How to Double Your Volunteers in One Month

By

-

July 9, 2022

Do you need more volunteers? Of course you do. I have never met a children’s ministry that didn’t need more volunteers.

The big question…how can I get more people to join our team?

Let’s talk about this. I am going to share some strategies you can use to get lots of new volunteers. You can even double your volunteers in one month.

Strategy #1 – Everyone Bring One

What if you challenged your team members to each bring one more person to volunteer? They know people you don’t know. They can influence people you can’t influence. If you decide to do this, you need to make it a big deal. Present it. Promote it. Passionately pursue it.

And of course, you need to lead the charge. As the leader, you should enlist many people to join the team. If you are effective in this, your team will follow your lead.

I remember when I presented this challenge to our volunteers. One of our volunteers enlisted 85 new people to serve. Yes, you read that correctly. 85 new volunteers. One volunteer. Fired up about bringing people on board to volunteer.

Strategy #2 – Church-Wide Push

I normally encourage churches to steer away from making stage announcements for more volunteers. It can come across as needy or desperate. People are not drawn to desperation. No one wants to get on the Titanic. But they will get on board when you present a compelling vision. This is where the church-wide ask comes in to play.

Let’s say you have a big family event coming for the entire church. Fall Festival. Easter. VBS. Christmas services and happenings.

As you prepare for these big events, have the Pastor make a big ask for people who are not serving to step up and serve one time. Present the impact they can have for serving at the big event. Have people sign-up. After they serve, do a push to enlist them to serve all the time. I have personally saw retention rates as high as 85% when using this strategy.

Strategy #3 – Make Direct Asks

Personal one-on-one asks. You have not because you ask not. Make asking people to volunteer one of your top priorities each week. If you will be consistent and make it a priority, you can bring multiple people on the team each month.

Stategy #4 – Dream Board

It helps to have a visual picture of what a full team looks like. Take some poster-boards and write down all of the volunteers you’d like to have. Dream big. What would the board look like if you could have all the volunteers you could ever want?

Once you have that vision in place, start working to fill it up. One spot at a time. One person at a time. Ask. Ask. Ask. Week in and week out. Do that and one day you will look up and have lots of new volunteers in place.

Ron Edmondson – 7 Thoughts About Introverts

By

Ron Edmondson

-

July 9, 2022

thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Whenever I post about the subject of introversion I hear from fellow introverts. Some of these are apparently even more introverted than me. And, that’s a lot of introversion.

I usually am addressing introversion in leadership, but in talking with a young pastor after one of these posts I discovered there was another issue we needed to address. This particular pastor was having some issues at home with introversion. He had managed to be extroverted for his church, but when he got home, he had nothing left to give. He felt the tension. He wanted to push through it, but he didn’t know how. He didn’t want to talk about his day. He didn’t want to share what he was thinking. He was done. Words spent. Empty.

His wife was growing increasingly impatient with a lack of intimacy in communication, limited social life and simply feeling left out of part of his life. Of course, I only heard his side of the story. He knows what he needs to do, but he doesn’t know how to do it. Her side of the story (according to him)—she doesn’t understand how he can be so introverted—even when it’s with his family.

I get it. I really do. So this post is to the families of introverts. There are a few things I’d love to say to you. I hope they are helpful.

Here are seven words to families of introverts:

We aren’t crazy.

Sometimes you think we are, don’t you? Be honest. When we don’t talk for long periods of time—even when we are with people—you assume we must have a few screws loose somewhere. We probably do—as you possibly do—we are all desperately in need of grace. But introversion isn’t one of the things that make us crazy. We aren’t weird—OK, again, some of us might be, but not just because of introversion. In fact, you may not know this, but there are lots of introverts around. Lots. Mega lots. You may even have overlooked some of us because we aren’t always trying to get your attention. We may appear extroverted in public, often because it’s our job, but there are lots of us who are really introverted.

It isn’t personal.

We don’t not talk because we don’t want to communicate with someone. We don’t talk because we are introverted. We need to have something to say. We probably think a lot more than we say. It’s hard not to take it personally though, isn’t it? But, it most likely has little to do with you when we don’t talk to you as much as you wish we would.

We do love you.

This one is huge. The crazy thing about introverts—that I know some have a hard time believing—is that most of us really do love people. A lot. More than you can imagine. In fact, the measure of extroversion or introversion, from what I can tell, has no bearing on the degree of love a person has for others. That’s a whole other side to a person’s personality and character. If one expectation you have of love is talking a lot, you’re going to be disappointed at times. But, this may help to know—for some introverts, one expectation we have of love is giving the people we love time to not have to talk. (Figuring out how to balance those expectations is tough, isn’t it?)

We need time to recharge.

The amount of time is relative to the amount of extroversion we had to do to get to the opportunity for introversion and the degree of introversion we have. But, all of us need that time. We may even crave it. This is especially true after very extroverted events or settings. For my pastor friend I mentioned above, that’s Sunday afternoon following a Sunday morning. (Funny how Sunday afternoons always follow Sunday mornings.)

Preparation helps.

If you give introverts advance warning, we can often better prepare for conversation. We can gear up for it. I know that may be difficult to grasp for especially extroverted people, especially when it involves people we love so much. Please understand, though, that introversion impacts how we relate to others—not how we feel about them. I love my wife. More than anything. And, she shares my calendars so, thankfully, she knows the times I am more likely to revert to my introversion preferences. I find, however, that my wife and I having a routine time where we interact together at night is the time I’m ready to dialogue with her best about my day and hers. And, she loves this time. I do too. Seriously. It works better for me because I’m prepared for it—actually looking forward to it—and it works better for her because I actually talk. And, want to.

We don’t have a right to ignore you.

Do I need to repeat that one? I will. We don’t have a right to ignore you. And, my introverted friends can get frustrated with me if they want to, but we don’t. You can expect communication. Relationships are built on communication. We just have to figure out how to make it work with your personality and ours. We can do that, can’t we? And, you can tell them I said it. Get an outside party (such as a counselor) to help you if you need it. We can’t expect people to ignore their personality—and we should work to respect other people’s personalities, but we can expect two people in a healthy relationship to find a balance that allows healthy, intimate conversation—at a level that meets the needs of both in the relationship.

Activity often produces conversation.

