Is It Possible to Be Hyperimaginative in Thinking About Heaven?

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

J.D. Greear

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?

Andrew Mason

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.

How to Fix Audio Distortion

Chris Huff

August 9, 2022

The word distortion has different meanings depending on who you ask. For some, they immediately think of “distorting words or phrases” wherein someone takes what you have said and twists it into something else. For others, they picture a distorted image. A guitarist sees distortion as an effect for applying to their guitar’s sound. A sound tech sees distortion as a bad sound reflecting a problem in the audio system. That’s audio distortion.

How to Fix Audio Distortion

Reasons for audio distortion

A microphone or sound source, like a computer, is being overloaded with sound. Regarding microphones, the microphone can’t handle the volume level which it’s detecting and thus distorts the sound that it’s sending into the sound system. In the case of other sound sources like a computer, you might push the volume level within the computer software past a point which the computer’s hard can handle. Thus, it sends out a distorted sound.
Speakers are being pushed beyond their limits. Working in live audio production, you might have the occasion of working on equipment not set up to handle loud volumes that your gig requires. Pushing speakers to produce louder sounds than they were meant to produce will lead to a distorted output.
Faulty equipment. Equipment can fail in a variety of ways. For example, an effects processor could fail and you’d no longer hear any sounds passed through it. However, it could also fail and you’d hear a distorted sound passed out of the processor.

Stopping (or preventing) audio distortion

1. Sound source distortion

The most common reason for distortion is an input overload like the microphone overload mentioned above. Mic’ing an instrument, or even a vocal, is more than sticking a microphone right up to the sound source. You have to use the right type of microphone for the job. You also have to set it up in a way that best captures the sound. A distorted sound can be resolved by placing a greater distance between the sound source and the microphone. Or, it could be resolved by switching the type of microphone. For example, placing a condenser mic up to a kick drum can cause distortion so you could either swap it for a dynamic microphone or, in the case of large-diaphragm condensers (LDC), move them a few feet away from the microphone. I’m not saying the live environment is the right place for an LDC but you do see how the microphone type and location can stop / prevent distortion. Check out The Six Types of Kick Drum Microphones.

Distortion from a sound source, like a computer, usually happens when the sound within the source (computer, cd player, etc.) is driven to a higher output level than what the hardware is able to handle. I find this can easily happen with computers because there are two volume settings which can get changed; the operating system’s volume control and the volume control of the software used to play the sound. You can even go one level deeper and look at the volume of an individual track in a multi-track audio program. Start by checking the operating system’s volume is at the normal level, then go to the software program and then down into the individual track volume.

2. Speaker distortion

Audio speakers are designed to handle a certain level of volume. Once they pass a certain level, they will distort the sound and if prolonged, will eventually fail. The latest newsletter goes into more detail on speaker failure.

Regarding preventing speaker level distortion, you need to know a few pieces of information; the maximum volume your speakers can handle, the average volume your church service or other gig runs, and the level of the loudest part of the service / gig. You can then determine how much headroom you have in your production. This headroom is the measurement of the difference between the average sound produced out of the sound system and the loudest output level the system can handle. If your average volume level is 90 dBA and your speakers can only handle 120 dBA then you have 30 dB of headroom. You can prevent speaker distortion by watching your sound meter readings when you get to the loudest part of your event and reducing the board volume to keep it under the limit. You can also use a compressor to do this effectively as long as you aren’t overdriving your compressor which can also lead to a distorted sound.

A common question I receive, when I hold a training session, has to do with the channel / board level peak lights. The question comes in the form of “is it ok if the clipping light comes on” or “isn’t it bad if the channel is clipping.” Clipping is a sign the signal level is too high. A channel with occasional clipping isn’t an issue. A singer suddenly belts out a word louder than the others or a drummer let’s his sticks hit a bit harder. That’s OK. Most of the time, this sort of clipping isn’t going to be noticed.

A channel showing consistent clipping means you need to lower the channel volume or if you caught it during the sound check, you can reset the gain structure for that channel. Board clipping works much the same. Occasionally, it’s ok but anything more than that and you have to re-evaluate your board input levels. I would go as far to say if your board level is clipping in any form, then you should look for the source and see what you can do to eliminate it. Clipping is an extra audio process that can negatively affect your sound.

3. Faulty Equipment

Audio distortion produced by faulty equipment isn’t a matter of “how do I stop it” as much as it is a matter of “what do I do know.”

Consider the impact of removing the equipment from service. Will its removal have a drastic affect on the quality of the sound? I’m talking about “will the congregation notice the difference.” With this information in mind, you should evaluate your existing equipment and determine what happens if that particular piece of equipment fails.

Should you;

Repair it?
Replace it?
Have access to a spare for swapping in?

The Take Away

Audio distortion is a sign an input volume is too high, a speaker is doing more than it’s rated, or a piece of equipment has failed. Each reason for distortion has a solution which can be easily implemented. The best part of all, barring equipment failure, you can resolve most problems during the sound check …. of course, we are talking “live sound” where anything CAN happen at any time.

How to Help Your Child Grow Spiritually: 7 Tips to Guide Young Faith

Josh Reich

August 8, 2022

Knowing how to help your child grow spiritually is a top priority for Christian parents. As our kids have grown, Katie and I have been asked about that topic regularly. Being able to guide children to grow spiritually is a privilege but can seem weighty at times. We’ve gotten it right in certain seasons and wandered around lost in others. Sometimes our ideas work really well; other times they fall apart.

Read on to discover our Bible-based advice for guiding children’s faith growth.

7 Tips: How to Help Your Child Grow Spiritually

Here are seven suggestions for parents as they guide children to grow spiritually:

1. Model your spiritual life to children.

For anything related to parenting, you must pass along what you desire to see. If you want to pass anything to your kids spiritually, you must model it for them. They will watch you for 18+ years!

Your kids will see you read your Bible (or not). They’ll see how often you pray and what your prayers contain. And they’ll notice how often you attend church and how important spiritual things are to you.

