5 Things You Need to Know From the ELCA Churchwide Assembly

August 15, 2022

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

COLUMBUS, Ohio (RNS) — Watching backstage as more than 800 Lutherans sang hymns on the floor of the Greater Columbus Convention Center, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton mused, “We haven’t been singing like this for a long time together.

“It’s really powerful.”

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America gathered this week in Columbus for its first Churchwide Assembly since COVID-19 upended churches across the country in 2020.

The triennial gathering brings together members from all corners of the ELCA to hold elections, make declarations and consider legislation guiding the country’s largest Lutheran denomination. Their work continued unabated in Eaton’s absence Friday (Aug. 12) after the presiding bishop tested positive for COVID despite masking and vaccine requirements.

Here are some of the actions the ELCA Churchwide Assembly took.

Apology to Santa María Peregrina

Four representatives from Iglesia Luterana Santa María Peregrina in Stockton, California, traveled to Columbus to receive a public apology from Eaton during the Churchwide Assembly.

The former bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod was forced to resign after their abrupt removal of the Latino congregation’s pastor on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe sparked outcry across the denomination. Eaton’s response afterward — appointing a listening team months later, then failing to immediately act on their recommendations — also drew criticism.

Eaton said the congregation’s response was “very gracious,” even if it was hard to hear.

“I think it was a healthy thing to do, and I’m touched by the courage of those four to stand up in front of all these people and say, ‘This is how this affected us,’” she said.

Eaton said she plans to visit Iglesia Luterana Santa María Peregrina later this month and will work with the congregation, the synod and churchwide leadership to respond to requests the congregation has made.

Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, left, speaks during the ELCA Churchwide Assembly at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022. RNS photo by Emily McFarlan Miller

Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton, left, addresses representatives of Iglesia Luterana Santa María Peregrina during the ELCA Churchwide Assembly at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022. RNS photo by Emily McFarlan Miller

First Asian American Vice President Elected

The ELCA elected Imran Siddiqui as vice president of the denomination, making him the first Asian American elected to the highest office a layperson can hold.

“This is surreal,” Siddiqui said after the final tally was announced.

When You Feel You Are Not Enough

Scott Sauls

August 15, 2022

For honest Christians (Can there be another kind?), becoming like Jesus Christ — or what Scripture calls sanctification — often feels like an anticlimactic process.

No matter how much better we become over time, no matter how much more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled we are this year compared to last year (Galatians 5:22-23), we never seem to grow in our character to the degree that we once hoped we would.

Curiously, the more like Jesus we become, the less like Jesus we tend to feel.

When I first became a Christian, I had a brimming optimism about becoming a better version of myself. This, after all, is the promise of God to all who trust in Jesus—He will not merely help us turn over a new leaf; he will give us a whole new life.

As a newly born child of God, I was a new creation. The old Scott was gone, and the new Scott had come (2 Corinthians 5:17). The Holy Spirit had taken up residence in me, which meant that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead was living in me. This power would give me faith to trust and follow God’s word and God’s ways over my own flawed feelings, impulses, and ideas. It would give me hope in the face of life’s sorrows, letdowns, and uncertainties. Most of all, it would increase my ability and desire to love God and others. Along the way, I could become the kind of friend, neighbor, spouse, dad, and contributor that might even win an award or two someday (Ha).

Like many Christians in their newfound faith, I felt only optimism about the kind of person that I was destined to become in Christ. I would, as the Apostle had written, be able to “do all things through Christ who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). It was only a matter of time before I would become the very best version of myself.

Or so I thought.

Now, thirty-something years later, I’ve come to terms with reality. Sometimes I feel more sinful and less holy and virtuous than I did in those first days as a brand-new Christian. Although there are many ways in which I have become more like Christ, in other ways I still ignore and disobey and even deny him. At my best, those who are closest to me will tell you that the fruit of the Spirit is at work in my life. At my worst, those same people will tell you that I can be petty and even angry about the most insignificant things.

I get road rage.

I get irritated with people who eat loudly.

I think about money more often than I should.

I find more satisfaction in the praise of people than I do in the grace of God.

There are times when I enjoy the sound of my own name more than I enjoy the sound of Jesus’ name.

I can be selfish, cowardly, conflict-averse, jealous, and ambitious in all the wrong ways. I can, like the Pharisees, use my spiritual gifts and platform to draw attention to myself and applause from others—applause that belongs only to God, who deserves all the glory.

Sometimes when an immodest movie scene flashes in front of my eyes, I don’t look away.

I fear the future as much as I trust God for the future.

Sometimes I cuss.

I am a man who lives by fear as much as I am a man who lives by faith. When I see Jesus on the cross crying out, “My God, why have you forsaken me?” I often think, “My God, why haven’t you forsaken me?”

Change the World: Help Your Kids Avoid Negative Christianity

Andrew Linder

August 15, 2022

When God calls someone to the life of being a Christian, it is a calling to what is meant to be the most joy-filled and positive experience that any person can EVER know this side of eternity. Our sins are forgiven, our hope is in Christ, and our eternity in heaven is secured. And as a result, as Christians, we ought to be the most positive and happy people in the world!

So why is there so much “negative Christianity” in our world today? When I speak of negative Christianity, I’m referring to many Christians who are simply more negative than they are positive. They are negative in their view of life, their view of all other Christians who differ from them, and often even in their view of the Bible as primarily a rule list of “thou shalt nots”.

I don’t know about you, but as a parent, I don’t want to raise my children to buy into the lie of negative Christianity. It is my desire that they would be joy-filled, spirit-led, gospel-driven world-changers who aren’t afraid to think outside the box, break the mold, and do anything and everything that God calls them to do with their lives.

Think about this…

“Our world 20 years from now will be what we have raised our children to be today.”

Wow. That’s a powerful thought!

And what do we want that world to look like? What do we want our future families and churches to look like? I, for one, want them to be the most positive forces in the world for good.

Here are some differences between positive and negative Christianity that can help us to avoid the one and encourage the other.

1) Positive Christianity has its primary focus on following Christ and being led by His Spirit. Negative Christianity has its primary focus on following a rule list of dos and don’ts in order to be a good Christian.

2) Positive Christianity rejoices with those who do rejoice, and weeps with those who weep because if they are a brother in Christ, they are worth rejoicing over, even if I disagree with them. Negative Christianity rejoices with those who are just like them, and criticizes those who aren’t, even when God is clearly blessing what they are doing.

3) Positive Christianity focuses more on the heart and less on appearance (although both are important). Negative Christianity often focuses more on appearance while neglecting more important matters of the heart.