This may sound strange unless you’ve experienced it, but as an introvert, I talk more—and am more comfortable doing so—when I am being physically active at the same time. Walking with Cheryl helps us communicate better. Our communication is strengthened when we have an activity we do together regularly. So, we walk often. Almost daily. It’s good for our health and our marriage. Certainly we walk enough so she feels we’ve communicated. What’s an activity you could do with your introverted family member which might produce more (and better) conversation? (Play a board game, go hiking, take a drive, etc.)

Here’s the disclaimer. Not all introverts are alike. Just as not all extroverts are alike. And, there are varying degrees of introversion and extroversion. It’s important not to put people into boxes—and that’s not what I’m trying to do here. Maybe the best follow up to this post is a conversation with your introvert on how the two of you could communicate better. More than anything, as a relationship counselor and pastor, I want to help people better communicate. Sadly, I’ve sat on the outside of dozens of relationships in trouble and communication is almost always one root of the problems in the relationship. This post isn’t counseling—and my intent was a very soft approach, but the issue here is huge for some couples. Don’t be afraid to get help if needed.

This article originally appeared here.

Innovative Youth Ministry: Why Your Program Must Adapt to Survive

By

Religion News Service

-

July 8, 2022

Innovative youth ministry is essential for the 21-century church. Check out this commentary about innovative youth ministry. Then consider how your program can innovate to survive!

A Commentary on Innovative Youth Ministry

Gen Z is no longer engaging with religious institutions in prototypical ways, though majorities say they’re religious or spiritual.

Traditional forms of youth ministry are losing their effectiveness. Attendance numbers at weekly worship are down across the board, and anecdotally, pastors, youth ministers and campus ministers are almost universally reporting greater difficulty in accessing and engaging Gen Z. Currently, 40% of 13- to 25-year-olds claim no religious affiliation or institutional trust in religion, continuing a decades-long trend of erosion.

Although many have rushed to proclaim these trends as evidence of declining demand from young people for religion, we firmly believe that’s the wrong story.

Innovative Youth Ministry Recognizes Cultural Shifts

The reality is that our world has undergone a significant shift in the last 20 years. The decline of institutional trust, increasing demographic diversity and rise of social media among many other factors mean that young people are operating in a much different social environment than the one that gave rise and success to the program-driven models of youth ministry that have dominated the church landscape for the last 50 years.

As Megan Dobbins wrote in the blog “The Rebelution”:

For years, the American Church has approached youth ministry as a numbers game. “Whatever gets them in the door” has been the anthem, turning the church ‘relevant’ in order to connect. Cool lights were installed, loud music was played, all the pizza was bought, and a room filled up with teenagers to give us a thirty-minute motivational speech about how fun it is to be a Christian. This has gone on for more than four decades … (but) we are now faced with an entirely new phenomenon and a new generation.

Gen Z is no longer engaging with religious institutions in prototypical ways, though majorities say they’re religious (71%) or spiritual (78%). According to Springtide Research Institute’s State of Religion & Young People 2021, most don’t attend weekly worship services, and only a quarter (27%) say they attend a youth group.

However, Springtide also found that about the same number of young people have gotten more religious over the last five years as those who have become less religious. They’re simply not conforming to existing frameworks for what it means to be a typical “Christian,” “Muslim” or even “atheist.”

Gen Zers are more likely to engage with art as a spiritual practice (53%) than prayer (45%), more likely to engage in yoga and martial arts as a spiritual practice (40%) than attend a religious group (25%), and more likely to practice being in nature (45%) or meditation (29%) as spiritual practices than study a religious text (28%).

‘Shazam!’ Star Shares How God Showed Him Love After He Was Suicidal

By

Jessica Lea

-

July 8, 2022

“Shazam!” star Zachary Levi was close to taking his own life several years ago, when he encountered the radical love of God. In an interview with Faithwire’s Billy Hallowell, Levi shared his experience navigating trauma and what he has learned about God’s unconditional love.

“I completely fell apart,” said Levi, describing a time in his life when he had moved to Austin, Texas, at age 37 to build a movie studio focused on artists. “I was surrounded by darkness and had nothing but lies being spewed into my ear, lies that I had heard before but nothing as intensely as I was feeling in Austin.”

He didn’t know what to do or how to move forward. “I really genuinely just wanted to go to sleep and not wake up any more,” he said. But it was through this crisis that God revealed to Levi what it means to truly love and be loved.

Zachary Levi on How God Brought Him out of Darkness

Zachary Levi is an actor known for his roles in films such as “Tangled,” “American Underdog,” and “Shazam!” as well as the television series, “Chuck.” He joined Hallowell to discuss his new memoir, “Radical Love: Learning to Accept Yourself and Others.”

Levi believes that the way most people, even Christians, understand love is not really love. Most of us love people who love us back. But Jesus challenged this idea of love in Matthew 5:46-48 when he said:

If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Love is radical, said Levi. True love accepts people exactly as they are, no matter what they have done.

Another misconception people tend to have about love is that they think of it as “graduated like.” But love is not liking another person a lot, says Levi. “Love is simply to acknowledge that there is a miracle in this other person,” and people are miracles worthy of love no matter how broken they are. Levi was clear that loving another person does not mean that we have to like them, nor does it mean that we excuse their bad behavior. We can draw boundaries while still loving others.

These were lessons, however, that it took Levi some time to learn. Because of trauma he experienced as a child, he dealt with anxiety and depression and has had trouble loving himself and other people.

“It took me a lot of healing and a lot of forgiveness to get to the point where I could forgive and love my mother, for example,” said Levi, who explained that his mother was a “major contributor” to his life trauma.

Sadie Robertson Huff on Modesty: Christian Culture Makes It ‘Hard To Talk About’

By

Jesse T. Jackson

-

July 8, 2022

Reality television star, author, and award winning podcaster Sadie Robertson Huff answered questions from fans alongside her husband Christian in the latest episode of the “WHOA That’s Good Podcast.”

The couple encouraged those listening to use wisdom while listening to their answers, saying, “If we say something that doesn’t align with what you agree with, that’s okay, throw it out the window. Go ask a parent about it. Go ask a mentor. Go ask a pastor. [We are just] two people who love each other and love the Lord doing our best to give you advice for the things that you all have questions [about].”

One fan asked, “I feel this pressure to show more skin so people think that I’m pretty or dress cute. There is a pressure from our culture to wear less and show more. I want to know how you balance dressing cute, but staying modest. And also why is modesty so important to talk about in Christian culture?”