As a parent, it is important to consider the example we are setting for our children not just in our daily habits and behaviors, but also in our spiritual practices. If we want our children to prioritize their relationship with God and seek wisdom and guidance from Him, we must model that behavior ourselves. However, it can be easy to get caught up in the busyness of life and neglect our own spiritual growth. In such cases, we can seek guidance and support from trusted sources such as pastors, counselors, or the best psychic reading sites of 2023 that offer Christian-based guidance and insight. Nevertheless, it is important to remain discerning and grounded in our faith, remembering that our ultimate source of wisdom and guidance comes from God alone.

2. Involve kids in a church.

Again, children will often do what you do. So do what you’d like to see them do! (As you can tell, that’s a recurrent theme in how to help your child grow spiritually.)

What if your kids don’t like church? Many parents say their kids don’t want to attend worship services or Sunday school. “I don’t want to force spiritual things onto my kids,” they say. This often comes from a place of fear because you don’t know what to do. But it’s also the fear that your kids will reject church and want nothing to do with Christianity.

The problem is that we don’t apply this to anything else. We force our kids to do math, learn a language, eat broccoli, turn off electronics, etc., often to their dismay.

If you don’t involve kids in a church, when do you think they’ll learn that? If they don’t understand an aspect of a worship service, explain it to them. And if you don’t know what to tell them, do some research together.

As often as possible, kids and students should be involved in small groups, serving in a church and attending worship. Is every kid different? Yes. Should you force your kids to do something they dislike? Sometimes.

Our kids take out the trash and dislike it, but they still do it. I don’t think they’ll be scarred as adults because of that.

3. Read the Bible together.

Part of why kids dislike church is they don’t understand the Bible’s relevance and the things that happen at church. It’s something their parents do, apart from them. So do it with them!

I know this is difficult, and kids don’t always want to sit still. But doing something is better than nothing.

For our family, we used resources like The Jesus Storybook Bible when the kids were younger. Now we use a catechism, working through one question per week as a family. It doesn’t matter what you do…as long as you do something.

Apologetics Topics: 5 Questions Youth Workers Need to Address

Benjer McVeigh

August 8, 2022

Apologetics topics often come up during youth group Bible studies and programs. If you’ve worked with teenagers for any length of time, you know they ask great questions. Occasionally, we do a session or series where teens can ask anything. We often receive more questions than we have students!

Youth ministers can equip teenagers in many meaningful ways. One is by helping them understand that faith in Jesus isn’t blind. It doesn’t go against all reason. Rather, faith is a logical response to evidence that supports God’s existence. It also accepts that Jesus really is who the Bible claims him to be.

Youth workers can’t expect to have all the answers to teenagers’ questions. (”I don’t know” is honest and commendable, at times.) Yet we should at least have a good handle on the most common apologetics topics teenagers raise. Teens are very smart! So if you can’t address issues that arise, they may think no good responses exist to objections about Christianity.

You may have barely finished college. Or maybe philosophy and apologetics aren’t your strengths. That’s OK. But it’s not an excuse to neglect the important questions teens in your church and community are asking.

5 Apologetics Topics to Prepare for

Youth workers should have a handle on these five apologetics topics. I’ve provided info for studying up at the bethinking.org website, a great apologetics resource.

1. Do all religions lead to the same place?

A common sentiment in our culture is that exact beliefs don’t really matter. After all, religions all lead to the same goal or place. (Or they just call God by a different name.) It just matters that you believe sincerely.

Yet a very brief look at the basic tenets of major religions shows this to be false. Check out this article by Josh McDowell on the topic.

2. Are science and Christianity enemies?

Most high school students see Inherit the Wind at some point. So it’s easy to conclude that science and Christianity are inherently at odds. Students need to hear that some of the best evidence for a Creator God comes directly from science. Here’s an article on the topic by Alister McGrath.

Not Easily Broken: Trauma Bonds and the Road to Healing

Shannon Wolf, Ph.D., LPC-S

August 8, 2022

In recent years, the mental health community has focused on understanding a phenomenon known as trauma bonds. The interest in these bonds is mostly due to our efforts to better understand and treat interpersonal violence victims, such as domestic violence and human trafficking. Although it was challenging to find sufficient information on trauma bonds until recently, the term was first used in the late 1980s by addiction therapy expert, Dr. Patrick Carnes, to describe how abuse, fear, and excitement (typically connected to sexual attraction) can lead to a destructive attachment.1

“He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally, he will cause justice to be victorious.”

– Matthew 12:20 (NLT)

A trauma bond is a powerful emotional connection between an abuser and victim developed and strengthened by repeated traumatic events. These bonds are an adaptive response to extreme distress and tend to occur when all other coping attempts have been exhausted. Therefore, they are a type of defense mechanism with strong connections to attachment theory and learned helplessness. A trauma bond can be understood as an exploitive attachment wrapped with confusion and topped off with trauma and despair.

Trauma bonds develop when cycles of intense love are followed by abuse that produces an almost unbreakable attachment.2 Bonding begins when an abuser identifies and meets a victim’s needs while professing love for that person. Those recognized needs are exploited in order to gain control of the targeted victim. Common vulnerabilities include security, family, being desirable, and belonging. This process is sometimes referred to as “love-bombing” due to the intense and continuous pursuit of the victim.

The next stage begins with the abuser—confident of the attachment—finding fault with the victim and then threatening to withdraw affection. The victim is repeatedly devalued, and gaslighting (psychological manipulation) is introduced that causes the target to doubt his or her judgment, perception, and even memory. Then, the victim works to please the abuser to restore the relationship. Abusers will alternate their responses with either cruelty or affection. The randomness of these extremes creates a powerful dynamic for bonding to develop. The abuser’s cycle includes a combination of reward and punishment and appreciation and degradation, all of which promotes the development of trauma bonds. Thus, the stronger the attachment to the abuser, the more control rendered over the victim, creating an obsession with pleasing the abuser. Paradoxically, victims often experience a deeper bond with their abusers than with those who treat them well.

“He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.”

