday, July 30. This event included giveaways, games, distribution of resources and free food.

Peter Burmeister, the church’s associate pastor of discipleship and assimilation, said the event is a great opportunity to serve their local school, C.A. Weis Elementary.

First Baptist’s relationship with the school began more than 10 years ago when members realized the school did not have a PTA. So they formed an organization called “First Friends” that acts as a PTA.

The church also developed a ministry called Weis Initiatives, which plans out ways to serve the school beyond the back-to-school season.

After the initial year of the partnership, the school’s overall grade point average went up an entire letter grade from an F to a D.

Within a few years, the school became eligible for a significant financial grant. And the church recently broke ground on a new building specifically for ministries related to the school.

“I hope we’re beginning to leave a legacy in the community,” Burmeister said.

“For me it’s a reminder of what can happen by having a personalized ministry partner. We’re just astonished by what has happened through simple acts of faith from people in our church.”

First Baptist Pensacola is not the only church with a strong relationship to their local school.

Lake Mystic Baptist Church in Bristol, Fla., is located just half a mile from W.R. Tolar K-8 School.

For the first time this year, Lake Mystic will be giving out free backpacks to registered families during the school’s open house today (August 8).

Located in one of least populated counties in Florida, W.R. Tolar has only a little more than 400 students among all of the grades. The nearly 100 backpacks Lake Mystic will give away will cover a large percentage of the student body. Each of the backpacks will also be filled with school supplies based on the lists provided by the school’s teachers.

Due in part to its proximity, Lake Mystic has a close relationship to the faculty and staff at the school. Many of the school’s teachers are members of the church, and the principal is even a former youth pastor at Lake Mystic.

Pastor Cody Watson said the church wants to continue to use these connections build a strong relationship with the school.

“We just want to be intentional to love and serve,” Watson said. “With us being the closest geographical church to the school, we try to minister and truly reach those families and teachers.”

Many of the backpacks Lake Mystic will give away were given to the church by Send Relief as a part of its Backpack Sunday initiative Aug. 7.

Aug. 7 was also Send Relief Sunday on the 2022 SBC Calendar, and the entire month of August has a focus on Christian service.

Lake Mystic is not the only church to take advantage of the opportunity to receive backpacks from Send Relief.

Christians Still Displaced From Northern Iraq 8 Years After ISIS Invasion

By

Diana Chandler

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August 9, 2022

NINEVAH PLAINS, IRAQ (BP) – Christians largely remain displaced from the once vibrant Nineveh Plains eight years after the Islamic State decimated the region, a Christian charity working in the area said.

Of the estimated 100,000 or more Christians who fled their homes in the 2014 invasion, perhaps 20,000 have returned to date since repatriation efforts began in 2017, Max Wood, chairman of the nondenominational American Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East (American FRRME), told Baptist Press.

Iraqi Christian refugees in Madaba, Jordan, lament the eighth anniversary of the Aug. 6, 2014 ISIS invasion of northern Iraq. Submitted photo

“It was very peaceful until ISIS came along. It’s got its own charm. It’s just horrible that so many people have had to flee that area in 2014,” Wood said after the eighth anniversary of the invasion that refugees remember as The Black Day. “We learned about The Black Day from working with refugees in Jordan.”

About 200 refugees gathered at the American FRRME’s Olive Tree Center in Madaba, Jordan, Aug. 6 in prayer, dance, poetry and song to commemorate those who died or were displaced in the invasion. About 40,000 Christians displaced from the Nineveh Plains are in Jordan, Wood said, where the government prevents their employment. Iraqi Christians rely solely on humanitarian aid.

Stavro, a Christian teenager who was 6 years old when ISIS invaded northern Iraqi, shared his memories of the invasion.

“A part of us died that day. We had to flee our city overnight, because if we stayed, we would have starved or died. We walked many miles to get away, with so many dead people, burned houses, and bodies,” Stavro said during the commemoration in 2021. “We asked our parents when we could return to our joys, our schools, and normal life, but we had no answer. We didn’t know how we would survive, but we believed God was with us. We came to Madaba, [and I] fell in love with this city, [where] we prayed that the war would end and for all nations to know God.”

American FRRME Executive Director Susan Greer said Iraqi Christians are still suffering eight years after the invasion, and more than five years after ISIS was defeated in northern Iraq.