Sadie said that living in a culture that wants you to “wear less” clothing and “show more” skin makes girls feel pressured into dressing in a certain way to get attention. “Because all the guys seem to like the girls that don’t wear anything. You’re like, well, if I’m covered up and they’re never going to notice me and they’re never going to like me…but the right guy and the right people are actually going to treasure you for the purity that you have and treasure you for the modesty that you have.”

Christian, her husband, is more strict than she is on what she wears sometimes “in the sense of just respecting me for who I am,” Sadie shared. “I’m actually so appreciative of that because he’s not wanting me to go show my body to the world, because that’s between us. That’s a respect thing that he has for me and for our marriage. I’m really grateful, because also you don’t want to go out like in some type of way that is attracting people for the wrong reasons.”

Modesty is a respect for yourself and a respect for the people around you, Sadie said.

Sadie gave an example of working out, sharing that she goes to an all-girls gym, so she wears whatever she wants. But when she has to go to a gym where men are present, she is careful about what she wears in order to respect the men who are there.

“I don’t want them to be looking at me a certain way, and I want to respect myself and I don’t really want guys to be looking at me that way,” she said.

“I am secure in who I am, and I’m secure in my husband who loves me as I am,” Sadie said, explaining that this wasn’t always the case. She explained that she used to fear that if she dressed more modestly than other girls that her husband would take notice of them and not her.

“I don’t feel that way at all anymore,” Sadie said. “I actually feel like my husband loves me and respects me for me being confident and not having to show off my whole body in order for me to feel loved and appreciated.”

President Biden Signs Executive Order Protecting Abortion Access, Calls Supreme Court ‘Out of Control’

By

Jesse T. Jackson

-

July 8, 2022

biden_abortion_access — Screengrab via YouTube @PBS NewsHour

On Friday (July 8), President Joe Biden signed an executive order protecting access to abortion and contraception. The executive order comes two weeks after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Biden criticized the Supreme Court during his live address, describing their reversal of Roe as not “driven by the Constitution.”

“The truth is today’s Supreme Court majority that is playing fast and loose with the facts,” Biden said, claiming that medicine shouldn’t be frozen in “the 19th century” and arguing that Roe sought to protect women from unsafe abortions.

The President urged Americans to vote Democrat this November, saying, “The only way to fulfill and restore that right for women in this country is by voting, by exercising the power at the ballot box.” Biden went on to express his belief that the country needs two pro-choice senators and a pro-choice house to “codify Roe as federal law.”

The Supreme Court’s decision shows that they won’t protect women’s rights, Biden claimed. “The court now practically dares the women of America to go to the ballot box and restore the very rights they’ve just taken away.” The President shared that he believes women will turn out in record numbers during November’s election to reclaim abortion rights.

Biden promised that he would sign a law that codifies Roe as soon as it comes across his desk. He also warned that Republican governors, state legislators, and what he described as “Republican extremists in Congress” are determined to “impose the harshest and most restrictive [abortion] laws seen in this country in a long time.” The 79-year-old president believes strict abortion laws put women’s lives at risk, saying that the Supreme Court’s decision and strict state abortion laws are “giant steps backwards.”

The President used rape and incest as reasons someone should be allowed to get an abortion, citing the recent case of a 10-year-old girl in Ohio who was six weeks pregnant and had to travel to Indiana to get an abortion after being raped. Biden believes that the abortion may have saved her life.

“Does anyone believe that it’s Ohio’s majority view that that should not be able to be dealt with or in any other state in the nation? A 10-year-old girl should be forced to give birth to a rapist’s child?” Biden scornfully questioned. “I can tell you what—I don’t.”

The aforementioned case has sense been in question and is still being under the process of being fact-checked.

“This executive order directs the Department of Health and Human Services, HHS, to ensure all patients, including pregnant women and girls experiencing pregnancy laws, get emergency care they need under federal law, and the doctors have the clear guidance on their own responsibilities and protections—no matter what state they’re in,” Biden explained.

Bethel Church Selling ‘Declarations Clicker’ To Tally Daily Prayers

By

Dale Chamberlain

-

July 8, 2022

declarations clicker — Bethel Church's Leaders Conference in 2019 (photo by Bree Anne via Unsplash)

Neo-charismatic megachurch Bethel Church, located in Redding, California, is selling a product on their website that some may recognize from the local Little League field. The “Declarations Clicker,” which resembles a baseball pitch counter, is meant to help Christians keep track of their daily prayer declarations, with Bethel encouraging users to make at least 100 declarations a day.

The product is being sold in partnership with Igniting Hope Ministries, a Christian motivational speaking group led by Steve Backlund.

Igniting Hope Ministries, Bethel, and Declarative Prayer

Described on his website as “a prolific encourager, catalytic author, joy activator, and revivalist teacher,” Backlund is the author of “Declarations: Unlocking Your Future,” a book about declarative prayers, wherein a person decrees or declares something true, or something they want to be true, over their life.

“You may be wondering, ‘What are declarations and why are people making them?’ or maybe, ‘Aren’t declarations simply a repackaged ‘name it and claim’ heresy?’ Declarations answers these questions by sharing 30 biblical reasons for declaring truth over every area of life,” the book’s description reads. “Steve Backlund and his team also answer common objections and concerns to the teaching about declarations. The revelation this book carries will help you to set the direction your life will go.”

Bethel’s online store describes the Declarations Clicker as “a powerful and practical tool to help believers renew their minds with truth by helping them tabulate the number of times they speak biblically based declarations.”

Quoting Bethel Church senior pastor Bill Johnson as having said, “physical obedience brings spiritual release,” the product description goes on to say that many people “have found that the physical act of clicking a tally counter while speaking declarations dramatically increases faith in the truth being spoken.”

“As you augment what you speak with the declarations clicker, you will transform what you believe, which will ultimately change what you experience in life (Romans 12:2),” the description reads. “Start renewing your mind with your words of hope today and watch your life be transformed!”

In a section describing how to use the Declarations Clicker, the listing says, “Give yourself a click on your declarations clicker for every declaration of truth you speak. Set a personal goal for how many you want to say a day.”

Further encouraging users to purchase Backlund’s book about declarative prayer, the listing suggests that a person commit to speaking at least 100 declarations over their life every day for 30 days.