– Psalm 91:4-6, ESV

Abusers create a never-ending series of exploitive hoops for victims to jump through to earn their affection.3 These hoops escalate the victim’s need for security in the relationship, and once the emotional pain becomes intolerable, the abuser offers affection, thereby becoming the savior. The greater the pain, cruelty, or trauma, the deeper the bond. The abuser is the source of the victim’s pain and yet the only one who can relieve that pain.4

Churches’ Freedom Affirmed Again by Federal Court

Tom Strode

August 8, 2022

CHICAGO (BP) – The freedom of churches and other religious organizations to make employment decisions based on their beliefs has again gained support in the federal court system.

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago dismissed July 28 a former guidance counselor’s lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and a Catholic high school. Roncalli High School had refused to renew Lynn Starkey’s contract after she admitted being in a same-sex marriage in violation of Catholic doctrine.

In a unanimous decision, a three-judge panel of the Seventh Circuit Court ruled the “ministerial exception” based on the First Amendment’s religion clauses protects the right of the archdiocese and the school to decide who will fulfill their religious mission. The First Amendment prohibits government establishment of religion and guarantees the free exercise of religion.

The Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), which signed onto a friend-of-the-court brief in support of the archdiocese and school, commended the opinion.

“Once again, the courts have affirmed that religious organizations, without government interference, have the right to recruit and employ individuals who hold to the beliefs and practices of the faith,” said Hannah Daniel, the ERLC’s policy manager.

“This decision fortifies this core right for faith-based employers like churches and strengthens their ability to faithfully carry out their purpose and mission without compromising their religious beliefs,” she told Baptist Press in written comments.

Luke Goodrich, vice president and senior counsel at the religious liberty organization Becket, said the Seventh Circuit’s ruling “ensures that religious schools can remain faithful to their mission.”

“Our justice system has consistently ruled that the government cannot intrude on a religious organization’s choice of who will pass on the faith to the next generation,” he said in a written statement.

The Seventh Circuit decision followed two U.S. Supreme Court opinions and multiple federal appeals court rulings affirming the “ministerial exception.”

In 2012, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled a “ministerial exception” exists that enables churches and other religious groups to hire and fire based on their beliefs. That opinion, which protected churches from government interference in their “internal governance,” came in Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The justices affirmed the Hosanna-Tabor decision in 2020 in a 7-2 ruling in Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru.

In her suit, Starkey – who had served in various roles, most recently as co-director of guidance and a member of the school’s administrative council – contended she “should not be considered a minister because she never engaged in religious matters or held a formal religious title,” Judge Michael Brennan wrote in the Seventh Circuit opinion.

Papa Johns ‘Lost Its Way’ Because of Losing Conservative Values Focused on ‘Truth and God,’ Says Former CEO

Jessica Lea

August 8, 2022

John Scnatter speaks at CPAC, which took place in Dallas, Texas, Aug. 4-7, 2022. Screenshot / @Right Side Broadcasting Network

Papa Johns is declining in quality, customers and income due to a loss of conservative values, key elements of which are “truth and God,” said the company’s founder and former CEO John Schnatter in an interview Thursday.

“We built the whole company on conservative values,” said Schnatter, who remains a shareholder with Papa Johns. “The conservative ideology has two of the most critical attributes: truth and God.” Schnatter says that since his exit from the company, “They’re losing traffic, they’re losing customers” and the quality of the pizza is “down with Little Caesar’s.”

John Schnatter’s Interview at Dallas CPAC

John Schnatter made his comments in an interview with Right Side Broadcasting Network (RSBN) at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Texas, this past weekend. Schnatter has been at the center of controversy in recent years, a topic he addressed in the interview, where he framed himself as a victim of “cancel culture.”

According to his website, Schnatter started Papa Johns in 1984 from a broom closet in his father’s bar. In 2010, the successful pizza company partnered with the NFL to become the league’s official pizza sponsor. But in 2017, Schnatter made comments in a conference call that seemed to blame poor company sales on the NFL’s response to players kneeling during the national anthem to protest police brutality.

Papa Johns and the NFL ended their partnership several months later. Schnatter stepped down as CEO, although he continued as chairman of the board until 2018, when controversy erupted again after Schnatter used the n-word in a conference call. Schnatter says he only used the word in the context of explaining that he never uses it and is not racist, while critics say the fact he used the word at all reveals racism. Schnatter resigned from the board and was taken out of all Papa Johns marketing.

“Cancel culture’s very dangerous,” he told RSBN. “Papa Johns [under Schnatter’s leadership] debunked every single element of the Left’s ideology, so unbeknownst to me, I had a giant target on my back, just by being the American dream.” Employees used to say the Pledge of Allegiance before meetings, he said. “We ran our business on principles. We had the highest quality, we had the best service, we had the best culture.”

Now, Schnatter says, “I think they lost their way.”

Schnatter told RSBN he was concerned about how the “evil” Left is targeting American youth. He did not give detailed examples of how young people are being attacked, but mentioned critical race theory, entitlement, vaccines, meth and sex trafficking among his concerns. He also said that the “five folks who own everything” want to create a global economy. If they “destroy our youth, then we may be desperate enough and disarrayed that we join a global economy and we lose our freedom and we lose our individual property rights.”

These five powerful people (Schnatter mentioned “Gates,” who is presumably Bill Gates) want to be God, said Schnatter, “so what’s the closest thing to God? An embryo, a child. So they’re after our youth. And they’re trying to steal the American dream.”

SBC President Bart Barber Names Abuse Task Force Members

Scott Barkley

August 8, 2022

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to include the language of an amendment to the SATF recommendations passed by the messengers at the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting.

NASHVILLE (BP) – Southern Baptist Convention President Bart Barber has announced the members and leaders of those making up the Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force (ARITF).

Messengers to the annual meeting in Anaheim tasked Barber, pastor of First Baptist Church in Farmersville, Texas, with the responsibility as part of the approved recommendations from the Sexual Abuse Task Force, chaired by North Carolina pastor Bruce Frank. The recommendations were the result of a yearlong study and investigation by Guidepost Solutions into the SBC Executive Committee.

“The purpose of this task force is to assist the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention in our efforts to shut the doors of our churches to those who would act as sexual predators and to wrap our arms around survivors and those who love them,” Barber said.