4) Positive Christianity cares more about making God look good to a watching world. Negative Christianity often cares more about making themselves look good and the world look bad.

5) Positive Christianity strives to be known more for what God is for. Negative Christianity strives to be known more for what God is against.

How to Execute a Strategic Plan at Your Church – Crafting the Plan

Gavin Adams

August 14, 2022

When most leaders work on strategic plans and initiatives, they tend to jump headfirst into creation mode.

I get that temptation. As a strategic planner who’s conducted countless planning workshops, I understand the desire to start with our future hopes and dreams. Unfortunately, developing a new strategy before determining the current reality is a recipe for problems.

In the past several posts, I’ve outlined the importance of evaluating our current reality as the first step in the strategic planning process.

The Best Strategic Plans Have Four Distinct Segments:

Determine position and reality
Develop a strategy
Design the tactics
Measure the progress

The first step is the most critical step. No strategy that ignores the current reality can succeed in totality.

Determining Position and Reality Looks Like This:

Establishing success (Mission and Vision),
Clarifying aspirational behaviors and values (How do we do things around here?),
Understanding our points of differentiation (What makes us, us?), and
Asking our one unifying question (What must be true in a year?).
Evaluating our reality in light of success.

After this strategic planning phase, you and your team should have a complete and honest understanding of who you are and where you are. This understanding is our starting point from which we’ll build our strategic bridge to our desired destination.

We turn to the second segment after concluding the evaluative portion of planning.

Develop a Strategy

If you say, “It’s about time,” I get it. The evaluative process is long yet fundamental to our process. The better we define our position and reality, the better prepared we are to develop our strategy.

The second portion of our strategic planning process follows a similar plan as our first segment.

The steps to develop your new strategy proceeds in this fashion through a series of questions:

1. How will we succeed?

Our first step in the strategic planning process defined success (mission and vision). This segment answered the “what” of success. Now we turn our planning to the “hows” of success. How will we succeed?

As you already know, church success is defined by life change through the love and power of Jesus. To simplify our strategy to the irrefutable minimum, we are trying to Great Commission our community.

How can we do that best? I believe the answer is through steps, not programs. We must build ministry models of movement, not moments. Just as the “renewing of our mind” is a process, we should build ministry models to facilitate movement. That’s what spiritual formation and discipleship pathways attempt to do.

How will we succeed? By creating a model that moves people through a discipleship process.

2. What specific areas need addressing? How should they be prioritized?

After redefining the “how” of success, we focus on the specific areas that are working and not working on our discipleship pathway. After evaluating everything we do in light of success, we can decide:

- What should we keep doing in its current form?
- What should be retained, but needs some revitalization to work within our model?
- What should we add along the continuum to help people move through the process?
- What should we quit doing altogether?

12 Characteristics of Evangelistic Pastors

Chuck Lawless

August 14, 2022

In almost 25 years of studying churches in North America, never have I yet found an evangelistic church that was not led by a strongly evangelistic pastor. Here are some general characteristics I’ve seen in these pastors:

12 Characteristics of Evangelistic Pastors

1. They make themselves do evangelism.

Some are naturally gifted evangelists, but many are not. They just know they need to do evangelism, and they need to lead the way – so they intentionally choose to do what sometimes makes them uncomfortable.

2. They believe in the exclusivity of the gospel and truth of eternal judgment.

Believing that a personal relationship with Jesus is necessary for salvation—and for escaping eternal judgment—they tell others about Him.

3. They hold themselves accountable to someone.

They’re unafraid to keep somebody else informed about their evangelistic endeavors. They want the accountability, and they want to model evangelistic faithfulness for others.

4. If they have staff, they hold them accountable to doing evangelism as well.

That is, they work to build evangelism into the DNA of their church. They know the importance of leaders modeling the work of evangelism.

5. They don’t lock themselves up in their office.

Instead, they get involved in the community. They join local organizations. They work out in local gyms. They coach little league in the area. They go where lost people are.

6. They pray for non-believers by name.

Their primary prayer request may be that they themselves would speak the gospel boldly (Eph 6:18-20), but they regularly ask God to open blinded minds of family and friends.

7. They often have a global heart that translates into local evangelism.

The Great Commission is clearly both international and domestic for them. The evangelism they do in one context fuels their fire for the other context.

8. They use the pulpit for evangelism, but they don’t stop there.

Seldom do they preach the Word without calling people to repentance and faith. At the same time, though, they don’t allow their pulpit evangelism to replace doing personal, one-on-one work.

9. They tend to define “evangelism” narrowly (and properly, in my opinion).

That is, it is never less than verbalizing the good news of Jesus to a non-believer. Other good deeds may lead to sharing the gospel, but evangelism itself necessitates telling the good news.

10. They grieve when they don’t see lost persons get saved.

They so long for people to know Jesus that they weep when they see non-believers fight against the gospel.

11. They tend to be disciplined in Bible study and prayer.

In fact, it’s their time with God that propels them into evangelizing.

12. They humbly speak of their evangelistic attempts.

They don’t broadcast them, but nor do they miss an opportunity to illustrate for others that they’re doing evangelism. It’s tough to be a model if no one ever hears what you’re doing.

What other characteristics of evangelistic pastors have you seen?

This article on characteristics of evangelistic pastors originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

10 Things I Did NOT Do That Improved Our Congregational Singing

Scott Connell

August 14, 2022

My congregation sings louder than they did a year ago. I have been their worship leader for just over a year, and I have seen progress in their participation in worship through singing. They sing louder, they sing more heartily and more of them sing than a year ago. This realization occurred to me as I was reading an article on the decline of congregational singing, and it caused me to wonder why we are not a part of the trend.

10 Things That Helped our Congregational Singing

1. I did not turn the lights down.

Too often worship services look like concerts. The problem is that concerts are for listening and worship services are for singing. Keep the focus on the congregation, not only on the stage.

2. I did not turn the sound up.

Loud volumes prevent the congregation from singing. If they cannot hear themselves sing they will not sing. If they cannot hear their neighbor sing they will not sing. If they can hear both, they will be more likely to sing.

3. I did not try to sound like the YouTube video.

These videos can be very helpful teaching tools to learn the melody and style, but then turn them off and don’t go back to them. They are generally produced as concert settings and they are not your musicians. Let your band members be who they are and make room for the congregation’s part.

4. I did not try lengthy or frequent instrumental solos.

I like a well-placed instrumental solo, especially if it is used strategically to help the congregation think about a Scripture on the screen or just “breathe in” the text they have just sung. A “Selah” moment can be very helpful, but too many of these and/or solos that are too long tell the congregation to check out. It is like telling the people “this is not about you.”