“This is an ongoing humanitarian crisis,” Greer said. “Eight years later and these people are still suffering, not only from the trauma of what ISIS fighters did to them and their families, but from an acute lack of reconstruction and reconciliation efforts in a region that continues to be plagued by violence and security threats.”

Those who remained in Iraq during the invasion “were forced into slavery, captured, forced to convert to Islam, or were killed. To this day, many of the missing still have not been accounted for,” she said. Those who fled and haven’t returned cite “lack of financial aid, services, livelihoods, security and social cohesion” as primary reasons keeping them away.

FRRME is one of numerous nongovernmental organizations, many of them Christian, working to help displaced Iraqis return home and restore their livelihoods.

Wood encourages Christians to pray for displaced Iraqi Christians and those who have returned to the region, to educate themselves about the plight of Iraqi Christians, and to financially support reputable organizations helping internally displaced persons and refugees.

Tony and Lauren Dungy: On Faith and Family, Football and Race, Winning and Losing

By

Adelle M Banks

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August 9, 2022

(RNS) — Retired NFL coach Tony Dungy and his wife Lauren see the key parts of their life — football and family — as forms of ministry.

The parents of 11 both lead Bible studies in addition to his work as a broadcaster on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” and hers as vice president of the Dungy Family Foundation.

Their new book, “Uncommon Influence: Saying Yes to a Purposeful Life,” set to release on Aug. 9, aims to help people see their family, neighborhoods and workplaces as platforms where they can have a positive effect.

“Many people think ‘Oh, I don’t influence anybody,’” said Tony Dungy, the first African American head coach to win the Super Bowl. “The reason why we wrote this book was to encourage people to know that they can have influence. They do have influence.”

Married 40 years, Tony Dungy, 66, and Lauren Dungy, 65, gradually parented a growing family, modeling their support of adopting children and fostering “countless” kids. They describe themselves as “born-again” Christians who attend nondenominational evangelical churches in Tampa, Florida, and Eugene Oregon, where they spend part of the summer.

They talked to Religion News Service in mid-July about their joint prayer life, race and the NFL, and supporting pregnant women in the wake of the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

In your new book, you both write about ways to live purposefully in everyday life. Tony, could you describe what seems like a prayerful approach to people-watching that you mentioned in your book?

Tony Dungy: For me, it’s always been: What can you do to make an impact in your community, in your family and your job and that is helping people get better? That’s something I always enjoyed as a coach. And so that’s what I look at nowadays. Sometimes you have to pray about that. How can I be impactful in this person’s life? What is going on with them? And that’s more than just casually meeting you and saying hello. Really getting to know you and understanding what your needs are. And is there a way that God can use me to help?

Lauren, you talk about some basic steps that you and he take, including praying before you even step out of bed and start your morning routine. Can you describe that a little bit and why you take that approach?

Lauren Dungy: It’s important to hear from our Heavenly Father every day and really, for that matter, all day long. But certainly before we begin our morning routine, Tony and I do spend time before the Heavenly Father, and we pray together. We pray for each other, for our family, our household and for what God might be calling us to do that very day. And we need him to direct our path. It’s a daily practice that we do, and every now and then we’ll miss that. And, I’ll tell you, our day is just a little off. We feel that something is missing, or maybe we’re second-guessing some decisions. And it’s because we didn’t take the five or 10 minutes to talk to God.

Tony, you write about teamwork and advising on how to keep diverse people coming together, working together, winning. How do you view the ways the NFL has handled itself in light of the allegations and findings related to sexual misconduct by people both in the ranks of players and owners?

TD: Well, I don’t think we’ve done a great job. We have a very, very high standard, and we should have a high standard. I always talked about that with my players when I coached. We have young people looking at us to set the tone, and they’re going to do what we do. So I think it’s really important that we be above reproach, and obviously you can’t have everybody at that level. But I think we do need to deal with those who fall under the bar, whether it’s players or owners or management or front office, and I don’t think we’ve done a good job of that, so that’s someplace we can improve.

There also have been a range of issues related to race in the NFL in recent years, from controversies about taking a knee during the national anthem to concerns about racial discrimination in hiring in upper ranks of the league and also denial of payments to retired Black players who had dementia. Do you think these times are more tense and difficult than when you became the first African American coach to win a Super Bowl in 2007?