In addition to the formation of the ARITF, the recommendations included the establishment of a “Ministry Check” website. The ARITF will oversee and report back to the Convention on the feasibility, effectiveness and costs of the website, which will be established and maintained by an independent contractor chosen by the task force.

Marshall Blalock, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Charleston, S.C., will serve as ARITF chair and Mike Keahbone, pastor of First Baptist Church in Lawton, Okla., will be vice chair. Others making up the task force are:

Todd Benkert, pastor and lead elder of Oak Creek Community Church in Mishawaka, Ind.
Melissa Bowen, member of First Baptist Church in Prattville, Ala.
Brad Eubank, senior pastor of Petal First Baptist Church in Petal, Miss.
Cyndi Lott, member of Catawba Valley Baptist Church in Morganton, N.C.
Jon Nelson, lead pastor of Soma Community Church in Jefferson City, Mo.
Jarrett Stephens, senior pastor of Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston, Texas
Gregory Wills, member of Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, as well as professor of church history and Baptist heritage and dean of the School of Theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

“These task force members will be assisted in their work by a few consultants, whose names will be released later,” said Barber. He added that the consulting group would include survivors of clergy sexual abuse, pastors, lawyers, educators and one person who was the object of a false accusation of sexual abuse in the past.

“Every member of the task force is an active member of a Southern Baptist church, representing a wide variety of church sizes from several geographic areas within the Convention,” he said. “Some of the members are also providing leadership to task forces serving their various state conventions.

“Between the task force members and the various consultants, the task force discussions will feature the input of top experts in the subject matters of sexual abuse, the law, Southern Baptist history and polity, trauma-informed counseling and most importantly, the Bible.”

Per the recommendations, the ARITF is authorized to operate for one year, with messengers at subsequent annual meetings voting on whether to renew the group “as needed” and deliver a report each year of its existence. Barber will appoint any vacancies at the time as necessary.

Specific charges of the ARITF include:

Study best practices in keeping with Southern Baptist church polity for feasibility and report back to the 2023 annual meeting on which reforms could be adopted by the Convention as well as how they should be implemented. Such recommendations include a survivor care fund, memorial, auditing the Caring Well curriculum and possibly creating a permanent committee or entity.
Assist SBC entities in studying Guidepost recommendations and advise on implementing reforms relevant to each entity’s ministry assignment.
Be a resource in abuse prevention, crisis response and survivor care to “Baptist bodies” who voluntarily seek assistance. This can include providing a list of recommended, independent, qualified firms for training and inquiries and assisting state conventions with recommendations, upon request.
Consult with the SBC Credentials Committee for revising the evaluation and submission process to include complaints of noncooperation due to sexual abuse and publish the revisions.
Work with the Executive Committee and Credentials Committee to select an independent, qualified firm or firms to assist the Credentials Committee by providing factual findings for complaints of noncooperation due to sexual abuse. The ARITF will report back to the 2023 annual meeting on the selection.

Kansas City Royals Pitcher Luke Weaver Wears ‘Bible Glove’ He Helped Design

Jesse T. Jackson

August 8, 2022

Seven-year Major League Baseball veteran Luke Weaver was acquired by the Kansas City Royals last week after being traded by the Arizona Diamondbacks for third baseman Emmanuel Rivera.

Weaver, known for his nearly 100 mph fastball, co-designed a faith inspired Bible glove released by Absolutely Ridiculous Innovation for Athletes (also known as The Aria Collective).

The glove has the words “His Glory” stamped in gold lettering on the index finger and displays an image of a crown of thorns in the palm.

Three Bible verses that are very personal to Weaver line the insides of the fingers: Matthew 19:26, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible;” Philippians 4:13, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength;” and 1 Corinthians 16:13, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”

Weaver shared that he desired to put Christian imagery on his glove, and with the help of co-designer X, his dream became a reality.

“The Bible glove takes it to another level,” Weaver said. “I’m out there wearing it with me. I can feel His presence. There is Scripture in it, but it just feels like a whole other level. It feels like I’m out there ready to defend against any type of thoughts that come to try to destroy me out there—like my weapon is the Bible. It’s not going to back down.”

The glove’s design was inspired by the look of the spine of many Bibles. It was purposely designed to tell a story that impacts those who see it.

“We get to shine light on who we are, and people don’t even have to ask the questions…Any time you look in and understand what the glove symbolizes, it opens up that tension and it releases, and you understand why you play this game and the fun that it can bring,” Weaver said.

The first round draft pick explained that he likes to push the envelope when it comes to being creative and fun, but that this design is also reserved, “where people notice but don’t really need to talk about it.”

In an interview with Sports Spectrum, Weaver said the glove is “just a way where I want to be able to show the world that in the midst of that battle and the competition and the personality and expression, this is what I choose to do. In doing this, I hope more kids can wear a glove like I’m wearing and to wear it in their travel ball and their Little Leagues and their high schools and their colleges, to one day just be like, ‘Hey, I’m using a glove that helps me play this game, but I’m also expressing who I am and I love every second of it.’ If someone wants to ask about it, guess what: Now we get to talk about it.”

Christian Leaders Express Outrage at Alex Stein Video from CPAC

Dale Chamberlain

August 8, 2022

alex stein CPAC — Screengrab via Twitter

A number of Christian leaders are expressing outrage at a viral video captured at the Conservative Political Action Convention (CPAC) over the weekend, wherein BlazeTV contributor Alex Stein can be seen harassing senior reporter for Vice News Tess Owen, drawing a crowd of convention attendees who heckled Owen.

CPAC took place in Dallas, Texas, from August 4 to 7. The event’s speakers included former president Donald Trump, political commentators Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck, political strategist Steve Bannon, Senator Ted Cruz, Representatives Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Matt Gaetz, and Papa John.

Stein, who is known for a previous viral video wherein he rapped about killing Russian president Vladimir Putin at a Plano, Texas, City Council meeting, filmed the video of himself and Owen and posted it to Twitter.

Stein also recently recorded and posted a video of himself sexually harassing Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, catcalling her on the steps of the United States Capitol Building. In that video, Stein called Ocasio-Cortez his “favorite big booty Latina” and characterized her as “hot, hot, hot like a tamale.”