5. I did not try the newest worship songs.

We need to give some of these new songs some time to prove themselves. I like to try new songs, but only after I have seen some staying power in them. There is also a threshold in a worship service for new songs. More than one new song in a service is risky. A new song every week is too much. Protect worship’s familiarity. That is your greatest aid to congregational singing.

6. I did not try to get rid of their old favorite songs.

Part of the damage of our race to acquire the newest songs is our simultaneous rush to discard the older ones. My congregation loves some songs that I don’t like as much or may even be tired of. But if the theology is sound and the musical setting is appropriate, let them sing. It is not about us!

7. I did not try to greatly expand the song library.

CCLI currently lists about 300,000 songs. And new songs are coming out every week. How many songs do we really need to sing every year? Probably about 40-50. We have more songs at our disposal than at any point in worship history. That means we need to say “no” to most of them.

8. I did not try rhythmically challenging melodies.

While the chord changes with contemporary worship are simpler than traditional hymnody, the melodic rhythms can be quite complicated. Smooth it out, take out the solistic turns and variations, teach it well, and make it congregationally friendly. Who cares how cool it sounds if the only ones singing are on the worship team.

9. I did not try too many songs in a worship service.

We can argue about how people should really want to sing more, but every congregation has its saturation point for singing each Sunday. Most have not sung the rest of the week so Sunday is a vocal workout. If your congregation is singing well for three or four songs, but by the fifth song they are beginning to drop out, you may not be serving them by adding the extra song. Don’t criticize them, serve them and help them grow.

10. I did not have my band play on every verse and chorus.

Musical accompaniment has one major purpose: supporting congregational singing! The most important sound on Sunday morning is that of your congregation. Have the band stop playing occasionally and let the people hear each other. I promise they will sing louder and more heartily in response!

Let the people sing!

This article about congregational singing originally appeared here.

5 Reasons Why Kids Aren’t Listening to Your Lessons

Dale Hudson

August 13, 2022

Do you ever have trouble with getting kids to listen to your lessons?

If the answer is “yes,” then you are not alone. We’ve all had times where it seemed we couldn’t get the kids to engage with our lesson.

I have found that when I am having trouble with the kids listening, that it is often on me.

I am not doing one or more of the following five things.

They are not listening to the lesson because I am not honoring their attention span. Today’s kids have very, very, very, very, very short attention spans. They constantly have messages coming their way through smart phones, TV ads, radio ads, laptops, tablets, etc. In fact, they have so many messages coming their way that they will often just give the information a quick glance and if it doesn’t grab their attention, they are off to see or hear the next thing coming their way.

So what can we do? How can we get kids to listen to our lesson in the world of thousands of messages?

Here’s a simple secret that can help you capture (and keep) their attention.

Every 4-5 minutes, reset their internal clock. When you do this, you will be honoring their attention span and you will be able to keep their attention. Instead of looking at your lesson as a 60 minute stretch, look at it as 12 five-minute sections. Every 5 minutes, switch and do something else.

Here’s a practical example. Teach for five minutes and then switch and have them do some discussion questions for five minutes. Then go back to your teaching for five minutes. Then stop and do an activity for five minutes. Then go back to teaching again.

Sesame Street is one of the most engaging children’s programs ever created. Their 52nd season premiered on HBO Max on November 11. Watch an episode and you will see this teaching philosophy in action. The show is divided into short segments that change every few minutes.

With this in mind, I created a curriculum that honors kids’ attention spans. Implement this philosophy and you will see the issue of kids not listening go away (including the 2nd grade boys – which is a miracle). You can see curriculum samples at this link.

They are not listening to the lesson because you are not telling stories. Take notice of this the next time you are teaching. When you start telling a story, you will notice that the kids engage with you. Once the story is done, you can see them physically disengage. They will start looking around, talking, fidgeting, etc.

Did you know that Jesus, the greatest teacher of all times, used stories when He taught? In fact, the Bible says He always told stories. Stories that captured the attention of those who had come to hear Him. Check out this verse.

Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. (Matthew 13:34)

Follow His teaching method and you will see kids begin listening to your lessons.

They are not listening to your lesson because you are not intentionally giving them opportunities to talk.

Kids learn best through dialogue instead of monologue. They are not listening to your lesson because you are saying…sssssshhhhhhhhhh…instead of asking them questions and getting them to talk about the subject you are sharing about.

Youth Ministry Goals: Discover How to Set Up Your Program for Success

Stephanie Martin

August 12, 2022

Youth ministry goals are essential for short-term and long-term impact. Goals encourage you and your volunteers to continuously improve, help you keep plans on track, and lead to lasting impact on young lives.

So where to begin? Start small with youth ministry goals so you don’t get overwhelmed. Look toward the upcoming week first. Then expand to the month, semester, and year ahead.

When you’re satisfied with those goals, take time to think even further ahead. Set youth ministry goals for the next five years or even the next decade. Even if you’re no longer at the helm or no longer at that church, what do you envision? What are your big-picture dreams and hopes for teen ministry?

If you’ve ever looked into goal-setting, you’ve likely heard the SMART acronym. Here’s what those letters represent:

Specific – What detailed actions will you take?
Measurable – How will you evaluate your progress?
Achievable – Is the goal realistic and achievable?
Relevant – Does the goal mesh with your responsibilities?
Time-bound – What’s the schedule or deadline?

To help you be SMART about your own youth ministry goals, we’ve gathered goal-setting (and goal-meeting) advice. Use the expert tips below to brainstorm, set, and reach your goals.

6 Resources for Exploring Youth Ministry Goals

1. Back to Basics: The Essence of Youth Ministry

Before launching into specific goals about attendance and plans, first consider the big picture. What is your overall goal as a youth minister? Is it discipleship? evangelism? relationship-building? All of the above? As Barna Research discovered, that’s not as clear as you might expect. So make sure everyone’s on the same page. (That’s includes the senior pastor, church staff, volunteers, parents, and teens.)

2. Aim Your Actions at What You Want to Accomplish

These insights from Andy Blanks at YouthMinistry360 will help you craft goals that are on target. Unless you know where you’re going, you won’t know when you arrive!

Sermons4Kids: Top 10 Children’s Sermons to Share With Kids

Stephanie Martin

August 12, 2022

Sermons4Kids offers a one-stop resource for oodles of children’s messages. No matter what Bible lesson or topic you’re teaching, you’ll find what you need—at no cost. Materials are geared toward preschool and elementary-aged children. So choose what works best for your young audience.

All the key Old Testament and New Testament stories are represented in the Sermons4Kids online database. Bonus: Most are available in Spanish as well!