“Many have done this and have sent Igniting Hope Ministries incredible testimonies,” the description says.

Mark Clifton Brings Vitality to Rural America Church Landscape

By

Diana Chandler

-

July 8, 2022

LINWOOD, Kan. (BP) – You might be rural if you call Dollar General the mall. You might be rural if you don Carhartt work clothes on special occasions. Or, you might be rural if Third Street is at the end of your town.

Mark Clifton smoothly slides the quips from his tongue on a recent episode of The Rural Pastor Podcast with fellow rural Kansas pastor Andy Addis, a volunteer rural strategist for the North American Mission Board replant team Clifton leads.

Clifton admits to having a slew of Jeff Foxworthy-esque rural America teasers.

“You know it when you see it; you feel it when you’re in it.”

Seriously, Clifton sees an overlooked mission field among the 35 million to 60 million residents of rural America, an expansive estimate says depends on your definition of rural. He recently added the title of director of rural strategy to his duties as NAMB’s senior director of replanting.

“Outside of the deep South, rural America is as unchurched as many of our urban core centers in our major cities,” Clifton said. “And even in the South, where we have a great number of rural churches, many of them are really struggling to connect to the culture as it changes around them.”

Clifton is drawn to small towns. He and his wife Jill sold their home in Kansas City, Mo., and rebuilt in Bashor, Kan., to be closer to Linwood – population 400.

Back in May 2020 as America was wrapping its head around the COVID-19 pandemic, Clifton and his wife Jill felt called to First Baptist Church of Linwood. The church had dwindled to three active members.

Clifton loves rural churches and thinks every small town should have at least one.

He’d like Southern Baptists to know that rural churches “are critically important, that they are in places where there is a lack of churches, that they really need to reach the next generation in those communities.” He’d like larger city congregations to view rural churches “as tremendous opportunities for a platform for ministry where, relatively speaking, small resources can make a huge difference and a huge impact.”

The town of Linwood sits on a small blacktop highway about 10 miles west of metro Kansas City, Mo., and about 10 miles east of Lawrence, Kan. Most people work in nearby communities or telecommute – that is, when strong winds aren’t interrupting internet service. There’s an elementary school. The lone Methodist church had already closed. Linwood Baptist was about to close its doors and donate its property.

“It was First Baptist Linwood,” Clifton said of the 111-year-old church. “We now just call it Linwood Baptist, cause there’s no second church there.”

Clifton met with the three members to discuss an alternative future to closing the doors.

“I told them they didn’t need to pay me any salary. I do believe this, that Jesus has a plan for every church,” Clifton told Baptist Press. “And I think sometimes we’re way too quick to give up on a church and just say it needs to close down.”

Clifton began with “Experiencing God” Bible studies on Wednesday nights. He posted community outreaches on the handful of Facebook community pages serving the town. He worked with the elementary school across the street to host outdoor movie nights. Free garage sales, doorknocker bags with fresh-baked cookies and Gospel tracts, free school supplies for teachers, and free garage sales engaged the community. Linwood Baptist brought Santa Claus and the Kansas City Chiefs mascot to town.

“We just immersed our self,” he said. “The reality in a small town is you can make a huge impression with really very little money and effort. It would be hard in Kansas City to make an impression on a whole city. But in a people of 400, you do a few of these things” and achieve optimal impact.

Pope Francis Wants Two Women on the Committee That Proposes Bishops

By

Claire Giangrave

-

July 8, 2022

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Pope Francis said he plans to appoint two women to the traditionally male dominated, clergy heavy Vatican committee for selecting bishops, in a July 2 interview with Reuters.

“I am open to giving (women) a chance,” Francis said, after being asked by the news agency about his plans to further promote the role of women at the Vatican. “Two women will be appointed for the first time to the committee to choose bishops in the Congregation for Bishops,” he said.

“This way, things are opening up a bit,” the pope added.

In his new apostolic constitution, “Praedicate Evangelium,” the Latin phrase for Preach the Gospel, Francis enshrined his vision for Vatican reform. The offices and departments that make up the Roman Curia can now be headed by any faithful, provided they have the competence and regardless of whether or not they are ordained.

In the wide-ranging interview, Francis said he believes a lay person may one day be in charge of the Vatican departments for education, culture and the Apostolic Library.

The pope did not announce the names of the women he intends to appoint to the committee for bishops, nor did he give a timeline of when they will step in.

A nun is already on the staff of the department for bishops, but the two women would be a part of the committee that analyzes and then votes on the recommendations for bishops sent by Vatican envoys all over the world. The committee has historically only included bishops or cardinals, with priests acting as consulters.

The last word on the appointment of bishops remains in the hands of the pope after he is presented with the committee’s proposal.

Pope Francis’ effort to make the Vatican less male dominated and less clerical have been mostly welcomed by Catholics worldwide. Under his pontificate, there has been a surge in the number of women occupying influential positions at the Vatican.

Sister Raffaella Petrini is currently the highest-ranking woman at the Vatican after Francis appointed her secretary-general of the Governorate of the Vatican City State in 2021. Sister Nathalie Becquart is the first female undersecretary for the Synod, which organizes the Vatican’s summit of bishops to discuss the most pressing topics in the church. Sister Alessandra Smerilli is the secretary of the Department for Integral Human Development, which helps the pope in his efforts to promote migrants and the environment.

Percentage of Americans Viewing Scripture As Literal Word of God Reaches New Low

By

Scott Barkley

-

July 8, 2022

NASHVILLE (BP) – A survey of Americans and their view of Scripture reflects a trend of disassociation from religion. One’s exposure to Scripture, however, can also factor in those results.

The number of Americans accepting the Bible as the literal Word of God has reached its lowest point since Gallup began the study in 1976, according to its most recent findings. The new figure of 20 percent is down from the 24 percent of the most recent poll in 2017.

Respondents were asked, “Which of the following statements comes closest to describing your views about the Bible?” Those statements were:

The Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word.
The Bible is the inspired word of God but not everything in it should be taken literally.
The Bible is an ancient book of fables, legends, history, and moral precepts recorded by man.

Fifty-eight percent of Christian adults view Scripture as the inspired Word of God, compared to a quarter who see it as the actual Word of God. Among all U.S. adults, 49 percent consider it inspired while 20 percent see the Bible as the actual Word of God.