At CPAC, it is unclear whether Stein was intending to act as himself or play a character he calls “Primetime 99 Alex Stein.” In either case, many who have seen the video are calling Stein out for his aggressive behavior.

Stein Captures Himself Harassing Vice Reporter on Video

In the video, Stein can be seen approaching Owen and saying, “So this is the Vice reporter. You can tell—the only one in a mask here. So how are you doing?”

“Just doing my job,” Owen responded.

“She’s here trolling everybody here,” Stein said to the camera. “So, she’s the only one here in a mask, and she’s just saying negative stuff.”

“I can’t believe they let you in here,” Stein continued, turning back toward Owen. “Do you feel like you’re a sheep in the lion’s den?”

Owen expressed that she had press credentials for the event.

Stein continued to speak to the camera, “See, this is Vice, guys. This person, she’s trying to troll this event. She thinks all of you guys are losers. That’s what she posts on the internet.”

As Stein spoke, a crowd began to form, with bystanders laughing and jeering.

“She posts the most out of context stuff. See, Vice is the worst media company there is. They’re all liars,” Stein said, asking Owen what she thinks about her “crappy media company.”

Commenting that Vice News talks “about drugs,” Stein further asked Owen, “Are you a drug addict, too?”

Seeking to draw attention from others on the convention floor, Stein shouted, “This is Vice! She’s a loser! She’s the only one in a mask! This is what a loser looks like!” Stein went on to ask Owen how many COVID-19 vaccination shots she had received, a question Owen declined to answer.

As Owen sought to walk away, Stein followed her, shouting, “This is what a Vice journalist looks like, in her little mask at the conservative event! Now she’s scared; she’s getting attention!” The crowd followed the two, with a number of convention attendees capturing video of the exchange and laughing.

Roger Stone Raises Money for ‘God-Fearing Christian’ Alex Jones

Stephanie Martin

August 8, 2022

After a Texas jury last week ordered “Infowars” host Alex Jones to pay $49.3 million in damages to Sandy Hook parents, fellow conservative Roger Stone began raising money for him. Stone, a Trump adviser who received a pardon from the former president, recorded a video asking people to assist Jones, calling him “a good and decent man.” Stone added, “He is a God-fearing Christian, he’s done more for this movement than perhaps anyone you could possibly name, and, right now, he needs our support.”

Jones, a conspiracy theorist, had claimed the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School was a hoax staged by “crisis actors.” This is the first of three trials he faces as a result. Parents Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, whose 6-year-old son was among 26 people killed at the school in Newtown, Connecticut, are the plaintiffs in this lawsuit.

Alex Jones Says He’s Being ‘Silenced’

Last week, a Texas jury ordered Alex Jones to pay Heslin and Lewis $45.2 million in punitive damages and $4.1 million in compensatory damages. Lawyers for the parents had urged the jury to stop Jones’ “monetization of misinformation and lies.” Heslin and Lewis were “thrilled with the result and look forward to putting Mr. Jones’ money to good use,” their lawyers added.

In response, Jones said he’s being “silenced” by a “kangaroo court”—during “very dark times for our republic.” Supporters are praying for him, he adds, and he is “honored” to be attacked by people who “hate America.”

Stone, in his video plea, says, “There’s a place at the Infowars store where you can go just to make a contribution. If you’re not in the market for a book, or one of [Jones’] great products, there’s a link you can just send a contribution.”

During his testimony last week, Jones admitted the Sandy Hook shooting was “100 percent real” and apologized to parents. He also learned that his lawyer, Federico Reynal, had accidentally sent massive amounts of data from Jones’ phone to opposing counsel. Upon discovering the mistake, Reynal requested a mistrial, which the judge denied.

The leaked data includes every text Jones sent for the past two years, as well as confidential legal documents. As a result, plaintiff’s attorney Mark Bankston told Jones in court, “I know you lied to me when you said you didn’t have text messages about Sandy Hook.”

Jones, who says a huge verdict will “sink” his show, reportedly earns up to $800,000 per day, according to the leak. During last week’s trial, his company Free Speech Systems filed for bankruptcy.

Pastors of Very Small Churches Express Joy, Commitment, Challenges

Diana Chandler

August 8, 2022

small churches — Pastor Charlie Vaughn and his wife Kathie converted the basement office of Austin Baptist Church into an apartment and lived there the first eight years he pastored the church. (Submitted photo)

AUSTIN, Nev. (BP) — Pastor Charlie Vaughn and his wife Kathie were trying to fix a church member’s washing machine midday Aug. 4. He’s not a washer repairman, but since 2008 has pastored Austin Baptist Church of about 12 worshipers in Austin, Nev.

Yomba Baptist Church, his second pastorate about 40 miles south on a Shoshone Indian reservation, has three worshipers.

“There are many pastors here in this state who serve in a church, some smaller than Austin, but do so faithfully as that is where God has placed them to do His work,” Vaughn said. “Praise the Lord for that.”

Cornell Denson Sr., pastor of Walk By Faith Missionary Baptist Church in Gainesville, Fla., drove a group of his 17 members in the church van to Orlando to the 2022 Black Multicultural State Church Fellowship of the Florida Baptist Convention, convening through Aug. 6 at Rosen Shingle Creek.

As Denson is focused on the Great Commission, the church bought a van to help neighborhood families attend church.

“And it’s been working,” he said. “We’ve been having two extra (in attendance), three extra, something like that.”

Joshua Goepfrich in Warsaw, Ind., pastor of the 18-member Hilltop Community Church and president of the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana, fields a question often.

“People ask you questions like how large is your church, and sometimes as men we feel that is an attack on us,” Goepfrich told Baptist Press. “And the simple answer to that question is the church that I belong to, has millions of members. Growth is not about the local church. It’s about the walk with God.

“As we walk, we invite people onto the journey. My job is not to save people. Your job is to present the Gospel,” Goepfrich tells pastors. “God has not called you to build His church; He’s called you to be faithful to the ministry. You stay faithful. Let Him deal with the results. And that’s hard to live in.”