What to expand the impact of your Sunday school and children’s church lessons? Sermons4Kids also provides game ideas, craft ideas, coloring pages, and much more.

To give you a sneak peek of what Sermons4Kids.com offers, here’s a top 10 list of kids messages. With so many options, it’s tough to narrow them down. So check out the lessons yourself, and let us know your favorites!

10 Kids Messages We Love at Sermons4Kids

First, here are five children’s sermons from the Old Testament:

1. Joseph Forgives His Brothers

This children’s sermon, based on Genesis 45:1-15, shows the impact of forgiveness. Kids will hear how Joseph offered “sweet” forgiveness to his brothers instead of holding a bitter grudge.

2. Elijah Is Fed by Ravens

Share with young listeners how the prophet Elijah trusted in God—and how God provided for him. The sermon uses 1 Kings 17:4 as its text and birdseed for an object lesson.

3. Who Do You Trust?

Check out this kid-friendly lesson about Psalm 23. Children will discover that God is our good Shepherd, and we can trust him in every situation.

4. The Potter & the Clay

Use this Old Testament object lesson (Isaiah 64:8) to explain how God works on us like clay. Why? So we can be more like Jesus!

5. God’s Prayer Warrior: Daniel

In this children’s sermons, kids will discover how Daniel prayed faithfully. God rescued Daniel from hungry lions, and God rescues us too! (Daniel 6:16)

Abuse Survivor ‘Crying Tears of Thankfulness’ After Department of Justice Initiates Investigation Into SBC Entities

Jesse T. Jackson

August 12, 2022

SBC SATF — (L) Photo via Pexels.com @EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA (R) Photo courtesy of Baptist Press

Rumors, first circulated by The Baptist Blogger on Twitter, that federal investigators have requested unredacted copies of the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) Sexual Abuse Task Force (SATF) report on Friday afternoon turned out to be true.

In a statement issued mere hours after The Baptist Blogger broke the news, the SBC Executive Committee said that it “recently became aware that the Department of Justice has initiated an investigation into the Southern Baptist Convention, and that the investigation will include multiple SBC entities.”

“Individually and collectively each SBC entity is resolved to fully and completely cooperate with the investigation,” the statement said. “While we continue to grieve and lament past mistakes related to sexual abuse, current leaders across the SBC have demonstrated a firm conviction to address those issues of the past and are implementing measures to ensure they are never repeated in the future. The fact that the SBC Executive Committee recently completed a fully transparent investigation is evidence of this commitment.”

The SBC recognized that their reform efforts aren’t finished but mentioned that the newly announced Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force has already started working. Additionally, “each entity has strengthened its efforts to protect against abuse.” The SBC reiterated that their “commitment to cooperate with the Department of Justice is born from our demonstrated commitment to transparently address the scourge of sexual abuse.”

The statement, which was signed by every SBC entity head, concluded, “While so many things in the world are uncertain, we can be certain that we serve a mighty God. Nothing, including this investigation, takes Him by surprise. We take comfort in that and humbly ask you be in prayer in the days and weeks ahead. Specifically, we ask God to grant wisdom and discernment to each person dealing with the investigation.”

The lawyers for the SBC clarified that “the EC has received a subpoena. No individuals have been subpoenaed at this point. This is an ongoing investigation and we are not commenting on our discussions with DOJ.”

Guidepost Solutions was selected by the SATF last year to conduct an investigation into the SBC Executive Committee’s handling of sexual abuse allegations over the course of two decades.

The 288-page Guidepost Solutions report was released in May and confirmed that SBC leadership had ignored, silenced, and ostracized victims of sexual abuse, as far back as the year 2000.

The SBC has apologized to abuse survivors and passed a resolution titled, “On Lament and Repentance for Sexual Abuse,” wherein it specifically named Christa Brown, Susan Codone, Megan Lively, Jennifer Lyell, Anne Marie Mille, David Pittman, Tiffany Thigpen, Debbie Vasquez, Hannah-Kate Williams, and Jules Woodson.

In response to the news of the investigation, abuse survivor and advocate Hannah-Kate Williams posted, “I am 100% crying tears of thankfulness that the FBI is FINALLY investigating the SBC and it’s agents. That it would happen 3 years to the week that I first escaped the abuse and filed is everything. May justice roll down like a river 😭.”

Beth Moore’s Tweet About Having ‘A Crush’ on Jesus Causes Another Twitter Meltdown

Jessica Mouser

August 12, 2022

A July 29 tweet from author and Bible teacher Beth Moore has caused a belated kerfuffle on Twitter. Some are calling Moore blasphemous and irreverent, while others are defending her and are perplexed that her tweet was even controversial.

“I’m growing grapes for reals,” said Moore, posting a picture of grapes in her two-week old tweet. “It’s like a miracle. In fifty jillion degree weather. If Jesus is trying to get me to have a crush on him, it’s working.”

Beth Moore’s Tweet Sparks Strong Reactions

Quite a few people reacted to the tweet with disgust, accusing Moore of blasphemy or at least of speaking about God in a way that is irreverent and disrespectful. “This is an abominable statement!” said one user named Elizabeth, whose response got retweeted several times. “Such a disrespect for God in trying to be ‘cool.’ Shameful!”

Polemic website Protestia tweeted, “A man would never talk about Jesus in this way. This is exclusively how unlearned women and gay men talk about him.”

Dr. Josh Buice, founder and president of G3 Ministries, retweeted Moore, saying, “In 2016, I wrote an article titled, ‘Why Your Pastor Should Say No More to Beth Moore.’ I later penned an article in 2019 titled, ‘Why the SBC Should Say No More to Beth Moore.’ Both articles resulted in waves of vicious hate mail. I stand by those articles for obvious reasons.”

“I’m not sure which is worse: The fact that Beth Moore believes Jesus is trying to get her to have a crush on him or the fact that people are defending what she says,” said a user named Anastasia.

User emma grace responded, “I’m not sure which is worse: The fact that a woman sharing her adoration for her Lord is being met with such hostility or the fact that people really are angry enough about it to make her trend on twitter. Great witness to the world.” Emma grace also observed, “I think it’s bold to call language like this blasphemous when Christians have been leaning into the romantic implications of the Christ/Church, Groom/Bride relationship for centuries.”

A number of people see the anger over Moore’s tweet as an overreaction. “Seriously? This is what’s causing all the kerfluffle?” asked one. “And evangelicals and conservatives mock others for being ‘triggered?’”