Those attending church weekly are most likely to hold a view of Scripture as the actual Word of God, though even that number came in at 44 percent.

John Hammett, senior professor of systematic theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, said one’s perception of Scripture is largely shaped by one’s exposure to it.

“People who consistently hear thoughtful, expository biblical preaching are much more likely to be convinced of the Bible’s trustworthiness, authority and inerrancy than those who have little to no exposure,” he said. “Such expository teaching and preaching of the Bible is the greatest need of this and every generation.”

According to Gallup, 40 percent of those identifying as evangelical or born again hold the Bible as literally true while 51 percent consider it inspired. Surprisingly, 8 percent in that group stated the Bible was an ancient book of fables.

Conversely, 6 percent of adults who either identify with all other religions or claim no religious identity nevertheless say the Bible is the literal Word of God. That figure falls well short of the 65 percent in that group who consider it mythology, however, and the overall 29 percent of U.S adults who hold that position.

Historically, more Americans viewed the Bible as literal instead of as a collection of fables, marking its widest difference of 28 percent in November 1984. That gap closed to 7 percentage points by February 2001. It widened again in the years following the 9/11 attacks before closing again toward the end of that decade.

The crossover came in 2017, when 26 percent of respondents described Scripture as a collection of fables, history and moral precepts as opposed to the 24 percent who claim it to be the actual Word of God.

Newsweek Sues Former Owners, Controversial Pastor David Jang, Seeking Millions

By

Bob Smietana

-

July 8, 2022

(RNS) — The company that owns Newsweek magazine has filed suit against its former owners and the religious leader David Jang, seeking to recoup millions of dollars in losses incurred under previous leadership.

The lawsuit, filed in New York state court this week, targets IBT Media, which owned Newsweek from August 2013 to September 2018. According to the filing, Newsweek’s current owner, NW Media Holdings Corp., is seeking to enforce IBT’s “contractual obligation to indemnify NW Media Holdings for the multi-million-dollar losses incurred as a result of IBT’s former mismanagement of Newsweek.”

IBT bought Newsweek in 2013, after a failed reboot led the company to end print publication. The sale was controversial at the time due to IBT’s ties to Jang, who founded Olivet University, a small Christian school in San Francisco, during the early 2000s. A native of Korea, Jang once worked for a seminary run by the Unification Church, according to Christianity Today. He and his followers also founded The Christian Post, among other media properties.

The complaint alleges IBT, owned by Etienne Uzac and Johnathan Davis, is part of a network of organizations and businesses associated with a religious group, known as “the Community,” that is overseen by Jang.

These various businesses all have close relationships. Tracy Davis, a dean and former president of Olivet University, is married to Johnathan Davis, CEO of IBT Media, and a co-owner of Newsweek. William Anderson, the former publisher of The Christian Post, served on the board of Olivet.

“Although Jang does not formally own or have official roles at many of the companies in the Network, he exercises authority over their operations and uses them for his, and the Community’s, personal benefit,” the lawsuit claims.

Newsweek’s lawyers also accuse Jang of encouraging members to “engage in fraudulent schemes to garner financing” and coercing those same members to “use funds from the various entities to fund the Network as a whole.”

Citing a Community insider, Newsweek’s lawsuit alleges IBT’s association with Jang and his affiliates amounts to a legal “alter-ego,” claiming that seemingly independent entities are in fact the expression of one individual or group.

Presbyterians to Divest From 5 Oil Companies, Including Exxon Mobil, After Years of Debate

By

Bob Smietana

-

July 8, 2022

(RNS) — A prominent mainline Christian denomination plans to divest from five oil companies it believes are not doing enough to address climate change.

The vote to divest from Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Marathon Petroleum, Phillips 66 and Valero Energy comes after years of debate in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

On Wednesday (July 6), commissioners at the PCUSA’s general assembly voted 340-41 to add those companies to the denomination’s divestment list. They join 85 other companies on the list — most with ties to the military or the weapons industry.

The move “gives teeth to selective divestment,” said Aaron Ochart, vice moderator of the Environmental Justice Committee, who introduced the divestment recommendation to the general assembly, which voted online.

Since the 1980s, Presbyterians have called for a move away from fossil fuels, including oil. More recently, they have debated whether to divest or to use their investments to pressure companies to change their ways. In 2016 and 2018, votes to divest failed in favor of more engagement.

Rob Fohr, director of faith-based investing and corporate engagement for the PCUSA, said the church’s “Mission Responsibility Through Investment” committee had hoped to see more change at the five oil companies.

But their efforts at engagement failed to make progress, he said.

“Divestment is never the goal,” he said in an email. “Corporate change is the goal. MRTI determined, after engagement with these five companies, that continued engagement is not likely to yield meaningful change. Meanwhile, the climate crisis is only increasing in urgency. We hope this divestment will be received as a clear signal that meaningful change is needed.”

The next step in the process will be for the MRTI committee to compile a new version of the divestment list. That list will then be sent to the denomination’s pension board and the Presbyterian Foundation for approval. Both groups have already said they will approve the new list, said Fohr.

Rob Fohr speaks via video to the Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly about divestment, Wednesday, July 6, 2022. Video screen grab

Rob Fohr speaks via video to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) general assembly about fossil fuel divestment, July 6, 2022. Video screen grab

During the discussion of the divestment recommendation, Tom Taylor, president of the Presbyterian Foundation, was asked about the financial impact of divesting. He said the impact was “impossible to know” and would depend on future market conditions. He also said the foundation would act quickly to divest.

“As soon as possible, we will get out of it,” he said.

Commissioners, who are made up of local Presbyterian church leaders, also approved a recommendation to add seven other companies, including three airlines, for more direct engagement. Those companies are found on a list compiled by the environmental group Climate Action 100, according to the denomination’s Environmental Justice Committee.

Those commissioners also approved a proposal, known as an overture, to create a “Presbyterian Tree Fund” to purchase carbon offsets for work-related air travel by church staff, as well as one titled “Investing in a Green Future.”

Ex-Disney Workers Sue, Claiming Religious Discrimination

By

AP News

-

July 8, 2022

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Three former employees have sued Walt Disney World, saying they were fired after refusing to wear face masks and get the COVID-19 vaccine due to religious reasons, according to a lawsuit.

Barbara Andreas, Stephen Cribb and Adam Pajer said in the lawsuit filed June 30 that Disney discriminated against them by not accommodating their requests to be exempt from the company’s mandates requiring the vaccine and facial coverings.