Vaughn, Denson and Goepfrich are among the majority of Southern Baptist pastors, the approximately 51 percent that report Sunday attendance of less than 50, according to statistics compiled by the Bivocational and Small Church Leadership Network. A quarter of Southern Baptist churches serve less than 24 on Sundays.

Vatican Economy Czar: ‘The Pope’s Mission Is Underfunded’

Claire Giangrave

August 8, 2022

vatican financial — Statues on Bernini's colonnade at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. Photo by Marco Verch/Creative Commons

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — The Catholic Church’s financial chief warned in an interview on Friday that “a very uncertain period lies ahead” for the Vatican’s financial health, even as he reported significant progress in reducing the church’s budget deficit.

The Rev. Juan Antonio Guerrero, prefect of the Vatican’s Secretariat for the Economy, said that Pope Francis’ reforms to the Vatican’s financial and investment policies have contributed to the deficit reduction detailed in the 2021 financial statement released Friday (Aug. 5).

The statement includes financial data for 92 entities of the Holy See but omits figures for the Institute for Religious Works, commonly known as the Vatican Bank, and the Governorate of the Vatican City State, which covers its museums, the police and other administrative offices.

Despite cuts to the church bureaucracy known as the Roman Curia, Guerrero said, expenditures continue to grow while revenues dwindle.

“There is no doubt that we cannot act only on expenses by reducing them,” he said. “There will come a time when they cannot be decreased further without compromising the mission, so we are also working on ways to increase revenues.”

In short, said the finance czar, “The pope’s mission is underfunded.”

The Rev. Juan Antonio Guerrero Alves in 2019. Photo by Robert Ballecer, courtesy of Society of Jesus

The Rev. Juan Antonio Guerrero in 2019. Photo by Robert Ballecer, courtesy of Society of Jesus

The Vatican’s deficit, initially estimated to be 33 million euros, fell to slightly more than 3 million euros last year. Assets grew from 2.2 billion to 3.9 billion euros.

“The path taken continues and deepens,” said Guerrero in an interview with Vatican media published on Friday. Guerrero was appointed by Francis in January 2020 to spearhead his efforts to reform the Vatican’s historically troubled finances.

The reduction of the deficit was mainly attributed to a “favorable market trend” and positive exchange rate between dollars and euros, the report stated. “Lower revenues, due to lower donations and contributions, have been compensated by expenses savings and accurate real estate management,” it said.

In recent years the Vatican has faced shrinking donations, and the COVID-19 pandemic diminished its resources. Meanwhile, financial scandals, most prominently one over a controversial London real estate purchase that has resulted in the trial of a top cardinal, have cost the institution millions and inhibited donations from Catholics worldwide, a group whose numbers are already shrinking amid growing secularization.

The London property at the heart of the Vatican financial scandal. Image via Google Maps

Despite positive steps forward, Guerrero pointed out that the Vatican’s revenues depend heavily on market forces, and “when the financial results are not as favorable, as in 2020, an operating deficit emerges.”

The communications department remains the most expensive entity at the Vatican, costing a total of 40 million euros, the report showed. “Message diffusion” was the primary expense of the Holy See (44 million euros), followed by supporting struggling local churches (38 million euros).

SBCV Chinese Fellowship Helps Pastors Connect

Timothy Cockes

August 8, 2022

sbcv_bp — A group of Chinese pastors and their wives meet for fellowship at the Southern Baptist Convention of Virginia building. (Submitted photo) Courtesy of Baptist Press.

GLEN ALLEN, Va. (BP) – When pastor Michael Wu first arrived at the SBC of Virginia Annual Homecoming last November, he felt alone.

Wu is the bi-vocational pastor of Roanoke Chinese Fellowship. Although he knew a couple of fellow Chinese pastors around the state, he said he had struggled to connect with Chinese pastors since planting the church in 2008.

Wu said it was also hard for him to connect with other Chinese pastors at the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting because it was such a large event. He wondered if he would have the same feeling a couple months later at the SBCV homecoming.

Initially, he thought he might be the only Chinese pastor at the homecoming, but that quickly changed.

Just a few minutes after Wu and his wife walked into the doors at the annual homecoming, another Chinese pastor, Dexu “Andrew” Yuan overheard the couple speaking Mandarin and introduced himself.

Yuan is the pastor and church planter of Agape Chinese Christian Church in Fairfax Station, Va. The pair spent the rest of the day talking and attending breakout sessions.

“It was by God’s grace that all this happened right as we arrived,” Wu said.

Matt Gregory, people groups strategist for the SBCV, saw the two talking and wanted to find a way to connect them beyond the week of homecoming.

The three held a zoom meeting in January, where they talked about how to better connect and minster to Chinese pastors and churches around the SBCV. The group decided to start a monthly zoom call for times of prayer and encouragement.

Wu and Yuan began inviting a couple of ministers to join the meetings, and Gregory invited even more pastors neither of them knew.

Currently there are close to 15 different Chinese-majority congregations represented on the zoom calls.

Though it took some time, Gregory says the meetings are now times of great community and encouragement.

“I told them I ‘want this to be your fellowship,’” he told Baptist Press. “We want them to become a family inside of the SBCV family.

“They have unique and similar issues that they face as Chinese pastors, and it great for them to share ideas and encouragement. There has gradually been this warmness and comfortableness that has developed among them.”

Although there is not an official title or name for this fellowship of Chinese ministers, Gregory said there could be something more official down the line as the group grows.

The SBCV hosted an in-person gathering in July for some of the Chinese pastors and their wives at the SBCV headquarters in Glen Allen, Va.

It was the first time many of the pastors had met each other in-person, and the SBCV covered much of their costs for the visit.

Mealtime Prayer Results in Gospel Conversation, Connects Churches Across Country

Scott Barkley

August 8, 2022

Mealtime-Prayer — Pastor Josh Jennings of Aletheia Church in Sedona, Ariz. delivers a sunset devotional with college students. Known as a popular destination for those with New Age philosophies, Sedona is also fertile ground for those seeking the truth in Christ, he said. Photo courtesy of Baptist Press.

SEDONA, Ariz. (BP) – Bowed heads before their meal on an anniversary trip led a Tennessee couple to an opportunity to share their faith. That encounter, in turn, was followed by a social media call-out for help and success in connecting the new believer to a local church.