Others have joined emma grace in pointing to scriptural teachings and passages that frame God’s relationship with his people in terms of romance. “Looks like this @BethMooreLPM tweet with grapes and a line about ‘having a crush’ on Jesus is causing a dust up,” said Bob Smietana, national religion writer for Religion News Service. “Which is fascinating given the evangelical emphasis of a personal relationship with Jesus.” He added, “And the language of the church as the Bride of Christ.”

Saying ‘Yes’ to God Allows Raiders QB Derek Carr to Preach and Play

Stephanie Martin

August 12, 2022

By saying “yes” to God and being willing to shelve his football career before it began, Derek Carr has been able to combine his passions of ministry and football. On a recent episode of “The High Note” podcast, the Las Vegas Raiders quarterback opens up about the blessings that come from hearing and obeying God. The 31-year-old All-Pro athlete also tells host Tauren Wells, a Christian musician, about the challenges and blessings of living for Jesus in high-profile secular setting.

As ChurchLeaders has reported, Carr is an outspoken Christian known for sharing the gospel with strangers—including at a Chipotle restaurant in San Francisco. He also once shared a message that helped prevent three suicides.

Derek Carr: Off-Field Victories Matter Most

In the podcast episode, titled “Derek Carr on Faith, Family, and Football,” Tauren Wells introduces Carr as a “phenomenal preacher of the Gospel.” In response to a question about where his “authentic” faith originates, Carr describes a strong family legacy of faith—including parents who prioritized Sunday worship over youth football games. “We were raised to know what was the most important thing,” he says.

It wasn’t until college when Carr made his faith his own, he admits, saying he was “not a good dude” for a while. When he first met Heather, now his wife of 10 years, “she was dragging me to church,” he says. Thanks to her persistence, Carr became determined to change and to “prove it to [her] that I’m different.”

The QB also credits longtime mentor Mattie Montgomery with helping him learn submission to authority and truly believe that Jesus acts in response to prayer.

As a recent example of listening to God and then seeing results, Carr describes an incident at a celebrity golf tournament last month. While eating breakfast in a hospitality tent, he noticed a photographer limping by and “felt the Lord telling me, ‘I want you to pray for that lady.’”

Carr adds, “I knew she was going to have to walk all day…so I shared a story about how my mom was recently healed” and asked, “Can I just pray for you?” The photographer agreed, and the next day she returned to thank him, saying, “All the pain left.” Of all his experiences that weekend, Carr shares, “that was the victory.”

Derek Carr: God Knew My Heart Was His

Carr often references listening to God, noting that one message from above nearly upended his NFL career. He describes feeling “the tug of the Lord on my chest” to retire—just before his rookie year. After initially fighting the idea, he eventually talked to his coach and family. They all agreed “there’ll be a day” for preaching but that he should go play for now.

“It was in that moment,” Carr says, “where I think the Lord knew that my heart was his. And I’ve been able to minister to thousands of people.” Through speaking appearances and conferences, he is “preaching the Gospel and watching thousands of people get saved. I’ve seen healings take place. I’ve seen people set free. I’ve seen marriages reunite. I’ve seen kids come back home. All while playing football.”

Self-Proclaimed Prophet, Former Global Fire Ministries’ Leader Jeff Jansen Unexpectedly Dead at 60

Jesse T. Jackson

August 12, 2022

Former co-leader of Global Fire Ministries Jeff Jansen, who described himself as a prophet, evangelist, revivalist, and conference speaker, died unexpectedly on Tuesday (August 8) at the age of 60.

“It is with great sadness, we announce that Jeff Jansen passed away unexpectedly,” a statement from Global Fire Ministries read. ”Over the years, Jeff has left an indelible mark on those who knew him. Please pray for his family as they remember him and grieve this tremendous loss.”

Jansen’s seven children posted a message on their father’s Instagram page, saying, “It is with heavy hearts that we announce that our Dad, Jeff Jansen, has gone home to be with The Lord. Our Dad’s legacy will be remembered as one of passion for the Gospel, for God’s people, and for the Nations of the World.”

“While we are devastated with the loss, it has been truly uplifting to witness first hand how many lives Dad has impacted over the years,” the statement continued.

“We have decided to have a public Celebration of Life to accommodate the masses who have expressed a desire to pay their respects,” Jansen’s children shared with his 43,600 followers. “We believe that this is what Dad would have wanted, and we have secured a space that will hold up to 500 people. All are welcome!”

The service will be live-streamed for those unable to attend in-person.

As the children don’t have control of their father’s estate, they shared that Jansen’s funeral expenses won’t be fully covered and asked for electronic donations to help with costs.

In the spring of 2021, Jansen was asked to step down from the ministry he co-founded with his wife due to “unscriptural and unbiblical behavior.” The board stated that Jansen was disqualified from leadership because of “a pattern of making poor moral choices, and bad coping mechanisms [and] character flaws.”

One of those choices was leaving his wife, Jan Jansen, after 26 years of marriage. Jan is currently listed as Global Fire Ministries’ senior leader.

According to Global Fire Ministries, at the time, Jansen had not made an attempt at reconciliation, showing no remorse or repentance for his actions.

Former Hillsong Employee Alleges Church Misled Donors, Evaded Taxes

Dale Chamberlain

August 12, 2022

Natalie Moses Hillsong — Screengrab via Facebook

Natalie Moses, former fundraising and governance coordinator for Hillsong Church, is alleging in a lawsuit that the church has misled donors, misappropriated funds, and evaded taxes, according to ABC News Investigates.

The Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC) launched an investigation into Hillsong Church in March to examine its compliance with regulations as a registered charity. The investigation came to light this week when it was revealed in the court documents of Moses’ Fair Work lawsuit against the church. Moses is claiming the church mistreated her for bringing up concerns regarding its financial dealings.

According to Moses, who was employed by the church in March 2020 to oversee compliance of global Hillsong entities with Australian non-profit tax laws, claimed that the church repeatedly breached those laws, particularly when it came to transferring Australian funds overseas for various projects.

Moses also alleged that Hillsong has engaged in questionable practices when it comes to expenditures for church leaders, including conflicts of interest. According to Moses, Hillsong artists were classified as “pastors,” receiving half of their salaries tax-free while still earning millions in royalties for record sales and other residuals related to Hillsong music.

Moses further claims that Hillsong leaders misappropriated tax-free money as “large cash gifts” for Hillsong founder and former global senior pastor Brian Houston.

Houston resigned in disgrace from Hillsong Church in March 2022 following scandals involving drug and alcohol use, as well as sexual impropriety. It was the very same month that the ACNC began its investigation into Hillsong’s financial practices.

Moses said that she had repeatedly raised concerns about the ethics and legality of Hillsong’s financial dealings with the church’s chief financial officer, Peter Ridley, but was consistently rebuffed.