Andres and Cribb were fired in March, while Pajer was let go in June, according to the lawsuit. The trio had worked for the company between seven and 20 years.

Disney’s vaccine mandate was suspended in November after Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida lawmakers limited the power for employers to require workers to be vaccinated. The company later dropped masking requirements for vaccinated employees.

The lawsuit claims that Disney’s “augmented protocols” that were forced on nonvaccinated employees consisted of “harsh isolation and restrictions” that caused “serious breathing” and made it “nearly impossible to find a compliant manner and location in which to eat or drink while on shift.”

Adreas, who had worked for Disney for 17 years, had sought a religious exemption, claiming that wearing a facial covering is an “affront” of her Christian beliefs. The lawsuit also claimed that “participating in a medical experiment, such as covid testing or vaccines” also violated her beliefs because aborted fetal cells were used to manufacture it.

Disney responded to her request on Dec. 29, saying that “after careful review of the information you provided, we are unable to conclude that you are prevented from wearing a face cover due to a sincerely held religious belief, practice or observance.”

The employees cited Biblical scriptures in requesting their accommodations, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit claims that Disney “could and should have chosen to accommodate these religious beliefs in practice,” and that the protocols made it clear the company “irrationally” feared the workers “as perpetually exposed or infectious with disease and a perpetual danger to other cast and guests.”

Disney has not responded to a request for comment about the lawsuit.

The ex-employees are seeking an unspecified amount of money to compensate for lost wages, benefits and attorney’s fees, the lawsuit said.

Each of the fired workers reported the company to the Florida Attorney General, the Florida Commission on Human Relations and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, claiming discrimination and retaliation and for violating state laws prohibiting workplace vaccine mandates, the lawsuit said.

They are suing under as Florida statute on whistleblowing, claiming that reporting the company to authorities also led to their firings, the lawsuit said.

This article originally appeared here.

What Do You Like Most About Jesus?

By

Randy Alcorn

-

July 8, 2022

Eight years ago, Nanci and I did a question and answer time with the group of young moms at our church. One of the questions we answered was, “What do you like most about Jesus?” I remember this question and Nanci’s answer well.

Nanci and I used to talk a lot about our New Earth post-bucket lists, consisting of all the things we look forward to doing after we die, and in particular, after the resurrection. Nanci’s post-bucket list included her dream to spend a lot of time by a lake, playing with dogs. She often told me that she was asking Jesus to let her serve Him by living near the water and taking care of dogs and otters, as well lions, cheetahs, dolphins, monk seals, manta rays, and whales (she never mentioned eels!).

You get to hear Nanci’s contagious laugh in this video clip. I am confident that when Jesus brought her into His presence, she received a rich welcome and heard His laugh of delight—and those wonderful words, “Well done.”

(If you’d like to watch our full Q&As at the Mom to Mom group, see part one and part two here.)

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

John Piper – 15 Tactics for the Fullness of Joy

By

John Piper

-

July 8, 2022

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11)

15 Tactics for the Fullness of Joy

1. Realize that authentic joy in God is a gift.

2. Realize that joy must be fought for relentlessly.

3. Resolve to attack all known sin in your life.

4. Learn the secret of gutsy guilt—how to fight like a justified sinner.

5. Realize that the battle is primarily a fight to see God for who he is.

6. Meditate on the Word of God day and night.

7. Pray earnestly and continually for open heart-eyes and an inclination for God.

8. Learn to preach to yourself rather than listen to yourself.

9. Spend time with God-saturated people who help you see God and fight the fight.

10. Be patient in the night of God’s seeming absence.

11. Get the rest, exercise and proper diet that your body was designed by God to have.

12. Make a proper use of God’s revelation in nature.

13. Read great books about God and biographies of great saints.

14. Do the hard and loving thing for the sake of others (witness and mercy).

15. Get a global vision for the cause of Christ and pour yourself out for the unreached.

This article on the fullness of joy originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

For other articles on joy, here’s a link to other Churchleaders articles.

The High Cost of Adultery — and Who Pays It

By

Joe McKeever

-

July 8, 2022

I get these sad notes from people tell me of some mess-up they’ve done and the unbearable pain they caused. My heart goes out to them and to their loved ones. My role—from the Lord, I assure you!—is to remind them there is still time to get back up off the mat where life has sent them and to do something significant in the Lord’s work, that sometimes the work of a wounded warrior (even if self-inflicted) is of a higher quality than what it would have been otherwise. However, from time to time we get reminded of the high cost of adultery that those who love us are required to bear when we break our vows.

This is one of those stories.

The High Cost of Adultery

I was five years old when President Franklin D. Roosevelt died, and still remember family members bursting into tears. Recently when we were back at the old homeplace in Alabama, I showed my sons where I was standing when we got that news. Some things leave a lasting impression.

That was April of 1945. FDR’s wife, Eleanor, lived another 20 years or more. She was a fine lady in a hundred ways, evidently, although admittedly not much to look at. People used to make jokes about her appearance, her protruding front teeth, etc.

Not long ago, a historian gave us a different take on Mrs. Roosevelt’s appearance.

Family photos reveal that as a young woman, Eleanor Roosevelt was tall and thin with tons of magnificent hair piled on top of her head. A Gibson girl, if you remember the type. She was most attractive.

So what happened?

In 1913, she and her husband moved to Washington when he became the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. Five years later, 1918, on FDR’s return from an overseas trip, he was so sick that she unpacked his bags. That’s how she came across the packet of love letters between her husband and Lucy Mercer, Mrs. Roosevelt’s social secretary. She was devastated.

FDR agreed to give up Lucy Mercer rather than have Eleanor divorce him, take the boys away from him, and ruin his political career.

But he never did give her up.

Gen Z Slang: Dozens of Terms From Today’s Kid Culture

By

Dale Hudson

-

July 7, 2022

Gen Z slang may seem like a foreign language to older adults. But it’s important to know the terms popular with kids we’re teaching and reaching. After all, a big part of connecting with kids is entering their world. When missionaries try to connect with a culture, they first learn its language.

Each generation has a “slang language,” and Gen Z is no exception. If you want to connect with kids and enter their world, then it’s very helpful to know their lexicon.

Much of Gen Z slang is tied to the fast-paced, constantly changing environment of social media. In today’s social media culture, slang terms change quickly.