On Aug. 2 at 4:08 EDT Jimmy Inman, elder and teaching pastor at True Life Church in Jefferson City, Tenn., received a text from Sarah Tarr, a member of True Life. A server had observed Tarr and her husband, Blake, pray before their meal the night before and the next morning approached them as they began breakfast.

The server told the couple she hadn’t been able to find answers to her questions. Could they tell her a little bit about their faith?

With no shortage of spirituality, Sedona is known as one of the top New Age destinations in the country. Many come in search of vortexes, described on the city’s tourism site as “swirling centers of energy that are conducive to healing, meditation and self-exploration.” The grammatically-correct “vortices” is rarely used, the site notes.

Of course, they would talk with her, the couple responded. The server had a 45-minute break later that morning, which meant the Tarrs’ hike into the surrounding canyons would be pushed into the hotter afternoon hours.

“We decided we’d just drink more water and put more sunscreen on, you know?” said Sarah.

The conversation covered the free gift of grace offered through Christ for sins – even the ones their new friend felt were unforgivable. Blake used a small New Testament he takes for travel.

“I showed her Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23 and Ephesians 2:8-9 and made the point that this is a free gift. We’re saved by grace through faith so that no one can boast. This is something Jesus did for us,” said Blake, who gave her the Bible with those marked passages.

Just minutes before returning to work, she prayed to hand her sins over to Jesus. The Tarrs weren’t finished, though.

“I told her it was really important to have other people around you, who could walk with you,” said Sarah. “You need a support crew.”

That led to the text from Sarah to Inman, who reached out to Jonathan Akin, vice president for Church Relations and campus minister at Carson-Newman University. Robin Inman, Jimmy’s wife, is the associate campus minister at Carson-Newman.

Akin, who chronicled the exchange in a Twitter thread, said he consulted friends in two text groups and they pointed to the same body of believers – Aletheia Church in Sedona.

Aletheia (pronounced a-LAY-thee-uh) is the Greek word for “truth,” Pastor Josh Jennings explained to Baptist Press. In a place like Sedona, many say they are looking for truth. But there is only one source, and it won’t be found in a vortex.

“Jesus said the truth will set you free,” said Jennings. “The word ‘Aletheia’ gets the attention of the spiritualists, but the meaning is what they need to hear.”

A North American Mission Board church plant in 2015, Aletheia is also part of the Pillar Network. In late 2019, leaders of First Baptist Sedona approached Jennings and Aletheia about selling their building to the young congregation. That transition was completed in early 2020.

While the shutdown from Covid negatively impacted many congregations, it came at a time when Aletheia was upgrading the building that once housed First Baptist. Substantial growth has seen progress from a small group before the transfer to the more than 100 in attendance today.

Jennings was on his way out of the church office on Aug. 2 when the phone rang. It was Sarah Tarr, asking to speak to the pastor.

She explained the situation and was soon assured that members of Aletheia would reach out to the new believer. A small group meets near where she lives, and there are several young women who are available as discipleship leaders.

“We don’t want to just place someone in a class,” said Jennings. “We want to connect them with a mature believer who can walk with them.”

Formal partnerships such as the Pillar Network are beneficial, but so are informal ones like what Aletheia and True Life now have, he said. Jennings and Inman didn’t know each other and had never spoken, but across 1,800 miles their churches are together in seeing a new convert grow stronger in the truth.

Alethia is a welcoming congregation that is “serious about the gospel” in a place where false versions of it abound, Jennings noted. That means being a point of truth in the community through means that don’t always deliver instant results.

“We’re in this for the long haul,” he said.

Jennings also credited the Tarrs with taking the extra step after praying with the new believer.

“They took the time to get her connected to the local church. Things would have been incomplete had they not done that. It would have been hard for her to find a church serious about discipleship.”

This article originally appeared at Baptist Press.

Millennials Adopt Digital Worship, but Not at the Expense of IRL Faith

Kathryn Post

August 8, 2022

RNS) — No small number of millennials was first introduced to personal technology tending to their tamagotchis during recess. Only later did the dot-com revolution, smartphones and social media invade every part of their lives, from relationships to health to music — and faith. Today, meditation podcasts, TikTok sermons and livestreams of Friday (Jumah) prayers are all at everyone’s fingertips.

A study out of Canada suggests that this last generation to experience a smartphone-free childhood is still keeping one foot firmly planted in the real world — at least when it comes to religion.

The study, led by University of Waterloo sociologist Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme, found that a sizable minority of millennials in the United States and Canada (32%) turns to digital religious or spiritual activities on at least a monthly basis. But only 5% said they do so without engaging in in-person forms of religion or spirituality once a month or more.

“For the most part, people are both involved in person and supplement that through digital religion,” explained Wilkins-Laflamme.

The findings will comfort faith leaders who worry that technology will displace religiosity, said Pauline Cheong, a professor at Arizona State University who researches religion and communication technologies but wasn’t involved in the Canadian study. “(Digital religion) is not a disruption or huge tear in the social fabric,” said Cheong. “There are a lot of savvy religious users using it to complement existing ties (to religion).”

Sarah Wilkins-Laflamme. Courtesy photo

A millennial herself, Wilkins-Laflamme set out to gauge to what extent her generation, which is less likely to participate in organized religion than previous generations, engages with religion online. She surveyed 2,514 respondents in March 2019. (The study, therefore, does not account for how the pandemic may have changed millennials’ digital habits during a time when many houses of worship went online.)

“The overall takeaway for me was that digital religion is definitely a thing, but it’s a thing that only a chunk of the (millennial) population does,” said Wilkins-Laflamme.

Millennials also participate in digital religion to varying degrees. Wilkins-Laflamme left the definition of digital religion largely up to respondents; it could include anything from using a Bible app to watching a spirituality-themed Instagram reel. Forty-one percent of U.S. respondents reported passively consuming any kind of religious or spiritual digital content at least once a month, while only 32% of U.S. respondents took the time to post about religion or spirituality on social media monthly.

Millennials in Canada, where the population is less religious overall, were active at lower rates, with 29% taking in digital religious content and 17% posting it.