One such conflict came in earlier in March 2022, when Moses claimed to have raised concerns about the way the church allegedly used donations made to its charity entity, aimed at bringing justice to vulnerable groups, to pay financial deficits for the church entity.

Moses also reportedly objected to Hillsong asking for charitable donations to renovate “Festival Hall” in Melbourne, Australia, a facility purchased by a Hillsong-related entity in 2020. By claiming that donations were tax deductible, which Moses believed were not, Moses contended that the church was committing tax fraud.

Moses said that Ridley was dismissive of her objections and grew frustrated with her.

Following the launch of the ACNC investigation, which began mere weeks after these conflicts between Moses and Ridley, Ridley allegedly told employees in the financial department that Hillsong would be exonerated by the investigation, because “God protects the righteous and Hillsong is the righteous.”

Church ESL Camp Preps Hispanic Elementary Students for School Year

Diana Chandler

August 12, 2022

esl_sbc_ — Charmaine Traffanstedt, seated at the teacher’s desk, with Laura Aponte, standing left, designed and taught a Gospel-centered ESL camp for kindergarteners through fifth graders at Cross Community Church in Houston. Photo courtesy of Baptist Press.

HOUSTON (BP) – Fanny Baltanado planned to spend just six months visiting her new granddaughter in Texas when the unanticipated COVID-19 pandemic thwarted her return to Nicaragua. She would need to find a church home near Humble, Texas.

An adult English as a second language class attracted Baltanado in March to Cross Community Church, where she became a regular attendee and in August, helped the church teach ESL to local Hispanic elementary students in a back-to-school camp.

“For me, this was an amazing experience because we are able to bring the love of Jesus Christ to the people, especially kids,” Baltanado said. “I think they are the base of the society, and we need to help them to be more comfortable, to be more confident with themselves, because they are (in) difficult times.”

ESL classes ranked as a top community need when Del Traffanstedt and his wife Charmaine planted Cross Community Church in the majority Spanish-speaking Eastex-Jensen area of northeast Houston in September 2021. The couple learned of the need for the ESL camp for children after launching their first adult class in March, said Charmaine Traffanstedt, who directs the church’s ESL ministry.

“In talking with some of our students, they were relating to me that their children were coming into the school district for the first time this year,” Traffanstedt said, “and knew very little English.

“We came up with the idea to do a three-day English as a second language class just for kids, kindergarteners through fifth grade,” she said of herself and fellow teacher Laura Aponte, “and we focused on doing the basic English language that would help them just kind of function in school.”

Traffanstedt and Aponte wove in Bible stories, creation, the fall of man and the salvation found in Jesus, incorporating Spanish and English oral Bible storying and singing.

On the last day of the camp that attracted 40 students and eight mothers Aug. 3-5, Senior Pastor Del Traffanstedt presented the Gospel.

“No one professed faith, but it did generate many questions that night about the church and our faith, and we had visitors (and) family units from the camp at our church the next Sunday,” the pastor said.

Traffanstedt describes Cross Community as majority Latino with half of the members speaking both Spanish and English or primarily Spanish alone. Attendance averages 85 at the church plant, with Northeast Houston Baptist Church in Humble as the sending church. In the church’s immediate community of nearly 29,000 people, 68 percent of homes are primarily Spanish speaking, with 31 percent primarily speaking English, according to 2019 U.S. Census figures.

For Pastor Traffanstedt, the ESL classes are an act of true love.

Seeds of Rural Ministry Thrive With Prayer and Patience, South Dakota Pastors Say

Scott Barkley

August 12, 2022

rural_sbc — Bethany Baptist Church in Waubay, S.D. saw 35-40 children arrive each night for vacation Bible school. Photo courtesy of Baptist Press.

HURON, S.D. (BP) – A recent sermon at Huron Baptist Church included a concept held in high regard by pastor Ian Harp and his peers. It’s a concept that applies both to the life of a minister as well as to the farmers who populate his church, town and surrounding area.

Prayer and patience. They come in handy when crops go in the ground, but also when pastors are working to break through the hard soil of evangelism. That work takes place through their churches but also their secular jobs and other ways they serve the community.

“Ministry here? It’s the hardest place I’ve ever been,” Harp said.

The challenges of rural ministry – such as loneliness and lack of resources – aren’t specific to South Dakota. But even as a second or third job may be necessary for financial stability, so is the need to be around others whether as a pastor, employee or volunteer.

More than likely, others see you as all of the above.

Last month Harp helped smoke 300 pounds of pork tenderloin as a community outreach. Three people were saved at that event. Not long after arriving in June 2019, he cooked a full pig for others to enjoy.

Pastoral work is full-time, but he supplements his part-time pay by driving a garbage truck for the city.

That role also connects him with others outside of the church to hopefully build relationships and introduce them to Christ. Being a “garbage man,” as Harp says it, isn’t very glamorous. But his place as a pastor takes precedence, as his youngest daughter reminded him.

“You have to be patient,” said Harp, who left 21 years of driving a semi to become a pastor. “If we’re going to get where God wants us to be, we have to be patient and faithful.”

Eighty miles northeast, Billy Keeble preaches on grace and forgiveness at Bethany Baptist Church in Waubay. His passion comes not only from seeing this in Scripture, but knowing it through how he was delivered from alcoholism. It’s the story he tells others in his work during the week at a rehab and treatment center.

His mother’s death in 2014 sent him into depression and drinking. Addiction was not something new to him.

“My family has a lot of addiction in it, and I had trouble staying sober,” he said. “But God moved in my life and those chains are now broken. I can’t explain it, but I felt I wanted to give back. I’ve found my purpose in giving hope to others.”

Redfield, S.D., is known as the Pheasant Capital of the World, with its high school sporting that mascot. It’s baseball team of high school students, however, is the Redfield Area Muskrats, taking that name as an independent club since the state doesn’t sanction the sport.

Ted Price has been a part of providing video work at Redfield High since he was a student there in the early 1980s. As pastor of Redfield Baptist Church, he’s active in numerous roles within the community such as a board member for several groups and as chaplain for the sheriff’s office.

He’s also become valuable with local radio stations not only for his technical know-how but also for announcing athletic events, including Muskrat baseball.

“Anything a pastor does in public provides inroads to others,” he said. “People begin to recognize you. It definitely opens doors.”

Doors open often for Keeble, whether through his work at the treatment center or in the pulpit of Bethany Baptist. Today, his past only comes up in helping others work through their own challenges.

“I tell them there is life on the other side it,” said Keeble, who works with many fellow members of the Sisseton Wahpeton tribe.