Children’s ministers, youth ministers, pastors, and volunteers—take note! Here are some of the latest Gen Z slang words:

Gen Z Slang Words You Should Know

Stan (a combination of “stalker” and “fan”)
W (Win)
Salty (to be rude or angry)
Savage (to be bitter or crass)
Cheugy (not trendy)
Basic (mainstream and trendy, in a dull way)
Throwing shade (insulting)
Shook (to be amazed, shocked, in disbelief)
Lit (something fun and exciting)
Peng (cool)
Eets (short for ‘sweet’)
Peak (when something is going really bad)
Living rent free in your head (something you can’t stop thinking about)
Savage (cool)
Ship (relationship)
Bae (another word for babe, referring to one’s partner)
Sup (an abbreviation of “what’s up?”)
Catch hands (to start a fight)
Tea (gossip)
Finna (I’m going to)
OPT (one true pair, a couple)
Real talk (saying something true)
Firing shots (saying something negative about someone else)
Lit (amazing)
I’m dead/I’m weak (response to something you find hilarious)
Thirsty (desperate for attention)
Adulting (acting grown up)
Move (a big party)
Milk (needs some help)
Unsult (backhanded compliment)
Fleek (spot on )
CC/Cray Cray (crazy)
Guap (money)
Snack (someone you find attractive)
Glow up (a transformation or improvement)
Squad (group)
Skurt (go away)
Straight fire (hot or trendy)

And then there’s the whole emoji thing… But that’s a topic for another day.

Missional Youth Ministry: Making an Impact in Public Schools

By

Alvin Reid

-

July 7, 2022

Missional youth ministry helps students see how they can live out the gospel and be missionaries in their day-to-day lives. As part of that movement, youth leaders need to take student ministries off the church campus as much as possible.

In our book Get Out, my son Josh and I talk about the importance of getting on school campuses to make an impact for Christ. Let’s face it: The public school may be the greatest mission field in America. But it’s also one of the most closed in our land. In most places, the day of a youth pastor showing up with pizzas to eat lunch with students is over.

Effective missional youth ministry targets the whole community, not just the teens attending your church. That outreach mindset places the public school in a vital place for ministry.

Missional Youth Ministry: Tips for Public-School Outreach

Follow these important tips for ministering at public schools:

1. Go through the first door that opens on campus.

After you’ve met administrators, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), Young Life or something similar may be the widest door. These organizations welcome student pastors with open arms. They’re always looking for speakers and prayer partners to join them.

2. Practice the funnel principle everywhere on campus.

Pastor Matt Lawson taught me this principle, and I want to pass it along. A funnel is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom.

Funnel, Part 1

When we enter a school, the first person we meet is the receptionist, or the funnel’s widest part. That person holds the keys to the school. The receptionist is key!

We sign in with the receptionist and say who we’re there to see and why. We see that person when we sign out later. (Side note: And we dress like adults, not like overgrown adolescents.) Essentially, if you don’t have a good relationship with the receptionist, you probably won’t have a great relationship with the rest of the school.

Be honest and follow the rules when you meet the receptionist. That person will greatly appreciate it, and if all else fails, you can at least be a blessing.

Funnel, Part 2

The second layer of the funnel is the principal, teachers, and coaches. This also includes the band director. If you serve them, you’ll gain an opportunity to meet students.

How to Help People Find Your Church Online

By

Kelsey Yarnell

-

July 7, 2022

church online — Image source: Adobe Stock

People in your community are hungry for connection, truth, and belonging. But without having a Christian friend, or a thriving church in their neighborhood, there’s really only one way to find a community in Christ—the Internet.

In the 21st century, people use Google, social media, or even apps to find just about anything—a car mechanic, a local ice cream shop, and yes, church. If your church doesn’t have an online presence that’s easy to find, people won’t learn about your community. And they won’t have an opportunity to visit, hear truth, and meet Christ-followers.

In the following article, we’ll take a look at how you can help people in your community find your church online.

6 Ways to Help People Find You Online

Before we dive into the strategies that can help people find your church online, let’s get one thing out of the way: “digital marketing” is not out of place at a church.

Digital marketing is simply a way to reach more people with your message of hope and salvation. When done well, marketing your church online can ultimately result in more salvations and greater expansion of the Kingdom.

Here are six digital marketing strategies to help people find your church online.

1. Build a beautiful, user-friendly website.

Your website is the centerpiece of all your digital marketing efforts. It’s where you’ll send visitors from your social media accounts, Yelp, and blog. It’s also one of the most powerful ways to make an impression on a new visitor.

But if your site doesn’t deliver immediate value to visitors–or present your church in a way that makes you proud–it’s time to build a new church website.

Here are a few questions that can help you assess how effective your site is.

Does your site immediately deliver the core message of your church?
Is it easy to find location and service times?
Is it clean-looking and aesthetically pleasing? (Lots of text = outdated)
Is it responsive (loads quickly)?
Does it have everything you need to communicate what your church does and what it offers?

If you answered “no” to any (or all) of these questions, it may be time to rebuild your site.

A great church website doesn’t just clearly display your church’s core message. It’s also easy to navigate, gives lots of opportunities to respond (give, sign up, register, listen, learn), and presents your church family in a way that’s true to who you are.

2. Write a blog.

An SEO (search engine optimized) blog can help your church show up in search results on Google. It’s also a chance to help visitors learn more about what you teach, offer, and believe.

Consider creating blog posts that are tailored specifically to your community, highlighting events and news that are relevant to locals. You can also write guest blog posts for local news sites, post your blog on your social media accounts, and link out to your posts in your email newsletter.

Plus, you can bring on guest writers from your staff to write for your blog. Your children’s pastor, women’s ministry director, or communications director may all have valuable insights to contribute to your church blog.

3. Publish your sermons as podcasts.

Creating a podcast is easier than it’s ever been, and publishing your own podcast can reach people on podcast platforms like Spotify or the Apple store.

The best part about creating a church podcast is that you don’t necessarily have to create fresh content. If you’ve got good audio content, then you’ve got a podcast.

4. Use social media strategically.

Social media certainly has its downsides. But the reality is that most people are on at least one social media platform. When your church participates in this space with creativity and strategy, you have a powerful opportunity to reach people who would otherwise never hear about your church (and maybe hear the gospel).