It’s not yet clear whether Gen Z, who are more digitally native than millennials, will engage in real-world religion as much as their elders. Paul McClure, a sociologist who studies religion and technology at the University of Lynchburg, applauded Wilkins-Laflamme’s study but noted that his own research shows that greater Internet use is associated with lower levels of religiosity.

Photo by Nathan Mullet/Unsplash/Creative Commons

Pregnancy Centers Continue To Serve Despite Attacks

Tom Strode

August 8, 2022

NASHVILLE (BP)—Ongoing attacks on pregnancy resource centers and other pro-life organizations have presented security challenges, but they have not thwarted continuing, faith-based efforts to minister to women in need.

A total of 87 attacks against pro-life entities – including 43 pregnancy centers and 32 churches – have been recorded by the Catholic News Agency since the May 2 leak of a U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion signaling the reversal of the Roe v. Wade decision. On June 24, the high court released its final ruling that returned the issue to the states by overturning the 1973 opinion that legalized abortion nationwide

In recent attacks, two pregnancy resource centers (PRCs) in Minnesota and two churches in Kansas were vandalized between July 31 and Aug. 2.

Southern Baptist pro-life leader Elizabeth Graham described herself as “deeply grieved by the unnecessary violence that is taking place against organizations whose main goal is to care for women.”

“Violence and hostility against such organizations does not foster a sense of care for anyone,” said Graham, vice president of operations and life initiatives for the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC). “Such actions may actually hinder the ability of women to receive care and thus endanger the life of the mother and the baby.”

The needs of mothers and other clients were foremost on Kailey Cornett’s mind when Hope Clinic for Women in Nashville was attacked in the early hours of June 30. A Molotov cocktail-type device that failed to ignite was thrown through the front window, and the words “Jane’s Revenge” were spray painted on an outside wall.

“[W]hat’s been most important to me through all of this is that our focus remains on being a safe place for the women that we serve,” said Cornett, Hope Clinic’s chief executive officer.

After the vandalism occurred about 1:30 a.m., “it was real important to me that we get the building back into a shape that we could serve the full day of appointments that we had,” she told Baptist Press. “And amazingly enough, we got the window replaced [and graffiti removed], and we were able to serve women by noon.

“For the women that are walking in for those appointments, they’re not thinking about the politics of the issue,” Cornett said. “They’re not thinking about our building. They’re thinking about their circumstance. . . . [A]nd so what I wanted to make sure was that they could rely on us and can continue to rely on us.

“And I am grateful to say we haven’t had any hindrances” after that morning, she said.

Hope Clinic is one of two recipients of ultrasound machines through the Psalm 139 Project that have been attacked since the leak of the Supreme Court opinion. The Psalm 139 Project is the ERLC’s ministry to help provide ultrasound technology to pregnancy centers and train staff members in its use.

The other Psalm 139 recipient — Agape Pregnancy Resource Center in Des Moines, Iowa – was victimized June 2 in an attack the group Jane’s Revenge took responsibility for. The vandals broke windows and spray painted such messages as “God loves abortions” and “this place is not safe” on the outside walls.

The estimated 2,700 or more PRCs in the United States generally provide pregnancy tests, counseling on options, pregnancy and parenting classes, and material assistance. Many provide ultrasound exams, and some offer other health-care services. Ultrasound technology has proved to be a vital tool for PRCs in their ministry to abortion-minded women. The sonogram images of their unborn children have helped many women choose to give birth.

Wisconsin Megachurch Pastor Stuart Briscoe, Lifelong Broadcast Evangelist, Dies at 91

Riley Farrell

August 8, 2022

(RNS) — Prominent Wisconsin pastor Stuart Briscoe, recognized for founding the broadcast ministry series “Telling the Truth” and authoring over 40 books, died on Aug. 3.

Briscoe died of “natural causes unexpectedly,” according to a Twitter post from his son, Peter “Pete” Briscoe. He was 91.

The British-born Briscoe transformed Elmbrook Church, in the Milwaukee suburb of Brookfield, into a megachurch with an attendance of 7,000 people, making it the largest in the state. But his evangelism went far beyond the congregation to encompass books and a radio ministry.

Briscoe was born in the small town of Millom, Cumbria, just outside England’s Lake District National Park. At 17, he preached his first sermon. Later, he served in the Royal Marines and worked in banking.

He initially worked in international missions at the Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers.

By the 1960s, Briscoe was a youth minister and an admired public speaker for conferences worldwide.

Briscoe and his wife, Jill, immigrated to the United States in 1970 at the request of Elmbrook Church, a then-Baptist church with a membership of 300 people.

The Briscoes spent the next 30 years expanding the non-denominational congregation. Throughout Briscoe’s leadership, Elmbrook flourished enough to plant “daughter” churches in the greater Milwaukee area.

Briscoe stepped down as senior pastor at the end of 2000 but remained involved in the church and active in overseas missions. In 2019, he was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer but was in remission after receiving treatment.

His media ministry, “Telling the Truth,” which he founded in 1971, continues to broadcast online and on the radio. A recent devotional called “Waiting it Out,” hosted by Jill Briscoe, teaches listeners the biblical lesson on acceptance in suffering. Telling the Truth published a dispatch in honor of Briscoe on Aug. 4, calling him a “founder, mentor, teacher and friend.”

“What was important to Stuart was carrying on and finishing strong—saying yes to every appointment God had for him right up to his dying day,” the dispatch read. “And Stuart did just that.”

One of Billy Graham’s contemporaries and friends, Briscoe aimed to “transform lives” in the mutual mission of wide evangelistic communication, forging American Protestantism into what it is today.

Briscoe, whose ministry spanned seven decades, wrote a letter eight years ago, to be published after his death:

“With untold gratitude to the Lord for allowing us to do what has been done and utter confidence that this ministry will carry on doing things God’s way as He continues to bring about surprise after surprise, I move on and look forward to you eventually catching up with me.”

Surviving Briscoe are his wife, three adult children and 13 grandchildren.

Information about a celebration of Briscoe’s life will be announced at a later date, the family said.

This article originally appeared here.

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