He understands Harp’s sentiment behind the concepts of prayer and patience.

Reckoning With Their History, Lutherans Issue Declaration To Indigenous Peoples

Emily McFarlan Miller

August 12, 2022

lutheran_apologize — Indigenous Lutherans lead a worship service during the ELCA Churchwide Assembly, Aug. 10, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio. RNS photo by Emily McFarlan Miller

COLUMBUS, Ohio (RNS) — There was a time when Lutherans were recognized as the advocates for Indigenous peoples, according to Vance Blackfox, director for Indigenous ministries and tribal relations for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the United States’ largest Lutheran denomination.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Lutherans vocally supported the American Indian Movement, said Blackfox, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and the first to hold his position in the ELCA. They set an example for how Christians can engage in justice work for and with Indigenous peoples.

Blackfox said it’s time for Lutherans to lead again.

“We have a history, we have a heritage of doing the right thing, and we will continue to do that. I truly believe it,” he said.

Blackfox’s remarks came as the denomination — meeting for its triennial Churchwide Assembly in Columbus, Ohio, this week — shared its Declaration of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to American Indian and Alaska Native People for the first time in person. Adopted by the ELCA Church Council in September, the five-page document includes confessions to Indigenous peoples inside and outside of the denomination, as well as a confession to non-Indigenous members of the ELCA.

“We confess that we are complicit in the annihilation of Native peoples and your cultures, languages, and religions, and that we have refused to truly recognize the harm that we have caused our Native siblings,” the declaration reads.

The assembly also heard an address from National Congress of American Indians President Fawn Sharp, who is vice president of the Quinault Indian Nation in Taholah, Washington. Sharp, who thanked the denomination on behalf of the 574 tribal nations across the United States, said the work ahead of the denomination is “humanly impossible,” but that together they can overcome those barriers.

“Our ancestors long foretold a day of reckoning when this world and this life was not consistent with our values. At some point, there would be a day of reckoning — a moment of truth, healing and reconciliation. Those predictions from so long ago were for our generation,” she said.

“We are that generation.”

Sharp’s address was followed by a worship service designed and led by Indigenous Lutherans that included drumming, smudging, prayers to the four directions, a time of repentance and an offering collected for the denomination’s partnership with the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.

Later in the day, voting members of the Churchwide Assembly introduced a resolution (approved on Thursday) encouraging ELCA entities to consider returning land to Indigenous groups. At the urging of the American Indian and Alaska Native Lutheran Association, many in the convention hall wore red to bring attention to missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

All of these steps are a result of the denomination’s repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery at its 2016 Churchwide Assembly, which created the task force that wrote the declaration presented this week.

How (and Why) to Put Your Worst Foot Forward

Scott Sauls

August 12, 2022

One day in my mid-twenties while studying at Covenant Seminary to become a pastor, I came across a suicide note published in the local newspaper…written by a pastor:

God forgive me for not being any stronger than I am. But when a minister becomes clinically depressed, there are very few places where he can turn to for help…it feels as if I’m sinking farther and farther into a downward spiral of depression. I feel like a drowning man, trying frantically to lift up my head to take just one more breath. But one way or another, I know I am going down.

The writer was the promising young pastor of a large, thriving Presbyterian church in Saint Louis. Having secretly battled depression for a long time – and having sought help through prayer, therapy, and medication – his will to claw through yet another day was gone. In his darkest hour, the young promising pastor decided he would rather join the angels than continue facing demons for years to come. The sign-off to his note, “Yours in the Name of Our Blessed Lord, Our Only Hope in Life and Death” brought a strange comfort, because grace covers all types sins, including self-harm and suicide. Yet grief and confusion remained.

The confusion escalated when another pastor, also from Saint Louis, asphyxiated himself to death because a similar, secret depression.

The news of these two pastor suicides rocked my world. How could these men – both gifted pastors who believed in Jesus, preached grace, and comforted others with gospel hope – end up losing hope for themselves?

Since that time, two more pastor friends of mine have taken their own lives – one of them also from St. Louis, and the other from Nashville.

For as long as I had been a Christian, I had also heard a teaching – which I came to understand as unbiblical and very destructive – that being a Christian and being depressed and suicidal aren’t supposed to go together. “Light always drives out darkness,” these teachers would say. “When you’re believing the right things, peace and joy will necessarily follow.” Based on these ideas, a worship song was released that became very popular among evangelical Christians. The lyrics included the confident declaration that “In His presence, our problems disappear.”

But when the real world hits, such teachings and songs hurt a lot more than they help. We are talking about flawed but faithful pastors, who prayed and read their Bibles every day, who served their churches and cities and counseled people and preached grace, ended their own lives…because in His presence, their problems did not disappear.

Affliction, God’s Kindness, and Me

I, too, have from time to time faced the demons of affliction, especially in the form of anxiety and depression. Most of the time, thankfully, this struggle has been more low-grade than intense. On one occasion, though, it flattened me physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

How bad was it? I could not fall asleep for two weeks straight. Even sleeping pills couldn’t calm the adrenaline and knock me out, which only made things worse. In the evenings I feared the quiet, knowing I was in for another all-night battle with insomnia that I was likely to lose. The sunrise also scared me as an unwelcome reminder that another day of impossible struggle was ahead. I lost fifteen percent of my body weight in two months. I could not concentrate in conversations. I found no comfort in God’s promises from Scripture. I couldn’t bring myself to pray anything but “Please help me” and “Please end this.”

According to a study conducted by Thom Rainer, circumstance-triggered melancholy hits ministers at a disproportionally higher rate than the general populace. Due to the unique pressures associated with spiritual warfare, unrealistic expectations from congregants and oneself, growing platforms for unaccountable criticism and gossip toward and about ministers (especially in the digital age), failure to take time off for rest and replenishment, marriage difficulties, financial strains, and the problem of comparison with other ministers and ministries, Rainer concludes that ministers are set up as prime candidates for descent into an emotional abyss.

7 Secrets to Being a High Achiever

Ron Edmondson

August 12, 2022

I get asked frequently how I am able to be a high achiever and get so much done while still taking care of myself and my family.

I pastor a large church. I maintain a separate nonprofit ministry, where I speak at various conferences and events. I have an active online presence. I mentor about a dozen pastors—some in groups and some as individuals—plus I mentor four young leaders in our church. And, I try to stay active in the community—serving on a number of nonprofit boards. But, mostly, I strive to be the person, husband and father my congregation could seek to follow.

OK, typing out a list of my activities does remind me I’m busy. Productive would be subject to interpretation, but certainly I have adequate (and more than adequate) activity in my life.