TD: No, I think we just hear about it more. The thing you mentioned with the retired players and the testing, that’s been going on for years and years, and I was a player and I didn’t even know about it. I didn’t know about the baseline they used until this article came out a year or so ago. So I think those issues have been there. I think they’re being brought more to light.

Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy, left, and Colts' Dominic Rhodes (33) celebrate after the Colts defeated the Chicago Bears 29-17 in the Super Bowl XLI football game at Dolphin Stadium in Miami on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2007. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy, left, and Colts’ Dominic Rhodes (33) celebrate after the Colts defeated the Chicago Bears 29-17 in the Super Bowl XLI football game at Dolphin Stadium in Miami on Sunday, Feb. 4, 2007. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

Do you see any better days ahead and for the NFL on race relations?

TD: I do. I do. I think we have people that are concerned about it. The Diversity Committee is meeting and putting together recommendations. Getting people to follow those recommendations is always a different story. But I do think bringing the issues to light has helped.

Is It Possible to Be Hyperimaginative in Thinking About Heaven?

By

Randy Alcorn

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August 9, 2022

heaven hyperimaginative — Lightstock #374793

A reader recently asked me, “What do you mean by ‘hyperimaginative’ in this sentence in Heaven: ‘Discussions of Heaven tend to be either hyperimaginative or utterly unimaginative’?”

Here’s part of what I said in the book:

We cannot anticipate or desire what we cannot imagine. That’s why, I believe, God has given us glimpses of Heaven in the Bible—to fire up our imagination and kindle a desire for Heaven in our hearts. And that’s why Satan will always discourage our imagination—or misdirect it to ethereal notions that violate Scripture. As long as the resurrected universe remains either undesirable or unimaginable, Satan succeeds in sabotaging our love for Heaven.

After reading my novels that portray Heaven, people often tell me, “These pictures of Heaven are exciting. But are they based on Scripture?” The answer, to the best of my understanding, is yes. Scripture provides us with a substantial amount of information, direct and indirect, about the world to come, with enough detail to help us envision it, but not so much as to make us think we can completely wrap our minds around it. I believe that God expects us to use our imagination, even as we recognize its limitations and flaws. If God didn’t want us to imagine what Heaven will be like, he wouldn’t have told us as much about it as he has.

Rather than ignore our imagination, I believe we should fuel it with Scripture, allowing it to step through the doors that Scripture opens. I did not come to the Bible with the same view of Heaven that I came away with. On the contrary, as a young Christian, and even as a young pastor, I viewed Heaven in the same stereotypical ways I now reject. It was only through years of scriptural study, meditation, and research on the subject that I came to the view of Heaven I now embrace.

Nearly every notion of Heaven I present in this book was stimulated and reinforced by biblical texts. Though some of my interpretations and speculations are no doubt mistaken, they are not baseless. Rightly or wrongly, I have drawn most of them from my understanding of the explicit and implicit teachings of Scripture. Discussions of Heaven tend to be either hyperimaginative or utterly unimaginative. Bible believers have tended toward the latter, yet both approaches are inadequate and dangerous. What we need is a biblically inspired imagination.

We should ask God’s help to remove the blinders of our preconceived ideas about Heaven so we can understand Scripture. The apostle Paul said, “Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this” (2 Timothy 2:7). I encourage you to pray, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law” (Psalm 119:18).

By hyperimaginative, I meant fantasy-prone, to the point of being gullible and reading into things, and going beyond the actual evidence and any sense of objectivity. I would include the power of suggestion when people hear the various afterlife stories, such as young Colton Burpo’s claim of seeing rainbow unicorns in Heaven, as well as circles/halos around the heads of people. There is no suggestion of rainbow-colored unicorns in Heaven, or unicorns at all, and the idea of halos over people’s heads comes from medieval art, not from the Bible.

I’m not saying I know for sure God didn’t take him to Heaven, but I do know for certain that the statements made by people who claim to have been to Heaven should never be considered authoritative. God’s Word should be the only standard by which we judge which parts of people’s testimonies about Heaven we should and should not consider accurate.