Here are a few tips for reaching people with social media:

Be authentic and friendly. The message of Jesus doesn’t have to be couched in overly religious language. Use friendly, conversational words to talk about your church.

Give people a chance to respond. Social media is certainly not sales, but you should give people a chance to respond. For example, you can tell them about an event, and then link to your event registration page.

Create a look and feel for your church. Resist the urge to post random graphics, and land on a single look and feel for your church–maybe that’s vibrant and bold, or maybe understated and minimalistic.

Be consistent. Don’t post once in a while and expect a response. Post a few times a week (at least), and stick to a plan.

Finally, make sure all your social media accounts link back to your church website. That way, people who find you on platforms like Instagram or Facebook can learn more about your ministries, messages, and weekend services.

5. Pay attention to Yelp.

Your Yelp account is one of the primary ways that community members will find and “vet” you online–so it’s important to make sure your account is strong.

Here are a few ways you can create a Yelp account that will draw new visitors to your church:

Ask for positive reviews. You likely have numerous happy, consistent church members. Ask your loyal members to write a review explaining why they love your church community.

Post photos. Ask a volunteer photographer to take photos of your church family at a weekend service. Quality photos of happy, smiling, and engaged church members go a long way online.
Check your contact info. Make sure your church phone number, address, and website URL are all accurate.

If the worst does happen–someone posts a bad review–post a thoughtful, kind response. Sometimes that’s all it takes to remediate the “poor press.”

6. Get on YouTube.

YouTube is still the most watched video platform in the world, with more than 122 million active users every single day. In other words, this platform provides your church with an opportunity to reach a large audience with sound, Biblical teaching and encouragement.

Just as with podcasts, your church may already have a lot of content that can be used as online video content. That includes messages from your weekend services, or even conferences and special events. Just make sure you’re properly set up to film and produce high-resolution videos with great audio (gone are the days of grainy video and poor audio quality).

Your YouTube channel can also show up in Google search results, making it even simpler to find your church online.

A Plan for the Long Haul

You might have read this far and think, Sounds great, but I don’t have the resources to build a website or create social media.

Or, This sounds complicated.

Helping people to find your church online doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated, however.

With the right tools, you can create a consistent plan for creating and maintaining your online presence for the long haul.

Tithe.ly All Access is a suite of software products that can help you create a custom website, generate beautiful (free) content for your social media accounts and sermon series, build a custom app, and even send emails to your church members and visitors online.

The best part? Tithe.ly All Access is cost-effective, so that small- and mid-sized churches can afford to build an amazing online presence without draining their resources.

Remember that building your online presence is ultimately about using your available resources to advance the Kingdom of God. When your content glorifies Jesus, you’re winning.

Former Congregants Use Billboard to Warn Others About Ohio Church

By

Jesse T. Jackson

-

July 7, 2022

A group of former members of Dwell Community Church (formerly known as Xenos Christian Fellowship), a megachurch located in Columbus, Ohio, has purchased ad space on a billboard hoping to warn current attendees regarding abuse happening within the church.

The billboard is located along High Street in Clintonville, less than three miles from the church, and displays large bold neon green and white lettering that reads, “Stuck in Dwell Community Church? There is hope.” The message is followed by the website address leavingwell.com and a QR code, which directs to a page titled, “There Is Life After Dwell Community Church.”

“We who have left Dwell Community Church have shared similar fears,” the site reads. “We have feared that to leave Dwell would put us outside the will of God, that we would lose community and friends, that we would lose a life of meaning and purpose. But we have found hope in life outside of Dwell.”

Former Dwell Community Church members explain that “many of us have found communities and purpose and a deeper relationship with God. Others of us no longer pursue a Christian spiritual path but have experienced a deep sense of healing and self acceptance.” The former members say that the purpose of the site is to help others who are seeking to leave the church and provide them with resources to do so.

On the site, former members provide a section describing the spiritual abuse they and others experienced while attending the church. Stories from four former members are under a section labeled “Healing,” which also provides a link to recommended counseling services.

They also provide a list of other local churches, sharing that “finding a different church can feel very unsafe and unappealing after leaving Dwell, and many choose not to attend church after leaving. But many of us have also ended up in other local churches that we have found to be different and life giving.” The former members invite Dwell Community Church attendees to reach out to them, so they can help connect them with a new church.

One of the former members who helped with the creation of the billboard is Kate Heck, who left the church she attended from 1999 to 2007, because members didn’t approve of her marriage.

Heck shared with NBC4 Columbus, “It was uncomfortable to stay. I also had concerns about the way—the level of coercion within the church—and felt that I needed to leave at that point.” Heck said the group of former members has connected with “hundreds” of others who have also left because of spiritual trauma.

After a series of stories NBC4 Columbus ran earlier this year of former Dwell Community Church members speaking out regarding allegations of exploitation and emotional abuse, Heck said she was “disappointed by the response from the church and the leadership.”

“I think that when you hear stories of pain that people are sharing ways that they have been hurt,” Heck explained, “I think the appropriate response is to be curious about how and why, and to seek to make things right. Apologize. Find out what the systems are that are causing these pains so consistently. These stories span decades. They’re not just one-offs.”

Strategy #1 – Everyone Bring One

Strategy #2 – Church-Wide Push

Strategy #3 – Make Direct Asks

Stategy #4 – Dream Board

Here are seven words to families of introverts:

We aren’t crazy.

It isn’t personal.

We do love you.

We need time to recharge.

Preparation helps.

We don’t have a right to ignore you.

Activity often produces conversation.

A Commentary on Innovative Youth Ministry

Innovative Youth Ministry Recognizes Cultural Shifts

Zachary Levi on How God Brought Him out of Darkness

Igniting Hope Ministries, Bethel, and Declarative Prayer

15 Tactics for the Fullness of Joy

The High Cost of Adultery

Gen Z Slang Words You Should Know

Missional Youth Ministry: Tips for Public-School Outreach

1. Go through the first door that opens on campus.

2. Practice the funnel principle everywhere on campus.

Funnel, Part 1

Funnel, Part 2

6 Ways to Help People Find You Online

1. Build a beautiful, user-friendly website.

2. Write a blog.

3. Publish your sermons as podcasts.

4. Use social media strategically.

5. Pay attention to Yelp.

6. Get on YouTube.

A Plan for the Long Haul

New Articles

New Podcasts