Honestly, I never feel I’ve accomplished as much as I would like, but after receiving the question so many times, perhaps I should attempt to answer.

As I’ve reflected on what helps me accomplish so much, I came up with some thoughts as to how I’m able to maintain productivity while being a high achiever.

Here are seven secrets to being a high achiever:

I’m extremely intentional

This is probably number one. I strive to live my life for a purpose, which carries over into everything I do. (Notice there are even seven steps in this answer. This was intentional.) If you could name one word to describe who I am as a pastor, leader, husband, father, friend and child of God, it would be intentional. (By the way, I’m intentional about resting too.) I even put the last sentence about rest in here intentionally, because I knew someone would wonder.

I don’t sit still long without a purpose

Being still is a discipline for me. Some seasons I’m better at it than others. I realize some people have no trouble with this, but I do. As I said about being intentional, I have to make myself rest. My mind is constantly in motion. If I’m watching a television program, which isn’t often, I’m doing attempting to do something productive while I watch—otherwise I feel I’ve “wasted” time. I wish I could say I’m always doing the “best” things, but certainly more activity leads to the potential for more productivity. Doesn’t always work this way, which is why some of the other points I’m listing are far more valuable than this one. But, I try to be productive even with down time—and, although it’s taken years to understand this, resting is a productive time.

I strive to maintain my health

I’d love to say I always watch what I eat, and I do to a certain extent, but mostly I exercise to stay fit. I’ve learned the more out of shape I am the less effective I am in all I attempt to do. It impacts me physically, emotionally and spiritually when I skip my time exercising. I’m more productive when I’m most physically fit. I’ve recently learned too my body needs to be adequately hydrated to feel at my best.

I work from a plan

Whether it’s long-term or short-term planning, I try to have one. I begin most every Monday morning (or sometimes Sunday nights) planning the week ahead. I find I’m more successful in my week if I’ve put some plans on paper prior to beginning any activity. Daily I begin by reviewing my plans for the day. I begin each day with five minutes spent on making a checklist of what I have to get done. At the beginning of a year, I plan the year. I periodically look over larger time spans of my life and plan or review where I’m going. Now, the further I get from the date, the more difficult it is to solidify my plans—life disrupts—but without a plan I find I’m spinning my wheels more than making progress.

I take advantage of opportunities

Did you catch that? It is not complicated, but it is a powerful principle for being a high achiever. Networking. Delegation. Time-management. Learning something new. Cultivating dead times. I am intentional (there’s that word again) at looking for opportunities as they present themselves. If I’m waiting at the doctor’s office, I’m probably writing a blog post or replying to emails. Small opportunities lead to huge opportunities. I seek those moments. (By the way, I always have something with me where I can make notes. When ideas come I want to be ready. Intentionally ready.)

Carlos Whitaker: Emotion in the Church – Manipulation or God’s Gift?

Carlos Whittaker

August 12, 2022

Carlos Whitaker once wrote his take about emotion in the church:

“I just can’t go to that church. It’s so full of emotional manipulation.”

I hear this all the time. I want to look them square in the eye and say that it’s no worse that their church’s intellectual manipulation.

And I also believe that the word “manipulation” is thrown around too loosely.
Here’s the deal.

God CREATED emotions. He CREATED us as emotional creatures. Yes, there is abuse of any gift He has given. But what I have seen is the church turn their back on emotion because they are scared people will make an “emotional decision.”

News Flash: It Needs to Be an Emotional Decision

God gave us emotions to feel and a mind to think.

Emotions can be dangerous just like intellect can be dangerous. I think it is more important to take the BS out of Bible Study than it is to take emotions out of decisions.

And past scars definitely push people towards one or the other.

Don’t lose one of God’s greatest gifts to us, emotion, because you have seen emotion in the church abused before.

Carlos Whittaker is a speaker, worship leader, and self-professed “hope dealer” who appears at some of the largest churches in the country including Fresh Life Church, Embrace Church, and North Point Community Church, among others. In addition, he’s been on stage at the Orange Conference, Catalyst, MomCon, Experience Conference, and many other key events. A People’s Choice Award winner, Carlos is the author of Moment Maker and Kill the Spider. He hosts the podcast Fill In the Blank with Carlos Whittaker. He lives in Nashville with his wife, Heather, and their three children.

Apology to Santa María Peregrina

First Asian American Vice President Elected

“Our world 20 years from now will be what we have raised our children to be today.”

Here are some differences between positive and negative Christianity that can help us to avoid the one and encourage the other.

The Best Strategic Plans Have Four Distinct Segments:

Determining Position and Reality Looks Like This:

Develop a Strategy

1. How will we succeed?

2. What specific areas need addressing? How should they be prioritized?

12 Characteristics of Evangelistic Pastors

1. They make themselves do evangelism.

2. They believe in the exclusivity of the gospel and truth of eternal judgment.

3. They hold themselves accountable to someone.

4. If they have staff, they hold them accountable to doing evangelism as well.

5. They don’t lock themselves up in their office.

6. They pray for non-believers by name.

7. They often have a global heart that translates into local evangelism.

8. They use the pulpit for evangelism, but they don’t stop there.

9. They tend to define “evangelism” narrowly (and properly, in my opinion).

10. They grieve when they don’t see lost persons get saved.

11. They tend to be disciplined in Bible study and prayer.

12. They humbly speak of their evangelistic attempts.

10 Things That Helped our Congregational Singing

1. I did not turn the lights down.

2. I did not turn the sound up.

3. I did not try to sound like the YouTube video.

4. I did not try lengthy or frequent instrumental solos.

5. I did not try the newest worship songs.

6. I did not try to get rid of their old favorite songs.

7. I did not try to greatly expand the song library.

8. I did not try rhythmically challenging melodies.

9. I did not try too many songs in a worship service.

10. I did not have my band play on every verse and chorus.

6 Resources for Exploring Youth Ministry Goals

1. Back to Basics: The Essence of Youth Ministry

2. Aim Your Actions at What You Want to Accomplish

10 Kids Messages We Love at Sermons4Kids

1. Joseph Forgives His Brothers

2. Elijah Is Fed by Ravens

3. Who Do You Trust?

4. The Potter & the Clay

5. God’s Prayer Warrior: Daniel

Beth Moore’s Tweet Sparks Strong Reactions

Derek Carr: Off-Field Victories Matter Most

Derek Carr: God Knew My Heart Was His

Affliction, God’s Kindness, and Me

Here are seven secrets to being a high achiever:

I’m extremely intentional

I don’t sit still long without a purpose

I strive to maintain my health

I work from a plan

I take advantage of opportunities

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