To claim that one’s old friend who died, who was an avid golfer, is now playing golf in Heaven, is hyperimaginative, since the resurrection has not yet happened. Therefore, it seems unlikely this is happening in the present Heaven, though it is possible that it may happen on the future post–resurrection Heaven, which will be the New Earth. In fact, there is no reason I can think of why people with resurrected bodies would not play sports on a resurrected earth, even though we can’t know for certain until we get there.

There’s a difference between an overactive imagination and outright lying, of course, but the story of “the boy who went to Heaven” is a sad case demonstrating how far people can go in their imaginations, to the point of fabrications. That particular boy who claimed he’d gone to Heaven as related in a bestselling book (not Heaven is for Real, a different book) five years later admitted, “I did not die. I did not go to Heaven…I said I went to heaven because I thought it would get me attention.” He added this, something every Christian should take to heart: “When I made the claims that I did, I had never read the Bible. People…should read the Bible, which is enough. The Bible is the only source of truth.”

Why We Need a Savior: Ruth’s “Weakness” Is Greater Than Samson’s Strength

By

J.D. Greear

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August 9, 2022

It’s clear throughout Scripture why we need a savior.

I recently reflected on the dark conclusion to the book of Judges—how the book ends with a note of desperation. “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” And what was “right in their eyes” was patently horrific. It seemed so appealing at the beginning, to define God how they wanted him to be. But it turned out to be hell on earth–that’s why we need a savior.

If the book of Judges were all we had to capture this time in Israel’s history, it would be a dismal piece of history indeed. But there’s another story, a hidden subplot, to what’s going on in Judges. It’s the tiny companion volume known as Ruth.

The book of Ruth is set in the waning days of the rule of the Judges. In case you forgot what those days were like, it wasn’t a great time to be a woman in Israel. Women were bought and sold as property, kidnapped to satisfy the demands of the warriors, and murdered with no apparent concern for justice. Yet the central character of Ruth is a woman. Not only that, she isn’t even an Israelite. And at the start of her story, she’s a widow. By all outside appearances, Ruth is as low and as weak as a person could get.

But while the obviously strong men and rulers are busy driving their nation into the ground, the weak and seemingly helpless Ruth stands out because she trusts God in the face of impossible odds. And because of her faith in the midst of uncertainty, God would use her as his avenue for undoing Israel’s darkness.

You see, all throughout Judges, we’re left wondering if any of these judges will be the savior and deliverer that Israel needed. Some displayed incredible feats of strength and might, but in the end, none of them were up to the task. But the book of Ruth shows us that where the strength of Israel failed, the weakness of God would succeed. God chose Ruth—a woman, an outcast, a nobody—to keep the promise of God alive. Ruth would have a son, Obed, who had a son, Jesse, who had a son, King David. The king that Israel needed would come not through the strength of Samson, but through the weakness of a foreign widow.

But even David wasn’t the ultimate king that Israel needed. From David’s line, generations later, came the king that they truly needed, a king who would have more in common with Ruth than with the judges: Jesus. Like Ruth, he was poor, wandering as an outcast without a home. Like Ruth, he wasn’t the deliverer Israel expected. The message of why we need a savior becomes clear: because of his weakness, he was the Savior they needed.

Jesus, however, would endure far worse than Ruth ever did. While Ruth endured hardship for a while, she ended her life in a stable and wealthy family. But Jesus would end his life with his closest friends abandoning him. He would not be rich, but would have his only possession on earth—the clothes on his back—stripped from him. And he would not end his days in ease, but would face the most horrific death that humanity has yet dreamed of.

To understand why we need a savior, it’s worth another glance back at the book of Judges. For as dark and gruesome as the conclusion to Judges is, it’s not the darkest chapter of Scripture. The darkest moment in the Bible is when the gracious and beautiful Son of God was beaten, mocked and crucified by religious leaders who thought they were doing the work of God.

The cross was so bloody and horrifying that we’re tempted to look away. But it was no more bloody than our sin demanded that it be. The difference between the horrific scene of the cross and the horrific scenes of Judges 17:21 is that Jesus took it on voluntarily. While the men throughout Judges were comfortable subjecting other people (usually women) to bloody punishment, Jesus would accept the punishment on our behalf.

Again, here’s why we need a savior: If we see our sin for what it is, if we realize that what Jesus endured was our due, what can we say to this but, “Grace! Grace! God’s grace! Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace, freely bestowed on all who believe! You that are longing to see his face; will you this moment his grace receive?”

Closed Group vs Open Group – Which Is Best?

By

Andrew Mason

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August 9, 2022

thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

“How do you feel about a closed group vs open group?” This was a recent question I was asked by a church that was in the beginning stages of formulating their church-wide small group model. I smiled because this is a loaded question for several reasons that we will discuss here.

Closed Group vs Open Group – Which Is Best?

Open small groups generally remain “open” all the time, meaning there is no limit to the amount of new people who can join. Every week an “open” small group meets, is an opportunity to invite and meet first-time guests.

Closed small groups limit the number of participants. Once a group starts, new people aren’t continually invited out. Groups can remain closed for up to 18 months before opening back up to guests.

The following is what I shared with the church about closed groyp vs open group:

3 Observations on Open Group vs. Closed Group

1. This is a Philosophical Decision.

There are no right or wrong answers, morally speaking. This makes the decision-making process fuzzy because nobody can claim the moral high ground with his or her opinion.

Overall, there are approximately 10-12 small group ministry models that churches use (meaning, one church uses one particular model). Each model has its strengths and weaknesses. One model may flourish at one church but never work at another. Then open groups versus closed groups discussion falls into this same context.

2. Closed Groups Encourage Deeper Levels of Trust.

Since you are meeting with the same people every time, the hope is that you can begin to lower your walls over time and become vulnerable with other group members. One weakness of a closed group is the potential for the group to become gossip sessions and clique-ee.

On a side note, I personally believe that once a group has been together for over two years without multiplying, it is almost impossible for group multiplication to happen.

3. Open Groups Encourage Evangelism and Assimilation.

Since the group meeting is always open, members of the group know they can invite an unbeliever or someone who just recently started attending the church. One concern is that a constant flow of new faces limits the potential for deeper intimacy and accountability.

North Point Community Church in Atlanta (Andy Stanley) has crushed their numbers with the closed group model. While I personally don’t lean towards closed groups, it’s impossible to say it can’t work and help people.

I definitely gravitate toward the open group model myself for the following reasons…

I like the potential an open group has in encouraging holistic or balanced discipleship, meaning, an open group can exhort a believer to grow in evangelism while a closed group doesn’t emphasize reaching out to new people.
I also like the implications for numerical growth and group multiplication in an open group.
Lastly, I like the ability for a new weekend attendee to have many groups they can consider visiting because they are all “open” the majority of the time. Most of the large cell churches overseas use the open group model.

I feel the need to throw in a quick disclaimer: Open groups can become cliques and have gossip sessions as well. Just because a group is labeled “open” doesn’t always mean they are functioning as one. If the group is “open” in theory but not actually reaching out to new people, they will have the same vulnerability as a closed group. I believe that when a small group starts clicking, it will stop clique-ing.

This article about a closed group vs open group originally appeared here.

You acknowledge that in your early days in homeless services, you were caught up in a savior mentality. How did that change?

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1. To those who have been wounded by the church

2. To those searching for a new church home in a new city

3. To those who have “high ideals” of what a church community should be

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1. Teenagers come to Christ quicker than adults.

2. Teenagers spread the Gospel faster than adults.

3. Teenagers are daring.

4. Teenagers are fast learners.

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3 Steps to Follow Up with First-Time Guests

1. Hand Out Connect Cards.

2. Create an Automated Email Series.

Email 1

Email 2

Email 3

3. Send a Text Message

Lay the Foundation for Online Follow-Up

In your new book, you both write about ways to live purposefully in everyday life. Tony, could you describe what seems like a prayerful approach to people-watching that you mentioned in your book?

Lauren, you talk about some basic steps that you and he take, including praying before you even step out of bed and start your morning routine. Can you describe that a little bit and why you take that approach?

Tony, you write about teamwork and advising on how to keep diverse people coming together, working together, winning. How do you view the ways the NFL has handled itself in light of the allegations and findings related to sexual misconduct by people both in the ranks of players and owners?

Do you see any better days ahead and for the NFL on race relations?

Closed Group vs Open Group – Which Is Best?

3 Observations on Open Group vs. Closed Group

1. This is a Philosophical Decision.

2. Closed Groups Encourage Deeper Levels of Trust.

3. Open Groups Encourage Evangelism and Assimilation.

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